cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two-photon-resonant difference-frequency mixing with an ArF excimer laser: vacuum-ultraviolet generation and multiphoton spectroscopy

Two-photon-resonant difference-frequency generation using an ArF excimer laser provides widely tunable vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) radiation at high pulse energies. Two-photon resonances in H2, Kr, and Hd are within the tuning range of the ArF laser. With this technique we have directly measured >65µJ at 133 nm. H2 has a significantly smaller phase mismatch than Kr, leading to more efficient VUV generation, particularly at shorter VUV wavelengths. However, mixing in H2 also produces additional VUV lines from two-photon excited amplified spontaneous emission. We have observed new amplified spontaneous-emission lines produced in this manner. H2 is ineffective at generation of Lyman-α radiation owing to the production of H atoms. With a phase-matched mixture of Kr and Ar, we have directly measured 7 µJ at Lyman-α. A physical basis for the asymmetric tuning profile in this gas mixture is presented. With light from this VUV source we have performed 1+1 resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization in Xe at 147 nm and two-photon-excited fluorescence in Ne at 133 nm.
Marked for deletion: an analysis of email data

What characteristics of an email message make it more likely to be discarded? Statistical analyses of a set of deleted and non-deleted messages revealed several factors that were important in predicting the fate of a message. After controlling for the owner of the particular message, four factors turned out to be most important: history of communication with the sender (messages sent to and messages received from), intra-organizational vs. external sender, and size of the recipient group.
The Enterprises—An Over-all View

The Negro economy is essentially an isolated economy. It may be likened to a small economic area set off within the interior of the general economic system of the nation, surrounded by towering walls of racial segregation and discrimination. Inward through the small portals in this wall, which form the openings to and from the outer world, pass long lines of imports—merchandise, equipment, supplies, and even a little capital—but outward moves a slender line of exports, chiefly wage labor and a large share of the profits of Negro business.
Detection and tracking of humans and vehicle targets using high definition television signals in urban areas

The detection and tracking of humans and vehicles on the battlefield using radar systems operating at microwave frequencies was first achieved almost 40 years ago. The subsequent generation of radars designed to detect personnel and vehicles on the battlefield has seen improvements due to increased signal processing capability. To date, most of the self-contained human detection radars have incorporated a co-located (monostatic) transmitter and receiver operated by humans. Approximately, three decades ago the bistatic radar was introduced and used for security at high value target sites. These bistatic "fence" radars employ a transmitter located at one end of a bistatic baseline and a receiver at the other end of the baseline. The receiver is tuned to the transmitter. Operation is simple; an intruder crosses the bistatic baseline and is detected after simple signal processing is performed on the bistatic signature produced by the intruder. The experiments demonstrate that passive bistatic radar can be used to detect humans and vehicles. This paper describes "quick-look" experiments that have been conducted in the Atlanta, Georgia area to detect humans and vehicles using a passive radar configuration requiring no coordination between the receiver and transmitter. The illumination source (transmitter) is a High Definition Television (HDTV) broadcast transmitter located approximately 13.5 miles from the test area. The transmitter is broadcasting a 6 MHz wide digital signal with a pilot carrier on a frequency of 548.310 MHz. The continuous wave (CW) pilot carrier HDTV signal component is processed to extract the signature of the walking human or the signature of a vehicle. The experimental receiving system utilizes a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) communications receiver. A set of multi-element back to back Yagi antennas are used to provide a reference signal and the signal from the area where the human subject is located. The walking human generates micro-Doppler that can be detected using micro-Doppler signal processing techniques. Vehicular targets can be detected without applying micro-Doppler processing due to a vehicle's larger radar cross section (RCS) and higher Doppler shift (higher velocity). The technical challenges that are addressed in the following sections include receiver stability, common signal cancellation, multipath environments, and geometries. The technique has also been tested inside of a building and it has been found that walking humans can be detected through walls and down long halls.
Changing recruitment in constant species assemblages: implications for predation theory in intertidal communities

Ecological theory for benthic communities emphasizes intense species interactions that depend on the high productivity of sedentary invertebrates. The keystone predator hypothesis maintains that intense predation by one consumer species is necessary to prevent a prolific, competitively dominant prey species from eliminating other species using the same resource. This study considers the consequences of extreme spatial and temporal variation in the recruitment of a prey species supporting keystone and diffuse predation. Prior experiments on rocky shores of Santa Catalina Island, California, USA, demonstrated that predation by spiny lobsters (Panulirus interruptus) maintained a distinctive red algal turf by killing juvenile mussels (Mytilus californianus and M. galloprovincialis) that otherwise overgrow and replace the algae. In the present study, long-term surveys revealed that high recruitment of the predominant mussel, M. californianus, occurred only on the most wave-exposed sites in certain years; mussel recruitment was slight to nil on relatively protected sites in most years. A predator exclosure experiment consisting of seven replicates placed along the gradient of wave exposure demonstrated that the effects of predation depended upon the spatial differences in recruitment rates. Lobsters on wave-exposed sites functioned as keystone predators; on more sheltered sites, little or no predation, whether by lobsters or the fishes and whelks also foraging on the sheltered sites, was necessary to maintain the algal assemblage. Similar species assemblages can be maintained by markedly different relative levels of crucial ecological rates. In the mid-intertidal zone of Santa Catalina Island, the intense species interactions depicted in the keystone predator hypothesis occurred only at productive, high wave exposure locations; low recruitment of mussels elsewhere preempts both predation and the competition between the mussel and algal assemblages. Thus, red algae dominates rocky shores through different mechanisms over a range of physical conditions. The occurrences of low mussel recruitment do not appear to be anomalies, but rather a consequence of the life history of Mytilus californianus.
Monophyly of the Convolvulaceae and circumscription of their major lineages based on DNA sequences of multiple chloroplast loci

Convolvulaceae, a large family of worldwide distribution, exhibit a rich diversity of morphological characteristics and ecological habitats. Previous efforts to systematize this diversity without a cladistic phylogenetic framework have disagreed on the circumscription of the family as well as tribal composition and relationship. In order to circumscribe the family and assess the relationships among its major lineages, a broad data set was constructed containing representatives of all ten recognized tribes of Convolvulaceae plus representatives of putatively related families within Asteridae. This is done by using four chloroplast regions: rbcL, atpB, psbE-J operon, and trnL-trnF intron/spacer. The results indicate that Convolvulaceae are monophyletic and sister to Solanaceae. Two of the three groups that have been proposed previously as separate families, Cuscuta and Dichondreae, are nested within the Convolvulaceae in this analysis, and the third, Humbertia, is the sister to all other members of the family. The exact position of Cuscuta could not be ascertained, but some alternatives were rejected with confidence. The study identified several distinct monophyletic groups, some of which correspond to earlier taxonomic treatments. Close relationships of tribes Hildebrandtieae with Cresseae and Ipomoeeae with Argyreieae (forming Echinoconieae) were confirmed. The polyphyly of Merremieae, Convolvuleae, Poraneae, and Erycibeae is first identified in this study.
Effects of woody debris and ferns on herb-layer vegetation and deer herbivory in a Pennsylvania forest blowdown.

Abstract: Disturbances create a variety of legacy types, which can influence subsequent forest dynamics. One method by which legacies may influence succession is by altering herbivore activities. For example, logging slash has been shown to be effective in preventing browsing by large herbivores. Generalizing from studies after logging, we hypothesized that windthrow slash (woody debris) would limit the ability of deer to reach or locate individual plants. Furthermore, another legacy of disturbances is the establishment of recalcitrant vegetation, such as dense fern layers, which subsequently preclude woody plant establishment. To test for potential influences of these 2 types of legacies, we examined the effects of slash and fern abundance on herb and woody community structure and deer herbivory levels within a Pennsylvania windthrow gap. Slash abundance was negatively correlated with woody diversity, richness, black cherry seedling densities, and total seedling densities, but this effect was probably no...
Accelerating Join Operation for Relational Databases with FPGAs

In this paper, we investigate the use of field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) to accelerate relational joins. Relational join is one of the most CPU-intensive, yet commonly used, database operations. Hashing can be used to reduce the time complexity from quadratic (naive) to linear time. However, doing so can introduce false positives to the results which must be resolved. We present a hash-join engine on FPGA that performs hashing, conflict resolution, and joining on a PCIe-attached system, achieving greater than 11x speedup over software.
Relationship Type and Sexual Precedence: Their Associations With Characteristics of Sexual Assault Perpetrators and Incidents

Although most sexual assaults are committed by men who know their victims, few researchers have considered how characteristics of perpetrators and incidents differ depending on the victim–perpetrator relationship. This study addresses this gap with a community sample of 204 men who reported committing a sexually aggressive act in an audio computer-assisted self-interview. 2 (Relationship Type: Committed vs. Casual) × 2 (Sexual Precedence: Yes vs. No) ANOVAs revealed significant main effects of relationship type and sexual precedence associated with individual difference and incident characteristics. These findings demonstrate the importance of developing theories and prevention programs tailored for different relationship contexts.
IT Assets, Organizational Capabilities, and Firm Performance: How Resource Allocations and Organizational Differences Explain Performance Variation

Despite evidence of a positive relationship between information technology (IT) investments and firm performance, results still vary across firms and performance measures. We explore two organizational explanations for this variation: differences in firms' IT investment allocations and their IT capabilities. We develop a theoretical model of IT resources, defined as the combination of specific IT assets and organizational IT capabilities. We argue that investments into different IT assets are guided by firms' strategies (e.g., cost leadership or innovation) and deliver value along performance dimensions consistent with their strategic purpose. We hypothesize that firms derive additional value per IT dollar through a mutually reinforcing system of organizational IT capabilities built on complementary practices and competencies. Empirically, we test the impact of IT assets, IT capabilities, and their combination on four dimensions of firm performance: market valuation, profitability, cost, and innovation. Our results---based on data on IT investment allocations and IT capabilities in 147 U.S. firms from 1999 to 2002---demonstrate that IT investment allocations and organizational IT capabilities drive differences in firm performance. Firms' total IT investment is not associated with performance, but investments in specific IT assets explain performance differences along dimensions consistent with their strategic purpose. In addition, a system of organizational IT capabilities strengthens the performance effects of IT assets and broadens their impact beyond their intended purpose. The results help explain variance in returns to IT capital across firms and expand our understanding of alignment between IT and organizations. We illustrate our findings with examples from a case study of 7-Eleven Japan.
Multispectral optical imaging of skin-lesions for detection of malignant melanomas

Optical imaging of skin-lesions for early detection and management of the most fatal skin-cancer malignant melanoma is of significant interest in mass screening of skin-lesions with high-risk population. Surface illumination based optical imaging methods such as epiluminescence light microscopy (ELM) through “Dermascopy” has shown a significant potential in improving early diagnosis of malignant melanomas. Limitations of surface reflectance based imaging systems have been realized in analyzing images for important vascular and depth dependent information. We have developed a novel optical imaging system, the Nevoscope, that uses multispectral transillumination as to provide images of skin-lesions showing sub-surface pigmentation as well as vascular architecture based blood volume information. This paper presents multispectral Nevoscope transillumination method to compare and analyze ratiometric measurements to epiluminescence imaging for its ability to discriminate malignant melanomas from dysplastic nevi and other normal skin-lesions.
Intracellular calcium response of endothelial cells exposed to flow in the presence of thrombin or histamine.

Abstract Endothelial cells line the vasculature and are exposed to mechanical shear stress because of blood motion. Previous studies have shown that endothelial cells respond to shear stress by altering their metabolism and genetic expression, but the mechanism for shear stress signal transduction remains unclear. In the current study, we investigated the role of intracellular Ca 2+ increases as a part of the shear stress signal transduction cascade. Primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells were loaded with the calcium-sensitive dye fura-2 and exposed to fluid flow in a parallel plate flow chamber in the presence of the inflammatory mediator histamine or the proteolytic enzyme thrombin. The initiation of shear stress (in the range of 0.2-20 dyne/cm 2 ) in the absence of either agonist caused no increase in intracellular Ca 2+ levels. Cells exposed to either histamine (10 –9 to 10 –7 mol/l) or thrombin (0.02-0.2 u/ml) showed an intracellular calcium increase (20-150 nmol/L) that was dependent on the magnitude of the shear stress and on the concentration of agonist. In cells exposed to histamine and shear stress, the magnitude of the intracellular calcium increase was not altered, except at 10 –7 mol/L histamine. The time course of the response was significantly faster for arterial than for venous levels of shear stress at histamine concentrations from 10 –9 to 10 –7 mol/L. The magnitude of the [Ca 2+ ] i response was dependent on both the magnitude of the shear stress and the concentration of thrombin. At a thrombin concentration of 0.2 U/mL, the increase in intracellular Ca 2+ was significantly greater at arterial levels of shear stress (6-20 dyne/cm 2 ) than at venous levels of shear stress (0.2-1 dyne/cm 2 ). Because we solved the governing mass balance equation to precisely determine the effect of flow on local agonist concentration, the alterations in the [Ca 2+ ] i response were not due to differences in mass transfer characteristics. These results demonstrate that even in a system in which the initiation of shear stress without agonist causes no detectable change in intracellular Ca 2+ , the calcium response to agonists is changed, which suggests that the signal transduction pathway for shear stress acts synergistically with the thrombin and histamine signal transduction pathways. (J Vasc Surg 2000;32:593-601.)
Factors Associated With Seizure Recurrence in Epilepsy Patients Treated With Antiepileptic Monotherapy: A Retrospective Observational Cohort Study Using US Administrative Insurance Claims

Few studies examine predictors of seizures in medically treated patients with epilepsy receiving antiepileptic monotherapy using a large patient population. Our objective was to identify clinical, medication, and demographic factors associated with seizure recurrence in medically treated patients with epilepsy receiving one of four antiepileptic monotherapy regimens: lamotrigine, levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine, or topiramate. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using Innovus Invision™ Data Mart paid medical and prescription US commercial insurance claims data from January 2007 to September 2010. Patients aged 18–64 years with a primary or secondary diagnosis of epilepsy and one or more prescription claim for an antiepileptic drug (AED) pre-index were included. The primary outcome was incidence of a seizure or seizure-related event, defined as an emergency room visit, ambulance service use, or inpatient hospitalization medical claim with a primary or secondary diagnosis of epilepsy during the 1-year follow-up. The factors included AED adherence, somatic comorbidity (measured via Charlson Comorbidity Index), mental health comorbidity, pre-index seizure, type of epilepsy diagnosis, presence of AED-interacting medications and any bioequivalent AED switch. The covariates included age, gender, and geographic region of residence. A total of 5.3 % (166/3,140) of patients on AED monotherapy had experienced a seizure or a seizure-related event requiring urgent care at 1-year follow-up. The multivariate analysis of the combined cohort showed that pre-index seizures/seizure-related events (odds ratio [OR] 4.23; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 2.77–6.46), any mental health comorbidity (OR 3.50; 95 % CI 2.14–5.70), and Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥1 (OR 2.91; 95 % CI 1.98–4.28) were significantly associated with post-index seizures/seizure-related events. Patients residing in Northeastern USA had a higher likelihood of a post-index seizure (OR 1.90; 95 % CI 1.17–3.08) than patients residing in the Southern region of the USA. Bioequivalent AED switch, type of epilepsy diagnosis, AED adherence, and presence of AED-interacting medications were not associated with seizure recurrence in the combined cohort analysis (p > 0.05). Epilepsy patients with comorbid conditions (both mental and somatic diseases) and prior seizures were more likely to experience seizures at 1-year follow-up. Non-adherent patients and patients with bioequivalent AED switches appeared to show no increased likelihood of seizure at follow-up. Clinicians may consider these findings before starting or transitioning to an AED monotherapy.
Changing Sides: The Failure of the Wrestling Community’s Challenges to Title IX and New Strategies for Saving NCAA Sport Teams

The relationship of intercollegiate athletics and the federal Title IX statute has been the subject of significant concern and academic inquiry. This article explores the legal and legislative history of Title IX and the statute’s impact on intercollegiate athletic programs and practical solutions for compliance. The article is broken into three distinct parts. Part I details a brief history of Title IX congressional, judicial, and regulatory involvement/enforcement over the past 36 years. Part II examines Title IX’s application in practice with regard to public institutions and athletics. In Part III, the researchers present recommendations to wrestling programs and other men’s teams concerning the economic realities of intercollegiate athletics. Specifically the researchers examine the wrestling community’s legal and legislative challenges and explain how colleges’ economic decisions and zeal for competitive teams at the “revenue sports” level are at the core of wrestling’s dilemma rather than the law i...
Orientations to happiness and life satisfaction: The full life versus the empty life.

Different orientations to happiness and their association with life satisfaction were investigated with 845 adults responding to Internet surveys. We measured life satisfaction and the endorsement of three different ways to be happy through pleasure, through engagement, and through meaning. Each of these three orientations individually predicted life satisfaction. People simultaneously low on all three orientations reported especially low life satisfaction. These findings point the way toward a distinction between the full life and the empty life.
A diathesis-stress conceptualization of expressed emotion and clinical outcome

A sizeable body of research has demonstrated that expressed emotion (EE) predicts clinical relapse in a number of distinct psychiatric disorders. These findings have provided the impetus for the development of interventions that attempt to reduce patients' relapse rates by modifying aspects of the family environment believed to be associated with high levels of EE. Despite the efficacy of these treatments, however, we know little about how EE develops in relatives of psychiatric patients or about the mechanisms through which high EE leads to relapse. Moreover, there is not a coherent theory that attempts to integrate findings concerning the impact of high EE on relapse in different disorders. The purpose of this article is to elucidate a diathesis-stress conceptualization of EE to explain both the development and manifestation of high EE in relatives of disordered patients and the impact of high EE on the course of patients' disorders. In this context, we use a diathesis-stress perspective to examine why EE predicts symptom relapse and poor clinical outcome in schizophrenia, depressive disorders, and borderline personality disorder. We conclude by discussing treatment implications of the diathesis-stress perspective and by outlining what we believe are fruitful directions for future research.
Detection of imaging acoustic signals for synchronizing a commercial ultrasound imager with a high intensity focused ultrasound therapy system

Transcutaneous surgical procedures performed with a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy system can be monitored in real-time with an ultrasound imaging system if the HIFU is gated appropriately. Without synchronization, gated or continuous HIFU saturates the imaging system and interference occludes the image. If a gating signal is synchronized with the imaging cycle from any commercial imager, the location of any interference can be controlled and the HIFU treatment region can he visualized in real-time. Synchronization typically requires that an imaging system be customized for HIFU therapy, which is expensive and time consuming. We have developed a low-cost prototype system that synchronizes a HIFU therapy system with an arbitrary unmodified imaging system by using the HIFU transducer as a focused receiver that can detect scattered acoustic signals transmitted by the imaging probe. The receive signal is processed into a trigger that is used to control the gating and phasing of the HIFU relative to the imaging cycle. The technique is tested using a B-mode imager to monitor the formation of a lesion in a transparent tissue phantom; exposure time is 60 seconds with 40 W (time-averaged) electrical power delivered to the transducer. Performance is evaluated by recording the position of interference on the B-mode images and by comparing the B-mode images with CCD images that provide an optical view of lesion formation.
Social Competence and Adjustment

A research programme is described that is concerned with the general issue of adjustment, but focuses more specifically on social competence, viewed as a manageable and measurable component of adjustment. At first, the subjects of the research were psychiatric patients and it was found that better adjusted ones have a larger repertoire of social skills and use these more appropriately than more poorly adjusted patients. Correlations found between the social skill of parent and patient offspring suggest it is the family that is responsible for this component of adjustment. Research then shifted to normal subjects and it was greatly expedited by the development of a self-report scale to measure social competence. Many differences have been found between high and low social-competence people in the way they behave with others and in the impact they have upon them.
Hypoplasia of the middle phalanx of the fifth digit. A feature of the second trimester fetus with Down's syndrome.

It has been established that 60% of infants with Down's syndrome have hypoplasia of the middle phalanx of the fifth digit. To determine whether this would be a useful prenatal sonographic sign for Down's syndrome, we measured the middle phalanx of the fifth and fourth digits in 1,032 fetuses between 15 and 20 weeks gestational age at the time of amniocentesis, prior to any knowledge of the karyotypes. A ratio of the middle phalanx of the fifth digit over the middle phalanx of the fourth digit was calculated, and the median ratio for the 1,024 normal fetuses was 0.85. There were eight fetuses who had trisomy 21 by karyotype and their median ratio was 0.59 (P = .04). Of the eight fetuses with Down's syndrome, seven had ratios below the normal population median. If an arbitrary cut-off point is used at a ratio of 0.70, 6/8 (75%) of those with Down's syndrome would be identified, as well as 18% of normal fetuses (positive predictive value = 3.2% in this group). Although we do not suggest that this ratio be used alone as a screening test for Down's syndrome, these findings confirm the presence of a small middle phalanx in fetuses with trisomy 21 as early as 15 to 16 weeks and may be a useful adjunct to the several already reported sonographic signs in the fetus at risk for Down's syndrome.
Confounding Effect of Large Vessels on MR Perfusion Images Analyzed with Independent Component Analysis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: First pass contrast-enhanced MR imaging using gradient-echo acquisitions is commonly used to assess cerebral blood flow, despite the confounding signal from large blood vessels. We hypothesized that removal of this unwanted intravascular signal using independent component analysis would result in a more accurate depiction of cerebral blood flow. METHODS: Images of 11 patients, acquired with our acute stroke imaging protocol, were post processed to produce images of relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF). The same images were processed with independent component analysis to identify and remove the signal from large blood vessels, with a second set of rCBF images produced. Both sets of rCBF maps were pooled, randomized in order, and read in a blinded fashion by two neuroradiologists to assess the level of large artery artifact and overall image quality. Significance was determined using a Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: Results from both readers indicated that the level of large artery artifact was significantly reduced in the images processed using independent component analysis component removal ( P < .05). In addition, both readers indicated significantly ( P < .05) improved image quality of the images processed using independent component analysis. CONCLUSION: The removal of the signal resulting from large blood vessels before calculation of rCBF resulted in images with significantly less artifact and higher image quality.
Energy and Nutrient Assimilation by Gray Foxes on Diets of Mice and Himalaya Berries

Digestible and assimilated energy and other nutrients derived from mice ( Mus musculus ) and Himalaya berries ( Rubus procerus ) were compared in the diet of five gray foxes ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus ) held in outdoor enclosures. Percent digestible and metabolizable energy of mice on a dry-weight, ash-free basis (93.0 ± 0.8%, 86.0 ± 1.4%, respectively; X ± SE ) were significantly greater than that of berries (49.7 ± 7.3%, 22.0 ± 10.8%). Digestible crude fat and crude protein were significantly greater ( P < 0.001) for diets composed of mice than of berries. Foxes were in a negative energy and protein balance when they consumed the berry diet. Although gray foxes in northern California consume berries during summer, they would have difficulty meeting energy and nutrient requirements on an exclusively frugivorous diet.
In situ activation of a doxorubicin prodrug using imaging-capable nanoparticles

A general strategy for image-guided prodrug activation using fluorescently-labeled magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles is described. It is based on a recently developed concept in bio-orthogonal inverse-electron demand Diels-Alder chemistry, which is termed 'click-to-release'. To illustrate a potential new biomedical application of the chemistry, the nanoparticles were modified with tetrazine, as well as near infrared fluorescent (NIRF) cy5.5 dye, while doxorubicin was converted into a prodrug. The nanoparticles taken up by the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells efficiently converted the prodrug of doxorubicin into the biologically active chemotherapeutic doxorubicin form.
Abstract 4808: SIAH2-dependent proteolysis in cell migration, tumor growth, and cancer metastasis

The dismal prognosis of patients diagnosed with invasive and metastatic cancer points to our limited arsenal of effective anticancer therapies. The central importance of EGFR/HER2/RAS pathway activation has been well established in neoplastic transformation and tumorigenesis. An important goal in cancer biology is to identify novel and effective means to inhibit activated EGFR/HER2/K-RAS signals and reverse malignant transformation, tumor growth and cancer metastasis. SIAHs are the human homologs of Drosophila Seven-In-Absentia (SINA), an evolutionarily conserved RING E3 ligase that is an essential downstream signaling module and critical “gatekeeper” required for RAS signal transduction in human cancer cells. By targeting the most downstream signaling module identified in the RAS pathway - the SIAH2 proteolytic machinery, we are able to block tumorigenesis and metastasis in multiple of the most aggressive forms of human cancer cells known in athymic nude mice. Although we are fully cognizant of the systemic limitation in the xenograft models and incomplete mimicry of the full-spectrum metastatic processes observed in athymic nude mice, we are encouraged by the impressive anti-SIAH2-based tumor suppression in these preclinical studies. In this study, we aim to identify the molecular mechanism(s) of SIAH2 action in human cancer cells. To delineate SIAH2 function in cancer, through a proteomic approach, we identified three endogenous LIM domain proteins, TRIP6/FHL2/LPXN, as the bona fide SIAH2-interacting proteins isolated from the most aggressive human cancer cell lines (A549, MiaPaCa and MDA-MB-435 cells) in parallel. We provide extensive biochemical evidence to show that TRIP6/FHL2/LPXN are bona fide SIAH2 substrates. These new SIAH2 substrates can successfully rescue cell motility and viability defects observed in SIAH2-deficient cancer cells, suggesting that these focal adhesion proteins may represent one of many diverse signaling modules that function downstream of SIAH2 in mediating aspects of RAS-dependent signaling in normal development and cancer. Our results suggest In response to ERBB/RAS activation, SIAH2 E3 ligase modulates cell junction, adhesion and migration by targeting focal adhesion proteins for ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis to promote cell migration, tumorigenesis and metastasis in human cancer cells. The identification of SIAH2-mediated focal adhesion and cell junction modulation may have important implications in cancer biology to explain the well-documented modulations in focal adhesion, cell junction and motility in response to ERBB/RAS activation in human cancer cells. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4808.
Education Platform at ZDM8.

Abstract Interest among the zebrafish community in education and science accessibility for all ages has increased. At the 8th Annual Zebrafish Disease Models Conference (ZDM8), a specifically designed session enabled professional scientists, educators, and students to have a venue to present their science, discuss ideas in education, and partner to navigate a scientific meeting as an educational experience. This meeting report describes the format of the Platform Session as well as challenges and future plans to leverage impact of conferences on the local communities.
Application and Research of the Embedded Model Simulation Technology in the Turbine Governor System

This paper discuses the imperfect manufacture test of the hydropower turbine governor system,brings forward the idea of embedding the turbine and generator model into the governor controller and then making them into a closed loop system to realize the dynamic simulating experiment of the equipment for their acceptance test.The paper raises the digit model building method of the control object,and advances the specific actualizing strategy,then carries out circumstantial tests including the starting,disturbing,load rejecting and other dynamic regulating experiment.We think this technology is simple while practical,and will effectively improve the reliability and capability of the system which worth wildly implicating and popularizing.
Development trends of UAVs control technology based on flight safety

The current unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)control technology at home and abroad is researched to ensure the flight safety.The development demands for UAV control technology based on the flight safety are proposed.The control technology combining the autonomous control and human decision is adopted to enhance the adaptive control ability during the flight and reduce the manual interference,so that the safety of the UAV system is improved effectively.
Preoperative M-mode echocardiography as a predictor of surgical results in chronic aortic insufficiency

A group of 86 patients were studied retrospectively to determine whether preoperative echocardiography is useful in predicting operative results in patients with aortic valve replacement for chronic aortic insufficiency. One year after operation, percent change of left ventricular dimension (%ΔD) and ejection fraction (EF) were higher and end-systolic left ventricular internal dimension was smaller in patients with good results than in those who had poor results (p
Nav1.7-A1632G Mutation from a Family with Inherited Erythromelalgia: Enhanced Firing of Dorsal Root Ganglia Neurons Evoked by Thermal Stimuli

Voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7 is a central player in human pain. Mutations in Nav1.7 produce several pain syndromes, including inherited erythromelalgia (IEM), a disorder in which gain-of-function mutations render dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons hyperexcitable. Although patients with IEM suffer from episodes of intense burning pain triggered by warmth, the effects of increased temperature on DRG neurons expressing mutant Nav1.7 channels have not been well documented. Here, using structural modeling, voltage-clamp, current-clamp, and multielectrode array recordings, we have studied a newly identified Nav1.7 mutation, Ala1632Gly, from a multigeneration family with IEM. Structural modeling suggests that Ala1632 is a molecular hinge and that the Ala1632Gly mutation may affect channel gating. Voltage-clamp recordings revealed that the Nav1.7-A1632G mutation hyperpolarizes activation and depolarizes fast-inactivation, both gain-of-function attributes at the channel level. Whole-cell current-clamp recordings demonstrated increased spontaneous firing, lower current threshold, and enhanced evoked firing in rat DRG neurons expressing Nav1.7-A1632G mutant channels. Multielectrode array recordings further revealed that intact rat DRG neurons expressing Nav1.7-A1632G mutant channels are more active than those expressing Nav1.7 WT channels. We also showed that physiologically relevant thermal stimuli markedly increase the mean firing frequencies and the number of active rat DRG neurons expressing Nav1.7-A1632G mutant channels, whereas the same thermal stimuli only increase these parameters slightly in rat DRG neurons expressing Nav1.7 WT channels. The response of DRG neurons expressing Nav1.7-A1632G mutant channels upon increase in temperature suggests a cellular basis for warmth-triggered pain in IEM. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Inherited erythromelalgia (IEM), a severe pain syndrome characterized by episodes of intense burning pain triggered by warmth, is caused by mutations in sodium channel Nav1.7, which are preferentially expressed in sensory and sympathetic neurons. More than 20 gain-of-function Nav1.7 mutations have been identified from IEM patients, but the question of how warmth triggers episodes of pain in IEM has not been well addressed. Combining multielectrode array, voltage-clamp, and current-clamp recordings, we assessed a newly identified IEM mutation (Nav1.7-A1632G) from a multigeneration family. Our data demonstrate gain-of-function attributes at the channel level and differential effects of physiologically relevant thermal stimuli on the excitability of DRG neurons expressing mutant and WT Nav1.7 channels, suggesting a cellular mechanism for warmth-triggered pain episodes in IEM patients.
Scope and limitations of two model prebiotic routes to tetrapyrrole macrocycles

Two routes have been proposed as chemical models for the prebiogenesis of tetrapyrrole macrocycles. In each case, the formation of a pyrrole equipped for self-condensation has proved to be the key step, given that the pyrrole self-condensation readily affords porphyrinogen macrocycles. The scope of the two routes is investigated herein. In the first route, a β-ketoester bearing a 4-phosphonooxy substituent was found to react with δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) at lower temperature (35 °C) than that of the 4-methoxy substituent (90 °C) to give the corresponding tetraalkyl-tetraester porphyrin, but eight other 4-substituents (Cl-, HO-, AcO-, AcS-, NCS-, MeS-, chloropyridinium-, and morpholino-) failed at 60 or 90 °C. In the second route, reaction of 1,5-dimethoxypentane-2,4-dione (bearing an acetic acid substituent at the 3-position) with 1-aminoacetone gave the corresponding octaalkylporphyrin in a yield comparable to that of the α-aminoketone ALA. Each pyrrole in the resulting porphyrin bears one methyl group and one acetic acid group, thereby constituting a des-methyl homologue of coproporphyrin. The results delineate the features of structure-directed reactions and highlight the limitations of such reactions where no explicit enzyme-like catalyst is present to guide the outcome.
The impact of human-centric design on the adoption of information systems: A case study of the spreadsheet

The spreadsheet is one of the most popular information systems ever: It is exceedingly widely adopted, it has attracted significant amounts of investment and innovation by companies, and it has become a platform for new research. To uncover reasons for the spreadsheet's success, this paper applies a research method, the case study, to analyze the historical development and adoption of this important information system. The study revealed insights for the design and commercialization of future systems. These include the need for specific collaborative relationships, the multiple forms of evidence and validation required, and the role of usability as a dominant quality attribute driving adoption.
Exact structure learning of Bayesian networks by optimal path extension

Bayesian networks are probabilistic graphical models often used in big data analytics. The problem of Bayesian network exact structure learning is to find a network structure that is optimal under certain scoring criteria. The problem is known to be NP-hard and the existing methods are both computationally and memory intensive. In this paper, we introduce a new approach for exact structure learning that leverages relationship between a partial network structure and the remaining variables to constrain the number of ways in which the partial network can be optimally extended. Via experimental results, we show that the method provides up to three times improvement in runtime, and orders of magnitude reduction in memory consumption over the current best algorithms.
Who kills whom? The micro-dynamics of civilian targeting in civil war

Prior research on civilian targeting in civil war has focused on characteristics of either the government or rebel group that make them more or less likely to target civilians. However, no government or rebel group targets a population, but rather individuals within it. To date, no study has explored the issue of why particular civilians would be chosen by one actor versus the other. This study examines the divergent civilian-targeting strategies of governments and rebel groups. We argue that unique identification problems facing each political actor in civil war leads the parties to resort to social stereotypes based on data derived from known enemy subjects killed in combat. We specify and then test a model that accounts for time and space and the demographic characteristics of each victim utilizing a new dataset on the personal, political, and demographic characteristics of individual civilians targeted by the state and rebels in the civil war in Nepal (1996-2006). The findings demonstrate for the first time that governments (and rebels) tend to kill the same types of individuals in non-combat settings as they kill in combat exchanges, and the civilians targeted by each actor differ significantly in the extent that they share certain social traits.
Activation induced cell death (AICD) of human melanoma antigen-specific TCR engineered CD8 T cells involves JNK, Bim and p53

ABSTRACTObjectives: Adoptive cancer immunotherapy (ACT) with transgenic T cell receptor (TCR) engineered (TCReng) anti-tumor T cells has produced encouraging results, however, efficacy of these approaches need improvement. Since premature activation induced cell death (AICD) of adoptively administered T cells could be a major impediment, we examined the mechanism(s) underlying AICD in TCReng CD8+ cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL).Methods: AICD in human tumor antigen-specific MHC class I restricted TCR engineered CD8+ CTL was induced by exposing them to cognate peptide epitope.Results: We show that TCReng CD8+ human primary CTL undergo AICD even upon encountering their cognate peptide epitope for the very first time. AICD in TCReng CTL is a death-receptor-independent, JNK activation-driven intrinsic processes, in which p53-mediated mitochondria-centric, non-transcription-dependent pathway plays an essential role. Activated JNK modulates mitochondrial membrane integrity in CTL undergoing AICD by directly intera...
Post-Archean crustal evolution, terrane accretion, and metamorphism of the Western Cordillera, with emphasis on northern and central California

In the conterminous United States, narrow Phanerozoic high-P blueschist + serpentinized peridotite zones lie outboard from coeval high-T metamorphosed calcalkaline magmatic belts bordering the Pacific Ocean; both lie parallel to the North American margin. They represent recrystallized products of midPaleozoic and younger subduction zones, Andean margins and exotic arcs. These belts contain allochthonous oceanic units but, judging from provenance and isotope data, voluminous terrigineous debris and parental magmatic zones appear to be native to the evolving North American margin. Far-traveled sialic microcontinental scraps are rare. Metamorphic parageneses farther within the continent are associated with chiefly mesozonal granitic plutons. Glaucophane schists, eclogites, and large tracts of ophiolitic ultramafic rocks are absent, partly due to overprinting of accretionary margin assemblages by subsequent orogenies, high-T recrystallization and anatexis. For example, at depth within the California Coast Ranges, high-P phases are currently being destroyed. Inland, a paucity of petrotectonic assemblages of oceanic affinities probably reflects differential sinking of these dense crustal units during tectonism. The late Mesozoic Franciscan trench complex/Great Valley forearc basin/Sierra Nevada magmatic arc constitutes the most completely preserved accretionary segment along the western conterminous U.S. continental margin, and it serves as a type example of parautochthonous crustal evolution.
SH3 domain of βPix interacts with Sprouty2

Sprouty2 (Spry2) is an important modulator of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling and, therefore, regulates a number of growth factor-mediated processes such as cell proliferation, cell migration an...
Design, Organisation, Planning According to Functional Safety Methodology

Abstract This paper deals with the problems of the planning and the design of safety related control systems. Such systems are used not only for protection purposes, but first of all for control purposes, as the many operation functions, e.g. start, stop, emergency stop, restart are considered as safety related functions. The safety life cycle of the system is presented and its design phase is discussed in details. The measure of functional safety - integrity level - is defined and the corresponding requirements are referenced. On this basis, the organising actions, required by the functional safety methodology, are presented.
FIM–Minimum Data Set Motor Item Bank: Short Forms Development and Precision Comparison in Veterans

Abstract Objective To improve the practical use of the short forms (SFs) developed from the item bank, we compared the measurement precision of the 4- and 8-item SFs generated from a motor item bank composed of the FIM and the Minimum Data Set (MDS). Design The FIM-MDS motor item bank allowed scores generated from different instruments to be co-calibrated. The 4- and 8-item SFs were developed based on Rasch analysis procedures. This article compared person strata, ceiling/floor effects, and test SE plots for each administration form and examined 95% confidence interval error bands of anchored person measures with the corresponding SFs. We used 0.3 SE as a criterion to reflect a reliability level of .90. Setting Veterans' inpatient rehabilitation facilities and community living centers. Participants Veterans (N=2500) who had both FIM and the MDS data within 6 days during 2008 through 2010. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Four- and 8-item SFs of FIM, MDS, and FIM-MDS motor item bank. Results Six SFs were generated with 4 and 8 items across a range of difficulty levels from the FIM-MDS motor item bank. The three 8-item SFs all had higher correlations with the item bank ( r =.82-.95), higher person strata, and less test error than the corresponding 4-item SFs ( r =.80-.90). The three 4-item SFs did not meet the criteria of SE Conclusions Eight-item SFs could improve clinical use of the item bank composed of existing instruments across the continuum of care in veterans. We also found that the number of items, not test specificity, determines the precision of the instrument.