cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the accuracy of Malley probe measurements of aero-optical effects: a numerical investigation

Numerical databases established by large-eddy simulations of subsonic turbulent boundary layers and separated shear layers are utilized to simulate Malley probe measurements and investigate their accuracy and consistency with the data obtained from two-dimensional (2-D) wavefront sensors. It is found that the Malley probe data give a good approximation for the boundary layer and a reasonable approximation for the separated shear layer in terms of the root mean square of optical path difference (OPD rms ) and the streamwise correlations of OPD. The OPD rms from the Malley probe is slightly smaller than that from the 2-D wavefront sensor with the same streamwise aperture size for both flows. It is shown that the use of multiple Malley probes in the transverse direction of the flow can enhance the accuracy of measurements. The spatial correlations of OPD obtained from simulated multi-Malley-probe data are also examined and compared to those from 2-D wavefront sensors.
Induction of Mammary Gland Development in Estrogen Receptor-α Knockout Mice

Mammary glands from the estrogen receptor-a knockout (alphaERKO) mouse do not undergo ductal morphogenesis or alveolar development. Disrupted ERalpha signaling may result in reduced estrogen-responsive gene products in the mammary gland or reduced mammotropic hormones that contribute to the alphaERKO mammary phenotype. We report that circulating PRL is reduced in the female alphaERKO mouse. Implantation of an age-matched, heterozygous ERalpha pituitary isograft under the renal capsule of 25-day-old or 12-week-old alphaERKO mice increased circulating PRL and progesterone levels, and induced mammary gland development. Grafted alphaERKO mice also possessed hypertrophied corpora lutea demonstrating that PRL is luteotropic in the alphaERKO ovary. By contrast, ovariectomy at the time of pituitary grafting prevented mammary gland development in alphaERKO mice despite elevated PRL levels. Hormone replacement using pellet implants demonstrated that pharmacological doses of estradiol induced limited mammary ductal elongation, and estradiol in combination with progesterone stimulated lobuloalveolar development. PRL alone or in combination with progesterone or estradiol did not induce alphaERKO mammary growth. Estradiol and progesterone are required for the structural development of the alphaERKO mammary gland, and PRL contributes to this development by inducing ovarian progesterone levels. Therefore, the manifestation of the alphaERKO mammary phenotype appears due to the lack of direct estrogen action at the mammary gland and an indirect contributory role of estrogen signaling at the hypothalamic/pituitary axis.
Comments on Lab Reports by Mechanical Engineering Teaching Assistants Typical Practices and Effects of Using a Grading Rubric

Many engineering undergraduates receive their first and perhaps most intensive exposure to engineering communication through writing lab reports in lab courses taught by graduate teaching assistants (TAs). Most of the TAs' teaching of writing happens through their comments on students' lab reports. Technical writing faculty need to be aware of TAs' response practices so they can build on or counteract that instruction as needed. This study examines the response practices of two TAs and the ways the practices shifted after the TAs began using a grading rubric. The analysis reveals distinct patterns in focus and mode, some reflecting best practices and some not. It also indicates encouraging changes after the TAs started using the grading rubric. The TAs' marginalia became more content focused and specific and, perhaps most important, less authoritative and more likely to reflect a coaching mode. The article concludes with implications for technical writing courses.
Viruses: tools for tumor target discovery, and agents for oncolytic therapies - an introduction.

Viruses: tools for tumor target discovery, and agents for oncolytic therapies – an introduction
Judicial Accountability Versus the Separation of Powers Perspectives on Brazil’s National Council of Justice

Judicial reformers worldwide have recently emphasized the need to increase judicial accountability through oversight committees known as judicial councils. In countries where the separation of powers doctrine is entrenched in the political culture, attempts to establish judicial councils have caused debate between strict interpretationists who favor an internal control model (comprised of judges) and loose interpretationists who favor an external control model (comprised of judges but also representatives from other government institutions). Disagreement over the composition of judicial councils defined the recent debate in Brazil over the establishment of the National Council of Justice (NCJ). This case study of the NCJ uses in-depth interviews with key figures in Brazil’s judicial system, along with congressional records and other secondary sources, to document the narratives of supporters and opponents of the NCJ. The results include competing views on the requisites of democratic governance, concerns ...
Motion planning amidst planar moving obstacles

A method is investigated for finding a collision-free path for a mobile robot with a few degrees of freedom in a time-varying domain. The environment contains a set of obstacles with arbitrary known motion patterns. In a time-varying environment, paths are time-dependent, i.e., a path needs to be specified as a function of time, since connectivity in the environment changes over time. Given a time-varying environment, a start time, and a start location, a method is presented for finding a collision-free path from start to goal points for a finite-size robot subject to a speed bound. Our method makes use of a heuristic approach based on a transient pixel representation. >
High perimeter impedance defibrillation electrodes reduce skin burns in transthoracic cardioversion

During cardioversion, skin burns result from current preferentially flowing at the electrode edge. We tested new electrodes with high perimeter impedance to yield more uniform current distribution; these electrodes reduced histopathologic skin injury.
Surface Translocation by Legionella pneumophila: a Form of Sliding Motility That Is Dependent upon Type II Protein Secretion

Legionella pneumophila exhibits surface translocation when it is grown on a buffered charcoal yeast extract (BCYE) containing 0.5 to 1.0% agar. After 7 to 22 days of incubation, spreading legionellae appear in an amorphous, lobed pattern that is most manifest at 25 to 30°C. All nine L. pneumophila strains examined displayed the phenotype. Surface translocation was also exhibited by some, but not all, other Legionella species examined. L. pneumophila mutants that were lacking flagella and/or type IV pili behaved as the wild type did when plated on low-percentage agar, indicating that the surface translocation is not swarming or twitching motility. A translucent film was visible atop the BCYE agar, advancing ahead of the spreading legionellae. Based on its abilities to disperse water droplets and to promote the spreading of heterologous bacteria, the film appeared to manipulate surface tension and, as such, acted like a surfactant. Indeed, a sample obtained from the film rapidly dispersed when it was spotted onto a plastic surface. L. pneumophila type II secretion (Lsp) mutants, but not their complemented derivatives, were defective for both surface translocation and film production. In contrast, mutants defective for type IV secretion exhibited normal surface translocation. When lsp mutants were spotted onto film produced by the wild type, they were able to spread, suggesting that type II secretion promotes the elaboration of the Legionella surfactant. Together, these data indicate that L. pneumophila exhibits a form of surface translocation that is most akin to “sliding motility” and uniquely dependent upon type II secretion.
Fire History of Piñon-juniper Woodlands on Navajo Point, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Abstract Navajo Point, on the southeast tip of the Kaiparowits Plateau, supports Pinus edullis Engelm. var edulis-Juniperus osteosperma (Torrey) Little (pinon-juniper) woodlands undisturbed by large wildfires in the recent past. We developed a fire history and characterized the current fuel structure and plant biodiversity in the pinon-juniper woodlands on Navajo Point. Using a combination of 18 stand ages, stand structural characteristics classified from satellite imagery, and line intercept sampling, we determined that it would take 400–600 years to burn a cumulative area equal in extent to Navajo Point. Despite a long history of livestock grazing and fire suppression policies, the woodlands on Navajo Point still retain most of their primeval character. Specifically, the landscape patch mosaic on Navajo Point has not been fundamentally altered by 20th century fire exclusion. We conclude that the old-growth woodlands that cover at least half of Navajo Point are a natural and ecologically significant comp...
A new gradient flow algorithm for computing LQ optimal output feedback gains

In this paper a new gradient flow algorithm is proposed to compute LQ optimal static output feedback gain. The existence of a non-increasing performance index proves its convergence.
Open Access Arguments: Why Confidence is Misplaced

On this difficult subject, participants on both sides seem miraculously confident in their conflicting positions. I urge the FCC to shun such confidence; hence the consciously inconclusive tone of this paper. There are rational responses to uncertainty other than deciding based on philosophy or ideology. And ICE is too thin to rely on arguing simply that customers value modularity so firms will preserve it.
"A different kind of beauty": scientific and architectural style in I.M. Pei's Mesa Laboratory and Louis Kahn's Salk Institute.

I. M. Pei9s Mesa Laboratory for the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, and Louis Kahn9s Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, are rare examples of laboratories as celebrated for their architecture as for their scientific contributions. Completed in the mid-1960s, these signature buildings still express the scientific style of their founding directors, Walter Roberts and Jonas Salk. Yet in commissioning their laboratories, Roberts and Salk had to work with architects as strongwilled as themselves. A close reading of the two laboratories reveals the ongoing negotiations and tensions in collaborations between visionary scientist and visionary architect. Moreover, Roberts and Salk also had to become architects of atmospheric and biomedical sciences. For laboratory architecture, however flexible in theory, necessarily stabilizes scientific practice, since a philosophy of research is embedded in the very structure of the building and persists far longer than the initial vision and mission that gave it life. Roberts and Salk9s experiences suggest that even the most carefully designed laboratories must successfully adapt to new disciplinary configurations, funding opportunities, and research priorities, or risk becoming mere architectural icons.
Heart rate and QT interval variability: abnormal alpha-2 adrenergic function in patients with panic disorder

Anxiety disorders are associated with an increase in cardiovascular mortality. Studies using heart rate (HR) and QT interval variability measures suggest a decreased cardiac vagal function and a relatively increased sympathetic function in anxiety. This is important, as increased sympathovagal balance is associated with life-threatening arrhythmias. Several studies have shown that panic disorder is associated with an increased sensitivity to yohimbine and a blunted growth hormone response to clonidine, which are alpha-2 adrenoceptor antagonist and agonist, respectively. This study investigated the changes in QTvi (QT variance corrected for mean QT interval squared/HR variance corrected for mean HR squared) during placebo, oral clonidine (150 mg) and oral yohimbine (20 mg) in a double-blind design in 12 normal controls and 19 patients with panic disorder. HR and QT variability measures, especially QTvi, were obtained before and after the administration of these drugs to patients in supine and standing postures. As expected, patients with panic disorder became more anxious after yohimbine. In addition, the patients had a significant increase in QTvi after yohimbine and a significant decrease in QTvi after clonidine, which was not seen in the control group. The decreased anxiety after placebo was associated with decreased QTvi in patients. This study supports the previous reports of an abnormal sensitivity of alpha-2 adrenergic receptors in patients with panic disorder compared to controls and partly explains the association of increased cardiovascular mortality with conditions of anxiety. QTvi, a non-invasive indicator of cardiac repolarization lability, appears to be a useful tool to study cardiac sympathetic function.
Transforming Growth Factor-α Enhances Cyclin D1 Transcription through the Binding of Early Growth Response Protein to a cis-Regulatory Element in the Cyclin D1 Promoter

Cyclin D1 is a critical oncogene involved in the regulation of progression through the G1 phase of the cell cycle, thereby contributing to cell proliferation. This is mediated through interaction of cyclin D1 with its catalytic partners, the cyclin-dependent kinases, and the subsequent phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein. Cyclin D1, in turn, is regulated by mitogenic stimuli. We demonstrate that transforming growth factor-alpha (TGFalpha) induces cyclin D1 mRNA in esophageal squamous epithelial cells, and this appears to correlate with increased cyclin D1 protein expression and cyclin-dependent kinase 6 activity. The induction of cyclin D1 transcription by TGFalpha is mediated in part through the induction of the early growth response protein (Egr-1) and its subsequent binding of Egr-1 to a cis-regulatory region spanning nucleotides -144 to -104 of the cyclin D1 promoter. The Egr-1 binding activity to the cyclin D1 promoter appears to require de novo protein synthesis and is not influenced by Sp1 binding to overlapping Sp1 motifs. Taken together, these data provide evidence that TGFalpha enhances cyclin D1 transcription through the induction of Egr-1 binding to a cis-regulatory region in the cyclin D1 promoter. This has important mechanistic implications into the transcriptional regulation of cyclin D1 by an essential proproliferative growth factor and cell cycle progression.
Patient, Hospital, and Neighborhood Factors Associated with Treatment of Early-Stage Breast Cancer among Asian American Women in California

Background: Clinical guidelines recommend breast-conserving surgery (BCS) with radiation as a viable alternative to mastectomy for treatment of early-stage breast cancer. Yet, Asian Americans are more likely than other groups to have mastectomy or omit radiation after BCS. Methods: We applied polytomous logistic regression and recursive partitioning to analyze factors associated with mastectomy, or BCS without radiation, among 20,987 California Asian Americans diagnosed with stage 0 to II breast cancer from 1990 to 2007. Results: The percentage receiving mastectomy ranged from 40% among U.S.-born Chinese to 58% among foreign-born Vietnamese. Factors associated with mastectomy included tumor characteristics such as larger tumor size, patient characteristics such as older age and foreign birthplace among some Asian Americans ethnicities, and additional factors including hospital [smaller hospital size, not National Cancer Institute cancer center, low socioeconomic status (SES) patient composition, and high hospital Asian Americans patient composition] and neighborhood characteristics (ethnic enclaves of low SES). These hospital and neighborhood characteristics were also associated with BCS without radiation. Through recursive partitioning, the highest mastectomy subgroups were defined by tumor characteristics such as size and anatomic location, in combination with diagnosis year and nativity. Conclusions: Tumor characteristics and, secondarily, patient, hospital, and neighborhood factors are predictors of mastectomy and omission of radiation following BCS among Asian Americans. Impact: By focusing on interactions among patient, hospital, and neighborhood factors in the differential receipt of breast cancer treatment, our study identifies subgroups of interest for further study and translation into public health and patient-focused initiatives to ensure that all women are fully informed about treatment options. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(5); 821–34. ©2012 AACR .
Privacy and utility for defect prediction: experiments with MORPH

Ideally, we can learn lessons from software projects across multiple organizations. However, a major impediment to such knowledge sharing are the privacy concerns of software development organizations. This paper aims to provide defect data-set owners with an effective means of privatizing their data prior to release. We explore MORPH which understands how to maintain class boundaries in a data-set. MORPH is a data mutator that moves the data a random distance, taking care not to cross class boundaries. The value of training on this MORPHed data is tested via a 10-way within learning study and a cross learning study using Random Forests, Naive Bayes, and Logistic Regression for ten object-oriented defect data-sets from the PROMISE data repository. Measured in terms of exposure of sensitive attributes, the MORPHed data was four times more private than the unMORPHed data. Also, in terms of the f-measures, there was little difference between the MORPHed and unMORPHed data (original data and data privatized by data-swapping) for both the cross and within study. We conclude that at least for the kinds of OO defect data studied in this project, data can be privatized without concerns for inference efficacy.
CW performance of an InGaAs-GaAs-AlGaAs laterally-coupled distributed feedback (LC-DFB) ridge laser diode

Single-mode distributed feedback (DFB) laser diodes typically require a two-step epitaxial growth or use of a corrugated substrate. We demonstrate InGaAs-GaAs-AlGaAs DFB lasers fabricated from a single epitaxial growth using lateral evanescent coupling of the optical field to a surface grating etched along the sides of the ridge. A CW threshold current of 25 mA and external quantum efficiency of 0.48 mW/mA per facet were measured for a 1 mm cavity length device with anti-reflection coated facets. Single-mode output powers as high as 11 mW per facet at 935 nm wavelength were attained. A coupling coefficient of at least 5.8 cm/sup -1/ was calculated from the subthreshold spectrum taking into account the 2% residual facet reflectivity. >
Susceptibility of Ae. aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) to infection with epidemic (subtype IC) and enzootic (subtypes ID, IIIC, IIID) Venezuelan equine encephalitis complex alphaviruses.

Abstract To test the hypothesis that enzootic and epidemic Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) complex alphaviruses can infect and be transmitted by Ae. aegypti, we conducted a series of experimental infection studies. One set of experiments tested the susceptibility of geographic strains of Ae. aegypti from Peru and Texas (USA) for epidemic (subtype IC) and enzootic (subtype ID) strains from Colombia/Venezuela, whereas the second set of experiments tested the susceptibility of Ae. aegypti from Iquitos, Peru, to enzootic VEE complex strains (subtypes ID, IIIC, and IIID) isolated in the same region, at different infectious doses. Experimental infections using artificial bloodmeals suggested that Ae. aegypti mosquitoes, particularly the strain from Iquitos, Peru, is moderately to highly susceptible to all of these VEE complex alphaviruses. The occurrence of enzootic VEE complex viruses circulating endemically in Iquitos suggests the possibility of a dengue-like transmission cycle among humans in tropical c...
Development and Analysis of Micro-Channel Heat Exchangers for Natural Gas Cooling

Abundant availability and potential for lower CO2 emissions are drivers for increased utilization of natural gas in automotive engines for transportation applications. However scarce refueling resources for on-road vehicles impose an infrastructure limited barrier on natural gas use in transportation. A novel ‘bimodal’ engine which can operate in a compressor mode has been developed that allows on-board refueling of natural gas where available without the need for any supplemental device. Engine compression of natural gas however results in considerable heating of the gas which is undesirable from a system stand-point. Micro-channel heat exchangers have been developed to absorb heat from the natural gas using engine coolant and compressed air. This work presents the design and development of the micro-channel heat exchangers as well as a preliminary analysis of system performance. Design methodology for the heat exchanger was based on trade-off studies that correlated system performance with component design. Energy flows through the system are analyzed as a function of engine compression ratio, operating speed, charge flow rate, and ambient air and natural gas conditions. These results are further used to estimate heat transfer co-efficient and effectiveness of the micro-channel heat exchanger. Future work involves developing CFD models of the heat exchanger to obtain a detailed understanding of the conjugate heat transfer and fluid flow processes within the micro-channels.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Keep a blank face. I need to tell you what has been happening to me

PURPOSE: To explore adolescents' experiences of abuse in the year before and during pregnancy. METHODS: This prospective study used structured and focused interviews and content analysis. Forty teens' stories of abuse were extracted from focused interview questions during a larger study of pregnant adolescents aged 18 to 20. Elements of the stories were coded and categorized according to content and meaning. Seven themes were identified using a generalized qualitative approach that blended content and thematic analysis. RESULTS: Teens reported abuse from a variety of individuals, including intimate partners, former partners, and family members. Thirteen of the 40 teens reported being pregnant in the year before the index pregnancy, with 11 of the pregnancies ending in miscarriage, elective abortion, or fetal demise. Four of the pregnancy losses were directly attributed to abuse. Seven themes were identified that reflected the teens' stories of violence: seeking safety (self-protection with risks and benefits); losing faith (negative experiences with police and social justice institutions); experiencing loss (compromised reproductive health); living on the edge (substance abuse concerns); taking the next step (developmental concerns); crying out for help (suicide attempts); and changing and temporary relationships (loss of family bonds and serial monogamy). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Routine screening for violence prior to and during pregnancy should include questions about past pregnancies, sexual abuse, and multiple perpetrators, as well as perpetrators other than intimate partners. Adolescent developmental concerns should be incorporated in safety planning and advocacy interventions. Language: en
Counseling by Computer: Breast Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing

In an earlier issue of the journal (vol. 1, number 2), we published a paper titled “Who should provide genetic education prior to gene testing? Computers and other methods for improving patient understanding” by M.J. Green and N. Fost. That paper discussed the use of interactive computer programs as aids for patient education about genetic topics, including testing. The first software program developed by the authors and their colleagues for the purposes discussed is now available. We have asked genetic counselors who are involved in heritable cancer risk assessment counseling on a daily basis to review the program. For additional inform ation about the program, please contact: Michael Green, M.S., M.D. Department of Humanities, H-134 The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Pennsylvania State University 500 University Drive Hershey, PA 17033 phone: (717) 531-8878 email: mjg15@psu.edu
Molecular Mediators of αvβ3-Induced Endothelial Cell Survival

The αvβ3 integrin interaction with the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an essential role in inhibiting apoptosis in endothelial cells. We have recently shown that αvβ3 ligation on rat aortic endothelial cells (RAECs) specifically activates the transcription factor nuclear factor ĸB (NF-ĸB) and promotes cell survival. Inhibiting NF-ĸB nuclear translocation abolished the protective effect of αvβ3 ligands. Here, we report that ligation of αvβ3 by its ligand, osteopontin (OPN), induces the phosphorylation and activation of inhibitory kappa B kinase beta (IKKβ) and promotes the specific degradation of inhibitory kappa Bα (IĸBα) in RAECs. Overexpression of a dominant negative (DN) IKKβ protein prevents IĸBα phosphorylation, NF-ĸB activation, and inhibits the protective effects of OPN. The NF-ĸB-inducing kinase (NIK) has been shown to be one of the upstream kinases involved in IKK activation. OPN-mediated NF-ĸB activity is increased upon NIK wild-type (WT) overexpression and blocked following NIK DN overexpression. In addition, NIK –/– mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) plated on OPN display reduced NF-ĸB activity and decreased IĸBα phosphorylation compared to NIK +/+ MEFs. Finally, functional inhibition of integrin β3-dependent NF-ĸB signaling decreases OPN-induced IĸBα, IKKβ and NIK phosphorylation. These studies for the first time show that the αvβ3-NF-ĸB-dependent endothelial survival pathway is dependent on IĸBα, IKKβ, and NIK.
Let’s Start From the Beginning Examining the Connections Between Partner Selection, Trust, and Communicative Effectiveness in Voluntary Partnerships Among Human Services Nonprofits

The increasing popularity of interorganizational collaboration among human services nonprofits has generated significant interest and research from a variety of disciplines. However, the current literature has not sufficiently addressed the factors that shape trust and communication in human services nonprofit partnerships. As such, this study proposes that partner selection shapes trust and communication and, using data on 202 human services nonprofit partnerships in the state of Illinois, examines the relationship between partner selection factors and communication and trust in human services nonprofit partnerships. The results from the hierarchical regression analyses suggest that two partner selection factors, reputation and homophily, are significantly positively related to trust. Regarding the factors that shape communication, the results suggest that prior experience and trust are significantly positively related to communicative effectiveness.
Existentialism and Persuasion

Typical existentialist utterances do such violence to ordinary language that analytically inclined philosophers tend (understandably) either to avoid them completely or to consider all righteousness fulfilled by an occasional jab in their direction with the proverbial ten-foot pole. I should like to suggest that the strange statements frequently issuing from existentialists are worth somewhat more attention than this. I shall maintain, further, that analytical philosophy may even find something to learn from existentialism-though not, perhaps, exactly what existentialists themselves suppose that they are teaching. I hold, in brief, that many of the key utterances of existentialism may be recognized, thanks to techniques of analysis developed in recent years, as covert evaluations depending on persuasive definitions of certain crucial terms. Perhaps this suggestion of the part played by persuasive definition in existentialism will provide a framework within which we may understand, more adequately than have most Englishspeaking philosophers to date, this alien phenomenon. And in better understanding the subterranean logic of existentialism we may increase our appreciation of at least one job which-despite other obvious faults-it is doing more adequately than is contemporary analytical philosophy.
Structure and Dynamics of an Ionic Liquid Confined Inside a Charged Slit Graphitic Nanopore

Molecular dynamics simulations were used to study the structure and dynamics of the ionic liquid (IL) [emim+][NTf2–] confined inside a slit graphitic nanopore of width H = 5.2 nm, where the pore walls have different densities of electrical charges. Previous simulation studies of similar systems have mainly focused on the structural and electrostatic properties of the confined IL, without studying in detail the dynamics of these systems. Our results indicate that the density of electrical charges σ affects the structure and the dynamics of the confined IL, especially in the layer of ions close to the electrically charged walls. Increases in σ in the pore walls lead to increases in the local density of counterions, as well as to important changes in the liquid structure of the ions, especially in the layers close to the pore walls. In particular, important differences in the g(r) functions are observed, and in the layer of ions near negatively charged walls, the ethyl groups of the cation cluster together t...
Cultural Dialectics in International Teamwork Dynamics

Some people see multinational collaboration as a problem, while others see it as an opportunity. Intercultural teamwork involves a dynamic push-pull tension between diversity and unity which places...
Abstract LB-103: Signaling via CD44v6 is associated with the growth of CD44-expressing glioma stem-like cells

Background: Brain tumors contain stem-like cells are likely a therapeutic target in malignant glioma due to their therapeutic resistance and ability of tumor initiation. Several studies have suggested the presence of multiple types of brain tumor stem-like cells (BTSC). However, the molecular markers valuable for targeting these subpopulations of glioma cells are still unknown. CD44 is a cell surface protein linked to tumorigenesis in some cancers outside of the central nervous system (CNS). CD44 expression is recognized in various types of cancer stem cells. In particular, one of CD44 variant isoforms, CD44v6, is associated with malignant transformation of non-CNS tumor cells by inducing proliferation and migration. To date, expression and function of CD44 and CD44v6 in BTSC is not characterized yet. Here, we investigated the expression of CD44, including CD44v6, and their function in BTSC. Results: RT-PCR and Western blotting elucidated that a subset of GBM expresses high level of CD44. Immunostaining on glioma tissue microarray demonstrated that patients with high grade glioma expressing CD44 had poorer prognoses. Positive staining of CD44 on tumor cell surface was seen only in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). FACS analysis of BTSC enriched from GBM specimens showed a subset of GBM expressed high level of CD44 in BTSC. CD44 neutralizing antibody inhibited cell growth of BTSC derived from CD44-high GBM, while BTSC from CD44-low GBM was not affected. Cultured BTSC from CD44-high GBM contains subpopulation expressing CD44v6. Knockdown of CD44v6 with siRNA inhibited in vitro growth of BTSC from CD44-high GBM but not from CD44-low GBM. This inhibition did not affect growth of cells derived from the same tumors that do not have stem-like characters. CD44 ligand osteopontin (OPN) activated AKT in BTSC from CD44-high GBM, but not in CD44-low samples. With CD44v6 knockdown, both phosphorylated AKT and S6R were under detectable level and OPN failed to activate AKT and S6R, while EGF substantially increased both molecules. When the PI3K/AKT pathway was inhibited by five different small molecules, a dose-dependent inhibition for neurosphere formation was observed for all inhibitors in BTSC from CD44-high GBM. In contrast, BTSC from CD44-low GBM were relatively resistant to the treatment. Conclusion: Our data indicate that a subset of GBM expresses high level of CD44 and CD44v6 in BTSC. GBM expressing high level of CD44 depends on CD44v6 on the growth of their BTSC. This action of CD44v6 is, at least in part, mediated through the AKT pathway. CD44 expression in high grade glioma corresponds to poorer prognosis. Immunoreactive site of CD44 on GBM cells correlates with pathological grade. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-103. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-LB-103
The Problem of the Pannus: Physician Preference Survey and a Review of the Literature on Cesarean Skin Incision in Morbidly Obese Women.

Objective This study aims to determine preferences of a nationally representative sample of obstetrician/gynecologists (OB/GYNs) regarding cesarean delivery (CD) incision practices for women with morbid obesity (body mass index ≥ 40 kg/m2). Study Design We conducted an online survey using the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists database. We compared physician demographics, practice characteristics, and CD incision type preference. Results After exclusion of ineligible participants, 247 OB/GYNs completed the survey (42% response rate). In nonemergency CD of morbidly obese women, 84% of physicians preferred a Pfannenstiel skin incision (67% preferring taping the pannus; 17% without taping the pannus). In emergency CD, 66% preferred a Pfannenstiel incision (46% without taping the pannus; 20% with taping the pannus) and 20% a vertical incision. For both emergency and nonemergency CD, there was no difference in incision type preferences by provider years in practice, practice scope, or number of CD performed each year. Conclusion Given the preference of a Pfannenstiel incision with taping the pannus during CD of morbidly obese women, further investigation is needed to assess the risks and benefits of this incision and the practice of elevating the pannus.
A Regional Wind Power Forecasting Method Based on Statistical Upscaling Approach

Regional wind power prediction is an effective way to increase the wind power penetration and improve the security and economy of the power system.Based on statistical upscaling approach,a regional wind power forecasting method is presented.In this method,the data of several representative wind farms are used to calculate regional results.Firstly,representative wind farms are selected not only based on the correlation between single farm and regional power,but also on the forecasting accuracy of each farm.Secondly,parameters are determined for each representative wind farm.Operation data of North China power grid from January to July,2011 is used to validate the upscaling method.The result shows that the upscaling method is appropriate for the regional wind power forecast model.Compared with the conventional accumulating method,the statistical upscaling method will make the regional forecast model less dependent on the data integrity of each single farm,as well as improve the accuracy of forecast result.
An Investigation of CO Generation during Flameless Combustion of Normal-temperature Air

Investigated is the law governing CO generation during the flameless combustion of normal-temperature air.The above-mentioned combustion can be accompanied by a dispersion combustion reaction in the furnace as a whole. As the combustion gases can be blended in the furnace uniformly and the combustion reaction is stable, a low quantity of CO is produced. An experimental study as well as calculations and analyses indicate that CO is mainly generated in a cylindrical space of 400 mm about 600 mm～3000 mm away from the burner spray nozzle. In other areas outside the cylindrical space, the combustion proceeds fully and almost no CO is produced. Excess air factor and volumetric heat release rate have little effect on the generation quantity of CO in flue gases. Compared with traditional flame combustion and present-day high-temperature air flameless combustion, the flameless combustion of normal-temperature air features a low CO generation quantity and stable emissions.
SWAT: A Programmable, In-Memory, Distributed, High-Performance Computing Platform

The field of data analytics is currently going through a renaissance as a result of ever-increasing dataset sizes, the value of the models that can be trained from those datasets, and a surge in flexible, distributed programming models. In particular, the Apache Hadoop and Spark programming systems, as well as their supporting projects (e.g. HDFS, SparkSQL), have greatly simplified the analysis and transformation of datasets whose size exceeds the capacity of a single machine. While these programming models facilitate the use of distributed systems to analyze large datasets, they have been plagued by performance issues. The I/O performance bottlenecks of Hadoop are partially responsible for the creation of Spark. Performance bottlenecks in Spark due to the JVM object model, garbage collection, interpreted/managed execution, and other abstraction layers are responsible for the creation of additional optimization layers, such as Project Tungsten. Indeed, the Project Tungsten issue tracker states that the "majority of Spark workloads are not bottlenecked by I/O or network, but rather CPU and memory". In this work, we address the CPU and memory performance bottlenecks that exist in Apache Spark by accelerating user-written computational kernels using accelerators. We refer to our approach as Spark With Accelerated Tasks (SWAT). SWAT is an accelerated data analytics (ADA) framework that enables programmers to natively execute Spark applications on high performance hardware platforms with co-processors, while continuing to write their applications in a JVM-based language like Java or Scala. Runtime code generation creates OpenCL kernels from JVM bytecode, which are then executed on OpenCL accelerators. In our work we emphasize 1) full compatibility with a modern, existing, and accepted data analytics platform, 2) an asynchronous, event-driven, and resource-aware runtime, 3) multi-GPU memory management and caching, and 4) ease-of-use and programmability. Our performance evaluation demonstrates up to 3.24x overall application speedup relative to Spark across six machine learning benchmarks, with a detailed investigation of these performance improvements.
Confidential Synchronized Anti-Tag Cloning for securing Radio Frequency Identification communication

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) provides easier identification of the data object. This process involves tagging an object to a transmitter which emits a burst of information including identification of the tag. The identification process and the various components involved in the transmission, identification and receiving of the radio waves. However, RFID suffer from data leaks, apart from this, it experiences severe security threats such as, Privacy, Security and Integrity. In this paper, Confidential Synchronized Anti-Tag Cloning (CSATC) is introduced, a method to secure the tag from being cloned with the help of back end server. The CSATC is validated using Efficient and Reliable Trivial RFID Authentication (ERTRA) algorithm. In ERTRA algorithm, implementation of Synchronous Secrets Method (SSM) and Optimal Trivial RFID Authentication Protocol (O-TRAP) are considered. This method efficiently processes the algorithm and, the privacy and security problem can be solved.
TU-C-HORIZONS-01: The Expanding Horizons Travel Grant Program: ePosters and Discussion

The Expanding Horizons travel grant program provides opportunity for students and trainees to broaden the scope of scientific meetings they attend and gain insight from research outside traditional domains of medical physics. Through participation in such conferences, early-career researchers are introduced to new topics with relevance to medical physics research as a means to expand the scientific horizons of our discipline. This year, 21 Expanding Horizons travel grants were awarded, granting travel to 17 conferences, including: Radiomics, the World Molecular Imaging Society (WMIS), the 3D Printing Conference and Expo, the GPU Technology Conference, the SIAM Imaging Science Conference, the Human Brain Mapping Conference, the OSA Conference on Clinical and Translational Biophotonics, the Society for Neuroscience, the AACR Conference on Tumor Microenvironment, and the Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining. The Expanding Horizons electronic poster session gives a venue for AAPM conference attendees to meet and discuss with awardees, learn the hot topics and emerging research areas presented at these conferences, and understand the relevance to future medical physics research.
Inhibition of Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate Seed Crystal Growth is Decreased in Renal Injury

We have demonstrated previously that sub-lithogenic doses of ethylene glycol (EG), when combined with administration of the proximal tubule nephrotoxin, gentamicin sulfate (GS), cause calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystalluria in association with cellular degradation products1. In this model, consistent elevation of CaOx relative supersaturation (RSS) occurs as calculated by the ion speciation program EQUIL2. Because EQUIL calculations do not consider large molecules, we examined the growth inhibitory activity of compounds > or < 10,000 mol. wt. (10K MW) using a multi-well crystallizer technique.
Index of Difficulty between Multiple Joint Movements Using Fitts Law

Fitts Law has become an important tool in thedesign of Human Computer Interface (HCI). It predicts the timerequired to move to an object given the distance to the object'scenter and its size. Over the years, Fitts law has been tested onvarious single joints such as the elbow, wrist, and finger Inorder to broaden the applicability of the law to more complextasks, we propose to extend Fitts law to model the movement ofmultiple joints. We show experimental results indicating thatFitts law can indeed be usefully extended for multiple joints, The new law creates a valuable metric in the design of efficienthuman-robot-interaction, prosthetic limb-controllers, physiotherapeutic exercises, sports equipment and HCI.
Calcium-Dependent Regulation of Calcium Channel Inactivation

Ionized calcium acts as an intracellular “messenger” or regulatory agent controlling a variety of cell functions, including exocytosis, motility, enzyme activity, membrane conductance, and others (reviewed by Katz, 1969; Meech, 1978; Llinas, 1980; Llinas et al., 1981; Reuter, 1983). Calcium, upon entering the cell, also contributes to further membrane depolarization, which supports a positive feedback loop counteracting repolarization. Without any conteracting processes this would produce uncontrolled entry of Ca2+, a situation incompatible with the regulatory function of the calcium ion. An important phenomenon preventing uncontrolled entry of Ca2+, which has been demonstrated in a number of diverse tissues including nerve cells, is a Ca2+-dependent inactivation of the voltage-activated calcium-channel. This form of inactivation appears to be widespread in excitable tissues, and may play an important role in basic neural function.
Near-inertial wave dispersion by geostrophic flows

We investigate theoretically and numerically the modulation of near-inertial waves by a larger-amplitude geostrophically balanced mean flow. Because the excited wave is initially trapped in the mixed layer, it projects onto a broad spectrum of vertical modes, each mode being characterized by a Burger number, , proportional to the square of the vertical scale of the mode. Using numerical simulations of the hydrostatic Boussinesq equations linearized about a prescribed balanced background flow, we show that the evolution of the wave field depends strongly on the spectrum of relative to the Rossby number of the balanced flow, , with smaller relative leading to smaller horizontal scales in the wave field, faster accumulation of wave amplitude in anticyclones and faster propagation of wave energy into the deep ocean. This varied behaviour of the wave may be understood by considering the dynamics in each mode separately; projecting the linearized hydrostatic Boussinesq equations onto modes yields a set of linear shallow water equations, with playing the role of the reduced gravity. The wave modes fall into two asymptotic regimes, defined by the scalings for low modes and for high modes. An amplitude equation derived for the former regime shows that vertical propagation is weak for low modes. The high-mode regime is the basis of the Young & Ben Jelloul (J. Mar. Res., vol. 55, 1997, pp. 735–766) theory. This theory is here extended to , from which amplitude equations for the subregimes and are derived. The accuracy of each approximation is demonstrated by comparing numerical solutions of the respective amplitude equation to simulations of the linearized shallow water equations in the same regime. We emphasize that since inertial wave energy and shear are distributed across vertical modes, their overall modulation is due to the collective behaviour of the wave field in each regime. A unified treatment of these regimes is a novel feature of this work.
Cycledash: a web application for the interactive analysis and exploration of variants

As genomics begins to influence clinical care, validating the result of a somatic variant calling pipeline has become increasingly important. Cycledash is a web application which facilitates the validation and analysis of somatic variants, bringing together and streamlining existing tools and workflows for examining and verifying the existence of variants in patient samples.
The compositional diversity of non-Vesta basaltic asteroids

Abstract We present near-infrared (0.78–2.45 µm) reflectance spectra for nine middle and outer main belt ( a > 2.5 AU) basaltic asteroids. Three of these objects are spectrally distinct from all classifications in the Bus-DeMeo system and could represent spectral end members in the existing taxonomy or be representatives of a new spectral type. The remainder of the sample are classified as V- or R-type. All of these asteroids are dynamically detached from the Vesta collisional family, but are too small to be intact differentiated parent bodies, implying that they originated from differentiated planetesimals which have since been destroyed or ejected from the solar system. The 1- and 2-µm band centers of all objects, determined using the Modified Gaussian Model (MGM), were compared to those of 47 Vestoids and fifteen HED meteorites of known composition. The HEDs enabled us to determine formulas relating Band 1 and Band 2 centers to pyroxene ferrosilite (Fs) compositions. Using these formulas we present the most comprehensive compositional analysis to date of middle and outer belt basaltic asteroids. We also conduct a careful error analysis of the MGM-derived band centers for implementation in future analyses. The six outer belt V- and R-type asteroids show more dispersion in parameter space than the Vestoids, reflecting greater compositional diversity than Vesta and its associated bodies. The objects analyzed have Fs numbers which are, on average, between five and ten molar percent lower than those of the Vestoids; however, identification and compositional analysis of additional outer belt basaltic asteroids would help to confirm or refute this result. Given the gradient in oxidation state which existed within the solar nebula, these results tentatively suggest that these objects formed at either a different time or location than 4 Vesta.