cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tectonics of Antarctica: ABSTRACT

Antarctica has long been considered to consist simply of a large Precambrian shield, flanked on one side by the circum-Pacific belt of Mesozoic and Cenozoic orogeny. The great amount of geologic information obtained during recent years indicates that between shield and circum-Pacific belt are belts of Paleozoic orogeny. The continent is probably crossed by a late Precambrian and Early Cambrian miogeosyncline whose contents were metamorphosed and intruded by batholiths during the Middle (?) Cambrian. Erratics bearing Lower Cambrian pleosponges, like those characterizing the Adelaide geosyncline of South Australia, have been found in four places; K/Ar dates suggest crystallization about 500 million years ago; and the distinctive granites are remarkably similar to those of Middle Cambrian age in South Australia. This orogen crosses the Antarctic coast between 145° and 160° E., and flanks the Ross Sea and Ross Ice Shelf, and possibly Filchner Shelf and Weddell Sea, as a continuous system of high mountains. These mountains have long been termed the "Great Antarctic horst," thought to be of old P ecambrian rocks; the horst concept was based on a misinterpretation of structures near McMurdo Sound, where the broad structure of the present range is anticlinal. At least in the 1,100-mile segment from Terra Nova Bay to the Horlick Mountains, the crystalline rocks are metasedimentary rocks whose structures are subparallel with the mountain system, and distinctive granitic rocks of a composite batholith. Rocks of the orogen are overlain by little-deformed Devonian to Triassic sedimentary strata. Northeastern Victoria Land, west of the Ross Sea, is composed of metasedimentary rocks, striking generally west-northwestward, whose metamorphism and intrusion by granites occurred about 350-400 million years ago. On strike across the Ross Sea, and trending toward the Weddell Sea at least to the region of 90° W., 82° S., are metasedimentary rocks intruded by distinctive granites which contain relatively large trace amounts of tin. These rocks are undated, but are unlike the Mezozoic crystallines of Palmer Peninsula; a middle Paleozoic age is likely. It may be significant that Devonian granites of eastern Australia are also relatively rich in tin. The coast between 35° and 165° E. is characterized by charnockites, granulites, and gneisses, in part polymetamorphic, and by varied younger crystalline rocks. The rocks resemble those of the Precambrian K/Ar ages. As has long been recognized, this is part of a Precambrian shield, which may extend farther toward the Weddell Sea, and which presumably extends far toward the South Pole also. The Palmer Peninsula belongs to the circum-Pacific orogen, as has long been known, and the Thurston Peninsula also may belong to it. This revised pattern of Antarctic tectonics is essentially that required by Du Toit's reassembly of the southern hemisphere continents before post-Paleozoic continental drift. End_of_Article - Last_Page 408------------
Degradation of photovoltaic devices at high concentration by space charge limited currents

Abstract High-injection mobility reduction is examined by theory, modeling, and experimental data acquired by resonance-coupled photoconductive decay (RCPCD). The ambipolar mobility is shown to reduce to zero when the constituent injection-dependent carrier mobilities are taken into account. Modeling of the photoconductivity incorporating the transient, injection-dependent, ambipolar mobility confirms experimental reduction in signal at increasing carrier-generation rates. The onset of the reduction of mobility occurs at approximately 10 times the background carrier density; thus devices that utilize lightly doped materials are susceptible to anomalous injection-based behavior. For photovoltaic applications, high-injection device-performance degradation would result from mobility reduction due to reduced diffusion length.
Friction and wear studies of human hair and skin

Abstract Characterization of friction and wear properties of hair and skin is essential to develop better shampoo and conditioner products and advance biological and cosmetic science. Literature on the tribological characterization of hair and skin is scarce to date. In this study, friction experiments were performed at a range of loads, speeds, and skin area in order to study their effect on skin–hair contact. In addition, friction and wear experiments were performed to simulate skin–hair and hair–hair contacts at nominal conditions. Environmental dependence of hair friction is of importance and the effects of temperature and humidity on the friction of hair against skin were studied. Measurements were made using a flat-on-flat tribometer under reciprocating motion on Caucasian, Asian, and African hair (virgin, chemo-mechanically damaged, and conditioner treated) against polyurethane film (synthetic skin) and against hair. The morphology of hair and skin were measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical microscopy. Average coefficient of friction values were measured for each ethnicity and hair type, and are discussed. The directionality dependence of friction with respect to hair is also discussed.
Infrared observations of Jupiter cloud zones

Images of Jupiter have been obtained at three wavelengths intervals in the infrared: 0.7-2.5, 1.2-1.3, and 1.5-1.7 micron. The images show evidence for two distinct zones of high-altitude clouds; one at 10 deg N, the other at 22 deg S. The cloud zones also appear to be at different heights in the atmosphere and to have particles with different scattering properties.
Data Traffic Scheduling for Cyber Physical Systems With Application in Voltage Control of Distributed Generations: A Hybrid System Framework

The design of the communication infrastructure in cyber physical systems (CPSs) is of key importance since it conveys information from sensors to controllers. Scheduling in the medium access control layer, i.e., the selection of active communication links, plays an important role in improving efficiency of communication in CPS. Different from traditional scheduling algorithms designed for pure data communication networks, the scheduling in CPS is for the purpose of optimizing the physical dynamics and needs to be designed with awareness of the dynamics. In this paper, the scheduling problem in CPS is fitted into the framework of the hybrid systems, in which different selections of links correspond to different dynamic modes. Both centralized and distributed scheduling algorithms are designed. The proposed algorithms are also applied in the background of voltage control of distributed generations (DGs). Numerical simulations show that the proposed framework and algorithms achieve good performances.
Wave Journal Bearing with Compressible Lubricant—Part II: A Comparison of the Wave Bearing with a Wave-Groove Bearing and a Lobe Bearing

To identify the potential advantages of the wave journal bearing, a three-wave journal bearing was compared to both a three-wave-groove bearing (a wave bearing with axial grooves that isolate each wave) and a three-lobe bearing. The lobe bearing's profile was selected to approximate the wave journal bearing's profile. The lubricant was assumed to be compressible (gas). The bearing number, A, was parameterized from 0.01 to 100, and the eccentricity ratio, e, was varied from 0 to 0.4. Data at bearing numbers 0.1, 1, and 50, and eccentricity ratios of 0.1 and 0.4, were selected as representative of the bearing performance. The calculated load capacity and the critical mass are presented for the three bearings. The wave bearing shows a better load capacity than the other bearings at any applied load and running regime. However, at high bearing numbers the lubricant compressibility effect is predominant and all three analyzed bearings show similar load capacity. The critical masses of the wave-groove and lobe ...
Human breast progenitor cell numbers are regulated by WNT and TBX3.

Background Although human breast development is mediated by hormonal and non-hormonal means, the mechanisms that regulate breast progenitor cell activity remain to be clarified. This limited understanding of breast progenitor cells has been due in part to the lack of appropriate model systems to detect and characterize their properties. Methods To examine the effects of WNT signaling and TBX3 expression on progenitor activity in the breast, primary human mammary epithelial cells (MEC) were isolated from reduction mammoplasty tissues and transduced with lentivirus to overexpress WNT1 or TBX3 or reduce expression of their cognate receptors using shRNA. Changes in progenitor activity were quantified using characterized assays. We identified WNT family members expressed by cell populations within the epithelium and assessed alterations in expression of WNT family ligands by MECs in response to TBX3 overexpression and treatment with estrogen and progesterone. Results Growth of MECs on collagen gels resulted in the formation of distinct luminal acinar and basal ductal colonies. Overexpression of TBX3 in MECs resulted in increased ductal colonies, while shTBX3 expression diminished both colony types. Increased WNT1 expression led to enhanced acinar colony formation, shLRP6 decreased both types of colonies. Estrogen stimulated the formation of acinar colonies in control MEC, but not shLRP6 MEC. Formation of ductal colonies was enhanced in response to progesterone. However, while shLRP6 decreased MEC responsiveness to progesterone, shTBX3 expression did not alter this response. Conclusions We identified two phenotypically distinguishable lineage-committed progenitor cells that contribute to different structural elements and are regulated via hormonal and non-hormonal mechanisms. WNT signaling regulates both types of progenitor activity. Progesterone favors the expansion of ductal progenitor cells, while estrogen stimulates the expansion of acinar progenitor cells. Paracrine WNT signaling is stimulated by estrogen and progesterone, while autocrine WNT signaling is induced by the embryonic T-box transcription factor TBX3.
Eculizumab for Salvage Treatment of Refractory Antibody-Mediated Rejection in Kidney Transplant Patients: Case Reports

Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) in a group of preoperatively desensitized patients may follow a dreadful course and result in loss of the transplanted kidney. In several cases, conventional therapies including plasmapheresis, intravenous immunoglobulin, and anti-CD 20 therapy can resolve AMR successfully. But in some cases the load of immunoglobulins that can activate complement cascade may submerge the routine desensitization therapy and result in the formation of membrane attack complexes. Eculizumab, monoclonal antibody against C5, was reported to be an option in cases with severe AMR that are resistant to conventional therapy. Here, we present two cases of acute-onset AMR in preoperatively desensitized patients. Eculizumab was used as a salvage agent in addition to conventional therapy. Given the bad prognosis for renal transplants displaying acute injury progressing rapidly to cortical necrosis on the biopsy, the prompt use of eculizumab could have the advantage of immediate effects by stopping cellular injury. This can provide a therapeutic window to allow conventional treatment modalities to be effective and prevent early graft loss.
Modelling semantics from image data: opportunities from LIDC

While the advances in Computed Tomography (CT) technology allow better detection of pulmonary nodules by generating higher-resolution images, the new technology also generates more individual transverse reconstructions. As a result, the efficiency and accuracy of the radiologists interpreting these images is reduced. Double reading by two human observers has been shown to improve the detection of lung cancer. Given the increased cost of double reading and the variation among radiologists' interpretation, the objective is to develop computer-aided tools that could be used as 'second readers' when interpreting lung images by apriori rating the nodules based on automatically discovered image-semantics mappings.
Mechanistic Indicators of Childhood Asthma (MICA) Study: piloting an integrative design for evaluating environmental health

Asthma is a common complex disease responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality, particularly in urban minority populations. The Mechanistic Indicators of Childhood Asthma study was designed to pilot an integrative approach in children's health research. The study incorporates exposure metrics, internal dose measures, and clinical indicators to decipher the biological complexity inherent in diseases such as asthma and cardiovascular disease with etiology related to gene-environment interactions. 205 non-asthmatic and asthmatic children, (9-12 years of age) from Detroit, Michigan were recruited. The study includes environmental measures (indoor and outdoor air, vacuum dust), biomarkers of exposure (cotinine, metals, total and allergen specific Immunoglobulin E, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic carbon metabolites) and clinical indicators of health outcome (immunological, cardiovascular and respiratory). In addition, blood gene expression and candidate SNP analyses were conducted. Based on an integrative design, the MICA study provides an opportunity to evaluate complex relationships between environmental factors, physiological biomarkers, genetic susceptibility and health outcomes. IRB Number 05-EPA-2637: The human subjects' research protocol was reviewed by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University of North Carolina; the IRB of Westat, Inc., the IRB of the Henry Ford Health System; and EPA's Human Subjects' Research Review Official.
Positive end expiratory pressure during one-lung ventilation: Selecting ideal patients and ventilator settings with the aim of improving arterial oxygenation

The efficacy of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) in treating intraoperative hypoxemia during one-lung ventilation (OLV) remains in question given conflicting results of prior studies. This study aims to (1) evaluate the efficacy of PEEP during OLV, (2) assess the utility of preoperative predictors of response to PEEP, and (3) explore optimal intraoperative settings that would maximize the effects of PEEP on oxygenation. Forty-one thoracic surgery patients from a single tertiary care university center were prospectively enrolled in this observational study. After induction of general anesthesia, a double-lumen endotracheal tube was fiberoptically positioned and OLV initiated. Intraoperatively, PEEP = 5 and 10 cmH 2 O were sequentially applied to the ventilated lung during OLV. Arterial oxygenation, cardiovascular performance parameters, and proposed perioperative variables that could predict or enhance response to PEEP were analysed. T-test and c2 tests were utilized for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Multivariate analyses were carried out using a classification tree model of binary recursive partitioning. PEEP improved arterial oxygenation by ≥20% in 29% of patients (n = 12) and failed to do so in 71% (n = 29); however, no cardiovascular impact was noted. Among the proposed clinical predictors, only intraoperative tidal volume per kilogram differed significantly between responders to PEEP and non-responders (mean 6.6 vs. 5.7 ml/kg, P = 0.013); no preoperative variable predicted response to PEEP. A multivariate analysis did not yield a clinically significant model for predicting PEEP responsiveness. PEEP improved oxygenation in a subset of patients; larger, although still protective tidal volumes favored a positive response to PEEP. No preoperative variables, however, could be identified as reliable predictors for PEEP responders.
Screening is not as simple as it may seem.

We were very interested to read 2 commentaries1,2 on the recent guidelines on lipid screening in children3 because the differences highlighted several important paradigm differences between the authors. The first is that the guideline and the defense of the guideline reflect an attitude of paternalism toward both primary care physicians and the patient. It is unfortunate that the guideline recommends an intervention without quantifying the benefit or the harm. We recognize that the weight of evidence suggests lipid screening is a good idea, but when a mother asks, “How effective is this? What difference is this going to make?” how is the primary care doctor supposed to answer? Instead of providing the information needed to have a collaborative discussion that would quantify the risks and benefits (such as number needed to screen, number needed to harm), the primary care physician is left to simply answer that it seems like a good idea but …
Electrophysiological evidence of different loci for case-mixing and word frequency effects in visual word recognition

Do word frequency and case mixing affect different processing stages in visual word recognition? Some studies of online reading have suggested that word frequency affects an earlier, perceptual-encoding stage and that case mixing affects a later, central decision stage (e.g., Reingold, Yang, & Rayner, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 36:1677–1683 2010); others have suggested otherwise (e.g., Allen, Smith, Lien, Grabbe, & Murphy, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 31:713–721 2005; Besner & McCann, 1987). To determine the locus of the word frequency and case-mixing effects, we manipulated word frequency (high vs. low) and case type (consistent lower case vs. mixing case) in a lexical-decision paradigm. We measured two event-related-potential components: the N170 (an early peak occurring 140–240 ms after stimulus onset, related to structural encoding) and the P3 (a late peak occurring 400–600 ms after stimulus onset, related to stimulus categorization). The critical finding was that the N170 amplitude was sensitive to case mixing, but the P3 amplitude was sensitive to word frequency and lexicality. These results suggest that case mixing affects an earlier processing stage than does word frequency, at least with respect to lexical-decision processes.
Using Coplink to analyze criminal-justice data

The paper discusses the Coplink system. The system applies a concept space-a statistics-based, algorithmic technique that identifies relationships between suspects, victims, and other pertinent data-to accelerate criminal investigations and enhance law enforcement efforts. The Coplink concept space application, which began as a research project, has evolved into a real-time system being used in everyday police work. Coplink CS has been successfully deployed at the Tucson Police Department, where crime analysts, officers, detectives, and sergeants from 16 departmental units use the technology voluntarily as part of their daily investigative routine.
A mixture theory for charged-hydrated soft tissues containing multi-electrolytes: passive transport and swelling behaviors.

A new mixture theory was developed to model the mechano-electrochemical behaviors of charged-hydrated soft tissues containing multi-electrolytes. The mixture is composed of n + 2 constituents (1 charged solid phase, 1 noncharged solvent phase, and n ion species ). Results from this theory show that three types offorce are involved in the transport of ions and solvent through such materials : (1) a mechanochemical force (including hydraulic and osmotic pressures); (2) an electrochemical force; and (3) an electrical force. Our results also show that three types of material coefficients are required to characterize the transport rates of these ions and solvent: (1) a hydraulic permeability ; (2) mechano-electrochemical coupling coefficients; and (3) an ionic conductance matrix. Specifically, we derived the fundamental governing relationships between these forces and material coefficients to describe such mechano-electrochemical transduction effects as streaming potential, streaming current, diffusion (membrane) potential, electro-osmosis, and anomalous (negative) osmosis. As an example, we showed that the well-known formula for the resting cell membrane potential (Hodgkin and Huxley, 1952a, b) could be derived using our new n + 2 mixture model (a generalized triphasic theory). In general, the n + 2 mixture theory is consistent with and subsumes all previous theories pertaining to specific aspects of charged-hydrated tissues. In addition, our results provided the stress, strain, and fluid velocity fields within a tissue of finite thickness during a one-dimensional steady diffusion process. Numerical results were provided for the exchange of Na + and Ca ++ through the tissue. These numerical results support our hypothesis that tissue fixed charge density (c F ) plays a significant role in modulating kinetics of ions and solvent transport through charged-hydrated soft tissues.
A Methodology for Layout Aware Design and Optimization of Custom Network-on-Chip Architectures

Network-on-chip (NoC) has been proposed as a solution for the interconnection architecture design problem of System-on-chip (SoC) design in nanoscale technologies. NoC architecture for application specific SoC can be optimized by constructing custom topologies that are more suitable for the given application. In nanoscale technologies, the link energy consumption will constitute a considerable part of the total communication energy. Therefore, the total energy consumption of the NoC is strongly influenced by systemlevel floorplan. In this paper, we present a novel integer linear programming( ILP) based technique for joint optimization of NoC with system-level floorplan. We also present a clustering based heuristic technique to reduce the runtime of the ILP formulation. Experimental results with realistic benchmarks applications demonstrate superiority of custom NoC topologies generated by our techniques over mesh based networks, and high quality of the clustering based technique when compared with the ILP formulation.
NADPH- and NADH-dependent oxygen radical generation by rat liver nuclei in the presence of redox cycling agents and iron.

Abstract Redox cycling agents such as paraquat and menadione increase the generation of reactive oxygen species in biological systems. The ability of NADPH and NADH to catalyze the generation of oxygen radicals from the metabolism of these redox cycling agents by rat liver nuclei was determined. The oxidation of hydroxyl radical scavenging agents by the nuclei was increased in the presence of menadione or paraquat, especially with NADPH as the reductant. Paraquat, even at high concentrations, was relatively ineffective with NADH. The highest rates of generation of ·OH-like species occurred with ferric-EDTA as the iron catalyst. Certain ferric complexes such as ferric-ATP, ferric-citrate, or ferric ammonium sulfate, which were ineffective catalysts for ·OH generation in the absence of paraquat or menadione, were reactive in the presence of the redox cycling agents. Oxidation of ·OH scavengers was sensitive to catalase and competitive ·OH-scavenging agents under all conditions. The redox cycling agents increased NADPH-dependent nuclear generation of H2O2; stimulation of H2O2 production may play a role in the increase in ·OH generation by menadione and paraquat. Menadione inhibited nuclear lipid peroxidation, whereas paraquat and adriamycin were stimulatory. The nuclear lipid peroxidation with either NADPH or NADH plus the redox cycling agents was not sensitive to catalase or ·OH scavengers. These results indicate that the interaction of rat liver nuclei with redox cycling agents and iron leads to the production of potent oxidants which initiate lipid peroxidation or oxidize ·OH scavengers. Although NADPH is more effective, NADH can also participate in catalyzing the production of reactive oxygen intermediates from the interaction of quinone redox cycling agents with nuclei. The ability of redox cycling agents to interact with various ferric complexes to catalyze nuclear generation of potent oxidizing species with either NADPH or NADH as reductants may contribute to the oxidative stress, toxicity, and mutagenicity of these agents in biological systems.
Prospects for time-of-flight PET using LSO scintillator

We present measurements of the timing properties of lutetium orthosilicate (LSO) scintillator crystals coupled to a photomultiplier tube (PMT) and excited by 511 keV photons. These crystals have dimensions suitable for use in PET cameras (3/spl times/3/spl times/30 mm/sup 3/). Coincidence timing resolution of 475 ps fwhm is measured between detectors utilizing two such crystals, significantly worse than the 300 ps fwhm predicted based on first principles for small crystals and measured in 3 mm cubes. This degradation is found to be caused by the scintillation light undergoing multiple reflections at quasi-random angles within the scintillator crystal, which has two effects. First, it slows down the effective information propagation speed within the crystal (to an effective n/spl circ/=3.9-5.3). Since the incident annihilation photon travels with n=1, information from interactions at different depths arrives at the PMT with different time delays. Second, the random nature of the reflection angles (and path lengths) introduce dispersion and so a 10%-90% rise time of 1 ns to the optical signal.
Medical Student Stress, Adaptation, and Mental Health

With the growth of interest in the problem of the impaired physician and concerns about the origins and possible preventive approaches, attention has been focused on the mental health of medical students, and more specifically on their psychological vulnerabilities. Medical training shares many characteristics with other graduate and professional programs. There are, however, some specific and unique features: the length, rigidity, and intensity of the training period from the beginning of medical school through residency is unequalled in other professional or graduate programs. Although other educational programs may span the same number of years, they do not involve the same total and inflexible commitment during those years.1,2,3
Ionic Currents Underlying Developmental Regulation of Repetitive Firing in Aplysia Bag Cell Neurons

We have investigated the developmental regulation of the ability to fire repetitively in the bag cell neurons of Aplysia californica , a neuronal system in which the behavioral effects of repetitive firing are well characterized. Adult bag cell neurons exhibit an afterdischarge, consisting of prolonged depolarization and repetitive firing, which causes the release of several peptides from these neurons that induce egg-laying behaviors. Afterdischarge can be triggered in vitro by a variety of stimuli, including electrical stimulation and exposure to the potassium channel blocker tetraethyl ammonium chloride (TEA). In contrast to adults, juvenile neurons did not exhibit afterdischarge in response to pleural–abdominal connective shock or TEA. Juvenile neurons did exhibit, however, prolonged depolarizations in the presence of TEA, perhaps reflecting the anlage of the mechanism responsible for afterdischarge in the adult. To investigate developmental mechanisms underlying the regulation of repetitive firing, we compared ionic currents in adult and juvenile bag cell neurons. We found that during the period in which these neurons acquire the capacity to fire repetitively, a number of currents are regulated: (1) three K+ currents decrease (Ca2+-dependent K+ and two components of voltage-dependent delayed-rectifier K+ current); (2) A-type K+ current increases; and (3) two Ca2+ currents increase (basal and PKC-activated). This pattern is consistent with the increase in the ability to fire repetitively that we observe during maturation: our results indicate that developmental control of repetitive firing in this system is accompanied by selective regulation of specific ionic currents which, after maturation, play important roles in generating the afterdischarge and triggering egg-laying behaviors.
Voiced/Unvoiced decision based on the bispectrum

We initiate an analysis of English phonemes using the bispectrum. The first part of our work demonstrates that fricative phonemes share a certain statistical property with Gaussian data not shared by purely voiced phonemes. Namely, approximations to the bispectra of fricative phonemes tend to zero, whereas, approximations to the bispectra of voiced phonemes do not. Indeed, the bispectra of voiced phonemes have complex structure as seen from their log-magnitude plots. A Fortran program based on the above principle processes speech filtered to 4 kHz and sampled at 8 kHz. Each 180 sample (22 ms.) block is declared to be voiced, unvoiced, or silent. In addition, a numerical measure of the mixed excitation is given. An advantage of this method over conventional ones is that it is less subject to noise interference.
Autonomous Satellite Navigation Using Observations of Starlight Atmospheric Refraction

Performance results are presented for an autonomous navigator using refraction measurements of starlight passing through the upper atmosphere. To obtain a realistic performance indication, a full-state simulation was developed comprising a truth model with an 8 × 8 gravity field, lunar and solar perturbations, atmospheric drag, real star distributions, and the effect of atmospheric density variations on the measurements. Some data on actual observations of refraction by the satellite HEAO-2 are presented to show the variability in density within ± 20° latitude. The navigation portion of the simulation is capable of handling gravity fields up to degree 4 and order 4, and utilizes the extended Kalman filter to estimate satellite position and velocity.
Problems in Health Measurements for the Risk Assessor

When in the past a new product, industry or agent was introduced into widespread use, there was little effort or felt need to predict or anticipate possible consequences to health that might be associated with that innovation. One wonders how the automobile might have been accepted if it had been known that its use would be at the price of 50,000 lives per year in the United States alone, nevermind the much larger number of injuries, both transient and permanent. We no longer are willing to accept new products on a “wait and see” basis. The public wants to know about such risks before hand. In an affluent society such as ours, the benefits of technology are no longer so irresistable that we are willing to overlook possible costs, particularly when those costs are to health and when such costs are likely to be subtle and overlooked unless assiduously examined.
Modern-Day Red Squads: Police Surveillance of First Amendment Activity

In this day and age, can the First Amendment sanction police surveillance of protected, non-criminal activity? Put differently, do we want the police spying on people who are not breaking the law? What are the constitutional ramifications of allowing such surveillance? How can injunctions and consent decrees operate to limit police activity, and what is the optimal balance such decrees should strike between the benefits of police protection and the burdens on First Amendment activity?In this essay, I examine these questions through the prism of the only federal police surveillance case of the last fifteen years, American Friends Service Committee v. City and County of Denver. I first discuss the history of such police surveillance, including the seminal cases from the 1970s and 1980s. These cases, and the consent decrees that resulted from them, effectively banned police surveillance of purely First Amendment activity. However, modifications of those decrees, particularly following 9/11, have undermined their effectiveness and left the state of the law somewhat confused. By examining one case, American Friends, in depth, I attempt to outline how a successful case to restore the protections gained in the 1970s might be litigated in the future.This paper is also available at the Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse (search for case studies).
Habitat selection by northern spotted owls : The consequences of prey selection and distribution

We tested three predictions of a hypothesis that states Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) select habitat according to the distribution of their primary prey. Our predictions were that Northern Spotted Owls should (1) select larger (> 100 g) species among the assemblage of available prey, (2) select habitats according to the distribution of large prey, and (3) the owl's reproductive success should be influenced by the availability of large prey. We also evaluated the potential energetic value of several prey species. We found that Northern Spotted Owls (n = 11 pairs and 1 single male) in northwestern California differentially selected the dusky-footed woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes), a moderately large sigmodontine rodent (x mass = 232 g). When foraging, owls selected late seral forest edge sites where dusky-footed woodrats were more abundant. Although the relationship between site selection, prey abundance, and the owl's breeding success was not statistically significant, the average abundance of dusky-footed woodrats at sites foraged by breeding owls (x = 11.4 woodrats 100-trap-nights -1 ) was greater than at sites foraged by nonbreeding owls (x = 4.7 woodrats 100-trap-nights -1 ). We estimated that a male Spotted Owl would require 150,015 to 336,232 kJ over a 153-day period while helping to produce one young, and concluded that the selection of woodrats provided a potential energetic benefit over the use of other prey. These findings provide a partial explanation for the owl's affinity for late seral forests.
Allgemeine Wirtschafts- und Rechtskunde

Wirtschaften ist planmasige menschliche Tatigkeit, um Bedurfnisse mit naturgegeben knappen Mitteln so weit wie moglich zu befriedigen.
Chambered cephalopod shells, buoyancy, structure and decoupling; history and red herrings

The chambered shells of cephalopods have inspired scientists for over 3 centuries. However some of these imaginative interpretations, of both historical and more recent vintage, have proved to be "red herrings", distracting, or having the potential to distract, researchers from more fruitful avenues of inquiry. The gas pressure hypothesis of Hooke is the original granddaddy of the cephalopodous red herrings. More modern red herrings include the decoupling hypothesis originated by Denton and GilpinBrown (1966), the use of historical straw men by Saunders (1995) and the cartesian diver hypothesis of Seilacher and LaBarbera (1995). These last two, in that they are relatively new, have yet to significantly mislead. Herein this list will be explored in order of publication, the gas pressure hypothesis first and the cartesian diver notion last.
A survey of decision support system applications (1988–1994)

To extend a previous survey of specific decision support system (DSS) applications over the period (January 1971–April 1988), we have conducted a follow-up survey of DSS applications published between May 1988 and December 1994. Two hundred seventy-one published applications are identified. This survey reveals that there appear to be more creative applications of optimisation and suggestion model-based DSS than simulation-based applications. This is evidenced by a proportional increase of optimisation and suggestion models and a decrease of representation models. Moreover, group decision support systems, executive support systems, and knowledge-based systems applications are becoming more prevalent in many organisations. Although management science (MS)/operational research (OR) models continue to play critical roles, there is a clear observable trend in the DSS model area that three non-MS/OR tools are emerging as powerful DSS tools: graphics, artificial intelligence, and visual interactive modeling.
Nitrofen dose-dependent gestational day-specific murine lung hypoplasia and left-sided diaphragmatic hernia

2,4-Dichlorophenyl-p-nitrophenyl ether (nitrofen) is known to induce pulmonary hypoplasia (PH) with or without diaphragmatic hernias (DH) in rats and mice. We determined the timing of administratio...
MEMBRANE-RELATED PROCESSES AND OVERALL ENERGY METABOLISM IN TRYPANOSOMA BRUCEI AND OTHER KINETOPLASTID SPECIES

An electrochemical proton gradient exists across the plasma membrane and the mitochondrial membrane of the bloodstream form ofTrypanosoma brucei. The membrane potential across the plasma membrane and the regulation of the internal pH depend on the temperature.Leishmania donovani regulates its internal pH and maintains a constant electrochemical proton gradient across its plasma membrane under all conditions examined. The mitochondrion of theT. brucei bloodstream form is energized, even though the reactions taking place in it do not result in net ATP synthesis and the Kreb's cycle and the respiratory chain are absent. Glucose is transported across the plasma membrane ofT. brucei by a facilitated diffusion carrier, that can transport a wider range of substrates than its mammalian counterparts. Pyruvate exits the cell via a facilitated diffusion transporter as well. Conflicting evidence exists for the mechanism of glucose transport inL. donovani; biochemical evidence suggests proton/glucose symport, while facilitated diffusion is indicated by physiological data.
Clinical self-tracking and monitoring technologies: negotiations in the ICT-mediated patient–provider relationship

ABSTRACTThis paper discusses mediation in the patient–provider relationship arising from the introduction of digital technology for a specific form of monitoring: ‘clinical self-tracking’. Focusing on the management of type 1 diabetes, a condition that requires significant self-management by patients, we describe how the actors negotiated a new ICT-mediated relationship in three hospital departments. The analysis followed a qualitative design and was carried out by interviewing patients, clinicians and technology developers and by analysing messages exchanged through the ICT tool. We first show how each department customised the system by drawing on already existing care practices, organisational goals and representations of the department’s desired relationship with the patients. We then focus on patient–provider relationships, showing that, while the clinical self-tracking sometimes followed the path desired by the providers, at other times, it developed in unexpected ways. We distinguish among three em...
Measurement of the Strange Quark Sea from Neutrino Dimuon Production at the Tevatron by the CCFR Collaboration

We report here on a new high energy neutrino scattering experiment (FNAL E744) by the CCFR Collaboration, and present a preliminary analysis of 1529 neutrino produced- and 284 antineutrino produced µ+µ- events. These dimuons, with visible energy in the range 30 – 600 GeV, are part of a sample of about 794,000 charged-current events. The events are used to extract the strange quark magnitude and shape, and the semileptonic branching ratio of charm.
Posttranslational Modification Assays on Functional Protein Microarrays

Protein microarray technology provides a straightforward yet powerful strategy for identifying substrates of posttranslational modifications (PTMs) and studying the specificity of the enzymes that catalyze these reactions. Protein microarray assays can be designed for individual enzymes or a mixture to establish connections between enzymes and substrates. Assays for four well-known PTMs-phosphorylation, acetylation, ubiquitylation, and SUMOylation-have been developed and are described here for use on functional protein microarrays. Phosphorylation and acetylation require a single enzyme and are easily adapted for use on an array. The ubiquitylation and SUMOylation cascades are very similar, and the combination of the E1, E2, and E3 enzymes plus ubiquitin or SUMO protein and ATP is sufficient for in vitro modification of many substrates.
Compartment-Specific Bioluminescence Imaging Platform for the Open-Ended Identification of Novel Immunomodulatory Agents and High-Throughput Evaluation of Anti-Tumor Immune Function

Abstract 451 Given the heterogeneity of human cancers, to comprehensively interrogate the anti-tumor cytotoxicity of immune effector cells for the identification of novel treatments, high-throughput platforms are vital for screening the multitude of cell types and experimental conditions and drugs. Conventional assays for anti-tumor immune effector cell activity have limited high-throughput scalability (e.g. use of radioactivity for Cr release) or measure indirect markers (e.g. IFN-γ levels, LDH release). In addition, conventional cell viability assays (e.g. MTT, Alamar Blue, CellTiterGlo) are suboptimal because the background viability signal from immune cells confounds the selective readout of tumor cell viability. To address these limitations, we adapted the recently developed Compartment-Specific Bioluminescence Imaging (CS-BLI) technique (McMillin et al, Nature Med 2010) to study tumor-immune system interactions. We first applied CS-BLI to quantify the anti-tumor activity of IL-2 pre-stimulated PBMCs on luciferase (Luc)-expressing MM.1S multiple myeloma (MM) cells or KU812F leukemic cells. Immediate CS-BLI bioluminescence readout showed significant linear correlation with viable tumor cell number, both in the presence (r=0.9996, p Disclosures: McMillin:Axios Biosciences: Equity Ownership. Munshi:Millennium Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Richardson:Celgene: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Millenium: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees. Anderson:Millennium Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Mitsiades:Millennium: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria; Merck & Co.: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kosan Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pharmion: Consultancy, Honoraria; Centrocor: Consultancy, Honoraria; PharmaMar: Patents & Royalties; OSI Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Amgen Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; AVEO Pharma: Research Funding; EMD Serono: Research Funding; Sunesis: Research Funding; Gloucester Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding.
An Optimal Control Approach to Mapping GPS-Denied Environments Using a Stochastic Robotic Swarm

This paper presents an approach to mapping a region of interest using observations from a robotic swarm without localization. The robots have local sensing capabilities and no communication, and they exhibit stochasticity in their motion. We model the swarm population dynamics with a set of advection-diffusion-reaction partial differential equations (PDEs). The map of the environment is incorporated into this model using a spatially-dependent indicator function that marks the presence or absence of the region of interest throughout the domain. To estimate this indicator function, we define it as the solution of an optimization problem in which we minimize an objective functional that is based on temporal robot data. The optimization is performed numerically offline using a standard gradient descent algorithm. Simulations show that our approach can produce fairly accurate estimates of the positions and geometries of different types of regions in an unknown environment.
Abstract 2201: Downregulation of NF-kB by nanoconjugates to overcome drug resistance in ovarian tumors

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Globally, around 140k women die from ovarian cancer per year. Recurrence can lead to development of resistance to first line agents such as platinum analogs, taxanes, and doxorubicin. Several studies have shown that decrease of NF-κB expression will inhibit P-glycoprotein maturation and thereby overcome drug resistance. In this context, it is well known that Disulfiram (DSF), a FDA approved drug for anti-alcoholism, have been identified as moderate inhibitor of NF-κB activity. It is also shown that DSF possess mild anti-cancer effects via increased permeability of the outer membrane of mitochondria resulting in leakage of proteins, such as cytochrome C, generation of ROS that simulates the ROS-MAPK pathway leading to apoptosis, and inhibition of P-glycoprotein. As such DSF is not a strong therapeutic agent; however, in combination with copper it showed excellent therapeutic benefit. This effect is mainly attributed to metabolite diethyldithio-carbamate -a proteasome inhibitor that was produced upon complexation of DSF with copper. However, delivery of DSF-Cu complex was not successful in clinical setting. We hypothesized gold nanoparticles can serve as potential delivery vehicle to selectively transfer Cu-DSF to turmor without toxicity. Indeed, cellular studies in drug sensitive (OVCAR) and Adriamycin resistant p-glycoprotein expressing (NCI-ADR/RES) ovarian cancer cells indicated that the gold nanoconjugate exhibit significant cytotoxicity and the IC-50 values was decreased 2.5 fold times compared to the Cu-DSF complex. NF-κB expression was decreased by two folds compared to native Cu-DSF complex. Detailed cellular and mechanistic studies along with the evaluation of [Au(DSF-Cu)NP] in human multi-drug resistant (NCI-ADR/RES) mouse xenografts will be presented. Citation Format: Ajit P. Zambre, Sarjukumar Panchal, Alyssa Worland, Sarah Chapman, Matthew Leevy, Anandhi Upendran, Raghuraman Kannan. Downregulation of NF-kB by nanoconjugates to overcome drug resistance in ovarian tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2201. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2201
‘A Continual and Almost Exclusive Correspondence’: Philip Mazzei’s Cosmopolitan Citizenship

This chapter considers the intersection among epistolarity, cosmopolitan rhetoric, and national identity. Cillerai shows how cosmopolitanism offered a language to those who lived in the transatlantic world to understand their position in their worlds. For early American writers whose physical mobility reflects the mobility of the colonial world to become American often meant to be a citizen of the world. In Mazzei’s case, Cillerai shows, cosmopolitanism helps to dismantle some of the universalizing notions that elitist forms of cosmopolitanism were fostering. Mazzei resists the notion that the citizen of the world is supranational, instead he represents an American ideal of citizenship using cosmopolitanism as his model. Mazzei’s representation of citizenship in transnational terms stands in stark contrast to the nascent nationalistic impulses that characterize this historical period.