cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk and natural history of colonic neoplasia in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and ulcerative colitis

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) has been suggested as a risk factor for the development of colorectal cancer in ulcerative colitis (UC); however, previous studies of this association have been limited by small numbers of patients with PSC or have been performed retrospectively. This study prospectively evaluates the risk and natural history of colonic tumorigenesis in patients with PSC and UC and compares it with patients with UC without PSC. METHODS: Twenty patients with PSC and UC and 25 control patients with UC were followed prospectively by colonoscopic surveillance using extensive mucosal biopsy sampling. All control patients with UC had disease extending beyond the sigmoid colon of > or=8 years' duration; patients with PSC and UC were studied regardless of disease duration. RESULTS: Forty-five percent (9 of 20) of the patients with PSC and UC had dysplasia compared with 16% (4 of 25) of the control patients with UC (P
Enabling Hybrid Complementary-TFTs With Inkjet Printed TIPS-Pentacene and Chemical Bath Deposited CdS

We report the fabrication and device analysis to enable high performance/low-temperature complementary thin-film transistors (CTFTs) with 6, 13-Bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)-pentacene (TIPS-pentacene) and cadmium sulfide (CdS). Isolated transistors are first studied and then integrated in a fully patterned CTFT structure. N-type TFTs were fabricated using atomic layer deposition HfO2 as gate dielectric, followed by a CdS film deposited by chemical bath deposition at 70 °C. A novel approach that uses a parylene-C hard mask to avoid damage to the CdS n-type semiconductor is introduced. Also, a comparison between the n-type transistor performance using two different metals (Au and Al) for source-drain electrodes is presented. P-type transistors were fabricated using a novel approach that combines photolithography and ink-jet printing processes. TIPS-pentacene is deposited with inkjet printing in the active channel well, which is photolithographically defined. The p-type TFT mobilities ranged from 1.2×10-3 to 1.5×10-2 cm2/V-s, whereas for n-type TFTs mobilities were ~ 10 cm2/V-s. CTFTs with a maximum processing temperature of 150 °C are demonstrated. Inverters with gains of 17 were achieved. This fabrication process is compatible with large area and low-cost technologies for flexible electronics applications.
III–V Ternary bulk substrate growth technology: a review

Semiconductor substrates with variable band gaps and lattice constants are key enables for advanced electronic, optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices. Some of the recent advances made in the area of large diameter, compositionally homogeneous, bulk ternary crystal growth of GaInSb, GaInAs, GaInP, AlInSb, and InAsSb will be discussed. Characteristics of infrared photodetectors fabricated using ternary substrates have been presented.
Number of Sexual Partners and Health Lifestyle of Adolescents Use of the AMA Guidelines for Adolescent Preventive Services to Address a Basic Research Question

Objective: To expand understanding of the behavioral epidemiology of an important sexually transmitted disease risk factor within a clinical framework of theAMA Guidelines for Adolescent Preventive Services (GAPS): Recommendations and Rationale. Design: Cross-sectional analysis of the fourth year of a longitudinal study of adolescent health behavior. Setting: High schools in a single major urban school district. Participants: Nine hundred and forty-six white, African American, and Hispanic sexually active adolescents. Main Outcome Measures: Number of sexual partners in previous year and other health-risk and health-protective behaviors. Measures are operationalized according to guidelines for adolescent preventive services recommendations. Results: Adolescents with 3 or more sexual partners annually were more involved with potentially health-harming behaviors such as illicit substance use and less involved with potentially health-protective behaviors such as seat belt use. These relationships were independent of sex, ethnic group, or socioeconomic status. Conclusions: The number of sexual partners may be considered part of a larger pattern of adolescent health-risk and health-protective behaviors. The guidelines may provide a useful framework for clinical assessment of these patterns as part of a routine health care visit of adolescent patients. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1997;151:1139-1143
Corneal Hypesthesia and Retinopathy in Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract Testing with the Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer revealed a strong correlation between corneal sensitivity and retinal status in a group of diabetic patients. Eyes with normal fundi had normal corneal sensitivity. Those with background retinopathy had somewhat decreased sensitivity, while those with proliferative retinopathy showed a greater loss of sensitivity. Eyes that had received panretinal photocoagulation treatment demonstrated the most severe reduction in corneal sensation. Two independent processes appear to be responsible for the observed data: in untreated patients, corneal hypesthesia is a form of diabetic sensory neuropathy, while the hypesthesia associated with laser treatment is attributed to laser damage to sensory nerves lying beneath the choroid. The data show that corneal sensitivity testing can be used as a simple, sensitive, and accurate screening test for proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Optically triggered GaAs thyristor switches: integrated structures for environmental hardening

Optically-triggered thyristor switches often operate in adverse environments, such as high temperature and high dose-rate transient radiation, which can result in lowered operating voltage and premature triggering. These effects can be reduced by connecting or monolithically integrating a reverse-biased compensating photodiode or phototransistor into the gate of the optically-triggered thyristor. We have demonstrated the effectiveness of this hardening concept in silicon thyristors packaged with photodiodes, and in gallium arsenide optically-triggered thyristors monolithically integrated with compensating phototransistors.
Surgery as a single modality therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue

Purpose: The treatment of squamous cell cancer of the oral tongue remains a challenging clinical problem. The efficacy of primary treatment with surgery versus radiation therapy for early stage disease and an adequate treatment paradigm for the clinically negative neck continues to be the subject of clinical debate. We have reviewed our experience in the treatment of oral tongue cancer with surgery as a single definitive treatment modality. Patients and Methods: From 1971 to 1993, 79 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue were treated with surgery alone at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Results: Clinically, 69% of the patients presented with stage I/II disease and 31% presented with stage III/IV. Survival by pathological stage I to IV was 89%, 95%, 76%, and 65%, respectively. Surgical therapy ranged from partial to total glossectomy. There were no patients with positive margins. Local recurrence was observed in 15% of patients with close margins (<1 cm) and 9% of patients with adequate margins (≥1 cm). The incidence of pathological node positive (N+) disease was 6%, 36%, 50%, and 67% for T1, T2, T3, and T4 tumors, respectively. Twenty-five percent of patients undergoing elective neck dissection were pathological N+. All pathological confirmed nodal disease was at level I or II. Of the 43 patients with clinical N0 disease, 16% subsequently developed regional recurrence, all of which were surgically salvaged. Conclusion: Locoregional control in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue can be achieved with primary surgical therapy. Adequate margins are crucial to local control. Salvage neck dissection may result in long-term survival for patients with regional relapse. Because of the high rate of occult disease (41%), we currently recommend prophylactic treatment of regional lymphatics for primary clinical disease of T2 or greater.
W boson condensation in p-p collisions?

Abstract We address the question of whether W ± boson condensation can occur in high-energy collisions.
Hepatic enzymatic synthesis and hydrolysis of CoA esters of solvent-derived oxa acids.

Many ethylene glycol-derived solvents are oxidized to xenobiotic alkoxyacetic acids (3-oxa acids) by hepatic enzymes. The toxicity of these ubiquitous solvents has been associated with their oxa acid metabolites. For many xenobiotic carboxylic acids, the toxicity is associated with the CoA ester of the acid. In this study, related alkoxyacetic acids were evaluated as potential substrates for acyl-CoA synthetases found in mitochondrial, peroxisomal, and microsomal fractions isolated from rat liver. Likewise, chemically synthesized oxa acyl-CoAs were used as substrates for acyl-CoA hydrolases associated with the same rat liver fractions. Activities of the xenobiotic oxygen-substituted substrates were compared with analogous physiologic aliphatic substrates by UV–vis spectrophotometric methods. All of the solvent-derived oxa acids were reasonable substrates for the acyl-CoA synthetases, although their activity was usually less than the corresponding physiologic acid. Acyl-CoA hydrolase activities were decreased compared with acyl-CoA synthetase activities for all substrates, especially for the oxa acyl-CoAs. These studies suggest that these xenobiotic carboxylic acids may be converted to reactive acyl-CoA moieties which will persist in areas of the cell proximal to lipid synthesis, β-oxidation, protein acylation, and amino acid conjugation. The interaction of these xenobiotic acyl-CoAs with those processes may be important to their toxicity and/or detoxification. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 17:76–85, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.10063
Solid-State Synthesis and Properties of Y-Doped BaCeO3

BaCe1-xYxO3-α (x = 0.1, 0.15) solid electrolytes were prepared via ball milling raw powders of BaCO3, CeO2 and Y2O3, and pressing the powder mixtures into tablets followed by calcining in air. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the BaCe0.9Y0.1O3-α and BaCe0.85Y0.15O3-α solid solutions were synthesized at 1250°C and 1400°C, respectively. The solid electrolyte disks were made by grinding the calcined tablets into fine powders, cold isostatic pressing into the shape and sintering at 1550°C in air. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements revealed that they show useful protonic conduction, up to 2.7×10-2 S/cm at 900°C.
Minimization of Trojan footprint by reducing Delay/Area impact

Due to the globalization and capital costs of building and maintaining fabrication facilities, the number of fabs is shrinking every day and more vendors outsource the fabrication process to offshore fabrication facilities. Using such facilities makes the integrated circuits vulnerable to malicious alterations. These alterations are more commonly known as hardware Trojans and are usually created by insertion of additional logic circuitry. In this paper we propose two types of Trojans that we practically generated and explained how we potentially hide them from verification tools and trig them automatically. The minimal performance/area impact of our Trojans is through keeping the place and route of different components of existing logic unchanged and just adding few gates to the design.
A proposed physical model for the impregnated tungsten cathode based on Auger surface studies of the Ba-O-W system

Auger spectra and work function measurements are used to study the surface reactions between tungsten surface and adsorbed layers of barium, and barium and oxygen. The barium on an impregnated tungsten cathod seems to be an intermediate state, probably a coadsorbed barium-oxygen layer on tungsten. A slightly revised version of the previously suggested (1976) impregnated tungsten cathode model is proposed. This revised model assumes that the cathode surface during life has an adsorbed surface layer of a monolayer or less of both barium and oxygen on the surface. At end of life, steep drop in electron emission and resultant cathode failure occur. Recent NASA life test results on TWT type tubes are reported and explained by the proposed model.
Effect of Ion Pairing on In Vitro Transcorneal Permeability of a Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Prodrug: Potential in Glaucoma Therapy

ABSTRACT: The aim of the present study was to evaluate and improve the in vitro transcorneal permeability characteristics of Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) through prodrug derivatization and formulation approaches. In vitro corneal permeability of THC and its hemisuccinate (THC-HS) and hemiglutarate (THC-HG) ester prodrugs and WIN 55-212-2 (WIN), a synthetic cannabinoid, was determined using isolated rabbit cornea. The formulations studied included hydroxypropyl beta cyclodextrin (HPβCD) or randomly methylated beta cyclodextrin (RMβCD), as well as prodrug–ion-pair complexes with l -arginine or tromethamine. Corneal permeability of WIN was found to be two-fold higher than THC in the presence of HPβCD. THC-HS and THC-HG exhibited pH-dependent permeability. In the presence of HPβCD, at pH 5 (donor solution pH), both prodrugs exhibited six-fold higher permeability compared with THC. However, permeability of the prodrugs was about three-fold lower than that of THC at pH 7.4. RMβCD, at pH 7.4, led to a significant improvement in permeability. Formation of ion-pair complexes markedly improved the solubility and permeability of THC-HG (sevenfold and threefold greater permeability compared with THC and WIN, respectively) at pH 7.4. The in vitro results demonstrate that the use of an ion-pair complex of THC-HG could be an effective strategy for topical delivery of THC. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.
BCC-FCC, melting and reentrant transitions in colloidal crystals

Abstract Charged colloids exhibit a variety of order—disorder and structural transitions. If the interactions can be treated in a Debye-Huckel approximation and if the dielectric constant of the solvent arises from free dipoles and follows a Curie law, the partition function is temperature independent and the system is athermal. If the dielectric constant of the solvent increases faster than linearly with inverse temperature (as is the case for H2O) then the high-entropy phase occurs upon either heating or cooling from the more—ordered phase. As an illustration of these effects the FCC-BCC transition of colloidal crystals as a function of density and screening length is calculated.
The Iran-United States Claims Tribunal: What Lies Ahead?

The Iran-United States Tribunal has recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. Although it has resolved all of the cases brought by private claimants, it is still likely to be many more years before the Tribunal is able to complete the remaining government-to-government cases on its docket. There are multiple reasons why so much time will be required: the pending cases are extremely complex, the governments brief them slowly, and the Tribunal's decision-making process itself is slow. There does not for the foreseeable future appear to be an alternative to continued litigation, because the prospects of a global settlement of the remaining claims before the Tribunal are remote. The parties face challenges in developing reasonable assessments of the legal and economic costs and benefits of settlement. Beyond this, the strained political relations between the United States and Iran would make even a legally and economically rationale settlement extremely difficult to achieve. The challenge facing the Tribunal in the remaining years of its existence, in which the Iran and United States are the only parties before it, is to continue to decide cases in a principled fashion on the basis of the law and the facts, and to resist the temptation to reach compromise decisions in the interests of political expediency.
Neuropsychological and interpersonal antecedents of youth depression

This research examined neuropsychological and interpersonal factors that jointly confer vulnerability to youth depression. We proposed that (1) a reduced posterior right-hemisphere bias during the processing of facial expressions contributes to subsequent depressive symptoms in youth, and (2) maladaptive responses to interpersonal stress account for this association. Drawing from theory and research indicating sex differences in rates of hemispheric development, we also investigated sex differences in the associations among a reduced posterior right-hemisphere bias, maladaptive responses to interpersonal stress, and depressive symptoms. Hypotheses were examined in a longitudinal study of 95 4th to 8th graders (M age=12.33, SD=1.10). Results supported the notion that a reduced posterior right-hemisphere bias confers vulnerability to depressive symptoms over time in a sex-specific fashion, and implicate maladaptive stress responses as an explanatory mechanism.
The vividness effect: Elusive or illusory?

Abstract In spite of the widespread use of vived messages by advertisers and other would-be persuaders, empirical research has generated little support for the vividness effect. The apparently common belief in the persuasive powers of vividness, coupled with this lack of supporting research, suggests the possibility that vividness has an illusory effect on judgments. Two studies are presented which investigated this hypothesis. Both operationalized vividness as concrete and colorful languge. In Study 1, subjects rated vivid messages as significantly more persuasive than the same messages presented in a less colorful manner, thus demonstrating the pervasiveness of belief in the vividness effect. Study 2 confirmed that this belief may be the result of an illusion. Vivid messages produced an effect on judgments of a message's general persuasiveness, but not on judgments of one's own persuasion or on measures of actual attitude change. Study 2 also examined two possible sources of this illusion: (1) people recall vivid communications better than nonvivid messages and infer that they and/or others have been persuaded, and (2) people believe that interesting, attention-getting communications are persuasive and consequently infer that they and/or others have been persuaded after being exposed to a vividly presented communication. Results show that people infer persuasion based on interest and attention rather than recall.
Detection of individual atoms in helium buffer gas and observation of their real-time motion.

Single atoms are detected and their motion measured for the first time to our knowledge by the fluorescence photon-burst method in the presence of large quantities of buffer gas. A single-clipped digital correlator records the photon burst in real time and displays the atom's transit time across the laser beam. A comparison is made of the special requirements for single-atom detection in vacuum and in a buffer gas. Finally, the probability distribution of the bursts from many atoms is measured. It further proves that the bursts observed on resonance are due to single atoms and not simply to noise fluctuations.
Radiation Response of Large Core Polymer Clad Silica Optical Fibers

The radiation-induced optical losses in a selected group of large diameter polymer-clad silica (PCS) optical fibers has been measured in both steady state and pulsed radiation environments. Fibers typically were fabricated from radiation resistant synthetic silicas and silicone polymer materials. Measurements were made in situ at room temperature for operational wavelengths of 0.82?m and 0.92?m. Both growth and decay characteristics of the optical degradation were investigated. As a class, these fibers represent the most radiation resistant optical waveguides measured to date in the laboratory. Radiation-induced optical losses were in general lower at the longer wavelength but the response of all fibers was extremely nonlinear and complex with an important parameter being previous radiation history. For applications that do not require extremely low loss or ultra-high bandwidth but which demand radiation hardness, these large core PCS fibers must be considered as the most attractive candidates available to the systems' designer.
Drug Development in the 21st Century: Medicines, Man and Receptors

Drug development in the 20 t h century has increasingly focused on efforts to define molecular substrates - receptors, enzymes, ion channels etc - that can serve as targets for drug design. The advent of genomics has permitted the definition of receptors even in the absence of definition of their ligands or function. Whilst in principle genomics should generate a large increase in the number of potential drug targets there may exist, in practice, significant limits because of the complexity of the cellular signaling networks. Genomics has, however, influenced drug discovery in ways additional to a simple expansion of targets. It has provided the tools of contemporary drug discovery, the pathways to personalized medicines and, of particular importance, it has reshaped the nature of synthetic chemistry through the imposition of the paradigm of molecular biology. Despite this scientific success the fruits of medicine and healthcare remain mal-distributed. The poor world receives little attention and its diseases and public health infrastructure receive too little attention and too few resources. This is unacceptable since science, as mankind's single greatest intellectual achievement, should be shared by all.
Perception of hand motion direction uses a gravitational reference

We studied possible frames of reference for kinesthetic perception of imposed hand motion direction in the frontal plane in ten young adult subjects with no history of neuromuscular disease. In one experiment, subjects were instructed to set unseen hand motion imposed by a motorized linear slide device parallel to the trunk-fixed longitudinal axis, seven visually specified axes and vertical (gravitational axis) while in a standard erect head/trunk posture and with head/trunk orientation varied. The visually specified axes were presented on a head-mounted display that also blocked vision of the external environment. In a second experiment using the same device, subjects set unseen hand motion parallel to vertical and to subjective oblique directions of 45° clockwise (cw) and counter clockwise (ccw) from vertical in erect and varied head/trunk postures. Errors for setting hand motion to vertical and to verbally specified oblique axes (45° cw and ccw from vertical) were lower than to the trunk longitudinal axis and visually specified axes. There were clear oblique effects in setting hand motion to visually specified axes and to subjective oblique (45° cw and ccw) axes. When head and trunk orientation were varied, variable errors were higher for all axes, but remained lowest for vertical and subjective oblique axes. Moreover, errors for setting hand motion to all axes depended on head/trunk orientation. Overall, these results show that kinesthetic perception of imposed hand motion uses a subjective gravitational frame of reference that varies somewhat with head/trunk orientation.
Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy on silver-nanoparticle-coated carbon-nanotube networks fabricated by electrophoretic deposition

In this study, the efficiency of silver nanoparticle (AgNP) decorated carbon nanotube (CNT) based porous substrates has been investigated for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) applications. The fabrication of uniform thin coatings of carbon nanotubes is accomplished by Electrophoretic Deposition (EPD) on organosilane functionalized silicon substrates. The deposition process exemplifies a fast, reproducible and single-step room temperature coating strategy to fabricate horizontally aligned porous CNT network. Surfactant stabilized AgNPs were deposited on the CNT networks by immersion coating. The acquired Raman spectra of Rhodamine6G (R6G) analyte examined on the fabricated Ag-CNT-Si substrates exhibited enhanced signal intensity values when compared to SERS-active planar AgNP-Si substrates. An overall enhancement factor of ∼109 was achieved for the tested analyte which enables pushing the limit of detection to 1 × 10−12 M (1 pM). The enhancement can be attributed to the large surface area offered by the AgNP-CNT porous network, which is expected to increase the number of effective “hot spots” for the SERS effect.
Stereocontrolled syntheses of water-soluble inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C: inhibition enhanced by an interface.

Three inositol 1,2-(cyclic)-phosphate analogs, inositol cyclic phosphonates with different stereochemistry at the C-2 position of the inositol ring, have been synthesized as water-soluble inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC). Their inhibition of both phosphotransferase and cyclic phosphodiesterase activities has been studied in the absence and presence of an interface. Key results include the following. (i) Only the analog with the same stereochemistry at the C-2 position of the inositol ring as the natural substrate, myo-inositol 1,2-(cyclic)-phosphate (cIP), exhibits effective inhibition of PI-PLC. (ii) The inhibition of the PI-PLC cyclic phosphodiesterase activity by this cIP analog is enhanced by the presence of an interface (Triton X-100 or diC7PC micelles). This is the first observation of detergent enhancing the effectiveness of a water-soluble inhibitor competing with a water-soluble substrate. (iii) For the cyclic phosphodiesterase activity measured in the presence of 8 mM of the best (e.g., most activating) interface, diC7PC, myo-inositol 1,2-(cyclic)-2-methylenephosphonate (cICH2P) was shown to be a competitive inhibitor with a Ki of 12.3 mM. (iv) The IC50 obtained for the same compound inhibiting the PI-PLC hydrolysis of PI dispersed in DiC7PC micelles was consistent with a Ki approximately 10 mM for the phosphotransferase activity. The similarity of Ki for both PI and cIP processing by PI-PLC suggests both reactions occur at the same site on the enzyme.
Electron scattering in hot/warm plasmas

Electrical and thermal conductivities are presented for aluminum, iron and copper plasmas at various temperatures, and for gold between 15000 and 30000 Kelvin. The calculations are based on the continuum wave functions computed in the potential of the temperature and density dependent self-consistent 'average atom' (AA) model of the plasma. The cross sections are calculated by using the phase shifts of the continuum electron wave functions and also in the Born approximation. We show the combined effect of the thermal and radiative transport on the effective Rosseland mean opacities at temperatures from 1 to 1000 eV. Comparisons with low temperature experimental data are also presented.
Near real-time face detection and recognition using a wireless camera network

We present a portable wireless multi-camera network based system that quickly recognizes face of human subjects. The system uses low-power embedded cameras to acquire video frames of subjects in an uncontrolled environment and opportunistically extracts frontal face images in real time. The extracted images may have heavy motion blur, small resolution and large pose variability. A quality based selection process is first employed to discard some of the images that are not suitable for recognition. Then, the face images are geometrically normalized according to a pool of four standard resolutions, by using coordinates of detected eyes. The images are transmitted to a fusion center which has a multi-resolution templates gallery set. An optimized double-stage recognition algorithm based on Gabor filters and simplified Weber local descriptor is implemented to extract features from normalized probe face images. At the fusion center the comparison between gallery images and probe images acquired by a wireless network of seven embedded cameras is performed. A score fusion strategy is adopted to produce a single matching score. The performance of the proposed algorithm is compared to the commercial face recognition engine Faceit G8 by L1 and other well known methods based on local descriptors. The experiments show that the overall system is able to provide similar or better recognition performance of the commercial engine with a shorter computational time, especially with low resolution face images. In conclusion, the designed system is able to detect and recognize individuals in near real time.
EFFECT OF PROTEASE INHIBITORS ON EARLY EVENTS OF APOPTOSIS

Proteolysis is an early event of apoptosis which appears to be associated with activation of the endonuclease which is responsible for internucleosomal DNA cleavage. The present study was designed to reveal the possible role of proteolysis in other early events, such as chromatin condensation, nuclear breakdown, and destabilization of in situ DNA double-stranded structure. Apoptosis of human leukemic HL-60 cells and rat thymocytes was induced by different agents, including DNA topoisomerase inhibitors, an RNA antimetabolite, and the glucocorticosteroid, prednisolone. DNA degradation was evaluated by pulsed field and conventional gel electrophoresis and by the presence of in situ DNA strand breaks. DNA stability was estimated by the measure of its sensitivity in situ to denaturation. Chromatin condensation, nuclear breakdown, and other morphological changes were monitored by interference contrast and UV microscopy following cell staining with the DNA-specific fluorochrome 4',6-diamidino-2- phenylindole. Several irreversible or reversible serine protease inhibitors prevented internucleosomal DNA degradation, nuclear breakdown, and destabilization of DNA double-stranded structure. The effective inhibitors, however, did not prevent the onset of chromatin condensation, nor the loss of the fine structural framework, nor the initial step of DNA cleavage generating DNA fragments of >=50 kb in size. The data indicate that in both cell systems the activity of proteases sensitive to the inhibitors tested is needed for internucleosomal DNA cleavage to occur. The data also suggest that these proteases may be involved in dissolution of the nuclear envelope. Because nuclear matrix proteins and histones stabilize DNA in situ, and the decrease in DNA stability which occurs during apoptosis is precluded by the inhibitors, it is likely that serine proteases may degrade DNA stabilizing proteins. The activity of these proteases, however, appears needed neither for DNA cleavage to >=50-kb fragments nor for the onset of chromatin condensation which is associated with dissolution of the structural framework of the nucleus.
EMLTrust: An enhanced Machine Learning based Reputation System for MANETs

Many mission critical networks including MANETs for military communications and disaster relief communications rely on node cooperation. If malicious nodes gain access to such networks they can easily launch attacks, such as spreading viruses or spam, or attacking known vulnerabilities. One way to defend against malicious nodes is to use Reputation Systems (RS) that try to predict future behavior of nodes by observing their past behavior. In this paper, we propose a Machine Learning (ML) based RS that defends against many patterns of attacks. We specifically consider the proposed RS in the context of MANETs. After introducing a basic RS, we propose further enhancements to it to improve its performance and to deal with some of the more challenging aspects of MANETs. For instance, we consider digital signature based mechanisms that do not require trusted third parties, or servers that are always online. Another enhancement uses an algorithm called Fading Memories that allows us to look back at longer histories using fewer features. Finally, we introduce a new technique, called Dynamic Thresholds, to improve accuracies even further. We compare the performance of our RS with another RS found in the literature, called TrustGuard, and perform detailed evaluations against a variety of attacks. The results show that our RS significantly outperforms TrustGuard, even when the proportion of malicious nodes in the network is high. We also show that our scheme has very low bandwidth and computation overhead. In contrast to existing RSs designed to detect specific attacks, ML based RSs can be retrained to detect new attack patterns as well.
Middle ultraviolet imager observations of the distribution of polar mesospheric clouds

Abstract Observations of the spatial structure and distribution of Polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) in the northern and southern polar regions were made during the arctic summers of 1998–1999 and austral summer of 1997–1998 by a middle ultraviolet imager (235–263 nm). The imager look-point made multiple transpolar passes over the Arctic and Antarctic and obtained thousands of images of PMCs at latitudes poleward of 55°. The unprecedented accuracy and stability of the satellite platform (∼10 μrad) allowed investigation of both the large-scale (100 km) and small scale (∼1 km) spatial structures of PMCs. The UV imager readily observed PMCs distinct from the atmospheric backgrounds. The clouds existed in discrete, filamentary structures throughout the polar region above latitudes of ∼55°. Vertically, PMCs generally lie between altitudes of 82.0 and 83.0 km, but within this range, cloud altitudes are essentially random on transpolar scales of ∼1000 km. In some instances, the clouds cluster at common altitudes for distances of ∼100 km. The PMC altitudes do not appear correlated with latitude or local time. A diffuse signal above the clouds, possibly related to Polar Mesospheric Summer Echoes, was observed in some cases. Horizontally, PMCs exhibit structure on scales of ∼50 km to ∼1000 km that is probably related to gravity wave activity in the polar region. The horizontal periodicities of the PMCs can remain stable for at least 24 hours.
Hemodynamic Predictors of Renal Function Following Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation

collected by retrospective chart review; missing values were imputed using the mean. SHFM scores were used to estimate survival with medical therapy and compared to actual clinical outcomes following LVAD implant using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. SHFM scores were also rounded to the nearest integer to permit comparison of outcome stratified by IM profile to SHFM. Results: IM profiles were: 4 (n535), 5 (n536), 6 (n522) with a mean of 4.960.8. Mean SHFM score was 2.160.8. Mean age at implant was 57613 years, ejection fraction was 1566%. 72 were male and 74 were implanted as a bridge to transplant. 65 were implanted with HeartMate II, 22 Ventrassist, and 2 HeartWare HVAD. Absolute risk reduction in mortality at 2 years with LVAD was 27%, corresponding to a hazard ratio of 0.38 (p!0.0001) (Figure 1). IM profile was not predictive of LVAD survival (p50.32). SHFM score was predictive of LVAD survival (p!0.05). The predicted SHFM estimate for medical therapy for SHFM 1, 2, and 3 was 90%, 76%, and 44% at 1 year vs. observed of 95%, 92%, and 71%. Conclusions: Survival following LVAD implant in IM profile 4-6 patients is substantially improved compared to SHFM estimate. Results from the REVIVE-IT trial, which is designed to study a similar population in a prospective, randomized fashion, are eagerly anticipated.
Synthesis of 3-methoxy-9-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-6,7-dihydro-5H-benzo[7]annulen-4-ol, a potent antineoplastic benzosuberene derivative for anti-cancer chemotherapy

Benzosuberene 8 is a tubulin polymerization inhibitor that possesses remarkable potency against a variety of cancer cell lines. Herein, an efficient synthetic route for 8 is described featuring a Claisen rearrangement/RCM sequence and a late stage Suzuki coupling as the key steps. By adopting this strategy 8 was synthesized in eight steps in 18% overall yield starting from known compound 18.
THE PERMEABILITY OF GASES THROUGH REACTING SOLUTIONS: THE CARBON DIOXIDE-BICARBONATE MEMBRANE SYSTEM

The transport of a gas across a stationary hquld film containing reactive species 1s investigated for the purpose of determining gas permeablhtles or mass transfer coefficients m reacting solutions Under hnutmg condltlons when the reaction time constant far exceeds the dtiuslonal time constant, the flux of the transported gas follows Flck's law of dlffuslon Analytical series solution for the contnbutlon of the chemical reaction to the transport process 1s obtained usmg the technique of perturbation analysis, criteria for the validity of various terms m the series solution are presented The permeablhty of carbon dioxide m water and m 1N NaHCOrNa2C0, solution 1s estimated It 1s shown that a hleh degree of accuracy m the data 1s necessary for obtammg separate estimates of dlffuslvlty and sol&htyby this technique
Predicting Commitment in New Relationships: Interactive Effects of Relational Self-construal and Power

Previous research has demonstrated that individuals with highly relational self-construals define the self in terms of close relationships and tend to behave in ways that enhance the development and maintenance of important relationships (Cross, Morris, & Gore, 2002). Other research suggests that having power in a situation allows one to pursue important goals, which we hypothesize may also include relationship goals. We examined how relational self-construal and power interacted with self-disclosure and forgiveness to predict commitment in new college roommate relationships over the course of a semester. Analyses revealed that self-disclosure and forgiveness were strong predictors of commitment and change in commitment. Furthermore, relational self-construal and power moderated the association of self-disclosure and forgiveness with commitment.
DNA fragmentation induced by protease activation in p53-null human leukemia HL60 cells undergoing apoptosis following treatment with the topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin: cell-free system studies.

Abstract We studied the role of proteases in apoptosis using a cell-free system prepared from a human leukemia cell line. HL60 cells are p53 null and extremely sensitive to a variety of apoptotic stimuli including DNA damage induced by the topoisomerase I inhibitor, camptothecin. We measured DNA fragmentation induced in isolated nuclei by cytosolic extracts using a filter elution assay. Cytosol from camptothecin-treated HL60 cells induced internucleosomal DNA fragmentation in nuclei from untreated cells. This fragmentation was suppressed by serine protease inhibitors. Serine proteases (trypsin, endoproteinase Glu-C, chymotrypsin A, and proteinase K) and papain by themselves induced DNA fragmentation in naive nuclei. This effect was enhanced in the presence of cytosol from untreated cells. Cysteine protease inhibitors (E-64, leupeptin, Ac-YVAD-CHO [ICE inhibitor]) did not affect camptothecin-induced DNA fragmentation. The apopain/Yama inhibitor, Ac-DEVD-CHO, and the proteasome inhibitor, MG-132, were also inactive both in the cell-free system and in whole cells. Interleukin-1β converting enzyme (ICE) or human immunodeficiency virus protease failed to induce DNA fragmentation in naive nuclei. Together, these results suggest that DNA damage activates serine protease(s) which in turn activate(s) nuclear endonuclease(s) during apoptosis in HL60 cells.
794: Comparison of neonatal neurologic injury with forceps, vacuum and cesarean delivery

Hospital characteristics analyzed included volume, geographic location, percent of patients with at least some college education, and percent of patients on public insurance. We included a hospital level variable indicating whether there were certified nurse midwives on (CNMs) on staff, with data obtained via telephone survey. We restricted the sample to hospitals open continuously from 1997-2006. RESULTS: Among 222 hospitals, 46% did not allow VBAC. Lower volume and rural location were associated with VBAC bans (73% of the smallest vs. 15% of the largest and 83% of rural vs. 34% of urban hospitals reported a ban). Bans were more common among hospitals serving patient populations with lower education levels (57% vs. 25%) and a higher proportion of patients on public insurance (57% vs. 34%). Only 8% of teaching hospitals had a ban (vs. 51% of nonteaching hospitals) and hospitals with CNMs on staff reported relatively fewer bans than those without (28% vs. 48%). CONCLUSION: Hospitals with VBAC bans are more likely to be smaller, rural, have a higher proportion of patients on public insurance, and lower average patient education levels. These findings suggest that VBAC policies may have differential impact on vulnerable populations reducing access to VBAC and increasing cesareans in that group.
Thorium(IV) chromate(VI) monohydrate

A new hydrated thorium chromate, Th(CrO4)2(H2O), has been synthesized under mild hydro­thermal conditions. The structure consists of ThO8 dodeca­hedra and ThO9 tricapped trigonal prisms that are inter­connected by chromate anions into a three-dimensional framework.
Factors Affecting Employee Satisfaction with Disability Accommodation: A Field Study

We developed and empirically tested a model for employee satisfaction with disability accommodation (our criterion). Our sample consisted of 333 employees who had requested and received a disability accommodation. We found support for most, but not all, of the links in our model. As hypothesized, employees whose input was sought by the organization and employees who received the requested accommodation were significantly more satisfied with their disability accommodation; employee race/ethnicity was indirectly related to employee satisfaction with disability accommodation. Contrary to our model, employee gender was not related to employee satisfaction with disability accommodation.
The very 5′ end and the constant region of Ig genes are spared from somatic mutation because AID does not access these regions

Somatic hypermutation (SHM) is restricted to VDJ regions and their adjacent flanks in immunoglobulin (Ig) genes, whereas constant regions are spared. Mutations occur after about 100 nucleotides downstream of the promoter and extend to 1-2 kb. We have asked why the very 5' and most of the 3' region of Ig genes are unmutated. Does the activation-induced cytosine deaminase (AID) that initiates SHM not gain access to these regions, or does AID gain access, but the resulting uracils are repaired error-free because error-prone repair does not gain access? The distribution of mutations was compared between uracil DNA glycosylase (Ung)-deficient and wild-type mice in endogenous Ig genes and in an Ig transgene. If AID gains access to the 5' and 3' regions that are unmutated in wild-type mice, one would expect an "AID footprint," namely transition mutations from C and G in Ung-deficient mice in the regions normally devoid of SHM. We find that the distribution of total mutations and transitions from C and G is indistinguishable in wild-type and Ung-deficient mice. Thus, AID does not gain access to the 5' and constant regions of Ig genes. The implications for the role of transcription and Ung in SHM are discussed.
Differential Effects of an Angiotensin II Analogue on Pressor and Adrenal Receptors in the Rabbit

The 1-sarcosine-8-alanine analogue of angiotensin II (1-Sar-8-Ala-angiotensin II) was infused at 1 and 5 µg/kg min-1 into conscious rabbits on normal or sodium-deficient diets. Blood pressures during the control period were comparable in both groups; plasma renin activity, angiotensin II concentration, and aldosterone concentration were higher in the rabbits on the sodium-deficient diet than they were in the rabbits on the normal diet. The analogue caused a 6-mm Hg fall in mean arterial blood pressure in sodium-depleted rabbits. Plasma renin activity increased in both groups to eight to ten times the control values with the higher rate of infusion. Angiotensin II concentration paralleled plasma renin activity. Plasma aldosterone concentration increased after infusion of the analogue at 1 µg/kg min-1 to three to four times the control values but decreased from these high levels after an additional 90-minute infusion at 5 µg/kg min-1 to only one to two times the control values in both groups. Infusion of an...
Clamshell opening in the mixed-metal supramolecular aggregates formed by fourfold reduced corannulene for maximizing intercalated metal content.

The first members of a new class of supramolecular organometallic compounds with mixed-alkali-metal cluster cores, LiK5 and Li3K3, sandwiched between two four-fold reduced corannulene decks are prepared and fully characterized. The triple-decker supramolecular anions, [(C20H104−)(LiK5)6+(C20H104−)]2− and [(C20H104−)(Li3K3)6+(C20H104−)]2−, illustrate a record ability of bowl-shaped and highly charged corannulene to provide all its sites, five benzene rings fused to a central five-membered ring, for binding of six alkali-metal ions. The previously unseen engagement of the hub-site of C20H104− in lithium binding is accompanied by unprecedented shifts up to −24 ppm in 7Li NMR spectra. The discussion of product formation mechanism, augmented by calculations, is provided.
Possible Association of GroES and Antigen 85 Proteins with Heat Resistance of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis

Conflicting reports on the heat resistance of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis prompted an examination of the effect of culture medium on this property of the organism. M. paratuberculosis was cultured in three types of media (fatty acid-containing medium 7H9-OADC (oleic acid-albumin-dextrose-catalase supplement) and glycerol-containing media WR-GD and 7H9-GD [glycerol-dextrose supplement]) at pH 6.0. M. paratuberculosis grown under these three culture conditions was then tested for heat resistance in distilled water at 65 degrees C. Soluble proteins and mycolic acids of M. paratuberculosis were evaluated by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC), respectively. The type of culture medium used significantly affected the heat resistance of M. paratuberculosis. The decimal reduction times at 65 degrees C (D(65 degrees C) values; times required to reduce the concentration of bacteria by a factor of 10 at 65 degrees C) for M. paratuberculosis strains grown in 7H9-OADC were significantly higher than those for the organisms grown in WR-GD medium (P < 0.01). When the glycerol-dextrose supplement of WR was substituted for the fatty acid supplement (OADC) in 7H9 medium (resulting in 7H9-GD), the D(65 degrees C) value was significantly lower than that for the organism grown in 7H9-OADC medium (P = 0.022) but higher than that when it was cultured in WR-GD medium (P = 0.005). Proteomic analysis by 2-DE of soluble proteins extracted from M. paratuberculosis grown without heat stress in the three media (7H9-OADC, 7H9-GD, and WR-GD) revealed that seven proteins were more highly expressed in 7H9-OADC medium than in the other two media. When the seven proteins were subjected to matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometric analysis, four of the seven protein spots were unidentifiable. The other three proteins were identified as GroES heat shock protein, alpha antigen, and antigen 85 complex B (Ag85B; fibronectin-binding protein). These proteins may be associated with the heat resistance of M. paratuberculosis. Alpha antigen and Ag85B are both trehalose mycolyltransferases involved in mycobacterial cell wall assembly. TLC revealed that 7H9-OADC medium supported production of more trehalose dimycolates and cell wall-bound mycolic acids than did WR-GD medium. The present study shows that in vitro culture conditions significantly affect heat resistance, cell wall synthesis, and protein expression of M. paratuberculosis and emphasize the importance of culture conditions on in vitro and ex vivo studies to estimate heat resistance.