cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metastasis-directed Therapy Prolongs Efficacy of Systemic Therapy and Improves Clinical Outcomes in Oligoprogressive Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer

Abstract Background Available therapies for castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) confer minimal survival advantage; thus, there is interest in metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) for oligometastatic or oligoprogressive disease to improve outcomes. Here, we describe outcomes of oligoprogressive CRPC treated with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR). Objective To report outcomes of oligoprogressive CRPC treated with MDT using SABR. Design, setting, and participants Patients with oligoprogressive CRPC were retrospectively evaluated, and outcomes following MDT were reported. Outcomes were additionally compared with oligoprogressive CRPC treated with change in systemic therapy alone. Intervention SABR to oligoprogressive lesions. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Outcomes of interest were time to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) failure, time to next intervention (TTNI), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and overall survival. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and univariable analysis and multivariable analysis (MVA) were performed. Results and limitations A total of 68 patients were included. After MDT, median time to PSA recurrence, TTNI, and DMFS were 9.7, 15.6, and 10.8 months, respectively. A total of 112 lesions were treated, and the cumulative incidences of local failure at 12 and 24 months were 2.1% and 13.8%, respectively. Factors associated with the risk of local recurrence on univariable analysis were age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.07, p = 0.03) and Gleason grade group (HR 2.20, p = 0.07). Compared with change in systemic therapy alone (n = 52), MDT (n = 31) was associated with improved median time to PSA failure (9.7 vs 4.2 months, p = 0.066)), TTNI (14.9 vs 8.8 months, p = 0.025), and DMFS (12.7 vs 8.9 months, p = 0.045), and remained associated with improved outcomes on MVA. Conclusions In a retrospective cohort of oligoprogressive CRPC patients, MDT was associated with favorable outcomes and improved cancer control as compared with change in systemic treatment alone. Future prospective trials are needed to confirm these findings. Patient summary In this report, we retrospectively analyzed outcomes of patients with oligoprogressive castrate-resistant prostate cancer treated with radiation therapy to progressing lesions. Our results suggest that treatment of these lesions with radiation therapy can result in sustained periods of disease-free survival and might add benefit in addition to systemic therapy at the time of progression. These results need to be verified in a prospective trial to identify the optimal integration of radiation therapy into metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer.
4-hydroxy-2-nonenal decreases coronary endothelial cell migration: Potentiation by aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 inhibition.

Abstract 4-hydroxynonenal (4HNE) is a reactive aldehyde, which is involved in oxidative stress associated pathogenesis. The cellular toxicity of 4HNE is mitigated by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) 2. Thus, we hypothesize that ALDH2 inhibition exacerbates 4HNE-induced decrease in coronary endothelial cell (EC) migration in vitro. To test our hypothesis, we pharmacologically inhibited ALDH2 in cultured mouse coronary ECs (MCECs) by disulfiram (DSF) (2.5 μM) before challenging the cells with different doses of 4HNE (25, 50 and 75 μM) for 4, 12, 16 and 24 h. We evaluated MCEC migration by scratch wound migration assay. 4HNE attenuated MCEC migration significantly relative to control (P
Numerical investigation of critical electrochemical factors for pitting corrosion using a multi-species reactive transport model

Abstract A multi-species reactive transport model based on the sequential non-iterative approach is employed to investigate two major stages involved in artificial pit experiments of stainless steel: I. Stable dissolution under a salt film and II. Film-free dissolution that transitions to repassivation. Data of current density and electrical potential obtained from rapid polarization scans of pits with different depths are utilized to calibrate the elapsed time and the electrode kinetics of each stage. The local chemistry near the base of pits at different temperature and bulk concentrations is simulated to determine several critical electrochemical factors at saturation and repassivation.
Qubit Regularization of Asymptotic Freedom.

We provide strong evidence that the asymptotically free ($1+1$)-dimensional nonlinear $O(3)$ sigma model can be regularized using a quantum lattice Hamiltonian, referred to as the ``Heisenberg comb,'' that acts on a Hilbert space with only two qubits per spatial lattice site. The Heisenberg comb consists of a spin-half antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain coupled antiferromagnetically to a second local spin-half particle at every lattice site. Using a world-line Monte Carlo method, we show that the model reproduces the universal step-scaling function of the traditional model up to correlation lengths of 200000 in lattice units and argue how the continuum limit could emerge. We provide a quantum circuit description of the time evolution of the model and argue that near-term quantum computers may suffice to demonstrate asymptotic freedom.
Feeling out alternatives within secularity

Author(s): Blankholm, Joseph | Abstract: This essay reassembles many of the key points in the thematic issue ‘Anthropology Within and Without the Secular Condition’ nto create a coherent picture of the fragments that comprise secularity and secularism. Understanding what secularism often affirms, such as a materialist ontology and an empiricist epistemology, makes it easier to recognize the vast diversity within the secular discursive tradition. Exploring this internal diversity is important for giving a better account of the secular condition and for finding alternatives to the most common ways of being secular, which have become worthy objects of critique. This essay then looks more closely at two aspects of the secular that are usually overlooked: a poetic language ideology and the locus of explanatory satisfaction. A better understanding of what it means to be secular, in all its variety, will help scholars better control for the ways in which secular discourse shapes their feelings and the knowledge they desire to produce.
Computer vision reveals hidden variables underlying NF-κB activation in single cells.

Individual cells are heterogeneous when responding to environmental cues. Under an external signal, certain cells activate gene regulatory pathways, while others completely ignore that signal. Mech...
Identification of Fyn-Induced PKA Binding Partners Using Quantitative Proteomics

Protein Kinase A (PKA) is a serine/threonine kinase involved in many cellular processes including migration and proliferation. PKA is known to phosphorylate and activate members of the Src family of tyrosine kinases including Fyn, and new data from our laboratory indicate that Fyn can reciprocally regulate PKA. We hypothesized that co-expression of Fyn with PKA would induce PKA to bind to and phosphorylate a distinct set of substrates such as scaffolding and signaling molecules. To test this, we used Stable Isotope Labeling of Amino Acids in Cell Culture (SILAC) and mass spectrometry to identify PKA binding partners that are dependent on the expression of Fyn. Several Fyn-induced binding partners were identified. Further biochemical analyses have been performed for validation and characterization of these distinct signaling complexes.
Laparoscopic nissen fundoplication ameliorates symptoms of reflux, especially for patients with very abnormal DeMeester scores

Intuitively, more severe acid reflux causes more severe symptoms. This study was undertaken to correlate preoperative DeMeester scores with symptoms before and after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication. Before fundoplication, all patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease underwent 24 to 48 hour pH testing. Before and after fundoplication, the frequency and severity of reflux symptoms were scored using a Likert scale. Four hundred and eighty-one patients underwent fundoplication and were followed for a mean of 32 months. The preoperative median DeMeester score was 41 (range 14.8 to 361.5). Before fundoplication, DeMeester scores correlated with severity of gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms (Spearman regression analysis, P < 0.05 for all). Postoperatively, all symptom scores improved (Wilcoxon matched pairs test, P < 0.05 for all). After fundoplication, preoperative DeMeester scores did not correlate with the frequency or severity of symptoms. For patients with excessive acid reflux, reflux severity impacts the frequency and severity of symptoms before fundoplication. Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication improves the frequency and severity of all reflux symptoms. The severity of preoperative reflux does not impact the frequency or severity of symptoms after fundoplication. Relief of excessive acid reflux, regardless of severity or degree (i.e., DeMeester scores), ameliorates symptoms of acid reflux thereby encouraging fundoplication, especially for patients with very abnormal DeMeester scores.
Integrated design of STBC-based virtual-MIMO and distributed compression in energy-limited wireless sensor networks

An integrated design of a joint distributed source coding and an adaptive signal processing scheme for a virtual multiple input multiple output (V-MIMO) communications-based, cooperative wireless sensor network is proposed. We employ a distributed coding scheme that exploits inherent correlations among sensor data and an adaptive correlation tracking technique based on recursive least squares (RLS) algorithm that provides improved energy efficiency compared to previously proposed such joint coding and signal processing schemes for single input single output (SISO) communications based systems. An integration scheme with virtual space-time block coding based M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM) communication is also developed. The system efficiency is analyzed for various transmission distances and various channel conditions. Our results show that the proposed system achieves significant energy savings compared to conventional designs beyond certain transmission distances. The achieved energy efficiencies and low decoding error rates justify the application of the proposed scheme in energy constrained wireless sensor networks.
Demand Side Merger Efficiencies

Mergers can generate demand side efficiencies that benefit customers in a number of ways, including procurement savings, transaction efficiencies, and quality improvements. We show that per-unit demand side efficiencies and marginal cost efficiencies of the same magnitude have an equivalent impact on the post-merger market in terms of output and welfare. Consequently, there is no reason to distinguish between marginal cost savings and demand side per-unit efficiencies when evaluating the impact of a merger. We demonstrate how various techniques for evaluating the impact of mergers – compensating marginal cost reductions, upward pricing pressure, and merger simulation – can be readily adapted to incorporate demand side as well as supply side efficiencies.
Genetic Polymorphisms of Platelet Glycoprotein Ia and the Risk for Premature Myocardial Infarction: Effects on the Release of sCD40L During the Acute Phase of Premature Myocardial Infarction

Objectives The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of genetic polymorphisms C807T and G1648A of platelet glycoprotein Ia (GPIa), on the risk for myocardial infarction (MI) and on the release of soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) during the acute phase of MI and one year after the event. Background C807T and G1648A polymorphisms affect the density of GPIa on platelet surface, but their effect on the risk for MI and the release of sCD40L is unknown. Methods The study population consisted of 219 patients with premature MI and 389 controls. One year after the event, 67 patients and 232 controls were recalled for the follow-up study. Results The risk for MI in 807TT was 2.296 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.187 to 4.440) p Conclusions Genetic polymorphism C807T increases the risk for premature MI. 807T allele is an independent predictor for sCD40L levels during the acute phase of premature MI as well as one year after the event, while it is associated with elevated sCD40L levels in healthy subjects, only in the presence of high von Willebrand levels.
The Biosynthesis of Cyanogenic Glycosides in Higher Plants I. PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF A URIDINE DIPHOSPHATE-GLUCOSE-KETONE CYANOHYDRIN β-GLUCOSYLTRANSFERASE FROM LINUM USITATISSIMUM L

An enzyme which catalyzes the transfer of glucose from UDP-glucose to α-hydroxyisobutyronitrile (acetone cyanohydrin) has been isolated from flax seedlings (Linum usitatissimum L). The product of this reaction was shown to be identical with linamarin, one of the two cyanogenic glucosides produced by the flax plant. The partially purified UDP-glucose-ketone cyanohydrin β-glucosyltransferase exhibited a high degree of specificity for the two aliphatic side chains of acetone and butanone cyanohydrins as well as for UDP-glucose as the glucose donor. This suggests that its natural function is to catalyze the last step in the biosynthesis of the cyanogenic glucosides linamarin and lotaustralin from the precursor cyanohydrins. In a series of steps resulting in a purification of 120-fold, the glucosyltransferase was separated from the β-glucosidase "linamarase" which is present in the flax plant. No requirements for metal ions or sulfhydryl reagents could be shown for the glucosyl transferase.
Primetime for γ

In this issue of Blood , Omarova et al show that fibrinogen, particularly the γ′ variant, increases the anticoagulant effect of activated protein C in plasma.[1][1] ![Figure][2] Alternative processing of the FGG gene pre-mRNA. The FGG 10 034C>T SNP (rs2066865) results in lower levels of
Population Sizing for Genetic Programming Based on Decision-Making

This chapter derives a population sizing relationship for genetic programming (GP). Following the population-sizing derivation for genetic algorithms in (Goldberg et al., 1992), it considers building block decision-making as a key facet. The analysis yields a GP-unique relationship because it has to account for bloat and for the fact that GP solutions often use subsolutions multiple times. The population-sizing relationship depends upon tree size, solution complexity, problem difficulty and building block expression probability. The relationship is used to analyze and empirically investigate population sizing for three model GP problems named ORDER, ON-OFF and LOUD. These problems exhibit bloat to differing extents and differ in whether their solutions require the use of a building block multiple times.
Constituents of bile, bilirubin and TUDCA, protect against oxidative stress-induced retinal degeneration

Two constituents of bile, bilirubin and tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), have antioxidant activity. However, bilirubin can also cause damage to some neurons and glial cells, particularly immature neurons. In this study, we tested the effects of bilirubin and TUDCA in two models in which oxidative stress contributes to photoreceptor cell death, prolonged light exposure and rd10+/+ mice. In albino BALB/c mice, intraperitoneal injection of 5 mg/kg of bilirubin or 500 mg/kg of TUDCA prior to exposure to 5000 lux of white light for 8 h significantly reduced loss of rod and cone function assessed by electroretinograms. Both treatments also reduced light-induced accumulation of superoxide radicals in the outer retina, rod cell death assessed by outer nuclear layer thickness, and disruption of cone inner and outer segments. In rd10+/+ mice, intraperitoneal injections of 5 or 50 mg/kg of bilirubin or 500 mg/kg of TUDCA every 3 days starting at postnatal day (P) 6, caused significant preservation of cone cell number and cone function at P50. Rods were not protected at P50, but both bilirubin and TUDCA provided modest preservation of outer nuclear layer thickness and rod function at P30. These data suggest that correlation of serum bilirubin levels with rate of vision loss in patients with retinitis pigmentosa could provide a useful strategy to test the hypothesis that cones die from oxidative damage in patients with retinitis pigmentosa. If proof-of-concept is established, manipulation of bilirubin levels and administration of TUDCA could be tested in interventional trials.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) Modulates Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) Signaling in Canine Mammary Cells

Background: Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a naturally occurring linoleic acid isomer found in ruminant-produced foods, has the potential to serve as an effective chemopreventive nutriceutical factor for breast cancer prevention based upon previous published studies. There are several CLA isomers in ruminant-produced food products, among which t10, c12-CLA and c9, t11-CLA are more potent. Expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) in mammary tumors has been correlated with poor prognosis. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is a major COX-2 product in various cancers and, as in humans, PGE2 concentrations in canine tumor tissues were frequently elevated. Moreover, a PGE2 receptor subtype, EP2, is highly expressed in mammary tumors. Thus, various studies have implicated the important role of PGE2 and EP2 in COX-2-regulated tumor development. Materials and Methods: Mammary tumor and normal mammary tissues were both collected from a female dog with mammary tumor. Both malignant and normal mammary tissues were subjected to isolation of epithelial and stromal cells. The effects of t10, c12-CLA and c9, t11-CLA on proliferation, as well as COX-2 and EP2 protein expression in canine mammary normal and cancerous cells, were detected by CellTiter 96i AQueous assay and Western blot assay, respectively. Results: Both t10, c12-CLA and c9, t11-CLA not only suppressed malignant mammary cell growth, but also exerted inhibitory effects on tumor-associated non-malignant mammary cells. Similarly, both t10, c12-CLA and c9, t11-CLA suppressed EP2 protein expression in both normal and malignant mammary cells. t10, c12-CLA was more effective in decreasing COX-2 protein expression in malignant mammary cells, while, in contrast, c9, t11-CLA down-regulated COX-2 protein expression in both normal and malignant mammary cells. Conclusion: The results indicate that the dietary component CLA regulates COX-2 and EP2 protein expression in both malignant mammary cells and cells from the tumor-associated stromal compartment. In turn, this may suppress PGE2 signaling, leading to better prognosis. We further speculate that the knowledge obtained from canine studies may also be beneficial to study human breast cancer.
GENDER DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES IN COPING RESPONSES TO ANTICIPATED WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT '

This study examined the relationships among gender, coping, and anticipated work-family conflict for career-bound men and women. 256 university students enrolled in a university in northern Louisiana participated. Multivariate and univariate analyses were used to examine (a) potential gender differences with respect to anticipated work-family conflict and work-family coping mechanisms and (b) the role coping processes may play in mediating the relationship between gender and anticipated work-family conflict. The results indicated significant differences between the sexes with respect to anticipated work-family conflict as well as to expected use of various coping strategies to manage anticipated work-family conflict. Contrary to expectations, coping strategies did not mediate the relationship between gender and work-family conflict. The issue of coping as a mediator variable as well as the study's primary implications for students and professional educators are addressed.
Multiscale Adaptive Finite Element Computations for Soft Tissue Biomechanics

The mechanical function of soft collagenous tissues is inherently multiscale, with the tissue dimension being in the centimeter length scale and the underlying collagen network being in the micrometer length scale. The strong sensitivity of soft tissues to network orientation and fiber-fiber interactions necessitates the incorporation of both scales in a multiscale methodology [1,2] in order to predict their mechanical response. The computational demands of a multiscale methodology, however, are strenuous and the use of parallel processing and adaptivity are required for succeeding acceptable solution times.© 2007 ASME
Magnetism and electron spin resonance in single crystalline β-AgNpO2(SeO3)

Abstract We report magnetization, susceptibility, electrical transport, and electron spin resonance (ESR) studies of single crystals of β-AgNpO 2 (SeO 3 ). Here the valence of the Np sites is expected to be Np(V). We observe a magnetic transition below 8 K, where the transition temperature is dependent on the effective magnetic moment. Although the transition appears to be ferromagnetic, no hysteresis is seen in the magnetization, and the saturation moment above 0.1 T is found to be about 60% of the free NpO 2 ion moment. The decrease in the Np moments determined experimentally is thought to arise from crystal field and spin–orbit effects. We observe temperature dependent ESR spectra at ∼44 GHz (for fields above the saturation field) that show slight shifts in the g-factor and line width at low temperatures. Our results provide evidence that both Np(V) and Np(IV) valences are present, where the latter may be a minority population. The crystals, although dark in appearance, are electrically insulating ( ρ >10 10 Ωcm) at room temperature.
Production and specificity of antibodies directed toward 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylethylamine, 3,4-dimethoxyphenylethylamine and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine.

Abstract Mescaline (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylethylamine) and 3,4-dimethoxyphenylethylamine were coupled to polyglutamic acid with the use of water-soluble carbodiimides. Complexes of these conjugates with methylated bovine serum albumin elicited in rabbits antibodies directed toward mescaline and 3,4-dimethoxyphenylethylamine. DOM (2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine) was coupled to rabbit serum albumin with glutaraldehyde. This conjugate elicited in rabbits antibodies directed toward DOM. The specificities of the antisera were examined by C′ fixation with the conjugates and inhibition of C′ fixation by various phenylethylamine analogues. With the mescaline immune system, antibody combining sites were complementary to the 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl moieties. With the 3,4-dimethoxyphenylethylamine immune systems, the complementarity between the antigenic determinants and the antibody combining sites was best with phenylethylamine derivatives containing only the 3,4-dimethoxy groups. With the DOM immune system, the antibody combining site recognized the 4-methyl-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl groups.
Exciton condensation in doped Germanium

Abstract Threshold phenomena and hysteresis associated with the phase transition between free excitons and electron-hole drops previously reported in pure Ge are observed in doped Ge. The influence of impurities on the effective volume and on the dynamics between free excitons, bound excitons, bound excitons, and electron-hole drops is discussed.
A Problem-Orientated Undergraduate Numerical Analysis Course.

Summary An explanation is offered as to why numerical analysis generates less enthusiasm among undergraduates than the other mathematics subjects. It is proposed that the situation could be changed by the creation of a new introductory course based on the analysis (using the computer) of judiciously chosen problems rather than on techniques of solution.
Corporate Governance and Recent Consolidation in the Banking Industry

Abstract Using the universe of publicly traded banks at year-end 1993, we find that target banks' outside directors, but not inside directors, tend to own more stock than their counterparts in other banks. Having an outside blockholder is also associated with banks becoming targets. In contrast to existing research on industrial firms, board structure does not help determine which sample banks sell. Neither the fraction of outsiders on a bank's board nor having an outside-dominated board differentiate the target banks in our sample. Instead, outside directors/shareholders and blockholders appear to be primarily responsible for encouraging bank managers to accept an attractive merger offer
Pairs of quaternionic selfadjoint operators with numerical range in a halfplane

The property is studied that two selfadjoint operators on a quaternionic Hilbert space have the joint numerical range in a halfplane bounded by a line passing through the origin. This property is expressed in various ways, in particular, in terms of compressions to two dimensional subpaces, and in terms of linear dependence over the reals. The canonical form for two selfadjoint quaternionic operators in finite dimensional spaces is the main technical tool.
Rheological Properties of Cheddar Cheese as Influenced by Fat Reduction and Ripening Time

Fat reduction in Cheddar cheese resulted in an increase in viscoelasticity as evidenced by increases in G' and G. Proteolysis during ripening led to softening of all cheeses and thus decreases in G' and G for cheeses containing 34, 27, and 20% fat. Cheese with 13% fat showed a decrease in G' upon ripening, but no change in G. This lack of change in viscous behavior may be important to the texture of reduced-fat Cheddar cheese and overall acceptability. Dynamic rheological testing was helpful in understanding rheological behavior associated with fat reduction in cheese.
Dysautonomia in Fatal Familial Insomnia as an Indicator of the Potential Role of the Thalamus in Autonomie Control

Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is characterized by insomnia, dysautonomia, disruption of circadian rhythms, and motor dysfunction. The typical neuropathological findings in FFI are severe neuronal depletion in the mediodorsal (MD) and anteroventral nuclei of the thalamus. The interaction between the thalamus and central autonomic control mechanisms is poorly understood. The central autonomic areas include the anterior cingulate and insular cortices; amygdala, paraventricular nucleus, dorsomedial nucleus, and lateral hypothalamic area; periaqueductal gray; parabrachial nucleus; ventrolateral medulla; and nucleus of the solitary tract. Several nuclei of the thalamus have connections with areas of the central autonomic network. The paraventricular nucleus (PVT) projects to the medial prefrontal cortex, and receives multimodal visceral and somatosensory inputs. The MD nucleus is connected with several "limbic" areas involved in autonomic control. The autonomic manifestations of FFI are exaggerated sympathetic activation with preserved parasympathetic drive to the cardiovascular system. This reflects an exaggerated sympathetic drive from supramedullary structures. Bicuculline, administered into the MD, elicits an increase in arterial pressure and heart rate. The medial portion of the MD may share with the PVT a relay function for circuits controlling autonomic responses. MD involvement in FFI suggests a role of the thalamus in central autonomic and other integrative functions.
Eurasian Watermilfoil as a Fishery Management Tool

Abstract Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum L.) poses new challenges to fishery managers as it continues to spread and multiply in North American waters. Some of its effects can be detrimental to fisheries. When dense, the plant obstructs swimming space of pelagic fishes, shelters too many juvenile fishes, and disrupts foraging movements of piscivores. In replacing native plants that harbor a diverse array of invertebrates, watermilfoil creates food shortages for fishes. By blocking sunlight penetration and water movements, it depletes dissolved oxygen inshore that can cause fish kills when shoots decay in autumn. Therefore, lakes with healthy native plants should be left undisturbed and guarded against infestations of Eurasian watermilfoil. But the same plant in other lakes can improve fish production, especially in waters too turbid to support native plant growth. By increasing the surface area for invertebrate colonization, Eurasian watermilfoil expands the food base for benthivores and prote...
A Signal-to-Noise Property of Binary Decisions

THE statistical theory of Neyman and Pearson1, which uses the likelihood ratio in making binary decisions, has proved very valuable when applied to the physical problem of detecting a signal in noise2. This theory uses error probabilities as the basic criterion of performance in detection and tends to suggest that the attention given to the signal-to-noise ratio in older approaches is now outmoded. The purpose of this communication is to point out that, while a maximum signal-to-noise property is not any longer to be considered necessary in an optimum receiver for detection, a suitably formulated signal-to-noise requirement is sufficient to lead to a likelihood ratio receiver. This conclusion rests on a fully general property of the Neyman–Pearson binary decision theory which seems to have escaped previous notice.
Assessment of high penetration of solar photovoltaics in Wisconsin

Abstract This paper provides an assessment of the large-scale implementation of distributed solar photovoltaics in Wisconsin with regard to its interaction with the utility grid, economics of varying levels of high penetration, and displaced emissions. These assessment factors are quantified using simulations with measured hourly solar radiation and weather data from the National Solar Radiation Database as primary inputs. Hourly utility load data for each electric utility in Wisconsin for a complete year were used in combination with the simulated PV output to quantify the impacts of high penetration of distributed PV on the aggregate Wisconsin electric utility load. As the penetration rate of distributed PV systems increases, both economic and environmental benefits experience diminishing returns. At penetration rates exceeding 15–20% of the aggregate utility load peak, less of the PV-energy is utilized and the contribution of the aggregate electricity generated from PV approaches a practical limit. The limit is not affected by costs, but rather by the time-distribution of available solar radiation and mismatch with the coincidence of aggregate utility electrical loads. The unsubsidized levelized cost of electricity from PV is more than four times greater than the current market price for electricity, based on time-of-use rates, in Wisconsin. At the present time, the investment in solar PV as a cost-effective means to reduce emissions from traditional electricity generation sources is not justified.
Crystallization conditions and evolution of magmatic fluids in the Harney Peak Granite and associated pegmatites, Black Hills, South Dakota—Evidence from fluid inclusions

Abstract A microthermometric study of inclusions in granites and pegmatites in the Proterozoic Harney Peak Granite system identified four types of inclusions. Type 1 inclusions are mixtures of CO2 and H2O and have low salinities, on average 3.5 wt.% NaCleq; type 2 inclusions are aqueous solutions of variable salinities, from 0 to 40% wt.% NaCleq; type 3 inclusions are carbonic, dominated by CO2, with no detectable water; and type 4 inclusions consist of 20 to 100% solids, with the remaining volume occupied by a CO2-H2O fluid. Many inclusions have a secondary character; however, a primary character can be unambiguously established in several occurrences of the type 1 inclusions. These inclusions were trapped above the solidus and represent the exsolved magmatic fluid. The secondary populations of types 1, 2, and 3 probably formed as a result of reequilibration and unmixing of the type 1 fluid that progressively changed composition and density with decreasing temperature and pressure and was finally trapped along healed microfractures under subsolidus conditions. Type 4 inclusions are primary and are interpreted to be trapped, fluid-bearing, complex silicate melts that subsequently solidified or underwent other posttrapping changes. It is demonstrated that primary type 1 fluid inclusions that coexist with crystallized melt inclusions in the complex, Li-bearing Tin Mountain pegmatite were trapped along the two-fluid phase boundary in the system CO2-H2O-NaCleq. Consequently, the temperature and pressure conditions of trapping are identical to the bulk homogenization conditions—on average 340°C and 2.7 kbar. These conditions indicate that this Li-, Cs-, Rb-, P-, and B-rich pegmatite crystallized at some of the lowest known temperatures for a silicate melt in the crust. An internally consistent, empirical solvus surface in P-T-XCO2 coordinates was generated for the pseudobinary CO2-(H2O–4.3 wt.% NaCleq) pegmatite fluid system. Distribution coefficients for the major species CO2, H2O, NaCl, and CH4 between the immiscible CO2-rich and H2O-rich fluid phases as a function of pressure and temperature were extracted from data for the two cogenetic fluid inclusions types.
Cement of high specific heat and high thermal conductivity, obtained by using silane and silica fume as admixtures

Cement paste of high specific heat and high thermal conductivity has been attained by using silane and silica fume as admixtures. These admixtures together cause the specific heat to increase by up to 50% and the thermal conductivity to increase by up to 38%. Silane acts to increase the specific heat and increase the thermal conductivity. Silica fume acts to increase the specific heat and decrease the thermal conductivity. Silane provides a network of covalent coupling among the silica fume particles. The network increases the compressive strength and modulus, decreases the compressive ductility, enhances heat conduction through phonons, and increases the specific heat through vibrations.
Integrity Verification of Outsourced Frequent Itemset Mining with Deterministic Guarantee

In this paper, we focus on the problem of result integrity verification for outsourcing of frequent item set mining. We design efficient cryptographic approaches that verify whether the returned frequent item set mining results are correct and complete with deterministic guarantee. The key of our solution is that the service provider constructs cryptographic proofs of the mining results. Both correctness and completeness of the mining results are measured against the proofs. We optimize the verification by minimizing the number of proofs. Our empirical study demonstrates the efficiency and effectiveness of the verification approaches.
Analyzing a priori knowledge

There are four approaches to analyzing the concept of a priori knowledge. The primary target of the reductive approach is the concept of a priori justification. The primary target of the nonreductive approach is the concept of a priori knowledge. There are two approaches to analyzing each primary target. A theory-neutral approach provides an analysis that does not presuppose any general theory of knowledge or justification. A theory-laden approach provides an analysis that does presuppose some general theory of knowledge or justification (call it the background theory). Those who embrace a theory-laden analysis incur a special burden: they must separate the features of their analysis that are constitutive of the a priori from those that are constitutive of the background theory. My goal is to illustrate how the failure to separate these features leads to erroneous conclusions about the nature of a priori knowledge.
The Future of Africa's Past: Observations on the Discipline

In April 2007 David William Cohen and his graduate students held a symposium on the future of African Studies at the University of Michigan. David Cohen, two graduate students—Isabelle de Rezende and Clapperton Mavhunga—as well as five invited speakers with different disciplinary backgrounds—Pius Adesanmi, Tim Burke, Jennifer Cole, Paul Zeleza, and myself—contributed papers. The purpose of the conference, entitled “2020: Re-Envisioning African Studies,” was twofold. First, it appeared timely to reflect yet again on the state of African Studies in disciplinary-based and area studies departments. Second, David Cohen had the idea of 2020 representing both the utopia of ideal vision and the concrete question of what the field might look like when the graduate students participating might conceive their second book projects. What follows are the thoughts—not a list of solutions—by a historian who has studied in three academic contexts—Germany, Zimbabwe, Britain—who has taught in as many—Britain, Germany, USA—and who has gathered experience both in area and disciplinary-based departments.Finding one's intellectual home in area studies is problematic for a range of reasons, not least for the exoticization and marginalization of non-western world regions in the global flows of ideas. At the same time, African Studies make for a comfortable sense of belonging. This is a community of scholars who provide a productive and engaging, if at times impassioned, conversation with colleagues across disciplinary boundaries, time periods, and the great diversity of African and diasporic societies and regions. The question is: what place does the historical discipline occupy within this field, and what is its future?
Generalized method of moments: a framework for analyzing scattering from homogeneous dielectric bodies.

In this paper, we present a novel framework for discretizing integral equations--specifically, those used for analyzing scattering from dielectric bodies. The candidate integral equations chosen for the analysis are the well-known Poggio-Miller-Chang-Harrington-Wu-Tsai (PMCHWT) and the Muller equations. Discrete solutions to these equations are typically obtained by representing the spatial variation of the currents using the Rao-Wilton-Glisson (RWG) basis functions or their higher order equivalents. In this paper, we propose a framework for defining basis functions that departs significantly from those of RWG functions in that approximation functions can be chosen independent of continuity constraints. We will show that using this framework together with a quasi-Helmholtz type representation has a number of benefits. Namely, (i) it shows excellent convergence, (ii) it permits inclusion of different orders of polynomials or different functions as basis functions without imposition of additional constraints, (iii) the method can easily handle nonconformal meshes, and (iv) the method is well conditioned at all frequencies. These features will be demonstrated via a number of numerical experiments.
On the specificity of the two ribosomal binding sites: Studies with tetracycline

Abstract The erroneous binding of isoleucyl-tRNA to ribosomes in response to poly U shows the same pattern of inhibition by tetracycline as the correct binding of phenylalanyl-tRNA, while the poly U directed binding of leucyl-tRNA is largely sensitive to tetracycline. It is concluded that the coding specificity of the peptidyl site on the ribosome is at least equivalent to that of the aminoacyl site.
Josep Maria de Sagarra and the Ethics of Catalanism

Although Josep Maria de Sagarra (1894-1961) is the author of an impressive body of work that spans almost every literary genre (plays, poetry, novels, memoirs, journalistic columns, and translations, to name a few) and is considered one of the few truly popular Catalan writers of the twentieth century, he has not received much favorable critical attention. While in the last few years this tendency has shifted, the simplicity and popularity of his plays, together with the fact that he distanced himself from political Catalanism and published in Spanish after the Civil War, still impedes some from critically engaging his work. Indeed, some viewed Sagarra as having breached the moral code of post-Civil War Catalanism; others went so far as to accuse him of being a traitor to the cause. This article takes the patriotic columns that Sagarra published in the weekly magazine Mirador (1929-1936) during the Second Republic as an entry point to reformulate the relationship between ethics and Catalanism. It argues t...
Arp2/3 Is a Negative Regulator of Growth Cone Translocation

Arp2/3 is an actin binding complex that is enriched in the peripheral lamellipodia of fibroblasts, where it forms a network of short, branched actin filaments, generating the protrusive force that extends lamellipodia and drives fibroblast motility. Although it has been assumed that Arp2/3 would play a similar role in growth cones, our studies indicate that Arp2/3 is enriched in the central, not the peripheral, region of growth cones and that the growth cone periphery contains few branched actin filaments. Arp2/3 inhibition in fibroblasts severely disrupts actin organization and membrane protrusion. In contrast, Arp2/3 inhibition in growth cones minimally affects actin organization and does not inhibit lamellipodia protrusion or de novo filopodia formation. Surprisingly, Arp2/3 inhibition significantly enhances axon elongation and causes defects in growth cone guidance. These results indicate that Arp2/3 is a negative regulator of growth cone translocation.
Locality aware peer assisted delivery: the way to scale internet video to the world

Internet video is one of the fast growing services. We survey the operation and the infrastructure that supports Internet video: the data center, the Internet, and the end user, and discuss issues that affect the global scalability of Internet video. We show that the client-server model cannot support large scale Internet video delivery, and the peer assisted Internet video service without locality awareness will quickly overrun the Internet backbone when the number of subscribers increases. We develop a locality aware peer assisted Internet video solution, and believe that it is the way to scale Internet video to the world.
An inexpensive servo-respirator based upon regulation of a shunt resistance.

Abstract We have designed and built an inexpensive servo-respirator for use in investigations of respiratory control in small animals. The device uses a butterfly valve to alter the ressitance of an outflow shunt from a manifold that connects the animal's tracheal cannula to a pressure source. Tracheal pressure is regulated in response to a commond provided by a suitably processes neural sign, often the integral phrenic neurogram. As the valve opens, tracheal pressure approaches atmospheric; as it closes, tracheal pressure approaches the source pressure. An electronic controller circiut was developed to permit experimental procedures that include withholding volume delivery while maintaining a desired level of positive end-expiratory pressure. The device is able to track the neural command signal satisfactorily, and its performance appears to be limited primarily by the constraints applied by the respiratory system mechanics.
Endoscopic sphincterotomy complications and their management: an attempt at consensus

Despite its relative safety (in comparison with surgery), and undoubted role in many clinical circumstances, biliary sphincterotomy is the most dangerous procedure routinely performed by endoscopists. Complications occur in about 10% of patients; 2 to 3% have a prolonged hospital stay, with a risk of dying. This document is an attempt to provide guidelines for prevention and management of commplications, based on a workshop of selected experts, and a comprehensive review of the literature. We emphasize particularly the importance of specialist training, disinfection, drainage, and collaboration with surgical colleagues.
Hormonal regulation of β-adrenergic receptors in fetal rabbit lung in organ culture

Abstract Explants of fetal rabbit lung were established on the 25th day of gestation. These were maintained in serum-free medium for periods up to 10 days. During this time, the cultures exhibited morphological changes typical of terminal lung differentiation. Morphological evidence was also obtained for synthesis and secretion of pulmonary surfactant in these explants. β-Adrenergic receptors were identified in these lung explants. Exposure of the explants to 10 −7 M dexamethasone on the third day of culture resulted in a significant increase in the number of β-adrenergic receptors in the tissue without a change in receptor affinity. The effect of dexamethasone in organ culture was dose-dependent, a maximum increase in receptor number being observed within 48 hours of incubation with a hormone concentration of 1 × 10 −7 M. Exposure of the explant tissue to 1 × 10 −7 M triiodothyronine resulted in no significant increase in the concentration of β-adrenergic receptors and no change in receptor affinity. These results suggest that glucocorticoids may potentiate the effects of β-adrenergic agents in the fetal lung by increasing the numbers of their receptors. The effects of triiodothyronine upon the fetal lung do not appear to be mediated by this mechanism.
Soluble and membrane-bound forms of brain acetylcholinesterase in Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract In order to determine the effect of Alzheimer's disease on the relative distribution of soluble and membrane-bound molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the brain, postmortem samples (delay interval less than 12 h) were obtained from parietal cortex (Brodmann area 40) and hippocampus as well as the areas containing their respective projection nuclei, i.e., substantia innominata and septal nucleus, in 9 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 4 normal controls. The monomer (G 1 ), dimer (G 2 ), and tetramer (G 4 ) forms of AChE were examined. In AD compared to controls, significant changes occurred in area 40 and hippocampus but not in the areas containing projection nuclei, and included loss of mean total AChE activity, decrease in the relative percentage of membrane-bound G 4 , and increase in the relative percentage of soluble G 1 G 2 . Percent of soluble G 4 was unaffected in AD brain. In area 40 but not hippocampus a large increase in percent membrane-bound G 1 -G 2 occurred. Thus, these results emphasize that the selective decrease in membrane-bound G 4 accounts for the decrease in total G 4 activity in AD brain.
Diagnosis and treatment of allergy to hymenoptera venoms.

Purpose of reviewThis review overviews select advances reported in the literature from mid-2008 to the present in the diagnosis and management of individuals with immediate-type hypersensitivity to hymenoptera venom(s).Recent findingsSkin testing remains the principal confirmatory test for sensitiza
Pressure dither in venting analyses

Venting analyses simulate the time-dependent flow of air or another gas from one compartment to another, or to an ambient profile. The flow through the vent connecting the compartments is assumed to be one-dimensional, quasi-steady, and isentropic with an empirical discharge coefficient included to account for irreversible flow losses. When a venting analysis is performed numerically, an upper limit on the accuracy exists due to the effects of the numerical integration method. Because this manifests itself in a first-order method by a rapid oscillation about the true answer, this phenomenon is referred to as pressure dither. This paper explores the origin of the phenomenon and gives simple formulae for predicting when it will occur and the greatest achievable accuracy for a given time step.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CLASS OF K-DISTRIBUTIONS

The statistical fluctuations developed by an optical wave, after passing through atmospheric turbulence, have a non-Gaussian nature. The detected optical intensity appears to have two separate time scales of fluctuations. This paper discusses a plausible physical model for the turbulence scattering of an optical wave that would give rise to a two-time scale fluctuation. The K distribution, H-K distribution and I-K distribution are analyzed as to the possible scattering conditions, by turbulence, these distributions represent.