cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Composition, dielectric breakdown, and bandgap of ultra-thin amorphous boron oxynitride produced by magnetron sputtering

Abstract Ultra-thin amorphous boron oxynitride films were deposited at room temperature on silicon and polymer substrates using radio frequency magnetron sputtering of a hexagonal boron nitride target in varied argon-nitrogen background gas ratios. The effects of nitrogen content in the sputtering gas, changes in target-to-substrate distance, and magnetron power density on the film composition were investigated with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and correlated to the dielectric breakdown strength and bandgap obtained from current-voltage measurements and Tauc plots. Films grown in pure Ar atmosphere at a large target-to-substrate distance displayed compositions containing metallic boron, which led to a decrease in the dielectric breakdown strength. The use of Ar:N2 mixtures and pure N2 eliminated metallic boron bonding. Decreasing the target-to-substrate distance and target power density during reactive sputtering resulted in B:N stoichiometry ratio closer to one and about 25–30 at.% oxygen. Smooth surface morphology films grown in pure N2 at a small target-to-substrate distance exhibited dielectric breakdown strength of 2.1–2.4 MV cm−1at 30 nm film thickness and bandgap of 5.4 eV. The results show the suitability of amorphous boron oxynitride for application as an insulator or gate dielectric in thin-films flexible transistors and other electronics when a low processing temperature is required.
The Use of Bandit Algorithms in Intelligent Interactive Recommender Systems

In today's business marketplace, many high-tech Internet enterprises constantly explore innovative ways to provide optimal online user experiences for gaining competitive advantages. The great needs of developing intelligent interactive recommendation systems are indicated, which could sequentially suggest users the most proper items by accurately predicting their preferences, while receiving the up-to-date feedback to refine the recommendation results, continuously. Multi-armed bandit algorithms, which have been widely applied into various online systems, are quite capable of delivering such efficient recommendation services. However, few existing bandit models are able to adapt to new changes introduced by the modern recommender systems.
SF5 and SCF3-substituted tetrahydroquinoline compounds as potent bactericidal agents against multidrug resistant persister Gram-positive bacteria

Bacteria persister cells are immune to most antibiotics and hence compounds that are active against persister bacteria are needed. We screened a chemical library of SF5- and SCF3-substituted tetrahydroquinoline compounds, synthesized via the Povarov reaction, for antibacterial activity and identified active compounds that displayed good activities against many Gram-positive bacteria, including persisters. The most potent of these compounds, HSD1835, inhibited the growth of drug-resistant Gram-positive bacterial pathogens (including clinical strains) at concentrations ranging from 1 μg mL−1 to 4 μg mL−1. Several of the SCF3- and SF5-containing compounds were active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and against the two most fatal strains of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), VRE faecalis and VRE faecium. The compounds showed bactericidal activity against stationary phase persister MRSA in time-kill assays. Mechanistic studies showed that HSD1835 acts by disrupting bacterial membranes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to confirm bacterial membrane disruption. Interestingly, in a 30 day serial exposure experiment, MRSA remained susceptible to low-dose HSD1835 whilst resistance to ciprofloxacin and mupirocin emerged by day 10. Analogs of HSD1835, which did not bear the SF5 or SCF3 moieties, were inactive against bacteria. Recent reports (G. A. Naclerio, N. S. Abutaleb, K. I. Onyedibe, M. N. Seleem and H. O. Sintim, RSC Med. Chem. 2020, 11, 102–110 and G. A. Naclerio, N. S. Abutaleb, D. Li, M. N. Seleem and H. O. Sintim, J. Med. Chem. 2020, 63(20), 11934–11944) also demonstrated that adding the SF5 or SCF3 groups to a different scaffold (oxadiazoles) enhanced the antibacterial properties of the compounds, so it appears that these groups are privileged moieties that enhance the antimicrobial activities of compounds.
Experimental point and area precipitation probability forecasts for a forecast area with significant local effects

Abstract This paper describes the results of a recent experiment designed to investigate the ability of forecasters to make point and area precipitation probability forecasts. The location of the experiment (Rapid City, South Dakota) was chosen because of the existence of a network of raingages and because of significant local effects that cause variation among points in terms of precipitation occurrence. A similar experiment conducted at a different location in 1972–73 yielded encouraging results (see Winkler and Murphy, 1976), but the lack of variability in precipitation occurrence among points in the forecast area in that experiment made it difficult to answer several important questions of interest. On each forecasting occasion during the Rapid City experiment, the forecasters made an average point probability forecast for the area, individual point probability forecasts for four specific points in the area, an area probability forecast, and an expected areal coverage forecast. The results indicate th...
Selling small and smart: The Future of the sustainable enterprise

Much of the popular management thought on sustainability focuses increasing operational efficiency and innovation of more environmentally benign products and processes. Some would argue, however, that this is not enough to become a sustainable society because it does not address levels of consumption. As a means to address reduced consumption as an important component of sustainability, this paper will outline the experiences of three companies that have adopted business models that help customers purchase less of their traditional products. Drawing lessons from the experiences of these three companies, the paper will then outline the key challenges in adopting this business model, and steps to face these challenges.
Informal Helping Mechanisms: Conceptual Issues in Family Support of Reentry of Former Prisoners.

Abstract Reentry of formerly incarcerated individuals into society is an experience that must be negotiated not only by the former prisoner, but also by many other actors. Research has examined the pre-prison experiences, the incarceration experiences, and the post-release behavior of former prisoners, focusing on how such experiences affect the socioeconomic and psychological stability and well-being of the family. This research has stimulated renewed and widespread interest in what to do with individuals once they have been released from prison. However, a major source of support for formerly incarcerated individuals upon releasenamely, the familyhas gone unresearched. Because many returning former prisoners have contacts with their families upon release, conceptual issues regarding family support must be considered before researchers' ideas about reentry-problem solutions can be evaluated. To inform and enlighten the former prisoner reentry-family support discussion, this article reviews the current st...
Adaptation of the CARE Guidelines for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork Publications: Efforts To Improve the Impact of Case Reports

Case reports provide the foundation of practicebased evidence for therapeutic massage and bodywork (TMB), as well as many other healthrelated fields. To improve the consistency of information contained in case reports, the CARE (CAse REport) Group developed and published a set of guidelines for the medical community to facilitate systematic data collection (http://www.care-statement.org/#). Because of the differences between the practice of medicine and TMB, modifying some sections of the CARE guidelines is necessary to make them compatible with TMB case reports. Accordingly, the objectives of this article are to present the CARE guidelines, apply each section of the guidelines to TMB practice and reporting with suggested adaptations, and highlight concerns, new ideas, and other resources for potential authors of TMB case reports. The primary sections of the CARE guidelines adapted for TMB case reports are diagnostic assessment, follow-up and outcomes, and therapeutic intervention. Specifically, because diagnosis falls outside of the scope of most TMB practitioners, suggestions are made as to how diagnoses made by other health care providers should be included in the context of a TMB case report. Additionally, two new aspects of the case presentation section are recommended: a) assessment measures, which outline and describe the outcome measures on which the case report will focus, and b) a description of the TMB provider (i.e., scope of practice, practice environment, experience level, training, credentialing, and/or expertise) as part of the intervention description. This article culminates with practical resources for TMB practitioners writing case reports, including a TMB Case Report Template—a single document that TMB practitioners can use to guide his or her process of writing a case report. Once the template is adopted by authors of TMB case reports, future efforts can explore the impact on the quality and quantity of case reports and how they impact TMB practice, research, education and, ultimately, the clients.
Haplotype analysis of the HSD17B1 gene and risk of breast cancer: Results of the NCI breast and prostate cancer cohort consortium

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 2554 The 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 gene (HSD17B1) encodes 17HSD1, which catalyzes the final step of estradiol biosynthesis, namely the conversion of estrone to the more biologically active estradiol. Despite the important role of HSD17B1 in hormone metabolism, few epidemiologic studies of HSD17B1 and breast cancer have been conducted. We report here the results from a large, International collaborative study, the NCI Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium (BPC3), of breast cancer and HSD17B1. The study includes 3,800 cases of European and U.S. whites and 6,000 matched controls drawn from 5 large, well-established cohorts. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the genomic region of HSD17B1, including SNP discovery, haplotype construction, and selection of haplotype-tagging SNPs (htSNPs). Twenty-six validated SNPs located within a 42 kb genomic region in and around HSD17B1 were selected for haplotype determination by (1) sequencing germline DNA from 95 patients with advanced breast cancer from a multiethnic cohort (MEC) and (2) searching a public database for common markers located, on average, every 2kb in the gene region starting 30 kb upstream of the transcription start codon, across the gene and 10 kb downstream of the last exon. The 26 SNPs were genotyped in 349 women without a history of cancer drawn from the MEC, and htSNPs were chosen using the method of Stram et al (2003). This method infers haplotype frequencies and maximizes a measure of correlation, RSQ-H, between the genotypes of the htSNPs and the haplotypes themselves. The cumulative frequency of the three most common haplotypes among the European-US population of the MEC was 83%. Three htSNPs, as well as a previously studied SNP, +2923A/G (S312G), were selected for the European-US population and genotyped in cases and controls. The RSQ-H statistic for these htSNPs was 0.82. Among the controls, the cumulative frequency of the three common haplotypes was 93%. The odds ratios (OR) for each haplotype relative to the most common haplotype ranged from 1.00 to 1.07, global p for heterogeneity=0.79. The ORs for the +2923A/G SNP hypothesized to alter the function of HSD17B1 were A/G :0.98 (95%CI: 0.89-1.08) and G/G :0.96 (95%CI: 0.85-1.08) compared to the A/A genotype. This analysis provides no evidence that genetic variation in HSD17B1 is associated with breast cancer risk as a main effect among white women of European decent. Analyses are currently underway to assess whether the associations differ among subgroups defined by exposure and demographic variables.
Immunofluorescence in the Study of Marek's Disease I. Detection of Antigen in Cell Culture and an Antigenic Comparison of Eight Isolates

The indirect fluorescent-antibody (FA) test was applied to the detection of Marek's disease (MD) antigen in cell culture and antibody in the serum of birds. For the detection of antigen, sera were obtained from birds hyperimmunized with the JM strain of MD. MD antigen could be detected in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm of duck and chick embryo fibroblasts and in those of chick kidney cells infected with material known to contain the MD virus. Uninoculated cultures of chicken cells were always free of MD antigen. When chick kidney cells were infected with a stock cellular preparation of MD virus, infected cells could be detected after 24 hr with the FA test. At this time no cytopathological areas were seen by conventional light microscopy. By 7 days after infection, the same number of infected areas were detected by both methods, and the fluorescent areas coincided with the cytopathological areas. This indicates that the fluorescent areas and the areas with cytopathology are caused by the same agent. A straight-line relationship between the dilution of inoculum and the number of fluorescent or morphological foci obtained indicates that one infectious unit produced one fluorescent or morphological focus. In addition, this time sequence study confirmed the cell association of the virus and demonstrated the cell-to-cell spread of infection. Cell cultures inoculated with eight different isolates of MD were tested in all combinations with sera prepared against the same isolates. The antigens were indistinguishable from one another, indicating that either the strains are antigenically identical or there is a common antigen or contaminant in all of them so that they stained equally well. The FA test can detect MD antigen before cytopathological areas develop in cell culture; however, the small size of the area usually examined precludes its use in initial isolations in which only a small number of infectious units are present in the inoculum. MD-infected cells contain a heat-stable antigen similar to that found in herpes simplex-infected cells.
siRNA directed against c-Src enhances pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell gemcitabine chemosensitivity

Abstract Background The c-Src tyrosine kinase is a determinant of malignant cellular behavior in a variety of human cancers. We sought to determine the effect of suppressing c-Src expression on pancreatic adenocarcinoma chemosensitivity to gemcitabine. Study design PANC1, MIAPaCa2, BxPC3, and Capan2 pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines were studied. Expression of c-Src was determined by Western blot analysis. c-Src kinase activity was determined by in vitro kinase assay. RNA interference was used to suppress c-Src expression. Gemcitabine-induced cytotoxicity was determined by tetrazolium reduction assay and caspase profiling was performed. The effect of Src-specific siRNA on Akt activity was quantified. Results Src expression and kinase activity in cell lines were directly correlated with gemcitabine chemoresistance. c-Src-specific siRNA suppressed c-Src expression and kinase activity. c-Src-specific siRNA increased gemcitabine-induced, caspase-mediated apoptosis. Akt activity was decreased by suppression of c-Src expression. Conclusions c-Src is a determinant of pancreatic adenocarcinoma chemoresistance and represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention.
Adapting to winter in wheat: a long-term study follows parallel phenotypic and genetic changes in three experimental wheat populations

Drawing a direct connection between adaptive evolution at the phenotypic level and underlying genetic factors has long been a major goal of evolutionary biologists, but the genetic characterization of adaptive traits in natural populations is notoriously difficult. The study of evolution in experimental populations offers some help - initial conditions are known and changes can be tracked for extended periods under conditions more controlled than wild populations and more realistic than laboratory or greenhouse experiments. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, researchers studying experimental wheat populations over a 12-year period have demonstrated evolution in a major adaptive trait, flowering time, and parallel changes in underlying genetic variation (Rhone et al. 2008). Their work suggests that cis-regulatory mutations at a single gene may explain most of the flowering time variation in these populations.
Genetic Ancestry and Asthma and Rhinitis Occurrence in Hispanic Children: Findings from the Southern California Children’s Health Study

There are errors in Table 4. Please see the corrected Table 4 here. Table 4 Associations between Participants’ Sociodemographic Characteristics and Exposures with Amerindian Ancestry
Elevated left ventricular outflow tract velocities on exercise stress echocardiography may be a normal physiologic response in healthy youth.

Background Children with heart disease are at risk for sudden death during exercise, yet decisions regarding sports participation are often based on resting data. Acceleration across the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) assessed on stress echocardiography may suggest a diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in patients in whom it is not otherwise obvious. However, the range of peak velocities across the LVOT in healthy youth is unknown. The aim of this study was to describe LVOT velocities with maximal exercise in this age group. Methods Subjects up to 18 years old were prospectively enrolled if they had normal results on resting echocardiography and were undergoing exercise testing for other reasons. Subjects with significant comorbidities, suspected cardiomyopathy, or family histories of cardiomyopathy were excluded. Peak LVOT velocities were measured in the upright position using continuous-wave Doppler immediately after maximal exercise. Results Fifty subjects (mean age, 13.8 ± 2.8 years) were included. Twenty-eight (56%) were male, and 40 (80%) were Caucasian. The median peak LVOT velocity measured immediately after exercise was 2.5 m/sec (range, 1.3–5.9 m/sec). Sixteen subjects (32%) developed peak LVOT velocities of ≥3 m/sec. Twelve of the 16 (75%) with elevated velocities had a dynamic outflow tract Doppler pattern, of whom eight had evidence of intracavitary narrowing on two-dimensional echocardiography. Conclusions The development of significant exercise-induced LVOT velocities may be a normal physiologic finding in healthy youth. The measurement of LVOT velocities alone with maximal exercise may not help distinguish patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy from healthy children.
Rural inequality and rural-push versus urban-pull migration: the case of Iran 1956-1976.

Abstract Using Iranian data (1956–1976), this paper reexamines the classic debate on rural-push versus urban-pull migration. Following a discussion of the push vs. pull distinction, a method is introduced to operationalize such a distinction for empirical testing. The connection between rural inequality and push versus pull factors is then analyzed for Iran. Drawing on an earlier study which showed the dominance of push factors among the landless and pull factors among the landed farmers, this paper shows that overall migration (among both groups) responded more to push than to pull factors during the 1956–1976 period.
The Linear Least-Squares Prediction Approach to Two-Stage Sampling

Abstract The linear least-squares prediction approach is applied to some problems in two-stage sampling from finite populations. A theorem giving the optimal (BLU) estimator and its error-variance under a general linear “superpopulation” model for a finite population is stated. This theorem is then applied to a model describing many populations whose elements are grouped naturally in clusters. Next, the probability model is used to analyze various conventional estimators and certain estimators suggested by the theory as alternatives to the conventional ones. Problems of design are considered, as are some consequences of regression-model failure.
Studies on the eleterious effects of free radicals on myocardial contractility and hemodynamics in dogs: Protection by felodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist

There is convincing evidence that re-oxygenation of ischemic organs is associated with the formation of oxygen free radicals and increases in cell calcium that exacerbate the ischemic injury. The objective of the present studies was to determine whether felodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, would be effective in preventing cardiovascular toxicity produced by oxygen free radicals. In pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs, intravenous (i.v.) administration of xanthine plus xanthine oxidase [X + XO] resulted in a rapid fall in arterial blood pressure (by 50–60 mmHg) and heart rate (by 30–40 beats/min). All the indices reflecting cardiac function such as contractility index (max dp/dt/p), cardiac output, stroke volume, left ventricular stroke work, and left ventricular minute work were significantly attenuated during a 120 min observation period. Pretreatment of the animals with felodipine (0.01 μmol/kg, i.v.) provided moderate but significant protection from [X + XO]-induced deterioration of cardiovascular function, whereas the higher dose (0.05 μmol/kg, i.v.) effectively prevented any adverse alterations in cardiovascular function. The results obtained in the present studies suggest that oxygen free radicals facilitate calcium overload in the ischemic cells and can account for the efficacy of several calcium channel antagonists in preventing ischemic injury such as ischemic renal failure in various experimental models. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Unilamellar Liposomes with Enhanced Boron Content

A new type of boron-rich, DSPC-free, unilamellar liposomes was formed using the novel dual-chain, ionic, nido-carborane lipid, K[nido-7-(C16H33OCH2)2CHOCH2-7,8-C2B9H11] (DAC-16), and cholesterol for encapsulation of an aqueous buffer core. Since DSPC was not necessary for the formation of stable DAC-16 liposomes, the boron concentration of these vesicles was increased dramatically to approximately 8.8 wt % in the dry lipid; these liposomes had a high bilayer boron incorporation efficiency of 98%. DSPC-free liposomes exhibited a size distribution pattern of 40−60 nm, which was in the range normally associated with selective tumor uptake. This size distribution was maintained throughout storage at room temperature for several months. Additionally, optimized liposome formulations incorporating DAC-16, DSPC, and cholesterol were identified having stable size distribution patterns after storage for more than two months at a variety of temperatures. Although animal studies indicate that DAC-16 liposomes are tox...
Formulation of high order finite difference approximations to the 3-D neutron diffusion equation

Abstract A high order finite difference approximation (FDA) for the efficient solution of 3-D equations containing the Laplacian operator has been formulated for homogeneous mediums. The method was developed for equal spacing and can have either a 4th or 6th order truncation error, depending on the number of points involved in the computational molecule and on 2 adjustable parameters evaluated from the numerical solution. The model is well suited for numerical computation and can easily be implemented in the FDA codes.
On the relation between subglottal pressure and fundamental frequency in phonation.

The change in fundamental frequency with subglottal pressure in phonation is quantified on the basis of the ratio between vibrational amplitude and vocal fold length. This ratio is typically very small in stringed instruments, but becomes quite appreciable in vocal fold vibration. Tension in vocal fold tissues is, therefore, not constant over the vibratory cycle, and a dynamic tension gives rise to amplitude–frequency dependence. It is shown that the typical 2–6 Hz/cm H2O rise in fundamental frequency with subglottal pressure observed in human and canine larynges is a direct and predictable consequence of this amplitude–frequency dependence. Results are presently limited to phonation in the chest register.
Psychological Adaptation to Pacemaker Following Cardiac Arrest

• :\s a result of ach'ances in medical sciences in tht' last few years, patients developing cardiac arrest can he revived and the heart kept heating hy temporary or permanent electronic pacemakers. 1\umerous articles are appearing in the literature describing the mechanics of such techniques and the complications associated with their use. However, there is no puhlished information dealing with the lwrson and his emotional adaptation to a paceillaker or to the cardiac arrest itself. The description which follows is concerned primarily with the thoughts, feelings and behavior of a patient who developed a series of Stokes-Adams attacks resulting from complete heart hlock and treated by a catheter pacemaker. A focus of these observations is the relationship of the patient to his illness and to the pacemaker. It is our helief that all patients requiring external lifesaving devices will react in various ways depending on their premorbid personality. Four fundamental adaptive responses are outlined following the case presentation. These four stages are part of the natural history of the response to, and resolution of, a particular stress experience, i.e., pacemaker (lifesaving device) attachment. A failure to resolve or work through anyone or more of these stages would result in interference with the general recovery process. In preparing this paper, the senior author decided to describe the story as it evolved. The significant observation, the four adaptive stages, is described in the discussion. Much
Crises in the Andes: A Contemporary Survey

The Andes in Focus: Security, Democracy, and Economic Reform. Edited by Russell Crandall, Guadalupe Paz, Riordan Roett. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2005. 237 pp., $49.95 cloth (ISBN: 1-58826-331-2), $19.95 paper (ISBN: 1-58826-307-X). It is truly striking to consider how easily the Andean region is overlooked in discussions on contemporary political concerns. Consider, for example, that the massive aid package from the United States, Plan Colombia, features a one-dimensional concentration on military aid. Moreover, it largely targets just one country, despite the broader socioeconomic underpinnings and regional dynamics of drug trafficking and the attendant guerrilla insurgency. Nonetheless, even though one might expect the sheer size of the aid package to engender some resistance or at least debate within US society, most US citizens remain ignorant of it. Very few would even identify Colombia as a major recipient of US aid. The unfamiliarity with Colombia is equaled only by the categorical neglect of the remaining countries in the region: Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. This is the case even though these countries, along with Colombia, exhibit fundamental political difficulties, sit mired in economic problems, and pose significant security concerns for the entire hemisphere. Against this backdrop, one can only welcome a new text on current events in the Andean region. The Andes in Focus: Security, Democracy, and Economic Reform , by Russell Crandall, Guadalupe Paz, and Riordan Roett, is meant to introduce readers to contemporary politics in the Andean countries and to convey the gravity of the challenges they face. As a descriptive study, this edited book is certainly a gem. Each country receives separate treatment in …
The expanding role of dental oncology in head and neck surgery

A comprehensive dental oncologic screening should be part of the pretreatment workup of patients who have head and neck cancer. This screening should be performed by a dentist who is familiar with the pathologic process of disease and type of treatment being rendered; in addition, he or she should comprehend the various morbidities associated with eradicating head and neck malignancy. The dental oncologist must provide the timeline for the surgeon and radiation oncologist in which all necessary dental treatment will be completed. It is important at this juncture to educate the patient as to the possible short- and long-term complications,no matter what treatment course they choose.Osseointegrated implants used in the rehabilitation of patients who have undergone head and neck surgery have provided a more reliable means of retaining intraoral and extraoral prostheses. With close communication between the head and neck surgeon and dental oncologist, and careful patient selection, better functional outcomes may be provided.
When Comparative Information Leads Us Astray: The Receptor-Binding Region of Colicin E9

In an effort to develop derivatives of the Escherichia coli antimicrobial protein colicin E9 that exhibit novel interactions with a target cell, we mutagenized a 10-amino acid region located at the C terminus of the colicin receptor-binding domain. We subsequently selected for those colicin molecules that retain the antimicrobial phenotype and found that, despite a mutagenic strategy that alters every amino acid in the targeted domain, more than 70% of the engineered colicins retained antimicrobial activity. This result is all the more surprising given the extensive phylogenetic conservation of this receptor-binding domain, which originally suggested the operation of strong selective constraints on the amino acid sequence of this region. This apparent contradiction between our experimental results and the comparative data is resolved by exploring the fitness consequences of the experimentally induced amino acid substitutions. In 17 of 52 cases we examined, the fitness of cells harboring the functional engineered colicins was lower than that of our control line (containing wild-type colicin E9), and in 33 of 52 cases, equal to it. Paradoxically, two of the engineered colicins appear to confer a higher fitness to the producer cell lines. While the mechanism linking changes in the amino acid sequence of the colicin receptor-binding domain and the growth rate of the cells remains unclear, these results illustrate the surprising versatility of the colicin/receptor interaction and underscore the importance of distinguishing molecular function from organismal fitness.
Extensive Fusion of Mitochondria in Spinal Cord Motor Neurons

The relative roles played by trafficking, fission and fusion in the dynamics of mitochondria in neurons have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, a slow widespread redistribution of mitochondria within cultured spinal cord motor neurons was observed as a result of extensive organelle fusion. Mitochondria were labeled with a photoconvertible fluorescent protein (mitoKaede) that is red-shifted following brief irradiation with blue light. The behavior of these selectively labeled mitochondria was followed by live fluorescence imaging. Marking mitochondria within the cell soma revealed a complete mixing, within 18 hours, of these organelles with mitochondria coming from the surrounding neurites. Fusion of juxtaposed mitochondria was directly observed in neuritic processes at least 200 microns from the cell body. Within 24 hours, photoconverted mitoKaede was dispersed to all of the mitochondria in the portion of neurite under observation. When time lapse imaging over minutes was combined with long-term observation of marked mitochondria, moving organelles that traversed the field of view did not initially contain photoconverted protein, but after several hours organelles in motion contained both fluorescent proteins, coincident with widespread fusion of all of the mitochondria within the length of neurite under observation. These observations suggest that there is a widespread exchange of mitochondrial components throughout a neuron as a result of organelle fusion.
The equation of motion of an electron: a debate in classical and quantum physics☆

The current status of understanding of the equation of motion of an electron is summarized. Classically, a consistent, linearized theory exists for an electron of finite extent, as long as the size of the electron is larger than the classical electron radius. Nonrelativistic quantum mechanics seems to offer a tine theory even in the point-particle limit.
Police minority recruitment: Predicting who will say yes to an offer for a job as a cop

Abstract Despite substantial gains made by law enforcement agencies in attracting minorities into police work, blacks still remain underrepresented in most municipal police departments. One common explanation for their underrepresentation has been that blacks find the prospect of a carrer in law enforcement unattractive, presumably because they have negative attitudes toward the police. Using survey data, this study used logistic regression to test whether attitudes toward the police predicted interest in police work among black and white high school seniors. Only limited support was found for the assertion that blacks' negative attitudes toward the police preclude their consideration of a career in law enforcement.
Amplification of superpositional effects through electronic-conformational interactions

Abstract Electronic-conformational interactions allow for a speedup of biomolecular structure formation that derives from the quantum mechanical superposition principle. Changing phase relationships among electronic states of different energy lead to perturbative interactions between non Born-Oppenheimer electrons and atomic nuclei that can have a self-amplifying (positive feedback) character. Conformations that satisfy the conditions for such an interaction are inherently unstable. The term “conformational soliton” refers to nuclear configurational changes that ripple through macromolecular lattices in a manner that preserves informational integrity. The model suggests that such states of ordered conformational motions are genetic to polymacromolecular organizations of the type that occur in biological cells.
At-wavelength, system-level flare characterization of extreme-ultraviolet optical systems

The extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) phase-shifting point-diffraction interferometer (PS/PDI) has recently been developed to provide high-accuracy wave-front characterization critical to the development of EUV lithography systems. Here we describe an enhanced implementation of the PS/PDI that significantly extends its measurement bandwidth. The enhanced PS/PDI is capable of simultaneously characterizing both wave front and flare. PS/PDI-based flare characterization of two recently fabricated EUV 10×-reduction lithographic optical systems is presented.
Possible transport energy sources for the future

In the medium to long term, low fossil fuel availability will make it necessary to find alternatives. Mass production of biofuels will not be a practical solution because it requires strong competition for land that is used for growing food. Therefore, it will be necessary to revise the frame of transportation energy sources. The number of pure light- and heavy-duty electric vehicles could increase in urban areas. Instead, it will be hard to find a viable alternative to the internal combustion engine for extra-urban transport vehicles, therefore alternative synthetic fuels could be used to compensate for fossil fuel depletion. Aside from a small share obtainable from biomass, most synthetic fuels are expected to be obtained from coal. Among these, synthetic natural gas represents a very good solution. In fact, synthetic natural gas will be advantageous with respect to hydrogen, whose on-board storage will be an unsolved problem in the medium term, and with respect to synthetic liquid fuels, which require more energy in the production phase. Moreover, the carbon content of liquid fuels, which is higher than that of gaseous fuels, will be responsible for higher CO2 emissions from vehicles. Currently, natural gas has poor diffusion in the transport sector, and this paper highlights the motivations for favouring a policy aimed at increasing the share of gaseous fuel-powered vehicles. In addition to the low environmental impact, synthetic natural gas also offers the possibility of optimising the utilisation of future resources.
Reversible blockade of complex I or inhibition of PKCβ reduces activation and mitochondria translocation of p66Shc to preserve cardiac function after ischemia.

Aim Excess mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) play a vital role in cardiac ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury. P66Shc, a splice variant of the ShcA adaptor protein family, enhances mROS production by oxidizing reduced cytochrome c to yield H2O2. Ablation of p66Shc protects against IR injury, but it is unknown if and when p66Shc is activated during cardiac ischemia and/or reperfusion and if attenuating complex I electron transfer or deactivating PKCβ alters p66Shc activation during IR is associated with cardioprotection.
Automated Green Building Rating System for Building Designs

AbstractAs the sustainability of building projects has become of great concern for construction professionals, a number of different green building rating systems have been developed to help ensure that building projects are designed and built using strategies intended to minimize or eliminate their impacts on the environment. In the United States, although the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system has been widely accepted as the national standard for sustainable building design, its assessment of green buildings is challenging and time-consuming owing to its complicated process. Such a green building rating process could be accelerated and facilitated by using computer technology such as building information modeling (BIM), an innovative, new approach to building design, engineering, and construction management that has been widely used in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. To enable the green building rating for a building design in BIM ...
Resurgence of Rabies: A Historical Perspective on Rabies in Children

Wildlife rabies in certain parts of the United States has been increasing. With greater urbanization, many areas have seen an influx of wild animals such as raccoons and foxes that are known wildlife reservoirs of rabies. Rabies encephalitis has been a fatal illness recognized by humans throughout history. The purpose of this review is to examine the history of rabies throughout the world to elucidate the evolution of popular and scientific knowledge of the disease in animals and humans. By examining this development from a pediatric perspective, we gain insight into the prevention and treatment protocols recommended for children today. Pediatricians need to include education about prevention and treatment of rabies exposures in their anticipatory guidance sessions with families. (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1995;149:306-312)
Discourses and Models of Intermediality

In his article "Discourses and Models of Intermediality" Jens Schroter discusses the question as to what relations do different discourses pose between different "media." Schroter identifies four models of discourse: 1) synthetic intermediality: a "fusion" of different media to super-media, a model with roots in the Wagnerian concept of Gesamtkunstwerk with political connotations, 2) formal (or transmedial) intermediality: a concept based on formal structures not "specific" to one medium but found in different media, 3) transformational intermediality: a model centered around the representation of one medium through another medium. Model 3) leads to the postulate that transformational intermediality is not located in intermediality but in processes of representation and thus transformational intermediality is the flip side of model 4) ontological intermediality: a model suggesting that media always already exist in relation to other media. Thus, model 4) suggests that there are no single media but that intermedial relations take place ubiquitously. Schroter comes to the conclusion that one should not start with definitions of media and then discuss intermediality but the opposite: The intermedial field (including the intermedial processes on writing about intermediality) produces definitions of media. Jens Schroter, "Discourses and Models of Intermediality" page 2 of 7 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 13.3 (2011): Thematic issue New Perspectives on Material Culture and Intermedial Practice. Ed. Steven Totosy de Zepetnek, Asuncion Lopez-Varela, Haun Saussy, and Jan Mieszkowski
The Evolution and Demise of North Brazil Current Rings

Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2006. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 36 (2006): 1241-1264, doi:10.1175/JPO2907.1.
The insulin secretory action of novel polycyclic guanidines: Discovery through open innovation phenotypic screening, and exploration of structure–activity relationships

We report the discovery of the glucose-dependent insulin secretogogue activity of a novel class of polycyclic guanidines through phenotypic screening as part of the Lilly Open Innovation Drug Discovery platform. Three compounds from the University of California, Irvine, 1–3, having the 3-arylhexahydropyrrolo[1,2-c]pyrimidin-1-amine scaffold acted as insulin secretagogues under high, but not low, glucose conditions. Exploration of the structure–activity relationship around the scaffold demonstrated the key role of the guanidine moiety, as well as the importance of two lipophilic regions, and led to the identification of 9h, which stimulated insulin secretion in isolated rat pancreatic islets in a glucose-dependent manner.
Simultaneous quantitative assessment of tumor cells in blood and bone marrow in primary breast cancer patients.

CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2008 Abstracts Abstract #302 Background: Both circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood and disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in bone marrow have been detected in primary breast cancer, but typically not quantitatively, simultaneously and using the same methodology. Here, we simultaneously assessed CTC and DTC levels in 390 primary breast cancer patients (Stages I-III), including treatment-naive and post-neoadjuvant patients. Materials and Methods : CTCs/DTCs were enumerated via a novel two-step assay (IE/FC) consisting of immunomagnetic enrichment (IE) and flow cytometry. First, samples were enriched for epithelial cells using magnetic beads coated with anti-EpCAM monoclonal antibody (mAb). Next, fluorescently labeled mAbspecific for an alternate EpCAM epitope was combined with a mAb against CD45 and a nucleic acid stain in multiparameter flow cytometry. Tumor cells were also isolated by IE followed by FACS sorting. Results : The assay quantitatively detected tumor cells in either blood or bone marrow obtained at time of breast surgery. Tumor cells were detected with greater frequency and at generally higher levels in bone marrow than in blood. In blood, CTCs ranged from 0 to 33.7 cells/mL (mean = 0.9 ± 2.4 cells/mL) and in bone marrow DTCs ranged from 0 to 501.8 cells/mL (mean = 16.8 ± 38.7 cells/mL). Direct comparisons in each patient revealed complex but significant correlation (Spearman's rank correlation = 0.12, p = 0.02) between CTC and DTC levels. In the subgroup of patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy (N=84), 51/79 (64%) were considered positive for DTC (>5.5 cells/mL, with range 0.3-262.2, mean 34±17.1) while 15/79 (19%) were considered positive for CTC (>0.8 cells/mL, with range 0-38.7, mean 1.4±5.7.) Treatment-naive patients were more likely to be considered positive in the blood (29% vs 19%, p=0.03.) than neoadjuvant patients, possibly reflecting treatment effect. CTCs or DTCs were isolated from selected patients with high cell burden and subjected to expression or genomic analyses, which confirmed the malignant nature of the cells and indicated the feasibility of molecular profiling of isolated CTCs/DTCs. Discussion : This approach provides quantitative detection and isolation of CTCs/DTCs in blood and bone marrow, and may be useful for analysis of early events in cancer progression. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 302.
Nonlinear ordinary differential equations in fluid dynamics

The equivalence between nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs) and linear partial differential equations (PDEs) was recently revisited by Smith, who used the equivalence to transform the ODEs of Newtonian dynamics into equivalent PDEs, from which analytical solutions to several simple dynamical problems were derived. We show how this equivalence can be used to derive a variety of exact solutions to the PDEs describing advection in fluid dynamics in terms of solutions to the equivalent ODEs for the trajectories of Lagrangian fluid particles. The PDEs that we consider describe the time evolution of non-diffusive scalars, conserved densities, and Lagrangian surfaces advected by an arbitrary compressible fluid velocity field u(x, t). By virtue of their arbitrary initial conditions, the analytical solutions are asymmetric and three-dimensional even when the velocity field is one-dimensional or symmetrical. Such solutions are useful for verifying multidimensional numerical algorithms and computer code...
Disastrous Rites: Liminality and Communitas in a Flood Crisis

A sense of communitas, well noted by social scientists, occurs in human societies during times of natural disaster. Using the Red River Valley Flood of 1997 as a case example, it is found that disaster communitas has similarities to ritual communitas specifically because people consciously ritualize and mythologize their actions during disaster. While this sacralization of practical action serves to optimize disaster response, it also creates an expanded sense of self, community, and purpose that can leave many survivors of disaster with a sense that they have undergone a profoundly meaningful peak experience.
An architecture for a modeling support system for simulation of environmental processes

Abstract This paper presents a new approach to modeling and simulation of environmental processes based on an integrated modeling support system. In this approach the complexity of a modeled system is managed through hierarchical decomposition and knowledge-based synthesis of system conceptual elements. The model management capabilities enable the user to recombine existing models in a flexible way to support new types of analyses. The presented approach to model generation and simulation differs from other approaches in that it offers: (1) a hierarchical, modular model specification, (2) a high-level model manipulation capability, and reusability, as well as, (3) a system-stored knowledge of model selection. The modeling support system has a potential for application in environmental decision support systems and spatial decision support systems.