cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Daily Diary Reports of Social Connection, Objective Sleep, and the Cortisol Awakening Response During Adolescents’ First Year of College

Poor sleep and alterations in the stress-sensitive hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis may be mechanisms through which loneliness impacts adolescents’ well-being. Few researchers have explored whether daily variation in experiences of social connection predict day-to-day variation in sleep and HPA axis activity among adolescents navigating the college context. Using daily diary reports of social connection, objective measures of sleep (actigraphy), and naturalistic salivary assessment, the present study examined within-person associations between first-year college students’ social connection during the day and sleep that night, as well as diurnal cortisol activity the following day. The present study also explored trait-level loneliness as a moderator of these associations after adjusting for baseline loneliness assessed in high school. Seventy-one first-year college students (23 % male; M age = 18.85; 52 % non-Hispanic White) completed daily diary reports, wore a wrist-based accelerometer (actigraph watch), and provided saliva samples five times daily across three consecutive weekdays. The results from hierarchical linear models indicated that within-person increases in daily social connection were significantly associated with longer time spent in bed and more actual time asleep that night only for adolescents high on loneliness. Within-person increases in daily social connection were associated with a greater cortisol awakening response (CAR) the next day, regardless of trait loneliness. These findings illustrate that more daily social connection with others than usual may predict improved sleep quantity for lonely adolescents and a physiological index of anticipating upcoming daily demands (CAR) in general. Future intervention programs might consider including strategies focused on enhancing daily social interactions among adolescents starting college, particularly for lonely adolescents.
Synchronous testicular tumors in identical twins.

Abstract Testicular tumors are found in approximately 2 per 100,000 population. An extremely rare occurrence of synchronous testicular tumors in identical twins is presented. A complete review of the world literature with regard to testes tumors in brothers and twins is also given.
Multiscale Fluid-Structure Simulations of the Aortic Valve

In the heart aortic valve, maintenance of healthy conditions and transition to diseased conditions are modulated by the cells in the valve. The cells found within the valve leaflets and walls are the valvular interstitial cells (VICs), and those found on the fluid-facing surfaces are the endothelial cells (ECs). Both types of cell are known to respond to their mechanical state; that is, the stresses and deformations imposed on the cell by its surrounding environment. Here, we present a set of simulations to examine the mechanical states of cells as the valve goes through its opening and closing cycle. The simulations span the cell, tissue, and organ length scales. Taken together, these simulations predict the dynamic, three-dimensional mechanical state of VICs and ECs throughout the valve.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
229 THE IMPAIRMENT OF INNATE CARDIOPROTECTIVE SIGNALING IN THE AGED, DIABETIC RAT HEART

Introduction Aging and type 2 diabetes represent two interacting risk factors for ischaemic heart disease (IHD). Some contradictory clinical data suggest the diabetic heart to be less vulnerable to infarction; however patients still experienced worse clinical outcomes. This led us to hypothesize that the diabetic heart, may develop smaller infarcts but could be more susceptible to ischaemic damage i.e. the threshold at which infarct size translates into worse clinical outcomes is lower for diabetic patients. To verify this, we employed a type 2 diabetic rat model at different ages and investigated the susceptibility of the heart to varied durations of ischaemia- reperfusion injury(IRI) and the ability to condition against this lethal event using ischaemic preconditioning (IPC). Impaired phosphorylation of pro-survival Akt, a known mediator in the cardioprotective effect of preconditioning, has been suggested to be involved in insulin resistance. Therefore, we assessed whether Akt activation was impaired in these aging diabetic animals and if the changes we found had any detrimental effects on some downstream cardioprotective targets. Methods Hearts from diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats, aged 3–18 months were assigned to one of the following experimental groups: a) Langendorff isolated heart perfusions, subjected to 20min (sublethal ischaemia) or 35 min (lethal ischaemia) followed by 60 min reperfusion; some hearts were pretreated prior to lethal ischemia with 3 cycles of 5 min ischaemia, (ischaemic preconditioning, IPC, a well-known cardioprotective maneuver); the end point was to compare the size of the infarct amongst groups; b) Western blot analysis (for prosurvival Akt, PGC-1α, a regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, and catalase, an endogenous antioxidant); and c) measurements of the intracellular ROS/H 2 O 2 content, at baseline. Results The aged GK heart demonstrated an increased susceptibility to sub-lethal ischaemia with infarct sizes of 38.6%±3.1 (3 months) and 55.5%±3.3 (18 months) and to lethal ischaemia with infarct sizes of 45.5%±3.1 (3 months) and 62.1%±6.0 (18 months). With IPC there was a 63% decrease in infarct size at 3months and no protection seen at 18 months. The 18 month GK heart also demonstrated a decreased rate pressure product output compared to the 3month group (34623±4312.4 vs. 54437.4±6937.4, mmHg/sec). Surprisingly, an age-related increase in phosphorylated Akt was seen, with no subsequent increase in activation following an IPC stimulus. Furthermore, a decrease in basal PGC-1α and catalase expression and increased H 2 O 2 and ROS levels were also observed in the 18 month GK heart. Conclusions Overall our data seem to indicate that chronic activation of Akt occurs in aging diabetic hearts which could lead to alterations in downstream signaling, rendering the heart more susceptible to IRI and less amenable to IPC. This may occur via a down regulation of factors essential for maintaining mitochondrial function and antioxidant defense.
Scavenger receptor WC1 contributes to the γδ T cell response to Leptospira

WC1 molecules are exclusively expressed on the surface of γδ T cells. They belong to the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) superfamily and are encoded by a multi-gene family. WC1 molecules have been grouped on the basis of antibody reactivity. The expression of WC1 molecules from these serologically defined groups is correlated with differences in γδ T cell responses. The expression of receptors within the WC1.1 group correlates with the capacity of γδ T cells to respond to Leptospira antigen. In this study, we used RNA interference to directly investigate the role of WC1 expression in the response to Leptospira borgpetersenii. We found that when three out of thirteen WC1 gene products were downregulated by RNA interference, γδ T cell proliferation and IFN-γ production in response to Leptospira antigen was significantly reduced. Our data demonstrate that specific receptors in the WC1 family directly participate in Leptospira recognition and/or activation of γδ T cells.
Failure analyses of nonceramic insulators: part II - the brittle fracture model and failure prevention

In this work, an improved version of a brittle fracture model, based on the formation of nitric acid in service through corona discharges, ozone, and moisture, is presented and is used to explain several different modes of brittle fracture. Similar to Part I, we refer throughout this article to the insulators as nonceramic insulators (NCIs). To prevent brittle fracture in-service, its causes must be first established. To prevent brittle fracture in-service, its causes must be first established.
Intra-articular knee injuries in patients with knee extensor mechanism ruptures

The knee extensor mechanism is composed of the quadriceps tendon, patella and patellar tendon. Rupture of either the quadriceps tendon or patella tendon is a rare but significant injury. The purpose of our study is to determine if there are any associated injuries with these ruptures necessitating the need for further evaluation such as MRI or arthroscopy. We retrospectively reviewed all patients with ruptures of the knee extensor mechanism who required operative repair at our institution over the last 10 years. We reviewed the chart for any documented associated injury. The type and incidence of associated injuries were recorded. We further divided these patients into two groups: low energy indirect mechanism or high-energy direct impact mechanism. Sixty-four patients met our requirements for inclusion in this study. Thirty-three patients with patellar tendon ruptures and thirty-one patients with quadriceps tendon ruptures were included. Ten out of 33 (30%) patients with a patellar tendon rupture had an associated injury. Four out of 25 (16%) patients with patellar tendon ruptures in the low energy mechanism category had an associated injury. Six out of 8 (75%) patients with a high-energy direct impact patellar tendon rupture had an associated injury. Three out of 31 (10%) patients with quadriceps tendon rupture had an associated injury. The most common associated injuries in the patellar tendon rupture patients were anterior cruciate ligament tears (18%) and medial meniscus tears (18%). We found almost one-third of all patients with a patellar tendon rupture had an associated intra-articular knee injury. We found 10% of patients with quadriceps tendon rupture had an associated intra-articular knee injury. We also found an even higher incidence of associated injuries in patients with high-energy direct impact mechanism patellar tendon ruptures (75%). The most common associated injuries in patients with patellar tendon ruptures were tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (18%) and medial meniscus (18%). We recommend that consideration be given in obtaining a MRI or diagnostic arthroscopy in patients with patellar tendon ruptures especially those with high-energy direct impact mechanism. To our knowledge this has not previously been documented in the literature.
Tumor thrombosis of the inferior vena cava due to retroperitoneal germ cell tumor.

Three patients (2 males and 1 female), aged 17–28 years, with tumor thrombosis of the inferior vena cava due to retroperitoneal germ cell tumor are reported. Diagnostic and therapeutic implications of this condition are discussed.
Unionization decisions of members and nonmembers of an employee association

The determinants of intent to unionize were investigated using the responses of 405 employees of a large public university, 243 of whom were members of an employee association. Members and nonmembers indicated significantly different levels of union vote intent, general beliefs, specific beliefs, and normative pressures. They also used a different union vote decision model. General beliefs about unions appear to play a significantly greater role in unionization decision of nonmembers. On the other hand, while considering unionization, specific beliefs about unions were significantly more important for association members. Association members were less likely to vote for unionization.
Application of rf superconductors to linacs for high-brightness proton beams

Abstract A series of superconducting structures for the acceleration of high-current ion beams is being developed, and two prototype Nb cavities are under construction. These cavities operate in a frequency-velocity range which, for superconducting structures, has been little explored: frequencies of 0.4 GHz to more than 1 GHz, and velocities of 0.1 c to 0.5 c . Issues discussed include: need for strong beam loading (∽10 4 ), need for strong focusing elements located close to the cavities, minimization of beam impingement and beam instabilities.
Detrimental Antidepressant Drug–Drug Interactions: Are They Clinically Relevant?

This paper takes the position that detrimental drug-drug interactions (DDIs) involving antidepressants are clinically relevant. In doing so, it begins with a definition of the terms: drug-drug interaction, detrimental, and clinical relevance. It then discusses the issues of proof and provides an overview of the clinically relevant DDIs involving antidepressants. It also gives examples involving drugs besides antidepressants based on the premise that the underlying principles are applicable regardless of the therapeutic classes of the drugs involved.
Changes in the dynamics of marine terminating outlet glaciers in west Greenland (2000–2009)

[1] Recent changes in the dynamics of Greenland's marine terminating outlet glaciers indicate a rapid and complex response to external forcing. Despite observed ice front retreat and recent geophysical evidence for accelerated mass loss along Greenland's northwestern margin, it is unclear whether west Greenland glaciers have undergone the synchronous speed-up and subsequent slow-down as observed in southeastern glaciers earlier in the decade. To investigate changes in west Greenland outlet glacier dynamics and the potential controls behind their behavior, we derive time series of front position, surface elevation, and surface slope for 59 marine terminating outlet glaciers and surface speeds for select glaciers in west Greenland from 2000 to 2009. Using these data, we look for relationships between retreat, thinning, acceleration, and geometric parameters to determine the first-order controls on glacier behavior. Our data indicate that changes in front positions and surface elevations were asynchronous on annual time scales, though nearly all glaciers retreated and thinned over the decade. We found no direct relationship between retreat, acceleration, and external forcing applicable to the entire region. In regard to geometry, we found that, following retreat, (1) glaciers with grounded termini experienced more pronounced changes in dynamics than those with floating termini and (2) thinning rates declined more quickly for glaciers with steeper slopes. Overall, glacier geometry should influence outlet glacier dynamics via stress redistribution following perturbations at the front, but our data indicate that the relative importance of geometry as a control of glacier behavior is highly variable throughout west Greenland.
MO‐D‐224A‐01: Packet‐Level Quality Assurance of MLC Informatics

Purpose: To develop a system for real‐time auditing and archiving of MLC treatment data, both static and IMRT, through the passive detection and reconstruction of packet‐level network traffic between the linac control computers and the central database server. Method and Materials: The three computers under observation are the control computers for a Varian 21EX (120‐leaf dynamic MLC) and a Varian 2100‐2 (52‐leaf static MLC) and the central database server running Varis 7 clinical informaticssoftware. The observing system consists of a Linux‐based PC connected via Ethernet to modified network segments of the two linac control computers, running the Ethereal and Snort open‐source network analysis tools in addition to database and web services. After detailed observation of the computers' data transfer protocols and MLC data formats, the system was configured to passively monitor Ethernet traffic during clinical operations and selectively record only those packets containing specific treatment session, field, and MLC details to a database. Finally, a custom PHP‐MySQL script was written to reassemble, convert, and present this binary data in human‐readable, web‐accessible format. Results: The system successfully reconstructs and stores the network‐detectedMLC configurations for all fields in a treatment fraction, seconds after the patient file is opened at either treatment computer. Its application to IMRT QA is both real‐time MLC auditing (e.g. verify that the MLC data received by the server matches that of the previous fraction, 10–15 minutes before treatment delivery) and as an off‐line archive of transmitted MLC configuration data. Conclusion: This system demonstrates that the examination of network traffic can provide a useful and innovative tool for radiotherapy QA. Its informatics‐centered approach to IMRT QA contrasts with and complements the numerous delivery‐centered techniques, which focus on dosimetric verification of MLC sequences that are known to have been transmitted to the linaccomputer without error.
Reevaluating establishment and potential hybridization of different biotypes of the biological control agent Longitarsus jacobaeae using molecular tools

Evaluation of past and current biological control programs using molecular tools can clarify establishment success of agent biotypes, and can contribute to our understanding of best practice for natural enemy importations. The flea beetle, Longitarsus jacobaeae Waterhouse (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) has successfully controlled the weed tansy ragwort, Jacobaea vulgaris Gaertn., in Pacific coastal areas of the USA. A L. jacobaeae biotype introduced in 1969 from Italy is assumed to provide this control. A cold-adapted biotype from Switzerland was also released in 1969 to California, but its establishment was never confirmed. Recent infestations of tansy ragwort into parts of Montana with continental, winter-cold climates prompted introduction of the Swiss biotype in 2002. The Italian and Swiss biotypes cannot be separated morphologically and are able to hybridize in the laboratory. We used amplified fragment length polymorphisms to assess which biotypes established in California, Oregon, and Montana at sites with varying climatic conditions, and whether the biotypes have hybridized in nature. The analysis was based on 216 L. jacobaeae individuals collected from 13 populations in the introduced and native ranges in 2006 and 2007. Clustering and assignment tests showed that the Italian biotype successfully established at all study sites, including those characterized by continental, winter-cold climates. We also found hybrids of the two parental biotypes, which in one study location constituted 47% of the population. Future studies are needed to evaluate whether to release either biotype alone or in combination on new tansy ragwort infestations in winter-cold climates in North America.
Combustion and Material Characterization of Highly Tunable On‐Chip Energetic Porous Silicon

We present a comprehensive investigation into the tunable combustion of on-chip porous silicon energetic materials. The exothermic reaction occurs between high surface area nanoscale porous silicon and a solution-deposited sodium perchlorate oxidizer that penetrates each pore. The resulting burn rates spanned three orders of magnitude, from 5.2 to 1950 m s−1. Material properties of the porous silicon films were characterized using gas adsorption porosimetry, SEM, and profilometry, over specific surface areas between 191 and 901 m2 g−1, and porosities between 49 and 80 %. Combustion events were characterized using high speed imaging and bomb calorimetry. Results revealed that combustion depended on several material properties including surface area and porosity of the porous silicon substrate, with the peak flame speed occurring at 895 m2 g−1 specific surface area, 3.32 nm pore size, and 72 % porosity. Measured heat of combustion increased with porosity over the range of 65–75 %, up to 22.5 kJ g−1 of porous silicon at 75 % porosity. These measurements along with gravimetric determinations of oxidizer pore loading suggest that the system was typically fuel rich, with macroscopic morphology and porous silicon film mechanical integrity generally limiting the realistic range of porosity values to less than stoichiometric conditions.
Initial neutronic target station studies for the national spallation neutron source (NSNS)

Abstract Results found during initial NSNS target station neutronic design efforts are reported including the success of comparing neutron sources at 1 eV and moderator performance normalized to 1 eV. The usefulness of an analytic form is demonstrated. The angular dependence of the neutron current from a moderator face is presented together with the changes in neutron current with variation of moderator width, poison plate location and moderator material. The formation of an equilibrium state at low neutron energy is also discussed.
Effect of desoxycorticosterone acetate on NaCl appetite of propylthiouracil-treated rats

Abstract Dietary administration of the antithyroid drug, propylthiouracil (1.0 g/kg food), to rats induced a spontaneous salt appetite when choice was offered between 0.15 M NaCl solution and water to drink. The per cent change in intake of 0.15 M NaCl solution was reduced from control by administration of desoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) up to a level of 200 μg/day (approximately 100 μg/100 g b wt/day). Doses of DOCA greater than this returned percent change in intake of NaCl solution toward the level of untreated controls. Thus, a U-shaped dose-response relationship existed between per cent change in NaCl intake from control and logarithm of dose of DOCA administered. The per cent change in water intake tended to be a mirror image of NaCl intake. The effect on intake of salt solution may be specific for compounds with mineralocorticoid activity since graded dose levels of either corticosterone acetate (a glucocorticoid) or estrone failed to affect intakes significantly. Administration of purified renal extract at graded dose levels also failed to influence intakes significantly. The results suggest, but do not prove, that blood level of mineralocorticoid influences spontaneous intake of NaCl solution in the rat.
Degenerative and Post-Traumatic Arthritis Affecting the Carpometacarpal Joints of the Fingers

Symptomatic post-traumatic arthritis affecting the finger CMC joints is less common than might otherwise be expected based on the frequency of injury, especially to the fifth CMC joint. For the fifth CMC joint, the shallow concavoconvex articulation combined with the typical fracture location may provide a protective effect. Non-operative measures are typically successful, except in cases of missed fracture/dislocations and symptomatic joint instability. In these instances, re-construction emphasizes stability first, with an eye toward mobility for the ulnar column. It is common to detect a bony prominence in the region of the dorsal second and third CMC joints during examination of the hand. In most instances, the projection is asymptomatic and likely represents an os styloideum [18]. When painful and unresponsive to nonoperative treatments, this carpometacarpal boss can be excised surgically.
Synthesis of Ultra-Large-Pore SBA-15 Silica with Two-Dimensional Hexagonal Structure Using Triisopropylbenzene As Micelle Expander

It is proposed herein that in order to obtain ultralarge-pore ordered mesoporous silicas using surfactant-templated synthesis with micelle expanders, one should select a micelle swelling agent with a moderate swelling ability to achieve an appreciable pore diameter enlargement while avoiding the formation of heterogeneous and/or poorly defined nanostructure. It is suggested to identify viable swelling agents based on the extent of solubilization of swelling agents in micellar solutions. On the basis of this reasoning, cyclohexane, 1,3,5-triethylbenzene and 1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene (TIPB) were selected for the synthesis of large-pore SBA-15 silicas with two-dimensional (2-D) hexagonal structures of cylindrical mesopores. SBA-15 with pore diameter tunable from 10 to 26 nm was obtained at initial synthesis temperature 12.25−20 °C using Pluronic P123 triblock copolymer as a micellar template and triisopropylbenzene as a micelle expander. Structures of the materials were characterized using small-angle X-ray ...
The Alchemy of Martyrdom: Jihadi Salafism and Debates over Suicide Bombings in the Muslim World

Suicide attacks by radical Islamists mainly target and harm their co-religionists. Whether in Iraq, Afghanistan or Pakistan, suicide bombers are increasingly directing their blows against Muslims, including non-combatants, they label apostates, infidels or collaborators with foreign powers. The culprits for this indiscriminate carnage are primarily radical Sunnis known as Jihadi Salafists. How could these Sunni radicals square their Islamic legitimacy with three clearly established prohibitions in Islam: Do not kill yourself, do not killing non-combatants, and do not kill fellow Muslims? Jihadi Salafists circumvent these commands by redefining the meaning of piety in Islam to frame their co-religionists as apostates and heretics outside the protective umbrella of Islam. They also give primacy to human intentionality in warfare to frame self-immolation as martyrdom, not suicide. Finally, they unearth rulings by medieval scholars that permit indiscriminate tactics during warfare to protect the collective interests of Muslims. The case of Al-Qaeda in Iraq and its indiscriminate suicide bombings illustrate these justifications.
The Cloudsat Education Network: Scientifically significant collaborative research between students and scientists

The CloudSat Education Network (CEN) is the primary education and public outreach component of the CloudSat mission. Approximately 116 schools in 16 countries around the world participate in the CEN, and are recruited from schools in the GLOBE program. Students and teachers in the CEN make atmospheric observations of temperature, precipitation, and crucially, of cloud type and cloud cover amount (including photographs of cloud observations), using a modified GLOBE Atmosphere protocol as a guide for observations. CEN observations are taken coincident with CloudSat overpasses, providing coincident spaceborne- and student surface observations. A preliminary comparison study using CEN-collected observations of cloud type during the period from 2007–2008 compared the observed cloud types to those retrieved using the CloudSat 2B-CLDCLASS product. In this preliminary study, there were 227 coincidental measurements between CEN schools and CloudSat overpasses, with an agreement rate of approximately 66% between the surface observers and satellite observations.
Spatio-temporal Knowledge Discovery in Very Large METOC Data Sets

A system allowing for the efficient processing and viewing of dense METOC data sets stored in Network Common Data Format (netted) files is developed using advanced bitmap indexing. A method for netted data extraction and bitmap index creation is presented. Efficient geospatial range and pseudo-KNN queries are implemented. A two step filtering algorithm is shown to greatly enhance the speed of these geospatial queries, allowing for extremely efficient processing of the netted data.
Some recent developments on majorization inequalities in probability and statistics

Abstract We review some recent developments on majorization inequalities in probability and statistics. In section 2 we describe some related generalizations, including majorization in an integral form, multivariate majorization, stochastic majorization, and other related orderings (include the Lorentz ordering and arrangement increasing ordering); and state some results. Section 3 concerns partial orderings of probability contents of certain classes of geometric regions in R n via a majorization ordering of their parameter vectors. Section 4 deals with some applications of majorization theory to dependence and peakedness orderings of random variables. In most cases the described results have become available since the publication of Marshall and Olkin's book (1979), and are directly or indirectly inspired by it.
Development of an optimized medium, strain and high-throughput culturing methods for Methylobacterium extorquens.

Methylobacterium extorquens strains are the best-studied methylotrophic model system, and their metabolism of single carbon compounds has been studied for over 50 years. Here we develop a new system for high-throughput batch culture of M. extorquens in microtiter plates by jointly optimizing the properties of the organism, the growth media and the culturing system. After removing cellulose synthase genes in M. extorquens strains AM1 and PA1 to prevent biofilm formation, we found that currently available lab automation equipment, integrated and managed by open source software, makes possible reliable estimates of the exponential growth rate. Using this system, we developed an optimized growth medium for M. extorquens using response surface methodologies. We found that media that used EDTA as a metal chelator inhibited growth and led to inconsistent culture conditions. In contrast, the new medium we developed with a PIPES buffer and metals chelated by citrate allowed for fast and more consistent growth rates. This new Methylobacterium PIPES (‘MP’) medium was also robust to large deviations in its component ingredients which avoided batch effects from experiments that used media prepared at different times. MP medium allows for faster and more consistent growth than other media used for M. extorquens.
SU-E-J-60: Efficient Monte Carlo Dose Calculation On CPU-GPU Heterogeneous Systems

Purpose: It is well-known that the performance of GPU-based Monte Carlo dose calculation implementations is bounded by memory bandwidth. One major cause of this bottleneck is the random memory writing patterns in dose deposition, which leads to several memory efficiency issues on GPU such as un-coalesced writing and atomic operations. We propose a new method to alleviate such issues on CPU-GPU heterogeneous systems, which achieves overall performance improvement for Monte Carlo dose calculation. Methods: Dose deposition is to accumulate dose into the voxels of a dose volume along the trajectories of radiation rays. Our idea is to partition this procedure into the following three steps, which are fine-tuned for CPU or GPU: (1) each GPU thread writes dose results with location information to a buffer on GPU memory, which achieves fully-coalesced and atomic-free memory transactions; (2) the dose results in the buffer are transferred to CPU memory; (3) the dose volume is constructed from the dose buffer on CPU. We organize the processing of all radiation rays into streams. Since the steps within a stream use different hardware resources (i.e., GPU, DMA, CPU), we can overlap the execution of these steps for different streams by pipelining. Results: We evaluated ourmore » method using a Monte Carlo Convolution Superposition (MCCS) program and tested our implementation for various clinical cases on a heterogeneous system containing an Intel i7 quad-core CPU and an NVIDIA TITAN GPU. Comparing with a straightforward MCCS implementation on the same system (using both CPU and GPU for radiation ray tracing), our method gained 2-5X speedup without losing dose calculation accuracy. Conclusion: The results show that our new method improves the effective memory bandwidth and overall performance for MCCS on the CPU-GPU systems. Our proposed method can also be applied to accelerate other Monte Carlo dose calculation approaches. This research was supported in part by NSF under Grants CCF-1217906, and also in part by a research contract from the Sandia National Laboratories.« less
Nucleic acid metabolism in adult tissues of Gromphadorhina in response to ecdysterone: Quantitative effects

Tissues of two species of adult Madagascar cockroaches, Gromphadorhina portentosa and G. bruneri, were examined to determine their competence to respond to ecdysterone at the transcriptional level. The tissues surveyed were fat body, testes, and male accessory glands. Hormone treatment was carried out either in vivo, by injection, or in vitro using the isolated tissues. The tissues were then exposed to radioactive adenine to label newly formed nucleic acids. In quantitative experiments, nucleic acids and ATP were extracted by acid precipitation of the tissue homogenate. ATP was assayed using crude firefly luciferase, whereas RNA and DNA were quantitated colorimetrically. Radioactivity was determined by liquid scintillation spectrometry. Differences in specific activity between experimental and control groups were expressed as percentages of control values. In vivo experiments with both male and female fat body showed an increase in ATP and decrease in RNA and DNA specific activities following 1 hr of treatment, and a decrease in ATP and increase in RNA and DNA specific activities after 8 hr of treatment. Sequential injections over an 8 hr period yielded the same pattern of incorporation as that described for 1 hr. Hydrocortisone treatment was ineffective, as was in vitro treatment with either hormone. Experiments with testes, both in vivo and in vitro, were largely negative, although some changes in specific activities were noted. With male accessory glands, there was an increase in ATP, RNA, and DNA specific activities at 1 hr of treatment as well as following sequential administration of hormone over 8 hr. It is concluded that adult Gromphadorhina fat body is competent to respond to ecdysterone on the level of nucleic acid metabolism in vivo, but that in vitro conditions for optimal response remain to be defined. Male adult accessory glands are competent to respond on this level both in vivo and in vitro. In general, it appears that an early effect of the hormone is to bring about an increase in the ATP pool, whereas a later effect is to stimulate the synthesis of nucleic acids.
Role of dopamine D2 receptors in the striatal immediate early gene response to amphetamine in reserpinized rats.

Abstract The indirect dopamine agonist amphetamine has been shown to induce a patchy pattern of immediate early gene (IEG) expression in the rostral striatum of both pharmacologically intact and reserpinized rats. The available data suggest that stimulation of D 2 dopamine receptors may play a role in the patterning of amphetamine-induced IEG expression, but direct evidence is lacking. In the current study of reserpinized animals, we found that pretreatment with the selective D 2 dopamine antagonist raclopride did not block the induction of the IEGs Fos and Arc by amphetamine, but greatly reduced the “patchiness” of the induced expression. Raclopride did not induce Fos or Arc expression by itself under the conditions studied here. These findings suggest that although stimulation of D 2 receptors is not necessary for amphetamine to induce IEG expression in reserpinized animals, these receptors do play a critical role in the spatial patterning of the resulting response.
Binding of genistein to the estrogen receptor based on an experimental electron density study.

In a continuing effort to determine a relationship between the biological function and the electronic properties of steroidal and nonsteroidal estrogens by analysis of the submolecular properties, an experimental charge density study has been pursued on the nonsteroidal phytoestrogen, genistein. X-ray diffraction data were obtained using a Rigaku R-Axis Rapid high-power rotating anode diffractometer with a curved image plate detector at 20(1) K. The total electron density was modeled using the Hansen−Coppens multipole model. Genistein packs in puckered sheets characterized by intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds while weaker intermolecular hydrogen bonds (O···H−C) exist between the sheets. A topological analysis of the electron density of genistein was then completed to characterize all covalent bonds, three O···H−O and four O···H−C intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Two O···H−O hydrogen bonds are incipient (partially covalent) type bonds, while the other O···H−O hydrogen bond and O···H−C hydrogen bonds a...
Polarity Factors Play a Role in Antibiotic Resistance

In this issue of Chemistry & Biology, Kirkpatrick and Viollier describe a new twist in the relationship between bacterial cell development and antibiotic resistance. They reveal that TipN, which orchestrates development at cell poles, is required to tolerate induced expression of an antibiotic efflux pump.
Comprehensive Identification and Modified-Site Mapping of S-Nitrosylated Targets in Prostate Epithelial Cells

Background Although overexpression of nitric oxide synthases (NOSs) has been found associated with prostate diseases, the underlying mechanisms for NOS-related prostatic diseases remain unclear. One proposed mechanism is related to the S-nitrosylation of key regulatory proteins in cell-signaling pathways due to elevated levels of NO in the prostate. Thus, our primary objective was to identify S-nitrosylated targets in an immortalized normal prostate epithelial cell line, NPrEC. Methodology/Principal Findings We treated NPrEC with nitroso-cysteine and used the biotin switch technique followed by gel-based separation and mass spectrometry protein identification (using the LTQ-Orbitrap) to discover S-nitrosylated (SNO) proteins in the treated cells. In parallel, we adapted a peptide pull-down methodology to locate the site(s) of S-nitrosylation on the protein SNO targets identified by the first technique. This combined approach identified 116 SNO proteins and determined the sites of modification for 82 of them. Over 60% of these proteins belong to four functional groups: cell structure/cell motility/protein trafficking, protein folding/protein response/protein assembly, mRNA splicing/processing/transcriptional regulation, and metabolism. Western blot analysis validated a subset of targets related to disease development (proliferating cell nuclear antigen, maspin, integrin β4, α-catenin, karyopherin [importin] β1, and elongation factor 1A1). We analyzed the SNO sequences for their primary and secondary structures, solvent accessibility, and three-dimensional structural context. We found that about 80% of the SNO sites that can be mapped into resolved structures are buried, of which approximately half have charged amino acids in their three-dimensional neighborhood, and the other half residing within primarily hydrophobic pockets. Conclusions/Significance We here identified 116 potential SNO targets and mapped their putative SNO sites in NPrEC. Elucidation of how this post-translational modification alters the function of these proteins should shed light on the role of NO in prostate pathologies. To our knowledge, this is the first report identifying SNO targets in prostate epithelial cells.
Computer modeling and validation of a hybrid III dummy for crashworthiness simulation

A finite element model of the Hybrid III crash test dummy is developed for computer crash simulations. A description of the major components of the Hybrid III dummy and their finite element representations are given. The results of testing procedures required by the Code of Federal Regulations on the physical dummy are also presented and compared with results obtained from the computer model. The reasonable accuracy obtained from the model makes it useful for crashworthiness simulations when combined with other vehicle and restraint system models.
Why Are Men Falling Behind? Gender Gaps in College Performance and Persistence

This article examines the male disadvantage in grade point average, credits earned, and persistence in college. Using data on enrollees in Florida and Texas four-year colleges to decompose gender differentials in the first semester, changes in the differentials between semesters, and persistence through college, we find that males earn lower GPAs and credits in their first semester of college largely because they arrive with lower high school grades. After the first semester, males fall further behind their female counterparts in grades and credits. Females’ better high school grades explain some of the widened gender disparity in performance but differences in college course-taking and majors also explain gender gaps in credits, grades, persistence, and graduation.
Optimization of the electrospinning process parameters for a pandemic vaccine patch

A skin patch composed of an electrospun nanofibrous membrane of a highly hygroscopic polymer, encasing a reversibly packaged antigen and adjuvant cocktail, promises a practical alternative to the current vaccine strategy. The proposed system would utilize the high density of antigen presenting (APC) cells found within the layers of human skin to elicit a vast adaptive immune response. The amount of contact between patches and skin has been said to directly affect the efficiency of load delivery. Incorporation of the immunogens often requires use of aqueous solvents associated with the beads-on-the-string morphology formation, which hinders the high surface area to volume ratio afforded by the electrospun membranes. The long-term goal of this research is to optimize the solution and process parameters to maximize the surface interaction with the skin for improved delivery of immunogens. In this study we attempt to utilize a novel method of morphology control through employment of the electrospinning process pausation. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination indicated that stopping the electrospinning process at different intervals and for various durations impacts the generated morphology. The findings indicate that the surface area to volume ratio for the three-dimensional nonwoven membrane can be maximized through utility of process pausing.
Abstract B183: Nkd2 expression and survival in lung adenocarcinoma.

Objectives: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States and worldwide, and Wnt signaling pathway abnormalities have been implicated in its development. We planned to study the expression of Naked cuticle 2 (Nkd2), a Wnt signaling pathway antagonist, in lung adenocarcinoma tissue specimens. Methods: Two hundred patients with lung adenocarcinoma underwent surgical resection. Tumor and adjacent normal specimens were collected at the time of the procedure and stored in liquid nitrogen until analysis. Clinical data, including patient age, sex, vital status, smoking status, as well as tumor histology and stage, were obtained by review of electronic medical records. RNA was extracted using the Qiagen RNeasy Mini Kit, and cDNA was synthesized using the Bio-Rad iScript Kit. Nkd2 expression was measured using a microarray in 110 patients and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in 90 patients. We looked for differences in Nkd2 expression between patients of different sex, histologic subtype, or vital status; and among patients with different smoking status or stage. We described the distribution of Nkd2 expression in both the microarray and qPCR cohorts. We analyzed the relation between Nkd2 expression and survival using the Kaplan-Meier method and a Cox proportional hazards model. Results: There was no difference in Nkd2 expression between patients of different sex, histologic subtype, or vital status; nor among patients with different smoking status or stage. Nkd2 expression in the tumor was upregulated in the microarray cohort, but downregulated in the qpCR cohort, compared to the adjacent normal. In the microarray cohort, Nkd2 expression was not significantly related to survival (p=0.71). In the qPCR cohort, after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, bronchoalveolar carcinoma status, and stage, lower Nkd2 expression was significantly associated with longer survival (p=0.03). Stage was the only other significant predictor of survival (Wald test, p = 0.0002). Conclusion: In one cohort in our study, lower Nkd2 expression was significantly associated with longer survival. It is unclear why lower expression of Wnt signaling pathway antagonist would be associated with longer survival, when higher Wnt signaling has been associated with carcinogenesis. One hypothesis is that there is a negative feedback mechanism, in which upregulation of Wnt signaling leads to upregulation of Nkd2. Molecular markers have a growing role in cancer research, and further studies on Nkd2 may lead to new diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B183.
Uniqueness theorems for analytic functions of one and of several complex variables

1. Suppose that f is a function analytic on a region G in complex n-space Cn, and that f(m)(w(m)) = 0 for each m = (m1, m2,…, mn), mi = 0, 1, 2,…, where
Concentrated Disadvantage and the Incarceration of Youth: Examining How Context Affects Juvenile Justice

Objectives: Attribution theory is used to frame a study on concentrated disadvantage and youth correctional confinement. Method: Population of delinquent referrals and a random sample of 50 youth case file records from a large urban juvenile court in the southwest are analyzed. Results: Black and Latino/Latina youth were more likely than their White counterparts to be institutionalized. Youth from areas with high levels of concentrated disadvantage were more likely to be confined than youth from more affluent areas. Court officials' perceptions of disadvantage play an important role when deciding whether youth should remain in the community or be incarcerated. Conclusions: Race, ethnicity, and concentrated disadvantage play a significant role in juvenile justice. Court officials perceive areas of disadvantage as high risk and dangerous for youth. Unfortunately, correctional confinement appears to be one way to address youths' vulnerable state. This study sheds light on the importance of economic landscape...
Simulations of Binary Black Hole Mergers Using Spectral Methods

Several improvements in numerical methods and gauge choice are presented that make it possible now to perform simulations of the merger and ringdown phases of ``generic'' binary black hole evolutions using the pseudospectral evolution code SpEC. These improvements include the use of a new damped-wave gauge condition, a new grid structure with appropriate filtering that improves stability, and better adaptivity in conforming the grid structures to the shapes and sizes of the black holes. Simulations illustrating the success of these new methods are presented for a variety of binary black hole systems. These include fairly generic systems with unequal masses (up to $2\ensuremath{\mathbin:}1$ mass ratios), and spins (with magnitudes up to $0.4{M}^{2}$) pointing in various directions.
Never give a shepherd an even break: class and labor among the Komachi

Problems inherent in the use of hired shepherds by Middle Eastern nomadic pastoralists have been generally overlooked. This paper examines this question and argues that, at least among the Komachi of Kerman, Iran, the employment of shepherds by nomads marks the division of tribal society into classes which parallels the class structure of capitalist societies. The paper then examines the bases and implications of this aspect of Komachi society in terms of differential access to basic resources, conflict, alienation, and ideological palliatives. Through the penetration of an external capitalist market, Komachi shepherds have come to embody the contradictions of the Komachi social formation best described as “ambulatory peasantry.” [Middle East, pastoralism, economic anthropology]
Impact of Baseline BMI upon the Success of Latina Participants Enrolled in a 6-Month Physical Activity Intervention

High rates of obesity in Latinas highlight the need to determine if physical activity interventions are equally effective across the body mass index (BMI) range. Thus, this study assessed how BMI impacts success of Spanish-speaking Latinas in a culturally and linguistically adapted theory-based physical activity intervention (N = 45). Longitudinal regression models tested the relationship between baseline BMI and outcomes. Overall, a trend for a negative association was found between baseline BMI and self-reported physical activity and theoretical constructs targeted by the intervention over time. For example, someone with a 25 kg/m(2) BMI would report, on average, 27.5 more minutes/week of activity compared to someone with a 30 kg/m(2) BMI at followup. Furthermore, higher baseline BMI was significantly associated with lower self-efficacy, behavioral and cognitive processes of change, and family social support over time. These findings suggest that participants with higher BMI may need additional intervention to promote physical activity.