cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibiting CDK in Cancer Therapy: Current Evidence and Future Directions

Cell cycle dysregulation is a hallmark of all cancers, resulting in uncontrolled proliferation. Cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs), a family of proteins that are involved in the regulation of the cell cycle, are frequently overexpressed or mutated in cancer. Hence, CDK-inhibiting drugs have been developed and evaluated as cancer therapeutics. Clinical trials have shown CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) to be relatively safe and effective, and these are now standard of care treatment for advanced hormone receptor positive breast cancer. Some CDK4/6i drugs are also able to cross the blood brain barrier and may, therefore, offer effective therapy for primary and metastatic central nervous system malignancies. Ongoing research is also evaluating CDK4/6i for additional breast cancer subtypes and non-breast malignancies with promising early phase clinical trial results. Finally, pre-clinical research has identified potential biomarkers for CDK4/6i efficacy and is exploring potential resistance mechanisms to this treatment. Further clinical-translational research is needed to advance patient selection and combinatorial treatment strategies with CDK4/6i in breast cancer and other malignancies.
Methanol reforming over CuO/ZnO under oxidizing conditions

The oxidative methanol reforming reaction over CuO/ZnO/Al 2 O 3 was studied in a flow reactor. The catalyst performance was found to be a strong function of the copper oxidation state. In the presence of gaseous O 2 , when Cu II is present, oxidation of methanol to H 2 O and CO 2 was dominant with only minor H 2 production. Under these conditions, thermal deactivation was found to occur. For temperatures from 180–225°C, the kinetics of the oxidation reaction was found to be 0.18 th order in methanol and oxygen and −0.14 th order in water. The apparent activation energy was 115+/−6 kJ/mol.
Theory in Adult Development

Over the past 20 years, Stevens-Long (1979, 1990; Stevens-Long & Commons, 1992) has been reviewing the state of theory building in the field of adult development. These efforts have produced “a fascinating account of the complex contradictions that have coexisted in adult developmental theory over the last twenty years. Her conclusion that the contradictions were not all bad, since dialectics cast theoretical conflict in the role of change agent, is a meaningful one…” (Nemiroff & Colarusso, 1990, p. 165). Although these fascinating contradictions have certainly not been resolved in the past 10 years, we conclude in this chapter that some progress has been made toward framing a model of human development that offers a promise, if not of synthesis, of meaningful coexistence.
Simulation of wheels in nonlinear, flexible, multibody systems

This paper is concerned with the modeling of wheels within the framework of finite element-based dynamic analysis of nonlinear, flexible multibody systems. The overall approach to the modeling of wheels is broken into four distinct parts: a purely kinematic part describing the configuration of the wheel and contacting plane, a unilateral contact condition giving rise to a contact force, the friction forces associated with rolling and/or sliding, and a model of the deformations in the wheel tire. The formulation of these various aspects of the problem involves a combination of holonomic and non-holonomic constraints enforced via the Lagrange multiplier technique. This work is developed within the framework of energy-preserving and decaying time integration schemes that provide unconditional stability for nonlinear, flexible multibody systems involving wheels. Strategies for dealing with the transitions from rolling to sliding and vice-versa are discussed and are found to be more efficient than the use of a continuous friction law. Numerical examples are presented that demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed approach.
Modeling of Gravity-Driven Oscillatory Countercurrent Two-Phase Channel Flows

Gravity-driven countercurrent two-phase flow, in channels connected to a sealed tank at one end and open to the atmosphere at the other end, was analytically studied. This type of gravity-driven co...
Badiou, Stevens, Drawing

Beginning with Badiou’s enigmatic essay, “Drawing: On Wallace Stevens,” MacKenzie argues that Badiou uses Stevens’s poetry as an explanatory device to affect a leap forward in his thinking. Emphasizing an obscure artistic practice referred to throughout that essay as “drawing,” Badiou uses a series of dialectics to push away from traditionally metaphysical aesthetics, seeking to collapse the void into an ineffable act. Identifying the similarities Badiou identifies between “drawing” and Chinese brushwork, MacKenzie suggests that the new direction Badiou seeks for his thought is one that has already been explored by Ezra Pound.
Replication and extension of dietary adherence as a predictor of suboptimal weight-loss outcomes in postbariatric patients

Abstract Background Sarwer et al. found that poor dietary adherence at 6 months postoperatively predicted lower weight loss. Objectives To replicate and extend these findings. Setting University bariatric clinic. Methods Fifty-four adults (72% female; age 51.1 ± 11.3 yr; mean body mass index [BMI] = 43.8 ± 7.4 kg/m2; 53.7% = Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, 42.6% = laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, and 3.7% = gastric banding) were identified as low or high dietary adherers following the method of Sarwer et al. Patients self-reported dietary adherence with a 9-point Likert scale. Splitting the group at the median, low adherers scored Results BMI did not differ between low (n = 24) and high (n = 30) dietary adherers at 6 months after surgery. At 12 months, the BMI of low (n = 17) adheres was significantly higher (34.1 ± 4.61 versus 30.3 ± 3.90 kg/m2, P = .006, d = 0.90) than that of high (n = 25) adherers, with significantly less %EWL (49.0 ± 24% versus 70.7 ± 21.5%; P = .004; d = 0.95) and %TWL (20.7 ± 11.5% versus 28.9 ± 10.5, P = .02, d = 0.74). At 24 months, BMI remained significantly higher for low (n = 12) versus high (n = 10) adherers (33.7 ± 4.77 versus 29.7 ± 3.82 kg/m2, P = .045, d = 0.92), but %EWL and %TWL were not significantly different, despite large effect sizes. At 36 months, moderate effects supported continued higher BMIs and lower %EWL and %TWL for low (n = 5) versus high (n = 8) adherers. Attrition from follow-up was 22.2% (12 mo), 59.3% (24 mo), and 75.9% (36 mo). Post hoc analyses revealed no impact of baseline characteristics on low follow-up rates except younger age (at 1 yr). Conclusions Findings that 6-month postoperative dietary adherence predicts 12-month BMI, %EWL, and %TWL were replicated. Medium to large effects suggest findings extend to 24 and 36 months, with low follow-up rates likely affecting statistical significance.
‘…Darn Thing Just Kind of Fell Together by Itself after a While’: Exploring the Role of Official and Tactical Communication in Siting a Rural Wind Farm

The growth of wind energy in the United States has created widespread access to renewable energy for citizens in many parts of the country. But while wind holds promise for meeting 21st-century energy demands, the question of how and where to locate wind farms poses significant technical and rhetorical challenges for wind energy companies seeking access to wind resources. Securing such access typically requires companies to work closely with municipalities and private landowners through a blizzard of “official genres”—e.g., letters, contracts, emails, maps—that are developed and authorized by wind power companies in order to inform and persuade. However, the construction of a wind farm presents the possibility of significant disruption of local values and identities, economies and aesthetics. Citing research from rhetorical genre studies and interviews with landowners and stakeholders in a rural Midwestern rural community, this chapter outlines a sampling of the official discourse utilized by wind energy companies to secure wind farm siting agreements and explores the pressures this rhetoric places upon local stakeholders. I then use interview data to illustrate how these official forms of documentation exist within a broader ecology of unofficial communication that includes citizen-curated sites of what Miles Kimball has called “tactical technical communication.” These sites, including informal meetings, citizen-initiated research, and local leadership activity, accommodate official wind energy discourse into the local rhetorical ecology, highlighting, in part, the scope of rhetorical activity needed to integrate wind into a local economy of values and beliefs.
Deep-learning-assisted automatic digitization of applicators in 3D CT image-based high-dose-rate brachytherapy of gynecological cancer.

Abstract Purpose Applicator digitization is one of the most critical steps in 3D high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDRBT) treatment planning. Motivated by recent advances in deep-learning, we propose a deep-learning–assisted applicator digitization method for 3D CT image-based HDRBT. This study demonstrates its feasibility and potential in gynecological cancer HDRBT. Methods and Materials Our method consisted of two steps. The first step used a U-net to segment applicator regions. We trained the U-net using two-dimensional CT images with a tandem-and-ovoid (T&O) applicator and corresponding applicator mask images. The second step applied a spectral clustering method and a polynomial curve fitting method to extract applicator central paths. We evaluated the accuracy, efficiency, and robustness of our method in different scenarios including other T&O cases that were not used in training, a T&O case scanned with cone-beam CT, and Y-tandem and cylinder-applicator cases. Results In test cases with a T&O applicator, average 3D Dice similarity coefficient between automatic and manual segmented applicator regions was 0.93. Average distance between tip positions and average Hausdorff distance between applicator channels determined by our method and manually were 0.64 mm and 0.68 mm, respectively. Although trained only using CT images of T&O cases, our tool can also digitize Y-tandem, cylinder applicator, and T&O applicator scanned in cone-beam CT with error of tip position and Hausdorff distance Conclusions We have developed a deep-learning–assisted applicator digitization tool for 3D CT image–based HDRBT of gynecological cancer. The achieved accuracy, efficiency, and robustness made our tool clinically attractive.
Design and analysis of In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As/InP symmetric gain optoelectronic mixers

Optoelectronic mixing devices mix a modulated optical signal with a reference electrical signal to obtain an electrical low frequency difference signal. These devices are particularly attractive for chirped-FM laser detection and ranging (LADAR) systems. The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has been developing chirped-FM LADAR systems for applications such as reconnaissance, terrain mapping, force protection, facial recognition, robotic navigation and weapons fuzing [1]. Signal processing of a chirped-FM LADAR system is simplified if the photodetector in the receiver is used as an optoelectronic mixer (OEM). While a DC biased phototransistor can be used as an optoelectronic mixer [2], a symmetric I–V characteristic photodetector allows driving the OEM directly with the local oscillator (LO) signal, without a DC bias [3]. Sensitivity to background light is reduced, as the response from background light averages to zero. An additional 3 dB signal processing gain is also obtained. As the OEM output is the low frequency difference signal, the gain of the following transimpedance amplifier (TZA) can be increased, improving LADAR performance. ARL has previously demonstrated chirped FM LADAR systems with GaAs and InGaAs metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) Schottky photodetector OEMs for operation at the 800 nm and 1550 nm wavelengths [3,4]. A symmetric photodetector with gain would improve overall system performance, while preserving the advantages offered by MSM OEM devices. We previously reported on symmetric gain optoelectronic mixers based on a symmetric heterojunction phototransistor using In 0.52 Al 0.48 As/ In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As heterostructures [5]. In this work, the In 0.52 Al 0.48 As wide bandgap layers are replaced with InP to improve thin film growth quality and device performance.
Aggressive variants of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma are associated with high-risk features, but not decreased survival

Abstract Background This study compares pathologic features and overall survival of classic versus aggressive variants of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PMTC). Methods Patients ≥18 years in the National Cancer Data Base (2004–2015) with the subtypes of classic (cPTMC), tall cell (mTCV), or diffuse sclerosing (mDSV) PTC (≤1 cm) were identified. Overall survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and propensity matched for clinicopathologic and treatment variables. Results There were 82,056 cPTMC patients, 923 mTCV, and 219 mDSV. Extrathyroidal extension and nodal involvement were more frequent in mTCV and mDSV versus cPTMC (P Conclusion Although mTCV and mDSV have more aggressive pathologic features and were treated more aggressively, there were no differences in overall survival compared with propensity-matched cPTMC patients.
Understanding Energy Efficiency in IoT App Executions

Billions of Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices such as sensors, actuators, computing units, etc., are connected to form IoT platforms. However, it is observed that such hardware platforms today spend a significant proportion of their energy in communication between the CPU and the sensors (which are controlled by micro-controller unit (MCU)). Motivated by this observation, two simple, yet effective, optimizations are proposed to minimize the energy consumption. The first optimization, called Batching, interrupts the CPU after collecting multiple sensor data points at the MCU (instead of only 1), and thus, minimizes the interrupt overheads. The second optimization, called Computation Offloading to MCU (COM), offloads app-specific computations to the MCU to minimize data transfer overheads, and makes use of the relatively low energy footprint, and low-compute capabilities of the MCU in place of the CPU in the hub. However, questions such as why these two schemes are needed, where the energy benefit comes from, which IoT apps are suitable for these optimizations, etc., remain unclear. To better understand the Batching and COM approaches towards energy efficiency in IoT app executions, we characterize ten representative workloads on a Raspberry Pi and ESP8266 MCU platform, and evaluate the energy savings using these two optimizations and illustrate that for light-weight workloads (where COM is applicable), Batching and COM reduce the energy consumption by 52% and 85%, respectively when compared to the baseline. And for heavy-weight apps (where COM is not possible due to limited capacity of MCU), by offloading the light-weight apps and batching for the heavy-weight, Batching + COM (BCOM) benefits 10% energy savings compared to the baseline.
Correction to: Providing Compassionate End of Life Care in the Setting of Mechanical Circulatory Support

The original version did not include the correct affiliations as noted by the authors in their proofs which can be seen below.
A systematic review of best practices for the perioperative management of abdominal sacrocolpopexy.

Purpose Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathways have been shown to reduce surgical morbidity and length of stay across various procedures. Our objective was to systematically evaluate the literature for best practices of ERAS elements in abdominal sacrocolpopexy (ASC), to determine if there is sufficient evidence to create best practice guidelines for this procedure. Materials and methods Following the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement, we performed a review using Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Eligible articles contained ERAS components and postoperative outcomes of ASC published in English since 1997. Thirty-five full-text articles were selected for final qualitative analysis. Results Poor functional status before ASC was associated with a longer length of hospital stay. Laparoscopic ASC was associated with a shorter postoperative hospital stay, with no difference between laparoscopic and robotic approaches. Epidural analgesia in addition to spinal anesthesia lowered levels of pain throughout the postoperative stay in laparoscopic ASC. A multimodal bowel regimen shortened time to first bowel movement compared to a single agent regimen. Removing a Foley catheter may lead to sooner first spontaneous void but may result in higher rates of urinary retention and urinary tract infection. Studies investigating preoperative bowel preparation, preanesthesia medication, and multidose antimicrobial prophylaxis did not show significant benefit. Conclusions Best practices for ASC can be developed based on current findings from the literature and extrapolation of evidence from other surgeries where ASC-specific elements are missing, with the ability to modify the pathways as new data become available.
The impact of a change in classification criteria on the prevalence of peri-implantitis: A cross-sectional analysis.

Background Peri-implantitis is a frequent finding but estimates of its prevalence vary widely. This may be due to the wide variety of disease definitions. In 2017 the World Workshop on Periodontal and Peri-implant Diseases and Conditions established new criteria for disease definitions. The aim of this study is to assess the potential impact of a new definition on the future reporting of peri-implant disease. Methods Data from a 2015 report of peri-implant prevalence was examined using the new diagnostic criteria. This cross-sectional study was performed on 95 patients with 220 implants who had their implants placed between 1998 and 2003. An examiner blinded to the previous diagnosis examined the radiographs and patient data to make a diagnosis based on 3mm of bone loss from the expected level of bone. This reanalysis was used to calculate the prevalence of peri-implant disease and generate new relative risk indicators. Results The mean follow-up time for the patients was 10.9 years. Using the 2017 criteria, peri-implant mucositis was found in 35.3% of the implants and 52.2% of the subjects and peri-implantitis occurred in 8.7% of the implants and 15.2% of the subjects. This constituted a drop in peri-implantitis at both patient and implant level of nearly 50% from the prior analysis. Smoking at time of implant placement emerged as a new risk factor in this analysis that was not identified in the prior analysis. Conclusions The new diagnostic criteria significantly reduce the reported prevalence of peri-implantitis and bring new risk factors into focus. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Re-defending Feline Liberty: a Response to Fischer

In response to my (2019) defense of house-based, free-roaming cats, Bob Fischer (Acta Analytica 35 (3): 463–468, 2020) argues that cat guardians have a duty to permanently confine their felines to the indoors. His main argument is that house-based cats cause an all-things-considered harm to the animals they kill and that this harm is not outweighed by the harm cats endure as a consequence of feline imprisonment. He moreover claims that while we can justify the restriction of feline liberty because cats are not “full agents” and are under our care, we cannot justify restricting the liberty of “full agents” who are not under our care. Against Fischer, I argue that even if cats cause an all-things-considered harm to wildlife, the harm of permanent confinement is a greater harm. Moreover, I challenge Fischer’s claim that cats are not full agents and his claim that we can justify permanently confining creatures under our care. Thus, as I previously argued, cat guardians have a duty to, under certain conditions, provide outdoor access to their felines.
Achieving Long-Range Ambient Scatter Communication Networks: A Primary User Interference Perspective

Ambient Scatter Communications (ASC) is an emergent field of scatter-based-radio which promises low-power, low-cost, and “regulation-free” wireless communications. Ambient Scatter Communication Systems (ASCS) uniquely employ previously modulated and transmitted ambient RF energy as its RF carrier , creating non-trivial complexity in matters of signal processing and RF propagation. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of past ASC works, demonstrating how Primary User Interference (PUI) – the non-scattered signal which travels directly from the ambient source to the ambient receiver – limits the operating range for current ASCS’s. First-time theoretical descriptions are developed for the PUI Power Differential in ambient bistatic links and for describing bistatic radio topologies. A large survey of current devices in the field of ASC’s is compiled and compared to each other using these new metrics as reference, illustrating ways to greatly enhance the range of ASCs in the future.
Susceptibility Studies of Supercooled Liquids and Glasses

These lectures review the results of a number of susceptibility studies of supercooled liquids and glasses. Dielectric response and specific-heat spectroscopy can investigate the motions that occur at the glass transition, Tg, as the liquid slows down and approaches an amorphous solid. In contrast to predictions of mode-coupling theory, these experiments give no evidence of a critical slowing down occurring at high temperature but rather indicate a divergence of the relaxation-time scales at a much lower value close to the Kauzmann temperature where the extrapolation of the entropy of the liquid state crosses that of the crystal. In addition, the dielectric relaxation of the liquid (for all temperatures and samples measured) can be scaled onto a single master curve. In addition to this primary relaxation, dielectric susceptibility can give detailed information about the secondary (Johari-Goldstein) relaxation occurring in the glass phase below Tg. For several glasses, the dielectric studies indicate that the secondary relaxation is due to the activation of single, uncoupled, entities over barriers which have a Gaussian distribution of energies.
Ethanol Production by Thermophilic Bacteria: Relationship Between Fermentation Product Yields of and Catabolic Enzyme Activities in Clostridium thermocellum and Thermoanaerobium brockii

Significant quantitative differences in end-product yields by two strains of Clostridium thermocellum and one strain of Thermoanaerobium brockii were observed during cellobiose fermentation. Most notably, the ethanol/H2 and lactate/acetate ratios were drastically higher for T. brockii as compared with C. thermocellum strains LQRI and AS39. Exogenous H2 addition (0.4 to 1.0 atm) during culture growth increased the ethanol/acetate ratio of both T. brockii and AS39 but had no effect on LQRI. All strains had an operative Embden-Meyerhof glycolytic pathway and displayed catabolic activities of fructose-1,6-diphosphate–activated lactate dehydrogenase, coenzyme A acetylating pyruvate and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, hydrogenase, ethanol dehydrogenase, and acetate kinase. Enzyme kinetic properties (apparent Km, Vmax, and Q10 values) and the specificity of electron donors/acceptors for different oxidoreductases involved in pyruvate conversion to fermentation products were compared in the three strains. Both species contained ferredoxin-linked pyruvate dehydrogenase and pyridine nucleotide oxidoreductases. Ferredoxin-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) reductase activity was significantly higher in T. brockii than in AS39 and was not detectable in LQRI. H2 production and hydrogenase activity were inversely related to ferredoxin-NAD reductase activity in the three strains. Ferredoxin-NAD phosphate reductase activity was present in cell extracts of both species. Alcohol dehydrogenase activity in C. thermocellum was NAD dependent, unidirectional, and inhibited by low concentrations of NAD and ethanol. Ethanol dehydrogenase activity of T. brockii was both NAD and NADP linked, reversible, and not inhibited by low levels of reaction products. The high lactate yield of T. brockii correlated with increased fructose-1,6-diphosphate. The relation of catabolic enzyme activity and quantitative differences in intracellular electron flow and fermentation product yields of these thermophilic bacteria is discussed.
Control-Induced Decoherence-Free Manifolds

Quantum coherence of open quantum systems is usually compromised because of the interaction with the ambient environment. A "decoherence-free subspace" (DFS) of the system Hilbert space is defined where the evolution remains unitary. In the absence of a priori existence of such subspaces, it seems natural that utilizing quantum control may help generate and/or retain a DFS. Here, we introduce a time-varying DFS wherein the system's density matrix has a unitarily evolving sub-density corresponding to some given set of its eigenvalues (which we aim to preserve). This subspace is characterized from both topological and algebraic perspectives. In particular, we show that this DFS admits a complex vector bundle structure over a real-analytic manifold (the decoherence-free manifold).
Gradient methods for identification of distributed parameter systems

Parameter-dependence properties are developed in the context of a linear abstract Cauchy problem governed by a parameter-dependent operator. Of particular interest are problems in which the parameter induces an unbounded perturbation of the evolution operator. Conditions are stated under which the derivative of the state with respect to the parameter possesses certain smoothness properties. These properties lead to local convergence results for a gradient-based estimation algorithm based on quasilinearization. Numerical results concerning a delay-differential equation that indicate the effect of a forcing function on parameter sensitivity are presented. >
Initial pelvic examination instruction: The effectiveness of three contemporary approaches

Initial pelvic examination skills were taught to 38 second-year medical students who were assigned to one of three study groups. The cognitive posttest scores of all groups were nearly identical, but the students who had received training from professional simulated patients rated significantly better in psychomotor and interpersonal skills than did those who received simulated outpatient instruction by a gynecologist. Thirty-five per cent of the psychomotor and interpersonal ratings attained by the latter and 5 per cent of those attained by the former were marginal or inadequate. It was concluded that a program involving professional simulated patients is an effective method of teaching pelvic examination skills to beginning students.
STUDIES ON THE MECHANISM OF ACTION OF PROGESTERONE ON THE HUMAN MYOMETRIUM. II. IN VITRO HYPERPOLARIZING EFFECT OF PROGESTERONE ON HUMAN MYOMETRIUM.

Abstract 1. 1. Using an intracellular microelectrode technique, the effect of progesterone on human myometrium was evaluated. 2. 2. In vitro preparations revealed that one of the mechanisms by which progesterone exerts its effect in relaxing the human myometrium is by hyperpolarizing the membrane.
On the feasibility of magma fracture within volcanic conduits: Constraints from earthquake data and empirical modelling of magma viscosity

[1] In the last decade several studies have indicated that magma within volcanic conduits can undergo repeated failure and healing, thus, providing a realistic source mechanism for the peculiar sequences of low-frequency earthquakes that often announce eruptions. Although geological observations, laboratory experiments, and numerical modelling support such a hypothesis, the links between geophysical observations and the proposed models remain qualitative. This study focuses on providing constraints to the relationship between the occurrence of repeating earthquakes and magma fracture at andesite volcanoes. Empirical modelling of viscosity is incorporated into the fundamental physics of magma fracture in order to assess whether and where the conditions for brittle failure are met within volcanic conduits. A case study from the 1995-ongoing eruption of Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat, is presented. The locations of earthquakes from a pre-eruptive low-frequency seismic swarm illuminate a relatively compact source volume at depths of 100–300 meters below sea level. Viscosity modelling confirms that the Soufriere Hills magma could rupture at those depths.
Colloidal ZnO and Zn1-xCoxO tetrapod nanocrystals with tunable arm lengths

Tetrapod-shaped ZnO nanocrystals exhibit exceptional optoelectronic properties, including intense ultraviolet photoluminescence emission, that make them attractive for applications that include lasers, sensors, and photocatalysts. However, synthetic methods that produce ZnO tetrapods typically include high-temperature vapor-deposition approaches that do not readily achieve characteristic dimensions of less than 100 nm or colloidal methods that require added metal dopants, which modify the inherent properties of ZnO. Here, we report a robust, modified solution-phase synthetic protocol for generating colloidal ZnO tetrapods that does not require the use of metal dopants. The ZnO tetrapod arm lengths can be tuned from 10 to 25 nm by adjusting the amount of Zn reagent used in the reaction. Subsequent seeded-growth produced even larger colloidal ZnO tetrapods with 62 nm arms. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements confirm that the tetrapods are of high crystalline quality, and the ultraviolet PL emission wavelengths that are observed fall between those of previously reported metal-doped colloidal ZnO tetrapods, which exhibit dopant-induced red- or blue-shifts. Furthermore, the reaction strategy can be modified to produce cobalt-substituted ZnO, offering a chemical pathway to tetrapod-shaped Zn1−xCoxO nanocrystals.
Sex differences in sources of resilience and vulnerability to risk for delinquency

Research on adolescent risk factors for delinquency has suggested that, due to genetic differences, youth may respond differently to risk factors, with some youth displaying resilience and others a heightened vulnerability. Using a behavioral genetic design and data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, this study examines whether there are sex differences in the genetic and environmental factors that influence the ways in which adolescents respond to cumulative risk for violent, nonviolent, and overall delinquency in a sample of twins (152 MZ male, 155 MZ female, 140 DZ male, 130 DZ female, and 204 DZ opposite-sex twin pairs). The results revealed that males tended to show greater vulnerability to risk for all types of delinquency, and females exhibited greater resilience. Among males, additive genetic factors accounted for 41, 29, and 43 % of the variance in responses to risk for violent, nonviolent, and overall delinquency, respectively. The remaining proportion of variance in each model was attributed to unique environmental influences, with the exception of 11 % of the variance in nonviolent responses to risk being attributed to common environmental factors. Among females, no significant genetic influences were observed; however, common environmental contributions to differences in the ways females respond to risk for violent, nonviolent, and overall delinquency were 44, 42, and 45 %, respectively. The remaining variance was attributed to unique environmental influences. Overall, genetic factors moderately influenced males' responses to risk while environmental factors fully explain variation in females' responses to risk. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of improving the understanding of relationships between risks and outcomes, as well as informing policy and practice with adolescent offenders.
Expression of tfx and sensitivity to the rhizobial peptide antibiotic trifolitoxin in a taxonomically distinct group of alpha-proteobacteria including the animal pathogen Brucella abortus

Three phylogenetically distinct groups within the alpha-proteobacteria which differ in trifolitoxin sensitivity are described. Trifolitoxin sensitivity was found in strains of Agrobacterium, Brucella, Mycoplana, Ochrobactrum, Phyllobacterium, Rhodobacter, Rhodopseudomonas, Rhodospirillum, and Rhizobium. Strains of Agrobacterium, Brucella, Phyllobacterium, Rhizobium, and Rhodospirillum were capable of producing trifolitoxin upon conjugal transfer of tfxABCDEFG.
Studies of the Bacteriorhodopsin Photocycle without the Use of Light: Clues to Proton Transfer Coupled Reactions

In the photochemical cycle of bacteriorhodopsin, the light-driven proton pump of halobacteria, only the first step, the isomerization of the all-trans retinal to 13-cis, is dependent on illumination. Because the steps that accomplish the translocation of a proton during the ensuing reaction sequence of intermediate states are thermal reactions, they have direct analogies with such steps in other ion pumps. In a surprisingly large number of cases, the reactions of the photocycle could be studied without using light. This review recounts experiments of this kind, and what they contribute to understanding the transport mechanism of this pump, and perhaps indirectly other ion pumps as well.
HERA-B Real-Time Trigger for J/ψ --> μ + μ -

The decay J/ψ → μ+ μ- is one of the main trigger channels in the HERA-B experiment. The muon deterctor and the trigger hardware are described. Results are reported from the initial trigger commissioning that includes the Muon Pretrigger and Second Level Trigger. A J/ψ mass peak with good signal to background ratio is obtained.
Criminal Culpability and Self-Control: Back to M'Naughton

The quandary regarding self-control and criminal culpability has been an intriguing challenge for centuries. Some scholars argue that the capacity to think rationally should be the sole criterion for criminal culpability, while self-control plays a negligible role. As an illustration to this view, Morse argues that lack of rationality has been the legal basis for Daniel M'Naughton's exculpation in 1843, one of the most important trials in the history of mental health law. As opposed to Morse's view, it is suggested that the question of free agency and self-control was an integral part of the legal discussion regarding M'Naughton's culpability. In fact, M'Naughton's defense approach goes hand in hand with contemporary philosophical and psychological theories concerning mental dysfunction and blame attribution. Thus, acknowledgment of the diverse approaches to the relevance of self-control to criminal culpability offers a more balanced and accurate perspective.
Oncogenic Activity of Ect2 Is Regulated through Protein Kinase Cι-mediated Phosphorylation

The Rho GTPase guanine nucleotide exchange factor Ect2 is genetically and biochemically linked to the PKCι oncogene in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Ect2 is overexpressed and mislocalized to the cytoplasm of NSCLC cells where it binds the oncogenic PKCι-Par6 complex, leading to activation of the Rac1 small GTPase. Here, we identify a previously uncharacterized phosphorylation site on Ect2, threonine 328, that serves to regulate the oncogenic activity of Ect2 in NSCLC cells. PKCι directly phosphorylates Ect2 at Thr-328 in vitro, and RNAi-mediated knockdown of either PKCι or Par6 leads to a decrease in phospho-Thr-328 Ect2, indicating that PKCι regulates Thr-328 Ect2 phosphorylation in NSCLC cells. Both wild-type Ect2 and a phosphomimetic T328D Ect2 mutant bind the PKCι-Par6 complex, activate Rac1, and restore transformed growth and invasion when expressed in NSCLC cells made deficient in endogenous Ect2 by RNAi-mediated knockdown. In contrast, a phosphorylation-deficient T328A Ect2 mutant fails to bind the PKCι-Par6 complex, activate Rac1, or restore transformation. Our data support a model in which PKCι-mediated phosphorylation regulates Ect2 binding to the oncogenic PKCι-Par6 complex thereby activating Rac1 activity and driving transformed growth and invasion.
Roman Concrete Vaulting in the Great Hall of Trajan’s Markets: Structural Evaluation

AbstractAn in-depth structural analysis is used to explore the design and functionality of the Great Hall of Trajan’s Markets (110 CE), a large Imperial monument cross vaulted in unreinforced Roman concrete. Following a combined approach, the analysis utilizes both field quantities and aggregate equilibrium quantities to determine how the load paths of the structure are utilized to support its own weight. The lateral arch is found not to provide any appreciable buttressing to the vault. Instead, the lower shear wall counters the vault thrusts after they traverse a frictional interface between the two travertine blocks of the support pier. Several facets of the design are altered in hypothetical models to reduce mechanical stresses. An improved configuration mimics later Imperial structures by lowering the lateral arch to the springing level, the horizontal displacement of which is found to directly determine tensile stress magnitudes in the vault. Comparisons with later, larger-span Imperial monuments vau...
The distribution of personal income: Revisited

In a recent paper, Majumder and Chakravarty (1990) propose a four-parameter model which they find provides a better fit to some income data than the lognormal, gamma, Singh-Maddala, Dagum, and generalized beta of the second kind (GB2) distributions. This note (1) demonstrates that the model proposed by Majumder and Chakravarty is a reparameterization of the GB2 and (2) reconciles the corresponding contradictory empirical findings reported by Majumder and Chakravarty.
The future of the red metal—A developing country perspective from India

Abstract Three plausible scenarios—Tech World, Green World, and Trend World, for copper use in India during the 21st century are presented. The scenario framework is based upon the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scenarios for greenhouse gas emissions and the scenario model is based upon the intensity of use hypothesis. Irrespective of the scenario, India's intensity of copper use will continue to increase until 2050, with rapid growth occurring between 2020 and 2050. By 2100, copper use in India could range between 9 and 17 Tg Cu/year, showing a multiple increase from the present level of 0.3 Tg Cu/year. Three sectors—housing, power, and transport are expected to be the major drivers of copper use. Currently, copper production from secondary copper meets approximately 40% of the contemporary demand. However, the Government of India needs to promote the recycling industry in the country to make it more organized and market driven such that it can provide an important feedstock of resources to meet India's burgeoning demand for materials.
Privacy management for online social networks

We introduce a privacy management approach that leverages users' memory and opinion of their friends to set policies for other similar friends. We refer to this new approach as Same-As Privacy Management. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our privacy management improvements, we implemented a prototype Facebook application and conducted an extensive user study. We demonstrated considerable reductions in policy authoring time using Same-As Privacy Management over traditional group based privacy management approaches. Finally, we presented user perceptions, which were very encouraging.
Critical Dynamics at Structural Transitions for T>=T c

We develop a theory of critical dynamics for the rotations of the $B{\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ octahedra in $\mathrm{AB}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ perovskites at $T\ensuremath{\ge}{T}_{c}$. Given a "conventional" soft mode, we derive, using the third longtime approximation of Mori's continued-fraction representation, an approximate expression for the dynamic order-parameter form factor. This description leads, close to ${T}_{c}$, to the correct three-pole structure around $\ensuremath{\omega}=0$, including the central peak and the resonances of the conventional soft mode. The central peak is predicted to appear whenever the conventional soft-mode frequency and the isothermal phonon frequency differ considerably. This gives support to Feder's prediction. Given a soft acoustic mode, the theory also accounts for a central peak, as does the phenomenological theory of Shirane and Axe. Our theory, which leads by construction to a correct three-pole structure around $\ensuremath{\omega}=0$, justifies and clarifies the phenomenological expressions for the dynamic order-parameter form factor, as proposed by Schwabl and Shirane and Axe.
Gangs in Nigeria: an updated examination

This paper analyzes gangs in Nigeria, providing an updated examination of their current strategies and activities. The premise of this analysis partly draws on Social Identity Theory, with respect to gang affiliation. Particularly explored are (1) gang cultism as a common phenomenon on college campuses in Nigeria (through their malicious, secret, fraternity-like activities) and (2) the role of Islam in Nigerian gangs. The case study of the ‘Yan Daba, urban gangs particularly found in the northern part of Nigeria, is used to illustrate the authors’ arguments. A brief comparison of Nigerian Muslim gangs with European Muslim gangs is also provided.
Keratinocytes regulate melanocyte number in human fetal and neonatal skin equivalents.

To determine if keratinocytes influence melanocyte number and position in the developing epidermis we have experimentally recombined keratinocytes and melanocytes from epidermis of different stages of differentiation in the skin equivalent (SE) system. Previously we showed that developmental differences in the position and number of melanocytes characteristic of the epidermis in vivo were preserved in fetal and neonatal skin equivalents. In the present study we have combined cultured fetal or neonatal keratinocytes with age-matched or non-age-matched cultured melanocytes on the dermal equivalent. The ratio of basal keratinocytes to melanocytes (BK/M) present in multiple high-power fields was determined after localization of melanocytes by staining with the melanocyte-specific monoclonal antibody, HMB- 45. The BK/M ratio in SE composed of neonatal keratinocytes and either fetal (n = 4) or neonatal (n = 5) melanocytes was 26.2 and 21.5, respectively. The BK/M ratio in SE composed of fetal keratinocytes and either fetal (n = 8) or neonatal (n = 5) melanocytes was 9.2 and 7.7, respectively. In each case, the BK/M ratio was dependent on the keratinocytes rather than the melanocytes. With either type of melanocyte, ratios in SE composed of neonatal keratinocytes were significantly greater than those with fetal keratinocytes. These results establish that keratinocytes regulate the BK/M ratio in this model and suggest that developmental differences between fetal and neonatal keratinocytes may be responsible for determining melanocyte numbers in the epidermal-melanin unit in vivo. The precise mechanisms that control the organization and number of melanocytes in the epidermis are unknown although keratinocytes may interact with melanocytes via growth factors, cell surface molecules, or other factors related to proliferation and differentiation of the epidermis.
Same-Sex and Cross-Sex Siblings: Activity Choices, Roles, Behavior, and Gender Stereotypes.

Forty same-sex and cross-sex school-aged sibling pairs were observed in their homes during self-selected activities. The sex role learning index (SERLI) and a sex-typing room analysis were administered for the younger siblings, and maternal questionnaire information was obtained. Sibling gender constellation was associated with reliable differences in activity choices during the unstructured observations. Male dyads interacted less than other sibling groups, while older sisters in female dyads engaged in the most teaching. Older female siblings, regardless of the gender of the younger sibling, assumed the manager role frequently. Dyads containing an older girl also exhibited the greatest role asymmetrics. Affective differences related to gender constellation were also noted. Younger girls with older brothers and younger boys with older sisters evidenced the least gender stereotyping.
Subtraces and shadow chains

Given a finite algebra A, such that the variety $ \cal V = ({\bf A})$ omits type 1, it is shown that type 5 will occur in $ \cal V$ only if type 5 already occurs in the free algebra on two generators. The technique generalizes to give the decidability of other typesets, and provides a simpler alternative to what had previously required Maltsev conditions.
High Resolution UV Spectroscopy of H2 and N2 Applied to Observations of the Planets by Spacecraft

The next generation of high resolution UV imaging spacecraft are being prepared for studying the airglow and aurora of the Earth, the other terrestrial planets and the Jovian planets. To keep pace with these technological improvements we have developed a laboratory program to provide electron impact collision cross sections of the major molecular planetary gases (H2, N2, CO2, O2, and CO). Spectra under optically thin conditions have been measured with a high resolution (lambda/delta(lambda) = 50000) UV spectrometer in tandem with electron impact collision chamber. High resolution spectra of the Lyman and Wemer band systems of H2 have been obtained and modeled. Synthetic spectral intensities based on the J-dependent transition probabilities that include ro-vibronic perturbations are in very good agreement with experimental intensities. The kinetic energy distribution of H(2p,3p) atoms resulting from electron impact dissociation of H2 has been measured. The distribution is based on the first measurement of the H Lyman-alpha (H L(alpha)) and H Lyman-beta (H L(beta)) emission line Doppler profiles. Electron impact dissociation of H2 is believed to be one of the major mechanisms leading to the observed wide profile of H L-alpha from Jupiter aurora by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Analysis of the deconvolved line profile of H L-alpha reveals the existence of a narrow line peak (40 mA FWHM) and a broad pedestal base (240 mA FWHM). The band strengths of the electron excited N2 (C(sup 3) Pi(sub(upsilon) - B(sup 3)Pi(sub g)) second positive system have been measured in the middle ultraviolet. We report a quantitative measurement of the predissociation fraction 0.15 +/- 01(sup .045, sub .01) at 300 K in the N2 c'(sub )4 (1)sigma(sup +, sub g) - x(1)sigma(sup +, sub g)(00) band, with an experimental determination of rotational line strengths to be used to understand N2 EUV emission from Titan, Triton and the Earth.
Black hole thermodynamics and the factor of 2 problem

We show that the recent tunneling formulas for black hole radiation in static, spherically symmetric spacetimes follow as a consequence of the first law of black hole thermodynamics and the area-entropy relation based on the radiation temperature. A tunneling formula results even if the radiation temperature is different from the one originally derived by Hawking and this is discussed in the context of the recent factor of 2 problem. In particular, it is shown that if the radiation temperature is higher than the Hawking temperature by a factor of two, thermodynamics then leads to a tunneling formula which is exactly the one recently found to be canonically invariant.