cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coupling model explanation of salient dynamic properties of glass-forming substances

Most of the important and general dynamic properties of structural glass-forming substances have been classified into twelve different categories in a recent review. Within the same property in each category, by examining a large number of glass-formers, a pattern of variation is found which correlates with the departure of the structural relaxation of the glass-former from exponential decay or the quantity 1-/spl beta/, where /spl beta/ is the fractional exponent in the Kohlrausch expression exp[-(t//spl tau/)/sup /spl beta//], that well describes the time dependence of the structural at relaxation. The correlation of the patterns or trends with 1-/spl beta/ suggests that the salient dynamic properties, or phenomenology, of glass-forming substances, all are governed by the non-exponential nature of the structural relaxation, i.e. the quantity 1-/spl beta/. Therefore, a theory or model capable of relating the structural relaxation time /spl tau/ to 1-/spl beta/ has the potential of explaining most, if not all, of the salient dynamic properties of glass-forming substances. The coupling model of the author has this relation. In this accompanying paper we show the coupling model can either explain or interpret all these properties.
Markov chains with quasitoeplitz transition matrix: first zero hitting

This paper continues the investigation of Markov Chains with a quasitoeplitz transition matrix. Generating functions of first zero hitting probabilities and mean times are found by the solution of special Riemann boundary value problems on the unit circle. Duality is discussed.
Central Olfactory Connections in the Macaque Monkey

The connections between the olfactory bulb, primary olfactory cortex, and olfactory related areas of the orbital cortex were defined in macaque monkeys with a combination of anterograde and retrograde axonal tracers and electrophysiological recording. Anterograde tracers placed into the olfactory bulb labeled axons in eight primary olfactory cortical areas: the anterior olfactory nucleus, piriform cortex, ventral tenia tecta, olfactory tubercle, anterior cortical nucleus of the amygdala, periamygdaloid cortex, and olfactory division of the entorhinal cortex. The bulbar axons terminate in the outer part of layer I throughout these areas and are most dense in areas that are close to the lateral olfactory tract. Labeled axons also were found in the superficial part of nucleus of the horizontal diagonal band. Retrograde tracers injected into the olfactory bulb labeled cells in the nucleus of the diagonal band and in all of the primary olfactory cortical areas except the olfactory tubercle. Electrical stimulation of the olfactory bulb evoked short-latency unit responses and a characteristic field wave in the primary olfactory cortex. Multiunit activity in layer II tended to be of shorter latency than that in layer III and the endopiriform nucleus. Associational connections within the primary olfactory cortex were demonstrated with anterograde tracer injections into the piriform cortex and the entorhinal cortex. Injections into the piriform cortex near the lateral olfactory tract labeled axons in the deep part of layer I of many primary olfactory areas, but especially in areas near the tract. An injection into the rostral entorhinal cortex, distant to the lateral olfactory tract, labeled a complementary distribution of axons in deep layer I of olfactory areas medial and caudoventral to the tract. This organization resembles that reported in the primary olfactory cortex of the rat [Luskin and Price (1983) J. Comp. Neurol. 216:264-291]. The anterograde tracer injections into the piriform cortex and retrograde tracer injections into the orbital and medial prefrontal cortex and rostral insula label connections from the primary olfactory cortex to nine areas in the caudal orbital cortex, including the agranular insula areas Iam, Iai, Ial, Iapm, and Iapl and areas 14c, 25, 13a, and 13m. The piriform cortex projects most heavily to layer I of these areas. Only Iam, Iapm, and 13a receive a substantial projection to the deeper layers. Areas Iam, Iapm, and 13a were also the only areas that responded with multiunit action potentials to olfactory bulb stimulation in anesthetized animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Comparison of Mexican‐American and Anglo‐American Attitudes Toward Money

This study compared attitudes toward money of Mexican- and Anglo-American consumers. Based on the Hispanic/Mexican-American literature, hypotheses were generated for four dimensions of a money attitude scale (MAS) developed by Yamauchi and Templer (1982). Mexican-Americans were found to have lower scores on a Retention/Time dimension that reflects willingness to delay spending money to achieve gratification. Contrary to previous studies, Mexican-Americans were found to have lower scores on a Quality dimension, calling into question an assumption found in much of the literature that Hispanic consumers prefer high prestige goods/services. Hypotheses pertaining to Power/Prestige and Distrust/Anxiety dimensions were also not confirmed suggesting further reservations about Hispanic consumer characterizations found in the consumer behavior literature.
NET EMISSIONS OF CH4 AND CO2 IN ALASKA: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE REGION'S GREENHOUSE GAS BUDGET

Author Posting. © Ecological Society of America, 2007. This article is posted here by permission of Ecological Society of America for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Ecological Applications 17 (2007): 203–212, doi:10.1890/1051-0761(2007)017[0203:NEOCAC]2.0.CO;2.
Similarity and Agreement in Self- and Other Perception: A Meta-Analysis

The authors examined the consistency of person perception in two domains: agreement (i.e., do two raters of the same person agree?) and similarity (i.e., does a perceiver view two persons as similar to one another?). In each domain, they compared self-judgments with judgments not involving the self (i.e., self-other agreement vs. consensus, in the case of agreement, and assumed similarity vs. assimilation, in the case of similarity). In a meta-analysis of 24 studies, they examined the effects of several moderating variables on each type of judgment. In general, moderators exerted similar effects irrespective of whether judgments of the self were involved. Group size did have stronger effects on self-other agreement and assumed similarity than on consensus and assimilation. The authors also present evidence that new measures of assumed similarity and self-other agreement using the Social Relations Model seem to be relatively independent of the moderators.
Proposed treatment sequence for overdentures.

Abstract In conventional overdenture treatment planning, it is often assumed that all the teeth, except the selected abutments, are extracted and that endodontic treatment on the remaining teeth is necessary. The latter step may add substantially to the cost of the overdentures. Since several prosthodontic patients demonstrate the formation of a calcified bridge over an exposed vital pulp, the dentist can simulate this condition and eliminate the time and expense entailed by endodontic treatment. 5 Since good oral hygiene and home care are necessary for optimal prognosis in overdenture therapy, there is time in this proposed sequence of treatment to discontinue treatment on patients with poor prognosis, before becoming involved in rather expensive endodontic and coping treatment. The proposed phenomenon is a gradual one, but it can retain tooth vitality through careful and early planning of the overdenture.
Non-Linear and Dispersive Effects in the Propagation and Growth of Longitudinal Waves on a Coasting Beam

The use of an intense beam of heavy ions to ignite a thermonuclear pellet at a distance from the final lens system requires a long thin beam with a very small longitudinal velocity spread. For perturbations long compared with the beam diameter, the longitudinal electric field due to the beam space charge can be approximated by the first derivative of the line charge density. This system of equations exhibits steepening of a finite amplitude wave. When other effects are included, such as the dispersion which occurs as the perturbation wavelength approaches the beam pipe diameter, a variation in density along the beam, or the exponential growth due to wall resistivity, the wave dynamics increase in complexity. Computer simulations are presented which illustrate some of the effects which can occur.
Differential effects of n-3 fatty acid deficiency on phospholipid molecular species composition in the rat hippocampus

In this study, we have examined the effects of n-3 fatty acid deficient diets on the phospholipids (PL) molecu- lar species composition in the hippocampus. Female rats were raised for two generations on diets containing linoleic acid (18:2n-6), with or without supplementation of � -lino- lenic acid (18:3n-3) or 18:3n-3 plus docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3). At 84 days of age, the hippocampal phospholip- ids were analyzed by reversed phase HPLC-electrospray ion- ization mass spectrometry. Depleting n-3 fatty acids from the diet led to a reduction of 22:6n-3 molecular species in phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), PE-plasmalogens (PLE), and phosphatidylserine (PS) by 70-80%. In general, 22:6n-3 was replaced with 22:5n-6 but the replacement at the molecular species level did not al- ways occur in a reciprocal manner, especially in PC and PLE. In PC, the 16:0,22:6n-3 species was replaced by 16:0,22:5n-6 and 18:0,22:5n-6. In PLE, substantial increases of both 22:5n-6 and 22:4n-6 species compensated for the decreases in 22:6n-3 species in n-3 fatty acid deficient groups. While the total PL content was not affected by n-3 deficiency, the relative distribution of PS decreased by 28% with a concomitant increase in PC. The observed decrease of 22:6n-3 species along with PS reduction may represent key biochemical changes underlying losses in brain-hippo- campal function associated with n-3 deficiency. —Murthy, M., J. Hamilton, R. S. Greiner, T. Moriguchi, N. Salem, Jr., and H-Y. Kim. Differential effects of n-3 fatty acid defi- ciency on phospholipid molecular species composition in the rat hippocampus. J. Lipid Res. 2002. 43: 611-617.
Management of Neuroendocrine Tumor Hormonal Syndromes

Tumors originating in the diffuse neuroendocrine system are characterized by a propensity to secrete a variety of peptide hormones, biogenic amines, and other vasoactive substances. These circulating factors can give rise to a remarkable array of clinical signs and symptoms including flushing, diarrhea, diabetes, hypoglycemia, rash, bronchospasm, and valvular heart disease. Neuroendocrine tumors which produce pathologically elevated hormone levels associated with a corresponding clinical syndrome are termed “functioning” whereas tumors lacking any association with a hormonal syndrome are considered “nonfunctioning.”
Interferon-alpha restores normal beta 1 integrin-mediated inhibition of hematopoietic progenitor proliferation by the marrow microenvironment in chronic myelogenous leukemia

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) progenitors show decreased adhesion to stroma and fibronectin (FN) through beta 1 integrin receptors. We have previously shown that interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) restores beta 1 integrin-mediated adhesion of CML progenitors to stroma. Because beta1 integrins transmit proliferation inhibitory signals from the microenvironment to normal hematopoietic progenitors, we hypothesized that decreased integrin-mediated adhesion of CML progenitors contributes to their continuous proliferation when in contact with stroma and that IFN-alpha treatment, by restoring integrin-mediated adhesion, also restores integrin-mediated microenvironmental inhibition of CML progenitor proliferation. We show here that, in contrast to normal colony-forming cells (CFC), the percentage of malignant CML CFC in S-phase was not significantly reduced following coculture with stromal layers. However, IFN-alpha treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the proliferation of CML CFC on coculture with stroma. This effect was not because of a direct antiproliferative effect of IFN- alpha on CML CFC because the proliferation of IFN-alpha treated CML CFC kept in suspension culture was not reduced. We examined the role of restored signaling through beta 1 integrin receptors in IFN-alpha induced inhibition of CML progenitors in two sets of experiment. In the first set of experiments, we demonstrated that proliferation of IFN- alpha-treated CML CFC, but not untreated CML CFC, was significantly reduced following coculture with 33/66-kD and 75-kD FN fragments, recognized by alpha 4 beta 1 and alpha 5 beta 1 integrins respectively. In a second set of experiments, we demonstrate that direct stimulation of integrin receptors by crosslinking with blocking antibodies to alpha 4, alpha 5, and beta 1 integrins and secondary goat antimouse antibodies resulted in significant reduction in proliferation of normal and IFN-alpha treated CML progenitors but not untreated CML CFC. These studies indicate that CML hematopoietic progenitors are unresponsive to beta 1-integrin mediated proliferation inhibition and that IFN-alpha not only restores beta 1 integrin-mediated adhesion but also beta1- mediated microenvironmental inhibition of CML progenitor proliferation. These observations may explain, at least in part, the therapeutic efficacy of IFN-alpha in CML.
Technique to Extract Rigid-Body Data from Shock-Induced Structural Loads

It is often desired to solely measure the time-varying rigid-body (quasi-static) response of a structural system under transient loading conditions. Due to the transfer functions of the measuring transducers, the measuring systems, and the mechanical structure to which they are affixed, the measured responses can be complex. The goal of this study was to optimize a measurement system to enable the extraction of meaningful rigid-body data. A novel scaling method, based on the 95 percent amplitude attenuation point of the filters, was developed to allow meaningful comparison between different analog filters. The optimal filter was found to be a sixth-order Bessel filter with its 95% amplitude attenuation point placed at 70 percent of the resonant frequency of the structure. The sweet spot for locating the accelerometer and its isolator within the body was also identified.
Nitrogen reduction in North Carolina

This EPI case study analyzes Nitrogen trading in North Carolina’s Neuse River. Under the United States’ Clean Water Act, the Neuse River is a section 303(d) impaired water. Typical 303(d) regulation is command-and-control: wastewater treatment plants that emit Nitrogen are required to meet their own emission limits. In the EPI, however, a cap-and-trade program was put in place under which plants are given a permit to emit Nitrogen, and this permit may be sold or temporarily leased to another plant. The EPI met the environmental goal in that emissions were significantly reduced below baseline levels. But the EPI did not meet the economics goal of reducing emissions in the least cost way, because few permits were traded. The design could be improved by restricting trading to occur within zones, rather than having only one single zone. The practice could be improved by encouraging plants to make trades. This case study informs the regulation of water quality in the USA under the Clean Water Act. Moving from the traditional regulation of these point sources to a properly designed EPI with active trading could potentially generate hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits to society.
Can men "mother"? Life as a single father.

The present study addresses the policy questions which emerge when atten tion is focused on single fathers. A sample of 141 single fathers were surveyed about their experiences as homemakers, the nature of their father/child relationship, and overall role satisfaction. The major finding of this study was that most men felt comfortable and competent as single parents, regardless of the reason for custody or their financial status. Both economic status and reason for custody influenced the father/child relationship and the father's role satisfaction. Social service providers and policy specialists who work with single parents need to be aware that "mothering" is not an exclusively female skill.
Viral Safety of Plasma-derived Products

Abstract CONFERENCE PROCEEDING Proceedings of the PDA/FDA Adventitious Viruses in Biologics: Detection and Mitigation Strategies Workshop in Bethesda, MD, USA; December 1-3, 2010 Guest Editors: Arifa Khan (Bethesda, MD), Patricia Hughes (Bethesda, MD) and Michael Wiebe (San Francisco, CA).
A new species of cardinalfish (Gymnapogon, Gymnapogonini, Apogonidae, Percomorpha) from the Philippines.

The new species is consistent with Gymnapogon , a distinct genus having one to three spines on the preopercle edge, fused hypurals (parhypural+1+2 and 3+4+terminal central), a free fifth hypural, two epurals, no supraneurals, scaleless head and body, a single rod-like postcleithrum and complex lines of free neuromasts on the head, body and caudal fin. The new species is distinguished by having a combination of a rounded caudal with 15 branched principal caudal-fin rays, 2 unbranched principal caudal-fin rays, 10 soft dorsal rays with the anterior two rays unbranched, 9 or 10 anal rays with the first ray unbranched and 14 pectoral rays the lower three and upper two unbranched. Nominal species Gymnapogon annona , G. foraminosus , G. japonicus , G. urospilotus and G. vanderbilti have 9 or 10 soft dorsal, 9 or 10 anal rays and 12 to 14 pectoral rays, the lower two and upper two unbranched. Gymnapogon africanus , G. melanogaster and G. philippinus have 9 soft dorsal rays, the first ray unbranched and 8 soft anal rays, the first ray branched. Gymnapogon japonicus has a rounded caudal fin with 13, 14 or 15 branched principal caudal rays. Gymnapogon africanus , G. annona , G. melanogaster , G. philippinus , G. urospilotus and G. vanderbilti have a forked caudal fin with 13 branched principal caudal rays and 2 unbranched upper and lower principal caudal rays. A single preopercle spine distinguishes the new species from the single bifid-like preopercle spine shared by Gymnapogon annona , G. melanogaster and undescribed forms. The wide-spread B-marked species complex made up of Gymnapogon urospilotus , G. vanderbilti and undescribed forms have at least one small upper preopercle spine in addition to the larger single spine near the angle of the preopercle.
In the Zone: Sovereignty and Bare Life in Gravity’s Rainbow

Who or what are the political subjects of Gravity’s Rainbow? Put differently: What defines the novel’s represented humankind in their relations with modern states? Such relations always entail whether subjects are represented as having certain rights, privileges, and immunities, blessings hinging on whether one is a citizen or a non-citizen, always a matter of historical contingency. Those determinations of citizenship, especially in modernity, are further reckoned by the shifting identifications of race or ethnicity that sovereign powers use in legitimizing and conditioning the subjection of persons. This is Pynchon’s great subject even from his earliest stories, especially when it involves how powers transform persons into stuff, into objects.
Low-Level Expression of the E1B 20-Kilodalton Protein by Adenovirus 14p1 Enhances Viral Immunopathogenesis

Adenovirus 14p1 (Ad14p1) is an emergent variant of Ad serotype 14 (Ad14) that has caused increased severity of respiratory illnesses during globally distributed outbreaks, including cases of acute respiratory distress syndrome and death. We found that human cell infection with Ad14p1 results in markedly decreased expression of the E1B 20-kilodalton (20K) protein compared to that with infection with wild-type (wt) Ad14. This reduced Ad14p1 E1B 20K expression caused a loss-of-function phenotype of Ad-infected cell corpses that, in contrast to cells infected with wt Ad14, either failed to repress or increased NF-κB-dependent, proinflammatory cytokine responses of responder human alveolar macrophages. A small-animal model of Ad14-induced lung infection was used to test the translational relevance of these in vitro observations. Intratracheal infection of Syrian hamsters with Ad14p1 caused a marked, patchy bronchopneumonia, whereas hamster infection with wt Ad14 caused minimal peribronchial inflammation. These results suggest that this difference in E1B 20K gene expression during Ad14p1 infection and its modulating effect on the interactions between Ad14-infected cells and the host innate immune response could explain the increased immunopathogenic potential and associated increase in clinical illness in some people infected with the Ad14p1 outbreak strain.IMPORTANCE We previously reported that Ad-infected human cells exhibit E1B 19K-dependent repression of virally induced, NF-κB-dependent macrophage cytokine responses (J. R. Radke, F. Grigera, D. S. Ucker, and J. L. Cook, J Virol 88:2658-2669, 2014, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JVI.02372-13). The more virulent, emergent strain of Ad14, Ad14p1, causes increased cytopathology in vitro, which suggested a possible E1B 20K defect. Whether there is a linkage between these observations was unknown. We show that there is markedly reduced expression of E1B 20K in Ad14p1-infected human cells and that this causes an increased proinflammatory cytokine response of human alveolar macrophages and more severe inflammatory lung disease in infected hamsters. This is the first evidence of a clinical relevance of differential expression of the small Ad E1B gene product. The results suggest that there is a low, critical threshold of E1B 19/20K expression that is needed for viral replication and infection transmission but that a higher level of E1B 19/20K expression is required for the usual repression and control of the Ad-triggered host innate immune response.
Collimator design for spatially-fractionated proton beams for radiobiology research

Preclinical and translational research is an imperative to improve the efficacy of proton radiotherapy. We present a feasible and practical method to produce spatially-modulated proton beams for cellular and small animal research for clinical and research facilities. The University of Washington (UW) 50.5 MeV proton research beamline hosting a brass collimation system was modeled using Monte Carlo simulations. This collimator consisted of an array of 2 cm long slits to cover an area of 2 × 2 cm(2). To evaluate the collimator design effects on dose rate, valley dose and the peak-to-valley dose ratios (PVDR) the following parameters were varied; slit width (0.1-1.0 mm), peak center-to-center distance (1-3 mm), collimator thickness (1-7 cm) and collimator location along the beam axis. Several combinations of slit widths and 1 mm spacing achieved uniform dose at the Bragg peak while maintaining spatial modulation on the beam entrance. A more detailed analysis was carried out for the case of a slit width of 0.3 mm, peak center-to-center distance of 1 mm, a collimator thickness of 5 cm and with the collimator flush against the water phantom. The dose rate at 5 mm depth dropped relative to an open field by a factor of 12 and produced a PVDR of 10.1. Technical realization of proton mini-beams for radiobiology small animal research is demonstrated to be feasible. It is possible to obtain uniform dose at depth while maintaining reasonable modulation at shallower depths near the beam entrance. While collimator design is important the collimator location has a strong influence on the entrance region PVDRs and on dose rate. These findings are being used to manufacture a collimator for installation on the UW cyclotron proton beam nozzle. This collimator will enable comparative studies on the radiobiological efficacy of x-rays and proton beams.
Reliance on Direct and Mediated Contact and Public Policies Supporting Outgroup Harm

Two studies examined the effects of reliance on direct and media-based contact for information about Muslims on Americans' stereotypic beliefs of and negative emotions toward Muslims and support for public policies harming Muslims domestically and internationally. Results revealed that reliance on media for information about Muslims was positively associated with stereotypic beliefs, negative emotions, and support for harmful policies. Reliance on direct contact for information about Muslims produced the opposite results. Results from a three-wave longitudinal design revealed that reliance on media and direct contact significantly predict changes in negative emotions which then predict changes in support for civil restrictions for Muslim Americans. We discuss the differential effects of reliance on media-based and direct contact in influencing intergroup outcomes.
Selective Cleavage of the LHCP Precursor May Determine the Relative Abundance of the Two Mature Forms (∼26 and 25 kD) Found in vivo

The import of proteins into the chloroplast is a complex process, including 1) targeting of the precursor protein to the organelle, 2) binding to the envelope via a “receptor”, 3) translocation across the envelope, 4) intraorganellar localization to the correct compartment and 5) proteolytic processing to remove the transit peptide. Although this basic outline is known, the mechanism underlying these steps is not understood, nor is the temporal relationship between the last three clearly defined. We are investigating the import of the major light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b binding protein (LHCP) associated with PSII, which is synthesized with a ∼34 amino acid transit peptide. Specifically, we have investigated the determinants that reside in the structure of pLHCP itself that are essential for import, localization to the thylakoids and processing. In vivo LHCII is composed of two major polypeptides of ∼26 and 25 kD. The origin of these forms has not been previously resolved, although we have recendy presented evidence that pLHCP generated from a single wheat gene can give rise to these two forms during in vitro import into chloroplasts (1). Multiple forms of mature protein have also been obtained whether the pLHCP gene originates from pea (2), tomato (3), corn (4) or Lemna (5). On the other hand, we find that in an organelle-free reaction optimized for pLHCP cleavage only the 25 kD peptide is released (1, 6).
Dynamic property changes in stapedial annular ligament associated with acute otitis media in the chinchilla

Located at the end of the ossicular chain, the stapedial annular ligament (SAL) serves as a closed yet mobile boundary between the cochlear fluid and stapes footplate. It is unclear how SAL properties change with acute otitis media (AOM). This paper reports the measurements of SAL dynamic properties in chinchilla AOM model using dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) and frequency-temperature superposition (FTS) principle. AOM was analyzed in two infection groups: 4 days (4D) and 8 days (8D) post induction. SAL specimens were measured using DMA at three temperatures: 5, 25, and 37°C. To extend the testing frequencies to higher levels, FTS principle was employed. Then generalized Maxwell model was utilized to define the constitutive equations of the SAL. The complex shear moduli were obtained from seven samples of control, 4D, and 8D groups. Results show that the storage and loss shear moduli of SALs decreased due to AOM. The storage moduli for 4D and 8D ears were similar below 100Hz, and the loss modulus for 4D was significantly larger than 8D across the entire frequency range. This study reports data that contributes to ear biomechanics and improves understanding on the effects of AOM in middle ear tissues.
Homeostasis of Mature T Cells.

Abstract The overall size and composition of the mature T cell pool is regulated by homeostatic mechanisms. A hallmark of homeostatic regulation is the ability of the T cells to undergo spontaneous “homeostatic” proliferation in response to severe lymphopenia. By defining the factors that drive such homeostatic proliferation, we have determined that homeostasis of naive and memory T cells is controlled by signals from contact with self-MHC/peptide ligands and/or two cytokines, namely IL-7 and IL-15. In addition, we have recently described a simple and highly effective way to administer IL-2, IL-7, IL-15, and other cytokines to strongly expand selective populations of T cell under normal physiological conditions. This new approach overcomes the current limitations that prevent therapeutic use of these essential T cell regulators in their native form. Identification of these homeostatic factors has already proven to be highly clinically relevant in devising novel therapeutic modalities for treatment of cancer and restoration of the immune deficiency from lympho-depleting regiments and advanced aging. The new method of delivering exogenous cytokines should further expand the clinical applicability of homeostatic cytokines.
LHRH Agonist-Induced Suppression of the Androgen Synthesis Pathway in Prostate Cancer

Background: Standard first-line therapy for advanced prostate cancer (PC) includes the use of a luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist. While the primary site of action for these agents is the pituitary-hypothalamic-gonadal axis, receptors for LHRH are also present in the membrane of PC cells and mediate a direct anti-tumor effect. The mechanism of this effect has been largely unexplored and may harbor a context of vulnerability. Previously, we have demonstrated that luteinizing hormone (LH) increases de novo steroidogenesis in PC cells and silencing of the LH receptor leads to downregulation of steroidogenesis. Here, we examined the impact of LHRH agonists on this process at the cellular level. Methods: LNCaP PC cells were treated with the LHRH agonist buserelin for 8 hours in the presence or absence of the LHRH antagonist antide. Gene expression of LH and androgen synthesis enzymes was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction and protein expression was measured with Western blot. Cell proliferation was assessed in these cells using MTS assays. Results: The LHRH agonist buserelin significantly suppressed the gene expression of LH and the androgen synthesis enzymes AKR1C1, AKR1C2, AKR1C3, CYP11A1 and RDH5 (p<0.05). Protein expression of LH, AKR1C1, AKR1C3 and CYP17A1 was also inhibited by buserelin treatment (p<0.05). Buserelin also suppressed LNCaP cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner (p<0.05). The suppressive effects of buserelin on gene expression, protein expression and cell proliferation were mitigated by the LHRH antagonist antide. Conclusion: These data implicate the LHRH agonist buserelin in the direct inhibition of de novo tumoral steroidogenesis, which may be mediated by suppression of LH. The LH pathway warrants further investigation as a therapeutic target. The treatment of advanced prostate cancer relies on androgen deprivation, often with an LHRH agonist. These agents induce the downregulation of LHRH receptors in pituitary gonadotrophs that ultimately leads to a decrease in gonadal testosterone synthesis. LHRH receptors are also highly expressed on prostate cancer cells. Unlike their pituitary counterparts, prolonged exposure to LHRH agonists does not lead to their downregulation. The role of these tumoral LHRH receptors remains unclear. Our data suggest that the LH pathway may play a role in tumoral steroidogenesis. Here, we explore the impact of LHRH agonist therapy on LH expression and tumoral steroidogenesis.
Keyhole refilled friction stir spot welding of aluminum alloy to advanced high strength steel

Abstract A keyhole refilled Friction Stir Spot Welding (FSSW) process is developed, which consists of two steps. Regular FSSW is performed in the first step. After that, the tool travels along a circular path to refill the original keyhole. The process is applied for joining aluminum alloy 6061 to Transformation Induced Plasticity (TRIP) steel. It increases the joint strength by 56.33% compared with that of conventional FSSW joints. A ductile failure mode is observed. The process can be implemented in any universal CNC machine and needs only one simple FSSW tool. An additional pure circular path welding process shows the enhanced performance of the keyhole refilled FSSW joints relies on three bonding mechanisms: the refilled original keyhole, the increased bonding area between steel and aluminum as well as the hook structure generated from the regular FSSW process. Three distinct layers of grain structures can be observed on the hook, which reveal the material flow pattern during the process.
Quantifying Changes in Squat Jump Height Across a Season of Men's Collegiate Soccer.

The purposes of this study were to examine the effectiveness of an athlete monitoring program in managing athlete neuromuscular fatigue across a men's collegiate soccer season as measured by changes in squat jump (SJ) height and to compare possible changes with the session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) training load (TL). Eighteen outfield Division I men's college soccer players performed SJ testing before each game of the fall season in addition to a baseline measurement at the start of preseason. The athletes provided sRPE values after all training sessions, weight-training, and games. Linear mixed modeling was used to compare changes in SJ height across the season with the baseline, and a correlation coefficient and single-lag cross-correlation coefficient were calculated between TL and changes in SJ height. No statistically significant decreases in SJ height occurred across the season, although a moderate practical decline occurred after the preseason (-1.6 cm, effect size = -0.70). The correlation between TL and changes in SJ height was statistically nonsignificant, whereas the cross-correlation was significant (r = 0.18, p = 0.48 and r = 0.55, p = 0.02, respectively). The athlete monitoring program was successful in managing the athletes' neuromuscular fatigue across the season as evidenced by the maintenance of SJ height and positive relationship between TL and changes in SJ height. Thus, SJ monitoring may serve as a useful fatigue monitoring tool for collegiate soccer athletes. Future study is needed, relating changes in vertical jump performance to other markers of athlete preparedness and performance.
Spatial Metadata for Weather Stations and the Interpretation of Climate Data

Observations made at weather stations are often assumed to be representative of their surrounding region, but they can be significantly influenced by highly localized forcings associated with the environmental exposure of instruments. The documentation of spatial metadata via digital elevation models, digital orthophotographs, site photographs, and descriptive narratives integrated within a geographic information system can provide key insights to aid the interpretation of climate data. Comparative analyses of climate data from proximate stations with documented spatial metadata help to reveal sources of observational bias associated with instrument exposures and contribute to a better understanding of the historical climate record.
Interactive Effects of Variable Population Density and Dietary Protein Sufficiency upon Selected Morphological, Neurochemical, and Behavioral Attributes in the Rat

Rats were reared from weaning until 48 days of age ranging from 2 to 30 animals per group. Multiples of each group size were created and factorially combined with three levels of dietary protein: 5%, 15%, or 25%. At 48 days of age subsamples from each group size X protein combination were assayed for indices of growth rates and behavioral differences. Indices of neurotransmitter activity and nucleic acid concentrations were not differentially affected. Animals housed in the largest group size and maintained on a proteinaugmented diet (25%) were most responsive to their environment as measured by exploratory measures and openfield tests of emotionality. Observing animals housed in the smallest group size, body weight, brain weight, adrenal weight, and pituitary weight varied directly with protein level in the diet. As group size increased from groups of 2 to groups of 30, the magnitude of the relationship between protein level and the abovespecified dependent variables decreased. For the largest housing groups, there was little relationship between protein level and any of the morphological and/or neurochemical indices. The outcomes suggest that increasing social contact attenuates the effects of protein deficient diets during the early postweaning development.
NEAMS Software Licensing, Release, and Distribution: Implications for FY2013 Work Package Planning

The vision of the NEAMS program is to bring truly predictive modeling and simulation (M&S) capabilities to the nuclear engineering community in order to enable a new approach to the analysis of nuclear systems. NEAMS anticipates issuing in FY 2018 a full release of its computational 'Fermi Toolkit' aimed at advanced reactor and fuel cycles. The NEAMS toolkit involves extensive software development activities, some of which have already been underway for several years, however, the Advanced Modeling and Simulation Office (AMSO), which sponsors the NEAMS program, has not yet issued any official guidance regarding software licensing, release, and distribution policies. This motivated an FY12 task in the Capability Transfer work package to develop and recommend an appropriate set of policies. The current preliminary report is intended to provide awareness of issues with implications for work package planning for FY13. We anticipate a small amount of effort associated with putting into place formal licenses and contributor agreements for NEAMS software which doesn't already have them. We do not anticipate any additional effort or costs associated with software release procedures or schedules beyond those dictated by the quality expectations for the software. The largest potential costs we anticipate would be associated withmore » the setup and maintenance of shared code repositories for development and early access to NEAMS software products. We also anticipate an opportunity, with modest associated costs, to work with the Radiation Safety Information Computational Center (RSICC) to clarify export control assessment policies for software under development.« less
Compounding effects of co-occurring disturbances on populations of a harmful bloom-forming mixotrophic protist

Anthropogenic activity is leading to increasing frequency and magnitude of disturbance in freshwater systems throughout the world. In turn, disturbance events are more likely to co-occur, compounding effects. Here we present a case study in which we investigated how the effects of co-occurring disturbances might interact to influence the abundance of a harmful algal bloom-forming species, Prymnesium parvum. The disturbances applied here included increased salinity, community composition change via the removal of large zooplankton, and elevated propagule pressure of P. parvum. We also examined the role that historical exposure to one of the disturbances played in influencing the effect of the co-occurring disturbances. We show that these types of disturbances can lead to synergistic or compounded effects, here influencing the abundance of a harmful algal species, and that historical exposure to a disturbance can influence this effect. These findings highlight the important role of increased and co-occurring disturbance in aquatic ecosystems and the role it may play in the formation of harmful algae blooms as the frequency of these occurrences increases.
Tuning Apoptosis and Neuroinflammation: TBK1 Restrains RIPK1.

Partial loss of TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Xu et al. identify the role of TBK1 in suppressing neuroinflammation and apoptosis by its inhibition of the receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) and elucidate how aging and genetic susceptibility together cause neuroinflammation.
A Successive-Elimination Approach to Adaptive Robotic Sensing.

We study an adaptive source seeking problem, in which a mobile robot must identify the strongest emitter(s) of a signal in an environment with background emissions. Background signals may be highly heterogeneous and can mislead algorithms that are based on receding horizon control. We propose AdaSearch, a general algorithm for adaptive source seeking in the face of heterogeneous background noise. AdaSearch combines global trajectory planning with principled confidence intervals in order to concentrate measurements in promising regions while guaranteeing sufficient coverage of the entire area. Theoretical analysis shows that AdaSearch confers gains over a uniform sampling strategy when the distribution of background signals is highly variable. Simulation experiments demonstrate that when applied to the problem of radioactive source seeking, AdaSearch outperforms both uniform sampling and a receding time horizon information-maximization approach based on the current literature. We also demonstrate AdaSearch in hardware, providing further evidence of its potential for real-time implementation.
Concurrent garbage collection in the actor model

In programming languages where memory may be allocated dynamically, automatic garbage collection (GC) can improve the efficiency of program execution while preventing program errors caused by incorrectly removed memory locations. In actor systems, GC poses some challenges that make it much costlier than in the sequential setting: Besides references from reachable actors, we have to consider inverse references from potentially active actors to reachable actors. One proposal, adopted in the runtime for the actor programming language Pony, uses causal message delivery and a centralized detection algorithm. While this is efficient in a multicore setting, the solution is too expensive for a distributed actor runtime. In this work, we show how the causal order message delivery requirement may be removed. Specifically, we describe a tracing collector of distributed actor garbage with centralized and decentralized variants. Both are guaranteed not to collect any non-garbage actors (safety) and to eventually collect all garbage actors (liveness).
Spiritual and Social Transformation in African American Spiritual Churches: More than Conjurers

At the core of African American religion’s response to social inequalities has been a symbiotic relationship between socio-political activism and spiritual restoration. Drawing on archival material and ethnographic fieldwork with African American Spiritual Churches in the USA, this book examines how their spiritual and social work can shed light on the interplay between corporate activism and individual spirituality. This book traces the development of this "politico-spiritual" approach to injustice from the beginning of the twentieth century through the opening decade of the twenty-first century, using the work of African American Spiritual Churches as a lens through which to observe its progression. Addressing subjects such as spiritual healing, support of the homeless, gender equality and the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, it demonstrates that these communities are clearly motivated by the dual concerns of the soul and the community. This study diversifies our understanding of the African American religious landscape, highlighting an approach to social injustice that conjoins both political and spiritual transformations. As such, it will be of significant interest to scholars of religious studies, African American studies and politics.
Coherent Phase Control of the Resonance Enhanced Multiphoton Ionization of HCl and CO

A long-standing goal of photochemistry is the use of radiation to control the distribution of products in chemical reactions. For collisionless processes, the products are determined entirely by the wave function which results from absorption of a photon. The transition dipole matrix elements connecting the ground and excited states determine the subsequent evolution of the excited parent molecule. In conventional photochemistry the product distribution can be controlled only “passively” by varying the wavelength of the exciting light. When more than one bond can be broken, it is usually the weakest one that ruptures, and it is only by serendipity that one can find a wavelength that causes a stronger bond to break. For each chemical pathway the internal states of the products are similarly determined by the transition dipole matrix elements, and one has only limited freedom in altering the product populations.
Corner stress fields in sliding at high friction coefficients

Abstract If an elastic body with a sharp corner slides over an elastic half-plane, the stress and displacement fields near the corner can be characterized by the leading term in an asymptotic [eigenfunction] series. However, there exists a critical friction coefficient f = f d at which an infinitesimal increase in f appears to imply a discontinuous change from singular to bounded local fields at the leading edge. Here, we show that this conclusion is incorrect. Instead, the contact region shrinks to zero at f = f d implying the existence of a concentrated contact force, but the singular field associated with point contact is retained for f > f d . We also show that a non-linear solution using a Generalized Neo-Hookean constitutive law gives the same conclusion, and that the concentrated force generated is well predicted by the linear analysis. However, in contrast to the linear solution, the total strain energy in the non-linear solution is bounded.
Review: The Impact of HIV Infection on Cancer Treatment with Immunotherapy

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and cancer have been intimately linked since the first cases of HIV were identified after investigation of unusually high rates of Kaposi's sarcoma in patients without other risk factors. HIV not only impairs the immune system but also drives a chronic inflammatory response. The significance of the chronic inflammatory response has become more evident, as patients with HIV survive longer on antiretroviral therapy, developing cancers more typical of the aging population. Cancer treatment offered to patients with HIV includes traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. Some oncologists abbreviate courses or reduce doses of treatment in patients with HIV. The promising field of immunotherapy, exemplified by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), has revolutionized cancer care. Some of the first studies of ICIs conceived of these agents as an approach to overcome “immune exhaustion” in patients with HIV and other chronic viral infections. In fact, clinical trials are underway to assess the impact of ICIs on patients with HIV with low CD4 counts, despite virologic suppression. Experience with ICI in patients with HIV and cancer is limited, but available studies suggest that HIV remains well-controlled, with CD4 count stable to increasing and viral load stable to decreasing. Immune-related adverse effects have varied, with one case series reporting higher than expected rates, but immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome has not been reported. In addition to these other therapies, stem cell transplant (SCT) has been demonstrated to be safe and effective. In selected patients with HIV, SCT has even led to the cure of HIV, as noted in two confirmed cases. The treatment of patients with HIV and cancer will benefit from clinical trials designed for this population, as well as new guidelines to aid oncologists in providing care for these patients. Collaboration between oncologists and HIV providers is essential in managing the treatment of HIV during cancer therapy, as well as addressing infectious and other complications that arise. This collaboration will lead to continued improvement in the management of this growing patient population.
The Chemical Design Principles for Axis-Dependent Conduction Polarity.

The recent discovery that specific materials can simultaneously exhibit n-type conduction and p-type conduction along different directions of the single crystal has the potential to impact a broad ...