cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Oxidative Stress in Breast Cancer

Abstract Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and it accounts for the second highest morbidity and mortality. Disease etiology and progression is multifactorial and several risk factors associated with breast cancer exert their effects by modulation of oxidative stress status in the cells. Oxidative stress occurs due to an imbalance between reactive species and antioxidant defenses in the cells. Excess reactive species are deleterious in normal cells, while in cancer cells, they can lead to accelerated growth and survival correlating with an aggressive and therapy-resistant phenotype. Specifically, risk factors and their effect on the oxidative stress response are associated with breast cancer development, progression, and treatment outcome. This chapter provides a review of the accepted concepts, recent findings, and limitations in the understanding of the cross-talk between antioxidant capacity, redox-sensitive transcription factors, and cell survival/death signaling in oxidative stress response and redox adaptation in breast cancer. Addressing these matters and identifying pathway dysregulation is required for a rational basis to improve the design of redox-related therapeutics and clinical trials in breast cancer.
Off to the pub

David Saxon's review of Kelvin: Life, Labours and Legacy (January pp36–37) reminded me of a long-time question I have on a similar subject. In King's Lynn, Norfolk, UK, there is a pub called The Lord Kelvin. What is the story behind this? Why is there a pub so named in darkest King's Lynn but not anywhere else (if Internet searches provide a comprehensive picture) – not even in Glasgow, where the erstwhile William Thomson lived for 53 years? And do readers know of any other pubs or bars that commemorate physicists in the same way?
What is Volunteer Water Monitoring Good for? Fracking and the Plural Logics of Participatory Science

This paper responds to recent calls for deeper scrutiny of the institutional contexts of citizen science. In the last few years, at least two dozen civil society organizations in New York and Pennsylvania have begun monitoring the watershed impacts of unconventional natural gas drilling, also known as “fracking.” This study examines the institutional logics that inform these citizen monitoring efforts and probes how relationships with academic science and the regulatory state affect the practices of citizen scientists. We find that the diverse practices of the organizations in the participatory water monitoring field are guided by logics of consciousness-raising, environmental policing, and science. Organizations that initiate monitoring projects typically attempt to combine two or more of these logics as they develop new practices in response to macro-level social and environmental changes. The dominant logic of the field remains unsettled, and many groups appear uncertain about whether and how their practices might have an influence. We conclude that the impacts of macro-level changes, such as the scientization of politics, the rise of neoliberal policy ideas, or even large-scale industrial transformations, are likely to be experienced in field-specific ways.
Development of N-Heterocyclic Carbene–Copper Complexes for 1,3-Halogen Migration

A series of NHC–copper complexes was synthesized and their potential to catalyze 1,3-halogen migration explored. Increasing the steric bulk around the metal drastically improves the lifetime of NHC–CuH species and promotes 1,3-halogen migration of both 2-bromo- and 2-chlorostyrenes through transfer of an aryl halogen to a benzylic carbon with concomitant arene borylation. The NHC-based system displays a broad substrate scope with notable advantages over previously reported phosphine-based catalysts, including complete selectivity for migration versus competing benzylic borylation, increased steric tolerance, efficient aryl chloride migration, and facile formation and characterization of organocopper catalytic intermediates. Experimental evidence and DFT calculations support a mechanism proceeding through dearomatization of a benzyl copper species, followed by a 1,4-halogen shift and borylation of the resulting ArCu(I) intermediate.
Molecular Mechanisms Mediating Immune Priming in Anopheles gambiae Mosquitoes

Abstract The Anopheles gambiae immune priming response is triggered when Plasmodium ookinetes invade the mosquito midgut and the microbiota comes in direct contact with injured cells. This is a long-lasting response that confers the challenged mosquito enhanced ability to control subsequent Plasmodium infections. The immune priming response involves hemocyte differentiation, in particular, an increase in the granulocyte population. A hemocyte differentiation factor (HDF) is released into the hemolymph and transfer of cell-free hemolymph from challenged mosquitoes can induce hemocyte differentiation and enhanced immunity in recipient naive mosquitoes. Biochemical assays and metabololipidomic analysis have uncovered that HDF is composed of a Lipocalin/Lipoxin complex and that immune priming involves a persistent increase in the expression of the lipocalin carrier (Evokin) and in the enhanced ability of mosquitoes to convert arachidonic acid into lipoxins.
The effects of sprint training regimens and sodium bicarbonate loading on muscle glycolysis, lactate accumulation, acid-base balance, and performance in the racing greyhound

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of two sprint training regimens on muscle glycolysis in racing greyhounds. Training consisted of either a low volume regimen (LV) of 12 400-meter sprints during a six-week period, or a high volume regimen (HV) totalling 30 sprints. Before and after training, 400-meter trial sprints were used to assess muscle glycogen utilization, blood and muscle lactate accumulation, and muscle buffer capacity. Training increased (p<0.05) the post-sprint blood lactate accumulation in both LV (15.0 ± 1.4 vs 17.6 ± 1.1 mmol-1'^) and HV (14.0 ± 1.4 vs 17.3 ± 1.4 mmol-1"^). Postsprint muscle lactate accumulation was not affected by either training regimen. Post-sprint muscle pH was similar before and after training in LV (6.78 ± 0.03 and 6.80 ± 0.03) and HV (6.81 ± 0.02 and 6.83 ± 0.01). Glycogen utilization was increased (p<0.05) following training in HV (16.3 ± 2.8 vs 25.7 ± 3.0 mmoles glucose* kg wet wt"^) , and remained unchanged (17.6 ± 2.7 vs 16.1 ± 3.3 mmoles glucose-kg wet wt'^) in LV. The increased glycogen utilization in HV was associated with a 14% increase (p<0.05) in maximal phosphofructokinase (PFK) activity (43.3 ± 1.3 to 47.4 ± 1.4 mmol kg body wt'^-min'^). In vivo muscle buffer capacity was not significantly increased by training in LV (57.1 ± 4.4 vs 58.3 ± 3.8 Slykes), while a trend (p=0.09) towards an increased buffer capacity
Effect of A Social Stigma on Interpersonal Distance

The present experiment examined the effect of a social stigma (bisexuality) on interpersonal distance via a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design. The independent variables were the sex of the subject, sex of the confederate, and experimental condition (stigmatized vs. nonstigmatized). The dependent variable was the subject’s seating distance from the confederate during an interview situation. Results indicated that subjects sat closer to a non-stigmatized than a stigmatized confederate and that subjects positioned themselves closer to a female confederate than to a male confederate.
Revision arthroplasty for periprosthetic joint infections: When to consider one-stage versus two-stage protocols?

Abstract For chronic periprosthetic joint infection, two-stage exchange arthroplasty has long remained the gold-standard treatment, but has come under scrutiny of late. Recent studies have shown increased costs, unacceptably high rates of recurrence for resistant organisms, and lower than expected rates of eventual reimplantation for subjects treated in a two-stage fashion. While the appeal of single-stage exchange arthroplasty has grown, rigorous data is lacking for universal application for all infections. Improvements in patient selection with set criteria for appropriate use will better define a treatment algorithm for optimum periprosthetic joint infection management moving forward.
Using Perceptual Evaluation to Quantify Cognitive and Visual Driver Distractions

Developing feedback systems that can detect the attention level of the driver can play a key role in preventing accidents by alerting the driver about possible hazardous situations. Monitoring drivers’ distraction is an important research problem, especially with new forms of technology that are made available to drivers. An important question is how to define reference labels that can be used as ground truth to train machine-learning algorithms to detect distracted drivers. The answer to this question is not simple since drivers are affected by visual, cognitive, auditory, psychological, and physical distractions. This chapter proposes to define reference labels with perceptual evaluations from external evaluators. We describe the consistency and effectiveness of using a visual-cognitive space for subjective evaluations. The analysis shows that this approach captures the multidimensional nature of distractions. The representation also defines natural modes to characterize driving behaviors.
Electroweak Physics of the ′80s

In these lectures I would like to discuss some electroweak physics issues which are likely to be of basic importance in the decade that has just begun. Even though my lectures were originally advertized as “theoretical lectures,” they may be more properly categorized as “review lectures.” You may naturally ask: How can you review discoveries and happenings which are yet to take place in the future? My answer is that we, high energy theorists--not I myself but some of my friends--have done extremely well in predicting the course of electroweak physics in the ′70s. For example, if you go back and read the Reviews of Modern Physics paper of Gaillard, Lee and Rosner1 on charm written on the eve of the November (1974) Revolution, we can only be impressed by the fact that much of the electroweak physics of the ′70s was actually anticipated by the theorists. By anybody’s standard we did well in the ′70s. To illustrate my point just recall all those experiments--I can count at least seven--which initially threatened to kill the standard electroweak model but later turned out to be wrong!
Space Scientific Instrument Taxonomy (SSIT)

This document outlines a scheme of classification, a taxonomy, for spacecraft instruments (aka space payloads). Space Scientific Instrument Taxonomy (SSIT) was developed for use in tools and databases developed in support of assessments performed by The Aerospace Corporation for the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD). The intention is to create a universal taxonomy that encompasses the range of all space instrument types that have historically flown or that are anticipated in the near future. However, this taxonomy concentrates on scientific space flight instruments with the intention of being compatible with multiple classifications that have been used in other scientific space flight instrument cost models developed by multiple organizations. SSIT was designed to be compatible with other space instrument taxonomies but is of higher fidelity and broader in scope than any previously presented. The space instruments are classified in a three-level hierarchy based on how similar they are, emphasizing traits that affect an instrument's complexity and cost. Each lower-level category is a subset of the one above. In this document the categories are presented in an outline manner and have been numbered for easier reference. For each category and sub-category, there is a description along with examples of the types of instruments and measurements typically associated with that category. In some cases, there are decision trees provided to aid a user to determine in which category their instrument belongs. SSIT category descriptions are written with the intention that they can be understood by a user with a general scientific or engineering background without the need of in-depth expert knowledge or jargon specific to each space instrument category. This is an initial attempt at organizing and defining the categories of space instruments. It is proposed to elicit feedback from the general space community in the hope that a community-accepted taxonomy can be developed. As such, it is a work in progress.
Using the Taxonomy: A Standard Vocabulary of Chaplain Activities

At present, the field of chaplaincy does not have a standardized vocabulary for the activities that chaplains conduct in different institutions and settings. This is a hindrance when making compari...
Web Exclusive. Annals On Call - Bedside Ultrasonography Versus Physical Examination to Diagnose Cardiac Disease.

In this episode of Annals On Call, Dr. Centor discusses the appropriate use of focused bedside cardiac ultrasonography with Dr. Renee Dversdal of Oregon Health & Science University.
Removal of Large Primary Vaginal Calculus Using the Nephroscope and Endoscopic Ultrasonic Lithotrite: A Case Report

Background: Vaginal calculi are rare and can grow quite large if they remain undetected. Vaginal stones are caused by the pooling of urine in the vagina and can be classified as either primary or s...
Tumor Immune Profiling-Based Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy for Locally Advanced Melanoma

The frequency of “exhausted” or checkpoint-positive (PD-1+CTLA-4+) cytotoxic lymphocytes (Tex) in the tumor microenvironment is associated with response to anti-PD-1 therapy in metastatic melanoma. The current study determined whether pretreatment Tex cells in locally advanced melanoma predicted response to neoadjuvant anti-PD-1 blockade. Pretreatment tumor samples from 17 patients with locally advanced melanoma underwent flow cytometric analysis of pretreatment Tex and regulatory T cell frequency. Patients who met the criteria for neoadjuvant checkpoint blockade were treated with either PD-1 monotherapy or PD-1/CTLA-4 combination therapy. Best overall response was evaluated by response evaluation criteria in solid tumors version 1.1, with recurrence-free survival (RFS) calculated by the Kaplan–Meier test. The incidence and severity of adverse events were tabulated by clinicians using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4. Of the neoadjuvant treated patients, 10 received anti-PD-1 monotherapy and 7 received anti-CTLA-4/PD-1 combination therapy. Of these 17 patients, 12 achieved a complete response, 4 achieved partial responses, and 1 exhibited stable disease. Surgery was subsequently performed for 11 of the 17 patients, and 8 attained a complete pathologic response. Median RFS and overall survival (OS) were not reached. Immune-related adverse events comprised four grade 3 or 4 events, including pneumonitis, transaminitis, and anaphylaxis. The results showed high rates of objective response, RFS, and OS for patients undergoing immune profile-directed neoadjuvant immunotherapy for locally advanced melanoma. Furthermore, the study showed that treatment stratification based upon Tex frequency can potentially limit the adverse events associated with combination immunotherapy. These data merit further investigation with a larger validation study.
The effect of cyclooxygenase-2 on proliferation in gastric cancer cell line SGC7901

Objective To investigate the influence of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) knock-down on cell proliferation and apoptosis in gastric cancer cell line SGC7901. Methods The mRNA levels of COX-2 in SGC7901 and gastric epithelium cells (GES) were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays. The influence of COX-2 on the proliferation and apoptosis of cell line SGC7901 was evaluated with methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) assay. Results qRT-PCR assay indicated that the mRNA level of COX-2 in SGC7901 was significantly higher than that in GES (P<0.01). MTT and FACS assays showed that the proliferation was reversed by COX-2 knock-down in SGC7901 cells. Up-regulated Bax and down-regulated Bcl-2 can inhibit the expression of COX-2. Conclusions COX-2 could contribute to the proliferation of gastric cancer cell line SGC7901. Key words: RNA, small interfering; Cyclooxygenase 2/GE/ME; Stomach neoplasms/DT/GE/ME; Cell proliferation/DE; Apoptosis/DE
Selective Inhibition of Streptococci Biofilm Growth via a Hydroxylated Azobenzene Coating

Strategies to engineer surfaces that can enable the selective inhibition of bacterial pathogens while preserving beneficial microbes can serve as tools to precisely edit the microbiome. In the oral microbiome, this selectivity is crucial in preventing the proliferation of cariogenic species such as Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans). In this communication, coatings consisting of a covalently tethered hydroxylated azobenzene (OH-AAZO) on glassy acrylic resins are studied and characterized for their ability to selectively prevent the attachment and growth of oral Streptococci biofilms. The coating applied on the surface of glassy resins inhibits the growth and proliferation of cariogenic S. mutans and S. oralis biofilms while A. actinomycetemcomitans, S. aureus, and E. coli biofilms are unaffected by the coating . The antibacterial effect is characterized as a function of both the OH-AAZO concentration in the coatings (≥50 mg mL-1) and the structure of the monomer in the coating. Preliminary mechanistic results suggest that the targeted bactericidal effect against Streptococci species is caused by a disruption of membrane ion potential, inducing cell death.
Papillary neoplasms of the breast including upgrade rates and management of intraductal papilloma without atypia diagnosed at core needle biopsy

Papillary neoplasms of the breast are a heterogeneous group of epithelial tumors nearly entirely composed of papillae. Their classification rests on the characteristics of the epithelium and the presence and distribution of the myoepithelial cells along the papillae and around the tumor. Papillary neoplasms of the breast can be diagnostically challenging, especially if only core needle biopsy (CNB) material is available. This review summarizes salient morphological and immunohistochemical features, clinical presentation, and differential diagnoses of papillary neoplasms of the breast. We include a contemporary appraisal of the upgrade rate to carcinoma (invasive carcinoma and ductal carcinoma in situ [DCIS]) and atypical hyperplasias in surgical excision specimens obtained following CNB diagnosis of papilloma without atypia, and a review of the available follow-up data in cases without immediate surgical excision.
Association of surgical interval and survival among hospital and non-hospital based patients with melanoma in North Carolina

Surgical excision is important for melanoma treatment. Delays in surgical excision after diagnosis of melanoma have been linked to decreased survival in hospital-based cohorts. This study was aimed at quantifying the association between the timeliness of surgical excision and overall survival in patients diagnosed with melanoma in hospital- and non-hospital-based settings, using a retrospective cohort study of patients with stage 0–III melanoma and using data linked between the North Carolina Central Cancer Registry to Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance plan claims across the state. We identified 6,496 patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2012 with follow-up through 2017. We categorized the time from diagnostic biopsy to surgical excision as 90 days after melanoma diagnosis. Multivariable Cox regression was used to estimate differences in survival probabilities. Five-year overall survival was lower for those with time to surgery over 90 days (78.6%) compared with those with less than 6 weeks (86%). This difference appeared greater for patients with Stage 1 melanoma. This study was retrospective, included one state, and could not assess melanoma specific mortality. Surgical timeliness may have an effect on overall survival in patients with melanoma. Timely surgery should be encouraged.
Luminescent/Paramagnetic Probes of Order and Orientation in Biological Assemblies: The Transformation of Luminescent Probes into π-Radicals by Photochemical Reduction within the Contractile Apparatus

Several unsubstituted xanthene dyes (eosin, erythrosin, and fluorescein) were irradiated by laser light at their absorption maximum in the presence of different reducing agents. Due to photochemical reduction the quinoidal structure of the xanthene ring is transformed into a semiquinone and a π-radical is formed having a characteristic electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signal of an unpaired electron spin with proton hyperfine interactions. A strong EPR signal is observed from the dye in solution or when specifically attached to myosin following irradiation in the presence of dithiothreitol or cysteine. The spectroscopic methods of fluorescence polarization and EPR are useful in the study of ordered biological assemblies. These methods generate complementary information about the order of the system but a consistent quantitative interpretation of the related data is complicated because the signals arise from different donors. Our method allows us to detect both signals from the same donor. We applied our new technique to the study of skeletal muscle fibers. The fluorescent dye iodoacetamidofluorescein was covalently attached to the reactive thiol of the myosin molecule in muscle fibers. Fluorescence polarization and EPR spectroscopy were performed on the labeled fibers in rigor. Both signals indicate a highly ordered system characteristic of cross-bridges bound to actin.
Window-of-Opportunity Clinical Trial of Pembrolizumab in Recurrent Glioblastoma (GBM) Patients

Background: We sought to ascertain the immune effector function of pembrolizumab within the glioblastoma (GBM) microenvironment during the therapeutic window. Methods: In an open-label, single-center, single-arm phase 2 "window-of-opportunity" trial, 15 patients with recurrent GBM, who were eligible for operation, were enrolled. Patients were treated with up to two doses of pembrolizumab (21 days and 1 day) before surgery and afterwards (every three weeks) until disease progression occurred or unacceptable toxicities developed. Findings: The most common adverse event was grade 1 or 2 fatigue in 40% of patients, and there was one case of cerebral edema requiring early reoperation. No treatment-related deaths occurred; 5 of 15 patients (33%) died from disease progression. The median follow-up time for all patients was 15 months (95% CI: 3-37). Of the 14 patients with radiographic follow up, 10 patients had progressive disease, 3 had a partial response, and 1 had stable disease. The longest response duration exceeded 37 months in two patients (one IDH1 mutant, one wild-type). The median progression-free survival (PFS) time was 5 months (95% CI: 3 months-8 months) and 6-month PFS (PFS6) rate was 40% (95% CI: 22%-74%). The median overall survival (OS) rate was 21 months (95% CI: 9 months to not reached), with an estimated 1-year OS rate of 65% (95% CI: 44%-95%). Immune monitoring on surgical specimens from GBM patients revealed a paucity of T cells but an enrichment of CD68 macrophages in the tumor microenvironment ofrecurrent GBM patients. The T cells in the GBM microenvironment were severly deficient in markers of immune activity. Interpretation: Although pembrolizumab was well tolerated, the immune analysis indicated that anti-PD-1 monotherapy is insufficient to induce effector immunologic response in most GBM patients, probably owing to a marked scarcity of T cells within the tumor microenvironment and a preponderance of CD68 macrophages. Clinical Trial Number: NCT02337686 Funding Statement: Merck Pharmaceuticals and The University of Texas MD Anderson Moon Shot Program Declaration of Interests: JdG and ABH have received clinical trial research support from Merck. JA owns stock in and has acted as a consultant or on advisory boards for Jounce, Kite Pharma, Evelo, Constellation, BristolMyers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Amgen, and Neon. PSh owns stock in and has acted as a consultant for Jounce, Kite Pharma, Neon, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaskoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Amgen, Constellation, and Evelo. ABH owns stock in Celldex Therapeutics and Caris Life Sciences, serves on the advisory board of Caris, and has acted as a consultant for BristolMyers Squibb, Celegene, Curtana Therapeutics, and Carthera Therapeutics. The remaining authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: Approval for the study was granted through the institutional review board at MD Anderson and all patients were provided written informed consent before study entry. This trial was performed according to the Declaration of Helsinki’s principles.
Co-design in the Exascale Computing Project:

We provide an overview of the six co-design centers within the U.S. Department of Energy’s Exascale Computing Project, each of which is described in more detail in a separate paper in this special ...
Latin Alive: The Survival of Latin in English and the Romance Languages

1. Introduction: is English a cousin to the Romance languages? Part I. Latin: 2. The career of Latin, I: from earliest times to the height of empire 3. The career of Latin, II: the empire succeeded by barbarian kingdoms 4. Latin at work, I: nature of the language names and qualities pronunciation 5. Latin at work, II: actions and states 6. Vulgar Latin Part II. The Romance Vocabulary: 7. The lexicon in general shifts in the meaning of words 8. Changes in the form of words 9. When words collide: conflict and resolution in the lexicon 10. Immigrants: non-Latin words in the Romance languages Part III. Proto-Romance, or What the Languages Share: 11. The sound of proto-Romance 12. The noun in proto-Romance 13. The verb in proto-Romance Part IV. Earliest Texts and Future Directions, or Where the Languages Diverge: 14. French 15. Italian 16. Spanish.
Convexity in Graphs: Achievement and Avoidance Games

Publisher Summary The convex hull of a set S of points of a graph G is the smallest set T containing S such that all the points in a geodesic joining two points of T lie in T . The convex hull T can also be formed by taking all geodesics joining two points of S and iterating that operation. The number of times this is done to S to get T is gin( S ), the geodetic iteration number of S . gin( G ) is defined as the maximum of gin( S ) over all sets S of points of G . The smallest number of points in a graph G such that gin( G ) = n was determined by Harary and Nieminen. In an achievement game, the first of two players to attain the stated goal wins; in an avoidance game, he/she loses. The chapter presents three types of achievement and avoidance games involving the convex hull, the geodetic hull, and geodesics from a point to a set of points; this leads to several unsolved problems.
A new packet scheduling algorithm for access points in crowded WLANs

Nowadays, Wireless LANs (WLANs) have been densely deployed to provide the last mile delivery of Internet access to mobile clients. As the population of WLAN clients who carry WiFi-enabled devices keeps increasing, WLANs are often crowded and WLAN clients may thus encounter serious performance degradation due to channel contention and interference. Therefore, in this paper we present a new packet scheduling algorithm, named DAT, for access points (APs) in a crowded 802.11 WLAN. Our goal is to improve the performance of efficiency (measured by packet response time or throughput) and fairness which often conflict with each other. To meet this goal, our solution is to aggregate and balance both performance metrics by enabling an AP to automatically adjust time windows for serving each active WLAN client. Specifically, our algorithm leverages the knowledge of the observed traffic to dynamically shift the weight between efficiency and fairness and strikes to improve the preferred performance metric without excessively degrading the other one. A valid queuing model is designed in this work to evaluate the performance of our new scheduling algorithm. Trace-driven simulations demonstrate that the proposed algorithm successfully balances the trade off between efficiency and fairness in crowded WLANs.
Origin of the Apollo 14, 15, and 17 yellow ultramafic glasses by mixing of deep cumulate remelts

Abstract We examine the fO2-dependent melting conditions of the Apollo 14 yellow intermediate-Ti ultramafic glasses and the melting processes that formed the full suite of lunar yellow ultramafic glasses. Multiple saturation experiments indicate that the Apollo 14 yellow glass would have been in equilibrium with residual olivine and low-Ca pyroxene near 1530 °C and 2.4 GPa at ΔIW = +2. At ΔIW = −2, the multiple saturation point moves to greater depth and higher temperature to 1580 °C and 3.0 GPa. Combining the results of this study with that of Krawczynski and Grove (2012) on more Ti-rich Apollo orange and red glass indicates that the fO2-induced change in multiple saturation pressure correlates with the Fe–Ti# (molar (FeO + TiO2*)/(MgO + FeO + TiO2*), where TiO2* = all Ti calculated as Ti4+) of the liquid. Further, a decrease in the olivine Fe–Mg exchange coefficient at lower fO2 suggests that Fe2+ is complexing more efficiently with Ti3+ at the expense of Mg in the melt than it did with Ti4+ at higher fO2. Processes involving assimilation and/or fractionation and/or melt-wall rock reaction all fail to produce the within-suite compositional variability observed in the Apollo 14, 15, and 17 yellow glasses. Mixing of remelted source cumulates, combined with small amounts of olivine fractionation, are the only mechanisms that can reproduce all three trends. We present a quantitative model of the mixing process with simultaneous olivine fractionation. Remarkably, the trends can be explained by mixing melts of an ultramafic source (olivine + pigeonite or orthopyroxene), a clinopyroxene + ilmenite bearing cumulate, and KREEP. Lunar mantle overturn is the most likely process that can reconcile the observed major and trace element compositional characteristics and the experimental results. These two constraints are consistent with different models of lunar magma ocean crystallization (Snyder et al., 1992; Eklins-Tanton et al., 2011). A complex, hot thermal history is necessary to generate the magmas that mixed to form the yellow ultramafic glasses.
Computational fluid dynamics for concentrating solar power systems

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can be used to better understand complex processes and to improve designs and system performance in concentrating solar power (CSP) applications. Applications presented in this paper include CFD simulations for collectors, thermal receivers, and thermal storage technologies. CFD simulations of wind flow around collectors such as parabolic troughs and heliostats have been used to determine wind loads, which impact the design and requirements of the support structure. Simulations of the heat transfer and heat loss in solar thermal receivers have been performed to identify designs that optimize thermal efficiency, and to better understand radiative, convective, and conductive heat losses. CFD models have also been developed to understand processes in thermal storage systems, including mixing in thermoclines, heat transfer in solid media, and melting and solidification processes in phase-change materials. Researchers have generally concluded that CFD modeling is a useful and cost-effective tool to understand processes and improve designs for CSP systems.
Regular lattice LDPC codes in perpendicular magnetic recording

Summary form only given. It has been well recognized that random low-density parity check (LDPC) codes perform close to the theoretical limit. However, iterative decoders employed for their decoding have very high complexity and are incapable of operating in the >1 Gbps regime, the expected data rates of the next generation of magnetic recording channels. Efficient regular LDPC codes were proposed by B. Vasic (Proc. Globecom 2001). These codes are based on balanced incomplete block designs (BIBD), known as Steiner systems, and have reduced complexity of the LDPC encoders. In this paper, using integer lattices, we introduce a new class of well structured LDPC codes that have high rates and low hardware complexity, and investigate their performance in perpendicular magnetic recording channels.
Global Environmental Agreements and Trade Sanctions

Recent interest in the environment, combined with the recognition that many environmental problems have global consequences, has focused attention on global environmental agreements as a means of controlling for transboundary externalities. An important issue in the formation of these environmental agreements concerns the potential benefits of linking such agreements to international trade agreements as a means of enforcement. This paper demonstrates that strategic incentives for countries to set "weak" environmental standards lessens the need to link environmental agreements to trade agreements. However, such linkage may be beneficial when governments have a strategic incentive to impose "strong" environmental standards.
Building 3D tissue niches for differentiating human pluripotent stem cells into pancreatic endoderm

The success in directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (HPSC) including embryonic stem (hES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells into islet-like cells raises new hopes for cell-based diabetes therapy. This, however, has not yet been possible due to the difficulty in generating fully functional beta cells in vitro. In many cases, cells differentiated from HPSCs are immature, or in other words, are unsuitable for cell replacement therapy. Most islet-like cells derived from HPSCs in vitro fail to function normally in vivo after transplantation in diabetic animal models. On the other hand, the in vivo maturation of pancreatic endoderm progenitors presents significant successes. We have developed a new approach to mature HPSC-derived pancreatic endoderm cells into glucose-responsive insulin-secreting cells. We constructed a collagen 3D scaffold and discovered that the maturity of beta-like cells can be considerably elevated when HPSC were differentiated into pancreatic endoderm within an engineered 3D scaffold. This observation was confirmed by both real-time PCR assay and glucose challenging experiments. Furthermore, TEM indicated the existence of insulin-secretion granules in these 3D formed cells, suggesting a high degree of maturation of these cells. This study clearly demonstrated more matured beta-like cells can be generated in vitro. The augment of this technology to other stem cell differentiations will bring cell replacement therapy one step closer to treating many diseases such as diabetes in more controllable clinical settings.
Contributions to the Local Gravitational Field From Beyond the Virgo Supercluster

In the last decade, the inter-relation between the density structure and velocity perturbations in the local Virgo Supercluster (VSC) has provided a major means of determining the cosmological density parameter Ω. The underlying dynamics, the so-called Virgocentric Flow Model (VFM), assumes that the relevant peculiar gravitational field in the VSC is dominated by the monopole term, due to material inside the VSC. Over the past year, however, this premise has been called into question, on both observational and theoretical grounds. It has become clear that the contributions to the local gravitational field from beyond the VSC cannot be neglected. The major new developments are summarized here. A more detailed review is given elsewhere (Yahil 1987).
The Havana Framework for supporting application and channel dependent QOS in wireless networks

For wireless channels, interference mitigation techniques are typically applied at the packet transmission level. In this paper, we present the Havana Framework for supporting integrated adaptive-QOS that also responds to impairments over multiple time scales that are present at the flow/session level. Our framework is based on three different mechanisms that operate over distinct adaptation time scales. At the packet transmission time scale, a channel predictor determines whether to transmit a packet or not depending on the state of the wireless channel. At the packet scheduling time scale, a compensator credits and compensates flows that experience bad link quality. Over even longer time scales an adaptor regulates flows taking into account the ability of wireless applications to adapt to changes in available bandwidth and channel conditions.
Strategic customer service orientation, lean manufacturing practices and performance outcomes

Purpose – The notion of achieving competitive advantage using a strategic customer service orientation (SCSO) has received increased research attention. The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept of SCSO in the context of rapidly changing competitive market environments. An organization-wide SCSO can be implemented through lean manufacturing practices to achieve favorable operational and business performances (BPs). Design/methodology/approach – This study employs survey methodology to examine a research model that theorizes eight hypotheses with respect to the relationships among SCSO, human and technical lean practices, and performance outcomes (operational and BPs). Data from 571 firms participating in the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS) IV are analyzed using structural equation modeling (AMOS 20). Findings – The findings suggest that firms with a SCSO implement both human and technical aspects of lean manufacturing practices leading to better performance results. The findin...
Obesity, obesity health risks, resilience, and acculturation in black African immigrants

Purpose – Obesity and obesity-related health problems are a growing concern for many immigrants in the USA. The literature that examines the linkages between acculturation, resilience, obesity health risks, and obesity outcomes among Black African immigrants is sparse. The purpose of this paper is to ascertain whether the predictor variable of acculturation showed a significant association with two criterion variables, obesity health risk symptoms, and obesity; and whether resilience acted as a moderator between acculturation, obesity health risk symptoms, and obesity among Black African immigrants living in the USA. Design/methodology/approach – The study consisted of a quantitative correlational survey research design. Participants of the study were 55 Black African immigrants residing in three metropolitan areas of the USA. Findings – Higher levels of acculturation were associated with fewer obesity health risks. Higher levels of resilience were associated with the fewest obesity health risks when the ...
Frequency and significance of physical evidence in legally proven cases of child sexual abuse

Clinicians have long recognized and attorneys have disputed that physical evidence of injury, sexually transmitted diseases, and seminal fluid are often absent in cases of child sexual abuse. To determine the frequency and significance of physical evidence in legally "proven" felony cases with penetration, a retrospective review of sexual abuse court records was done. A total of 45 randomly selected cases were reviewed; 39 (87%) had resulted in conviction of the perpetrator for felony. Charges of vaginal rape were made in 32 cases, and charges of oral and/or anal sodomy in 23 cases. No significant difference in rate of felony conviction was found in cases with or without physical evidence. Of 32 cases without physical evidence, 30 (94%) resulted in felony convictions, whereas only 9 of 13 cases (69%) with physical evidence resulted in a felony conviction. Multiple variables describing the abuse situation were not shown to effect the legal outcome of the cases. Of cases that resulted in felony convictions, physical evidence was present in only 23% (9 of 39). These results should be helpful for the clinician in counseling the family of the sexual abuse victim and the attorney who prosecutes child sexual abuse cases.
UXO Detection Improvements Using EM63 Synthetic Multi-receiver Array Geometries

The detection and discrimination of buried metal targets is an important aspect of geophysical electromagnetic induction (EMI) techniques. A Geonics EM63 time domain metal detector was modified from its standard configuration to permit variable transmitter—receiver (TX—RX) offsets. Several aluminum and steel objects were buried in shallow ground. Transient electromagnetic responses were measured and are presented in profile and map forms. The responses from different target arrangements show distinctive spatiotemporal RX induced—voltage patterns. The results indicate that pattern recognition methods may be useful for buried metal target discrimination using multi—RX EMI array configurations.
Structures and Dynamics in Amyloid-Beta Dimers: Effects of Zinc Binding and Chelation

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is causally linked to the self-association of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), a small protein of 39-43 amino acids. Historically, Aβ fibrils found in extracellular senile plaques were thought to be the pathogenic agents; however, recent evidence suggests that Aβ oligomers as small as dimers are more closely linked to Alzheimer's symptoms and progression. We have employed Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements to probe structures and dynamics in dimers of Aβ40. Results for single, surface-tethered dimers reveal two characteristic FRET efficiencies, perhaps indicative of two preferred dimer structures; these values are confirmed by fluorescence lifetime measurements in bulk solution. Here, we report comparative studies in the absence and presence of zinc, which is thought to promote Aβ oligomer formation at synapses. The effects of the zinc chelator clioquinol in reversing zinc-induced structural change will also be discussed.
Deconstructing the PDD Clinical Phenotype: Internal Validity of the DSM-IV.

Background: Empirical studies of the structure of autism symptoms have challenged the three-domain model of impairment currently characterizing pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). The objective of this study was to assess the internal validity of the DSM as a conceptual model for describing PDD, while paying particular attention to certain subject characteristics. Methods: Parents and teachers completed a DSM-IV-referenced rating scale for 3- to 12-year-old clinic referrals with a PDD (n = 730). Ratings were submitted to confirmatory factor analysis and different models were assessed for fit. Results: Measures of fit indicated that the three-factor solution based on the DSM was superior to other models. Most indices of fit were acceptable, but showed room for improvement. Fit indices varied according to the rater (parent or teacher), child’s age (preschool versus school aged), PDD subtype (autism, Asperger’s, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDDNOS)), and IQ. Conclusions: More research needs to be done before discarding current classification systems. Subject characteristics, modality of assessment, and procedural variations in statistical analyses impact conclusions about the structure of PDD symptoms.
Bone and Muscle Pleiotropy: The Genetics of Associated Traits

Bone and muscle mass are highly correlated. In part, this is a consequence of both tissues sharing common genetic determinants. In addition, both tissues are responsive to their mechanical environments. New genetic tools in mice will allow genes of interest to be inactivated in experimentally defined contexts, thus allowing investigators to distinguish direct effects on each tissue from physiological responses to a primary phenotype in the other.
Forearm interosseous ligament isometry.

Abstract Biomechanical testing was performed to determine isometric interosseous ligament graft placement as a preliminary step for reconstruction after an axial forearm disruption. Twenty-five combinations of potential ligament graft placement were studied on 7 fresh-frozen cadavers. Suture was used to simulate these potential ligament reconstructions, and suture excursion was used as an index of isometry. Ligament orientation was defined by the angle formed between the ulna and the suture (surrogate graft). Ligament position was defined by its insertion on the ulna as a percentage of ulna length. Suture-ulna angles from 9° to 38° produced significantly less suture excursion than angles of ≤39°. Minimal suture excursion was noted at angles of ≤20°, which we feel represents the optimal range for reconstruction. The optimal location on the ulna for isometric interosseous ligament reconstruction was at 25% to 30% of total ulna length, as measured proximally from the distal ulna articular surface. The radius isometric location is optimally located by a vector starting from the ulna isometric point and directed toward the proximal radius at an angle of ≤20° relative to the long axis of the ulna. Interosseous ligament reconstruction may prove beneficial in the long-term outcome of reconstruction after axial forearm disruption. (J Hand Surg 1999;24A:538–545. Copyright © 1999 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.)
On free recall and free-recall scoring in immediate memory

Subjects were asked for either free or ordered recall of eight-consonant immediate memory stimuli; ordered recall was scored by both free- and ordered-recall criteria. In terms of total errors, free-recall scoring performance was better than ordered-recall scoring; however, instructed free recall was better than ordered recall scored by a free-recall criterion. In all cases, emission of a redundant prefix increased error frequencies. There was evidence that with regard to the shape of the serial position curve, the instructional set was more important than the scoring criterion.
Natural history of insect sting allergy: Relationship of severity of symptoms of initial sting anaphylaxis to re-sting reactions

To examine the postulate that the nature of the symptoms of initial insect sting anaphylaxis is related to the risk and severity of subsequent sting reactions, the results of field re-stings were analyzed in 220 patients who had had venom anaphylaxis and did not receive venom immunotherapy. The incidence of a reaction after the first re-sting was 56% in the total group, was more frequent in adults (74%) than in children (40%), and was unrelated to the time interval since the initial sting reaction. When re-sting reactions did occur, the nature of the symptoms was similar to the symptoms of the initial sting reaction. Reactions to repeated re-stings tended to be similar. Overall, more severe reactions to re-stings occurred eventually in 24 patients. These observations confirm the frequent self-limiting course of insect sting allergy, especially in children, and the repetitive nature of specific anaphylactic symptoms, and the observations thus suggest that patients with mild to moderate anaphylactic symptoms probably do not require venom immunotherapy.