cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The spatio-temporal control of effector T cell migration.

Effector T cells leave the lymph nodes armed with specialized functional attributes. Their antigenic targets may be located anywhere in the body, posing the ultimate challenge: how to efficiently identify the target tissue, navigate through a complex tissue matrix and, ultimately, locate the immunological insult. Recent advances in real-time in situ imaging of effector T cell migratory behaviour have revealed a great degree of mechanistic plasticity that enables effector T cells to push and squeeze their way through inflamed tissues. This process is shaped by an array of ‘stop’ and ‘go’ guidance signals including target antigens, chemokines, integrin ligands and the mechanical cues of the inflamed microenvironment. Effector T cells must sense and interpret these competing signals to correctly position themselves to mediate their effector functions for complete and durable responses in infectious disease and malignancy. Tuning T cell migration therapeutically will require a new understanding of this complex decision-making process. In this Review, Deborah Fowell and Minsoo Kim highlight the complexity of the biochemical and mechanical cues that facilitate T cell migration. They explain how effector T cells are able to use these cues to navigate through complex tissue environments to respond to pathogens and other immunological challenges.
Obesity-Associated Myeloid Immunosuppressive Cells, Key Players in Cancer Risk and Response to Immunotherapy

Obesity is a risk factor for developing several cancers. The dysfunctional metabolism and chronic activation of inflammatory pathways in obesity create a milieu that supports tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. Obesity-associated metabolic, endocrine, and inflammatory mediators, besides interacting with cells leading to a malignant transformation, also modify the intrinsic metabolic and functional characteristics of immune myeloid cells. Here, the evidence supporting the hypothesis that obesity metabolically primes and promotes the expansion of myeloid cells with immunosuppressive and pro-oncogenic properties is discussed. In consequence, the accumulation of these cells, such as myeloid-derived suppressor cells and some subtypes of adipose-tissue macrophages, creates a microenvironment conducive to tumor development. In this review, the role of lipids, insulin, and leptin, which are dysregulated in obesity, is emphasized, as well as dietary nutrients in metabolic reprogramming of these myeloid cells. Moreover, emerging evidence indicating that obesity enhances immunotherapy response and hypothesized mechanisms are summarized. Priorities in deeper exploration involving the mechanisms of cross talk between metabolic disorders and myeloid cells related to cancer risk in patients with obesity are highlighted.
Towards remote chemical sensing: Backward-generated coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering

COVID-19 pandemic is calling for new methods of remote chemical sensing, which can potentially detect small number of viral particles in air at safe distances. Raman spectroscopy is a chemically specific spectroscopic technique;however, it is often difficult to apply it for remote sensing due to the non-directional scattering. We propose and demonstrate a novel way to achieve directional backward emission through nonlinear Raman interactions. © 2021 SPIE.
MADE3D: Enabling the next generation of high-torque density wind generators by additive design and 3D printing

Direct-drive wind turbine generators are increasing in popularity, thanks to recent project developments—especially offshore, where reliability and efficiency are major cost drivers. Yet, high capital costs are forcing many original equipment manufacturers to consider lightweight, high-torque density generators for next-generation multi-megawatt turbines that may be difficult to realize by traditional design or manufacturing methods. In this study, we present a new design framework enabled by advanced machine learning and multimaterial additive manufacturing to perform a magnetic topology optimization that maximizes the torque per rotor active mass for a 15-megawatt direct-drive permanent magnet wind generator. A comparison of the proposed approach against conventional topology optimization demonstrated a significant increase in computational efficiency and accuracy in performance predictions. Results using single and multimaterial compositions for rotor core and magnets identify a wider choice of 3D printable designs for a given specification. A hybrid combination of sintered and dysprosium-free polymer-bonded magnets shows good potential for torque performance by saving material costs up to 8.75%. More than 30% improvement in rotor torque densities is identified which can marginally improve the overall generator torque density. With the rapid evolution of multipowder deposition technolgies, this study can greatly inspire a new paradigm for design-driven manufacturing with novel material compositions and lightweight, low-cost, high-strength multimaterial geometries that were previously unexplored for direct-drive generators.
Fronto-parietal Network Segregation Predicts Maintained Cognition in the Cognitively Healthy Oldest-old (85+): evidence for dedifferentiation

The understanding of brain network interactions in cognitively healthy older adults informs how brain characteristics vary as individuals age and how these variations affect cognitive functioning. A functional connectivity analysis can reveal important insight into the brain9s organization, which is crucial to examining cognitive aging. We investigated functional network properties in 146 cognitively healthy participants aged 85+ in the McKnight Brain Aging Registry. We found that the segregation of the cortical association system and the segregation of the fronto-parietal network (FPN) were stronger predictors of cognition and executive function. Compared to other network metrics, the segregation of networks may be more closely linked with cognitive performance and age-related dedifferentiation. We also provide a healthy oldest-old (85+) cortical parcellation that can be used in future work in this age group. This study shows that network segregation of the oldest-old brain supports cognition. Specifically, the FPN plays an important role in supporting overall cognition and executive function in an aging population. By studying network dynamics and cognitive abilities of healthy brain aging, we advance the literature on dedifferentiation in the oldest-old.
Partial Differential Equations

Introduction Partial differentiation Solutions of PDE's and their specification PDE's and related arbitrary functions Particular solutions of PDE's Similarity solutions Correctly set problems Some preliminary aspects of linear first order PDE's First order PDE's, linear First order nonlinear PDE's Some technical problems and related PDE's First order PDE's, general theory First order PDE's with multiple independent variables Original detaials of the Fourier approach to boundary value problems Eigenfunctions and eigenvalues Eigenfunctions and eigenvalues, continued Non-orthogonal eigenfunctions Further example of Fourier style analysis Inhomogeneous problems Local heat sources An inhomogeneous configuration Other eigenfunction/eigenvalue problems Uniqueness of solutions Alternative representations of solutions Other differential equations and inferences therefrom Second order ODE's Boundary value problems and Sturm-Liouville theory Green's functions and boundary value problems Green's functions and generalizations PDE's, Green's functions, and integral equations Singular and infinite range problems Orthogonality and its ramifications Fourier expansions: Generalities Fourier expansions: Varied examples Fourier integrals and transforms Applications of Fourier transforms Legendre polynomials and related expansions Bessel functions and related expansions Hyperbolic equations Afterwords Bibliography Index.
Ellen at Night

TOM IS MOWING the lawn. He takes long strips, goes up the yard vertically, then crosses over. This reminds Ellen of a ladder. From the porch she watches him, smoking. She has mopped the porch floor and it gleams now beneath her bare feet, slickly blue. Because there are no screens to the windows of the cabin, she spends most of her time here, in the high rocker, smoking and looking out over the wide valley that leaps up suddenly to become Sunset Mountain and Sunset Ridge. Tom slows down, wipes the sweat from his face and neck. His face is dark red, it looks angry; his long dark curls have tightened and stick close to his head. Ellen thinks that he looks almost newborn, like the photograph she has of her nephew. She looks at the paling floor, then goes in to fix a drink. By the time her husband finishes mowing, she will be ready.
Multiple inheritance and genericity for the integration of a database management system in an object-oriented approach

Experience in designing and writing application programs using an object-oriented method reveals problems in connecting application programs to Database Management System (DBMS) services. This is due to the difference between the declarative description of data assumed in a DBMS and the behavioral, encapsulated format in an object-oriented language. To overcome this problem, the integration of DBMS services with an object-oriented language must be improved. A method is proposed to achieve seamless integration of DBMS functionality with application code using inheritance. The language must provide 1) multiple inheritance, allowing the objects to be stored in the database to inherit the necessary methods, and 2) genericity, in order to document what operations each object to be stored in the DBMS must export for use by the DBMS (eg. access operations). Most current object-oriented languages do not provide both features and thus make it difficult to add a DBMS package.
A Quantum Approach in Strategic Leadership: Investigating a Dynamic Model for Measuring Structural Entropy and Firm Value

Great strategic management is essential to an entrepreneurial firm’s success. However, choosing effective strategy and aligning the organization’s structure to this strategy is a very difficult task. This paper addresses how specific strategic processual elements that are chosen at the initial strategic planning level can cause an organization’s sub-systems to interact and influence entropy at the super-system level. These strategic processual elements are identified and classified based upon their strategic focus and then evaluated and analyzed in the model to determine their entropic impact on the firm’s organizational structure. The quantum model developed in this paper has the potential to serve as both a tool for performance measurement and a tool for enhancing strategy development. The model’s primary use is to assist management in the mitigation of structural entropy and the enhancement of firm value.
Volcanism and Geochemistry in Central America: Progress and Problems

Most Central American volcanoes occur in an impressive volcanic front that trends parallel to the strike of the subducting Cocos Plate. The volcanic front is a chain, made of right-stepping, linear segments, 100 to 300 Km in length. Volcanoes cluster into centers, whose spacing is random but averages about 27 Km. These closely spaced, easily accessible volcanic centers allow mapping of geochemical variations along the volcanic front. Abundant back-arc volcanoes in southeast Guatemala and central Honduras allow two cross-arc transects. Several element and isotope ratios (e.g. Ba/La, U/Th, B/La, 10 Be/ 9 Be, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) that are thought to signal subducted marine sediments or altered MORB consistently define a chevron pattern along the arc, with its maximum in Nicaragua. Ba/La, a particularly sensitive signal, is 130 at the maximum in Nicaragua but decreases out on the limbs to 40 in Guatemala and 20 in Costa Rica, which is just above the nominal mantle value of 15. This high amplitude regional variation, roughly symmetrical about Nicaragua, contrasts with the near constancy, or small gradient, in several plate tectonic parameters such as convergence rate, age of the subducting Cocos Plate, and thickness and type of subducted sediment. The large geochemical changes over relatively short distances make Central America an important margin for seeking the tectonic causes of geochemical variations; the regional variation has both a high amplitude and structure, including flat areas and gradients. The geochemical database continues to improve and is already adequate to compare to tectonic models with length scales of 100 Km or longer.
Compact spectral bases for value function approximation using Kronecker factorization

A new spectral approach to value function approximation has recently been proposed to automatically construct basis functions from samples. Global basis functions called proto-value functions are generated by diagonalizing a diffusion operator, such as a reversible random walk or the Laplacian, on a graph formed from connecting nearby samples. This paper addresses the challenge of scaling this approach to large domains. We propose using Kronecker factorization coupled with the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm to decompose reversible transition matrices. The result is that the basis functions can be computed on much smaller matrices and combined to form the overall bases. We demonstrate that in several continuous Markov decision processes, compact basis functions can be constructed without significant loss in performance. In one domain, basis functions were compressed by a factor of 36. A theoretical analysis relates the quality of the approximation to the spectral gap. Our approach generalizes to other basis constructions as well.
TU-EF-BRD-00: The Science of QA

Research related to quality and safety has been a staple of medical physics academic activities for a long time. From very early on, medical physicists have developed new radiation measurement equipment and analysis techniques, created ever increasingly accurate dose calculation models, and have vastly improved imaging, planning, and delivery techniques. These and other areas of interest have improved the quality and safety of radiotherapy for our patients. With the advent of TG-100, quality and safety is an area that will garner even more research interest in the future. As medical physicists pursue quality and safety research in greater numbers, it is worthwhile to consider what actually constitutes research on quality and safety. For example, should the development of algorithms for real-time EPID-based in-vivo dosimetry be defined as “quality and safety” research? How about the clinical implementation of such as system? Surely the application of failure modes and effects analysis to a clinical process would be considered quality and safety research, but is this type of research that should be included in the medical physics peer-reviewed literature? The answers to such questions are of critical importance to set researchers in a direction that will provide the greatest benefit to our field and the patients we serve. The purpose of this symposium is to consider what constitutes research in the arena of quality and safety and differentiate it from other research directions. The key distinction here is developing the tool itself (e.g. algorithms for EPID dosimetry) vs. studying the impact of the tool with some quantitative metric. Only the latter would I call quality and safety research. Issues of ‘basic’ versus ‘applied’ quality and safety research will be covered as well as how the research results should be structured to provide increasing levels of support that a quality and safety intervention is effective and sustainable. Examples from existing peer-reviewed research will be used to highlight the main points. Historical, medical physicists have leveraged many areas of applied physics, engineering and biology to improve radiotherapy. Research on quality and safety is another area where physicists can have an impact. The key to further progress is to clearly define what constitutes quality and safety research for those interested in doing such research and the reviewers of that research. Learning Objectives: 1. List several tools of quality and safety with references to peer-reviewed literature. 2. Describe effects of mental workload on performance. 3. Outline research in quality and safety indicators and technique analysis. 4. Understand what quality and safety research needs to be going forward. 5. Understand the links between cooperative group trials and quality and safety research.
Examining the Relationship Between Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematics Performance: An Instructional Hierarchy Perspective

This study investigated the relationship between mathematics anxiety, fluency, and error rates in basic mathematical operations among college students. College students were assigned to one of two groups (high anxiety or low anxiety) based on results from the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Anxiety Scale (FSMAS). Both groups were then presented with timed tests in basic mathematical operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and linear equations). Results suggested that the higher mathematics anxiety group had significantly lower fluency levels across all mathematical operations tests. However, there were no significant differences in error rates between the two groups across any of the probes suggesting that mathematics anxiety is more related to higher levels of learning than to the initial acquisition stage of learning. Discussion focuses on a) stages of learning and their potential relationship to mathematics anxiety, b) the relationship between mathematics anxiety and mathematics performance, and c) directions for future research.
The Clinical Supervisor-Practitioner Working Alliance: A Parallel Process

Abstract The focus of my presentation this morning is the core dynamics and skills of the supervisor-practitioner working alliance, or what I will refer to as the working relationship. I will present a model that suggests that the use of certain communication, relationship and problem-solving skills by the supervisor can influence the development of a positive working relationship with the supervisee, and that this working relationship is the medium through which the supervisor influences the practitioner. I stress the words “influence” because a central assumption of this approach is that both supervision and direct practice are interactional in nature. The supervisor and the supervisee each play a part in the process. The outcome of supervision is the result of how well each contributes to the process. This morning's presentation focuses on the supervisor's role. One of the discussions is the concept of the “parallel process.” While the role of the supervisor and the purpose of supervision are quite dif...
A Review of “Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives”

The first edition of Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives is rightly considered an indispensable resource among elasmobranch researchers and specialists in related marine science disciplines. The ...
Dichoptic reading: The role of meaning in binocular rivalry

These experiments sought to determine whether meaning influences the predominance of one eye during binocular rivalry. In Experiment 1, observers tried to read meaningful text under conditions in which different text streams were viewed by the two eyes, a situation mimicking the classic dichotic listening paradigm. Dichoptic reading proved impossible even when the text streams were printed in different fonts or when one eye received a 5-sec advantage. Under non-rivalry conditions, the observers were able to read text presented at twice the rate used for dichoptic testing, indicating that cognitive overload does not limit performance under conditions of rivalry. In Experiment 2, observers were required to detect repeated presentations of a probe target within a string of characters presented to one eye. Although this task was easily performed under monocular viewing conditions, it proved difficult when the two eyes received dissimilar character strings. This was true regardless of whether the probed eye viewed nonsense strings, real words, or meaningful text. In a condition designed to encourage semantic processing of one eye’s view, the observers were required to detect animal names as well as to detect the probe target. Performance remained inferior to that measured under monocular conditions. Even the observer’s own name proved insufficient to influence the predominance of one eye under conditions of dichoptic stimulation. When two text strings were physically superimposed and viewed monocularly, essentially no probes were detected, indicating that the failure to see some probes during rivalry reflects a limitation unique to dichoptic viewing. These results contradict theories attributing binocular rivalry to an attentional process that operates on monocular inputs that have received refined analysis. This conclusion may be limited to rival stimuli whose meaning is defined linguistically, not structurally.
Distributed Frequency Control of Prosumer-Based Electric Energy Systems

In this paper, we propose a distributed frequency regulation framework for prosumer-based electric energy systems, where a prosumer (producer-consumer) is defined as an intelligent agent which can produce, consume, and/or store electricity. Despite the frequency regulators being distributed, stability can be ensured while avoiding inter-area oscillations using a limited control effort. To achieve this, a fully distributed one-step model-predictive control protocol is proposed and analyzed, whereby each prosumer communicates solely with its neighbors in the network. The efficacy of the proposed frequency regulation framework is shown through simulations on two real-world electric energy systems of different scale and complexity. We show that prosumers can indeed bring frequency and power deviations to their desired values after small perturbations.
Seasonal and meteorological effects on differential stemflow funneling ratios for two deciduous tree species

Summary Stemflow is an important subcanopy flux that delivers enriched rainfall to soils immediately surrounding a tree. Stemflow volume represents the quantity of this hydrologic flux while funneling ratio (FR) represents the efficiency with which individual trees scavenge water during rainfall events. Stemflow hydrology and storm meteorological characteristics were monitored from 2007 through 2012 to determine the interspecific differences in stemflow flux with a focus on FR efficiency. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of tree species and size on stemflow FR, determine how seasonality affects stemflow FR, and quantify the role of storm meteorological conditions on stemflow FR. The results presented in this paper build upon 2 years of previous hydrologic research from the Fair Hill, MD field site, which strengthen previous findings via larger storm sample size and highlight more complex stemflow hydrologic relationships than originally assumed. Specifically, this study has demonstrated (1) the efficiency with which smaller trees gain access to rainfall via higher FR than larger trees, (2) the FR variability of F. grandifolia induced by the species’ ease of generating stemflow under many storm conditions, and (3) the necessity of many years of hydrometeorological sampling to capture long-term rainfall characteristics and trends. The efficiency of smaller trees to preferentially funnel water to their tree base has implications for forests undergoing change. Forest disturbance and subsequent regrowth is dominated by smaller trees, but additional research is necessary to understand how saplings compete among one another to gain access to stemflow and how this may be influenced by changing climates and forest composition.
Network Reliability and Inner-Four-Cycle-Free Graphs

A planar graph G = V, E is an Inner-Four-Cycle-Free graph IFCF-graph if, after all series and parallel replacements, it has a planar embedding G' with a face f such that every cycle of G' having four or more edges contains a vertex of f. It is shown that an IFCF-graph can be reduced to an edge by a recursive application of series, parallel and Δ-Y replacements. This property forms the basis of an O|V|2 algorithm to compute the probability that a probabilistic IFCF-graph is connected. This result is extended to graphs whose triconnected components are IFCF such graphs are not necessarily IFCF. The class of IFCF-graphs includes the series-parallel graphs, wheel-graphs, ladder networks and graphs in normal form, for which polynomial network reliability algorithms are already known.
Gravity-wave detection via correlated-spontaneous-emission lasers.

We show that, in principle, an active gravity-wave detector based on a correlated-spontaneous-emission laser has potential advantages over the more usual passive scheme.
A COMPARISON OF SALMONELLA EXCRETION BY STRESS-SUSCEPTIBLE AND STRESS-RESISTANT PIGS

SUMMARY— A relatively high percentage of apparently healthy pigs were Salmonella carriers and excreted salmonellae in the feces. Stress imposed by trucking did not significantly alter the excretion of salmonellae by the pigs. The incidence of salmonellae in fecal samples from 32 stress-resistant and stress-susceptible animals was investigated. There was a high incidence of salmonellae in cecum and colon contents, but salmonellae were not isolated from various muscles or from spleen, liver and kidney samples. Three of eight pigs were positive for Salmonella in the mesenteric lymph nodes. There was no apparent pattern of salmonella detection in regard to the stress-susceptible condition of the animal.
Highly Tunable Photoluminescent Properties of Amphiphilic Conjugated Block Copolymers

We report a novel class of amphiphilic conjugated block copolymers composed of poly(3-octylthiophene) and poly(ethylene oxide) (POT-b-PEO) that exhibit highly tunable photoluminescence colors spanning from blue to red. POT-b-PEO self-assembles into various well-defined core/shell-type nanostructures as a result of its amphiphilicity. The self-assembly structure can be readily controlled by altering the solvent composition or by other external stimuli. The color change was completely reversible, demonstrating that the strategy can be used to manipulate the light-emission properties of conjugated polymers in a highly controllable manner without having to synthesize entirely new sets of molecules.
The facile reduction of methoxyethoxymethyl esters with lithium triethylborohydride

Abstract The use of a methoxyethylmethyl (MEM) ester has been shown to facilitate the selective reduction of that ester function in the presence of other reduceable esters.
"Money alone was not enough": Continued Gendering of Women's Gilded Age and Progressive Era Art Collecting Narratives

It is commonly understood that women experienced art collecting differently from men around the turn of the twentieth century in the United States. Art collecting of quality and depth often required the ability to travel freely and make independent financial decisions, which excluded most women as well as middle- and working-class people and people of color. To understand the complexity of gender’s relationship to art collecting I have focused on the collecting narratives of Isabella Stewart Gardner and the Cone Sisters, Etta and Claribel. These individuals acquired a range of art, with Gardner primarily collecting Renaissance, Asian, and American Modern art and the Cones being collectors of French Modern art. Through a feminist historical lens I have used both archival and contemporary sources, in addition to site visits to the Cone Collection and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, to examine and interpret the collections and histories of these individuals. The guiding question of my research has been whether women have collections or collecting narratives that differ from those of men. I have discovered that while women collectors during my time period of focus do share a genuine commonality in their gendered and comparatively less advantaged collecting narratives, that commonality does not suggest further relatedness or inherency in what or why they collected. Furthermore, I have observed that scholarship on women art collectors often compounds the gendered disadvantages seen in their histories by suggesting intrinsically shared qualities among them. I aim to present a new perspective on women collectors’ experiences and to critique gendered presentation of those individuals’ histories in contemporary scholarship. Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kirstin Ringelberg Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kirstin Ringelberg
Knowledge of cervical cancer screening among women attending a university health center.

Abstract One hundred fifty-four female students completed a questionnaire regarding the Pap test and cervical cancer screening during routine yearly examination at a university health center. Ninety percent knew that a Pap test screened for precancerous and cancerous lesions of the cervix. More than half of the students, however, thought that the test also screened for other forms of gynecologic cancer and for a variety of sexually transmitted diseases. Approximately half of the respondents were unfamiliar with proper preparation for the test (eg, avoiding sexual intercourse and intravaginal contraceptive application) and the majority did not know about specific risk factors for cervical cancer. These findings indicate a need for improved health education efforts regarding the risk factors for cervical disease and the role and importance of Pap smears.
Shear thickening in dilute solutions of wormlike micelles

A new mechanism is suggested for shear thickening in dilute solutions of wormlike micelles. According to this mechanism, there is an instability above a critical shear rate, c, by which micelles aggregate to form networks of bundles. We examine the first step of this instability by studying the aggregation of two micelles into a paired bundle. The model predicts that c is given by the inverse of the time necessary for the two micelles to unbind from each other. The order of magnitude and temperature dependence of the predicted c are in good agreement with experimental measurements. In addition, the model provides a natural explanation for the observation of coexistence between the shear-induced structure and a dilute phase at fixed shear stress.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FUNCTIONAL AND THEORETICAL GRAMMAR. AN EXPERIMENT CARRIED ON WITH THE AMERICAN COUNCIL FRENCH GRAMMAR TEST—SELECTION TYPE1 IN SEVEN STATE INSTITUTIONS

Author's Summary.— A study in which we have demonstrated the following points: first, the superiority of achievement in functional grammar over that of theoretical grammar and its significance; second, the great inequality of preparation of teaching majors; third, the degree of relationship between grammar and the major subject, and also that between grammar and intelligence; and finally other deductions to be derived from our experiment.
Optical mapping of optogenetically shaped cardiac action potentials

Light-mediated silencing and stimulation of cardiac excitability, an important complement to electrical stimulation, promises important discoveries and therapies. To date, cardiac optogenetics has been studied with patch-clamp, multielectrode arrays, video microscopy, and an all-optical system measuring calcium transients. The future lies in achieving simultaneous optical acquisition of excitability signals and optogenetic control, both with high spatio-temporal resolution. Here, we make progress by combining optical mapping of action potentials with concurrent activation of channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) or halorhodopsin (eNpHR3.0), via an all-optical system applied to monolayers of neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM). Additionally, we explore the capability of ChR2 and eNpHR3.0 to shape action-potential waveforms, potentially aiding the study of short/long QT syndromes that result from abnormal changes in action potential duration (APD). These results show the promise of an all-optical system to acquire action potentials with precise temporal optogenetics control, achieving a long-sought flexibility beyond the means of conventional electrical stimulation.
Mascot-derived False Positive Peptide Identifications Revealed by Manual Analysis of Tandem Mass Spectra

False positives that arise when MS/MS data are used to search protein sequence databases remain a concern in proteomics research. Here, we present five types of false positives identified when aligning sequences to MS/MS spectra by Mascot database searching software. False positives arise because of (1) enzymatic digestion at abnormal sites; (2) misinterpretation of charge states; (3) misinterpretation of protein modifications; (4) incorrect assignment of the protein modification site; and (5) incorrect use of isotopic peaks. We present examples, clearly identified as false positives by manual inspection, that nevertheless were assigned high scores by Mascot sequence alignment algorithm. In some examples, the sequence assigned to the MS/MS spectrum explains more than 80% of the fragment ions present. Because of high sequence similarity between the false positives and their corresponding true hits, the false positive rate cannot be evaluated by the common method of using a reversed or scrambled sequence da...
Taking a Very Close Look at Magnetic Structures

The drive to smaller and smaller computational devices demands control over the structure, composition, and magnetic properties of materials on a sub-100-nanometer scale. In his Perspective, Scholl highlights a report by Heinze et al., who have been able to image an antiferromagnetic Mn monolayer at atomic resolution using a technique called spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy. Because of its unrivaled resolution, this technique is likely to provide insights into magnetic interactions that are of fundamental importance to magnetic devices.
Alcohol, employment status, and social benefits: one more piece of the puzzle.

Objectives: To examine the role of employment status and the receipt of social benefits in the prediction of alcohol use. Methods: Logistic regression models were used to analyze panel data from th...
An Error Model for Biomass Estimates Derived From Polarimetric Radar Backscatter

Estimating the amount of above ground biomass in forested areas and the measurement of carbon flux through the quantification of disturbance and regrowth are critical to develop a better understanding of ecosystem processes. Well-resolved and globally consistent inventories of forest carbon must rely on remote sensing measurements, particularly from polarimetric radars. While a wide variety of studies conducted over the past three decades have shown how radar polarimetric measurements can be used to estimate above ground carbon for regions with less than 100 Mg of biomass per hectare, there is no established methodology for assessing biomass estimation accuracy based on a priori instrument and mission parameters. In this paper, a framework for assessing biomass estimation accuracy is presented that is a blend of the basic imaging physics and empirically derived parameters that describe various relationships between biomass and radar polarimetric observable quantities. The implications of this error model on the design and performance of a polarimetric radar are explored using instrument, mission, and science parameters from a notional Earth observing mission.
Central Service: Recruiting, Selecting C.S. Personnel.

(1972). Central Service: Recruiting, Selecting C.S. Personnel. Hospital Topics: Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 77-79.
Practical Evaluation of Commercial Rubber Carbon Blacks by X-Ray Diffraction

Abstract Of the dozen or more reinforcing agents used in the commercial compounding of rubber, carbon blacks are outstanding in their excellence. Though no completely satisfactory theory has yet been forthcoming to explain the action of this material, the literature indicates that, among other factors, the size and shape of the ultimate carbon particles profoundly affect the characteristics of the rubber products obtained. Particle sizes of fillers and pigments are commonly determined by microscopic methods. Of those that have been suggested, the method of Gehman and Morris is perhaps most widely accepted as reliable. All microscopic methods, however, are subject to the limitation of resolving power imposed by the relatively narrow range of wave lengths in the visible and near ultraviolet which can be used for viewing and photographic purposes. Further, no distinction can be drawn between ultimate particles and compact secondary aggregates from the microscopic point of view. Thus, there always exista the ...
"Teens today don't read books anymore": a study of differences in interest and comprehension in multiple modalities

A research study on college students reading, engaging and comprehending across multiple modalities: print books, ebooks, and audiobooks. Over the last several years the popular and scholarly presses have been rife with articles about how teens are not reading. The widely publicized 2004 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) study, "Reading at Risk" is written up as: "literary reading in dramatic decline." In 2007, the NEA did a follow up "To Read or Not to Read" and results indicated that young adults were reading significantly less. At the same time, The Pew Internet and American Life Project's 2004 report, found only 5% of respondents reported doing the majority of their leisure reading online. Another Pew report, "Writing, Technology, and Teens" found even teens who report high levels of digital literacy activities do not consider the activities to be "real" reading or writing. Audio literacy is an important, often overlooked skill set that should always be studied in conjunction with print and digital practices. The previous research on audio literacy matches with the results of the Audio Publishers Assocation, which found that print readers are more likely to be listeners (2006) Diakidoy et al. (2005) found that the relationship between listening and reading comprehension becomes stronger after children have mastered decoding, and that listening comprehension does not exist independently from reading comprehension. Online and e-book reading is a more recent phenomenon, and although there is plenty of research that discuss the e-book readers and their technical features, few report research results. Ramirez, (2003) found that most college students (78%) preferred print, and Liu (2005) found strong preference for print (over 90%). Are teens really not reading as much as they did in the past? Are teens reading, but in nontraditional and/or unreported modalities? If the surveys focus on book reading, what about all the teens who do all their reading online or in digital modalities? What about the youth who listen to audiobooks? I think that young adults today may be reading just as much as youth in the past, but their ways and types of reading are so different from the older generations who create these polls and studies, that they are not accurately capturing the true levels of adolescent literacy leisure activities. We need to know how they read and if their comprehension, interest and engagement is the same across multiple modalities. To answer these questions, I am currently conducting an experiment comparing 3 modalities (print, e-book, or audio) and three leisure-reading texts with female college students.
A comparison of several heat and mass transfer networks of interest in water conservation

Electrical networks descriptive of the heat and mass transfer processes occurring in the systems such as lakes, open fields, snow banks, and United States Weather Bureau evaporation pans, are presented and discussed. Suggestions for research and correlation of measurements are given on the basis of an examination and comparison of the networks.
Nitric Oxide Regulation of IL-8 Expression in Human Endothelial Cells

Abstract The regulatory signals required to induce the production of IL-8, an important neutrophil chemoattractant and activator, have yet to be clearly defined. We examined the role of nitric oxide (NO) in IL-8 regulation. The NO synthase inhibitor, (L)-N G -nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME), inhibited the TNF-stimulated IL-8 production in the human endothelial cell line, ECV304, in a dose-dependent manner without affecting cellular viability (TNF alone, 5.5 ± 0.9 ng/ml; TNF + 5 mM L-NAME, 2.4 ± 0.5 ng/ml). Moreover, exogenously added NO produced by the spontaneous NO generating compounds, S-Nitroso-N-acetyl-D,L-pennicillamine (SNAP) and Ethanamine, 2,2′-(hydroxynitrosohydrazono)bis- (DETA NONOate), induced a dose-dependent release of IL-8 from these cells. Maximal stimulation of IL-8 was found to be 1.2 ± 0.1 ng/ml with the 1 mM concentration of SNAP and 1.6 ± 0.1 ng/ml with the 2 mM concentration of DETA NONOate. These results provide key evidence substantiating a regulatory role of NO in IL-8 expression.
PANDA: Processing algorithm for noncoded document acquisition

PANDA est une technique de traitements de documents mixtes (texte et image), de plusieurs niveaux de gris. La qualite du document est preservee par l'utilisation de la methode de diffusion de l'erreur de quantification
Integrated analysis of gene expression, CpG island methylation, and gene copy number in breast cancer cells by deep sequencing.

We used deep sequencing technology to profile the transcriptome, gene copy number, and CpG island methylation status simultaneously in eight commonly used breast cell lines to develop a model for how these genomic features are integrated in estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and negative breast cancer. Total mRNA sequence, gene copy number, and genomic CpG island methylation were carried out using the Illumina Genome Analyzer. Sequences were mapped to the human genome to obtain digitized gene expression data, DNA copy number in reference to the non-tumor cell line (MCF10A), and methylation status of 21,570 CpG islands to identify differentially expressed genes that were correlated with methylation or copy number changes. These were evaluated in a dataset from 129 primary breast tumors. Gene expression in cell lines was dominated by ER-associated genes. ER+ and ER− cell lines formed two distinct, stable clusters, and 1,873 genes were differentially expressed in the two groups. Part of chromosome 8 was deleted in all ER− cells and part of chromosome 17 amplified in all ER+ cells. These loci encoded 30 genes that were overexpressed in ER+ cells; 9 of these genes were overexpressed in ER+ tumors. We identified 149 differentially expressed genes that exhibited differential methylation of one or more CpG islands within 5 kb of the 5′ end of the gene and for which mRNA abundance was inversely correlated with CpG island methylation status. In primary tumors we identified 84 genes that appear to be robust components of the methylation signature that we identified in ER+ cell lines. Our analyses reveal a global pattern of differential CpG island methylation that contributes to the transcriptome landscape of ER+ and ER− breast cancer cells and tumors. The role of gene amplification/deletion appears to more modest, although several potentially significant genes appear to be regulated by copy number aberrations.
Ecological Impacts of Macroalgal Blooms on Salt Marsh Communities

Despite excessive growth of macroalgae in estuarine systems, little research has been done to examine the impacts of increased algal biomass that drifts into nearby salt marshes and accumulates on intertidal flats. The accumulation of macroalgal mats and subsequent decomposition-related releases of limiting nutrients may potentially alter marsh communities and impact multiple trophic levels. We conducted a 2-year in situ study, as well as laboratory mesocosm experiments, to determine the fate of these nutrients and any bottom-up impacts from the blooms on the dominant salt marsh plant (Spartina alterniflora) and herbivores. Mesocosm results showed that macroalgal decomposition had a positive impact on sediment nitrogen concentrations, as well as S. alterniflora growth rates. In contrast, our in situ results suggested that S. alterniflora growth was hindered by the presence of macroalgal mats. From our results, we suggest that macroalgal accumulation and subsequent release of nitrogen during decomposition may be beneficial in nitrogen limited areas. However, as marshes are becoming increasingly eutrophic, releasing lower marsh plants from nitrogen limitation, this accumulation of macroalgal biomass may hinder S. alterniflora growth through smothering and breakage of culms. As macroalgal blooms are predicted to intensify with rising temperatures and increased eutrophication, the ecological impacts associated with these changes need to be continuously monitored in order to preserve these fragile ecosystems.
Inference from Accelerated Life Tests Using Arrhenius Type Re-Parameterizations

The scale parameter of an exponential distribution is reparameterized as a function of the stress according to the Arrhenius Re-action Rate Model. The location parameter is reparameterized as a linear function of the stress. Maximum likelihood estimators of the parameters of the Arrhenius model and the weighted least squares estimators of the linear model are obtained using data from censored sample accelerated life tests. The asymptotic normality of the maximum likelihood estimators is ascertained by examining the shapes of their maximum relative likelihood functions. The asymptotic normality of the least squares estimators is ascertained by establishing certain criteria for convergence. An unbiased estimator for the mean life of the device at use condition stress μ u is obtained. Confidence limits for μ u , are difficult to obtain, and alternatively a plausibility interval for μ u is obtained.
Hepatic copper content is normal in early primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis

In previous studies, the majority of patients with the cholestatic liver diseases, primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), had increased hepatic copper (Cu) levels even in early stages of disease. We prospectively measured hepatic copper content by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in 55 patients with PBC, 6 patients with PSC, and 29 patients with other chronic noncholestatic liver diseases. Hepatic Cu content was normal in 22/61 (36%) of patients with PBC or PSC; 18 of the 22 did not have cirrhosis (82%). Hepatic Cu content increased with increasing stage of disease (r=0.61,P 150 µg/g dry weight had stage III and IV disease. Hepatic Cu content is normal in early PBC and PSC. Copper accumulation in the liver in these cholestatic liver diseases is secondary to cholestasis rather than a primary phenomenon.