cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Working with Journalists: Media Access and Why You May Need It

The Washington Charter for Communicating Astronomy with the Public says that “individuals and organizations that conduct astronomical research - especially those receiving public funding for this research - have a responsibility to communicate their results and efforts with the public for the benefit of all.“ Aside from a sense of obligation, though, there are other reasons why astronomers ought to communicate with the broader citizenry. Among them: it is encouraged by the leaders of government funding agencies, it helps further public recognition and support for science in general and for astronomy in particular, and it can enhance one's career prospects.
Feature extraction, anomaly, and change detection on WorldView-2 imagery by hierarchical image segmentation: a study

We study spatio-spectral feature extraction and image-adaptive anomaly and change detection on 8-band WorldView 2 imagery using a hierarchical polygonal image segmentation scheme. Features are represented as polygons with spectral and structural attributes, along with neighborhood structure and containment hierarchy for contextual feature identification. Further, the hierarchical segmentation provides multiple, coarse-scale, sub-backgrounds representing relatively uniform regions, which localize and simplify the spectral distribution of an image. This paves the way for facilitating anomaly and change detection when restricted to the contexts of these backgrounds. For example, forestry, urban areas, and agricultural land have very different spatio-spectral characteristics and their joint contribution to the image statistics can result in a complex distribution against which detecting anomalies could in general be a challenging problem. Our segmentation scheme provides sub-regions in the later stages of the hierarchy that correspond to homogeneous areas of an image while at the same time allowing inclusion of distinctive small features embedded in these regions. The exclusion of other image areas by focusing on these sub-backgrounds helps discover these outliers more easily with simpler methods of discrimination. By selecting appropriate bands in WorldView2 imagery, the above approach can be used to achieve fine spatio-spectral control in searching and characterizing features, anomalies, and changes of interest. The anomalies and changes are also polygons, which have spectral and structural attributes associated with them, allowing further characterization in the larger context of the image. The segmentation and feature detections can be used as multiple layers in a Geospatial Information System (GIS) for annotating imagery.
Fortnightly Tidal Modulations Affect Net Community Production in a Mesotidal Estuary

Optical in situ chemical sensors enable sampling intervals and durations that rival acoustic techniques used for measuring currents. Coupling these high-frequency biogeochemical and physical measurements in estuaries to address ecosystem-scale questions, however, is still comparatively novel. This study investigated how tides affect ecosystem metabolism in a mesotidal estuary in central California (Elkhorn Slough). Dissolved oxygen measurements were used to estimate the terms in a control volume budget for a tidal creek/marsh complex at tidal timescales over several weeks. Respiration rates were 1.6 to 7.3 g O2 m−2 day−1; net community production approached 20 g O2 m−2 day−1. We found that aquatic NCP integrated throughout the creek complex varied significantly over the spring-neap cycle. The intertidal contribution to aquatic metabolism was net heterotrophic during spring tides and generally in balance during neap tides because spring-tide marsh inundation was limited to nighttime, and therefore the marsh could not contribute any primary production to the water column. At the estuary scale, the fortnightly export of oxygen from the main channel to the intertidal was largely balanced by an advective flux up-estuary.
The tuberous sclerosis complex: a comprehensive review

Tuberous sclerosis was first reported by von Recklinghausen in 1862 and named by Bourneville in 1880. Transmission is autosomal dominant, but roughly 65% to 85% of the patients arise via spontaneous mutation. The incidence of tuberous sclerosis is estimated between 1:6,000 and 1:10,000 individuals. The notion of the “classic triad” of epilepsy, mental retardation, and facial angiofibromata (adenoma sebaceum) has been frequently cited in literature. However, few affected individuals develop all of the aforementioned signs, and emphasis of these limited features is misleading. It seems more appropriate to recognize that tuberous sclerosis complex may present as a wide spectrum of disease. The diagnostic criteria for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex were revised by a subcommittee at the recent Tuberous Sclerosis Consensus Conference. These clinical diagnostic criteria are outlined in Table 1. Pathologically, tuberous sclerosis is a disorder of cellular migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Manifestations may be systemic and variable. A variety of associated lesions have been reported in the literature including subependymal brain nodules and calcifications, astrocytomas, retinal phacomas, sclerotic bone lesions, dental enamel pitting, and hamartomatous or cystic lesions of the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, spleen, liver, uterus, and soft tissues. Although many of the clinical manifestations of tuberous sclerosis are secondary to hamartomatous growths, true neoplasms do occur, particularly in the kidneys and brain. Depending on the degree of clinical expression and organ involvement specifically, select patients may experience significant morbidity and mortality. Advances in genetics, imaging modalities, medical therapies, and surgical techniques have unmasked some of the mysteries surrounding this fascinating disorder and, undoubtedly, will continue to affect the associated complications.
CSF prostaglandin levels in depressed and schizophrenic patients.

• High prostaglandin E 2 concentrations were found in the CSF of women with unipolar depression and character disorder. This finding seemed to be relatively specific; it was not observed in bipolar depressed and psychotic schizophrenic patients.
Combined path and server selection in dynamic multimedia environments

The evolving global information infrastructure consists of a widearea networking backbone that provides connectivity among service providers and clients requesting multimedia services via different applications. As this infrastructure scales, service providers replicate data and resources on the network to serve more concurrent clients. Adaptive and intelligent scheduling techniques are required to increase the utilization of their resources and handle an increasing number of requests. Scheduling for multimedia applications must guarantee desired Quality-of-Service (QoS) from both the network path and the server. Furthermore, with the increasing amount of mobile clients and highly dynamic network topologies, optimizing resource utilization becomes complicated. In a highly dynamic and ad-hoc environment where clients are mobile, load sensitive routing and scheduling techniques must be able to tolerate some information imprecision. The information collection and scheduling processes must cooperate with each other, they cannot be viewed as independent components in the QoS provisioning framework. This paper deals with a framework in which scheduling decisions are based on path as well as server qualities.
Simulation of multispecies biofilm development in three dimensions

A mathematical model to simulate the three-dimensional growth of multispecies anaerobic biofilms is developed and tested with a two-species biofilm composed of sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogens. The numerical approach is based on the separation of biological, physical, and chemical phenomena so that quasi-steady-state conditions can be used in the solution. Simulations with Desulfovibrio vulgaris and Methanobacterium formicicum result in the formation of a biofilm heterogeneous in structure and composition. The model predicts different biofilm structures in the absence of sulfate, when a syntrophic association between the two organisms develops, and in the presence of sulfate, when the two organisms compete for the available hydrogen.
The World of John Winthrop: Essays on England and New England, 1588–1649 by Francis J. Bremer and Lynn A. Botelho, Editors

The World of John Winthrop: Essays on England and New England, 1588-1649 Francis J. Bremer and Lynn A. Botelho, Editors. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2005. As the editors of this new collection of essays about England and New England observe, scholars today often ignore the long history of the Atlantic Studies paradigm by disregarding earlier authors who studied the Atlantic (or at least the English) world and highlighted key economic, political, intellectual, and cultural transmissions between the metropole and the colonies. Such work frequently emphasized New England as the best example of this model. Later work on the Chesapeake as well as the broader focus of the current Atlantic model (with its inclusion of all of the Americas and Africa) have helped to redefine Atlantic Studies, yet Francis J. Bremer and Lynn A. Bothelho's volume reasserts the importance of the colonial/metropole concept by examining both well-traversed and less studied ground. Each of the included essays uses John Winthrop's life as its starting point. For example, Alden T. and Virginia Mason Vaughn examine the place of "Others" within the English mentalite and conclude that Winthrop and the English "largely defined themselves in contrast to whom they were not" (61). Meanwhile, Richard Godbeer explores the gendered world that Winthrop inhabited; it was a world that endorsed strict notions of patriarchy while allowing for interchangeable gender roles during specific situations. Three essays focus on the New England explanatory workhorse-religion. Mark A. Peterson argues that Puritan piety and practice "evolved" during the colony's first decades. Peterson emphasizes that the lack of "external antagonism" proved crucial to an "American" Puritanism that stressed a link between church and government and spurred colonists to build and utilize a pious material landscape. Meanwhile, Tom Webster's treatment of "English" Puritanism suggests a radically different path. In Anglican-dominated England, Puritans continually faced "the ultimate dichotomy of the elect and the reprobate" that promoted a "negotiated" piousness due to considerable opposition (138). Taken together, these essays showcase staggering differences that existed between English and American Puritanism and remind readers that metropole/ colonial transmissions were often contested affairs. Meanwhile, David D. Hall and Alexandra Walsham find one possible area of similarity between Old and New England as they explore the place of literacy within the Puritan world. …
Effect of Niclosamide on Basal-like Breast Cancers

Basal-like breast cancers (BLBC) are poorly differentiated and display aggressive clinical behavior. These tumors become resistant to cytotoxic agents, and tumor relapse has been attributed to the presence of cancer stem cells (CSC). One of the pathways involved in CSC regulation is the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. LRP6, a Wnt ligand receptor, is one of the critical elements of this pathway and could potentially be an excellent therapeutic target. Niclosamide has been shown to inhibit the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by causing degradation of LRP6. TRA-8, a monoclonal antibody specific to TRAIL death receptor 5, is cytotoxic to BLBC cell lines and their CSC-enriched populations. The goal of this study was to examine whether niclosamide is cytotoxic to BLBCs, specifically the CSC population, and if in combination with TRA-8 could produce increased cytotoxicity. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) is a known marker of CSCs. By testing BLBC cells for ALDH expression by flow cytometry, we were able to isolate a nonadherent population of cells that have high ALDH expression. Niclosamide showed cytotoxicity against these nonadherent ALDH-expressing cells in addition to adherent cells from four BLBC cell lines: 2LMP, SUM159, HCC1187, and HCC1143. Niclosamide treatment produced reduced levels of LRP6 and β-catenin, which is a downstream Wnt/β-catenin signaling protein. The combination of TRA-8 and niclosamide produced additive cytotoxicity and a reduction in Wnt/β-catenin activity. Niclosamide in combination with TRA-8 suppressed growth of 2LMP orthotopic tumor xenografts. These results suggest that niclosamide or congeners of this agent may be useful for the treatment of BLBC.
Reply to “Comment on ‘Adsorption of ethylene on the Si(100)-(2 × 1) surface’ by B.I. Craig”

Abstract The experimental facts are reviewed concerning why there is likely to be silicon dimer bond cleavage upon adsorption of ethylene on the Si(100)-(2 × 1) surface.
Curriculum as motivation for gifted students

Curriculum is the framework around which much of students' school experience is structured; it represents expectations for growth and learning and demonstrates what is valued within the learning environment. The degree to which curriculum is motivating for gifted students depends in part on the individual student and how his or her goals and values align with those in the environment. This article explores the interplay between the school curriculum and the motivations of gifted students to engage with it. Key concepts include achievement goal orientation, challenge and meaningfulness in the curriculum, and boredom and interest, with attention to the interplay among all of these concepts. A summary of recommendations regarding appropriate curriculum for advanced learners is provided. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Diet Composition, Environmental Temperature, and Exogenous Estradiol Effects on Hepatic Lipid Deposition in Growing Chicks

Abstract The interrelationships among dietary composition, environmental temperature, and level of estradiol (E2) administration on hepatic lipid deposition in chicks were studied. Two levels of E2 were injected at three intervals over a 4-day period, in 3-week-old male Leghorn chicks fed either a corn-soybean meal (CS) diet or a diet containing fish meal (FM) after 2 days fasting. The chicks were subjected to temperature ranges of 15 to 24 C (low) or 24 to 35 C (high) at 2 weeks of age. The E2 (in silastic tubes) was also implanted subcutaneously in 3-week-old broiler chicks fed either the CS diet or a diet containing fish meal, alfalfa meal, and torula yeast (FAY) from day of age to 6 weeks. They were subjected to the high and low temperature ranges at 3 weeks. Liver lipid deposition markedly increased with E2 administration among chicks fed all diets within both temperature ranges. Liver lipid was significantly greater at 24 to 35 C than at 15 to 24 C among estrogenized chicks. Feeding the FM or the FAY diet decreased hepatic lipid accumulation as compared to feeding the CS diet, but the ameliorative effect of the FM diet on hepatic lipid deposition was not observed at the low temperature or at the lower level of implantation. It was concluded that a range for estrogen administration exists wherein dietary effects are expressed. These data indicate that environmental temperature, dietary composition, estrogen level, and their interactions influence hepatic lipid deposition and also suggest that high temperature augments liver response to estrogen.
The isolated pancreatic islet as a micro-organ and its transplantation to cure diabetes: Celebrating the legacy of Paul Lacy

Over the past three decades the pancreatic islet of Langerhans has taken center stage as an endocrine micro-organ whose glucoregulatory function is highly explicable on the basis of the increasingly well understood activities of three highly interactive secretory cells. Islet dysfunction underlies both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM); its protection from immune attack and gluco-and lipo-toxicity may prevent the development of DM; and its replacement by non-surgical transplantation may be curative of DM. During a career marked by vision, focus and tenacity, Paul Lacy contributed substantially to the development of each of these concepts. In this review we focus on Lacy's contribution to the development of the concept of the islet as a micro-organ, how this foreshadowed our current detailed understanding of single cell function and cell-cell interactions and how this led to a reduced model of islet function encouraging islet transplantation. Next, we examine how clinical allotransplantation, first undertaken by Lacy, has contributed to a more complex view of the interaction of islet endocrine cells with its circulation and neighboring tissues, both "in situ" and after transplantation. Lastly, we consider recent developments in some alternative approaches to treatment of DM that Lacy could glimpse on the horizon but did not have the chance to participate in.
Power/Faith: Governmentality, Religion, and Post-Secular Societies

Foucault’s concept of governmentality, and its attending modalities of biopower and disciplinary technologies, provides a useful conceptual schema for the analysis of the role of religious and quasi-religious institutions in contemporary society. This is particularly important in the study of those neoliberal democratic states where religious organizations constitute an important presence in the civil society. As religion is thoroughly involved in the reproduction of social structure in most societies, an appraisal of the social and political importance of religious institutions is needed to understand the articulation and exercise of governmentality. This is not just limited to partnerships between state agencies and faith-based organizations in providing for social services, but also in rituals and other religious group activities of these organizations that play a vital role in shaping and molding the social and political subjectivities of the adherents. We argue that synergy between the scholarship on governmentality, and sociology of religion would allow for a more nuanced understanding of the politics and culture of post-secular societies.
Successful implantation of cardiovascular-defibrillator systems in patients with elevated defibrillation thresholds

Abstract Objectives. The purpose of this study was to conduct a retrospective analysis of 16 patients with high initial defibrillation thresholds in whom a three-electrode system was used to lower defibrillation threshold and permit implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator system. Background. Patients with high defibrillation thresholds(>25 J) are uncommon but may be problematic to physicians implementing cardioverter-defibrillator systems. Most conventional systems use two defibrillating electrodes, most commonly two epicardial patches. When defibrillatation threshold remain elevated despite extensive testing of a two-electrode system, a third electrode can be incorporated and tested. However, few published data exist on the use of a three-electrode system in patients with high defibrillation thresholds. Methods. After failure to achieve satisfactory defibrillation thresholds Results. In all 16 patients, satisfactory defibrillation thresholds were achieved and a cardioverter-defibrillator was implanted (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0% to 21%). The mean final defibrillation threshold using the revised three-electrode system was 19.5 ± 3.7 J (p Conclusion. Patients with high initial defibrillation thresholds can generally undergo successful cardioverter-defibrillator implantation with a tnree-electrode system if enough electrode configurations are tested after a third electrode is incorporated.
“We’re not in Kansas anymore” Disaster Relief, Social Change Leadership, and Transformation

Abstract This qualitative study explored a high-intensity, transformational service event following a natural disaster. Using data collected from promptbased journals, the researchers in this study sought to understand how social change leadership develops while serving after a natural disaster. This paper outlines how qualitative research can be used to enhance ongoing student affairs assessment plans.
How the dialectical imperative shapes network news content: The case of CNN vs. the entertainment networks

This essay compares an all news network's (the Cable News Network) response to a news story's dialectical imperative with that of the entertainment networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC). Using the 1988 nominating convention coverage as subject matter, the author applies narrative principles to interpret a content analysis of those telecasts. The results indicate significant distinctions in narrative structure as the entertainment networks aired a “talent‐based” production whereas CNN produced an “event‐based” interpretation of the two conventions.
Single-Fraction Radiosurgery for Primary and Recurrent Malignant Gliomas

From November 1990 to May 1993, 37 patients with malignant gliomas were treated with single-fraction radiosurgery. Nineteen patients had newly diagnosed tumors. Twelve of these were gliob-lastoma multiforme (GBM) and 7 were anaplastic astrocytoma (AA). Tumors were recurrent after standard radiotherapy in 18 patients. Twelve were GBM and 6 were AA. Median ages were 56 years for those with primary tumors and 52 years for those with recurrent tumors. Strict neuroimaging criteria were not used to select patients for radiosurgery. Median tumor volumes for primary GBM and AA were 15 cc and 9.4 cc, respectively. Median volumes for recurrent GBM and AA were 22.6 cc and 19.6 cc, respectively. Karnofsky Performance Status was above 60% in all patients. Median tumor minimum doses were 30 Gy for primary tumors and 27 Gy for recurrent tumors. Median tumor maximum doses were 50 Gy and 55 Gy, respectively. Median follow-up was 14 months for primary glioma patients and 7.5 months for those with recurrent tumors. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Comparison of prognostic factors was performed using the log-rank and Wilcoxon tests No patient in this series remains alive. Median survivals of those with primary GBM and AA were 13 and 12 months, respectively, from diagnosis. Median survivals of those with recurrent GBM and AA were 7 and 8 months, respectively, from the date of radio-surgery. Thirty-three of 37 patient deaths were due to tumor progression within the radiosurgery treatment volume. Tumor recurred outside the high-dose volume of radiosurgery in 3 patients. Acute complications necessitating hospitalization occurred in 3 patients. Fourteen patients (38%) became dependent on corticosteroids after radiosurgery. Six patients (16%) were resected after radiosurgery. Coagulative necrosis and morphologically intact tumor cells were identified in all resected patients. There was no significant influence of the following factors on actuarial survival of primary or recurrent tumors: age, gender, tumor volume, tumor location, duration from conventional radiotherapy, or radiosurgery dose. Tumor volume was a predictor of reoperation for AA. Indiscriminate application of radiosurgery in this series did not increase the survival of patients with primary or recurrent GBM. Central recurrence represents the predominant form of relapse when patients with malignant gliomas receive radiosurgery in the absence of imaging selection criteria. These criteria include tumor volume and evidence for a discreet lesion. Radiosurgery planning should provide a margin of normal brain parenchyma. Advances in tumor imaging and radiosurgery techniques may improve results of this unique modality for patients with malignant gliomas.
An effect of inter-trial duration on the gambler's fallacy choice bias

The gambler's fallacy is defined as the avoidance of a winning outcome in a stochastic environment with a constant probability. We tested the possibility that the gambler's fallacy in humans is responsive to the amount of time between choice allocations. Two groups of subjects were placed in a six-choice betting game in which the choices were clustered into two "patches." Groups were defined by the length of time - 2s or 6s - between trials. On any given trial subjects allocated six points among the alternatives, and retained any points that were bet on the winning alternative. Both groups showed evidence of the gambler's fallacy bias. However, the bias was stronger in the 6-s ITI group than in the 2-s ITI group. This difference was found primarily to be due to differences in the number of subjects showing an opposing bias to the gambler's fallacy, namely a preference for the most recent winning alternative. This choice bias is termed the hot hand fallacy. Our findings contradict predictions derived from a foraging heuristic and from traditional accounts of the gambler's fallacy.
Agronomic Performance of Timothy Germplasm from Forage and Turf Sods under Two Harvest Managements

number of dead corms per plant by up to 93% and decreases living corm mass by up to 29% (Peters, 1958). Cultivated timothy (Phleum pratense L.) is an important grass for Harvesting frequently, up to three or four cuts per year, hay production in temperate North America. It is underutilized in and season-long competition in a timothy–alfalfa (Medmanagement-intensive rotational grazing systems because of its poor icago sativa L.) mixture reduces persistence of timothy persistence when frequently defoliated. The objective of this study was to compare families selected for forage yield under frequent cultivars (Casler and Walgenbach, 1990; Smith et al., defoliation, families derived from old turf sods, and cultivars for agro- 1973). Cultivars with earlier heading tend to be more nomic performance under frequent and infrequent harvest manage- persistent under frequent harvests, but earliness does not ments (four vs. two harvests per year). Forage timothy was generally guarantee persistence (Casler and Walgenbach, 1990). superior to turf timothy for most traits. Forage selections averaged Partly because of the long history of breeding timothy 9.4 and 4.9% higher forage yield compared with cultivars under infre- in North America and perhaps because of its excellent quentand frequentharvestmanagements,respectively, indicatingthat reputationasahighlycold-tolerantgrassforhayproducselection for higher forage yield under frequent harvest improved tion, it has been extensively planted throughout the forage yield under both harvest frequencies. There were differences north-central and northeastern USA and eastern Canamongthefourtypesofturf(golfcoursefairwaysandroughs,cemeterada.Urbanization,resultinginthesaleanddevelopment ies, and lawn/roadways), but these differences were not closely related to mowing height or frequency, perhaps because of the small sample of farmland, has led to the conversion of many timothy size. Some turf collections ranked high for net herbage accumulation hay fields to turf sods, including lawns, golf courses, and under frequent harvesting, but most turf collections were also charac- cemeteries. Timothy plants survive in many of these turf terized by a high frequency of regrowth panicles under either or both areas, despite more than 35 yr of frequent mowing. harvest frequencies. Timothy germplasm from old turf sods may have Because of the genetic heterogeneity that exists within value in developing new timothy cultivars with improved tolerance timothy cultivars and ecotypes, these remnant populato frequent defoliation and efforts should continue to gather and tions of timothy represent germplasm that may have evaluate collections from a range of turf types and locations. undergone natural selection for tolerance to frequent defoliation. Many factors contribute to changes in swards under
Fatigue of AZ91E-T6 Cast Magnesium Alloy

The purpose of this research was to obtain room temperature fatigue behavior of AZ91E-T6 cast magnesium alloy and to determine if commonly used models that depict fatigues behavior are applicable to this cast alloy. Axial strain-controlled fatigue behavior using cylindrical specimens were employed to determine low cycle fatigue behavior. The conventional log-log total strain low cycle fatigue model properly represented the R = [minus]1 axial fatigue data. Significant means stress relaxation occurred for all R = 0 and [minus]2 axial fatigue tests. However, for the smaller strain amplitude tests with R = 0, sufficient mean stresses were retained such that fatigue life was reduced. The mean strains/stresses had little influence on the cyclic stress-strain curve which exhibited cyclic strain hardening. Mean stress effects were analyzed using the Morrow, SWT and Lorenzo-Laird models and similar, but oftentimes nonconservative, calculations resulting. Region 1 and 2 fatigue crack growth behavior was determined using C(T) specimens with load ratios R = P[sub min]/P[sub max] = 0.05 and 0.5. The commonly used low cycle fatigue and fatigue crack growth models appear to reasonably represent most of the results with this AZ91E-T6 cast magnesium alloy.
ORDER OUT OF CHAOS: LEADERSHIP FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Leadership is about change. Organizations, especially educational institutions, are currently experiencing revolutionary, not evolutionary, change. Change is so widespread, so fast and unsettling, that it is not incremental; it is chaotic. In times of chaos and change, an effective leader must not only be able to cope with the environment, but also be able to shape it. In this article, we (a) describe change in the current chaotic environment; (b) discuss what leadership is and is not; (c) illustrate relationships among chaos, order, leadership, and organizational success; and (d) suggest four specific skills for leadership effectiveness and organizational success. The old ways of managing and organizing are no longer effective. The environment calls for a different set of leadership skills than those that might have sufficed in less turbulent times.
Puromycin: Effect on Messenger RNA Synthesis and β-Galactosidase Formation in Escherichia coli 15T-

Incubation of Escherichia coli 15T(-) in the presence of puromycin inhibits the inducible formation of beta-galactosidase to a greater extent than it inhibits protein synthesis. In E. coli 33.00 beta-galactosidase formation is also more sensitive to the presence of puromycin than is protein synthesis. In the presence of glycerol (but not in its absence) puromycin prevents the production of messenger RNA for beta-galactosidase, presumably as a result of catabolite repression.
A statistical spectroscopy approach for calculating nuclear level densities

We compute level densities with a nuclear statistical spectroscopy approach. This model is based on the microscopic physics of the interacting shell model. The level density is constructed by means of a sum of binomial distributions. The partial densities correspond to different configurations of the valence space. The individual binomial parameters fit the exact configuration moments. Calculations of level densities for sd-shell nuclides show the model to work well, when compared to exact calculations with full-diagonalization shell model.
Abstract 3764: Loss of β2SP (ELF) enhances the stem-like traits and invasiveness of HCC cells.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC β2SP(ELF) is one of adapter proteins for Smad3/Smad4 complex formation during TGF-β signal transduction. 40% of β2SP+/- mice spontaneously develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and most cases of human HCC, gastric cancer, and lung cancer demonstrate significant reductions in β2SP expression. In our study, we investigated the possible mechanism for loss of β2SP induced HCC tumorigenesis. Recent studies have highlighted the involvement of cancer stem cells during the formation and progression of various types of cancers, epithelial cells that have undergone EMT (epithelial mesenchymal transition) acquire stem-cell properties during cancer development. Giving the role of TGF-beta signaling in stem cell differentiation and EMT during embryonic development, we hypothesize loss of β2SP results in alteration of liver stem cell that may contribute to the development of HCC in β2SP+/− mice. It has been shown that EpCAM-positive adult liver cells has stem cell property and can differentiate into functional hepatocytes in xenograft model. We found that EpCAM-positive hepatocyte number doubled in β2SP+/− mouse compared to wild type by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). Furthermore EpCAM level in β2SP+/− mouse liver was three times higher than that in the liver of wild type mouse. To study the mechanism by which Epcam is regulated by β2SP, HCC cells were transfected by β2SP siRNA. Inhibition of β2SP increased the expression of Epcam, and EMT markers vimentin was increased and E-cadherin expression was decreased in PLC/PRF/5 and SNU449 cells, while TGF-β1 and Smad3 rescued the expression of Epcam and E-cadherin, but not vimentin. We also found that suppression of β2SP expression promotes adhesion, migration and cloning formation of PLC/PRF/5 and SNU449 cells. Our data suggests loss of β2SP enhances the stem-like traits and invasiveness of HCC cells. Citation Format: Xiuling Zhi, Ling Lin, Narayan Shivapurkar, Wilma Jogunoori, Lopa Mishra, Aiwu R He. Loss of β2SP (ELF) enhances the stem-like traits and invasiveness of HCC cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3764. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3764
Smooth goodness of fit tests for the weibull distribution with singly censored data

The smooth goodness of fit tests are generalized to singly censored data and applied to the problem of testing Weibull (or extreme value) fit. Smooth tests, Pearson-type tests, and the spacings tests proposed by Mann, Schemer, and Fertig (1973) are compared on the basis of local asymptotic relative efficiency with respect to the asymptotic best test against generalized gamma alternatives, The smooth test of order one Is found to be most efficient for the generalized gamma alternatives.
Contextual Influences on Sexual Risk-Taking in the Transgender Community

High HIV prevalence and incidence rates and high-risk sexual activity have been documented in certain subgroups of the transgender community; however, less is known about the sexual experiences and risks shared by these subgroups. To identify contextual features influencing the sexual risk-taking of transgender adults, semi-structured interviews conducted with 41 self-identified transgender adults were analyzed via constant comparative analysis, a technique rooted in grounded theory. Seven aspects of the transgender experience, including stigma, financial hardship, sexual objectification, a lack of outreach, hormones, a second puberty, and gender role issues, created a unique context of risk. Findings indicate that traditional HIV prevention efforts might not be suited to the unique needs of transgender adults. Tailoring HIV prevention efforts to this community will warrant further attention to contextual influences on sexual risk and safety.
The Denial of Change in Educational Change: Systems of Ideas in the Construction of National Policy and Evaluation:

Our conventional assumptions about school policy and evaluation are that schools are known and stable entities, and that the objectives and purposes of evaluation are relatively straight-forward. Drawing initially on a Norwegian evaluation of Norway's educational system, this essay views the problems of policy studies and evaluation as related to social and cultural changes that produce ambiguity and uncertainty in the practices of education. Further, the object of inquiry in this essay is the structuring of educational knowledge. Central to this examination are the sociology of knowledge and postmodern political theories, asking about the categories, distinctions, and differentiations of schooling that govern problem-solving efforts to improve education. My concern is with a method of inquiry that examines the historical circumstances through which "reason" and "reasonable people" of schooling are constructed. I proceed in this manner to frame the study of policy research and evaluation in a problematic ...
Total pharyngolaryngectomy and cervical esophagectomy with jejunal autotransplant reconstruction : Complications and results

Eighteen patients underwent pharyngoesophageal reconstruction with a free jejunal autotransplant in a one-stage procedure after circumferential resection for cancer of the pharynx and cervical esophagus. Of these, six had minor complications (fistulas) and six had major complications including abdominal bleeding, cervical bleeding, graft failure, and one surgical death. The mean survival was 427 days after resection and reconstruction (range, 120 to 866 days). Ten patients died of their disease, and four died of other causes. The site of failure was local in five and distant in five. In view of this high complication rate and unimpressive survival rate, the use of other lower-morbidity reconstructive options or staged procedures may need to be considered in poor surgical candidates.
Bright Lights, Abundant Operons—Fluorescence and Genomic Technologies Advance Studies of Bacterial Locomotion and Signal Transduction: Review of the BLAST Meeting, Cuernavaca, Mexico, 14 to 19 January 2001

In the merciless world of natural selection, microorganisms have turned their most obvious characteristic, their small size, into their greatest advantage. Small size results in a large surface-to-volume ratio, which facilitates exchange of chemicals between the interior of bacterial cells and the
Resource allocation for multiple classes of DS-CDMA traffic

We consider a packet data direct-sequence code-division multiple-access (DS-CDMA) system which supports integrated services. The services are partitioned into different traffic classes according to information rate (bandwidth) and quality of service (QoS) requirements. Given sufficient bandwidth, QoS requirements can be satisfied by an appropriate assignment of transmitted power and processing gain to users in each class. The effect of this assignment is analyzed for both a single class of data users and two classes of voice and data users. For a single class of data users, we examine the relationship between average delay and processing gain, assuming that ARQ with forward error correction is used to guarantee reliability. The only channel impairment considered is interference, which is modeled as Gaussian noise. A fixed user population is assumed and two models for generation of data packets are considered: (1) each user generates a new packet as soon as the preceding packet is successfully delivered and (2) each user generates packets according to a Poisson process. In each case, the packets enter a buffer which is emptied at the symbol rate. For the second traffic model, lowering the processing gain below a threshold can produce multiple operating points, one of which corresponds to infinite delay. The choice of processing gain which minimizes average delay in that case is the smallest processing gain at which multiple operating points are avoided. Two classes of users (voice/data and two data classes) are then considered. Numerical examples are presented which illustrate, the increase in the two-dimensional (2-D) capacity region achievable by optimizing the assignment of powers and processing gains to each class.
Handbook of Lipoprotein Testing.

Handbook of Lipoprotein Testing. Nader Rifai, G. Russell Wamick, Marek H. Dominiczack, eds. Washington D.C.: AACC Press, 1997, 598 pp., $75.00. ISBN 0-915274-92-2 This book has its origins in Methods for Clinical Laboratory Measurement of Lipid and Lipoprotein Risk Factors , published in 1991 and more recently in the Laboratory Measurement of Lipids, Lipoproteins and Apolipoproteins , published in 1994. Continuing with this trend of updating the information every three years, the editors of this state-of-the-art work on lipid, lipoprotein, and apolipoprotein measurements have assembled an impressive group of lipid experts who have contributed to create an excellent compendium of everything-that-you-should-know-about-lipids. The book has been divided into 31 chapters. Chapters 1 through 3 present the fundamental information regarding our current knowledge of lipoprotein …
Excited-State Electron Transfer

This review article has its basis in that connection between electron transfer and photochemistry which came about as it was noted that much of the theoretical background for electron transfer has its basis in radiationless decay theory. The first part of the review deals with electron transfer theory, and the second part discusses applications of the theory to photochemical and photophysical processes. 104 references.
The challenge of interface design for communication theory: from interaction metaphor to contexts of discovery

Abstract Those who study interface design still have not resolved the issue of whether the computer is a passive medium or a communicative participant with which we can hope to ‘engage in conversation’. The authors think that this controversy reflects an inadequate philosophy of interface design, which cannot account for what purpose a medium serves in a human communication. In a short history of humancomputer interface research, we trace the development of this philosophy through three generations of computer interface technology and find that its failure lies in the conceptual limitations of its driving concept of interaction. Just as the concept of interaction provided the transition from the past (command-line interface) to the present (desktop metaphor interface), perhaps, the concept of engagement can provide the transition from our present understanding of the ‘interactive desktop’ interface to multimedia's ‘contexts of discovery’. The development of multimedia gives interface designers the ultimate challenge to develop interface technology that will simulate human-to-human communication. Should human communication theory be able to treat the conceptual deficiencies of interface design philosophy? The authors find fundamental challenges here and briefly indicate what Charles S. Peirce's semiotic might offer as an age-old remedy.
A lack of evidence for an ecological role of the putative allelochemical (±)-catechin in spotted knapweed invasion success.

Allelopathy is a notoriously difficult mechanism to demonstrate. There has been a recent resurgence of interest in allelopathy because of the work done on the invasive weed spotted knapweed and its putative allelochemical, (±)-catechin. In this study we collected and analyzed soil samples taken from three, long-term knapweed infested sites in Montana, USA during the summer and fall of 2005. We only detected catechin in all the soil cores at one time point (August, 2005) at two of the sites. Field levels from these two sites were nearly three orders of magnitude lower than what has previously been reported to cause reduced growth in a sensitive native species. Fourteen percent of the remaining soil cores contained low but detectable levels (<0.11 ppm) of (±)-catechin. Additional experiments indicated that soil moisture appears to play a significant role in whether or not catechin degrades rapidly or remains in the soil. Adding to previous work, this paper sheds doubt on the importance of this chemical in spotted knapweed invasion success.
How low can you go? The effects of mutation rate on the accuracy of species-tree estimation

Although species-tree methods have been widely adopted for multi-locus data, little consideration has been given to the source and character of the loci used in these approaches. Decisions about which loci to target in empirical studies are typically constrained by availability, technology and funds – characteristics that are not typically considered in simulation studies. As a result, most real-world datasets often combine one or two variable loci (such as mtDNA or chloroplast loci) with multiple lower-variation loci to estimate species trees. These locus selections impact the accuracy and the resolution of a phylogeny. Furthermore, the fact that using a larger sample of loci can result in lower posterior probabilities has been used as an excuse to drop loci from an analysis. Here we address these issues directly through a simulation approach designed to mimic situations arising in empirical datasets by combining loci with differing mutation rates. We show that low-variation loci can be utilized in species-tree analyses that account for gene-tree uncertainty (e.g., a Bayesian framework), whereas maximum likelihood approaches show no improvement in accuracy when low-variation loci are added. We demonstrate that limited phylogenetic signal associated with low-variation loci constrains gains in species-tree estimation accuracy when adding loci. Lastly, we demonstrate that the inclusion of only a handful of loci with higher mutation rates, and hence greater phylogenetic information content, can make a tremendous difference in the accuracy of species-tree estimates, suggesting that empiricists should consider the quality, and not just quantity, of loci in multi-locus phylogenetic analyses.
The use of macrolide antibiotics in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Purpose of reviewThere has been much recent interest in the use of macrolide antibiotics as chronic suppressive therapy in patients with cystic fibrosis. Three recent randomized, placebo-controlled trials have been conducted.Recent findingsAll three trials used similar regimens of azithromycin, and
Sierra Nevada Plutonic Cycle: Part I, Origin of Composite Granitic Batholiths

Intrusion of Mesozoic batholiths in California and the western North America Cordillera began in the Late Triassic 210 m.y. ago and ended in the Late Cretaceous 80 m.y. ago. Emplacement of granitic rocks was apparently not continuous but was accomplished during five major epochs of intrusion at approximately 30 m.y. intervals, each epoch taking 10 to 20 m.y. to complete. A progressive transgression of epicontinental seas onto the midcontinent occurred during the same interval of time as the batholithic emplacement to the west. A penecontemporaneous deformation near the loci of granitic emplacement and a temporary regression during the major progressive transgression of seas onto the midcontinent are correlated with each intrusive epoch. The locus of Mesozoic granitic rocks was a source of sediments during most of the period of time required to emplace the batholiths; the origin of the batholithic magmas cannot be related only to localized down-warping of geosynclines. The source of the major proportion of the mobile granodioritic magmas of the Sierra Nevada was within the mantle, as is indicated by Sr isotope data. All plutons now exposed in the Sierra Nevada, whether of Cretaceous age or older, were emplaced at depths of a very few kilometers, the shallowest having been emplaced at depths of 4 km or less. The spatial relationships among these synchronous geologic phenomena and the geochemical and geophysical data from the same region are accounted for by a northwestward drift of North America in the region of the western Cordillera of the United States onto and across a Mesozoic feature that had characteristics like present-day oceanic rises.