cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving CO2 permeability in polymerized room‐temperature ionic liquid gas separation membranes through the formation of a solid composite with a room‐temperature ionic liquid

Room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) present a number of unique opportunities for the processing and tailoring of polymer materials for applications including ion conduction polymers, catalysis, and gas separations. Perhaps most importantly, RTILs can be synthesized as monomers and polymerized in the presence of non-polymerizable RTILs to provide solid composites with enhanced properties. These features allow for the formation of poly(RTIL)–RTIL composite gas separation membranes, exhibiting hybrid properties of both RTILs and polymers. Incorporation of just 20 mol% free RTIL in the polymer membrane yields a stable composite material with a CO2 permeability increase of ∼400% with a 33% improvement to CO2/N2 selectivity relative to the analogous poly(RTIL) membrane lacking any free ion pairs. The composite membrane also showed a significant improvement in CO2/CH4 separation compared to other poly(RTILs) when analyzed via “Robeson Plots.” This new approach to polymer gas separation membranes provides a powerful method to improve the performance of current materials without intensive organic synthesis. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Past and Future Applications of Jasso's Justice Theory*:

Past applications of Jasso's theory of justice evaluation, including several applied tests, generally support the theory but raise questions future applications should address. These include whether the theory might predict as well or better if the good in question is something other than income and if it would predict third-party evaluations as well or better than first-party evaluations. Moreover, the theory could be used for more demanding applications: interventions, which would involve changing the situation in order to affect justice evaluations. The theory itself suggests three means of effecting such interventions.
Central opioid activity in polycystic ovary syndrome with and without dopaminergic modulation

It has been hypothesized that brain opioid activity may be decreased in patients with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO) and that this decrease may, in part, explain the elevated levels of LH characteristic of the syndrome. We, therefore, examined the LH and PRL responses to naloxone infusions (2 mg/h for 4 h) in seven women with PCO and five weight- and estrogen-matched normal women. The infusions were given both before and after pretreatment with L-dopa-carbidopa (L-DOPA-C) because dopaminergic activity may be decreased in PCO, and dopamine may interact with the brain opioid system. Both PCO patients and normal women had similar responses of serum LH during naloxone treatment; the mean maximum LH responses were 53 +/- 15% (+/- SE) in normal women and 51 +/- 12% in PCO patients (P greater than 0.05). PRL levels were also unaffected by naloxone infusion. After L-DOPA-C pretreatment, baseline LH and PRL levels were unchanged in normal women and PCO patients, and the naloxone-induced LH rise was completely abolished in the normal women. However, in PCO patients, LH increased from 24.7 +/- 4 to 31 +/- 5 mIU/ml, with a mean maximum increase of 112 +/- 33% during naloxone infusion (P less than 0.05). We conclude that 1) brain or central opioid activity is not decreased in PCO; 2) increased central opioid activity does not appear to be responsible for the increased LH levels characteristic of the syndrome; and 3) decreased central dopamine activity and/or the interaction between the dopaminergic and opioid systems may be altered in PCO.
Electrical characteristics of a 6H-SiC epitaxial layer grown by chemical vapor deposition on porous SiC substrate

Porous SiC (PSC) has been proposed as a buffer layer for reducing defects in epitaxial SiC layers. In this study, electrical characteristics of a 6H-SiC epitaxial layer grown by chemical vapor deposition on a porous SiC substrate (SiC-on-PSC) have been compared to those simultaneously grown on a standard SiC substrate (SiC-on-STD). Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) have been fabricated on both epitaxial layers and then investigated with temperature-dependent current-voltage (I-V), capacitance-voltage (C-V), and deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) measurements. The SBDs on both SiC-on-PSC and SiC-on-STD show about the same I-V and C-V characteristics, and at least four electron traps, i.e., B (0.75 eV), C (0.63 eV), D (0.40 eV), and E (0.16 eV), can be identically found in both SBDs by DLTS measurements. Thus, we conclude that the electrical quality of SiC-on-PSC is comparable to that of SiC-on-STD, and that the higher breakdown voltages observed in SBDs on SiC-on-PSC are not obviously related to a different defect structure.
Prediction of cognitive decline in early Alzheimer's disease

from baseline in score at 12 months (r= 0·62, p<0·03). Baseline myo-inositol to N-acetylaspartate ratio was inversely correlated with score at follow-up (r= 0·70, p<0·011; figure). MRS measures of N-acetylaspartate may have prognostic value in early AD. Use of H-MRS has become more simple in clinical research and a single voxel MRS examination adds only about 10 min to a routine MRI scan. This technique is commercially available and is likely to be more widely applied. MRS should be studied for the monitoring of AD progression and the assessment of therapeutic response to new antidementia drugs.
Likelihood of Asking for Help in Caregivers of Women With Substance Use or Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Disorders

Family members are important to the well-being of their relatives with substance use disorders or co-occurring substance use and mental disorders. Many caregivers experience high levels of burden, negatively impacting their capacity to provide support to their ill family member. The Andersen health care utilization model (Andersen & Newman, 1973, 2005) was used to identify the impact of predisposing, enabling and need factors hypothesized to predict caregivers' likelihood of asking for help and support with their caregiving role. The sample include 82 women recruited from outpatient or inpatient substance abuse treatment centers and 82 family caregivers nominated by these women. Findings showed that almost half of caregivers were unlikely to ask for help. Multiple regression analysis found that two need variables were statistically signficant predictors of caregivers' likelihood to ask for help. Caregivers who had higher subject burden (worry) and caregivers who provided more assistance with daily living were more likely to ask for help. It is suggested that case managers assess the amount of worried family caregivers' experience because their worries may provide the motivation to ask for help or to participate in help when it is offered to them.
Historical diversification of floodplain forest specialist species in the Amazon: a case study with two species of the avian genus Xiphorhynchus (Aves: Dendrocolaptidae)

Phylogeographical and population genetics methods are used to reconstruct the diversification history of two species of the genus Xiphorhynchus (Aves: Dendrocolaptidae) associated with seasonally flooded forest types in Amazonia. Sequences of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b were assessed for 21 and 30 individuals, belonging to eight and ten populations, of Xiphorhynchus kienerii and Xiphorhynchus obsoletus , respectively. Uncorrected genetic distances among unique haplotypes recovered ranged only from 0.01% to 0.4% for both species. Over 90% of the genetic variation detected in both species was partitioned within populations, and therefore was not structured geographically. Mismatch distributions and values of Tajima’s D -tests indicate that both X. kienerii and X. obsoletus have had small evolutionary effective population sizes, but experienced a recent demographic expansion. These demographic expansions are tentatively dated as occurring over the last 18 000 years BP, a time frame which coincides with the establishment of the early and mid-Holocene age floodplain forest in most of central and eastern Amazonia, following a period of increased river stages throughout the basin. Based on phylogenetic, phylogeographical, and populations genetics data obtained for X. kienerii and X. obsoletus , an evolutionary scenario is proposed to account for the historical diversification of floodplain specialist species in Amazonia. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 89 , 383‐395.
Germany's Post-Wirtschaftswunder Struggle

For many years after World War II, Germany's economic output grew very rapidly—a period commonly referred to as the “Wirtschaftswunder,” or economic miracle. It came to an end in the 1970s. This paper addresses three questions: Why did growth decline after the 1970s? Why did Germany take so long to embark on reforms? What is the economic outlook today? It argues that two factors were responsible for falling growth: the end of the post-World War II economic catch-up and a failure to reform the economy in response to shocks. Because of Germany's political system, economic reforms require broad popular support. However, this support changes constantly due to frequent elections, which makes it difficult for governments to push through ambitious reforms that typically have payoffs stretching beyond electoral cycles. Nonetheless, the depth of the 2001-05 economic downturn and Germany's comparatively poor economic growth performance in Europe have by now forged a general agreement on the need for change. The European Union, notably with its policies that combat state aid and that call for sound fiscal positions, has played an important role in forging this agreement. Accordingly, Germany's economic outlook has by now improved noticeably, although significant challenges remain.
The effect of an applied potential on the activity of carbonic anhydrase immobilized on graphite rods

The effect of both a positive and a negative applied potential on the p-NPA hydrolysis activity of bovine carbonic anhydrase (BCA) immobilized on graphite rods has been investigated. Background experiments show that the pH-activity profile for BCA free in solution is not affected by either a negative or a positive potential applied to graphite rods placed in the same solution. However, the activity of BCA immobilized by covalent attachment to a graphite rod is influenced by a potential externally applied to the graphite rod. An overall increase in activity (as determined by the initial rate of the p-NPA hydrolysis reaction) is observed in the presence of a -0.2 V (Ag/AgCl) applied potential, while decreased activity is evident at +0.6 V (Ag/AgCl). This is indicative of an electrolyte anion effect rather than a local pH effect. In the presence of the specific anion inhibitors Cl(-) and SCN(-), the relative BCA activity increases at -0.2 V (Ag/AgCl) and decreases at +0.6 V (Ag/AgCl) are consistent with the different BCA inhibition constants for Cl(-) and SCN(-). Accelerated loss of immobilized BCA activity also accompanies the application of the external potentials, particularly at +0.6 V (Ag/AgCl). Results described here represent an early example of potentiostatic control of nonredox enzyme activity. Several possible mechanisms are discussed including specific anion inhibition, enzyme surface charge/charged support material interactions, and charged product inhibition. It is likely that a combination of such mechanisms is operational in this system. The implications of external potentials affecting the activity of immobilized enzymes in the design of stable immobilized enzyme electrodes are also discussed.
Optimized signaling for MIMO interference systems with feedback

The system mutual information of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system with multiple users which mutually interfere is considered. Perfect channel state information is assumed to be known to both transmitters and receivers. Asymptotic performance analysis shows that the system mutual information changes behavior as the interference becomes sufficiently strong. In particular, beamforming is the optimum signaling for all users when the interference is large. We propose several numerical approaches to decide the covariance matrices of the transmitted signals and compare their performance in terms of the system mutual information. We model the system as a noncooperative game and perform iterative water-filling to find the Nash equilibrium distributively. A centralized global approach and a distributed iterative approach based on the gradient projection method are also proposed. Numerical results show that all proposed approaches give better performance than the standard signaling, which is optimum for the case without interference. Both the global and the iterative gradient projection methods are shown to outperform the Nash equilibrium significantly.
Practical aspects of 15N CPMG transverse relaxation experiments for proteins in solution

The 15N transverse relaxation as measured by the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) sequence is often used to characterize protein backbone dynamics in solution. In the 15N CPMG experiment, the delay between 15N CPMG pulses typically is set sufficiently short to minimize the effects of relaxation by the 15N-1H antiphase component. This limits the total relaxation duration of the CPMG experiment because frequent application of the high B1 field to the heteronucleus may cause probe damage. The resulting antiphase component can be minimized by using 1H composite decoupling or by applying 1H 180° pulses more frequently than the 15N CPMG pulses. In this study, we simulated 15N CPMG relaxation in the presence of either 1H composite decoupling or 1H 180° pulses and compared the results with the experimental transverse relaxation data acquired with [u-15N]- or [u-15N, u-2H]-ubiquitin samples. We explain systematic errors resulting from these CPMG experiments and describe a method for recording 15N transverse relaxation in a manner that minimizes probe problems. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 34A: 63–75, 2009.
Executive attention impairment in adolescents with schizophrenia who have used cannabis

Abstract Objective Repeated exposure to cannabis in nonpsychotic adolescents is associated with impairments in executive control of attention, similar to those observed in young adults with first-episode schizophrenia. To assess the impact of recurrent exposure to cannabis on cognitive function, this study characterized attention performance in both nonpsychotic adolescents and adolescents with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS). Method The Attention Network Test, a standard procedure that estimates the functional state of neural networks controlling the efficiency of three different attentional behaviors (alerting, orienting, and executive attention), was administered to four groups of participants: (1) adolescents with EOS and comorbid cannabis use disorder (EOS + CUD; n = 18), (2) “Pure” schizophrenia (EOS; n = 34), (3) “Pure” cannabis use disorder (CUD; n = 29), and (4) Healthy controls (HC; n = 53). Task performance was examined with a 2 × 2 design (EOS + versus EOS − and CUD + versus CUD −) using multivariate analysis of covariance. Correlative analyses were conducted between executive attention performance and measures of surface area in the right anterior cingulate cortex. Results A significant EOS × CUD interaction was observed. In the executive attention network, adolescents with EOS + CUD showed reduced efficiency relative to adolescents with pure EOS, whereas no group differences were found between adolescents with pure CUD and HC. Less efficient executive attention was significantly associated with smaller surface area in the right caudal anterior cingulate cortex in EOS + CUD. Conclusions These preliminary data suggest that the presence of CUD has a moderating effect on attentional performance in adolescents with schizophrenia compared to nonpsychotic adolescents. These deficits could have a role in difficulties with self-regulation and predisposition to substance misuse in this patient group. The anatomic substrate of this cognitive deficit may be related to surface area in the right caudal anterior cingulate cortex.
Explaining unfair and fair outcomes: The therapeutic value of attributional analysis

What happens when people witness others experiencing outcomes which, they believe, are undeserved? This question was addressed in an experiment that tested the prediction that (a) third-party witnesses of unfair events, especially those with a strong belief in a just world, experience distress that (b) is reduced if they are afforded the opportunity to explain the causes of the unfair events. Sixteen vignettes that varied in the fairness of their outcomes were presented to 183 participants who expressed either a strong or weak belief in a just world. After reading each vignette, some participants were asked to provide a detailed causal analysis of the event, while other participants were neither encouraged nor given the opportunity to engage in causal analysis. As predicted, only those participants who manifested a strong belief in a just world and who made causal attributions exhibited a reduced level of distress about the event outcomes. Strong believers were not only somewhat more distressed by examples of unfairness but, unexpectedly, by instances of fairness as well. They also reported lower levels of distress following causal analysis of both fair and unfair outcomes. The results suggest that strong believers in a just world, as compared with weak believers, may manifest a distinctive attributional style that is activated when they encounter event outcomes in which issues of justice are clearly implicated. Upon learning about these events and their outcomes, believers in a just world may have a greater need to understand their causes regardless of the fairness of the outcome, experience more distress when prevented from achieving a causal understanding, and show more relief when allowed to do so. No specific attributions (e.g. the influence of others, personal dispositions, God, luck) were found to be more distress-reducing than others.
Cartography of the Electromagnetic Spectrum: A Review of Wireless Visualization and Its Consequences

Visualizations of radio waves are of sudden interest for the regulators of the world. New developments in the area of spectrum policy provide increasingly frequent opportunities for policymakers to puzzle over pictures, charts, figures, maps, and diagrams. These policymakers are driven by enthusiasm for third-party band management, spectrum sharing, license-exempt applications, refarming, and attempts to contrast the efficiency of different methods of spectrum allocation. Choices need to be made about whether bands are "full" or "empty" (among other things), and regulators expect pictures to provide them with the answer. Indeed, regulators, licensees and users in the developed world are all commissioning, producing, and designing visualizations in increasing numbers. It may seem that the efflorescence of decisions to be made about the spectrum is producing the surge of pictures. In fact, apace with the noisy revolution in wireless has been a quiet revolution in geographic methods. The increasing capabilities of wireless systems, desktop computers, and geographic information systems (GIS) have also combined to entirely transform the kind of pictures available to be puzzled over. This study reports on an exhaustive archival survey of spectrum visualizations used in policy proceedings in the US over the last 80 years. It then compares these pictures with very recent cartographic efforts. Consistent with other recent work on visualization (e.g., Clarke & Henderson, 2002), in policy terms the new "turn toward measurement" in spectrum cartography is not a turn toward accuracy, but rather a way of concealing major assumptions. These range from self-serving to silly, and include both the calculating and naive. This is the time to pause and rethink our spectrum pictures before we rethink our spectrum.
Impact of traffic symbol directional cues on pilot performance during TCAS events

Implementation of Automatic Dependent Surveillance — Broadcast (ADS-B) technology enables aircraft to broadcast, receive and display a number of aircraft parameters that were not previously available to pilots. While significant research has been conducted regarding Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI) display format, there is little research to assess the impact this additional information would have on pilot response to Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System II (TCAS II) Traffic Advisory (TA)/Resolution Advisory (RA) events. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of providing directionality information for traffic symbols on a TCAS traffic display during a TA/RA event. This issue is particularly relevant for shared TCAS/CDTI displays. The study supported the development of CDTI performance standards through RTCA, Inc. Twenty-three current and qualified Boeing 737 (B737) pilots flew two 35-minute flight segments in a full motion B737 Next Generation (NG) flight simulator, one flight segment with modified symbology that included traffic directionality information and one with standard TCAS symbology that does not directly provide directionality information. During each flight segment, pilots experienced six separate TA/RA encounters that were counter-balanced to vary encounter geometry, phase of flight and visual conditions. Of the 276 planned RA encounters, 251 RAs actually occurred. In some cases, no RA was received due to either pilot maneuvering (22 cases) or simulator issues (three cases). Dependent measures included pilot responses to TCAS TA/RA encounters and pilot use of TCAS displays as measured by eye tracking data. The results indicate that inclusion of traffic directional information on a traffic display during TCAS TA/RA encounters does not negatively affect pilot response to RAs as measured by timing and magnitude of the RA response. Directional information also yielded no observed effect on pilot scans (allocation of gaze). Although effect of symbology was not observed, horizontal and/or vertical maneuvering beyond that commanded by the RA was observed in 90 of 273 possible TCAS TA/RA encounters, independent of symbology. Such maneuvering may be appropriate, depending on the information and context. However, eye tracking and subjective data suggest the maneuvering decisions may be based on the traffic display and not based on visual acquisition or other information. While the overall RA compliance rate was high, the degree of vertical and horizontal maneuvering during the TA/RA event should be better understood since TCAS traffic displays are not intended to support maneuvering. Further research is required to better understand the circumstances in which maneuvering occurs and the resulting impact on the air traffic system.
Bladder exstrophy in the developing world.

The majority of patients were born in rural environments as opposed to metropolitan environments. Twelve of 57 children died in the hospital, and overall mortality was 42%. Of the survivors, urinary inconti-nence remained the most frequently cited complaint, and it adversely affected both schooling and social life.
Heat Resistance of Alkaline Phosphatases Produced by Microorganisms Isolated from California Mexican-Style Cheeses

Abstract Samples of Queso Fresco produced in California were tested for microbiological quality and alkaline phosphatase activity. Total plate counts ranged from 6 to 8 logs for freshly purchased cheeses. The majority of bacteria were nonlactic psychrotrophs. Coliform and enteric counts were greater than or equal to six logs in all samples. Colonies isolated on Standard Methods Agar were inoculated into a variety of media and incubated at 20°C. Each culture was tested for alkaline phosphatase activity by the Scharer test. The resistance of each phosphatase-positive culture to a heat treatment of 63°C for 30 min was also determined. The degree of enzyme inactivation varied between cultures when different growth media were used. Alkaline phosphatases sensitive to pasteurization were produced by several isolates under culture conditions. The Scharer test may not be a reliable indicator of pasteurization in Queso Fresco cheeses.
Shear-induced endothelial NOS activation and remodeling via heparan sulfate, glypican-1, and syndecan-1

Mammalian epithelial cells are coated with a multifunctional surface glycocalyx (GCX). On vascular endothelial cells (EC), intact GCX is atheroprotective. It is degraded in many vascular diseases. GCX heparan sulfate (HS) is essential for healthy flow-induced EC nitric oxide (NO) release, elongation, and alignment. The HS core protein mechanisms involved in these processes are unknown. We hypothesized that the glypican-1 (GPC1) HS core protein mediates flow-induced EC NO synthase (eNOS) activation because GPC1 is anchored to caveolae where eNOS resides. We also hypothesized that the HS core protein syndecan-1 (SDC1) mediates flow-induced EC elongation and alignment because SDC1 is linked to the cytoskeleton which impacts cell shape. We tested our hypotheses by exposing EC monolayers treated with HS degrading heparinase III (HepIII), and monolayers with RNA-silenced GPC1, or SDC1, to 3 to 24 hours of physiological shear stress. Shear-conditioned EC with intact GCX exhibited characteristic eNOS activation in short-term flow conditions. After long-term exposure, EC with intact GCX were elongated and aligned in the direction of flow. HS removal and GPC1 inhibition, not SDC1 reduction, blocked shear-induced eNOS activation. EC remodeling in response to flow was attenuated by HS degradation and in the absence of SDC1, but preserved with GPC1 knockdown. These findings clearly demonstrate that HS is involved in both centralized and decentralized GCX-mediated mechanotransduction mechanisms, with GPC1 acting as a centralized mechanotransmission agent and SDC1 functioning in decentralized mechanotransmission. This foundational work demonstrates how EC can transform fluid shear forces into diverse biomolecular and biomechanical responses.
Gender Equity in Mathematics: Beliefs of Students, Parents, and Teachers

The attitudes about mathematics held by girls and boys participating in a regional mathematics contest, their parents, teachers, and mathematics coaches were investigated. Quantitative data regarding mathematics as a male domain, perception of importance of mathematics, confidence in learning mathematics, effectance motivation, and usefulness of mathematics were obtained. It was found that the traditional gender-based differences in the beliefs regarding mathematics persist even in these mathematically talented students. Furthermore, parents' responses to the questions regarding the role of mathematics revealed that mothers, more than fathers, focused on the computational aspects of mathematics, while fathers more than mothers mentioned the role of mathematics in science or as a language. Boys, fathers, and certain mathematics teachers admitted to a low level of gender stereotyping, as evidenced by their scores on the Mathematics as a Male Domain subscale. However, the girls, mothers, and mathematics coaches did not endorse this stereotyping. Unsolicited responses of girls and mothers, in fact, emphatically denied that gender stereotyping exists. These findings are discussed in terms of the need to resolve the essential conflicts between students', parents', and teachers' deeply held beliefs regarding the nature of mathematics, gender differences in mathematical abilities, and the desire for equity within mathematics education.
Composing Access Control Policies of Distributed Components

Software realization of Distributed Computing Systems (DCS) is achieved through the Component Based Software Development (CBSD) approach. DCS are generated by composing individual components. While creating such DCS, care must be taken to include the aspects of access control and obtain the resultant access control policy as a function of individual access control policies of the underlying components. A formal framework is needed to achieve this task of composing access control policies. In this paper, we propose an algebra that enables the composition of access control policies of individual components using the interaction patterns between them. A case study is presented which justifies the proposed algebra.
Effect of patients' expectations of benefit with standard breast cancer adjuvant chemotherapy on participation in a randomized clinical trial: a clinical vignette study.

Patients frequently overestimate the benefit of standard breast cancer adjuvant therapy. This is due in part to vague doctor-patient communication. To examine how the doctor's description and patient's expectations of the benefit of standard therapy affect clinical trial participation, we randomized 282 female cancer patients to one of two versions of a clinical vignette describing a choice between standard cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (5FU) (CMF) and a randomized trial comparing CMF with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and 5FU (CAF). The vignettes differed only on whether results with CMF were described verbally or numerically in terms of disease-free survival (DFS). After selecting CMF or the trial, patients estimated their 10-year DFS with CMF. Patients were randomized 3:1 to the verbal vignette. The trial was selected by 110 of 210 (52.4%) verbal vignette patients versus 25 of 72 (34.7%) numeric vignette patients (P = .01). Estimates of 10-year DFS with CMF varied considerably; many...
Mobile Néel skyrmions at room temperature: status and future

Magnetic skyrmions are topologically protected spin textures that exhibit many fascinating features. As compared to the well-studied cryogenic Bloch skyrmions in bulk materials, we focus on the room-temperature Neel skyrmions in thin-film systems with an interfacial broken inversion symmetry in this article. Specifically, we show the stabilization, the creation, and the implementation of Neel skyrmions that are enabled by the electrical current-induced spin-orbit torques. Towards the nanoscale Neel skyrmions, we further discuss the challenges from both material optimization and imaging characterization perspectives.
Nitric oxide-releasing aspirin suppresses NF-κB signaling in estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo: An effect through reactive oxygen species.

Fifth AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, Nov 12-15, 2006 A91 Introduction: Estrogen receptor negative [ER(-)] breast cancer is very aggressive, responds poorly to current treatments and has a poor prognosis. The NF-κB signaling pathway is strongly implicated in ER(-) tumorigenesis. Epidemiological studies show a chemopreventive effect for aspirin (ASA) against ER(+) but not for ER(-) breast cancers. Nitric oxide-releasing aspirin (NO-ASA) is a safer ASA consisting of an ASA molecule and a NO-releasing moiety linked via an aromatic spacer. We have observed that NO-ASA is very potent in inhibiting the growth of ER(-) breast cancer cells an effect which is modulated by NF-κB through induction of reactive oxygen species. Methods: Cell growth: MTT; Cell cycle phase distribution: Flow cytometry; Apoptosis:subdiploid (sub-G/G1) peak in DNA content histograms; NF-κB: electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA); Reactive oxygen species (ROS): 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein (H2DCFDA, probe for peroxides) or dihydroethidium (DHE, probe for superoxide anion) measured fluorescence by flow cytometry; Xenografts: Female athymic nude mice, 8-weeks-old, 2 groups (n = 10/group) gavaged daily with NO-ASA (100 mg/kg body weight) or vehicle. After one week, animals in both groups were implanted s.c. in the right flank with MDA-MB-231cells suspended in 50% Matrigel. After 4 weeks of treatment, mice were sacrificed, tumors excised, fixed in 10% buffered formalin for immunohistochemical studies. Results: NO-ASA inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells, an ER(-) human breast cancer cell line; at 24 and 48 hrs the respective IC50s were 4.5 ± 0.5 µM and 3.2 ± 0.3 µM, whereas for ASA was >2,000 µM at both time points. The ratio ASA/NO-ASA is >444, meaning that NO-ASA is at least 444 times more potent than traditional ASA. In cultured ER(-) breast cancer cells, NO-ASA treatment for 24 hrs showed the following: 1. There was a combined inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis and induction of a G2/M cell cycle block, PCNA expression was reduced dose dependently, at 5 µM the reduction was 81 ± 2 % and at 15 µM it was 42 ± 5 %; 2. Activation of NF-κB was inhibited as demonstrated by three independent approaches: a) EMSA, b) translocation from the cytoplasm into the nucleus, c) effect on transfected reporter constructs; 3. Induction of oxidative stress as evidenced by increases in both H2DCFDA and DHE-derived fluorescence representing increases in intracellular levels of H2O2 and superoxide anion respectively. Xenografts: NO-ASA inhibits proliferation of ER(-) breast cancer cells in the nude mice xenografts (reduced PCNA expression), and induces apoptosis (increased number of TUNEL positive cells). NF-κB, activated in control xenografts is significantly inhibited by NO-ASA. Conclusions: NO-ASA inhibits NF-κB in vitro and in vivo ER(-) breast cancer xenografts, suggesting merit for further evaluation.
Context and Method in Southeast Asian Politics

This essay introduces and evaluates a central debate about context sensitivity in Southeast Asian political studies. Within this diverse field, there is no agreement about what context means, or how to be sensitive to it. I develop the idea of unit context (traditionally, the area studies concern) and population context (traditionally, the comparative politics concern) as parallel organizing principles in Southeast Asian political studies. The unit context/population context distinction does not track the now-familiar debates of qualitative versus quantitative analysis, nor debates about positivist epistemology and its interpretivist alternatives, nor even political science versus area studies. Context is not method, nor epistemology, nor discipline. Rather, the core distinction between unit-focused and population-focused research lies in assumptions about the possibility of comparison, or what methodologists call unit homogeneity. While I conclude on an optimistic note that a diverse Southeast Asian political studies (embracing many disciplines and many methodologies) is possible, the fact remains that unit context and population context are fundamentally incommensurate as frameworks for approaching Southeast Asian politics, and that population context is the superior approach. This essay discusses context and method in Southeast Asian political studies as understood by two academic communities: Southeast Asia area studies and mainstream comparative politics. Scholars working in each academic community commonly hold that research in the other tradition is insufficiently attentive to context. The natural consequences that arise from this lack of “context sensitivity” are that research on Southeast Asian politics is at best trivial, and at worse incorrect. For both communities, the only remedy for the failings of the other’s research is “more attention to context.” Complaints about context sensitivity are rarely seen in print. Instead, they are made informally, over coffee between likeminded colleagues, in the halls of the Association of Asian Studies annual meeting, and in seminar presentations and referee reports—the hidden transcripts of debates about theory, place, and methodology in contemporary Southeast Asian political
Nonlinear Dynamics: An Intuitive Digital Representation of Structure

AbstractThe article discusses the pedagogic advantages of structural analysis software based on nonlinear dynamic structural theory, in contrast to software most commonly used in architectural education which is based in linear static theory. Traditionally, structural education in both architecture and engineering has considered nonlinear dynamic theory to be an advanced-level tool, reserved for graduate level engineering study. The article illustrates that with an appropriate interactive interface, nonlinear dynamics can support on-screen structural models that are far more physically intuitive. The article includes examples of student work from a first course in structural design.
High-Flux Pulsed Polarization-Entangled Photon Source for Generating Single Photons on Demand

We demonstrate a pulsed entanglement source whose flux is sufficiently high that it leads to reduced quantum-interference visibility due to multiple-pair emissions. An array of such pulsed downconverters can be configured to yield single photons on demand.
Load-settlement curves of cast-in-place piles based on Gompertz model

To deepen the understanding on the bearing characteristics of the cast-in-place piles,the load-settlement curves of the cast-in-place piles were described.Aiming at the bearing characteristics of the cast-in-place piles,the Gompertz mathematical model was selected.The fitting test results of 9 field cast-in-place piles with the model show that the fitting precision is high,and the fitting effect with the model is better than that with the hyperbolic model,especially in the tail of the load-settlement curves.Moreover,the Gompertz mathematical model has good adaptability for the description of the load-settlement curves,and the corresponding fitting equations obtained in this paper can be used to forecast the vertical bearing capacity of the cast-in-place piles.
Reorienting the drivers of development: alternative paradigms

ABSTRACTAdvancing a holistic theory that explains emerging geographical configurations of the world economy is both ambitious and particularly arduous when it involves concepts without consensus – in their meanings and significance – such as rising powers, BRICS, and MINT. Yet, understanding global and uneven development of the contemporary variety is an urgent matter of policy and politics, as we face growing nationalist populism as one of the disconcerting outcomes of globalization. In this research note two interpretations are offered, one that closely follows Ray Hudson’s analysis of a ‘new new international division of labor’, and another that may serve as an alternative interpretation, which is buttressed by evidence from recent development in Asia.
Abnormal PI 3-Kinase Activity Due to Increased Lyn with Decreased PTEN and Absent SHIP in Bone Marrow Cells from Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes.

Abstract Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) result from a malignant stem cell clone characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis, manifested as peripheral cytopenia with a cellular bone marrow. A leading hypothesis is that MDS results from a breakdown in the control of myeloid cell proliferation and apoptosis. Through its generation of 3′-phosphoinositides and subsequent activation of effectors such as Akt, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) drives cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, and motility. We show here that PI 3-Kinase is profoundly deregulated in high-risk MDS. Bone marrow cells from high-risk MDS patients displayed a 3–30 fold increase in constitutive activation of the Src kinase Lyn. Constitutive serine/threonine phosphorylation of Akt, a surrogate of PI-3 kinase activity, was seen in all specimens. Protein levels of PTEN, which dephosphorylates the D3-position phosphate of the inositol ring, were variably decreased. Since PTEN is frequently silenced by hypermethylation, we treated U937, THP-1, and Mo7e cells with 5-azacytidine. However, real-time PCR showed no increase in PTEN transcripts in these cell lines. More significantly, protein expression of SHIP-1, which dephosphorylates the D5-position phosphate of the inositol ring, was markedly decreased or absent in bone marrow cells from MDS patients, whereas they were present in AML or ALL blasts. Real-time PCR showed SHIP-1 transcripts in MDS cells to be 50% of normal CD34+ stem cells. Although 5-azacytidine treatment resulted in an increase in SHIP-1 transcripts, as measured by quantitative PCR, protein levels did not increase. Because SHIP-1 contains three PEST-rich regions, we hypothesized that the low or absent level of expression of SHIP-1 may due to protein degradation. Neither the cryopreservation of cells nor lysis buffer could explain the absence of SHIP-1 protein. Instead, when U937 and HL60 leukemic cell lines were treated with the proteastome inhibitor lactacystin (1–5 uM), protein levels of SHIP-1 increased. These results suggest that constitutive activation of Akt is likely due to decreased PTEN and absent SHIP-1 protein levels in primary MDS cells. Consistent with these findings, mice deficient in PTEN and SHIP-1 suffer from anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukocytosis and impaired function of myeloid progenitors (BLOOD 103:4503, 2004). These results also suggest that a combination of a Src kinase inhibitor and a proteasome inhibitor may be a therapeutic approach for the treatment of high-risk MDS.
Dementia Care Comes Home: Patient and Caregiver Assessment via Telemedicine

Purpose of the study We evaluated the feasibility and reliability of commonly used clinical dementia assessments when administered via direct-to-home telemedicine videoconferencing. To date, few studies assessed the suitability of these measures when used in this setting. Design and methods Sixty-six participants (33 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their 33 caregivers) consented to assessment with a battery of tests in both the clinic setting and via telemedicine. We administered cognitive, behavior, and mood assessments to persons with mild, moderate, and severe AD both in the clinic setting and via direct-to-home telemedicine videoconferencing; test-retest reliability was assessed. We also explored how three caregiver measures performed when administered via telemedicine. Assessments were administered 2 weeks apart. Participant feedback about their experience was solicited. Results Twenty-eight dyads completed the assessments. Reliability was found to be good to excellent in all measures when used with direct-to-home telemedicine. For the most part, participants and clinicians found telemedicine to be a feasible option for assessing cognitive function and caregiver coping. Implications Findings indicate that these measures can be used to assess persons with AD, as well as their caregivers, across the telemedicine platform, directly to their homes. Use of this technology can expand access to care to the millions across the United States with AD and their caregivers.
A New Twist on Old Questions: A Life Span Approach to the Trait Concept.

Objective. We examine three cardinal concerns in personality psychology from a lifespan perspective: trait structure, trait stability, and trait mechanisms that account for the predictive utility of traits. We draw on previously published and new findings from the Hawaii Longitudinal Study of Personality and Health, as well as work by others. Method. The Hawaii study provides a unique opportunity to relate a comprehensive assessment of participants' childhood personality traits (over 2,000 children, mean age 10 years) to their adult personality traits and other self-report outcomes in their 40's, 50's and 60's, and their clinically assessed health at mean age 51. Results. Our analyses have demonstrated that the Big Five can be used to describe childhood personality in this cohort. The stability of the Big Five from childhood teacher assessments to adult self or observer reports is modest and varies from Big Five trait to trait. Personality mechanisms of lifespan health behavior and lifespan trauma experience explain some of the influence of childhood conscientiousness on adult health outcomes. Conclusions. A lifespan approach highlights the dynamic nature of traits and their long-term predictive utility, and offers numerous directions for future research. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Laguerre deconvolution with unknown matrix operator

In this paper we consider the convolution model Z = X + Y with X of unknown density f , independent of Y , when both random variables are nonnegative. Our goal is to estimate the unknown density f of X from n independent, identically, distributed observations of Z, when the law of the additive process Y is unknown. When the density of Y is known, a solution to the problem has been proposed in Mabon (2016b). To make the problem identifiable for unknown density of Y , we assume that we have access to a preliminary sample of the nuisance process Y. The question is to propose a solution to an inverse problem with unknown operator. To that aim, we build a family of projection estimators of f on the Laguerre basis, particularly adapted to the non-negativeness of both random variables. The dimension of the projection space is chosen thanks to a model selection procedure by penalization. At last we prove that the final estimator satisfies an oracle inequality. It can be noted that the study of the mean integrated square risk is based on Bernstein's type concentration inequalities developed for random matrices in Tropp (2015). Finally we illustrate our method on some simulated data.
Modeling Explicit SIMD Programming With Subgroup Functions

Traditionally, programs that run on an OpenCL™ device are written as "implicit SIMD" (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) or "SIMT" (Single Instruction, Multiple Thread) kernels. This is a convenient and powerful representation that can target massively parallel OpenCL devices without writing tricky parallel code, but it is insufficient to optimally represent some features of some OpenCL devices. In particular, "block operations", where a single operation works on a collection of data items, have required use of a trickier "explicit SIMD" programming paradigm. This paper describes how subgroup built-in functions were used to represent block operations in traditional "implicit SIMD" OpenCL kernels, to improve kernel efficiency and add new capabilities to OpenCL kernels.
Schistosoma Mansoni infection induces anti-atherogenic transcriptional changes in hepatic macrophages (MPF2P.758)

Hepatic macrophages play an essential role in the granulomatous response to infection with the parasitic helminth Schistosoma Mansoni , but the transcriptional changes that underlie this participation are poorly understood. To explore this, we sorted the two previously recognized hepatic macrophage populations (perivascular and Kupffer) from naive and S. mansoni infected mice and performed microarray analysis as part of the Immunological Genome Project. Consistent with the pattern of great diversity identified in other organ macrophages, the two hepatic macrophage populations displayed signatures distinct from all other macrophages, with the two populations exhibiting remarkable differences between them. However, this diversity was greatly reduced following infection with S. mansoni , and in fact, many of the transcripts identified as uniquely perivascular or Kupffer cell specific were lost following infection, raising the possibility that both populations may be replenished by monocytes following infection. Our analysis showed a profound alteration in phospholipid and cholesterol metabolic pathways, including prostaglandin signaling, in addition to the expected M2 markers. These changes suggested a possible mechanism for the previously reported atheroprotective effects of S. mansoni infection. Indeed we find that ApoE null mice fed a high fat diet in combination with S. mansoni infection have reduced body mass in addition to reduced plaque area as compared to control mice.
Dynamic Planning for Sensor-Based Robots

Abstract This paper describes an approach to planning suitable for robots functioning in the assembly domain. A robot planner has to function in the presence of incomplete information and needs to react to unexpected changes in the environment. A planner that can function in a dynamically changing environment, correspondingly modifying its plans and goals is termed a dynamic planner . The ability of the planner to dynamically restructure its plan of action is facilitated by the fact that the robot system is equipped with various sensors. In this paper, we describe our approach to building a dynamic planner, our initial efforts and discuss the planning of a simple assembly task.