cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Electoral Origins of Polarized Politics Evidence From the 2010 Cooperative Congressional Election Study

Data from the 2010 Cooperative Congressional Election Study are examined to determine the extent to which partisan polarization is a popular as well as an elite phenomenon. The evidence indicates t...
ProteoModlR for functional proteomic analysis

High-accuracy mass spectrometry enables near comprehensive quantification of the components of the cellular proteomes, increasingly including their chemically modified variants. Likewise, large-scale libraries of quantified synthetic peptides are becoming available, enabling absolute quantification of chemically modified proteoforms, and therefore systems-level analyses of changes of their absolute abundance and stoichiometry. Existing computational methods provide advanced tools for mass spectral analysis and statistical inference, but lack integrated functions for quantitative analysis of post-translationally modified proteins and their modification stoichiometry. Here, we develop ProteoModlR, a program for quantitative analysis of abundance and stoichiometry of post-translational chemical modifications across temporal and steady-state biological states. While ProteoModlR is intended for the analysis of experiments using isotopically labeled reference peptides for absolute quantitation, it also supports the analysis of labeled and label-free data, acquired in both data-dependent and data-independent modes for relative quantitation. Moreover, ProteoModlR enables functional analysis of sparsely sampled quantitative mass spectrometry experiments by inferring the missing values from the available measurements, without imputation. The implemented architecture includes parsing and normalization functions to control for common sources of technical variation. Finally, ProteoModlR’s modular design and interchangeable format are optimally suited for integration with existing computational proteomics tools, thereby facilitating comprehensive quantitative analysis of cellular signaling. ProteoModlR and its documentation are available for download at http://github.com/kentsisresearchgroup/ProteoModlR as a stand-alone R package.
Transdisciplinary Content Pedagogy in Undergraduate Engineering Education: Being Pulled Up Short

Transdisciplinary education offers an opportunity to enhance complex problem-solving skills for engineers (among other disciplines), increase efficacy for diverse students, and increase possibilities for deep learning experiences. In order to test the efficacy of Transdisciplinary (TD) content pedagogy, we undertook a quasi-experimental case study design research project where we compared the levels of engagement, trust, collaboration, and problem-solving skills developed in an undergraduate mechanical engineering course and compared those results with a ‘control’ mechanical engineering course that was on the same subject matter and taught by the same teacher. Findings suggest that the TD course does increase collaboration, problem-solving, and engagement. Our results also show that TD content pedagogy allows students to engage in rich learning experiences that create moments where they see the world differently, where they are ‘pulled up short’; and this approach may give students important advantages in the classroom and the workforce.
Design and optimization of cascaded DCG based holographic elements for spectrum-splitting PV systems

In this work, the technique of designing and optimizing broadband volume transmission holograms using dichromate gelatin (DCG) is summarized for solar spectrum-splitting application. Spectrum splitting photovoltaic system uses a series of single bandgap PV cells that have different spectral conversion efficiency properties to more fully utilize the solar spectrum. In such a system, one or more high performance optical filters are usually required to split the solar spectrum and efficiently send them to the corresponding PV cells. An ideal spectral filter should have a rectangular shape with sharp transition wavelengths. DCG is a near ideal holographic material for solar applications as it can achieve high refractive index modulation, low absorption and scattering properties and long-term stability to solar exposure after sealing. In this research, a methodology of designing and modeling a transmission DCG hologram using coupled wave analysis for different PV bandgap combinations is described. To achieve a broad diffraction bandwidth and sharp cut-off wavelength, a cascaded structure of multiple thick holograms is described. A search algorithm is also developed to optimize both single and two-layer cascaded holographic spectrum splitters for the best bandgap combinations of two- and three-junction SSPV systems illuminated under the AM1.5 solar spectrum. The power conversion efficiencies of the optimized systems under the AM1.5 solar spectrum are then calculated using the detailed balance method, and shows an improvement compared with tandem structure.
Synthesis and Evaluation of Orexin-1 Receptor Antagonists with Improved Solubility and CNS Permeability.

Orexins are hypothalamic neuropeptides playing important roles in many functions including the motivation of addictive behaviors. Blockade of the orexin-1 receptor has been suggested as a potential strategy for the treatment of drug addiction. We have previously reported OX1 receptor antagonists based on the tetrahydroisoquinoline scaffold with excellent OX1 potency and selectivity; however, these compounds had high lipophilicity (clogP > 5) and low to moderate solubility. In an effort to improve their properties, we have designed and synthesized a series of analogs where the 7-position substituents known to favor OX1 potency and selectivity were retained, and groups of different nature were introduced at the 1-position where substitution was generally tolerated as demonstrated in previous studies. Compound 44 with lower lipophilicity (clogP = 3.07) displayed excellent OX1 potency (Ke = 5.7 nM) and selectivity (> 1,760-fold over OX2) in calcium mobilization assays. In preliminary ADME studies, 44 showed e...
Chaotic Rayleigh-Bénard convection with finite sidewalls.

We explore the role of finite sidewalls on chaotic Rayleigh-Benard convection. We use large-scale parallel spectral-element numerical simulations for the precise conditions of experiment for cylindrical convection domains. We solve the Boussinesq equations for thermal convection and the conjugate heat transfer problem for the energy transfer at the solid sidewalls of the cylindrical domain. The solid sidewall of the convection domain has finite values of thickness, thermal conductivity, and thermal diffusivity. We compute the Lyapunov vectors and exponents for the entire fluid-solid coupled problem. We quantify the chaotic dynamics of convection over a range of thermal sidewall boundary conditions. We find that the dynamics become less chaotic as the thermal conductivity of the sidewalls increases as measured by the value of the fractal dimension of the dynamics. The thermal conductivity of the sidewall is a stabilizing influence; the heat transfer between the fluid and solid regions is always in the direction to reduce the fluid motion near the sidewalls. Although the heat interaction for strongly conducting sidewalls is only about 1% of the heat transfer through the fluid layer, it is sufficient to reduce the fractal dimension of the dynamics by approximately 25% in our computations.
Meter-Scale Early Diagenesis of Organic Matter Buried Within Deep-Sea Sediments Beneath the Amazon River Plume

Gravity cores and multi-cores were collected from the Demerara Abyssal plain to examine meter-scale downcore features of early diagenesis in the sediments and relate them to the location of the Amazon River plume in the North Atlantic Ocean. At all sites, the oxygen penetration depth, inferred from nitrate and dissolved manganese profiles, was ~10-20 cm and nitrate was depleted within ~50 cm. However, most of the cores also had a secondary nitrate maximum (4-13µM) at ~50 cm, at a location where we observed changes in gradients of dissolved manganese, iron, and ammonium. Although there is spatial heterogeneity in the profile behavior across the study, we do find subtle diagenetic profile patterns that occur in sediments in relation to their position below the Amazon plume. Dissolved silica profiles show an initial increase downcore, but then all show a decrease to depths of 30-100 cm, thereafter concentrations increase. We suggest this zone of silica uptake is due to reverse weathering processes, possibly involving iron oxidation. A semi-lithified iron crust appeared at nearly all sites, and its position is relict, likely an indicator of the transition from glacial to interglacial sediments.
THEORETICAL MODEL OF RIVER ICE JAMS

A mathematical analysis is developed to describe the evolution and characteristics of river ice jams. The principal components of the analytical model are the static force equilibrium of the fragmented ice cover; the unsteady continuity equations for the frozen and liquid water; the nonuniform unsteady momentum relation for the flow; and relations in which compressive and shear strengths of the floating fragmented ice cover vary linearly with local jam thickness. A numerical method is outlined for solving the equations for the case in which the jam has evolved to the point that it propagates upstream with constant velocity (quasi-steady conditions), and a complete set of example results is presented for a specific flow and channel. Estimates are derived for the time required for the jam to evolve to the quasi-steady state and for the velocity of the jam front during the evolutionary stage.
Population dynamics of two toluene degrading bacterial species in a contaminated stream

Toluene uptake by a benthic biofilm community was previously shown to vary seasonally from 0.03 m hr−1 in winter to 0.2 m hr−1 in summer in a solvent-contaminated stream of the Aberjona watershed. We used quantitative PCR to estimate the population dynamics of previously isolated species of toluene-degrading Xanthobacter autotrophicus and Mycobacterium sp. in both toluene-contaminated and uncontaminated reaches of the stream, and to estimate their relative roles in overall biodegradation rate. Quantification using specific 16S rDNA primers for X. autotrophicus and Mycobacterium sp. showed that populations of both species were much larger in the toluene-contaminated than the toluene-free reach, in agreement with earlier culture-based investigations. A relatively brief bloom of X. autotrophicus occurred in the contaminated reach in the summer, while Mycobacterium sp. populations occurred at elevated densities for more than 5 months. Calculations showed that Mycobacterium, previously thought to be less important than Xanthobacter in annual toluene degradation based on single time-point CFU estimates, appears actually more important because of this longer persistence.
Quasinjective Modules and Selfinjective Rings

If M is a module such that every map f: S → M of a submodule S is induced by an endomorphism of M, then M is said to be quasinjective, or QI, for short. Every module which is injective modulo annihilator, and every semisimple module, is QI (see 19.2). The QI modules coincide with the class of fully invariant sub-modules of injective modules 19.3. A module which is finitely generated over endomorphism ring is said to be finendo. Any finendo QI module is injective modulo annihilator 19.14A. Over a right Artinian ring, any QI right module is finendo and conversely 19.16. Thus, every faithful quasinjective over a right Artinian ring is injective 19.15, a result which holds for finitely generated faithful modules over commutative rings 19.17.
Human Impacts on Arctic Ecosystems

Abstract Although much of the Arctic remains pristine, the developed countries of the world have used the Arctic tundra as a dumping ground, for nuclear testing, and an industrial site. Since the 20th century, Arctic regions have been exploited for mineral and petroleum resources with a mixed level of concern for environment (some in USA and Canada, very little in Russia). The remoteness of the Arctic has made it a target for extensive Russian nuclear testing (Novaya Zemlya), and proposed nuclear engineering (NW Alaska). The warming of the Arctic climate, though not originating from Arctic sources, is melting the sea ice cover, melting the permafrost, and changing tundra ecosystems. Ironically, anthropogenic warming is even now facilitating further human exploitation of the High Arctic for its fossil fuel resources, navigational short-cuts, and previously unobtainable fish stocks. These new incursions into the Arctic may well drive a number of marine mammals and other vertebrate species to extinction, unless strong conservation initiatives are put in place immediately.
Spatial equilibrium analysis of Chinese tariff on world cotton markets

We develop a theoretical and an empirical spatial equilibrium model (SEM) to analyse the effects of the 25% Chinese cotton tariff on United States, Chinese and world markets. The tariff causes US cotton price, production and exports to decrease, while simultaneously increasing China's price and production. The SEM determines the trade reallocations caused by the Chinese tariff. The United States diverts some of its exports to other importing countries, which allows the United States to mitigate some of its losses. Other cotton exporters increase their exports to China at the expense of the United States.
Modeling First: Applying Learning Science to the Teaching of Introductory Statistics

Students learn many concepts in the introductory statistics course, but even our most successful students end up with rigid, ritualized knowledge that does not transfer easily to new situations. In...
Human Rights without Support of the Concerned State: A Comparative Analysis of Successive Human Rights Council Mechanisms Established for Burundi and Myanmar

The United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) is the central United Nations institution charged with protecting and promoting human rights globally. In response to human rights violations in specific countries, the HRC may exercise its authority to establish fact-finding missions and commissions of inquiry to help bring wrongdoers to justice. As an inter-governmental body, the HRC favors cooperative arrangements with states in which human rights violations have occurred. Nevertheless, the HRC has acted over the objections of governments to establish human rights mechanisms. This report examines four occasions on which the HRC has done so: when it established successive fact-finding and investigative bodies for Burundi and for Myanmar, respectively. To gain insight into the conditions under which the HRC will proceed to establish fact-finding missions and commissions of inquiry without the cooperation of the country in question, the report identifies the public explanations HRC member states offered of their votes on the resolutions creating or extended these international mandates. To gain insight into the consequences of creating human rights interventions under these circumstances, the report also reviews the substantive findings and operational challenges of each mechanism.
Dopamine and the Susceptibility of Striatal Neurons to Ischemia

Neuropathologists have long noted that certain brain regions and specific neuronal types are especially vulnerable to an ischemic insult (2). With the advent of small animal models of ischemia, it has been possible to perform studies of selective vulnerability under controlled conditions. These studies have shown that transient ischemia in rats leads to selective neuronal damage in discrete brain regions such as the CA1 pyramidal cells in the hippocampus and the small-to-medium sized neurons in the striatum (7,24). It has been suggested that excessive release of excitatory neurotransmitters and increased synaptic activity might play a major role in the mediation of postischemic neuronal cell death in selectively vulnerable brain regions (32). However, most of the previous work has focused on the release of glutamate (Glu) and the vulnerability of the hippocampus to ischemia (25,26,27). The striatum, a region highly vulnerable to ischemia, is richly innervated by the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system. This raises the possibility that dopamine (DA) might be involved in ischemic striatal injury.
High-altitude electrical discharges associated with thunderstorms and lightning

The purpose of this paper is to introduce electrical discharge phenomena known as transient luminous events above thunderstorms to the lightning protection community. Transient luminous events include the upward electrical discharges from thunderstorms known as starters, jets, and gigantic jets, and electrical discharges initiated in the lower ionosphere such as sprites, halos, and elves. We give an overview of these phenomena with a focus on starters, jets, gigantic jets, and sprites, because similar to ordinary lightning, streamers and leaders are basic components of these four types of transient luminous events. We present a few recent observations to illustrate their main properties and briefly review the theories. The research in transient luminous events has not only advanced our understanding of the effects of thunderstorms and lightning in the middle and upper atmosphere, but also improved our knowledge of basic electrical discharge processes critical for sparks and lightning.
SAFETY FACTORS AND PROBABILITY IN STRUCTURAL DESIGN

Safety or reliability of a structure is formulated in terms of an uncertainty factor combined with a generalized allowable risk. The uncertainty factor allows the consideration of incomplete information and imperfect knowledge in the specification of a permissible risk level. This allows the use of judgment and the explicit use of probabilistic information in the design of safe structures.
Testing unstable econometric models for stability: An empirical study

Abstract Econometric models may be tested for stability using the asymptotic distribution of the dominant characteristic root of the system as derived by Theil and Boot (1962) or by Oberhofer and Kmenta (1973). This paper points out that this distribution is known for stable models only which implies that the null hypothesis must always be stability and the power of the test is in question. A Monte Carlo study is performed to investigate the power of the test and the distribution of the test statistic for unstable and stable models in the small sample case.
The New Racism in Europe: A Sicilian Ethnography

1. Introduction 2. When the bottom looks down: working-class views of immigrants in Palermo 3. The view from the top: Bourgeois views of immigrants in Palermo 4. The politics of race and immigration in the Italian North and South 5. Conclusions Appendix Notes References.
Microbial hydroxylations: VI. Hydroxylation of rac-17β-hydroxyestra-4,8(14)-dien-3-one by Curvularia lunata

Abstract Aerobic incubations of rac-17β-hydroxyestra-4,8(14)-dien-3-one with Curvularia lunata NRRL 2380 gave rac-10β,17β-dihydroxyestra-4,8(14)-dien-3-one, rac-11β, 17β-dihydroxyestra-4,8(14)-dien-3-one, and rac-7α,17β-dihydroxyestra-4, 8(14)-dien-3-one. Some resolved 17β-hydroxyestra-4,8(14)-dien-3-one of natural configuration was also recovered. Structures of the hydroxylated products were determined from their spectral behavior. These results differ from our prior work where resolved hydroxylation products were obtained from rac-17β-hydroxyestr-4-en-3-one with C. lunata. These and other related points are discussed in speculation regarding microbial hydroxylase substrate specificity.
Particle and power balances of hot-filament discharge plasmas in a multi-dipole device in the presence of a positively biased electrode

The plasma potential is typically assumed to float above an anode potential by an amount that is a few times the electron temperature (T/sub e//e). The difference between the plasma potential and the anode potential can be estimated by considering the particle production and loss. However, it has been reported experimentally that the plasma potential of a steady-state plasma can be more negative than the anode potential with a potential dip ( approximately T/sub e//e) in front of the anode. Particle and power balances have been carried out to estimate the bulk plasma potential of a hot-filament discharge plasma produced in a multidipole plasma device. The bulk plasma potential dependence on the positive DC bias applied to the anode is analyzed, and the predicted characteristics of the plasma potential dependence are compared to the experimental results. A steady-state potential dip in front of the anode has been experimentally observed using emissive probes with the zero emission inflection point method, and the conditions for the potential dip formation have been derived. >
Magnetic Susceptibility of Liquid 3He

We report measurements of the magnetic susceptibility of liquid 3He at saturated vapor pressure in the normal state from the superfluid transition temperature up to 1 K. Our results are comparable to those of Ramm, et al.1 at temperatures above 200 mK, but are systematically higher as T→0. We conclude that the zero-temperature limiting susceptibility is approximately 5.9% larger than reported by Ramm, et al. Consequently, the discrepancy in the liquid's diamagnetism between values expected theoretically and our experimentally measured results is essentially eliminated.
Big data provenance analysis and visualization

Provenance captured from E-Science experimentation is often large and complex, for instance, from agent-based simulations that have tens of thousands of heterogeneous components interacting over extended time periods. The subject of study of my dissertation is the use of E-Science provenance at scale. My initial research studied the visualization of large provenance graphs and proposed an abstract representation of provenance that supports useful data mining. Recent work involves analyzing large provenance data generated from agent-based simulations on a single machine. In continuation, I propose stream processing techniques to support the continuous and real-time analysis of data provenance, which is captured from agent based simulations on HPC and thus has unprecedented volume and complexity.
Notas filosóficas sobre la soledad en Cien años de soledad (1967) de Gabriel García Márquez

The title of the novel Gabriel Garcia Marquez publishes in 1967 has not been thought enough. I argue that the word solitude in its title should be understood as pointing out at a human truth that “touches the heart” −to use a complex metaphor by William Faulkner. I will build my arguments by referring to what I love to call “suggestive anachronisms”. Thanks so such anachronisms, I will make talk together works and authors Garcia Marquez almost surely did not have in mind while he was writing his One Hundred Years of Solitude. I am thinking, for instance, of Michel de Montaigne, Miguel de Unamuno, and Xavier Zubiri. Notwithstanding, it is my hope that, by the means of such a procedure, new possible meanings −plausible ones− can be brought to light in relation to the concept I will be studying throughout my pages, namely, solitude.
The Role of New Technologies

This paper describes the FEMP New Technology Demonstration Program, which seeks to reduce federal-sector costs and improve overall energy efficiency at federal facilities by accelerating federal adoption of new and emerging energy-efficient, renewable-energy, and water-conserving technologies through education and demonstrations. The Program focuses on technologies that are commercially available but have not penetrated the federal market. This paper describes the Program, how new technologies fit into an overall energy management program, and how the Program disseminates information on new technologies. The paper also provides a successful case study as well as a caution regarding new technologies.
Weekly ixabepilone with or without biweekly bevacizumab in the treatment of recurrent or persistent uterine and ovarian/primary peritoneal/fallopian tube cancers: A retrospective review

Abstract Objective To describe the clinical outcome and tolerability of weekly ixabepilone (16–20 mg/m2 days 1, 8, 15 of a 28-day cycle) ± biweekly bevacizumab (10 mg/kg days 1 and 15) in patients with recurrent/persistent uterine or ovarian/primary peritoneal/fallopian tube cancers. Methods A single-institution retrospective review was performed inclusive of all patients who received ≥ 2 cycles from 01/2010 to 06/2014. Progression-free (PFS) and overall (OS) survival were determined using the Kaplan–Meier method. Toxicities were graded according to CTCAEv4.0. Best response was categorized using RECIST or by CA-125 criteria. Results A total of 60 patients (24 uterine and 36 ovarian cancers) were identified. Patients had received a median of 3.5 (range:1–10) prior lines of chemotherapy. Patients completed a mean of 4.7 ± 2.9 cycles of ixabepilone; 66.7% (16/24) and 91.7% (33/36) of patients with uterine and ovarian cancers received concurrent bevacizumab. For uterine cancers, objective response rate (ORR) was 41.7% (12.5% complete, 29.2% partial); median duration of response or stabilization was 7 months (range:2–30). Median PFS and OS were 5.2 and 9.6 months, respectively. PFS and OS were improved in the setting of concurrent bevacizumab (6.5 versus 3.0 months, p = 0.01, HR 0.2, 95% CI 0.05–0.77; 9.6 versus 4.2 months, p = 0.02, HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.04–0.74). Similar ORR was observed among ovarian cancers; median PFS/OS were not yet reached. Most toxicities were grade 1/2. Conclusions Weekly ixabepilone with or without biweekly bevacizumab has promising activity and acceptable toxicity in patients with platinum-/taxane-resistant endometrial and ovarian cancers. This combination warrants further prospective study in these populations.
Estimation of 24‐Hour Sodium Excretion from Spot Urine Samples

Despite the effects of sodium intake on blood pressure and on response to antihypertensive medication, sodium intake is rarely monitored in clinical practice. The current method, the 24-hour urine collection for sodium excretion, is cumbersome, often incorrectly performed, and not commonly ordered. Further, its results have limited meaning because of the substantial day-to-day variation in sodium intake. A spot urine test to enable convenient, inexpensive, and serial monitoring of sodium excretion would be desirable. In this study, the accuracy of predicting 24-hour sodium excretion from a spot urine sample was assessed. The urine sodium/creatinine ratio was determined from the following urine samples: an "AM sample," submitted at the beginning of the 24-hour urine collection; a "PM sample" collected in the later afternoon/early evening before dinner, at roughly the midpoint of the collection; and a "random sample," collected after its completion. The ratio was then corrected for 24-hour creatinine excretion. The strongest correlation between predicted and actual 24-hour sodium excretion was observed with the PM sample collected near the midpoint (r=0.86, P<.001). This sample also identified persons with sodium excretion <100 mEq/d with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 82%. The sodium/creatinine ratio from a spot urine sample collected in the late afternoon/early evening at roughly the midpoint of the 24-hour collection, and adjusted for 24-hour creatinine excretion, strongly correlated with 24-hour sodium excretion. Additional studies are merited to further evaluate the role of the spot urine sample in assessing sodium intake.
Content Analysis of Three Waterfowl Hunting DVDs

Waterfowl hunting product manufacturers have determined that a market exists for waterfowl hunting videos. Viewing these videos could have meaningful effects on hunters who watch them. We conducted a content analysis of three waterfowl hunting videos. The most frequently spoken word was “kill” for two of the videos and “ducks” for the third video. Less than 5% of each movie was attributed to shooting, and when hunters did shoot, the average length of each shooting scene was 1.77 seconds. There were significant differences among videos in the number of shots taken per scene and number of birds harvested per scene. Overall, success rates in the videos differed from the average success rates for Illinois hunters. We stress the importance of understanding the influence of media on development among hunters and discuss how effects of media may impact wildlife agencies in the future.
Radiologische Diagnostik des abdominellen Traumas

Die Sonographie hat die diagnostische Peritoneallavage in Europa als primares diagnostisches Verfahren beim Abdominaltrauma abgelost. Wird beim kreislaufinstabilen Patienten im Schockraum bei der Sonographie freie Flussigkeit nachgewiesen, ist die bildgebende Diagnostik beendet, der Patient wird laparotomiert. Bei hamodynamisch stabilen Patienten last sich neben der Sonographie auch die Computertomographie einsetzen. Dies ist in der Akutphase der Versorgung („erste Stunde”) besonders dann sinnvoll, wenn die Sonographie nicht sicher beurteilbar oder auffallig ist (z.B. geringe Mengen freier Flussigkeit).
An operantly conditioned looking task for assessing infant auditory processing ability

In this paper, we describe the design and evaluation of a gaze-driven interface for the assessment of rapid auditory processing abilities in infants aged 4 to 6 months. A cross-modal operant conditioning procedure is used to reinforce anticipatory eye movements in response to changes in a continuous auditory stream. Using this procedure, we hope to develop a clinical tool that will enable early identification of individuals at risk for language-based learning impairments. Some of the unique opportunities and challenges inherent to designing for infant-computer interaction are discussed.
Chemoresistance is not a cause of the apparent failure of adjuvant chemotherapy in postmenopausal women

Chemotherapeutic regimens used for the adjuvant treatment of breast carcinoma are less effective when applied to postmenopausal women than when applied to premenopausal women. Differences in growth fraction or altered chemosensitivity of tumors are potential causes of the differential effects of chemotherapy in younger and older patients. We have attempted to identify the presence of these putative causes by measuring size of clonogenic cell fraction and drug sensitivity of progenitor cells on the tumors from pre- and postmenopausal women. We found that the chemosensitivity of tumors was similar for patients of all ages. We further observed that the clonogenic cell fraction of tumors from women older than 65 years tended to be smaller compared to those of all other patients, while the hormone-sensitivity of tumors from these patients was higher. Our observations thus suggest that drug resistance related to inherent metabolic characteristics of tumor cells may not be a major contributing cause of failure of adjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of postmenopausal women.
A Review of Atypical Clinical Manifestations of Acute Myocardial Infarction

This review describes pertinent demographic and ill ness characteristics of patients who are seen with atyp ical symptoms of acute myocardial infarction. The determination of psychosocial, behavioral, and envi ronmental patterns of patients complaining of chest discomfort adds important information to the clinical assessment of chest pain. Systematic information about the pain and other symptoms of acute myocardial infarc tion and about the variables that influence these symp toms can assist practitioners as well as sufferers of myo cardial pain to resolve the uncertainty surrounding it.
Apposition of fibroblasts to mast cells and lymphocytes in normal human lung and in cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis. Ultrastructure and cell perimeter measurements.

The perimeters of mast cells and lymphocytes in human lungs were measured in electron micrographs by digitizer to determine the percentage of perimeter apposed to fibroblast (PPAF). Fibroblasts were apposed to the majority of mast cells. The median PPAF for mast cells in normal lung was 50.3 per cent, and in cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis (CFA), 35.7 per cent. Although the value in CFA was lower, the difference was not statistically significant (median difference 11.8; 95 per cent confidence interval (–19.6, 25.1); P = 0.65). The PPAF range overall was 3.8–94.1 per cent. There was similar apposition of fibroblasts to lymphocytes, and no statistical differences were found when median PPAF results for mast cells and lymphocytes were compared for normal and CFA lung. The high degree of percentage apposition, accurately quantified in this study, shows that fibroblasts, mast cells, and lymphocytes are ideally arranged structurally in normal alveolar walls, to facilitate the many physiological interactions which are currently being uncovered. The present study also shows that apposition persists in pathological states, e.g., CFA lung, but because all these cells are increased in number in CFA lung, apposition is easier to identify here than in normal lung.
Differential growth and multicellular villi direct proepicardial translocation to the developing mouse heart.

In the mammalian system the proepicardium (PE) arises from mesothelium of the septum transversum before translocation to the heart where it forms the epicardium and progenitor cells of the coronary vessels. Despite its importance, the process in which PE cells translocate to the myocardium in mammals is not well defined. The current paradigm states that cellular cysts of PE float across the pericardial space and contact the outer surface of the myocardium. This mechanism does not provide a satisfactory explanation for the directionality or localization of PE migration. To better define PE migration, we performed a detailed study of mouse PE development. We provide thorough documentation that redefines the size of the PE migratory field and the mechanism of migration. Our new model incorporates differential growth and direct contact between multicellular PE villi and the myocardium as mechanisms in formation of the epicardium. Developmental Dynamics 237:145–152, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Elution of Glomerular Bound Antibodies in Experimental Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis

lmmnunoglobulin G, eluted from glomeruli of rats with streptococcal glomerulonephritis, reacts with type 12 M protein of the streptococcus but not with other streptococcal or renal antigens. Thtrefore, this disease may be madiated by fixation of antigen-antibody complexes consisting of streptococcal M protein and type-specific antibody.
Ion beam mixing of amorphous chromium nitride/ molybdenum nitride and polycrystalline CrMo bilayers

Abstract We compare the intermixing of polycrystalline Cr Mo with amorphous chromium nitride/molybdenum nitride bilayers after irradiation with 480 keV Xe2+ ions. The irradiation is performed at liquid nitrogen temperature to minimize the effects of radiation-enhanced diffusion. After irradiation, the crystallinity or amorphicity of the samples is conserved. The mixing efficiency of the amorphous sample is 70% higher than that of the crystalline sample, but the difference may have other causes than structure. One uncertainty stems from possible chemical effects due to nitrogen relocation. The effect is clearly seen when comparing the intermixing of chromium nitride/Mo and Cr/molybdenum nitride bilayers in which nitrogen is initially in only one of the two sublayers. During irradiation, nitrogen diffuses from the molybdenum nitride into the pure chromium, but no significant motion of nitrogen is observed from chromium nitride into pure molybdenum. These observations are explained on the basis of the different dissociation temperatures for molybdenum nitrides and chromium nitrides.
On Pu-244 in lunar rocks from Fra Mauro and implications regarding their origin.

The evidence for in situ produced fission xenon from Pu-244 in rock 14321 is presented. The inferred abundance ratio Pu-244/U-238 is found to be consistent with values observed in a meteorite. Data from a stepwise release of the xenon permits a characterization of the trapped component, which can be shown to be distinct from solar xenon. We discuss the evidence for the presence of fission gases and of uncorrelated radiogenic argon in this and in other Apollo 14 rocks and some implications regarding their origin.
Determination of pentamidine isethionate in air.

A concern currently exists regarding the potential for exposure of health care workers to pentamidine isethionate, a drug used for prevention and treatment of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in immunocompromised patients, including those with human immunodeficiency virus infection. In order to evaluate worker exposures, a sampling and analytical method for pentamidine isethionate in air has been developed. This method involves sampling with a 37-mm PVC membrane filter at 1 to 2 L/min, recovery with 3 mL of 50:50 ethanol:water with 0.085% phosphoric acid and 0.04% tetramethylammonium chloride in an ultrasonic bath for 10 min, and analysis by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The limit of detection is about 18 ng per sample, and the lower limit of quantitation is 50 ng per sample. Recoveries of pentamidine isethionate from PVC filters were 0.76 to 0.91 at 50 to 8820-ng levels of fortification. Samples were stable on PVC filters during 27 days of storage at room temperature. ...
Cog as a Thought Experiment

In her presentation at the Monte Verita workshop, Maja Mataric showed us a videotape of her robots cruising together through the lab, and remarked, aptly: "They're flocking, but that's not what they think they're doing." This is a vivid instance of a phenomenon that lies at the heart of all the research I learned about at Monte Verita: the execution of surprisingly successful "cognitive" behaviors by systems that did not explicitly represent, and did not need to explicitly represent, what they were doing. How "high" in the intuitive scale of cognitive sophistication can such unwitting prowess reach? All the way, apparently, since I want to echo Maja's observation with one of my own: "These roboticists are doing philosophy, but that's not what they think they're doing." It is possible, then, even to do philosophy--that most intellectual of activities--without realizing that that is what you are doing. It is even possible to do it well, for this is a good, new way of addressing antique philosophical puzzles.
Action of glycine and a lysozymelike agent from rabbit monocytes in destruction of Brucella.

SummaryA lysozyme-like material from rabbit monocytes is described. It acts on glycine-treated brucella to cause lysis and death. When parasitized monocytes containing this agent are treated with low concentrations of glycine, intracellular growth and yields of smooth Brucella melitensis, Rev Is is suppressed. The theory is proposed that intraphagocytic death involves a stepwise alteration of the wall, followed by enzymatic degradation of the mucopolysaccharide component responsible for structural integrity of the bacteria.
A novel signaling network as a critical rheostat for the biology and maintenance of the normal stem cell and the cancer-initiating cell

Recent advances from our own group and others have defined a novel PML/PTEN/Akt/mTOR/FoxO signaling network, and highlighted its critical importance in oncogenesis as well as in the functional regulation of normal stem cell and cancer-initiating cell (CIC) biology. These findings are of great importance in cancer therapy in view of the fact that this network is amenable to pharmacological modulation at multiple levels. The integrated analysis of these data allows us to propose a new provocative working model whereby the aberrant superactivation of Akt/mTOR signaling elicits built-in cellular fail-safe mechanisms that could be effectively utilized for cancer treatment to extinguish the CICs pool. In this review, we will discuss these recent findings, this working model, and their therapeutic implications.
Simple Electrochemical Procedure for Measuring the Rates of Electron Transfer across Liquid/Liquid Interfaces Formed by Coating Graphite Electrodes with Thin Layers of Nitrobenzene

A simple, new method is described that allows the rates of electron transfer across liquid/liquid interfaces to be measured with unprecedented ease. The method takes advantage of thin layers of organic liquids that adhere to the surface of pyrolytic graphite electrodes. The method was applied to the nitrobenzene/water interface. Redox reactants dissolved in the nitrobenzene included decamethylferrocene and zinc tetraphenylporphyrin. Reactants in the adjoining aqueous phase were multiply charged anions, including Fe(CN)63-/4-, Ru(CN)64-, Mo(CN)84-, and IrCl62-. Rate constants for cross-phase electron transfer were evaluated and compared with those obtained in recent studies that employed the scanning electrochemical microscope that was invented and developed by A. J. Bard and co-workers.
A comparative study of temperature dependence of induction time and oscillatory frequency in polymer-immobilized and free catalyst Belousov-Zhabotinsky reactions

Environment-sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgel particles with covalently bonded ruthenium(4-vinyl-4′-methyl-2,2′-bipyridine) bis (2,2′-bipyridine) [Ru(vmbipy)(bipy)2] display periodic size changes when placed in Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction substrates. The temperature dependency of the induction time and oscillatory frequency of the BZ reaction in this polymer-immobilized catalyst system were compared to the bulk BZ reaction with the catalyst in the solution phase. Prolonged induction times are observed for the immobilized catalyst, compared with free catalyst, while little difference is observed on the oscillation frequency. The Arrhenius frequency factor calculated using the induction time for the immobilized catalyst BZ reaction is about seven times smaller than that for the free catalyst Ru(bipy) case. On the other hand, the Arrhenius frequency factors calculated using the oscillatory frequency are almost the same, showing similar reaction kinetics during the BZ oscillations. The tunability of the induction time using a polymer matrix, as we observed here, while maintaining similar oscillatory behavior, should provide a new dimension to control the self-assembling of BZ active particles. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 847–854, 2009
Regularity-based wireless subscriber population estimation

Fine-grained dynamic population estimation is in an increasingly high demand as it has numerous applications in wireless network engineering, urban planning, location-based services and mobile applications, and advertisement. In this paper, we introduce a framework that dynamically estimates the wireless subscriber population of an arbitrary fine-grained area based on the current cellular phone usage. This framework takes advantage of strong regularities, low variance, and low information entropy in human mobility and phone usage patterns; thus simplifying the estimation for wireless carriers and other big entities while maintaining a high accuracy. We implemented our ‘regularity-based’ framework using empirical data. Comparison with experimentally collected data shows a significant improvement in the accuracy of population estimation compared to population count based on cellular phone usage.
Investigation on the long-term radiation hardness of low and medium resistivity starting silicon materials for RT silicon detectors in high energy physics☆

Abstract Relatively low and medium resistivity (200 to 2000 Ω cm) starting silicon materials have been studied in the search of room temperature neutron radiation-hard silicon detectors. It has been found that moderate resistivity (300–700 Ω cm) silicon detectors, after being irradiated from 5.0 × 10 13 to 2.0 × 10 14 n/cm 2 , are extremely stable in terms of the detector full depletion voltage ( V d ) or the net effective concentration of ionized space charges ( N eff ) - there is little “reverse annealing” of N eff at RT and elevated temperatures, as compared with large reverse annealing observed for high resistivity silicon detectors. Detectors with starting resistivity of 300–700 Ω cm have been found to be stable, during the equivalent of one year RT anneal that would reach the saturation of the first stage of reverse anneal, within the N eff window of | N eff | ≤ 2.5 × 10 12 cm −3 ( V d = 180 V for d = 300 μ m) in a working range of 5.0 × 10 13 to 1.5 × 10 14 n/cm 2 , or a net neutron radiation tolerance of 1.0 × 10 14 n/cm 2 . The observed effects are in very good agreement with an early proposed model, which predicted among others, that there might be an off-set between the reverse annealing effect (increase of net acceptor-like ionized states in the space charge region with time) and the partial annealing of the PV centers that leads to the partial recovery of the shallow impurity donors (phosphorus in this case). Study on detectors with various starting resistivities has indicated an optima starting resistivity of about 1.6 kΩ cm for which the detector full depletion voltage is under 180 V for a 280 μm thick detector before and after neutron radiation and after reverse anneal.
Requirement of a Critical Period of Transcription for Induction of a Late Phase of LTP

Repeated high-frequency trains of stimuli induce long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 region that persists for up to 8 hours in hippocampal slices and for days in intact animals. This long time course has made LTP an attractive model for certain forms of long-term memory in the mammalian brain. A hallmark of long-term memory in the intact animal is a requirement for transcription, and thus whether the late phase of LTP (L-LTP) requires transcription was investigated here. With the use of different inhibitors, it was found in rat hippocampal slices that the induction of L-LTP [produced either by tetanic stimulation or by application of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) analog Sp-cAMPS (Sp-cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphorothioate)] was selectively prevented when transcription was blocked immediately after tetanization or during application of cAMP. As with behavioral memory, this requirement for transcription had a critical time window. Thus, the late phase of LTP in the CA1 region requires transcription during a critical period, perhaps because cAMP-inducible genes must be expressed during this period.
Gender and mobile phones in cross-national context

The sociolinguistic literature has frequently noted differences in how males and females communicate face-to-face and in writing, and more recently, through information and communication technologies. This article reports on gender patterns identified in a cross-national study of mobile phone use by university students in Sweden, the US, Italy, Japan and Korea. Data were analyzed with respect to the purpose of communication, politeness issues, contact management and volume of use (along with user complaints about dependency and reachability). Results indicated a number of gendered usage and attitudinal patterns. However, in some cases, cultural variables may prove more explanatory than gender.