cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parallel algorithms for VLSI circuit extraction

The authors propose parallel algorithms to speedup the VLSI circuit extraction task. Given a VLSI layout as input, the problem of circuit extraction consists of determining the circuit connectivity and estimating the various electrical parameters such as the resistances of lines, capacitances of nodes, and dimensions of devices. Circuit extraction is a computationally intensive problem. The basic approach used in the parallel algorithms is the partitioning of a circuit into small regions, assigning each region to a processor and having the processors cooperate in performing the extraction procedures. The authors present a number of partitioning strategies that could be used. The authors have implemented the parallel algorithms on an Intel iPSC2 hypercube and an Encore 510 multimax shared memory multiprocessor. >
Academia linking with industry-the RPI model

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's efforts to forge links with industry are discussed. These links include industrially sponsored research and development projects, as well as encouraging new start-up companies through an Incubator program and the development of the Rensselaer Technology Park for more mature companies. Companies wishing to support R&D programs do so primarily through the activities associated with the Center for Industrial Innovation. >
Gas—liquid chromatography of terpenes VI. The volatile oil of Thuja plicata Donn.

Abstract The neutral, volatile oil of the foliage of western red cedar was analysed by means of gas-liquid chromatography and infrared spectroscopy. The major constituent was found to be l -thujone accompanied by nearly 10 per cent d -isothujone. The main hydrocarbons were d -sabinene and tentatively identified car-4-ene. Smaller amounts of d -α-pinene, d -limonene, d -terpinen-4-ol and an unidentified aromatic ester were also isolated. Trace amounts of α-fenchene, camphene, γ-terpinene, terpinolene, p -cymene and 1,8-cineole were identified by retention characteristics only. The presence of thujyl alcohol and its acetate could not be confirmed. The oil from small branchlets from different locations on a young tree was analyzed separately. The qualitative composition was found to be the same, but the younger leaves contained a noticeably smaller amount of hydrocarbons than older ones. The oil may lend itself to a study of the biosynthesis of some of its components and possible pathways are discussed.
Macromolecular connections of active zone material to docked synaptic vesicles and presynaptic membrane at neuromuscular junctions of mouse.

Electron tomography was used to view macromolecules composing active zone material (AZM) in axon terminals at mouse neuromuscular junctions. Connections of the macromolecules to each other, to calcium channels in the presynaptic membrane, and to synaptic vesicles docked on the membrane prior to fusing with it during synaptic transmission were similar to those of AZM macromolecules at frog neuromuscular junctions previously examined by electron tomography and support the hypothesis that AZM regulates vesicle docking and fusion. A species difference in the arrangement of AZM relative to docked vesicles may help account for a greater vesicle-presynaptic membrane contact area during docking and a greater probability of fusion during synaptic transmission in mouse. Certain AZM macromolecules in mouse were connected to synaptic vesicles contacting the presynaptic membrane at sites where fusion does not occur. These secondary docked vesicles had a different relationship to the membrane and AZM macromolecules than primary docked vesicles, consistent with their having a different AZM-regulated behavior. J. Comp. Neurol.
Development of In Vitro Correlate Assays of Immunity to Infection with Yersinia pestis

Pneumonic plague is a severe, rapidly progressing disease for which there is no effective vaccine. Since the efficacy of new vaccines cannot be tested in humans, it is essential to develop in vitro surrogate assays that are valid predictors of immunity. The F1 capsule antigen stimulates a protective immune response to most strains of Yersinia pestis. However, strains of Y. pestis that are F1− but still virulent have been isolated, and an in vitro assay, the results which can predict protection against both F1+ and F1− strains, is needed. The virulence antigen (V) is an essential virulence factor of Y. pestis and stimulates protective antibodies. We investigated potential correlates of plague immunity that are based on anti-V antibody-mediated neutralization of Yersinia-induced macrophage cytotoxicity. The neutralizing activity of sera from mice vaccinated with an F1-V fusion candidate vaccine was determined. The decrease in the level of the apoptosis-specific enzyme caspase-3 significantly predicted survival in one- and two-dose vaccination experiments. Sera from F1-V-vaccinated nonhuman primates were evaluated with macrophage assays based on caspase-3 and on other markers manifested at the different stages in cell death. Using murine- and human-derived macrophages in microscopic and fluorescence-activated-cell-sorting-based live/dead staining assays of terminal necrosis, we demonstrated a strong association between in vitro neutralization of macrophage cytotoxicity induced by serum-treated Yersinia and in vivo protection against lethal infection. These results provide a strong base for the development of reliable in vitro correlate bioassays that are predictive of protective immunity to plague.
Abnormal cervicovaginal cytology in women with lupus: a retrospective cohort study.

Abstract Objective. The aim of this study was to review Pap smear reports in women with systemic lupus erythematosus and compare them to a large control population. Methods. Pap smear results of 29 women with a diagnosis of lupus seen consecutively were compared to those of a control population of 747 women attending the gynecology clinic at the same medical center during the same year. Records of lupus patients were reviewed to obtain clinical data. Fisher's exact test and χ 2 analysis were used to determine statistical significance, as appropriate. Results. Of 29 women with lupus, 1/29 had high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HGSIL) and 6/29 had low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LGSIL). The control population of 747 women had 9/747 with HGSIL and 63/747 with LGSIL. χ 2 and Fisher's exact tests showed that the lupus population had a statistically significant increase in Pap smear reports of dysplasia compared to the control group ( P P Conclusion. Women with lupus have an increased prevalence of cervical dysplasia. Serial observation revealed dysplastic cytologies in nearly half of the patients, suggesting that this may be a more common problem than previously reported. Serial prospective studies are needed to assess better the risk of premalignant cervical lesions in lupus.
Lack of impact of radioiodine therapy in tg-positive, diagnostic whole-body scan-negative patients with follicular cell-derived thyroid cancer

Several reports have suggested a benefit from radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy in Tg-positive, whole-body scan-negative patients with follicular cell-derived thyroid cancer, who were said to have high rates of visualization of uptake in metastases after therapeutic doses of RAI. We sought to evaluate the rate of visualization of RAI uptake in these patients and determine the effect of such therapy on tumor progression and Tg levels. We studied 24 consecutive patients who had been treated with high-dose RAI, four of whom had no evidence of metastasis or persistent cancer. Our results showed that four patients had some uptake in posttherapy scans: in the neck, lung, and mediastinal metastases in one patient, in the thyroid remnant in two, and in a possible neck microrecurrence in one. In 13 patients with macrometastases-tumors 1 cm or greater-tumors progressed and serum Tg increased; five have died of thyroid cancer. The disease remained stable in the seven patients with micrometastases. We concluded that in high-risk patients with follicular cell-derived thyroid cancer with high Tg levels and negative diagnostic whole-body scans, only a small number showed meaningful uptake after high doses of RAI. Therefore, widespread use of empiric RAI therapy for such patients who have a large tumor burden should not be encouraged.
Attack Biology and Egg Maturation Strategy of Two Tachinid Parasitoids of Leafroller (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) Pests in Tree Fruit

Reproductive biology, including mode of attack and egg maturation, has not been described for the leafroller (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) parasitoids Nemorilla pyste (Coquillett) and Nilea erecta (Walker) (Diptera: Tachinidae). Mode of host attack is an important character for understanding evolutionary relationships in Tachinidae, and is an important consideration for biological control. In parasitic Hymenoptera, egg maturation strategy is predictive of many life-history variables, but these predictions have not been tested in other parasitoid groups. In this article, observations on the mode of attack of N. erecta and N. pyste that were acquired through the rearing of these species in the laboratory are described. The study also used dissections to examine internal reproductive physiology and obtain fecundity data for flies of different ages. Fecundity data from the dissections and from cage experiments were used to estimate the ovigeny index of the two species. N. pyste was found to be a highly synovigenic oviparous species, whereas N. erecta was found to be moderately synovigenic and ovolarviparous. Life-history associations of hymenopteran parasitoids with egg maturation strategy appeared not to apply to these tachinids.
Identification of Tobacco Budworm and Corn Earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) during Early Developmental Stages by Polymerase Chain Reaction and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism

The identification of immature insects is often difficult or impossible. This can cause problems in situations where species-specific control programs are used. Heliothis virescens (F.), and Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) are 2 moths with somewhat overlapping host plant species. Where the 2 are found on the same crop, it can be useful to determine which species is present before the life cycle is complete and the damage is done. Early species identification also is imperative where 1 of the species has acquired insecticide resistance limiting the use of certain insecticides. Restriction enzyme cleavage of PCR-amplified segments (PCR-RFLP) of mitochondrial DNA provides an accurate method of differentiating these 2 species at any developmental stage from egg to adult. Portions of the 12S rRNA gene and the COI-COII junction both contain distinctive restriction sites.
Underwater bubble pinch-off: transient stretching flow

At the point of pinch-off of an underwater air bubble, the speed of water rushing in diverges. Previous studies that assumed radial flow throughout showed that the local axial shape is two smoothly connected, slender cones that transition very slowly (logarithmically) to a cylindrical segment. Our simulations show that even with initially radial flow, a transient vertical flow develops with comparable speeds. Bernoulli pressure draws water into the singularity region while incompressibility forces it away from the neck minimum, generating significant vertical flows that rapidly slenderize and symmetrize the collapse region. This transition is due to a different mechanism, occurring much faster than previously expected. Vertical flows dictate the neck shape evolution.
Integrin Targeted MR Imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful medical diagnostic imaging modality for integrin targeted imaging, which uses the magnetic resonance of tissue water protons to display tissue anatomic structures with high spatial resolution. Contrast agents are often used in MRI to highlight specific regions of the body and make them easier to visualize. There are four main classes of MRI contrast agents based on their different contrast mechanisms, including T1, T2, chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) agents, and heteronuclear contrast agents. Integrins are an important family of heterodimeric transmembrane glycoproteins that function as mediators of cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. The overexpressed integrins can be used as the molecular targets for designing suitable integrin targeted contrast agents for MR molecular imaging. Integrin targeted contrast agent includes a targeting agent specific to a target integrin, a paramagnetic agent and a linker connecting the targeting agent with the paramagnetic agent. Proper selection of targeting agents is critical for targeted MRI contrast agents to effectively bind to integrins for in vivo imaging. An ideal integrin targeted MR contrast agent should be non-toxic, provide strong contrast enhancement at the target sites and can be completely excreted from the body after MR imaging. An overview of integrin targeted MR contrast agents based on small molecular and macromolecular Gd(III) complexes, lipid nanoparticles and superparamagnetic nanoparticles is provided for MR molecular imaging. By using proper delivery systems for loading sufficient Gd(III) chelates or superparamagnetic nanoparticles, effective molecular imaging of integrins with MRI has been demonstrated in animal models.
THE NEW PUBLIC SERVICE: AN APPROACH TO REFORM

Under evolving forms of governance, government will play a different role in the steering of society. Yet government will still be judged by legal and political criteria, economic and market criteria, and democratic and social criteria. The first of these was central to traditional public administration, the second is at the forefront of “the new public management,” and the third is central to “the new public service.” Here we outline the characteristics of the new public service and how its principles will guide future public administrators.
Detecting Code Alteration by Creating a Temporary Memory Bottleneck

We develop a new technique whereby a poll worker can determine whether the software executing on electronic voting machines on election day has been altered from its factory version. Our generalized approach allows a human, using a known challenge-response pair, to detect attacks that involve modification or replacement of software on a computer based on the time it takes the computer to provide a correct response to a challenge. We exploit the large difference between main memory access times and cache memory access or CPU clock cycle times to significantly increase the time required to compute the right response when the software has been changed.
It's All About the Data

Modern computer vision research consumes labelled data in quantity, and building datasets has become an important activity. The Internet has become a tremendous resource for computer vision researchers. By seeing the Internet as a vast, slightly disorganized collection of visual data, we can build datasets. The key point is that visual data are surrounded by contextual information like text and HTML tags, which is a strong, if noisy, cue to what the visual data means. In a series of case studies, we illustrate how useful this contextual information is. It can be used to build a large and challenging labelled face dataset with no manual intervention. With very small amounts of manual labor, contextual data can be used together with image data to identify pictures of animals. In fact, these contextual data are sufficiently reliable that a very large pool of noisily tagged images can be used as a resource to build image features, which reliably improve on conventional visual features. By seeing the Internet as a marketplace that can connect sellers of annotation services to researchers, we can obtain accurately annotated datasets quickly and cheaply. We describe methods to prepare data, check quality, and set prices for work for this annotation process. The problems posed by attempting to collect very big research datasets are fertile for researchers because collecting datasets requires us to focus on two important questions: What makes a good picture? What is the meaning of a picture?
Site-specific management: the application of information technology to crop production

Site-specific management (SSM; also called, precision agriculture) is the management of agricultural crops at a spatial scale smaller than that of the whole field. Widespread farmer adoption of SSM practices is contingent on its economic advantage. Three criteria that must be satisfied in order for SSM to be justified are, (1) that significant within-field spatial variability exists in factors that influence crop yield, (2) that, causes of this variability can be identified and measured, and (3) that, the information from these measurements can be used to modify crop management practices to increase profit or decrease environmental impact. The objective of this paper is to review the state of SSM at the turn of the millennium and to offer some speculation as to its future course. The review is organized around the essential components of SSM listed above, i.e. measuring spatial variability, analyzing the data obtained from these measurements, using information gained from this analysis to effect changes in management practices, and determining whether the resulting benefits are worth the costs. The discussion section considers some potential effects of large-scale adoption of SSM, should this adoption occur.
NMR relaxation time in superfluid /sup 3/He

The temperature dependence of the NMR relaxation time introduced by Combescot and Ebisawa, tau), is studied from the microscopic theory. It diverges like (1-T/T/subc/)$sup -1$/$sup 2$ near T/subc/, in agreement with Leggett and Takagi's prediction. At low temperature, it grows like 1/T$sup 4$ in the A phase (except at extremely low temperature where it grows like 1/T$sup 5$) and like T$sup -1$/$sup 2$e/sup Delta//subT in the B phase.
Evaluation of red blood cell Pig-a assay and PIGRET assay in rats using chlorambucil

The Pig-a assay is a novel method to assess the in vivo mutagenicity of compounds, and it is expected to be useful for the detection of genotoxicity. In this study, to assess the performance of the Pig-a assay targeting red blood cells (RBCs; RBC Pig-a assay) and reticulocytes (RETs; PIGRET assay), chlorambucil, which is a genotoxicant, was orally administered to male rats once at 10, 20 and 40mg/kg on Day 1, and the mutant frequencies (MFs) of RBCs and RETs were examined periodically. In the RBC Pig-a assay, significant increases in MFs were observed at 40mg/kg on Day 15 and at 20mg/kg or higher on Day 29. In the PIGRET assay, MFs increased significantly at all dose levels on Day 8 and only at 20mg/kg on Day 15, but there was no increase in MFs in the treatment groups on Day 29. In conclusion, the RBC Pig-a assay and PIGRET assay in rats have sufficient sensitivity to detect the mutagenicity of chlorambucil, and the PIGRET assay could detect its mutagenicity earlier and at a lower dose than the RBC Pig-a assay.
Recall and response time norms for English–Swahili word pairs and facts about Kenya

In the vast literature exploring learning, many studies have used paired-associate stimuli, despite the fact that real-world learning involves many different types of information. One of the most popular materials used in studies of learning has been a set of Swahili-English word pairs for which Nelson and Dunlosky (Memory 2; 325-335, 1994) published recall norms two decades ago. These norms involved use of the Swahili words as cues to facilitate recall of the English translation. It is unclear whether cueing in the opposite direction (from English to Swahili) would lead to symmetric recall performance. Bilingual research has suggested that translation in these two different directions involves asymmetric links that may differentially impact recall performance, depending on which language is used as the cue (Kroll & Stewart, Journal of Memory and Language 33; 149-174,1994). Moreover, the norms for these and many other learning stimuli have typically been gathered from college students. In the present study, we report recall accuracy and response time norms for Swahili words when they are cued by their English translations. We also report norms for a companion set of fact stimuli that may be used along with the Swahili-English word pairs to assess learning on a broader scale across different stimulus materials. Data were collected using Amazon's Mechanical Turk to establish a sample that was diverse in both age and ethnicity. These different, but related, stimulus sets will be applicable to studies of learning, metacognition, and memory in diverse samples.
(IP)2GaIII Complexes Facilitate Net Two-Electron Redox Transformations (IP = α-Iminopyridine)

Reaction of M+[(IP2-)2Ga]− (IP = iminopyridine, M = Bu4N, 1a; (DME)3Na, 1b) with pyridine N-oxide affords two-electron-oxidized (IP–)2Ga(OH) (2) in reactions where the product outcome is independent of the cation identity, M+. In a second example of net two-electron chemistry, outer sphere oxidation of M+[(IP2-)2Ga]− using either 1 or 2 equiv of the one-electron oxidant ferrocenium afforded [(IP–)2Ga]+ (3) in either 44 or 87% yield, respectively. Reaction with 1 equiv of TEMPO, a one-electron oxidant, afforded the two-electron-oxidized product (IP–)2Ga(TEMPO) (4). Reduction of 2IP by 3Na and subsequent reaction with GaCl3 yielded a 1:1 mixture of (IP–)2GaCl and 1. Most remarkably, all of these reactions are overall two-electron processes and only the (IP–)2GaX and [(IP2-)2Ga]− oxidation states are thermodynamically accessible to us. Analogous aluminum chemistry previously afforded either one-electron or two-electron reactions and mixed-valent states. The thermodynamic accessibility of the mixed-valent sta...
Twisting stresses in tape

An analysis is presented of the stresses induced in a thin tape by bending over pulleys, by axial tension and by twisting of the tape when running between two out-of-plane pulleys. Analytical results are compared with some photoelastic tests on tape models made of epoxy resin. The weak retardation produced by the thin tape is multiplied by repeated light passage through the tape and is measured by a bent-beam compensator. The tests are of especial interest because the rate of rotation of the principal stresses is higher than had been encountered before. Surprisingly, the experimental results uncorrected for rotation are in good agreement with the calculated stresses.
One Hundred Years of Research Prudent Aspirations

The statistical method “meta-analysis” is perhaps unique as a contribution to empirical inquiry of many types because it arose entirely within the practice of education research. In spite of its origins, meta-analysis has found its widest application and most important contributions in the field of medicine. Contrasting the success of meta-analysis in medicine and education reveals interesting lessons for the future of education research. The findings of research studies in education are highly variable. Context matters in very significant ways when studying education phenomena, and decades of research have produced little understanding of these contextual influences. The findings of education studies remain varied in unaccountable ways.
Fine structure of the pseudobranch of the flounder Paralichthys lethostigma. A description of a chloride-type cell and pseudobranch-type cell.

The free or “non-glandular” pseudobranch of the flounder Paralichthys lethostigma was studied with the electron microscope. Cells typical of glandular type pseudobranchs are found. This indicates that, at least in the flounder, the free pseudobranch should be called “glandular”. In addition, the chloride-type cells, commonly found in the gill, buccal epithelium, and surface epithelium of other fish, have been found in the pseudobranch, where they have not been described previously. The fine structure of both the chloride-type and the pseudobranch-type cell has been characterized and contrasted. We have not been able to confirm previous reports that the specific cells in both pseudobranch and gill are identical in the flounder.
Security against Democracy: The Legacy of the Cold War at Home

March 2011 The Journal of American History 939 Elaine Tyler May is Regents Professor of American Studies and History at the University of Minnesota. This article is a revised version of the presidential address delivered to the convention of the Organization of American Historians in Washington, D.C., on April 10, 2010. I am grateful to Jason Stahl and Andrew Paul for their excellent research assistance.
Selections From the ABC 2012 Annual Convention, Honolulu, Hawaii:

The 13 Favorite Assignments featured here were presented at the 2012 Association for Business Communication (ABC) Annual Convention, Honolulu, Hawaii. A variety of learning objectives are featured, including the following: enhancing resume’s visual impact, interpersonal skills, social media, team building, web design, community service projects, and ethics. The authors share ideas for the classroom, for online instruction, and are taught in a single class or designed to consume an entire semester. Each assignment reflects the individual author’s passion for active learning that stimulates practical skill-building, judgment, and communication skills. Additional teaching materials—including instructions to students, stimulus materials, slides, grading rubrics, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and sample student projects—are posted on http://www.salesleadershipcenter.com/research.html#mfa13. More excellent Favorite Assignment papers can be seen on the above webpage. This year, a bonus five authors have web...
Increased 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-induced proteasome dysfunction is correlated with cardiac damage in streptozotocin-injected rats with isoproterenol infusion

Increase in 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4HNE) due to oxidative stress has been observed in a variety of cardiac diseases such as diabetic cardiomyopathy. 4HNE exerts a damaging effect in the myocardium by interfering with subcellular organelles like mitochondria by forming adducts. Therefore, we hypothesized that increased 4HNE adduct formation in the heart results in proteasome inactivation in isoproterenol (ISO)-infused type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) rats. Eight-week-old male Sprague Dawley rats were injected with streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg kg−1). The rats were infused with ISO (5 mg kg−1) for 2 weeks by mini pumps, after 8 weeks of STZ injection. We studied normal control (n = 8) and DM + ISO (n = 10) groups. Cardiac performance was assessed by echocardiography and Millar catheter at the end of the protocol at 20 weeks. Initially, we found an increase in 4HNE adducts in the hearts of the DM + ISO group. There was also a decrease in myocardial proteasomal peptidase (chymotrypsin and trypsin-like) activity. Increases in cardiomyocyte area (446 ± 32·7 vs 221 ± 10·83) (µm2), per cent area of cardiac fibrosis (7·4 ± 0·7 vs 2·7 ± 0·5) and cardiac dysfunction were also found in DM + ISO (P < 0·05) relative to controls. We also found increased 4HNE adduct formation on proteasomal subunits. Furthermore, reduced aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 activity was observed in the myocardium of the DM + ISO group. Treatment with 4HNE (100 μM) for 4 h on cultured H9c2 cardiomyocytes attenuated proteasome activity. Therefore, we conclude that the 4HNE-induced decrease in proteasome activity may be involved in the cardiac pathology in STZ-injected rats infused with ISO. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Abstract 2905: Induction of hTERT and increased proliferative potential in conditionally reprogrammed normal bronchial epithelial cells

Background. Based on increasing evidence from this laboratory and genome wide association studies (GWAS), single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) responsible for inter-individual variation in normal bronchial epithelial cell (NBEC) cis-regulation of antioxidant, DNA repair, and cell cycle control genes are key determinants of lung cancer risk. Thus, there is a need for NBEC culture methods that enable extended population doublings without genetic alteration to enable experimental investigation of putative cis-regulatory SNPs in NBEC. Toward this goal, we assessed the effect of previously reported conditional reprogrammed culture (CRC) conditions on regulation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) transcript abundance and proliferative potential in NBEC. Methods. NBEC were obtained by bronchoscopic brush from eight individuals after obtaining informed consent to an IRB-approved protocol. NBEC were incubated in three different culture conditions: bronchial epithelial cell growth media (BEGM) only, co-cultured with irradiated mouse embryonic fibroblasts (IRR-MEF) + Rho kinase inhibitor (ROCKi) in BEGM, and conditioned BEGM + ROCKi. Media were changed every three days and cells were passaged and sub-cultured after ten days. Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) was measured in three individuals after each passage in triplicate via qPCR. The proliferative capacity of all eight individuals was assessed using cell count and morphology at passage >3. Results. Co-culturing NBEC with IRR-MEF in BEGM supplemented with ROCKi produced a highly proliferative cell population while maintaining lineage commitment evident after removal of CRC conditions. Transcript abundance of hTERT was elevated 6.5-fold in NBEC in co-cultured conditions and 4.3-fold in NBEC in conditioned media compared to BEGM alone. Cell count in CRC conditions were up to 22-fold higher compared to BEGM alone. Cells were passaged and sub-cultured up to passage 4, followed by being frozen down in cell culture freezing media for further assessment. Conclusion. NBEC hTERT transcript abundance was up-regulated and cell population proliferative potential was extended in CRC conditions. It is likely that hTERT functions to protect the ends of linear chromosomes in dividing cells, enabling increased cell divisions while maintaining normal genome. These cell populations will be used in future studies to assess the effect of putative cis-regulatory single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on gene expression in NBEC. Citation Format: Daniel J. Craig, Rose T. Zolondek, Xiaolu Zhang, Jiyoun Yeo, Erin L. Crawford, James C. Willey. Induction of hTERT and increased proliferative potential in conditionally reprogrammed normal bronchial epithelial cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2905.
Benefits of Cochlear Implantation on the Whole Child: Longitudinal Changes in Cognition, Behavior, Parenting, and Health-Related Quality of Life

Early cochlear implantation has multiple benefits for children with hearing loss. Longitudinal studies have shown improvements in visual attention, behavioral regulation, and health-related quality of life. Although tremendous gains in oral language have been documented, significant deficits in behavioral and social–emotional functioning remain. Currently, pediatric cochlear implant teams focus on remediation of audiological and oral language skills, but often ignore the impact of deafness on broader areas of functioning and the family system. This chapter provides a review of outcomes across several domains, with recommendations for family-centered interventions that have shown promise.
Utility of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment as a Screening Test for Neurocognitive Dysfunction in Adults with Sickle Cell Disease.

Objectives Neurocognitive dysfunction is an important complication of sickle cell disease (SCD), but little is published on the utility of screening tests for cognitive impairment in people with the disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as a screening tool and identify predictors of MoCA performance in adults with sickle cell disease. Methods We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional study of the first 100 adult patients with SCD who completed the MoCA as part of routine clinical care at the Johns Hopkins Sickle Cell Center for Adults. We abstracted demographic, laboratory, and clinical data from each participant's electronic medical record up to the date that the MoCA was administered. The factorial validity of each MoCA domain was analyzed using standard psychometric statistics. We evaluated the abstracted data for associations with the composite MoCA score and looked for independent predictors of performance using multivariable regressions. Results Components of the MoCA performed well in psychometric analyses and identified deficits in executive function that were described in other studies. Forty-six percent of participants fell below the cutoff for mild cognitive impairment. Increased education was an independent predictor of increased MoCA score (3.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5-4.7), whereas cerebrovascular accidents and chronic kidney disease were independent predictors of decreased score (-3.3, 95% CI -5.7 to -0.97 and -3.2, 95% CI -6.2 to -0.11, respectively). When analysis was restricted to patients with SCA, increased education (3.7, 95% CI 2.2-5.2) and a history of hydroxyurea therapy (2.0, 95% CI -0.022 to 4.0) were independent predictors of a higher score, whereas chronic kidney disease (-3.3, 95% CI -6.4 to -0.24) and increased aspartate transaminase (-0.045, 95% CI -0.089 to -0.0010) were independent predictors of a decreased score. Conclusions The MoCA showed promise by identifying important cognitive deficits and associations with chronic complications and therapy.
P-21 Activated Kinase 1 (Pak1) Is Critical for Normal Mast Cell Degranulation and Cytokine Production in Response to Antigen Stimulation of the High Affinity IgE Receptor.

Mast cells participate in normal and pathogenic inflammatory processes, including innate host defense, allergy, and asthma. Stimulation of the mast cell high-affinity IgE receptor (FceR) by receptor cross-linking activates multiple downstream signaling pathways resulting in degranulation and de novo synthesis of multiple cytokines. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes are incompletely defined. It is known that Rac2 deficient murine bone marrow derived mast cells (BMMCs) have impaired degranulation, but the downstream effectors that modulate this function are unknown. We hypothesized that p-21 activated kinase 1 (Pak1), a downstream effector of Rac proteins, is important in degranulation and de novo cytokine synthesis. Mature BMMCs from wild-type (WT) and Pak1 KO mice were sensitized with anti-DNP IgE then stimulated with DNP-HSA to stimulate FceR. Interestingly, Pak1 KO BMMCs showed significant impairment in degranulation, as demonstrated by a 3-fold reduction in the percent of B-hexosaminidase released upon IgE stimulation. IgE stimulation of mast cell results not only in degranulation, but also in the production of TNFα, which is critical in the early recruitment of neutrophils to sites of acute inflammation. TNFαsynthesis is influenced by a number of transcription factors, many which are regulated by Erk. Since Pak1 has been shown, in overexpression systems, to phosphorylate Raf and Mek to activate Erk, we examined Erk activation in WT and Pak1 KO BMMCs in response to IgE stimulation. Pak1 KO BMMCs have a 50% reduction in phospho-Erk as compared to controls. We then tested another MAPK member important in mast cell cytokine synthesis, p38, and found phospho-p38 to be decreased in Pak1 KO BMMCs as well. Further, IgE-stimulated Pak1 KO BMMCs produce only 20–30% as much TNFαas controls. To define the role of Pak1 in cytokine production as specific for TNFαversus a more global defect, we also studied IL-6 synthesis and are able to report a 50% reduction in IL-6 production by Pak1 KO BMMCs. Our results indicate that Pak1 is important in BMMC degranulation, cytokine production, and MAPK activation in response to FceR stimulation. These studies identify Pak1 as a potential therapeutic target in pathologic inflammation. Mechanisms by which Pak1 may be influencing mast cell degranulation as well as further study of transcription factors important in mast cell cytokine production are under current investigation.
Acute Encephalitis with Refractory, Repetitive Partial Seizures

Clinical characteristics and outcome of 29 children (19 male; 10 female) with acute encephalitis with refractory, repetitive partial seizures (AERRPS) were analyzed in a retrospective, multicenter nationwide questionnaire-based study in Japan.
Diffusion in Dilute Alloy

The next degree of complexity after studying diffusion in pure metals is to study the diffusion in dilute alloys. The simplest problem in this area arises in interstitial alloys. Here the solute atoms diffuse on a sublattice whose sites are essentially all vacant, and the only role played by the solvent atoms is to form the barriers which define the sublattice of the interstitial sites. Because the two types of atoms do not share the same sites, the theory of interstitial diffusion is relatively simple and has been discussed in Chap. 2. The use of relaxation or resonance techniques to measure D for interstitials in bcc metals is introduced as a representative of a family of techniques in which the mean jump frequency of the interstitials is obtained from some relaxation phenomenon. This frequency is then combined with a model and random-walk theory to give values of D.
CDAC Student Report: Summary of LLNL Internship

Multiple objectives motivated me to apply for an internship at LLNL: I wanted to experience the work environment at a national lab, to learn about research and job opportunities at LLNL in particular, and to gain greater experience with code development, particularly within the realm of high performance computing (HPC). This summer I was selected to participate in LLNL's Computational Chemistry and Material Science Summer Institute (CCMS). CCMS is a 10 week program hosted by the Quantum Simulations group leader, Dr. Eric Schwegler. CCMS connects graduate students to mentors at LLNL involved in similar re- search and provides weekly seminars on a broad array of topics from within chemistry and materials science. Dr. Xavier Andrade and Dr. Erik Draeger served as my co-mentors over the summer, and Dr. Andrade continues to mentor me now that CCMS has concluded. Dr. Andrade is a member of the Quantum Simulations group within the Physical and Life Sciences at LLNL, and Dr. Draeger leads the HPC group within the Center for Applied Scientific Computing (CASC). The two have worked together to develop Qb@ll, an open-source first principles molecular dynamics code that was the platform for my summer research project.
Recovery worker skills in post-earthquake Haiti: the disconnect between employer and employee perspectives

Although the research literature on humanitarian organizations is continually expanding, little is known about the skills that international aid agency workers need in post-disaster contexts. The present study aims to address this gap in the literature by examining differing perspectives on the skills needed in post-disaster contexts; specifically, we investigate whether a mismatch exists between the views of international aid organizations and on-the-ground employees on the skills needed. Using in-depth interviews with aid workers (n = 59), participant observation, and a review of secondary sources (e.g. job announcements) after the 2010 Haitian earthquake, we found that agencies prioritize technical skills and field experience in their hiring practices. However, compared to technical skills, field workers view emotive skills, communicative skills, and leadership skills as equally, if not more, important. These findings are significant because selecting workers that are better suited for long-term recovery work may mitigate the adverse consequences of sustained time in the field, including: burnout, emotional distress, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Healthier, better-adjusted workers improve overall organizational performance, thus contributing to the success of recovery programs on the ground.
Measuring spatiotemporal magnetic fields by hall effect sensors with post-processing solutions

Solid state magnetic field sensors are examined. The use of III-V semiconductors in Hall effect sensors results in high bandwidth, fast response time, adequate spatiotemporal resolution, accuracy and sufficient measurement range. Despite significant advantages, there are drawbacks, such as noise, errors, nonlinearity, sensitivity, low thermal stability, etc. Noise attenuation and error reduction problems are researched. High-fidelity data analysis and filtering are accomplished using robust signal processing schemes. The results are experimentally substantiated enabling overall functionality, performance and capabilities. The statistical models of noise are examined to solve data processing and data acquisition problems. The experimentally substantiated descriptive statistics empowers data-intensive analysis, data-driven design and optimization.
Social class, leaders and leadership: a critical review and suggestions for development

The consideration of social class in leadership research presents many exciting directions for research. In this review, we describe and summarize how social class research has been applied to the study of leaders and the leadership process, noting that while evidence suggests those from higher social classes are more likely to occupy formal leader roles in organizations, there is little evidence suggesting that they are more effective in these roles than those from lower social classes. We conclude with a discussion of important, unanswered theoretical questions about how social class relates to the process of leadership — most notably, whether those from different classes internalize different beliefs and expectations about how people in leader and follower roles should act, and how matches or mismatches in those beliefs and expectations shape leader–follower interactions and outcomes.
Supplementary Sensory Area

Relatively little attention has been devoted to the medial aspect of the parietal cortex, especially with respect to its neuronal responses to somatic sensory stimuli. However, the stimulation of neurons in three different sites in the medial parietal cortex (in the precuneate lobule) of a human has been reported to evoke tingling sensations in the contralateral leg, arm and face (30). More recently, other investigators have reported that electrical stimulation of the medial posterior parietal cortex in conscious humans evokes tingling, painful or other paresthesias of the contralateral foot and arm (42). Only a few studies of this medial parietal region have been undertaken in monkeys. Both the motor effects of cortical stimulation in rhesus monkeys (15) and an examination of sensory evoked potentials in the squirrel monkey (4) have suggested the existence of a body representation on the medial surface of the hemisphere, posterior to the S I cortex. Penfield and Jasper (30) have termed this region the “supplementary sensory area.” We have investigated the supplementary sensory cortex in rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys using neuroanatomical and single unit recording methods.
Copper-catalyzed hydroamination of propargyl imidates

Abstract Propargyl imidates derived from aromatic and aliphatic nitriles cyclize at room temperature in high yields when treated with a catalytic amount of copper (I) iodide. This 5-exo-dig process affords dihydrooxazoles which do not aromatize under the reaction conditions, and which are isolated without chromatography. Investigations of the reaction scope, subsequent functionalization of the reaction products, and preliminary mechanistic data are presented.
ParaMODA: Improving motif-centric subgraph pattern search in PPI networks

Finding motifs in networks usually involves traversing through the network to enumerate all possible subgraphs of a given size, and then determining their statistical uniqueness by sampling subgraphs from many randomly generated networks that share similar features with the original network. Current algorithms for network motif analysis can be categorized into either network-centric or motif-centric algorithms. While network-centric algorithms cannot choose the subgraph patterns to search, motif-centric algorithms can search specific subgraph patterns in the network. Researchers interested in just one or a few subgraph patterns will find motif-centric tools useful since there will be no redundant work finding subgraphs they do not care about. In this paper, we present ParaMODA which improves a motif-centric tool, and incorporates existing motif-centric algorithms as well as a new algorithm for carrying out the same task. ParaMODA can also collect and store discovered instances on the disk for future retrieval and analysis. Experimental results show that ParaMODA outperforms the existing ones, although the performance improvements vary depending on the set of query graphs used. More importantly ParaMODA allows for parallelization of huge chunks of the task which will be helpful, especially for studying motifs of double-digit sizes in large networks.
Technical note: a radiomic signature of infiltration in peritumoral edema predicts subsequent recurrence in glioblastoma

Standard surgical resection of glioblastoma, mainly guided by the enhancement on post-contrast T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), disregards infiltrating tumor within the peritumoral edema region. Subsequent radiotherapy typically delivers uniform radiation to peritumoral FLAIR-hyperintense regions, without attempting to target areas likely to be infiltrated more heavily. Non-invasive in vivo delineation of the areas of tumor infiltration and prediction of early recurrence in peritumoral edema region could assist in targeted intensification of local therapies, thereby potentially delaying recurrence and prolonging survival. This paper presents a method for estimating peritumoral edema infiltration using radiomic signatures determined via machine learning methods, and tests it on 90 patients with de novo glioblastoma. The generalizability of the proposed predictive model was evaluated via cross-validation in a discovery cohort (n=31), and was subsequently evaluated in a replication cohort (n=59). Spatial maps representing the likelihood of tumor infiltration and future early recurrence were compared with regions of recurrence on postresection follow-up studies. The cross-validated accuracy of our predictive infiltration model on the discovery and replication cohorts was 87.51% (odds ratio=10.22, sensitivity=80.65, specificity=87.63) and 89.54% (odds ratio=13.66, sensitivity=97.06, specificity = 76.73), respectively. The radiomic signature of the recurrent tumor region revealed higher vascularity and cellularity when compared with the nonrecurrent region. The proposed model shows evidence that multi-parametric pattern analysis from clinical MRI sequences can assist in in vivo estimation of the spatial extent and pattern of tumor recurrence in peritumoral edema, which may guide supratotal resection and/or intensification of postoperative radiation therapy.
Clearing the decks

The fundamental question to which ecologists have addressed themselves since the origin of interest in predation is what functional role predators play in the community. Are predators important to prey populations or are they not? Since these are somewhat vague concerns, the earlier workers sought to pin the topic down by asking more specific questions, the most common of which was: do predators control their prey?