cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Switch array system for thin film lithium microbatteries

Integrated microbatteries are currently being developed to provide reliable low-noise voltage sources for system-on-a-chip applications by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). These microbatteries help provide localized current capacities or embedded power supplies at the chip level for space exploration. This paper presents a design approach for charging and discharging microbatteries. Maximum flexibility in terms of voltages and currents are also obtained through the use of a switching matrix. The microbatteries used for the design are rated at 50 nAh capacity and are solid-state lithium electrolyte based. The designs are built using Microwave Silicon-on-Insulator process.
Autogenic heterotopic vascularized proximal interphalangeal joint transplantation in children

The proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP) joint is the most crucial joint for the functionality of a finger. For a child with complex injury of the hand every effort should be exercised to maximize function restoration. If the PIP joint is irreparably damaged, its reconstruction is indicated. The technique of autogenic heterotopic vascularized toe joint transplantation provides unique advantage of a composite transfer of skin, tendons, bone and joint alone with growth plate and its efficacy has been affirmed in children. It has been suggested that such transfers require intact flexor tendon to achieve satisfactory results, our experience however indicates quite the contrary. As evidenced by this report of a 7-year-old boy with abrasion and avulsion injury to his dominant right hand resulting in a complex defect with skin lose, extensor, flexor avulsion along with cominution of the PIP joint of his long finger. A surgical formulation of staged reconstruction scheme including an autogenic heterotopic vascularized toe joint transplantation led to complete functional restoration to his right hand. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Microsurgery 2011.
The role of type X collagen in endochondral ossification as deduced by Fourier transform infrared microscopy analysis.

Type X collagen has been implicated in the morphogenetic events of endochondral ossification (EO), including the calcification of hypertrophic cartilage and trabeculae prior to their replacement by bone and marrow. Recently, transgenic mice which expressed a truncated collagen X protein were reported to exhibit morphologic alterations in all tissues arising through EO. Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy has previously been shown to provide quantitative and qualitative information about the relative amount of mineral and carbonate present, mineral composition, and crystal perfection. To determine the role of collagen X in mineralization, the “quality” of mineral crystals was analyzed in thin sections of calcified cartilage from tibia obtained from several independent transgenic mouse lines showing varying degrees of the mutant phenotype and mice without type X collagen expression, by means of Fourier Transform InfraRed microscopy (FTIRM). In the present paper, the term “mineral quality” is empl...
Analysis of primary creep of molybdenum at high temperatures

The high temperature creep behavior of polycrystalline molybdenum was investigated at 1720°C using constant stress tests in an ultra-high vacuum environment. The strain dependence of the dislocation substructure was examined using etch pit techniques and transmission electron microscopy. Subboundaries were formed early in the transient region of the creep curve, and the details of this substructure development are presented. Grain growth occurred during testing, and this phenomena is discussed in terms of deviations from parabolic time law behavior. Various time laws were applied to the data and the Li equation was found to give the best fit. This equation was subsequently used to evaluate a model for dislocation remobilization.
Twenty-year incidence and patterns of contralateral breast cancer after breast conservation treatment with radiation.

Purpose: This study was undertaken to determine the incidence of contralateral breast cancer (CLB) after treatment for early-stage breast cancer with breast-conserving treatment (BCT), and to observe patterns of CLB presentation. Methods: Medical records of 1,801 women treated for unilateral AJCC Stage 0–II breast cancer with BCT between 1977 and 2000 were analyzed as a retrospective cohort. Results: The incidence of any CLB at 20 years was 15.4%. The annual risk of developing any CLB remained constant at approximately 0.75% per year after treatment. The median time to any CLB was 8.2 years (range, 0.5–26.5 years). No difference in incidence of CLB was demonstrated in patients with primary invasive carcinoma vs. DCIS ( p = 0.84). The majority of patients (83%) developing CLB tumors developed invasive disease. The risk of developing an invasive CLB did not differ significantly for patients with DCIS vs. those with primary invasive carcinoma ( p = 0.20). The method of detection of the primary tumor (mammography vs. physical examination) was not predictive of detection of the CLB ( p = 0.20). Finally, the location of CLB tumors was not affected by that of prior tumors ( p = 0.82). Conclusions: The risk of development of CLB persists for at least 20 years after treatment for early-stage breast cancer. CLB tumors are frequently invasive, and their location is not influenced by location of prior tumors. Mammography and physical examination remain essential after BCT for detection of a contralateral breast cancer, regardless of the method of detection of the primary tumor.
Size scaling in two-dimensional pictorial arrays

The study examined effects of instructional sets (objective, phenomenal, projective, and retinal) on the judged sizes of blocks placed at various "distances" in a pictorial array, Magnitude estimations of size were consistent with previous studies of size constancy in three-dimensional arrays. Chronometric analyses indicated that reaction time increased with distal size, but was not affected by perceived distance. The results suggested that size was scaled relative to a perceptual unit. Instructions affected the nature of the scale unit (proximal vs. distal), but not the scaling process itself. In an attempt to examine the mental processes that underlie the psychophysical scaling of size, Hartley (1977) measured the response times asso­ ciated with magnitude estimations of line lengths and found that reaction times increased linearly with the number of standard units contained in the com­ parison lines. He proposed that observers judged length by counting or "laying off" a mental image of the standard against the comparison. In the present study, this reaction time approach was extended to the scaling of sizes that vary in perceived distance. Specifically, a method of magnitude estimation was used to directly assess apparent size in a two­ dimensional pictorial array. The mental transfor­ mations that underlie size estimation and size con­ stancy were then investigated by examining the relationship between response time and perceived size. The extent to which perceived size remains constant with variations in distance is profoundly dependent on the judgmental attitude adopted by the observer. For example, if an observer is given phenomenal or "first look" instructions, variation in distance usually has no effect on judged size. However, if the observer is given objective or projective instruc­ tions, judged size will increase or decrease with dis­ tance, respectively (see Carlson, 1977, for review). Any attempt to model the mental processes that underlie size scaling and size constancy must ulti­ mately incorporate these effects of judgmental set. Hence, the present experiment examined the response
Improving Feature Location by Enhancing Source Code with Stereotypes

A novel approach to improve feature location by enhancing the corpus (i.e., source code) with static information is presented. An information retrieval method, namely Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI), is used for feature location. Adding stereotype information to each method/function enhances the corpus. Stereotypes are terms that describe the abstract role of a method, for example get, set, and predicate are well-known method stereotypes. Each method in the system is automatically stereotyped via a static-analysis approach. Experimental comparisons of using LSI for feature location with, and without, stereotype information are conducted on a set of open-source systems. The results show that the added information improves the recall and precision in the context of feature location. Moreover, the use of stereotype information decreases the total effort that a developer would need to expend to locate relevant methods of the feature.
Serological diagnosis of caprine lentivirus infection by recombinant immunoassays

Abstract Recombinant major core protein p25 (rP25) and transmembrane protein gp40 (rTM) of the ovine lentivirus (OLV) were used as immobilized antigens in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for the detection of antibodies against caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV). The sensitivity and specificity of these assays were compared with an agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test and a whole-virus ELISA. The results showed that the rTM ELISA was more effective than rP25 ELISA or AGID test in identifying CAEV antibodies in goat populations. The rTM ELISA had similar sensitivity and specificity as the whole-virus ELISA, with an overall concordance of 87.5%. When data for rP25 and rTM were combined, the overall test agreement between whole-virus ELISA and combined recombinant ELISAs increased to 89.3%. The high quantity and purity characteristic of recombinant proteins should make them suitable as routine diagnostic antigens for CAEV and OLV serology.
Static and Dynamic Thermal Behavior of Nanotip under Laser Irradiation

This talk will cover a systematic study of highly enhanced optical field and its induced thermal transport in nanotips under laser irradiation. Microscale resolution is achieved for temperature probing and spatially resolved temperature response.
The interplay of phase equilibria and chemical kinetics in a liquid/liquid multiphase biodiesel reactor

Abstract A countercurrent liquid/liquid phase biodiesel reactor achieved 99% triglyceride to methyl ester conversion at the same time as separating 90% of the produced glycerin. However, a low inverse sensitivity of the conversion to the glycerin separation efficiency led to biodiesel that did not meet ASTM quality standards in previous work. A distributed methanol injection strategy is demonstrated herein to improve reactor performance, yielding ASTM quality biodiesel and 90% separation efficiencies. Preliminary data on feed rate changes yields counterintuitive results where conversion increases as feed rate increases. A model that assumes equilibrium between the reacting oil phase and the settling glycerol phase simulates the experimental results and provides insight into the reactor behavior.
DICOM index tracker enterprise: Advanced system for enterprise-wide quality assurance and patient safety monitoring

DICOM Index Tracker (DIT) is an integrated platform to harvest rich information available from Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) to improve quality assurance in radiology practices. It is designed to capture and maintain longitudinal patient-specific exam indices of interests for all diagnostic and procedural uses of imaging modalities. Thus, it effectively serves as a quality assurance and patient safety monitoring tool. The foundation of DIT is an intelligent database system which stores the information accepted and parsed via a DICOM receiver and parser. The database system enables the basic dosimetry analysis. The success of DIT implementation at Mayo Clinic Arizona calls for the DIT deployment at the enterprise level which requires significant improvements. First, for geographically distributed multi-site implementation, the first bottleneck is the communication (network) delay; the second is the scalability of the DICOM parser to handle the large volume of exams from different sites. To address this issue, DICOM receiver and parser are separated and decentralized by site. To facilitate the enterprise wide Quality Assurance (QA), a notable challenge is the great diversities of manufacturers, modalities and software versions, as the solution DIT Enterprise provides the standardization tool for device naming, protocol naming, physician naming across sites. Thirdly, advanced analytic engines are implemented online which support the proactive QA in DIT Enterprise.
An emulsion pathway to electrically conductive polyaniline-polystyrene composites

Abstract A method for the preparation of electrically conductive polyaniline-polystyrene composites is described. The composite is obtained starting from an emulsion in which a solution of sodium dodecylsulfate in water constitutes the continuous phase and a solution of aniline and polystyrene in benzene the dispersed phase. Polymerization of aniline takes place by introducing an oxidant dissolved in an aqueous solution of HCl under vigorous stirring in the emulsion. The composite either precipitates or is precipitated by using a suitable agent. The conductivity can reach values as high as 3–5 S/cm. In contrast to polyaniline, the composite obtained is processable due to the insulating polymer.
Working Memory and Inference Revision in Brain-Damaged and Normally Aging Adults

This study examined the association between estimated working memory (WM) capacity and comprehension of passages that required revision of an initial interpretation. Predictions stemmed from the re...
On the minimal relative motion principle—the oscillating tilted bar

Abstract Beghi, Xausa, Tomat, and Zanforlin (J. Math. Psychol. 41(1997) 11) present a visual stereokinetic illusion. In the image plane, one end of an oblique bar moves horizontally back and forth, while the other end is stationary. Perceptually, this becomes a bar of a constant length rotating in depth around a vertical axis that passes through the stationary end of the bar. Beghi et al. (1997) provide a mathematical model of minimal relative motion to account for this percept. Here we show that the minimal relative motion principle cannot explain the perceptual phenomenon. Specifically, we raise two objections. (1) It is necessary to consider not only the length, but also the direction, of a vector when comparing vector fields. In fact, when directions are taken into consideration, Beghi et al.'s mathematical result diverges from their perceptual experimental result. (2) There is a mathematical inconsistency in Beghi et al. (1997): mixing absolute and relative velocities in their minimization is unwarranted, and does not lead to correct minimization.
Construction of tandem genetic duplications with defined endpoints in Myxococcus xanthus.

We have developed and tested a general method for the construction of tandem genetic duplications of defined regions of the Myxococcus xanthus chromosome, using transposon Tn5. A strain is constructed with a copy of Tn5-wt, coding for resistance to kanamycin, inserted at one end of the region to be duplicated, and a copy of Tn5-132, coding resistance to tetracycline, at the other end. The desired duplication forms by unequal recombination between the two transposons. The duplication is then isolated by transduction into a new strain by selecting for the copy of Tn5 at the novel joint. In order to test the method we constructed a duplication of the region between the previously described insertions Ω2224 and Ω925. This duplication was shown to have the correct restriction map in the vicinity of both copies of Tn5 and to produce antibiotic-sensitive segregants by recombinational loss of the Tn5 at the novel joint. Ω925 and Ω2224 are too far apart to cotransduce. Nevertheless, the duplication of the chromosomal segment between the two insertions can be transduced, as expected for a tandem duplication. To demonstrate the potential of constructed tandem duplications as genetic tools, three markers in the duplicated region were studied: cglB, a stimulatable A-motility gene, tgl, a stimulatable S-motility gene, and rif, the site of spontaneous rifampicin resistance mutations. Using the constructed tandem duplication, a cglB + cglB2 heterozygote was made. Since this strain was motile, cglB + is dominant. The cglB2 allele was mapped by measuring the ratio of non-motile to motile segregants obtained when the heterozygote lost the duplication and the results compared with transductional mapping of the same locus. tgl +tgl-1 heterozygotes could also be constructed, establishing the map order as Ω2224-tgl-Ω925. These heterozygotes were S-motile, indicating that tgl-1 is recessive. cglB2 rif +cglB +rif rdouble heterozygotes were also constructed. These were RfS, showing that rif + is dominant as in E. coli. Three-point analysis of segregants from the double heterozygote strains allowed determination of gene order. The order of genes in the rif region was determined to be Ω2224-cglB2-rif-tgl-1-Ω925.
Violence and the state: Lessons from Colombia

Whether or not Colombia has improved is a controversial topic. If improvement has occurred, what, if any, lessons from the Colombian model can be learned? The first lesson is that Colombia's problems were caused more by a weak state than by drugs. The second lesson is that improving state capacity requires more than just increased security. The state must also provide the basic social services that citizens require to gain and maintain their support. Additionally, government institutions need to improve their professionalism, protect human rights, and root out impunity and corruption. The alternative is to suffer from new cycles of violence as old foes are vanquished, but new ones emerge.
Concomitant boost dose escalation plus large-field preoperative chemoradiation in locally advanced carcinoma of the uterine cervix: Results of a phase I study (LARA-CC-1)

Abstract Objective To determine the recommended preoperative dose of large-field chemoradiation along with concomitant boost dose escalation on the tumor in locally advanced cervical carcinoma (LACC). Patients and methods A radiation dose of 40Gy over four weeks, 2Gy per fraction, was delivered to the tumor and the lymphatic drainage (planning target volume, PTV2), which encompassed a volume larger than standard (upper field border: L3 vertebra), concurrently with chemotherapy (cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil). Radiation dose was escalated to the macroscopic tumor only (PTV1) with a concomitant boost strategy. Three dose levels were planned: levels 1 (no PTV1 boost), 2 (45/2.25Gy) and 3 (50/2.5Gy). Patients were treated in cohorts of six to twelve per group using a standard phase I study design. The recommended dose was exceeded if >2 of 6 patients in a cohort experienced dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). Results 32 patients (median age: 50years; FIGO stage IB2: 4, IIA: 3, IIB: 21, III–IVA: 4) were enrolled. Median follow-up was 18months (3–49months). The most common grade 3/4 toxicity was gastrointestinal (diarrhea). Since three DLTs (grade 3 diarrhea, n =2; grade 3 proctitis, n =1), were observed in 4 patients at level 3, the trial was closed and level 2 was judged as the recommended dose. Conclusion Based on the data from this phase I study, 45Gy/2.25Gy to macroscopic tumor and 40Gy/2Gy to lymphatic drainage may be considered the recommended doses.
Evaluating Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Analyzing Stories of Stress to Formulate Focus Group Questions

The primary purpose of this analysis was to learn how therapeutic community (TC) residents describe Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) delivered as part of their substance use recovery experience. A secondary purpose was to develop focus group questions guided by TC residents' descriptions. Two researchers independently analyzed 38 written stories about stress in the TC. The researchers used conventional content analysis; independent analysis was followed by consensus dialogue to identify key words and code definitions. Three themes emerged from the content analysis: utility, portability, and sustainability. Participants talked about MBSR as a tool which helped them "manage" their recovery, noting that they used MBSR techniques in the TC and off-site. They believed they could use MBSR even after exiting the TC. Three focus group questions were formulated, one for each theme. Content analysis of stories of stress provided substantive guidance for formulating focus group questions which incorporated the voice of participants through familiar terms and friendly language.
Community Characteristics Associated with HIV Risk among Injection Drug Users in the San Francisco Bay Area: A Multilevel Analysis

Community characteristics have been associated with racial and ethnic health disparities for a wide range of ailments and conditions. Previous research has found that rates of AIDS cases among injection drug users (IDUs) vary by community characteristics. However, few studies have examined whether community characteristics are associated with HIV risk behaviors among IDUs. To address this gap in the literature, we examined the associations between census-tract-level community characteristics and injection-related and sex-related HIV risk behaviors among IDUs in the San Francisco Bay Area. Individual HIV risk behaviors were collected from 4,956 IDUs between 1998 and 2002. Using 2000 US census data, we constructed four census-level community measures: percent African American, percent male unemployment, percent of households that receive public assistance, and median household income. All community variables were measured continuously. Multilevel modeling was used to determine if community characteristics were associated with recent (in the last 6 months) receptive and distributive syringe sharing, multiple sex partners, and unprotected sex risk while controlling for potential individual-level confounders. In bivariate analysis, most of the census-tract-level community characteristics were significantly associated with injection-related HIV risk, while no community characteristics were associated with sex-related risk. However, results from multivariate multilevel models indicate that only percent African American in a census tract was associated with receptive [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.93; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.89, 0.99] and distributive syringe sharing (AOR = 0.94; 95% CI = 0.92, 0.99), net of individual-level characteristics. Accounting for individual-level factors in the multivariate model in the sex-related risk models revealed a significant inverse relationship between percent African American and propensity to engage in unprotected sex (AOR = 0.95; 95% CI = 0.92, 0.99); community-level characteristics remained unassociated with multiple sex partners. In this exploratory analysis, percent African American in a census tract was inversely associated with injection-related risk. The census-tract-level community characteristics we examined seem to exert little influence on individual risk among long-term chronic IDUs. More research is needed examining the influence of other community characteristics that were unmeasured in this paper but might be related to sex and drug risk among IDUs such as shooting galleries, crack houses, drug markets, and availability of preventive HIV services.
Social context affects risk taking by a satellite species in a mixed-species foraging group

Mixed-species flocks of birds form during winter in the eastern deciduous forests of North America. These flocks consist of two flock-leading nuclear species, tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) and Carolina chickadee (Poecile carolinensis), and several follower, or satellite, species, including downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) and white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis). Hypotheses explaining the adaptiveness of participation in such mixed-species foraging groups have focused on increased foraging success and/or decreased predation risk. We tested the prediction that if nuthatches join nuclear species to reduce predation risk, they should be more reluctant to visit an exposed feeder in the absence of titmice than in their presence. When the feeder was positioned 16 m from forest cover, latency to visit the feeder was greater for both male and female nuthatches when titmice were absent. Removal of titmice had no effect on latency at 8 m. In the absence of titmice, nuthatches visited the feeder less frequently at both distances. These results indicate that reduced predation risk is a benefit that satellite species gain by flocking with nuclear species.
Eucaloric Substitution of Medium Chain Triglycerides for Dietary Long Chain Fatty Acids in Acquired Total Lipodystrophy: Effects on Hyperlipoproteinemia and Endogenous Insulin Resistance

Previous studies have suggested that reduction of dietary fat intake, with or without caloric restriction, may lead to improvement in certain of the characteristic abnormalities that accompany total lipodystrophy (TLD). We have studied the effects of eucaloric medium chain triglyceride (MCT) substitution for dietary long chain fatty acids in a patient with acquired total lipodystrophy and unusual somatic and visceral anomalies. The patient exhibited insulin resistance, carbohydrate intolerance, striking fasting- and glucose-stimulated hyperinsulinemia, hyperglucagonemia, type V hyperlipoproteinemia, and lipoprotein lipase deficiency on a normal diet. Improvement in chylomicronemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and xanthomatosis occurred during eucaloric MCT substitution. Carbohydrate intolerance decreased and fasting immunoreactive glucagon and insulin concentrations fell 37% and 83%, respectively. Plasma triglyceride polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations decreased to very low levels. With long term MCT feeding supplemented by polyunsaturated fatty acids, hepatomegaly has gradually decreased, while body weight has remained stable. The patient has not yet required insulin therapy. These observations suggest that the abnormalities in carbohydrate metabolism are closely linked to, and perhaps dependent on, the abnormalities in lipoprotein transport in TLD. Long chain triglyceride restriction and MCT supplementation should be attempted in additional patients with the features of TLD to determine whether this is a generally effective therapeutic approach.
Oncogenic BRAFV600E induces expression of neuronal differentiation marker MAP2 in melanoma cells by promoter demethylation and down-regulation of transcription repressor HES1

MAP2 is a neuron-specific microtubule-associated protein that binds and stabilizes dendritic microtubules. Previously, we showed that MAP2 expression is (a) activated in cutaneous primary melanoma and (b) inversely associated with melanoma tumor progression. We also showed that ectopic expression of MAP2 in metastatic melanoma cells inhibits cell growth by inducing mitotic spindle defects and apoptosis. However, molecular mechanisms of regulation of MAP2 gene expression in melanoma are not understood. Here, we show that in melanoma cells MAP2 expression is induced by the demethylating agent 5-aza-2′-cytidine, and MAP2 promoter is progressively methylated during melanoma progression, indicating that epigenetic mechanisms are involved in silencing of MAP2 in melanoma. In support of this, methylation of MAP2 promoter DNA in vitro inhibits its activity. Because MAP2 promoter activity levels in melanoma cell lines also correlated with activating mutation in BRAF, a gene that is highly expressed in neurons, we hypothesized that BRAF signaling is involved in MAP2 expression. We show that hyperactivation of BRAF-MEK signaling activates MAP2 expression in melanoma cells by two independent mechanisms, promoter demethylation or down-regulation of neuronal transcription repressor HES1. Our data suggest that BRAF oncogene levels can regulate melanoma neuronal differentiation and tumor progression.
Evaluation of brushless permanent magnet motor rotor configurations for square wave current excitation

This paper evaluates different rotor configurations for 120 degree square wave current excited motor, or the trapezoidal back emf type permanent magnet (PM) motor. A two dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) method along with an averaging technique is used to evaluate the motor torque. The rotor structures considered here are rotors with various magnet arc widths (surface mounted magnets) and also rotors with various magnet arc widths with the interpolar region filled with soft magnetic material (inset magnet rotor). Three different rotor structures are fabricated and experimental results from the three motors are provided.
A ROBUST DNA COMPUTATION MODEL THAT CAPTURES PSPACE

One of the most serious problems in DNA computing is that basic DNA operations are faulty. Many DNA computation models use operations based on annealing and magnetic-beads separation which sometimes produce undesirable results. Some models use reliable operations only but their computational power is too weak. The purpose of this paper is to find a good trade-off between the robustness of DNA operations and their computational power. We present a robust DNA computation model that can solve computationally hard problems. We prove that (i) this model can solve PSPACE-complete problems, and (ii) any computational problem that can be solved with this model is in PSPACE.
Physiology of hibernation in Rana pipiens: metabolic rate, critical oxygen tension, and the effects of hypoxia on several plasma variables.

Rates of O2 consumption (VO2) were determined for adult northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens) submerged at 3 °C at water PO2s (PwO2) ranging from 0–160 mmHg. The critical O2 tension (Pc) was 36.4 mmHg. Hematocrit and blood levels of PO2, glucose, lactate, pH, [Na+], [K+], and osmolality were determined for frogs submerged for two days. Above a PwO2 of 50 mmHg, blood PO2 ranged from 1–7 mmHg, which was sufficient to allow the frogs to function entirely aerobically. Plasma [lactate] increased as PwO2 fell below 50 mmHg, the increase preceding significant changes in any other variable, and apparently preceding a fall in VO2. Most other variables showed little or no change from those of air-breathing control animals, even during anoxia. We present an analysis of the importance of a large decrease in Pc in permitting frogs to successfully overwinter in icebound ponds and of the factors that contribute to that decrease. J. Exp. Zool. 301A:169–176, 2004. © 2004 Wiley Liss, Inc.
The Interstellar Rubidium Isotope Ratio toward ρ Ophiuchi A

The isotope ratio 85Rb/87Rb places constraints on models of the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements, but there is no precise determination of the ratio for material beyond the solar system. We report the first measurement of the interstellar Rb isotope ratio. Our measurement of the Rb I line at 7800 A for the diffuse gas toward ρ Oph A yields a value of 1.21 ± 0.30 (1 σ) that differs significantly from the meteoritic value of 2.59. The Rb/K elemental abundance ratio for the cloud also is lower than that seen in meteorites. Comparison of the 85Rb/K and 87Rb/K ratios with meteoritic values indicates that the interstellar 85Rb abundance in this direction is lower than the solar system abundance. We attribute the lower abundance to a reduced contribution from the r-process. Interstellar abundances for Kr, Cd, and Sn are consistent with much less r-process synthesis for the solar neighborhood compared to the amount inferred for the solar system.
Detection of splice junctions from paired-end RNA-seq data by SpliceMap

Alternative splicing is a prevalent posttranscriptional process, which is not only important to normal cellular function but is also involved in human diseases. The newly developed second generation sequencing technique provides highthroughput data (RNA-seq data) to study alternative splicing events in different types of cells. Here, we present a computational method, SpliceMap, to detect splice junctions from RNA-seq data. This method does not depend on any existing annotation of gene structures and is capable of finding novel splice junctions with high sensitivity and specificity. It can handle long reads (50–100nt) and can exploit paired-read information to improve mapping accuracy. Several parameters are included in the output to indicate the reliability of the predicted junction and help filter out false predictions. We applied SpliceMap to analyze 23 million paired 50-nt reads from human brain tissue. The results show at this depth of sequencing, RNA-seq can support reliable detection of splice junctions except for those that are present at very low level. Compared to current methods, SpliceMap can achieve 12% higher sensitivity without sacrificing specificity.
A fourier expansion based particular integral approach for non-boundary loadings in boundary-element method

The analysis of loads applied within the domain of a body cannot presently be done with the boundary-element method using a boundary-only discretization. Such load cases include patch loads applied over a part of the domain of the object, point loads and line loads. A treatment for such load cases is presented in this paper. The object being considered is embedded in a finite domain and the applied loading is first expressed in terms of a Fourier series expansion. The particular integral solution for the governing differential equation is next obtained at the boundary nodal points for the series expansion loading. These particular integrals at the boundary nodes completely represent the effect of the applied loading and contribute an addition to the ‘force vector’ in the standard boundary-element equations.
Bimodal, Reciprocal Regulation of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1 Promoter Activity by BTEB1/KLF9 during Myogenesis

Expression of the gene encoding fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) and subsequent FGFR1-mediated cell signaling controls numerous developmental and disease-related processes. The transcriptional regulation of the FGFR1 gene is central to these developmental events and serves as a molecular model for understanding transcriptional control of growth factor receptor genes. The FGFR1 promoter is activated in proliferating myoblasts via several Sp1-like binding elements. These elements display varying levels of activation potential, suggesting that unique protein-DNA complexes coordinate FGFR1 gene expression via each of these sites. The Kruppel-like factor, BTEB1/KLF9, was expressed in both proliferating myoblasts and differentiated myotubes in vitro. The BTEB1 protein was nuclear-localized in both cell types. BTEB1 activated the FGFR1 promoter via interaction with the Sp1-like binding site located at -59 bp within the FGFR1 promoter. FGFR1 gene expression is down-regulated during myogenic differentiation, and FGFR1 promoter activity is correspondingly reduced. This reduction in FGFR1 promoter activity was attributable to BTEB1 interaction with the same Sp1-like binding site located at -59 bp in the FGFR1 promoter. Therefore, BTEB1 is capable of functioning as a transcriptional activator and repressor of the same promoter via the same DNA-binding element and demonstrates a novel, bimodal role of BTEB1 during myogenesis.
Pybedtools: a flexible Python library for manipulating genomic datasets and annotations

Summary: pybedtools is a flexible Python software library for manipulating and exploring genomic datasets in many common formats. It provides an intuitive Python interface that extends upon the popular BEDTools genome arithmetic tools. The library is well documented and efficient, and allows researchers to quickly develop simple, yet powerful scripts that enable complex genomic analyses. Availability: pybedtools is maintained under the GPL license. Stable versions of pybedtools as well as documentation are available on the Python Package Index at http://pypi.python.org/pypi/pybedtools. Contact: vog.hin.kddin@rrelad; ude.ainigriv@x5qra Supplementary Information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Motivational affordances and personality types in personal informatics

Personal informatics applications have been gaining momentum with the introduction of implicit data collection and alert mechanisms on smart phones. A need for customized design of these applications is emerging and studies on tailoring UI design based on the personality traits of users are well established. This poster investigates how various affordances in gamified personal informatics applications affect motivation levels to track and achieve goals for users with different personality types. We conducted a study to examine how user personality traits relate to (1) motivational affordances in behavior tracking applications and (2) the specific behaviors users prefer to track.
The impact of blood product ratios in massively transfused pediatric trauma patients.

Abstract Background Few studies have examined the impact of balanced resuscitation in pediatric trauma patients requiring massive transfusions. Adult data may not be generalizable to children. Methods Retrospective analysis assessed patients seen at a level I trauma center between 2003 and 2010 aged ≤18 years requiring massive packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusion, defined as transfusion of ≥50% total blood volume. After excluding mortalities in the first 24 hours, the impact of plasma and platelet ratios on mortality was evaluated. Results Of 6,675 pediatric trauma patients, 105 were massively transfused (mean age, 12.4 ± 6.3 years; mean Injury Severity Score, 25.8 ± 11.4; mortality rate, 18.1%). All deceased patients sustained severe head injuries. Plasma/PRBC and platelet/PRBC ratios were not significantly associated with mortality. Conclusions In this study, higher plasma/PRBC and platelet/PRBC ratios were not associated with increased survival in children. The value of aggressive blood product transfusion for injured pediatric patients requires further prospective validation.
Functional organization of human sensorimotor cortex for speech articulation

Speaking is one of the most complex actions that we perform, but nearly all of us learn to do it effortlessly. Production of fluent speech requires the precise, coordinated movement of multiple articulators (for example, the lips, jaw, tongue and larynx) over rapid time scales. Here we used high-resolution, multi-electrode cortical recordings during the production of consonant-vowel syllables to determine the organization of speech sensorimotor cortex in humans. We found speech-articulator representations that are arranged somatotopically on ventral pre- and post-central gyri, and that partially overlap at individual electrodes. These representations were coordinated temporally as sequences during syllable production. Spatial patterns of cortical activity showed an emergent, population-level representation, which was organized by phonetic features. Over tens of milliseconds, the spatial patterns transitioned between distinct representations for different consonants and vowels. These results reveal the dynamic organization of speech sensorimotor cortex during the generation of multi-articulator movements that underlies our ability to speak.
Existence of classes and value specification of variables

In mathematics, when we want to introduce classes which fulfill certain conditions, we usually prove beforehand that classes fulfilling such conditions do exist, and that such classes are uniquely determined by the conditions. The statements which state such unicity and existence of classes are in mathematical logic consequences of the principles of extensionality and class existence. In order to illustrate how these principles enable us to introduce classes into systems of mathematical logic, let us consider the manner in which Godel introduces classes in his book on set theory. For instance, before introducing the definition of the non-ordered pair of two classes Godel puts down as its justification the following two axioms: By A4, for every two classes y and z there exists at least one non-ordered pair w of them; and by A3, w is uniquely determined in A4.
Electron energy spectroscopy and the observation of ballistic transport of hot electrons in the plane of a 2DEG

The authors report the first successful fabrication of a lateral hot-electron transistor. Using energy spectroscopy, they have demonstrated the existence of ballistic transport in the plane of a 2DEG. The structure has been made by deposition of two metallic gates, each some 50 nm long, separated by 80-200 nm, on a selectively doped high-mobility GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. By applying negative bias to the gates, two potential barriers were formed under them that divided the plane into three regions-injection, transport, and collection-all contacted with ohmic contacts. One barrier served as a tunneling injector while the other played the role of the spectrometer. Operating the device as a hot-electron theta device and performing energy spectroscopy, hot-electron distributions, no more than 5 meV wide, were measured at the collector. >
A haplotype inference algorithm for trios based on deterministic sampling

In genome-wide association studies, thousands of individuals are genotyped in hundreds of thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Statistical power can be increased when haplotypes, rather than three-valued genotypes, are used in analysis, so the problem of haplotype phase inference (phasing) is particularly relevant. Several phasing algorithms have been developed for data from unrelated individuals, based on different models, some of which have been extended to father-mother-child "trio" data. We introduce a technique for phasing trio datasets using a tree-based deterministic sampling scheme. We have compared our method with publicly available algorithms PHASE v2.1, BEAGLE v3.0.2 and 2SNP v1.7 on datasets of varying number of markers and trios. We have found that the computational complexity of PHASE makes it prohibitive for routine use; on the other hand 2SNP, though the fastest method for small datasets, was significantly inaccurate. We have shown that our method outperforms BEAGLE in terms of speed and accuracy for small to intermediate dataset sizes in terms of number of trios for all marker sizes examined. Our method is implemented in the "Tree-Based Deterministic Sampling" (TDS) package, available for download at http://www.ee.columbia.edu/~anastas/tds Using a Tree-Based Deterministic sampling technique, we present an intuitive and conceptually simple phasing algorithm for trio data. The trade off between speed and accuracy achieved by our algorithm makes it a strong candidate for routine use on trio datasets.
Computing game-theoretic solutions and applications to security

The multiagent systems community has adopted game theory as a framework for the design of systems of multiple self-interested agents. For this to be effective, efficient algorithms must be designed to compute the solutions that game theory prescribes. In this paper, I summarize some of the state of the art on this topic, focusing particularly on how this line of work has contributed to several highly visible deployed security applications, developed at the University of Southern California.
Light Emission and Domain Formation in Real-Space Transfer Devices

Light emission from real-space transfer devices can be brought about by several mechanisms. For device application the most promising of these mechanisms is the injection of minority electrons across a semiconductor heterojunction into a p-type collecting layer. So far, problems associated with the growth of p-type collecting layers have hindered efforts in this area, resulting in inefficient light output. Our group has reported observing light emission caused by the real-space transfer of majority electrons into an n-type collecting layer. We propose a mechanism to account for this light which consists of hole creation by impact ionization of real-space transferred electrons. Microscopic observation of the spatial distribution of the light along the length and width of the channel (variations have been observed in both directions), along with its spectral distribution, gives insight into the mechanisms involved in high field domain formation in the channel of real-space transfer FETs and the contribution of high field domains to negative differential resistance. New device structures which incorporate a p-type collecting layer as the top layer of the device in order to decrease the problems associated with p-type doping in real-space transfer devices will also be discussed.
Tom Jenkins’S Statistical Simulation Exercise

In this case, the student is placed in the role of Tom Jenkins, a manufacturing manager who must determine the proper settings for a food-filling machine. Both a target fill rate and the production speed can be set. The purpose of the case is to teach the dual concepts of capability and natural variability, and it can be used as a lead-in to the concept of statistical process control. A multimedia Web-based application is used for the machine simulation.
Mutação constitucional e proibição de discriminação por motivo de sexo / “Constitutional mutation” and the constitutional veto upon discrimination based on sex

DOI: 10. 12957/dep.2016. 17987 Resumo O texto analisa o fenomeno da mutacao constitucional dentro do desenvolvimento da metodologia da Ciencia do Direito, como resposta a necessidade, de um lado, da continuidade da ordem juridica, e de outro, da capacidade de adaptacao das normas a dinâmica social por meio da interpretacao juridica. Por meio do metodo de revisao bibliografica e jurisprudencial, sao analisados os limites a atividade interpretativa que promova a mudanca de sentido atribuido as normas pelos tribunais e examina-se, mediante um estudo de caso (considerando a evolucao da discriminacao em razao do sexo na jurisprudencia do Supremo Tribunal Federal), tanto as caracteristicas quanto os limites da mutacao constitucional, para demonstrar a utilidade e legitimidade desta tecnica na promocao de grupos discriminados pela omissao legislativa. Palavras-chave: Mutacao constitucional. Interpretacao juridica. Jurisdicao Constitucional. Igualdade. Discriminacao de genero. Abstract This paper analyzes the so called “constitutional mutation” as the development experienced in the studies on legal reasoning, and as a response to the need of stability of the legal system, on the one hand, and the norm’s capacity to be adapted to the social dynamics through legal interpretation, on the other. It also describes the limits to the legal reasoning that promotes changes in the interpretation given to certain norms by the courts. Through a particular case study, regarding the discrimination on grounds of sex in the case law of the Brazilian Supreme Court, this works aims to regard both the features and the limits of constitutional mutation, in order to demonstrate its legitimacy in promoting equalization for groups historically discriminated by legislative omission. Keywords: Constitutional mutation. Legal interpretation. Constitutional Courts. Equality. Discrimination based on sex/gender.