cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of diatoms on fabric and chemical stability of diatom–kaolin mixtures

Abstract Natural soils containing diatoms tend to have high compressibility, low shear strength, and difficulty of compaction. Yet, given their unique characteristics (i.e., high water absorption, liquid limit, and friction angle), there is great potential for utilizing diatoms and natural diatomaceous soils in the development of engineered particulate materials for geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering applications. One of these applications is the use of diatom-modified soils for the construction of chemical and hydraulically-stable landfill liners and covers. Two important considerations for the long term response of liners and covers are the stability against: (1) ionic concentration-induced aggregation and (2) capillary force-induced deformations that may cause crack formation. In this study, we investigate the influence of diatomaceous earth on the resulting soil fabric and chemical stability through fabric formation studies, changes in water retention characteristics, and silica dissolution of diatomaceous earth–kaolin mixtures. Testing includes bench-scale fabric formation tests (i.e., Atterberg limits, sedimentation, and viscosity) and the measurement of water retention curves for various diatom–kaolin mixtures. The presence of diatoms (1) decreased the tendency of the mineral mixture to coagulate in the presence of salt, (2) significantly increased the liquid and plastic limits of the mineral mixture, (3) increased the water holding capacity of the mineral mixtures, and (4) reduced the solubility of kaolin mixtures, even in electrolyte solutions. That is, the presence of the diatoms has a great impact on the overall behavior of the soil mixtures by reducing the influence of pore fluid ionic concentration and by creating a stiffer skeleton that reduces the soil tendencies to deform due to osmotic and matric suction changes.
Ureteroscopy in children: is there a need for ureteral dilation and postoperative stenting?

Abstract Introduction Ureteroscopic stone manipulation and extraction is the standard of care for distal stone disease in the adult population. Recently, with refinements in instrumentation, these standards have been applied in pediatrics. Here, we investigate the role of ureteral dilation and the need for postoperative stenting after ureteroscopy. Materials and methods Twenty-nine children (21 male, eight female) with a mean age of 11.0 (2.5–17.5) years underwent 34 ureterscopic procedures (21 right, 13 left) to address ureteral stones in 27 (23 distal, 3 mid and 1 proximal), surveillance of the upper tract in six and a retained stent in one. Active ureteral dilation was not required in any of these patients. A Wolfe 4.5-F or 6.5-F tapered semi-rigid ureterescope was passed alongside a previously placed guidewire to access the upper collecting system. Proximal ureteral surveillance was performed after completion of the procedure; all but two patients had a diagnostic ureterogram. Four patients had preoperative placement of a JJ stent. Postoperative stents were placed in six patients, two had stents placed preoperatively for infection associated with either autonomic dysreflexia or stone impaction, two for extravasation or perforation, one for edema and one for subsequent ESWL. Results Mean follow up after ureteroscopy was 16.2 (0.3–48) months. Of the 27 procedures for stone disease, 15 (55%) stones required laser litholipaxy and 12 (45%) were managed with stone basket extraction. The overall re-treatment rate for stone disease was 4%. Diagnostic ureteroscopy was normal in six procedures. None of the procedures managed without a post-ureteroscopy stent required subsequent intervention. Conclusion Ureteroscopy is a safe, effective method to manage ureteral stones. Refinements in instrumentation allow its application to the pediatric population. Ureteroscopy including laser lithotripsy can be performed without ureteral dilation or postoperative stenting.
The Thomas Appointment: Defeats and Victories for Women

In the months since Clarence Thomas was sworn in as associate justice of the Supreme Court, observers of national politics have had time to contemplate the process and the politics leading to his Senate confirmation as well as the likely effects of his tenure on the Court. The six articles of this symposium address these concerns. Marian Lief Palley and Howard Palley look at the immediate fallout of the Thomas appointment and some of the unintended victories for women. Barbara Sinclair examines congressional politics. Joyce Gelb and Kathleen Frankovic examine the role of public opinion and how it affected the Thomas confirmation. Dianne Pinderhughes concentrates on the divisions within the civil rights community; Jane Mansbridge and Katherine Tate continue along these lines and consider the relative weights of race and gender on black opinion. Finally, Karen O'Connor contemplates the future of the Supreme Court.
Inferring structure in semistructured data

When dealing with semistructured data such as that available on the Web, it becomes important to infer the inherent structure, both for the user (e.g., to facilitate querying) and for the system (e.g., to optimize access). In this paper, we consider the problem of identifying some underlying structure in large collections of semistructured data. Since we expect the data to be fairly irregular, this structure consists of an approximate classification of objects into a hierarchical collection of types. We propose a notion of a type hierarchy for such data, and outline a method for deriving the type hierarchy, and rules for assigning types to data elements.
Direct estimation of serological H-Y antigen by flow cytometry

This study was undertaken to evaluate the efficiency of flow cytometry in the detection of the serological H-Y antigen, and to survey expression of HY in the normal human population. Peripheral blood leukocytes (granulocytes) were reacted with monoclonal H-Y antibody, gw-16, and with FITC-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG, and then were scored for fluorescence in the flow cytometer. Assigned H-Y phenotype was correlated accurately with sex phenotype in 33 out of 38 women and 62 out of 65 men. Data were evaluated by exploratory data analysis (EDA).
A Case Study of an Underground PCB Spill: Fate of the Subsurface PCB Spill Residues and Its Imapct on Humans and the Environment

A transformer located in a subsurface vault within the central business district of a city released PCB fluid which entered the ground through a french drain system in the vault floor. The present study was undertaken to examine if the subsurface PCB residues posed a risk to humans and the environment. Extensive data, gathered through field investigation and literature review on behavior of PCB in soils and water, were analyzed to determine the fate of the PCB residues and its potential impact on the environment. It was concluded that the subsurface PCB-contaminated soils could cause only a minor and highly localized contamination of the groundwater for a limited time period and did not pose a risk to humans or the environment.
Radiation safety with use of I-125 seeds for localization of nonpalpable breast lesions

Rationale and Objectives To describe radiation safety procedures for limiting exposures during localizing placement of iodine-125 (I-125) seeds in nonpalpable breast lesions. Radiation safety tasks included seed receipt, assay, sterilization, transfer, and placement; surgical localization and retrieval; and extraction of seeds by pathologists. Additional regulatory aspects included institutional review board approval, physician credentialing, off-label use, and governmental licensing. Materials and Methods Titanium seeds were assayed to ensure strength (1.85–5.55 MBq). Radiologists credentialed in mammography placed seeds with an 18-gauge needle under ultrasound or mammographic guidance. Surgeons located seeds with a hand-held, solid-state radiation detector. I-125 seeds were extracted from excised tissue and secured by pathologists. Results After the investigational phase, state permission was obtained for the institution’s Radiation Safety Committee to oversee the clinical application of the procedure. In more than 300 procedures, all seeds and targeted lesions were removed successfully; more than 98% of patients had seeds removed within 24 hours. Mean diameter of excised specimens was about 4 cm, for a maximum dose to residual breast tissue of 2 cGy (approximately that of a two-view mammogram). Badge monitoring showed no loss of seeds and no increase in physician or technologist exposure. Radiation safety precautions facilitated safe handling. Conclusion Clinically, the procedure has been accepted as routine, with standardized steps for safe and secure handling of radioactive seeds. Compared with conventional methods, use of I-125 seeds offers an improved method for localizing before surgical excision and has essentially replaced wire localization in our tertiary-care academic medical center.
Wire scanners for beam size and emittance measurements at the SLC

The authors describe the design, construction, commissioning and ultimate uses of wire scanners in the SLC (SLAC Linear Collider), focusing on the linear accelerator and upstream systems scanners. Of particular interest is the interaction between the wire and the scattered radiation from the wire with the extreme electric field of the beam. As this field reaches the level of several volts/angstrom, as it does easily at the SLC interaction point (and may in upstream parts of SLC), field emission from the wire may occur. A key feature of SLC operation is the degree of high level active control required to keep it optimized. Advanced high level control software allows the use of wire scanner data in feedback and beam optimization procedures. Non-invasive scans are performed almost continually and the results are logged so that long term trends in emittance can be examined. >
The pharmacology of gamma-aminobutyric acid and acetylcholine receptors at the echinoderm neuromuscular junction.

This review describes the various subtypes of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors found at the echinoderm neuromuscular junction (NMJ), based on pharmacological and physiological studies. The review focuses mainly on holothurian GABA receptors at the NMJ located between the radial nerve and longitudinal muscle of the body wall (LMBW) and compares them to GABA receptors described at other echinoderm NMJs. Since a primary action of GABA on the holothurian LMBW is to modulate contractile responses to the excitatory neurotransmitter, acetylcholine (ACh), the pharmacology of echinoderm nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs) and muscarinic ACh receptors (mAChRs) is also addressed. GABA responses have been described in the asteroids, echinoids and holothuroids but not in the other echinoderm classes. Some actions of GABA on echinoderm muscle include regulation of basal tone and spontaneous rhythmic contractions and modulation of cholinergic responses. Both GABA A and B receptor subtypes are present at the echinoderm NMJ, a feature also common to the arthropods, molluscs and chordates. Echinoderm GABA A receptors may mediate the excitatory responses to GABA. The GABA A receptor antagonist bicuculline has a paradoxical effect on contractility, stimulating large protracted contractions of the LMBW. The GABA A agonist muscimol potentiates cholinergic contractions of the holothurian LMBW. Another population of GABA receptors is inhibitory and is sensitive to the GABA B agonist baclofen and GABA B antagonists phaclofen and 2-OH-saclofen. The pre- and/or postsynaptic location of the GABA A and B receptors is not currently known. The folded GABA analogue 4-cis-aminocrotonic acid has no effect on the contractility of the holothurian LMBW so GABA C receptors are probably lacking in this preparation. Pharmacological studies have shown that distinct nAChRs and mAChRs are colocalized in numerous echinoderm muscle preparations. Most recently, nAChR agonists were used to characterize pharmacologically receptors at the holothurian LMBW that bind ACh. Nicotinic AChRs with unique pharmacological profiles are localized both pre- and postsynaptically at this NMJ, where their physiological action is to enhance muscle tone. Muscarinic agonists also have excitatory actions on the LMBW but their action is to stimulate phasic, rhythmic contractions of the muscle. The location of mAChRs at the echinoderm NMJ, however, is unknown.Since most of the studies described in the present review have used whole-mount preparations consisting largely of a combination of muscle fibers, neurons and connective tissue, it is extremely difficult to determine pharmacologically the exact location of the various receptor subtypes. Additional electrophysiological studies on isolated neurons and muscle fibers are therefore required to clearly define extra-, pre- and/or postsynaptic sites for the receptor subtypes at the echinoderm NMJ.
Value quotients and product torsion classes of lattice-ordered groups

For a set X of archimedean o-groups, the class \({\mathcal{VQ}}(X) \) of normal-valued l-groups having the property that every value quotient is in X is a complete torsion class. A question of Conrad whether the class \({\mathcal{VQ}}({\mathbb{R}})\) is a product torsion class is partially answered by investigating values and value quotients of products of normal-valued l-groups. A major result is that the conjecture that all outer value quotients must be Dedekind complete is equivalent to the conjecture that measurable cardinals do not exist.
In silico toxicology models and databases as FDA Critical Path Initiative toolkits.

In silico toxicology methods are practical, evidence-based and high throughput, with varying accuracy. In silico approaches are of keen interest, not only to scientists in the private sector and to academic researchers worldwide, but also to the public. They are being increasingly evaluated and applied by regulators. Although there are foreseeable beneficial aspects -- including maximising use of prior test data and the potential for minimising animal use for future toxicity testing -- the primary use of in silico toxicology methods in the pharmaceutical sciences are as decision support information. It is possible for in silico toxicology methods to complement and strengthen the evidence for certain regulatory review processes, and to enhance risk management by supporting a more informed decision regarding priority setting for additional toxicological testing in research and product development. There are also several challenges with these continually evolving methods which clearly must be considered. This mini-review describes in silico methods that have been researched as Critical Path Initiative toolkits for predicting toxicities early in drug development based on prior knowledge derived from preclinical and clinical data at the US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
Entropic bounds on FSM switching

Several state assignment algorithms have attempted to minimize the average Hamming distance per transition in the hopes of generating low power assignments. There has not been a reasonable theoretical lower bound on the average Hamming distance per transition that is applicable to every state assignment for a given finite state machine (FSM). Such a lower bound serves many roles-a target for algorithm designers, provides clues about what types of FSM structures are likely to have low average switching per transition, could be incorporated into a high-level power model. We provide two such lower bounds which were also found to be achievable empirically within 17% for MCNC benchmarks. An interesting byproduct of one of these 'theoretical' lower bounds was a greedy state assignment algorithm which is amenable to a very distributed (parallel) implementation. This algorithm also outperforms JEDI by 2.5% for area and by 21% for power over MCNC benchmarks.
A Pilot Study Exploring After-School Care Providers’ Response to the Incredible Years Classroom Management Program

The need for and importance of bringing evidence-based interventions into school settings has been firmly established. Adapting and adjusting intervention programs to meet the unique needs of a school district requires personnel to use a data-based approach to implementation. This pilot study is the first to report on after-school care providers’ response to the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management (IYTCM) program (Webster-Stratton et al., Journal of Clinical Child Psychology 30:283–302, 2001). A certified IYTCM trainer conducted two groups (N = 18) that received a modified length of IYTCM training (24 h total). Adapting the length of IYTCM was necessary given the limited availability for training of after-school care providers in the large urban school district where this study was collected. Using a pre- and post-group training design, IYTCM group training resulted in improvements consistent with prior reports within the literature that involved classroom teachers. Findings indicated significant improvement in after-school care providers’ perceptions of positive classroom management strategies and their reported confidence in managing future behavior problems. After-school care providers also indicated high levels of satisfaction with the program and the certified trainer, yet support against modifying the duration and length of the training was evident in this small pilot study. Overall, findings were encouraging and warrant additional research on the use of this evidence-based group training approach in meeting the unique training needs associated with after-school care providers.
Time-domain analysis of measurements on scaled urban models with comparisons to ray-tracing propagation simulation

This work deals with propagation prediction for wireless communications in urban environments. Its purpose is to clearly distinguish the different field contributions collected by the receiving antenna through a series of wide-band frequency measurements and a time-domain (TD) analysis of the obtained results. The experimental data are then compared to the field predictions given by a ray-tracing electromagnetic wave propagation simulator. The application of this research lies in the modeling of the urban channel for wireless communication systems of the third generation such as UMTS and beyond.
Thermal State-of-Charge of Space Solar Dynamic Heat Receivers

A theoretical framework is developed to determine the so-called thermal state-of-charge in solar heat receivers employing encapsulated phase change materials that undergo cyclic melting and freezing, and results are presented for the solar heat receiver component of NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field’ s Ground Test Demonstration System. The concepts of available power, virtual source temperature, and minimum gas available power are used as the bases for determining the state-of-charge. The state-of-charge is characterized in the subcooled, two-phase, and superheat regimes as well as startup, transition, and balanced-orbit modes. Baseline conjugate and primary state-of-charge curves are generated based on a priori known baseline system operating conditions through measurable parameters. Results indicate that for the baseline primary state-of-charge curve in balanced-orbit mode, there is a 33% energy margin (from the minimum state-of-charge line ) at sunrise that indicates safe operation of the solar dynamic system; at sunset, the primary state-of-charge reaches 76%. Results for parametric changes indicate that the state-of-charge in the sensible regimes is completely reversed in the latent regime.
Dicer1 and miR-219 Are Required for Normal Oligodendrocyte Differentiation and Myelination

Summary To investigate the role of microRNAs in regulating oligodendrocyte (OL) differentiation and myelination, we utilized transgenic mice in which microRNA processing was disrupted in OL precursor cells (OPCs) and OLs by targeted deletion of Dicer1. We found that inhibition of OPC-OL miRNA processing disrupts normal CNS myelination and that OPCs lacking mature miRNAs fail to differentiate normally in vitro. We identified three miRNAs (miR-219, miR-138, and miR-338) that are induced 10–100× during OL differentiation; the most strongly induced of these, miR-219, is necessary and sufficient to promote OL differentiation, and partially rescues OL differentiation defects caused by total miRNA loss. miR-219 directly represses the expression of PDGFRα, Sox6, FoxJ3, and ZFP238 proteins, all of which normally help to promote OPC proliferation. Together, these findings show that miR-219 plays a critical role in coupling differentiation to proliferation arrest in the OL lineage, enabling the rapid transition from proliferating OPCs to myelinating OLs.
The Resolution of Sexual Antagonism by Gene Duplication

Disruptive selection between males and females can generate sexual antagonism, where alleles improving fitness in one sex reduce fitness in the other. This type of genetic conflict arises because males and females carry nearly identical sets of genes: opposing selection, followed by genetic mixing during reproduction, generates a population genetic “tug-of-war” that constrains adaptation in either sex. Recent verbal models suggest that gene duplication and sex-specific cooption of paralogs might resolve sexual antagonism and facilitate evolutionary divergence between the sexes. However, this intuitive proximal solution for sexual dimorphism potentially belies a complex interaction between mutation, genetic drift, and positive selection during duplicate fixation and sex-specific paralog differentiation. The interaction of these processes—within the explicit context of duplication and sexual antagonism—has yet to be formally described by population genetics theory. Here, we develop and analyze models of gene duplication and sex-specific differentiation between paralogs. We show that sexual antagonism can favor the fixation and maintenance of gene duplicates, eventually leading to the evolution of sexually dimorphic genetic architectures for male and female traits. The timescale for these evolutionary transitions is sensitive to a suite of genetic and demographic variables, including allelic dominance, recombination, sex linkage, and population size. Interestingly, we find that female-beneficial duplicates preferentially accumulate on the X chromosome, whereas male-beneficial duplicates are biased toward autosomes, independent of the dominance parameters of sexually antagonistic alleles. Although this result differs from previous models of sexual antagonism, it is consistent with several findings from the empirical genomics literature.
Fleeting Signs of the Course of Life Facial Expression and Personal Adjustment

In this article, we consider whether facial expressions of emotion relate in theoretically interesting ways to personal adjustment. We first consider the conceptual benefits of this line of inquiry. Then, to anticipate why brief samples of emotional behavior should relate to personal adjustment, we review evidence indicating that facial expressions of emotion correspond to intrapersonal processes and social outcomes. We then review studies showing that facial expressions relate in theoretically significant ways to adjustment after the death of a spouse, in long-term relationships, and in the context of chronic psychological disorders.
The structure of flavin-dependent tryptophan 7-halogenase RebH.

Enzyme catalyzed regio- and stereo-specific halogenations influence the biological activity of a diverse array of therapeutically important natural products, including the antibiotics vancomycin and chloramphenicol as well as the anticancer agents calicheamicin and rebeccamycin. The major class of enzymes responsible for this challenging synthetic reaction, the flavin-dependent halogenases, catalyzes the formation of carbon-halogen bonds using flavin, a halide ion (Cl{sup -}, Br{sup -} or I{sup -}), and O{sub 2}. Recent mechanistic and structural advances achieved with the model flavin-dependent tryptophan 7-halogenases PrnA and RebH have greatly enhanced the level of understanding of this unique reaction. According to these studies, the mechanism for tryptophan halogenation proceeds via FAD(C4a)-OOH activation of a chloride ion into the transient chlorinating species HOCl. The key evidence for the requirement of a transient chlorinating species is the discovery that a {approx}10-{angstrom}-long tunnel separates FAD and tryptophan in the ligand-bound form of PrnA. In a recent compelling study to elucidate the strategy by which RebH controls this highly reactive and indiscriminant oxidant, a Lys79-{var_epsilon}NH-Cl chloramine intermediate was implicated as the actual chlorinating species within RebH and a structural investigation of RebH was reported. Here we report our independent structural analysis of Lechevalieria aerocolonigenes RebH (Uni-Prot accession numbermore » Q8KHZ8, 530 amino acids) in its apo-form as well as in a complex with both tryptophan and FAD.« less
Time-Varying MIMO Channels: Measurement, Analysis, and Modeling

The temporal variation in measured multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless channels with moving communication nodes is analyzed. A wide-band 8 times 8 sounder is employed to measure the response of indoor and outdoor channels at 2.55 and 5.2 GHz. The rate of channel temporal variation is then quantified in terms of information theoretic metrics that indicate the loss in channel quality as transmit and receive channel state information becomes increasingly outdated. Finally, these metrics are used to investigate the ability of two different modeling strategies-a random matrix model and a physical time-varying cluster model-to capture the channel temporal variation
Data Characterization Schema for Intelligent Support in Visual Data Analysis

The project CommonGIS1 aims at building a system allowing users to view and analyze geographically referenced thematic data. The system is oriented to the general public, i.e. people without special training and expertise in map design. Therefore the system is required to understand data semantics that, hence, must be formally represented. The project involves development of a data characterization schema that defines what knowledge about the data and in what form should be provided to the system for enabling intelligent and user-friendly support in visual data analysis. In this paper we propose a schema developed on the basis of the approach adopted in the system Descartes for automated thematic mapping. The approach involves creation of a domain model containing relevant notions and establishing of a correspondence between data components and the notions. Presence of the domain model is the main difference of the described schema from the ones proposed earlier for the purposes of automated data visualization.
Metabolic imaging of in vivo myocardium

Background The equilibrium cellular water efflux rate constant [kio; mean water lifetime inverse] from contrast agent [CA]enhanced MRI measures on-going cellular Na,K-ATPase activity [turnover]. Good literature [4 different labs] agreement shows substantial kio decreases in myocardial ischemia, hypertension, or infarct regions (Table). The 3 methods used differ in extracellular ("outside”) CAo level manipulation to change the MR shutter-speed relative to kio and the MR exchange condition reached: A) CAo steady-state, slow-exchange-regime; B) CAo titration, fastexchange-regime [FXR]; and C) CAo wash-out, FXR. The independent intracellular volume fraction [ICV] cell density•volume product and ≈ 1 ECV [extracellular volume fraction] also decreases in pathology. We hypothesize that kio mapping shows metabolic compromise most effectively. We report initial experience with tissue near a repaired ventricular septal defect [VSD].
A mathematical model for the validation of the ground reaction force sensor in human gait analysis

Abstract A sensor validation scheme investigates a system that requires control based on monitored sensor readings in order to allow immediate corrective actions in the case of aberrations from a desired value. In this paper, the proposed sensor validation strategy is based on a mathematical model for the calculation and classification of some white noise or faults occurring in the biomechanical system during walking on an instrumented treadmill. This strategy attempts to build a predictive model from measurements to determine whether the actual values are within an expected range. Particular attention is focused on the system used to measure vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) during normal walking on the instrumented treadmill. The aim of the study is to perform sensor validation to improve the resolution and accuracy of the acquired sensor data in order to provide reliable, repeatable, reproducible information for decision making. The absence of sensor validation will exhibit major obstacles in the efficient acquisition and resolution of measured data that may corrupt the data of the human gait analysis. In this paper, the authors introduce a new sensor validation scheme based on the method of Autoregressive Moving Averages (ARMAs) to assure the quality of the acquired vGRF data. This methodology facilitates the process for determining the validity of the acquired sensor signals, for evaluating the levels of noise and for providing a timely warning from the expected signals. The experimental results show that the mathematical model for vGRF data is a robust and efficient method for the operator in making correct decisions based on the segment and continuous signal validation results.
Differential Checkpointing for Reducing Memory Requirements in Optimized SOAP Deserialization

Differential serialization (DDS) is a SOAP optimization technique wherein servers save checkpoints and parser states associated with portions of previously received messages, and use them to avoid full parsing and deserialization of similar new messages. In this paper, we characterize DDS's memory requirements and memory overhead, introduce a new technique for storing only the differences between successive parser states for a message, and demonstrate how this optimization, which we call differential checkpointing, speeds up the DDS optimization and reduces its memory requirements.
Enhanced Degradation in Power MOSFET Devices Due to Heavy Ion Irradiation

Large, unexpected shifts in the current-voltage (IV) characteristics of commercial power MOSFETs irradiated with heavy ions have been observed. The shifts can be more than sixty-five times larger than the shifts resulting from total dose irradiation with gamma rays or electrons, and are shown to strongly depend on both the irradiation bias and the ion linear energy transfer (LET). These large shifts are a significant concern for devices intended to operate in low power space applications because it is shown that they can lead to off-state leakage currents greater than 1 A. The data are consistent with the formation of parasitic transistors resulting from the microdose deposited in the gate oxides of these devices by the heavy ions. These results have significant implications for hardness assurance testing of MOS devices for use in space.
The effects of anthracene and methylated anthracenes on gap junctional intercellular communication in rat liver epithelial cells.

Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), many of which are known carcinogens, are derived from the pyrolysis of organic materials. A rich source of PAHs is cigarette smoke, which contains methylated anthracenes and phenanthrenes as the predominant PAHs. The tumor-promoting activity of cigarette smoke has been well documented. The down-regulation of gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) by nongenotoxic chemicals and several oncogenes has been implicated in tumor promotion. Therefore, we determined the effects of the three isomers of methylanthracene on GJIC in WB-F344 rat liver epithelial cells. Anthracene and 2-methylanthracene did not significantly inhibit GJIC, whereas anthracene methylated in the 1 or 9 position reversibly inhibited GJIC with I 50 values of 22 and 36 μ M , respectively. Inhibition occurred within 15 min. In conclusion, the biological effect of methylanthracene depends on the ring position of the methyl group, and these inhibitory isomers could play a potential role in tumor promotion of methylated PAH-rich mixtures such as cigarette smoke and crude oil products.
Food web structure on Georges Bank from stable C, N, and S isotopic compositions

A combination of stable isotopic measurements was used to study food web structure of Georges Bank, an important northwestern Atlantic fishing ground. Particulate, invertebrate, and fish samples were analyzed to test δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S measurements as trophic-level indicators in offshore systems. Neither sulfur nor carbon measurements proved valuable. Sulfur isotopic compositions showed little change with trophic level, and an apparent diversity of phytoplankton carbon isotopic inputs at the base of the food web complicated use of δ13C to estimate trophic position. Nitrogen isotopic distributions were, however, robust measures of trophic position and showed four broad trophic levels; unsampled large top carnivores may represent a fifth trophic level.
Space–Frequency Ultrawideband Time-Reversal Imaging

We introduce time-reversal ultrawideband (UWB) imaging functionals based on the simultaneous utilization of spatial and UWB frequency data acquired by limited-aspect antenna arrays. The targets are discrete scatterers embedded in homogeneous or continuous random inhomogeneous media. Singular value decomposition is applied to space-frequency multistatic scattering data matrices indexed by sensor location and frequency data, and the resulting singular values and vectors are employed to construct time-domain excitation signals for UWB imaging of the embedded scatterer(s) via synthetic backpropagation (reverse migration). Spatial information needed for focusing on the embedded scatterer(s) is provided by either the left singular vectors or the eigenvectors of the space-space multistatic data matrices. The resulting UWB imaging functionals can yield statistical stability in random media.
Abstract 1104: The role of DLL4 in cancer immune-surveillance and its pathogenicity in p53-dysregulated environment

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Recent advances in cancer studies reveal that tumorigenesis results from an accumulation of mutational and epigenetic changes that alter normal cell growth and survival pathways. Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous inherited cancer syndrome characterized by mutation of the TP53 tumor suppressor gene (locus 17p13.1). The p53 transcription factor responds to diverse cellular stresses by regulating target genes that induce apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, and senescence. LFS can provide powerful insights into our understanding of somatic mutations present in sporadic cancers as well as the de-regulation of cell signaling pathways. We will be using LFS cells and mice as models to build on our previous discovery that showed a balanced reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 11q23 and 15q15 in LFS patients' skin fibroblast cells. In our present study, analysis of the breakpoint region reveals that in LFS, breast cancer (MCF7) and neuroblastoma (IMR32) cell lines, there is a dramatically increased activation in the expression of cancer susceptibility candidate 5 gene (CASC5), a part of kinetochore-microtubule attachments associated with cell proliferation. Furthermore, there was an abrogation in the expression of a critical protein, Delta-like ligand-4 (DLL4), in LFS normal skin fibroblasts of TP53 mutation carriers and non-carriers. There was also a down-regulation of DLL4 in unrelated breast cancer and neuroblastoma cell lines by DNA hypermethylation. DLL4 is a ligand for Notch family of receptors with crucial functions in normal development, immune surveillance and tissue homeostasis. TP53 and CTCF (a transcription factor involved in chromatin architecture) have a direct activator effect at the DLL4 promoter. Notch/DLL4 plays a key role in the generation of hematopoietic stem cells during embryonic development and regulates the T cell lineage and subsequent stages of thymopoiesis. WNT2 is also down-regulated in LFS cell lines and abolished in MCF7. Whereas Notch signaling controls cell fate specification in a variety of cell contexts during embryonic and postnatal development, Wnt signaling plays a critical role in cell differentiation and proliferation. Both Notch and Wnt pathways are activated by oncogenic mutations and dysregulated in cancer. The long-term objective of this research is to develop a critical understanding of the mechanisms by which p53 regulates cancer immune-surveillance through cross-talk with the tumor microenvironment so that therapeutic agents can be developed to curtail cancer progression. Citation Format: Zhixing Yao, Zaki A. Sherif. The role of DLL4 in cancer immune-surveillance and its pathogenicity in p53-dysregulated environment. [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 1104. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1104
The RoadRunner Dynamic Analysis Framework for Concurrent Programs

RoadRunner is a dynamic analysis framework designed to facilitate rapid prototyping and experimentation with dynamic analyses for concurrent Java programs. It provides a clean API for communicating an event stream to back-end analyses, where each event describes some operation of interest performed by the target program, such as accessing memory, synchronizing on a lock, forking a new thread, and so on. This API enables the developer to focus on the essential algorithmic issues of the dynamic analysis, rather than on orthogonal infrastructure complexities.Each back-end analysis tool is expressed as a filter over the event stream, allowing easy composition of analyses into tool chains. This tool-chain architecture permits complex analyses to be described and implemented as a sequence of more simple, modular steps, and it facilitates experimentation with different tool compositions. Moreover, the ability to insert various monitoring tools into the tool chain facilitates debugging and performance tuning.Despite RoadRunner's flexibility, careful implementation and optimization choices enable RoadRunner-based analyses to offer comparable performance to traditional, monolithic analysis prototypes, while being up to an order of magnitude smaller in code size. We have used RoadRunner to develop several dozen tools and have successfully applied them to programs as large as the Eclipse programming environment.
Morphological and Ecological Differences Between Shallow-and Deep-water Lake Trout in Lake Mistassini, Quebec

Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in Lake Mistassini, Quebec, were investigated to determine whether they resembled the lean and siscowet morphotypes of Lake Superior and Great Slave Lake. Lake trout caught in deep water were predicted to resemble the siscowet morphotype and to be better adapted for vertical migration (i.e., low percent buoyancy) than those caught in shallow water. The research objectives were to 1) identify groups based on shape, and 2) determine whether shape was associated with other morphological traits (fin length, buoyancy, color), ecology (habitat depth, diet), and life history (size at adulthood). Eighty-five lake trout were collected from three depth zones. At least two phenotypes exist in Lake Mistassini. A shallow-water form ( 50-m depth), identified by a deep anterior-body profile, was light in color and lower in percent buoyancy than the shallow-water form. Absolute buoyancies were relatively high in both forms; therefore, the deep-water form did not appear well-adapted for vertical migration. Opossum shrimp (Mysis relicta) were more frequent and abundant in stomachs of deep-bodied trout. All deep-bodied trout (minimum 32-cm SL) had reached adulthood, whereas immature streamlined individuals were as long as 49 cm in SL. The deep-bodied form resembled humper lake trout, a lesser-known third morphotype from Lake Superior. A humper-like morphotype in Lake Mistassini, and the apparent absence of a siscowet-like morphotype, challenges the previously-held hypothesis that humpers resulted from an introgression of leans and siscowets.
5α-Reductase Inhibition Suppresses Testosterone-Induced Initial Regrowth of Regressed Xenograft Prostate Tumors in Animal Models

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the standard treatment for patients with prostate-specific antigen progression after treatment for localized prostate cancer. An alternative to continuous ADT is intermittent ADT (IADT), which allows recovery of testosterone during off-cycles to stimulate regrowth and differentiation of the regressed prostate tumor. IADT offers patients a reduction in side effects associated with ADT, improved quality of life, and reduced cost with no difference in overall survival. Our previous studies showed that IADT coupled with 5α-reductase inhibitor (5ARI), which blocks testosterone conversion to DHT could prolong survival of animals bearing androgen-sensitive prostate tumors when off-cycle duration was fixed. To further investigate this clinically relevant observation, we measured the time course of testosterone-induced regrowth of regressed LuCaP35 and LNCaP xenograft tumors in the presence or absence of a 5ARI. 5α-Reductase inhibitors suppressed the initial regrowth of regressed prostate tumors. However, tumors resumed growth and were no longer responsive to 5α-reductase inhibition several days after testosterone replacement. This finding was substantiated by bromodeoxyuridine and Ki67 staining of LuCaP35 tumors, which showed inhibition of prostate tumor cell proliferation by 5ARI on day 2, but not day 14, after testosterone replacement. 5α-Reductase inhibitors also suppressed testosterone-stimulated proliferation of LNCaP cells precultured in androgen-free media, suggesting that blocking testosterone conversion to DHT can inhibit prostate tumor cell proliferation via an intracrine mechanism. These results suggest that short off-cycle coupled with 5α-reductase inhibition could maximize suppression of prostate tumor growth and, thus, improve potential survival benefit achieved in combination with IADT.
Gaussian Beam Interactions with Double‐Negative (DNG) Metamaterials

The prelims comprise: Introduction 2-D FDTD Simulator Normal Incidence Results Oblique Incidence Results Goos-H??nchen Effect Subwavelength Focusing with a Concave DNG Lens Conclusions References
Ancillary ligand-free copper catalysed hydrohydrazination of terminal alkynes with NH2NH2

An efficient and selective Cu-catalysed hydrohydrazination of terminal alkynes with parent hydrazine is reported. The methodology tolerates a broad range of functional groups, allows for the synthesis of symmetrical and unsymmetrical azines, and can be extended to hydrazine derivatives and amines.
Relaxation of activated airway smooth muscle : relative potency of isoproterenol vs. tidal stretch

Both isoproterenol and tidal fluctuations of muscle length inhibit active force development in activated airway smooth muscle. In this study, we show that length fluctuations in the range of amplit...
Adding Academics to the Work/Family Puzzle: Graduate Student Parents in Higher Education and Student Affairs

Based on interviews with 18 parents who were enrolled in higher education and student affairs master’s programs and also employed on college and university campuses, this article explores the ways that student parents navigate their academic, familial, and professional responsibilities. Using role conflict theory as a theoretical guide, this study considers the strategies student parents use to meet the demands of multiple roles. Findings suggest that while participants value their identities as students and take steps to meet the expectations associated with that role, they prioritize their roles as parents above all else.
Pleasure in Atrocity

As Foucault says, genealogical work can be tedious and gray, but it is also pleasurable, even when the archives one delves into are filled with hatred, violence, and injustice. This article explores that pleasure, both its dangers and its possibilities, and in the process offers a partial genealogy of corporate personhood in U.S. legal history.
Judicial Self-Governance and the Rule of Law: Evidence from Romania and the Czech Republic

Self-governing institutions can aid the process of democratic legal reform, but their effectiveness depends on building meaningful linkages of trust and communication with the judges they represent.
Line-of-sight profiling of temperature and species in propellant flames using FTIR spectroscopy

C.F. Mallery, Jr., and S. T. Thynell The Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16802 ABSTRACT The purpose of this work is to deduce line-of-sight variation of temperature and species concentrations in high-pressure, solid-propellant flames by using spectral transmittances acquired by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. To deduce these variations, an inverse technique was implemented based on the MarquardtLevenberg method. Two approaches were used to validate the inverse algorithm. First, the average temperature and species concentrations were determined of a series of calibration gases. Second, temperature and relative mole-fraction profiles within nitramine-composite propellant flames at low pressures were compared with similar measurements made by using fine-wire thermocouples and a micro-probe mass spectrometer. Having validated the data-reduction algorithm, it was applied to spectral transmittance data acquired for a highpressure, self-sustained solid-propellant flame. It was concluded that: 1) at about 3-4 mm above the surface, one must account for line-of-sight variations; 2) the deduced centerline temperatures agreed to within 50 K of those measured using fine-wire thermocouples; and 3) the deduced centerline concentrations of CO and NO established a dark-zone behavior which is expected of nitramine-composite propellant flames. However, to deduce the line-of-sight variation of other IR-active species, further improvements in the data base of the spectral absorption coefficients must be made.
Use Model-Based Analysis of ChIP-Seq (MACS) to Analyze Short Reads Generated by Sequencing Protein–DNA Interactions in Embryonic Stem Cells

Model-based Analysis of ChIP-Seq (MACS) is a computational algorithm for identifying genome-wide protein-DNA interaction from ChIP-Seq data. MACS combines multiple modules to process aligned ChIP-Seq reads for either transcription factor or histone modification by removing redundant reads, estimating fragment length, building signal profile, calculating peak enrichment, and refining and reporting peak calls. In this protocol, we provide a detailed demonstration of how to apply MACS to analyze ChIP-Seq datasets related to protein-DNA interactions in embryonic stem cells (ES cells). Instruction on how to interpret and visualize the results is also provided. MACS is an open-source and is available from http://github.com/taoliu/MACS.
Hiding Horrors in Full View: Atom Egoyan’s Representations of the Armenian Genocide

Atom Egoyan’s feature film Ararat (2002) was the first widely released, explicit cinematic representation of the Armenian Genocide, but it was not Egoyan’s first foray into portrayals of Genocide trauma and its impact on nationalism, cultural memory and denial. Although Egoyan, himself the descendant of Genocide survivors, has won critical acclaim for his films, critics have rarely acknowledged or recognized the extent to which earlier films focus on the same issues as Ararat. These issues are often hidden in full view for all audience members to see, but not necessarily to interpret correctly.