cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Web-based integrated development environment for event-driven applications

Event-driven programming is a popular methodology for the development of resource-constrained embedded systems. While it is a natural abstraction for applications that interface with the physical world, the disadvantage is that the control flow of a program is hidden in the maze of event handlers and call-back functions. TinyOS is a representative event-driven operating system, designed for wireless sensor networks, featuring a component-based architecture that promotes code reuse. In this paper, we present a web-based model-driven graphical design environment for TinyOS that visualizes the component hierarchy of an application, and captures its event-based scheduling mechanism. In contrast with existing visual environments, our representation explicitly captures the control flow of the application through events and commands, which makes it easier to understand the program logic than studying the source code. The design environment supports two-way code generation: mapping the visual representation to TinyOS source code, as well as building visual models from existing sources.
Interference alignment for the multiple-antenna amplify-and-forward relay interference channel

Interference alignment is a multiplexing gain maximizing technique for the single-hop interference channel. It can be extended to multi-hop interference channels, where relays aid transmission. In addition to coverage extension and capacity enhancement, relays allow the system to achieve higher multiplexing gains. This paper proposes a relay-aided interference alignment algorithm for the multiple-antenna amplify-and-forward relay interference channel. This algorithm relies on a connection between mean square error and achievable rate to solve the end-to-end sum-rate maximization problem. Numerical results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms other strategies in terms of both end-to-end sum-rates and multiplexing gains.
Biodiversity Areas under Threat: Overlap of Climate Change and Population Pressures on the World’s Biodiversity Priorities

Humans and the ecosystem services they depend on are threatened by climate change. Places with high or growing human population as well as increasing climate variability, have a reduced ability to provide ecosystem services just as the need for these services is most critical. A spiral of vulnerability and ecosystem degradation often ensues in such places. We apply different global conservation schemes as proxies to examine the spatial relation between wet season precipitation, population change over three decades, and natural resource conservation. We pose two research questions: 1) Where are biodiversity and ecosystem services vulnerable to the combined effects of climate change and population growth? 2) Where are human populations vulnerable to degraded ecosystem services? Results suggest that globally only about 20% of the area between 50 degrees latitude North and South has experienced significant change-largely wetting-in wet season precipitation. Approximately 40% of rangelands and 30% of rainfed agriculture lands have experienced significant precipitation changes, with important implications for food security. Over recent decades a number of critical conservation areas experienced high population growth concurrent with significant wetting or drying (e.g. the Horn of Africa, Himalaya, Western Ghats, and Sri Lanka), posing challenges not only for human adaptation but also to the protection and sustenance of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Identifying areas of climate and population risk and their overlap with conservation priorities can help to target activities and resources that promote biodiversity and ecosystem services while improving human well-being.
Emotional Lives: Dramas of Identity in an Age of Mass Media

Emotional Lives explores the changes in emotional cultures that have taken place during the last half century and continue to affect people's identities today. These changes are driven by the culture of consumerism in contemporary post-industrial society and by the emergence of new ideas about public and private life in a time when media culture generates new forms of social relationships and deep personal attachments to celebrity figures. McCarthy shows that people are drawn to public life, not only for entertainment and pleasure but also for its dramas, for memorializing events like disasters, acts of violence, and victimhood. McCarthy's cultural-sociological approach provides new insights about emotions as 'social things' and reveals how today's mass media is an important force for cultural change, including changes in people's relationships, identities, and emotions.
Volumetric interpretation of protein adsorption: Competition from mixtures and the Vroman effect

A Vroman-like exchange of different proteins adsorbing from a concentrated mixture to the same hydrophobic adsorbent surface is shown to arise naturally from the selective pressure imposed by a fixed interfacial-concentration capacity (w/v, mg/mL) for which protein molecules compete. A size (molecular weight, MW) discrimination results because fewer large proteins are required to accumulate an interfacial w/v concentration equal to smaller proteins. Hence, the surface region becomes dominated by smaller proteins on a number-or-mole basis through a purely physical process that is essentially unrelated to protein biochemistry. Under certain conditions, this size discrimination can be amplified by the natural variation in protein-adsorption avidity (quantified by partition coefficients P) because smaller proteins (MW<50 kDa) have been found to exhibit characteristically higher P than larger proteins (MW<50 kDa). The standard depletion method is implemented to measure protein-adsorption competition between two different test proteins (i and j) for the same hydrophobic octyl sepharose adsorbent particles. SDS-gel electrophoresis is used as a multiplexing, separation-and-quantification tool for this purpose. Identical results obtained using sequential and simultaneous competition of human immunoglobulin G (IgG, protein j) with human serum albumin (HSA, protein i) demonstrates that HSA was not irreversibly adsorbed to octyl sepharose over a broad range of competing solution concentrations. A clearly observed exchange of HSA for IgG or fibrinogen (Fib) shows that adsorption of different proteins (i competing with j) to the same hydrophobic surface is coupled whereas adsorption among identical proteins (i or j adsorbing from purified solution) is not coupled. Interpretive theory shows that this adsorption coupling is due to competition for the fixed surface capacity. Theory is extended to hypothetical ternary mixtures using a computational experiment that illustrates the profound impact size-discrimination has on adsorption from complex mixtures such as blood.
Ozone exposure is associated with acute changes in inflammation, fibrinolysis, and endothelial cell function in coronary artery disease patients.

Air pollution is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, of which ozone is a major contributor. Several studies have found associations between ozone and cardiovascular morbidity, but the results have been inconclusive. We investigated associations between ozone and changes across biological pathways associated with cardiovascular disease. Using a panel study design, 13 participants with coronary artery disease were assessed for markers of systemic inflammation, heart rate variability and repolarization, lipids, blood pressure, and endothelial function. Daily measurements of ozone and particulate matter (PM2.5) were obtained from central monitoring stations. Single (ozone) and two-pollutant (ozone and PM2.5) models were used to assess percent changes in measurements per interquartile ranges of pollutants. Per interquartile increase in ozone, changes in tissue plasminogen factor (6.6%, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 0.4, 13.2), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (40.5%, 95% CI = 8.7, 81.6), neutrophils (8.7% 95% CI = 1.5, 16.4), monocytes (10.2%, 95% CI = 1.0, 20.1), interleukin-6 (15.9%, 95% CI = 3.6, 29.6), large-artery elasticity index (−19.5%, 95% CI = −34.0, −1.7), and the baseline diameter of the brachial artery (−2.5%, 95% CI = −5.0, 0.1) were observed. These associations were robust in the two-pollutant model. We observed alterations across several pathways associated with cardiovascular disease in 13 coronary artery disease patients following ozone exposures, independent of PM2.5. The results support the biological plausibility of ozone-induced cardiovascular effects. The effects were found at concentrations below the EPA National Ambient Air Quality Standards for both ozone and PM2.5.
The White Power Presidency: Race and Class in the Trump Era

For months, Donald Trump and his supporters in the Republican Party have played a dangerous game as they have openly fawned, adored, and courted white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and Klansmen. As much...
Business Leadership in Global Climate Change Responses.

In the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement, 195 countries committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in recognition of the scientific consensus on the consequences of climate change, including substantial public health burdens. In June 2017, however, US president Donald Trump announced that the United States would not implement the Paris Agreement.We highlight the business community’s backing for climate change action in the United States. Just as the US federal government is backing away from its Paris commitments, many corporate executives are recognizing the need to address the greenhouse gas emissions of their companies and the business logic of strong environmental, social, and governance practices more generally.We conclude that climate change could emerge as an issue on which the business and public health communities might align and provide leadership.
Functionally Univentricular Heart with Right Heart Hypoplasia (Tricuspid Atresia with Normally Related Great Arteries and Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Ventricular Septum)

Univentricular hearts can present with a hypoplastic left-sided ventricle, a hypoplastic right-sided ventricle, or a ventricle with ambiguous morphology. This chapter will focus on the various forms of hypoplastic right ventricle. The most common forms of this defect are tricuspid atresia and pulmonary valvar atresia with an intact ventricular septum. Almost all forms of hypoplastic right heart syndrome are treated with a series of three operations. The first operation typically either augments or restricts pulmonary blood flow, depending on the specific anatomy. The second stage consists of redirecting superior vena cava flow directly to the lungs. The final operation (Fontan procedure) consists of redirecting the remainder of systemic venous return directly to the lungs. The end result is an in series circulation, with separate pulmonary and systemic circulations.
Echocardiography in Acute Neurologic Syndrome

Stroke is the third leading cause of mortality in the high-income countries. While acute neurologic syndromes can be divided into stroke and non-stroke causes, stroke from a cardiac source is the focus of this review. The chapter outlines cardiovascular conditions with high and moderate thromboembolic risk including the descriptions of key anatomic features and echocardiographic findings.
Design of a Low-Cost Thermal Dispersion Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor

There is a need for a low-cost sensor to be used in many practical applications, such as the control of the air–fuel ratio in combustion burners, which measures the mass flow rate of fluid. This paper focuses on the design, calibration, and testing of a mass flow sensor operating on the principle of thermal dispersion. The developed sensor implements a digital proportional-integral controller which regulates the body temperature of a heated element, recognized as a thermistor, located in the stream of the fluid flow to a constant difference with respect to the ambient air temperature. The power dissipated by this heated element was referenced to known mass flow rates of air to determine the relationship between the dissipated power and ambient temperature to the measured mass flow rate. The inclusion of air flow conditioners, which filtered unwanted debris and delivered a more laminar air flow, was imperative to the success of the design. The designed sensor was proven to measure the incoming mass air flow through a duct, in the presence of moderate disturbances in the intake air pipe and for a wide range of ambient air temperatures, with a maximum full-scale error of 5.5% and a range up to 80 kg/h.
Drugs of Abuse and Infections

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) affects the outcome of experimental laboratory infections. There is no unambiguous proof to date that use of marijuana increases susceptibility of humans to infectious agents. One complication in assessing epidemiologic data is that the population at risk frequently uses several substances with abuse potential. THC and gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) elicit a number of similar pathophysiologic changes. In addition, cannabinoids administered in combination with bacterial LPS elicit enhanced adverse effects. THC possesses antimicrobial activity and may act as a chemotherapeutic agent. THC impairs the humoral and delayed type immune response in mice, and depresses production of various mediators. Mice rendered tolerant to THC also become less responsive to LPS. In addition, the genetically LPS resistant C3H/HeJ mouse is less responsive to THC than the LPS susceptible C3H/HeDub mouse. Chronic users of marijuana therefore may experience paradoxical consequences as drug tolerance develops. Experimental laboratory animal studies have established that the effects of THC on host resistance to infections are determined by genetic factors, history of drug exposure and treatment with prescription drugs.
Atomic-scale defects associated with the negative bias temperature instability

We utilize magnetic resonance measurements to identify the fundamental atomic-scale defect structures involved in the negative bias temperature instability. In gate stacks composed of pure silicon dioxide, we find a degradation mechanism directly involving P b0 and P b1 defect centers (silicon dangling bond defects in which the silicon is back-bonded to three other silicon atoms precisely at the silicon/silicon dioxide interface). We observe that, in pure SiO2-based devices, the generation of these interface defects is catalyzed by the generation of E′ center bulk dielectric defects (silicon dangling bond defects in which the silicon is back-bonded to oxygen atoms). These observations are the first to indicate a prominent role for E′ centers in the negative bias temperature instability for pure silicon dioxide-based devices. In gate stacks composed of plasma-nitrided oxides, we identify a degradation mechanism which is dominated by the generation of a new defect center which we identify as a K N center. K N centers are silicon dangling bond defects in which the silicon is back-bonded to three nitrogen atoms with second-nearest neighbor atoms likely including oxygen. K N centers are located within the amorphous silicon oxy-nitride and electrically behave as both interface states as well as bulk dielectric defects (serve as both recombination and tunneling sites). In these plasma-nitrided gate stacks, the negative bias temperature instability does not involve the generation of P b0 , P b1 , or E′ centers. These collective observations provide a useful fundamental understanding with which to critically examine the current and future negative bias temperature instability framework.
Osteomyelitis of the maxilla in the newborn; report of a case treated with penicillin.

Abstract A case of osteomyelitis of the maxilla in a newborn child is reported. In this case a successful result is achieved by treatment with penicillin and sequestrotomy.
Focal Plane Detectors for Magnetic Spectrometers

This paper presents a critical review of focal plane detector systems suitable for use in magnetic spectrometers analyzing heavy-ion products of nuclear reactions. First the conditions which such detectors must satisfy will be stated, then elementary detector types will be described. Next, representative complex detectors and systems will be outlined, and finally their merits will be evaluated. References to the original papers describing devices and systems will be given and in most cases it will be left to the reader to consult them for constructional and other details. Many of the topics treated have already been covered in detail in a special issue of Nuclear Instruments and Methods (Br 79). Reviews of various types of nuclear detectors are given in (Br 72, He 74, Go 75, En 76, Ma 78a, St 81).
Terrestrial photogrammetric stem mensuration for street trees

Abstract Much of forest science is dependent on accurate stem measurements, and relatively new photogrammetric techniques may be suitable for modeling stems from the terrestrial perspective. From imagery taken along a windbreak and urban roadways we tested the viability of photogrammetric modeling for producing accurate diameter at breast height measurements. Treatments for different point cloud models differed based on intervals between control points (i.e., every 5 m, 10 m, 25 m, and an absence of target control points) and site conditions (i.e., urban mixed species vs. a windbreak of Pinus taeda) over 100 m sections in the Tampa Bay, FL area. Stem diameter measurements from both the windbreak (n = 53) and the urban sites (n = 93) showed high conformity between field-derived and point cloud model measurements (linear regression showed R2 values >0.9 and RMSE values ranging from 7.04 − 12.35%) with the number of control point targets having little influence on modeled DBH accuracy. Modeled stems of larger trees had greater associated error relative to DBH tape measurements, which can be attributed, in part, to problems with estimating diameter from non-circular stems of certain urban species (i.e., Quercus virginiana). Future work will focus on georeferencing these datasets and extracting data on other aspects of stem biometry (e.g., lean angle of stem, stem volume, etc.).
The Bleeding Edge: Technology in Pluralistic Music Education Research

In this essay I explore several of the connections between technology and music education research, and the risks that can be involved in using technology as a research aid. The essay serves as a companion to some previous chapters written about this subject (e.g. Tobias, E., The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research in American Music Education. Oxford University Press, New York, NY, 2014); (Webster, P., The new handbook of research on music teaching and learning. Schirmer Books, New York, NY, 2002)), but furthers the thinking in those chapters to focus on pluralistic work. The essay includes reviews of some recent research that has featured technology, and critiques of how technology may have helped or hindered those studies. I examine the usefulness of technology as a tool for research design, data collection and analysis. I discuss the implications of reliance on technology for each of these phases of the research process, and interrogate the goodness and appropriateness of software for qualitative data analysis. I also evaluate the most recent scholarship on the benefits and limitations of statistical software for social sciences research. Finally, I examine recent thought on the use of digital multimedia tools, and how this form of data generation and collection may lend itself especially well to a pluralistic approach to music education research.
A Review of Empirical Methods to Estimate Relative Permittivity

Four empirical models to estimate the relative permittivity of soil are tested based on a new database of relative permittivity measurements on soils. The selected models are Topp et. al. CRIM, SMDM, and GRMDM. The new database of relative permittivity measurements consists of 124 measurements on five different soils measured at a range of porosities and saturations. The effectiveness, positive attributes, and negative attributes of each model are discussed.
Enhancing consumer satisfaction and retail patronage through brand experience, cognitive pleasure, and shopping enjoyment: A comparison between lifestyle and product-centric displays

Despite the importance of retail atmospherics documented in the literature, little empirical research has been done on the issue of what specific aspects of retail atmospherics can enhance experien...
Beyond “Us and Them”: Why Do Landowners Disagree About Local Water Pollution?

AbstractCollaborative watershed governance (CWG) is one strategy to address nonpoint source water pollution. While many collaborative watershed arrangements unfold in local settings, institutional ...
Consumer perceptions of restaurant employee smoking

ABSTRACTIn today’s environment, satisfying and retaining customers is critical; therefore, restaurant managers should consider hygiene practices that customers could encounter during their visit. T...
Exposure of Pancreatic β-Cells to Excess Glucose Results in Bimodal Activation of mTORC1 and mTOR-Dependent Metabolic Acceleration

Chronic exposure of pancreatic β-cells to excess glucose can lead to metabolic acceleration and loss of stimulus-secretion coupling. Here, we examined how exposure to excess glucose (defined here as concentrations above 5 mM) affects mTORC1 signaling and the metabolism of β-cells. Acute exposure to excess glucose stimulated glycolysis-dependent mTORC1 signaling, without changes in the PI3K or AMPK pathways. Prolonged exposure to excess glucose led to hyperactivation of mTORC1 and metabolic acceleration, characterized by higher basal respiration and maximal respiratory capacity, increased energy demand, and enhanced flux through mitochondrial pyruvate metabolism. Inhibition of pyruvate transport to the mitochondria decelerated the metabolism of β-cells chronically exposed to excess glucose and re-established glucose-dependent mTORC1 signaling, disrupting a positive feedback loop for mTORC1 hyperactivation. mTOR inhibition had positive and negative impacts on various metabolic pathways and insulin secretion, demonstrating a role for mTOR signaling in the long-term metabolic adaptation of β-cells to excess glucose.
Radar measurement noise variance estimation with several targets of opportunity

A number of methods exist to track a target's uncertain motion through space using inherently inaccurate sensor measurements. A powerful method of adaptive estimation is the interacting multiple model (IMM) estimator. In order to carry out state estimation from the noisy measurements of a sensor, however, the filter should have knowledge of the statistical characteristics of the noise associated with that sensor. The statistical characteristics (accuracies) of real sensors, however, are not always available, in particular for legacy sensors. This paper presents a method of determining the measurement noise variances of a sensor by using multiple IMM estimators while tracking targets whose motion is not known-targets of opportunity. Combining techniques outlined in [1] and [3], the likelihood functions are obtained for a number of IMM estimators, each with different assumptions on the measurement noise variances. Then a search is carried out to bracket the variances of the sensor measurement noises. The end result consists of estimates of the measurement noise variances of the sensor in question.
Geochemical and Stable Fe Isotopic Analysis of Dissimilatory Microbial Iron Reduction in Chocolate Pots Hot Spring, Yellowstone National Park.

Chocolate Pots hot spring (CP) is an Fe-rich, circumneutral-pH geothermal spring in Yellowstone National Park. Relic hydrothermal systems have been identified on Mars, and modern hydrothermal envir...
Metastable legged locomotion: methods to quantify and optimize reliability

Measuring the stability of highly-dynamic bipedal locomotion is a challenging but essential task for more capable human-like walking. By discretizing the walking dynamics, we treat the system as a Markov chain, which lends itself to an easy quantification of failure rates by the expected number of steps before falling. This meaningful and intuitive metric is then used for optimizing and benchmarking given controllers. While this method is applicable to any controller scheme, we illustrate the results with two case demonstrations. One scheme is the now-familiar hybrid zero dynamics approach and the other is a method using piece-wise reference trajectories with a sliding mode control. We optimize low-level controllers, to minimize failure rates for any one gait, and we adopt a hierarchical control structure to switch among low-level gaits, providing even more dramatic improvements on the system performance.
Unraveling the puzzle of phloem parenchyma transfer cell wall ingrowth.

This article comments on: Wei X, Nguyen ST, Collings DA, McCurdy DW. 2020. Sucrose regulates wall ingrowth deposition in phloem parenchyma transfer cells in Arabidopsis via affecting phloem loading activity. Journal of Experimental Botany 71, 4690–4702 .
Primer on Minimum-Wage and Overtime Issues Under the Fair Labor Standards Act for Low-Wage Workers and Their Advocates

Some critics of public assistance insist the answer to poverty is work. But what about the millions of people who work and are still poor? This article addresses some of the most common minimum wage and overtime issues under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for the millions of people who work at low-paying jobs, the people described as the working poor. Specifically, the article explores how the laws apply to overtime; domestic workers; tipped employees; child labor; sweatshops; and public and private enforcement of these laws.
Cost-effectiveness of greenhouse gas emission reductions from plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

We find that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) could significantly reduce automotive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and petroleum consumption, while improving energy security and urban air quality. Widespread PHEV adoption will depend upon technological and economic advances in batteries because the initial fuel savings do not rapidly compensate consumers for the capital costs of batteries today. For PHEV purchases to become economical to consumers, battery prices must decline from $1,300 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to about or below $500/kWh, or U.S. gasoline prices must remain at about $5 per gallon-or the federal government must institute policy innovations with equivalent effects, such as policies to lower battery cost and increase battery lifetimes (e.g. a broad and sustained program of battery RD&D), or those to widen the difference between gasoline and electricity prices (e.g. changes in energy taxes). However, even before PHEVs become cost-effective consumers, their purchase can still be highly valuable to society if their significant GHG reductions can be achieved cost-effectively (using a benchmark price of about $50/t-CO2-eq). Using the GREET model, we determine that in order for PHEVs' reductions to become cost-effective, either their purchase must approach current unsubsidized prices-requiring the same policy innovations described above-or very low-GHG electricity must be used to power them. This requires policies to decrease the GHG intensity of electricity, such as renewable portfolio standards, feed-in tariffs or other measures. Importantly, we find that any carbon price would have to exceed $100/t-CO2-eq in order to render PHEVs' reductions cost-effective, and hence a carbon price alone represents an impractical short-term means of achieving this goal.
Intramedullary Spine Disease

One of the most significant impacts of magnetic resonance (MRI) has been its ability to exquisitely depict normal and pathologic anatomy of the spine. This unit presents a Basic Protocol that deals with intramedullary disease, i.e., that involving the cord. An Alternate Protocol is presented for cases of extramedullary-intradural disease.
A Tale of Two Families: The Mutual Construction of ‘Anglo’ and Mexican Ethnicities Along the US–Mexico Border

In the American Southwest and along the US–Mexico border, ‘Anglos’ and Mexicans are often viewed as the quintessential ‘others’. This ethnographic study problematises the Anglo-Mexican opposition with ethnographic data from interviews with a Mexican farmworker family and an ‘Anglo’ farmer family of the EI Paso Lower Valley. I argue that ‘Anglo’ hegemony is not based exclusively on cultural separation but often involves hybridity (including ‘Mexicanisation’) and patron-client relations entailing ‘benevolent’ paternalism. I show how the concept of ‘Anglo’ is a contested identity constructed through interactions between Mexicans and Euroamericans. Through this study of border crossings in situations of asymmetrical power relations, I advocate a ‘complicit’ anthropology that presents competing ethnic groups in their full complexity rather than as stereotypes or caricatures of their ‘others.’
Recognition of Whitehead-Minimal Elements in Free Groups of Large Ranks

In this paper we introduce a pattern classification system to recognize words of minimal length in their automorphic orbits in free groups. This system is based on Support Vector Machines and does not use any particular results from group theory. The main advantage of the system is its stable performance in recognizing minimal elements in free groups with large ranks.
Chebyshev optimization of beamformers and FIR filters having failed elements

Graceful degradation can be achieved in operational beamformers and some types of FIR (finite impulse response) filters by optimally adjusting the functional elements to compensate for hydrophones or multipliers that may have failed. A linear programming (LP) design approach is investigated and compared with two other possible alternatives which maintain linear phase. For the cases considered, the LP result reduces the sidelobe level or increases the stopband suppression by as much as 20 dB, depending on which element has failed. For the cases studied, there were some instances where the linear program did not produce a normalized solution with the specified ripple ratio. For applications where this might cause a problem, the authors have suggested a technique which may lead to a more suitable design. >
Abstract 3586: HIF-1α from tumor-surround fibroblasts contributes to breast cancer malignant progression

As tumor-surrounding stromal cells (such as fibroblasts) are integrate components of the tumor environment that together as an entity plays critical roles in the tumor progression, we investigated whether HIF-1α from tumor-surrounding fibroblasts plays a critical role in breast cancer (BCa) malignant progression. We co-cultured BCa 4T1/GFP cells with MEF fibroblasts that either expressed or lacked the HIF-1α gene in a 3D culture system established in our lab. The mixed cells (BCa:MEF) grew in a suspension manner and formed aggregates/spheroids. We found that HIF-1α plays a role under hypoxia in the 3D BCa cells9 protrusion formation, an established marker for invasive, aggressively malignant tumor cells that start to invade the surrounding matrix. These protrusions (fluorescent) only appeared in mixed-cell aggregates containing HIF-1α wild-type MEF fibroblasts; but not appear in mixed-cell aggregates containing HIF-1α knockout MEF fibroblasts, implying HIF-1α from fibroblasts (MEF) plays a critical role in inducing surrounding epithelial BCa cells to form protrusions, an indicator that tumor cells have become invasive. Moreover, we performed transwell overnight invasion assay of BCa LM2 cells with and without cocultured MEF under both normoxia (21% O2) and hypoxia (1% O2). We found that MEF significantly promoted BCa invade through matrigel, and HIF-1α WT MEF promoted BCa invasion more than HIF-KO MEF did under hypoxia. Furthermore, by using Boyden9s chamber-based cell migration assay, we found that migration of HIF-1α WT BCa (MMTC-PyT) cells increased more than two fold under hypoxia than normoxia. However, this hypoxia-induced increase in migration disappeared if HIF-1α KO counterparts were used. The loss of this hypoxia-induced migration in HIF-1α KO cells can be rescued by exogenous HIF-1α with Ad-HIF-1α transduction. A similar pattern of HIF-1α-dependent, hypoxia-stimulated cell migration was observed in fibroblasts when we analyzed HIF-1α WT and KO MEF cells, demonstrating that hypoxia stimulated a HIF-1α-dependent cell migration in both BCa and MEF cells. Together, these results indicate that HIF-1α from tumor-surrounding fibroblasts plays critical roles in promoting BCa malignant progression. Citation Format: Yi Lu, Jun Zhang. HIF-1α from tumor-surround fibroblasts contributes to breast cancer malignant progression. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3586. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3586
Sustained remission of severe multicentric castleman disease following multiagent chemotherapy and tocilizumab maintenance

Castleman disease is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder, which presents in a unicentric or multicentric fashion. Multicentric Castleman disease (MCD) is associated with significant systemic symptoms, in part related to the underlying role of interleukin-6 in disease pathogenesis. Treatment for MCD has not been well established and prognosis has historically been poor. We present a case of severe MCD in a pediatric patient who has shown sustained remission following multi-agent chemotherapy and targeted maintenance therapy with the interleukin-6 receptor inhibitor, tocilizumab. This represents the first case report of sustained remission of MCD in a pediatric patient following discontinuation of tocilizumab therapy.
Growth of thirty-two external dimensions during the first year of life

Summary 1. Means and standard deviations for thirty-two external dimensions are recorded by certain subdivisions of age under one year. 2. Differences in body proportions at birth and at one year are described. 3. Neither sex nor nationality has any influence on body configuration during the first year of life.
Stability in a Plankton Model

A technique for analyzing the stability of a phytoplankton-nutrient interaction model is described which may be applicable to a broader range of models. It is shown that periodicity of solutions in a differential equation does not imply the same for the corresponding difference equation model.
Grain size effects on the fatigue response of nanocrystalline metals

Abstract The fatigue response of electrodeposited nanocrystalline pure Ni and a cryomilled ultra-fine-crystalline Al–Mg alloy was studied. It was found that grain refinement generally leads to an increase in resistance to failure under stress-controlled fatigue whereas a generally deleterious effect was seen on the resistance to fatigue crack growth.
Biological and environmental factors affecting ultrasound-induced hemolysis in vitro: 5. Temperature.

Abstract This research project tested the hypothesis that cold-equilibrated (∼0°C) human erythrocytes in vitro in the presence of an ultrasound contrast agent (Albunex ® ) will undergo greater ultrasound-induced hemolysis than physiologically equilibrated (37°C) human erythrocytes in vitro because of a temperature-related transition in membrane fluidity leading to increased fragility. First, it was shown that cold-equilibrated erythrocytes are more susceptible to mechanically induced hemolysis than physiologically equilibrated erythrocytes. Second, when adjustments were made for (1) temperature-dependent efficiencies of a 1-MHz transducer (200 μs pulse length, 20 ms interpulse interval, 30 s exposure duration) such that when cold or physiological temperatures were employed, there were equivalent acoustic outputs in terms of peak negative pressure (MPa P − ) and (2) comparable viscosities of the 0 and 37°C blood plasmas, the cold (∼0°C) erythrocytes displayed substantially greater amounts of ultrasound-induced hemolysis than the physiological (37°C) erythrocytes. The data supported the hypothesis. (E-mail: Morton_Miller@urmc.rochester.edu )
DSM III-R and ICD 10 Classifications of Alcohol Use disorders and Associated Disabilities: a structural analysis

A structural framework is developed for the purposes of evaluating and comparing the DSM III-R and ICD 10 classifications of alcohol abuse, harmful use, and alcohol dependence (syndrome). The analy...
The Effects of Story Prompts on the Narrative Production of Students with and without Learning Disabilities

The effects of four types of prompting conditions on the narrative productions of seventh- and eighth-grade students with learning disabilities (LD) and without learning disabilities (NLD) were investigated. Participants were asked to write four stories for which a beginning, middle, end, or no prompt was given in a randomly assigned order. Results indicated differences between LD and NLD groups in both quantity and quality of story production across prompts. A significant group-by-prompt interaction supported the experimental hypothesis. The difference between the quality of LD and NLD stories was significantly greater following the middle-prompt condition; that is, the LD group scored significantly lower when offered the middle prompt than under the other prompting conditions. The results are interpreted as supporting the theoretical position that students with LD reveal relatively greater propensity for linear-sequential processing. Hence, the quality of their writing performance on tasks requiring rec...
Limits of generalization between categories and implications for theories of category specificity

Both domain-specific and expertise accounts of category specialization assume that generalization occurs within a domain but not between domains. Yet it is often difficult to define the boundaries and critical features of object domains. Differences in how categories are defined make it difficult to adjudicate between accounts of category specificity and may lead to contradictory results. For example, evidence for whether car experts recruit the fusiform face area is mixed, and this inconsistency may be due to the inclusion of antique cars in one of those previous studies (e.g., Grill-Spector, Knouf, & Kanwisher, 2004). The present study tested the generalization of expertise from modern to antique cars and found that modern-car experts showed expert discrimination and holistic processing of modern cars but not of antique cars. These findings suggest that the neural specialization underlying perceptual expertise is highly specific and may not generalize to distinct subclasses, even when they share some degree of perceptual and conceptual features.
Instrumented insole vs. force plate: A comparison of center of plantar pressure

Instrumented insoles allow analysis of gait outside of the confines of a motion analysis lab and capture motion data on every step. This study assesses the concurrent validity of center of plantar pressure (COPP) measurements during walking, and shows that our custom instrumented insoles compare favorably to an Advanced Mechanical Technology Inc. (AMTI) force plate in a clinical motion laboratory, particularly when the large difference in price is considered (an insole is nearly two orders of magnitude less expensive than a force plate). Deploying inexpensive insoles such as ours for ubiquitous health monitoring allows measurement of gait in more typical environments. This affords the opportunity to evaluate the gait of older adults in the home environment, and a future opportunity of providing real-time feedback corresponding to changes in gait.
Facile Synthesis of Gold Octahedra by Direct Reduction of HAuCl4 in an Aqueous Solution

This paper describes a water-based protocol that provides a simple, convenient, and environmentally benign route to the synthesis of Au octahedra. Specifically, we obtained single-crystal Au octahedra (ca. 85% of the product) with an edge length of 32.4+/-2.3 nm and singly twinned, truncated bipyramids (ca. 15%) by reducing HAuCl(4) with N-vinyl pyrrolidone in an aqueous solution in the presence of a proper amount of cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC). Our mechanistic study indicates that the formation of Au octahedra could be explained by oxidative etching, a pathway that has already been validated for the synthesis of nanocrystals for a number of different noble metals.
High gas pressure acceleration of flier plates: Experimental techniques

Abstract A facility has been developed for conducting experiments on the launching of flat plates to hypervelocities using dricing gas pressures in the range of 40 to 300 GPa. The facility, the instrumentation, and the experimental techniques are described. Launches of flier plates made of W, Ta, Mo, Al, and Lexan have resulted in the disintegration of the flying plate, but a 21-gram Ti-6Al-4V plate has been launched intact to 5.8 km/s. Pressure nonuniformities in the driving gas are a primary cause of the disintegration of most flier plates. Sources of the nonuniformities are discussed, and experiments to decrease them are described.
Recent advances in sapphire fibers

Sapphire fibers grown at 20 mm/min in helium, using an improved laser-heated pedestal growth apparatus, have been shown to exhibit very low losses. The laser damage threshold and bending loss of these fibers have been evaluated. The best fiber forms for energy delivery may be a 100-micron diameter fiber with flared ends to increase the power handling capability while retaining the flexibility. Such a fiber has been successfully grown in our laboratory.
Silver staining of human aqueous humor proteins resolved by gel electrophoresis

The detection of aqueous humor proteins resolved by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was achieved using an ultrasensitive silver staining technique. This procedure permitted the detection of more than 35 different protein bands in human aqueous humor on a one-dimensional gel. Most of the stained proteins had an apparent molecular weight greater than 45,000 daltons.
An intelligent robotic system for rehabilitation of joints and estimation of body segment parameters

An an application of robotics in physical rehabilitation therapy, a robotic system consisting of two planar robot arms, each with two degrees of freedom, is considered. This robotic system, when coupled across a human joint, provides a vehicle for rehabilitation of the joint following surgery or trauma. A novel approach for estimation of body segment parameters is formulated that uses state and output information from the robot system to improve these estimates. In addition, redundant sensors are used to improve the accuracy of the estimates. The dynamic equations for a single robot arm are provided and the system is simulated. Therapeutic applications of the robotic system are discussed and the sensitivity of the measured forces with respect to the robot arm joint angles is studied in order to find an optimum orientation of the system for the best possible estimation. The application of this system to both rehabilitation and sports medicine is also discussed. >
A 3-year longitudinal study on body composition changes in the elderly: Role of physical exercise

Summary Background Cross-sectional data have shown that sarcopenia and fat accumulation are associated with aging and can be limited by structured physical training. However, it is often difficult to maintain a long-term compliance to training programs. It is not clear whether leisure-time physical activity is effective in preventing sarcopenia and fat accumulation. Objectives (i) To investigate longitudinal body composition changes in a population of elderly people in good apparent health. (ii) To evaluate the impact of leisure-time physical activity on muscle mass and characteristic as reflected by total body potassium per fat-free soft tissue (TBK/FFST), and on fat accumulation. Design Longitudinal evaluation over 3 years, of body composition changes in 74 healthy men and 66 women, over 65 years old. Body fat and FFST were analyzed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and TBK by whole-body 40K counter. Physical activity was analyzed by a specific questionnaire. Results Despite a stable total body weight, FFST and appendicular skeletal muscle mass slightly decreased (−0.3±1.4 and −0.2±2.2 kg, P 0.0 1 , respectively) as well as the TBK/FFST (−4.1±6.3 mmol/kg, P 0.0 0 1 ), over the 3-year period. Body fat increased significantly (0.6±2.2 kg, P 0.0 0 0 1 ), and it accumulated mainly in the abdomen (0.4±1.5 kg, P 0.0 1 ). Multiple regression analysis showed that body composition changes were related mainly to body weight changes. Nevertheless, positive linear correlations were observed between the degree of engagement in leisure-time physical activity and FFST ( P 0.0 1 ), appendicular skeletal muscle mass ( P 0.0 5 ), TBK/FFST ( P 0.0 5 ), whereas negative correlation was observed with total and truncal fat ( P 0.0 1 ). Conclusions Mild but significant decline in muscle mass and its TBK content, and body fat accumulation were observed over a 3-year period in healthy elderly subject: leisure-time physical activity does not seem to prevent them. However, a higher level of physical activity is associated with higher muscle mass and TBK content, and less total and truncal fat.
Transport of nanoscale latex spheres in a temperature gradient.

We use a micrometer-scale optical beam deflection technique to measure the thermodiffusion coefficient DT at room temperature (≈24 °C) of dilute aqueous suspensions of charged polystyrene spheres with different surface functionalities. In solutions with large concentrations of monovalent salts, ≳100 mM, the thermodiffusion coefficients for 26 nm spheres with carboxyl functionality can be varied within the range −0.9 × 10-7 cm2 s-1 K-1 < DT < 1.5 × 10-7 cm2 s-1 K-1 by changing the ionic species in solution; in this case, DT is the product of the electrophoretic mobility μE and the Seebeck coefficient of the electrolyte, Se = ( − )/2eT, DT = −Se μE, where and are the single ion heats of transport of the cationic and anionic species, respectively. In low ionic strength solutions of LiCl, ≲5 mM, and particle concentrations ≲2 wt %, DT is negative, independent of particle concentration and independent of the Debye length; DT = −0.73 ± 0.05 × 10-7 cm2 s-1 K-1.
Fibronectin Co-Stimulates via the α5β1 Receptor IL-2, IL-4 Production by Splenic, Granuloma Lymphocytes of Schistosoma mansoni Infected Mice

In murine Schistosomiasis mansoni, soluble worm egg antigens (SEA) induce L3T4+ T helper cell-mediated chronic granulomatous inflammations around parasite eggs. Within the fully developed granuloma lymphocytes, macrophages, and eosinophils, fibroblasts are embedded in extracellular matrix (ECM) composed of fibronectin, laminin, glycosaminoglycans and collagens. The present study examined in vitro the putative co-stimulatory role of fibronectin (FN) in acute and chronic infection splenic and granuloma lymphocyte responses. Plate-bound FN enhanced the anti-CD3 MoAb stimulated normal and acute or chronic infection splenic lymphoproliferation by 20-32%. The co-stimulatory effect was evident in SEA stimulated acute but not chronic infection spleen cells. Proliferation of stimulated granuloma lymphocytes could not be up-regulated by immobilized FN. Plate-bound FN significantly enhanced IL-2 and IL-4 production by SEA-stimulated acute, but not chronic, infection granuloma lymphocytes. However, FN had no influence on the high level of IL-2, IL-4 production of anti-CD3 MoAb stimulated acute or chronic infection splenic or granuloma lymphocytes. Because in the antigen-stimulated acute infection spleen or granuloma cultures the co-stimulatory effect by FN was abrogated by the tripeptide (RGD) arg-gly asp, and anti alpha 5 beta 1 antibody, enhancement is attributed to signalling via the alpha 5 beta 1 integrin receptor of lymphocytes.