cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Real-time distributed scheduling of heterarchical manufacturing systems

Abstract Lack of master-slave relationships and absence of a centralized supervisor in heterarchical manufacturing systems prohibits the use of centralized scheduling. A fully distributed scheduling method for these systems is described in this paper. Entities in the system continually generate tentative local schedules in real time using a cooperative scheduling heuristic and select the beast schedule for execution. Tentative schedules are evaluated in time-scaled, distributed simulations using software that is a replica of the real system software. The state of the real system is copied into this virtual system at the beginning of each simulation, eliminating cumulative uncertainties and immediately incorporating equipment failures and other unexpected events into schedule evaluation. Experimental results illustrate the real-time distributed scheduling method and its response to faults.
Metrics for analyzing rich session histories

To be most useful, evaluation metrics should be based on detailed observation and effective analysis of a full spectrum of system use. Because observation is costly, ideally we want a system to provide in-depth data collection with allied analyses of the key user interface elements. We have developed a visualization and analysis platform [1] that automatically records user actions and states at a high semantic level [2 and 3], and can be directly restored to any state. Audio and text annotations are collected and indexed to states, allowing users to comment on their current situation as they work, and/or as they review the session. These capabilities can be applied to usability evaluation of the system, describing problems they encountered, or to suggest improvements to the environment. Additionally, computed metrics are provided at each state [3, 4, and 5]. We believe that the metrics and the associated history data will allow us to deduce patterns of data exploration, to compare users, to evaluate tools, and to understand in a more automated approach the usability of the visualization system as a whole.
Isolating - a new resampling method for gene order data

The purpose of using resampling methods on phylogenetic data is to estimate the confidence value of branches. In recent years, bootstrapping and jackknifing are the two most popular resampling schemes which are widely used in biological reserach. However, for gene order data, traditional bootstrap procedures can not be applied because gene order data is viewed as one character with various states. Experience in the biological community has shown that jackknifing is a useful means of determining the confidence value of a gene order phylogeny. When genomes are distant, however, applying jackknifing tends to give low confidence values to many valid branches, causing them to be mistakenly removed. In this paper, we propose a new method that overcomes this disadvantage of jackknifing and achieves better accuracy and confidence values for gene order data. Compared to jackknifing, our experimental results show that the proposed method can produce phylogenies with lower error rates and much stronger support for good branches. We also establish a theoretic lower bound regarding how many genes should be isolated, which is confirmed empirically.
Stabilizing the Dynamics of Electrostatic MEMS Resonators Using Delayed Feedback Controller

We study the effect of delayed feedback controller on the dynamic stability of a MEMS resonator actuated with DC and AC voltages. We show that the delayed feedback controller, with a careful selection of its parameters, can be used to stabilize an originally unstable resonator operating in the escape (dynamic pull-in) frequency band. Also, the controller is shown to enhance the stability of the resonator near pull-in, where it experiences a strong fractal behavior. In both cases, the controller shows superior performance in rejecting disturbances. Experimental and theoretical results are presented to demonstrate the capability of the feedback controller to stabilize the performance of the capacitive resonator. A good agreement between simulation and experiment was achieved.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Proteolysis of HIP during apoptosis occurs within a region similar to the BID loop.

BID is an essential component of many apoptotic pathways. Cytosolic proteases cleave BID within an extended loop region, generating an active truncated fragment which synergizes with BAX and BAK to induce release of apoptogenic factors from mitochondria. To determine whether other proteins are cleaved in a similar manner as BID, we performed a database search for proteins which possess sequence similarity with the BID loop region. One of the proteins identified was the Hsc70-interacting protein (HIP). We analyzed the cleavage pattern of HIP using two known activators of BID: granzyme B and caspase-8. In in vitro cleavage assays using recombinant proteins, human and rat HIP were cleaved by granzyme B. Furthermore, the granzyme B-mediated cleavage site was mapped to the BID loop-like region of HIP by site-directed mutagenesis. This region was also the target for caspase-8-mediated cleavage in rat HIP. However, human HIP was not proteolyzed by caspase-8, which probably reflects sequence differences between human and rat HIP proteins at the P1′ position of the caspase-8 recognition sequence. To determine whether HIP is cleaved during apoptosis, human Jurkat T cells were exposed to granzyme B and perforin. The results of these studies suggest that granzyme B-mediated loss of HIP expression occurs in vivo, and in a coordinate fashion with loss of BID, pro-caspase-8 and pro-caspase-3. These data implicate the Hsp70 co-chaperone HIP in the proteolytic cascade of some apoptotic pathways.
Regulation of Oxidative Stress Responses by Ataxia-Telangiectasia Mutated Is Required for T Cell Proliferation

Mutations in the gene encoding ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) mutated (Atm) cause the disease A-T, characterized by immunodeficiency, the molecular basis of which is not known. Following stimulation through the TCR, Atm-deficient T cells and normal T cells in which Atm is inhibited undergo apoptosis rather than proliferation. Apoptosis is prevented by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) during activation. Atm therefore plays a critical role in T cell proliferation by regulating responses to ROS generated following T cell activation. The inability of Atm-deficient T cells to control responses to ROS is therefore the molecular basis of immunodeficiency associated with A-T.
Relation of age to radiomagnesium exchange in bone.

SummaryIn the rat, the exchange of Mg28 in cortical bone occurs much more rapidly in young animals than in old. The stable magnesium content of bone increases with age, varies inversely with bone water content. A method for separating Mg from Ca and P by cation exchange chromatography is described.
Response to Prognostic Significance of Between-Arm Blood Pressure Differences: Between-Arm Blood Pressure Difference and Mortality and the Interarm Blood Pressure Difference: Between-Arm Blood Pressure Differences Are Important

We thank Kleefstra et al1 for raising important questions about the methods and conclusions of our study.2 The blood pressure device that we used is now discontinued but is substantially equivalent to the HEM-442C Manual Inflation BP Monitor (John Winegardner, Omron Healthcare, written communication, 2005.). The automatic version HEM-432C, also known as the Omron M1 Classic Model, has been validated using the International Protocol of the Working Group on Blood Pressure Monitoring of the European Society of Hypertension.3 Reproducibility of blood pressure measurement is undoubtedly influenced by time. The longer we wait between measurements, the less reproducible the readings are likely to be. Thus, it is no surprise that reproducibility of measurements >1 year is less compared with those performed over 1 week. Because it is also likely that, over the longer term, progression of atherosclerotic disease or treatment of hypertension may influence the reproducibility of blood pressure measurements, the shorter-term reproducibility more likely reflects the true reproducibility of …
Occasional Staining for p63 in Malignant Vascular Tumors: A Potential Diagnostic Pitfall

Expression of p63, a putative marker for epithelial or myoepithelial differentiation, has been used to distinguish spindle cell carcinoma from sarcoma. The specificity of p63 for epithelial differentiation has not been thoroughly evaluated however, since p63 expression has been explored in only a handful of mesenchymal tumors. After observing unexpected immunohistochemical staining for p63 in an angiosarcoma of the breast, we evaluated a series of benign and malignant vascular tumors to determine the frequency of such a finding. Nuclear immunoreactivity to p63 was detected, at least focally, in 24% of malignant vascular tumors other than Kaposi sarcoma, which was uniformly negative. Benign vascular tumors were also negative for p63. Although p63 expression in tumors of vascular differentiation is unusual, it may be seen occasionally in some malignant vascular tumors. Thus, p63 is not entirely specific for epithelial differentiation. Since soft tissue angiosarcomas and hemangioendotheliomas sometimes express cytokeratins, the finding of nuclear p63 represents another potential pitfall in the differential diagnosis between poorly-differentiated carcinomas and vascular neoplasms.
Sensitive as water

The "Water Project" is a video installation in which a physical drip of water triggers a glitch in a digital image file of the sea. Digital representations and spectacular images from screens are highly suspect and unreliable to some degree. However, people are growing ever more attached to screens, and they experience intimacy in a virtual world rather than the real world. It is interesting to explore the fragile connection between those two worlds.
FT‐Raman investigation of the thermal curing of PMDA/ODA polyamic acids

The effect of solvent on the curing reactions of PMDA/ODA polyamic acids has been investigated using Fourier transform (FT)-Raman spectroscopy. Films of different thicknesses were cured by: (1) doctor blading 15% solids solutions onto glass slides, (2) removing all but the bound NMP, and (3) removing all the N-methypyrrolidinone (NMP). The rate of cure and final degree of conversion of the PMDA/ODA polyamic acid to polyimide increased substantially in the presence of NMP, and this effect was attributed to the plasticizing effect of the solvent. Below a critical solvent concentration, which was estimated to be approximately 40% of the NMP concentration in the bound-solvent limit, the rate of imidization slowed down considerably. Comparison of FT-Raman data for PMDA/ODA polyamic acid: (1) in solution in NMP, (2) complexed with NMP in the solid state, and (3) in the solid state after all the NMP had been removed with water, indicated that intermolecular interactions were greatest in the latter case and weakest in solution. Spectra of PMDA/ODA in NMP solution provide strong evidence for binding of NMP to the amide carbonyl in solution. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Sensitization of Slow Pressor Angiotensin II (Ang II)–Initiated Hypertension: Induction of Sensitization by Prior Ang II Treatment

Sensitization involving the central nervous system has been studied in many conditions but has received little attention in investigation of the pathogenesis of hypertension. Our experiments were initiated to determine whether angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension can be sensitized by prior Ang II treatment and the role of the brain renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in this process. To demonstrate Ang II-induced sensitization, we used an experimental design of induction-delay-expression. Male rats were implanted for telemetered blood pressure (BP) recording. During induction (I), low doses of subcutaneous or intracerebroventricular Ang II were delivered for 1 week, and then the rats were rested for 1 week (delay [D]) to ensure that any exogenous Ang II was metabolized. After this, a second higher dose of Ang II was given subcutaneously for 2 weeks (expression [E]). During I and D, the low doses of Ang II had no sustained effects on BP. However, during E, the Ang II-induced BP increase was greater in the groups that had received low doses of Ang II during I in comparison to the group receiving saline during I. Central angiotensin type 1 receptor antagonist delivery blocked this sensitization. Brain tissue collected at the end of D and E showed increased mRNA expression of several RAAS components in key forebrain regions of sensitized rats. Fos-related antigen-like immunoreactivity was also increased at the end of E in the sensitized forebrain. These results indicate that subpressor doses of Ang II act on the brain to sensitize the hypertensive response to subsequent Ang II and that sensitization is associated with altered expression of RAAS components in forebrain cardiovascular control structures.
Using synoptic classification to evaluate an operational air quality forecasting system in Atlanta

Since 2006, a team of forecasters in Georgia (USA) has been using the high–resolution air quality forecasting system (Hi–Res) as an aid for making ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) forecasts. Here, we examine Hi–Res’s O3 and PM2.5 forecasting performance for the Atlanta metropolitan area during the summers of 2006–2009. A classificatory evaluation approach was adopted. The spatial synoptic classification (SSC) calendar for Atlanta was used to cluster the forecasting days into typical summer weather types of dry moderate, dry tropical, moist moderate, moist tropical, and a transition class. The forecasting days were also classified according to emissions conditions as special weekdays (Monday and Friday), typical weekdays and weekends/holidays. Evaluation of forecasts during 2006– 2009 shows that O3 performance was worse on moist days and better on dry days. This is an important concern for forecasters since a sizeable number of days that exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for O3 were observed under moist tropical weather type during the period. On the other hand, PM2.5 performance during 2006–2008 was opposite – worse on dry days, especially on dry tropical days, and better on moist days. This too is a concern since higher concentrations of PM2.5 were observed to occur on dry days. In 2009, PM2.5 forecasting performance on dry days was improved significantly by integrating a new secondary organic aerosol (SOA) module into the system. As a result, the differences in PM2.5 forecasting performance between dry and moist days were diminished. Other results of this study, suggest that a relatively larger forecasting error on weekends/holidays may be due to higher uncertainties in emission estimates on those days. To a lesser extent, this was also true on special weekdays because of the greater variations in rush hour emissions relative to typical weekdays.
An assessment of long-term post-restoration water quality trends in a shallow, subtropical, urban hypereutrophic lake

Abstract City Park Lake is a shallow urban hypereutrophic lake located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with a surface area of 0.23 km2 and a mean depth of 1.2 m. By the late 1970s, the lake had become highly eutrophic and suffered from frequent and severe algal blooms and fish kills. A major restoration effort was undertaken in 1983 that consisted of dredging and the repair of sewage infrastructure. Immediate improvements in water quality were observed following restoration; algal blooms and fish kills were virtually eliminated for nearly a decade. However, large floating mats of filamentous algae periodically occurred during the early 1990s. Results of a water quality sampling program conducted in 2000 and 2001 indicated that phosphorus has once again reached pre-restoration levels, and nitrogen levels have decreased well below those observed during pre-restoration years. Whereas phosphorus-limited conditions predominated in the years preceding the 1983 restoration, results of the 2000–2001 sampling program indicate that the lake has become nitrogen-limited with respect to photosynthetic activity. This trend in nutrient levels has likely influenced the recent predominance of filamentous over unicellular species of algae observed during the last decade. Nearly 4 years of drought-like conditions beginning in 1998 have resulted in an overall increase in the hydraulic retention time of the lake. This condition has resulted in organic staining of the lake waters, or the development of a tea-like color due to the decomposition of organic compounds. This phenomenon has played a major role in inhibiting the sunlight available for filamentous algal growth since 1998 and the absence of filamentous algae during the 2000–2001 sampling program.
Improved uniformity and selected area deposition of diamond by the oxy-acetylene flame method

The role of SiO2 in nucleation of diamond has been investigated in an oxy-acetylene flame. It was found that growth methods that minimize SiO2 formation enhance diamond nucleation. A short pretreatment of a scratched Si surface in a low oxygen-to-acetylene ratio flame, at a distance 1.5 cm from the flame core, significantly improved uniformity of subsequent diamond growth. When scratched surfaces were intentionally oxidized, nucleation of diamond was completely inhibited. By using a mask to controllably deposit SiO2 on a scratched Si surface, highly selective deposition of diamond was achieved with resolution below 5 μm. These results are discussed with reference to competing oxidation and carbon formation processes that take place during the nucleation of diamond. During the nucleation stage, carbon may be deposited on the scratched Si via a route in which the Si surface catalyzes carbon formation reactions that are otherwise kinetically unfavorable. The formation of an oxide layer, on the other hand, would act to passivate the surface, and thus inhibit carbon formation via a catalytic route. The decomposition of CO to C and CO2 is given as an example of a reaction that is favored at temperatures below 1000 K, but requires surface catalysis to proceed because it remains frozen out in the gas phase due to a very slow reaction rate.
CommLang: communication for coachable agents

RoboCup has hosted a coach competition for several years creating a challenging testbed for research in advice-giving agents. A coach agent is expected to advise an unknown coachable team. In RoboCup 2003, the coachable agents could process the coach's advice but did not include a protocol for communication among them. In this paper we present CommLang, a standard for agent communication which will be used by the coachable agents in the simulation league at RoboCup 2004. The communication standard supports representation of multiple message types which can be flexibly combined in a single utterance. We then describe the application of CommLang in our coachable agents and present empirical results showing the communication's effect on world model completeness and accuracy. Communication in our agents improved the fraction of time which our agents are confident of player and ball locations and simultaneously improved the overall accuracy of that information.
Mobility-Selected Ion Trapping and Enrichment Using Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations

The integration of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) with mass spectrometry (MS) and the ability to trap ions in IMS-MS measurements is of great importance for performing reactions, accumulating ions, and increasing analytical measurement sensitivity. The development of Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations (SLIM) offers the potential for ion manipulations in an extended and more effective manner, while opening opportunities for many more complex sequences of manipulations. Here, we demonstrate an ion separation and trapping module and a method based upon SLIM that consists of a linear mobility ion drift region, a switch/tee and a trapping region that allows the isolation and accumulation of mobility-separated species. The operation and optimization of the SLIM switch/tee and trap are described and demonstrated for the enrichment of the low abundance ions. A linear improvement in ion intensity was observed with the number of trapping/accumulation events using the SLIM trap, illustrating its potential for enhancing the sensitivity of low abundance or targeted species.
Price Discrimination and Rising Costs: Is There Any Relationship?

Institutions of higher learning in the US employ price discrimination, a practice that results in different students paying varying prices to attend the same school. Largely due to their ability to access personal financial information through their financial aid departments and the federal student aid program, colleges can tailor tuition rates according to an individual student’s financial situation (in addition to other student characteristics). This strategy has been used by colleges throughout the history of higher education to provide needy students with the opportunity to attend college, and help optimize enrollment decisions. While price discrimination enhances welfare by enabling students who would not attend college under a single pricing scheme, it can also be welfare reducing when schools employ strategies to attract full-pay students and limit financially needy students. Additionally, students are not aware of the exact tuition that they will ultimately pay until they are accepted by the college. Although this process enables schools to offer high sticker prices and makes it difficult for potential students to compare colleges by tuition before applying, price discrimination does not appear to be a primary cause of ­rising college costs.
Sentence Level Dialect Identification in Arabic

This paper introduces a supervised approach for performing sentence level dialect identification between Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Dialectal Arabic. We use token level labels to derive sentence-level features. These features are then used with other core and meta features to train a generative classifier that predicts the correct label for each sentence in the given input text. The system achieves an accuracy of 85.5% on an Arabic online-commentary dataset outperforming a previously proposed approach achieving 80.9% and reflecting a significant gain over a majority baseline of 51.9% and two strong baseline systems of 78.5% and 80.4%, respectively.
Quadrupole Moment of Li 7 and Quadrupole Coupling Constant of Li 2

The quadrupole moment (Q) of Li/sup 7/ in LiH is calculated from the quadrupole coupling constant (q) and the electric field gradient at the Li/sup 7/ nucleus. Using this value of Q, the quadrupole coupling constant of Li/sub 2/ is calculated. The calculations yield Q = +3.56 - 10/sup -//sup 2//sup 6/ cm/sup 2/ , and q = -0.049 Mc. (T.F.H.)
A Role for the GIRK3 Subunit in Methamphetamine-Induced Attenuation of GABAB Receptor-Activated GIRK Currents in VTA Dopamine Neurons.

Repeated exposure to psychostimulants induces locomotor sensitization and leads to persistent changes in the circuitry of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) system. G-protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK; also known as Kir3) channels mediate a slow IPSC and control the excitability of DA neurons. Repeated 5 d exposure to psychostimulants decreases the size of the GABAB receptor (GABABR)-activated GIRK currents ( I Baclofen) in ventral tegmental area (VTA) DA neurons of mice, but the mechanism underlying this plasticity is poorly understood. Here, we show that methamphetamine-dependent attenuation of GABABR-GIRK currents in VTA DA neurons required activation of both D1R-like and D2R-like receptors. The methamphetamine-dependent decrease in GABABR-GIRK currents in VTA DA neurons did not depend on a mechanism of dephosphorylation of the GABAB R2 subunit found previously for other neurons in the reward pathway. Rather, the presence of the GIRK3 subunit appeared critical for the methamphetamine-dependent decrease of GABABR-GIRK current in VTA DA neurons. Together, these results highlight different regulatory mechanisms in the learning-evoked changes that occur in the VTA with repeated exposure to psychostimulants. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Exposure to addictive drugs such as psychostimulants produces persistent adaptations in inhibitory circuits within the mesolimbic dopamine system, suggesting that addictive behaviors are encoded by changes in the reward neural circuitry. One form of neuroadaptation that occurs with repeated exposure to psychostimulants is a decrease in slow inhibition, mediated by a GABAB receptor and a potassium channel. Here, we examine the subcellular mechanism that links psychostimulant exposure with changes in slow inhibition and reveal that one type of potassium channel subunit is important for mediating the effect of repeated psychostimulant exposure. Dissecting out the components of drug-dependent plasticity and uncovering novel protein targets in the reward circuit may lead to the development of new therapeutics for treating addiction.
Evaluation outline of wind resources

Wind power is an important alternative energy.It is of great importance for energy supply and environmental protection to develop wind power in a large scale in china.The measurement and evaluation level of wind resources affect the locality selection and the production forecast directly,thereby affect the investment decision.The content in relation to the evaluation of wind resources during the study stage of feasibility for wind power plant is presented.
Disinfection Surveillance in Medical Health Care Facilities of Lengshuitan District,Yongzhou During the Period of 2002～2004

Objective Understand the status of medical health care facilities disinfection and work out appropriate intervention strategy to protect people's health. Method According to hygienic standard for disinfection in hospitals,sample and monitor medical products(atmosphere,object surface,portable devices,singleuse medical products disinfection,(sterilized) medical devices,etc.) were examined. Results The disinfection surveillance qualification rate was(83.16%).The qualified rates showed remarkable difference between years(P0.01),the portable devices were the highest qualified,and atmosphere samples were the lowest. Conclusion The disinfection qualification rate of the rural health office is lower than that of other medical health care facilities invested in the rural area,which should be strengthened.Disinfection technology delivery should be enhanced.Health inspection and surveillance should be strengthened,developing and propagating highly effective disinfectant and advanced disinfection techniques are warranted.
Dopamine Receptor Binding Regulated by Guanine Nucleotides

Guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and dighosphate nucleotides decrease the binding of the agonist ligands [3H]apomorphine and [3H]ADTN to dopamine receptors in the rat corpus striatum with half maximal reduction of binding at 5 µM. These nucleotides also reduce agonist inhibition of the antagonist [3H]spiroperidol binding to dopamine receptors without affecting total [3H]spiroperidol binding. Guanosine monophosphate and adenine nucleotides display negligible influence on dopamine receptor binding. GTP reduces the affinity of [3H]apomorphine binding with no effect on the maximal numbers of binding sites.
Clinical and Research Observations on Acupuncture Analgesia and Thermography

The concept of acupuncture become popular among the American medical community and lay public as a potential therapeutic tool following the American rapprochement with the People’s Republic of China in 1972. They found this idea both exciting and vaguely unsettling to their accustomed ways of thinking.
Wireless majorana fermions: from magnetic tunability to braiding (Conference Presentation)

In condensed-matter systems Majorana bound states (MBSs) are emergent quasiparticles with non-Abelian statistics and particle-antiparticle symmetry. While realizing the non-Abelian braiding statistics under exchange would provide both an ultimate proof for MBS existence and the key element for fault-tolerant topological quantum computing, even theoretical schemes imply a significant complexity to implement such braiding. Frequently examined 1D superconductor/semiconductor wires provide a prototypical example of how to produce MBSs, however braiding statistics are ill-defined in 1D and complex wire networks must be used. By placing an array of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) above a 2D electron gas formed in a semiconductor quantum well grown on the surface of an s-wave superconductor, we have predicted the existence of highly tunable zero-energy MBSs and have proposed a novel scheme by which MBSs could be exchanged [1]. This scheme may then be used to demonstrate the states’ non-Abelian statistics through braiding. The underlying magnetic textures produced by MTJ array provides a pseudo-helical texture which allows for highly-controllable topological phase transitions. By defining a local condition for topological nontriviality which takes into account the local rotation of magnetic texture, effective wire geometries support MBS formation and permit their controlled movement in 2D by altering the shape and orientation of such wires. This scheme then overcomes the requirement for a network of physical wires in order to exchange MBSs, allowing easier manipulation of such states. [1] G. L. Fatin, A. Matos-Abiague, B. Scharf, and I. Zutic, arXiv:1510.08182, preprint.
The effect of hypoxia on free and encapsulated adult porcine islets-an in vitro study.

Background Adult porcine islets (APIs) constitute a promising alternative to human islets in treating type 1 diabetes. The intrahepatic site has been used in preclinical primate studies of API xenografts; however, an estimated two-thirds of donor islets are destroyed after intraportal infusion due to a number of factors, including the instant blood-mediated inflammatory reaction (IBMIR), immunosuppressant toxicity, and poor reestablishment of extracellular matrix connections. Intraperitoneal (ip) transplantation of non-vascularized encapsulated islets offers several advantages over intrahepatic transplantation of free islets, including avoidance of IBMIR, immunoprotection, accommodation of a larger graft volume, and reduced risk of hemorrhage. However, there exists evidence that the peritoneal site is hypoxic, which likely impedes islet function. Methods We tested the effect of hypoxia (2%-5% oxygen or pO2: 15.2-38.0 mm Hg) on free and encapsulated APIs over a period of 6 days in culture. Free and encapsulated APIs under normoxia served as controls. Islet viability was evaluated with a viability/cytotoxicity assay using calcein AM and ethidium bromide on days 1, 3, and 6 of culture. Alamar blue assay was used to measure the metabolic activity on days 1 and 6. Insulin in spent medium was assayed by ELISA on days 1 and 6. Results Viability staining indicated that free islet clusters lost their integrity and underwent severe necrosis under hypoxia; encapsulated islets remained intact, even when they began to undergo necrosis. Under hypoxia, the metabolic activity and insulin secretion (normalized to metabolic activity) of both free and encapsulated islets decreased relative to islets cultured under normoxic conditions. Conclusions Hypoxia (2%-5% oxygen or pO2: 15.2-38.0 mm Hg) affects the viability, metabolic activity, and insulin secretion of both free and encapsulated APIs over a six-day culture period. Encapsulation augments islet integrity under hypoxia, but it does not prevent loss of viability, metabolic activity, or insulin secretion.
Prostate Stem Cells, Hormones, and Development

While it is established that prostate cancer is a hormone-dependent ­disease, the cell(s) of origin of prostate cancer, i.e., the tumor-initiating cells, is still in debate. Strong evidence has emerged which indicates that prostate cancer can originate from both basal and luminal epithelial cell populations. In addition, prostate epithelial stem cells are candidates for the tumor-initiating cell based on work in hematopoietic and breast cancers and because of the growing acceptance of the cancer stem cell paradigm. To appreciate the interrelationships between the multiple cells of origin of prostate cancer, it may be necessary to first fully understand the prostate stem cell differentiation lineage during normal development and adult tissue maintenance as well as the factors that regulate stem cell self-renewal and lineage commitment. Recent advances in stem cell research have permitted isolation of prostate stem cells and shed light on the hierarchical relationship between the epithelial stem cells and their differentiated lineage. Furthermore, prostate cancer stem cells have been isolated and characterized from several prostate tumors which may provide an explanation for the known clinical and molecular heterogeneity of human prostate cancers. Although prostate stem cells and prostate cancer stem cells appear to be androgen receptor negative, new findings have established key roles for several other hormones in regulating prostate stem cells and their niche. Together, this new knowledge should allow for greater insight into the details of prostate development and to increased understanding of prostate cancer initiation and progression. In this chapter we will highlight recent advances in hormone modulation of prostate stem cells and their early progeny in development, normal tissue homeostasis, and cancer.
Reference conditions are influenced by the physical template and vary by forest type: A synthesis of Pinus ponderosa-dominated sites in the southwestern United States

Abstract Natural ranges of ecosystem variability (NRVs) describe the array of conditions and processes common to relatively intact or natural ecosystems, and are used to help land managers plan ecological restoration efforts and better understand ecosystem dynamics. In an effort to describe the variation in forest reference conditions and NRVs related to forest structure and spatial pattern across the American Southwest (Arizona and New Mexico, USA) prior to widespread fire exclusion (ca. late 1800s), we used historical inventory data and dendrochronology to reconstruct 33 Pinus ponderosa- dominated sites (0.8–3.2 ha in size) throughout the region. Though the historical stand densities, species compositions, tree spatial patterns, and modern increases in density varied widely among sites, site-level differences could partially be explained by abiotic factors and by forest type. Soil parent material and US Forest Service Terrestrial Ecosystem Units (TEUs) were important predictors of historical stand density, and species composition was a significant predictor of spatial pattern on our sites, with sites dominated by Pinus ponderosa and Quercus gambelii showing more distinct clustering of overstory trees. Reconstructed stand density (live trees ha −1 ) was also correlated with the proportion of trees found in groups. Lastly, the sites showing the smallest increases in stand density tended to be in the warmest, driest locations studied, suggesting that densities in these types of sites may be climatically limited and have changed comparatively less since the late 1800s.
Parameters of iron metabolism in a model of breast cancer progression

4703 Iron is an essential element for all living organisms. However, although it is required for a number of cellular functions, iron has the potential to be toxic to cells when present in excess, since it can catalyze the formation of oxygen free radicals via the Fenton reaction. Changes in proteins of iron metabolism have been documented in breast cancer. Thus, previous studies have shown that transferrin receptor is present in breast tumor cells in high numbers (1). It has also been reported that malignant tissue has six times the ferritin concentration as benign tissue (1, 2). However, the relationship between changes in iron metabolism and breast cancer progression is not understood. The aim of this study was to systematically investigate changes in expression of proteins of iron metabolism in a model of breast cancer progression. For these studies, we used breast epithelial cells containing genes that render them immortalized and/or fully transformed (h-TERT, SV40 Large T antigen, and H-Ras) (1,2). Expression of iron transporters, iron exporters, and iron storage proteins was determined by western blot analysis. Labile iron pool levels in cells were determined using a fluorescence spectroscopic method utilizing calcein, a fluorescent iron chelator as an indicator of intracellular iron concentration. Western blot analyses demonstrate upregulation of DMT-1, Ferroportin, DCYTB, and Ferritin-H in H-rasV12 transformed cells. We also observed upregulation of NGAL and Transferrin Receptor-1 in HME, h-TERT and SV-40 transformed cells. Measurements of the labile iron pool demonstrated an increase in HME cells expressing high-level H-rasV12 compared to the other HME cells. This model of breast cancer progression may enhance understanding the changes in iron metabolism that accompany malignant change. [Supported by: DK042412]
Relay vehicle formations for optimizing communication quality in robot networks

In this paper, we solve the problem of relay robot placement in multi-robot missions to establish or enhance communication between a static operator and a number of remote units in an environment with known obstacles. We study the hardness of two different relay placement problems: 1) a chain formation of multiple relay robots to transmit information from an operator to a single unit; and 2) a spanning tree of relays connecting multiple remote units to the operator. We first build a communication map data structure from a layered graph that contains the positions of the relays as the unit moves. This structure is computed once and reused throughout the mission, significantly reducing plan re-computation time when compared to the best-known solution in the literature. Second, we create a min-arborescence tree that forms a connected component among the operator, relays, and units, and that has an optimal communication cost. Finally, we validate our ideas through software simulations, hardware experiments, and a comparison of our approach to state-of-the-art methods.
The Coping Assessment for Bereavement and Loss Experiences (CABLE): Development and initial validation

The authors present the development and validation of the Coping Assessment for Bereavement and Loss Experiences (CABLE), the first instrument designed to assess a range of potentially constructive...
35Cl and 81Br Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies of Carbonic Anhydrase

Mammalian erythrocytes often contain more than one type of carbonic anhydrase and human erythrocytes in particular yield two prinicpal forms of the enzyme, which are distinguished foremost by their relative specific activities in regards to the catalysis of the important reversible carbon dioxide hydration reaction. Although these isozymes exhibit many other differences, they have in common the stringent requirement of one zinc ion per molecular weight unit of about 30,000.
Automatically generating symbolic prefetches for distributed transactional memories

Developing efficient distributed applications while managing complexity can be challenging. Managing network latency is a key challenge for distributed applications. We propose a new approach to prefetching, symbolic prefetching, that can prefetch remote objects before their addresses are known. Our approach was designed to hide the latency of accessing remote objects in distributed transactional memory and a wide range of distributed object middleware frameworks. We present a static compiler analysis for the automatic generation of symbolic prefetches--- symbolic prefetches allow objects whose addresses are unknown to be prefetched.We evaluate this prefetching mechanism in the context of a middleware framework for distributed transactional memory. Our evaluation includes microbench-marks, scientific benchmarks, and distributed benchmarks. Our results show that symbolic prefetching combined with caching can eliminate an average of 87% of remote reads. We measured speedups due to prefetching of up to 13.31 x for accessing arrays and 4.54× for accessing linked lists.
United in States of Dissatisfaction: Confirmation Bias Across the Partisan Divide:

Partisan polarization is a central feature of American political life, and a robust literature has shown that citizens engage in partisan motivated reasoning when processing political information. ...
Long-term Patient-Reported Outcomes After Surgery for Hypothenar Hammer Syndrome:

Background: This study aims to describe the long-term patient-reported outcomes after surgery for hypothenar hammer syndrome (HTHS) and to identify factors associated with inferior outcomes. Methods: We retrospectively identified 27 patients who underwent surgical intervention for HTHS from 2002 to 2016. Fifteen patients (56%) completed outcome questionnaires: Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand, Cold Intolerance Symptom Severity (CISS) survey, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Upper Extremity Computer Adaptive Test, and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Pain Interference Computer Adaptive Test. The median questionnaire follow-up was 7.2 years (interquartile range, 3.1-9.9). Outcomes were compared across different surgical techniques, and the influence of patient-related factors on outcomes was also evaluated. Results: Six (40%) patients experienced complete symptom resolution, 6 (40%) had improvement without complete resolution, 1 (7%) had resolution followed by recurrence, and 2 (13%) reported no improvement. The most common symptom after surgical intervention was cold intolerance. Questionnaire scores were similar across ligation, direct repair, and vein graft vascular reconstruction. Patients had better CISS scores if they had surgery on their nondominant hand (13.2 vs 38.6) and did not have a manual labor job (18.1 vs 40.5). Conclusions: Surgery for HTHS leads to moderate long-term improvement in patient-reported outcomes. Different surgical techniques yield similar symptomatic relief. Manual labor and surgery of the dominant hand are associated with worse CISS scores.
A Cross-Level Model of Curiosity and Innovative Workplace Behavior

Many organizations are increasingly called upon to innovate in order to succeed in a highly competitive, global business environment. As a result, identifying individual-level predictors of innovat...
Failure modes, causes, and effects of algal photobioreactors used to control a spacecraft environment.

Abstract Bioregenerative technologies, in particular algae photobioreactors, have the potential to provide closed-loop environmental control and life support for human space flight, if robust enough for long-duration deep space missions. This paper reviews the failure modes, causes, and effects of an algal photobioreactor system for use in space flight environmental control and life support applications. The likelihood and severity for each failure is estimated, and associated mitigation or contingency plans are described. Failure modes can stem from either the algae cellular physiology or the engineered system needed for the application and are grouped in this paper accordingly.
Temporal multiparticle Monte Carlo simulation of dual frequency single surface multipactor

This work presents a multiparticle Monte Carlo simulation model in one dimension with adaptive time steps to investigate the time dependent physics of the single dielectric surface multipactor. Using this model, we study multipactor discharge on a dielectric with two carrier frequencies. We find that the saturation level and the oscillation pattern of the normal surface field with a parallel rf field of two carrier frequencies are different from those of single carrier frequency. Closed Lissajous curves are obtained to describe the temporal relationship between the fields normal and parallel to the surface in the ac saturation state.
Improving eDNA yield and inhibitor reduction through increased water volumes and multi-filter isolation techniques

To inform management and conservation decisions, environmental DNA (eDNA) methods are used to detect genetic material shed into the water by imperiled and invasive species. Methodological enhancements are needed to reduce filter clogging, PCR inhibition, and false-negative detections when eDNA is at low concentrations. In the first of three simple experiments, we sought to ameliorate filter clogging from particulates and organic material through a scaled-up, multi-filter protocol. We combined four filters in a 5 mL Phenol-Chloroform-Isoamyl (PCI) procedure to allow for larger volumes of water (~1 L) to be filtered rapidly. Increasing the filtered water volume by four times resulted in 4.4X the yield of target DNA. Next, inhibition from organic material can reduce or block eDNA detections in PCR-based assays. To remove inhibitory compounds retained during eDNA isolation, we tested three methods to chemically strip inhibitors from eDNA molecules. The use of CTAB as a short-term (5–8 day) storage buffer, followed by a PCI isolation, resulted in the highest eDNA yields. Finally, as opposed to a linear relationship among increasing concentrations of filtered genomic eDNA, we observed a sharp change between the lower (70–280 ng) and higher (420–560 ng) amounts. This may be important for effectively precipitating eDNA during protocol testing.
Long-term outcomes in myelodysplastic syndrome patients treated with alemtuzumab

TO THE EDITOR: Treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is suboptimal. Responses to hematopoietic growth factors, hypomethylating agents, and lenalidomide in 5q− syndromes are not sustained, and not all patients benefit. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is potentially curative but only
School Climate & Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescent Mental Health

Sexual/gender minority (Sexual/gender minority people are also referred to as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) youth are more likely than cisgender heterosexual youth to exhibit depressive symptoms and be victimized. School climate research indicates that the presence of a Gay-Straight Alliance (a Gay-Straight Alliance or Gender-Sexuality Alliance is also referred to as a GSA and is a youth group to support sexual/gender minority youth), a supportive school climate, and seeking help from teachers are associated with more positive mental health outcomes; however, they are not typically measured together. This study uses a survey that measures all four measures of school environment with a national sample of 240 sexual/gender minority high school students ages 14-18 (mean age 15.77) where 53% of participants had a Gay-Straight Alliance in their school. The sample is 53% cisgender, 100% sexual minority and 62% white. Adjusting for demographics and presence of a Gay-Straight Alliance, fewer depressive symptoms were associated with lower help-seeking intentions for suicidal thoughts. The presence of Gay-Straight Alliance was not statistically associated with past-month help-seeking intentions or behaviors. Additionally, a more supportive school climate was associated with lower anxiety and depressive symptoms. However, the presence of a Gay-Straight Alliance was not statistically associated with anxiety or depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that a supportive school climate and supportive school personnel may be important for supporting the mental health of sexual/gender minority students.