cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nuclear chromodynamics: applications of QCD to relativistic multiquark systems☆

Abstract We review the applications of quantum chromodynamics to nuclear multiquark systems. In particular, predictions are given for the deuteron reduced form factor in the high momentum transfer region, hidden color components in nuclear wavefunctions, and the short distance effective force between nucleons. A new antisymmetrization technique is presented which allows a basis for relativistic multiquark wavefunctions and solutions to their evolution to short distances. Areas in which conventional nuclear theory conflicts with QCD are also briefly reviewed.
Regulation of constitutive expression of mouse PTEN by the 5′-untranslated region

PTEN tumor suppressor serves as a major negative regulator of survival signaling mediated by PI3 kinase/AKT/protein kinase B pathway, and is inactivated in various human tumors. Elucidation of mechanisms responsible for PTEN expression is important for providing insight into strategies to control the loss of PTEN expression in human cancers. Although recent studies suggested that p53 and Egr-1 can modulate induced PTEN expression, the mechanism responsible for ubiquitous constitutive expression of PTEN remains elusive. PTEN mRNA contains a highly conserved and GC-rich 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR). Recently, it has been shown that the long 5'-UTR sequences of several growth-regulated mRNAs contain promoters that can generate mRNAs with shorter 5'-UTRs. In this paper, we tested whether the 5'-UTR sequence of mouse PTEN contains a promoter that is responsible for constitutive expression of PTEN. We found that the long 5'-UTR sequence of mouse PTEN severely inhibits translation of PTEN and a heterologous gene firefly luciferase. Deletion of the most 5'-UTR sequence would enhance translation efficiency 100-fold. We also showed that the 5'-UTR sequence of mouse PTEN does not have an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) that can mediate cap-independent initiation of translation. Instead, we found that the 5'-UTR sequence of mouse PTEN contains a strong promoter that drives the production of a transcript with shorter 5'-UTRs, which can be translated with higher efficiency. This promoter was mapped to the region between -551 and -220 bases upstream of the translation start codon. Cotransfection analysis using Drosophila SL2 cells showed that Sp1 is one of the major transcription factors that can constitutively activate this promoter. Two endogenous PTEN transcripts with 5'-UTRs of 193 and 109 bases were found in DU145 and H226 cell lines. Based on these observations, we conclude that the PTEN expression may be regulated at both transcriptional and translational levels, and that the 5'-UTR sequence of PTEN contains a promoter that is responsible for constitutive PTEN expression.
Validity in qualitative research revisited

Concerns with the issues of validity in qualitative research have dramatically increased. Traditionally, validity in qualitative research involved determining the degree to which researchers’ claim...
Many Approaches, but Few Arrivals: Merton and the Columbia Model of Theory Construction

Robert Merton's essays on theories of the middle range and his essays on functional explanation and the structural approach are among the most influential in the history of sociology. But their import is a puzzle. He explicitly allied himself with some of the most extreme scientistic formalists and contributed to and endorsed the Columbia model of theory construction. But Merton never responded to criticisms by Ernest Nagel of his arguments or acknowledged the rivalry between Lazarsfeld and Herbert Simon, rarely cited the philosophical and methodological literature, and responded to critics with ambiguous concessions, leaving the Mertonian legacy profoundly ambiguous.
Development and preliminary data of novel integrated optical micro-force sensing tools for retinal microsurgery

This paper reports the development of novel micro-force sensing tools for retinal microsurgery. Retinal microsurgery requires extremely delicate manipulation of retinal tissue, and tool-to-tissue interaction forces are frequently below human perceptual thresholds. Further, the interaction between the tool shaft and sclera makes accurate sensing of forces exerted on the retina very difficult with previously developed force sensing schemes, in which the sensor is located outside the eye. In the work reported here, we incorporate 160 µm Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) strain sensors into the tool shaft to sense forces distal to the sclera. The sensor is applicable both with robotically manipulated and freehand tools. Preliminary results with a 1 degree-of-freedom (DOF) sensor have demonstrated 0.25 mN resolution, and work is underway to develop 2 and 3 DOF tools. The design and analysis of the force sensing tool is presented with preliminary testing data and some initial experiments using the tool with both freehand and robotic manipulation.
Effect of cadmium on reductive dechlorination of trichloroaniline

The effect of a transition metal, cadmium (Cd), on reductive dechlorination of a model chlorinated organic, 2,3,4-trichloroaniline (2,3,4-TCA), was determined in the laboratory in three anaerobic, flooded soils with varying properties. Dechlorination of 2,3,4-TCA was inhibited over a continuum of pore-water-soluble Cd concentrations (10--200 {micro}g/L) in mineral-dominated rice paddy and bottomland hardwood soils. In organic-dominated marsh soil, however, a critical inhibitory level of pore-water-soluble Cd (200 {micro}g/L) was observed. Lower-chlorinated aniline metabolites differed with soluble Cd concentration. Different metabolites (2,3-dichloroaniline and 2-chloroaniline) were observed in some soils as Cd neared the completely inhibitory concentration. Speciation of soluble Cd was necessary to predict whether inhibition would occur, particularly in the presence of high concentrations of organic ligands such as humic acids. Selective extractions and measurement of acid-volatile sulfides provided additional information but did not adequately predict inhibition of dechlorination. These results demonstrate the importance of quantification and speciation of pore-water metal concentrations in predicting potential inhibition of anaerobic biodegradation reactions such as reductive dechlorination.
A Multicenter Study of the Risk of Intra-Abdominal Injury in Children After Normal Abdominal Computed Tomography Scan Results in the Emergency Department

Study objective We determine whether intra-abdominal injury is rarely diagnosed after a normal abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan result in a large, generalizable sample of children evaluated in the emergency department (ED) after blunt torso trauma. Methods This was a planned analysis of data collected during a prospective study of children evaluated in one of 20 EDs in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. The study sample consisted of patients with normal results for abdominal CT scans performed in the ED. The principal outcome measure was the negative predictive value of CT for any intra-abdominal injury and those undergoing acute intervention. Results Of 12,044 enrolled children, 5,380 (45%) underwent CT scanning in the ED; for 3,819 of these scan the results were normal. Abdominal CT had a sensitivity of 97.8% (717/733; 95% confidence interval [CI] 96.5% to 98.7%) and specificity of 81.8% (3,803/4,647; 95% CI 80.7% to 82.9%) for any intra-abdominal injury. Sixteen (0.4%; 95% CI 0.2% to 0.7%) of the 3,819 patients with normal CT scan results later received a diagnosis of an intra-abdominal injury, and 6 of these underwent acute intervention for an intra-abdominal injury (0.2% of total sample; 95% CI 0.06% to 0.3%). The negative predictive value of CT for any intra-abdominal injury was 99.6% (3,803/3,819; 95% CI 99.3% to 99.8%); and for injury undergoing acute intervention, 99.8% (3,813/3,819; 95% CI 99.7% to 99.9%). Conclusion In a multicenter study of children evaluated in EDs after blunt torso trauma, intra-abdominal injuries were rarely diagnosed after a normal abdominal CT scan result, suggesting that safe discharge is possible for the children when there are no other reasons for admission.
Statistical prediction of circuit aging under process variations

Accurate prediction of circuit aging and its variability is essential to reliable design and analysis. Such a capability further helps reduce the load in statistical reliability test. Based on compact models of transistor degradation and circuit performance, we develop analytical solutions that efficiently predict the statistics of both circuit timing and the leakage under temporal stress and process variations. These solutions prove that circuit aging and its variance can be fully predicted from the characteristics of transistor degradation and circuit performance sensitivity to aged parameters, independent on the type and the amount of process variations. Specific results include: (1) under variations, the standard deviation of circuit speed declines with the stress time, following a power law of 1/6; and (2) the logarithmic mean and the standard deviation of leakage current decrease with the stress time as t1/6. The results are systematically validated by simulation and measurement data from an industrial 65 nm technology, enhancing the predictability and efficiency of statistical reliability analysis.
Toward an Epidemiology of Gastropathy Associated With Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drug Use

The thesis of this paper is that gastropathy associated with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is the most frequent and, in aggregate, the most severe drug side effect in the United States. This work is based on a consecutive series of 2400 patients with rheumatoid arthritis followed prospectively for an average of 3.5 yr by ARAMIS, the American Rheumatism Association Medical Information System. We present a preliminary exploration of the magnitude of the problem, the population at risk, and the patients within that population who are at particularly high risk. Patients on NSAIDs had a hazard ratio for gastrointestinal (GI) hospitalization that was 6.45 times that of patients not on NSAIDs. Characteristically, high-risk patients for GI hospitalization and GI death are older, have had previous upper abdominal pain, have previously stopped NSAIDs for GI side effects, and have previously used antacids or H2-receptor antagonists for GI side effects. They also are frequently on corticosteroids. In contrast, patients attributing relatively minor symptoms to the drug tend to be younger and more frequently female. Our preliminary analysis is univariate and, as these variables are interdependent, firm conclusions regarding the relative importance of these risk factors will require reevaluating our data base as it is expanded using multivariate analysis. The syndrome of NSAID-associated gastropathy can be estimated to account for at least 2600 deaths and 20,000 hospitalizations each year in patients with rheumatoid arthritis alone.
Simulation images from a low-pressure chlorine plasma reactor using DSMC

Modeling of high-density chemically reacting plasmas at low pressures (<10 mtorr) is of interest to the microelectronics industry for improving tool and process designs. High-density plasma simulations were performed using a fluids code to predict electron behavior, coupled to a direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) program for neutral and ion transport. Images presented are for a chlorine plasma simulation at 10 mtorr and include the temperature difference between neutral species, depicting the nonthermal equilibrium nature of the plasma, and angular and energy distributions of ions and neutrals to the wafer surface.
Rating Friends Without Making Enemies

As online social networks expand their role beyond maintaining existing relationships, they may look to more faceted ratings to support the formation of new connections between their users. Our study focuses on one community employing faceted ratings, CouchSurfing.org, and combines data analysis of ratings, a large-scale survey, and in-depth interviews. In order to understand the ratings, we revisit the notions of friendship and trust and uncover an asymmetry: close friendship includes trust, but high levels of trust can be achieved without close friendship. To users, providing faceted ratings presents challenges, including differentiating and quantifying inherently subjective feelings such as friendship and trust, concern over a friend’s reaction to a rating, and knowledge of how ratings can affect others’ reputations. One consequence of these issues is the near absence of negative feedback, even though a small portion of actual experiences and privately held ratings are negative. We show how users take this into account when formulating and interpreting ratings, and discuss designs that could encourage more balanced feedback.
Trends in Abundance of Coastal Birds and Human Activity on a Texas Barrier Island Over Three Decades

Trends in abundance of the 28 most common species of coastal birds on Mustang Island, Texas, were assessed for a 29-year period (1979-2007) during which the study area experienced a substantial increase in human activity. Ten of the 28 species examined declined signifi- cantly (P<0.05) over the study period. Six of these were larids (herring gull, Forster's tern, royal tern, gull-billed tern, Caspian tern, black skimmer), which exhibited declines in mean abundance of 53% to 88%. Other significant species declines were the great blue heron (39% decline) and the shorebirds Wilson's plover (63%), red knot (54%), and black-bellied plover (34%). Four species showed significant increases in local abundance. Mean number of people on the beach increased fivefold during the study period. This unique dataset allows for an extremely rare assessment of bird populations in direct relation to human disturbance and may have implications for managing coastal birds worldwide.
On the Design of Dielectric Strip Plasmonic Structures for Subwavelength Waveguiding Applications

In this paper, we develop an efficient method for designing the geometry of dielectric strip plasmonic structures for future subwavelength waveguiding applications. Leveraging an efficient finite-difference field solver, we investigate the impact of dielectric strip geometry on propagation loss and spatial light confinement. We demonstrate that a dielectric strip embedded in a metallic medium can support single-mode propagation while achieving subwavelength light confinement. We then formulate and solve the dielectric strip design optimization problem to ensure monomode propagation while balancing propagation losses and light confinement. The results indicate that the design technique can locate optimal dielectric strip geometries more efficiently than enumerating over the complete design space, which is crucial for the realization of subwavelength on-chip waveguiding applications.
Time to reach stationarity in the Bernoulli-Laplace diffusion model

Consider two urns, the left containing n red balls, the right containing n black balls. At each time a ball is chosen at random in each urn and the two balls are switched. We show it takes $\tfrac{1} {4}n\log n + cn$ switches to mix up the urns. The argument involves lifting the urn model to a random walk on the symmetric group and using the Fourier transform (which in turn involves the dual Hahn polynomials). The methods apply to other “nearest neighbor” walks on two-point homogeneous spaces.
Is sparse taxon sampling a problem for phylogenetic inference

Rosenberg and Kumar (2001) addressed the importance of taxon sampling in phylogenetic analysis and concluded that phylogenetic error is “largely independent of taxon sample size” (2001:10756) and that their “results do not provide evidence in favor of adding taxa to problematic phylogenies” (2001:10756). In response to these conclusions, Zwickl and Hillis (2002) and Pollock et al. (2002) conducted additional simulations and reanalyzed the data presented by Rosenberg and Kumar (2001). Zwickl and Hillis and Pollock et al. showed that these conclusions of Rosenberg and Kumar could not be supported either by analyses of their original data or by new simulations that corrected a number of deficiencies in Rosenberg and Kumar’s original experimental design. Both Zwickl and Hillis and Pollock et al. found that increased taxon sampling resulted in greatly reduced phylogenetic estimation error, and Pollock et al. showed that the benefits of increased taxon sampling were similar to adding an equivalent amount of sequence length for the same taxa (in the ranges simulated by Rosenberg and Kumar). In their response, Rosenberg and Kumar (2002) focused on a slightly different conclusion from that in their original paper, which was that “longer sequences, rather than extensive sampling, will better improve the accuracy of phylogenetic inference” (2001:10751). In 2001, Rosenberg and Kumar argued that the beneficial effect of increasing taxa was 10-fold lower than the beneficial effect of increasing sequence length and that the effects of increased taxon sampling for the same genes were negligible (“largely independently” of phylogenetic error). Rosenberg and Kumar (2002) have now concluded that the beneficial effect of increasing taxon sample size is not small, but they suggested that the benefit comes simply from the overall increase in size of the data matrix (the total number of characters × taxa). Furthermore, they maintained that there is a greater benefit to increasing the total sequence length for few taxa than can be obtained by increasing taxon sampling for the same genes. Here, we discuss the two sets of conclusions reached by Rosenberg and Kumar (2001, 2002).
Aesthetic equivalence of three representations of the face

To assess the aesthetic equivalence of different representations of the human face, attractiveness ratings were collected for sets of faces shown in front vs. profile view photographs (Study 1) and in outline silhouettes vs. profile photographs (Study 2). Both studies showed moderate correlations, and thus a degree of aesthetic equivalence, between the pairs of representations. However, significant interactions between mode of representation and stimulus person also showed that the representations are not equivalent for all individuals. These results suggest that attempts to develop metrics that predict physical attractiveness from the physical structure of the face should be based not on any single two-dimensional view, but either on multiple views or on three-dimensional representations.
Energy minimization of a QAM system with fading

In this paper, the problem of choosing constellation size and transmit power that minimizes the energy-per-goodbit in a frequency-flat, long-term static fading channel is considered. A goodbit is a bit that is received without error. A low-complexity, near-optimal algorithm to find constellation size and transmit power is presented. Although perfect channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter is assumed, fading can cause situations where the system cannot meet user constraints on acceptable performance. The implications of this type of system outage and the consequent trade-off between energy-efficiency and range are discussed. Assuming that the fading process is ergodic, the average energy-efficient spectral efficiency can be computed for various fading distributions of interest. As an application of the techniques developed, we evaluate, by simulation, the average minimum energy-per-goodbit for a Rayleigh fading channel and note that over a short range of distances (1 m to 10 m), it can cost at most 1 dB more than for the corresponding non-fading AWGN channel. We also show that the restriction of using only a square-QAM constellation does not incur a large penalty in cost.
Relationship between intrinsic radiation sensitivity and metastatic potential.

Abstract Purpose: Prior studies emphasized genetic modulation of tumorigenicity, and experimental metastatic potential in cells transfected with oncogenes. Whether the intrinsic radiation sensitivity of cells might correlate with parallel changes in metastatic potential is unknown. Methods and Materials: Rat embryo cells (REC) were transfected with the following oncogenes, and where appropriate, with corresponding selection markers: pCMVneopEJ6.6ras, pEJ6.6ras/v-myc, pE1a, and pEJ6.6ras/E1a. Individual transfectant clones and corresponding pooled cellular populations were propagated in selective medium. In vitro cellular radiation sensitivity was determined via clonogenic assays, a minimum of three, by standard techniques and individual SF 2 and MID parameters determined. Tumorigenicity was defined as the number of tumors forming following the injection of 1 × 10 5 –1 × 10 6 cells into the axillary pouch of three different strains of immune-deficient mice. Animals were killed once resultant tumors reached a maximum size of 1.5−2.0 cm in maximum diameter. For determination of experimental metastatic potential, between 1 × 10 5 –1 × 10 6 cells were injected into the tail veins of litter-matched sibling mice in parallel to the tumorigenicity studies. Results: Radiobiologic studies indicate similar levels of radiation sensitivity among REC, mock-transfected REC, E1a, and combined E1a/ras transfectants. pEJ6.6ras, and combined ras/myc transfected pooled cellular populations demonstrated increases in radiation resistance when compared to the pooled radiobiologic data from untransfected and mock-transfected corresponding pooled cellular populations ( p 2 , MID). Rat embryo cells, E1a, and mock-transfectants were relatively radiationi sensitive and nontumorigenic. pE1a/ras was tumorigenic but demonstrated relatively low experimental metastatic potential. Ras, and ras/myc transfectants, demonstrated similar levels of experimental metastatic potential on lung colonization assays. Conclusions: A good correlation exists between the intrinsic radiation sensitivity and the experimental metastatic potential of transfected REC. The highest levels of radiation resistance in vitro and experimental metastatic potential in vivo were found among REC transfected with ras/myc or activated ras alone. E1a/ras cotransfected cellular populations, although tumorigenic, were relatively radiation sensitive and nonmetastatic. Further study is needed to formulate a mechanistic explanation for the intriguing correlation between intrinsic radiation sensitivity in vitro and metastatic potential in vivo .
Optical clock recovery for high-speed optical networks

A novel inline optical clock recovery circuit, based on the periodic oscillations that result from the astable behavior of a bistable optical device with delayed feedback, is described. Clock extraction from an intensity modulated 13.6-Mb/s return-to-zero (RZ) optical data stream is demonstrated. Operation at much higher speed can be achieved by monolithic integration. The circuit is based on an integrated-optic modulator with delayed feedback. The incoming optical data signal is added to a constant optical bias before entering the modulator. Part of the light, transmitted through the modulator, is photodetected; the resulting electrical signal is amplified and then fed back to the electrical input of the modulator after an electrical bias has been added to it. With only the constant optical input, the output signal is a continuous square-wave oscillation whose period is determined by the time delay tau introduced by the feedback loop. >
Distributed control of MEMS-based smart flight surfaces

In aerospace applications, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) can be widely used as actuators and sensors. It should be emphasized that the actuators are characterized not only by functionality, integrity, controllability, reliability, efficiency, robustness, vibroacoustic, electromagnetic interference, and other characteristics, but also by their capabilities. Therefore, in some applications, conventional actuators must be used because MEMS actuators, in general, develop low rated torque due to microsize even though the MEMS torque density can be higher compared with conventional actuator technologies. To overcome this drawback, MEMS arrays can be used. The MEMS-based actuators and sensors are uniquely suitable for micro air vehicles. We use MEMS to displace and change the geometry of smart control surfaces. The major objective of the paper is to report fundamental and applied research in modeling, analysis, and design of smart flight surfaces with MEMS-based actuator-sensor arrays controlled by hierarchically distributed systems. We demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the application of smart flight surfaces for coordinated longitudinal and lateral vehicle control. It should be emphasized that the active aerodynamic flow control can be achieved in order to reduce the drag.
A systems approach to GPM dual-frequency retrieval

A systems approach to the development of spaceborne dual-frequency radar retrievals is presented. The necessary integral equations governing the backscatter and forward scatter propagation of electromagnetic waves are redeveloped through the parameters of the drop-size distribution (DSD) namely the median drop diameter, D/sub o/, and normalized intercept parameter N/sub w/. The backward iteration algorithm using these equations is reviewed and cast in terms of a closed-loop control-system model with feedback on measured radar reflectivity values. This model is preferred over the fixed-point method because the closed-loop model calculates and iterates based on the input variables for measured reflectivity instead of using attenuation as a loop control variable. The closed-loop model is examined and analyzed in terms of sensitivity to measurement error and DSD parameters and is used to describe and develop the convergence region of the retrievals in the DSD space. The impact of the convergence region is evaluated to define the relative contribution of the methodology in a global sense. It is shown that about half the rainfall falls into the convergence zone demonstrated in this paper.
Large Effective-Strain Piezoelectric Actuators Using Nested Cellular Architecture With Exponential Strain Amplification Mechanisms

Design and analysis of piezoelectric actuators having over 20% effective strain using an exponential strain amplification mechanism are presented in this paper. Piezoelectric ceramic material, such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT), has large stress and bandwidth, but its extremely small strain, i.e., only 0.1%, has been a major bottleneck for broad applications. This paper presents a new strain amplification design, called a “nested rhombus” multilayer mechanism, that increases strain exponentially through its hierarchical cellular structure. This allows for over 20% effective strain. In order to design the whole actuator structure, not only the compliance of piezoelectric material but also the compliance of the amplification structures needs to be taken into account. This paper addresses how the output force and displacement are attenuated by the compliance involved in the strain amplification mechanism through kinematic and static analysis. An insightful lumped parameter model is proposed to quantify the performance degradation and facilitate design tradeoffs. A prototype-nested PZT cellular actuator that weighs only 15 g has produced 21% effective strain (2.5 mm displacement from 12-mm actuator length and 30 mm width) and 1.7 N blocking force.
Chemical mechanism of the radiation potentiating effects of 2,2-dimethylaziridine-type antitumor agents

Abstract Three 2,2-dimethyl phosphoraziridines, bis(2,2-dimethylaziridinyl)phosphinyl urethane (AB-132, NSC 51325), ethyl bis(2,2-dimethylaziridinyi)phosphinate (AB-163 NSC 108878) and bis(2,2-dimethylaziridinyl)-N-hydroxyurethane (AB-182, NSC 200724) which have shown synergistic antitumor effects in conjunction with X-irradiation, are characterized by their rapid hydrolysis via S N 1-mechanism and via the formation of transient 5-membered cyclic intermediates exhibiting phosphorylating activities. It was shown that the formation of the latter correlates with the observed maxima in the cholinesterase inhibitory effects of these compounds. It is proposed that the same intermediate hydrolysis products may block the repair of X-irradiation induced breaks in the DNA strands by phosphorylating their free YOH end groups. Additional mechanisms of the radiation potentiating effects of these compounds (not shown by their C-unsubstituted analogs), involving free radical-ion formation, are currently under investigation.
Photochemical Transformations Induced by Solar Ultraviolet Radiation in Marine Ecosystems

Various human activities during the past three decades have greatly increased the amounts of chemicals discharged into marine ecosystems. The dumping of hazardous chemicals into the ocean is likely to further increase in the near future as a response to mounting public concern over the use of landfills for such disposal. Oil spills and rainout of chemicals from the atmosphere represent other significant sources of chemical pollutants in the open ocean. To adequately assess the hazard of pollutants to aquatic organisms, toxicity data must be accompanied by analytical data concerning concentrations of pollutants or by some rational estimate of the concentrations in ecosystems that have not been analyzed. To make such estimates, computer models have been developed that utilize equations and data concerning rates and equilibria of various transport and transformation processes that affect the concentrations of chemicals. Processes considered in such models include microbial, thermal, and photochemical transformations as well as dilution, volatilization, and sorption to sediments and biota. Although these models have been developed specifically for discharges into freshwater systems, this approach could be applied to marine ecosystems with equivalent results.
Cocaine effects on cultured lymphocytes.

Cocaine is a local anesthetic containing a tertiary amine structure derived from the amino alcohol base, ecgonine. Ecgonine is methylated and esterified with benzoic acid to form cocaine or benzoylmethylecgonine (1). Cocaine was first isolated in 1857 and its medical uses have included application as a topical anesthetic in nasal surgery. The drug appears to be metabolized in humans and other mammals by means of plasma and tissue esterases (2). The major urinary metabolites appear to be the water soluble substances, benzoylecgonine and ecgoninemethy-lester (3). Cocaine can also be N-demethylated in the body and the resulting metabolite, norcocaine, has been reported to have good biological activity in a variety of systems (4,5,6).
Climatic niche and flowering and fruiting phenology of an epiphytic plant

Species have geographic distributions constrained by combinations of abiotic factors, biotic factors and dispersal-related factors. Abiotic requirements vary across the life stages for a species; for plant species, a particularly important life stage is when the plant flowers and develops seeds. A previous year-long experiment showed that ambi- ent temperature of 5-35 8C, relative humidity of .50 % and ≤15 consecutive rainless days are crucial abiotic conditions for Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides L.). Here, we explore whether these optimal physiological intervals relate to the timing of the flowering and fruiting periods of Spanish moss across its range. As Spanish moss has a broad geographic range, we examined herbarium specimens to detect and characterize flowering/fruiting periods for the species across the Americas; we used high-temporal-resolution climatic data to assess the availability of optimal conditions for Spanish moss populations during each population's flowering period. We explored how long populations experience suboptimal conditions and found that most populations experience suboptimal conditions in at least one environmental dimension. Flowering and fruiting periods of Spanish moss populations are either being optimized for one or a few parameters or may be adjusted such that all parameters are suboptimal. Spanish moss populations appear to be constrained most closely by minimum temperature during this period.
Metabolism of synthetic organic pesticides by anaerobic microorganisms

Within the past 5 to 10 years the number of publications on the metabolic fate of synthetic organic pesticides1 has dramatically increased. Manufacturers of pesticides have recognized the importance of determining the characteristics of degradation and persistence for their products under both aerobic and anaerobic biological conditions. Few metabolic fate experiments, however, have been done under strictly anaerobic conditions (Cavari et al. 1968), and in only a few of these experiments have the specific etiological agents that degrade pesticides been identified.
Central Hudson 2.0: FDA Regulation of Commercial Speech in Social Media

Discussion of FDA regulation of social media tools (such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs) through an analysis of enforcement actions and public hearings. Includes an analysis of First Amendment commercial speech as it applies to FDA regulation in general, and highlights areas where this may affect FDA regulation of social media.
Abstract TMP109: Poly-ICLC-induced Blood Brain Barrier protection is independent of Toll-like Receptor 3 Signaling

Introduction: Preconditioning with a TLR3 ligand, polyinosinic polycytidylic acid (poly-ICLC), a synthetic dsRNA, protects against middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Using an in vitro model of the blood brain barrier (BBB) we found that Poly-ICLC stabilizes the BBB during ischemia through a mechanism involving IFNβ production from glial cells. We assessed the hypothesis that Poly-ICLC stabilization of the BBB and subsequent reduction of ischemic injury requires the presence of TLR3 on both endothelial and glial cells. Methods: BBB was modeled using a transwell co-culture system with primary brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) in the upper chamber and primary mixed glial cells in the lower chamber. Poly-ICLC was administered 24h prior to 5h of oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD), which models stroke in vitro. Transendothelial electric resistance (TEER) and endothelial permeability were evaluated 24h after OGD and IFNβ secretion was assessed by ELISA. For in vivo studies, WT and TLR3 -/- mice were treated with poly-ICLC or vehicle 72h prior to MCAO and infarct volume was determined after 24h of reperfusion. Results: Poly-ICLC administered exclusively to the upper chamber containing BMECs, results in secretion of IFNβ from glial cells in the lower chamber and significant protection against OGD. To determine whether BMEC or glial expression of TLR3 was required for protection we generated BBB models with TLR3 deficient (TLR3-/-) BMECs in co-culture with WT mixed glial cells as well as WT BMECs in co-culture with TLR3 -/- mixed glial cells. Poly-ICLC preconditioning induced protection in the presence or absence of TLR3 suggesting that TLR3 signaling is not required for protection. This finding was supported further by in vivo data showing that poly-ICLC preconditioning protects TLR3 -/- mice against ischemic injury. Conclusions: Our results showed that poly-ICLC interaction with endothelial cells induces IFNβ production in glial cells to confer protection. This process does not require TLR3 expression on endothelial or glial cells suggesting that other dsRNA receptors (MDA5 and RIGI) may be important in poly-ICLC-induced protection.
Bessel beam Grueneisen photoacoustic microscopy with extended depth of field

The short focal depth of a Gaussian beam limits the volumetric imaging speed of optical resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM). A Bessel beam, which is diffraction-free, provides a long focal depth, but its side-lobes may deteriorate image quality when the Bessel beam is directly employed to excite photoacoustic signals in ORPAM. Here, we present a nonlinear approach based on the Grueneisen relaxation effect to suppress the side-lobe artifacts in photoacoustic imaging. This method extends the focal depth of OR-PAM and speeds up volumetric imaging. We experimentally demonstrated a 1-mm focal depth with a 7-μm lateral resolution and volumetrically imaged a carbon fiber and red blood cell samples.
Parathyroid hormone-related protein: a developmental regulatory molecule necessary for mammary gland development.

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) wasoriginally identified as the tumor factor responsiblefor a clinical syndrome known as humoral hypercalcemiaof malignancy. It is now appreciated that PTHrP3 is a developmental regulatory moleculeexpressed during the formation of a wide variety oforgans. Recently, our laboratory has demonstrated thatPTHrP is necessary for mammary gland development. Ourstudies have suggested that this molecule participatesin the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal interactionsduring embryonic mammary development and perhaps alsoduring adolescent ductal morphogenesis. In addition, it has been suggested that PTHrP plays acritical role in the establishment of bone metastases inbreast cancer. In this article, we will discuss thecurrent knowledge of the mechanisms underlying PTHrPs actions during normal mammary development andin breast cancer.
Design freedoms of articulating Astromast and their optimization for improved performance

This paper contains a systematic approach to generating and evaluating various alternative designs for deployable truss structures with articulating members w h i d strain during the deployment. The objective is to find designs which reduce the member strains. The approach is applied to the Minimast, a well documented example of the AstromastTM beam. General design parameters are listed and constraints are applied to narrow the list, revealing parameters that are free to be specified. These constraints reveal the existence of four free parameters. By holding two of these parameters constant, and perturbing the remaining two away from the Minimast design configuration, various sets of the design parameters are investigated. These are ranked with regard to the member strains during deployment by using a generally available large-rotation finite element program. Results show significant strain reductions are achieved by redesign for chosen boundary conditions.
Multi-fidelity Methods in Aerodynamic Robust Optimization

In order to design robust and reliable aerospace systems it is necessary to properly quantify the effect of uncertainties on the systems’ behavior. Performing a robust optimization with the highest fidelity method is desired albeit not feasible because of the prohibited computational cost associated with the many simulations needed in the optimization iterations to compute statistics of the system’s performance. Here we describe a multi-fidelity method to enable high-fidelity robust optimization. Our multi-fidelity method uses a polynomial chaos expansion constructed from the combination of a low-fidelity model and a model correction to approximate the high-fidelity statistics and the gradients of the statistics used in each optimization iteration. The model correction accounts for the difference between the high-fidelity (Computational Fluid Dynamics RANS) model and the low-fidelity (CFD Euler) model. A key feature of the multi-fidelity method is its incorporation of analytic gradients (adjoints) from the CFD to obtain the gradients of the statistics. The application of the multi-fidelity method to the robust optimization of an RAE2822 airfoil subject to uncertain flow conditions shows that 60% to 90% computational savings can be achieved when compared to the high-fidelity optimization.
Cycloheximide Chase Analysis of Protein Degradation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Regulation of protein abundance is crucial to virtually every cellular process. Protein abundance reflects the integration of the rates of protein synthesis and protein degradation. Many assays reporting on protein abundance (e.g., single-time point western blotting, flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy, or growth-based reporter assays) do not allow discrimination of the relative effects of translation and proteolysis on protein levels. This article describes the use of cycloheximide chase followed by western blotting to specifically analyze protein degradation in the model unicellular eukaryote, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast). In this procedure, yeast cells are incubated in the presence of the translational inhibitor cycloheximide. Aliquots of cells are collected immediately after and at specific time points following addition of cycloheximide. Cells are lysed, and the lysates are separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for western blot analysis of protein abundance at each time point. The cycloheximide chase procedure permits visualization of the degradation kinetics of the steady state population of a variety of cellular proteins. The procedure may be used to investigate the genetic requirements for and environmental influences on protein degradation.
Tujia Nationality Words in Enshi Area's Chinese Dialect

Analyze several selected words from Han colloquialism in Enshi region.After referring to the records in"The Summaries for Tujia Language"and"A Tujia Language – Chinese Language Dictionary"and analyzing the actual using condition of these words,it can be concluded that these words are Tujia words remained in Han language.These remained words are the sign of Tujia native substratum culture.At the same time,these words influence the whole situation of southweste mandarin in some extent.
When to Time in the Stock Market: An International Examination of Factors that Influence Market Timing

The objective of this study is to determine if readily available finance and macro-economic variables can explain which years have favored market timing strategies versus which years favored buy and hold investing, in order to help traders determine when to allocate funds from passive to active investment strategies. We find that when real GDP growth rates, inflation rates, and PE ratios were low or negative, and when dividend yields were high, market timing strategies were favorable across 44 country market indexes from 1995–2008. These results are robust to country level of development, negative market return years, and other control variables. The conditions for pursuing market timing strategies were time-variant and detectable with macro-economic and finance variables. We introduce and test a new metric, Market Timing–Buy and Hold (MTBH), which measures the conditions of pursuing market timing strategies relative to buy and hold investing. The MTBH metric is an ex post measure that allows one to examine when it has been advantageous to switch from buy and hold investing to a market timing strategy using macro-economic and financial variables.
Visual Reasoning in Science and Mathematics

Diagrams are hybrid entities, which incorporate both linguistic and pictorial elements, and are crucial to any account of scientific and mathematical reasoning. Hence, they offer a rich source of examples to examine the relation between model-theoretic considerations (central to a model-based approach) and linguistic features (crucial to a language-based view of scientific and mathematical reasoning). Diagrams also play different roles in different fields. In scientific practice, their role tends not to be evidential in nature, and includes: (i) highlighting relevant relations in a micrograph (by making salient certain bits of information); (ii) sketching the plan for an experiment; and (iii) expressing expected visually salient information about the outcome of an experiment. None of these traits are evidential; rather they are all pragmatic. In contrast, in mathematical practice, diagrams are used as (i) heuristic tools in proof construction (including dynamic diagrams involved in computer visualization); (ii) notational devices; and (iii) full-blown proof procedures (Giaquinto 2005; and Brown in Philosophy of mathematics. Routledge, New York, 2008). Some of these traits are evidential. After assessing these different roles, I explain why diagrams are used in the way they are in these two fields. The result leads to an account of different styles of scientific reasoning within a broadly model-based conception.
Thrombospondin-1 Stimulates Calcium Influx and Echinocytosis in Sickle Cell-Derived Red Blood Cells

Abstract Thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) is a secreted matricellular protein found preformed in platelet α-granules and upregulated in the plasma of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). In preclinical models TSP1 enhances sickle red blood cell (RBC) binding to endothelial cells, while in murine sickle mice TSP1 promotes RBC echinocytosis and vaso-occlusion. Recently we reported elevated plasma TSP1 was associated with vaso-occlusive complications in SCD patients. Herein we tested the hypothesis that TSP1 compromises RBC membrane integrity via enhanced calcium influx leading to morphological changes, such as echinocytosis. RBC were collected via centrifugation of heparinized blood from human HbAA donors (n=3), SCD patients with homozygous HbSS SCD (n=4), and wild type C57BL/6J mice (n=2). Cells were then re-suspended in glucose and calcium-supplemented PBS, and treated with several concentrations of exogenous TSP1 (2.75 nM, 11 nM, 22 nM and 44 nM) for 2 hours at 37°C. RBC morphology was assessed by both light and electron microscopy. TSP1 modulation of RBC calcium influx was studied using the calcium fluorophore Fluo-3, AM. TSP1 treatment, in a dose-dependent manner, stimulated echinocytosis in human SCD and non-SCD RBC and in murine cells. In some instances electron microscopy showed echinocyte membrane projections with a string-of-beads appearance, suggestive of imminent microparticle shedding. TSP1 treatment, again in a dose-dependent manner, also significantly increased calcium influx in SCD (Figure, right panel) and non SCD RBC (Figure, left panel) and murine RBC (not shown). Interestingly, SCD RBC displayed more sensitivity to TSP1-mediated increases in cellular calcium as compared to normal cells. Our results show for the first time that TSP1, at doses found in patient plasma, stimulates significant echinocytosis and calcium influx in both normal and SCD RBC. These data identify a novel role for plasma TSP1 in promoting RBC pathology. Future studies are underway to elucidate this mechanism and its pathogenicity in humans with and without SCD. Download : Download high-res image (160KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure 1 . Disclosures Isenberg: Vasculox: Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Radiation Control Technologies: Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees.
Perceptions of Adult Hospitalized Patients on Family Presence During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Background Family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in acute care is not widespread. Patients are not likely to be asked about their wishes for family presence or if they wish to be the decision makers about who should be present. Objective To explore the perceptions of patients on general medical units and to find factors independently associated with family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Methods A cross-sectional study of 117 randomly selected adult patients was conducted at an academic medical center. Participants were interviewed via a survey to obtain information on demographics, knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, sources of information on resuscitation, and preferences for family presence. Results About half of the participants agreed or strongly agreed that family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation was important (52.1%), that the participant should be the decision maker about who should be present (50.4%), and that the patient should give consent ahead of time (47.0%). Participants indicated that they would want an adult sibling, parents, or others (20.5%); spouse (14.5%); adult child (8.5%); close friend (5.1%); or companion (4.3%) present during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Younger participants (20-45 years old) were 6.28 times more likely than those ≥ 66 years old (P = .01) and nonwhite participants were 2.7 times more likely than white participants (P = .049) to want family presence. Conclusion Patients have strong preferences about family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and they should have the opportunity to make the decision about having family present.