cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reactivity in vivo of the Carcinogen N-Hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene: Increase by Sulfate Ion

Injections of sulfate ion in rats given the carcinogen N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene increased (i) the formation of 1-and 3-(methion-S-yl)-2-acetylaminofluorene bound to protein in the liver, (ii) the formation of fluorenyl derivatives bound to total protein, ribosomal RNA, and DNA in the liver, and (iii) the toxicity of the carcinogen. These data provide evidence that the highly reactive ester 2-acetylaminofluorene-N-sulfate, previously suggested as an ultimate reactive and carcinogenic metabolite of N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene, is formed in the rat liver in vivo.
Design and development of novel inductively coupled RFID antennas

Inductively coupled RFID antennas in two different structures, namely arc-shape and dual-body configurations, are presented. High input resistance can be easily achieved with these structures to realize conjugate impedance matching with some tag chips. 1.99 dBi and 5.62 dBi directivities at 915 MHz are also observed.
Automorphisms that admit an approximation by periodic transformations

We are concerned with a class of automorphisms which can be approximated by periodic transformations. We show that such an automorphism T is ergodic and that a relationship exists between the spectrum of T, the measure of the sets which are invariant under T, and the ergodicity of the powers of T. Finally, we exhibit conditions under which T is weakly mixing and not strongly mixing.
Willingness of Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in the United States to Be Circumcised as Adults to Reduce the Risk of HIV Infection

Background Circumcision reduces HIV acquisition among heterosexual men in Africa, but it is unclear if circumcision may reduce HIV acquisition among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States, or whether MSM would be willing to be circumcised if recommended. Methods We interviewed presumed-HIV negative MSM at gay pride events in 2006. We asked uncircumcised respondents about willingness to be circumcised if it were proven to reduce risk of HIV among MSM and perceived barriers to circumcision. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify covariates associated with willingness to be circumcised. Results Of 780 MSM, 133 (17%) were uncircumcised. Of these, 71 (53%) were willing to be circumcised. Willingness was associated with black race (exact odds ratio [OR]: 3.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3–9.8), non-injection drug use (OR: 6.1, 95% CI: 1.8–23.7) and perceived reduced risk of penile cancer (OR: 4.7, 95% CI: 2.0–11.9). The most commonly endorsed concerns about circumcision were post-surgical pain and wound infection. Conclusions Over half of uncircumcised MSM, especially black MSM, expressed willingness to be circumcised. Perceived risks and benefits of circumcision should be a part of educational materials if circumcision is recommended for MSM in the United States.
Lower-limb amputee recovery response to an imposed error in mediolateral foot placement

Despite walking with a wider step width, amputees remain 20% more likely to fall than non-amputees. Since mediolateral (ML) balance is critical for ambulation and contingent on ML foot placement, we used a ML disturbance to perturb walking balance and explore the influence of prosthetic foot stiffness on balance recovery. Ten transtibial amputees were fit with two commonly prescribed prosthetic feet with differing stiffness characteristics; 12 non-amputees also participated. A perturbation device that released an air burst just before heel strike imposed a repeatable medial or lateral disturbance in foot placement. After a medial disturbance, the first recovery step width was narrowed (p<0.0001) for the prosthetic limb (−103%), the sound limb (−51%) and non-amputees (−41%) and more than twice as variable. The ML inclination angle remained reduced (−109%) for the prosthetic limb, while the sound limb and non-amputees approached undisturbed levels (p<0.0004). Amputees required five steps to return to undisturbed step width after a prosthetic medial disturbance versus two steps for the sound limb and for non-amputees. After a lateral disturbance, the first recovery step was widened for the prosthetic limb (+82%), sound limb (+75%), and wider than non-amputees (+51%; p<0.0001), with all participants requiring three steps to return to undisturbed step width. Amputees also exhibited a similar upper torso response compared to the non-amputees for both disturbances. Prosthetic feet with different stiffness properties did not have a significant effect. In conclusion, amputee balance was particularly challenged by medial disturbances to the prosthetic limb implying a need for improved interventions that address these balance deficits.
Strain balanced GaP/GaAs/InP/GaAs superlattices: structural and electronic properties

We have previously reported the growth of highly mismatched InP/GaAs and GaP/GaAs heterostructures. In this work, we address the structural and electronic properties of chemical beam epitaxy (CBE) grown GaP/GaAs/InP/GaAs short period superlattices. We present a thorough crystallographic and optical study, using high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and excitation photoluminescence (PLE). The realization of high quality pseudomorphic structures presenting up to 100 periods is shown. The global strain in these superlattices ranges from - 1.5 to + 5.0 kbar and translates into a noticeable modification of their electronic properties.
The DFRC Method for Lignin Analysis. 4. Lignin Dimers Isolated from DFRC-Degraded Loblolly Pine Wood.

Sixteen lignin dimers were directly isolated by gel permeation and reversed-phase TLC and HPLC from loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) sapwood following large-scale application of the new derivatizatio...
Tumor Heterogeneity: Mechanisms and Bases for a Reliable Application of Molecular Marker Design

Tumor heterogeneity is a confusing finding in the assessment of neoplasms, potentially resulting in inaccurate diagnostic, prognostic and predictive tests. This tumor heterogeneity is not always a random and unpredictable phenomenon, whose knowledge helps designing better tests. The biologic reasons for this intratumoral heterogeneity would then be important to understand both the natural history of neoplasms and the selection of test samples for reliable analysis. The main factors contributing to intratumoral heterogeneity inducing gene abnormalities or modifying its expression include: the gradient ischemic level within neoplasms, the action of tumor microenvironment (bidirectional interaction between tumor cells and stroma), mechanisms of intercellular transference of genetic information (exosomes), and differential mechanisms of sequence-independent modifications of genetic material and proteins. The intratumoral heterogeneity is at the origin of tumor progression and it is also the byproduct of the selection process during progression. Any analysis of heterogeneity mechanisms must be integrated within the process of segregation of genetic changes in tumor cells during the clonal expansion and progression of neoplasms. The evaluation of these mechanisms must also consider the redundancy and pleiotropism of molecular pathways, for which appropriate surrogate markers would support the presence or not of heterogeneous genetics and the main mechanisms responsible. This knowledge would constitute a solid scientific background for future therapeutic planning.
Salt Tolerances and The Distribution of Fugitive Salt Marsh Plants

Fugitive species often live under harsh physical conditions, yet their ability to cope with environmental extremes has received little attention. We studied the association of fugitive plants and stressful physical conditions using salt marsh plants that live in hypersaline bare patches. In New England salt marshes, primary space is dominated by dense monospecific stands of perennial turfs, but disturbances frequently leave bare space that rapidly becomes hypersaline. Elevated salinities of bare patches result form direct exposure of soil to solar radiation and evaporative water loss. A number of fugitive plants that are rare in undisturbed salt marsh vegetation are commonly associated with bare patches before being displaced during secondary succession. Greenhouse studies show that plants that dominate undisturbed vegetation are stunted by high substrate salinities, whereas the photosynthesis and growth of patch—dependent fugitives are relatively independent of typical salinity variation. Moreover, in the field, watering more than doubled the survivorship and growth of seedlings in patches and more strongly affected dominants than patch—dependent fugitives. Our results show that physical conditions in salt marsh bare patches can limit plant colonization, and suggest that high salt tolerances may permit fugitive plants to utilize bare patches as refugia from competitors. Since fugitive plants are commonly restricted to physically stressful habitats, the ability to withstand harsh physical conditions is likely often an important aspect of their biology.
Responses of Sarcoptes scabiei (Acari: Sarcoptidae) to Nitrogenous Waste and Phenolic Compounds

This study found that > or = 1 life stage(s) of Sarcoptes scabiei (L.) was significantly attracted to the nitrogenous compounds, guanine, purine, adenine, allantoin, hypoxanthine, xanthine, uric acid, ammonium chloride, ammonium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate. Females and larvae responded to all compounds. Males responded to all compounds except purine and allantoin. Nymphs responded to all compounds except allantoin. Some specific concentrations of compounds attracted only 1 life stage but other concentrations attracted multiple life stages. Also, some life stages were attracted by multiple concentrations of a compound. The concentration that induced the greatest response by a particular life stage varied between life stages. Overall, greater percentages of females were attracted to the nitrogenous compounds than any other life stage. Females responded to more concentrations of a compound compared to other life stages. Males responded to fewer concentrations then immatures. In addition, all life stages of S. scabiei were significantly attracted to the phenolic compounds, 2,6-dichlorophenol, methyl salicylate, and 2-nitrophenol. Nymphs followed by females responded to the most concentrations. The results indicated that these nitrogenous wastes and phenolic compounds acted in a pheromone-like manner that induced assembly of these ectoparasitic mites.
Hollow Fiber Membrane Contactor Based CO2 Absorption−Stripping Using Novel Solvents and Membranes

Nondispersive absorption of CO2 into an aqueous solution of a volatile amine and its subsequent regeneration by stripping in porous hydrophobic hollow fiber devices have encountered a number of issues: membrane pore wetting reducing CO2 transfer rates; loss of volatile absorbents. These issues have been addressed here using novel nonvolatile absorbents and novel hollow fiber membranes. Continuous CO2 absorption−stripping was carried out for 55 days using a novel absorbent, polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer of generation 0, in an aqueous solution using conventional Celgard polypropylene (PP) hollow fibers in an absorber followed by a stripper to successfully resolve the issue of pore wetting. This nonvolatile amine PAMAM provides a novel dimension to CO2 scrubbing using conventional porous PP membrane contactors. Elimination of pore wetting and reduction of loss of the volatile monoethanolamine (MEA) from an aqueous solution was studied for an extended period of more than 55 days using an absorber and a st...
Distance between Cys-201 in erythrocyte band 3 and the bilayer measured by single-photon radioluminescence

Single-photon radioluminescence (SPR), the excitation of fluorophores by short-range beta-decay electrons, was developed for the measurement of submicroscopic distances. The cytoplasmic domain of band 3 (cdb3) is the primary, multisite anchorage for the erythrocyte skeleton. To begin to define the membrane arrangement of the highly asymmetrical cdb3 structure, the distance from the bilayer of Cys-201 next to the "hinge" of cdb3 was measured by both SPR and resonance energy transfer (RET). cdb3 was labeled at Cys-201 with fluorescein maleimide. For SPR measurements, the bilayer was labeled with [3H]oleic acid. The corrected cdb3-specific SPR signal was 98 +/- 2 cps microCi-1 [mumol band 3]-1. From this and the signal from a parallel sample in which 3H2O was substituted for [3H]oleic acid to create uniform geometry between 3H and the fluorophores, a Cys-201-to-bilayer separation of 39 +/- 7 A was calculated. Confirmatory distances of 40 and 43 A were obtained by RET between fluorescein on Cys-201 and eosin and rhodamine B lipid probes, respectively. This distance indicates that Cys-201 lies near band 3's vertical axis of symmetry and that the subdomain of cdb3 between the hinge and the membrane is not significantly extended. In addition, these results validate SPR as a measure of molecular distances in biological systems.
A direct regulatory role for troponin T and a dual role for troponin C in the Ca2+ regulation of muscle contraction

Troponin (Tn), containing three subunits: Ca2+ binding (TnC), inhibitory (TnI), and tropomyosin binding (TnT), plays a crucial role in the Ca2+ regulation of vertebrate striated muscle contraction. These three subunits function by interacting with each other and with the other thin filament proteins. Previous studies suggested that the primary role of TnT is to anchor the TnI•TnC complex to the thin filament, primarily through its interactions with TnI and tropomyosin. We propose here a new role for TnT. Our results indicate that, when TnT is combined with the TnI•TnC complex, there is an activation of actomyosin ATPase that is Ca2+-dependent. To determine whether the latter results from a direct effect of TnC on TnT or indirectly from an effect of TnC on TnI which is transmitted to TnT, we prepared a deletion mutant (deletion of residues 1-57) of TnI, TnID57 (Sheng et al. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 25407-25413), which interacts with TnC but not TnT. Both wild type (TnI•TnC•TnT) and mutant (TnID57•TnC•TnT) Tn complexes demonstrated equivalent activity in the Ca2+ regulation of actomyosin-S1 ATPase activity. Similarly, both TnI and TnID57 could equally reconstitute TnI-depleted skinned muscle fibers. Therefore, since TnID57 does not interact with TnT, these results suggest that TnT reconstitutes native Ca2+ sensitivity via direct interaction with TnC. Thus Ca2+ binding to TnC would have a dual role: 1) release of the ATPase inhibition by TnI and 2) activation of the ATPase through interaction with TnT.
Diversity of sterol composition in the family chenopodiaceae

The predominant 4-desmethylsterols from the leaves of 13 species in eight genera of the family Chenopodiaceae are 24α-ethylsterols. In four species,Chenopodium ambrosioides L.,C. rubrum L.,Salicornia europaea L. andS. bigelovii Torr., the C-22(23) double bond is introduced into more than 70% of the 24α-ethylsterols producing spinasterol (24α-ethylcholesta-7,22E-dien-3β-ol) in the first two species and mixtures of spinasterol and stigmasterol (24α-ethylcholesta-5,22E-dien-3β-ol) in the latter species. The saturated side chain analogues predominate with more than 70% of the 24α-ethylsterols in eight species.Salsola kali L.,Suaeda linearis (Ell.) Moq.,Kochia scoparia (L.) Roth., andBassia hirsute (L.) Aschers. synthesize sitosterol (24α-ethylcholest-5-en-3β-ol), andAtriplex arenaria Nutt.,C. album L.,C. urbicum L. andC. leptophyllum Nutt. possess mixtures of sitosterol and 22-dihydrospinasterol (24α-ethylcholest-7-en-3β-ol). Sitostanol (24α-ethyl-5α-cholestan-3β-ol) was isolated fromSuaeda linearis as an 18% component of the total 4-desmethylsterol and in lesser amounts from four other species. In all species synthesizing 24-ethyl-Δ5-sterols, a 24ξ-methylcholest-5-en-3β-ol was also present at 1.0–20% of the total 4-desmethylsterol. Avenasterol [24-ethylcholesta-7,24(28)Z-dien-3β-ol], isofucosterol [24-ethylcholesta-5,24(28)Z-dien-3β-ol), cholesterol (cholest-5-en-3β-ol) and 24ξ-methyl-5α-cholestan-3β-ol also were isolated from several species. Species in the family Chenopodiaceae and the type genusChenopodium may be categorized into one of three groups based on sterol biosynthesis: the Δ7-sterol producers; the Δ5-sterol producers, and those producing mixtures of both Δ7- and Δ5-sterols in relatively fixed percentage compositions.
Catatonia: Prediction of outcome

Abstract Of 250 patients diagnosed as having catatonia, 40% of the 214 for whom follow-up information was available had at some time recovered completely. Although certain features of history and mental status significantly predicted recovery, or its absence, many factors differed from those used in studies of mixed subtypes of schizophrenia. Most motor symptoms correlated poorly with outcome: in particular, those symptoms classically associated with catatonia (catalepsy, posturing, staring, mutism, rigidity, grimacing, negativism) proved poor predictors of outcome. A seven-factor scale used in previous studies allowed refinement of prognosis, but the majority of cases were bunched in the middle of the scale, leaving relatively few cases in the good- and poor-prognosis groups. Duration of illness from onset of prodromal symptoms to hospitalization correlated with outcome as strongly as did the seven-factor scale and provided a more useful distribution of cases among the prognostic groups. Catatonia, a syndrome that has long been associated with schizophrenia, has a prognosis generally better than other subtypes of schizophrenia. The presence of catatonic symptoms should be grounds for separately reporting these patients in studies of treatment and outcome.
CO2/CH4 separation by facilitated transport in amine‐polyethylene glycol mixtures

Large quantities of methane are generated by the decomposition of biological and industrical wastes. A key to the recovery of a gas with a high heating value is an efficient means of separating the methane from its primary diluent, carbon dioxide. In this work, the separation of carbon dioxide from methane by reactive liquid membranes consisting of the secondary amines, diethanolamine, and diisopropanolamine in polyethylene glycol with an average molecular weight of 400 was studied. A mathematical model was developed to describe the transport process. This model employs the zwitterion mechanism for the CO[sub 2] amine reaction kinetics. Membrane flux experiments utilizing a flat plate device were carried out to verify the model predictions. It was found that large permeabilities and separations were achieved for low CO[sub 2] feed concentrations. The results also show that DEA based solutions give better separation than DIPA based solutions.
EXPECTATION STATES AND INTERRACIAL INTERACTION IN SCHOOL SETTINGS

Expectation States Theory has been in use since 1968 as the basis for applied research on race and its effect on interracial interaction (Berger et al 1980). The theory can be used to describe the process by which high-status members of interracial groups come to dominate group interaction. There are a number of interventions, using this theory, designed to modify status effects in settings where they are judged undesirable. In the classroom, expectation states affect several observable behaviors of practical importance. The first is a pattern of white dominance in interracial interaction on valued intellectual tasks. This pattern is undesirable because racist expectations for less competence from black and brown students are reinforced. These are not the "equal status conditions" that designers of school integration have tried to produce to reduce prejudice. Under these conditions, white students fail to learn what minority students have to contribute to collective endeavor. If white dominance in the outer society is replicated within the desegregated school, the goal of social equality is not achieved. The second area affected by expectation states is the participation, task engagement, and effort of the minority student in school tasks. If a student has generally low expectations for academic competence s/he will be less likely to put out the requisite effort to become a more successful student. Increased initiation and participation represent necessary but not sufficient conditions for improvement in academic achievement.
Branch-Aware Loop Mapping on CGRAs

One of the challenges that all accelerators face, is to execute loops that have if-then-else constructs. There are three ways to accelerate loops with an if-then-else construct on a Coarse-grained reconfigurable architecture (CGRA): full predication, partial predication, and dual-issue scheme. In comparison with the other schemes, dual-issue scheme may achieve the best performance, but it requires compiler support -- which does not exist. In this paper, we develop compiler techniques to map loops with conditionals on CGRA for the dual-issue scheme. Our experiments show: i) 40% of loops that can be accelerated on CGRA have conditionals, ii) The proposed dual-issue scheme enables our compiler to accelerate loops 40% faster than full predication scheme proposed in [12], and iii) Our compiler assisted dual issue scheme can exploit richer interconnects, if present.
Radiative-Convective Equilibrium over a Land Surface

AbstractRadiative–convective equilibrium (RCE) describes an idealized state of the atmosphere in which the vertical temperature profile is determined by a balance between radiative and convective fluxes. While RCE has been applied extensively over oceans, its application over the land surface has been limited. The present study explores the properties of RCE over land using an atmospheric single-column model (SCM) from the Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique–Zoom, version 5B (LMDZ5B) general circulation model coupled in temperature and moisture to a land surface model using a simplified bucket model with finite moisture capacity. Given the presence of a large-amplitude diurnal heat flux cycle, the resultant RCE exhibits multiple equilibria when conditions are neither strictly water nor energy limited. By varying top-of-atmosphere insolation (through changes in latitude), total system water content, and initial temperature conditions the sensitivity of the land RCE states is assessed, with particular emp...
ROUTE CHOICE AND ADVANCED TRAVELER INFORMATION SYSTEMS ON A CAPACITATED AND DYNAMIC NETWORK

Abstract Much of the push behind Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) has come from the hope that providing travelers with better information will result in reduced travel time and traffic congestion. Phase 1 of the United States' IVHS National System Architecture project, for instance, made ATIS (Advanced Traveler Information Systems) the centerpiece of its benefits evaluation, and ATIS has been the subject of numerous traffic simulation studies. The objective of this paper is to examine the ‘informational’ assumptions embedded in traffic simulations, and to assess how these assumptions affect simulation results. Most importantly, this paper examines the hypothesis that increasing market penetration can lead to a decrement in network performance. The paper proves, for a simple parallel network, that increasing the market penetration of accurate information cannot harm network performance. For this same network, the paper shows that increasing the penetration of instantaneous travel time estimates might degrade network performance. The paper also asserts that the existence, or non-existence, of an optimal market penetration is moot. The suggestion is that ATIS should not be viewed as a strategy for achieving system optimal traffic distributions. ATIS should instead be viewed first as a service to the public, to improve their confidence and comfort in using the system, and second as a means for steering traffic away from dis-equilibrium behavior and toward user optima that utilize alternate routes where feasible.
The infrastructure of Chondroid Syringoma (Mixed Tumor of Skin)

The ultrastructural features of a chondroid syringoma (mixed tumor of skin) are presented. The tumor consisted of groups of epithelial cells, ductal structures, and cells lying individually within a cartilaginous matrix. Many of these latter cells were indistinguishable morphologically from true chondrocytes. Some of these chondroid cells showed positive staining for cytokeratin using the immunoperoxidase technique. Transitional cells with characteristics intermediate between epithelial and chondroid cells are noted.
SUM1, AN APPARENT POSITIVE REGULATOR OF THE CRYPTIC MATING-TYPE LOCI IN SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE

The mating-type information residing at the HML and HMR loci in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is kept unexpressed by the action of at least four MAR (or SIR) loci. To determine possible interactions between the MAR/SIR gene products and to find new regulatory loci, we sought extragenic suppressors of the mar1-1 mutation. A strain with the genotype HMLa MATα mar1-1 is unable to mate because of the simultaneous expression of a and α information. A mutant of this strain was isolated that exhibits an α phenotype and, therefore, presumably fails to express the HML and HMR loci. We designate the new locus SUM1 (supressor of mar). The mutation is recessive, centromere unlinked and does not correspond to the MAT, HML, HMR, SIR1, MAR1, MAR2 (SIR3) or SIR4 loci. The sum1 mutation affects expression of both a and α information at the HM loci. Suppression by sum1-1 is neither allele specific nor locus specific as it suppresses a deletion mutation of the MAR1 locus and mutations in SIR3 and SIR4. The sum1-1 mutation has no discernible phenotype in a Mar+ strain. We propose that the MAR/SIR gene products negatively regulate the SUM1 locus, the gene product of which is necessary for expression of the HM loci.
Modeling the reactions of 1-naphthylamine and 4-methylaniline with humic acids: Spectroscopic investigations of the covalent linkages

The covalent binding of two aromatic amines, 1-naphthylamine and 4-methylaniline, to substituted quinones in aqueous solutions has been studied as a model for the covalent binding of amines to humic acids. An imine compound was the only type of product identified for the reactions between 1-naphthylamine and selected quinones. Reactions of 4-methylaniline with the same quinones gave a 1,4- addition product in addition to the imine compound, although only the imine produce was formed when the quinone had bulky substituents at the 2- and 6- positions. These results provide additional insight into the reactions of aromatic amines with humic acid quinones.
A comparison of the esterification of acetic acid with methanol using heterogeneous versus homogeneous acid catalysis

Abstract To investigate the similarities and differences between heterogeneous and homogeneous catalyzed esterification, the kinetics of acetic acid esterification with methanol were investigated using a commercial Nafion/silica nanocomposite catalyst (SAC-13) and H 2 SO 4 , respectively. Reactions were carried out in an isothermal well-mixed batch reactor at 60 °C. Organic base titration, TGA, and elemental sulfur analysis were carried out to estimate the acid site density of SAC-13, permitting the assessment of its catalytic performance for esterification on a per site basis. It was found that SAC-13 has comparable site activity for acetic acid esterification as H 2 SO 4 . SAC-13 and H 2 SO 4 also exhibited similar reaction inhibition due to the presence of water. The similar response to the presence of water and the results of pyridine poisoning experiments suggest that esterification with these catalysts occurs through a common reaction mechanism. Consistent with the hypothesized homogeneous-type reaction mechanism, reaction on SAC-13 appears to involve single-site catalysis with a probable rate-controlling Eley-Rideal surface reaction. A mechanistically derived kinetic model successfully predicts the esterification rate of SAC-13 as reaction progresses. The dissimilarities between homogeneous and heterogeneous acid-catalyzed esterification are also discussed.
Relational Blocks: A Visual Dataflow Language for Relational Web-Applications

Many Web-applications can be characterized as "relational". In this paper we show that developers can greatly benefit from relational blocks, a visual, domain-specific, dataflow language that is designed to facilitate the construction of such web-applications. We define the relational blocks visual language, discuss our WebRB implementation, and show how WebRB is used to construct non-trivial web-pages.
Process-Based Expansion and Neural Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells for Transplantation and Disease Modeling

Robust strategies for developing patient-specific, human, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based therapies of the brain require an ability to derive large numbers of highly defined neural cells. Recent progress in iPSC culture techniques includes partial-to-complete elimination of feeder layers, use of defined media, and single-cell passaging. However, these techniques still require embryoid body formation or coculture for differentiation into neural stem cells (NSCs). In addition, none of the published methodologies has employed all of the advances in a single culture system. Here we describe a reliable method for long-term, single-cell passaging of PSCs using a feeder-free, defined culture system that produces confluent, adherent PSCs that can be differentiated into NSCs. To provide a basis for robust quality control, we have devised a system of cellular nomenclature that describes an accurate genotype and phenotype of the cells at specific stages in the process. We demonstrate that this protocol allows for the efficient, large-scale, cGMP-compliant production of transplantable NSCs from all lines tested. We also show that NSCs generated from iPSCs produced with the process described are capable of forming both glia defined by their expression of S100β and neurons that fire repetitive action potentials.
PCC: principal components combining for dense correlated multipath fading environments

Spread spectrum transmissions and RAKE receivers are known to alleviate the effects of random fading. In the context of future wideband/ultra-wideband systems, both estimation accuracy and receiver complexity are adversely affected when the number of channel parameters increases. As an alternative to generalized selection combining schemes, this work introduces a new class of diversity schemes that trade off optimally diversity gain with receiver complexity. The basic idea is to exploit the information on the channel statistics in selecting a linear mapping that reduces the channel order while minimizing the loss in terms of diversity gain. We prove that the optimal linear mapping amounts to projecting the received data onto the channel's principal components obtained by the eigenvectors of the channel correlation matrix corresponding to the Q strongest eigenvalues. We then derive closed-form expressions for the average combined signal-to-noise ratio and the average symbol error rate for various modulation schemes operating in dense Nakagami-m correlated multipath fading environments of practical interest.
Perceptions of interdependence and closeness in family and peer relationships among adolescents with and without romantic partners

Adolescents' relationships with mothers, fathers, siblings, friends, and romantic partners are examined. Across the adolescent years, interdependence (operationalized in terms of social interaction, activities, and influence) and perceived closeness shift from parents to peers, with patterns that differ somewhat for adolescents with and without a romantic partner. The findings are discussed in the context of sodal exchange theory, which offers a descriptive account of developmental variations in adolescent close relationships.
Benign mixed tumor (pleomorphic adenoma) of the breast: Ultrastructural study and review of the literature

A patient is presented with a benign mixed tumor (pleomorphic adenoma) of the breast. There are 11 well-documented cases of this rare breast neoplasm. It is histologically and ultrastructurally identical to that seen in the salivary gland and follows a similar benign course. A central role of the ductal myoepithelial cell is proposed for the histogenesis of this tumor.
Optical DQPSK Receiver With Enhanced Dispersion Tolerance

We propose and analyze a novel differential quadrature phase-shift-keying (DQPSK) receiver architecture based on optical frequency discriminator filtering and direct detection. Our simulations show that such a receiver provides significantly enhanced tolerance to chromatic dispersion compared with the conventional delay-interferometer-based receiver. Preliminary measurement results demonstrate the novel DQPSK demodulator concept at 20 Gb/s.
Renal Consequences of Prostaglandin Inhibition in Heart Failure

Prostaglandins are products of intracellular arachidonate metabolism via the cyclooxygenase pathways. In the kidney, prostaglandins are modulators of afferent arteriole autoregulation. In diminished effective intravascular volume, vasodilatory prostaglandins reduce afferent arteriolar resistance, helping to maintain overall glomerular filtration. In subjects who have a low perfusion state, as in congestive heart failure, arthrosclerosis, hepatorenal syndrome, and cirrhosis, impaired renal autoregulation occurs, predisposing to kidney injury. Adverse effects of prostaglandin inhibition include acute kidney injury, hyperkalemia, hypertension, and edema. Hypertension and edema can occur because prostaglandins play an important role in renal regulation of salt and water balance. This review summarizes the renal consequences of using prostaglandin inhibitors in subjects who have congestive heart failure.
Matrix metalloproteinases in inflammatory bowel disease: boon or a bane?

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of Zn2+-dependent extracellular matrix (ECM) degrading endopeptidases that share common functional domains, activation mechanisms, and collectively have the capacity to degrade all types of ECM proteins. In addition to playing a central role in ECM turnover, MMPs proteolytically activate or degrade a variety of nonmatrix substrates including chemokines, cytokines, growth factors, and junctional proteins. Thus, they are increasingly recognized as critical players in inflammatory response. Indeed, accumulating data from several studies indicate that they are the predominant proteases involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) via their influence on the function and migration of inflammatory cells, mucosal ulceration, as well as matrix deposition and degradation. Some MMPs are constitutively expressed and play a protective role in IBD through their effect on cellular homeostasis, while others are induced during inflammation-mediated tissue damage. This article focuses on the role of the various MMPs in IBD, discussing their physiologic and pathogenetic role in the context of intestinal defense, mucosal inflammatory response, and immune cell-epithelial interaction. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2007;13:97–107)
Inferred Phylogeny in Keckiella (Scrophulariaceae) based on Noncoding Chloroplast and nuclear ribosomal DNA Sequences

Abstract Two non-coding DNA regions from both the chloroplast genome (trnL intron, trnL–trnF IGS, trnT–trnL IGS) and nuclear ribosomal genomes (ITS1 and ITS2) were sequenced in the genus Keckiella and allied genera (Penstemon, Chelone, and Nothochelone) to determine which, if any, of these sequences contained sufficient variability to resolve the seven species of Keckiella. The trnL intron contained almost no signal. However, the trnT–trnL chloroplast IGS region and the nuclear ribosomal sequences were capable, to some extent, of resolving the phylogeny of Keckiella. The nrDNA ITS sequences contained slightly more variability than the chloroplast noncoding region. When combined, these non-coding sequences generated a relatively robust and resolved cladogram. Keckiella rothrockii is clearly indicated as the most basal species of the genus, and the remaining taxa appear to belong to two well-supported clades. The first contains the sister taxa K. antirrhinoides and K. cordifolia. The second contains K. brev...
The prevention and control of mycobacterial infections in hospitals

Infections resulting from contamination of medical equipment and medications with opportunistic mycobacteria are reviewed and the mode of spread discussed. The prevention of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in patients and staff, by the implementation of occupational health schemes, infection control policies and disinfection policies is also reviewed. The problems relating to immunocompromised patients are also discussed.
False information injection attack on dynamic state estimation in multi-sensor systems

In this paper, the impact of false information injection is investigated for linear dynamic systems with multiple sensors. It is assumed that the system is unaware of the existence of false information and the adversary is trying to maximize the negative effect of the false information on the Kalman filter's estimation performance. We mathematically characterize the false information attack under different conditions. For the adversary, many closed-form results for the optimal attack strategies that maximize the Kalman filter's estimation error are theoretically derived. It is shown that by choosing the optimal correlation coefficients among the bias noises, and allocating power optimally among sensors, the adversary could significantly increase the Kalman filter's estimation errors. To be concrete, a multi-sensor target tracking system with either position sensors or position and velocity sensors has been used as an example to illustrate the theoretical results.
Safety Considerations and Monitoring in Patients Treated with Systemic Medications for Acne

Acne vulgaris, a disorder of the pilosebaceous unit, is one of the most commonly encountered conditions in dermatology practice. Effective treatment of acne vulgaris is important in that it can prevent psychosocial distress and physical scarring. Systemic therapeutic options are available for moderate to severe acne. It is imperative that the safe and effective treatment revolves around the health care provider's familiarity of side effects of various treatments. In this article, the side effects and monitoring guide for the most commonly prescribed systemic agents for acne vulgaris are reviewed.
Orthogonal Security With Cipherbase

This paper describes the design of the Cipherbase system. Cipherbase is a full-fledged SQL database system that achieves high performance and high data confidentiality by storing and processing strongly encrypted data. The Cipherbase system incorporates customized trusted hardware, extending Microsoft’s SQL Server for efficient execution of queries using both secure hardware and commodity servers. This paper presents the design of the Cipherbase secure hardware and its implementation using FPGAs. Furthermore, this paper shows how we addressed hardware / software co-design in the Cipherbase system.
ICD MANAGEMENT DURING PREGNANCY AND DELIVERY

Advances in the treatment of both congenital and acquired heart disease have allowed women who otherwise may not have survived to adulthood to now contemplate pregnancy. A subset of these pts have implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD); there are no guidelines for the management of these
Constitutionalism and Democracy in Nepal: What Went Wrong?

Constitutionalism and Democracy together can be an effective catalyst to the political, social, and economic success of a country. Constitutionalism and democracy can be attained through an unconditional popular sovereignty. Although democracy has been introduced in many developing countries, particularly in new constitutions, popular sovereignty is conditioned either by monarchial or other political dictatorship, which, in turn, has resulted in fake constitutions and defective democracy. Nepal is an example of a country in which fake constitutions and defective democracy have persisted for a long period of time due to disregard of popular sovereignty. Division between the king and few political elites has been a common phenomenon in Nepalese constitutional history. This dualism has steered Nepal into insurgency, instability, underdevelopment, irresponsible political leadership, and power mongering monarchy. Now, Nepal is on the verge of drastic constitutional change. If real democracy and constitutionalism are to be achieved, this change must confirm unconditional popular sovereignty; an optimal opportunity for Nepalese people for survival, growth, and renewal of the polity; a guarantee of the rights of the people, and limitations on governmental authority and power.
Monitoring strategies of virtual enterprise under dual information asymmetry

For the dual information asymmetric problem in virtual enterprise(VE) with both moral hazard and adverse selection,by incorporating Stackelberg game model and the theory of incentive mechanism,the two stage principal-agent monitoring models based on the partner's private information and effort are derived to incentive the partner and screen the true information respectively.Furthermore,the corresponding optimal monitoring strategies are analyzed and compared with the no monitoring scenario.The results verify the effectiveness of hiring the monitoring organizations to monitor the partner,and the action monitoring strategy is more effective.The numerical example is given to show that the conclusion is valuable to the operation of VE.
Type classification of 2D scatter plot of remote sensing image based on the physical meaning and extraction of remote sensing alteration information

2D scatter plot of remote sensing image,which is the best graphical representation method,expresses the structural information of the combination of two bands in spectral space;nevertheless,previous work only focused on such problems as the background-abnormal subspace model in the dot matrix space of spectral data,the estimation of the elliptical geometry parameters of 2D scatter plot based on the Gaussian distribution model of combination of 2 bands' probability density,and the relationship between the background,interference and alteration anomaly of remote sensing image to the spatial structure of 2D scatter plot.Further studies show that the type classification of 2D scatter plot of remote sensing image is based on the physical meaning,and it can not only locate the background,interference and alteration information of the remote sensing image but also direct the selection of the method for the extraction of the remote sensing alteration information.At last,the authors discussed different kinds of 2D scatter plot practically used in the extraction of the remote sensing alteration information and,with practical examples,explained the theoretical basis and the application results of the 2D scatter plot used in the extraction of the remote sensing alteration information,which is based on the physical meaning.
Predictors of admission and shunt revision during emergency department visits for shunt-treated adult patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

OBJECTIVEFactors associated with emergency department admission and/or shunt revision for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) are unclear. In this study, the associations of several factors with emergency department admission and shunt revision for IIH were explored.METHODSThe authors performed a retrospective review of 31 patients (169 total emergency department visits) who presented to the emergency department for IIH-related symptoms between 2003 and 2015. Demographics, comorbidities, symptoms, IIH diagnosis and treatment history, ophthalmological examination, diagnostic lumbar puncture (LP), imaging findings, and data regarding admission and management decisions were collected. Multivariable general linear models regression analysis was performed to assess the predictive factors associated with admission and shunt revision.RESULTSThirty-one adult patients with a history of shunt placement for IIH visited the emergency department a total of 169 times for IIH-related symptoms, with a median of 3 ...
The Yongle Northern Canon and its donors

AbstractVarious renditions of the Yongle Northern Canon, a court-sanctioned Buddhist canon sponsored by rulers in the Ming and Qing, are preserved in such places as the Yangxian Museum in Shaanxi P...
Occupational lung disease risk and exposure to butter-flavoring chemicals after implementation of controls at a microwave popcorn plant.

Objectives.After an outbreak of severe lung disease among workers exposed to butter-flavoring chemicals at a microwave popcorn plant, we determined whether or not lung disease risk declined after i...
Physical linkages between an offshore canyon and surf zone morphologic change

The causes of surf zone morphologic changes observed along a sandy beach onshore of a submarine canyon were investigated using field observations and a numerical model (Delft3D/SWAN). Numerically simulated morphologic changes using four different sediment transport formulae reproduce the temporal and spatial patterns of net cross-shore integrated (between 0- and 6.5-m water depths) accretion and erosion observed in a ∼300-m alongshore region, a few hundred meters from the canyon head. The observations and simulations indicate that the accretion or erosion results from converging or diverging alongshore currents driven primarily by breaking waves and alongshore pressure gradients. The location of convergence or divergence depends on the direction of the offshore waves that refract over the canyon, suggesting that bathymetric features on the inner shelf can have first-order effects on short-term nearshore morphologic change. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Three-dimensional imaging with arrays of Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes

Lincoln Laboratory has developed 32×32-pixel ladar focal planes comprising silicon Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes and high-speed all-digital CMOS timing circuitry in each pixel. In Geiger-mode operation, the APD can detect as little as a single photon, producing a digital CMOS-compatible voltage pulse. This pulse is used to stop a high-speed counter in the pixel circuit, thus digitizing the time of arrival of the optical pulse. This "photon-to-digital conversion" simultaneously achieves single-photon sensitivity and 0.25-ns timing precision. We discuss the development of these focal planes and present imagery from ladar systems that use them.
Smart Cloud Computing

Open smart devices such as Android devices as clients of cloud computing as open servers are requiring a transparent and highly universal modeling of the worlds in cloud computing to overcome combinatorial explosion of cloud computing in designing and testing. Hence, appropriate scalable modeling of cloud computing is sought. Extreme diversities, versatility and dynamism of cloud computing applications are shown to be supported by the cloud computing modeling in an incrementally modular abstraction hierarchy (IMAH) with homotopy extension property (HEP) and homotopy lifting property (HLP).