cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Position-Dependent Effect of Guanine Base Damage and Mutations on Telomeric G-Quadruplex and Telomerase Extension

Telomeres are hot spots for mutagenic oxidative and methylation base damage due to their high guanine content. We used single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer detection and biochemical assays to determine how different positions and types of guanine damage and mutations alter telomeric G-quadruplex structure and telomerase activity. We compared 15 modifications, including 8-oxoguanine (8oxoG), O-6-methylguanine (O6mG), and all three possible point mutations (G to A, T, and C) at the 3' three terminal guanine positions of a telomeric G-quadruplex, which is the critical access point for telomerase. We found that G-quadruplex structural instability was induced in the order C < T < A ≤ 8oxoG < O6mG, with the perturbation caused by O6mG far exceeding the perturbation caused by other base alterations. For all base modifications, the central G position was the most destabilizing among the three terminal guanines. While the structural disruption by 8oxoG and O6mG led to concomitant increases in telomerase binding and extension activity, the structural perturbation by point mutations (A, T, and C) did not, due to disrupted annealing between the telomeric overhang and the telomerase RNA template. Repositioning the same mutations away from the terminal guanines caused both G-quadruplex structural instability and elevated telomerase activity. Our findings demonstrate how a single-base modification drives structural alterations and telomere lengthening in a position-dependent manner. Furthermore, our results suggest a long-term and inheritable effect of telomeric DNA damage that can lead to telomere lengthening, which potentially contributes to oncogenesis.
Nonreciprocal piezoelectric metamaterial framework and circuit strategies

Recent research has shown that a proper spatiotemporal modulation of material properties (i.e., mass density or stiffness) can break reciprocity for elastic waves; however, such concepts are challenging to implement experimentally in mechanical waveguides. Piezoelectric metamaterials offer the possibility of parameter modification via electrical circuitry, constituting a convenient platform for spatiotemporal modulation. We introduce a fully coupled electromechanical framework and circuit strategies to enable nonreciprocal piezoelectric metamaterials using various schemes that include capacitive and inductive shunts as well as smooth modulation and nonsmooth switching. The high-fidelity framework presented herein does not rely on the assumption of simplified effective material property representation, and can be used to explore and predict the complete dynamics of the modulated system, accounting for full-system stability, circuit limitations, and more complex modulation schemes. A set of results is presented based on nonreciprocal configurations that illustrate potential implementation schemes, and demonstrate the versatility of piezoelectric materials for the design of truly integrated acoustic/elastic wave devices featuring nonreciprocal transmission.
Atop the Shoulders of Students: The Hidden Costs of Academic Entrepreneurship

This paper examines the impact of exposure to an advisor engaged in entrepreneurship on the innovative output of their advisees. Using a unique sample of advisors and advisees in computer sciences ...
Effect of Copper Resistivity and Filament Size on the Self-Field Instability of High- $J_{\rm c}$ $\hbox{Nb}_{3} \hbox{Sn}$ Strands

Nb3Sn strands with large filaments and high-Jc exhibit instabilities due to magnetization flux-jumps at low fields in changing magnetic fields. In addition, at intermediate fields of 5 to 7 T, these strands quench prematurely at currents well below the critical current. Current-voltage measurements are typically used for critical current determinations, and the premature quenching observed is driven by current redistribution within the strand as the current is increased and is termed “self-field” instability. This instability is exacerbated as the temperature is lowered from 4.2 K to 2 K superfluid helium. A previous study examined wires in the “quasi-adiabatic” limit, where dynamic heat transfer mechanisms are suppressed. In this paper, we report on measurements in the temperature range of 4.2-2 K on high-Jc RRP strands with varying copper stabilizer resistivities and Nb3Sn filament diameters. These measurements show that the residual resistivity ratio, RRR, of the copper stabilizer plays an important role in mitigating this instability. Also for strands with similar RRR, we find that the stability improves with decreasing filament diameters, although the improvement is not very dramatic.
Surface translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) localization on immune cells upon stimulation with LPS and in ART-treated HIV+ subjects

Translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) is a well-known outer mitochondrial membrane protein and it is widely used as a biomarker of neuroinflammation and brain injury. Although it is thought that TSPO plays key roles in a multitude of host cell functions, including steroid biosynthesis, apoptosis, generation of reactive oxygen species, and proliferation, some of these functions have recently been questioned. Here, we report the unexpected finding that circulating immune cells differentially express basal levels of TSPO on their cell surface, with a high percentage of monocytes and neutrophils expressing cell surface TSPO. In vitro stimulation of monocytes with LPS significantly increases the frequency of cells with surface TSPO expression in the absence of altered gene expression. Importantly, the LPS increase in TSPO cell surface expression in monocytes appears to be selective for LPS because two other distinct monocyte activators failed to increase the frequency of cells with surface TSPO. Finally, when we quantified immune cell TSPO surface expression in antiretroviral therapy-treated HIV+ donors, a chronic inflammatory disease, we found significant increases in the frequency of TSPO surface localization, which could be pharmacologically suppressed with ∆9 -tetrahydrocannabinol. These findings suggest that cell surface TSPO in circulating leukocytes could serve as a peripheral blood-based biomarker of inflammation.
Reproductive coercion, intimate partner violence, and pregnancy risk among adolescent women with a history of foster care involvement

Abstract Background The current study is the first to explore the prevalence of reproductive coercion among adolescent women currently or previously involved in the U.S. foster care system. Reproductive coercion (RC), a form of intimate partner violence (IPV) involving exertion of power over a partner by controlling their reproductive health and decision making, is a significant public health concern. Existing research on RC has primarily been conducted in either healthcare settings or on college campuses. Foster youth are disproportionately impacted by both adolescent pregnancy and interpersonal violence. RC may contribute to this elevated risk. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey in 2015 and 2016 of adolescent women (n = 136), ages 16–24 years old, seeking services from youth-serving agencies affiliated with a child welfare system in Pennsylvania, United States. Participants completed measures assessing RC, experiences of physical and sexual violence, sexual behaviors, and pregnancy. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess associations between RC and study outcomes. Results The sample was predominantly African American (67.4%) and largely identified as something other than heterosexual (46.6%). Nearly one-third of the sample (30.1%) reported a history of RC, with the most common being male partners telling them not to use birth control. High rates of IPV (62.1%), lifetime pregnancy (43.4%), and unwanted pregnancy (30.9%) were also reported. RC was associated with significantly higher odds of IPV (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 4.22, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.60, 11.13), multi-perpetrator rape (AOR 3.56, 95% CI: 1.04, 12.24), pregnancy (AOR = 5.39, 95% CI: 2.14, 13.60), and unintended pregnancy (AOR 5.39, 95% CI: 2.04, 14.25). Young women reporting RC also had elevated odds for using alcohol or drugs before sex (AOR = 4.34, 95% CI: 1.72, 10.97) and having sex with a male partner 5 years or more older (AOR = 7.32, 95% CI: 2.84, 18.87). No significant differences emerged between RC and sociodemographic characteristics. Implications These data suggest women involved in the U.S. foster care system, particularly women of color and/or LGBTQ + identified who comprised the majority of participants in the current study, may be at an increased risk for experiencing RC and other forms of IPV associated with adolescent pregnancy. In addition to efforts to prevent IPV and sexual violence, assessment for RC, healthy relationships education, and access to sexual and reproductive health care may mitigate these risks and improve outcomes for these young women.
Infant Sleeping Practices In A Suburban Community Of Santo Domingo, Ecuador.

Background Ecuador’s annual mortality rate from SIDS is 0.4 per 100,000 people, twice the global rate of 0.2. Bed-sharing and non-supine positioning are the most common risk factors associated with sudden unexplained infant death and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Healthcare staff at the Centro Medico Hombro a Hombro (CMHH), a health center affiliated with the University of Kentucky and located in Santo Domingo, Ecuador, report a high proportion of bed-sharing and unsafe positions for infant sleep in their community. There are no studies reporting infant sleep practices in this community. We want to investigate the local social and …
Remdesivir use and outcomes during the FDA COVID-19 emergency use authorization period.

Background:Remdesivir (RDV) was approved for treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in May 2020 under US Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization (EUA). Clinical outcomes...
The Transnational (Re)Turn of Korean Studies

What new kinds of knowledge are we to envision when an academic trend or a body of scholarship is established with the purpose of studying the culture, history, traditions, and, above all, language, of another nation? Such knowledge would be obtained through the crossing of national boundaries, minimally involving actual physical travel on the part of the scholar, the translation and transmission of printed or electronic data, or combinations of both. Such knowledge would involve skepticism, as well as the recognition of national boundaries. Most importantly, it would call for attentiveness in relation to the uneven power relations between the nations involved. As such, in common with many other intellectual endeavors, one that involves the study of another nation cannot avoid a process of engaging in political reflection and consciousness that is transnationally traversed. It is with this realization in mind that I begin this short essay on rethinking Korean Studies in the US.
Enantioselective separations in capillary electrophoresis with dextran sulfate as the chiral selector

Dextran sulfate, a polyanionic polysaccharide, was evaluated as a chiral additive in capillary electrophoresis. Structurally related compounds having a variety of functional groups were utilized to probe the selectivity of the chiral selector. The effects of pH, chiral selector concentration, and chiral selector composition on resolution were also studied. At low pH, the reversed polarity mode was employed to achieve separation of the probe compounds. The electrophoretic results provided insight into the chiral recognition of dextran sulfate in capillary electrophoresis. Several factors, including hydrophobic, steric, and electrostatic interactions, appeared to play a role in the observed enantioseparations.
The Chinese Struggle for Civil Rights in Nineteenth Century America: The First Phase, 1850-1870

This chapter suggests that standard interpretations of the Chinese experience in America are in great need of revision. A very important corollary of the sojourner theme is the notion that the nineteenth century Chinese community had utterly no interest in American political institutions or desires to adapt itself to them. The chapter focuses on the period 1850-1870 and on the events that eventually led Congress to enact section 16 of the Civil Rights Act of 1870. Beneath all the surface rationalizations, this was to be the gravamen of the complaint against the Chinese through the many phases of the anti-Chinese movement in California. At first, there was no notable opposition in the Chinese community to either the 1852 license legislation or the commutation tax. The drastic increase in the miners' tax also provoked considerable disquiet after the public realized its full effects. The Chinese reacted quickly and vocally to the Hall decision.
Factors Which Affect DNA Repair in Human Lymphocytes

The realization that for most cancers the initiating event is a somatic mutation led naturally to the hypothesis that susceptibility to cancer could be inversely correlated with the ability to repair genetic damage. This possibility is supported by the observation that for some types of cancer susceptibility seems to be inherited. To evaluate such a hypothesis, it is necessary to have available a technique for measuring-in vivo repair capacity in humans. It has been demonstrated clearly that carcinogenesis is a multistage phenomenon, and that the possibility of developing a neoplasm depends not only on exposure to a physical or chemical carcinogen, but also on physiological and metabolic parameters characteristic of each individual. Hormone levels, various components of the diet, and psychological stress are factors for which correlations with tumor development have been shown; but which are not DNA damaging agents. The complexity of the carcinogenic process and the extremely large number of parameters which could influence its progression make elucidation of this process by in vitro systems extremely difficult. The mechanisms of genetic damage by particular carcinogens and cellular repair responses to this damage can be elucidated with in vitro cell culture (Sutherland et al., 1980).
bis-The diffusive permeability of bilayer membranes: The contribution of transient aqueous pores

Abstract The diffusive permeability Pdm of various bilayer membranes has been measured by others. For small hydrophyllic solutes an important general feature is the rapid decrease in Pdm with increasing molecular size. As discussed in the preceding paper, the hypothesis of a large population of thermally excited transient aqueous pores is consistent with important electrical properties of bilayer membranes. Here the pore population is shown to also be consistent with experimentally determined diffusive permeabilities. In addition, the contribution of a pore population to Pdm is shown to give a significant fractional increase in membrane permeability as the transmembrane voltage is varied from 0 to 200 mV. Even though the magnitude of Pdm at U = 0 decreases rapidly with increasing molecular size, the fractional increase in Pdm with voltage is predicted to become larger as molecular size increases, and is believed to be related to the tremendous transient increase in permeability which accompanies reversible electrical breakdown.
Informed Consent in the Practice of Law

Legal malpractice decisions that rely on the professional standard of care are expanding to reemphasize fiduciary principles at the heart of the attorney-client relationship. Informed consent has been defined in a growing group of cases. These opinions protect the client's right to choose by building on fiduciary principles of nineteenth century cases that focused on the client's reasonable expectations.
Intra-individual changes in body weight in population-based cohorts during four decades: the Finnish FINRISK study

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate trends in intra-individual weight changes over the last four decades in Finland. Methods: Within the eight FINRISK surveys conducted during the years 1972–2007, we identified individuals who had participated, by chance in at least two surveys. First, individuals aged 25–54 years who had undergone a health examination within 10 years of the first examination ( n = 2033) were categorized into five cohorts covering different time periods, and the annual weight change was calculated at follow-up. Second, for each individual aged 25–69 years the longest possible follow-up time (5–35 years) was identified ( n = 3443), and the corresponding annual weight change was evaluated. Results: Comparing the five cohorts from different time periods, the annual increase in body weight among men between 25- and 54-year old remained stable in the range of 0.27–0.47 kg per year over the decades, whereas women belonging to the most recent cohorts (the 1990s) gained weight at 0.53–0.63 kg per year, which is more than double the oldest cohort’s weight gain of 0.24 kg. Overall, the annual increase in weight was around 0.3 kg in both sexes. The younger participants had a stronger tendency to gain weight than the older, and those with BMI < 25 kg/m2 gained more than overweight or obese individuals. Conclusion: The amount of intra-individual annual increase in body weight among men remained stable over the decades, while it increased among women. The tendency to gain weight was most pronounced among the youngest and among those initially leanest.
Tectonic implications of nonparallel topographic and structural curvature in the higher elevations of an active collision zone, Taiwan

Curves in the topographic grain of active orogenic belts typically parallel faults and lithologic contacts in part because of linkages between uplift rates and the structural development of the overriding plate. However, in the Taiwan collision zone, the topographic grain trends nonparallel to mapped faults and folds in the central portion of the belt along the southwest flank of the Hsuehshan Range. Here, the northern side of the Puli topographic embayment trends ∼345°, forming a topographic break that lies at a high angle to the structural grain but is nearly parallel to an underlying continental margin fracture zone in the downgoing plate. We analyzed fault-slip and other structural data, extracted normalized steepness indices from streams within the Tachia, Peikang, and Mei River basins, and integrated the results with recently published precise leveling data in order to understand the spatial and temporal variation in uplift and the structures that accommodated that uplift. Stress inversion reveals a NW-SE–trending maximum compression direction for an early-stage fault population and an ENE-WSW–trending maximum compression direction for a late-stage fault population. River steepness indices delineate a NW-trending boundary in incision rate that coincides with an increase in rock uplift rates derived from independent geodetic measurements. This NW-trending boundary is consistent with the late-stage maximum compression direction, suggesting that uplift of the Hsuehshan Range relative to the Puli topographic embayment has been accommodated by the late-stage faults. Our results suggest that a continental margin promontory has slowed underplating beneath the Puli topographic embayment and that the topographic grain of active collision zones is closely linked with the architecture of the downgoing plate.
Statics and Dynamics of Offshore Cable and Flexible Pipe Systems

A new method for the static and dynamic analysis of offshore cable structures is presented. These structures may consist of floating platform, buoys, weights, anchors, etc. interconnected by arbitrary arrangements of cables and flexible pipes. Displacements or forces can be specified at any number of nodal points and wave or current interaction be simulated. The efficiency of the method is demonstrated by several applications: dynamic response of deep-water oil production platform, anchor drop, sonar towing, dynamic stiffness of mooring lines, tanker loading systems with flexible pipes, etc.
Thyroid function in Amphiuma.

Abstract The maximum observed uptake of radioiodine by normal Amphiuma thyroid was about 5.6% of the injected dose at 96 hours after the isotope injection. Thus, the level and rate of thyroid function are relatively low. Thyroxine given in large doses (about 5 mg) reduced the thyroid uptake to 0.8% at 96 hours after the I131-injection. More than 80% of thyroidal radioiodine at any of the observed time intervals was in the form of mono- and diiodotyrosine. A small proportion (1.4%) of the radioiodine was found as thyroxine, 96 hours after administration to these salamanders, and in only one of four groups of test animals. The frequency of shedding of epidermis was accelerated in thyroxine-treated animals, and there was a recognizable histological response in the skin.
Do Institutional Shareholders Services (ISS) Corporate Governance Ratings Reflect a Company's Operating Performance?

Little is known about the relation between the actual governance rating received by a firm and the firm's performance. In this study, we examine the relation between the actual corporate governance rating received by a firm and the firm's performance during the years 2002, 2003, and 2004. We use the Institutional Shareholders Services (ISS) corporate governance quotient (CGQ) rating of a firm's corporate governance structure and analyze this rating in relation to the firm's operating performance. We compare the Institutional Shareholders Services' CGQ rating to two measures of the firm's operating performance, return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). Based upon our results, we do not find statistical evidence suggesting that the firms' operating performance is related to the firms' ISS corporate governance rating.
The influence of site-specificity of single amino acid substitutions on electrophoretic separation of yeast iso-1-cytochromec

This study dealt with the ability of non-denaturing gel electrophoresis to separate iso-1-cytochromec with single amino acid replacements isolated from revertants of variouscyc1 nonsense mutants of the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae. A total of 28 different iso-1-cytochromesc with single amino acid substitutions of one of seven amino acids at six positions were examined on nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels at pH 4.8. Each of these iso-1-cytochromesc exhibited 1 of 16 distinct electrophoretic mobilities. We could distinguish the majority of iso-1-cytochromesc, even those having the same replacement at different sites and those having different replacements that resulted in the same net charge. These results provide confirmation of the importance of site-specific effects on the electrophoretic mobility, and presumably other properties, of proteins differing in sequence by as little as one amino acid. They demonstrate that nondenaturing electrophoresis is able to separate the majority of, but not all, proteins differing by single amino acids.
Solvent Extraction Studies of Lead Using Alamine 336 and Aliquat 336-S

Abstract New solvent extraction systems have been developed for the removal of lead ions from aqueous chloride solutions using the high-molecular-weight amines, Alamine 336 and Aliquat 336-S. The lead ions can be extracted with better than 80% efficiency using equal volumes of either 5% Alamine 336 or 5% Aliquat 336-S. The extractions are simple and rapid. The extracted lead can be stripped in both cases using EDTA
On the Effects of the External Surface on the Equilibrium Transport in Zeolite Crystals

With the aid of molecular simulation techniques (molecular dynamics, grand-canonical Monte Carlo, and reactive flux correlation function RFCF), the influence of the external surface on the equilibrium permeation of methane and ethane into and out of an AFI-type zeolite crystal has been studied. In particular, “extended dynamically corrected transition state theory”, which has been proven to describe the transport of tracers in periodic crystals correctly, has been applied to surface problems. The results suggest that the molecules follow paths that are close to the pore wall in the interior and also at the crystal surface. Moreover, the recrossing rate at the surface turns out to be non-negligible, yet, in contrast to the intracrystalline recrossing rate, remains almost constant over loading which gives indication to diffusive barrier crossing at the crystal surface. As a consequence of very different adsorption and desorption barriers, the corresponding permeabilities are shown to be not equal for one and the same condition (T and p). The critical crystal length, beyond which surface effects can be certainly neglected, is computed on basis of flux densities. Entrance/exit effects, in the present cases, are practically important solely for ethane at low pressures. The influence of the type of external surface on the surface flux is, hereby, rather small, because the transport at the surface is controlled by the slow supply from the gas phase. This has been evidenced by a simplified thermodynamic model that has been derived within this work and which is based on rapidly assessable simulation data. Finally, we propose a procedure for estimating the importance of different factors that have an impact on surface effects.
SOLDADOS HISTÓRICOS EN UN PANEL DE ARTE RUPESTRE, PUNO, PERU: LOS CAUDILLOS DEL SIGLO XIX Y EL COMENTARIO POLÍTICO ANDINO

espanolLa historiografia de la epoca colonial tardia y republicana temprana en los Andes ha sido dominada por las voces y las preocupaciones de los criollos letrados. Asi, los registros producidos por los propios pobladores andinos rurales son particularmente informativos, incluidos aquellos en los cuales no se utilizo la escritura. En este articulo se describen las Pinturas de Japuraya, un panel de arte rupestre registrado en 2009 cerca de Tiquillaca, departamento de Puno, Peru. El panel principal representa una fila de soldados, musicos y oficiales cuyos uniformes estan inusualmente detallados, ligando la imagen al lapso entre 1821 y 1852, y muy probablemente entre 1835 y 1842. Mas adelante, ilustraciones adicionales de soldados fueron grabadas en la roca, cerca de la imagen original, y otras partes fueron desfiguradas a proposito. Esta representacion permite una nueva perspectiva de como las fuerzas militares de los caudillos poderosos fueron percibidas por los ojos indigenas en la sierra sur-central en un tiempo historico de gran agitacion y faccionalismo. EnglishThe historiography of the late colonial and early republican Andes has traditionally been dominated by the voices and concerns of literate elites of Spanish descent. Hence the records produced by rural Andeans themselves are particularly valuable, including those that did not utilize the written word. This paper describes Pinturas de Japuraya, a rock art painting discovered in 2009 near Tiquillaca in the department of Puno in southern Peru. The main panel portrays a line of marching soldiers, musicians, and officers whose uniforms are unusually detailed, pinning the image to a time frame between 1821 and 1852, and most likely between 1835 and 1842. Later, additional soldiers were scratched into the rock near the original pictograph, and parts of the pictograph were intentionally defaced. This portrayal offers insight into how military forces led by powerful Hispanic warlords were seen through native eyes in the south-central highlands at a historical moment of great turmoil and factionalism.
Treatment Options for Hyperphosphatemia in Feline CKD: What's Out there?:

Practical relevance Phosphorus is retained in chronic kidney disease (CKD), promoting renal secondary hyperparathyroidism and eventually resulting in hyperphosphatemia. Most agree that phosphate re...
Mercury in the atmosphere

A source of atmospheric mercury, which appears to be associated with marine biological activity, has been located in the equatorial region of the Pacific Ocean. A recent report of a study of mercury and its compounds confirm models of oceanic sources of mercury to the marine troposphere, but suggest that the process involved may be a good deal more complex than previously thought. W.F. Fitzgerald, G.A. Gill, and J.P. Kim wrote in Science (244, 597–599, 1984) that their results “…demonstrate that Hg interactions between the oceans and atmosphere are more complex than geochemical mass balance estimates suggest.”
The effect of tip radius on nano-indentation hardness tests

Abstract Sub-micron indentation hardness tests on silicon and aluminum, both in their bulk forms and in layer-substrate combinations, are simulated by the finite element method using a blunt indenter. The blunt indenter is modeled by a cone with a spherical cap with various radii. Emphasis is placed on the effect of the tip radius on the hardness tests. Two methods for the determination of the contact area are employed: one measures the contact area from the residual indentation; the other uses the plastic depth and the area-depth relationship of the indenter. Indentation tests on bulk materials show weak tip and indentation size effects. For an aluminum layer on a silicon substrate, the hardness is relatively insensitive to the tip radius. On the contrary, for a silicon layer on an aluminum substrate, the hardness is much more sensitive to the tip radius. In order to obtain the hardness of this layer-substrate combination without the influence from the substrate, the tip radius to layer thickness ratio should be less than 1.25.
Localized tumor delivery of radiosensitizers and chemotherapeutics using ‘INCeRT’ implants

Systemic chemotherapy is often used with radiation therapy in the management of prostate cancer, but leads to severe systemic toxicities. We have introduced a new modality of loco-regional chemoradiation therapy termed in-situ image guided radiation therapy (BIS-IGRT) that offers the potential to deliver planned, localized and sustained delivery of chemotherapy agent, without systemic toxicities, as part of routine minimally invasive image guided radiation therapy procedures. Such image guided chemoradiation therapy replaces inert spacers with no therapeutic impact currently used in brachytherapy, with drug eluting spacers that provide the same spatial benefit with the added localized chemotherapeutic. This new therapeutic modality requires characterization of the drug distribution produced by implantable drug eluters. This work presents imaging based means to measure and compare temporal and spatial properties of diffusion distributions around spacers loaded with multi-sized dye-doped nanoparticles or with free dye. The spacer with optimal diffusive properties was then loaded with chemotherapeutics and inserted intratumorally for efficacy of the local chemotherapy versus the standard systemic dosing.
Linearization of expansive homeomorphisms

Abstract In this paper it is shown that the problem of studying expansive homeomorphisms on a bounded subset of a normed linear space is equivalent to the problem of studying linear expansive homeomorphisms on a bounded subset of another normed line space. If the first space is a Hilbert space, the second may be taken to be a Hilbert space. Two theorems are deduced as consequences of the preceding ideas.
Nonlinear modulation of gravity waves: a rigorous approach

Weakly nonlinear gravity waves of given wavenumber in a horizontally unbounded two-dimensional domain are expected to undergo slow modulations in space and time. Together with an attendant analysis of the water wave equations, this work gives a mathematical justification of the modulation approximation. It proves that the resulting wavepacket, whose envelope is governed by the cubic nonlinear Schrodinger equation is a solution of the water wave equations to leading order. An upper bound of the remainder is also provided.
The Treatment of Adolescents With Schizotypal Personality Disorder and Related Conditions: A Practice‐Oriented Review of the Literature

Adolescents with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) exhibit a wide range of symptomatology, including cognitive and perceptual abnormalities, suspiciousness, eccentric behavior, cognitive deficits, and social skills deficits. This symptomatology is often accompanied by reduced social and role functioning, comorbid psychopathology, and poor long-term outcomes. Although there is little treatment research for SPD among adolescents, research on the treatment of other schizophrenia spectrum disorders and syndromes (e.g., clinical high risk for psychosis) can be used to inform clinical practice. A review of the literature suggests that a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive training, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, and treatment for any comorbid substance use disorders is currently the best supported treatment plan. Other promising treatments are also discussed.
Clustering of Membrane Raft Proteins by the Actin Cytoskeleton

Cell membranes are laterally organized into functionally discrete domains that include the cholesterol-dependent membrane "rafts." However, how membrane domains are established and maintained remains unresolved and controversial but often requires the actin cytoskeleton. In this study, we used fluorescence resonance energy transfer to measure the role of the actin cytoskeleton in the co-clustering of membrane raft-associated fluorescent proteins (FPs) and FPs targeted to the nonraft membrane fraction. By fitting the fluorescence resonance energy transfer data to an isothermal binding equation, we observed a specific co-clustering of raft-associated donor and acceptor probes that was sensitive to latrunculin B (Lat B), which disrupts the actin cytoskeleton. Conversely, treating with jasplakinolide to enhance actin polymerization increased co-clustering of the raft-associated FPs over that of the nonraft probes. We also observed by immunoblotting experiments that the actin-dependent co-clustering coincided with regulation of the raft-associated Src family kinase Lck. Specifically, Lat B decreased the phosphorylation of the C-terminal regulatory tyrosine of Lck (Tyr505), and combining the Lat B with filipin further decreased the Tyr505 phosphorylation. Furthermore, the Lat B-dependent changes in Lck regulation required CD45 because no significant changes occurred in treated T cells lacking CD45 expression. These data define a role for the actin cytoskeleton in promoting co-clustering of raft-associated proteins and show that this property is important toward regulating raft-associated signaling proteins such as Lck.
On thermodynamic and microscopic reversibility

The word 'reversible' has two (apparently) distinct applications in statistical thermodynamics. A thermodynamically reversible process indicates an experimental protocol for which the entropy change is zero, whereas the principle of microscopic reversibility asserts that the probability of any trajectory of a system through phase space equals that of the time reversed trajectory. However, these two terms are actually synonymous: a thermodynamically reversible process is microscopically reversible, and vice versa.
New properties of the complex-plane representation of polarization

Properties of the complex-plane representation of polarization are derived which include first the resolution of an arbitrary polarization into two orthogonal states, and secondly the definition of nearness functions that express the closeness of the polarization states represented by two points in the complex plane. Applications where these results are significant are discussed.
Symmetric conference matrices and locally largest regular crosspolytopes in cubes

The problem of finding a regular n-dimensional crosspolytope (or simplex) of maximal volume in an n-dimensional cube subsumes the famous problem about the existence of Hadamard matrices. In this paper it is shown that the crosspolytope problem also has a connection to another important class of matrices, the symmetric conference matrices. It is shown that symmetric conference matrices are closely related to crosspolytopes that are locally optimal, in a certain natural sense. Some open questions about the local optimality of crosspolytopes related to other matrices (in particular, to weighing matrices) are also presented.
Multiple-constraints neural network solution for edge-pixel-based stereo correspondence problem

This paper describes a fast and robust artificial neural network algorithm for solving the stereo correspondence problem in binocular vision. In this algorithm, the stereo correspondence problem is modelled as a cost minimization problem where the cost is the value of the matching function between the edge pixels along the same epipolar line. A multiple-constraint energy minimization neural network is implemented for this matching process. This algorithm differs from previous works in that it integrates ordering and geometry constraints in addition to uniqueness, continuity, and epipolar line constraint into a neural network implementation. The processing procedures are similar to that of the human vision processes. The edge pixels are divided into different clusters according to their orientation and contrast polarity. The matching is performed only between the edge pixels in the same clusters and at the same epipolar line. By following the epipolar line, the ordering constraint (the left-right relation between pixels) can be specified easily without building extra relational graphs as in the earlier works. The algorithm thus assigns artificial neurons which follow the same order of the pixels along an epipolar line to represent the matching candidate pairs. The algorithm is discussed in detail and experimental results using real images are presented.
Surface phenomena of potential concern to longevity of dispenser cathodes

Abstract Dispenser cathodes removed from life-test diodes having test periods of 580 h to 52000 h and unused dispenser cathodes have been examined by several surface analytical techniques. Surface topography has been characterized by scanning electron microscopy, and surface chemistry of cathodes activated in situ has been studied using Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The aim of these studies was to reveal information regarding potential long-life emission degradation. It was found that significant amounts of tungsten are lost from the cathodes in life tests giving rise to various morphological features. Residual deposits of dispenser impregnant are found on the surface and within the surface pores. Microscopic surface spots, ≲ 0.1 μm diameter, having low secondary emission coefficients are found to develop with life-test age. Auger electron spectroscopy shows that freshly activated cathodes, at operating temperatures, demonstrate relatively stable surface chemistry so long as the probing electron beam parameters are held constant. However, local changes in chemical composition accompany changes in beam flux. During the in situ activation procedure, the initial surface barium oxide undergoes significant chemical transformation. Barium on the activated surface appears to exist in a stable metallic form. No major chemical changes in the activated surface were found during 250 h at operating temperatures, as observed by Auger electron spectroscopy or X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
Future treatment strategies for COPD.

Abstract As the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is receiving increased attention from medical researchers. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease now defines COPD as a progressive disease state characterized by chronic respiratory tract inflammation as well as airflow limitation that is partialloy reversible with appropriate treatment. The inflammatory pathway associated with COPD, although not well studied in the past, is also receiving more attention as medical researchers attempt to elucidate the cellular and molecular pathogenetic mechanisms that result in the development of COPD. Understanding the pathogenetic mechanisms will lead to new therapeutic strategies. The purpose of this review is to identify the known major therapeutic targets and the agents available to treat this devastating disease and some of the new agents that are being developed.
The imact of nitridation and nucleation layer process conditions on morphology and electron transport in GaN epitaxial films

A systematic study has been performed to determine the characteristics of an optimized nucleation layer for GaN growth on sapphire. The films were grown during GaN process development in a vertical close-spaced showerhead metalorganic chemical vapor deposition reactor. The relationship between growth process parameters and the resultant properties of low temperature GaN nucleation layers and high temperature epitaxial GaN films is detailed. In particular, we discuss the combined influence of nitridation conditions, V/III ratio, temperature and pressure on optimized nucleation layer formation required to achieve reproducible high mobility GaN epitaxy in this reactor geometry. Atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy have been used to study improvements in grain size and orientation of initial epitaxial film growth as a function of varied nitridation and nucleation layer process parameters. Improvements in film morphology and structure are directly related to Hall transport measurements of silicon-doped GaN films. Reproducible growth of silicon-doped GaN films having mobilities of 550 cm2/Vs with electron concentrations of 3 × 1017 cm−3, and defect densities less than 108 cm−2 is reported. These represent the best reported results to date for GaN growth using a standard two-step process in this reactor geometry.
Pathology of metastasizing tumors in nitrosomethyl urea‐induced rat mammary carcinoma

The metastatic capacity of rat mammary tumors induced with N-nitrosomethyl urea was tested in BUF/N inbred female rats by successive transplantation. After the first and second passage, tumor cells appeared diffusely distributed throughout the bone marrow and spleen, confirming results reported by others; no other metastases were observed. After six successive transplantations, large, well-defined tumor nodules were observed in the liver, spleen, lung, and the peritoneal surface of the intestines in 40% of the injected animals. The morphology of the primary and metastatic tumors was compared by light microscopy. The tumors appeared to be adenocarcinomas with differing degrees of differentiation. No morphological differences could be observed between the primary and the metastatic tumors.
Mean-field theory and multitarget tracking

This paper presents a novel Kalman filter for track maintenance in multitarget tracking using thresholded sensor data at high target/clutter densities and low detection levels. The filter is robust against tracking errors induced by crossing tracks, clutter and missed detections and the computational complexity of the filter scales well with problem size. There are two key features that differentiate this approach from earlier work. First, in order to enhance tracking of close tracks, the filter explicitly models the error correlations that occur between such target pairs. These error correlations arise due to the measurement to track association ambiguity present when target separations are comparable to the measurement errors in the sensors. Second, in order to reduce the computational load, the filter exploits techniques from statistical field theory to simplify the combinatorial complexity of measurement to track association. This is accomplished by developing a mean-field approximation to the summation over all associations.
In defense of diligence: A rejoinder to Pelham and Carvallo (2011).

In Simonsohn (2011) I reported the results from 14 studies that suggest all existing evidence of implicit egotism in marriage, job, and location decisions is spurious. Lack of diligence by Pelham and colleagues explains in great part why the confounds behind their findings were not addressed in time. They almost never included controls, were dismissive of blatant alternative explanations, and on occasion misreported factual information that made confounds appear less important. Their rebuttal is similarly lacking in diligence. The specific empirical concerns it raised are contradicted by evidence, logic, or both. It reported misleading examples and inaccurate facts (some regarding the authors' own data). In this rejoinder I address all specific issues they raised about the empirics of my article. I then provide perhaps the most striking example of lack of diligence in their earlier work. I close on a constructive note, providing 2 concrete suggestions on how to analyze data in future implicit egotism studies.
Modeling of flux decline during crossflow ultrafiltration of colloidal suspensions

Abstract Mass transfer during crossflow ultrafiltration is mathematically expressed using the two-dimensional convective–diffusion equation. Numerical simulations showed that mass transfer in crossflow filtration quickly reaches a steady-state for constant boundary conditions. Hence, the unsteady nature of the permeate flux decline must be caused by changes in the hydraulic boundary condition at the membrane surface due to cake formation during filtration. A step-wise pseudo steady-state model was developed to predict the flux decline due to concentration polarization during crossflow ultrafiltration. An iterative algorithm was employed to predict the amount of flux decline for each finite time interval until the true steady-state permeate flux is established. For model verification, crossflow filtration of monodisperse polystyrene latex suspensions ranging from 0.064 to 2.16 μm in diameter was studied under constant transmembrane pressure mode. Besides the crossflow filtration tests, dead-end filtration tests were also carried out to independently determine a model parameter, the specific cake resistance. Another model parameter, the effective diffusion coefficient, is defined as the sum of molecular and shear-induced hydrodynamic diffusion coefficients. The step-wise pseudo steady-state model predictions are in good agreement with experimental results of flux decline during crossflow ultrafiltration of colloidal suspensions. Experimental variations in particle size, feed concentration, and crossflow velocity were also effectively modeled.
Joint Analysis of Survival Time and Longitudinal Categorical Outcomes.

In biomedical or public health research, it is common for both survival time and longitudinal categorical outcomes to be collected for a subject, along with the subject’s characteristics or risk factors. Investigators are often interested in finding important variables for predicting both survival time and longitudinal outcomes which could be correlated within the same subject. Existing approaches for such joint analyses deal with continuous longitudinal outcomes. New statistical methods need to be developed for categorical longitudinal outcomes. We propose to simultaneously model the survival time with a stratified Cox proportional hazards model and the longitudinal categorical outcomes with a generalized linear mixed model. Random effects are introduced to account for the dependence between survival time and longitudinal outcomes due to unobserved factors. The Expectation–Maximization (EM) algorithm is used to derive the point estimates for the model parameters, and the observed information matrix is adopted to estimate their asymptotic variances. Asymptotic properties for our proposed maximum likelihood estimators are established using the theory of empirical processes. The method is demonstrated to perform well in finite samples via simulation studies. We illustrate our approach with data from the Carolina Head and Neck Cancer Study (CHANCE) and compare the results based on our simultaneous analysis and the separately conducted analyses using the generalized linear mixed model and the Cox proportional hazards model. Our proposed method identifies more predictors than by separate analyses.