cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU‐E‐T‐634: Dosimetric Impact of Temporal Variation of Electron Density within Planning Target Volume for Lung Cancer SBRT

Purpose: To investigate the dosimetric effect of temporal variation of electron density within the planning target volume in stereotactic body radiotherapy(SBRT) for lungcancer. Methods: For lungSBRT, the planning target volume (PTV) includes both gross tumor volume and surrounding lower electron density (ED) lung tissue, which accounts for the tumor motion (ITV) and setup errors. The ED of the PTV becomes temporally varied during treatment due to tumor motion. To estimate the dosimetric effect due to changes in the ED distributions during delivery, we modeled the time average effect of the tumor motion by overriding the ED of either ITV or PTV. A planning study was designed to quantify dosimetric effect by comparing plans calculated with and without ED overridden for both IMRT and 3D planning techniques. The clinically used plans were designed without ED overriding. Additional plans were created by recalculating the clinical plans after overriding the ED of either ITV or PTV with a value of 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 g/cm3. Minimum and maximum dose, and coverage of the PTV were compared. Results: When overriding ED of ITV with different values, no significant difference was observed for both IMRT and 3D plans. However, depending on the value of the ED used to override the PTV, the difference in PTV coverage is up to 3.5%. The difference in the minimum dose of the PTV was up to 10%. Conclusions: A simplified model of temporal variation of ED within PTV showed that under dosing to the PTV may happen when a certain value of ED has been assigned to the PTV. A further comparison to the dose distribution calculated based on a 4D image set or measurement is needed to determine the planning strategy using ITV/PTV ED overriding.
Multimedia content screening using a dual watermarking and fingerprinting system

We present a new dual watermarking and fingerprinting system, where initially all copies of a protected object are identically watermarked using a secret key, but individual detection keys are distinct. By knowing a detection key, an adversary cannot recreate the original content from the watermarked content. However, knowledge of any one detection key is sufficient for modifying the object so that a detector using that key would fail to detect the marks. Detectors using other detection keys would not be fooled, and such a modified object necessarily contains enough information about the broken detector key - the fingerprint. Our dual system limits the scope of possible attacks, when compared to classic fingerprinting systems. Under optimal attacks, the size of the collusion necessary to remove the marks without leaving a detectable fingerprint is superlinear in object size, whereas classic fingerprinting has a lower bound on collusion resistance that is approximately fourth root in object size. By using our scheme one can achieve collusion resistance of up to 900,000 users for a two hour high-definition video.
The kinetics of fiber growth from flowing solutions

Data are presented for the longitudinal and radial growth rates of polyethylene fibers grown from high molecular weight solutions using a seeding method in Poiseuille tube flow. Results indicate growth is a two-step process with the first step the formation of very thin untapered filaments ∼25 μm in diameter which grow very rapidly the full length of the capillary tube. The second step involves radial thickening of the filament into a tapered shape, the kinetics of which have been measured. The discussion includes an analysis of the rapid longitudinal growth and a critical comparison to earlier experiments in both Poiseuille and Couette flow. A possible growth mechanism is suggested to explain the high growth rates found in these experiments as well as the unusual growth observed earlier for Couette rotor growth. A discussion of some kinetic data for the radial growth process is also given along with preliminary results which indicate thickening may only occur in flow of extensional kinematics.
Nuclear Factor-κB Activates Transcription of the Androgen Receptor Gene in Sertoli Cells Isolated from Testes of Adult Rats

The androgen receptor (AR) in Sertoli cells mediates the actions of testosterone on spermatogenesis. However, the transcription factors responsible for AR gene regulation in Sertoli cells remain unknown. In this study, we determined that nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) regulates transcription of AR in primary cultures of Sertoli cells isolated from testes of adult rats. Electrophoretic mobility shift and antibody supershift assays with nuclear extracts prepared from Sertoli cells identified two binding sites, termed κB1 at −491/−482 bp and κB2 at −574/−565 bp, upstream of the transcription start site of the AR gene that bind the NF-κB subunits, p50 and p65. DNAse I footprint analyses showed that binding of the p50 NF-κB subunit protected the same regions on the rat AR promoter. Analyses of AR promoter-luciferase reporter gene activity after transfection of primary cultures of Sertoli cells demonstrated that mutation of the κB2 site or combined mutation of the κB1 and κB2 sites reduced activity by 40%. Preferent...
Cache design for mixed criticality real-time systems

Shared caches in mixed criticality systems are a source of interference for safety critical tasks. Shared memory not only leads to worst-case execution time (WCET) pessimism, but also affects the response time of safety critical tasks. In this paper, we present a criticality aware cache design which implements a Least Critical (LC) cache replacement policy, where a least recently used non-critical cache line is replaced during a cache miss. The cache acts as a Least Recently Used (LRU) cache if there are no critical lines or if all cache lines are critical in a set. In our design, data within a certain address space is given higher preference in the cache. These critical address spaces are configured using critical address range (CAR) registers. The new cache design was implemented in a Leon3 processor core, a 32bit processor compliant with the SPARC V8 architecture. Experimental results are presented that illustrate the impact of the Least Critical cache replacement policy on the response time of critical tasks, and on overall application performance as compared to a conventional LRU cache policy.
Self-nucleation and growth of group III-antimonide nanowires

In this paper, we show that the growth of III-antimonides can occur via self-catalysis using either group III metal or Sb clusters at their tips. Specific experiments using GaSb and InSb systems show that bulk nucleation and growth of the respective antimonide wires can also occur from mm-sized droplets. The role of equilibrium solubility and the size of the droplet on bulk nucleation versus tip-led growth is discussed.
Sputtering from Binary Alloys - A Technique for Evaluating Change in Surface Binding Energy

In recent years computer simulations, experimental observations and analyses of the collected sputtered products from the interaction of ion beams on solid materials have demonstrated the sensitivity of the sputtering process to the surface characteristics of the material being investigated or modified. The usual characterization of the target material has been a post bombardment analysis of the surface for the relative concentration of the implanted atoms compared with the initial target components coupled with an examination of the profile of the implanted atoms in the surface region. Recent experiments have collected sputtered products during ion implantation and have compared the distribution of sputtered particles with theory. Techniques have been developed to measure the partial and net sputtering yields from the amount of material collected on the foils in these experiments. Typically the evaluation of the target material and the collected sputtered products has been reported for the steady state conditions during ion implantation. Our experimental group has chosen to evaluate the sputtering process from the onset of ion bombardment through the steady state condition. From these experiments models have been proposed for the behavior of the surface composition and the sputtering yields. Techniques developed for monitoring of the surface have provided data supporting the concept that the average surface binding energy of the bombarded target material is sensitive to the sputtering process. Calculating the manner in which the surface binding energy will change with the developing atomic surface fraction can qualitatively lead to more precise prediction of implantation requirements.
Suppression of host resistance to Listeria monocytogenes by acute cold/restraint stress: lack of direct IL-6 involvement

We conducted kinetic studies to evaluate the effects of acute cold/restraint stress (ACRS) on both primary and secondary host resistance to Listeria monocytogenes (LM). The involvement of IL-6 also was investigated using IL-6 knockout (KO) mice on the BALB/c background. ACRS dramatically increased the serum corticosterone levels, indicating that ACRS activated the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. ACRS significantly inhibited host resistance to LM during a primary but not a secondary LM infection. During the primary infection, ACRS caused a significant delay in clearance of LM, loss of body weight, reduced food/water intake, and elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1beta, and TNFalpha) and IFNgamma. ACRS IL-6 KO mice showed higher LM burdens than did IL-6 KO controls, suggesting that IL-6 is not required for the ACRS-impairment of host resistance. Elevated levels of IL-1beta and TNFalpha may compensate for the absence of IL-6 and maintain the ACRS-induced impairment, in that the serum and splenic IL-1beta and TNFalpha levels were significantly higher in infected ACRS IL-6 KO mice, but not in control IL-6 KO mice, as compared to respective wild type controls. ACRS appears to inhibit IL-6 independent mechanisms associated with innate immunity and/or the development of adaptive immunity, but these reactions are unable to modulate the more efficient secondary immune responses.
ON THE LIMIT ANALYSIS OF STABILITY OF SLOPES

ABSTRACT The upper bound theorem of the generalized theory of perfect plasticity is applied to obtain complete numerical solutions for the critical height of an embankment. A rotational discontinuity mechanism (logarithmic spiral) is assumed in the analysis. The analysis includes the existing solutions as a special case, so that it may be considered a generalization of previous solutions.
Transmission of human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus through liver transplantation

The authors clearly present the casefrom their patients’ perspective, allowing the transplantcommunity to review many of the facts regarding theircare. The authors state in the abstract and in the dis-cussion that the transmission occurred secondary tothe donor being within the window period between ini-tial infection and detection of antibodies. This is factu-ally incorrect because it has not been clearly conﬁrmedand hemodilution may have contributed to the lack ofdetection. To date, conﬁrmatory serologic and molecu-lar testing has been conducted only on residual blooddrawn on the donor post-transfusion. Because of legalproceedings, the pretransfusion blood has not had con-ﬁrmatory serologic or molecular testing. Until this isdone, it is impossible to determine whether the negativeserologic testing that was reported to the centers at thetime of the organ offer represented a true negative be-cause the patient was in the window period or if theblood and ﬂuids that the donor had received prior tospecimen collection diluted the sample.Second, an important recommendation from the1994 Public Health Services Guidelines is not includedin the discussion
Resistance to What? How?: Stalled social movements in Cancun

This paper explores the utility and futility of the concept of resistance in relationship to urban popular movements in Cancun. While Cancun has become the most popular tourist destination in Mexico, the city is characterized by severe inequalities and neighborhood segregation, the legacy of city planning. Urban settler movements have organized to pressure the city and state governments for land for purchase, public works, and services; yet the power of these movements has been curtailed by government strategies of co-optation, orchestrated enthusiasm, and the bureaucratization of resistance. Many city residents expressed doubts that democratic elections and settler movements could ever successfully ameliorate their condition of poverty.
Proteomic analysis of acute kidney injury: Biomarkers to mechanisms

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a devastating clinical condition, both in terms of mortality and costs, and is occurring with increasing incidence. Despite better clinical care, the outcomes of AKI have changed little in the last 50 years. This lack of progress is due in part to a lack of early diagnostic biomarkers and a poor understanding of the disease mechanisms. This review will focus on the rapid progress being made in both the understanding of AKI and the promising panel of early biomarkers for AKI that have come out of both direct proteomic analysis of body fluids of AKI patients and more targeted proteomic approaches using clues from other methods such as transcriptomics. This review concludes with a discussion of the future of proteomics and personalized medicine in AKI and the challenges presented in translating these exciting proteomic results to the clinic.
Path planning is no substitute for intelligent behavior

This paper describes our experience implementing navigation behavior for two different autonomous multi-robot systems using two very different approaches. We describe the problems encountered and their solutions and the extensions necessary to support planning for multiple robots in our application domains. We conclude that there are many applications of path-planning that would be well served by the introduction of a little domain specific intelligent behavior as a substitute for brute force path planning over unnecessarily large configuration spaces.
Can adverse selection be avoided in a market for individual health insurance

Adverse selection is a potentially significant problem in the individual (nongroup) health insurance markets if states use regulations to restrict insurance companies' ability to select whom they will insure. In 1993, New Jersey implemented the Individual Health Coverage Program (IHCP), presenting an opportunity to test for adverse selection when insurers' ability to select enrollees is severely restricted. The authors collected socioeconomic, demographic, and health status data from a sample of 2,211 adults covered by IHCP policies and compared the IHCP enrollee characteristics with those of two control groups of New Jersey residents (uninsured adults and adults with employer group insurance). Adverse selection does not appear to have occurred against the IHCP. However, the IHCP premiums were not cheap, and the findings suggest that people who can afford to purchase individual insurance and do so are, on average, healthier than those who do not choose to enroll, probably because the latter cannot afford insurance.
Flow Visualization of Three-Dimensional Large Scale Motions in APG and ZPG Turbulent Boundary Layers

This paper presents a preliminary report detailing 3-D flow visualization images of a zero-pressure gradient (ZPG) and adverse pressure gradient (APG) turbulent boundary layer. A Stratford ramp was designed and constructed to produce a moderate adverse pressure gradient on the wind tunnel wall. The boundary layer flow was seeded with smoke and a high-repetition rate laser light sheet is scanned across the flow. Using a high speed camera, 2-D images of the flow were captured which are then reconstructed into a nearlyinstantaneous 3-D flow visualization image of the turbulent boundary layer. Pressure measurements and 2-D particle image velocimetry (PIV) were performed to characterize the flow with and without the ramp. In the three-dimensional flow visualization images, the ZPG turbulent boundary layer appeared to generally have a smoother, more well-defined boundary edge, outlining larger structures compared to the APG case. In the ZPG images, the large scale vortices appear to be a well-defined shape and show streaks of freestream flow entrainment more often than in the adverse pressure gradient case.
A critical analysis of “a critical analysis of recent research on violent erotica”

Upon reading the article by Mould (1988) we found it difficult to contain our surprise. Why, we wondered, are we debating the merits of two articles (Donnerstein & Berkowitz, 1981; Malamuth & Check, 1980) on the effects of exposure to sexual violence pubiished seven years ago? (The studies described in the articles have been conducted nearly a decade ago.) There has been much additional theorrizing about the effects of exposure to sexual violence in the intervening years, and new findings from many research projects and several reinterpretations of research findings have been pubUshed. Why focus on these two early studies now? Mould's critique is not a critical analysis of research on violent erotica (terms which we have discarded as inconsistent with one another) but, rather, a discussion of two laboratory studies conducted during the inception of a burgeoning area of research now comprised of studies relying on a divserse set of methods and materials. One can always find "fault" with any individual study, particularly with those conducted in the in? fant stages of development of an area of research. A truly adequate critique of this area would involve a complete analysis of all the research conducted to date. This is of special importance when the topic is pornography, where emotions run deep. After reading Mould's paper one is left with the impression that the Malamuth and Check (1980) and Donnerstein and Berkowitz (1981) papers are the definitive statements on the effects of violent pornography. They are not. Many of the issues raised by Mould have been raised by these authors themselves, and responded to in subsequent research and writing. We would suggest that Mould consult a more up-to-date overview and critique of this area, as can be found in a recent book by Donnerstein, Linz, and Penrod (1987) entitled The question of pornography: Research findings and policy implica? tions, or the review by Mulvey and Haugaard (1986) for the Report of the Surgeon General's Workshop on Pornography and Public Health. Much has been accomplished since 1981, and the critical reader in the field needs to be acquainted with the most recent research (see, for example: Donnerstein & Linz, 1986a).
The Retroviral Restriction Ability of SAMHD1, but Not Its Deoxynucleotide Triphosphohydrolase Activity, Is Regulated by Phosphorylation

SAMHD1 is a cellular enzyme that depletes intracellular deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) and inhibits the ability of retroviruses, notably HIV-1, to infect myeloid cells. Although SAMHD1 is expressed in both cycling and noncycling cells, the antiviral activity of SAMHD1 is limited to noncycling cells. We determined that SAMHD1 is phosphorylated on residue T592 in cycling cells but that this phosphorylation is lost when cells are in a noncycling state. Reverse genetic experiments revealed that SAMHD1 phosphorylated on residue T592 is unable to block retroviral infection, but this modification does not affect the ability of SAMHD1 to decrease cellular dNTP levels. SAMHD1 contains a target motif for cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (cdk1) ((592)TPQK(595)), and cdk1 activity is required for SAMHD1 phosphorylation. Collectively, these findings indicate that phosphorylation modulates the ability of SAMHD1 to block retroviral infection without affecting its ability to decrease cellular dNTP levels.
Interpeduncular nucleus organization in the rat: Cytoarchitecture and histochemical analysis

The organization of the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) in the adult rat was analyzed using cytoarchitectonic, histochemical and immunohistochemical methods. Four paired and four unpaired subnuclei can be distinguished in the IPN on the basis of neuronal size, morphology, staining characteristics and packing density. The rostral portion of the IPN contains a rostral dorsal, a rostral ventral and paired rostral lateral and dorsal lateral nuclei. The dorsal lateral nuclei continue into the caudal IPN, which also contains a caudal dorsal, a caudal ventral and paired caudal lateral nuclei. The distribution of extrinsic afferents and of chemically identified intrinsic neuronal and fiber populations within subdivisions of the IPN was examined using immunohistochemistry, acetylcholinesterase histochemistry, catecholamine histofluorescence and the autoradiographic tracing method. Six immunohistochemically distinct neuronal groups are identified in the IPN. Perikarya and axons showing substance P-, leu-enkephalin-, somatostatin-, avian pancreatic polypeptide-, serotonin- and glutamic acid decarboxylase-like immunoreactivity are localized to specific IPN subnuclei. Acetylcholinesterase-positive staining, extrinsic norepinephrine-containing fibers and afferents from the dorsal tegmental nuclei are also distributed specifically to IPN subnuclei. These findings demonstrate a cytoarchitectonic and cytochemical complexity in the rat IPN that implies an important functional role for this poorly understood nuclear complex.
Profile of the American Overseas Executive

In recent years, much has been written about how Americans, particularly business and government executives, behave in foreign countries. This study shows that, in terms of occupational and educational background, U.S. executives are second to none.
The origin of anomalous bond dissociation energies of V+ (H2)n clusters

Abstract The bond dissociation energy defined as the energy gain in adding a H 2 molecule to a V + (H 2 ) n cluster exhibits an anomalous pattern. Instead of decreasing as a function of n , as is the case in Co + (H 2 ) n clusters, it increases as the number of H 2 ligands increases from 5 to 6. To understand the origin of this anomaly we have calculated the equilibrium geometries and energetics of V + (H 2 ) n (1⩽ n ⩽6) clusters using the ab initio self-consistent field molecular orbital theory and the quantum chemical method. The anomaly is found to have a structural origin and is not due to a change in the spin state as has been otherwise suggested.
Performance Study of SIMD Programming Models on Intel Multicore Processors

Modern multicore hardware employs a variety of parallel execution units, including multiple CPU cores for executing multiple threads simultaneously, vector units such as the Intel SIMD on the CPU cores, as well as GPU-like processing arrays. Availability of such unprecedented level of parallelism on main-stream computers offers an enormous potential to enable a new generation of computation-intensive nontraditional applications. On the other hand, how to best harness the hardware parallelism presents a new challenge to application programmers, language designers and compiler developers. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of several different parallel execution models, especially the new SIMD vectorization methods, supported by the latest Intel ICC compiler (version 12.1), using three computation-intensive nontraditional parallel applications as the test workload. Unlike traditional numerical programs, these applications use highly irregular data structures and therefore present nontrivial challenges to effective use of SIMD vector units. The first application is a game engine architecture requiring real-time performance. The second application involves a kd-tree traversal, which is typical to the state-of-the-art 3D ray-tracing applications. The last application processes data for large-scale weather visualization system in the order of tens of minutes. We compare the execution time of these codes using different SIMD models supported by ICC in conjunction with parallel threading under TBB and OpenMP.
Nonlinear instability to low m,n=1 error fields in DIII-D as a function of plasma fluid rotation and beta

Experimental results in the DIII-D tokamak demonstrate that discharges are more robust with regard to external nonaxisymmetric error fields as the plasma fluid rotation is increased, but more sensitive as beta is increased. In a series of discharges, the plasma fluid rotation and beta are varied by the number and type ('tangential' and/or 'perpendicular') of neutral beams. For each discharge, once rotation and plasma kinetic energy are equilibrated, an external coil is used to slowly increase the low m,n=1 resonant, static error field until a locked mode instability occurs. A larger critical error field is needed to nonlinearly induce instability in discharges spinning more rapidly. However, at higher beta, the plasmas become more unstable with increasing beta despite the faster rotation. The beta limit in tokamaks can be reduced by locked modes nonlinearly induced by modest error fields
Subcellular localization of the mosquito sterol carrier protein-2 and sterol carrier protein-x

Subcellular distribution of Aedes aegypti sterol carrier protein-2 (AeSCP-2) and AeSCP-x was studied using electron microscopy. In both cultured A. aegypti cells and in the larval midgut, AeSCP-2 was detected mostly in the cytosol, with some labeling mitochondria and nucleus, but not in membranous vesicles. The widespread distribution of AeSCP-2 in the midgut epithelium is consistent with its potential lipid transfer function in all phases of cholesterol absorption. In contrast, AeSCP-x was found mostly in the peroxisome. Differences in the subcellular distribution of AeSCP-2 and AeSCP-x suggest that these two members of the SCP-2 gene family are functionally distinct. Overexpression of AeSCP-2 in A. aegypti cells showed increased localization of AeSCP-2 to cytosol, mitochondria, and nucleus. This is the first report on the nuclear distribution of an SCP. Overexpression of AeSCP-2 resulted in increased cholesterol incorporation in cells, suggesting that AeSCP-2 enhances cholesterol uptake.
Motivating Creativity and Enhancing Innovation through Employee Suggestion System Technology

Research has found that employee suggestion systems are a useful way to obtain and utilize employees’ creative ideas. To be effective, employees must be motivated to think creatively and to participate in the suggestion system. Unfortunately, motivating employees to participate is a common weakness of suggestion systems. Motivating employees involves more than simply offering rewards to submitters if their suggestions are put to use. According to expectancy theory, rewards will only motivate behaviour if the rewards are valued, if they are closely linked to successful performance, and if employees believe that they can perform successfully. This paper applies expectancy theory to the problem of motivating employees to participate in a suggestion system. We describe suggestion system technology that will increase employees’ motivation to think creatively and participate in the system.
Investigation of NCN and prompt-NO formation in low-pressure C1–C4 alkane flames

Abstract Temperature, CH, NCN, and NO profiles were measured for eight low-pressure hydrocarbon flames fueled by methane, ethane, propane, and butane using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) diagnostics. These measurements were used (1) to assess NCN and prompt-NO formation chemistry across a series of fuels of increasing number of carbons at different equivalence ratios (ϕ = 1.07 and 1.28); (2) to examine the predictive capabilities of current C1–C4 hydrocarbon and NCN formation/consumption combustion mechanisms on properly capturing prompt-NO formation and (3) to examine the postulation that additional prompt-NO precursors (other than CH) exist for fuels larger than methane. For a given equivalence ratio, the measured peak CH concentration is fairly constant across all four fuels, while both the peak NCN and post-flame NO concentrations steadily increase. Furthermore, it is found that as the fuels increase in number of carbons, i.e., methane to butane, the correlation between the peak NCN and post-flame NO remains high, while the correlation between peak CH and peak NCN and peak CH and post-flame NO becomes increasingly lower. This is especially evident for rich flame cases. The experimental profiles are compared to numerical calculations using two comprehensive kinetic mechanisms suitable for C4 chemistry, where the CH + N2 → NCN + H reaction is assumed as the only prompt-NO initiation reaction. For the ϕ = 1.28 flame cases, CH is over-predicted using both mechanisms for all four fuels and by as much as 60%, while for the ϕ = 1.07 cases, CH is predicted to within 15% of the experimentally-derived results, although there is some discrepancy concerning the spatial locations of the CH profiles. For both NCN and NO, there is an increasing under-prediction for the ϕ = 1.28 cases as the fuel increases in number of carbons, while for the ϕ = 1.07 cases there is a systematic under-prediction of NCN and NO with a weaker (although evident) fuel dependence. From the experimental results and the comparison to modeling predictions, it is apparent that additional work concerning CH formation and consumption kinetics is necessary to accurately capture the CH concentration profiles across a broad range of conditions. Furthermore the comparisons to the modeling predictions using only a single prompt-NO precursor, CH, indicate a reasonable plausibility that (an) additional prompt-NO precursor (s) exist and become important when considering fuels larger than methane, especially under rich flame conditions. Possible precursors in addition to CH are discussed.
Protecting applications with transient authentication

How does a machine know who is using it? Current systems authenticate their users infrequently, and assume the user's identity does not change. Such persistent authentication is inappropriate for mobile and ubiquitous systems, where associations between people and devices are fluid and unpredictable. We solve this problem with Transient Authentication, in which a small hardware token continuously authenticates the user's presence over a short-range, wireless link. We present the four principles underlying Transient Authentication, and describe two techniques for securing applications. Applications can be protected transparently by encrypting in-memory state when the user departs and decrypting this state when the user returns. This technique is effective, requiring just under 10 seconds to protect and restore an entire machine, but indiscriminate. Instead, applications can utilize an API for Transient Authentication, protecting only sensitive state. We describe our ports of three applications---PGP, SSH, and Mozilla---to this API. Mozilla, the most complicated application we have ported, suffers less than 4% overhead in page loads in the worst case, and in typical use can be protected in less than 250 milliseconds.
Planners Learning and Creating Power A Community of Practice Approach

Learning networks, such as a community of practice, can be an important way for planners to gain access to, and power in, new professional knowledge domains. In this manuscript, the authors develop, implement, and evaluate a community of practice model for planning education and practice in energy and sustainability planning. The authors find that although this active, learner-centered method helps enable flexible, self-directed study for those learning new content, there is a strong need for leadership in heterogeneous learning networks to help participants overcome problems created by social position and structuration within the network. New knowledge formation within learning networks ultimately challenges some of the planning profession's fundamental assumptions about the validity of “moving knowledge into practice” in contexts with uncertainty.
Light-polarization dynamics in surface-emitting semiconductor lasers.

A four-level model which takes account of the polarization of the laser field by including the spin sublevels of the conduction and valence bands of a semiconductor allows us to introduce vector rate equations which account for the polarization degree of freedom of the laser emission. Analysis of these rate equations and their extension to include transverse degrees of freedom provides important physical insight into the nature of polarization instabilities in surface-emitting semiconductor lasers. In the absence of transverse effects the model predicts a marginally stable linearly polarized state. The type of dynamical response of the polarization degrees of freedom is linked to the relative time scale of spontaneous-emission and spin-relaxation processes. With transverse effects included, we predict the existence of stable transverse spatially homogeneous intensity outputs with arbitrary direction of linear polarization in the transverse plane. The stability of the off-axis emission solutions to long-wavelength perturbations is investigated and, in addition to an Eckhaus instability associated with a global phase, we predict a polarization instability associated with a relative phase of the complex field vector. The role of phase anisotropy in the laser cavity is explored close to threshold and we predict that it stabilizes two preferred orthogonal directions of polarization, which, however, are discriminated in their stability properties by transverse effects.
Effects of the catalyst and substrate thickness on the carbon nanotubes/nanofibers as supercapacitor electrodes

The different growth conditions of carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/carbon nanofibers (CNFs) which lead to different characteristics when used as supercapacitor electrodes are reported. A layer of SiO2 was coated onto the Si substrate and then a layer of Ti was evaporated as a current collector. CNTs/CNFs were synthesized on the Ti surface via a water-assisted chemical vapor deposition method at 800 °C and at atmospheric pressure utilizing iron (Fe) nanoparticles as catalysts, ethylene (C2H4) as the precursor gas and argon (Ar) and hydrogen (H2) as the carrier gases. The effects of different thicknesses of the catalyst (5 and 10 nm) and Ti substrate layer (10, 30 and 150 nm) on the specific capacitance of the CNFs were studied and the capacitance of the CNTs/CNFs-based device was dependent on CNT/CNF morphology of the CNFs that varied for different combinations of the catalyst and Ti layer thicknesses. The characterization of CNTs/CNFs was carried out using scanning electron microscopy, electron dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. The specific capacitance was measured using cyclic voltammetry via a three-electrode system. The highest specific capacitance (60 F g−1) was obtained in the sample grown with 5 nm of Fe catalyst onto 10 nm of Ti substrate.
Ce-Duox1/BLI-3 Generated Reactive Oxygen Species Trigger Protective SKN-1 Activity via p38 MAPK Signaling during Infection in C. elegans

Infected animals will produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other inflammatory molecules that help fight pathogens, but can inadvertently damage host tissue. Therefore specific responses, which protect and repair against the collateral damage caused by the immune response, are critical for successfully surviving pathogen attack. We previously demonstrated that ROS are generated during infection in the model host Caenorhabditis elegans by the dual oxidase Ce-Duox1/BLI-3. Herein, an important connection between ROS generation by Ce-Duox1/BLI-3 and upregulation of a protective transcriptional response by SKN-1 is established in the context of infection. SKN-1 is an ortholog of the mammalian Nrf transcription factors and has previously been documented to promote survival, following oxidative stress, by upregulating genes involved in the detoxification of ROS and other reactive compounds. Using qRT-PCR, transcriptional reporter fusions, and a translational fusion, SKN-1 is shown to become highly active in the C. elegans intestine upon exposure to the human bacterial pathogens, Enterococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Activation is dependent on the overall pathogenicity of the bacterium, demonstrated by a weakened response observed in attenuated mutants of these pathogens. Previous work demonstrated a role for p38 MAPK signaling both in pathogen resistance and in activating SKN-1 upon exposure to chemically induced oxidative stress. We show that NSY-1, SEK-1 and PMK-1 are also required for SKN-1 activity during infection. Evidence is also presented that the ROS produced by Ce-Duox1/BLI-3 is the source of SKN-1 activation via p38 MAPK signaling during infection. Finally, for the first time, SKN-1 activity is shown to be protective during infection; loss of skn-1 decreases resistance, whereas increasing SKN-1 activity augments resistance to pathogen. Overall, a model is presented in which ROS generation by Ce-Duox1/BLI-3 activates a protective SKN-1 response via p38 MAPK signaling.
A graph realization approach to network identification

In this paper, we examine the problem of identifying the interaction geometry among a known number of agents, adopting a consensus-type algorithm for their coordination. The proposed identification process is facilitated by introducing “ports” for steering a subset of network vertices via an appropriately defined interface and observing the network's response at another set of vertices. Using the fact that system identification provides a realization of the original network, we utilize transformations to identify a graph topology that is compatible with the set of input-output data. An example demonstrates the application of the proposed method.
DNA Dynamics under Nano-Confinement

DNA polymer dynamics are fundamental to the function of biological systems. Examples include gene regulation, cell division, threading and transport through pores. We studied the dynamics of DNA molecules ranging in length from 40bp to 20kbp both in solution and under confinement in nano-slits. DNA molecules were 2-color end labeled and their internal polymer dynamics were observed by fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence cross correlation spectroscopy. We also present a modified fitting model for FCCS results taking into account confocal volume overlap imperfection and nano-slit confinement. We experimentally determined the diffusion coefficients of a range of different weight DNA molecules. Better understanding internal polymer dynamics under nano-confinement has potential applications in genomic sequencing, single biomolecule manipulation, and separations as well as the ability to address fundamental research questions in biophysics and molecular biology.
The role of fibrin as a ligand for ICAM-1 and PMN in melanoma adhesion under different shear conditions.

One of the predominant cause of cancer patient death is the metastatic spread of tumor cells. The leading step in melanoma extravasation is the tumor cell adhesion to the endothelium of the capillaries. However, melanoma cells do not express the appropriate adhesion molecules to bind to an activated endothelium. Previous studies have found neutrophils facilitate melanoma cell adhesion under dynamic flow conditions throught the binding of ICAM-1 on melanoma cells and β 2 integrins on PMNs. In addition, soluble fibrin (sFn) is a marker for propagated intravascular coagulation and have a dramatical increase in cancer patients' laboratory coagulation inspections . Soluble fibrin molecule has both receptors for Mac-1 on PMNs and ICAM-1 on tumor cell surface which may affect the tumor cell adherence to endothelial wall surface via PMN. The objective of this study is to investigate the role of soluble fibrin on PMN facilitated tumor cell adherence to endothelial wall and how different effects of hydrodynamic shear stress and shear rate affects the force of adhesion to vessel wall.
KK electron capture cross sections for 0.4 to 1.5 MeV 11H + and 1.0 to 2.0 MeV 24He+ projectiles incident on gaseous CH4 targets

Abstract The ratio of the cross section for KK electron capture to the total K-vacancy production cross section is measured by an electron-ion time-of-flight coincidence technique for 0.4 to 1.5 MeV 1 1 H + and 1.0 to 2.0 MeV 2 4 He + projectiles under single collision conditions with gaseous CH 4 targets. Electron capture cross sections were determined by multiplying the measured ratios by the total K-vacancy production cross sections which were measured in a separate experiment. In that experiment the integrated yield per incident projectile in the Auger-electron-peak for 0.6 MeV 1 1 H + projectiles was normalized to 9.54 × 10 −19 cm 2 , the absolute cross section of Stolterfoht and Schneider [23]. The total K-vacancy production cross sections on this absolute scale were used to extract the electron capture cross sections reported here.
Practical Solutions for Pesticide Safety: Translating and Disseminating Research, Evaluating Impact

Kit Galvin, MS CIH; Jennifer Krenz, MS MPH; Pablo Palmandez, MSPacific Northwest Agricultural Safety & Health Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USAThis project’s purposes are t...
Who cares about human rights

Previous studies of human rights attitudes are reviewed, new measures are reported, and a three-factor model is identified (Human Rights Endorsement, Commitment, and Restriction). Individual differences that predict attitudes on each factor overlapped but differed. Dispositional empathy, education, and global knowledge contributed to an endorsement of human rights ideals, but none of these affected commitment or restriction. Globalism (vs. nationalism) and principled moral reasoning strengthened human rights commitment, while ethnocentrism and the social dominance orientation weakened it. Authoritarianism, ethnocentrism, and belief that the world cannot be changed increased a willingness to restrict the rights of unpopular groups, while principled moral reasoning and self-rated liberalism decreased it. In short, the individual differences that influence human rights attitudes depend substantially upon which dimension of these attitudes is considered.
Effect of amphetamine place conditioning on excitatory synaptic events in the basolateral amygdala ex vivo

The basolateral amygdala (BLA) plays an important role in the formation of associations between context and drug. BLA activity and BLA-dependent drug-seeking behavior are driven by excitatory inputs. Drug-seeking behavior driven by context involves participation of the BLA, and plasticity of excitatory inputs to the BLA may contribute to this behavior. In this study, amphetamine conditioned place preference (AMPH CPP) was used to model the formation of context-drug associations. Learning-induced changes of excitatory synapses within the BLA were examined. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to one of three groups, the experimental group (AMPH CPP) or one of two control groups (saline or AMPH delayed pairing). Approximately 24 h after testing their preference, spontaneous and miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs and mEPSCs, respectively) in BLA pyramidal neurons were investigated using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. There were no between-groups differences in the amplitude or frequency of sEPSCs or mEPSCs. In a higher osmolarity solution to increase release, there was a significantly greater frequency of the mEPSCs in neurons from AMPH CPP animals compared with controls. This was observed with no change detected in the probability of glutamate release. Together, these data demonstrate no evidence for increased synaptic strength, but are consistent with an increase in the number of synapses in the BLA after AMPH CPP. These findings may underlie increased excitatory drive of the BLA after AMPH CPP, and contribute to the animals' preference for the AMPH-paired compartment.
Adaptive amino acid composition in collagens of parasitic nematodes

Amino acid composition was analyzed in the glycine-rich repeat region of 306 collagens belonging to three major families of collagens from both parasitic and free-living nematodes. The collagens of parasitic species showed a tendency toward decreased usage of the hydrophilic residues A, D, and Q and increased usage of the hydrophobic resides I, L, and M; and this trend was seen in parasitic species of both the order Rhabdita and the order Spirurida. The amino acid composition of collagens of parasitic Rhabdita thus tended to resemble those of Spirurida more than that of free-living Rhabdita, suggesting an association between amino acid composition and a parasitic lifestyle. Computer predictions suggested that the more hydrophobic amino acid composition was associated with a reduction of the propensity towards B-cell epitope formation, suggesting that evasion of host immune responses may be a major selective factor responsible for the parasite-specific trend in collagen amino acid composition.
Normal Cell-Type Epigenetics and Breast Cancer Classification: A Case Study of Cell Mixture–Adjusted Analysis of DNA Methylation Data from Tumors

Historically, breast cancer classification has relied on prognostic subtypes. Thus, unlike hematopoietic cancers, breast tumor classification lacks phylogenetic rationale. The feasibility of phylogenetic classification of breast tumors has recently been demonstrated based on estrogen receptor (ER), androgen receptor (AR), vitamin D receptor (VDR) and Keratin 5 expression. Four hormonal states (HR0–3) comprising 11 cellular subtypes of breast cells have been proposed. This classification scheme has been shown to have relevance to clinical prognosis. We examine the implications of such phylogenetic classification on DNA methylation of both breast tumors and normal breast tissues by applying recently developed deconvolution algorithms to three DNA methylation data sets archived on Gene Expression Omnibus. We propose that breast tumors arising from a particular cell-of-origin essentially magnify the epigenetic state of their original cell type. We demonstrate that DNA methylation of tumors manifests patterns consistent with cell-specific epigenetic states, that these states correspond roughly to previously posited normal breast cell types, and that estimates of proportions of the underlying cell types are predictive of tumor phenotypes. Taken together, these findings suggest that the epigenetics of breast tumors is ultimately based on the underlying phylogeny of normal breast tissue.
Effect of Proton Diffusion, Electron Conductivity, and Charge‐Transfer Resistance on Nickel Hydroxide Discharge Curves

Constant‐current discharge curves for the nickel hydroxide electrode are simulated assuming resistances due to diffusion of protons and conduction of electrons through the nickel hydroxide film, and charge‐transfer resistance at the film/electrolyte interface contribute to the polarization losses of the electrode. Good qualitative agreement is observed between the model predictions and experimental discharge curves. The results suggest that polarization losses due to diffusional limitations of protons is a critical factor in determining the characteristics of the discharge curve. Ohmic resistance has a significant effect on the discharge curves at the end of discharge, and charge‐transfer resistance is a minor contributor to the polarization losses. These findings indicate that accurately measuring the diffusion coefficient of protons, the thickness of the hydroxide film, the initial state‐of‐charge, and the electronic conductivity as a function of state‐of‐charge towards the end of discharge are critical in accurately predicting the discharge characteristics of nickel hydroxide. Physical constants which were shown to have minor influence on the discharge curves are the film conductivity at the beginning of discharge, and the exchange current density and cathodic transfer coefficient for the reaction. The time‐dependent, one‐dimensional diffusion equation has been solved analytically which should provide a computationally efficient means of accounting for proton diffusion and variable electronic conductivity in a macrohomogeneous battery model without sacrificing accuracy.