cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stable critical behavior and fast field annihilation in a magnetic field reversal model

Abstract We show that the Lu (Phys. Rev. Lett. 74(13) (1995) 2511) model, which is known to exhibit some properties of a system in self-organized criticality (SOC) [Lu, 1995; Klimas et al. (J. Geophys. Res. 105 (2000) (A8), 18,765–18,780.)], can be obtained through a reduction of the resistive MHD system to an idealized one-dimensional limit. Resistivity in this model is anomalous and localized and is due to the excitation of an idealized current-driven instability at positions where large spatial gradients appear in the magnetic field distribution. We note that, by reversing the reduction to the idealized one-dimensional limit, the Lu model presents an opportunity to construct a true MHD system that incorporates kinetic phenomena when small spatial scales are generated which may evolve into SOC under some conditions. We study the evolution of this model in a driven magnetic field reversal configuration on a high-resolution spatial grid. It has been shown earlier that the behavior of several parameters that are global measures of the state of the field reversal suggests that the reversal can evolve into SOC (Klimas et al., 2000). Here, we study the internal dynamics of the field reversal during the unloading phase of a loading–unloading cycle. Unloading is due to internal, localized, dynamic field annihilation; no flux is lost by the system through its boundaries. For this continuum model, we define an “avalanche” as a group of unstable grid points that are contiguous in position and time. We demonstrate scale-free power-law size and duration distributions for these avalanches during the unloading phase of a loading–unloading cycle. We further demonstrate the stability of these distributions; they do not evolve significantly as the unloading progresses. Box counting statistics on the position–time plane show that the avalanches can be characterized as intermittent one-dimensional structures; gaps in these otherwise one-dimensional structures lower their dimension to below one. The stable scale-free avalanche size and duration distributions, plus the fractal structure of the avalanches at small scales, provide further evidence that solutions of the continuum Lu model in a field reversal configuration can evolve into SOC.
Solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura: Eight new cases and review of 360 cases in the literature

Three-hundred-sixty cases of solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura from the literature are analyzed, and eight new cases are described. Of patients reported on prior to 1972, 72% had symptoms due to the tumor at the time of diagnosis, but only 54% of patients reported on since then were symptomatic. This probably reflects earlier diagnosis as a result of increased use of chest radiographs in asymptomatic populations. Cough, chest pain, dyspnea, and/or pulmonary osteoarthropathy are each found in at least one-third of patients who have symptoms. Approximately 80% of solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura originate in the visceral and 20% in the parietal pleura. In the literature and in this experience these tumors are on the whole circumscribed. They range in size from 1–36 cm with a mean of 6 cm. Many are pedunculated on pleural-based pedicles that contain hypertrophic arteries and veins. Histologic examination of the tumor usually discloses cellular areas alternating with hyalinized and/or necrotic areas. Spindle-shaped cells typically have minimal nuclear pleomorphism and rare or absent mitoses. Numerous thin-walled vessels constitute an additional feature of large tumors. Electron microscopical examination reveals features of both fibroblasts and mesothelial cells. Solitary fibrous tumors behave in a benign fashion in 88% of cases after surgical resection. In 12% of the cases the tumor is responsible for the patient's death because of its extensive intrathoracic growth, by virtue of either late diagnosis or unresectable recurrence. No single histologic feature allows a definite prognosis. The best indicator of a good prognosis is the presence of a pedicle supporting the tumor. Also favorable is circumscription of the tumor without invasion of lung, mediastinum, or chest wall. Nuclear pleomorphism and a high mitotic rate are seen in larger tumors but do not necessarily indicate a poor prognosis if the tumor is circumscribed. Solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura are not associated with asbestos.
The Fiscal Crisis and the Local State: Examination of the Structuralist Concept:

Neo-Marxist theory has been widely used by urban scientists to explain patterns of fiscal stress among US cities during the 1970s. Despite its popularity, strict empirical tests are rare, and few attempts have been made to account for theoretical and empirical criticism and recent changes in the fiscal behavior of cities. A causal model is developed and tested for long-term debt of large US cities in 1975 and extended through 1985. The results contradict hypotheses of the neo-Marxist theory and show that it ignores the relevance of changes in urban fiscal strategies and underestimates the political flexibility of city managers.
Individual half-judgment brightness functions

Nine Ss made half-judgments of each of nine brightness standards. Individual half-judgment brightness functions were constructed, one for each of the two threshold forms of the power law. The ω-Law (translation on the psychological axis) provided a better fit to the half-judgment data than did the ϕ-Law (translation on the intensity axis). A test of scale consistency for the fractionation method was confounded with the power law hypothesis, but the data are interpreted as providing fair support for the method independent of the form of the power law. The effect of Standard on exponent estimates was significant for both forms of the law, and the effect of Standard on threshold estimates was significant for the ϕ-Law but not for the ω-Law. Both forms of the law contain a so-called threshold parameter, but the interpretation of this parameter as a threshold was rejected for the ϕ-Law and accepted for the ω-Law.
The development and coexistence of the c(4 × 4) and asymmetric × 3 phases during the adsorption of Sb on In-rich InSb(001)

Abstract The adsorption of Sb 4 has been studied on In-rich InSb(001) using LEED and He atom scattering with the result that epitaxial layers and several surface reconstructions can be observed. The In-rich surface shows a feature in the He scattering pattern that suggests an asymmetric × 3 domain exists, related perhaps to the resultant In/Sb ratio on ion bombardment and anneal. Deposition at 70°C followed by annealing as well as depositions at higher temperatures have been carried out. The asymmetric × 3 or A × 3 structure appears at the lowest depositions (1 A) and persists and develops until a saturated Sb-rich surface is established. At the same time the c(4 × 4) domain grows and coexists with the A × 3 structure until about 1.9 monolayers (or saturation) is reached. This is the first time clear evidence of the coexistence of different domains has been established for this system.
Epileptic tolerance: prior seizures protect against seizure-induced neuronal injury

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are induced by a variety of insults to the nervous system, including seizures, and may be neuroprotective. If this is so, prior induction of HSPs should decrease neuronal damage upon re-exposure to an injurious stimulus. To test this hypothesis in relation to seizures, bicuculline was given to rats in two sessions, separated by 1, 3, 5 or 7 days; seizure activity was recorded, and HSP-like immunoreactivity and neuronal injury (acid-fuchsin staining) were quantified in the CA3c sector of the hippocampus. Prior seizures conferred a time-dependent protective effect against hippocampal injury induced by subsequent seizures, which may represent 'epileptic tolerance', analogous to the previously described phenomenon of 'ischemic tolerance'.
Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables But Hold the Salt

Humans and animals like the taste of salt. It is 1 of 5 taste sensations present on the human tongue. We developed this sense because sodium and chloride are critical to our circulatory blood volume. Numerous redundant regulatory systems also evolved to protect and preserve blood volume through sodium conservation. Article p 1563 So is too much of a good thing bad for us? During evolution, effective sodium conservation was favorable to survival when the environment was arid and food intake capricious. A surfeit of salt intake rarely occurred, until the modern era. Less evolutionary pressure existed to develop mechanisms to excrete excess salt. Thus, it became possible for too much salt intake to become detrimental. Clinical investigators such as Lewis Dahl hypothesized and then became convinced through experimentation that excess salt intake is injurious to the cardiovascular system. But, although experimental animals can be bred to develop salt intake–related changes in blood pressure, humans are a much more complex entity. Scores of studies in humans have examined the blood pressure response to salt loading and deprivation. Almost all are short term (<30 days). From these studies, the terms salt sensitivity and salt resistance arose to describe the blood pressure response to changing dietary salt. But these terms often are arbitrarily defined and applied, and no clinical tool exists that can predict a given person’s blood pressure response to changes in salt intake. National guidelines for the prevention and treatment of hypertension consistently advocate salt restriction for the general population1 on the basis of the known benefits that accrue for a given blood pressure reduction, assuming that one occurs with salt restriction. A series of meta-analyses have generally, although not always, supported this conclusion,2–4 …
Ribavirin Resistance in Hepatitis C Virus Replicon-Containing Cell Lines Conferred by Changes in the Cell Line or Mutations in the Replicon RNA

Ribavirin (RBV), used in combination with alpha interferon to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, is a guanosine nucleotide analog that can increase the error rate of viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases, imbalance intracellular nucleotide pools, and cause toxicity in many cell types. To determine potential mechanisms of RBV resistance during HCV RNA replication, we passaged HCV replicon-containing cell lines in the presence of increasing concentrations of RBV. RBV-resistant, HCV replicon-containing cell lines were generated, and the majority of RBV resistance was found to be conferred by changes in the cell lines. The resistant cell lines were defective in RBV import, as measured by [3H]RBV uptake experiments. These cell lines displayed reduced RBV toxicity and reduced error accumulation during infection with poliovirus, whose replication is known to be sensitive to RBV-induced error. For one RBV-resistant isolate, two mutations in the replicon RNA contributed to the observed phenotype. Two responsible mutations resided in the C-terminal region of NS5A, G404S, and E442G and were each sufficient for low-level RBV resistance. Therefore, RBV resistance in HCV replicon cell lines can be conferred by changes in the cell line or by mutations in the HCV replicon.
Plant Genetics, Sustainable Agriculture and Global Food Security

The United States and the world face serious societal challenges in the areas of food, environment, energy, and health. Historically, advances in plant genetics have provided new knowledge and technologies needed to address these challenges. Plant genetics remains a key component of global food security, peace, and prosperity for the foreseeable future. Millions of lives depend upon the extent to which crop genetic improvement can keep pace with the growing global population, changing climate, and shrinking environmental resources. While there is still much to be learned about the biology of plant-environment interactions, the fundamental technologies of plant genetic improvement, including crop genetic engineering, are in place, and are expected to play crucial roles in meeting the chronic demands of global food security. However, genetically improved seed is only part of the solution. Such seed must be integrated into ecologically based farming systems and evaluated in light of their environmental, economic, and social impacts-the three pillars of sustainable agriculture. In this review, I describe some lessons learned, over the last decade, of how genetically engineered crops have been integrated into agricultural practices around the world and discuss their current and future contribution to sustainable agricultural systems.
Silicon field emission arrays with atomically sharp tips: turn-on voltage and the effect of tip radius distribution

We report 1 nm tip radius, 1 /spl mu/m gate-aperture silicon field emission arrays (FEAs) with turn-on voltage as low as 14 V. The low turn-on voltage is attributed to the small emitter tip radius, which was achieved by isotropic etching of silicon and low-temperature oxidation sharpening. Optimization of the oxidation sharpening process reduced the tip radius to less than 1 nm and was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The tip radius has a log-normal distribution with a peak at 0.75 nm, an expected value of 1.8 nm, and shape parameter of 0.74 nm. Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the field emission devices are in agreement with Fowler-Nordheim (FN) theory. The extracted tip radius using two-dimensional (2-D) numerical simulation showed good agreement with the TEM measurements.
Prediction of central California earthquakes from soil-gas helium fluctuations

The observations of short-term decreases in helium soil-gas concentrations along the San Andreas Fault in central California have been correlated with subsequent earthquake activity. The area of study is elliptical in shape with radii approximately 160×80 km, centered near San Benito, and with the major axis parallel to the Fault. For 83 percent of theM>4 earthquakes in this area a helium decrease preceded seismic activity by 1.5 to 6.5 weeks. There were several earthquakes without a decrease and several decreases without a corresponding earthquake. Owing to complex and unresolved interaction of many geophysical and geochemical parameters, no suitable model is yet developed to explain the observations.
The Drosophila Anion Exchanger (DAE) lacks a detectable interaction with the spectrin cytoskeleton

Background: Current models suggest that the spectrin cytoskeleton stabilizes interacting ion transport proteins at the plasma membrane. The human erythrocyte anion exchanger (AE1) was the first membrane transport protein found to be associated with the spectrin cytoskeleton. Here we evaluated a conserved anion exchanger from Drosophila (DAE) as a marker for studies of the downstream effects of spectrin cytoskeleton mutations. Results: Sequence comparisons established that DAE belongs to the SLC4A1-3 subfamily of anion exchangers that includes human AE1. Striking sequence conservation was observed in the C-terminal membrane transport domain and parts of the N-terminal cytoplasmic domain, but not in the proposed ankyrin-binding site. Using an antibody raised against DAE and a recombinant transgene expressed in Drosophila S2 cells DAE was shown to be a 136 kd plasma membrane protein. A major site of expression was found in the stomach acid-secreting region of the larval midgut. DAE codistributed with an infolded subcompartment of the basal plasma membrane of interstitial cells. However, spectrin did not codistribute with DAE at this site or in anterior midgut cells that abundantly expressed both spectrin and DAE. Ubiquitous knockdown of DAE with dsRNA eliminated antibody staining and was lethal, indicating that DAE is an essential gene product in Drosophila. Conclusions: Based on the lack of colocalization and the lack of sequence conservation at the ankyrin-binding site, it appears that the well-characterized interaction between AE1 and the spectrin cytoskeleton in erythrocytes is not conserved in Drosophila. The results establish a pattern in which most of the known interactions between the spectrin cytoskeleton and the plasma membrane in mammals do not appear to be conserved in Drosophila.
History of Journalism Education

From its beginning, American journalism has been anchored in both the printing trades and the world of intellectuals who recognized the value of newspapers in shaping public opinion. These dual origins influenced the debate over journalism education from the mid-nineteenth century. News professionals and university educators pondered whether journalists needed to be college-educated, whether they needed a liberal arts degree, or whether they needed professional education that combined liberal arts and practical training. These debates were complex and political, representing issues of localism versus nationalism, the role of professional schools within the American university, and the rise of social science. The tension between educating reporters and editors to improve the quality of journalism or contribute to a democracy versus training them to function efficiently in a newspaper office—or any media environment—continues today.
Audio and visual stimulation reduces patient discomfort during screening flexible sigmoidoscopy

Audio and visual stimulation reduces patient discomfort during screening flexible sigmoidoscopy
Prediction of Progeny Genetic Evaluations from Simultaneous Genetic Evaluations of the Dam, Sire, and Maternal Grandsire with an Animal Model

Abstract Simultaneous genetic evaluations for bulls and cows obtained by mixed model procedures with an animal model incorporating all numerator relationships for artificially sired Holstein cows in northeastern United States were compared with separate (Northeast) mixed model evaluations of cows and sires for predicting genetic evaluations of progeny from dam, sire, and maternal grandsire evaluations. Regression coefficients for progeny (322,104 daughters and 837 sons) evaluations on dam, sire, and maternal grandsire evaluations were for daughters: Northeast evaluations; .50, .37, and −.02 compared to theoretical coefficients of .74, .52, and −.13, and simultaneous evaluations; .61, .50, and −.09 compared to theoretical coefficients of .73, .52, and −.12. For sons, comparable regression coefficients were: Northeast evaluations; .08, .42, and .06 compared to theoretical coefficients of .33, .59, and .00 and simultaneous evaluations; .92, .46 and −.29 compared to theoretical coefficients of 1.11, .54, and −.31. Efficiencies of evaluation procedures expressed as ratios of actual to theoretical multiple correlation coefficients were for daughters: Northeast evaluations, .70/.93 = .75; and simultaneous evaluations, .88/.93 = .95; and were for sons: Northeast evaluations, .50/.64 = .78; and simultaneous evaluations, .85/.89 = .95. Northeast evaluations were 79 and 82% as efficient as simultaneous evaluations for daughters and sons, respectively.
Dissolved organic fluorophores in southeastern US coastal waters: correction method for eliminating Rayleigh and Raman scattering peaks in excitation–emission matrices

Abstract Fluorescence-based observations provide useful, sensitive information concerning the nature and distribution of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in coastal and freshwater environments. The excitation–emission matrix (EEM) technique has become widely used for evaluating sources and sinks of CDOM. Water scattering peaks, however, can create problems for quantitative analysis and display of the EEMs, especially for samples with low CDOM concentrations. Here we report a new method for eliminating Rayleigh and Raman scatter peaks from EEMs during post-processing of the data in MATLAB®. An algorithm was developed to excise scatter peaks (i.e. peak emission±10–15 nm at each excitation wavelength) from the scan data and replace the excised values using three-dimensional interpolation of the remaining data (Delaunay triangulation method). The interpolated surface was constrained to pass through the non-excised values so that only data in excised portions were replaced. Tests of the algorithm in non-scatter regions indicate expected deviations of 0–4% for interpolated regions of DOM fluorescence peaks (i.e. difference between measured and interpolated intensity after removal/interpolation), which is within machine error for the primary observations. This new scattering correction method is shown to provide much improved results in the quantitative analysis of EEMs compared to the conventional blank-subtraction procedure. The method is used to process EEMs and fluorescence quantum yields for water samples obtained along a salinity transect in a river located on the coast of the southeastern United States. Results of this analysis demonstrate observed shifts in EEM peak positions along most of the transect cannot be accounted for by a simple model that computes EEMs as a function of salinity assuming that the dominant driver of EEM spectral change is mixing between riverine and marine waters within the estuary. Other results show that fluorescence apparent quantum yields (AQYs) increased with increasing salinity and pH in the estuary and that the highest quantum yields are observed on excitation by 350–380-nm light. Modeling results and the observed EEM spectral changes indicate that photoreactions had an important effect on the fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) optical properties in the estuary. The increase in fluorescence quantum yields with increasing salinity and pH in the estuary likely were caused by reactions involving magnesium or hydroxide ions that reduced fluorescence quenching by chelated iron and possibly other paramagnetic ions. The results of the study indicate that EEM analysis with careful scatter correction can provide a powerful tool for evaluating pathways for carbon cycling in estuaries.
Anatomical and functional imaging of myocardial infarction in mice using micro‐CT and eXIA 160 contrast agent

Noninvasive small animal imaging techniques are essential for evaluation of cardiac disease and potential therapeutics. A novel preclinical iodinated contrast agent called eXIA 160 has recently been developed, which has been evaluated for micro-CT cardiac imaging. eXIA 160 creates strong contrast between blood and tissue immediately after its injection and is subsequently taken up by the myocardium and other metabolically active tissues over time. We focus on these properties of eXIA and show its use in imaging myocardial infarction in mice. Five C57BL/6 mice were imaged ~2 weeks after left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. Six C57BL/6 mice were used as controls. Immediately after injection of eXIA 160, an enhancement difference between blood and myocardium of ~340 HU enabled cardiac function estimation via 4D micro-CT scanning with retrospective gating. Four hours post-injection, the healthy perfused myocardium had a contrast difference of ~140 HU relative to blood while the infarcted myocardium showed no enhancement. These differences allowed quantification of infarct size via dual-energy micro-CT. In vivo micro-SPECT imaging and ex vivo triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining provided validation for the micro-CT findings. Root mean squared error of infarct measurements was 2.7% between micro-CT and SPECT, and 4.7% between micro-CT and TTC. Thus, micro-CT with eXIA 160 can be used to provide both morphological and functional data for preclinical studies evaluating myocardial infarction and potential therapies. Further studies are warranted to study the potential use of eXIA 160 as a CT molecular imaging tool for other metabolically active tissues in the mouse. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of a gyromagnetic material in a double-coupled helix traveling-wave tube

An analysis of the double-coupled helix with a gyromagnetic material (ferrite) inside the inner helix is presented using the field theory approach. Quantitative results are presented for the slow-wave solution. Qualitative results in the form of graphs illustrate wave propagation characteristics, impedance, resonance effects, and electric field variations for typical values of the ferrite parameters. The nonreciprocal nature of the ferrite material is demonstrated. Also, some important aspects of ferrite are pointed out which give support to the view that this type of material may improve traveling-wave tube operation.
Cryotherapy and Cryodebridement

Endobronchial cryotherapy is one of multiple bronchoscopic modalities that can be performed using rigid or flexible bronchoscopes. It is used primarily in the treatment of benign and malignant central airway obstruction, where cold energy has destructive effects on the local microcirculation as well as at the cellular level, and repeated freeze-thaw cycles result in sloughing of tissue relieving the obstruction. Cryotherapy is also used for obtaining adequate endobronchial and transbronchial lung biopsies with an excellent safety profile. This chapter discusses the scientific basis of cryotherapy, procedural techniques, and the clinical evidence behind this practice.
PET/CT imaging of burned out testicular seminoma with abdominal metastases

1347 Learning Objectives 1. To present the epidemiology, metastatic pathways, and anatomic and functional imaging features of burned out testicular seminoma, and 2. To emphasize the impact of PET/CT imaging in the detection and management of hypermetabolic metastases from spontaneously regressed testicular germ cell neoplasms. Burned out testicular seminomas are spontaneously and completely regressed primary germ cell malignancies of testes usually associated with active distant metastases. These secondary lesions are frequently detected incidentally by anatomic and functional imaging without any obvious testicular neoplasm during the evaluation of other unrelated diseases or tumors. The authors present two such cases detected during F-18 FDG PET/CT staging of head and neck cancer, and staging of presumed primary duodenal undifferentiated adenocarcinoma respectively. These two cases illustrate the usual pathway of retroperitoneal nodal metastasis and the uncommon seminomatous dissemination, in less than 5% of all cases, to the duodenum and jejunum.
Maintenance of murine long-term repopulating stem cells in ex vivo culture is affected by modulation of transforming growth factor-beta but not macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha activities

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and macrophage inflammatory protein-l alpha (MIP-1 alpha) are both well-described inhibitors of committed and multipotential hematopoietic progenitors. The effect of these cytokines; on true stem cell activity in ex vivo culture systems as assayed by murine long-term repopulating activity (LTRA) has not been examined. We studied the stem cell effects of the addition of these cytokines to ex vivo cultures containing interleukin-3 (IL-3), IL- 6, and stem cell factor (SCF), using the murine competitive repopulation assay. We also tested the impact of adding an anti-TGF- beta neutralizing antibody, to ask whether abrogation of autocrine/paracrine TGF-beta may protect or enhance the survival of LTRA during ex vivo culture. TGF-beta 1 had significant suppressive effects on both short- and long-term repopulating activities, and anti- TGF-beta antibody had enhancing effects compared with control cultures containing IL-3, IL-6, and SCF alone. MIP-1 alpha had no significant effects on either short- or long-term repopulating ability. These data suggest that abrogation of TGF-beta during suspension culture may allow enhanced survival or even expansion of primitive cells ex vivo, with implications for many applications, including gene therapy.
The Rights-Based Approach to Social Protection in Latin America: From Rethoric to Practice

This paper is intended as a contribution to the theoretical and conceptual development of a human rights-based focus in social protection policies and programmes, and analyses the lessons learned in flagship programmes around the region that have sought to advance the rights-based approach. The paper highlights the obligatory nature and the value added of the rights-based approach, describes the normative content of the right to social security, and examines the basic elements of a human rights perspective, analysing the implications of this principle for the design, implementation and evaluation of social protection policies and programmes. It also examines some specific social protection programmes introduced in the region, and shows that, despite the great gulf that still exists between the rhetoric on the rights-based approach and its implementation in concrete policies, some countries of the region have made significant progress. Achievements to date can serve as an example for consolidating a rights-based approach within and beyond the region. The paper concludes with some recommendations for consolidating a rights-based approach in social protection policies and programmes.
Abstract 5197: Identification of prognostic cancer stem cell marker profiles in aggressive metastatic colorectal cancer

Background: Despite recent advances in screening and treatment, metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. A subset of patients with metastatic disease to the liver may achieve long-term survival with metastasectomy. However, the majority of patients with liver metastases have a median survival of approximately 2 years despite treatment. Several studies have proposed that cancer stem cells (CSC) may be linked to metastasis, treatment resistance and recurrence, but to date, no one has examined whether the expression of CSC markers can be prognostic indicators of recurrence and overall survival in metastatic CRC. Methods: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded metastatic CRC tissue samples were obtained from patients treated with metastasectomy of liver disease. Using standard immunohistochemical techniques, tissue samples were stained with antibodies to previously characterized CSC markers CD166, CD133, CD44 and CD26. Cellular expression patterns for solitary and multiple CSC markers were analyzed using an automated open source image quantification program (CellProfiler 2.0). Expression profiles were then correlated to patient outcomes (disease recurrence and overall survival). Results: Variable expression of CSC markers was seen between long- and short-term survival as well as rate of recurrence. Patients with an increased overall survival showed a higher level of CD44 expression. Co-expression of CD44 and CD166 correlated to increased disease-free survival. Conclusion: In this study, we identify a subset of CSC markers that correlates to disease behavior and tumor biology in metastatic CRC. Further delineation of CSC profiles may give valuable clues to therapeutic resistance as well as offer new therapeutic targets in the treatment of this disease. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5197. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5197
Structural changes of silica mesocellular foam supported amine-functionalized CO2 adsorbents upon exposure to steam.

Three classes of amine-functionalized mesocellular foam (MCF) materials are prepared and evaluated as CO2 adsorbents. The stability of the adsorbents under steam/air and steam/nitrogen conditions is investigated using a Parr autoclave reactor to simulate, in an accelerated manner, the exposure that such adsorbents will see under steam stripping regeneration conditions at various temperatures. The CO2 capacity and organic content of all adsorbents decrease after steam treatment under both steam/air and steam/nitrogen conditions, primarily due to structural collapse of the MCF framework, but with additional contributions likely associated with amine degradation during treatment under harsh conditions. Treatment with steam/air is found to have stronger effect on the CO2 capacity of the adsorbents compared to steam/nitrogen.
Preliminary Validation of Subjective Anchor Scales for Worry and Rumination

This research is a preliminary validation of two single-item visual analogue scales. The worry visual analogue scale (WVAS) and the rumination visual analogue scale (RVAS) are self-report measures developed to track state changes in worry and rumination. Each of these scales uses an idiographic anchor sheet, enabling each participant to quantify their personal scale of worry or rumination. We compared ratings on the WVAS and RVAS with self-report measures of trait worry and rumination as well as other constructs administered concurrently in two separate studies. In study 1 we compared results within an unselected undergraduate sample. In study 2 we compared results within a community-based sample of individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), individuals with GAD comorbid with unipolar depressive disorders, and healthy controls. Results from both studies indicate the WVAS is a reliable state-level measure of worry with acceptable discriminant and convergent validity. Results for the RVAS showed similar reliability and convergent validity but lacked as much discriminant validity. This difference is possibly due to all experimental groups having comorbid anxiety, which is associated more with worry than rumination. Regression analyses indicate the WVAS predicts trait-level anxiety measures more strongly than measures of depression and beyond the predictive ability of the RVAS. The RVAS predicts measures of depression more strongly than it does measures of anxiety but is not consistently a stronger predictor of depression than the WVAS. These findings suggest worry and rumination are distinct regulatory constructs. In study 2, participants with GAD, and GAD comorbid with unipolar depressive disorders, scored significantly higher than healthy controls in worry and rumination. The internal reliability of the measures is reported.
Quantifying dilution and amplification in a community of hosts for tick-borne pathogens

Recent controversy over whether biodiversity reduces disease risk (dilution effect) has focused on the ecology of Lyme disease, a tick-borne zoonosis. A criticism of the dilution effect is that increasing host species richness might amplify disease risk, assuming that total host abundance, and therefore feeding opportunities for ticks, increase with species richness. In contrast, a dilution effect is expected when poor quality hosts for ticks and pathogens (dilution hosts) divert tick blood meals away from competent hosts. Even if host densities are additive, the relationship between host density and tick encounters can be nonlinear if the number of ticks that encounter a host is a saturating function of host density, which occurs if ticks aggregate on the remaining hosts rather than failing to find a host before death. Both dilution and amplification are theoretical possibilities, and assessing which is more prevalent required detailed analyses of empirical systems. We used field data to explore the degree of tick redistribution onto fewer individuals with variation in intraspecific host density and novel data-driven models for tick dynamics to determine how changes in vertebrate community composition influence the density of nymphs infected with the Lyme bacterium. To be conservative, we allowed total host density to increase additively with species richness. Our long-term field studies found that larval and nymphal ticks redistribute onto fewer individuals as host densities decline, that a large proportion of nymphs and adults find hosts, and that mice and chipmunks feed a large proportion of nymphs. White-footed mice, eastern chipmunks, short-tailed shrews, and masked shrews were important amplification hosts that greatly increased the density of infected nymphs. Gray squirrels and Virginia opossums were important dilution hosts. Removing these two species increased the maximum number of larvae attached to amplification hosts by 57%. Raccoons and birds were minor dilution hosts under some conditions. Even under the assumption of additive community assembly, some species are likely to reduce the density of infected nymphs as diversity increases. If the assumption of additivity is relaxed, then species that reduce the density of small mammals through predation or competition might substantially reduce disease risk.
The impact of media spectacle on Peruvian politics: the case of Jaime Bayly’s El francotirador

AbstractIn 2009, Jaime Bayly, one of the most influential Peruvian TV journalists, announced that he wanted to be the first bisexual, impotent, and agnostic president of Peru. He launched an atypical electoral campaign, fueled by his irreverent and popular TV show El francotirador (The Sniper). Bayly’s yearlong virtual campaign increasingly gained importance and local and international media coverage. He even polled at 10% in Lima, the capital city, but he ultimately dropped out of the race a few months before the elections. This paper analyzes how Bayly constructed his ambiguous and contradictory media persona during his 30-year media career and how he capitalized on its political appeal in his electoral run while revealing social tensions in contemporary Peru. His intense, controversial, and sometimes transgressive life in the media is read as a symbol of how entertainment replaces other argumentative and informative forms of political communication in Peru, a deeply divided society with fragile social ...
The Use of Photo-Elasticity in Dynamic Stress Analysis with Particular Reference to Weaving Machinery

AbstractThe paper reviews the theories of photo-elasticity and shows how the technique can be applied to measuring the stresses in dynamically-loaded mechanisms. Since the technique is essentially an optical one, short exposure photography plays a very important part and some of the advantages and difficulties are described. To get improved accuracy, colour can be used but this Involves certain difficulties and increased cost. An alternative method has been developed which gives even better accuracy for a lower cost with other advantages.
Simulation of radiation belt electron dynamics in Earth's inner magnetosphere

The energetic electron dynamics in the Earth's radiation belts is mainly governed by the radial and local diffusion processes due to various plasma waves in the inner magnetosphere. We present our recent simulation results of the energetic electron evolution during March 2013 using the UCLA 3D diffusion code. The Van Allen Probes have provided detailed observations of the various radiation belt electron evolutions during different geomagnetic conditions in this period. The electron fluxes were enhanced by several orders of magnitude during a geomagnetic storm period, and the different energy electrons presented different penetration depths as well as inward diffusive and slow decaying features in the subsequent quiet period. Our simulations re-constructed the main features of the Van Allen probes observations. Our study suggests the significant and distinct roles of various plasma waves in the outer radiation belt electron dynamics.
Treatment Efficacy Of Acupuncture: A Review Of the Research Literature

Abstract A growing body of scientific literature provides strong evidence for the treatment efficacy of acupuncture for several medical conditions. Although it is premature to conclude that these findings are beyond question, the quality and consistency of the research is such that it can no longer be ignored by mainstream medicine. Acupuncture holds the promise of being able to treat certain patients with chronic disease or otherwise difficult-to-treat conditions and to achieve immediate palliative effects with virtually no side effects. Results of randomized controlled trials have found acupuncture to be effective in the treatment of pain, asthma, post-operative nausea, dysmennorhea, and motor dysfunction from stroke. Suggestive evidence is documented for treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea, substance abuse, carpal tunnel syndrome, and cerebal palsy. Recent studies have also elucidated potential physiological pathways of the treatment effect. In recognition of the increasing legitimacy of acupuncture, the Federal Drug Administration removed acupuncture needles from the category of “experimental medical devices” in 1996, and now regulates their use.
Restore or retreat? Saltwater intrusion and water management in coastal wetlands

Coastal wetlands perform a unique set of physical, chemical, and biological functions, which provide billions of dollars of ecosystem services annually. These wetlands also face myriad environmenta...
Political Criticism of Shakespeare

Ideological criticism has finally had an impact on traditional areas of literary research in North America, nowhere more so, perhaps, than on Shakespeare studies. This essay concludes with a chronological list of political accounts of the playwright published in the 1980s (pp. 44-6), a list that is long and growing rapidly as the decade progresses. Fewer items might turn up in a similar compilation covering the entire first thirty-five postwar years. A comprehensive survey of recent Shakespearean scholarship would undoubtedly reveal that the majority of publications do not engage in ideological critique. Nonetheless, political interpretation has become central to work on Shakespeare; in North America this process of politicization occurred earlier than in most other fields; and the concerns and methods often pioneered in discussions of Renaissance writers and especially of Shakespeare have increasingly spread across the discipline – to the point where political approaches arguably form the cutting edge of academic criticism in the United States. The question facing sympathizers with these trends may be less how to defend a beleaguered position in an age of reaction than how to turn potentially hegemonic status within the discipline to useful political account. The following review of the causes, nature, and significance of the new writing on Shakespeare aims to begin answering that question.
Determining the Measurement Quality of a Montessori High School Teacher Evaluation Survey.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a psychometric validation of a course evaluation instrument, known as a student evaluation of teaching (SET), implemented in a Montessori high school. The authors demonstrate to the Montessori community how to rigorously examine the measurement and assessment quality of instruments used within Montessori schools. The Montessori high school community needs an SET that has been rigorously examined for measurement issues. The examined SET was developed by a Montessori high school, and the sample data were collected from Montessori high school students. Using a Rasch partial credit model, the results of the analysis identified several measurement issues, including multidimensionality, misfit items, and inappropriate item difficulty levels. A revised version of the SET underwent the same analysis procedure, and the results indicated that measurement issues persisted. The authors suggest several ways to improve the overall measurement quality of the instrument while keeping the Montessori foundation. Additional validation studies with a revised version of the SET will be needed before the instrument can be endorsed for full implementation in a Montessori setting.
3D Part Manipulation Aided by Uncalibrated Mono-Camera*

Abstract The main problem that we address in this paper is how a robot manipulator is able to track and grasp a part placed arbitrarily on a moving disc conveyor aided by a single CCD camera and fusing information from encoders placed on the conveyor and also from encoders on the robot manipulator. The important assumption that distinguishes our work from what has been previously reported in the literature is that the position and orientation of the camera and the base frame of the robot is apriori assumed to be unknown and is 'visually calibrated' during the operation of the manipulator. Moreover the part placed on the conveyor is assumed to be non-planar, i.e. the feature points observed on the part is assumed to be located arbitrarily in IR 3 The novelties of the proposed approach in this paper includes a (i) multisensor fusion scheme based on complementary data for the purpose of part localization, and (ii) self-calibration between the turntable and the robot manipulator using visual data and feature points on the end-effector. The principle advantages of the proposed scheme are the following, (i) It renders possible to reconfigure a manufacturing workcell without recalibrating the relation between the turntable and the robot. This significantly shortens the setup time of the workcell. (ii) It greatly weakens the requirement on the image processing speed
Simultaneous FIR interferometry/polarimetry in the UCLA Microtor plasma

Faraday rotation and electron line density spatial profiles ahve been measured simultaneously on the Microtor tokamak using the phase modulation scheme originally proposed by Dodel and Kunz [1]. Presently, a single channel system is spatially scanned across the complete plasma profile at 1 cm intervals. The extension of this technique to a 20 channel interferometer/polarimeter system using micro-bolometer imaging arrays is briefly described together with an assessment of the importance of such a system on fusion plasmas.
Multiwavelength properties of blazars

Abstract Blazar spectral energy distributions (SEDs) are double peaked and follow a self-similar sequence in luminosity. The so-called “blue” blazars, whose first SED component peaks at X-ray energies, are TeV sources, although with a relatively small fraction of their bolometric luminosities. The “red” blazars, with SED peaks in the infrared-optical range, appear to emit relatively more power in the gamma-ray component but at much lower energies (GeV and below). Correlated variations across the SEDs (of both types) are consistent with the picture that a single electron population gives rise to the high-energy parts of both SED components, via synchrotron at low energies and Compton-scattering at high energies. In this scenario, the trends of SED shape with luminosity can be explained by electron cooling on ambient photons. With simple assumptions, we can make some estimates of the physical conditions in blazar jets of each “type” and can predict which blazars are the most likely TeV sources. Upper limits from a mini-survey of candidate TeV sources indicate that only ∼ 10% of their bolometric luminosity is radiated in gamma-rays, assuming the two SED components peak near 1 keV and 1 TeV. Finally, present blazar samples are too shallow to indicate what kinds of jets nature prefers, i.e., whether the low-luminosity “blue” blazars or the high-luminosity “red” blazars are more common.
The role of adjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced bladder cancer.

Purpose: The standard of care for locally advanced bladder cancer (LABC) is neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by cystectomy. However, the role of adjuvant therapy is unclear. The purpose of this st...
Flow of Brain Interstitial Fluid and Drainage into Cerebrospinal Fluid and Lymph

According to classical concepts of the turnover of cerebral interstitial fluid (ISF), this fluid is formed from plasma at the cerebral capillary wall, flows through intercellular clefts of the neuropil, and then drains from the nervous tissue via a network of low resistance, extracellular channels (including perivascular spaces) into CSF within the subarachnoid space. From this space, the fluid can either pass with CSF into the dural sinuses or drain via the sheath of the olfactory nerve and nasal submucosa into deep cervical lymph. Recent studies from this laboratory of the pathways and dynamics of ISF flow have confirmed and extended these classical concepts (Cserr and Ostrach 1974, Cserr et al. 1977, Cserr et al. 1981, Bradbury et al. 1981). In this paper I will consider our results as they relate to three areas of concern to this symposium: (1) regional differences in the rate of ISF drainage from the brain parenchyma; (2) ISF as a source of extrachoroidal CSF; and (3) drainage of ISF into deep cervical lymph.