cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating Sea Ice Deformation in the Beaufort Sea Using a Kinematic Crack Algorithm with RGPS Data

Sea ice in the Arctic plays an important role in the Earth’s climate and has been an early indicator of global warming. Remote sensing data, particularly synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery of Arctic regions, can help us understand the complex processes controlling sea ice dynamics and thermodynamics. The RADARSAT Geophysical Processor System (RGPS) was developed by the Polar Remote Sensing Group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to extract sea ice motion data from SAR imagery. A set of points initially forming a regular grid is tracked providing displacements at each point over time. If the set of points in the original configuration is viewed as the vertices of square cells then the motion of the points determines the deformation of the cells. With this interpretation, grid quantities such as divergence, shear, and vorticity can be approximated using the nodal displacements. In this work an alternative approach for evaluating the deformation of sea ice from these data is proposed that uses the deformation gradient and a kinematic crack algorithm. With this approach, the deformation in a cell is assumed to be due solely to a displacement discontinuity caused by a crack. Then a minimization approach is used to find the crack dimension and orientation for each cell that best fits the nodal displacements. The kinematic crack algorithm is illustrated using RGPS data for a period of 16 days in February and March of 2004 for a region in the Beaufort Sea lying between Banks Island in the East and Point Barrow in the West.
Oil and Gas Resources in Permian Rocks of North America

Substantial reserves of recoverable, conventional oil and gas occur in rocks of Permian age throughout the world. In North America, Permian hydrocarbon reserves are found almost exclusively in intracratonic foreland basins in the central United States, and to a lesser extent, in western Canada (Landes 1970; Tiratsoo 1984; Rice 1991). Structural and stratigraphic trap reservoirs occur in both carbonate and siliciclastic rocks of eolian to deep marine origin. Additionally, giant accumulations of unconventional hydrocarbons (tar sands and oil shales) in Permian rocks also occur in the United States (Demaison 1977; Smith 1980). In contrast, there are no known conventional or unconventional hydrocarbon reserves in Permian rocks in Mexico.
DNA Recognition by Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins

The helix-loop-helix proteins are characterized by a highly conserved 60-100 residue motif comprised of two amphipathic α-helices separated by a loop of variable length, and amino acid composition and sequence. These motifs dimerize by approximating the conserved hydrophobic faces of the α-helices, forming a left-handed, parallel, four-helix bundle. Baltimore and coworkers (Murre et al. 1989) first described conservation of this feature in a large number of eukaryotic transcription factors, and implicated it in dimerization and DNA binding. Subsequent work has confirmed their bold prediction and demonstrated that the helix-loop-helix motif is primarily responsible for dimerization. Most helix-loop-helix proteins possess a highly conserved basic region immediately N-terminal to the first helix (Prendergast and Ziff 1989), which mediates high-affinity, specific DNA binding (reviewed in Bexevanis and Vinson 1993). In addition, the second helix of many of these transcription factors is extended beyond the C-terminus of the fourhelix bundle, where a leucine heptad repeat or zipper forms a left-handed, coiled-coil dimer interface. Finally, some helix-loop-helix proteins lack the basic region (Benezra et al. 1990).
The effects of SiO2 and TiO2 on the two-phase burning behavior of aqueous HAN propellant

Abstract Silica and titania nanoparticles were included at mass loadings of 1% and 3% in aqueous HAN propellants to evaluate their effects on liquid- and gas-phase decomposition and combustion. Both the liquid-phase and overall burning rates of propellant formulations were indirectly measured in a constant-volume strand burner filled with Argon from pressures of 3–22 MPa using a novel, pressure-based method developed by the authors in recent work. This approach provides overall burn times for propellants such as aqueous HAN which continue to burn beyond the disappearance of the liquid, making it superior to methods based solely on visual observation which only monitor the liquid surface regression. The presence of silica nanoparticles increased the liquid-phase burning rate in the low- and medium-pressure regimes (
The effects of a catastrophic forest fire on the biomass of submerged stream macrophytes

Abstract Primary production during the growing season in the low-gradient meadow streams of the Valles Caldera in northern New Mexico (USA) is dominated by submerged aquatic macrophytes. A catastrophic wildfire beginning on June 28, 2011, the Las Conchas fire, burned 36% of the East Fork Jemez River catchment above an intensively instrumented stream reach where water quality, hydrology, and aquatic ecology are being studied. Submerged macrophyte biomass in the late summer of 2011 was reduced about 20% after a series of high turbidity spates (>1200 NTU) in late July through early September. Stable flows and deposition of fire-related nutrient-rich sediments in the fall of 2011 led to maximum mean macrophyte biomass during the three-year period of study of 234 g ash free dry-mass (AFDM) m−2 in October of 2011. Peak mean biomass in 2012 was 228 g AFDM m−2 in September, during a growing season with only minor hydrologic and water quality disruptions. A major regional storm over multiple days in mid-September of 2013 produced the highest discharge during the three years of study with turbidities reaching ∼400 NTU. Peak mean biomass in 2013 did not reach levels measured in 2011 and 2012. Elodea canadensis was more sensitive to biomass removal during these high flow conditions while Ranunculus aquatilis added biomass following higher flow conditions in 2011 and 2013. Disturbance impacts on submerged macrophytes from major wildfires can be both negative and positive depending upon species types, stream hydrology, catchment geomorphology and water quality.
Eating Power: Food, Culture, and Politics

Food, if interpreted just as an expression of biological needs, may come across as natural and apolitical. It does not take much to realize that food is actually profoundly entangled with power dynamics, social structures, and environmental issues that assume immediate, tangible meanings. Both as a material object with innumerable and diverse uses and in its cultural and media representations, food reflects, supports, and reinforces values and practices that have social and economic consequences in terms of accessibility, affordability, and labor relations, at times generating oppression and injustice. In this context, hegemonic analysis allows us a deeper understanding of such biopolitical dynamics, while providing crucial tools for interventions aimed at introducing change and social innovation.
Occult Left Common Iliac Vein Compression Increases Postoperative Venous Thromboembolism Risk Following Total Hip Arthroplasty

BACKGROUND Left common iliac vein (LCIV) compression by the right or left common iliac artery (RCIA, LCIA) is known to cause venous thromboembolism (VTE), but the extent to which occult LCIV compression synergizes with lower extremity orthopedic surgery is unknown. We hypothesize that occult LCIV compression is associated with increased VTE risk following total hip or knee arthroplasty (THA, TKA). METHODS This case-control study involves all patients at our institution who underwent primary or revision THA or TKA from 2009 to 2017 who had computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen or pelvis available preoperatively. VTE cases (pulmonary embolism or left-sided deep vein thrombosis) within 30 days of surgery were matched to a control by age, gender, body mass index, Charlson Comorbidity Index, surgical site, and hypercoagulable risk factors. LCIV compression by the right common iliac artery and/or the left common iliac artery was measured in a blinded fashion and was considered present at 50% diameter reduction. RESULTS One hundred twelve patients (22 cases, 90 controls) were included for analysis. Nineteen (86.4%) cases and 46 (51.1%) controls demonstrated LCIV compression. The overall sample odds ratio of postoperative VTE in the presence of LCIV compression was 5.97 (95% confidence interval 1.59-33.67, P = .003). In patients who underwent THA (n = 75), LCIV compression was highly predictive of VTE (odds ratio ∞, 95% confidence interval 2.83-∞, P < .001). Compression in the TKA patients did not significantly predict VTE. CONCLUSION Compression of the LCIV significantly increases odds of developing postoperative VTE following THA. This effect may suggest a new method of stratifying VTE risk in the orthopedic population to reduce VTE-associated morbidity and mortality.
What’s at the Bottom of Alice’s Rabbit HoleOpen image in new window

In 1900 Max Planck found that the solution to the description of black body radiation required the assumption that energy is not a continuous spectrum but comes in small pieces, or quanta.
Outcomes after adjuvant radiotherapy in breast cancer patients with and without germline mutations: A large, single-institutional experience.

1502Background: Women with germline mutations in DNA repair pathways are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer. We posit that tumors arising in these patients may be more sensitive to ra...
Mothers' and fathers' gender-role characteristics : The assignment of postdivorce child care and custody

Adults (151 female, 130 male; 17.4% African American/Black, 48% Caucasian, 22.8% Latino/Hispanic, 11.7% “other”) assigned postdivorce parental care and custody for four combinations of traditional/nontraditional mothers and fathers described in vignettes of divorcing parents. Parental gender characteristics influenced the assignment of parental care and child custody to divorcing mothers and fathers described in the scenarios and interacted with child gender. Across scenarios, female participants assigned more parental care and custody to mothers than did male participants. When feminine qualities were paired with masculine qualities, greater custody was assigned to the parent described with feminine characteristics (whether a father or mother) than when that parent was described with masculine characteristics. The role of feminine gender characteristics for child custody and care was discussed with regard to maternal primacy and possible changes for father involvement in the aftermath of divorce.
The changing ecology of primate parasites: Insights from wild‐captive comparisons

Host movements, including migrations or range expansions, are known to influence parasite communities. Transitions to captivity-a rarely studied yet widespread human-driven host movement-can also change parasite communities, in some cases leading to pathogen spillover among wildlife species, or between wildlife and human hosts. We compared parasite species richness between wild and captive populations of 22 primate species, including macro- (helminths and arthropods) and micro-parasites (viruses, protozoa, bacteria, and fungi). We predicted that captive primates would have only a subset of their native parasite community, and would possess fewer parasites with complex life cycles requiring intermediate hosts or vectors. We further predicted that captive primates would have parasites transmitted by close contact and environmentally-including those shared with humans and other animals, such as commensals and pests. We found that the composition of primate parasite communities shifted in captive populations, especially because of turnover (parasites detected in captivity but not reported in the wild), but with some evidence of nestedness (holdovers from the wild). Because of the high degree of turnover, we found no significant difference in overall parasite richness between captive and wild primates. Vector-borne parasites were less likely to be found in captivity, whereas parasites transmitted through either close or non-close contact, including through fecal-oral transmission, were more likely to be newly detected in captivity. These findings identify parasites that require monitoring in captivity and raise concerns about the introduction of novel parasites to potentially susceptible wildlife populations during reintroduction programs.
The House on Sleepy Hollow Road

This chapter introduces the central idea of the book: though schools are everywhere, most of us have no idea what goes on inside. The chapter uses the analogy of an old house from the author’s neighborhood growing up. It sat on the spooky-sounding Sleepy Hollow Road. Nobody from the neighborhood had ever been inside and yet everyone had a clear and strong theory about what went on in there. Today’s schools are a lot like that mysterious house on the corner. People drive or walk past these buildings every day. There are no large metal gates, but real and high barriers exist nonetheless. At the same time, most people have strong views about what goes on in the schools, what is wrong with them, and how to fix everything. This book takes readers on a tour through a day in the life of a typical public elementary school. The author reveals ten worrisome things about today’s schools and offers some solutions from a psychologist’s and an elementary teacher’s perspective.
Abstract P223: Reduced Nonconscious Reactivity to Threat in Amygdala Mediates Physical Activity and Energy Expenditure in Integrated Behavior Therapy for Adults With Obesity and Comorbid Depression

Introduction: Neural mechanisms underlying behavior therapy in obesity are poorly understood, particularly in patients with comorbid depression. Putative targets include neural circuits for conscio...
Assessing the Impact of a Clinical Pharmacist in a Postsurgical Inpatient Population.

Objective:To quantify the number and type of clinical pharmacist interventions with an impact on patient care in a postsurgical nonintensive care patient population.Background:Studies have shown th...
Correlates of urinary concentrations of phthalate and phthalate alternative metabolites among reproductive-aged Black women from Detroit, Michigan.

Background Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are widely present in consumer products. In the United States, Black women are more highly exposed to phthalates than other racial/ethnic groups, yet information on predictors of phthalate exposure among Black women is limited. Objective We evaluated the association of demographics, lifestyle, reproductive history, and personal care product use with urinary concentrations of phthalate and phthalate alternative metabolites, using cross-sectional data from a study of 754 Black women from Detroit, Michigan (2010-2012). Methods Women completed questionnaires and provided urine specimens which were analyzed for 16 phthalate and phthalate alternative metabolites. We used linear regression models to estimate mean percentage differences and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in concentrations across levels of correlates. Results Monoethyl phthalate (MEP) and MBP concentrations were positively associated with personal care product use, particularly nail products. Educational attainment was positively associated with high molecular weight phthalate concentrations but inversely associated with monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) concentrations. Parity was positively associated with MBzP concentrations and inversely associated with concentrations of MEP and high molecular weight phthalates. Significance We found that sociodemographics, reproductive characteristics, and use of certain personal care products were associated with urinary phthalate concentrations among Black women. Our results emphasize the importance of examining exposure determinants among multiply marginalized populations.
The General Review of the Leader’s Self Enhancement on the Organization

One of the self-evaluating motives is that of self enhancement and it is a focus on making oneself happy and to maintain personal self-esteem. Leaders with a self enhancement bias are linked to low interpersonal relationships and low performance. People do not like to work with self-enhancers because they come across as egotistical, hostile, insensitive and lacking empathy; this result in poor relationships which then leads to poor performance. However, the self-enhancing leader could also help to encourage the growth of an organization. This research reviews the several effects of self enhancement on leaders. In conclusion, self-enhancing leaders who focus on self enhancement could be effective leaders if applied in the right situation.
Environmental Attitudes and Knowledge: Do They Matter for Support and Investment in Local Stormwater Infrastructure?

Stormwater infrastructure substantially impacts water quality and supply. In the U.S., local agency investments rely on public support from taxes or fees. Assessing individuals’ knowledge and willi...
Thermal and energy-aware utilisation management on MPSoC architectures

High operating temperatures have been a major problem in embedded systems due to high throughput and compact designs required by modern applications. This paper introduces a novel strategy to subdu...
GM-CSF drives myelopoiesis, recruitment and polarisation of tumour-associated macrophages in cholangiocarcinoma and systemic blockade facilitates antitumour immunity.

Objective Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is rising in incidence, and at present, there are limited effective systemic therapies. iCCA tumours are infiltrated by stromal cells, with high prevalence of suppressive myeloid populations including tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Here, we show that tumour-derived granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and the host bone marrow is central for monopoiesis and potentiation of TAMs, and abrogation of this signalling axis facilitates antitumour immunity in a novel model of iCCA. Methods Blood and tumours were analysed from iCCA patients and controls. Treatment and correlative studies were performed in mice with autochthonous and established orthotopic iCCA tumours treated with anti-GM-CSF monoclonal antibody. Results Systemic elevation in circulating myeloid cells correlates with poor prognosis in patients with iCCA, and patients who undergo resection have a worse overall survival if tumours are more infiltrated with CD68+ TAMs. Mice with spontaneous iCCA demonstrate significant elevation of monocytic myeloid cells in the tumour microenvironment and immune compartments, and tumours overexpress GM-CSF. Blockade of GM-CSF with a monoclonal antibody decreased tumour growth and spread. Mice bearing orthotopic tumours treated with anti-GM-CSF demonstrate repolarisation of immunosuppressive TAMs and MDSCs, facilitating T cell response and tumour regression. GM-CSF blockade dampened inflammatory gene networks in tumours and TAMs. Human tumours with decreased GM-CSF expression exhibit improved overall survival after resection. Conclusions iCCA uses the GM-CSF-bone marrow axis to establish an immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment. Blockade of the GM-CSF axis promotes antitumour T cell immunity.
STAT5 antagonizes the pre-BCR-dependent NFκB and FOXO tumor suppressor pathways in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (HEM2P.261)

Mice expressing a constitutively active form of STAT5b (Stat5b-CA mice) develop pre-B leukemia with low frequency (~1-2%). Microarray analysis of these leukemias shows decreased expression of genes involved in pre-BCR signaling. Stat5b-CA mice crossed to mice with defects in a coherent signaling pathway downstream of the pre-BCR involving BLNK, BTK, or PKCβ developed pre-B leukemia in > 75% of progeny. These leukemias exhibited reduced expression of a subset of NFκB target genes, which was important for transformation as Stat5b-CA x Nfkb1-/- mice also developed pre-B leukemia. Our results point to an unexpected role for NFκB1 as a tumor suppressor in pre-B cells. Microarrary analysis revealed that STAT5 activation resulted in reduced expression of several NFκB and FOXO target genes, thereby antagonizing these tumor suppressor pathways. To examine this regulation in further detail, we performed ChIP-seq analysis, which showed that STAT5 binds 38% of NFκB target genes that are expressed in pre-B cells. We also observed binding of STAT5 to several FOXO targets including: Foxo1, Cdkn1a, Cdkn2d, Blnk, Vegfa, Cxcr4, Bim, and Dgka. We have validated STAT5 binding to the FOXO targets Foxo1 and Cdkn2d and the NFκB targets Nfkb1, Rel, Irf4, Irf8, Ikzf1, and Ikzf3 by ChIP-qPCR. Our findings demonstrate that STAT5 activation antagonizes the pre-BCR-dependent NFκB and FOXO tumor suppressor pathways that limit pre-B cell proliferation and promote pre-B cell differentiation.
Identification of multiple protein binding domains in the promoter-regulatory region of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) gene.

Transcription of the gene for the cytosolic form of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) (EC 4.1.1.32) (PEPCK) from the rat is acutely regulated by a number of hormones, including glucagon (acting via cAMP), glucocorticoids, and insulin. In this study we demonstrate by DNase I footprinting that a region of the PEPCK promoter, extending from −460 to +73, contained eight protein binding domains. Two nuclear proteins protected adjacent sites from −121 to −99 and −96 to −77, which have been previously shown to be involved in maintaining the level of basal gene transcription and conferring cAMP responsiveness, respectively. Oligonucleotide competition studies suggested that the protein(s) binding to the cAMP-responsive element (CRE) occupies a second site at −147 to −130, which has a high degree of sequence homology to the CRE, and also binds to two other elements that show partial sequence homologies. The protein(s) which bound to these four elements copurified through oligonucleotide affinity chromatography, suggesting that the PEPCK promoter has four binding sites for the CRE-binding protein(s). Potential tissue-specific elements in the PEPCK promoter were identified by footprinting with nuclear extracts prepared from rat liver, kidney, brain, and spleen. The multiple protein-binding sites in this promoter-regulatory region reflect the complex transcriptional regulation that is characteristic of this gene.
Linking for Learning: Computer-and-Communications Network Support for Nationwide Innovation

Just as the grand challenges in scientific research require computer-communications network support for collaboration among geographically disparate institutions, disciplines, and individuals, so the grand challenges of educational reform require new kinds of collaborations across previously separate institutional boundaries and among individuals whose work was previously isolated from one another. The national and international computer communications infrastructure is being engineered and deployed at the same time as new structures are sought for education. Know-how about productive educational applications of computer communications has been gained from previous and current projects. Productive projects in educational telecomputing will focus on the grand challenges of education, and at the same time help to build appropriate telecommunications infrastructure for education. A reasonable goal is to have in operation, by the mid-1990s, the intellectual, technological, educational, and organizational foundation necessary for productive and efficient use of computer-communications networks for education.
Protein structure by solid state nuclear magnetic resonance. Residues 40 to 45 of bacteriophage fd coat protein.

The three-dimensional structure of part of the coat protein in the filamentous bacteriophage fd is described by nuclear magnetic resonance (n.m.r.). Residues 40 to 45 are in a somewhat distorted alpha-helix. This n.m.r. approach for determining protein structure relies on the spectral manifestations of chemical shift and heteronuclear dipolar couplings in a symmetrical assembly of protein subunits oriented parallel to the applied magnetic field. The angles between individual peptide linkages and the filament axis of the virion constitute the basic source of structural information. These angles are directly related to x, y, z co-ordinates for describing the protein structure.
Pricing via Processing or Combatting Junk Mail

We present a computational technique for combatting junk mail in particular and controlling access to a shared resource in general. The main idea is to require a user to compute a moderately hard, but not intractable, function in order to gain access to the resource, thus preventing frivolous use. To this end we suggest several pricing Junctions, based on, respectively, extracting square roots modulo a prime, the Fiat-Shamir signature scheme, and the Ong-Schnorr-Shamir (cracked) signature scheme.
New labels for old problems: Grammar in communicative language teaching

Communicative language teaching has long been controversial due to its lack of explicit grammar instruction. Focus on form instruction (Long, 1991), however, puts communication as the centerpiece of instruction, but addresses form on a need-toknow- basis; thus, focus on form instruction claims to balance communication and grammar. Moreover, the concept of uptake (Lyster and Ranta, 1997; Ellis, Basturkmen, and Loewen, 2001), or the process by which learners respond to correction initiated by teachers and/or other learners, has been used to demonstrate that focus on form instruction, and thus by extension, CLT, gives sufficient attention to grammar. However, in this article, I will show that the concept of uptake is problematic, and demonstrate that focus on form instruction does not offer a feasible way of addressing grammar in EFL classrooms. Yet, before showing the technique’s inadequacy, I will highlight selected aspects of focus on form instruction and uptake research. Key Words: English-Grammar-Teaching-Evaluation, Second Language Acquisition- Teaching, Grammar Instruction. La ensenanza comunicativa del lenguaje ha sido muy controversial debido no solo a la carencia explicita de la ensenanza de la gramatica, sino tambien a la carencia tangible para evaluar si los estudiantes han adquirido o no ciertas formas gramaticales. El enfoque de la forma (Long, l991), sin embargo, ubica la comunicacion como pieza principal de ensenanza, pero a la vez enfatiza en la ensenanza de la forma como parte importante que todo estudiante necesita saber. Algunos autores han senalado la importancia de tener un balance entre la comunicacion y la ensenanza explicita de la gramatica. Esto se debe en gran parte, al concepto de ‘uptake’ que ha sido usado para demostrar que el enfoque en la ensenanza de la forma y, por extension el enfoque en la ensenanza comunicativa del lenguaje, facilitan la atencion a la gramatica. Sin embargo, el concepto de ‘uptake’ es teorica y practicamente problematico y demuestra que el enfoque de la ensenanza en la forma no es un camino viable para ensenar gramatica en salones donde el ingles se ensena como idioma extranjero. Mi proposito en este articulo es: (1) Resumir las investigaciones concernientes a la ensenanza de la forma y ‘uptake’; (2) Debatir que ‘uptake’ y la ensenanza en la forma no son elementos suficientes para aprender ingles como idioma extranjero ya que es muy dificil prestar atencion a la gramatica. Palabras claves: Ingles-Gramatica-Ensenanza-Evaluacion, Adquisicion de una segunda lengua-Ensenanza, Gramatica-Instruccion
Teachers' Reflections on Their Subject Matter Knowledge Structures and Their Influence on Classroom Practice

Research has indicated that experts' subject matter knowledge structures (SMKSs) differ from those of novices in that they contain more cross-linking, interconnections, and overarching thematic elements, characteristics that are in accordance with those espoused in current reform documents. Unfortunately, teachers' SMKSs are not necessarily translated into classroom practice, for either novice or more experienced classroom teachers. A means to facilitate the translation of teachers' SMKSs into practice would ensure that those desired characteristics of experts' subject matter knowledge manifest themselves in teachers' classroom practice. Four experienced physics teachers diagrammed their SMKSs, which were then compared to those inferred from their classroom practice. Prior to instruction, two teachers, as part of the explicit-reflective treatment, were asked to reflect at multiple time points on congruence between their SMKSs and classroom practice focusing on the presence of essential concepts, interconnections, and overarching thematic elements. No discernible difference was apparent between control and treatment groups, as teachers from both groups showed a high-degree of congruence between inferred and diagrammed SMKSs. Results further substantiate the challenges in identifying a means for both developing and facilitating the enactment of coherent, connected, and dynamic SMKSs or, in effect, accelerating teachers' pedagogical content knowledge.
Real-time process control using diode laser absorption sensors

A multiplexed diode-laser sensor system, based on absorption spectroscopy techniques and comprised of two InGaAsP diode lasers and fiber-optic components, has been developed to measure temperature and species concentration non-intrusively over a single path for closed-loop process control. The system was applied to measure and control the gas temperature in the post-flame gases 6 mm above the surface of a Hencken burner (multiple CH{sub 4}-air diffusion flames). The wavelengths of the lasers were independently current-tuned across H{sub 2}O transitions near 1343 nm (v{sub 1} + v{sub 3} band) and 1392 nm (2v{sub 1}, v{sub 1} + v{sub 3} bands). Temperature was determined from the ratio of measured peak absorbances, and H{sub 2}O concentration was determined from the measured peak absorbance of one transition set at the measured temperature. A closed-loop feedback system was demonstrated to control the mean temperature and the amplitude of temperature fluctuations at particular frequencies by appropriately modulating the fuel flow rate. The results obtained demonstrate the potential of multiplexed diode lasers for rapid, continuous, in situ measurements and control of gasdynamic parameters in high-temperature combustion flowfields and other environments with difficult optical access.
The dietary bioflavonoid quercetin synergizes with epigallocathechin gallate (EGCG) to inhibit prostate cancer stem cell characteristics, invasion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Much attention has been recently focused on the role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in the initiation and progression of solid malignancies. Since CSCs are able to proliferate and self-renew extensively due to their ability to express anti-apoptotic and drug resistant proteins, thus sustaining tumor growth. Therefore, the strategy to eradicate CSCs might have significant clinical implications. The objectives of this study were to examine the molecular mechanisms by which epigallocathechin gallate (EGCG) inhibits stem cell characteristics of prostate CSCs, and synergizes with quercetin, a major polyphenol and flavonoid commonly detected in many fruits and vegetables. Our data indicate that human prostate cancer cell lines contain a small population of CD44+CD133+ cancer stem cells and their self-renewal capacity is inhibited by EGCG. Furthermore, EGCG inhibits the self-renewal capacity of CD44+α2β1+CD133+ CSCs isolated from human primary prostate tumors, as measured by spheroid formation in suspension. EGCG induces apoptosis by activating capase-3/7 and inhibiting the expression of Bcl-2, survivin and XIAP in CSCs. Furthermore, EGCG inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting the expression of vimentin, slug, snail and nuclear β-catenin, and the activity of LEF-1/TCF responsive reporter, and also retards CSC's migration and invasion, suggesting the blockade of signaling involved in early metastasis. Interestingly, quercetin synergizes with EGCG in inhibiting the self-renewal properties of prostate CSCs, inducing apoptosis, and blocking CSC's migration and invasion. These data suggest that EGCG either alone or in combination with quercetin can eliminate cancer stem cell-characteristics. Since carcinogenesis is a complex process, combination of bioactive dietary agents with complementary activities will be beneficial for prostate cancer prevention and/ortreatment.
Times of crisis in the evolution of the cephalopoda

The evolutionary history of the ectocochlian cephalopods is punctuated by a number of severe crises during each of which this class came very close to extinction. The crisis events follow each other at intervals of from seven to almost 300 million years and, with one exception, were not synchronous for Nautiloidea and Ammonoidea. Only at the end of the Triassic period did both groups simultaneously face the danger of extinction. Generally, the survivors of crisis situations have simple shell forms and are strikingly similar to each other. To trace the details of cephalopod evolution, the family on the taxonomic level and the stratigraphic stage on the chronological level do not provide scales fine enough to reconstruct the true course of this process. The causes of crises and “mass extinctions” are not yet understood. Most authors have approached this problem in a simplistic manner, searching for a single cause for any, or all, events of this kind. It seems that we do not even have begun to understand what the problems are.
Antepartum surveillance for a history of stillbirth: When to begin?

Abstract OBJECTIVE: A history of stillborth is universally accepted as an indication for antepartum fetal heart rate testing. Our goal was to examine when fetal testing should begin in an otherwise healthy patient with a history of stillbirth. STUDY DESIGN: This is a nonconcurrent cohort study of patients who were seen for antepartum surveillance from January 1979 to December 1991 with a history of stillbirth as the only indication for testing. Subsequent pregnancies were evaluated for adverse outcomes and abnormal antepartum test results. RESULTS: There was one case of recurrent stillbirth among the 300 study patients. Nineteen patients (6.4%) had one or more positive antepartum surveillance tests (positive contraction stress test or biophysical profile ≤4). Three patients (1%) had positive tests before 32 weeks, all of whom were subsequently delivered without incident at term. Three patients were delivered for positive tests at CONCLUSION: Antepartum surveillance should begin at ≥32 weeks in the healthy pregnant woman with a history of stillbirth.
Active CO2 reservoir management for carbon storage: Analysis of operational strategies to relieve pressure buildup and improve injectivity

Abstract For industrial-scale CO2 injection in saline formations, pressure buildup can limit storage capacity and security. Active CO2 Reservoir Management (ACRM) combines brine production with CO2 injection to relieve pressure buildup, increase injectivity, manipulate CO2 migration, and constrain brine leakage. By limiting pressure buildup, in magnitude, spatial extent, and duration, ACRM can reduce CO2 and brine leakage, minimize interactions with neighboring subsurface activities, allowing independent assessment and permitting, reduce the Area of Review and required duration of post-injection monitoring, and reduce cost and risk. ACRM provides benefits to reservoir management at the cost of extracting brine. The added cost must be offset by the added benefits to the storage operation and/or by creating new, valuable uses that can reduce the total added cost. Actual net cost is expected to be site specific, requiring detailed analysis that is beyond the scope of this paper, which focuses on the benefits to reservoir management. We investigate operational strategies for achieving an effective tradeoff between pressure relief/improved-injectivity and delayed CO2 breakthrough at brine producers. For vertical wells, an injection-only strategy is compared to a pressure-management strategy with brine production from a double-ring 9-spot pattern. Brine production allows injection to be steadily ramped up while staying within the pressure-buildup target, while injection-only requires a gradual ramp-down. Injector/producer horizontal-well pairs were analyzed for a range of well spacings, storage-formation thickness and area, level and dipping formations, and for homogeneous and heterogeneous permeability. When the producer is downdip of the injector, the combined influence of buoyancy and heterogeneity can delay CO2 breakthrough. Both vertical and horizontal wells can achieve pressure relief and improved CO2 injectivity, while delaying CO2 breakthrough. Pressure buildup and CO2 breakthrough are sensitive to storage-formation permeability and insensitive to all other hydrologic parameters except caprock-seal permeability, which only affects pressure buildup for injection-only cases.
Considering the Situation: Why People are Better Social Psychologists than Self-psychologists

Are people better self- or social psychologists when they predict prosocial behavior? Why might people be more or less accurate when predicting their own and others' actions? In two studies, participants considered variants of situations classically known to influence helping behavior (being alone vs. in a group, being in a good rather than bad mood). Participants made predictions about how they and their peers would act. Their predictions revealed that participants incorporated situational variations into social predictions, yet failed to do so when making self-predictions. These errors in self-prediction were not generated by response scale-type. This evidence suggests that people more appropriately use their knowledge of situational pressures when engaging in social rather than self-predictions.
Friendship quality in adolescents with and without an intellectual disability.

Background High friendship quality is often defined by high levels of intimacy, companionship, closeness and low levels of conflict. Quality friendships develop over time and may be influenced by both behaviour problems and social skills. Materials and methods Participants were 103, 13-year-old adolescents with or without intellectual disabilities in the United States. Adolescents and their mothers participated in an open-ended interview of friendship quality and completed measures of social skills and behaviour problems. This study addressed differences in friendship quality between children with and without intellectual disabilities and explored early indicators of friendship development. Results Adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) had friendships characterized by significantly lower levels of warmth/closeness and positive reciprocity than their typically developing peers. Likewise, adolescents with ID spent less time with friends outside of school and were less likely to have a cohesive group of friends. Social skills and behaviour problems at age 9 predicted friendship quality at age 13 above and beyond disability status, with higher levels of social skills and lower levels of behaviour problems related to higher ratings on measures of friendship quality. Conclusions It appears that adolescents with intellectual disabilities have friendships that are characterized by less warmth/closeness and less positive reciprocity than the friendships of their typically developing peers. This discrepancy appears to be impacted by early social skills and behaviour problems in addition to the presence of the intellectual disability.
Thin Film Growth By Molecular Beam Epitaxy

This paper describes the generalities of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE); it is intended for those interested rather than involved in MBE. MBE has been applied to the growth of thin films of a variety of materials: III-V semiconductors, II-VI's, IV-VI's, silicon and germanium, metals and insulators. The early workl on MBE, and the majority of the effort since then,2,3 has been on the growth of GaAs and other III V's, thus this paper will concentrate on that area.© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Widespread spatial integration in primary somatosensory cortex

Tactile discrimination depends on integration of information from the discrete receptive fields (RFs) of peripheral sensory afferents. Because this information is processed over a hierarchy of subcortical nuclei and cortical areas, the integration likely occurs at multiple levels. The current study presents results indicating that neurons across most of the extent of the hand representation in monkey primary somatosensory cortex (area 3b) interact, even when these neurons have separate RFs. We obtained simultaneous recordings by using a 100-electrode array implanted in the hand representation of primary somatosensory cortex of two anesthetized owl monkeys. During a series of 0.5-s skin indentations with single or dual probes, the distance between electrodes from which neurons with synchronized spike times were recorded exceeded 2 mm. The results provide evidence that stimuli on different parts of the hand influence the degree of synchronous firing among a large population of neurons. Because spike synchrony potentiates the activation of commonly targeted neurons, synchronous neural activity in primary somatosensory cortex can contribute to discrimination of complex tactile stimuli.
Characterization of the Spectra of Periodically Correlated Processes

A complete characterization of the spectrum of a locally square integrable periodically correlated (PC) processes is obtained. The result makes use of the author's recent theorem establishing a one to one correspondence between PC processes and a certain class on infinite dimensional stationary processes. In terms of distributions it is proved that the Fourier transform of a positive definite distribution on the plane which is the sum of complex uniformly bounded measures supported on equidistant lines parallel to diagonal is a locally square integrable function.
Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor-1 Contributes to Escherichia coli K1 Invasion of the Central Nervous System

Escherichia coli K1 invasion of brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) is a prerequisite for penetration into the central nervous system and requires actin cytoskeletal rearrangements. Here, we demonstrate that E. coli K1 invasion of BMECs requires RhoA activation. In addition, we show that cytotoxic necrotizing factor-1 (CNF1) contributes to E. coli K1 invasion of brain endothelial cells in vitro and traversal of the blood-brain barrier in the experimental hematogenous meningitis animal model. These in vitro and in vivo effects of CNF1 were dependent upon RhoA activation as shown by (a) decreased invasion and RhoA activation with the Delta cnf1 mutant of E. coli K1 and (b) restoration of invasion frequency of the Delta cnf1 mutant to the level of the parent E. coli K1 strain in BMECs with constitutively active RhoA. In addition, CNF1-enhanced E. coli invasion of brain endothelial cells and stress fiber formation were independent of focal adhesion kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activation. This is the first demonstration that CNF1 contributes to E. coli K1 invasion of BMECs.
Testing the usefulness of twin formation theory: the tocopherols and vitamin D

The theoretical and empirical search for biologically and pharmacologically active molecules has long been of interest. In 1965 Revici proposed a class of biologically and pharmacologically active molecules which he described as having twin formations. Twin formations are defined as molecules containing two or more adjacent carbon atoms having the same induced electrical charge. An examination of recently discovered facts about the biological activity of the tocopherol family and of vitamin D lends support to this concept, which if true, could greatly facilitate selection of promising pharmacological substances for testing.
Masculinization and defeminization induced in female hamsters by neonatal treatment with estradiol benzoate and RU-2858.

Abstract To test the hypothesis that masculinization may be androgen dependent and defeminization, estrogen dependent, newborn female hamsters were administered 50–2000 ng of estradiol benzoate (EB), 0.05–50 ng of the synthetic estrogen RU-2858, or 1000 ng of testosterone propionate (TP). All three agents facilitated the display of male-type mounting responses in adulthood. A dose of 500 ng of EB was most potent in this regard, although significant masculinization was induced by 50 ng of EB and 0.05 ng of RU-2858 as well as by TP. TP did not inhibit adult lordotic behavior. Lordosis durations were reduced in a dose-dependent manner by EB, whereas the dose-response curve for RU-2858-induced defeminization was found to be nonlinear. The observation that picogram to nanogram amounts of estrogen can masculinize is consistent with the aromatization hypothesis of sexual differentiation.
How to Classify Countries Based on Their Level of Development

The paper analyzes how the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization classify countries based on their level of development. These systems are found lacking in clarity with regard to their underlying rationale. The paper argues that a country classification system based on a transparent, data-driven methodology is preferable to one based on judgment or ad hoc rules. Such an alternative methodology is developed and used to construct classification systems using a variety of proxies for development attainment. The methodology provides a way to construct a linear approximation of a Lorenz curve such that the difference between the linear approximation and the actual Lorenz curve is minimized. The linear segments represent different categories of countries (e.g., low development and high development countries). The methodology has wider applicability; it can be used whenever there is a need to construct a classification system of relatively few categories from a large heterogeneous sample.
Initializing K-means Batch Clustering: A Critical Evaluation of Several Techniques

K-means clustering is arguably the most popular technique for partitioning data. Unfortunately, K-means suffers from the well-known problem of locally optimal solutions. Furthermore, the final partition is dependent upon the initial configuration, making the choice of starting partitions all the more important. This paper evaluates 12 procedures proposed in the literature and provides recommendations for best practices.
Externally Funded Research in Counselor Education: An Overview of the Process

“Publish or perish” is a phrase familiar to untenured and tenured faculty alike. In recent years, prominence has been placed on academicians to secure external funding for their research and training projects. The counselor education field has not been immune to this call for externally funded projects. This article includes strategies for seeking and receiving external funding for counseling-related research in an effort to help counselor educators flourish in a paradigm that increasingly calls for greater external funding. Emphasis is placed on gaining knowledge and experience with federal funding agencies.