cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Breast cancer cells induce osteoblast apoptosis: A possible contributor to bone degradation

Breastcancercellsexhibitapredilection formetastasistobone.There,themetastasesusuallybringabout bone loss with accompanying pain and loss of function. One way that breast cancer cells disrupt the normal pattern of bone remodeling is by activating osteoclasts, the bone degrading cells. Nevertheless, targeting the osteoclasts does not cure the disease or result in bone repair. These observations indicate that osteoblast function also may be compromised. The objective of this study was to investigate the interaction of metastatic breast cancer cells with osteoblasts. Human metastatic breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-435 or MDA-MB-231, or their conditioned media were co-cultured with a human osteoblast line hFOB1.19. The breast cancer cells caused an increase in the prevalence of apoptotic osteoblasts. Apoptotic osteoblasts detected by the TUNEL assay or by caspase activity increased approximately two to fivefold. This increase was not seen with non-metastatic MDA-MB-468 cells. In an investigation of the mechanism, it was determined thatthehFOB1.19cellsexpressedfasandthatfaswasfunctional.LikewisethehFOB1.19cellsweresusceptibletoTNF-a, but this cytokine was not detected in the conditioned medium of the breast cancer cells. This study indicates that osteoblasts are the target of breast cancer cell-induced apoptosis, but fas/fas-ligand and TNF-a, two common initiators of cell death, are probably not involved in this aspect of the metastases/bone cell axis. There are several mechanisms that remain to be explored in order to determine how breast cancer cells bring about osteoblast apoptosis. Even though the specific initiator of apoptosis remains to be identified, the results of this study suggest that the mechanism is likely to be novel. J. Cell. Biochem. 91: 265-276, 2004. 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
On Sources of Error in Finite Element Simulations of Blast Effects in the Human Brain

Recent military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in an increase in the number of blast related traumatic brain injuries (blast-TBI). It is assumed that the primary mechanism for blast-TBI is the interaction between the blast pressure wave and the central nervous system, but the details of this mechanism are poorly understood. The conditions of such blast injuries are highly variable, and the presence or absence of protective devices such as vehicles or helmets is presumed to have a strong influence on pressure waves. Because of the complexity of this problem and the difficulty of in situ measurement of these effects in actual combat scenarios, one approach is to develop efficient numerical simulations that have the fidelity to reliably model the interaction of the brain and the pressure and shear waves. Here we examine the distribution of pressures and principal strains (stretches) in a brain impinged upon by a blast wave incident from orthogonal directions as simulated by a finite element coupled fluid-solid dynamic interaction framework. We assess the various sources of errors in finite element simulations of wave propagating through tissue, the modeling error, the discretization error, and the error of input parameters (data uncertainty). We conclude that the least important source of error is the assumption of linear kinematics and linear constitutive equation. The discretization error is significant, and controlling it will remain a challenge. The most significant source of error is found to be the input parameter uncertainty (experimental variability) and lack of knowledge of the detailed mechanics of deformation of the brain tissues under conditions of blast loading.
Massive Star Distribution in External Galaxies and Starburst Regions

Counts of hot and luminous stars in a number of associations in the Galaxy and Magellanic Clouds enable one to directly investigate the numbers and types of massive stars. There seems to be little, if any, dependence of the slope of the Intial Mass Function, or the Mupper on the initial composition of the stars. Indirect estimates of numbers of massive stars in various more distant environments are reviewed and discussed within a framework of a calibration of the methods using the stellar census of 30 Doradus. Very young starbursts, containing large numbers of massive stars, seem to be composed of smaller sub-units similar or somewhat larger than that object. These units might be newly born globular clusters.
Cyclotron radiation in Alcator tokamak

Abstract Observation of emission at the electron cyclotron harmonics in Alcator has elucidated the problems of polarization in the emission and propagation through the plasma. The thermal emission provides continous direct measurement of electron temperature. Nonthermal emission is also observed, related to runaway electrons in the plasma.
Design Aspects Of The University Of Texas 7.6M Telescope - Part II

The University of Texas 7.6m telescope design has evolved through several stages, each bringing added strength. and efficiency to a well-planned overall approach. The current design is based on an f/1.8 primary focal ratio with an f/13.5 Nasmyth beam directed through the elevation bearings. Recent studies include consideration of a class of correctors defined for an fill.° internal (Epps) focus by Charles F. W. Harmer, optical consultant. A standard Surrurier truss arrangement for the optical support structure assures equal gravity flexure. The Nasmyth flat and corrector housing are supported by a rigid elevation box structure. In the area of primary mirror design and support, research toward a superlative design is still in progress, primarily to take advantage of the rapidly emerging techniques of high efficiency borosilicate spin casting developed at the University of Arizona. There are some significant tradeoffs in terms of rib structure, span of unribbed sections, total weight, casting difficulty, and design of a tunable mirror support. A ribbed borosilicate mirror of the 7.6m class is very nearly passively supportable, provided the image specifications are not too stringent, and its figure stability can be made considerably better than any mirror extant with a modest amount of force variation in the axial support mechanism. Mirror support consists of a combination of pneumatic and counterweighted flotation systems with a low bandwidth tuning system added for figure improvement. Large classes of external loads, to be expected in a realistic observatory environment, may be obviated by such a system.
Polarization of the Scattered Light in the Isotropic Phase of a Cholesteric Liquid Crystal

Abstract In the only measurement to date of the ratio Rd of depolarized to polarized light scattering intensities in the isotropic phase of a cholesteric liquid crystal, Harada and Crooker reported that the value of ¾ predicted by the order parameter fluctuation theory of de Gennes was not observed. We present here measurements of Rd in cholesteryl olevl carbonate (COC) using a more precise rotating polarizer technique. Rd is observed to have a strong temperature dependence which we can explain by the de Gennes theory plus an additional fluctuating component as described by Courtens.
A multi-scale simulation of tungsten film delamination from silicon substrate

To bridge the different spatial scales involved in the process of tungsten (W) film delaminating from silicon (Si) substrate, a multi-scale simulation procedure is proposed via a sequential approach. In the proposed procedure, a bifurcation-based decohesion model, which represents the link between molecular and continuum scales, is first formulated within the framework of continuum mechanics. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of a single crystal W block under tension is conducted to investigate the effect of specimen size and loading rate on the material properties. The proposed decohesion model is then calibrated by using MD simulation of a single crystal W block under tension and using available experimental data, with a power scaling law to account for the size effect. A multi-scale model-based simulation of W film delamination from Si substrate is performed by using the proposed procedure within the framework of the material point method. The simulated results provide new insights into the mechanisms of the film delamination process.
A simple approximation for modeling nonstationary queues

Evaluation of the behavior of queues with nonstationary arrival processes is of importance in several applications including communication networks. However, the analysis of nonstationary queues is in general computationally complex and seldom produces closed form expressions. Thus approximation methods may be more appropriate. The pointwise stationary fluid flow approximation (PSFFA) for determining the mean queue length of nonstationary queues is presented. The PSFFA combines steady state queueing results with a simple fluid flow model to develop a single nonlinear differential equation model of the queue. Numerical integration techniques are used to solve the PSFFA model and the method is illustrated by several examples. The power of this approach is that it can handle very general queueing systems.
On Discreteness of the Hopf Equation

The principle aim of this essay is to illustrate how different phenomena is captured by different discretizations of the Hopf equation and general hyperbolic conservation laws. This includes dispersive schemes, shock capturing schemes as well as schemes for computing multi-valued solutions of the underlying equation. We introduce some model equations which describe the behavior of the discrete equation more accurate than the original equation. These model equations can either be conveniently discretized for producing novel numerical schemes or further analyzed to enrich the theory of nonlinear partial differential equations.
Education for the Knowledge Economy

In the changes that have occurred in western education in the last two decades we have seen national education systems moving from what would have been called a liberal education, to what is, essentially, a technocratic and entrepreneurial education, preparing the young for work in the knowledge economy. As an exemplar, previously, in New Zealand technology education was done in science departments in the universities, in industry and in polytechnics and technical institutions, under day release or as part of an apprenticeship schemes. Now polytechnics have either become universities or offer university studies approved by the National Committee on Educational Achievements (the national degree awarding authority). Whereas, prior to the late 1980s, industry shared the cost of qualification, this has mainly been abandoned, and the cost of acquiring qualifications has been placed more fully upon educational institutions, including schools, and upon the learner.1 As a result the problems of entering the knowledge economy – knowledge and professional skills – have also been pushed back upon secondary, and perhaps primary education. This is part of the educationalisation of national, economic and social difficulties, if not problems. In this chapter my concern is with the strategies employed to initiate these changes in education rather than specifically with the content of such changes. As a premise the writings of Jean-Francois Lyotard (1984) characterized the type of knowledge that would be required in the emerging knowledge economies. It would be that of useful and saleable knowledge, and that the criteria for success across institutions would be that of performativity. These criteria will not be elaborated upon here but assumed in what follows. Returning to New Zealand, initially the new subject of technology was introduced into the national educational curriculum (1993) and what were known as practical subjects like sewing and cooking become, in the new terminology, fabric technology and food technology. As my late wife, a domestic science teacher, commented on such curriculum changes, children may not be able in future to sew
Phytophagous Arthropods of Invasive Swallow-Wort Vines (Vincetoxicum spp.) in New York

ABSTRACT Pale swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum rossicum [Kleopow] Barbar.) and black swallow-wort (V. nigrum [L.] Moench), European species of herbaceous, perennial viny milkweeds, have become increasingly invasive in various natural and managed habitats in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada, including low- and high-light habitats. A classical biological control program is being developed, but almost no information was available on the current arthropod fauna for either species in the invaded range. I conducted quantitative surveys on pale and black swallow-wort at several locations in New York State over 3 yr to identify and compare the seasonal assemblage of phytophagous arthropods that are feeding and developing on the plants in sunny and shaded habitats. Of the ≈84 nonpredatory species collected, 10 polyphagous, ectophagous species of native and exotic arthropods were identified, exclusively from the leaves or stems, which could develop to the adult stage and in most cases complete at le...
Beyond The ‘Binaries’: A Methodological Intervention for Interrogating Maps as Representational Practices

Over the past two decades, a growing number of geographers and cartographic historians have critically examined maps as products imbued with power, the social contexts of map production, and the intimate involvement of cartography in Western imperialism and the enlightenment project. More recently, a few scholars have applied critical approaches to studies of map use and interpretation. Much of this work reproduces, at least implicitly, a series of binaries that separate maps as representations of space from spatial practices. In this paper, we offer a methodological intervention by introducing a theorization of ‘map spaces’ as a way to move beyond the duality of representational and non-representational theory in critical cartography. Methodologically framing how we can interrogate the binaries of representation/practice, production/consumption, conceptualization/interpretation, and corporeality/sociality upon which so much analysis is based affords us the opportunity to challenge the presumptions of critical cartography as either the study of mapmaking or map use. We use a tourism map of Fredericksburg, Virginia to demonstrate how to ‘move beyond’ a critical cartography that is based, as some suggest, in an analysis of representation and not practice.
Induction of ovulation and ovarian cancer : a critical review of the literature

Objective To critically examine the possible association between ovulation-inducing drugs and ovarian cancer. Design Medline literature review and cross-reference of published data. Results(s) The studies that have adjusted for the effects of confounding factors such as duration of oral contraceptive use and number of pregnancies have noted an increased risk of ovarian cancer among infertile women who remain childless despite long periods of unprotected intercourse. Whether such women are at risk due to the primary basis for their infertility or factors such as ovulation-inducing drugs, has been the subject of several studies. Overall, the findings on ovarian cancer (especially invasive epithelial and non-epithelial) risk associated with fertility drug treatment are reassuring. However, a stronger association between fertility drug use and borderline tumors of the ovary has been observed. Conclusion(s) Despite the overall reassuring findings of the available studies, there is a need for well-designed clinical trials to understand the possible carcinogenic effects of the ovulation-inducing drugs.
Estimation of the Parameters of a Gaussian Mixture Using the Method of Moments

Given a general n-dimensional bimodal Gaussian mixture, this paper shows how unknown parameters may be found by the method of moments. Three cases are considered-equal modal probabilities, known but not necessarily equal probabilities, and all parameters unknown. The solution involves sample moments no higher than fourth order. For Gaussian mixtures where the number of modes is unknown, fourth-order moments can be used to count them, provided all modes have the same covariance matrix, and their multiplicity is not greater than data dimensionality. Examples of mode-counting and the determination of bimodal parameters are included.
Structure, Context, and Agency in the Reproduction of Black-on-Black Violence

Violence has a substantial impact on morbidity and mortality within the African-American community. While certainly providing insight into macro- and micro-level forces, existing conceptualizations of the race and violence linkage are limited. We discuss these limitations and then offer a more comprehensive and integrated theoretical framework for understanding disparate patterns. Rather than reducing race-specific violence outcomes to social-psychological or deterministic structural factors, the theoretical model we construct suggests that violence among African Americans (and other subordinated racial/ethnic groups for that matter) is best conceived of as a dynamic and emergent phenomenon, patterned by the intersection of social structure, local context, and agency.
Distributed storage with communication costs

Distributed storage systems provide reliable storage of data by dispersing redundancy across multiple nodes. As the individual nodes are unreliable this protects the integrity of the data against failures. In order to maintain this reliability, new nodes must be introduced into the system whenever nodes are lost which restore the redundancy. This process involves having a new node download information from remaining nodes and is known as the repair problem. In this paper, we consider networks with communication costs associated to each link and explore means to minimize the cost of performing these repairs. We do this by considering a generalized method of repair wherein the amount of information downloaded to a new node varies amongst the other nodes in the network. We find that when nodes store the minimum amount of data that the minimum cost can be achieved by quasi-uniform repair, where the same amount of data is downloaded from each node with which communication takes place. We also consider systems with the additional freedom that the amount of storage is allowed to vary from node to node and look at repair cost minimization there as well.
Relation of vitamin B12 and one-carbon metabolism to hydrocephalus in the rat.

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship of a number of factors involved in 1-carbon metabolism to the induction of hydroceph- alus in the rat. Animals raised with a diet deficient in vitamin B12 gave birth to young with congenital hydrocephalus. The addition of an intestinal antibiotic, neo- mycin, to the dams' diets or the parenteral administration of vitamin Biz antagonists did not markedly increase the incidence of congenital abnormalities. The incidence of congenital hydrocephalus was markedly increased by the inclusion in the diet of X-methyl folie acid, a folie acid antagonist. A higher incidence was obtained, how ever, when females were fed a diet deficient in vitamin Bi2 and choline. Methionine and sarcosine in equivalent methyl groups did not offer the same protective effect as did choline. Abnormalities were similar in newborn animals from vitamin Bis-defi cient dams raised with the folie acid antagonist diets or with the choline-deficient diets. Lesions noted in offspring from these animals included: 1) stunted embryonic growth, 2) hydrocephalus, 3) hydro-ureter and hydronephrosis, 4) umbilical hernia, 5) spina bifida and cranioschisis, 6) harelip, and 7) skeletal defects.
Resource stoichiometry elucidates the structure and function of arbuscular mycorrhizas across scales

Despite the fact that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) associations are among the most ancient, abundant and important symbioses in terrestrial ecosystems, there are currently few unifying theories that can be used to help understand the factors that control their structure and function. This review explores how a stoichiometric perspective facilitates integration of three complementary ecological and evolutionary models of mycorrhizal structure and function. AM symbiotic function should be governed by the relative availability of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus (trade balance model) and allocation to plant and fungal structures should depend on the availabilities of these resources (functional equilibrium model). Moreover, in an evolutionary framework, communities of plants and AM fungi are predicted to adapt to each other and their local soil environment (co-adaptation model). Anthropogenic enrichment of essential resources in the environment is known to impact AM symbioses. A more predictive theory of AM structure and function will help us to better understand how these impacts may influence plant communities and ecosystem properties.
Parenting Styles and Gender‐Linked Drinking Behaviors in Dominica

We explored links among adult alcohol consumption, personality, and retrospective childhood rela- tionships with parents using psychometric instruments adapted for use among Dominicans (n 5 58; 25 men and 33 women). Compared to women, men consumed more alcohol and cigarettes, reported lower behavioral inhi- bition, and lower maternal ''caringness'' (all po.05). Results suggest that, with respect to drinking, parenting styles predispose opposite developmental trends for men and women. Women who recalled their mothers as more caring tended to have higher behavioral activation seeking (BAS) scores and also to drink more. For men BAS was negatively correlated with maternal caring, but did not significantly correlate with alcohol consumption. Women who recalled their fathers as more controlling tended to drink less (p 5 .026), but men who recalled their fathers as more controlling tended to drink more (p 5 .0002). Maternal controllingness was also positively associated with alcohol consumption in men (p 5 .002), but showed no association with drinking in women. (child development, mother-child, health, family, personality, alcohol) Relations between parenting and individual identity are core issues in psychological anthropology (Bock 1988; Ingham 1996; Whiting and Whiting 1978). Debates about the influence of cultural context on parental behavior, the consequent socialization of adult intercultural differences, and the relative importance of universalism versus relativism have been major recurring themes (Hinton 1999; Quinn 2005; Wallace 1970). Some theorists have identified a prevailing assumption that cultural knowledge is somehow facsimiled into individual minds (Strauss 1992), and reliably copied back into practices in communities and relationships (Weisner 2009). Nonetheless, some anthropologists have shown interest in questioning the extent to which intracultural or idiosyncratic variation in parenting style or rearing influences lifetime health, well-being, adjustment, or maladjustment. For example, based on longitudinal evidence comparing distinctive parental styles (e.g., countercultural vs. conventional parents in California) Weisner (2009) showed that cultural scripts for parenting can be inconsistent, resulting in unintended consequences such as dependency conflicts and ambivalence among both parents and children.
A comparison study between slotted and unslotted all-optical packet-switched network with priority-based routing

We present a comparison between a slotted and unslotted all-optical packet-switched network with priority-based routing. Packet loss rate below 0.01 with transmitter load less than 0.3 in the unslotted network is achieved by using buffering, limited wavelength conversion and deflection. OCIS codes: (060.4250) Networks.
Statistical microthermometry of synthetic fluid inclusions in quartz during decompression reequilibration

Fluid inclusion microthermometric data are often reported as homogenization temperature frequency histograms. Interpretation of such histograms for a single fluid inclusion assemblage (FIA) of non-reequilibrated fluid inclusions is usually straightforward and provides an accurate determination of the original density (Th) of that FIA. However, interpretation of such histograms for reequilibrated inclusions is more problematic. Decompression experiments using synthetic inclusions in natural quartz and conducted at 2–5 kbar and 600–700 °C with a maximum internal overpressure of 2 kbar indicate that histogram shape reflects the sample's P-T history. Our results further indicate that the mean, mode, range, standard deviation, extreme values, etc., all have a significance with respect to the P-T history of the sample. Thus, a mound-shaped, unimodal histogram with low range is indicative of a nearly isochoric cooling P-T path. A unimodal histogram that is slightly skewed to the right, and with a low standard deviation but high range, results from inclusion deformation in the plastic regime (high temperature/low strain rates). Fluid inclusions deformed plastically show no correlation between size and density. Histogram outliers should not be ignored and may be used to determine an isochore that passes close to the conditions of entrapment (minimum Th) or close to the final reequilibration conditions (maximum Th). The histogram mean Th value corresponds to an isochore that represents the internal overpressure (about 1 kbar) that can be maintained over geologic time by a majority of reequilibrated fluid inclusions. A multimodal histogram with high range and high standard deviation indicates inclusion brittle deformation (low temperature/high strain environments). Fluid inclusions deformed in a brittle manner show strong positive correlation between size and density. Histograms produced in the laboratory show many similarities to histograms for natural samples, offering the hope that laboratory results may be used to interpret P-T histories of natural samples.
A prognostic model of the sea-ice floe size and thickness distribution

Abstract. Sea ice exhibits considerable seasonal and longer-term variations in extent, concentration, thickness, and age, and is characterized by a complex and continuously changing distribution of floe sizes and thicknesses, particularly in the marginal ice zone (MIZ). Models of sea ice used in current climate models keep track of its concentration and of the distribution of ice thicknesses, but do not account for the floe size distribution and its potential effects on air–sea exchange and sea-ice evolution. Accurately capturing sea-ice variability in climate models may require a better understanding and representation of the distribution of floe sizes and thicknesses. We develop and demonstrate a model for the evolution of the joint sea-ice floe size and thickness distribution that depends on atmospheric and oceanic forcing fields. The model accounts for effects due to multiple processes that are active in the MIZ and seasonal ice zones: freezing and melting along the lateral side and base of floes, mechanical interactions due to floe collisions (ridging and rafting), and sea-ice fracture due to wave propagation in the MIZ. The model is then examined and demonstrated in a series of idealized test cases.
Near-field Nanoscale Investigation of Optical Properties of Bi2Se3 Thin-films

Bi2Se3 thin films are imaged in the near-field using spectroscopic scattering type near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) at mid infrared laser wavelength region (9-11μm). Single phases Bi2Se3 thin film structures were prepared by mechanical exfoliation on silicon wafers. We report size and wavelength dependent near-field interaction contrasts in both optical amplitude and phase. We show that near-field optical imaging allows material specific identification and characterization of Bi2Se3 exfoliated samples including the confirmation of residual tape presence or removal in stacked films. We describe an alternative “shear exfoliation” sample preparation method which reliably deposits Bi2Se3 without the possibility of adhesive contaminants.
Abstract WP238: Safety and Outcomes of Stroke Mimics After Thrombolysis: A Single Center Experience

Background: Administration of intravenous (IV) t-PA for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) improves outcomes. The most dreaded complication is intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Some patients have symptoms that impersonate an AIS but are later found to have an alternate diagnosis; these are termed stroke mimics (SM). SM treated with IV t-PA are exposed to hemorrhagic complications without benefit. Objectives: To describe the characteristics, safety, and outcomes of SM patients treated with t-PA under 4.5 hours. Methods: We reviewed all patients hospitalized after IV t-PA treatment at a tertiary care hospital and primary stroke center from January 2008 through December 2011. SMs were determined by review of clinical and imaging findings. SM are described and compared to t-PA treated patients with AIS for demographics, ICH, bleeding complications, and outcomes. Results: We identified 38 SM (12%) and 285 AIS (88%) t-PA treated patients. Compared to AIS, SM patients were younger (55.1 vs. 67.0 yrs, p Conclusion: SM are not uncommon. Treatment of SM with IV t-PA appears to be safe in this cohort. The most common etiologies of stroke mimics were conversion disorder, seizures, and migraine. These results are consistent with existing published data on use of IV t-PA in SMs. Until more specific diagnostics are available, suspected SM should not be a reason to withhold t-PA treatment.
Jagged-1 mediated activation of notch signaling induces complete maturation of human keratinocytes through NF-κB and PPARγ

Establishing an effective epidermal barrier requires a series of coordinated molecular events involving keratinocytes (KCs) within a stratified epithelium. Epidermal maturation depends on convergence of pathways involving components of NF-κB and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) signaling systems that promote terminal differentiation and production of a stratum corneum. The Notch-1 receptor and its ligand Delta-1 have been proposed by others to participate in early events in KC differentiation. Here, we establish differential expression patterns for several Notch receptors and ligands in normal human skin. These immunolocalization findings, together with functional studies demonstrating increased levels of Notch ligand/receptors occurring during the onset of differentiation, prompted use of a soluble Notch ligand, a peptide derived from the most conspicuously expressed ligand in skin, Jagged-1. Exposing submerged KC monolayers to this peptide (JAG-1) in co-presence of elevated calcium ion concentration, produced stratification with loricrin expression. Using a living human epidermal equivalent (EE) model system, when submerged cultures were raised to an air/liquid interface to generate a fully mature epidermis, activation of Notch signaling was detected. Addition of JAG-1 peptide to submerged EEs was sufficient to induce epidermal maturation. Moreover, a soluble decoy Notch inhibitor prevented such differentiation and corneogenesis in human EEs exposed to either an air/liquid interface or to the JAG-1 peptide. In KC monolayers, addition of JAG-1 peptide induced IKKα mediated NF-κB activation, as well as increased PPARγ expression. Immunoprecipitation/Western blot analysis revealed a physical association between the p65 subunit of NF-κB and PPARγ. These results indicate that activation of Notch signaling is necessary for maturation of human epidermis, and activation by a soluble Notch ligand is sufficient to trigger complete KC differentiation including cornification.
Directional Absorption and Emission in Hybrid Polymer-Quantum Dot Nanostructures Studied by Scanning Probe and Fluorescence Microscopy

The optical properties of hybrid organic/quantum dot nanostructures, probed at the single molecule limit by scanning probe and fluorescence microscopy, reveal novel and highly directional absorption and emission characteristics, ideal for polarization-based switching applications.
Model Based Performance Correction Methodology — A Case Study

Correction curves are of great importance in the performance evaluation of heavy duty gas turbines (HDGT). They provide the means by which to translate performance test results from test conditions to the rated conditions. The correction factors are usually calculated using the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) gas turbine thermal model (a.k.a. cycle deck), varying one parameter at a time throughout a given range of interest. For some parameters bi-variate effects are considered when the associated secondary performance effect of another variable is significant. Although this traditional approach has been widely accepted by the industry, has offered a simple and transparent means of correcting test results, and has provided a reasonably accurate correction methodology for gas turbines with conventional control systems, it neglects the associated interdependence of each correction parameter from the remaining parameters. Also, its inherently static nature is not well suited for today’s modern gas turbine control systems employing integral gas turbine aero-thermal models in the control system that continuously adapt the turbine’s operating parameters to the “as running” aero-thermal component performance characteristics.Accordingly, the most accurate means by which to correct the measured performance from test conditions to the guarantee conditions is by use of Model-Based Performance Corrections, in agreement with the current PTC-22 and ISO 2314, although not commonly used or accepted within the industry.The implementation of Model-based Corrections is presented for the Case Study of a GE 9FA gas turbine upgrade project, with an advanced model-based control system that accommodated a multitude of operating boundaries. Unique plant operating restrictions, coupled with its focus on partial load heat rate, presented a perfect scenario to employ Model-Based Performance Corrections.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Penile Cancer: Relation of Extent of Nodal Metastasis to Survival

A retrospective review of 199 patients with penile cancer revealed that the extent of inguinal nodal metastasis was related to survival after radical ilioinguinal dissection. Patients with unilateral inguinal nodal involvement had a 56 per cent median 5-year survival rate, whereas those with bilateral inguinal nodal metastasis, extranodal tumor extension or iliac nodal involvement had a 9 per cent median 5-year survival rate.
Research on Low Frequency Oscillation in Power Grid and Location of Disturbance Source Based on Energy Function

In conventional off-line small signal stability analysis,the low-frequency oscillation modes with negative or weak damping hardly ever appear in conventional small signal stability analysis due to the wide configuration of power system stabilizer(PSS),however,in actual power grids low-frequency oscillation phenomena frequently appear.Based on the analysis on a lot of failures,it was found that low-frequency oscillation could be induced by both occurrence of multiple disturbances and existence of periodic disturbance sources.To offer dynamic security information for dispatchers,an energy function based on tie-line was constructed and the energy was decomposed into oscillating component and quasi-steady component to analyze low-frequency oscillation induced by multiple disturbances in power grid;the traditional branch potential energy was decomposed into periodic and aperiodic components,then using the direction along which the aperiodic component propagated and dissipated the periodic forced disturbance source could be located rapidly and accurately.The effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method were verified by simulation results of an actual large-scale interconnected power grid.
Ric-8A gene deletion or phorbol ester suppresses tumorigenesis in a mouse model of GNAQ(Q209L)-driven melanoma.

The heterotrimeric G protein α subunit oncogenes GNAQ or GNA11 carry Q209X or R183X activating mutations and are present with ~90% frequency in human uveal melanomas. Forced expression of GNAQ/11Q209L in melanocytes is sufficient to drive metastatic melanoma in immune-compromised mice. No known drugs directly target these oncogenic G proteins. Ric-8A is the molecular chaperone that selectively folds Gαq/i/13 subunits. Targeting Ric-8A serves as a rational, yet unexplored approach to reduce the functional abundance of oncogenic Gαq/11 in order to blunt cancer signaling. Here, using mouse melanocyte cell graft tumorigenesis models, we determined that Ric-8A genetic ablation attenuated the abundance and melanoma-driving potential of Gαq-Q209L. A new conditional Ric-8AFlox/Flox; Rosa-CreER+/− mouse strain was derived and used as a tissue source to culture an immortalized, tamoxifen-inducible Ric-8A knockout melanocyte cell line that required 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA, phorbol ester) for growth. The cell line failed to grow tumors when grafted into immune-compromised mice regardless of Ric-8A expression. Stable expression of human GNAQQ209L, but not GNAQWT in the cell line promoted TPA-independent cell proliferation, and upon cell grafting in mice, the initiation and robust growth of darkly-pigmented melanoma tumors. Deletion of Ric-8A in GNAQQ209L cells restored TPA-dependent growth, reduced Gαq-Q209L below detectable levels and completely mitigated tumorigenesis from primary or secondary cell line grafts. Interestingly, TPA treatment of cultured GNAQQ209L cells or host animals grafted with GNAQQ209L cells also sharply reduced Gαq-Q209L abundance and tumorigenic capacity. Finally, tumorigenesis initiated from GNAQQ209L cell grafts, followed by host mouse systemic tamoxifen treatment to delete Ric-8A in the grafted cells completely abrogated GNAQQ209L-driven tumor progression unless a stable human RIC-8A transgene was used to rescue the floxed Ric-8A alleles. Our work defines two new rational targets that may be developed as potential uveal melanoma therapies through reduction of Gαq/11-Q209L oncoprotein abundance: (1) Ric-8A inhibition and (2) phorbol ester treatment.
Industrial Wastewater Treatment Using Anaerobic Fluidized Bed Reactors

Pilot plant results of anaerobic treatment using granular biological fluidized bed treatment for a number of industrial wastes is presented. Wastes containing from 5,000 to 54,000 mg/l, were treated with 65 to 95 percent COD removal in 0.3 to 4.9 days hydraulic detention time. Organic loadings of 3 to 38 kg COD/m 3 -day were used. An energy comparison showed anaerobic treatment to produce a positive energy balance compared to an energy need for comparable activated sludge treatment.
Hydraulic bridges in unsaturated coarse granular media: Influence of bridge size and conductivity on flow through clasts

Abstract Unsaturated flow in coarse granular media must pass through hydraulic bridges (e.g., pendular water, porous connections) that form a physical connection between adjoining clasts. Previous studies suggest that volumetric flow through a porous clast (Q) will be linearly dependent on the cross-sectional area of the hydraulic bridges, and understate the importance of bridge conductivity. Numerical simulations were performed to explore steady-state flow through a spherical clast with identical bridges located at the top and bottom. The cross-sectional area of the bridges relative to that of the clast (A r ) was varied across six orders of magnitude. The ratio of hydraulic conductivity between bridges and clasts (K b /K c ) was varied across 12 orders of magnitude to consider resistive, neutral, and conductive bridges. Results show that hydraulic bridges place a primary control on both Q and flux distribution within the clast. For neutral and conductive bridges (K b /K c ≥1), A r is the dominant factor in determining Q, while K b /K c is the primary control for resistive bridges (K b /K c r and K b /K c . The intra-clast flow distribution shifts outwards as A r increases. Conductive bridges promote this process and resistive bridges impede it.
Mesoporous silica materials and nanoparticles as carriers for controlled and site-specific delivery of gaseous signaling molecules

Abstract Research during the past three decades has revealed that three small “toxic” molecules namely nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) act as important signaling molecules in human physiology and pathology at submicromolar to micromolar levels. Modulations of the levels of these gasotransmitters at specific sites lead to various salutary effects. As a consequence, the quest for discrete and biocompatible molecules as well as delivery platforms that can deliver low doses of the three gasotransmitters under controlled conditions has gained significant momentum. The results of these attempts have now demonstrated that mesoporous silica materials (MSMs) and nanoparticles (MSNs) can serve as excellent carriers for pro-drug molecules and aid in site-specific delivery of the gasotransmitters under various stimuli such as pH change, temperature, and exposure to light. The review focuses on the development of such delivery systems and their biological applications.
Think regionally, act locally?: gardening, cycling, and the horizon of urban spatial politics

ABSTRACTIn the contemporary American urban renaissance, formerly fringe efforts to produce place, conducted by longtime residents and “urban pioneers” alike, now shape mainstream urbanism. Gardening and bicycling are constitutive of contemporary excitement about the city, representing the reinvigoration of the urban neighborhood following the depredations of suburbanization. This paper draws on research in California cities to offer a sympathetic critique of these leading edges of progressive urbanism, arguing that advocates’ overwhelming focus on the local creates a scalar mismatch between the horizon of political action and the problems they hope to address. Even as supporters of gardening and cycling understand themselves as implicitly allied with struggles for the right to the city, their work to produce local space is often blind to, and even complicit in, racialized dynamics of accumulation and exclusion that organize metropolises. The result is a progressive urbanism largely disconnected from broad...
Imaging performance of the BNL PET imaging system for plant science

A PET scanner for the purpose of plant imaging has been developed by the BNL PET imaging group. The compact design of the integrated system permits its use within a plant growth chamber, in which various radioisotopes can be administered and tracked throughout the plant. The scanner has seen multiple upgrades, which improve its capability to investigate aspects of plant biology related to biofuels using radiotracer methods. These include the development of real-time feedback on data quality and a streamlined user interface. Further, a programmable movable stage allows us to focus on particular regions of interest in the plant, as well as extend the field of view to span the entire plant in a vertical scanning mode. We will present imaging results from PET studies conducted in association with the plant biology group at BNL.
GEOGRAFÍA, ANSIEDAD E "IMITATIO" EN LA PENITENCIA DE LA SIERRA MORENA

The geography as a fictional and literary space in Don Quijote has been ignored by most of the critics. My work offers an analisis on the fictional aspect of the scenic frame for the creation of the penitencial adventure of Don Quijote in the Sierra Morena. The adventure is explained by the concept of imitatio, which manifests the anxiety of influence in Don Quijote. To analize this adventure I use the theories of imitation that Harold Bloom presents in his book The Anxiety of Influence. The thesis is that geography, anxiety, and imitatio form an interweaving fabric that is necessary and justifiable to understand the intrinsic meaning of the adventure in the Sierra Morena.
Mining Massive Amounts of Genomic Data: A Semiparametric Topic Modeling Approach

ABSTRACTCharacterizing the functional relevance of transcription factors (TFs) in different biological contexts is pivotal in systems biology. Given the massive amount of genomic data, computational identification of TFs is emerging as a useful approach to bridge functional genomics with disease risk loci. In this article, we use large-scale gene expression and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) data corpuses to conduct high-throughput TF-biological context association analysis. This work makes two contributions: (i) From a methodological perspective, we propose a unified topic modeling framework for exploring and analyzing large and complex genomic datasets. Under this framework, we develop new statistical optimization algorithms and semiparametric theoretical analysis, which are also applicable to a variety of large-scale data analyses. (ii) From an experimental perspective, our method generates an informative list of tumor-related TFs and their possible effected tumor types. Our data-driven analysis ...
Why Place Really Matters: A Qualitative Approach to Housing Preferences and Neighborhood Effects

AbstractThe idea that a person’s neighborhood or zip code can predict his or her life outcomes has motivated a host of housing policies aimed at redressing racial segregation and breaking up areas of concentrated poverty. This article critically examines underlying assumptions about high-poverty neighborhoods that motivate those policies. Using ethnographic methods, I present the location preferences of residents living in a low-income neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio, and show the ways in which their perceptions of their neighborhood run counter to common portrayals. This analysis provides clues as to why the underlying logic of dispersal and mobility may be flawed. I conclude that place matters very much to people living in this neighborhood, just not in the way commonly implied by dispersal and mobility policy advocates. The implication is that stability, rather than mobility, ought to be the focus of more housing discussions.
Exploring Advance Interactions for Augmented Reality: From Casual Activities to In-Situ 3D Modeling

Recent emerging technologies in graphics computation, computer vision, tracking techniques, and display hardware have been accelerating transferring augmented reality (AR) applications to wider, realistic use scenarios. While AR technologies are maturing, studying appropriate interactions for AR becomes equally significant. Driven by this strong need, in this paper we focus on discussing advance interactions for creating, manipulating, and authoring virtual contents in an intuitive manner. We propose to investigate AR interactions for traditional casual applications such as visualizing contents within context, and for complex situations including In-Situ 3D modeling using AR. From our previous works, multi-modal wearable inputs, 3D interactions around mobile devices, and context aware touch inputs have been explored for different applications. Moreover, my on-going research projects and future research directions are structured in the later sections of the paper.
Protein Metabolism in the Elderly: Molecular and Cellular Aspects

Abstract Aging is associated with a gradual loss in protein mass and physical function due to metabolic dysregulations that result in an imbalance between net rates of protein synthesis and degradation. Aging affects protein and amino acid metabolism in many tissues, including skeletal muscle, splanchnic tissues, cardiovascular tissues, skin, and brain. The characteristic loss of muscle protein that occurs during aging is predominantly due to a decline in sensitivity of the protein synthetic processes that respond to acute anabolic stimuli such as nutrition and exercise. Nutritional intake, physical activity, and endocrine function tend to decline with aging and further contribute to the decline in metabolic function and physical health. Metabolic stressors including oxidative and nitrositive reactive species and the accumulation of posttranslational proteins modifications are central to the age-related dysregulation of protein and amino acid metabolism and the development of sarcopenia and frailty.