cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A digital ring transverse feedback low-level RF control system

A digital wide-band system for damping ring instabilities in an accelerator is presented. With increased beam intensity, the losses of an accumulator ring tend to increase due to the onset of various instabilities in the beam. An analog feedback damper system has been implemented at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This analog system, while functional, has certain limitations and a lack of programmability, which can be overcome by a digital solution. A digital feedback damper system is being designed through a collaborative effort by researchers at Oakridge National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the University of Wisconsin. This system, which includes analog-to-digital converters, field programmable gate arrays and digital-to-analog converters can equalize errors inherent to analog systems, such as dispersion due to amplifiers/cables, gain mismatches, and timing adjustments. The digital system features programmable gains and delays, and programmable equalizers that are implemented using digital FIR and comb filters. The flexibility of the digital system allows it to be customized to implement different configurations and extended to address other diagnostic problems.
The Influence of Youth Music Television Viewership on Changes in Cigarette Use and Association With Smoking Peers: A Social Identity, Reinforcing Spirals Perspective

Prior research has found strong evidence of a prospective association between R movie exposure and teen smoking. Using parallel process latent-growth modeling, the present study examines prospective associations between viewing of music video channels on television (e.g., MTV and VH-1) and changes over time in smoking and association with smoking peers. Results showed that baseline viewing of music-oriented channels such as MTV and VH-1 robustly predicted increasing trajectories of smoking and of associating with smoking peers, even after application of a variety of controls including parent reports of monitoring behavior. These results are consistent with the arguments from the reinforcing spirals model that such media use serves as a means of developing emergent adolescent social identities consistent with associating with smoking peers and acquiring smoking and other risk behaviors; evidence also suggests that media choice in reinforcing spiral processes are dynamic and evolve as social identity evolves.
Evaluation of sensitivity, performance and reproducibility of microarray technology in neuronal tissue.

SYNOPSIS. Microarray technology is a powerful technique that allows the simultaneous study of thousands of gene transcripts. During the past two years there has been an explosion of publications describing experiments utilizing microarray technology that range from original research findings from biological paradigms to mathematically modeled systems. However, neuroscientists using microarray technology face significant challenges due to high tissue complexity, low abundance transcripts, and small magnitude changes in transcript levels that have significant biological impact. This manuscript describes a series of studies designed to address issues regarding microarray sensitivity, ability of microarrays to detect subtle changes, and reproducibility of microarray experiments, all in the context of neuronal tissue. From the presentation of these studies, the authors argue that although microarray technology is limited with regards to sensitivity, the outcome of these experiments, if approached with appropriate skepticism, can be fruitful in the generation of hypotheses and seeding of future experiments.
Neurology Was There—1960

In 1960, the general presidential election introduced television as a critical factor in the elecI tion process as a series of 4 television debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon was scheduled. Kennedy won the November election, embarking on a new age of emphasis on technological advancement for the United States. The struggle between the Western and Communist worlds dominated the international scene as the world was deep in the midst of the Cold War. On May 1, 1960, an American U2 pilot's plane was shot down over the Soviet Union. He was eventually convicted of treason and sentenced to 10 years in prison in the Soviet Union. Nikita Khruschev demanded reorganization of the United Nations and warned the United States that if it interfered with Cuba there would be rocket attacks. Neurology was there.
Faulting and fracturing in shale and self-sourced reservoirs: Introduction

Production from self-sourced reservoirs relies on natural and induced fracturing for permeability and conductance of hydrocarbons to the producing wellbores, thus natural or induced fracturing is often a key to success in unconventional reservoir plays. On the other hand, fractures may compromise seals and large or well-connected fractures or faults may cause undesirable complications for unconventional reservoirs. Natural and induced fractures are influenced by (1) mechanical stratigraphy, (2) pre-existing natural deformation such as faults, fractures, and folds, and (3) in situ stress conditions, both natural and as modified by stimulation and pressure depletion. This special issue of the AAPG Bulletin elucidates some of these structural geologic and geomechanical controls. Understanding the occurrence and controls on natural and induced faulting and fracturing in self-sourced reservoirs is a key component for developing effective approaches for exploiting self-sourced reservoirs.
DOVIS: an implementation for high-throughput virtual screening using AutoDock

Molecular-docking-based virtual screening is an important tool in drug discovery that is used to significantly reduce the number of possible chemical compounds to be investigated. In addition to the selection of a sound docking strategy with appropriate scoring functions, another technical challenge is to in silico screen millions of compounds in a reasonable time. To meet this challenge, it is necessary to use high performance computing (HPC) platforms and techniques. However, the development of an integrated HPC system that makes efficient use of its elements is not trivial. We have developed an application termed DOVIS that uses AutoDock (version 3) as the docking engine and runs in parallel on a Linux cluster. DOVIS can efficiently dock large numbers (millions) of small molecules (ligands) to a receptor, screening 500 to 1,000 compounds per processor per day. Furthermore, in DOVIS, the docking session is fully integrated and automated in that the inputs are specified via a graphical user interface, the calculations are fully integrated with a Linux cluster queuing system for parallel processing, and the results can be visualized and queried. DOVIS removes most of the complexities and organizational problems associated with large-scale high-throughput virtual screening, and provides a convenient and efficient solution for AutoDock users to use this software in a Linux cluster platform.
Asset Securitization and Optimal Asset Structure of the Firm

The process of asset securitization is a new and innovative financing method used for funding and risk management purposes. Evolved over the last few decades, securitization represents a substantial and established part of US and global capital markets. In addition to its importance as a financial and asset restructuring tool, securitization originated various streams of academic research. Different models have been developed in order to analyze the theoretical aspects of the process. But some important questions have remained unexplained. The established models don't address why the firm should securitize its assets. They don't investigate if securitization can be a viable alternative for the firm when it chooses its optimal corporate structure. We develop a model of the multi-asset firm which provides an answer to these questions. The model analyzes various corporate structures and validates asset securitization as one of the value maximizing options which can accomplish the optimal incorporation of the assets in the firm. In the framework of the model, the multi-asset firm can optimally choose between aggregating all the assets in one firm, securitizing a part of them through a securitization vehicle, or spinning them off into single-asset firms. For each structure, the debtholders and the equityholders choose the firm's optimal leverage ratio. The optimal asset and capital structure have an effect on the value of tax and non-debt bankruptcy claims. That phenomena leads to a potential increase in the overall value of the firm. For a specific set of the assets, securitization can be a preferred choice, because it avoids the costs associated with the standard bankruptcy procedure for the firm. The model provides a set of testable implications related to the optimal corporate and financial structure of the multi-asset firm and to the subsequent role of securitization.
Physiological mechanisms of phonation: tension of the vocal fold muscle.

A method was devised to determine, in situ, in the dog, the mechanism by which tension is developed in the thyroarytenoid muscle (vocal fold). The origin of the muscle was dissected from the thyroid cartilage and tied to a force transducer; the arytenoid cartilage was fixed. The recurrent laryngeal nerve was electrically stimulated with square wave pulses. Development of isometric tension was measured as a function of in situ resting length (Lo) and of the strength and frequency of the stimulus. In addition, a passive tension length curve was constructed from Lo to 1.3 Lo. Tension increased sigmoidally with changes in initial muscle length, stimulus voltage, and frequency, reaching a maximum at 1.3 Lo and 120 pulses/sec. Vocal fold tension, a factor in determining fundamental frequency of phonation, was found to be a complex function of the above variables. Clinical implications of findings were discussed.
Chemical solution deposition of biaxially oriented (Ba,Sr)TiO3 thin films on 〈100〉 Ni

Biaxially oriented Ba1−xSrxTiO3 (BST) thin films were fabricated under a highly reducing atmosphere (oxygen partial pressure ∼10−18 atm) on base metal substrates ( Ni) using a fluorinated chemical solution deposition method. The degree of film orientation was investigated with respect to film annealing temperature and composition (x = 0, 0.33, 0.5, 0.67, 1). The solution synthesis route included fluorinated solvents, donor-dopants, and chelating agents for control of orientation, defect chemistry, and morphology. Free-energy and phase diagrams guided solution development using halide addition to avoid intermediate BaCO3 formation and instead produce direct crystallization of BaTiO3-type materials from BaF2. The degree of (200) orientation of BST films deposited on Ni substrates displayed a compositional dependence for 0 < x < 1, with a maximum orientation Lotgering factor approaching unity. Low-temperature (500 °C) crystallization of highly oriented films was demonstrated for solution-derived BST on Ni, which may have enabling materials integration implications for capacitors and other applications.
Derrida's Right to Philosophy, Then and Now

In this essay, a tribute to Jacques Derrida's educational efforts at expanding access to current work in philosophy, John Willinsky examines his efforts as both a public right and an element of academic freedom that bear on the open access movement today. Willinsky covers Derrida's extension and outreach work with the Groupe de Recherches pour l’Enseignement de la Philosophie in the 1970s and a decade later with College International de Philosophie that provided public access to ongoing and leading-edge philosophical work, as well as supporting the teaching of philosophy in the schools. Willinsky also relates Derrida's dedicated, practical educational work, his historical analysis of Descartes's decision to write in French, and more recent initiatives that are using Internet technologies to increase public and educational access to published scholarly work in the humanities in a very similar spirit.
The plmS2-Encoded Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenase Mediates Hydroxylation of Phoslactomycin B in Streptomyces sp. Strain HK803

Streptomyces sp. strain HK803 produces six analogues of phoslactomycin (Plm A through Plm F). With the exception of Plm B, these analogues contain a C-18 hydroxyl substituent esterified with a range of short-alkyl-chain carboxylic acids. Deletion of the plmS2 open reading frame (ORF), showing high sequence similarity to bacterial cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs), from the Plm biosynthetic gene cluster has previously resulted in an NP1 mutant producing only Plm B (N. Palaniappan, B. S. Kim, Y. Sekiyama, H. Osada, and K. A. Reynolds, J. Biol. Chem. 278:35552-35557, 2003). Herein, we report that a complementation experiment with an NP1 derivative (NP2), using a recombinant conjugative plasmid carrying the plmS2 ORF downstream of the ermE* constitutive promoter (pMSG1), restored production of Plm A and Plm C through Plm F. The 1.2-kbp plmS2 ORF was also expressed efficiently as an N-terminal polyhistidine-tagged protein in Streptomyces coelicolor. The recombinant PlmS2 converted Plm B to C-18-hydroxy Plm B (Plm G). PlmS2 was highly specific for Plm B and unable to process a series of derivatives in which either the lactone ring was hydrolyzed or the C-9 phosphate ester was converted to C-9/C-11 phosphorinane. This biochemical analysis and complementation experiment are consistent with a proposed Plm biosynthetic pathway in which the penultimate step is hydroxylation of the cyclohexanecarboxylic acid-derived side chain of Plm B by PlmS2 (the resulting Plm G is then esterified to provide Plm A and Plm C through Plm F). Kinetic parameters for Plm B hydroxylation by PlmS2 (Km of 45.3 ± 9.0 μM and kcat of 0.27 ± 0.04 s−1) are consistent with this step being a rate-limiting step in the biosynthetic pathway. The penultimate pathway intermediate Plm G has less antifungal activity than Plm A through Plm F and is not observed in fermentations of either the wild-type strain or NP2/pMSG1.
Recruiting and Retaining an Ethnically Diverse Sample of Older Adults in a Longitudinal Intervention Study

This paper describes strategies developed to recruit and retain an ethnically diverse sample in a longitudinal intervention of 246 participants in the SeniorWISE study. The ethnic and socioeconomic differences of these participants necessitated the use of different methods of effectively communicating with this population. Recruitment benefited from the use of focus groups, media attention, and personal appearances in the community. Educational strategies included modification of language and examples. Testing sessions were called interviews, and team members were available to answer questions and to read the instruments to participants, when desired. Participants were sent birthday cards and a monthly newsletter. The study is 90% completed.
An ion-exchange nanomembrane sensor for detection of nucleic acids using a surface charge inversion phenomenon

We present a novel low-cost biosensor for rapid, sensitive and selective detection of nucleic acids based on an ionic diode feature of an anion exchange nanoporous membrane under DC bias. The ionic diode feature is associated with external surface charge inversion on the positively charged anion exchange nanomembrane upon hybridization of negatively charged nucleic acid molecules to single-stranded oligoprobes functionalized on the membrane surface resulting in the formation of a cation selective monolayer. The resulting bipolar membrane causes a transition from electroconvection-controlled to water-splitting controlled ion conductance, with a large ion current signature that can be used to accurately quantify the hybridized nucleic acids. The platform is capable of distinguishing two base-pair mismatches in a 22-base pairing segment of microRNAs associated with oral cancer, as well as serotype-specific detection of dengue virus. We also show the sensor' capability to selectively capture target nucleic acids from a heterogeneous mixture. The limit of detection is 1 pM for short 27 base target molecules in a 15-min assay. Similar hybridization results are shown for short DNA molecules as well as RNAs from Brucella and Escherichia coli. The versatility and simplicity of this low-cost biosensor should enable point-of-care diagnostics in food, medical and environmental safety markets.
Cayley Pseudo-Random (CPR) Protocol: A Novel MAC Protocol for Dense Wireless Sensor Networks

With the rapid growth of wireless sensor technology, there is a need for MAC protocols that support efficient simultaneous peer-to-peer communications in large and dense wireless sensor networks. To meet such a need, we propose a MAC protocol that uses a novel channel assignment scheme based on the pseudo-random connection of a dense Cayley graph as an underlying graph. By utilizing all or most of the available frequency channels, the proposed protocol can support many, simultaneous peer-to-peer communications. Other features of the protocol include minimal collisions due to fixed channel assignments and a decentralized routing algorithm that avoids global time synchronization. The effectiveness of using Cayley graphs as the underlying topology for such frequency assignment is evaluated and compared with that of the Manhattan Street Network via a simulator with power model parameterized to CrossBow MICA 2 sensors.
Frequency locking in the photorefractive phase-conjugate ring oscillator

In the absence of backscattering, the frequency difference between the oscillating and the pump waves in a photorefractive phase-conjugate ring oscillator is linearly proportional to the small nonreciprocal phase shift applied in the ring. We show that coupling that is due to backscattering can result in frequency locking in the photorefractive oscillator. A seed beam is used to simulate scattering of the pump beam in the oscillation direction. Close to locking threshold, harmonics of the beat frequency lead to nonsinusoidal oscillations in the beat signal. The nonreciprocal phase shift at which locking occurs is directly proportional to the field strength of the coherent seed beam. Frequency locking is absent with an incoherent seed.
Alpha-cyclodextrin sulphate, an anti-HIV agent, retains its antiviral effect in the presence of hydrocortisol phosphate

Cyclodextrin sulphates alpha (a) and beta (b) were found to be inhibitors of replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) in phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC); the same cells were also stimulated to proliferate (Anand et al., 1990). B-Cyclodextrin sulphate was also found to stimulate another, more complex, cell proliferation-neovascularization process in rabbit cornea (Folkman et al., 1989). Since the process of neovascularization is generally associated with progression of tumour growth and other pathologies, it is obvious that its stimulation by an antiviral compound may be a serious side effect. Nevertheless endotoxin-induced neovascularization can be suppressed by simultaneous treatment with b-cyclodextrin sulphate and glucocorticoids (Folkman et al., 1989). The same co-treatment may possibly be used to improve antiviral action of cyclodextrin sulphates, but such a combination therapy may not be free of complications. Glucocorticoids also affec...
New Empirical Estimates of Rent Seeking: An Update of Sobel and Garrett (2002)

The SIC sectors identified for direct, indirect, and in kind rent seeking activity have been identified and verified empirically in Sobel & Garrett (2002) by comparing capital counties to non-capital counties. We convert these industries from SIC to NAICS codes and provide measures of direct, indirect, and in-kind rent seeking for the year 2005. In addition, we extend their work by switching from counties to Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas, which are defined as economically integrated counties. Our measures are consistent with theirs and provide a starting point for creating a time series of rent-seeking activity in the United States.
Yosiityphlus Sawada, 1971, a new synonym of Thinobius Kiesenwetter, 1844 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

Based on the analysis of the original description, Yosiityphlus kuroshio Sawada, 1971, initially described as a member of Leptotyphlinae, is transferred to the genus Thinobius Kiesenwetter, 1844, subfamily Oxytelinae. The generic name Yosiityphlus Sawada, 1971 is placed in synonymy with the name Thinobius.
Guantanamo as Outside and Inside the U.S.: Why is a Base a Legal Anomaly?

Guantanamo’s historic role in empire explains why the base remains anomalously inside and outside US jurisdiction. Produced by historic empire, the base’s legal anomaly permits for detaining over 150 men, eight years after detentions began and over a year and half after President Obama ordered detentions to end. Referring to Alejandro Colas’s definition, empire is comprised of space (i.e. territorial expansion without any limit), markets (i.e. wealth-creation through market protection), and culture (i.e. notions of cultural superiority). The Platt Amendment (1902-34) and the Insular Cases (1901-20) point to law’s role in a base for empire’s space, i.e. the law of extraterritoriality. The base’s geopolitical and military functions in protecting US investments overseas, especially the Panama Canal, refer to empire as markets. Notions of Anglo-superiority implicit in foreign relations with Cuba, a US protectorate from 1902 to 1934, reflect empire as culture. This Essay is part of larger project examining the base and current empire as space, markets, and culture. The notion of empire explains why Guantanamo’s anomaly is not an aberration but instead is an intended legal objective.
Opistholebes diodontis n.sp., its development in the final host, the affinities of some amphistomatous trematodes from marine fishes and the allocreadioid problem.

Opistholebes diodontis n.sp. is described from the intestine of the porcupine fish, Diodon hystrix , and development from the metacercaria to the adult is outlined. In that process, the ventral sucker shifts from near the mid-level to the posterior end of the body and other rearrangements occur as a result of differential growth. Hence in the Opistholebetidae and probably the Gyliauchenidae and Cephalo-poridae as well, the amphistome plan is considered to be secondary in phylogeny. None of those families belongs in the Paramphistomoidea. Instead, each is believed to be a distinct family of aberrant trematodes derived from a separate line of more generalized distomes. Representing one such line of descent are the Opistholebetidae and Opecoelidae which are more closely related to each other than either is to any other group. Hence a superfamily, Opecoeloidea, is proposed to include the two families and set them apart as a natural group distinct from the remainder of the allocreadioid complex which is discussed. The genus Pachycreadium is transferred to the Opistholebetidae, family diagnoses are revised, and a key to the species of Opistholebes is given.
Using student-generated notes as an interface to a digital repository

Recent studies related to digital libraries concluded that students like electronic resources and adopt them if the sources are perceived as "convenient, relevant, and time saving to their natural workflow." However, the results of access studies show that actual use of online content is relatively low, with only 10-20% of students making regular use of the content. This is because navigation to online content in these collections is not convenient, requires multiple steps in order to reach relevant content, and is not integrated into a student's natural workflow. In our research, we have designed, deployed, and evaluated a method for making content available to students that targets the content to their current need and is designed as an alternative yet cooperative method of access to a well-structured set of course content. Since notes are both integral to lecture classes and generally ubiquitous, it is a natural target for connecting the student with available content. Pen technologies and mobile devices make it possible for us to capture student notes and enhance them with embedded access links to relevant content. In our initial interface, NoteNexus, instead of delivering content as the result of a student search query or browsing activity, access to the content is embedded into the student's notes, and delivered within a representation of that students learning context. NoteNexus did not produce a change in the student use of online content. C-Nexus was designed and developed from the results of the NoteNexus study. C-Nexus was successful in increasing the student use of online content.
Shape analysis of moss (Bryophyta) sporophytes: Insights into land plant evolution

Premise of the study The alternation of generations life cycle represents a key feature of land-plant evolution and has resulted in a diverse array of sporophyte forms and modifications in all groups of land plants. We test the hypothesis that evolution of sporangium (capsule) shape of the mosses-the second most diverse land-plant lineage-has been driven by differing physiological demands of life in diverse habitats. This study provides an important conceptual framework for analyzing the evolution of a single, homologous character in a continuous framework across a deep expanse of time, across all branches of the tree of life. Methods We reconstruct ancestral sporangium shape and ancestral habitat on the largest phylogeny of mosses to date, and use phylogenetic generalized least squares regression to test the association between habitat and sporangium shape. In addition, we examine the association between shifts in sporangium shape and species diversification. Results We demonstrate that sporangium shape is convergent, under natural selection, and associated with habitat type, and that many shifts in speciation rate are associated with shifts in sporangium shape. Conclusions Our results suggest that natural selection in different microhabitats results in the diversity of sporangium shape found in mosses, and that many increasing shifts in speciation rate result in changes in sporangium shape across their 480 million year history. Our framework provides a way to examine if diversification shifts in other land plants are also associated with massive changes in sporophyte form, among other morphological traits.
Cooperative Subnetworks of Molecularly Similar Interneurons in Mouse Neocortex

Simultaneous co-activation of neocortical neurons is likely critical for brain computations ranging from perception and motor control to memory and cognition. While co-activation of excitatory principal cells (PCs) during ongoing activity has been extensively studied, that of inhibitory interneurons (INs) has received little attention. Here, we show in vivo and in vitro that members of two non-overlapping neocortical IN populations, expressing somatostatin (SOM) or vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), are active as populations rather than individually. We demonstrate a variety of synergistic mechanisms, involving population-specific local excitation, GABAergic disinhibition and excitation through electrical coupling, which likely underlie IN population co-activity. Firing of a few SOM or VIP INs recruits additional members within the cell type via GABAergic and cholinergic mechanisms, thereby amplifying the output of the population as a whole. Our data suggest that IN populations work as cooperative units, thus generating an amplifying nonlinearity in their circuit output.
Assessing the effect of a high-fat diet on rodents' adipose tissue using Brillouin and Raman spectroscopy

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of a high-lipid diet on elasticity of adipose tissue. We employed dual Raman/Brillouin microspectroscopy to analyze brown and white adipose tissues obtained from adult rats. The rats were divided into two groups, one of which received a high-fat feed, while the other served as a control. We hypothesized that the changes in the elasticity of adipose tissues between the two groups can be successfully assessed using Brillouin spectroscopy. We found that the brown adipose tissue possessed a lesser Brillouin shift than the white adipose within each group and that the elastic modulus of both adipose tissues increases in the high-fat diet group. The Raman spectra provided supplementary chemical information and indicated an increase in the lipid-to-protein ratio in the brown adipose, but not in the white adipose.
The Natural History of Patients With Isolated Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract Objectives To define the natural history of patients with isolated metabolic syndrome (MS). Patients and Methods Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Patients with isolated MS are a subset of patients with MS who do not meet the diagnostic criteria of hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM). Data were collected prospectively on a population-based random sample of 1042 Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents aged 45 years or older who underwent clinical evaluation, medical record abstraction, and echocardiography (visit 1: January 1,1997, to December 31, 2000). The cohort was subdivided into healthy controls, those with isolated MS, and those with MS with HTN and/or DM groups. After 4 years, patients returned for visit 2 (September 1, 2001, to December 30, 2004). After visit 2, we have a median of 8.3 years of follow-up. Results There was a higher incidence of HTN, DM, and obesity in the isolated MS group at visit 2 ( P P =.80) or development of heart failure (HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 0.58-2.73; P =.53) compared with healthy controls over 8 years of follow-up after visit 2. However, patients with MS with HTN and/or DM had higher rates of cardiovascular mortality (HR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.00-5.83; P =.02) and heart failure (HR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.16-4.32; P =.02) compared with healthy controls over 8 years of follow-up after visit 2. Conclusion Isolated MS was associated with increased risk for the development of HTN, DM, and obesity, but not increased mortality or heart failure over an 8-year period compared with healthy controls. Future studies should determine whether aggressive management of risk factors in isolated MS will prevent progression to MS.
Abstract 5091: Potent anti-tumor activity of blocking stromal Dll4 in ovarian xenograft models.

Potent anti-tumor activity of blocking stromal Dll4 in ovarian xenograft models Delta-like ligand 4 (Dll4) is an emerging anticancer target given its predominant tumor vasculature expression and its role in regulating angiogenic sprouting. We have previously demonstrated that pharmacological blockade of the Dll4-Notch axis results in an excessive production of aberrant non-functional tumor vessels, and these changes were associated with reduced tumor growth. Using VelocImmune® mice, we identified a fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody, termed REGN421/SAR153192, which binds human Dll4 and potently neutralizes Notch signaling. REGN421 treatment caused potent and dose-dependent inhibition of a number of human tumor xenografts grown in immunodeficient mice engineered to express human Dll4. In the current study, we found that REGN421 treatment of ovarian xenograft models produces potent anti-tumor effects that are dependent on targeting Dll4 in the tumor stroma as opposed to tumor cell-expressed Dll4. In particular, REGN421 treatment (2.5 mg/kg, once weekly) of humanized Dll4 mice bearing established subcutaneous TOV-112D or intraperitoneal A2780 human tumor xenografts resulted in growth inhibition of 86% and 83%, respectively. The inhibition of ovarian tumor growth by REGN421 was associated with a marked increase in tumor vascular structures but reduced vascular perfusion, consistent with the function of Dll4 as a regulator of angiogenic sprouting. Similar anti-tumor effects were observed by strictly targeting stromal Dll4 with a mouse Dll4-specific surrogate antibody REGN1035 in SCID mice bearing OVCAR3 tumors. In contrast, the specific blockade of tumor cell-expressed human Dll4 did not exhibit any appreciable anti-tumor activity, indicating the lack of tumor growth-promoting autocrine Dll4-Notch tumor cell signaling in these models. Finally, the combined treatment of Dll4 antibody with the anti-VEGF agent ziv-aflibercept (VEGF Trap) resulted in enhanced anti-tumor effects and virtually the complete suppression of intraperitoneal A2780 tumor growth, suggesting clinical benefit for the combined blockade of VEGF and Dll4 in ovarian cancer. These studies lend further support for the therapeutic targeting of Dll4 as a promising new angiogenesis-based anticancer strategy in ovarian cancer, both as a single agent and in combination with anti-VEGF agents. Citation Format: Frank Kuhnert, Guoying Chen, Gavin Thurston. Potent anti-tumor activity of blocking stromal Dll4 in ovarian xenograft models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5091. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5091
Cognitive Skills: A Determinant of Scientists' Local-Cosmopolitan Orientation

Variations in levels of performance and in other work related attitudes and behavior patterns of professional scientists frequently have been attributed to differences in their orientation toward w...
Tubal pregnancy : associated histopathology

Endometrial histologic characteristics are of little value in predicting ectopic pregnancy. The growing tubal gestation does not have any unique characteristics as far as the maternal-fetal tissue interface is concerned. The placentation is relatively superficial, and the growth is intraluminal. Tubal rupture occurs as a result of progressive tubal distention with focal hemorrhagic necrosis. Persistence is a reflection of incomplete evacuation combined with the noncyclic shedding of the tubal epithelium. The evacuated implantation site and conservative surgical incisions are not directly related to the recurrence of ipsilateral tubal pregnancies. The most common histologic finding related to tubal pregnancy is that of prior tubal disease.
Natural theology, verification, and growth of knowledge

A Natural History of Natural Theology (henceforth A Natural History) offers an insightful expose of the intuitive ground underpinning major natural theological arguments. De Cruz and De Smedt marsh...
Minor Wheat Protein Fractions Analysis by Using Capillary Zone Electrophoresis

The wheat proteins soluble in chloroform-methanol mixtures are associated with several kinds of food allergies. A separation method based on capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with UV detection was developed for the analysis of these mixtures. An acidic phosphoric acid/β-alanine (pH 2.5) buffer containing HPMC, urea and acetonitrile was used for the separation. The capillary electrophoresis (CE) was able to complete the analysis in six minutes. The electrophoregrams of extracts of both durum and common wheat commercial cultivars were compared. The registered cultivar (cv.) Kamut® was included as a representative of rustic cereal species. A different number of peaks were detected in the profile relative to the tetraploid and exaploid analyzed cultivars. Three main peaks were observed for all tetraploid cultivars, while four peaks were detected for the common wheat cultivars. The peak corresponding to the α-amylase inhibitor type III was identified in the common wheat electrophoregram. The possibility of quantitative determination of this inhibitor has been investigated.
Idiopathic Ureterolithiasis in a Renal Transplant Patient

Only 9 cases of ureteral stone formation in renal transplant recipients have been reported previously. The majority of these occurred in association with hyperparathyroidism. We herein describe a case in which a ureteral calculus caused partial obstruction within 3 months in a euparathyroid recipient of a living related renal transplant.
Do Nasdaq Market Makers Collude? Evidence from 19c-3 Stocks

Christie and Schultz find that bid-ask spreads are wider and odd-eighth quotes less frequent in the Nasdaq market versus the NYSE and AMEX. They suggest that collusion among market makers may account for these results, while others offer efficiency-based explanations. This paper attempts to distinguish the "collusion hypothesis" from "efficiency hypothesis" by examining trade and quote data from 19C-3 stocks, which trade in both the Nasdaq and NYSE markets. We find that spreads are significantly wider and spread revisions are significantly less frequent in the Nasdaq market compared with the NYSE, suggesting that microstructure imperfections, not collusion, may account for the wider spreads on Nasdaq. We also compare trade and quote data for the Nasdaq 19c-3 stocks with stocks with comparable trading volume that trade only on Nasdaq. We find that spreads are narrower and both odd-eight quotes and spread revisions are more frequent for the Nasdaq stocks which trade in both the Nasdaq and NYSE markets. While this result is consistent with the collusion hypothesis, we also find that pricing errors induced by microstructure considerations in the Nasdaq market are smaller for stocks that also trade simultaneously in the Nasdaq and NYSE markets. The results suggest that allegations of collusion are premature until the effects of microstructure considerations on spreads and quotes are better understood.
Successive power flows with adaptive step‐length increments for fast approximation of the maximum loading point

This study is concerned with the problem of computing the maximum loading point (MLP) in large-scale power systems. A modified asymptotic numerical method (ANM) with λ-parameterisation is used to fast approximate the MLP, which needs to solve a successive of power flows with adaptive load and generation increments. The ANM with Newton corrections is used to deal with the problem of reactive limits violations. The saddle-node bifurcation is identified by the accumulation of small step-lengths. The proposed algorithm has been tested on the IEEE-300, 9241-bus and a real 35,000-bus power system in China. Some comparisons with other algorithms have been performed. Numerical results reveal that a lower number of the Jacobian matrix factorisations are needed with the proposed method, which significantly reduces the computational costs.
Discontinuous Galerkin method for frictional interface dynamics

AbstractA stabilized discontinuous Galerkin (DG) formulation is presented for transient small deformation contact problems involving friction with application to the modeling of bolted lap joints. The method is an extension of derivations from the quasi-static context, whereby the numerical flux terms acting at the contact interface are consistently derived using variational multiscale concepts. This transient primal formulation naturally accommodates nonconforming meshes and stratified materials such as geological faults. Also, the numerical flux terms involving the stress field at the contacting interface provide a natural mechanism for embedding friction models. Numerical results for nonsmooth transient problems confirm that the DG interface approach does not introduce artificial features into the physical response.
Afterword: The Role of Propaganda in the Cold War and Its Implications Today

At the end of the Second World War, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin renewed his attempts to isolate the Soviet people from all contact with the outside world and to control as much as possible the information the world received about life inside the Soviet Union. He did this in order to maintain the illusory image of the Soviet Union portrayed in Soviet propaganda as a social utopia where all economic problems were being solved, where culture was allowed to flower, where freedom and justice prevailed, and where everyone was happy. As part of this propaganda campaign, the Soviet press and the media organizations it controlled throughout Europe relentlessly attacked the West. The West was portrayed as economically and socially unstable, and according to the Soviet media this instability was leading to a growing fascist movement. Soviet media outlets on numerous occasions reported that widespread anti-Jewish pogroms were occurring throughout Britain.
Xenogeneic cardiac extracellular matrix scaffolds with or without seeded mesenchymal stem cells exhibit distinct in vivo immunosuppressive and regenerative properties.

Abstract Cardiac extracellular matrix (cECM) scaffolds are promising biomaterials for reconstructive surgery applications since they possess the structure/function properties of native tissue. Production of cECM scaffolds has been achieved using decellularization approaches, which commonly employ denaturing detergents, such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Our antigen removal (AR) method has been shown to remove cellular and nonmyocyte components, while preserving cECM scaffold structure/function relationships. Here, we demonstrate that more human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) invaded AR scaffolds compared to SDS controls. Additionally, AR scaffolds stimulated a constructive remodeling response similar to allograft controls, and were transformed to adipose tissue in a xenogeneic rat to mouse subpannicular in vivo model. Conversely, SDS scaffolds showed a chronic inflammatory response that worsened throughout the 12-wk time course preventing constructive remodeling and mirroring the response seen towards xenogeneic tissue. AR scaffolds and xenogeneic controls recellularized with murine MSCs (mMSCs) were also implanted to assess whether mMSCs would offer any additive benefit in overcoming residual scaffold-specific immune responses. Paradoxically, recellularization resulted in chronic inflammatory response in AR-recellularized scaffolds. We conclude that AR cECM scaffolds represent a promising biomaterial, which is accepted by the recipient as self in origin and fosters implantation site appropriate regenerative responses. Statement of Significance We demonstrated that an antigen-removal (AR) approach utilizing principles of differential solubility for production of a xenogeneic rat cardiac extracellular matrix scaffold results in improved recellularization efficiency with human and mouse mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in vitro . Furthermore, we tested the immune response to AR scaffolds versus allograft and xenograft controls with or without MSC recellularization using a rat to mouse subcutaneous model. We showed that AR scaffolds and allograft controls resulted in significant adipose tissue transformation after 12 weeks. Paradoxically, MSCs had a positive impact in the immune response to xenografts, but had the opposite effect in AR scaffolds, resulting in chronic inflammatory response, which might be attributed to a change of their phenotype following recellularization into scaffolds.
Combining Indexing Units for Arabic Information Retrieval

Using either stems or roots as index terms offered considerable performance to Arabic Information Retrieval IR systems compared to the use of surface words for indexing. Many comparative works tried to find out the best from these two indexing approaches but until then, no of the two methods widely overtook the other. Each of the two index types performed better under different test circumstances in terms of recall and precision. In this paper, the authors propose a hybrid approach combining the two indexing units in a way they take the advantages from both of them and try to overcome their shortcomings. Then, based on some combining techniques, the authors assign a weight for each indexing unit and try to find out the best weighting values.
A devil's bargain

In April 1932 many eminent physicists came together for the annual gathering of alumnae and alumni of Niels Bohr's Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of Copenhagen. A highlight of this particular meeting was that some of the younger physicists performed a witty parody of Goethe's play Faust written by the biophysicist Max Delbruck. With Bohr as "God," Wolfgang Pauli as "Mephistopheles", Paul Ehrenfest as "Faust" and the neutrino (yes, the neutrino!) as "Gretchen", the parody poked fun at the younger generation's beloved and respected "elders" and captured the essence of what was to prove a remarkable moment in the history of physics.
Exploring Tag-Bit Memory Operations in Hybrid Memory Cubes

The recent advances in multi-dimensional or stacked memory devices have led to a significant resurgence in research and effort associated with exploring more expressive memory operations in order to improve application throughput. The goal of these efforts is to provide memory operations in the logic layer of a stacked device that provide pseudo processing near memory capabilities to reduce the bandwidth required to perform common operations across concurrent applications. One such area of concern in applications is the ability to provide high performance, low latency mutexes and associated barrier synchronization techniques. Previous attempts at performing cache-based mutex optimization and tiered barrier synchronization provide some degree of application speedup, but still induce sub-optimal scenarios such as cache line contention and large degrees of message traffic. However, several previous architectures have presented techniques that extend the core physical address storage with additional, more expressive bit storage in order to provide fine-grained concurrency mechanisms in hardware. This work presents a novel methodology and associated implementation for providing in-situ extended memory operations in an HMC Gen2 device. The methodology provides a single lock, or tag bit for every 64-bit word in memory using the in-situ storage. Further, we present an address inversion technique that enables the tag-bit operations to execute their respective read-arbitrate-commit operations concurrently with a statistically low collision between the tag-bit storage and the data storage. We conclude this work with results from utilizing the commands to perform a traditional multi-threaded mutex algorithm as well as a multi-threaded static tree barrier that exhibit sub-linear scaling.
Arithematic for VLSI Signal Processing

This paper presents a brief summary of some key algorithms for the implementation of digital signal processing systems that are suitable for realization via VLSI circuits. Examples of design approaches that are suitable for the implementation of fast adders, multipliers, and dividers are considered at the algorithm and logic design levels. Different algorithms may be used to vary the speed of an arithmetic element by an order of magnitude or more while the complexity varies by less than 50%.