cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On Soot Reduction Using Oxygenated Combustion in Counterflow Diffusion Flames

Reduction in NOx and soot emissions from combustion systems has been a major driver for combustion research in recent years. A promising approach for substantially reducing soot in nonpremixed flames is based on simultaneously using an oxygen-enriched oxidizer stream and nitrogen-diluted fuel stream. The effectiveness of this approach is due to the fact that it modifies (increases) the stoichiometric mixture fraction (\( \zeta_{\text{st}} \)) without significantly altering the adiabatic flame temperature. In this chapter, we discuss computational results examining this strategy for small hydrocarbon fuels in flames at atmospheric and high pressures. The computational model employs a reaction mechanism with 197 species and about 5000 reactions for gas-phase chemistry, and a fairly detailed soot model. Results focus on the effect of oxygenation and pressure on the flame structure, soot precursors, and soot emissions. At a given pressure, as \( \zeta_{\text{st}} \) is increased, it leads to a noticeable reduction in acetylene and PAHs formation, and due to increased soot oxidation in the post-flame region, a nearly non-sooting flame can be achieved. Such drastic reduction in PAHs and soot is attributed to both the hydrodynamic effect and the change in flame structure. While the oxygenated combustion in reducing soot is also effective at higher pressures (1–8 atm), the effect of increasing pressure at a fixed \( \zeta_{\text{st}} \) is to increase the PAHs and soot emissions. The presence of double bond (C=C) also leads to higher soot emissions, and consequently, the soot formation is the highest in propene flames and then in ethylene flames followed by propane flames.
Why the Equal Pay Act and Laws Which Prohibit Salary Inquiries of Job Applicants Can Not Adequately Address Gender-Based Pay Inequity:

Despite passage of the Equal Pay Act (EPA) more than a half-century ago, surveys consistently show that women still earn significantly less than men. One factor to which this has been attributed is...
Key issue, challenges, and status quo of models for biofuel supply chain design

Abstract Biofuel supply chain (BSC) design is crucial for the sustainable production and distribution of biofuel. Many modeling techniques such as optimization and simulation have been employed to BSC at different regional and temporal scales. This chapter reviews the research efforts made in BSC since 2005 to highlight status quo, challenges, and issues related to BSC modeling and design. The basic concept and components of BSC are first introduced and followed by the review of different modeling techniques at various decision levels of BSC design. Challenges and issues identified throughout this review work are highlighted at the end and future research directions are discussed.
Adult day services and dementia caregivers' daily affect: the role of distress response to behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.

Adult day services (ADS) provide respite for dementia caregivers and directly reduce exposure to behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). This study examines the psycho-behavioral ...
Dynamics in production of four heritage foods at the mountainous region of Shaoxing City, China

Agricultural heritage foods play important roles in sustainable agricultural development in mountainous regions because they are key income sources and represent an integration of human culture and natural landscape. With the dramatic change in socioeconomic and natural systems in China, the production of heritage foods from mountainous regions might be affected. In this study, the dynamics of production for four heritage foods including dried tender bamboo shoots, chestnuts, Torreya and tea at the mountainous region of Shaoxing City in China from 2001 to 2016 were examined and analyzed. The results indicated that tea, dried tender bamboo shoots, chestnuts, and Torreya were ranked at 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the average production. There were significant correlations between the coefficient of variation (CV) of annual average air temperature and the CV of production in dried tender bamboo shoots, and also between the CV of annual air temperature (or precipitation) and the CV of tea production. Regime shift occurred in the production of each heritage food based on multiscale entropy and Taylor’s law. These results provide useful information for the dynamics of agricultural livelihood from mountainous regions and the development of heritage foods in modern society.
Dynamic Predictive Modeling of Solder Paste Volume with Real Time Memory Update in a Stencil Printing Process

Abstract This research aims to develop a dynamic prediction model to assist real-time decision making of a stencil printing process by maintaining high prediction accuracy of the printing process. In a Surface Mount Technology (SMT) assembly line, the stencil printing process (SPP) accounts for more than 50% of the defectiveness of printed circuit boards (PCBs). During the printing process, environmental changes such as humidity or wear of blades may induce the PCBs printing results to deviate from the target volume. Thus, real-time adjustment of the printer settings (e.g., printing parameters, clean cycles, etc.) based on prediction of printing volumes is critical to maintain a high printing performance. However, research has been limited in real time SPP control, which is partially due to the difficulties in predicting the paste volumes with high accuracy and time efficiency. To tackle the challenges, this research proposes novel online learning models for real-time SPP status prediction. The prediction model is implemented by selecting advanced online learning models to estimate the printing volumes in averages and standard deviations (SDs) considering different pad sizes with different clean ages, directions, printer parameters, etc. The model performances are evaluated in Root Mean Square Error (RMS E), R2, etc. From comparison, the Support Vector Regressor (SVR) shows outstanding prediction performance with R2 values of 92% and 81% for volume averages and SDs. This research emphasizes the potential of using online learning as a preliminary process for effective real-scenario SMT assembly dynamic control.
Design of an Autonomous and Timed Water Delivery System in Microgravity

For long-duration, manned, space exploration missions to be feasible, farming techniques in space must become reliable and fruitful. The NASA Project Veggie team currently runs experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) in order to better understand how plants react to a microgravity environment. Current watering strategies on the ISS involve manual watering of all plants by the crewmembers. This poses a problem because watering plants must be scheduled into the crewmembers’ days which means less time to work, etc. The objective of Team International Space Salads (ISSa) was to create a device and prove that it could function in microgravity without electricity to autonomously water the plants in order to allow for schedule flexibility of the ISS crewmembers and to lay the foundation for watering systems for deep-space travel. The final device did not function fully as planned, however, the plant growing, surface tension experiments, and the device collectively progressed the multi-year project to a state where successive teams would have the knowledge and tools necessary to create a fully functioning device.
Identifying Temporal Relationships Between In‐Hospital Adverse Events After Implantation of Durable Left Ventricular Assist Devices

Background This study evaluated the impact of adverse events (AEs) on the development of subsequent AEs after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) surgery. Methods and Results The INTERMACS (Inter...
Initial Treatment of Early Stage and Low Tumor Burden Follicular Lymphoma

Patients with early stage follicular lymphoma frequently have prolonged overall survival and 40% may remain progression-free 20 years after receiving radiation therapy alone. Thus, such an approach is often considered in this population. Patients with advanced-stage disease but low tumor burden do not achieve a survival benefit by initiation treatment but early therapy with rituximab can improve quality of life and prolong time until need for further treatment and/or chemotherapy. Patients with advanced-stage follicular lymphoma who have low tumor burden should be managed in a personalized fashion taking into account individual feeling regarding treatment, toxicity, and long-term goals.
Standard model O ( α ) renormalization of g A and its impact on new physics searches

We present an $\mathcal{O}(\ensuremath{\alpha})$ Standard Model calculation of the inner radiative corrections to Gamow-Teller $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decays. We find that a priori contributions arise from the photonic vertex correction and $\ensuremath{\gamma}W$ box diagram. Upon evaluation most elastic contributions vanish due to crossing symmetry or cancellation between isoscalar and isovector photonic contributions, leaving only the polarized parity-odd contribution, i.e., the Gamow-Teller equivalent of the well-known axial $\ensuremath{\gamma}W$ box contribution for Fermi decays. We show that weak magnetism contributes significantly to the Born amplitude, and consider additional hadronic contributions at low energy using a holomorphic continuation of the polarized Bjorken sum rule constrained by experimental data. We perform the same procedure for the Fermi inner radiative correction through a combination of the running of Bjorken and Gross-Llewellyn Smith sum rules. We discuss heavy flavor, higher-twist, and target mass corrections and find a significant increase at low momentum from the latter. We find ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}}_{R}^{A}=0.02532(22)$ and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}}_{R}^{V}=0.02473(27)$ for axial and vector inner radiative corrections, respectively, resulting in ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}}_{R}^{A}\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}}_{R}^{V}=0.60(5)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$, which allows us to extract ${g}_{A}^{0}$ for the first time to our knowledge. We discuss consequences for comparing experimental data to lattice calculations in beyond Standard Model fits. Further, we show how some traditional $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay calculations contain part of this effect but fail to account for cancellations in the full $\mathcal{O}(\ensuremath{\alpha})$ result. Finally, we correct for a double-counting instance in the isospin $T=1/2$ mirror decay extraction of $|{V}_{ud}|$, the up-down matrix element of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element, resolving a long-standing tension and leading to increased precision.
The AMP Trials — A Glass Half Full

Induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) is considered the holy grail for a preventive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine, but four decades into the HIV pandemic, this goal has ...
George F. Vande Woude: In Memoriam (1935–2021)

![][1] The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and indeed the entire cancer research community, lost a truly exceptional and well-loved scientist on April 13, 2021. George Vande Woude passed away in the company of his four children in Grand Rapids, MI, after a lengthy
Sensor Design for Inductive Proximity and Moving Direction Sensing of Metal Targets

We present the design of a new inductive proximity sensor to detect metal targets and their direction of movement. The proposed sensor design includes a base board with the necessary microcontroller based circuitry for driving and reading the sensing LC tanks and several different solutions for the printed sensor coil. Different coil configurations are fabricated on separate printed circuit boards designed to plug-and-play into the base board. They are intended for different specific applications including for sensing metal targets approaching perpendicularly on the coil plane and for sensing and identifying the lateral direction of movement (i.e., left-to-right or right-to-left). The coil designs are studied via simulations using the freely available Numerical Electromagnetics Code (NEC). A complete hardware prototype is developed and demonstrated to detect different metal targets, including copper, brass, aluminum, and stainless steel. It is also shown that measurements obtained from hardware experiments are in good agreement with the simulations.
Efficient GPU Computation Using Task Graph Parallelism

Recently, CUDA introduces a new task graph programming model, CUDA graph, to enable efficient launch and execution of GPU work. Users describe a GPU workload in a task graph rather than aggregated GPU operations, allowing the CUDA runtime to perform whole-graph optimization and significantly reduce the kernel call overheads. However, programming CUDA graphs is extremely challenging. Users need to explicitly construct a graph with verbose parameter settings or implicitly capture a graph that requires complex dependency and concurrency managements using streams and events. To overcome this challenge, we introduce a lightweight task graph programming framework to enable efficient GPU computation using CUDA graph. Users can focus on high-level development of dependent GPU operations, while leaving all the intricate managements of stream concurrency and event dependency to our optimization algorithm. We have evaluated our framework and demonstrated its promising performance on both micro-benchmarks and a large-scale machine learning workload. The result also shows that our optimization algorithm achieves very comparable performance to an optimally-constructed graph and consumes much less GPU resource.
Minimum Wages: A Poor Way to Reduce Poverty

In his 2014 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama endorsed a plan to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour. Supporters of the increase argue that a $10.10 minimum wage is necessary to ensure that those who work hard and play by the rules do not live in poverty. While alleviating poverty is a widely shared goal, raising the minimum wage is a very inefficient means of achieving this objective and is likely to hurt many low-skilled workers.Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman said, “one of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results.” With regard to the minimum wage, the intentions and the results are usually different. This bulletin discusses the latest empirical evidence on the effects of minimum wage increases on poverty and employment. It also presents evidence on the likely effects of future minimum wage increases.The bulletin concludes that minimum wage increases almost always fail to meet proponents’ policy objectives and often hurt precisely the vulnerable populations that advocates wish to help. The weight of the science suggests that policymakers should abandon higher minimum wages as an antiquated anti-poverty tool. Minimum wages deter employment and are poorly targeted to those in need.
Blockmodeling complex statutes: Mapping techniques based on combinatorial optimization for analyzing economic legislation and its stress point over time

Abstract Blockmodeling, a combinatorial technique for relational data analysis, is applied to studying texts of complex economic legislation. By making this area a subject for mathematical modeling, using methods related to combinatorics, logic, and discrete optimization, we describe a new type of frontier between law and economics.
Detecting Global Change at Alpine Treeline: Coupling Paleoecology with Contemporary Studies

Mountain ecosystems provide unique opportunities to detect and understand global change impacts due to their strong altitudinal gradients coupled with the presence of parks and biosphere reserves in many mountain areas where direct human impacts are minimal (Graumlich 2000; Becker and Bugmann 2001). Alpine treeline, the distinctive boundary between forest and tundra on high mountains, has been a particularly important focus of this research. While alpine treeline can appear to be a simple ecotone and thus a ready indicator of changing temperatures, a rich history of research has revealed that the dynamics of treeline are complex. Issues of lags and inertia, as well as multiple drivers across diverse scales abound. In this essay, we outline key issues for understanding alpine treeline in the context of global climate change. While our views strongly reflect research that has been done in the temperate zone, particularly in North America, the questions underlying the interpretation of treeline are applicable to many biotic indicators of climate change.
Expectations, monetary policy rules, and macroeconomic stability: Analysis of an open economy with flexible exchange rates

Abstract This paper makes use of a dynamic model of an open economy with flexible exchange rates to examine the dynamic characteristics of the system for different specifications of monetary authority behavior. The model contains dynamic adjustment equations for both output and prices. Two policy rules are examined: (a) maintaining a constant nominal money supply growth, and (b) maintaining a constant nominal interest rate. With the former the system is found to be self-equilibrating. The latter, however, could easily give rise to self-perpetuating disequilibrium situations. In both cases expectations play a crucial role in the adjustment process.
5 - Antibody and Oligonucleotide Probes to Distinguish Intracellular Expression and Localization Patterns of Rab GDP-Dissociation Inhibitor Isoforms

This chapter describes a strategy to distinguish the endogenous expression and localization patterns of the guanosine diphosphate ( GDP) dissociation inhibitor (GDI) family members. Methods used to express and purify GDI-2 and GDI- β in bacterial hosts are also described. GDIs likely represent the only proteins fully competent to chaperone Rabs to their correct destination. Consistent with this requirement are several reports documenting additional important functions of GDI on membranes. Hence, GDI-1 contributes to the specific recognition of the Rab membrane targets, stimulates GTP/GDP exchange, and dissociates thereafter back into the cytosol, a step likely promoted by GDP dissociation factor(s) and cellular redox state. Three mammalian GDI genes, GDI-1, GDI-2, and GDI- β , have been cloned to date. They encode ubiquitously expressed, highly homologous protein isoforms, tightly conserved in mammals. The three GDIs are found equally capable of operating with various Rabs in cell-free systems, indicating that, at least in resting cells, no specificity toward an individual Rab or subset of Rab proteins is associated with GDI function. However, given the differential intracellular localization of GDI-1 vs. GDI-2 and the subtle regulation of Rab-GDI complex formation in the context of living cells, functional differences among GDIs can be anticipated.
Disclosure and the Option Value of Equity

This paper examines the implications of the option value of equity for firms' disclosures. Merton (1974) shows that the equity of levered firms is equivalent to a call option whose value increases in the expected variance of future cash flows. I use this equivalence to calculate firms' vega, which measures the extent to which a given firm's equity values increase from uncertainty regarding future cash flows. I hypothesize that high vega firms disclose less information because they are more likely to receive valuation benefits from increased uncertainty. Consistent with this hypothesis, I find that high vega firms provide less earnings guidance, have less readable financial statements, and are less likely to preempt earnings surprises. Additionally, I find that firms decrease earnings guidance following exogenous shocks to firms' option value of equity driven by state corporate tax rates. Taken together, the results identify the option value of equity as a channel through which firms can benefit from providing less disclosure and thus may help to explain why some firms withhold information regarding future cash flows.
A placebo-controlled study investigating the efficacy and safety of the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor UK-369,003 for the treatment of men with lower urinary tract symptoms associated with clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia

Study Type – Therapy (RCT) Level of Evidence 1b OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor UK-369,003 for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men with and without erectile dysfunction (ED). PATIENTS AND METHODS This was a multicentre, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled, parallel-group study conducted across 45 centres in North and South America, Europe, and Australia. In all, 418 men aged ≥40 years with a clinical diagnosis of BPH, an International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) of ≥13, and maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) of 5–15 mL/s for a voided volume of >150 mL were stratified into two groups (with and without ED) and randomized to one of seven treatment groups, i.e. UK-369,003 at 10, 25, 50 or 100 mg modified release (MR), UK-369,003 40 mg immediate release (IR), tamsulosin 0.4 mg prolonged release, or placebo, for 12 weeks. The primary study endpoint was the change in total IPSS after 12 weeks of treatment. Secondary efficacy measures were IPSS storage and voiding subscores, Qmax, International Index of Erectile Function–Erectile Function domain, questions 5 and 6 of the Quality of Erection Questionnaire, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire–Male LUTS, the patient-reported treatment-impact questionnaire, and a bladder diary in which patients recorded the number of voluntary urinary voids, volume of urine voided per micturition, leaks, and urgency episodes. RESULTS The mean change in the IPSS from baseline at week 12 for UK-369,003 100 mg MR and 40 mg IR was −2.91 and −2.50 better than placebo, respectively. There was increasing efficacy with increasing dose of the MR formulation. For UK-369,003 100 mg MR, Qmax improved by 2.10 mL/s compared with 0.84 mL/s in the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS UK-369,003 had clinically meaningful efficacy and was well tolerated in men with LUTS associated with BPH. The Bayesian statistical analysis gave high posterior probabilities for true differences between UK-369,003 100 mg MR and placebo. There was greater preference, satisfaction and willingness to use UK-369,003 again for all treatment groups compared with placebo.
How we frame the message of globalization matters

We examine the effect of framing globalization either negatively or positively on students' emotions, perceptions, and endorsed behaviors. Participants read about the job market becoming more competitive (negative), more culturally diverse (positive), or no information was given. The results show that framing globalization negatively lowered felt positive emotion, identification with university and global citizenship identities, endorsement of pro-social values, and increased the desire to reject outgroups and strengthen the ingroup, than when globalization was framed positively. The relationship between message framing and pro-social values (e.g., valuing diversity) was mediated by global citizenship, but not university identification. Implications for global citizenship education and global citizenship identity are discussed.
Nasolacrimal duct orifice cysts in adults: a previously unrecognized, easily treatable cause of epiphora.

Background: Epiphora is a common problem evaluated by ophthalmologists and otolaryngologists. It is typically the result of obstruction at some level of the nasolacrimal system, either the canaliculi, sac, or duct. Multiple etiologies exist, including scarring from infection or trauma, tumors, or masses. Cysts of the nasolacrimal duct orifice (dacryocystoceles) in the inferior meatus have been described in neonates, usually presenting as obstructive nasal masses shortly after birth. Nasolacrimal duct orifice cysts have not been described in the adult population in the medical literature. Patients: Three patients were identified with epiphora as a result of cysts in the inferior meatus at the opening of the nasolacrimal duct. All patients presented with constant epiphora and were referred for dacryocystorhinostomy by an ophthalmologist or an otolaryngologist. None of the patients had a previous history of nasolacrimal duct (NLD) surgery. One patient had previous endoscopic sinus surgery for nasal polyps. Cysts were identified by nasal endoscopy of the inferior meatus in all patients. Results: All patients underwent endoscopic resection of the inferior meatus cyst to relieve the obstruction of the NLD. Two procedures were performed under general anesthesia and one under intravenous sedation. All patients had complete relief of epiphora and have had no evidence of recurrence of the symptoms or the cyst in 4 to 10 months follow-up. Conclusions: NLD orifice cysts are easily correctable causes of epiphora. Routine inferior meatus endoscopy should be routinely performed in patients with epiphora to identify whether on not this pathology is present prior to performing dacryocystorhinostomy.
Pan-American Astrophysics Explorer: a small explorer far-UV survey mission

NASA plans for PAX, a photometric and spectroscopic FUV survey mission utilizing a Small Explorer spacecraft, are summarized. PAX is to perform an all-sky survey to limiting magnitude 18 at 140 and 180 nm, deep surveys of selected areas to 21 mag in the same bands, and a spectroscopic survey of 2 percent of the sky to 18 mag. The PAX telescope parameters include diameter 33 cm, focal length 72 cm, plate scale 0.3 arcsec/micron, focal ratio 2.2, FOV 4.8 deg, and system angular resolution 15 arcsec; the microchannel-plate detector employs CsI/KBr photocathodes and a mosaic wedge-and-strip readout scheme. The principal scientific aim of PAX is to increase by a factor of 100-1000 the number of known galactic nuclei, QSOs, active galaxies, white dwarfs, cataclysmic variables, and evolved stars. The mission should also provide new insights into post-main-sequence stellar evolution, star formation in normal galaxies, the distribution of dust in the Galaxy, and the ionization and large-scale distribution of the intergalactic medium.
Local subcooled flow boiling model assessment and development

Several existing heat transfer models for uniformly heated channels were examined for: (1) accurate representation of the boiling curve, and (2) characterizing the local heat transfer under high heat flux (HHF) conditions. Comparisons with HHF data showed that major correlation modifications were needed in the subcooled partial nucleate boiling (SPNB) region. Since the slope of boiling curve in this region is important to assure continuity of the HHF trends into the fully developed boiling region and up to the critical heat flux, accurate characterization in the SPNB region is essential. Approximations for the asymptotic limits for the SPNB region have been obtained and have been used to develop an improved composite correlation. The developed correlation has been compared with 365 water and 155 freon-11 data points. For the local heat transfer coefficient and wall temperature, the over-all percent standard deviation with respect to the data was 19% and 3%, respectively, for the high velocity water data.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Positive False Discovery Rate Estimate in Step-Wise Variable Selection

Selecting predictors to optimize the outcome prediction is an important statistical method. However, it usually ignores the false positives in the selected predictors. In this article, we advocate a conventional stepwise forward variable selection method based on the predicted residual sum of squares, and develop a positive false discovery rate (pFDR) estimate for the selected predictor subset, and a local pFDR estimate to prioritize the selected predictors. This pFDR estimate takes account of the existence of non null predictors, and is proved to be asymptotically conservative. In addition, we propose two views of a variable selection process: an overall and an individual test. An interesting feature of the overall test is that its power of selecting non null predictors increases with the proportion of non null predictors among all candidate predictors. Data analysis is illustrated with an example, in which genetic and clinical predictors were selected to predict the cholesterol level change after four m...
The Credibility of Voluntary Disclosure and Insider Stock Transactions

We examine stock price reaction to voluntary disclosure of innovation strategy by high-tech firms and its relation with insider stock transactions before the disclosure. We find that, despite the qualitative and subjective nature of strategy-related disclosure, there is positive stock price reaction to the disclosure. The evidence suggests that investors view the disclosure as credible good news. We also find that the disclosure is associated with more positive stock price reaction when it is preceded by insider purchase transactions. This evidence is consistent with insider purchase enhancing the credibility of the disclosure. The credibility-enhancing effect is found to be stronger for firms with higher degrees of information asymmetry (younger firms, firms with lower analyst following, loss firms, and firms with higher research and development (R&D) intensity). Our evidence also indicates that predisclosure insider purchase is associated with greater future abnormal returns, suggesting that managers are privy to good news shortly before the disclosure.
Adipocytes enhance the proliferation of human leiomyoma cells via TNF-α proinflammatory cytokine.

Objective: Obesity is a well-documented risk factor for uterine leiomyoma with a major impact on women health and health care system of the nation. Obesity is associated with increased secretion of adipokines that significantly influence growth and proliferation of tumor stroma and malignant cells. Adipokines, such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), are produced in the adipose tissue with concomitant expression in other organs and tissues. Increased and sustained cytokine production is associated with alterations in cell growth and differentiation. We, therefore, explored the influence of human adipocytes (SW872 cells)–mediated biological humoral factors on human uterine leiomyoma (HuLM) cells. Methods: We measured cell proliferation and expression of cell-proliferating proteins (proliferating cell nuclear antigen [PCNA], cyclin D1, and B-cell lymphoma 2 [BCL-2]) in human leiomyoma cells cocultured with SW872 cells. SW872-conditioned media was neutralized for TNF-α and proliferation of HuLM cells was observed along with antiapoptotic marker, BCL-2, using Western immunoblot. Results: We found that both SW872-conditioned media and coculture with SW872 cells increased HuLM cell proliferation significantly (P < .05). We determined that this effect was associated with the upregulation of specific markers for proliferation, such as PCNA, cyclin D1, and BCL-2 (P < .05). Furthermore, the addition of neutralizing antibodies, anti-TNF-α, to SW872-conditioned media reversed the proliferation of leiomyoma cells and induced apoptosis as indicated by the reduced expression of antiapoptotic marker BCL-2. Conclusions: SW872 cells secrete TNF-α, which is associated with a proliferative gene profile in HuLM cells and may play a role in initiation and/or progression of uterine leiomyoma.
Quantitative and functional study of lymphoid cells infiltrating solid tumors

Lymphocytes are a frequent component of inflammatory infiltrates that characteristically are present in certain human neoplasms. Although inflammatory cells may be sparse in spontaneously arising tumors, solid tumors such as carcinomas of the breast, lung, germinal-cell tumors, malignant melanoma, and primary liver cancer are characterized by a prominent lymphocytic infiltrate (12). The presence of inflammatory cells in and around tumors is a favorable prognostic sign in at least some tumors, and because of that, numerous analyses of the lymphoid cells in situ have been attempted in recent years. Still, the nature and function of mononuclear cells in tumors remain unclear, as does the precise relationship between mononuclear cell infiltrates and tumor growth. It is believed that certain of these infiltrating lymphoid cells sensitized to tumor antigens mediate lysis of tumor cells (i.e., cytotoxic T lymphocytes; CTL). Other lymphoid cells may mediate tumor-cell lysis in a nonspecific
A Combined PLIF/PIV System for Simultaneous Gas-Phase Temperature/Velocity Imaging

This paper reports non-intrusive temperature and velocity imaging measurements in gas-phase flows using acetone planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) thermometry and particle image velocimetry (PIV). The details of the combined PLIF/PIV instrument and the demonstration flow facilities are provided and results are presented from a turbulent Rayleigh-Benard convection flow (PLIF only) and from an unsteady laminar impinging jet flow (combined PLIF/PIV). The data show that PLIF temperature imaging at laboratory scales is most effective for characteristic temperature differences on the order of 100 K of more. Simultaneous gas-phase temperature-velocity images are presented which show that PLIF-PIV holds promise for detailed laboratory scale measurements for gas-phase convective heat-transfer applications at high temperature differences.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
On the pressure drop prediction of filter media composed of fibers with bimodal diameter distributions

Abstract In addition to collection efficiency, pressure drop is the most important characteristic of a filter medium. While there are numerous analytical expressions available for predicting the pressure drop of the filters made up of fibers with a unimodal fiber diameter distribution, there are not enough studies dedicated to filters composed of fibers with a bimodal (or multimodal) fiber diameter distribution. In this work, the pressure drop per unit thickness of filters made of bimodal fiber diameters is calculated by solving the Navier–Stokes equations in a series of 2-D geometries. These results are used to find the unimodal equivalent diameters of each bimodal filter that could be used in the existing expressions for calculating pressure drop. In agreement with the work of Brown and Thorpe [Brown, R.C., Thorpe, A., Glass-fiber filters with bimodal fiber size distributions. Powder Technology 118 (2001) 3–9.], it was found that the area-weighted averaging of the fiber diameters in a bimodal filter provides a relatively good estimation of its equivalent unimodal fiber diameter. We, however, noticed that in such an averaging the error percentage in the pressure drop prediction is sensitive to the fiber diameter ratios as well as the fraction of each fiber diameter in the bimodal filter. We, therefore, obtained a correction factor for the estimation of the unimodal equivalent diameters as a function of fiber diameter ratio and their number fractions.
Are European IS journals under-rated? an answer based on citation analysis

A concern that the quality of European IS journals has been under-rated by existing studies was recently addressed in the IS community. In this study, an objective method based on a Citation Analysis was employed to re-examine the quality of four established European IS journals as compared to 11 other well-recognized IS journals. Extensive citation data were collected to derive eight indices as the measures of journal quality. Our research results indicate that the quality of the four leading European IS journals is quite comparable to that of other well-known IS journals reported in prior studies.
Ageism across the lifespan : Towards a self-categorization model of ageing

This article uses this collection of articles on ageism as a springboard to discuss empirical lacunae in the literature as well as propose a self-categorization model of ageing phenomena. In particular, we argue that research would benefit from a more lifespan communication perspective. This includes the social origins of ageism that can be laid down early in development and perpetuated through collusiveprocesses as individuals themselves age. Further, problems of interactively managing ageism, its intragenerational parameters, and the variable consequences of making death salient, are identified. Finally, we elaborate and illustrate a self-categorization model of ageing processes before critically examining panaceas proposed by others to ameliorate ageism.
U2AF1 Mutations Alter Sequence Specificity of pre-mRNA Binding and Splicing

We previously identified missense mutations in the U2AF1 splicing factor affecting codons S34 (S34F and S34Y) or Q157 (Q157R and Q157P) in 11% of the patients with de novo myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Although the role of U2AF1 as an accessory factor in the U2 snRNP is well established, it is not yet clear how these mutations affect splicing or contribute to MDS pathophysiology. We analyzed splice junctions in RNA-seq data generated from transfected CD34+ hematopoietic cells and found significant differences in the abundance of known and novel junctions in samples expressing mutant U2AF1 (S34F). For selected transcripts, splicing alterations detected by RNA-seq were confirmed by analysis of primary de novo MDS patient samples. These effects were not due to impaired U2AF1 (S34F) localization as it co-localized normally with U2AF2 within nuclear speckles. We further found evidence in the RNA-seq data for decreased affinity of U2AF1 (S34F) for uridine (relative to cytidine) at the e-3 position immediately upstream of the splice acceptor site and corroborated this finding using affinity-binding assays. These data suggest that the S34F mutation alters U2AF1 function in the context of specific RNA sequences, leading to aberrant alternative splicing of target genes, some of which may be relevant for MDS pathogenesis.
Neurocognitive Outcomes Are Not Improved by 17β-Estradiol in Postmenopausal Women Undergoing Cardiac Surgery

Background and Purpose— Neurocognitive dysfunction is an important source of patient morbidity and mortality after cardiac surgery that may disproportionately affect postmenopausal women. 17β-Estradiol limits the extent of ischemic neuronal injury in a variety of experimental models. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether perioperative administration of 17β-estradiol to postmenopausal women reduces the frequency of neurocognitive dysfunction after cardiac surgery. Methods— One hundred seventy-four postmenopausal women not on estrogen replacement therapy who were undergoing primary coronary artery bypass graft surgery and/or valve surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass were prospectively randomized to receive in a double-blinded manner either 17β-estradiol or placebo beginning the day before surgery and continuing for 5 days postoperatively. The patients were evaluated before and after surgery with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and a psychometric test battery. Results— There were n...
ONE-WAY PROPAGATION IN WEAKLY NONUNIFORM MEDIA

Abstract A series of energy-conserving generalized rotations is applied to the Helmholtz equation for a weakly nonuniform one-dimensional medium. These transformations decouple the wave field, to arbitrary order in the strength of the nonuniformity, into counter-propagating modes with separately conserved energies. The result is asymptotic propagation without backscatter at arbitrary order. Low-order results coincide with the WKB form of the solution. Higher orders provide WKB modifications applicable to long-range propagation, e.g. in long time-of-flight applications or very-long-baseline interferometry. The result is illustrated in a numerical example.
Abstract C221: A genome-wide RNA interference screen identifies synthetic lethal interactions with the BRAF oncogene.

Oncogenic mutations in BRAF are found in 50-70% of malignant melanomas and in ∼8% of all cancers. Activating BRAF mutations confer exquisite dependency on RAF/MEK/ERK signaling and RAF and MEK inhibitors achieved striking clinical response in the majority of patients with BRAFV600E-mutant melanoma. However, nearly all patients progress to therapeutic resistance and there are limited treatment options for patients with relapsed tumors. Identification of genes that are essential only in the presence of BRAFV600E mutation may inform alternative as well as combinatorial therapeutic approaches. Here, we used systematic RNA interference to discover synthetic lethal interactions in melanoma cells carrying BRAFV600E mutation. In addition, Project Achilles at the Broad Institute reported systematic loss-of-function studies in more than 100 human cancer cell lines. We intersected the list of genes that are synthetic lethal with BRAFV600E mutation in our melanoma study and that of Project Achilles. As a result, we have identified novel “druggable” targets for cells driven by BRAFV600E mutation. Our extensive in vitro and in vivo validation has confirmed and established key synthetic lethal interactions with BRAFV600E mutation. One major mechanism of acquired resistance to RAF and MEK inhibition is reactivation of MEK/ERK pathway. Importantly, we demonstrated that these synthetic lethal genes are also essential in the context of acquired resistance to RAF and MEK inhibition. Together, our study has identified novel targets for the treatment of oncogenic BRAF-driven melanoma and suggests targeting these genes as novel therapeutic strategies to overcome acquired resistance to RAF and MEK inhibition. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):C221. Citation Format: Chengyin Min, David J. Konieczkowski, Christine Kwon, Marika Linja, Krishna Vasudevan, Barbara Weir, Eva Goetz, Levi Garraway. A genome-wide RNA interference screen identifies synthetic lethal interactions with the BRAF oncogene. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr C221.
The pain system: A multilevel model for the study of motivation and emotion

Pain research provides complimentary physiological and psychological models of parallel processing and interactions in this complex perceptual, emotional, and motivational system. The complexity of the physiological system is clearly permissive of a broad array of interactions among affective and cognitive processes, e.g., pain reduction by hypnotic blocking and by the apparently contradictory process of sensation monitoring. Research on a variety of these issues is described in the articles presented in this issue. Meaning, in particular, plays a central role in generating the emotional component of the pain system; meaning and the formation of pain memories play a critical role in the formation and treatment of chronic pain.
Development of a cold storage solution for pancreas preservation

Canine pancreas tissue slices were incubated at 5 degrees C for 24 hr in solutions containing different saccharides (raffinose, sucrose, mannitol, or glucose). At the end of incubation tissue water (TW expressed as kg H2O/kg dry wt) was determined as a measure of tissue edema. Tissue edema was greatest in slices stored in Eurocollins (EC) solution (TW = 4.96 +/- 0.14) which contains glucose for osmotic pressure. The degree of edema was decreased by saccharides in proportion to their molecular mass: mannitol (MW = 180, TW = 3.84 +/- 0.08), sucrose (MW = 348, TW = 3.54 +/- 0.08), and raffinose (MW = 594, TW = 3.30 +/- 0.07). Tissue edema was also greatest in slices incubated in solutions containing the smallest molecular mass anions: Cl- (TW = 4.02 +/- 0.16), gluconate (TW = 3.69 +/- 0.10), and lactobionate (TW = 3.28 +/- 0.13). Cold storage of the intact pancreas in EC solution for 24 hr did not induce as much edema as in slices (TW = 2.88 +/- 0.10). However, on isolated reperfusion at normothermia (37 degrees C) the pancreas became edematous (TW = 3.33 +/- 0.12). Storage of the pancreas in a lactobionate-raffinose solution did not induce edema after 90 min of normothermic reperfusion. The suppression of tissue edema in the pancreas may be essential to obtaining long-term preservation (24-72 hr) of this organ which is currently limited to about 6-8 hr in EC solution. The newly developed lactobionate-raffinose solution appears to control tissue edema in both tissue slices and the intact-flushed out organ.
Regeneration of fertile transgenic indica (group 1) rice plants following microprojectile transformation of embryogenic suspension culture cells

Regenerable embryogenic suspensions of elite Indica (group 1) rice varieties IR24, IR64, IR72 and an advanced Indica rice breeding line IR57311-95-2-3 were established within 6-8 weeks from 3-4 week old calli derived from mature seeds. Transgenic rice plants were obtained by introducing a plasmid carrying genes encoding hygromycin phosphotransferase (hph, conferring resistance to hygromycin B) and s-glucuronidase (uidA), both driven by the CaMV 35S promoter, via particle bombardment of embryogenic suspensions. The effect of osmotic conditioning on transformation was evaluated. Regenerated plants were resistant to hygromycin B and expressed the uidA (GUS) gene. The growth of mother plants (R0) was normal and seeds were produced. Southern blot analysis of R0 and R1 plants showed that hygromycin resistant plants contained intact hph genes that were inherited in a Mendelian fashion. A protocol for a simple, efficient, repeatable, genotype- and environment-independent Indica rice transformation system is described.
The Colonial Image Reversed: Language Preferences and Policy Outcomes in African Education

Once viewing African languages as competitors to French, policymakers in France now welcome these languages openly in African schools. This is a dramatic policy reversal, and it contradicts expectations of path dependency and policy inertia. The policymakers’ conversion can be traced to the writing and advocacy of a strategic scholarly community, which began exercising influence over the leadership of France and la Francophonie in the 1990s. Their influence changed the perception of French leaders regarding the utility of local languages in education and caused them to include this element consistently in their education strategy for Africa. In contrast, a lack of comparable agreement within the intellectual communities of the Anglophone world has led to ambivalence in support for mother tongue education emanating from dominant English-speaking states. Unlike traditional accounts of epistemic communities, this study highlights the strategic political activity of scholars. The major focus is on the process of idea change among policy makers in France. I suggest that this idea change altered the field of permissible options for African leaders, revealing a continued ideational dependency between metropole and periphery.
H2O/D2O ISOTOPE EFFECT IN GEMINATE RECOMBINATION OF THE HYDRATED ELECTRON

Picosecond transient absorption measurements and simulations of the hydrated electron geminate recombination dynamics are presented for 4 eV multiphoton ionization of liquid H2O and D2O. To within the accuracy of the data and simulation, the isotope effect can be accounted for in terms of the decrease in the diffusion coefficients for eaq-, D3O+, and OD• and the eaq- + D3O+ → D reaction rate in D2O.