cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dogs, Bogs, Labs, and Lads: What Phonemic Generalizations Indicate about the Nature of Children's Early Word-Form Representations.

Whereas young children accept words that differ by only a single phoneme as equivalent labels for novel objects, older children do not (J. F. Werker, C. J. Fennell, K. M. Corcoran, & C. L. Stager, 2002). In these experiments, 106 children were exposed to a training regime that has previously been found to facilitate children's use of phonemic contrasts (E. D. Thiessen, 2007). The results indicate that the effect of this training is limited to contexts that are highly similar to children's initial experience with the phonemic contrast, suggesting that early word-form representations are not composed of entirely abstract units such as phonemes or features. Instead, these results are consistent with theories suggesting that children's early word-form representations retain contextual and perceptual features associated with children's prior experience with words.
Models of Inflammation of the Lower Urinary Tract

Inflammation of the lower urinary tract occurs frequently in people. The causes remain obscure, with the exception of urinary tract infection. Animal models have proven useful for investigating and assessing mechanisms underlying symptoms associated with lower urinary tract inflammation and options for suppressing these symptoms. This review will discuss various animal models of lower urinary tract inflammation, including feline spontaneous (interstitial) cystitis, neurogenic cystitis, autoimmune cystitis, cystitis induced by intravesical instillation of chemicals or bacterial products (particularly lipopolysaccharide or LPS), and prostatic inflammation initiated by transurethral instillation of bacteria. Animal models will continue to be of significant value in identifying mechanisms resulting in bladder inflammation, but the relevance of some of these models to the causes underlying clinical disease is unclear. This is primarily because of the lack of understanding of causes of these disorders in people. Comparative and translational studies are required if the full potential of findings obtained with animal models to improve prevention and treatment of lower urinary tract inflammation in people is to be realized.
Stage at presentation and survival outcomes of patients with Gleason 8-10 prostate cancer and low prostate-specific antigen.

Abstract Objective To evaluate outcomes for men with high Gleason score and low prostate-specific antigen (PSA) prostate cancer. Low PSA levels among men with Gleason 8–10 prostate cancer may be owing to cellular dedifferentiation rather than low disease burden. We hypothesized that men with Gleason 8–10 prostate cancer and low PSA levels have increased risk for advanced disease and worse survival. Materials and methods Men diagnosed from 2004 to 2007 with Gleason 8–10 prostate adenocarcinoma in the National Cancer Data Base were included. Patients were stratified by PSA levels at diagnosis: 0.1 to 3.9, 4.0 to 9.9, 10.0 to 19.9, and≥20.0 ng/ml. Outcomes were clinical TNM category, pathologic stage (for prostatectomy patients), and overall survival (OS). Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were used. Results A total of 37,283 patients were included. Men with PSA levels of Conclusions Patients with Gleason 8–10 cancer and PSA levels of
Fast contour matching using approximate earth mover's distance

Weighted graph matching is a good way to align a pair of shapes represented by a set of descriptive local features; the set of correspondences produced by the minimum cost matching between two shapes' features often reveals how similar the shapes are. However due to the complexity of computing the exact minimum cost matching, previous algorithms could only run efficiently when using a limited number of features per shape, and could not scale to perform retrievals from large databases. We present a contour matching algorithm that quickly computes the minimum weight matching between sets of descriptive local features using a recently introduced low-distortion embedding of the earth mover's distance (EMD) into a normed space. Given a novel embedded contour, the nearest neighbors in a database of embedded contours are retrieved in sublinear time via approximate nearest neighbors search with locality-sensitive hashing (LSH). We demonstrate our shape matching method on a database of 136,500 images of human figures. Our method achieves a speedup of four orders of magnitude over the exact method, at the cost of only a 4% reduction in accuracy.
Celastrol Synergistically Enhances Temozolomide Cytotoxicity in Melanoma Cells

Efforts to improve melanoma response rates to temozolomide (TMZ) have thus far been unsuccessful. We screened a library of 2,000 marketed drugs and natural products to identify agents with the potential to sensitize melanoma cells to the effects of TMZ. Celastrol (CEL), a natural compound found in the Thunder of God vine, was identified based on its ability to enhance cell death in TMZ-resistant melanoma cells. A cell proliferation assay was used to compare the growth-inhibitory effects of TMZ alone versus TMZ/CEL combination treatment. Cytotoxic synergy was assessed using combination-index methods. The expression of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), IkappaB, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and ubiquitinated proteins were examined using Western blotting, and the localization of NF-kappaB in CEL-treated melanoma cells was evaluated using immunofluorescence microscopy. The CEL/TMZ combination synergistically inhibited cell proliferation in melanoma cells. CEL treatment increased the levels of ubiquitinated proteins, reduced the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced IkappaB phosphorylation, and blocked NF-kappaB translocation to the nucleus. Inhibition of NF-kappaB with small interfering RNA mimicked the ability of CEL to sensitize melanoma cells to TMZ, suggesting that inhibition of NF-kappaB may play a role in TMZ/CEL-induced cytotoxicity. The TMZ/CEL combination induced the phosphorylation of c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase, implicating the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in the treatment effects. Our data suggest that CEL may be effective in sensitizing resistant melanoma cells to the effects of TMZ.
Clarifying Qualitative Research: A Focus on Traditions

There is considerable confusion in the educational literature about the nature of qualitative research. In this article I argue that a major source of the confusion arises from discussing qualitative research as if it is one approach. The discussion in the educational literature concerning qualitative research can be clarified by recognizing that qualitative research comes in many different varieties, which can be more clearly identified and understood by using the notion of research traditions. To apply this concept to the discussion of qualitative research, I describe briefly and compare six traditions from the disciplines of psychology, anthropology, and sociology. These traditions are human ethology, ecological psychology, holistic ethnography, cognitive anthropology, ethnography of communication, and symbolic interactionism. I conclude that we may increase our understanding of qualitative research by focusing our discussions at the level of traditions.
The use of doubler reinforcement in delamination toughness testing

Abstract In this paper, the data reduction equations for common delamination toughness tests are re-derived for use with specimens which have bonded doublers. The common toughness tests considered here are the double cantilever beam for mode I toughness; the end notch flexure (3ENF) and 4-point ENF (4ENF) for mode II toughness; and the mixed-mode bending test for testing under combined mode I and mode II loading. Because the addition of the doublers changes the bending stiffness of the specimens, these data reduction equations may need to be corrected. Doublers were added to the delamination test specimens to solve a premature failure problem. Delamination toughness is normally tested using a beam with an imbedded insert so that one end of the specimen is split into two arms. If the specimen is too thin, or if the toughness of the material is too high, an arm of the specimen may fail in bending before the delamination grows. When this occurs, the toughness of the material cannot be determined. To delay the bending failure so that delamination growth occurs, doubler plates were bonded to both top and bottom surfaces of the specimen. A doubler parameter, β, which describes how much the use of doubler plates changed the ratio of full thickness to delaminated bending stiffnesses, was defined. When changes to the data reduction equations were required, the changes were minor when written in terms of the β parameter. The doubler plate technique was demonstrated by measuring the mixed-mode fracture toughness of a carbon–carbon composite using test specimens which would otherwise have failed before delamination growth occurred. The doubler plate technique may solve several problems that can be encountered when testing delamination fracture toughness.
Quality Function Deployment — QFD: Aufgabe, Methodenunterstützung und Umsetzung

Was ist Quality Function Deployment? Diese Frage zu beantworten, ist angesichts der Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Interpretationen und Auspragungen bestimmt kein leichtes Unterfangen. Je nachdem, welche Publikation man sich als Einstieg in das Thema sucht, wird sich ein bestimmtes Verstandnis von QFD einstellen. Zu einem einheitlichen Verstandnis zu gelangen wird schwierig sein, solange man QFD als einen methodischen Ansatz versteht, welcher das Vorgehen moglichst detailliert vorgeben soll. Einen gemeinsamen Nenner kann man jedoch finden, indem man die grundlegende Aufgabe in den Mittelpunkt stellt. So gesehen steht QFD fur eine systematische Transformation von Kundenforderungen in Leistungsmerkmale, jeweils bezogen auf einen bestimmten Betrachtungsgegenstand. Diese Aufgabe stellt sich an jeder Kunden-Lieferanten-Schnittstelle, wo es darum geht, die Sicht des Kunden moglichst umfassend in die Lieferantensicht zu ubersetzen.
High-speed three-dimensional fluorescence imaging of neural activity

Our progress in understanding the function of the nervous system is, in many ways, limited by our ability to record neural activity. While there has been considerable progress in imaging at the extremes of length scales (e.g., whole brain imaging by fMRI and sub-cellular resolution by two-photon microscopy), there is a need for optical techniques to record the individual activities of large populations of neurons in intact circuits. Current techniques such as epifluorescence microscopy have reasonable time resolution but suffer from signal-to-background problems when viewing thick samples, while confocal techniques are limited in time resolution and/or photon efficiency. To address some of these limitations, we have developed a novel form of microscopy for high-speed three-dimensional fluorescence imaging. Using this technique, entire stacks of high signal-to-noise images can be acquired in seconds. We are currently using this technique to record the activity of populations of sensory neurons in the mouse olfactory system.
Revenue Management with Costly Price Adjustments

We consider a novel variant of the perishable inventory profit management problem faced by a firm that sells a fixed inventory over a finite horizon in the presence of price-adjustment costs. In economics literature, such price-adjustment costs are widely studied and are typically assumed to include a fixed component (e.g., advertising costs), an inventory-dependent component (e.g., inventory relabeling costs), as well as a component that depends on the magnitude of the price adjustment (e.g., cognitive and coordination managerial costs). We formulate the firm's profit management problem as a finite-horizon dynamic program in which the state of the system is described by the inventory level as well as the current price level. We derive first-order properties of the optimal value function and give a complete characterization of optimal policies for the case of ample inventory. Through a set of examples we demonstrate the complex and counterintuitive nature of optimal price-adjustment policies. Consequently, we focus on developing easily computable and implementable heuristics with demonstrably good performance. To this end, we develop and solve a fluid model based on the original stochastic dynamics and propose three fluid-based heuristic policies. We derive expressions for the expected profit generated by each one of these heuristics when applied to the stochastic problem and derive sufficient conditions for the asymptotic optimality of the policies when the initial inventory levels and planning horizons are proportionally scaled up. We test the performance of the heuristics in a numerical study and demonstrate a robust, near-optimal performance of one of the heuristics (which we call the “Fluid Time” heuristic) for a wide range of problem parameters. Finally, we demonstrate the importance of proper accounting of price-adjustment costs in several alternative business settings.
Image Segmentation By Iterative Parallel Region Growing And Splitting

The spatially constrained clustering (SCC) iterative parallel region-growing technique is applied to image analysis. The SCC algorithm is implemented on the massively parallel processor at NASA Goddard. Most previous region-growing approaches have the drawback that the segmentation produced depends on the order in which portions of the image are processed. The ideal solution to this problem (merging only the single most similar pair of spatially adjacent regions in the image in each iteration) becomes impractical except for very small images, even on a massively parallel computer. The SCC algorithm overcomes these problems by performing, in parallel, the best merge within each of a set of local, possibly overlapping, subimages. A region-splitting stage is also incorporated into the algorithm, but experiments show that region splitting generally does not improve segmentation results. The SCC algorithm has been tested on various imagery data, and test results for a Landsat TM image are summarized.
Bat use of remnant old-growth redwood stands

Most of the old-growth redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) in California has been cut; regenerating forests willprobably never resemble those that were harvested, and what old growth remains on private land occurs in small, isolated remnant patches. The landscapes in which these stands occur differ so markedly from their original condition that their value as habitat to many species of wildlife, including bats, is un- known. Previous research in unfragmented redwoodforests demonstrated that bats use basal hollows in old- growth redwoods as roosts. We sought to determine whether bats use similar old-growth trees as roosts when they occur in small, remnant patches of isolated old growth on commercialforest land. We compared bat oc- currence in remnant and contiguous stands by collecting guano in traps suspended in hollows and by moni- toring flight activity with ultrasonic bat detectors. Hollows in trees within the remnant stands had signifi- cantly more guano deposited per tree than the trees within the contiguous forest. The mean numbers of bat passes per night were statistically indistinguishable between the two treatments, although mean flight activity in the remnant stands was greater than in the contiguous forest. Bats frequently used basal hollows in small (<5 ha) stands of remnant old growth, which may be due to the closer proximity of remnants to stream courses, to their greater interface with edge where foraging success may be greater, or to the fact that the lower density of hollow-bearing trees in remnants than in contiguous forest favored greater use per tree. Sig- nificant use of small, residual old-growth redwood provides reason to maintain these remnants in managed landscapes as potentially important habitat forforest bats.
Weekend Prescribing Practices and Subsequent Seclusion and Restraint in a Psychiatric Inpatient Setting

193 Objective: This case-control study examined the role of early medication management in preventing seclusion and restraint. Methods: Data were extracted from the medical records, including whether standing medication was increased, decreased, or left unchanged during the first 48 hours of hospitalization. Results: Compared with inpatients who did not experience seclusion or restraint (N=39), those who did (N=39) were younger (p=.01) and more likely to be male (p=.023) and to have a primary discharge diagnosis of bipolar disorder, mixed or manic episode, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder (p<.001). Patients whose standing medication was not changed during the first 48 hours of hospitalization had 5.5 times as many restraints as patients whose dose was increased or who received new prescriptions (p=.027). Conclusions: Early use of medication can reduce the incidence of seclusion and restraint among high-risk patients early in their hospitalization. (Psychiatric Services 61: 193–195, 2010)
Optical rotatory dispersion of mucopolysaccharides and mucopolysaccharide--dye complexes. II. Ultraviolet cotton effects in the amide transition bands.

Ultraviolet optical rotatory dispersion curves of mucopolysaccharides exhibit particular Cotton effects in the spectral region of the n–π and π–π amide transitions. Two general patterns emerge: (1) enhancement of negative rotation and of the first negative Cotton effect (troughs 217–220 mμ) and (2) relative dominance of the positive Cotton effect in the π–π transition region (peak ∼198 mμ). Groups (1) and (2) can be correlated with a structural difference in the linkages of the amino sugars: (1) occurs with polymers containing 3-1-linked glycosamino sugars and (2) with glycosamino moieties linked 4–1 by either α- or β-glycosidie bonds. Measurements of the circular dichroic absorption bands support the qualitative conclusions from optical rotation. All mucopolysaccharides exhibit a first, negative band centered at 208–211 mμ, while only those in group (2) show, in addition, a positive band centered at 189–192 mμ. A suggested unifying model considers that difference in kind and/or degree of preferred geometry of the amide groups obtains from two forms of secondary order: (1) having a linear hydrogen bond from the N (acceptor) to the (C2)O—H of the preceding uronic acid and (2) having a linear hydrogen bond from the N (acceptor) to the (C2 or 3) O—H of the following sugar. The hydrogen bonds would have similar strength but opposite directions in two systems towards the nonreducing end (1) or towards the reducing end (2)], closing eight-membered rings
Single-scale wavelet representation of turbulence dynamics: Formulation and Navier–Stokes regularity

Abstract The ‘triad interactions’, arising from the spectral resolution of the nonlinear terms in the Navier–Stokes equations, have so far not been substantially modified in the wavelet representation. In this paper, the multiscale interactions are captured by exact expressions evaluated at a single scale of the Mexican hat wavelet coefficients: the larger-scale terms as a volume integral of nearby wavelet coefficients, and the smaller-scale contributions as iterated Laplacians of the coefficient at the point of interest. As a result, the Navier–Stokes equations are expressed exactly at a single scale. This facilitates the evaluation of the dominant Holder exponent near singularities. From the scaling properties of wavelet coefficients, it is shown that Euler dynamics would generate stronger singularities for any h 1 , but that viscous dynamics would not unless h − 1 (a discontinuous case). We discuss how this conclusion could be affected by boundary conditions.
The effect of allowing motorists to opt out of tort law in the United States

Dans le domaine des accidents d'automobile, le droit commun et les legislations speciales font souvent l'objet de critiques aux Etats-Unis. Une proposition presentement a l'etude permettrait aux automobilistes d'obvier a ces critiques en choisissant le systeme d'indemnisation qui leur serait applicable. Des projections actuarielles font etat d'economies substantielles pour les automobilistes. Ces economies sont cependant en diminution depuis quelques annees puisque les montants minimaux obligatoires d'assurance automobile n'ont pas suivi le taux d'inflation. Il en resulte que de plus en plus d'automobilistes, sous le droit commun, se contentent d'une reclamation pour leurs pertes de nature economique.
Toward better interaction between orthopaedists and researchers.

To The Editor: Thomas Brown, in his address as outgoing President of the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) “Toward Better Interaction Between Orthopaedists and Researchers: A Two-Way Street” (2002;84:1473-7), chronicled the transformation of the ORS from an organization of and for surgeon-scientists to one composed largely of nonsurgeons. He argued that this trend from a clinical to basic-science focus is favorable and should be more tangibly supported by the community of orthopaedic surgeons. His thesis was that the financial and innovative health of our field is in jeopardy because it has not supported basic research wisely and, as a result, is reliant on “relatively simplistic procedures” with diminishing value to society. The “better interaction,” which Dr. Brown proposed, is one in which surgeons give over a greater share of their compensation to finance basic research directed and performed by nonclinicians. As academic surgeons, we agree with Dr. Brown on the value and importance of quality research, but we find this advocacy for further de-emphasis of applied research alarming. The pathway endorsed by Dr. Brown will neither improve cooperation between clinicians and basic scientists nor will it likely lead to changes in the clinical practice of orthopaedic surgery. We believe that collaboration between clinicians and basic scientists should be based upon joint formulation of hypotheses and methods of research; collaboration should not be defined as clinicians funding science projects. Dr. Brown used an artful comparison with the Microsoft Corporation to argue that orthopaedic surgeons devote relatively little of their earnings to research. We would point out that corporate research is funded by profits and competitive federal grants—not through the largesse of employees. Sensible corporations invest in research to develop and test products, and they pay scientists to solve specific problems for their customers. They cannot afford to fund very much scientific “virtuosity … Corresponding author:, John M. Clark, MD, PhD, Department of Orthopaedics, and Sports Medicine, University of Washington Campus, 1959 N.E. Pacific Street, Box 356500, Seattle, WA 98195-6500, drclark{at}u.washington.edu
Management of stress urinary incontinence

Abstract Female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common condition with significant impact on a woman's quality of life. The prevalence of SUI is about 50%. Previously, the majority of incontinence procedures were performed via an abdominal approach (Burch colposuspension). The tension-free procedures, with a synthetic tape material, have replaced almost completely the previous surgeries and is nowadays considered the gold standard option for surgical treatment of female SUI. A wide spectrum of tape-based surgical procedures and devices are currently available. Today, Burch colposuspension has a role in patients undergoing abdominal pelvic organ prolapse (POP) repair as a concomitant procedure in those patients with urethral hypermobility or those with contraindication to mid-urethral slings (MUS) placement. The objective success rate reported of this procedure ranges between 49% and 88%. Mid-urethral synthetic slings represent the most common procedures for SUI in North America and Europe. Cure rate of retropubic MUS approaches 86% with a satisfaction rate of about 75%. For transobturator tape MUS the objective success rate at 12 months is 87% and the satisfaction rate is 85%. Single incision mini-slings (SIMS) were introduced in 2003 and they have a different anchoring mechanism, located at the two extremities, that allows the stabilization of the tape in the obturator internal muscle or deeper in the obturator channel trough a single vaginal incision. Reported objective cure rate is 78% and satisfaction rate is 82%. According to the most recent EAU guidelines about incontinence and the UK National Institute for Healthcare and Clinical Excellence (NICE), the surgeon must be able to offer alternative surgical treatments and have the knowledge of efficacy and safety of these approaches at counseling of the patient. The objective cure rate is rather similar among the different types and routs of mid-urethral slings and the difference vs. Burch colposuspension seems to disappear at 5 years follow-up, when effectiveness is comparable. There is no significant difference in erosion rates between transobturator and retropubic approaches among mid-urethral tapes, but they are lower when compared to SIMS. The injury rate of nearby organs is quite low for all types of approaches, except for retropubic slings.
Determination of the potential for release of mercury from combustion product amended soils: part 2--coal fly ash generated stabilized soil and degradation products.

Abstract The potential for mercury (Hg) releases to the air and water from three soils, two subbituminous coal fly ashes, and mixtures of these materials as stabilized soil was assessed. In addition, the potential for Hg release from crushed stabilized material mixed into soil simulating degradation over time was investigated. In general, atmospheric Hg deposition was measured for the ash and materials made using the ash with the higher Hg concentration (ash 1, 0.25 μg · g−1), whereas the second ash material (ash 2; ∼0.08 μg · g−1) and materials generated using this ash exhibited emission as the dominant flux. Fluxes measured from stabilized material were less than that measured for the pure ash material but of the same direction. Although the stabilized and degraded stabilized materials exhibited Hg fluxes that were significantly different from base soils, values were within the range reported for low Hg-containing background soils. Because of limitations of the experimental design (i.e., reduced light e...
Diet-induced obesity alters myeloid cell populations in naïve and injured lung

There are pulmonary consequences to obesity, including increased prevalence of asthma, greater susceptibility to influenza, and possibly reduced susceptibility to lung injury. Although it is well established that obesity is associated with alterations to the immune system, little is known about obesity-associated changes to pulmonary immune cells. We hypothesized that obesity would alter the inflammatory milieu in the unchallenged lung and circulation; thereby contributing to altered susceptibility to lung injury. We used a murine model of diet-induced obesity and evaluated bone marrow and blood leukocytes at 3 months, and pulmonary leukocytes at 3 and 6 months for changes in their adhesion and chemokine receptors, markers of activation states, and cell numbers. We also evaluated the inflammatory response to LPS in obese mice. In the lung, diet-induced obesity was associated with increased leukocyte numbers over-time. Adhesion receptors were increased in a cell- and site-specific fashion, and there was an evolution of macrophage and neutrophil polarization toward M1 and N1, respectively. After LPS-challenge, obesity was associated with increased neutrophil recruitment to the lung with impaired migration into the alveolar space. Associated with these changes, obesity increased LFA-1 and ICAM-1 neutrophil expression and altered CXCL1 gradients. Our results highlight the effects of diet-induced obesity on the murine blood and lung leukocyte populations, including increases in adhesion receptor expression that may contribute to altered recruitment or retention within the lung. Translation of these findings to people with obesity will be critical for determining the basic inflammatory underpinnings of pulmonary disease susceptibility.
Stealth and Deception

During those mornings that I have appointments off of campus, I often listen to National Public Radio or BBC America on the way to these meetings. The style of reporting aligns seems to resonate with how I like to hear the news. Typically, politics and world events dominate the news stories and the interviews that are played during the morning hours. Straightforward and probing, the reporters asking the questions seem to understand that the initial responses of those that they are interviewing are not always truthful. Maybe I have a cynical view on politics, but I am doubtful that any politician, independent of country or political party, is adept at telling the truth. Within American politics, lying appears to be an art raised to its highest form. In an excellent book on his life’s work called “Telling Lies,” Dr. Paul Ekman outlines several types of lies that range from small to large and from whether the liar actually believes that they are telling the truth versus the recognition that everything is a fabrication. Another point that becomes clear in Ekman’s writing is that we all engage in lies at some point in our lives. Even the smallest fibs or those told with good intentions are considered lies at some level. For example, if one feels a cold or flu coming on, but doesn’t want to alarm their spouse, they could respond with a hearty “I am fine” when queried about their health. We would consider this harmless or maybe even beneficial because the liar wouldn’t want to add to the stress of the listener.
Abstract A53: Apoptosis initiated in colon cancer cells when treated with muscadine grape extract

A53 Research suggests strong correlations between the inflammation process and colon cancer progression, making it an attractive target for anti-inflammatory drugs and compounds. Muscadines (Vitis rotundifolia), a grape species native to the Southeastern United States, are rich in polyphenols containing many biologically important flavonoids that may have potential anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Current research has shown that the muscadine grape has a higher total phenolic and flavonoid content than commercially available red grapes. A hallmark of progressive colon cancers is disruption of different signaling pathways leading to increased proliferation and escape from apoptotic mechanisms. We hypothesize that extracts containing high levels of biologically important polyphenols from the muscadine pomace would induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in HT-29 and HT-15 colon cancer cell lines. Polyphenolic compounds were extracted from muscadine pomace using 80% methanol in 6N hydrochloric acid at 60oC. Whole concentrated extract (WCE) was fractionized using an Oasis HLB column to yield three different muscadine fractions (MF). We compared the cytotoxic effects of both cell lines when treated with WCE versus three different muscadine fractions (MF-1, MF-2, and MF-3). Cell proliferation assays showed a decrease in viable cell proliferation in both cell lines treated with MF-3. Apoptosis was confirmed through the use of flow cytometry and we found evidence of G1 arrest in MF-3 treated cells. Immunoblots for apoptosis-related proteins suggest apoptotic activation of the caspase-3 pathway in treated cells compared to non-treated cells. We conclude that extracts of muscadine grape contain biologically active polyphenols that inhibit the growth of HT-29 and HT-15 colon cancer cells via an apoptotic pathway. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):A53.
Intraoperative In Vivo Assessment of Lymph Nodes with Optical Coherence Tomography

Techniques have been developed to localize sentinel lymph nodes during cancer surgery and for post-operative histology. Intraoperative OCT, however, uniquely offers microscopic label-free in vivo assessment of lymph nodes for metastatic disease.
Optimal Parameters for Pricing of the American Put Options with Least Square Monte Carlo Simulation

Pricing the American put options requires solving an optimal stopping problem and therefore is a challenge for the setting up of simulation parameters. This paper uses least square Monte Carlo (LSMC) simulation to price the American put options and output the optimal simulation steps and number of Hermite basis functions. The results suggest: with different time cost and error tolerance, investors can choose the optimal simulation steps and number of basis function individually to price American put options numerically. Generally, with the pre-limitation in the section "least square Monte Carlo simulation", a number of basis equals 4, 15 000 simulation steps for Hermite basis function appear to be sufficient for the method.
Quantitative research on spectral polarization characteristics of soil with different water content

Moisture is one of the most important parameters affecting soil polarization spectra,and is critical to soil remote sensing band selection and image interpretation. It also provides information required for soil investigation and analysis of physical and chemical properties. In this paper,we tested and analyzed the polarization spectra of soils with different moisture contents in the wavelength range of 350 nm to 2500 nm to study the relationship between soil spectral polarization data and soil moisture,to determine the spectral response and changes in soil moisture,and to establish models of the relationship between spectral data and soil moisture. We also designed an orthogonal test for the various factors that affect soil spectral polarization characteristics,in which we studied soil moisture,polarization angle, detected angle,and azimuth of the various factors and their interactions. The results showed that the most significant factors were soil moisture and the interaction of soil moisture and polarization angle,followed by the interaction between the detected angle and moisture, while the polarization angle had little impact on the soil polarization spectra.
“They Drank Their Own Tears”: Archaeology of Conflict Sites

This chapter examines the human element of researching and interpreting conflict sites through an examination of several themes including monuments and memorialization, memories, and contested heritage. It provides examples of how the Battle of Saipan impacted many individuals, families, and groups and how it still is an active historical narrative for those who call the island their home today.
Effects of molding compounds on warpage and damage of PBGA after post mold cure

In the present study, governing damage mechanisms after post mold cure (PMC) for plastic ball grid array (PBGA) packages have been evaluated by a three-dimensional (3-D) thermo-viscoelastic finite element method. The parametric studies for the PBGA package with various molding compounds have been performed. A wide range of the modulus (1MPa∼15GPa) and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) (10ppm∼300ppm) is evaluated to see feasibility of a new class of material set in the molding compound. Effects of thermo-mechanical properties of selected molding compound on the warpage and residual stress of the PBGA package are analyzed. Classification of modes of deformation in the BGA package with material sets will shed light on novel material development for better reliability. In addition, the optimum thermo-mechanical properties of molding compounds will be selected based on the parametric studies.
Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) Is Indispensable for Myeloma Cell Migration towards SDF-1 and Induction of Osteoclastogenesis and Osteolytic Bone Disease

Abstract Abstract 447 Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase of the TEC family of protein tyrosine kinases, is preferentially expressed in the hematopoietic cells and involved in B-lymphocytes survival and differentiation, and their migration towards SDF-1 gradient. BTK is also expressed in osteoclast precursors and plays indispensable role in osteoclastogenesis (Shinohara et al., Cell 2008). LFM-A13 is small molecule inhibitor of BTK and TEC, and can be tolerated even when animals are given daily dose of 100 mg/kg. The aims of the study were to investigate the effect of LFM-A13 on myeloma cell migration and growth in vitro, and on myeloma bone disease and tumor growth in the SCID-rab model. Our clinical gene expression profiling data indicate that in contrast to most myeloma cell lines, primary myeloma cells express BTK and that relative to normal plasma cells, BTK expression is upregulated in myeloma cells molecularly classified in the CD-1, CD-2, HY, LB and MF subtypes. Expression of BTK at the RNA and proteins levels in myeloma cells and osteoclast precursors was validated using qRT-PCR and Western Blot. To test effect on migration, myeloma cells expressing BTK and cell surface CXCR4 (n=5) were placed in the top of transwell inserts in the absence and presence of LFM-A13 (50 μM) and their migration towards SDF-1 (30 nM) was evaluated after 18 hours. SDF-1 induced migration of myeloma cells by >2.5 folds, an effect that was markedly inhibited by LFM-A13 (p 43% (p Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
The role of secondary sources on the taxation of digital currency (Bitcoin) before IRS guidance was issued

Abstract This case explores the tax issues related to transactions when substantial authoritative guidance is lacking. The case involves the Winklevoss twins’ purchase of tickets on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceshipTwo using the digital currency Bitcoins. At the time the purchase was made, there was no substantial tax guidance related to digital currency transactions. Since the Winklevoss twins anticipate future Bitcoin transactions, they have come to you to help them understand how their use of digital currency was previously reported and how the recent IRS guidance will affect those reporting decisions. You will be required to assume the role of the Winklevoss twins’ professional tax advisor at the time of the original transaction, before the IRS provided guidance regarding Bitcoin transactions. You will need to determine if the appreciation in the Bitcoins should have been reported as taxable income. If so, you will need to determine whether the Bitcoins should be treated as currency or property potentially subject to the capital gain/loss rules. You will need to find secondary authorities available at the time, to provide professional guidance. You should compare the guidance provided by secondary sources to the guidance subsequently issued by the IRS. Finally, you should discuss whether or not an amended return is required, permissible or beneficial.
Choosing anisotropic voxel dimensions in optimization-based image reconstruction for limited angle CT

Resolution of reconstructions in limited angle X-ray computed tomography (CT) is inherently anisotropic due to the limited angular range of acquired projections. This justifies the use of anisotropic voxels in limited angle image reconstruction. For analytic reconstruction algorithms, this only changes the intervals at which the reconstruction is sampled, but for optimization-based image reconstruction, changing the voxel dimensions redefines the reconstruction optimization problem and can have pronounced effects on the reconstructed image. In this work we investigate the choice of anisotropic voxel dimensions in optimization-based image reconstruction for limited angle CT. In particular, a 2D simulation study is performed to assess the optimal choice of pixel dimension in the longitudinal direction - the direction of lowest resolution. It is demonstrated that as this pixel dimension is decreased, deterioration of system matrix conditioning can lead to severe distortion in reconstructions performed with low regularization strength. This conditioning issue occurs at approximately the point where the number of pixels is equal to the number of measurements. While the distortion can be mitigated by increasing regularization, our results suggest that there are structures which are only resolvable by using even smaller voxel sizes.
Diskussion der Forschungsergebnisse

Die vorliegende Studie wurde entwickelt, um Resilienz und emotionale Stabilitat, insbesondere bezogen auf die Gruppe der Manager, zu betrachten und mogliche Uberschneidungen der beiden Konstrukte zu identifizieren. Zentrale Annahmen wurden durch Hypothesen formuliert und uberpruft.
Tempering of Lath Martensite in Low and Medium Carbon Steels: Assessment and Challenges

This paper is a directed review of the microstructures and the mechanisms, by which they are formed by tempering of lath martensite in low and medium carbon steels. As-quenched martensitic structure is first reviewed, then low-temperature tempering (LTT) that produces ultrahigh strength and good toughness, and high-temperature-tempering (HTT), which can produce excellent combinations of strength, ductility, toughness, and good resistance to hydrogen embrittlement in sour gas and oil environments, are covered. It is well known that hardness decreases continuously with increasing tempering temperature, but the superimposed multiple mechanisms of microstructural changes by which the softening and its retardation occur during various stages of tempering have received little attention on the integrated scales of microstructure, substructure, and nanostructure. Thus, earlier descriptions of the reasons for softening need deeper examination. In particular, the reasons for the changes in the very fine crystal size and high dislocation density of as-quenched lath martensite produced by high temperature tempering, sometimes producing a low dislocation density, un-recrystallized, fine lath-morphology ferritic grain size, sometimes producing an equiaxed, recrystallized ferritic grain size, are not clear. Deformation behavior and mechanical properties as related to the residual components of martensitic microstructure that survive tempering are discussed. Questions remain and the use of newer techniques, such as Electron Back Scatter Diffraction and atom probe tomography, in addition to light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Mossbauer effect spectroscopy, and Mechanical Spectroscopy used in characterizing quench and tempered structures are noted.
Fine-needle Aspiration Biopsy

Minimally invasive biopsy Simple but not trivial Accurate diagnosis depends mostly on meticulous technique li]• Cost effective
Beta diversity of stream fish assemblages: partitioning variation between spatial and environmental factors

Studies that analyse the structure of assemblages across relevant spatial scales can ascertain generalisable patterns and be used to guide efforts that allocate resources meant to conserve regional biodiversity. Beta diversity can shed light on the underlying factors that drive variation in assemblage structure including spatial and environmental influences. The purpose of this study was to address two questions: (1) Which is more important for the structuring of fish assemblages, spatial or environmental factors? (2) What is the dominant pattern underlying species turnover between fish assemblages, species addition (i.e. nestedness) or species replacement (i.e. spatial turnover)? We examined fish beta diversity in southeastern Oklahoma by sampling 65 wadeable stream reaches and measuring 30 environmental factors at each sampling location across the Muddy Boggy River drainage. Variation in fish assemblage structure was partitioned between environmental and spatial predictors using partial redundancy analysis. Overall species turnover was calculated and separated into its two additive components of spatial turnover and nestedness to determine which of these two accounted for the most turnover across the drainage. Spatial and environmental factors combined accounted for 25.5% of fish beta diversity. Environmental factors alone accounted for 20.1%, while spatial factors alone only accounted for 3.5% of the variation among assemblages. Nine environmental factors were significantly related to fish beta diversity: (1) elevation; (2) stream order; (3) stream width; (4) % riffle habitat; (5) water temperature; (6) conductivity; (7) turbidity; (8) % gravel substrate and (9) current velocity. Overall species turnover was driven mostly by spatial turnover rather than nestedness. This pattern was found to be the same across multiple spatial scales (entire drainage, sub-drainages, mainstems) and despite several techniques used to extract turnover coefficients. These results suggest that fish assemblages—particularly in headwater streams—are structured by environmental filtering and that these assemblages tend to be compositionally distinct, rather than being nested derivatives of one another.
Discovery of human-like L-asparaginases with potential clinical use by directed evolution.

L-asparaginase is a chemotherapy drug used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The main prerequisite for clinical efficacy of L-asparaginases is micromolar KM for asparagine to allow for complete depletion of this amino acid in the blood. Since currently approved L-asparaginases are of bacterial origin, immunogenicity is a challenge, which would be mitigated by a human enzyme. However, all human L-asparaginases have millimolar KM for asparagine. We recently identified the low KM guinea pig L-asparaginase (gpASNase1). Because gpASNase1 and human L-asparaginase 1 (hASNase1) share ~70% amino-acid identity, we decided to humanize gpASNase1 by generating chimeras with hASNase1 through DNA shuffling. To identify low KM chimeras we developed a suitable bacterial selection system (E. coli strain BW5Δ). Transforming BW5Δ with the shuffling libraries allowed for the identification of several low KM clones. To further humanize these clones, the C-terminal domain of gpASNase1 was replaced with that of hASNase1. Two of the identified clones, 63N-hC and 65N-hC, share respectively 85.7% and 87.1% identity with the hASNase1 but have a KM similar to gpASNase1. These clones possess 100–140 fold enhanced catalytic efficiency compared to hASNase1. Notably, we also show that these highly human-like L-asparaginases maintain their in vitro ALL killing potential.
Thoughts That Do Lie Too Deep for Tears: Comparative Literature Versus World Literature

"In this essay, I want, by way of the word 'tears' in a passage in one canonical work in nineteenth-century Romantic English literature, Keats’s 'Ode to a Nightingale,' to see what can be said about reading that word in the context of world literature as opposed to reading it in the context of comparative literature.... To perform written studies or teaching either in comparative literature or in world literature means making choices of texts to 'compare.' These choices are, in the end, and to a considerable degree, arbitrary. They are, perforce, not really 'representative.' They are not rationally defensible as the only 'right' ones. The choices manifest accident, or personal liking, or obedience to some convention or syllabus. The choices made of what to 'compare' are not texts the two disciplines can theoretically justify as 'typical.'"
First-harmonic nonlinearities can predict unseen third-harmonics in medium-amplitude oscillatory shear (MAOS)

We use first-harmonic MAOS nonlinearities from G1′ and G1″ to test a predictive structure-rheology model for a transient polymer network. Using experiments with PVA-Borax (polyvinyl alcohol cross-linked by sodium tetraborate (borax)) at 11 different compositions, the model is calibrated to first-harmonic MAOS data on a torque-controlled rheometer at a fixed frequency, and used to predict third-harmonic MAOS on a displacement controlled rheometer at a different frequency three times larger. The prediction matches experiments for decomposed MAOS measures [e3] and [v3] with median disagreement of 13% and 25%, respectively, across all 11 compositions tested. This supports the validity of this model, and demonstrates the value of using all four MAOS signatures to understand and test structure-rheology relations for complex fluids.