cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A novel echocardiographic approach for assessing coronary artery origins.

Introduction Anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA) is a potential etiology of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in physically active individuals. Identification of coronary artery origins is an essential part of comprehensive pre-participation athletic screening. Although echocardiography is an established method for identifying AAOCA, current imaging protocols are time intensive and readers frequently have low confidence in coronary artery identification. Methods Echocardiographic images from a sample of 110 patients from a database of competitive athletes ages 13-22 years from the Kansas City metropolitan area were reviewed by six echocardiographers of varying experience. Coronary artery images were provided to the readers in the conventional single plane for all the patients; then biplane images of the same patients were presented to the readers. While reviewing the images, readers recorded perceived confidence level of identifying the coronary artery from 1 (least confident) to 5 (most confident). Ratings and differences between ratings were summarized descriptively by means and standard deviations across all readings as well as by individual reader. Results The mean confidence level of echocardiogram readers in identifying coronary artery origins increased by 0.4 points (P = .05) on a five-point confidence scale when using biplane imaging rather than single plane imaging. When assessing the variability of confidence of readers on the same patient, the between-reader variability improved from 25.9% to 10.3%. Conclusions Biplane echocardiographic imaging increases the confidence of readers in identifying coronary artery origins.
IRONMAN: GNN-assisted Design Space Explo r ati o n in High-Level Sy n thesis via Reinforce m ent Le a r n ing

Despite the great success of High-Level Synthesis (HLS) tools, we observe several unresolved challenges: 1) the high-level abstraction of programming styles in HLS conceals optimization opportunities; 2) existing HLS tools do not provide flexible trade-offs among different objectives and constraints; 3) the actual quality of the resulting RTL designs is hard to predict. To this end, we propose an end-to-end framework, IRONMAN. The primary goal is to enable a flexible and automated design space exploration (DSE), which can provide either optimized solutions under user-specified constraints, or Pareto trade-offs among different objectives (e.g., resource types, area, and latency). IronMan consists of three components: GPP (a highly accurate graph-neural-network-based performance predictor), RLMD (a reinforcement-learning-based DSE engine that explores the optimized resource allocation strategy), and CT (a code transformer that assists RLMD and GPP by extracting data flow graphs from original HLS C/C++). Experimental results show that, 1) GPP achieves high prediction accuracy, reducing prediction errors of HLS tools by 10.9X in resource usage and 5.7X in timing; 2) RLMD obtains optimized or Pareto solutions outperforming genetic algorithm and simulated annealing by 12.7% and 12.9%, respectively; 3) IronMan can find optimized solutions perfectly matching various DSP constraints, with 2.54X fewer DSPs and up to 6X shorter latency than those of HLS tools. IronMan is also up to 400X faster than meta-heuristic techniques and HLS tools.
Radiographic and Clinical Results of Minimally Invasive Chevron Akin Osteotomy for Moderate to Severe Hallux Valgus Deformities.

Background:Few studies have reported results of minimally invasive chevron Akin osteotomy (MICA) for moderate to severe hallux valgus correction. This study aims to evaluate MICA for moderate to se...
Radiosensitization of prostate cancer cells independent of their p53 status by valproic acid through down regulation of key proteins of the BASC complex

590 Histone deacetylases (HDAC) play a vital role in the regulation of gene transcription and are being considered as promising therapeutic targets for a wide range of cancer types. A number of molecules have been found to inhibit various classes of HDAC, termed histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACI). Here we report the HDACI valproic acid (VPA) acts as a radiosensitizing agent in prostate cancer (PCA) cell lines. DU145 and LNCaP prostate cancer cells irradiated with 2, 4 and 6 Gray of ionizing radiation showed an increased radiosensitivity when treated with 0.5mM VPA prior to irradiation as compared to untreated control cells. VPA causes a G1 arrest in these cells, possibly as a result of upregulation of p21 observed in both cell lines. Persistence of phosphorylated H2AX after irradiation in both the cell lines treated with VPA indicated abnormal double strand break repair kinetics. One possible mechanism could be a down regulation of the double strand break repair proteins BRCA1 and RAD51 in these cell lines. Downregulation of these proteins was shown to be post-transcriptional as mRNA levels did not change after treatment. The levels of other repair factors such as DNAPK, NBS1 and ATR did not change in response to VPA. Levels of RAD51 and BRCA1 proteins remained lower even after irradiation in both the cell lines treated with VPA. p53 protein was found to be significantly lower in DU145 and LNCAP cells treated with VPA. Further, both BRCA1 and p53 were not degraded through the proteasome pathway as MG-132 did not rescue these proteins from degradation. In summary, the results presented show that VPA radiosensitizes cells by affecting key proteins of the BRCA1 associated protein complex (BASC) involved in double strand break repair.
Karl Barth and the Importance of Thinking Theologically within the Nicene Faith

This article argues that if Catholic and Protestant theologians, prompted by the Holy Spirit, allowed their common faith in God as confessed in the Nicene Creed to shape their thinking and action, this could lead to more visible unity between them. Relying on Barth, the article suggests that the oneness, holiness, catholicity and apostolicity of the church can be understood best in faith that allows the unique object of faith, namely God incarnate in Christ and active in his Spirit, to dictate one’s understanding. Such thinking will avoid the pluralist tendency to eviscerate Christ’s uniqueness and attempts to equate church unity with aspects of the church’s visible existence. These approaches tend to undermine the importance of faith in recognizing that such unity means union with Christ through the Spirit such that it cannot be equated with or perceived by examining only its historical existence in itself and in relation to other communities of faith.
Chapter 18 Affinity Chromatography of DNA-Binding Proteins on DNA Covalently Attached to Solid Supports

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the preparation and use of DNA covalently linked to solid supports for studies of eukaryotic DNA-binding proteins. The use of columns containing DNA and RNA for the selective binding of proteins or complementary polynucleotide sequences has opened an approach of significance to the analysis of gene function and its regulation. The affinity concept has been employed for the separation of DNA polymerases, RNA polymerases, ribonucleases, reverse transcriptase, and DNA-binding proteins with sequence or strand specificity. A variety of methods exists for the preparation of affinity columns bearing double-stranded and single-stranded DNA chains. The adsorptive binding of DNA to cellulose and ultraviolet (UV) fixation of the adsorbed polynucleotide to improve the capacity of the columns are widely employed techniques. Some methods favor attachment of single-stranded DNA molecules to the solid support, while others permit the coupling of the 5′-ends of double-stranded polynucleotides to polysaccharide supports without degradation or loss of template function. Most of the methods involving formation of a phosphodiester bond through the 5′-phosphoryl group of DNA employ a carbodiimide coupling reaction.
Building an information infrastructure for enterprise applications

In a modern enterprise, it is inevitable that different portions of the organization will use different systems to produce, store and search their critical data. Competition, evolving technology, mergers, acquisitions, and geographic distribution all contribute to this diversity. Only by combining these various systems can the enterprise realize the full value of the data they contain. Yet building new applications across these various information sources can be amazingly painful, forcing developers to discover what data is where, figure out what it means, and learn myriad different interfaces.
Targeting of HIV-1 Nef to the Centrosome: Implications for Antigen Processing

To gain a better understanding of the intracellular sites of antigen processing we have looked at the localization of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 Nef protein by confocal microscopic and biochemical means. We found that ubiquitin (Ub)-Nef fusion proteins were localized to the centrosome in transfected COS-7 cells, and that the colocalization was inhibited by the microtubule-disrupting agent, nocodazole. Interestingly, we found that Ub-Nef trafficking to the centrosome was not dependent upon the metabolic stability of Ub-Nef nor on the inhibition of proteasome activity. We also analyzed the MHC class I antigen processing of a reporter epitope linked to the Ub-Nef fusion proteins and found that Ub-Nef was processed in COS-7 cells. In addition, we show that this processing was inhibited by nocodazole. We suggest that the centrosome may serve as a site of antigen processing in vivo.
Development as Division of Labor: Adam Smith Meets Agent-Based Simulation

Adam Smith thought the key to raising productivity was specialization and the division of labor, but this explanation has been marginalized in economic theory because it doesn't fit into neoclassical models. Using agent-based simulation (in particular an adapted version of the Howitt-Clower model of money) to step outside the constraints of traditional Walrasian equilibrium, I show how allowing for an endogenous division of labor vindicates several explanation of long-run growth which neoclassical analysis seems to rule out. For example, it is not the case, as the Solow model purports to demonstrate, that growth based on capital accumulation has a well-defined upper bound due to diminishing returns and depreciation, except in the special case where population and capital previously sufficed to exhaust the scope for productivity-enhancing specialization. In other cases, capital accumulation triggers the introduction of new goods, which were technologically known but not economically viable, and there is no particular limit to how much growth might be achieved in this way. The model provides a template for multiple candidate explanations for the Industrial Revolution: higher savings rates, larger markets due to international trade, or one or two new inventions, could all suffice to ignite a virtuous cycle in which exploration of the goods space expands the division of labor, which raises productivity and drives further exploration of the goods space, both from the demand side (larger markets make it easier to cover fixed costs of producing a new good) and the supply side (more capital is available to overcome the fixed cost hurdle). The model follows Romer (1990) in interpreting technological change as introduction of new goods; complements Romer (1990) by showing why the state of technology might differ across countries even when they have access to the same knowledge; and rivals Romer (1990) by opening up the possibility that the costs of invention might not be an important factor limiting growth via the introduction of new goods. (The alternative story is that it's easy to invent goods once they've become economically viable.) All results are derived from a simulation software developed by, and available from, the author.
Function of Phosphorylated Ribosomes: THE ACTIVITY OF RIBOSOMAL SUBUNITS PHOSPHORYLATED IN VITRO BY PROTEIN KINASE

Abstract The proteins of rat liver ribosomal subunits were phosphorylated by cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinases and the activity of the particles assessed. While we did not examine all of the possibilities, we did not find a ribosome function that was appreciably and consistently altered by phosphorylation. The synthesis of polyphenylalanine at high concentrations of magnesium (12.5 mm), which was dependent on elongation factors EF-1 and EF-2, was not changed if the ribosomes were phosphorylated. The synthesis of polyphenylalanine at low concentrations of magnesium (6 mm), which required the initiation factors EIF-1 and EIF-2 as well as elongation factors, was increased (18%) if the concentrations of phosphorylated ribosomes were limiting but not if initiation factors were limiting. The phosphorylation of the 40 S subunit increased only slightly (13%) the EIF-1-catalyzed binding of Phe-tRNA to the particle. Finally, there was no appreciable difference in the ability of phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated ribosomes to translate encephalomyocarditis virus RNA (which required all three initiation factors).
Grain Boundary Chemistry and Creep Resistance of Alumina

Recently, it has been reported that a dramatic improvement in creep resistance of alumina ceramics is obtained by the addition of yttrium (Y)/lanthanum (La) ions [1,2]. The original discovery of the beneficial effect of Y2O3 doping was made by French et al. [1] in an investigation of the creep behavior of equi-volume duplex structures, Al2O3: c-ZrO2(Y) and Al2O3: YAG systems. These investigators found that the creep rate of the duplex structures was significantly lower than their single phase constituents, and that the result could not be accounted for by simple composite theory. They suspected that the reduced creep rate of the duplex structures was a result of Y segregation to the grain boundaries, where the larger ionic size of the segregants obstructed the grain boundary mass transport process, the dominant creep mechanism for fine grained alumina. To test this concept, French et al. [1] added 1000 ppm Y (Y/Al atomic ratio) to pure Al2O3, and demonstrated that the creep rate was further reduced relative to that of the duplex structures. The tensile creep rate of the 1000 ppm Y-doped alumina was reduced two orders of magnitude as compared with undoped alumina. Subsequent work showed that the addition of 500 ppm La to alumina resulted in about the same amount of reduction in the creep rate as with Y addition [2]. Co-doping alumina with Mg and Y has also been reported by other investigators [3–5] to reduce the creep rate, but the effect was not as dramatic. Wakai et al. [6] reported that 1000 ppm Zr addition to alumina enhanced the creep resistance by a factor of about 15.
Pilot-Testing a Tutorial Dialogue System That Supports Self-Explanation

Previous studies have shown that self-explanation is an effective metacognitive strategy and can be supported effectively by intelligent tutoring systems. It is plausible however that students may learn even more effectively when stating explanations in their own words and when receiving tutoring focused on their explanations. We are developing the Geometry Explanation Tutor in order to test this hypothesis. This system helps students, through a restricted form of dialogue, to construct general explanations of problem-solving steps in their own words. We conducted a pilot study in which the tutor was used for two class periods in a junior high school. The data from this study suggest that the techniques that we chose to implement the dialogue system, namely a knowledge-based approach to natural language understanding and classification of student explanations, are up to the task. There are a number of ways in which the system could be improved within the current architecture.
Nanosatellite scheduling using a dictionary module and a ‘useful trick’ with coded unsigned integers

Schedulers for small spacecraft must satisfy the dual requirement of generating very efficient schedules while concurrently minimizing the resources required to create the schedule. This paper proposes a technique for searching for tasks that can be utilized to fill particular schedule locations. This approach is based on a modular system for storing important variables. This modular system has three important variables: t 0 , x 0 and y 0 . The variable y is latitude and x is longitude. Time variable t is an integer and each unit represents a time quantum. They are related to each other by three functions F t , F x , and F y . These functions are derived from a space time function where x 0 and y 0 are the normalized ground trace. These three variables can define a prospective instance of any task on an Earth-orbiting spacecraft. Similarly, this same approach could be used for planetary missions by making the ground trace references in relation to the local body.
Piezomodulated reflectivity of asymmetric and symmetric Alx1Ga1-x1As/GaAs/Alx3Ga1-x3As single quantum wells.

The piezomodulated reflectivity spectra of compositionally asymmetric ${\mathrm{Al}}_{\mathit{x}1}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}1}$As/GaAs/${\mathit{Al}}_{\mathit{x}3}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}3}$As single quantum wells exhibit transitions from bound to quasibound and quasibound to quasibound states. The quasibound states, which exist in the continuum between the lower and upper barrier energies, participate resonantly in interband transitions. The piezomodulated reflectivity spectrum of an asymmetric quantum well designed with the appropriate parameters shows the absence of a bound state. Symmetric quantum wells are compared with their asymmetric counterparts of equal well width. When 1s and 2s excitonic signatures are observed, their separation is used to determine excitonic corrections.
Computational identification of regulatory factors involved in MicroRNA transcription

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNA molecules that bind to and translationally repress mRNA transcripts. Currently ~1345 miRNAs have been identified in at least twelve species through experimental and computational approaches. Here, we report on a field not yet thoroughly investigated: the transcriptional regulation of miRNAs. Adequately locating miRNA promoter regions will provide a reasonable search space for computational and experimental studies to determine regulatory factors that drive miRNA transcription. Insight in to the factors that control miRNA transcription may provide clues regarding more complicated mechanisms of miRNA expression control in a developing organism. We use a novel Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) based approach to approximate promoter regions for intergenic miRNAs in order to detect specific and over-represented regulatory elements. We find that miRNA promoter regions may be enriched for binding sites that recruit transcription factors (TFs) involved in development, including several homeobox TFs such as HOXA3 and Ncx. Additionally, we use clustering techniques to cluster miRNAs according to tissue specificity to find tissue-specific regulatory elements. We find a few over-represented binding sites in brain-specific miRNA promoter regions, some of which recruit TFs involved specifically with the development of the nervous system. Based on the results we suggest an interesting mechanism for in vivo miRNA expression control. The EST-based pri-miRNA assembly program will be made available at the website of the DIANA-group by the time of publication (http://diana.pcbi.upenn.edu).
System adaptation as a trust response in tactical ad hoc networks

While mobile ad hoc networks offer significant improvements for tactical communications, these networks are vulnerable to node capture and other forms of cyber-attack. In this paper, we evaluated via simulation the impact of a passive attacker, a denial of service (DoS) attack, and a data swallowing attack. We compared two different adaptive network responses to these attacks against a baseline of no response for 10 and 20 node networks. Each response reflects a level of trust assigned to the captured node. Our simulation used a responsive variant of the ad hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV) routing algorithm and focused on the response performance. We assumed that the attacks had been detected and reported. We compared performance tradeoffs of attack, response, and network size by focusing on metrics such as "goodput", i.e. percentage of messages that reach the intended destination untainted by the captured node. We showed, for example, that under general conditions a DoS attack response should minimize attacker impact while a response to a data swallowing attack should minimize risk to the system and trust of the compromised node with most of the response benefit. We show that the best network response depends on the mission goals, network configuration, density, network performance, attacker skill, and degree of compromise.
Magnetic compensation in the bimetallic oxalates

Bimetallic oxalates are layered molecule-based magnets with either ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic interactions between transition metals M(II) and ${\text{M}}^{\ensuremath{'}}(\text{III})$ on an open-honeycomb lattice. Some Fe(II)Fe(III) bimetallic oxalates exhibit magnetic compensation (MC) at a compensation temperature ${T}_{\text{comp}}\ensuremath{\approx}30\text{ }\text{K}$ below the ferrimagnetic transition temperature ${T}_{c}\ensuremath{\approx}45\text{ }\text{K}$. To see if MC is possible in other bimetallic oxalates, we construct a theoretical model for bimetallic oxalates that exhibit antiferromagnetic interactions. By varying the M(II) and ${\text{M}}^{\ensuremath{'}}(\text{III})$ average orbital angular momentum, which can be controlled by the choice of interlayer cations, we find regions of MC in the families M(II)Mn(III) with $\text{M}=\text{Fe}$, Co, or Ni and $\text{V}(\text{II}){\text{M}}^{\ensuremath{'}}(\text{III})$ with ${\text{M}}^{\ensuremath{'}}=\text{Cr}$ or V but not in the family M(II)Ru(III) with $\text{M}=\text{Fe}$ or Cu.
Habituation to Captivity and Controlled Spawning of White Bass

Abstract We successfully spawned white bass Morone chrysops that had been habituated to captivity in indoor tanks for over 1 year and whose cycles were entrained by simulated temperature and light regimes. In summer (1990) 300 white bass (300–600 g) of an approximately even sex ratio were distributed into three 10,000-L water-recycle systems. One system was maintained under an ambient photoperiod and temperature regime, one was maintained under a regime that simulated a 9-month (compressed) annual cycle of changing photoperiod and temperature, and one was held at a temperature range at or above spawning temperature (15–25°C) and constant photoperiod (14 h light: 10 h darkness). By human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injections (1,100 IU/kg for female fish; 275 IU/kg for males), we induced the compressed-cycle fish to spawn in March 1991 and the ambient-cycle and constant-cycle fish to spawn in May 1991. Constant-cycle fish injected with hCG in March 1991 failed to spawn. Male white bass continuously held a...
Bilateral testicular tumors complicating congenital adrenocortical hyperplasia.

A case of bilateral steroid-secreting testicular tumors in a boy with congenital adrenocortical hyperplasia of the salt-losing type is presented. The steroidogenic activity of the testicular masses in vitro resembled that of abnormal adrenocortical tissue. Although large amounts of 17-ketosteroids were present in the urine, studies of the spermatic vein blood and testicular biosynthetic activity indicated that the tumors produced precursors for 17-ketosteroids but not the 17-ketosteroids themselves. There is evidence that endogenous ACTH played a role in tumor growth and secretion in this patient. It was not possible, from the studies performed, to determine whether the testicular tumors were derived from adrenocortical rest cells or from testicular interstitial cells. The importance of therapy with exogenous steroids aimed at suppressing endogenous ACTH production and urinary 17-ketosteroids is stressed.
Neuroplasticity to a single-episode traumatic stress revealed by resting-state fMRI in awake rats

Substantial evidence has suggested that the brain structures of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and amygdala (AMYG) are implicated in the pathophysiology of stress-related disorders. However, little is known with respect to the system-level adaptation of their neural circuitries to the perturbations of traumatic stressors. By utilizing behavioral tests and an awake animal imaging approach, in the present study we non-invasively investigated the impact of single-episode predator odor exposure in an inescapable environment on behaviors and neural circuits in rodents. We found that predator odor exposure significantly increased the freezing behavior. In addition, animals exhibited heightened anxiety levels seven days after the exposure. Intriguingly, we also found that the intrinsic functional connectivity within the AMYG-mPFC circuit was considerably compromised seven days after the traumatic event. Our data provide neuroimaging evidence suggesting that prolonged neuroadaptation induced by a single episode of traumatic stress can be non-invasively detected in rodents. These results also support the face validity and construction validity of using the paradigm of single trauma exposure in an inescapable environment as an animal model for post-traumatic stress disorder. Taken together, the present study has opened a new avenue to investigating animal models of stress-related mental disorders by going beyond static neuroanatomy, and ultimately bridging the gap between basic biomedical and human imaging research.
The Codevelopment of Trademark Law and the Concept of Brand Marketing in the United States before 1946

Brand marketing became a marketing ‘‘buzz word’’ in the 1990s and continues as one today. However, the concept of brand marketing dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century when it was usually described as trademark advertising. While marketing historians have long noted the popularity of national marketing of branded products at this time and even earlier, this article argues that in addition to the practice of brand marketing, the concept of brand marketing and the beginning of the brand marketing literature developed at this time. Technical trademarks had recently been distinguished from descriptive trade names and were easier to protect, so both marketers and lawyers promoted the use of trademarks and their support by consistent advertising to build what today is called brand equity. They urged that the trademark (brand) had become the key sales connection to consumers rather than the product itself or the company that sells it. In the first half of the twentieth century, the scope of brand ...
BH3-catalyzed oligomerization of ethyl diazoacetate: the role of C-boron enolates.

In contrast to trialkyl boranes, the reaction of borane (BH3) and ethyl diazoacetate (EDA) generates dimer, trimer, and oligomers of EDA. The products arise from double, triple, and multiple insertions of CHCO2Et groups in B−C bonds. On the basis of NMR spectroscopic data, trapping experiments, and computational studies, a novel C-boron enolate has been identified as a key intermediate in this reaction. This C-boron enolate species is calculated to be 7.1 kcal/mol (gas phase) more stable than its isomeric O-boron enolate form. Both spectroscopic data and trapping results also reveal the formation of a doubly borylated enolate generated as a side product by a proton transfer between the C- and O-boron monoenolates.
Extraction of α and β components from insoluble collagen by thiol compounds

Abstract Penicillamine (β,β dimethyl cysteine) was reported to induce an accumulation of soluble collagen in the skin of rats ( Nimni and Bavetta, 1965 ). The soluble material was shown to consist almost exclusively of α chains ( Nimni, 1965 ). Subsequently these findings have been confirmed in individuals treated with penicillamine ( Harris, Jaffe, and Sjoerdsma, 1966 ). During the course of studies to determine the “in vitro” effects of penicillamine on collagen metabolism it was observed that this compound, as well as other thiol reagents tested were able to solubilize significant amounts of collagenous material. The conditions for extraction as well as some characteristics of the subunits isolated are discussed in the present communication.
SEC sharply criticizes “earnings management” accounting

Chairman Levitt has attacked many of the current practices to “manage” earnings. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
WE-G-213CD-04: A Triggering System to Guide 4DMRI Image Acquisition

Purpose: To develop a practical triggering system based on pre‐selected respiratory amplitudes to guide prospectively the image acquisition of 4DMRI to track abdominal tumor motion for radiotherapytreatment planning.Methods: The proposed triggering scheme consists of a preparation stage and an acquisition stage. Immediately prior to MRI acquisition, the preparation stage monitors the respiration via an external respiratory belt. Based on the respiratory amplitude and status (i.e., inhalation↑ or exhalation↓), the respiration cycle is equally divided into N respiratory states. For example, in the 4‐state case, the 4 respiratory states are 5%↓″, 50%↑, 95%↑ and 50%↓. The 5%↓ and 95%↑ are used instead of 0% and 100% to improve the robustness of the triggering system. Each state is associated with a trigger which starts image acquisition for one and only one slice. A complete 4DMRI imageset requires N dynamic scans. In each dynamic scan, all slices are acquired once and each is in a specific respiratory state. In different dynamic scans, each slice is associated with different respiratory states to form a 4D dataset. For proof‐of‐principle, the triggering system was integrated into a T2‐weighted turbo spin echo sequence (TE=100ms, TR=7122ms) on a clinical 1.5T MRI (Philips Achieva) scanner. The 4‐state case was tested on a healthy subject. Results: Plots of the physiology data recorded and exported from the scanner clearly verified that triggers occurred at the expected locations. Four T2‐weighted images from a representative slice recorded the liver motion corresponding to the 4 respiratory states. Conclusions: Our results confirmed that the newly‐developed system could trigger prospectively to guide 4DMRI image acquisition to achieve T2 weighting, which has a better tumor‐tissue contrast than those offered by previous 4DMRI techniques with T1 or T2/T1 weighting. This is a first report of a pure T2‐weighted 4DMRI to track respiration induced abdominal motion.
Thrombospondin Stimulates Focal Adhesion Disassembly through Gi- and Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase-dependent ERK Activation

The matricellular protein thrombospondin (TSP) stimulates stress fiber and focal adhesion disassembly through a sequence (hep I) in its heparin-binding domain. TSP/hep I signals focal adhesion disassembly by binding cell surface calreticulin (CRT) and activating phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). However, other components of this signaling pathway have not been identified. We now show that TSP induces focal adhesion disassembly through activation of pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive G proteins and ERK phosphorylation. PTX pretreatment inhibits TSP/hep I-mediated focal adhesion disassembly as well as PI3K activation. In addition, membrane-permeable Gαi2- and Gβγ-blocking peptides inhibit hep I-mediated focal adhesion disassembly. Hep I stimulates a transient increase in ERK activation, which is abrogated by both PTX and PI3K inhibitors. Inhibiting ERK activation with MEK inhibitors blocks hep I-mediated focal adhesion disassembly, indicating that ERK activation is required for cytoskeletal reorganization. G protein signals and ERK phosphorylation are induced by TSP binding to cell surface CRT, because CRT null mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) fail to stimulate ERK phosphorylation in response to TSP/hep I treatment. These data show that Gi protein and ERK, in concert with PI3K, are stimulated by TSP·CRT interactions at the cell surface to induce de-adhesive changes in the cytoskeleton.
Photoacoustic detection of N2O and CO2 overtone transitions in the near-infrared

Abstract Photoacoustic detection of N 2 O and CO 2 overtone transitions in the 700–800 nm range is reported. These bands were previously observed using long-pathlength absorption spectroscopy. The sums of intensities are estimated by comparing the bands to the water overtone bands.
EPR-detected interaction between cytochrome a3 and cytochrome a in cytochrome c oxidase

Abstract A prevailing view of cytochrome c -oxidase's mode of action is that the cytochrome a moiety of the oxidase is first reduced by electrons from ferrocytochrome c , and then electron transfer occurs from cytochrome a to cytochrome a 3 and finally to oxygen [1]. We address the question of how this functional interaction is related to structural perturbation of the a 3 center by the a center or to simple proximity of the two centers. We have investigated this problem with NO complexed to heme a 3 in fully reduced oxidase ( a 2+ · Cu 1+ a · a 2+ 3 · Cu 1+ a3 ) and with NO and CO complexed to heme a 3 in a mixed valence (MV) state oxidase ( a 3+ · Cu 2+ a · a 2+ 3 · Cu 1+ a3 ). Bovine cardiac cytochrome c oxidase was prepared by methods of Refs. 2 and 3. Fully reduced and mixed valence complexes were prepared in a modified Thunberg cell under strictly anaerobic conditions. EPR (electron paramagnetic resonance) spectra were recorded under non-saturating microwave powers with a Bruker ER 420 (9.0 - 9.8 GHz) spectrometer over a 12–77 temperature range. The EPR of nitrosylferrocytochrome a 3 ( i.e. , a 3 NO in both fully reduced and MV forms showed detailed hyperfine structure from nitrogen nuclei of NO and proximal histidine. The EPR features encompassed a g-value range of g x , g z , g y = 2.09, 2.006, 1.98. The MV- a 3 -NO form, but not the fully reduced, showed additional temperature-dependent spectral changes setting in below 40 K. The most striking change occurred near g = 2.09 and smaller line-broadening changes occurred near g = 2.00. In MV- a 3 -NO there thus appears to be an internal magnetic interaction that shows rapid, temperature-dependent fluctuations down to 40 K but below 40 K slows sufficiently to allow resolution by EPR. This internal interaction has a magnitude of 12, 1.5, and 5 Gauss at g x , g z and g y respectively. At present we have two separate explanations for the phenomenon which both indicate a - a 3 interaction. Either, as a result of redox changes at cytochrome a , a changed ligand-binding environment, which has conformations that rapidly convert down to 40 K, occurs at NO-liganded cytochrome a 3 . Or, a dipolar spin-spin interaction occurs between the No-liganded and a paramagnetic metal center in cytochrome a ; this spin-spin interaction is modulated by temperature-dependent spin-lattice relaxation (which we have independently measured) of the center in cytochrome a . If the latter explanation is correct, the distance between a 3 -NO and the interacting center in cytochrome a can be estimated at 15 A, and the more likely interacting center in cytochrome a predicted to be heme a .
The Electoral College System, Political Party Dominance, and Voter Turnout, With Evidence from the 2004 Presidential Election

Within the context of a broadened version of the “rational voter model,” this study empirically investigates a hypothesis that asserts that within the context of the Electoral College System, the greater the degree to which either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party dominates the other in any given state, the lower the aggregate voter participation rate in that state. Using the 2004 Presidential election as the study period, the analysis includes a number of economic and demographic variables. Using a different methodology than previous studies of voter turnout and the Electoral College System, as well as more current data, this study finds strong empirical evidence for the hypothesis. It also is suggested that, logically, the Electoral College System distorts the pattern of voter turnout across states.
In situ preparation of lithographic resists containing glutarimide groups

Poly(acrylic acid) and poly(methacrylic acid) homopolymers, copolymers, and 1-μ-thick films have been converted in high yield to their corresponding cyclic imide derivatives by an in situ gas–solid phase reaction at 200°C with ammonia, methylamine, and ethylamine, respectively. Under similar reaction conditions with H2S or CH3SH as the reactive gas, sulfur was incorporated into the polymers in low yield. Under UV and electron beam irradiation, these cyclic derivatives degraded with main chain scission to eliminate isocyanic acid or alkyl isocyanate and to form olefins and ketenes. Poly(diacrylimide) was the exception and crosslinked. The poor solubility in organic solvents and the very high solubility in aqueous solutions of base limited the use of these films as positive resists. However, poly(methyl methacrylate) copolymers, containing 20%–25% cyclic groups, exhibited adequate solubility and sensitivity to be utilized as lithographic resists.
We've come a long way, baby!: but where women and technology are concerned, have we really?

Women have been making an impact on computing since the days of the Electronic Numerical Integrator Analyzer and Computer (ENIAC). Yet, the contributions of women in information technology (IT) have been largely down-played or ignored. Two of the greatest challenges facing early women IT pioneers were the lack of feminine role models and gender bias. Unfortunately, those challenges have yet to be entirely overcome today and more significantly, there are still few role models for women in IT fields.The disinterest and decline of women in computer-related degrees and consequently, in IT careers, has its roots embedded in a society that typically still pays its female workers far less than their male counterparts. More significantly, gender-related bias has found fertile ground to flourish in our nation's secondary and higher education institutions, where genetics, as recently as January 2005, was held up as a determining factor in women's IT aptitude and success.In this paper, the authors will focus on the historic and current challenges faced by women who pursue IT careers and the reasons for the growing decline of women in these fields. In addition, the authors will discuss the methods that educational institutions can implement to recruit and retain women in IT degrees such as gender myth debunking and mentoring programs, female-centric professional development opportunities and the establishment of role models.
Normal-Mode Analysis of the Glycine Alpha1 Receptor by Three Separate Methods

Predicting collective dynamics and structural changes in biological macromolecules is pivotal toward a better understanding of many biological processes. Limitations due to large system sizes and inaccessible time scales have prompted the development of alternative techniques for the calculation of such motions. In this work, we present the results of a normal-mode analysis technique based on molecular mechanics that enables the calculation of accurate force-field based vibrations of extremely large molecules and compare it with two elastic network approximate models. When applied to the glycine alpha1 receptor, all three normal-mode analysis algorithms demonstrate an "iris-like" gating motion. Such gating motions have implications for understanding the effects of anesthetic and other ligand binding sites and for the means of transducing agonist binding into ion channel opening. Unlike the more approximate methods, molecular mechanics based analyses can also reveal approximate vibrational frequencies. Such analyses may someday allow the use of protein dynamics elucidated via normal-mode calculations as additional endpoints for future drug design.
Genetic Biomarkers of Cancer Risk

Objectives To provide a review of genetic biomarkers of cancer risk and associated clinical implications. Data Sources Published literature, evidence-based guidelines. Conclusion Identification of the genetic variation associated with cancer risk enables the health care provider to stratify an individual's risk and personalize their cancer risk management. This may lead to a decreased cancer incidence in high-risk populations, but at a minimum, will provide the opportunity for early diagnosis that may decrease cancer morbidity and mortality. Implications for Nursing Practice Nursing implications include assessment for cancer risk, initiate referrals indicated, and delivering ongoing education and support for cancer risk management plans.
Dynamics of oxygen transfer in the cerebrospinal fluid

Abstract Dynamics of oxygen transfer from arterial blood to the CSF was investigated in anesthetized dogs. P 2 , Pco 2 , and pH were measured in blood from the femoral artery, sagittal sinus and jugular vein, in addition to Po 2 and Po 2 in cistemal CSF at intervals during 30 min of constant ventilation with 100% O 2 ,14% O 2 or 70% O 2 -30% CO 2 . In some dogs, the Po 2 in a lateral ventricle was measured during the first 10 min of O 2 breathing. On room air the ventricular Po 2 averaged 69 and the cistemal Po, 58 mm Hg. Both values were between the arterial Po 2 of 91 and cerebral venous Po 2 of 44. Ventricular and cistemal Po, rose to 172 and 157 mm Hg, respectively in 10 min of O 2 breathing and stayed the same thereafter. Cerebral venous Po 2 rose about 14 mm Hg. There was evidence for direct transfer of O 2 from arterial blood to CSF, which took place primarily in the ventricles probably through the choroid plexus. The determinants of CSF Po 2 are discussed in relation to the arterial and cerebral venous Po 2 , cerebral blood flow and the site of CSF Po 2 measurement.
k-ordered hamiltonicity of iterated line graphs

A graph G of order n is k-ordered hamiltonian, 2@?k@?n, if for every sequence v"1,v"2,...,v"k of k distinct vertices of G, there exists a hamiltonian cycle that encounters v"1,v"2,...,v"k in this order. In this paper, we generalize two well-known theorems of Chartrand on hamiltonicity of iterated line graphs to k-ordered hamiltonicity. We prove that if L^n(G) is k-ordered hamiltonian and n is sufficiently large, then L^n^+^1(G) is (k+1)-ordered hamiltonian. Furthermore, for any connected graph G, which is not a path, cycle, or the claw K"1","3, there exists an integer N^' such that L^N^^^'^+^(^k^-^3^)(G) is k-ordered hamiltonian for k>=3.
Permanent and transient response of Nd:YAG and Cr:YAG to ionizing radiation

Increased reliance on optical components in harsh radiation environments requires a deeper understanding of the radiation-induced behavior of common optical elements. Of particular interest is the impact of ionizing radiation on both optical transmission and absorption. The present work focuses on an examination of the optical response of singlecrystal Nd:YAG, Cr:YAG and co-doped Nd:Cr:YAG to pulses of gamma-radiation. In-situ, transient optical behavior was observed by measuring the transmittance of the materials at 1064 nm before, during and after exposure to 30-60 krad (Si) of pulsed gamma radiation. The gamma-radiation-induced response of the Cr-doped materials was seen to exhibit exceptional radiation resistance as compared to the undoped YAG and to the Nd-doped materials. Furthermore, the addition of Cr3+ into the Nd:YAG crystal matrix was seen to greatly improve the radiation resistance of the laser materials. Both transient and permanent effects will be discussed.© (2008) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Laser welding of oxide dispersion-strengthened alloy MA754

Conventional arc-welding of MA 754, an oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) superalloy, poses two significant problems: agglomeration of dispersoids and weld solidification grain boundaries perpendicular to the rolled direction, both of which reduce the high-temperature creep and stress rupture properties. In the present work, laser welding of MA 754 alloy was conducted to determine the effects of a high energy density source on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a 3.2 mm thick butt joint. Tungsten-inert-gas (TIG) welding was also studied for comparison purpose. X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy analysis coupled with tensile, hardness and hot corrosion tests were used to evaluate the performance of weldments. Results indicated the absence of dispersoid agglomeration and superior tensile and corrosion properties of laser weldments over arc welds. The properties of laser weldments are comparable to those of wrought MA 754.
A combined electrophilic diazo and nucleophilic azide transfer reaction for the efficient conversion of an N-hydroxy-β-lactam to a carbacephem precursor

Abstract A new method for the synthesis of carbacephems has been developed. A combined diazo transfer, N-O reduction and azide transfer reaction of N -hydroxy-β-lactam 10b produced 11 in 78.8% yield by treatment with trisyl azide and TMSN 3 in the presence of N,N -diisopropylethylamine. Rhodium-mediated cyclization of diazo/azide 11 to carbacephem 12 proceeded without interference from the azide.
BonJour on explanation and skepticism

Abstract Laurence BonJour, among others, has argued that inference to the best explanation allows us to reject skeptical hypotheses in favor of our common-sense view of the world. BonJour considers several skeptical hypotheses, specifically: (i) our experiences arise by mere chance, uncaused; (ii) the simple hypothesis which states merely that our experiences are caused unveridically; and (iii) an elaborated hypothesis which explains in detail how our unveridical experiences are brought about. A central issue is whether the coherence of one’s experience makes that experience more likely to be veridical. BonJour’s recent treatment of “analog” and “digital” skeptical hypotheses is also discussed. I argue that, although there are important lessons to be learned from BonJour’s writings, his use of inference to the best explanation against skepticism is unsuccessful.
The viscoplasticity theory based on overstress applied to the analysis of beams under monotonic and cyclic creep loading

The viscoplasticity theory based on total strain and overstress can reproduce rate-dependent inelastic deformation without distinction between plastic and creep strain using two material functions. A viscosity function and an equilibrium stress-strain curve characterize rate-dependency and work hardening, respectively. The theory is used to analyze the creep and cyclic creep behavior of a beam subjected to a linearly increasing moment which is subsequently held constant. The analysis shows the existence of two possible states of equilibrium for creep deformation: termination of primary creep or secondary creep. They occur when the equilibrium stress-strain curve has positive or zero slope in the plastic range. The numerical experiments illustrate that the stress distribution at the end of the moment increase depends on the moment rate. The rate effects disappear with time when stress is redistributed. For practical purposes the equilibrium solution is obtained before 107 s, when the material functions representing AISI Type 304 Stainless Steel at room temperature are used. The other equilibrium solution (secondary creep) is reached after primary creep when the constant moment is above the limiting equilibrium moment which corresponds to the plastic hinge moment of plasticity theory. The stress distribution during stationary creep is shown to be the solution corresponding to the Norton law of creep theory. The numerical experiments also illustrate the influence of various viscosity functions and equilibrium stress levels. A growth law for the equilibrium stress-strain curve is postulated and reversed loading as well as repeated loading are investigated.