cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 1269: Alcohol intake in relation to lethal breast cancer

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that many breast cancers may be “overdiagnosed” due to intensive screening and would not cause harm if left untreated. More research is needed on risk factors for the most harmful tumors that go on to become lethal. Alcohol is the strongest dietary risk factor for breast cancer, but whether alcohol consumption increases risk of lethal breast cancer specifically is unknown. Methods: We assessed alcohol intake (drinks/week) in 88,759 women in the Nurses9 Health Study (NHS; 1980-2010) and 93,911 women in the NHSII (1991-2009). Women reported beer, wine, and liquor intake on semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires administered every four years. The main exposure was cumulative average alcohol consumption in grams/day; we also assessed baseline and updated current consumption. Breast cancer cases were confirmed with pathology reports and deaths were confirmed by next of kin or the National Death Index. We defined lethal cases as women with invasive breast cancer for whom the primary cause of death was breast cancer or a metastasis from breast cancer. Person-time for each participant was calculated from the date of return of the baseline questionnaire to the date of breast cancer diagnosis, date of any other cancer diagnosis, death from any cause, or the end of follow-up, whichever came first. We pooled the NHS and NHSII data and used Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for breast cancer risk factors. To determine whether the association differed for lethal versus nonlethal breast cancer, competing risks models were used; we conducted likelihood ratio tests to compare models assuming different versus the same associations of alcohol (defined continuously) with lethal and nonlethal tumors. We tested for an interaction between alcohol and folate intake using a likelihood ratio test. Results: 1,452 women developed lethal breast cancer over follow-up. Cumulative average alcohol intake was associated with higher risk of lethal breast cancer [hazard ratio (HR) per 10 g increase: 1.13 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.18, p-trend Conclusions: In these two prospective cohort studies, alcohol intake was positively associated with lethal breast cancer, but the association was not significantly different for lethal versus nonlethal breast cancer. Citation Format: Caroline E. Boeke, A. Heather Eliassen, Wendy Y. Chen, Michelle D. Holmes, Bernard Rosner, Walter C. Willett, Rulla M. Tamimi. Alcohol intake in relation to lethal breast cancer. [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 1269. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1269
Catalytic reforming of methane with carbon dioxide over nickel catalysts I. Catalyst characterization and activity

The reforming of methane with carbon dioxide was studied over nickel supported on MgO, TiO2, SiO2, and activated carbon. The influence of the support on catalyst activity and carbon deposition resistivity was markedly different ineach case. Although considerable formation of filamentous carbon was observed over Ni/SiO2 (confirmed by TEM and TPO), there was negligible initial loss of catalytic activity. The catalytic activity of Ni/C was very similar to that of Ni/SiO2, but no filamentous carbon appeared to be formed. In contrast to Ni/SiO2, substantially less coking was observed over either the Ni/TiO2 or the Ni/MgO catalysts. Evidence of strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) in the Ni/TiO2 catalyst indicated that large ensembles of nickel atoms, active for carbon deposition, are deactivated or removed by the presence of mobile TiOx species. The identification of two TiOx phases and a Ni5TiO7 phase was made possible by direct measurement of crystalline d spacings with TEM. The Ni/MgO catalyst was both active and very stable for up to 44 h time on stream. Chemisorption, XRD and TEM results indicate the formation of a partially reducible NiO—MgO solid solution, which appears to stabilize the reduced nickel surfaces and provide resistance to carbon deposition.
Defective DNA mismatch repair and XRCC2 mutation in uterine carcinosarcomas.

Objectives. A frameshift mutation in the double-strand breakage repair gene XRCC2 was identified in a mismatch repair (MMR) deficient cell line derived from a uterine carcinosarcoma. The frameshift mutation occurred in a mononucleotide run (poly-T tract), a target for strand-slippage mutation in MMR deficient tumors. We sought to determine if XRCC2 mutation is important to uterine carcinosarcoma tumorigenesis and whether the XRCC2 poly-T tract is a target for mutation in cells lacking MMR. Methods. MSI-typing was used to assess the MMR status of 30 primary carcinosarcomas. The entire XRCC2 coding region was sequenced in all tumors. Single strand conformational variant (SSCV) analysis was used to screen for poly-T tract mutation in 50 endometrioid adenocarcinomas with defective MMR. Results. Seven of 30 (23.3%) primary carcinosarcomas had an MSI-H phenotype. No XRCC2 coding mutations were identified in the 30 carcinosarcomas, and only one of the fifty MSI-H endometrioid adenocarcinomas had an XRCC2 poly-T tract mutation. Conclusions. Despite the high frequency of mismatch repair deficiency in carcinosarcomas, no XRCC2 poly-T tract frameshift mutations were identified in these tumors. The fact that only one of 50 additional MSI-H tumors had a frameshift mutation suggests that the XRCC2 poly-T tract is not a frequent target for defective MMR. The absence of coding sequence mutations in primary carcinosarcomas suggests that XRCC2 defects are unlikely to play a significant role in carcinosarcoma tumorigenesis.
Hepatic and Splenic Hydatidosis Managed with Percutaneous Aspiration, Injection, and Reaspiration (PAIR) of the Hepatic Cyst and Laparoscopic Splenectomy

The treatment of hydatidosis traditionally consisted of surgery with a perioperative course of anthelmintic medications. However, percutaneous aspiration, injection, and reaspiration (PAIR) combined with oral albendazole has been recently shown to be as effective as surgery in the treatment of liver hydatidosis. We report a 20-year-old female immigrant from Western Europe who presented with discomfort in her upper abdomen. Computed tomography revealed a 5.7 × 7 × 5.9-cm cyst in segment 7 of the liver and a 17 × 15-cm cyst in the spleen in contiguity with the hilar vessels. Indirect hemaglutination test confirmed hydatidosis. A strategy with two different surgical approaches was designed to treat her condition: laparoscopic splenectomy and ultrasound-guided PAIR of the liver cyst. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 5, and at 18 months follow-up, she is free of symptoms.
Learning to Reason in an Informal Math After-School Program

This research was conducted during an after-school partnership between a University and school district in an economically depressed, urban area. The school population consists of 99% African American and Latino students. During an the informal after-school math program, a group of 24 6th-grade students from a low socioeconomic community worked collaboratively on open-ended problems involving fractions. The students, in their problem solving discussions, coconstructed arguments and provided justifications for their solutions. In the process, they questioned, corrected, and built on each other’s ideas. This paper describes the types of student reasoning that emerged in the process of justifying solutions to the problems posed. It illustrates how the students’ arguments developed over time. The findings of this study indicate that, within an environment that invites exploration and collaboration, students can be engaged in defending their reasoning in both their small groups and within the larger community. In the process of justifying, they naturally build arguments that take the form of proof.
Testing multimedia transmission systems

Digital television and the convergence of television and telecommunications challenges the television engineer to develop new test methods and new ways of using older methods. Supporting multimedia capabilities makes compressed data transmission an important issue. This article outlines a layered model for systems and testing analogous to the OSI model for communications systems and discusses specific test methods for analysis and generation.
Effects of strain rate, turbulence, reactant stoichiometry and heat losses on the interaction of turbulent premixed flames with stoichiometric counterflowing combustion products

Abstract Intense strain, turbulence, heat transfer, and mixing with combustion products can affect premixed flames in practical combustion devices. These effects are systematically studied in turbulent premixed CH 4 /N 2 /O 2 flames using a reactant versus product counterflow system and independently varying bulk strain rate, turbulent Reynolds number, equivalence ratio of the reactant mixture, and temperature of the stoichiometric counterflowing combustion products. The flow field and the turbulent flames are investigated using particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) imaging of OH. The OH-LIF images are used to identify the interface between the counterflowing streams, referred to here as the gas mixing layer interface (GMLI). The flame response for different flow conditions is compared in terms of the probability of localized extinction along the GMLI, the turbulent flame brush thickness, and flame position relative to the GMLI, by using an OH-LIF-based progress variable. The probability of localized extinction at the GMLI increases as the separation between the turbulent flame brush and the GMLI decreases. Flame fronts in the vicinity of the GMLI are more likely to extinguish as a result of heat losses, dilution of the reaction zone by the product stream, and large local strain rates. A higher probability of localized extinction at the GMLI is induced by either a larger bulk strain rate or a slower flame speed. As the turbulent Reynolds number increases, the corresponding increase in turbulent flame brush thickness enhances the interactions of the flame fronts with the GMLI. Heat losses are substantially less significant for cases in which the turbulent flame brush is sufficiently separated from the GMLI. For flames in close proximity to the GMLI, the effects of the product stream on the flame front differ for lean and rich reactant mixtures. These disparities are attributed in part to differences in the ignitibility of the reactant mixtures by the hot product stream.
Antigen-Antibody Precipitation Contrasted in Gels of High and Physiological Salt Concentrations

Antigen-Antibody Precipitation Contrasted in Gels of High and Physiological Salt Concentrations
Transperitoneal Laparoscopic Pyeloplasty for Primary Repair of Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction in Infants and Children: Comparison With Open Surgery

Purpose: Pediatric laparoscopic pyeloplasty to treat ureteropelvic junction obstruction has been reported to decrease hospitalization stay and the analgesic requirement compared to open pyeloplasty. It is not clear if all age groups benefit from this procedure. We compared primary laparoscopic and open pyeloplasty in infants and children.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of consecutive primary pyeloplasties at a single institution during a 4.5-year period. Demographic data, body measurements, presentation, indications for surgery, operation type, surgical time, complications, analgesia requirement, hospital stay and outcome were recorded.Results: Patients were divided in the open pyeloplasty group of 41 and the laparoscopic pyeloplasty group of 37. The groups were similar with regard to sex and laterality. There were more patients 14 months or younger in the open pyeloplasty group. Mean surgical time was longer in laparoscopic pyeloplasty but it decreased significantly after t...
Regulation of L-type Ca2+ channels in rabbit portal vein by G protein αs and βγ subunits

1 The effect of purified G protein subunits αs and βγ on L-type Ca2+ channels in vascular smooth muscle and the possible pathways involved were investigated using freshly isolated smooth muscle cells from rabbit portal vein and the whole-cell patch clamp technique. 2 Cells dialysed with either Gαs or Gβγ exhibited significant increases in peak Ba2+ current (IBa) density (148 % and 131 %, respectively) compared with control cells. The combination of Gαs and Gβγ further increased peak IBa density (181 %). Inactive Gαs and Gβγ did not have any effect on Ca2+ channels. 3 The stimulatory effect of Gαs on peak IBa was entirely abolished by the protein kinase A inhibitor Rp-8-Br-cAMPS, or the adenylyl cyclase inhibitor SQ 22536. On the other hand, the stimulatory response of Ca2+ channels to Gβγ was not affected by the protein kinase A inhibitors Rp-8-Br-cAMPS and KT 5720, or by the Ca2+-dependent protein kinase C inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide 1, but was completely blocked by the protein kinase C inhibitor calphostin C. Pretreatment of cells with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate for over 18 h prevented the stimulatory effect of Gβγ on peak IBa. In addition, acute application of phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate enhanced peak IBa density in control cells, which could be entirely blocked by calphostin C. 4 These data indicate that enhancement of Ba2+ currents by Gαs and Gβγ can be attributed to increased activity of protein kinase A and protein kinase C, respectively. No direct membrane-delimited pathway for Ca2+ channel regulation by activated Gs proteins could be detected in vascular smooth muscle cells.
Long Term Trends and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Prevalence of Obesity

Obesity is an epidemic associated with higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. However, significant racial disparities in the prevalence of obesity have been reported. To evaluate racial disparities and trends in the prevalence of obesity and obesity-related diseases. A population-based retrospective cohort study utilized data from the 1985 to 2011 California Behavioral Risk Factor Survey. Trends in obesity prevalence were stratified by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic factors. Multivariate logistic regression models evaluated independent predictors of obesity. The prevalence of obesity in significantly increased from 1985 to 2011 (8.6 vs. 22.8 %, p < 0.001). This increase was seen among men and women, and among all race/ethnic, age, and socioeconomic groups. Hypertension and diabetes also increased during this time period (hypertension 20.7–35.9 %; diabetes 4.2–11.2 %). Obesity prevalence was highest in blacks and Hispanics, and lowest in Asians (blacks 33.3 %; Hispanics 28.8 %; Asians 9.0 %; p < 0.001). Obesity prevalence was associated with lower education level, lower income, and unemployment status. After adjustments for age, sex, co morbidities, and surrogates of socioeconomic status, the increased risk of obesity in blacks and Hispanics persisted (blacks OR 1.51; Hispanics OR 1.18), whereas Asians were less likely to be obese (OR 0.37). While the overall prevalence of obesity increased from 1985 to 2011, significant racial/ethnic disparities in obesity have developed, with the highest prevalence seen in blacks and Hispanics, and the lowest seen in Asians.
Cellular Localization of CO2 Fixation and Translocation of Metabolites

Leaves of maize (Zea mays L.) and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) were enclosed in an illuminated chamber in air for 30 min after which time (14)CO(2) was released into the chamber. Two min after the (14)CO(2) was released, the leaves were removed from the chamber, and small sections were cut from them. The sections were put in small wire baskets and frozen in isopentane cooled by liquid nitrogen. Approximately 1.5 min elapsed from the removal of the leaf from the illuminated chamber until the tissue was frozen. The tissue was freeze-dried, embedded in paraffin and the cellular location of the isotopic activity was determined by radiography of leaf cross sections. Isotopic activity in maize leaves was localized in bundle sheath parenchyma. In contrast, the label in sugar beet leaves was generally distributed in the mesophyll cells. The bundle sheath cells in maize contain specialized chloroplasts which appear to have a unique capacity to incorporate CO(2). Translocation from leaves of maize was 3-fold as rapid as from sugar beet leaves in the same environment. Low light intensity did not alter the distribution pattern of fixed CO(2).
Relationships between water availability, carbon isotope discrimination and plant productivity in two semi-arid grass and shrub species

Abstract The positive relationship between water availability and carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) is well documented. There is also evidence that Δ is positively related to plant productivity. However, most of the data are concerned with cross species and genotypic variation in Δ relative to broad geographical differences in water availability or on general trends in local populations. We still lack quantified data on the response of localized populations to changing water availability, carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) and plant productivity, especially on a year to year basis. To provide data in this area, this study measured above-ground productivity in western wheatgrass ( Agropyron smithii ) and vegetative stem growth in big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ), and carbon isotope discrimination in both species over several years of varying water availability. Estimates of Δ were regressed against spring soil moisture estimates, and plant productivity measure ments against Δ estimates. For sagebrush, carbon isotope discrimination estimates were positively related to spring soil moisture levels ( p =0.027, r 2 =0.11) and productivity estimates ( p =0.002, r 2 =0.23). Carbon isotope discrimination for wheatgrass also regressed significantly with soil moisture levels ( p =0.039, r 2 =0.10) and productivity estimates ( p r 2 =0.33).
Assessing photographer competence using face statistics

The rapid growth of photo sharing websites has resulted in some new problems around the management of a large (and quickly increasing) number of photographers with different needs and usage characteristics. Despite significant advances in the field of computer vision, little has been done to leverage these technologies for photographer understanding and management, partly due to the high computational cost of extracting application-specific image features. Recently robust multi-view face detection technologies have been widely adopted by many photo sharing sites. This affords a limited but "standard" pre-computed set of face features to tackle these administrative problems in large scale settings. In this paper we present a principled statistical model to alleviate one such administrative task - the automatic analysis of photographer competency given only face detection results on a set of their photos. The model uses summary statistics to estimate the probability a given individual belongs to a population of high competence photographers over against a second population of lower competence photographers. Using this model, we have achieved high classification accuracy (respectively 84.3% and 90.9%) on two large image datasets. We discuss an application of this approach to assist in managing a photo-sharing website.
Treatment of Inferior Vena Cava Filter Thrombosis by Mechanical Thrombectomy and Temporary Vena Cava Filter Protection A Case Report

Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter thrombosis presents a difficult management problem and is associated with a significant incidence of pulmonary embolism. Treatment options in less extensive clots include anticoagulant or thrombolytic therapy, often in combination with placement of a filter above the clot. However, propagation of the clot to the level of the right atrium or the existence of a free-floating thrombus and continued pulmonary embolism may require surgical intervention including vena caval ligation and thrombec tomy. A thrombus that extends to the right atrium may also require thoracotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass. Contraindications to anticoagulant or thrombolytic therapy, as in our patient with a significant bleeding risk from a colon carcinoma and heme-positive stools, further complicate treatment decisions. The authors report the first successful treatment of an IVC filter thrombosis using the combination of mechanical thrombec tomy and temporary vena cava filter protection.
Mechanism-based small molecule cross-linkers of HECT E3 ubiquitin ligase-substrate pairs

Here we report the discovery that bifunctional thiol- and amine-reactive electrophiles serve as mechanism-based covalent cross-linkers for HECT E3 ubiquitin ligase–substrate pairs. We demonstrate that these chemical cross-linkers covalently cross-link the catalytic Cys residue of the yeast HECT E3 ubiquitin ligase Rsp5 with the Lys of the ubiquitination site in the model substrate Sic60-GFP. This work represents the first example of a mechanism-based covalent cross-link of HECT E3–substrate pairs that converts transiently interacting HECT E3–substrate pairs into stable, covalently cross-linked protein complexes, thereby facilitating their subsequent isolation, identification, and study.
Invoking and inscribing mental illness: A discursive analysis of diagnostic terminology in inpatient treatment planning meetings

Critical feminist analyses document the power of psychiatric labeling, but less attention has been given to the social processes involved in giving and acquiring labels. Utilizing a discursive meth...
Nucleotide sequence of an alfalfa calmodulin cDNA

EMBLaccession no. X52398Calmodulin is a calcium binding protein that modulates theactivity ofa diverse group ofproteins including some proteinkinases, adenylate cyclases andATPases (reviewed in 1). Theproteinis ubiquitous inall eukaryotesexamined. Herewereportthenucleotide sequenceanddeducedaminoacid sequenceofanalfalfa (Medicagosativa) cDNA.ThiscDNAwasobtainedfrom
Orbit spectral density versus stimulus identity and intensity

A concept of orbit spectral density for a one-dimensional iterated function is presented. To compute orbit spectral density, a method of extracting low-order periodic orbits from the dynamical system defined by the iterated function is first used. All points of the dynamics are then partitioned among the periodic orbits according to a distance measure. Partition sizes estimate the density of trajectories around periodic orbits. Assigning these trajectory densities to the orbit indexes introduces the orbit spectral density. A practical computational example is presented in the context of a model olfactory system.
Septima Clark's Rhetorical and Ethnic Legacy: Her Message of Citizenship in the Civil Rights Movement

Ella Baker is known as the godmother of the civil rights movement and the midwife of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, RosaParks is known as the mother of the civil rights movement, and Septima Poinsette Clark is regarded as the queen of the civil rights movement. These three women, along with hundreds of other women, were "major leaders, organizers, and strategists who helped to mold and shape the direction that the movement would take.... [They] used their knowledge and experience to challenge the racist and sexist traditions that circumscribe their lives" (Crawford, 1988, p. 24). African American women involved in the civil rights movement rejected the notions of a helpless and hopeless frame (Bryan, 1988, p. 60). They had "strong convictions, self-confidence . .. [and] thought themselves capable of doing anything men could do, including facing physical danger" (Giddings, 1984, p. 278). Clark (1962) wrote that "before a person goes into work of this kind [activism] he may have to pay for the freedom he is trying to establish for all" (pp. 11-12). And this is what she and other women in the movement did. Being involved in the civil rights movement caused many women to interrupt their careers or education and/or to damage
Study of Liquid Atomization in an Internally Mixed Liquid Atomizer

This paper presents the results of experimental and theoretical studies of an internally mixed liquid injector. In this type of injector atomization is attained by injecting a small amount of air into a liquid stream within the injector. The results presented in this paper suggest that the investigated injector could be used to control the flow rate and spray characteristics, e.g., droplet size and spray penetration, and hence, a “controlled” version of the investigated injector may find applications in modern gas turbine engines. This paper also describes the development and predictions of a heuristic model that depicts the two-phase flow inside an internally mixed atomizer. The developed model assumes that the formation of liquid drops, due to the interaction between the air and liquid flows, occurs inside the injector. Basic conservation equations, along with appropriate boundary conditions, are used to model the two-phase air-liquid flow inside the injector. A statistically distributed Weber number criterion is used to estimate the sizes of the droplets being produced in the process. The liquid flow rates and the droplet sizes predicted by the model are compared with the experimental data and they are found to be in fair agreement with each other, suggesting that the model properly describes the physics of the two-phase flow within the injector.Copyright © 2001 by ASME
Measurement of Atropine-Induced Vascular Pooling

Postural hypotension resulting from 2 mg. of intramuscular atropine appears to be due to peripheral vascular pooling. Controlled studies on 31 normal adult males are reported here and reveal that external compression of the abdomen and lower extremities allows partial cardiovascular compensation. Simultaneous compression of both legs and abdomen is even more effective in preventing postural hypotension. The effects of 2 mg. of atropine appear to be due to partial vagal block, partial ganglionic block and central excitation.
Infinite horizon safety controller synthesis through disjunctive polyhedral abstract interpretation

This paper presents a controller synthesis approach using disjunctive polyhedral abstract interpretation. Our approach synthesizes infinite time-horizon controllers for safety properties with discrete-time, linear plant model and a switching feedback controller that is suitable for time-triggered implementations. The core idea behind our approach is to perform an abstract interpretation over disjunctions of convex polyhedra to identify states that are potentially uncontrollable. Complementing this set yields the set of controllable states, starting from which, the safety property can be guaranteed by an appropriate controller feedback function. Since, a straightforward disjunctive domain is computationally inefficient, we present an abstract domain based on a state partitioning scheme that allows us to efficiently control the complexity of the intermediate representations. Next, we focus on the automatic generation of controller implementation from the abstract interpretation results. We show that a balanced tree approach can yield efficient controller code with guarantees on the worst-case execution time. Finally, we evaluate our approach on a suite of benchmarks, comparing different instantiations with related synthesis tools. The evaluation shows that our approach can successfully synthesize controller implementations for small to medium sized benchmarks.
The prevention and treatment of recurrent bile duct stones by transduodenal sphincteroplasty

Sphincteroplasty is a transduodenal method of producing a terminal choledochoduodenostomy as wide as the supraduodenal common duct. The sphincters affecting common and pancreatic ducts are destroyed, making the opening noncontractile and permanent. To achieve this, the common and duodenal walls are divided between clamps and oversewn. The resulting stoma differs anatomically and physiologically from that of sphincterotomy, which leaves functioning sphincter behind. This is demonstrable by postoperative T-tube pressure and flow studies before and after morphine, and free reflux and stomal permanence after sphincteroplasty. Such an opening prevents trapping of overlooked stones or bile stasis with stone formation.
Adaptive wavelets applied to distortion correction in laser diode arrays

Laser diode arrays oscillate in multiple spatial and longitudinal modes. Adaptive optics is the field dedicated to automatic compensation for wavefront distortion. A number of approaches are available to achieve spatial and spectral control of high power diode lasers using phase conjugate mirrors. A new method is being developed to determine phase (and hence, phase distortion) using wavelet ridge extraction. In addition, an adaptive wavelet system will be developed to cancel distortion.
Calculations of upper-mantle P-wave velocity anisotropies

Abstract Discovery of anisotropy for upper-mantle P-wave velocities has resulted recently in many laboratory determinations of velocities for natural mantle material, either by direct measurement on rock samples or through calculations based on single-crystal elastic constants, fabrics and modal compositions Comparison of field and laboratory data provides gross constraints for convection processes and flow mechanisms. As natural peridotites yeidl a wide range of maximum seismic anisotropies, their depth of origin and deformation history are inferred from pyroxene geobarometry and geothermometry, and from stress estimates derived from neoblast grain sizes. Large maximum anisotropies (ca. 1.0 km/s) are typical of samples with fabrics strengthened by low-temperature/highstress deformation related to emplacement. Other highly anisotropic mantle material includes peridotites beneath continental rifts and thinned continental crust. Maximum anisotropies for ordinary suboceanic and infracontinental peridotites are generally in the range of the field data (0.3–0.6 km/s) and support a model with [010] ol nearly vertical (in accord with observations on ophiolites) and [100] ol subparallel to the spreading direction. On the basis of fabric data, seismic anisotropy should decrease with depth.
Distributed mechanisms for quality of service in wireless LANs

Wireless local area networks are gaining popularity at an unprecedented rate, at home, at work, and in public hot spot locations. As these networks become ubiquitous and an integral part of the infrastructure, they will increasingly be used for multimedia applications. There is limited QoS support in WLANs, which will become an impediment in deploying multimedia applications. We present a tutorial on QoS support in IEEE 802.11 WLANs with a focus on the distributed MAC protocol of 802.11. Most QoS support mechanisms proposed for 802.11 use well-known techniques such as priority assignment and fair scheduling, and map QoS metrics into some existing 802.11 MAC parameter, thereby avoiding a redesign of the MAC protocol. We provide a taxonomy of the mechanisms and describe the essential concepts, problems, and advantages of each mechanism. From our study, we conclude that choosing the right set of MAC parameters and the QoS mechanism itself to provide predictable QoS in 802.11 networks is still an open problem.
Rupture Kinematics of the 2005 Mw 8.6 Nias–Simeulue Earthquake from the Joint Inversion of Seismic and Geodetic Data

The 2005 Mw 8.6 Nias-Simeulue earthquake was caused by rupture of a portion of the Sunda megathrust offshore northern Sumatra. This event occurred within an array of continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) stations and produced measurable vertical displacement of the fringing coral reefs above the fault rupture. Thus, this earthquake provides a unique opportunity to assess the source character- istics of a megathrust event from the joint analysis of seismic data and near-field static co-seismic displacements. Based on the excitation of the normal mode data and geodetic data we put relatively tight constraints on the seismic moment and the fault dip, where the dip is determined to be 8� to 10� with corresponding moments of 1.24 10 22 to 1.00 10 22 N m, respectively. The geodetic constraints on slip distribution help to eliminate the trade-off between rupture velocity and slip kine- matics. Source models obtained from the inversion of various combinations of the teleseismic body waves and geodetic data are evaluated by comparing predicted and observed long-period seismic waveforms (100-500 sec). Our results indicate a rela- tively slow average rupture velocity of 1.5 to 2.5 km/sec and long average rise time of up to 20 sec. The earthquake nucleated between two separate slip patches, one beneath Nias and the other beneath Simeulue Island. The gap between the two patches and the hypocentral location appears to be coincident with a local geological disrup- tion of the forearc. Coseismic slip clearly tapers to zero before it reaches the trench probably because the rupture propagation was inhibited when it reached the accre- tionary prism. Using the models from joint inversions, we estimate the peak ground velocity on Nias Island to be about 30 cm/sec, an order of magnitude slower than for thrust events in continental areas. This study emphasizes the importance of util- izing multiple datasets in imaging seismic ruptures.
Evil Genius? How Dishonesty Can Lead to Greater Creativity

We propose that dishonest and creative behavior have something in common: They both involve breaking rules. Because of this shared feature, creativity may lead to dishonesty (as shown in prior work), and dishonesty may lead to creativity (the hypothesis we tested in this research). In five experiments, participants had the opportunity to behave dishonestly by overreporting their performance on various tasks. They then completed one or more tasks designed to measure creativity. Those who cheated were subsequently more creative than noncheaters, even when we accounted for individual differences in their creative ability (Experiment 1). Using random assignment, we confirmed that acting dishonestly leads to greater creativity in subsequent tasks (Experiments 2 and 3). The link between dishonesty and creativity is explained by a heightened feeling of being unconstrained by rules, as indicated by both mediation (Experiment 4) and moderation (Experiment 5).
Tutelage and socially guided robot learning

We view the problem of machine learning as a collaboration between the human and the machine. Inspired by human-style tutelage, we situate the learning problem within a dialog in which social interaction structures the learning experience, providing instruction, directing attention, and controlling the complexity of the task. We present a learning mechanism, implemented on a humanoid robot, to demonstrate that a collaborative dialog framework allows a robot to efficiently learn a task from a human, generalize this ability to a new task configuration, and show commitment to the overall goal of the learned task. We also compare this approach to traditional machine learning approaches.
Sympathetic arousal increases a negative memory bias in young women with low sex hormone levels.

a b s t r a c t Emotionally arousing events are typically better attended to and remembered than neutral ones. Current theories propose that arousal-induced increases in norepinephrine during encoding bias attention and memory in favor of affectively salient stimuli. Here, we tested this hypothesis by manipulating levels of physiological arousal prior to encoding and examining how it influenced memory for emotionally salient images, particularly those that are negative rather than positive in valence. We also tested whether sex steroid hormones interact with noradrenergic activity to influence these emotional memory biases in women. Healthy naturally cycling women and women on hormonal contraception completed one of the following physiological arousal manipulations prior to viewing a series of negative, positive and neutral images: (1) immediate handgrip arousal—isometric handgrip immediately prior to encoding, (2) residual handgrip arousal—isometric handgrip 15 min prior to encoding, or (3) no handgrip. Sympathetic arousal was measured throughout the session via pupil diameter changes. Levels of 17-estradiol and progesterone were measured via salivary samples. Memory performance was assessed approximately 10 min after encoding using a surprise free recall test. The results indicated that handgrip successfully increased sympathetic arousal compared to the control task. Under immediate handgrip arousal, women showed enhanced memory for negative images over positive images; this pattern was not observed in women assigned to the residual and no-handgrip arousal conditions. Additionally, under immediate handgrip arousal, both high estradiol and progesterone levels attenuated the memory bias for negative over positive images. Follow-up hierarchical linear models revealed consistent effects when account- ing for trial-by-trial variability in normative International Affective Picture System valence and arousal ratings. These findings suggest that heightened sympathetic arousal interacts with estradiol and proges- terone levels during encoding to increase the mnemonic advantage of negative over positive emotional material.
THE SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES OF SOME NEW CARBAMOYL( ALKYL) PHOSPHINE OXIDES

ABSTRACT Several substituted carbamoyl( alkyl) phosphine oxides have been synthesized and characterized with regard to their spectral properties and extraction capability for trivalent actinides from nitrate media. The effects that structural variation have upon the solubility, the extraction data, and the propensity to form third phases have been determined
Recent and rapid diversification of the small carpenter bees in eastern North America

Bees fulfil a critical ecological role as pollinators, significantly contributing to the reproductive success of myriad angiosperm species. Although increasingly appreciated for their agricultural contributions, relatively little is yet known about the natural history of the vast majority of the more than 20 000 wild bee species worldwide. The small carpenter bee genus Ceratina occurs globally, and is represented in North America by its most recently diverged subgenera, Ceratinula and Zadontomerus. Recent genetic analysis of eastern Ceratina (Zadontomerus) supports the existence of five closely related, yet genetically distinct species living in sympatry. This phylogeographical study employs molecular barcoding of the most comprehensive specimen collection yet assembled to confirm the identities of these recently diverged eastern North American Ceratina (Zadontomerus) species. Delineation of extant population structure, evolutionary history and known range of this emerging model native pollinator are greatly improved by this study. We consider ecological and behavioural factors potentially contributing to the maintenance of genetic identity among these sympatric species.
HYBRID H2CONTROL DESIGN FOR VIBRATION ISOLATION

Abstract Combined feedforward and feedback (hybrid) controller design has recently been shown to be an effective approach for acoustic and structural vibration control. This paper extends previous analysis of this architecture to investigate the strong coupling that typically exists between the feedforward and feedback components for a system having noise on the feedforward sensor. One shows with a simple structural isolation example that the optimal hybrid H 2 controller offers the benefit of simultaneous improvement in vibration performance along with a reduction in closed loop control bandwidth.
Neuroanatomical basis for therapeutic applications of cannabinoid receptor 1 antagonists

The CB1 receptor is a Class A G-protein coupled receptor that has a high density and widespread distribution within the central nervous system. Because of its neuroanatomical distribution, the endocannabinoid system can modulate a wide variety of psychological and physiological functions. For example, CB1 receptors are found in brain regions regulating motor activity, cognitive processes, pain, satiety, appetitive behaviors and reward. In correspondence with this distribution, modulation of the endocannabinoid system has been shown to produce changes in coordination, executive function, memory, mood, perception, wakefulness, nociception and appetite. Administration of cannabinoid agonists has also been therapeutically used to reduce nausea, and is also known to decrease body temperature and neuronal excitability, pointing to additional roles for endocannabinoids in these and other physiological/neurological processes. The ongoing elucidation and characterization of the neuroanatomical circuitry within which the CB1 cannabinoid receptor and endocannabinoids are localized to modulate these psychological and physiological processes continues to suggest therapeutic applications for cannabinoid antagonists and inverse agonists. Drug Dev Res 70:527–554, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Efficient Succinic Acid Production from Glucose through Overexpression of Pyruvate Carboxylase in an Escherichia coli Alcohol Dehydrogenase and Lactate Dehydrogenase Mutant

An adhE, ldhA double mutant Escherichia coli strain, SBS110MG, has been constructed to produce succinic acid in the presence of heterologous pyruvate carboxylase (PYC). The strategic design aims at diverting maximum quantities of NADH for succinate synthesis by inactivation of NADH competing pathways to increase succinate yield and productivity. Additionally an operational PFL enzyme allows formation of acetyl-CoA for biosynthesis and formate as a potential source of reducing equivalents. Furthermore, PYC diverts pyruvate toward OAA to favor succinate generation. SBS110MG harboring plasmid pHL413, which encodes the heterologous pyruvate carboxylase from Lactococcus lactis, produced 15.6 g/L (132 mM) of succinate from 18.7 g/L (104 mM) of glucose after 24 h of culture in an atmosphere of CO(2) yielding 1.3 mol of succinate per mole of glucose. This molar yield exceeded the maximum theoretical yield of succinate that can be achieved from glucose (1 mol/mol) under anaerobic conditions in terms of NADH balance. The current work further explores the importance of the presence of formate as a source of reducing equivalents in SBS110MG(pHL413). Inactivation of the native formate dehydrogenase pathway (FDH) in this strain significantly reduced succinate yield, suggesting that reducing power was lost in the form of formate. Additionally we investigated the effect of ptsG inactivation in SBS110MG(pHL413) to evaluate the possibility of a further increase in succinate yield. Elimination of the ptsG system increased the succinate yield to 1.4 mol/mol at the expense of a reduction in glucose consumption of 33%. In the presence of PYC and an efficient conversion of glucose to products, the ptsG mutation is not indispensable since PEP converted to pyruvate as a result of glucose phosphorylation by the glucose specific PTS permease EIICB(glu) can be rediverted toward OAA favoring succinate production.
Social dominance in monkeys: Dopamine D2 receptors and cocaine self-administration

Disruption of the dopaminergic system has been implicated in the etiology of many pathological conditions, including drug addiction. Here we used positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to study brain dopaminergic function in individually housed and in socially housed cynomolgus macaques (n = 20). Whereas the monkeys did not differ during individual housing, social housing increased the amount or availability of dopamine D2 receptors in dominant monkeys and produced no change in subordinate monkeys. These neurobiological changes had an important behavioral influence as demonstrated by the finding that cocaine functioned as a reinforcer in subordinate but not dominant monkeys. These data demonstrate that alterations in an organism's environment can produce profound biological changes that have important behavioral associations, including vulnerability to cocaine addiction.
Annotating STEAP1 Regulation in Prostate Cancer with 89Zr Immuno-PET

Antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates targeting the cell surface protein 6 transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 1 (STEAP1) are in early clinical development for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (PCa). In general, antigen expression directly affects the bioactivity of therapeutic antibodies, and the biologic regulation of STEAP1 is unusually complicated in PCa. Paradoxically, STEAP1 can be induced or repressed by the androgen receptor (AR) in different human PCa models, while also expressed in AR-null PCa. Consequently, there is an urgent need to translate diagnostic strategies to establish which regulatory mechanism predominates in patients to situate the appropriate therapy within standard of care therapies inhibiting AR. Methods: To this end, we prepared and evaluated 89Zr-labeled MSTP2109A (89Zr-2109A), a radiotracer for PET derived from a fully humanized monoclonal antibody to STEAP1 in preclinical PCa models. Results:89Zr-2109A specifically localized to the STEAP1-positive human PCa models CWR22Pc, 22Rv1, and PC3. Moreover, 89Zr-2109A sensitively measured treatment-induced changes (∼66% decline) in STEAP1 expression in CWR22PC in vitro and in vivo, a model we showed to express STEAP1 in an AR-dependent manner. Conclusion: These findings highlight the ability of immuno-PET with 89Zr-2109A to detect acute changes in STEAP1 expression and argue for an expansion of ongoing efforts to image PCa patients with 89Zr-2109A to maximize the clinical benefit associated with antibodies or antibody-drug conjugates to STEAP1.
Performance assessment of a NaI(Tl) gamma counter for PET applications with methods for improved quantitative accuracy and greater standardization

Although NaI(Tl) gamma counters play an important role in many quantitative positron emission tomography (PET) protocols, their calibration for positron-emitting samples has not been standardized across imaging sites. In this study, we characterized the operational range of a gamma counter specifically for positron-emitting radionuclides, and we assessed the role of traceable 68Ge/68Ga sources for standardizing system calibration. A NaI(Tl) gamma counter was characterized with respect to count rate performance, adequacy of detector shielding, system stability, and sample volume effects using positron-emitting radionuclides (409- to 613-keV energy window). System efficiency was measured using 18F and compared with corresponding data obtained using a long-lived 68Ge/68Ga source that was implicitly traceable to a national standard. One percent count loss was measured at 450 × 103 counts per minute. Penetration of the detector shielding by 511-keV photons gave rise to a negligible background count rate. System stability tests showed a coefficient of variation of 0.13% over 100 days. For a sample volume of 4 mL, the efficiencies relative to those at 0.1 mL were 0.96, 0.94, 0.91, 0.78, and 0.72 for 11C, 18F, 125I, 99mTc, and 51Cr, respectively. The efficiency of a traceable 68Ge/68Ga source was 30.1% ± 0.07% and was found to be in close agreement with the efficiency for 18F after consideration of the different positron fractions. Long-lived 68Ge/68Ga reference sources, implicitly traceable to a national metrology institute, can aid standardization of gamma counter calibration for 18F. A characteristic feature of positron emitters meant that accurate calibration could be maintained over a wide range of sample volumes by using a narrow energy window centered on the 511-keV peak.
Approximate Dynamic Programming and Neural Networks on Game Hardware

Modern graphics processing units (GPU) and game consoles are used for much more than simply 3D graphics applications and video games. From machine vision to finite element analysis, GPU's are being used in diverse applications, collectively called General Purpose computation onf graphics processor units (GPGPU). Additionally, game consoles are entering the market of high performance computing as inexpensive nodes in computing clusters. This paper explores the capabilities and limitations of modern GPU's and game consoles, surveying the ADP and neural network technologies that can be applied to these devices.