cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determination of Henry's law constants by equilibrium partitioning in a closed system using a new in situ optical absorbance method

A new method for measurement of thermodynamic Henry's law constants (H) is reported. In this method, the optical absorbance of a dilute aqueous solution containing an organic compound is followed with time as the compound partitions into the air above the solution in a sealed vessel. The change in optical absorbance (i.e., change in concentration) and the vapor to liquid volume ratio of the vessel are then used to calculate the value for H. The concentration of the organic compound in the aqueous and vapor phases need not be known. This method allows the approach to equilibrium to be observed in real time so that attainment of equilibrium is readily apparent. This method works particularly well for water-soluble compounds having low vapor pressures. The applicability of this method is limited to compounds that exhibit significant optical absorbance in the ultraviolet and visible regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Values for H and their temperature dependencies measured using this new method are reported for methacrolein, methyl vinyl ketone, benzaldehyde, and acetophenone. Values for H are also reported for benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene at 298 K. All reported H data are compared with previously reported values.
Motivating college students: A model based on empirical evidence

Motivation, as reflected by the amount of self-regulated performance engaged in, was studied by offering students the opportunity to earn a grade bonus by writing test items as part of a Voluntary Homework System (VHS). While internal or dispositional factors such as self-confidence, payoff expectation and importance, and procrastination tendency were found to be important, external (and, therefore, potentially manipulable) factors such as task magnitude, informational feedback, encouragement, goal setting, group outcomes, and preset versus normative standards also had considerable influence on effort and persistence. Based on these findings, a procedure that can be used in the college classroom to enhance student motivation is offered.
Reduced virus replication, proinflammatory cytokine production, and delayed macrophage cell death in human PBMCs infected with the newly discovered Bundibugyo ebolavirus relative to Zaire ebolavirus

Bundibugyo ebolavirus is a newly identified Ebolavirus species. The virus was responsible for a recent hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Uganda with an approximate 30% case fatality rate. In this study, we compared the pathogenesis of Bundibugyo with highly lethal Zaire Ebolavirus by using in vitro human PBMCs. We found that PBMCs infected with Bundibugyo ebolaviruses resulted in 1 to 2 log lower virus yields compared to Zaire ebolavirus and produced 2- to 10-fold lower levels of TNF-alpha, MCP-1, IL-1beta, MIP1-alpha and IL-10 than PBMCs infected with Zaire ebolavirus. In addition, flow cytometric studies have shown lower levels and delay of the macrophage cell death in Bundibugyo ebolavirus compared to Zaire ebolavirus infection. The findings of slower Bundibugyo ebolavirus replication, lower production of proinflammatory cytokines and delay in macrophage cell death provide insight into the basis of the lower case fatality observed with Bundibugyo ebolavirus.
Intracavity coherent beam combining of 21 semiconductor gain elements using SPGD

Coherent beam combining (CBC) allows for achieving high output power in a single diffraction limited beam. Here we report on intracavity CBC of 21-element semiconductor array with 81% beam combining efficiency out of a system maximum combining efficiency of 90%.
Histology and clinical outcomes in patients with bilateral testicular germ cell tumors: the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center experience 1950 to 2001.

Purpose: The optimal management of bilateral testicular tumors continues to evolve. We examined the incidence, characteristics, histology, treatment and clinical outcomes of patients with bilateral testicular cancer. Materials and Methods: Between 1950 and 2001, 3,984 patients with testicular cancer were treated at our center. A total of 58 patients with bilateral testicular germ cell tumors were identified. The clinical records of these 58 patients were reviewed for age, histology of the 2 tumors, stage at presentation of the first and second tumor, interval between tumors, treatment and clinical outcome. Median followup was 60 months. Results: Ten of the 58 patients (17%) had synchronous tumors, while the other 48 (83%) had metachronous tumors with a median interval between tumors of 50.5 months. Overall seminoma was the most common histology of the synchronous and metachronous tumors. Most patients in the synchronous and metachronous tumor groups presented with low stage disease. Of the 58 patients 52 (89%) had no evidence of disease and 6 (11%) were dead of disease at the last followup. Treatment of the second tumor appeared to be influenced by therapy for the first tumor in 16.7% of cases. Conclusions: Patients with a history of testicular germ cell tumor require careful long-term monitoring of the contralateral testicle due to the risk of bilateral disease and potentially long latent period between the first and second tumors. Overall the clinical outcome is good in these patients when they are treated appropriately for histology and stage. In patients with metachronous tumors treatment of the contralateral tumor is rarely altered by prior treatment of the initial tumor.
Rab2 Requires PKCι/Λ to Recruit β-COP for Vesicle Formation

The small GTPase Rab2 initiates the recruitment of soluble components necessary for protein sorting and recycling from pre-Golgi intermediates. Our previous studies showed that Rab2 required protein kinase C (PKC) or a PKC-like protein to recruit β-COP to membrane (Tisdale EJ, Jackson M. Rab2 protein enhances coatomer recruitment to pre-Golgi intermediates. J Biol Chem 1998;273: 17269–17277). We investigated the role of PKC in Rab2 function by first determining the active isoform that associates with membranes used in our assay. Western blot analysis detected three isoforms: PKCα, Γ and ι/Λ. A quantitative binding assay was used to measure recruitment of these kinases when incubated with Rab2. Only PKCι/Λ translocated to membrane in a dose-dependent manner. Microsomes treated with anti-PKCι/Λ lost the ability to bind β-COP, suggesting that Rab2 requires PKCι/Λ for β-COP recruitment. The recruitment of β-COP to membranes is not regulated by PKCι/Λ kinase activity. However, PKCι/Λ kinase activity was necessary for Rab2-mediated vesicle budding. We found that the addition of either a kinase-deficient PKCι/Λ mutant or atypical PKC pseudosubstrate peptide to the binding assay drastically reduced vesicle formation. These data suggest that Rab2 causes translocation of PKCι/Λ to v esicular t ubular c lusters (VTCs), which promotes the recruitment of COPI to generate retrograde-transport vesicles.
Attenuation of fatty acid-induced apoptosis by low-dose alcohol in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes.

Moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to reduce the morbidity and mortality from coronary heart disease. Ethanol elicits its protective effects via mechanisms that include activation of prote...
Electrical breakdown across micron scale gaps in MEMS structures

Large voltage differences between closely spaced MEMS structures can cause electrical breakdown and destruction of devices 1-2 . In this study, a variety of planar thin film electrode configurations were tested to characterize breakdown response. All devices were fabricated using standard surface micromachining methods and materials, therefore our test results provide guidelines directly applicable to thin film structures used in MEMS devices. We observed that planar polysilicon structures exhibit breakdown responses similar to published results for larger metal electrode configurations 3-6 . Our tests were performed in air at atmospheric pressure, with air gaps ranging from 0.5 μm to 10 μm. Our results show a sharp rise in breakdown level following increases in gap width up to about 3 μm, a plateau region between 3 μm and 7 μm, and breakdown in gaps over 7 μm following the Paschen curve. This profile indicates an avalanche breakdown process in large gaps, with a transition region to small gaps in which electrode vaporization due to field emission current is the dominant breakdown process. This study also provides information on using multiple-gap configurations, with electrically floating regions located near the energized electrodes, and the added benefit this method may provide for switching high voltage with MEMS devices. In multiple-gap configurations, we noted a transition between direct tip to tip breakdown across electrode gaps of 40 μm, and a preferential breakdown path through the electrically floating contact head region for electrode gaps over 100 μm.
Perturbation Monte Carlo methods to solve inverse photon migration problems in heterogeneous tissues

We introduce a novel and efficient method to provide solutions to inverse photon migration problems in heterogeneous turbid media. The method extracts derivative information from a single Monte Carlo simulation to permit the rapid determination of rates of change in the detected photon signal with respect to perturbations in background tissue optical properties. We then feed this derivative information to a nonlinear optimization algorithm to determine the optical properties of the tissue heterogeneity under examination. We demonstrate the use of this approach to solve rapidly a two-region inverse problem of photon migration in the transport regime, for which diffusion-approximation-based approaches are not applicable.
System RX: one part relational, one part XML

This paper describes the overall architecture and design aspects of a hybrid relational and XML database system called System RX. We believe that such a system is fundamental in the evolution of enterprise data management solutions: XML and relational data will co-exist and complement each other in enterprise solutions. Furthermore, a successful XML repository requires much of the same infrastructure that already exists in a relational database management system. Finally, XML query languages have considerable conceptual and functional overlap with relational dataflow engines. System RX is the first truly hybrid system that comingles XML and relational data, giving them equal footing. The new support for XML includes native support for storage and indexing as well as query compilation and evaluation support for the latest industry-standard query languages, SQL/XML and XQuery. By building a hybrid system, we leverage more than 20 years of data management research to advance XML technology to the same standards expected from mature relational systems.
PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY IN AN INTERTIDAL SNAIL: THE ROLE OF A COMMON CRAB PREDATOR.

Prey species may reduce their risk of predation in many ways (for reviews, see Edmunds 1974; Vermeij 1978, 1987). Although avoidance behaviors and chemical defenses can act as deterrents to predation in marine environments, morphological changes have received the greatest emphasis. For example, spines in a marine bryozoan (Harvell 1984), barnacle shape (Lively 1986a), and numerous gastropod shell traits (Vermeij 1978) are known to deter predation. In intertidal environments, predation by invertebrate predators often parallels gradients in wave exposure and is often most important on shores protected from direct wave energy (Menge 1978). Likewise, variation in the shell thickness of intertidal gastropods also tends to parallel gradients in wave exposure and predation intensity. Thick-shelled morphs are typically found on protected shores where crab predators are more abundant, whereas thin-shelled morphs are found on wave-exposed shores (Kitching et al. 1966; Kitching and Lockwood 1974; Reimchen 1982; Palmer 1985a, 1990). Extreme turbulence probably inhibits crab foraging on waveexposed shores (Kitching et al. 1966; Crothers 1968; Menge 1978). Shell thickness of intertidal gastropods varies among intertidal shores, in part because of differential predation by crabs (Kitching et al. 1966; Kitching and Lockwood 1974; Vermeij 1978, 1987; Seeley 1986). Although natural selection by crabs has been suggested to promote the evolution of thicker-shelled snails (Seeley 1986), predator-induced phenotypic plasticity may also influence shell thickness (Appleton and Palmer 1988; Palmer 1990). Predator-induced morphological defenses are a unique example of phenotypic plasticity in which the predator or a cue associated with the predator (often chemical in nature) induces the formation of structures in the prey that deter predation. This phenomenon is common in aquatic rotifer and zooplankton assemblages (for a review, see Dodson 1989). Most examples of predator-induced defenses involve plants (Baldwin and Schultz 1983; Haukioja and Neuvonen 1985; Rhoades 1985) or clonal (e.g., the cladoceran zooplankton examples cited in Dodson 1989) and colonial organisms (Harvell 1984, 1986). Cases of predator-induced defenses in solitary organisms appear to be rare. Curiously, cases involving solitary organisms, with the exception of Bronmark and Miner (1992), have been found in intertidal environments (Lively
Zygomycetes in food fermentations

Zygomycetes are an important group of fungi used in industrial fermentation. Almost a hundred years ago they were known to produce soybean-based foods, amylases and ethanol. In more recent times they were discovered to bring about a variety of chemical transformations in the production of steroids and microbial rennin. At one time or another, all of these fermentations have been used commercially. However, this paper will deal only with the use of Zygomycetes in the preparation of food, including alcohol. In food fermentation, the principal genera involved are Rhizopus, Amylomyces, Actinomucor, Mucor, Chaetostylum and Thamnidium, all Mucoraceae, except Chaetostylum and Thamnidium. In some instances, Zygomycetes may be used in combination with Aspergillus and Neurospora.
Dynamic interaction of an elastic medium with a thin-walled curvilinear piezoelectric inclusion under longitudinal vibrations of a composite

Using the method of matched asymptotic expansions, we obtain models of dynamic interaction of a thin-walled curvilinear piezoelectric inclusion of variable thickness with an elastic isotropic matrix under stationary vibrations of the composite. The elastic system is under conditions of longitudinal shear. Different cases of electric boundary conditions on the surface of the heterogeneity are considered. We propose an algorithm for the construction of boundary layer corrections for refining the behavior of displacements and stresses in the vicinity of the edge of the inclusion for its different shapes.
Factors influencing admission and outcomes in gastroparesis.

Background Current data suggest that gastroparesis is associated with an increased mortality, with reported rates ranging from 4% to nearly 40%. Considering this variability, the goal of this study was to determine mortality rates and risk factors for adverse outcomes in gastroparesis. Methods Using the diagnosis code for gastroparesis, admission rates, duration of hospitalizations, discharge status, and inpatient mortality were determined for emergency department encounters and admissions compiled in the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample and Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Comorbid conditions, procedural evaluations, age cohort, and gender distribution were examined as potential risk factors. Key Results More than 50% of the emergency encounters for gastroparesis resulted in admission with age, cardiovascular, renal, and infectious disorders, but not diabetes mellitus being associated with higher admission rates. Inpatient mortality was 1.2 ± 0.1%, was not negatively affected by diabetes mellitus as comorbidity, and increased with coexisting infections and with more aggressive therapy. Discharge status was similarly affected by comorbidities, treatment complications, and more aggressive therapy. Conclusions & Inferences These results demonstrate that gastroparesis does not come with a high mortality risk, with most deaths being due to comorbid conditions. Although gastrostomies and/or nutritional support were used in only a minority of admissions, the associated increase in morbidity and mortality highlights the need to carefully select the right candidates for such interventions and to discuss the common occurrence of adverse outcomes with patients.
Complex consequences of increased density for reproductive output in an invasive freshwater snail

Population density can have profound, often negative effects on fitness-related traits and population dynamics, and density dependence is of central importance to many prominent ecological and evolutionary hypotheses. Here, we used experimental manipulations of food, population density, and water conditioning to characterize the mechanisms underlying reproductive density-dependence in Potamopyrgus antipodarum. This New Zealand freshwater snail is a prominent model system for invasion biology, ecotoxicology, and the maintenance of sexual reproduction. We demonstrated that a primary source of negative density-dependence is food limitation, but surprisingly, we found that P. antipodarum reproductive output was much higher in high density versus low-density conditions when food was adequate. We then used manipulations of water environment to demonstrate that these positive effects of high density are likely caused by a waterborne substance produced by P. antipodarum. Altogether, these results indicate that there are strong and complex connections between food availability, density, and reproductive output in this important model system that could influence the dynamics of invasive populations, the costs and benefits of sex, and the approaches used for ecotoxicology studies.
Plant species traits and capacity for resource reduction predict yield and abundance under competition in nitrogen-limited grassland

Summary 1 The objective of this study is to test whether plant traits that are predicted by resource-competition theory to lead to competitive dominance are correlated with competitive response and abundance in a nitrogen-limited grassland. We collected species trait and soil nutrient data on non-leguminous perennial prairie plant species in replicated monoculture plots established for this purpose. 2 The soil nitrate concentration of 13 species grown in long-term (5-year) monocultures (a measure of R*) was correlated with their relative yield (a measure of competitive response) and with their abundance in competition. The trait best correlated with a species’ relative yield was root length density (RLD), and the trait best correlated with abundance in competition was biomass : N ratio. 3 The traits that best predicted nitrate R* were the biomass : N ratio and allocation to fine roots, where species with higher biomass : N and allocation to fine roots had lower R*. Easily measured species traits may therefore be useful proxy measures for R*. 4 The dominance of species with lower nitrate R* levels and higher RLD and biomass : N in monoculture is qualitatively consistent with the prediction of resource-competition theory that the species most efficient at acquiring, retaining and using the major limiting resource will be the best competitors. Additional mechanisms are needed to explain how these species coexist.
Synthesis of (±)-Pentalenene

A short, formal synthesis is reported for pentalenene. The key steps are copper-catalyzed 1,4-addition of isobutylmagnesium bromide to a cyclooctenone derivative, enolate alkylation with the thiocarbene complex [(η5-C5H5)(CO)2Fe=CHSPh]+ PF6−, and cyclopentane ring formation by means of intramolecular C-H insertion, leading to a late intermediate in a previously reported synthesis of pentalene.
Plane wave synthesis approach to compensate range induced errors in antenna measurements

Antenna measurements are often impacted by the presence of stray signals and imperfect illumination within the measurement zone (or quiet zone, QZ). A new post-processing approach is introduced for correcting the measured pattern by characterizing the QZ illumination in terms of a complete set of plane waves. To calculate the plane wave coefficients, the tangential electric field is probed over a mathematical surface encompassing the QZ in the absence of the antenna under test. Because an antenna pattern is defined as the response to an incident plane wave, a forward model may be formulated which describes the measured antenna data as a convolution of plane wave responses. This model is then used to self-consistently deconvolve the stray signal perturbation effects from a contaminated measurement and produce the true far-zone antenna pattern.
Are expectations for parallelism too high? a survey of potential parallel users

Parallel computing has been portrayed as a technology that will enable users to solve very large and complex problems very quickly. But has this portrayal created unreasonably high expectations for potential parallel users? This paper reports the results of a survey designed to delineate the differences in how computer scientists and technical programmers approach parallel programming. Responses from 326 "potential parallel programmers" at Supercomputing '93 are presented. The analysis provides information about the costs and benefits associated with parallel programming, application development activities, and the extent of tool use in those activities. It shows that users expect very dramatic gains in performance from parallel machines, while underestimating the amount of effort that will be needed. The results should be of interest to parallel tool developers and people involved in training parallel programmers. >
Dynamics of leaf litter humidity, depth and quantity: two restoration strategies failed to mimic ground microhabitat conditions of a low montane and premontane forest in Costa Rica

Little is known about how restoration strategies affect aspects like leaf litter’s quantity, depth and humidity. I analyzed leaf litter’s quantity, depth and humidity yearly patterns in a primary tropical lower montane wet forest and two restored areas: a 15 year old secondary forest (unassisted restoration) and a 40 year old Cupressus lusitanica plantation (natural understory). The three habitats are located in the Rio Macho Forest Reserve, Costa Rica. Twenty litter samples were taken every three months (April 2009-April 2010) in each habitat; humidity was measured in 439g samples (average), depth and quantity were measured in five points inside 50x50cm plots. None of the restoration strategies reproduced the primary forest leaf litter humidity, depth and quantity yearly patterns. Primary forest leaf litter humidity was higher and more stable ( =73.2), followed by secondary forest ( =63.3) and cypress plantation ( =52.9) (Kruskall-Wallis=77.93, n=232, p=0.00). In the primary (Kruskal-Wallis=31.63, n=78, p<0.001) and secondary (Kruskal-Wallis=11.79, n=75, p=0.008) forest litter accumulation was higher during April due to strong winds. In the primary forest (Kruskal-wallis=21.83, n=78, p<0.001) and the cypress plantation (Kruskal-wallis=39.99, n=80, p<0.001) leaf litter depth was shallow in October because heavy rains compacted it. Depth patterns were different from quantity patterns and described the leaf litter’s structure in different ecosystems though the year.
Consistency in Adult Functioning: The Influence of Social Stress

Guided by three models of adult development, this paper both describes and predicts change in several dimensions of personal functioning, based on a study of 216 men and women who in 1969 were high school seniors, newlyweds, middle-aged parents, and pre-retirees. They were re-interviewed two, five, seven and eleven years later. From the descriptive phase of analysis a number of changes were found, especially among measures of specific emotional experiences, medical visits, and positive life events. The results also indicated that general statements about stability and change can be misleading.In the predictive phase, hierarchical set multiple regression statistics demonstrated that two of the more commonly studied dependent variables, symptomatology and happiness, follow different pathways. Stressful life events proved to be strong predictors of both dependent variables for both men and women.
Recognition of peptidoglycan from the microbiota by Nod1 enhances systemic innate immunity

Jeffrey Weiser and his colleagues provide a mechanism for a beneficial effect from commensal bacteria that colonize the gut. They show that peptidoglycan from gut microbiota traverses the gut mucosa and boosts the systemic innate immune response by priming neutrophils in the bone marrow. Such priming requires the recognition of peptidoglycan by the intracellular receptor Nod-1.
Influencing Factors in the Design of Smart Homes for Persons with Disabilities

This paper discusses factors that influenced our approach to the design of advanced smart homes for persons with unique disability needs. Our project was formed to address the needs of veterans with disabilities; however we believe the knowledge gained is applicable more broadly to the aging population and other persons with disabilities. In this paper, we discuss components in the smart home design context and key features of our approach. We also identify challenges observed in the design process and offer several recommendations to streamline the process for future initiatives.
Response of joints to impact loading. I. In vitro wear.

Bovine joints were oscillated under the maximum possible static load in a device which measured their coefficients of fraction while the joints were running. Joint wear was evaluated by gross and histologic inspection. Joints oscillating under loads, just below the structural capability of the joints, did not show significant wear even after long periods of time. When periodic impact loading was added to this regimen, cartilage wear became rapid and was easily discernible. The implications of these findings to the wearing away of articular cartilage are discussed.
A new AAL protocol for time-critical UDP traffic over wireless ATM networks

This paper describes the design and performance of a new AAL protocol (AAL-UDP) for UDP/IP over wireless ATM networks. The wireless links are characterized by higher error rates and burstier error patterns in comparison with the fiber-based links for which ATM was designed. The purpose of AAL-UDP is to support time-critical UDP traffic over wireless ATM networks. The key ideas in the design consist of no discard at AAL level and header protection with sequence number mechanism. The UDP/IP header is repeated for reliability, because it contains the most important information such as address and port number. The proposed AAL has been validated using a software emulator on the simulated wireless ATM network. The simulation results show that the AAL-UDP provides significant improvement in throughput as well as application level performance compared to the conventional AAL 5 case.
Sphingomyelin Patches on Pancreatic Beta-cells Are Indicative of Insulin Secretory Capacity:

The establishment and validation of specific markers on the surfaces of pancreatic beta-cells would have a significant impact on the development of agents that specifically target these cells for imaging and/or image-guided therapy in diabetes patient samples. We have recently described unique, cholesterol-stabilized sphingomyelin (SM) patches on the surfaces of beta-cells using the IC2 antibody. To further investigate the utility of SM patches as a unique beta-cell biomarker, we embarked on the current study to correlate the expression of this antigen with the insulin secretory capacity of beta-cells in tissue samples from patients and animals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and compared this with samples from normal subjects. We found that the locations of SM patches were consistent with the insulin status of islets in all tissues studied. Using immunohistochemistry and staining with an IC2 antibody, we demonstrated a direct correlation between the reduced expression of SM patches and insulin production in diabetic individuals, indicating that the former could potentially serve as a functional biomarker of beta-cells. We believe that our results have significant implications for the further development of ligands with SM specificity for the non-invasive functional assessment of beta-cells and/or for targeted therapeutic delivery in diabetic patients.
Hollow-core waveguides and 2-D waveguide arrays for integrated optics of gases and liquids

We present integrated antiresonant reflecting optical (ARROW) structures with hollow cores as a new paradigm for integrated optics with gases and liquids. ARROW waveguides with micrometer-sized hollow cores allow for single-mode propagation in low-index nonsolid core materials where conventional index guiding is impossible. Fabrication methods and considerations are described, and measurements of the core-size dependence of the waveguide loss are presented. We analyze the dependence of waveguide loss in hollow-core ARROW waveguides on polarization, shape, and wavelength. We propose two-dimensional hybrid device geometries using solid and nonsolid core ARROWs and show that they can form the basis of integrated fluorescence and Raman sensors. We derive the design principles for simultaneous low-loss propagation in both waveguides and efficient cross-coupling between waveguides.
Podocalyxin variants and risk of prostate cancer and tumor aggressiveness

We previously reported linkage of a prostate cancer tumor aggressiveness locus to chromosome 7q32-q33, a region also associated with a high frequency of allelic imbalance in prostate tumors. The smallest region of allelic imbalance contains the podocalyxin-like (PODXL) gene, which we evaluate here as a candidate prostate cancer aggressiveness gene mapping to 7q32-q33. DNA from probands of linked families was examined for germ-line mutations in PODXL. A variable in-frame deletion, four missense variants and two nonsense variants were identified in linked men. Variants that affected amino acid sequence were further evaluated for association with risk of prostate cancer and tumor aggressiveness in a family-based case-control population (439 cases and 479 sibling controls). The presence of any single in-frame deletion was positively associated with prostate cancer [odds ratio (OR) = 2.14, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 1.09-4.20, P = 0.03] and the presence of two copies of any deletion further increased risk (OR = 2.58, 95%CI = 1.23-5.45, P= 0.01). This finding was strengthened when stratifying among men with more aggressive disease (high grade or stage): OR = 3.04 for one deletion (95%Cl = 1.01-9.15) and OR = 4.42 for two deletions (95%CI = 1.32-14.85, P = 0.02). A weak positive association was also observed between prostate cancer risk and PODXL variant 340A (in linkage disequilibrium with another variant, 587T) (OR = 1.48, 95%Cl = 1.02-2.14, P= 0.04). These results implicate PODXL as a candidate prostate cancer tumor aggressiveness gene mapping to chromosome 7q32-q33.
Quantitative Vapor Phase Exciplex Fluorescence Measurements at High Ambient Temperature and Pressure

The exciplex fluorescence technique with the TMPD (tetamethyl-p-phenylene-diamine) / naphthalene dopant system was applied in a combustion-type constant-volume spray chamber. A detailed set of calibration experiments has been performed in order to quantify the TMPD fluorescence signal. It has been demonstrated that the TMPD fluorescence intensity was directly proportional to concentration, was independent of the chamber pressure, and was not sensitive to quenching by either water vapor or carbon dioxide. Using a dual heated-jet experiment, the temperature dependence of TMPD fluorescence up to 1000 K was measured. The temperature field in the spray images was determined using a simple mixing model, and an iterative solution method was used to determine the concentration and temperature field including the additional effects of the laser sheet extinction. The integrated fuel vapor concentration compared favorably with the measured amount of injected fuel when all of the liquid fuel had evaporated.
The Hierarchical Beta Process for Convolutional Factor Analysis and Deep Learning

A convolutional factor-analysis model is developed, with the number of filters (factors) inferred via the beta process (BP) and hierarchical BP, for single-task and multi-task learning, respectively. The computation of the model parameters is implemented within a Bayesian setting, employing Gibbs sampling; we explicitly exploit the convolutional nature of the expansion to accelerate computations. The model is used in a multi-level ("deep") analysis of general data, with specific results presented for image-processing data sets, e.g., classification.
Media finders : Improving the browsability of media collections via the OPAC

The Ball State University Libraries' collections of audiovisual materials are unclassified and kept in closed stacks. Users must search the OPAC to find these materials, which is difficult for users who don't know what sorts of searching options are available or what materials the libraries have. The libraries have developed a series of Web forms that provide guided search options for various types of media, including feature films, non-classical music, and spoken recordings. The Media Finders provide better exposure for and more convenient searching of subsets of library materials. This paper describes the development of the Media Finders, their benefits and drawbacks, and background information on the technical elements and searching strategies used by the Media Finders.
Research of Gas-generation Pretreatment System

In order to solve problems that current gas-generation pretreatment system used in coal industry cannot fully meet requirements of mine safety and its automation degree is not high,the paper put forward a design scheme of gas-generation pretreatment system which accords with coal mine safety regulation,and expounded structure,realizing methods of each function part and software design scheme of the system.The system has some innovative designs about structure and control method,namely adding a fire-prevention and explosion-proof unit,adding a separator of gas and water and automatic drainage device in dehumidification part,and using PID controllers to control key links.The actual application showed the system improves output power and generating efficiency of generating units and prolongs running time and life of the units compared with current gas-generation pretreatment system,which has higher safety and reliability.
Inhibition of Ovarian Tumor Growth by Targeting the HU177 Cryptic Collagen Epitope

Evidence suggests that stromal cells play critical roles in tumor growth. Uncovering new mechanisms that control stromal cell behavior and their accumulation within tumors may lead to development of more effective treatments. We provide evidence that the HU177 cryptic collagen epitope is selectively generated within human ovarian carcinomas and this collagen epitope plays a role in SKOV-3 ovarian tumor growth in vivo . The ability of the HU177 epitope to regulate SKOV-3 tumor growth depends in part on its ability to modulate stromal cell behavior because targeting this epitope inhibited angiogenesis and, surprisingly, the accumulation of α-smooth muscle actin–expressing stromal cells. Integrin α10β1 can serve as a receptor for the HU177 epitope in α-smooth muscle actin–expressing stromal cells and subsequently regulates Erk-dependent migration. These findings are consistent with a mechanism by which the generation of the HU177 collagen epitope provides a previously unrecognized α 10 β 1 ligand that selectively governs angiogenesis and the accumulation of stromal cells, which in turn secrete protumorigenic factors that contribute to ovarian tumor growth. Our findings provide a new mechanistic understanding into the roles by which the HU177 epitope regulates ovarian tumor growth and provide new insight into the clinical results from a phase 1 human clinical study of the monoclonal antibody D93/TRC093 in patients with advanced malignant tumors.
Diabetes and Insulin Secretion: The ATP-Sensitive K+ Channel (KATP) Connection

The ATP-sensitive K+ channel (K ATP channel) senses metabolic changes in the pancreatic beta-cell, thereby coupling metabolism to electrical activity and ultimately to insulin secretion. When K ATP channels open, beta-cells hyperpolarize and insulin secretion is suppressed. The prediction that K ATP channel "overactivity" should cause a diabetic state due to undersecretion of insulin has been dramatically borne out by recent genetic studies implicating "activating" mutations in the Kir6.2 subunit of K ATP channel as causal in human diabetes. This article summarizes the emerging picture of K ATP channel as a major cause of neonatal diabetes and of a polymorphism in K ATP channel (E23K) as a type 2 diabetes risk factor. The degree of K ATP channel "overactivity" correlates with the severity of the diabetic phenotype. At one end of the spectrum, polymorphisms that result in a modest increase in K ATP channel activity represent a risk factor for development of late-onset diabetes. At the other end, severe "activating" mutations underlie syndromic neonatal diabetes, with multiple organ involvement and complete failure of glucose-dependent insulin secretion, reflecting K ATP channel "overactivity" in both pancreatic and extrapancreatic tissues.
Biochemical Processes in Cardiac Function

When the pacemaking impulse is released from the sinoatrial node a series of events is set in motion involving depolarization within the myocardial cell, the diffusion of calcium to the sarcomere, the linkage of thick and thin filaments in the sarcomere, and cardiac contraction. The specific biochemical interactions in this sequence are described in this second article of a symposium on cardiac failure.
Dietary resource information for the oncology patient: tips and tools.

O ncology patients frequently request information about diet, exercise, and a healthy living approach during and after cancer treatment. Although a consultation with a registered dietitian is often the recommendation for patients in large multidisciplinary centers, a same-day consult may not always be available. Alternatively, patients might locate diet recommendations by an Internet search, retrieving diet or supplement information that may not follow established optimal health guidelines. The advanced practitioner is often the most appropriate and available individual able to provide diet and exercise resources and education for patients who request information or require guidance on best practices during treatment. The following information is provided as a concise resource list of books, websites, topics that oncology patients frequently ask about, and briefs that comprehensively address diet and exercise as they pertain to the oncology patient. They each meet the criteria of being readily available to the community and in language that is written for the layperson. There are many additional resources available; Dietary Resource Information for the Oncology Patient: Tips and Tools
Emotion-Driven Narrative Generation

While a number of systems have been developed that can generate stories, the challenge of generating stories that elicit emotions from human audiences remains an open problem. With the development of models of emotion, it would be possible to use these models as means of evaluating stories for their emotional content. In this chapter, we discuss Dramatis, a model of suspense. This model measures the level of suspense in a story by attempting to determine the best method for the protagonist to avoid a negative outcome. We discuss the possibilities for Dramatis and other emotion models for improving intelligent generation of narratives.
Demonstration of a stable chronic electrocorticography-based brain-computer interface using a deep brain stimulator

Chronic electrocorticography (ECoG) studies will be necessary to understand how end-users of assistive brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies will control their devices on a long-term scale. A BCI platform consisting of a deep brain stimulator (DBS) and a cortical electrode strip, theoretically suitable for use over multi-year periods, is validated in a single human subject with essential tremor (ET). At the time of this writing, stable ECoG recordings have been demonstrated for four months after implantation. Additionally, the patient has performed a BCI cursor-control task with better-than-chance accuracy using both (1) an overt movement control scheme and (2) a motor imagery control scheme. These results validate the sensing-enabled DBS with cortical strip system as an exciting platform for chronic ECoG BCI experiments and as a scientific tool for long-term cortical recordings in different patient populations.
Unsynchronized scanning with a low-cost laser range finder for real-time range imaging

Range imaging plays an essential role in many fields: 3D modeling, robotics, heritage, agriculture, forestry, reverse engineering. One of the most popular range-measuring technologies is laser scanner due to its several advantages: long range, high precision, real-time measurement capabilities, and no dependence on lighting conditions. However, laser scanners are very costly. Their high cost prevents widespread use in applications. Due to the latest developments in technology, now, low-cost, reliable, faster, and light-weight 1D laser range finders (LRFs) are available. A low-cost 1D LRF with a scanning mechanism, providing the ability of laser beam steering for additional dimensions, enables to capture a depth map. In this work, we present an unsynchronized scanning with a low-cost LRF to decrease scanning period and reduce vibrations caused by stop-scan in synchronized scanning. Moreover, we developed an algorithm for alignment of unsynchronized raw data and proposed range image post-processing framework. The proposed technique enables to have a range imaging system for a fraction of the price of its counterparts. The results prove that the proposed method can fulfill the need for a low-cost laser scanning for range imaging for static environments because the most significant limitation of the method is the scanning period which is about 2 minutes for 55,000 range points (resolution of 250x220 image). In contrast, scanning the same image takes around 4 minutes in synchronized scanning. Once faster, longer range, and narrow beam LRFs are available, the methods proposed in this work can produce better results.
The X̃ 3B1, ã 1A1, b̃ 1B1, and c̃ 1A1 Electronic States of CH2

Four electronically low-lying states of CH2 have been investigated systematically by using ab initio electronic structure theory. Self-consistent-field (SCF), two-configuration self-consistent-field (TCSCF), complete active space self-consistent-field (CASSCF), configuration interaction with single and double excitations (CISD), and CASSCF second-order configuration interaction (SOCI) levels of theory were employed with nine different basis sets. Special emphasis is placed on the second and third excited states. The third excited state (c 1A1) is of particular theoretical interest because it is represented by the second root of TCSCF, CASSCF, TCSCF-CISD, and CASSCF-SOCI wave functions. Theoretical treatments of states not the lowest of their symmetry are traditionally treacherous. It is confirmed in this study that the four low-lying states of CH2 all have bent structures. For these four states total energies and physical properties including dipole moments, harmonic vibrational frequencies, and associat...
Mapping and exploring informal network in organizational and community leadership.

Work often happens through informal interactions and relationships. Formal networks and vertical channels no longer enough for the organizational and community capacity to adapt to the rapid social changes and disruptions. Just as the network knowledge is an asset for any organization in the disruptive era, understanding people’s connections and network’s approach is critically important in the cultural transformation of the leadership in the community and organization. The purpose of this article is to review and investigate how Social Network Analysis (SNA) could visualize and analyze the informal networks in organizational and community leadership’s studies. This study introduces a model that combines organizational leadership and community leadership as a social relations category in a micro- sociological perspective. By applying social network approach to evaluating leadership network, the organization or community can more efficiently scale and accelerate their development as well as solves their leadership problems. This method is useful for those who are seeking to influence policy, disseminate new ideas, and mobilize resources towards a common or a specific goal. SNA provides a set of theories, tools, and processes for understanding the relationships and structures of a network. SNA will determine the particular measures, from simple to complex rules, which need to be applied to derive insights from the network and how the network system is structured and evolved with time. The results of this review could help leaders to diagnose, measure, and evaluate their informal network structures and dynamics which are connected through shared interests, work, experiences, and collaborations.
Manipulation of Procedural Rules in Pursuit of Substantive Goals: A Reconsideration of the Impermissible Collateral Attack Doctrine

The thesis of this article consists of two prongs: First, that it is possible to demonstrate that substantive goals impact upon procedural rules even while we continue to reaffirm generally the trans-substantive nature of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Second, that having acknowledged that, we must also acknowledge the value of this substantive impact. Depending upon our notions of substantive justice, it may possible to fashion a procedural justice that can take into account those substantive goals and yet maintain the features of trans-substantiveness that inhere in fairness and equal treatment. This article initially traces the evolution of the impermissible collateral attack doctrine in the lower courts and how it became interwoven with the compulsory joinder and intervention rules. Then, the article explores and criticizes the Supreme Court's rejection of that doctrine on two levels. First, the Court's failure to adequately reconcile Rules 19 and 24 in light of prior decisions and its own rulemaking authority is considered. Second, and more importantly, an analytical framework for taking substantive goals into account when formulating procedure is suggested, and the Court's decision analyzed in that context. This article concludes with an argument for purposeful rule interpretation in light of substantive goals.
Dynamic simulations of a large high-frequency power system

Dynamic simulations to assess performance aspects of a large high-frequency power system have been conducted. The analysis uses a model of an 80-MW power system for an all-electric ship. The model, developed in the Matlab/Simulink environment, includes several power generation units, two propulsion power trains, an energy storage system, a high-power pulse load, and several service loads. Three case studies were addressed. The first considers the response of the power system to a high-power step load, representing a sudden request for acceleration of the ship. The second deals with the effects of a partial loss of generation during operation. The third addresses the effects of load drop on the power system.
EXCIMERS AS LOCALIZED AND DELOCALIZED STATES IN ORGANIC SOLIDS

Abstract Energy transfer in organic solids exhibiting excimer fluorescence depends on the density of excimer forming sites and on temperature. The excimer state is localized if the density of the molecular pairs is small—as, for example, in amorphous aromatic polymers—and at low temperature, even if all molecules are able to form excimers, as in the case of pyrene. It is delocalized in pyrene at room temperature.