cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Restricted Fetch and Φ operations for parallel processing

This paper discusses a restricted form of the general Fetch&P operation and how the restricted form can be combined. In this restricted form, all processors participating in the combining have identical Fetch&P operations. Most applications of Fetch&P proposed in the literature satisfy the restrictions imposed. We show how this restricted form of Fetch&P allows an easy implementation of combining, especially in bus-based multiprocessors and multiprocessors with a separate synchronization memory. Applications of the proposed restricted Fetch&P operation are also considered.
The relative efficacy of stimulus versus reinforcement control for obtaining stable performance change

To examine the relative power of stimulus versus reinforcement control for obtaining a stable performance change, particularly with regard to quality, 108 male college subjects were reinforced for high speed performance during a preliminary conditioning period. Half the subjects then received a Persuasive Influence regarding quality, and all subjects completed attitude measures. Finally, all subjects performed experimentally and were either reinforced for quality or for quantity. In one condition, reinforcement for quality was announced prior to the first experimental trial. The results of the experiment were that subjects' Attitudes Toward Quality were not altered by the Persuasive Influence, and neither the Persuasive Influence nor the Announcement of reinforcement for quality produced any immediate or longer-run effects on subjects' performances. At final performance levels, however, quality was significantly higher (p < .001) and quantity was significantly lower (p < .001) for subjects who had been reinforced for quality rather than quantity during their experimental trials. The results suggest that (a) stimulus control treatments such as announcements and influences are relatively weak if they oppose previous conditioning that occurred in the same situation or if they conflict with an active reinforcer, (b) reinforcement control is necessary for stable performance change to occur, and (c) under some circumstances, reinforcement control alone may be sufficient to produce stable performance change.
Transfer excitations with shake-up and target charge effects

Abstract The effects of shake-up and target core charge on transfer excitation processes are studied and shown to explain the anomalous bump in the cross section observed recently by Bernstein et al. [Phys. Rev. A 44 (1991) 4210], where the Li-like F VII collided with H 2 , simultaneously producing a K-shell vacancy and capturing an electron. The theory predicts a bump for the F VII projectile, but not in Si and Mg, in agreement with experiment. The extra energies required for the shake-up shifted the cross section peaks to higher energies, as observed. The model predicts that this new mode of excitation transfer is most pronounced only for light Li-like ions.
Pickup and delivery network segmentation using contiguous geographic clustering

This paper addresses the problem of partitioning a local service region into nonoverlapping work areas in which pickups and deliveries are made throughout the day. For a fleet of homogeneous vehicles, a given set of customers, and expected demand for service, the objective is to find the least number of work areas or clusters that satisfy a variety of geometric and capacity constraints. Using rectangles as the basic shape, each cluster must have an aspect ratio that falls within certain bounds, as well as meet load and time requirements dictated by the capacity of a vehicle and the working hours in a day, respectively. The latter requirement presents a unique hurdle because travel times are a function of the actual routes followed by the drivers, and are not known, even in a probabilistic sense, until the clusters are formed. A novel aspect of the paper is the method proposed for dealing with this uncertainty. The problem is modelled using a compact set-covering formulation and is solved with an adaptive column generation heuristic. Because it is not possible to efficiently represent all the constraints in algebraic form, thus allowing a Dantzig-Wolfe decomposition, a constructive approach was taken. The first step involved generating a subset of attractive clusters from seed customers scattered throughout the service region and then iteratively pricing them out to obtain a relaxed solution to the set-covering model. To find integer solutions, a three-phase variable fixing scheme was designed with the aim of balancing solution quality with runtimes. The full methodology was tested on six data sets provided by an internationally known express package carrier. The results showed that vehicle reductions averaging 7.6% could be realized by adopting the configurations derived from the proposed approach.
Maternal Fish Consumption During Pregnancy and Risk of Early Childhood Asthma

Maternal fish consumption during pregnancy may affect children's asthma risk by modulating early-life immune development. Type of fish intake may be important because of differences in fatty acid content. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a nested case-control study, selecting subjects from the Children's Health Study, a population-based study of school-aged children in southern California. Cases had physician-diagnosed asthma and controls were asthma-free by age 5 years. Mothers or guardians provided information on fish consumption during pregnancy in telephone interviews. We computed odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) by using conditional logistic regression models that accounted for the sampling. In children born to mothers with a history of asthma, the OR of asthma was 0.20 (95% CI = 0.06-0.65) when mothers ate oily fish at least monthly during pregnancy compared with no consumption (p(trend) = 0.006). Maternal oily fish consumption during pregnancy did not benefit children of non-asthmatic mothers. In contrast, fish stick (a source of trans-fats) consumption during pregnancy increased asthma risk in children (OR = 2.04; 95% CI = 1.18-3.51). Our results suggest that maternal oily fish intake during pregnancy may protect offspring from asthma; however, eating fish sticks during pregnancy may increase asthma risk in children.
Social skills knowledge and performance among adolescents with bipolar disorder.

Objectives: This study investigated social skills deficits among adolescents with bipolar disorder. Methods: Adolescents with DMS-IV bipolar disorder (n = 18) and their parents completed social skills assessments when they were experiencing minimal mood symptoms. The control group (n = 18) consisted of adolescents with no history of psychiatric disorders. Participants and their parents rated the adolescents’ social performance using the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters. We measured the adolescents’ knowledge of appropriate social skills using the Interpersonal Negotiation Strategy Interview. Raters ‘blind’ to psychiatric status rated the adolescents’ responses and their social interactions with an examiner during the assessment. Results: Adolescents with bipolar disorder displayed significantly more social skills performance deficits than controls. No significant differences emerged between the groups in social skills knowledge. Ratings of social interactions with the examiner failed to distinguish bipolar from control teens, but raters were successful in guessing the psychiatric status of the participants. Conclusions: These findings indicate that bipolar adolescents lag behind their peers in social skills performance, but not social skills knowledge. Results support the hypothesis that difficulties with emotion regulation interfere with the consistent exhibition of appropriate social behaviors.
Phylogeographical Patterns among Mediterranean Sepiolid Squids and Their Vibrio Symbionts: Environment Drives Specificity among Sympatric Species†

Bobtail squid from the genera Sepiola and Rondeletiola (Cephalopoda: Sepiolidae) form mutualistic associations with luminous Gram-negative bacteria (Gammaproteobacteria: Vibrionaceae) from the genera Vibrio and Photobacterium. Symbiotic bacteria proliferate inside a bilobed light organ until they are actively expelled by the host into the surrounding environment on a diel basis. This event results in a dynamic symbiont population with the potential to establish the symbiosis with newly hatched sterile (axenic) juvenile sepiolids. In this study, we examined the genetic diversity found in populations of sympatric sepiolid squid species and their symbionts by the use of nested clade analysis with multiple gene analyses. Variation found in the distribution of different species of symbiotic bacteria suggests a strong influence of abiotic factors in the local environment, affecting bacterial distribution among sympatric populations of hosts. These abiotic factors include temperature differences incurred by a shallow thermocline, as well as a lack of strong coastal water movement accompanied by seasonal temperature changes in overlapping niches. Host populations are stable and do not appear to have a significant role in the formation of symbiont populations relative to their distribution across the Mediterranean Sea. Additionally, all squid species examined (Sepiola affinis, S. robusta, S. ligulata, S. intermedia, and Rondeletiola minor) are genetically distinct from one another regardless of location and demonstrate very little intraspecific variation within species. These findings suggest that physical boundaries and distance in relation to population size, and not host specificity, are important factors in limiting or defining gene flow within sympatric marine squids and their associated bacterial symbionts in the Mediterranean Sea.
Attention Allocation and Impression Formation

An experiment examined the attention allocation strategies that perceivers employ when they are confronted with expectancy-relevant information and the mediating roles that these strategies play in impression formation. A dichotic listening task was used to measure subjects' attention allocation strategies. Subjects monitored a control child in one ear, while in the other ear they heard a target child perform in a manner that was either initially consistent or inconsistent with their expectations. They then evaluated the target on a number of dimensions. Subjects who received initially inconsistent information from the target allocated more attention to him and became more cognitively complex in their final evaluations than subjects who received initially consistent information. Furthermore, the greater attention paid by these subjects led them to become more moderate in their evaluations of the target. The results are discussed in light of the person perception literature.
Laser-assisted anesthesia prior to intravenous cannulation in volunteers: a randomized, controlled trial.

Background: Intravenous cannulation is common and painful. Absorption of topical anesthetics is limited by the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the epidermis. A single pulse of an erbium:yttrium–aluminum–garnet (Er:YAG) laser irradiation can remove an area of the stratum corneum, leading to enhanced uptake of topical agents, such as lidocaine, while leaving the rest of the epidermis intact. Objective: The authors hypothesized that pretreatment of the skin with laser-assisted anesthesia would reduce the pain of venous cannulation. Methods: This was a blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Subjects were 30 healthy adult volunteers. Standardized venous cannulation was performed on the dorsum of both of each subject’s hands. In the study hand, the area over the target vein was pretreated with a lightweight, portable Er:YAG unit, with a fluence of 3.5 J/cm 2 , a pulse width of 600 microseconds, and a spot diameter of 6 mm. Lidocaine 4% cream was applied to the area. After 5 minutes, the cream was wiped off and a nurse inserted an intravenous (IV) catheter and verified placement. In the control hand, a sham laser was used. Pain of laser application and pain of IV cannulation were recorded on a validated 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) marked ‘‘most pain’’ at the high end. The presence of burns, infection, and scarring at one week and at three months after the study was also noted. The levels of pain of cannulation were compared using a paired t-test. Results: Mean subject age was 32 years; 43% were female. The mean pain of cannulation after laser-assisted lidocaine application (13 mm, 95% CI = 8 to 19) was significantly less than after application of sham laser (29 mm, 95% CI = 22 to 36; mean difference, 15 mm, 95% CI = 6 to 24). No subject had persistent erythema or scarring. Conclusions: Pretreatment of the skin with a laser device followed by a 5-minute topical lidocaine application reduces the pain of IV cannulation in volunteers. Key words: laser; intravenous cannulation; pain; stratum corneum. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2005; 12:804–807.
Cdt1 degradation to prevent DNA re-replication: conserved and non-conserved pathways

In eukaryotes, DNA replication is strictly regulated so that it occurs only once per cell cycle. The mechanisms that prevent excessive DNA replication are focused on preventing replication origins from being reused within the same cell cycle. This regulation involves the temporal separation of the formation of the pre-replicative complex (pre-RC) from the initiation of DNA replication. The replication licensing factors Cdt1 and Cdc6 recruit the presumptive replicative helicase, the Mcm2-7 complex, to replication origins in late M or G1 phase to form pre-RCs. In fission yeast and metazoa, the Cdt1 licensing factor is degraded at the start of S phase by ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis to prevent the reassembly of pre-RCs. In humans, two E3 complexes, CUL4-DDB1CDT2 and SCFSkp2, are redundantly required for Cdt1 degradation. The two E3 complexes use distinct mechanisms to target Cdt1 ubiquitination. Current data suggests that CUL4-DDB1CDT2-mediated degradation of Cdt1 is S-phase specific, while SCFSkp2-mediated Cdt1 degradation occurs throughout the cell cycle. The degradation of Cdt1 by the CUL4-DDB1CDT2 E3 complex is an evolutionarily ancient pathway that is active in fungi and metazoa. In contrast, SCFSkp2-mediated Cdt1 degradation appears to have arisen relatively recently. A role for Skp2 in Cdt1 degradation has only been demonstrated in humans, and the pathway is not conserved in yeast, invertebrates, or even among other vertebrates.
Why Is There No Social Democracy in America

There's something about the New Deal that invites generational revision. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, when liberalism still defined the parameters of public policy, historians celebrated the New Deal as the culmination of modern reform—the federal government's relentlessly pragmatic, strikingly successful response to the burdens of an industrial age. The fierce politics of the late 1960s shattered that interpretation. The New Deal was a terrible disappointment, said the era's younger historians, its grand promise undermined by the Roosevelt administration's refusal to confront capitalist power while embracing—even reinforcing—racial, gender, and class hierarchies.1
The application of a pinless tool in friction stir spot welding: an experimental and numerical study:

A pinless friction stir spot welding tool with a scrolled convex shoulder is used to create spot welds on aluminum alloy plates. The effects that the rotation rate, the dwell time, the plunge depth, and the plunge rate have on the spot welding process are investigated. A strong correlation was found to exist between the joint strength versus the tool rotation rate and the joint strength versus the dwell time. Low rotation rates and short dwell times resulted in significantly stronger welds and, conversely, higher rotation rates and longer dwell times resulted in spot welds with hooking defects and lower joint strengths. Using shear tests and macrosection analysis on the spot welds, the dependences of the joint strength, the spindle torque, the temperature and the axial force on the identified process parameters are discussed. A computational fluid dynamics model is created to simulate the effect that the tool rotation rate has on the heat generated and the material flow during spot welding.
An Exploratory Study of Temperament Traits in a Population of Children at Risk

Parents of 327 elementary school children classified as hyperactive, poorly adjusted, low-achieving, or control subjects were interviewed on questions pertaining to their child's infancy and early childhood. On a factor analysis, six temperament traits emerged: (a) attention span, (b) threshold level, (c) activity level, (d) distractibility, (e) adaptability, and (f) rhythmicity. Temperament patterns of the subject groups were compared by ANOVA and Scheffe contrasts. On all dimensions the hyperactive group showed the most extreme scores; however, they differed significantly from the others only on distractibility. Findings suggest that hyperactive children appear to have a biological system that overreacts in both home and school environments, which makes it difficult for parents and teachers to accommodate to their behavior, producing a circular, persistent pattern of overactive and overresponsive behavior in the child.
Deletion of Rictor in neural progenitor cells reveals contributions of mTORC2 signaling to tuberous sclerosis complex

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a multisystem genetic disorder with severe neurologic manifestations, including epilepsy, autism, anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. TSC is caused by the loss of either the TSC1 or TSC2 genes that normally regulate the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase. mTOR exists within two distinct complexes, mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2). Loss of either TSC gene leads to increased mTORC1 but decreased mTORC2 signaling. As the contribution of decreased mTORC2 signaling to neural development and homeostasis has not been well studied, we generated a conditional knockout (CKO) of Rictor, a key component of mTORC2. mTORC2 signaling is impaired in the brain, whereas mTORC1 signaling is unchanged. Rictor CKO mice have small brains and bodies, normal lifespan and are fertile. Cortical layering is normal, but neurons are smaller than those in control brains. Seizures were not observed, although excessive slow activity was seen on electroencephalography. Rictor CKO mice are hyperactive and have reduced anxiety-like behavior. Finally, there is decreased white matter and increased levels of monoamine neurotransmitters in the cerebral cortex. Loss of mTORC2 signaling in the cortex independent of mTORC1 can disrupt normal brain development and function and may contribute to some of the neurologic manifestations seen in TSC.
Pseudoquotation in Current English Communication: "Hey, She Didn't Really Say It.".

To investigate discourse and interactive functions of quote formula + hey + pseudoquotation, that is, invented quotation, in current English communication, tokens were collected from public and commercial broadcasts and miscellaneous readings during a four-month period. In addition, all instances of hey with context were extracted from the Brown Corpus of American English. Only 26 possible tokens, the majority from radio and television, were located; one instance in Brown indicates existence as early as 1961. A speaker uses quote formula + hey + pseudoquotation to dramatize and thereby give emphasis to an important point (in these examples, generally in an expository discourse), a practice reported for both sophisticated and folk discourse. Instead of a rhetorical question, the device makes a rhetorical answer to an unasked question. Although pseudoquotation can be found either without discourse marker or with other discourse marker, hey is an appropriate marker for pseudoquotation, simultaneously to mark an important point in a discourse and to bind listeners to the ongoing interaction by (re)capturing their attention. (Discourse markers, conversational interaction, pragmatics, dramatization, hey, quotation)
Beyond block I/O: implementing a distributed shared log in hardware

The basic block I/O interface used for interacting with storage devices hasn't changed much in 30 years. With the advent of very fast I/O devices based on solid-state memory, it becomes increasingly attractive to make many devices directly and concurrently available to many clients. However, when multiple clients share media at fine grain, retaining data consistency is problematic: SCSI, IDE, and their descendants don't offer much help. We propose an interface to networked storage that reduces an existing software implementation of a distributed shared log to hardware. Our system achieves both scalable throughput and strong consistency, while obtaining significant benefits in cost and power over the software implementation.
The Role of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Regenerative Wound Healing Phenotype

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are key to regenerative wound healing. MSCs have spatial memory and respond to local environment. MSCs orchestrate wound repair by: (1) structural repair via cellular differentiation; (2) immune-modulation; (3) secretion of growth factors that drive neovascularization and re-epithelialization; and (4) mobilization of resident stem cells. The Problem: Autologous bone-marrow-derived cells and MSCs demonstrate improved healing and tissue-integrity in animal models and clinical trials. However, the effects are variable and the mechanisms of MSC-mediated wound healing are not fully understood. The mammalian MSC niche and signaling sequences and factors affecting their homing, differentiation, viability, and safety need to be characterized to get full benefits of MSC cellular therapy. Basic/Clinical Science Advances: MSCs can be isolated from bone-marrow, and less-invasive tissues such as adipose, gingiva, muscle, and umbilical cord, with similar functional effects. How...
A Cooperative Sampling Approach to Discovering Optimal Configurations in Large Scale Computing Systems

With the growing scale of current computing systems, traditional configuration tuning methods become less effective because they usually assume a small number of parameters in the system. In order to handle the scalability issue of configuration tuning, this paper proposes a cooperative optimization framework, which mimics the behavior of team playing to discover the optimal configuration setting in computing systems. We follow a ‘best of the best’ rule to decompose the tuning task into a number of small subtasks with manageable size and complexity. While each decomposed module is responsible for the optimization of its own configuration parameters, all the modules share the performance evaluations of new samples as common feedbacks to enhance their optimization objectives. As a result, the qualities of generated samples become improved during the search, and the cooperative sampling will eventually discover the optimal configurations in the system. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed cooperative optimization can identify better solutions within limited time periods compared with other state of the art configuration search methods. Such advantage becomes more significant when the number of configuration parameters increases.
Risk Factors for the Development of Primary Cutaneous Melanoma

Melanoma is an important public health problem in the United States and worldwide. The incidence of melanoma continues to increase at a high rate and deaths from melanoma are also increasing. The endogenous risk factors that are currently recognized are in many cases surrogates for genetic markers yet to be determined. Exogenous risk factors need to be better defined and understood to help develop better public education programs that can change risk behaviors and subsequently lower future incidence and mortality from melanoma.
A Psychiatric Study of a Pediatric Intensive Therapy Unit A Child Psychiatrist Looks at the Emotional Responses of Children and Staff in this Treatment Setting

A pediatric intensive therapy unit (ITU) was studied psychiatrically for six months. The emotional responses of children in an ITU are posi tive; they react with much less fear, regression, anger, depression and inappropriate behavior than expected. Parents are uniform in their enthusiasm and praise for the excellence of care, the unlimited visiting and the emotional support given by the staff. The nurses are the key to the positive functioning of ITU, with good quality of care the most important emotional supportive factor. A psychiatric consultant helps the staff maintain proficiency by helping them deal with intrastaff and patient conflicts when these arise. Pediatric ITU is a superior means of delivering physical and emotional care to very sick children.
Sustained-Release Bupropion for Pharmacologic Relapse Prevention after Smoking Cessation: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

Background Smoking relapse is common after successful pharmacologic treatment for smoking cessation. No previous studies have examined long-term drug therapy used expressly for prevention of smoking relapse. Objective To evaluate the efficacy of bupropion to prevent smoking relapse. Design Randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Participants 784 healthy community volunteers who were motivated to quit smoking and who smoked at least 15 cigarettes per day. Intervention The participants received open-label, sustained-release bupropion, 300 mg/d, for 7 weeks. Participants who were abstinent throughout week 7 of open-label treatment were randomly assigned to receive bupropion, 300 mg/d, or placebo for 45 weeks and were subsequently followed for an additional year after the conclusion of the medication phase. Participants were briefly counseled at all follow-up visits. At the end of open-label bupropion treatment, 461 of 784 participants (58.8%) were abstinent from smoking. Measurement Self-reported abstinence was confirmed by an expired air carbon monoxide concentration of 10 parts per million or less. Results The point prevalence of smoking abstinence was significantly higher in the bupropion group than in the placebo group at the end (week 52) of drug therapy (55.1% vs. 42.3%, respectively; P = 0.008) and at week 78 (47.7% vs. 37.7%; P = 0.034) but did not differ at the final (week 104) follow-up visit (41.6% vs. 40.0%). The median time to relapse was significantly greater for bupropion recipients than for placebo recipients (156 days vs. 65 days; P = 0.021). The continuous abstinence rate was higher in the bupropion group than in the placebo group at study week 24 (17 weeks after randomization) (52.3% vs. 42.3%; P = 0.037) but did not differ between groups after week 24. Weight gain was significantly less in the bupropion group than in the placebo group at study weeks 52 (3.8 kg vs. 5.6 kg; P = 0.002) and 104 (4.1 kg vs. 5.4 kg; P = 0.016). Conclusions In persons who stopped smoking with 7 weeks of bupropion treatment, sustained-release bupropion for 12 months delayed smoking relapse and resulted in less weight gain.
Right Ventricular Failure in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices

Right ventricular (RV) failure that develops following LVAD placement is an important and challenging complication that occurs in approximately 15-25% of LVAD patients. Thus, a thorough evaluation that identifies pre-operative clinical predictors of RV failure is crucial to aid in the appropriate treatment and prognostication. Following LVAD implant, three major physiologic changes invariably occur that will influence RV function: an increase in RV preload, a decrease in RV afterload, and an alteration in RV contractility. Management strategies exist to minimize the likelihood and severity of RV failure post-LVAD. Further studies are needed that also focus on intermediate and late post-LVAD RV failure.
The natural selection: behavior analysis as a natural science

Most behavior analysts emphasize that a science of behavior must be a natural science as opposed to a social science or any other such description. But what does this mean and why is it important? I explore these questions by attempting to characterize the designation “natural science” and briefly surveying what behavior analysis has in common with other putative natural sciences. Included in the discussion are problems of agency, background assumptions, mechanism, and some examples of shared problems and issues with other natural sciences. Special focus is placed on behavior analysis as a biological science and the implications of that status.
Design and demonstration of a high-temperature, deployable, membrane heat-pipe radiator element

A high-temperature, deployable, membrane-heat-pipe radiator element has been demonstrated. Membrane heat pipes offer the potential for compact storage, ease of transportation, self-deployment, and a high specific radiator performance (kg/kW) for use in thermal rejection systems of space nuclear power plants. A demonstration heat pipe 8 cm wide and 100 cm long was fabricated. The heat pipe containment and wick structure were made of stainless steel, and sodium was used as the working fluid. The tests demonstrated passive deployment of the high-temperature membrane radiator, simulating a single segment in a flat array, at a temperature of 800 K. Details of test procedures and results of the tests are presented, together with a discussion of the design and development of a full-scale, segmented, high-temperature, deployable membrane heat pipe. >
The effect of vocal cues on credibility and attitude change

(1971). The effect of vocal cues on credibility and attitude change. Western Speech: Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 176-184.
Bacterial membrane vesicles mediate the secretion of immunomodulatory factors during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (MPF3P.804)

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is an intracellular pathogen that infects lung macrophages and releases microbial factors to promote immune evasion and survival. These factors include the lipoglycan LAM which blocks phagosome maturation and Mtb lipoproteins which modulate MHC-II antigen presentation and cytokine production via TLR2 signaling. It is unknown how lipoproteins and lipoglycans are shed from the Mtb cell wall, but they are dispersed throughout Mtb-infected macrophages and released within extracellular vesicles. It was initially presumed that Mtb lipoproteins and LAM trafficked into exosomes, small vesicles (50-150 nm) of endocytic origin, but studies have shown that bacteria can secrete membrane vesicles of similar size (50-250 nm). Using imaging and biochemical approaches, we show that Mtb produces bacterial vesicles within infected macrophages that are subsequently released into the extracellular environment. These Mtb vesicles are enriched for cell wall components (LAM, TLR2 agonists) and are distinct from exosomes labeled with host cell markers (CD9, CD63). Our data suggest that bacterial vesicles are the mechanism employed by Mtb to transfer cell wall components and impair effector functions within the infected macrophage. Furthermore, we propose that released Mtb vesicles, not exosomes, circulate bacterial components beyond infected cells to further modulate immune responses. These mechanisms may promote the survival of Mtb and pathogenesis of infection.
The Fort Ross earthquake sequence, March and April, 1978

abstract On March 31, 1978, an earthquake of coda magnitude 3.3 ( M L = 3.7 BRK) occurred 5 km off the coast of northern California near Fort Ross. A single foreshock preceded the earthquake and approximately 60 aftershocks followed. Locations based on P - and S -wave arrival times indicate that the earthquakes occurred offshore, west of the San Andreas fault in the vicinity of a fault that is visible on acoustic reflection profiles. All earthquakes had hypocentral depths less than 8 km. A fault-plane solution from P -wave first motions suggests that the focal mechanism of the main shock consisted of nearly equal components of dextral and vertical movement on a plane striking northwest. Other events in this sequence had first-motion patterns strikingly different than the main shock, indicating that more than one type of faulting occurred during the sequence. Seismic moments computed for three aftershocks ranged from 3.8 × 10 19 to 1.1 × 10 19 dyne-cm.
In-situ observation of ErD2 formation during D2 loading via neutron diffraction.

In an effort to better understand the structural changes occurring during hydrogen loading of erbium target materials, we have performed in situ D{sub 2} loading of erbium metal (powder) at temperature (450 C) with simultaneous neutron diffraction analysis. This experiment tracked the conversion of Er metal to the {alpha} erbium deuteride (solid-solution) phase and then into the {beta} (fluorite) phase. Complete conversion to ErD{sub 2.0} was accomplished at 10 Torr D{sub 2} pressure with deuterium fully occupying the tetrahedral sites in the fluorite lattice.
Myocardial strain can be measured from first trimester fetal echocardiography using velocity vector imaging.

OBJECTIVES Alterations in myocardial strain can identify cardiac dysfunction and can be measured in the mid-gestation fetus. This study evaluates feasibility of strain measurements in early fetuses and establishes normal early fetal strain values. METHODS Normal fetal echocardiograms were reviewed for image adequacy for strain measurements in 12- to 14-week gestation fetuses. Two readers performed independent strain measurements. Values were compared with data from 40 normal second trimester fetuses. RESULTS Strain evaluation could be attempted in 36 of 53 (68%) of first trimester echocardiograms (mean gestation 13.4 weeks); excessive motion or inadequate imaging planes precluded tracking analysis in the remainder. Strain measurements were feasible in 19 of 53 fetuses (36%, or 53% of those in whom tracking was attempted). Peak systolic global longitudinal left ventricular (RV) and right ventricular (LV) strain were similar (LV = -13.9 ± 5.7%, RV = -14.4 ± 5.5%, p = 0.7). RV strain was higher in first trimester fetuses compared with second trimester normals (p = 0.003). Intraobserver and interobserver agreement were moderate to strong for peak global LV and RV strain but poor for regional basal and mid-septal segments. CONCLUSIONS Strain measurements were feasible in one-third of retrospectively assessed early fetal echocardiograms. Global longitudinal strain may be higher in earlier than mid-gestation fetuses. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
GALAPAGOS TOMATOES AND TORTOISES

One of the several unique features of tomatoes native to the Galapagos IslandsLycopersicon esculentum var. minor (L. cheesmanii var. minor) and related formsis seed dormancy. Less than one per cent of their seeds, which are notably smaller than those of other known tomatoes, will germinate without treatment. Germination of up to ten per cent can be obtained with var. minor if part of the seed coat is carefully excised (Rick, 1956). The present report deals with attempts to break the seed dormancy and, particularly, to find mechanisms in the native environment that might account for germination and establishment there of the Galapagos tomatoes. Recently, improved germination of these forms was sought by trying methods that are familiar to horticulturists for their effectiveness in breaking seed dormancies of various plant species. We found that soaking seeds for various periods in stagnant or wellaerated water, subjection of dry or wet seeds to various temperatures or combinations of temperatures, and acid treatments were ineffective in raising emergence percentages. Following the discovery by Benedict and Robinson (1946) of the improved germination of guayule seeds effected by sodium hypochlorite treatments and successful applications of this method by Taylor (1949) to celery and by Laude (1951) to smilo grass, we tested its effectiveness on seeds of LA166, one of the most refractory of our Galapagos collections. Four lots were started: (1) control; (2) seed coats partly excised; (3) one-hour soaking in 2.6% sodium hypochlorite solution( half-strength household bleach); (4) soaking for two hours in the same strength solution. Seeds
A Case Study of Scoring and Rescoring in Peptide Docking

Previously, we examined the application of a molecular dynamics-based simulated annealing cycling protocol to docking peptides to proteins using two implicit-solvent models: a distance-dependent dielectric model (e(r) = 4r) and a version of the Generalized Born model termed GBMV. We found that rescoring structures obtained from one implicit-solvent model with the other could improve the identification of the correct docking pose. Here, we guide interested readers on how to perform a similar study, using the docking between a hexapeptide and the protein phosphatase YopH inYersinia pestis as an example.
The cultivation of poliomyelitis virus in tissue culture of the human uterus, with emphasis on the broader aspects.

A historical background of the application of tissue culture technics to the laboratory study of poliomyelitis viruses is given. Tissue cultures are defined briefly and the two types usually applied to poliomyelitis virus studies described. Uses of the technics are outlined and further possible applications in poliomyelitis research suggested.
A rare case of concurrent signet-ring carcinoma of breast and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia.

Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA) can be an uncommon presentation of an underlying malignancy, most often due to signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC). Additionally, pure SRCC in a breast primary-tumor comprises <2% of all breast cancers (Shin SY, Park H, Chae SW, Woo HY. Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia as the first manifestation of metastatic signet-ring cell carcinoma of unknown origin: a case report and review of literature. Kor J Lab Med 2011;31:157–61). To the best of our knowledge, the combination of these two entities, pure breast primary SRCC along with MAHA, has not been reported. Here, we present such a rare case. We also evaluate the current literature regarding this and similar disease processes, of which evidence is scarce and further research is needed.
Lectins as HIV Microbicides

Carbohydrate-binding proteins constitute a growing class of antiviral agents. They prevent infection by blocking virus entry into the host target cells and also block virus transmission from virus-infected cells to non-infected cells. In order to illustrate the molecular basis of their antiviral activity towards human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a comprehensive review of the three-dimensional structures of various antiviral lectins, as well as modes and atomic determinants of their high-affinity oligosaccharide recognition, is presented here. The collective information derived from these studies aids in the understanding of carbohydrate recognition of the gp120 envelope protein by these antiviral lectins and may lead to novel directions in the development of alternative drug-leads for the prevention of HIV transmission.
Neuroendocrine Neoplasms of the Pancreas

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) are relatively uncommon, accounting for approximately 2 % of all pancreatic neoplasms. They occur in a younger age group than pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. Traditionally, PanNETs have been classified according to their hormone secretory status as either functional or nonfunctional based on whether they produce a clinically recognizable syndrome due to hormone secretion. The majority of PanNETs today are discovered incidentally and are nonfunctional. The imaging and pathological features are not dependent on hormone status. The Octreoscan is the most commonly used method to image PanNET for both diagnosis and staging, but newer methods using somatostatin analogs labeled with gallium have been developed. While the histopathological features are fairly uniform, a number of morphological variants have been recognized, which can also be identified on cytopathology. Recent consensus guidelines developed by the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS), the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETs), and the WHO 2010 define criteria for grading of PanNET based on mitotic count and Ki-67 labeling index. Phosphohistone 3 (PHH3) is a newer proliferation marker which is being tested as a substitute for Ki-67. The molecular biology of PanNET has recently been further elucidated. Mutations in ATXX and DTRX play a role in low-grade PanNET. Palladin and RUNX1T1 contribute to metastasis of PanNET. Syndromic PanNETs are associated with mutations in the mTOR pathway. Nesidioblastosis (also called congenital hyperinsulinism) is a controversial entity, distinct from insulinoma, traditionally defined as proliferations of β cells which do not form discrete masses. Adult-onset nesidioblastosis has unique molecular pathways. This chapter will review the clinicopathological features of PanNET and nesidioblastosis and their significant molecular alterations.
Scholarly Traditions and European Roots of American Consumer Research

I want to describe the research traditions and the historical roots of the field of consumer behavior and to touch upon selected aspects of the history of marketing in the last half century. My focus will be on the European roots of American consumer behavior as a field of inquiry, not the American roots of European consumer research nor the European roots of European consumer research. My beginning point is somewhere in the 1930s. Prior to World War II, marketing professors were trained in traditional economics rather than marketing science, consumer behavior, and marketing strategy. Good research might consist of a case history or perhaps a detailed interview with a couple of middlemen from which an article would emerge on the functions fulfilled by, say, rack jobbers or wholesalers. Consumer behavior, a term that had not yet emerged, consisted of Marshall’s utility theory [1920]. Research often consisted of some economic theorizing, perhaps analyses of secondary data, and at times, naive attempts at experimentation and surveys. That situation was soon to change.
A rotating and squashing projector-backprojector pair for fan-beam and cone-beam iterative algorithms

The authors propose and implement a rotating-and-squashing projector-backprojector pair for fan-beam and cone-beam iterative algorithms. The motivation of their investigation is to significantly reduce both computation time and reconstruction artifacts when implementing attenuation, geometric and scatter correction models. At each projection angle, the authors' projector/backprojector first rotates the image volume so that the front face of the volume is parallel to the detector, then squashes the image volume so that the fan-beam and cone-beam rays are converted into parallel rays. In the authors' implementation, these two steps are combined and they only interpolate the voxel values once. The projection operation is achieved by a simple summation, and the backprojection operation is achieved by copying the projection array to the image volume. Another advantage of this projector/backprojector is that the system point response function can be deconvolved via the fast Fourier transform using the shift-invariant property of the point response function when the voxel-to-detector distance is constant. At each projection angle, the authors rotate and squash the image volume using interpolations. This causes smoothing of the image. However, this smoothing can be modeled as a point spread function and be deconvolved. The fan-beam and cone-beam rotating-and-squashing projector/backprojector have been implemented on a SPECT system for the EM-ML algorithm. >
Abstract 3309: Co-inhibition of ALK and EGFR and/or c-MET on cell growth and response to radiation in ALK-positive NSCLC cells

ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase), EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) and c-MET are molecular drivers for a subset of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). Approximately 4-7% of NSCLCs carry the EML4-ALK chromosomal rearrangement. We identified overexpression of EGFR and c-MET in EML4-ALK-positive NSCLC cell lines H3122 and H2228. ALK, EGFR, and c-MET may function cooperatively to modulate tumor growth, stress response, and survival in EML4-ALK-positive cells and co-inhibition may favorably impact tumor control. We therefore investigated the effects of co-inhibition of ALK and EGFR or c-MET on cell survival and response to radiation in EML4-ALK-positive NSCLC cells. Compared with ALK-negative cell lines (H226, A549 and H520), the ALK-positive cell lines (H3122, H2228) were highly sensitive to the ALK inhibitors crizotinb, ceritinib and alectinib, although with differing sensitivity to radiation. Crizotinib, ceritinib and alectinib sensitized H3122 and H2228 to radiation, as evaluated by clonogenic assay. However, knockdown of ALK by siRNA in H3122 and H2228, or overexpression of EML4-ALK in NIH-3T3 cells, had only moderate effects on radiosensitivity. Simultaneous knockdown of ALK and MET, or ALK and EGFR, increased radiosensitivity as assessed by clonogenic survival in H3122 and H2228 cells, while also increasing inhibitory effects on cell growth and proliferation. These results were confirmed in cells treated with the combination of ceritinib and su11274 (c-MET inhibitor) or with ceritinib and erlotinib (EGFR inhibitor). We further assessed the impact of drug alone or in combination with radiation on cell cycle, cell survival and DNA damage repair pathways. To further evaluate ALK function in the cellular response to radiation in NSCLC, we are developing EML4-ALK stable expression cell lines. Evaluation of drug-radiation interactions in xenograft model systems are also under consideration. These data indicate that co-inhibition of ALK and EGFR or c-MET can enhance growth inhibitory effects in ALK-positive cells and augment radiosensitivity in-vitro, suggesting the potential value for ALK inhibitors combined with EGFR/c-MET-targeting for therapeutic benefit in ALK-positive NSCLC patients with or without radiation. Citation Format: Chunrong Li, Shyhmin Huang, Fang Ma, Eric A. Armstrong, David Francis, Lauryn Werner, Paul M. Harari. Co-inhibition of ALK and EGFR and/or c-MET on cell growth and response to radiation in ALK-positive NSCLC cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3309. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3309
Renata Litvinova’s star persona

AbstractDespite the attention that scholars and critics have paid to Renata Litvinova, the construction of her performance persona has not been traced diachronically and systematically. This article explores the sources of her images in order to formulate their common signifier, the idea that is essential for Litvinova’s role as a star. In communication with her audience, Litvinova exploits a consciously constructed image of her life to perform in the public sphere. Using a variety of media platforms – films, advertising and music videos, television broadcasting, newspapers, magazines, social events and professional activity – Litvinova has created an image that contains a multiplicity of meanings, combining permanent and changeable notions. In her core meaning, she arguably translates the importance of individuality as well as the existential need to love and be loved, and its inevitable finale – death. Moreover, reflecting historical circumstance, Litvinova’s persona splits into oppositional doubles: th...