cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adhesion induced by mobile cross-bridges: steady state peeling of conjugated cell pairs

Recent experiments on cell-cell adhesion indicate that (i) bonds between two cells migrate towards the region of conjugation during peeling, and (ii) cell membrane tension increases with the rate of peeling. Analytical methods that would allow the derivation of intrinsic parameters of adhesion from such experimental data have yet to be explored. In this study we introduce a specific adhesion model to investigate the complex interaction between rate of peeling, lateral diffusivity and the rate of detachment of bonds. Our analysis show that adhesive energy density increases with the rate of peeling and with lateral diffusivity of the bonds but decreases with increasing rate of detachment. The rate dependency of the adhesive energy is due to the modulation of the number density distribution of bonds by the speed of peeling.
Glycogen storage and synthesis in the gut of the purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus.

Abstract 1. 1. Glycogen stored in the gut wall of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus was distributed unequally, the second circuit containing much more glycogen than the first. 2. 2. Five weeks of starvation were required to deplete the gut glycogen. 3. 3. The unequal glycogen distribution may be partially accounted for by increased synthesis of glycogen from glucose in the second circuit of the gut. 4. 4. Galactose, mannose and mannitol were good glycogen precursors, but fucose was not.
MODES OF INTERANNUAL VARIABILITY OF OCEANIC EVAPORATION OBSERVED FROM GSSTF2

Variations of the oceanic evaporation are examined using Goddard Satellite Surface Turbulence Flux version 2 (GSSTF2) data. An Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis shows that the first non-seasonal EOF, which explains 9.2% of the variance, is characterized by large changes in the subtropical oceanic dry regions, accompanied by small negative changes in the equatorial warm pool and the eastern equatorial Pacific. The time series shows an increasing trend with decadal time scale that started around 1990. This pattern is interpreted as an enhancement of the Hadley and Walker circulation. The second EOF, explaining 5.7% of the variance, is characterized by an equatorial east-west and a mid ocean north-south dipole in the Pacific. The second pattern is similar to the First EOF pattern of non-seasonal oceanic precipitation found in earlier studies, and is related to the El Nino Southern Oscillation phenomena. It is correlated with a Southern Oscillation Index at 0.74, which is significant at the 95% level. Over the region 650S ­ 650N, oceanic evaporation, surface wind speed and air-sea humidity difference from GSSTF2 shows increases of 17%, 6% and 11% over the period July 1988-December 2000. Most of this linear trend is associated with a decadal variation of the atmospheric circulation and points to the need for quantifying interannual variations in long-term climate changes studies in the global hydrologic cycle
Dampened activity of E2F1–DP and Myb–MuvB transcription factors in Drosophila endocycling cells

The endocycle is a variant cell cycle comprised of alternating gap (G) and DNA synthesis (S) phases (endoreplication) without mitosis (M), which results in DNA polyploidy and large cell size. Endocycles occur widely in nature, but much remains to be learned about the regulation of this modified cell cycle. Here, we compared gene expression profiles of mitotic cycling larval brain and disc cells with the endocycling cells of fat body and salivary gland of the Drosophila larva. The results indicated that many genes that are positively regulated by the heterodimeric E2F1–DP or Myb–MuvB complex transcription factors are expressed at lower levels in endocycling cells. Many of these target genes have functions in M phase, suggesting that dampened E2F1 and Myb activity promote endocycles. Many other E2F1 target genes that are required for DNA replication were also repressed in endocycling cells, an unexpected result given that these cells must duplicate up to thousands of genome copies during each S phase. For some EF2-regulated genes, the lower level of mRNA in endocycling cells resulted in lower protein concentration, whereas for other genes it did not, suggesting a contribution of post-transcriptional regulation. Both knockdown and overexpression of E2F1–DP and Myb–MuvB impaired endocycles, indicating that transcriptional activation and repression must be balanced. Our data suggest that dampened transcriptional activation by E2F1–DP and Myb–MuvB is important to repress mitosis and coordinate the endocycle transcriptional and protein stability oscillators.
Sport and Development: An Overview, Critique, and Reconstruction

“Development” has become both a watchword and a fascination in sporting circles worldwide. Yet sport officials, policy makers, and advocates often have relatively unsophisticated understandings of ...
Language-based control and mitigation of timing channels

We propose a new language-based approach to mitigating timing channels. In this language, well-typed programs provably leak only a bounded amount of information over time through external timing channels. By incorporating mechanisms for predictive mitigation of timing channels, this approach also permits a more expressive programming model. Timing channels arising from interaction with underlying hardware features such as instruction caches are controlled. Assumptions about the underlying hardware are explicitly formalized, supporting the design of hardware that efficiently controls timing channels. One such hardware design is modeled and used to show that timing channels can be controlled in some simple programs of real-world significance.
Linkages of School Structural and Socioenvironmental Characteristics to Parental Satisfaction With Public Education and Student Academic Achievement

This study examined school climate's relation to the sociodemographic composition of the school student population, school structural characteristics, parental involvement, classroom support in learning, parental satisfaction with public education, and student academic achievement all together at one time in a sample of 122 elementary schools. Parental satisfaction was best predicted by parental perceptions of a safe school and positive climate, followed by the school's informing parents of their child's educational progress and empowering parents. Student performance on a standardized achievement was best predicted by the percentage of students in the Free and Reduced Meals program, parental perceptions of a safe school, and parental involvement. Study results are discussed in terms of two general levels (school and classroom) and types (task support and interpersonal support) of the school's social environment.
Inhibition of CXCR4 with the novel RCP168 peptide overcomes stroma-mediated chemoresistance in chronic and acute leukemias

The chemokine receptor CXCR4 mediates the migration of hematopoietic cells to the stroma-derived factor 1α (SDF-1α)–producing bone marrow microenvironment. Using peptide-based CXCR4 inhibitors derived from the chemokine viral macrophage inflammatory protein II, we tested the hypothesis that the inhibition of CXCR4 increases sensitivity to chemotherapy by interfering with stromal/leukemia cell interactions. First, leukemic cells expressing varying amounts of surface CXCR4 were examined for their chemotactic response to SDF-1α or stromal cells, alone or in the presence of different CXCR4 inhibitors. Results showed that the polypeptide RCP168 had the strongest antagonistic effect on the SDF-1α– or stromal cell–induced chemotaxis of leukemic cells. Furthermore, RCP168 blocked the binding of anti-CXCR4 monoclonal antibody 12G5 to surface CXCR4 in a concentration-dependent manner and inhibited SDF-1α–induced AKT and extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation. Finally, RCP168 significantly enhanced chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in stroma-cocultured Jurkat, primary chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and in a subset of acute myelogenous leukemia cells harboring Flt3 mutation. Equivalent results were obtained with the small-molecule CXCR4 inhibitor AMD3465. Our data therefore suggest that the SDF-1α/CXCR4 interaction contributes to the resistance of leukemia cells to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Disruption of these interactions by the peptide CXCR4 inhibitor RCP168 represents a novel strategy for targeting leukemic cells within the bone marrow microenvironment. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(12):3113–21]
Transit ridership, incident effects and public policy

Abstract Transit ridership and performance is significantly affected by incidents such as labor strikes, work stoppages and gasoline shortages. This paper discusses the behavioral implications of such phenomena, specifically with regard to modeling the effects of incidents on transit ridership using aggregate time-series data. Transit users may respond to incidents by changing their perceptions of transit service utility, or by changing their location and travel behavior on either a permanent or a temporary basis. It appears that sensitivity to the effects of incidents increases with the degree of transit dependence and trip discretion on the part of the individual user. The speed at which transit ridership recovers to preincident levels appears to be more directly a function of market competitiveness. Transit managers can respond to the threat of strikes through a variety of mitigation and adaptation techniques. Mitigation strategies include averting the strike, attempting to shorten it or providing replacement service during the strike. Adaptation strategies may include fare changes, service changes or changes in operating subsidies implemented in the aftermath of a particular incident. These strategies and their long- and short-term effects on ridership are discussed in the context of the transit industry in the United States.
Physiological Control and Regulation of the Rhodobacter capsulatus cbb Operons

The genes encoding enzymes of the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) reductive pentose phosphate pathway in Rhodobacter capsulatus are organized in at least two operons, each preceded by a separate cbbR gene, encoding potential LysR-type transcriptional activators. As a prelude to studies of cbb gene regulation in R. capsulatus, the nucleotide sequence of a 4,537-bp region, which included cbbRII, was determined. This region contained the following open reading frames: a partial pgm gene (encoding phosphoglucomutase) and a complete qor gene (encoding NADPH:quinone oxidoreductase), followed by cbbRII, cbbF (encoding fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase), cbbP (encoding phosphoribulokinase), and part of cbbT (encoding transketolase). Physiological control of the CBB pathway and regulation of the R. capsulatus cbb genes were studied by using a combination of mutant strains and promoter fusion constructs. Characterization of mutant strains revealed that either form I or form II ribulose 1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO), encoded by the cbbLS and cbbM genes, respectively, could support photoheterotrophic and autotrophic growth. A strain with disruptions in both cbbL and cbbM could not grow autotrophically and grew photoheterotrophically only when dimethyl sulfoxide was added to the culture medium. Disruption of cbbP resulted in a strain that did not synthesize form II RubisCO and had a phenotype similar to that observed in the RubisCO-minus strain, suggesting that there is only one cbbP gene in R. capsulatus and that this gene is cotranscribed with cbbM. Analysis of RubisCO activity and synthesis in strains with disruptions in either cbbRI or cbbRII, and beta-galactosidase determinations from wild-type and mutant strains containing cbbIp- and cbbIIp-lacZ fusion constructs, indicated that the cbbI and cbbII operons of R. capsulatus are within separate CbbR regulons.
Losses from the Northridge earthquake: disruption to high-technology industries in the Los Angeles Basin

This study explores the relationship between industrial location geography, metropolitan patterns and earthquake disasters. Production losses from the 1994 Northridge earthquake to the Los Angeles Basin's most important high-technology industrial sector are evaluated in the context of that area's polycentric metropolitan form. Locations for each one of the Los Angeles Basin's 1,126 advanced electronics manufacturing establishments were identified and mapped, providing an indication of the patterns and clusters of the industry. An extensive survey of those establishments gathered information on disruptions from the Northridge earthquake. Production losses were then estimated, based on the sampled plants' lost workdays and the earthquake's distance-decay effects. A conservative estimate of total production losses to establishments in seven four-digit SIC advanced electronics industrial groups placed their value at US$220.4 million. Based on this estimate of losses, it is concluded that the Northridge earthquake's economic losses were much higher than initially anticipated. Language: en
Neuronal Expression of Glypican, a Cell-Surface Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycan, in the Adult Rat Nervous System

Cell-surface proteoglycans have been implicated in cell responses to growth factors, extracellular matrix, and cell adhesion molecules. M12, one of the most abundant membrane-associated proteoglycans in the adult rat brain, is a approximately 65 kDa glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked protein that bears heparan sulfate chains (Herndon and Lander, 1990). To assess its identity, M12 was purified and internal peptide sequences obtained. Comparison of the results with protein sequence predicted by a cDNA cloned from PC12 cells indicated that M12 is rat glypican, a proteoglycan first cloned from human fibroblasts. In addition, antibodies raised against a rat glypican fusion protein specifically detected the 65 kDa brain proteoglycan core protein, both by immunoprecipitation and by Western blotting. Northern blot analysis using a rat glypican probe also detected glypican message in the adult, as well as the developing rat brain. In situ hybridization with glypican RNA probes showed that glypican is expressed in a subset of structures in the adult rat nervous system. These include the hippocampus, dorsal thalamus, amygdala, cerebral cortex, piriform cortex, olfactory tubercle, several cranial nerve nuclei, the ventral horn of the spinal cord, and the dorsal root ganglia. Several other brain regions exhibited little or no hybridization over background. In most cases where glypican hybridization was observed, the signal could be localized specifically to the cell bodies of identifiable neurons, for example, spinal motoneurons, hippocampal pyramidal cells. In the cerebral cortex, glypican hybridization was found in layers 2/3, 5, and 6, but was missing from 1 and 4. The data suggest that glypican is expressed primarily by subpopulations of projection neurons in the adult rat nervous system.
Diagnostic tests in HIV management: a review of clinical and laboratory strategies to monitor HIV-infected individuals in developing countries

We conducted a systematic review on the performance of diagnostic tests for clinical and laboratory monitoring of HIV- infected adults in developing countries. Diagnostic test information collected from computerized databases, bibliographies and the Internet were categorized as clinical (non-laboratory patient information), immunologic (information from immunologic laboratory tests), or virologic (information from virologic laboratory tests). Of the 51 studies selected for the review 28 assessed immunologic tests, 12 virologic tests and seven clinical and immunologic tests. Methods of performance evaluation were primarily sensitivity and specificity for the clinical category and correlation coefficients for immunologic and virologic categories. In the clinical category, the majority of test performance measures was reported as >70% sensitive and >65% specific. In the immunologic category, correlation coefficients ranged from r = 0.54 to r = 0.99 for different CD4 count enumeration techniques, while correlation for CD4 and total lymphocyte counts was between r = 0.23 and r = 0.74. In the virologic category, correlation coefficients for different human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) ribonucleic acid (RNA) quantification techniques ranged from r = 0.54 to r = 0.90. Future research requires consensus on designing studies, and collecting and reporting data useful for decision-makers. We recommend classifying information into clinically relevant categories, using a consistent definition of disease across studies and providing measures of both association and accuracy. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2006;84:581-588.
Nomograms for determining the probability of axillary node involvement in women with breast cancer.

We have previously reported that a history of pregnancy is independently associated with axillary node involvement in breast cancer patients. We have now studied additional women with breast cancer and have used our data and the logistic model to produce nomograms for determining the risk of axillary node involvement, based on tumor size, age, and number of pregnancies. There was an increase in the incidence of axillary node involvement in women with a history of pregnancy. To exclude the confounding effect that tumor size or age might have on node involvement, logistic regression was performed. Pregnancy, tumor size, and age were the three independent variables. History of pregnancy had a significant effect on node involvement (P=0.036) that was independent of tumor size and age. Nomograms were constructed from these data. Surgeons do not perform an axillary dissection in every breast cancer patient. If the axilla is clinically negative and the tumor small, the surgeon, medical oncologist, and radiation oncologist may decide that a dissection need not be done. The nomograms in this article may allow for a more methodical choice of patients for axillary dissection. Moreover, a radiation oncologist might use the nomograms to help decide whether to irradiate an undissected axilla.
Broiler Production Under Varying Population Densities

The influence of population density on the growth performance and stress level of Hubbard x Hubbard chicks of equally mixed sex was studied. Six hundred and sixteen birds were housed under .05, .07, .09, or .11 m2 per bird (four replicates per density) from 0 to 7 wk. There were no treatment effects on feed conversion at 6 or 7 wk. Birds housed at .07, .09, and .11 m2 per bird had similar 7-wk BW and carcass weights, all significantly higher than birds housed at .05 m2 per bird. Under .05 m2 per bird, a higher percentage of breast blisters and ammonia burns (30%) was observed than at other densities. The 7-wk heterophil to lymphocyte ratios of birds raised at .09 and .11 m2 per bird (.42 and .45) were significantly higher than those at .05 and .07 m2 per bird (.28 and .30). Lowered BW and decreased carcass quality of birds raised at .05 m2 per bird suggested that these birds were stressed. However, decision analysis of economic potential indicated that the optimum profit potential per square meter was .05 m2 per bird for Maximax and Equally Likely decisions and .07 m2 per bird for the Maximin decision. (Key words: population density, broiler, carcass quality, profit potential, deci­ sion analysis) 1992 Poultry Science 71:427-433
Effect of base profile on the base transit time of the bipolar transistor for all levels of injection

Comparing the uniform base profile with the exponential base profile in low injection, the uniform base profile gives a lower base transit time for a given base resistance and peak base concentration, while the exponential base profile gives a lower base transit time for a given base resistance and base width at large base widths. At high injection the uniform base profile always gives the minimum base transit time. The uniform base doping is the optimal base profile for BiCMOS circuits in which the bipolar transistors are operated under high injection. >
Which came first, people or pollution? A review of theory and evidence from longitudinal environmental justice studies

A considerable number of quantitative analyses have been conducted in the past several decades that demonstrate the existence of racial and socioeconomic disparities in the distribution of a wide variety of environmental hazards. The vast majority of these have been cross-sectional, snapshot studies employing data on hazardous facilities and population characteristics at only one point in time. Although some limited hypotheses can be tested with cross-sectional data, fully understanding how present-day disparities come about requires longitudinal analyses that examine the demographic characteristics of sites at the time of facility siting and track demographic changes after siting. Relatively few such studies exist and those that do exist have often led to confusing and contradictory findings. In this paper we review the theoretical arguments, methods, findings, and conclusions drawn from existing longitudinal environmental justice studies. Our goal is to make sense of this literature and to identify the direction future research should take in order to resolve confusion and arrive at a clearer understanding of the processes and contributory factors by which present-day racial and socioeconomic disparities in the distribution of environmental hazards have come about. Such understandings also serve as an important step in identifying appropriate and effective societal responses to ameliorate environmental disparities.
Heat Pipe Liners for Materials Processing Furnaces

ABSTRACT Feasibility of a heat pipe liner for a two-zone metallurgical furnace is investigated theoretically. It is shown that the heat pipe liner can maintain a large temperature gradient at the liquid-solid interface of a crystal grown in the furnace while keeping the temperature variation in the liquid phase small and confined in a narrow region near the interface. Highly non-uniform heat transfer takes place in the heat pipe liner, which degrades the transport capability of the heat pipe.
Non-Inheritance of Impressed Variations in Streptococcus Lacticus

Microorganisms should furnish unusually favorable material for a study of the immediate effect of environment upon cell characteristics, both physiological and morphological, and of the inheritance of the characters thus impressed. Bacteria in particular should prove to be valuable assets in the study of heredity on account of their rapidity of multiplication, the complete absence of the complications introduced by sexual reproduction, the relatively simple structure of the cell, and the intimate relationship necessarily existing between the protoplasm and the chemical and physical factors of the environment. These advantages are in part offset by the minuteness of the cells and the difficulty in isolation and recognition of individuals. The present study was suggested by the considerable variation noted in the lactic acid production of the various starters used in the college dairy. The original purpose was to develop, if possible, a type of lactic acid organism that would produce an unusually large amount of lactic acid in milk, and to test the organism thus obtained in the commercial manufacture of butter. It was deemed advisable to use statistical methods as far as possible in recording the data obtained, both as an index of progress and for convenience in summarizing results. The need of such methods was particularly emphasized by the appearance of the papers of Goodman1 on acid production in the diphtheria group and of Winslow and Walker2 on the paratyphoid bacillus.
Ultrathin Al2O3 Coatings for Improved Cycling Performance and Thermal Stability of LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 Cathode Material

Abstract Ultrathin Al 2 O 3 is directly deposited on LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 (NCM523) composite electrodes by atomic layer deposition (ALD). After 4 ALD cycles, the coated cathode exhibits significantly improved cycling performance and thermal stability, especially at high working voltage. The capacity retention of the coated cathode is 76.8% after 30 cycles in the voltage range of 2–4.8 V, compared to 58.4% of pristine cathode. The exothermic peak in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, corresponding to the reactions between delithiated electrode and electrolyte, is also delayed after cycling. The improvement is attributed to the reduced charge transfer resistance and enhanced Li ion diffusivity, as the Al 2 O 3 coating may suppress the side reactions between electrode and electrolyte, and inhibit the oxygen release under high operating voltage.
Optically Addressable Input Circuit for Two-Dimensional Image Sensing

Using the combination of a novel amorphous silicon (a-Si) photosensing element and four a-Si thin-film transistors (TFTs) we have developed a circuit which has been incorporated into a two-dimensional image sensor to provide gain at the pixel level. Our circuit only requires two global connections and the complete array is fully process compatible with standard a-Si TFT fabrication procedures. This contrasts with conventional a-Si imaging arrays which have no gain at the pixel level, require an additional global power line, and necessitate a separate sensor deposition
Protein kinases as therapeutic targets

Protein kinases and phosphatases are likely targets for the development of therapeutic drugs since they are involved in specific signaling pathways which regulate cell functions such as metabolism, cell cycle progression, cell adhesion, vascular function and angiogenesis. Protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation serve as molecular switches for modulating these processes and the level and duration of each is a highly regulated process in normal cells. Several compounds that inhibit the activity of tyrosine kinases are being evaluated as cancer therapeutic agents in clinical trials. Diabetes and complications of diabetes also involve deregulated levels of protein kinases. New approaches for regulating kinase gene expression include specific antisense oligonucleotides for inhibiting post-transcriptional processing of the messenger RNA, naturally occurring products and their chemical derivatives to inhibit kinase activity, and monoclonal antibodies to inhibit receptor linked kinases. Inhibition of phosphatases also serves to alter the duration of phosphorylation by kinases. Considerations for development of effective inhibitors include non-specific actions of compounds, cellular uptake, multiple intracellular targets that can dilute the effective cellular concentration of an agent, and tissue specificity. Kinase inhibitors may allow other therapeutic agents additional time to become effective and they may act synergistically with current treatments.
Urinary Hematin Calculi

AbstractWe report 2 cases of nephrolithiasis owing to hematin stones. One patient had no apparent explanation for this finding, while the other was receiving warfarin anticoagulation for a prosthetic aortic valve. The chemical nature, etiology and clinical features of hematin calculi are discussed.
Specters of Conrad: Espionage and the Modern West

By the end of the nineteenth century, the threat posed by Catholicism is magnified and expanded to include a general fear of an overwhelming yet fictitious Continental invasion. Focusing on the popular genre of invasion fiction inaugurated by Sir George Chesney’s The Battle of Dorking (1871) and its literary offspring, the fin-de-siecle English spy novel, this chapter argues that these invasion fantasies give birth to a new politics of the Gothic that finds its way into Conrad’s life and work. Conrad’s political writings, which reveal his attempt to secure his genealogical kinship with an expanded definition of Englishness over against an artificially invoked Slavic lawlessness, create suggestive contexts for reading Under Western Eyes (1911) as a prime example of Conrad’s modernist Gothic.
Antitrust in Context: Creating Historical Awareness for Competition Agencies

Well before he founded the American Antitrust Institute, Bert Foer directed the Office of Special Projects in the Bureau of Competition of the Federal Trade Commission. Among other contributions, B...
Mapping earthquake induced liquefaction surface effects from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake using satellite imagery

Documenting liquefaction surface effects is necessary both to validate and to refine existing liquefaction models. Post-earthquake liquefaction data collection historically relies on field investigation and is often spatially limited and incomplete [4]. Areas that are not near centers of population or major transportation routes are often neglected. Pre- and post-earthquake satellite images enable spatially continuous/exhaustive mapping of liquefaction [11]. We develop a workflow for mapping earthquake-induced surface effects of liquefaction using optical images with high spatial resolution. Our method combines object-based classification with change detection. We verify the proposed method to the Urayasu region affected by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, comparing the results with visual inspections. The proposed method can identify liquefaction surface effects on bare soil and pavement, providing a high resolution map of liquefaction surface effects.
Characterizing Ethical Decision-Making and Its Influences: Examining Higher Education Leaders in the United States

The ethical decision-making (EDM) process that leaders should follow to avoid scandals and unethical behavior is often overlooked. In addition, visit few studies have focused on EDM within higher education. Yet, educational leaders have an ethical responsibility due in part to increasingly diverse student populations enrolled that is having an impact on the growth of educational institutions. This exploratory study used the Delphi research technique to identify an EDM definition that leaders use to make ethical decisions and identify the environmental factors that influence their decisions as well as an EDM model within the U.S.
Uprooting and Self-Image: Catastrophe and Continuity

The term “uprooting” brings to mind a definite picture. “Roots” go down into the ground, “up” represents the opposite direction, counteracting the image of rest which the first part represents. The association of vegetable life, permanency, and vertical direction gives a peculiar interpretation of a human being in a certain predicament.
Numerical simulation of hybrid hydrodynamic-electrostatic ionic field-effect transistor

In most of ionic field-effect bio-sensors currently available in the literature, the major role of flow rectification or switching is played by electrostatic gatings through a single electrode. In this paper, however, we propose a paradigm for ionic field-effect sensing devices, where both the hydrodynamic and the electrostatic behaviors are leveraged by employing a double-gate configuration. Ultrahigh sensitivity of the double-gate device with respect to the single-gate bio-sensing devices is demonstrated for field effects through numerical simulations.
Near-infrared intraoperative imaging during resection of an anterior mediastinal soft tissue sarcoma

Sarcomas are rare malignancies that are generally treated with multimodal therapy protocols incorporating complete local resection, chemotherapy and radiation. Unfortunately, even with this aggressive approach, local recurrences are common. Near-infrared intraoperative imaging is a novel technology that provides real-time visual feedback that can improve identification of disease during resection. The presented study describes utilization of a near-infrared agent (indocyanine green) during resection of an anterior mediastinal sarcoma. Real-time fluorescent feedback provided visual information that helped the surgeon during tumor localization, margin assessment and dissection from mediastinal structures. This rapidly evolving technology may prove useful in patients with primary sarcomas arising from other locations or with other mediastinal neoplasms.
C8orf46 homolog encodes a novel protein Vexin that is required for neurogenesis in Xenopus laevis

Abstract Neural basic helix-loop helix (bHLH) transcription factors promote progenitor cell differentiation by activation of downstream target genes that coordinate neuronal differentiation. Here we characterize a neural bHLH target gene in Xenopus laevis, vexin (vxn; previously sbt1), that is homologous to human c8orf46 and is conserved across vertebrate species. C8orf46 has been implicated in cancer progression, but its function is unknown. Vxn is transiently expressed in differentiating progenitors in the developing central nervous system (CNS), and is required for neurogenesis in the neural plate and retina. Its function is conserved, since overexpression of either Xenopus or mouse vxn expands primary neurogenesis and promotes early retinal cell differentiation in cooperation with neural bHLH factors. Vxn protein is localized to the cell membrane and the nucleus, but functions in the nucleus to promote neural differentiation. Vxn inhibits cell proliferation, and works with the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27Xic1 (cdkn1b) to enhance neurogenesis and increase levels of the proneural protein Neurog2. We propose that vxn provides a key link between neural bHLH activity and execution of the neurogenic program.
General Purpose Technologies and local knowledge accumulation — A study on MNC subunits and local innovation centers

Abstract This research looks into the innovative activities of subunits of large non-U.S firms in the U.S from 1969 to 1995, suggesting that the innovations in the subunits of multinational corporations are closely linked to their specializations in General Purpose Technologies (GPTs). GPTs enable recombining knowledge from different domains on an international scale, and that the specialization of innovations in GPT fields within a subunit is positively associated with the innovative capacity at large, along with the degree of technological diversification of that specific subunit. As firms expand geographically to tap into local innovation centers to develop new growth alternatives, specialization of GPTs in these firms actually facilitates further geographical dispersion of innovative activities across locations. Lastly, additional specializations of innovations in GPT fields within the host innovation centers does help in attracting innovation activities of firms from a wider range of industries.
Executive Functioning Heterogeneity in Pediatric ADHD.

Neurocognitive heterogeneity is increasingly recognized as a valid phenomenon in ADHD, with most estimates suggesting that executive dysfunction is present in only about 33%–50% of these children. However, recent critiques question the veracity of these estimates because our understanding of executive functioning in ADHD is based, in large part, on data from single tasks developed to detect gross neurological impairment rather than the specific executive processes hypothesized to underlie the ADHD phenotype. The current study is the first to comprehensively assess heterogeneity in all three primary executive functions in ADHD using a criterion battery that includes multiple tests per construct (working memory, inhibitory control, set shifting). Children ages 8–13 (M = 10.37, SD = 1.39) with and without ADHD (N = 136; 64 girls; 62% Caucasian/Non-Hispanic) completed a counterbalanced series of executive function tests. Accounting for task unreliability, results indicated significantly improved sensitivity and specificity relative to prior estimates, with 89% of children with ADHD demonstrating objectively-defined impairment on at least one executive function (62% impaired working memory, 27% impaired inhibitory control, 38% impaired set shifting; 54% impaired on one executive function, 35% impaired on two or all three executive functions). Children with working memory deficits showed higher parent- and teacher-reported ADHD inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms (BF10 = 5.23 × 104), and were slightly younger (BF10 = 11.35) than children without working memory deficits. Children with vs. without set shifting or inhibitory control deficits did not differ on ADHD symptoms, age, gender, IQ, SES, or medication status. Taken together, these findings confirm that ADHD is characterized by neurocognitive heterogeneity, while suggesting that contemporary, cognitively-informed criteria may provide improved precision for identifying a smaller number of neuropsychologically-impaired subtypes than previously described.
Mutations creating a new initiation point for expression of the histidine operon in Salmonella typhimurium.

An operator normally controls expression of the histidine operon in Salmonella typhimurium . Deletion of this operator and a portion of the adjacent G gene in mutant hisG203 results in loss of expression of the entire operon. Mutant G203 does not revert to prototrophy, either spontaneously or following mutagen treatment. However, secondary mutants can be selected for their ability to grow on histidinol, i.e. for restored expression of the intact D gene. Of 145 secondary mutants isolated, at least 91 contain point mutations mapping in the G gene. Seventy-nine of these secondary mutants have been found to be identical; another twelve mutants are probably also the same. Each of the 79 point mutations maps in region VI of G and appears to be allelic with the type point mutant, 1306 . The secondary point mutations, in the G203 background, restore about 50% of the D enzymic activity found in wild-type repressed cells. Histidine repression control, absent in G203 secondary mutants, is restored when G203 is transduced to G203 + . The mutations, in the G203 + background, elicit a feedback hypersensitive G enzyme; this in turn leads to a cold sensitive phenotype. At 37°C the mutants grow like wild-type bacteria; at 20°C they require histidine or histidinol for growth. The experimental evidence indicates that the site of the secondary mutation is critical for expression of the operon in G203 . This site may, by base pair transition, become an initiator for transcription or for translation of messenger RNA.
How About a Package Deal to Get Rid of the Food Surplus

“Let’s get rid of the food surplus problem and not just the food surplus.” You may think that this slogan is best kept in an ivory tower. Mention of Democrats and Republicans in the previous chapter may have led you to take a hard look at the politics of the farm program. Politics, we are told, is the art of the possible. “If we can find a way to get rid of the food surplus now,” you may say, “why not do that and worry about the new problems when they come up?”
The Implications of Computer Technology in the Delivery of Human Services

Social service programs are nowadays required to operate efficiently and effectively. In order to insure that this occurs, service delivery must be documented and evaluated like never before. Nonetheless, at the same time, clients are reporting in ever greater numbers to receive services. Computer technology can assist practitioners to deal with this apparent conflict. For example, computers facilitate documentation, encourage the uilization of advanced research techniques, and free practitioners from paper work, so that increased services can be offered. Accordingly, this technology can be used to improve the delivery of social services. With human service programs seeking increased accountability, manageability and visibility, the need to measure and evaluate services becomes critical. Equally important is the need to monitor the service rendered, as well as maintain accurate, updated rules on clients and programs within selected geographical areas. Such activity increases the proficiency of programs, integrates service delivery systems, enhances benefits to recipients, and creates reliable information banks. Thus the use of computer technology In human services warrants serious
Effects of a Total Knee Arthroplasty Care Pathway on Cost, Quality, and Patient Experience: Toward Measuring the Triple Aim.

Abstract Background Care pathways are increasingly important as the shift toward value-based care continues; however, there is an inconsistent literature regarding their efficacy. The authors hypothesized that a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) care pathway, at a multihospital health system, would decrease cost, length of stay (LOS), discharges to inpatient facilities, postoperative complications at 90 days, and improve patient experience. Methods A historical control study with multivariable regression was used to determine the association of an evidence-based care pathway with episode of care cost, LOS, discharge disposition, 90-day postoperative complications, and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores. Results In total, 6760 primary TKA surgeries were analyzed. Multivariable regression demonstrated that the full protocol period was associated with a decrease in episode of care costs (−8.501%, 95% confidence interval [CI] −9.639 to −7.350), a decrease in LOS (−26.966%, 95% CI −28.516 to −25.382), and an increase in discharges to home (odds ratio [OR] 3.838, 95% CI 3.318-4.446). The full protocol was not associated with a change in 90-day complications (OR 1.067, 95% CI 0.905-1.258) or patient willingness to recommend (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.72-1.55). Adjusted episode of care cost savings, normalized to average national Medicare reimbursement, were $2360 per patient. Conclusion TKA care pathways are an effective tool for standardizing care and reducing costs across a large health system. Further investigations are needed to develop interventions to consistently reduce complications. National scale implementation of care pathways in TKA could lead to estimated cost reductions of approximately $1.6 billion annually.
Using the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) to Test Estimates of Arrestee and Offender Characteristics

National-Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) information for 1993 iscompared with two other sets of homicide data to assess the acuracy ofprocedures for estimating age-, sex-, and race-specific arrest counts fromtraditional Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data. The simultaneous age, race, andsex characteristics of offenders provided in the NIBRS arrest and offender segmentsare compared with estimates of the same characteristics derived from summaryUCR arrest data. The results suggest that using UCR marginal totals toestimate arrest counts by race and sex produces reasonably accurateestimates of the number of black and nonblack male arrests for murder andother offenses. Estimates of arrests of females by race and sex are lessaccurate, probably because of the relatively small number of arrests ofwomen and girls. Estimating male arrest counts for specific age groups alsoproduces reasonably accurate estimates. The results suggest that previousresearch employing such estimates may have been misleading in the estimatesof female arrests by race but accurate in the estimates of male arrests byrace. Although the use of summary UCR-based estimates in futurecross-sectional research will become increasingly unnecessary as the NIBRSreplaces the current UCR program, time series research designs on arrest andcrime trends will continue to require estimates.
Selective adsorption of bio-oils’ molecules onto rubber surface and its effects on stability of rubberized asphalt

Abstract This study examines the merits of surface activation of rubber using various bio-oils to improve rubber-asphalt interaction. To do so a hybrid method combining microwave irradiation and bio-chemical treatment was used to graft biomolecules onto the exterior surface of the rubber. Five surface activated rubbers were prepared using waste vegetable oil, wood pellet, miscanthus, corn stover, and castor oil. The effectiveness of each oil was examined by measuring the chemisorption of the bio-oil and elastic recovery of bitumen containing rubber particles treated with each bio-oil. Our quantum-based density functional theory calculations showed presence of both physical and chemical interactions between polar aromatic components of bio-oils and rubber. Among studied bio-oils, wood-based bio-oil found to have the highest content of polar aromatics such as phenolic resins leading to its enhanced interaction with rubber. This was evidenced in percent recovery, which was nearly doubled (from 13% to 24%) when wood-based bio-oil molecules were grafted onto the surface of rubber. Overall, wood-based bio-oil was shown to adsorb well to the rubber surface and reduce its tendency to separate from bitumen by 82%. The study results showed how composition of bio-oil affects its efficacy to activate rubber surface. It also proved the technical merits of using surface activated rubber to reduce segregation between rubber and bitumen which commonly occurs in rubberized asphalt. Therefore, the outcome of this study promotes recycling of waste tire to promote sustainability in pavement construction.
Evaluation of novel jointless engineered cementitious composite ultrathin whitetopping (ECC-UTW) overlay

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the construction, material characterization, initial structural assessment, and cost of a novel jointless Engineered Cementitious Composite Ultra-Thin Whitetopping (ECC-UTW) overlay. After construction, early-age cracks (from less than 0.25 mm to up to 2.54 mm width) were observed in the 101.6-mm (4 in.) jointless ECC-UTW section; yet, the majority of the cracks coincided with areas where fiber clumps were observed during construction and places of heavy instrumentation. On the other hand, no cracks were observed in the 63.5-mm (2.5 in.) jointless ECC-UTW at early ages; yet, when winter arrived, micro-cracks (
Neuroendocrine Peritoneal Metastases

Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) from neuroendocrine tumors (NET) will occur in 10–33% of patients with the majority of these originating from a midgut NET. The presence of PC is frequently associated with advanced disease, including liver and lymph node metastases. Recently, Gallium-68 DOTATATE PET/CT scans have replaced octreotide scans for identification and staging of these lesions. The optimal surgical management of these lesions is unknown and is far from standardized. The only potentially curative surgical operation is resection of both the primary and all metastatic disease, which can be difficult to achieve. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with or without hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has been investigated as potential options to improve long-term survival. The overall survival outcomes for these patients remain better than in patients with PC from other histologies, and appropriate management can lead to improved survival and quality of life.