cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Dynamics of Pay-for-Performance Sensitivity in Private Equity Funds

I explore the dynamics of pay-for-performance sensitivity in private equity funds. Carried interest gives private equity fund managers 20% of fund profits, conditional on beating a hurdle rate. Consequently, early deal successes (failures) put the fund in (out of) the carry, making pay for performance close to 20 cents on the dollar (zero). I document that companies acquired in buyouts grow faster when acquired by funds that have a higher pay-for-performance sensitivity. The effect is stronger when explicit incentives are expected to be more important. I find similar results using exogenous variation in pay-for-performance sensitivity due to public market movements. My findings provide evidence of the importance of incentives for value creation in private equity.
The Bilingual Home Language Boost Through the Lens of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Usage-based accounts of language acquisition suggest that bilingual language proficiency is dynamic and susceptible to changes in language use. The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented modifications in the language learning environment of developing bilinguals. Drawing on this unique opportunity, we analyzed existing data of two matched groups of Mandarin-English bilingual children (ages 4 to 8 years, n = 38), one tested before (pre-COVID group) and the other during (COVID group) the pandemic. The dataset comprises responses to a language environment questionnaire, and scores on a sentence comprehension task and a sentence recall task in the bilinguals' two languages. Questionnaire data revealed a richer Mandarin language environment for children in the COVID group compared to peers in the pre-COVID group. On both comprehension and production tasks, the two groups performed comparably in English but the COVID group showed better performance in Mandarin than the pre-COVID group. Within the pre-COVID group, English was stronger than Mandarin in both comprehension and production. Within the COVID group, the two languages were balanced in comprehension and Mandarin was stronger than English in production. Moreover, language use variables were correlated with production performance in both languages. These patterns illustrate the intimate relationships between language use and bilingual language proficiency through the lens of COVID-19 induced language environment modification.
Keynote speaker moving digital system design courses into the modern era, again

After 50+ years of digital system design being a course topic in Electrical Engineering Departments, the complexity of basic digital systems has risen greatly. Many so-called fundamental topics have fallen by the wayside as being irrelevant to mainstream design, and keeping courses current has always been a balancing act of evolving fundamental topics and available curricular time. Current digital system design uses language-based design methodologies for FPGAs and ASICs. These methodologies enable the design of larger, more exciting systems and almost instant feedback (with FPGAs or simulation) as to whether the designs work. But new fundamentals are needed to enable the efficient design of these systems. We will focus on how validation engineering has come to account for more than 50% of the industrial design flow and how it can be introduced into digital system design courses. We will discuss using SystemVerilog as a teaching platform since it directly integrates design and validation methodologies. Our experiences in introducing it into Sophomore, Junior, and Senior level logic design courses will be discussed.
Visual perceptual learning is similar across the extrafoveal central visual fields.

Purpose Visual perceptual learning occurs with the presentation of novel visual stimuli at retinal sites near the fovea to 20 degrees eccentricities. It was unclear if the magnitude and rate of visual learning were similar across the central visual fields or if visual learning decreased with increasing eccentricity. The robustness of learning across the visual fields may affect the magnitude of computer-aided visual recovery after visual brain injury. Therefore we determined if eccentricity was a factor that influenced perceptual learning. Methods Subjects were trained to detect the presence or absence of a single line oriented differently (odd-element) from an array of lines that otherwise had the same orientation. The odd-element line was presented 3 degrees, 9 degrees or 18 degrees from fixation. Results Perceptual performance improved during training trials with a similar magnitude and similar learning curve slopes at all 3 eccentricities. Pre- and post-training performance improved to a similar magnitude at 3 vs 9 degrees in 4 of 4 subjects tested and at 9 degrees vs 18 degrees in 4 of 5 subjects. In the fifth subject there was no post-training improvement in performance at 18 degrees. Conclusion Visual perceptual learning is similar across the extrafoveal central visual fields in almost all subjects.
Are pay satisfaction and pay fairness the same construct

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to test the extent to which pay satisfaction is equivalent to perceptions of pay fairness in order to call to attention the need for care in designing instruments in order to lessen the likelihood of the confounding of concepts within measures as has been in numerous previous studies.Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaire data were collected as part of a larger project seeking to understand the customer service behaviors of business owners for four groups of self‐employed business owners from Latvia, Germany, the UK, and the USA.Findings – It is found that while pay satisfaction and pay fairness are not the same construct, with the exception of internal pay comparisons, the self‐employed may not distinguish between pay fairness and pay satisfaction in a meaningful manner.Research limitations/implications – All four of the samples included in the current study had limited control over their compensation as the economy and industry are the most powerful influences...
'Les Bouts de Bois de Dieu' and 'Xala: A Comparative Analysis of Female Roles in Sembene's Novels

Both Les Bouts de Bois de Dieu and Xala underscore the significant role to be played by Africa's women, in forging a new world. When secondary plots and characters are put aside, one finds that the consistent focus in both works has been upon the strong base provided by the female configuration: traditional mother/modern daughter. Sembene invests the future of Africa in the hands of the politically astute and committed young women (Adjibidji and Rama), who are supported and encouraged by the more traditional, yet less actively involved female figures (Assitan and Awa). The essence of this female solidarity has been captured in the final scenes of both novels.
Fast long lived renaming

We present a randomized algorithm to solve the renaming problem in distributed computing with step complexity O(log logn) per operation against an oblivious adversary. This holds with high probability for any particular operation, which is an improvement over existing O(logn) algorithms. This result also demonstrates a doubly exponential separation against deterministic algorithms and an exponential separation against strong adversarial algorithms, for which lower bounds of Ω(n) and Ω(logn) respectively are known. We show that our results can be extended to support repeatedly releasing and reacquiring names (‘long-lived’ renaming), with complexity bounds holding over any sequence of polynomially many executions. We further sketch the same result for infinite executions.
The N‐terminal of annexin A1 as a secondary membrane binding site: A molecular dynamics study

Annexin A1 has been shown to cause membrane aggregation and fusion, yet the mechanism of these activities is not clearly understood. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations were performed on monomeric annexin A1 positioned between two negatively charged monolayers using AMBER's all atom force field to gain insight into the mechanism of fusion. Each phospolipid monolayer was made up of 180 DOPC molecules and 45 DOPG molecules to achieve a 4:1 ratio. The space between the two monolayers was explicitly solvated using TIP3P waters in a rectilinear box. The constructed setup contained up to 0.14 million atoms. Application of periodic boundary conditions to the simulation setup gave the desired effect of two continuous membrane bilayers. Nonbonded interactions were calculated between the N-terminal residues and the bottom layer of phospholipids, which displayed a strong attraction of K26 and K29 to the lipid head-groups. The side-chains of these two residues were observed to orient themselves in close proximity (∼3.5 A) with the polar head-groups of the phospholipids.
The enzymic synthesis of the sulfate esters of estradiol-17β and diethylstilbesterol

Abstract The present study demonstrates the formation of three sulfate esters of estradiol and three of diethylstilbesterol by a microsome-free extract of rat liver. The sulfate esters were separated by paper chromatography using a potassium phosphate buffer solvent and detected by radioautography using 35S. Evidence is presented that the three sulfate esters of estradiol are estradiol-3-sulfate, estradiol-17-sulfate and estradiol-3,17-disulfate and that those of diethylstilbesterol are two isomeric monosulfate esters and the disulfate ester of diethylstilbesterol.
TWO NEW GENERA OF THE CERATOBASIDIACEAE AND THEIR PHYLOGENETIC SIGNIFICANCE

IN JUNE of 1956, while engaged in a study of the fungi of the Society Islands, the writer found an unusual basidiomycete in a wooded area near his residence in the Punaauia District of Tahiti. The fungus appeared as a thin, gray, waxy-pruinose growth on the bark of a dead limb of the mango tree. A microscopic examination revealed basidia with four long, stout sterigmata typical of the genus Ceratobasidium. Furthermore, the basidiospores, like those of the latter genus, were found germinating by repetition. On the other hand, the new fungus differs markedly from all known species of Ceratobasidium in having gloeoeystidia and incompletely septate basidia. If the basidium is viewed apically after the septa have appeared, the cruciform arrangement of the septa, so characteristic of the tremellaceous basidium, may be observed, and the basidium appears to be 4-celled (fig. 8). But when the basidium is viewed laterally the septa are found to be incomplete below. -Occasionally a septum seems to extend all the way through the basidium or nearly so, but a change of focus always shows it to be interrupted in some area (fig. 5, 6). The septa usually begin to appear just before the sterigmata start developing (fig. 2). They may persist during spore formation (fig. 10, 13, 14) but frequently may not be detected at this time (fig. 11, 12, 15, 16), and it is probable that in a majority of the basidia they disintegrate by the time of spore discharge. Possibly they do not appear at all in some basidia. To the writer's knowledge no such fungus has been previously reported. It is hereby described as a new species, and a new generic name is proposed for it. The new genus is believed to occupy a position of primitiveness in the Ceratobasidiaceae, indicating a phylogenetic connetcion of this family with the Tremellaceae.
The Role of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Foot and Ankle Surgery

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), derived from autologous blood, is defined as a volume of plasma that has a platelet concentration that typically is five times greater (approximately 1,000,000/microl) than physiologic levels. PRP serves as a reservoir of critical growth factors, including platelet-derived growth factor, transforming growth factor-beta, and insulin-like growth factor-I. Although there is an abundance of literature pertaining to dental applications, this article highlights the use of PRP in orthopedic applications, ranging from PRP preparation to in vitro and in vivo studies to clinical research.
Expected Evaluation, Goals, and Performance Mood as Input:

Research indicates that effortful performances are reduced when participants cannot be evaluated, relative to when they can be evaluated. It was hypothesized that mood would interact with goals to attenuate such reductions in performance. As predicted, when participants' goal was to do as much as they could, those in negative moods put forth more effort and persisted longer than those in positive moods and performed equally well whether or not they could be evaluated. In contrast, as predicted, when participants' goal was to continue until they no longer enjoyed the task, those in positive moods put forth more effort and persisted longer than those in negative moods; no-evaluation and evaluation conditions did not differ. For those in positive moods asked to do as much as they could and those in negative moods asked to continue until they no longer enjoyed the task, no-evaluation participants performed worse than evaluation participants.
Bridging the divide between diaspora investment interest and action

Subject area – Entrepreneurship, management and emerging markets.Study level/applicability – Undergraduate and Graduate courses in Entrepreneurship, Managing in Developing Countries/Emerging Markets, Small Business Management, Social Entrepreneurship, International BusinessCase overview – IntEnt is a business incubator that provides training and other support services to nascent entrepreneurs, helping turn their investment ideas into successful business ventures. But IntEnt focuses on a unique clientele: diasporas, or migrants and their descendants, who dream of establishing a new venture back in their country of origin.The incubator is well known and respected by policymakers and migrants alike. Despite these successes, Mr Molenaar has struggled to grow and diversify IntEnt's funding base. He also is under increasing pressure from the foundation's stakeholders to define and measure the foundation's performance. But Molenaar is committed to expanding IntEnt's operations and continue to bridge the divide b...
Depression in young people: initial presentation and clinical course.

Abstract Objective This project was designed to provide prospective data on the clinical presentation and longitudinal course of depression in children and adolescents. Method Children and their parent(s) completed a structured diagnostic interview (Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children) at intake, and then yearly for 3 years. Collateral data were collected on school, social, and family functioning. Results Mean length of initial depressive episode was 35.6 weeks, SD of 26 weeks. Of the 65 depressed youths who completed the 3-year follow-up, 35 (54%) disclosed another episode of depression. Demographic, family-environment, and diagnostic variables were explored as predictors of characteristics of initial episode, recurrence of depression, and psychosocial competence at follow-up. Female gender and presence of a coexisting anxiety disorder were significantly related to severity of initial depression. Family environment was the only predictor significantly related to overall psychosocial competence over 3 years. Conclusions The findings confirm depression in youth as a valid clinical phenomenon, with substantial risk of recurrence. Increased levels of stress in the family environment were associated with poorer overall outcomes
Three-dimensional transesophageal echo imaging of the descending thoracic aorta

Abstract Transesophageal 2-dimensional echocardiography provides high-quality images of the thoracic aorta. 1,2 Although this display technique is generally quite adequate for diagnosis, it does not optimally communicate the 3-dimensional nature of the anatomy and the full extent of pathology. Therefore, the purpose of this study was (1) to evaluate the feasibility of generating 3-dimensional images of the descending thoracic aorta from sequential 2-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic images in vivo, and (2) to assess the optimal display technique to communicate the morphologic information.
Civic Nationhood and the Challenges of Minority Inclusion: The Case of the Post-Communist Czech Republic

This article explores the theoretical debate over how best to conceptualize the `civic nation' and its implications for minority inclusion. By examining the Czech government's treatment of the Roma minority according to a four-part measure of civic inclusiveness, it assesses the extent to which the regime's foundation on the `civic principle' has produced a political community that actually treats all citizens equally. The article thereby both critically assesses the claim that the use of the civic principle is inherently conducive to minority inclusion and civic equality and attempts to demonstrate that the term `civic' remains useful for analyzing and classifying types of community.
Alternative Materials for Micro-Electro-Mechanical Device Construction

In order to integrate micro actuators with III-V semiconductor devices, we have devised Micro-Electro-Mechanical devices (MEM’s), constructed from materials and processes common to existing III-V device processing. These processes are substantially different from silicon based processes because of the requirements for low temperature processing and the use of gold-based metallizations. Our material choices include, vacuum deposited and plated metal films, silicon oxide and nitride dielectric layers, and polyimide layers and structures. Sacrificial layers are implemented with photoresist rather than the more common silicon dioxide. The processes available are based on the “lift off” of unwanted areas of the metal films, wet plating of metals through openings in photoresist masks, and wet and plasma etching of metals and dielectrics. This paper will discuss why we are using these materials, the process constraints imposed by the materials, the measurement of some of the material properties, and will relate some progress in applications.
Optimization of the Wrist Pin End of an Automobile Engine Connecting Rod With an Interference Fit

Current design procedures for complicated three-dimensional structural components with component interactions may not necessarily result in optimum designs. The wrist pin end design of the connecting rod with an interference fit is governed by the stress singularity in the region where the wrist pin breaks contact with the connecting rod. Similar problems occur in a wide variety of structural components which involve interference fits. For a better understanding of the problems associated with obtaining optimum designs for this important class of structural interaction only the design problems associated with the wrist pin end of the rod are addressed in this study. This paper demonstrates a procedure for designing a functional and minimum weight wrist pin end of an automobile engine connecting rod with an interference fit wrist pin. Current procedures for Finite Element Method (FEM) model generation in complicated three-dimensional components are very time consuming especially in the presence of stress singularities. Furthermore the iterative nature of the design process makes the process of developing an optimum design very expensive. This design procedure uses a generic modeler to generate the FEM model based on the values of the design variables. It uses the NASTRAN finite element program for structural analysis. A stress concentration factor approach is used to obtain realistic stresses in the region of the stress singularity. For optimization, the approximate optimization strategy in the COPES/CONMIN program is used to generate an approximate design surface, determine the design sensitivities for constrained function minimization and obtain the optimum design. This proposed design strategy is fully automated and requires only an initial design to generate the optimum design. It does not require analysis code modifications to compute the design sensitivities and requires very few costly NASTRAN analyses. The connecting rod design problem was solved as an eight design variable problem with five constraints. A weight reduction of nearly 27 percent was achieved over an existing design and required only thirteen NASTRAN analyses. It is felt that this design strategy can be effectively used in an engineering environment to generate optimum designs of complicated three-dimensional components.
Double-diffusive convection in a circular cylinder

A theoretical study is made of the onset of steady double-diffusive convection in a circular cylinder of small to moderate aspect ratio. An eigenfunction expansion method is used to derive systems of amplitude equations for weakly nonlinear evolution of critical disturbances. It is shown that the nature of the convective solution near criticality depends strongly on the cylinder's aspect ratio; this is particularly the case at or near aspect ratios where two modes become unstable at the same Rayleigh number. There is also a strong dependence on Prandtl number, which is discussed.
A kinetic method for the titration of complement.

Abstract A simple linear equation relating the half-time of the hemolytic reaction to the concentration of C′ is derived, and an experimental kinetic method for the determination of the reaction half-time is presented. The use of this kinetic method for the quantitative estimation of C′ is described, and its advantages over existing static methods are discussed.
Training versus instruction in the acquisition of cognitive learning strategies

Abstract As various cognitive learning strategies have been identified and shown to be useful, the question of how best to teach an individual to use these techniques becomes important. Two studies compared simple instruction to more extended training. In Experiment 1 training was found superior to simple instructions with the method of loci for serial recall learning. Training in generalizable strategies involving imagery, verbal elaboration, and grouping was compared to simple instruction for a reading comprehension task in Experiment 2. Training was found to be more effective than instruction with a short-answer test over easy reading material, but not with difficult readings or multiple-choice tests.
Improving Escherichia coli FucO for furfural tolerance by saturation mutagenesis of individual amino acid positions.

ABSTRACT Furfural is an inhibitory side product formed during the depolymerization of hemicellulose with mineral acids. In Escherichia coli, furfural tolerance can be increased by expressing the native fucO gene (encoding lactaldehyde oxidoreductase). This enzyme also catalyzes the NADH-dependent reduction of furfural to the less toxic alcohol. Saturation mutagenesis was combined with growth-based selection to isolate a mutated form of fucO that confers increased furfural tolerance. The mutation responsible, L7F, is located within the interfacial region of FucO homodimers, replacing the most abundant codon for leucine with the most abundant codon for phenylalanine. Plasmid expression of the mutant gene increased FucO activity by more than 10-fold compared to the wild-type fucO gene and doubled the rate of furfural metabolism during fermentation. No inclusion bodies were evident with either the native or the mutated gene. mRNA abundance for the wild-type and mutant fucO genes differed by less than 2-fold. The K m (furfural) for the mutant enzyme was 3-fold lower than that for the native enzyme, increasing efficiency at low substrate concentrations. The L7F mutation is located near the FucO N terminus, within the ribosomal binding region associated with translational initiation. Free-energy calculations for mRNA folding in this region (nucleotides −7 to +37) were weak for the native gene (−4.1 kcal mol −1 ) but weaker still for the fucO mutant (−1.0 to −0.1 kcal mol −1 ). The beneficial L7F mutation in FucO is proposed to increase furfural tolerance by improving gene expression and increasing enzyme effectiveness at low substrate levels.
On the thermodynamics of thermoelastic martensitic transformations

Abstract Both elastic strain energy due to the transformational shape change and frictional resistance opposing interfacial motion are shown to contribute significantly to the observed thermodynamic changes which accompany thermoelastic martensitic transformations in Cu-14 Al-2.5 Ni alloys. However, for the special case of single-interface transformations in single crystals of the parent phase, elastic strain energy is not generated because the transformational shape change takes place freely without surrounding constraints. The temperature (T0) of zero-change in chemical free energy can then be bracketed unambiguously between the interface-advance temperature on cooling and the interface-reverse temperature on heating. Also, by means of calorimetric measurements, the chemical enthalpy, entropy and free-energy changes can be determined. Concomitantly, the frictional resistance can be estimated from the hysteresis between the interface-advance and interface-reverse temperatures; the frictional energy turns out to be approximately 5% of the chemical enthalpy change. In multiple-interface transformations, the cooling and heating transformation curves are altered in form and depressed to lower temperatures due to the storage of elastic strain energy, and there is a corresponding effect on the measured thermodynamic quantities, e.g. as a function of decreasing grain size. Such differences relative to the single-interface results permit evaluation of the stored elastic strain energy; it amounts to about 15% of the chemical enthalpy change.
James J. McCarthy: Global Biogeochemical Cycles editor

The last decade has witnessed the emergence of a new emphasis on processes that influence the global chemical environment, and AGU's newest journal will aim “to attract the best papers and, importantly, stimulate research in this area,” according to James J. McCarthy, editor of Global Biogeochemical Cycles. The journal's first issue just came out (see page 177).
How do hospitals represent the image of nursing on their web sites

The shortage of registered nurses is an impetus to market nursing services effectively and efficiently. During focus group sessions, the perceptions of registered nurses were obtained. The result was the development of specific criteria used to assess hospital Web sites. Magnet and nonmagnet hospital Web sites were evaluated using the nursing Web image assessment criteria. The author discusses the findings and their implications.
Plasma brain natriuretic peptide in obstructive sleep apnea

We compared brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with and without cardiovascular disease to BNP in healthy control subjects. OSA was not associated with increased plasma BNP or atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in otherwise healthy subjects during wakefulness. Untreated OSA increased ANP overnight, and ANP levels decreased with treatment of OSA. However, OSA did not elicit acute overnight changes in BNP, either in normal subjects or in patients with coexisting cardiovascular disease (including chronic heart failure).
A study of the reaction π−p → pπ+π−π− at 20 GeV/c

Abstract We observe strong production of the N∗++(1236), the ϱ0 meson and the f0 meson in the reaction if π−p → pπ+π−π− at 20 GeV/c. In addition there is a large unstructed A enhancement in the region (1.0–1.4) GeV of the 3π mass spectrum, which decays preferentially through the (ϱ0π−) channel. A prominent A3 peak is also seen in the 3π system at 1.66 GeV, with evidence for a 3π decay mode in addition to the previously observed (f0π−) decay mode. In the (pπ−) system there is evidence for the production of N∗0(1236) and other unresolved low mass isobars. The (pπ+π−) system also exhibits a broad unresolved enhancement in the region (1.5–1.7) GeV which can largely be explained as a kinematical effect. The Wolf calculation of the one pion exchange model is able to reproduce many of the salient features of the data, in particular for N∗++, ϱ0 and f0 production. The enhancements in the 3π system, however, are better fit by double Regge pole models for (pπ−ϱ0) and (pπ−f0) production. A double Regge pole model for ( N ∗++ (1236)π − π − ) production is also compared with the observed (pπ+π−) system, but is unable to adequately describe all the features of the data.
Kinetics of spinodal decomposition in chemically crosslinked gels

Abstract We present time-resolved small angle light scattering measurements of spinodal decomposition in a covalently crosslinked N-isopropylacrylamide gel. We find that for shallow quenches and early times the linear Cahn-Hilliard-Cook (CHC) theory can be used to describe the time evolution of the scattered intensity as well as the turbidity. Surprisingly, we find that the initial length scale on which fluctuations grow is much larger than the concentration correlation length and the diffusion constant characteristic of the phase separating gel is much slower than the collective diffusion constant. It appears that the initial process of phase separation in these gels is driven by fluctuations on micron sized regions, perhaps representing large-scale variations in the degree of swelling. We have also obtained the range of validity of the linear CHC theory, and find that the break-down occurs earlier at higher wave-numbers and deeper quenches.
Surface States of Topological Insulators: The Dirac Fermion in Curved Two-Dimensional Spaces

The surface of a topological insulator is a closed two-dimensional manifold. The surface states are described by the Dirac Hamiltonian in curved two-dimensional spaces. For a slablike sample with a magnetic field perpendicular to its top and bottom surfaces, there are chiral states delocalized on the four side faces. These ``chiral sheets'' carry both charge and spin currents. In strong magnetic fields, the quantized charge Hall effect $[{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{xy}=(2n+1){e}^{2}/h]$ will coexist with spin Hall effect.
Radial waveguide model for permittivity measurements of disk-shaped dielectric samples at RF frequencies

A new approach for measuring dielectric constants at RF frequencies (30-300MHz) is proposed. The proposed method utilizes the parallel plate test fixture and retrieves permittivity based on a radial waveguide mode. It is verified by simulation, and moderate accuracy (<;10%) is obtained. This method can be a complementary approach to other conventional ones which are available for lower or higher frequencies.
Leading the 21st-Century College and University: Managing Multiple Missions and Conflicts of Interest in Higher Education

Leading the 21st-century higher education institution calls for recognition of the changed nature of higher education and the multiple purposes such institutions serve. This article briefly outline...
Abstract 3778: Breast Cancer Antiestrogen Resistance 3 (BCAR3) promotes cell motility by regulating actin cytoskeletal and adhesion remodeling in invasive breast cancer cells.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Metastatic breast cancer is currently incurable and associated with a 5-year survival rate of only 23%. Thus it is critical to develop a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate metastasis and the underlying process of cell motility in order to improve patient survival. The adaptor molecule Breast Cancer Antiestrogen Resistance 3 (BCAR3) functions in cellular processes that contribute to cell motility. Previous work from our group has shown that elevated BCAR3 protein levels enhance breast cancer cell motility, while depletion of BCAR3 decreases cell motility and invasion in vitro. Here, we show BCAR3 controls membrane protrusion, Rac1 activity, and adhesion disassembly in invasive breast cancer cells in response to adhesion signals. Conversely, RhoA signaling pathways appear to predominate when BCAR3 is depleted from these cells, as evidenced by an increase in ROCK-mediated myosin light chain phosphorylation and the presence of stress fibers and large ROCK/mDia1-dependent focal adhesions. Thus, through its ability to tip the balance in favor of Rac1 signaling, BCAR3 functions as a positive regulator of cytoskeletal remodeling and adhesion turnover in invasive breast cancer cells, thereby promoting a more invasive, pro-migratory phenotype. Interestingly, we demonstrate that BCAR3 also controls actin cytoskeletal and adhesion remodeling in invasive breast cancer cells in response to epidermal growth factor. Considering that BCAR3 protein levels are elevated in advanced breast cancer cells lines, we propose that BCAR3 functions in the transition to advanced disease by triggering intracellular signaling events that are essential to the metastatic process. BCAR3 function is intimately linked to two other proteins, the adaptor molecule p130Cas (Cas) and the non-receptor tyrosine kinase c-Src. While BCAR3 protein levels have yet to be thoroughly assessed in human breast tumors, high expression of Cas and/or c-Src is associated with more aggressive breast cancer behaviors. Future work will determine whether this BCAR3/Cas/c-Src signaling network serves as a useful biomarker for invasive disease, and whether BCAR3 promotes breast tumor progression and metastasis in mouse models of human breast cancer. Citation Format: Ashley L. Wilson, Randy S. Schrecengost, Michael S. Guerrero, Keena S. Thomas, Amy H. Bouton. Breast Cancer Antiestrogen Resistance 3 (BCAR3) promotes cell motility by regulating actin cytoskeletal and adhesion remodeling in invasive breast cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3778. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3778
A Comparison of Adsorption and Reaction Properties in Cu-ZSM-5 and Cu-Y

Copper-exchanged zeolites have been studied extensively because of their ability to catalyze NO{sub x} reduction reactions in the presence of oxygen; however, the specific nature of the interaction between Cu and a zeolite is not completely understood. It is clear that ion exchange of Cu with lattice Al sites plays an important role since copper dispersed on nonzeolitic supports or materials incapable of ion exchange (silicalite) is not as active for de-NO{sub x} reactions as Cu-ZSM-5 even when the rates are normalized for Cu content. In addition, different zeolite structures have been reported to have markedly different catalytic activities, further suggesting a site-specific interaction for Cu at the exchange sites. For example, the temperature at which the rate for NO decomposition becomes significant is almost 100 K lower on Cu-ZSM-5 than it is on Cu-Y, even with Y samples containing twice as much copper by weight as their ZSM-5 counterparts. Because of the dramatic differences between Cu-Y and Cu-ZSM-5, a comparison of these two materials is of great interest since it may help identify the species most active in the catalysis of de-NO{sub x} reactions. 17 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.
Global parameter optimization for maximizing radioisotope detection probabilities at fixed false alarm rates

Abstract Today there is a tremendous amount of interest in systems that can detect radiological or nuclear threats. Many of these systems operate in extremely high throughput situations where delays caused by false alarms can have a significant negative impact. Thus, calculating the tradeoff between detection rates and false alarm rates is critical for their successful operation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves have long been used to depict this tradeoff. The methodology was first developed in the field of signal detection. In recent years it has been used increasingly in machine learning and data mining applications. It follows that this methodology could be applied to radiological/nuclear threat detection systems. However many of these systems do not fit into the classic principles of statistical detection theory because they tend to lack tractable likelihood functions and have many parameters, which, in general, do not have a one‐to‐one correspondence with the detection classes. This work proposes a strategy to overcome these problems by empirically finding parameter values that maximize the probability of detection for a selected number of probabilities of false alarm. To find these parameter values a statistical global optimization technique that seeks to estimate portions of a ROC curve is proposed. The optimization combines elements of simulated annealing with elements of genetic algorithms. Genetic algorithms were chosen because they can reduce the risk of getting stuck in local minima. However classic genetic algorithms operate on arrays of Booleans values or bit strings, so simulated annealing is employed to perform mutation in the genetic algorithm. The presented initial results were generated using an isotope identification algorithm developed at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. The algorithm has 12 parameters: 4 real‐valued and 8 Boolean. A simulated dataset was used for the optimization study; the “threat” set of spectra contained 540 SNM and industrial signatures, and the “benign” set of spectra contained 240 NORM and medical signatures. As compared to a random parameter search, the statistical optimization was able to able to find parameters that yield significantly higher probabilities of detection for all probabilities of false alarm from 0 to 0.1 (and equal to for probabilities of false alarm greater than 0.1), in a relatively small number of iterations. The number of iterations used, 1000, is also many fewer than would be required for a reasonable systematic search of the parameter space.
Thrombolytic Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke

Intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treating acute ischemic stroke within 3 hours of onset of symptoms. Initiation of thrombolysis within 90 minutes of onset of symptoms is a treatment goal supported by current studies. Postmarketing data suggest that the risk of intracranial hemorrhage may be unacceptably high when recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator is given to patients who would not have been eligible for enrollment in the pivotal phase 3 clinical trials. Further studies of local intra-arterial thrombolysis and improved selection of patients with advanced brain imaging are expected in the future, but the emphasis at present should be on rapid identification, evaluation, and treatment of appropriate patients with intravenous therapy.
Optical design and efficiency improvement for organic luminescent solar concentrators

Organic luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) have been widely investigated due to their potential in dramatically decreasing the cost of collecting solar energy. We designed, fabricated organic LSCs at different sizes and characterized their optical and electrical properties. The output efficiency enhancement methods for LSCs photovoltaics (PVs) are explored including attaching white diffusers on the bottom surfaces of LSCs, and adding a refractive index matched optical gel between the LSC edge surfaces and the attached PV cells. To further improve the output power conversion efficiency, multi-layered LSCs are studied and compared with single layered LSCs. The distribution of the output current from the LSC edges varies slightly, which is beneficial to collection of the concentrated light by attached PV cells. Also, in comparison with applying a wavelength selective film, the alignment of dye molecules using polymerized liquid crystal is discussed as a promising optical design and efficiency improvement method.
Diffusion-reaction in a thermal gradient: Implications for the genesis of anorthitic plagioclase, high alumina basalt and igneous mineral layering

Abstract Piston-cylinder experiments investigating the interaction between basaltic andesite melt and partially molten gabbro in a thermal gradient provide insight into melt-rock reaction processes occurring during magma differentiation in the crust. In two experiments juxtaposing basaltic andesite and gabbro at 0.5 GPa pressure for durations of either 13 or 26 days, diffusive chemical exchange between the two materials results in mineral layering and notable mineral compositions such as anorthitic plagioclase. Specifically, the basaltic andesite gains Al2O3, MgO and CaO from the gabbro and loses Na2O, K2O, SiO2 and FeO to it with a plagioclase-rich layer developing at the interface between the two materials in a process termed diffusion–reaction. The percent crystallinity of the basaltic andesite increases during the process and the plagioclase crystals within the interface region develop anorthitic cores (up to An90) that abruptly shift in composition to thin rims that are in Na–Ca exchange equilibrium with the co-existing melt. Both the mineralogical layering and bulk compositional change occurring at the interface are reproduced in model simulations of diffusion–reaction. Isotopic tracers (45Ca, 6Li, 84Sr and 136Ba) initially deposited at the basaltic andesite–gabbro interface in the 13-day experiment were detected in the cores of the anorthitic plagioclase after the experiment, demonstrating that the melt chemically communicates with the plagioclase cores over the duration of the diffusion–reaction experiment. The formation of anorthitic plagioclase during diffusion–reaction may explain its widespread occurrence in terrestrial volcanic rocks without requiring the presence of ultra-calcic melts. Textures and mineralogical changes in the gabbro indicate that chemical transport occurs throughout the experiments despite temperatures at the cold end of the experimental capsule approaching 500 °C. For instance, apatite, FeNiS, olivine and almost pure albite occur at distinct, specific horizons in the gabbro within the 26-day experiment. Because the bulk element profiles indicating chemical transport reflect analyses of almost completely solid gabbro, equilibration between minerals and fluids/melts must be rapid. The overall effect of the diffusion–reaction process is to make an ascending magma more primitive in composition (and in this case, produce anorthitic plagioclase) while making surrounding crustal wall rocks more evolved. Several observations within igneous rocks support the occurrence of this process, suggesting that the genesis of porphyritic high alumina basalt, ubiquitously observed at convergent margins, could reflect a diffusion–reaction process in the crust.
CELLULAR LOCALIZATION OF ANTI-DNP-PLL AND ANTICONVEYOR ALBUMIN ANTIBODIES IN GENETIC NONRESPONDER GUINEA PIGS IMMUNIZED WITH DNP-PLL ALBUMIN COMPLEXES

Genetic nonresponder guinea pigs incapable of an immune response to DNP-PLL alone were immunized with DNP-PLL complexed to ovalbumin or bovine serum albumin. Under these circumstances the animals produce both anti-DNP-PLL antibodies and antibodies directed against the conveyor albumin. Thus immune response to DNP-PLL complexed to conveyor albumin molecules can serve as a simple model of hapten-carrier relationships. To explore these relationships the question whether these two types of antibody are synthesized by the same or by different plasma cells was investigated by a combination of a double immunofluorescent technique and radioautographic localization of radioactive antigen. It was shown that the anti-DNP-PLL antibodies and the antibodies against the carrier albumin molecule were produced in separate cells. No cell-producing antibodies with both specificities were detected out of 526 cells studied.
Identification of SOCS-3 as a Potential Mediator of Central Leptin Resistance

Leptin affects food intake and body weight by actions on the hypothalamus. Although leptin resistance is common in obesity, mechanisms have not been identified. We examined the effect of leptin on expression of the suppressors-of-cytokine-signaling (SOCS) family of proteins. Peripheral leptin administration to ob/ob, but not db/db mice, rapidly induced SOCS-3 mRNA in hypothalamus, but had no effect on CIS, SOCS-1, or SOCS-2. A leptin-dependent increase of SOCS-3 mRNA was seen in areas of hypothalamus expressing high levels of the leptin receptor long form. In mammalian cell lines, SOCS-3, but not CIS or SOCS-2, blocked leptin-induced signal transduction. Expression of SOCS-3 mRNA in the arcuate and dorsomedial hypothalamic nuclei is increased in Ay/a mice, a model of leptin-resistant murine obesity. In conclusion, SOCS-3 is a leptin-inducible inhibitor of leptin signaling, and a potential mediator of leptin resistance in obesity.
"Code Red" protocol for resuscitation of the exsanguinated patient.

Abstract A “Code Red” protocol for resuscitation of the exsanguinated patient is presented. It consists of two phases (1) initial massive crystalloid infusion, followed by (2) rapid access to, and infusion of, blood. It is simple and requires minimal time, equipment, personnel, or expertise. The femoral vein is the principal access site; it is cannulated percutaneously by the Seldinger technique and allows simultaneous infusion and CVP measurement.
The Role of the Intersection Space in the Photochemistry of Tricyclo[3.3.0.02,6]octa-3,7-diene

CASSCF and CASPT2 methods were used to study the photochemistry of tricyclo[3.3.0.02,6]octa-3,7-diene (TOD). The analysis of different S1 reaction paths as well as the topology of the S1/S0 intersection space allows us to establish two novel properties associated with the photochemical behavior of this compound: (i) simple low-lying intersection space domains can mediate different photoproducts, and (ii) TOD photochemistry is probably mediated by two disconnected intersection space domains, related to the formation of cyclooctatetraene and semibulvalene in different time-scales. It is shown that these domains are chemically distinct since the first, leading to COT, mediates barrierless pericyclic reactions while the second, leading to SBV, is accessed through the formation of an excited-state biradical intermediate. To the best of our knowledge, in the domain of single molecule photochemistry, TOD represents the first example where a different chemical role of distinct low-lying intersection spaces has b...
Comparative power curves in bird flight

The relationship between mechanical power output and forward velocity in bird flight is controversial, bearing on the comparative physiology and ecology of locomotion1,2. Applied to flying birds, aerodynamic theory predicts that mechanical power should vary as a function of forward velocity in a U-shaped curve. The only empirical test of this theory, using the black-billed magpie (Pica pica), suggests that the mechanical power curve is relatively flat over intermediate velocities3. Here, by integrating in vivo measurements of pectoralis force and length change with quasi-steady aerodynamic models developed using data on wing and body movement, we present mechanical power curves for cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) and ringed turtle-doves (Streptopelia risoria). In contrast to the curve reported for magpies3, the power curve for cockatiels is acutely concave, whereas that for doves is intermediate in shape and shows higher mass-specific power output at most speeds. We also find that wing-beat frequency and mechanical power output do not necessarily share minima in flying birds. Thus, aspects of morphology, wing kinematics and overall style of flight can greatly affect the magnitude and shape of a species' power curve.