cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Precise linearization of nonlinear, non-autonomous systems based on physical system modeling theory

Nonlinear dynamical systems behave linearly when recast in a higher dimensional space. This paper presents a new data-driven approach to precise linearization of a class of nonlinear dynamical systems. State variables are augmented by adding auxiliary variables that sufficiently inform the nonlinear dynamics of the system. A data matrix containing samples taken from the augmented state space is analyzed to extract latent variables that predict state transition in the latent space. First, the sufficiently informing augmented state variables are derived from Bond Graph where the connective structure of networked elements is known, but the constitutive laws of individual elements, which may be nonlinear, are unknown. Second, the rank of the data matrix and its covariance is analyzed based on the system's Bond Graph to determine the number of latent variables that can completely recover the data matrix. Third, using the latent variables, an exact linear state equation in Differential Algebraic Equation form is obtained for the class of nonlinear systems represented in the augmented state space. Furthermore, the latent variables are truncated to obtain a causal state equation that is linear, yet precisely represent the original nonlinear dynamics in the augmented state space. Finally, a practical example verifies and demonstrates the new methodology.
Triumph and Tribulations of the Mass-Production Metropolis

The advent of mass production saw the rise of major metropolitan areas in North America and Western Europe. This chapter shows in detail the policy and planning problems that were generated in the mass-production city and how the internal production and residential spaces of these metropolitan areas were structured.
Multi-pulse scheme for laser-guided electrical breakdown of air

Channeling an extended electrical breakdown of air by a laser beam is a long-standing challenge in applied laser science. Virtually all previously reported experiments on discharge channeling by femtosecond laser beams relied on the application of a single laser pulse and have been conducted with discharge gaps of less than one meter, in which case the direct ohmic heating of the laser-generated plasma by the applied DC electric field is the dominant channeling mechanism. We report a laboratory-scale demonstration of a channeling approach that makes use of concatenated plasma filaments produced by a sequence of multiple ultrashort laser pulses. Direct ohmic heating of the guiding channel is eliminated through the introduction of large temporal delays between the individual laser pulses in the pulse sequence. We propose an extension of this scheme to channeling kilometer-scale discharges, including natural lightning. Our proposed approach alleviates the fundamental range limitations inherent to the single-...
Screening for Behavioral Risk Factors Is Not Enough to Improve Preventive Services Delivery

Abstract Objective Unhealthy behaviors are a major cause of chronic disease. Preappointment screening has been suggested as one way to improve preventive care delivery related to these behaviors by specifying risks to be addressed. We aimed to determine whether screening for health-related behaviors before the clinical encounter will lead to higher counseling rate and service delivery by clinicians. Methods We used a pre/post design in one practice with a control practice to evaluate the effects of preappointment screening for 3 behavioral risk factors (tobacco smoke exposure, no recent dental care visit, and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages). After their clinic visit, we asked English-speaking parents whose child had one or more risk factor whether they had received counseling or services from their pediatrician to address them. Results We recruited 264 parents in the pre phase and 242 in the post phase. Among 215 parents whose child had one or more risk factors, parents in the post phase were as likely to report receiving counseling than parents in the pre phase for each of the risk factors: smoking odds ratio 6.75 (95% confidence interval, 0.51, 88.88), dental health odds ratio 1.44 (95% confidence interval, 0.47, 4.41), and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption odds ratio 0.34 (95% confidence interval, 0.23, 5.18). Service delivery and reported behavior change were also similar in both phases. Conclusions Counseling rates for tobacco, dental health, or sugar-sweetened beverage consumption were low in pediatric primary care, and preappointment screening did not significantly affect clinician counseling. Future efforts will require a more robust approach to effect change in counseling, provision of service, and family behavior.
Application of statistical and computational methodology to predict brainstem dosimetry for trigeminal neuralgia stereotactic radiosurgery

Objectives To apply advanced statistical and computational methodology in evaluating the impact of anatomical and technical variables on normal tissue dosimetry of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Methods Forty patients treated with LINAC-based TN SRS with 90 Gy maximum dose were randomly selected for the study. Parameters extracted from the treatment plans for the study included three dosimetric output variables: the maximum dose to the brainstem (BSmax), the volume of brainstem that received at least 10 Gy (V10BS), and the volume of normal brain that received at least 12 Gy (V12). We analyzed five anatomical variables: the incidence angle of the nerve with the brainstem surface (A), the nerve length (L), the nerve width as measured both axially (WA) and sagittally (WS), the distance measured along the nerve between the isocenter and the brainstem surface (D), and one technical variable: the utilized cone size (CS). Univariate correlation was calculated for each pair among all parameters. Multivariate regression models were fitted for the output parameters using the optimal input parameters selected by the Gaussian graphic model LASSO. Repeated twofold cross-validations were used to evaluate the models. Results Median BSmax, V10BS, and V12 for the 40 patients were 35.7 Gy, 0.14 cc, and 1.28 cc, respectively. Median A, L, WA, WS, D, and CS were 43.7°, 8.8 mm, 2.8 mm, 2.7 mm, 4.8 mm, and 6 mm, respectively. Of the three output variables, BSmax most strongly correlated with the input variables. Specifically, it had strong, negative correlations with the input anatomical variables and a positive correlation with CS. The correlation between D and BSmax at -0.51 was the strongest correlation between single input and output parameters, followed by that between CS and V10BS at 0.45, and that between A and BSmax at -0.44. V12 was most correlated with cone size alone, rather than anatomy. LASSO identified an optimal 3-feature combination of A, D, and CS for BSmax and V10BS prediction. Using cross-validation, the multivariate regression models with the three selected features yielded stronger correlations than the correlation between the BSmax and V10BS themselves. Conclusions For the first time, an advanced statistical and computational methodology was applied to study the impact of anatomical and technical variables on TN SRS. The variables were found to impact brainstem doses, and reasonably strong correlation models were established using an optimized 3-feature combination including the nerve incidence angle, cone size, and isocenter-brainstem distance.
Near field microwave microscopy for MEMS and micro-electronic device characterization

In this work, an electromagnetic technique for imaging and spectroscopy of materials and devices, suitable for the characterization of MEMS and microelectronics configurations as a function of frequency in the microwave range, will be presented. In particular, near field measurements will be shown for the evaluation of dielectric properties of the materials and for imaging of RF devices. Perspective utilization in the evaluation of quantities having specific interest for the microelectronics and MEMS industries will be discussed, with reference to properties that can be deduced from the measured surface impedance, like the morphology and the frequency dependence of the material properties.
SEM: a system for enumerating models

Model generation can be regarded as a special case of the Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP). It has many applications in AI, computer science and mathematics. In this paper, we describe SEM, a System for Enumerating finite Models of first-order many-sorted theories. To the best of our knowledge, SEM outperforms any other finite model generation system on many test problems. The high performance of SEM relies on the following two techniques: (a) an efficient implementation of constraint propagation which requires little dynamic allocation of storage; (b) a powerful heuristic which eliminates many isomorphic partial models during the search. We will present the basic algorithm of SEM along with these two techniques. Our experimental results show that general purpose finite model generators are indeed useful in many applications.
Optimizing Drugs for Brain Action

The cost of developing a new drug from conception in the laboratory, through in vitro and in vivo studies and then through required clinical trials to final approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration or its European equivalent, for wide clinical use is in excess of several hundred million dollars. With a changing health care environment, stiff market place competition and high infrastructure costs involved in pharmaceutical research, development and marketing, drug development represents an enormous investment of money and resources. Matching this, the process of drug development within the pharmaceutical industry is changing to favor a “high tech”, efficient and, primarily, ex vivo approach by using molecular biology to characterize and often patent new, hopefully critical and ratelimiting subcellular targets and high throughput combinatorial chemistry to generate libraries of multiple thousands of compounds for screening. With such financial investment, a focus has been towards the rapid development of billion dollar drugs in large patient populations. There have been successful examples of this development system. However, these must be counterbalanced by the knowledge that (i) when the wrong avenue is chosen in the development scheme it can be hugely costly, and the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) certainly complicates the choice of avenues, and (ii) it is unlikely that new therapeutics will be specifically designed and developed for numerous crippling and fatal diseases in smaller patient populations, which includes many neurological diseases. Certainly, some new therapeutics will prove beneficial for use in diseases other than the ones for which they were specifically designed and developed, but when this occurs it can be considered fortuitous rather than planned. Despite this, it is clear that better use of the drugs that we already have available is required if treatment advances are to be made.
Abstract 4393: Electrochemotherapy with irreversible electroporation and FOLFIRINOX improves survival in murine pancreatic adenocarcinoma by increasing apoptosis and decreasing tumor cell proliferation

Introduction: Combining gemcitabine (gem) with irreversible electroporation (IRE) has been shown to result in increased tumor cell apoptosis in a murine model of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, it remains unclear whether this effect can be augmented locally and systemically by utilizing more active chemotherapies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of IRE+FOLFIRINOX (FOL: 5-FU, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin). Methods: Athymic nude mice underwent intrapancreatic injection with S2-013 PDAC cells. After 7-10 days, tumors were confirmed with ultrasound and mice were treated with chemotherapy (gem or FOL), IRE, or chemotherapy+IRE. Four hours after last chemotherapy, pancreas was evaluated histologically. Levels of irinotecan and its active metabolite (SN-38) were evaluated in organs of mice treated with FOL and IRE+FOL. Experiments were repeated and survival analyses performed to evaluate long-term efficacy. Pancreas was harvested for histology and evaluation of apoptotic machinery, cell cycle proteins, and tumor cell proliferation. Results: IRE+FOL (ECT) resulted in increased tumor cells apoptosis compared to gem, gem+IRE, or FOL (apoptotic index (AI) 34.6% vs. 3.8%, 7.3%, 5.8%, respectively, p Conclusions: ECT with IRE and FOL causes significant tumor cell apoptosis, decreases tumor cell proliferation, enhances systemic FOL exposure, and improves overall survival. Human Phase 1 trials have been initiated to evaluate safety and efficacy of this therapeutic modality. Citation Format: Neal Bhutiani, Harshul Pandit, Qianqian Zheng, Suping Li, Yan Li, Robert C. Martin. Electrochemotherapy with irreversible electroporation and FOLFIRINOX improves survival in murine pancreatic adenocarcinoma by increasing apoptosis and decreasing tumor cell proliferation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4393.
Glutamatergic aspects of schizophrenia.

Almost all the neurons in the brain are influenced by the excitatory amino acid glutamate. Glutamatergic neurotransmission has been associated functionally with a number of physiological processes and with certain pathophysiological processes, including schizophrenia. Imaging studies provide indirect evidence that glutamate may be involved in schizophrenia. Positron emission tomography scanning has shown a correlation between positive symptoms of schizophrenia and abnormalities of glucose metabolism in components of the limbic system with the highest concentration of glutamate receptors. Studies with ketamine, an anaesthetic that antagonises the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor, show an exacerbation or worsening of positive symptoms when this drug is administered to patients with schizophrenia. Regional cerebral blood flow studies with ketamine show that the drug produces increased blood flow in the anterior cingulate cortex, the area where high concentrations of NMDA receptors exist and where alterations in glucose metabolism seem to occur in people with schizophrenia. Diminished glutamatergic neurotransmission in the hippocampal gluatamate-mediated efferent pathways and cerebral dysfunction in the hippocampus and its target areas, particularly the anterior cingulate cortex, may underlie some of the clinical manifestations of schizophrenia.
A review of the pathways of human exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and present understanding of health effects

Here, we review present understanding of sources and trends in human exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and epidemiologic evidence for impacts on cancer, immune function, metabolic outcomes, and neurodevelopment. More than 4000 PFASs have been manufactured by humans and hundreds have been detected in environmental samples. Direct exposures due to use in products can be quickly phased out by shifts in chemical production but exposures driven by PFAS accumulation in the ocean and marine food chains and contamination of groundwater persist over long timescales. Serum concentrations of legacy PFASs in humans are declining globally but total exposures to newer PFASs and precursor compounds have not been well characterized. Human exposures to legacy PFASs from seafood and drinking water are stable or increasing in many regions, suggesting observed declines reflect phase-outs in legacy PFAS use in consumer products. Many regions globally are continuing to discover PFAS contaminated sites from aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) use, particularly next to airports and military bases. Exposures from food packaging and indoor environments are uncertain due to a rapidly changing chemical landscape where legacy PFASs have been replaced by diverse precursors and custom molecules that are difficult to detect. Multiple studies find significant associations between PFAS exposure and adverse immune outcomes in children. Dyslipidemia is the strongest metabolic outcome associated with PFAS exposure. Evidence for cancer is limited to manufacturing locations with extremely high exposures and insufficient data are available to characterize impacts of PFAS exposures on neurodevelopment. Preliminary evidence suggests significant health effects associated with exposures to emerging PFASs. Lessons learned from legacy PFASs indicate that limited data should not be used as a justification to delay risk mitigation actions for replacement PFASs.
Comparison of metabolomics and platelet aggregometry between Plavix and generic clopidogrel in cats: a pilot study.

ObjectivesThis pilot study sought to assess the metabolism of Plavix (Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi) and generic clopidogrel in cats, using a novel assay for the measurement of clopidogrel, clopidogr...
Use of Population Pharmacokinetic Analyses Among FDA-Approved Biologics

Biologics, especially monoclonal antibodies, are increasingly important in the pharmaceutical marketplace. Population pharmacokinetic (PK) analyses could be useful to guide the need for dose adjustments among special populations, yet it is unknown how commonly such analyses are performed during biologics development. We summarized the characteristics of population PK models of biologics and examined their role in informing the drug labels. To do so, we extracted relevant characteristics of 86 biologics approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research between 2003 and 2017. Ninety-four percent of monoclonal antibodies (51 of 54 biologics), 75% of fusion proteins with Fc receptor (6 of 8 biologics), and 33% of other proteins (8 of 24 biologics) included population PK analyses. Of these analyses, approximately half (45%) used a 2-compartment model with linear clearance as the base model structure. Body size was the most frequently included covariate in the final models (included in 94% of the 64 biologics in which covariate analysis was performed), although age (11%), sex (35%), race (26%), and renal function (27%) were also included in some models. In 70% to 90% of cases in which the effect of these covariates was examined, information regarding the effect of these on PK was included in the label. These results suggest that population PK analyses provide important information about the impact of intrinsic factors on the PK in the label of biologics by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Evaluation of labeling methods used for investigating the environmental behavior and toxicity of metal oxide nanoparticles

The analysis of the environmental behavior and toxicity of metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) is complicated by high metal concentrations in natural matrices. To better detect and quantify MONPs in complex samples, a variety of traceable labels can be incorporated. There are four primary categories of MONP labels: fluorescent dyes, radioisotopes, stable isotopes, and dopant/core–shell labels. This review describes each MONP labeling technique, along with its advantages and drawbacks, and provides strategies for choosing the most appropriate labeling method for a given study design.
Ibrutinib monotherapy outside of clinical trial setting in Waldenström macroglobulinaemia: practice patterns, toxicities and outcomes.

Ibrutinib-related data in Waldenstrom macroglobulinaemia (WM) remain sparse, particularly outside of trials. We report on 80 patients [previously treated, n = 67 (84%), treatment-naive, n = 13 (16%)] with WM, evaluated consecutively at Mayo Clinic, who received ibrutinib off-study after its approval in 2015 for WM. Overall response rate (ORR) was 91%; major-response rate (MRR) was 78%. The median time to first response and best response was 2·9 [95% confidence interval (CI): 2-4] and 5·7 (95% CI: 4-12) months, respectively. The median follow-up was 19 (95% CI: 14-21) months; 18-month progression-free survival (PFS) was 82%. The median time on therapy was 12·5 (95% CI: 9·3-16·7) months, and the median duration-of-response was 32 (range: 23-32) months. Twenty-five patients (31%) had discontinued therapy at last follow-up (68% due to treatment-related toxicities) and 18% of patients required dose reduction. Fatigue (12%) and atrial-fibrillation (11%) were common non-haematological toxicities. IgM rebound occurred in 36% of patients who abruptly discontinued ibrutinib. Following ibrutinib discontinuation, 84% of patients received subsequent treatment, achieving an ORR of 57% and MRR of 50%. The median PFS from commencement of subsequent salvage therapy was 18 months. Ibrutinib therapy, outside of clinical trials, is effective in WM, but is associated with toxicities and challenges, including IgM rebound and a high drug discontinuation rate for reasons other than disease progression.
Puzzle Solving as Debugging

We analyze existing data of students completing coding puzzles through the lens of a debugging process, in order to study the impact of different types of errors that students make as they solve the puzzle. We develop a scheme for categorizing the errors present in the student code at any given time, and use it to create a taxonomy of the trajectories that students take to arrive at the correct solution. We find that these metrics are expressive enough to capture important distinguishing characteristics of students’ puzzle-solving strategies.
US Economic Policy Uncertainty and GCC Stock Market

This study contributes to the scant finance literature on emerging countries by examining the relationship between economic policy uncertainty and monthly indices of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) stock markets during the period of July 2004 to August 2018. Both U.S. and global economic policy uncertainties exert significant and negative long run influence on stock prices in Bahrain and Kuwait. The impact of U.S. economic policy risk, however, is relatively stronger. Other stock markets in the GCC region, on the other hand, are not affected by U.S. and global economic policy uncertainty. These markets present a sound alternative for international portfolio diversification when the global economic policy uncertainty is on the rise.
Rejecting Compromise : Legislators' Fear of Primary Voters

Legislative solutions to pressing problems like balancing the budget, climate change, and poverty usually require compromise. Yet national, state, and local legislators often reject compromise proposals that would move policy in their preferred direction. Why do legislators reject such agreements? This engaging and relevant investigation into how politicians think reveals that legislators refuse compromise - and exacerbate gridlock - because they fear punishment from voters in primary elections. Prioritizing these electoral interests can lead lawmakers to act in ways that hurt their policy interests and also overlook the broader electorate's preferences by representing only a subset of voters with rigid positions. With their solution-oriented approach, Anderson, Butler, and Harbridge-Yong demonstrate that improving the likelihood of legislative compromise may require moving negotiations outside of the public spotlight. Highlighting key electoral motives underlying polarization, this book is an excellent resource for scholars and students studying Congress, American politics, public policy, and political behavior.
Chapter 24 – Cathodic protection of pipelines

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on cathodic protection (CP) of pipelines, as pipelines are exposed to aggressive soil, varying climatic conditions, micro-organism, and stray currents that initiate corrosion processes. Cathodic protection is defined as reduction or elimination of corrosion by making the metal a cathode by means of an impressed current or attachment to a sacrificial anode. This is an electrochemical method that uses cathodic polarization to control the kinetics of the electrode processes occurring on the metal/electrolyte interface. The chapter categorizes CP systems into two types based on the type of the polarization used to protect the structure: sacrificial anode and impressed current systems. The criteria for CP are documented by National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE). The successful application of CP depends upon the selection, design, installation, and maintenance of the system. Before designing cathodic protection, adequate field data must be collected, analyzed, and evaluated. It discusses that the effectiveness of the CP can be determined by monitoring the pipeline potential using the close interval potential survey (CIPS) method or by using direct current voltage gradient (DCVG) or IR coupons techniques.
Triplet Excitons in Pentacene Are Intrinsically Difficult to Dissociate via Charge Transfer

Singlet fission (SF) has the potential to bypass the Shockley–Queisser limit for solar cell efficiency through the production of two electron–hole pairs per photon. However, in polycrystalline pent...
Demystifying Cell Cycle Arrest by HIV-1 Vif

Although APOBEC3 degradation is the canonical function of HIV-1 Vif, this viral protein also induces potent cell cycle arrest through a newly defined mechanism. Here, we review recent advances in this area and propose that the scope of this activity may go beyond subversion of the host cell cycle.
Real Life Bovine Pharmacology Physiology and Pharmacology of the Bovine Respiratory System

While antibiotics are and will remain the mainstay of therapy for bovine pneumonia, there are many other factors besides simple bacterial growth that contribute to the pathogenesis of bacterial colonization, proliferation, and tissue damage. In particular, the body's responses to the factors which predispose to colonization, and its subsequent responses to the bacterium and its products, play a major role in the degree of damage and the eventual outcome. Pharmacological modification of these responses may alter the severity and outcome of the disease process, either positively or negatively. A review of the pathophysiology of bovine pneumonia will reveal areas where pharmacological intervention beyond antibiotics is indicated or contraindicated.
Rethinking Reform of Electricity Markets

Rethinking Reform starts with a thought experiment about the complete deregulation of electricity markets. The article goes on to discuss how the traditional model of utility regulation has served its useful purpose and must be replaced. The two recommendations made in the article include the use of marginal cost pricing and an array of smart energy technologies to create a better and more efficient energy policy.
Sinterable Powders from Laser Driven Reactions

Increasingly, because of their superior properties, ceramic materials are being considered for applications where there are high stress levels and where their failure would cause a major problem. These properties include hardness, high-temperature strength, erosion, oxidation and corrosion resistance, low density, and, for some applications, specific electrical and optical properties. The use of ceramic materials in these applications can only be considered, however, if their reliability is improved. Brittle materials fail catastrophically, and the wide distribution of observed strengths specifically associated with ceramic materials forces engineers to design so conservatively that ceramics lose their intrinsic advantages relative to conventional materials. For instance, it is impossible to design for a load stress that is less than one-tenth the mean strength and retain a superior strength to weight ratio.
Linking process and outcome to service quality and customer satisfaction evaluations

Purpose – To examine precisely how service process and service outcome are related to service quality and customer satisfaction evaluations, and to look for consistent patterns in the relationships between these four concepts.Design/methodology/approach – A theoretical framework is proposed to suggest links between the four concepts. The study is conducted in the real estate industry, and the focus is on home sellers' evaluations of the real estate agent's service. In‐depth interviews and a short survey are used to collect the data. A combination of content analysis and statistical tests is used to look for patterns in the data.Findings – As proposed, process factors are closely linked with service quality, and outcome factors are closely linked with customer satisfaction. Also, as proposed, service quality evaluations precede customer satisfaction for normal service evaluations, but the opposite causal order is found for extreme service evaluations.Research limitations/implications – The study is conduct...
Studies on the meningococcal polysaccharides. I. Composition and chemical properties of the group A polysaccharide.

Abstract Group A meningococcal polysaccharide was shown to be a homopolymer of d-mannosamine phosphate which is partially N- and O-acetylated. The principal glycosidic bond in this polysaccharide seems to be a 1—6 phosphodiester bond involving the hemiacetal group of carbon 1 and the alcohol group of carbon 6 of the d-mannosamine. There is also evidence to suggest that other glycosidic linkages exist. The exact nature and the position of these linkages are not yet known. The average chain length of this polysaccharide determined by reducing group analysis is 93 residues. The molecular weight of the polymer is in excess of 100,000 which implies that there are several chains in the A polysaccharide. A procedure has been developed for the determination of reducing group present in an oligosaccharide. This procedure was developed based on the observation that, when a hexosamine such as mannosamine or glucosamine was first treated with sodium borohydride to convert the carbonyl function into an alcohol, the resulting aminohexitol remained qualitatively and quantitatively unchanged by subsequent treatment with the oxidizing agent K3Fe(CN)6 at 100° for 10 min, whereas hexosamine similarly treated with K3Fe-(CN)6 was quantitatively destroyed. When dealing with an oligosaccharide consisting of hexosamine which had been treated with sodium borohydride, the ratio of the values of two analyses, one performed before oxidation with K3Fe(CN)6 and the other after, yields the fraction of hexosamine with its reducing group free.
TGF-β1 Induces an Accumulation of Connexin43 in a Lysosomal Compartment in Endothelial Cells

We have been studying the relationships between cell growth and the expression of the gap junction protein Connexin43 (Cx43) in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC). As part of these studies, we examined the effect of the growth inhibitory cytokine TGF-β1 on Cx43 expression. We have shown recently that TGF-β treatment increases Cx43 mRNA and synthesis, content, and half-life of the protein within 24 h which leads, over the course of days, to an accumulation of Cx43 in large, intensely immunostaining vesicles, filling much of the pronuclear cytoplasmic space. In the current study, based on their distribution and markers, we identified these vesicles as lysosomes/autophagosomes. Cx43 immunostaining and staining with a fluorescent probe for acidic compartments are coincident, as retention of a fluorescent-labeled low-density lipoprotein occurs in a similar pattern and the same staining pattern can be detected in the treated cells using other markers for lysosomal compartments. TEM revealed promine...
Deploying Cognitive Radio: Economic, Legal and Policy Issues

Over the past decade, the demand by commercial, military and consumers for use of the electromagnetic spectrum has literally exploded. The most obvious examples are digital cellular telephony and WiFi, both of which have become ubiquitous in developed and less developed countries around the world within a very short time. And there is no indication that this growth in spectrum-dependent technology will abate soon. Tracking devices, machines that can “talk” to one another, exchanging information, are being deployed as we speak. Unfortunately, the systems we use in the US and worldwide to allocate and manage spectrum is bending under the strain these demands place on the system. Government allocation of spectrum, either by “beauty contests” (traditional) or auction (more recent) has failed to keep up with the growth in demand. Even worse, government allocation has led to an extraordinarily inefficient use of this valuable resource. Large swathes of spectrum are underutilized and beyond our reach even while the demand for wireless voice and data services strains existing wireless providers beyond their capacity.
Impact analysis of Electric Vehicle charging on distribution system

With the growing penetration of various types of electrical vehicles (EVs) such as Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles/Battery Electric Vehicles (PHEVs/ BEVs), EV charging has the potential to affect the existing distribution system, especially the service lifetime of distribution components. This paper aims at analyzing the potential impact of EV charging on distribution transformers at residential level. Based on the load consumption in East Texas and different assumptions of EV charging scenarios, the impact is demonstrated and compared on monthly basis.
A bivariate autoregressive technique for analysis and classification of planar shapes

A bivariate autoregressive model is introduced for the analysis and classification of closed planar shapes. The boundary coordinate sequence of a digitized binary image is sampled to produce a polygonal approximation to an object's shape. This circular sample sequence is then represented by a vector autoregressive difference equation which models the individual Cartesian coordinate sequences as well as coordinate interdependencies. Several classification features which are functions or transformations of the estimated coefficient matrices and the associated residual error covariance matrices are developed. These features are shown to be invariant to object transformations such as translation, rotation, and scaling. Laboratory experiments involving object sets representative of industrial shapes are presented. Superior classification results are demonstrated. >
Universal Access in Practice: Usability Evauation of Cellular Telephones for Users with Disabilities:

Cellular telephones provide a portable means of communication and facilitate many communication tasks in daily life. Persons with disabilities, however, have limited access to these devices, which may be due to product designs that do not always consider their needs. Usability evaluations can identify the needs and difficulties when using cellular telephones, and those with disabilities are also likely to benefit from focused evaluations. The usability of cellular telephones was investigated among those with visual and upper extremity disabilities. Both objective and subjective evaluation methods were used to determine the effects of several telephone display and keypad design features. Lateral key pitch is reported here. Objective and subjective measures were similar among participant categories, with the 12 mm and 13 mm levels of lateral pitch generally the best across all measures. Results suggest keypad design features to consider when designing accessible cellular telephones. Universal design implica...
Prognostic significance of the number of lymph nodes removed at lobectomy in stage IA non-small cell lung cancer.

Background Lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection is the standard of care in stage IA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We investigated whether the number of lymph nodes removed influences survival in stage IA NSCLC patients who underwent lobectomy. Methods 2545 stage IA NSCLC patients in the California Cancer Registry who underwent lobectomy between 1999 and 2003 were analyzed. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to identify independent prognostic factors. Results Increasing number of lymph nodes removed was associated with statistical significant improvements in overall survival (OS) ( p = 0.0001) and lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS) ( p = 0.0309) of stage IA NSCLC patients who underwent lobectomy. The number of lymph nodes removed remained an independent favorable prognostic factor for OS ( p trend = 0.0001) and LCSS ( p trend = 0.0095) even after adjustment for other independent prognostic factors including age, sex, histology, histologic grade, socioeconomic status, and marital status in the Cox proportional regression analyses. Removal of 11 to 15 lymph nodes conferred the lowest hazard ratio for death [versus none; hazard ratio=0.52; 95% confidence interval: 0.36–0.75]. Conclusions The number of lymph nodes removed in stage IA NSCLC patients who underwent lobectomy is an independent prognostic factor for OS and LCSS.
Critical impact point for longitudinal barriers

A procedure for identifying critical impact points (CIP) for longitudinal barriers is presented. The procedure is based on computer simulations of longitudinal barrier impacts using the Barrier VII computer program. Critical impact points were selected to maximize wheel snagging and rail tensile loadings. The procedure is based on the finding that the critical impact point is largely dependent on the strength of the posts and the rail bending strength. Thus, the CIP selection procedure relies only on the effective post yield force per unit barrier length and the rail plastic moment. The technique can be applied to all post and beam barriers as well as transitions involving one of these types of barriers. This procedure has been incorporated into the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350.
Tunable transmission and enhanced emission in ordered metallic nanostructures having varying channel shape

Extraordinary transmission spectra for one-dimensional (1D) gratings and two-dimensional (2D) metallic hole arrays change with the hole channel shape. In this paper, a converging-diverging channel (CDC) design was introduced. The transmission spectra corresponding to CDC-embedded nanostructures of 1D grating, circular and rectangular holes (2D hole arrays) are analyzed using three-dimensional (3D) finite-element method. Tuning of optical transmission by changing the CDC structure has been investigated. In addition, a cavity composed of a CDC metallic grating and a 1D photonic crystal (PhC) can lead to an enhanced emission. Large coherence length of the emission can be achieved by exploiting coherent properties of surface waves in grating and PhC.
Rationalizing patriarchy: Gender, domestic violence, and law in Mexico

National legislation criminalizing domestic violence and cases from the rural town of Namiquipa, Chihuahua, are examined in relation to broad processes of state formation and local practices in order to demonstrate the ways in which law was a site for the negotiation of identities and relations of power in nineteenth century Mexico. The paper argues that the criminalization of domestic violence in Mexico was part of a liberal process of nation‐state formation that attempted to revolutionize the legitimate bases of authority and redefine hegemonic forms of gender in both public and domestic spheres. However, legal changes rationalized rather than undermined patriarchy.
A role for L3T4+ T cells and their lymphokines in the generation of suppressor effector (TS3) cells.

Abstract The cellular requirements for the in vitro induction of antigen-specific suppressor T cells were examined. Previous reports indicated that Ia-bearing macrophages and anti-idiotypic B cells are required as accessory cells to facilitate the generation of suppressor effector (Ts3) cells which regulate the response to the 4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl acetyl (NP) hapten. The present study describes two distinct T cell populations which interact to generate antigen-specific Ts3. Fractionation of the T cell populations with monoclonal antibody to the L3T4 determinant led to the identification of an NP-specific L3T4− Ts3 progenitor population and an L3T4+ helper/ inducer subset. In the presence of NP-coupled antigen, the L3T4+ subset could induce progenitor Ts3 to differentiate into mature Ts3 cells. The activity of the L3T4+ inducer population could be replaced with specifically activated cloned helper cells which were not NP-reactive since an I-Ab-restricted, insulin-reactive, L3T4+ clone was capable of supporting the generation of NP-specific Ts3. Inducer activity appeared to be confined to the Th1 but not the Th2 subset. In addition, 18-hr supernatants from antigen-activated clones were capable of substituting for L3T4+ cells or T cell clones in Ts3 induction cultures. The Ts maturation/differentiation factor(s) active in these supernatants does not appear to be IL-1, IL-2, IL-3, or interferon-γ alone since purified sources of these lymphokines failed to induce Ts3 activity.
Quantifying learning from web-based course materials using different pre and post tests

Engineering instructors seek to gauge the effectiveness of their instruction. One gauge has been to use standardized tests, such as concept inventories and to quantify learning as the change in score over the semester. Here we question whether that approach is always the best practice for gauging the effect of instruction, and we propose an alternative of administering different tests at the start and end of the semester. In particular, to gauge the influence of one aspect of instruction, the use of interactive web-based course materials that had been developed for Statics, we administered the Force Concept Inventory at the start of the course, and the Statics Concept Inventory at the end of the course. Correlations and then linear regression were applied to study how conceptual knowledge measured at the end of the course depended on conceptual knowledge measured at the start and the amount of use of the web-based courseware. Usage of the web-based courseware was found to promote conceptual knowledge at the end of the course in a statistically significant way only after accounting for initial knowledge as judged by the different conceptual test administered at the start of the course. Thus, it is not necessary to measure gain on one test; instead each test should capture well the variation in relevant ability across students at the time the test is administered.
Applications of mathematical programming techniques in optimal control: A survey

Direct applications of mathematical programming techniques in numerical solutions of optimal control problems are reviewed. The types of control systems discussed include linear, nonlinear, continuous- and discrete-time, deterministic, stochastic, and distributed-parameter systems. The areas of application include aerospace trajectory optimization and rendezvous problems, computer control of processes, and nuclear reactor control problems. A classified bibliography is included.
Antimicrobial peptides for detection of bacteria in biosensor assays.

Bacteria, plants, and higher and lower animals have evolved an innate immune system as a first line of defense against microbial invasion. Some of these organisms produce antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as a part of this chemical immune system. AMPs exert their antimicrobial activity by binding to components of the microbe's surface and disrupting the membrane. The overall goal of this study was to apply the AMP magainin I as a recognition element for Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella typhimurium detection on an array-based biosensor. We immobilized magainin I on silanized glass slides using biotin−avidin chemistry, as well as through direct covalent attachment. Cy5-labeled, heat-killed cells were used to demonstrate that the immobilized magainin I can bind Salmonella with detection limits similar to analogous antibody-based assays. Detection limits for E. coli were higher than in analogous antibody-based assays, but it is expected that other AMPs may possess higher affinities for this target. The res...
Unlocking the ring: Occurrence and development of the uninterrupted intrabullar septum in Canidae

Abstract The maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus, and some of the earliest canids are known for the peculiar ring-like shape of their intrabullar septum (an incomplete bony partition in the auditory bulla). In attempt to understand the origin of this character state, the auditory bullae in adult and juvenile dried skulls of 28 species of living Caninae were examined with a special emphasis on the occurrence of a ring-like (uninterrupted) septum. In addition to C. brachyurus, this morphology was invariably found in the bush dog, Speothos venaticus, what makes the presence of the uninterrupted septum the first osteological synapomorphy supporting the Chrysocyon–Speothos clade recently revealed by molecular systematics. The canine juvenile morphologies indicate that the intrabullar septum is ring-like at its early developmental stage. As ontogeny progresses, the septum resorbs differentially, depending on taxon, to become horseshoe- or crescent-like. By this transformation of the initially ring-like septum, Caninae seem to ontogenetically parallel a trend found in the phylogeny of Hesperocyoninae, an extinct canid group. The reverse recapitulation occurs, however, in the evolution of Caninae themselves, with their most-derived members having a least-resorbed septum. This implies that the ontogenetic criterion cannot be used for inference of the polarity of septal character states within the Caninae. The evolution of the canine intrabullar septum could have involved a series of heterochronies towards increasingly paedomorphic states in several lineages of the tribe Canini. New data were also obtained on the bone composition of the canid intrabullar septum. While the dorsal septum is entotympanic, the ventral one is in fact ectotympanic in adult Caninae. This compound structure results from penetration of the ventral entotympanic sinus into the ectotympanic.
Understanding tobacco related changes in lung parenchyma is key to effective disease prevention.

As we prepare to receive the details of the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) results over the coming months, it is important to remind ourselves that CT screening of the lungs provides secondar...
ATTRIBUTION AS EFFECT: AN OUTSIDER PRINCIPAL'S SUCCESSION

The study of succession effects on organizational performance has resulted in findings ambiguous at best. Succession has been found to have positive, negative and neutral impacts on a variety of outcome measures. While most studies have focused on performance outcomes, an alternative research approach is to examine the sense making experience of members of the organization during succession to better understand the process and its impact on participants. The paper reports the personal sense making experience of a successor to the principalship, adding to the literature exploring other participants' views. The successor found that the validation of her legitimacy as a new leader led to actions on the part of organizational members and the attribution of positive observed results to her principalship. Further exploration of attribution as a causal factor rather than as rationalization for unexplained outcomes is proposed. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Vertical combustor for particulate refuse

A vertical combustor for refuse particle combustion is analyzed for waste energy recovery. A one-dimensional model is constructed that consists of three components of fuel particles, inert solid particles, and the gaseous mixture. The gaseous component is further divided into six chemical species that evolve in combustion at temperatures below about 1367K (2000°F). The solutions show that such com-bustors may be viable for U.S. refuse because of their high content of volatile matter. Combustion of the relatively small char, however, may not be cost-effective In the present combustor, where the fuel residence time is of the order of 2 s for the combustor height of 6-9 m.
Artinian, non-Noetherian rings

Abstract The structure of the rings of the title is studied with an eye to giving a representative set of examples. A uniqueness theorem is proved for the components appearing in Peirce decompositions with respect to a principal idempotent, and a Krull-Schmidt-type theorem is proved for the direct sum decompositions of these rings.