cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative expression of VEGF, VEGF-R1, VEGF-R2, and VEGF-R3 in melanoma tissue microarrays

Angiogenesis is required for progression and metastasis of melanoma. Analysis of angiogenic molecules in benign and malignant tissues may allow identification of markers useful for prediction of sensitivity to antiangiogenic agents. We hypothesized that differential expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors VEGF-R1, VEGF-R2, and VEGF-R3 would be higher in melanomas than nevi and higher in advanced melanoma. Using automated quantitative analysis, we quantified VEGF, -R1, -R2 and -R3 expression in melanoma tissue microarrays composed of 540 nevi and 468 melanoma specimens (198 primaries, 270 metastases). VEGF, VEGF-R1, VEGF-R2, and VEGF-R3 expression was significantly higher in melanomas than nevi by unpaired t tests (P < .0001). VEGF-R2 expression was higher in metastatic specimens (P < .0001), but VEGF-R3 expression was higher in primaries (P < .0001). VEGF was coexpressed with all 3 receptors when assessed by Spearman's rank correlation. VEGF, VEGF-R1, VEGF-R2, and VEGF-R3 expression is higher in melanomas than nevi. Higher expression of VEGF-R2 was found in metastases versus primaries, supporting the idea that selection for an angiogenic phenotype in metastatic melanoma is conferred via up-regulation of VEGF-R2. However, higher expression of VEGF-R3 was seen on primary lesions, potentially implicating this receptor in initiation of lymphatic tumor spread. Clinical trials using antiangiogenic agents in melanoma should include correlative assays of VEGF, VEGF-R1, VEGF-R2, and VEGF-R3 as biomarkers of response to therapy, preferably using quantitative methods such as automated quantitative analysis. Such assessments could assist with evaluation of these molecules as therapeutic targets in melanoma, ultimately facilitating improved selection of patients for treatment.
The links that bind: Uncovering novel motivations for linking on Facebook

Given the increasing uptake of the social network site Facebook, mass communication researchers have begun focusing on what drives people to use the site and what kinds of information they interact with. Perhaps because of the relative novelty of Facebook, little research has scratched beneath the surface to explore why people engage in certain functions the site offers. Attention to these engagements and the motivations behind them could help improve current mass communication approaches, especially in critical industries such as news media, where traditional models are struggling to evolve. This study explored user motivations for engaging in link-sharing through Facebook, uncovering motives that extend beyond those of previous research. The findings also consider the influence of those motivations on linking frequency, and link content, introducing motivations that add to current viewpoints of social network sites as information hubs. It also provides new media researchers and practitioners with novel insight into an increasingly important Facebook behavior.
Spatially and temporally resolved emission and fluorescence in a power modulated inductively coupled plasma

Abstract Energy coupling, vertical transport and radial transport processes were studied via time and space resolved Ba II emission and fluorescence measurements. The Ba II emission to fluorescence intensity ratios in the first 2 ms following an abrupt decrease in power were consistent with some coupling of energy more than 10–15 mm above the load coil. During this time changes in excitation were dominant over variations in Ba ion number density. There was no evidence of radially dependent cooling of the plasma. At times later than 3 ms from the decrease in power, large changes in Ba + number density were observed. The Ba + number density changes were consistent with transport of cooler gas from below. The Ba II emission and fluorescence behavior following an abrupt increase in power was consistent with production of energetic species low in the plasma followed by transport upward and inward. At 9 mm above the load coil and higher, vertical transport processes were more important than radial transport. Emission response times for species with a wide range of excitation energies were similar to those expected from equilibrium models except for two Mg II lines. The sum of excitation and ionization energies for the two anomalously behaving Mg II lines was greater than 16 eV, precluding excitation via charge transfer from ground state Ar ions.
Unusual low-temperature effects on the NMR line shapes in solid hydrogen.

The NMR absorption line shapes in solid hydrogen develop a distinctive asymmetry in the presence of an appreciable nuclear spin polarization. This asymmetry has been analyzed quantitatively, and it is shown that the effect of nuclear polarization needs to be taken into consideration in order to obtain a reliable determination of the molecular orientational-order-parameter distribution.
Theoretical investigations of spin splittings in asymmetric AlSb/InAs/GaSb heterostructures and the possibility of electric field induced magnetization

Abstract We use the effective bond orbital model method to examine the spin splitting due to the Rashba effect in AlSb/InAs/GaSb asymmetric heterostructures. We find for the resulting two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) under study that large theoretical values of the Bychkov–Rashba coefficients in the range of 30 × 10 − 10 to 50 × 10 − 10 eV · cm can be achieved. Finally, we present a phenomenon that might lead to a direct observation of the Rashba effect. We derive an expression, valid in the diffusive limit, for the spin polarization of the current resulting from a bias parallel to the plane of the quantum well.
Effect of Drop Deformation on Heat Transfer to a Drop Suspended in an Electrical Field

Heat transfer to a drop of a dielectric fluid suspended in another dielectric fluid in the presence of an electric field is investigated. We have analyzed the effect of drop deformation on the heat transport to the drop. The deformed drop shape is assumed to be a spheroid and is prescribed in terms of the ratio of drop major and minor diameter, Results are obtained for both prolate and oblate shapes with a range of diameter ratio b/a from 2.0 to 0.5. The internal problem where the bulk of the resistance to the heat transport is in the drop. as well as the external problem where the bulk of the resistance is in the continuous phase, are considered. The electrical field and the induced stresses are obtained analytically. The resulting flow field and the temperature distribution are determined numerically. Results indicate that the drop shape significantly affects the flow field and the heat transport to the drop. For the external problem, the steady-state Nusselt number increases with Peclet number for all drop deformations. For a fixed Peclet number, the Nusselt number increases with decreasing b/a. A simple correlation is proposed to evaluate the effect of drop deformation on the steady-state Nusselt number
Observing “The Observers Observed”: A Comment

Peneff's (1988) ethnographic study of interviewers of the Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques (INSEE) provides rich insight into how the institutional history and administrative structure of INSEE impacts on data collection in the field. In particular, it documents how and why interviewers deviate from the rules and interviewing procedures established by INSEE. As an idiographic study of INSEE, Peneffs is an interesting "peek behind the veil" of data collection.
The transcription factor ZBP-89 controls generation of the hematopoietic lineage in zebrafish and mouse embryonic stem cells

Hematopoietic development is closely linked to that of blood vessels and the two processes are regulated in large part by transcription factors that control cell fate decisions and cellular differentiation. Both blood and blood vessels derive from a common progenitor, termed the hemangioblast, but the factor(s) specifying the development and differentiation of this stem cell population into the hematopoietic and vascular lineages remain ill defined. Here, we report that knockdown of the Kruppel-like transcription factor ZBP-89 in zebrafish embryos results in a bloodless phenotype, caused by disruption of both primitive and definitive hematopoiesis, while leaving primary blood vessel formation intact. Injection of ZBP-89 mRNA into cloche zebrafish embryos, which lack both the hematopoietic and endothelial lineages, rescues hematopoiesis but not vasculogenesis. Injection of mRNA for Stem Cell Leukemia (SCL), a transcription factor that directs hemangioblast development into blood cell precursors, rescues the bloodless phenotype in ZBP-89 zebrafish morphants. Forced expression of ZBP-89 induces the expansion of hematopoietic progenitors in wild-type zebrafish and in mouse embryonic stem cell cultures but inhibits angiogenesis in vivo and in vitro. These findings establish a unique regulatory role for ZBP-89, positioned at the interface between early blood and blood vessel development.
Solution conformation of ferrichrome, a microbial iron transport cyclohexapeptide, as deduced by high resolution proton magnetic resonance.

Abstract The proton magnetic resonance spectra of the cyclohexapeptides deferriferrichrome and its Al 3+ chelate (alumichrome) dissolved in water and in dimethyl sulfoxide are compared. The spin-spin coupling constants ( J NC ) between the amide NH and C α H protons suggest that the metal affects the conformation of the δ- N -acetyl-δ- N -hydroxy- l -ornithine sidechains more than that of the peptide backbone. The data are consistent with a structure containing two transannular H-bonds in both deferriferrichrome and alumichrome as in the Schwyzer model of cyclohexapeptides. Metal chelation induces chemical shifts which are pronounced for all of the amide NH's and markedly reduces the solvent interactions with four of the NH's. The solution conformation of the chelate is in good agreement with the X-ray structure of crystalline ferrichrome A, a closely related compound.
Filling the Gap

Native-stock English/s/normally derives from sk (Old English fisc > fish), a change dating to ca. 1100, at which time tense vowels were still absent before tautosyllabic consonant clusters. Though sequences of lax vowel plus final/s/have become common via old loans (push < French pousser) and coinages (posh), tense vowel plus final/s/sequences remain rare, chiefly because of the absence of a source in Old English. Today, these sequences convey either an affective, onomatopoeic quality (sheesh, swoosh) or represent modern borrowings for rather esoteric foreign concepts or entities (cartouche, gauche) or proper nouns like (Lyndon) Laroche. Dialectal vowel tensing notwithstanding (cf. Midlands p [u:]sh), there is but one ordinary English word with tense vowel plus/s/without special connotation, leash, yet even that is of Anglo-Norman origin. We argue here that the character of the particular gap with English coda/s/following tense vowels is phonologically accidental rather than systematic: not only are its c...
Computational fluid dynamics of a cylindrical nucleation flow reactor with detailed cluster thermodynamics.

Particle formation and growth with H2SO4 molecules in an axially symmetric flow reactor was simulated with computational fluid dynamics. A warm (∼310 K) gas containing H2SO4 flows into a cooled section (296 K) that induces particle formation. The fluid dynamics gives flow fields, temperatures, and reactant and cluster distributions. Particle formation and growth are simulated with detailed H2SO4 cluster kinetics with chemistry based on measured small cluster thermodynamics and on bulk thermodynamics for large clusters. Results show that particle number densities have power law dependencies on sulfuric acid of ∼7, in accord with the thermodynamics of the cluster chemistry. The region where particle formation rates are largest has a temperature that is within 3 K of the wall. Additional simulations show that the H2SO4 concentration in this region is 5 to 10 times greater than the measured H2SO4: this information allows for direct comparisons of experiment and theory. Experiments where ammonia was added as a...
Impact of Some Technical Factors and Meteorological and Operational Conditions on PV Generator Size for Water Pumping

Abstract A photovoltaic (PV) powered water pumping system with water storage facility is being investigated with respect to some technical, meteorological, and operational conditions. The impacts of the pump efficiency, the electrical efficiency of the driving system, solar intensity, ambient air temperature, minimum and maximum water storage, and load variation on the PV generator size were studied. The study used a computer program based on the optimal sizing method investigated by the author. The system under consideration is intended to be used initially at Giza, Egypt (30 deg. longitude, 30 deg. latitude). The results showed that changing the pump efficiency from 20° to 35° will reduce the generator size from 15 to 8.6 kW peak, while changing the electrical efficiency of the pump drive system from 55° to 90° will change the generator peak power from 15.5 to 10 kW. Changing the minimum storage capacity from 250 m3 to 2,500 m3 will reduce the generator size from 10.84 to 10 kW, while changing the maxim...
Comparison of surrogate and direct measurement of insulin resistance in chronic hepatitis C virus infection: impact of obesity and ethnicity.

Studies using surrogate estimates show high prevalence of insulin resistance in hepatitis C infection. This study prospectively evaluated the correlation between surrogate and directly measured estimates of insulin resistance and the impact of obesity and ethnicity on this relationship. Eighty-six nondiabetic, noncirrhotic patients with hepatitis C virus (age = 48 ± 7 years, 74% male, 44% white, 22% African American, 26% Latino, 70% genotype 1) were categorized into normal-weight (body mass index [BMI] 4 had the lowest misclassification rate (75% sensitivity, 88% specificity). Repeat HOMA-IR measurements had higher within-person variation in the obese (standard deviation = 0.77 higher than normal-weight, 95% confidence interval = 0.25-1.30, P = 0.005). Conclusion: Because of limitations of surrogate estimates, caution should be used in interpreting data evaluating insulin resistance especially in nonobese, nondiabetic patients with HCV. HEPATOLOGY 2010
BLOOD VISCOSITY I. CONDITIONS AFFECTING THE VISCOSITY OF BLOOD AFTER WITHDRAWAL FROM THE BODY.

Small amounts of potassium oxalate probably have no effect on the viscosity of the blood and changes hitherto ascribed to it can be attributed either to variation in carbon dioxide content or to sedimentation of the red blood cells. The viscosity of blood when exposed to the air increases rapidly. This change accompanies a loss of carbon dioxide and can be prevented by stoppering the container and agitating until the blood comes into carbon dioxide equilibrium with the air above it, when the viscosity remains constant. It is essential in determining the viscosity of blood that the red cells should be uniformly suspended throughout the plasma. This can be accomplished by rotating 5 to 10 cc. of blood in a separating funnel for 1 minute.
On Multi-Commodity Maximal Dynamic Flows

Ford and Fulkerson have shown that a single-commodity maximal dynamic flow can be obtained by solving a transshipment problem associated with the static network and thereby finding the maximal temporally repeated dynamic flow. This flow is known to be an optimal dynamic flow. However, this result cannot be extended to the multi-commodity maximal dynamic flow problem. This paper shows that, for sufficiently large number of time periods, the difference between the multi-commodity maximal dynamic flow and the temporally repeated multi-commodity flow is bounded by a constant. In addition, it calculates this bound.
A clustering-based multi-channel Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication system

Traffic safety in any type of transportation systems is a global concerned issue. In this paper, we propose a clustering-based multi-channel Vehicle-to-Vehicle communication system to provide traffic accident avoidance mechanism. In the proposed system, vehicles are self-organized into different clusters, and the traditional single common medium in ad hoc networks has been divided into multiple control channels and a single data channel. An infrastructure-based TDMA/CDMA technique is designed for the intra- and inter-cluster communications via data channel. The IEEE 802.11 CSMA/CA protocol is utilized by control channels. Our system is evaluated by extensive simulations. The simulation results show the proposed system can support traffic safety efficiently.
Climatic Fluctuations As A Cause Of The Differential Economic Growth Of The Orient And Occident: A Comment

In several studies E. L. Jones has explored a number of hypotheses about why economic development occurred more rapidly in the Occident than in the Orient from 1400 to 1800 A.D.' His most intriguing conjecture is that climatic and other disasters were greater in the Orient than in the Occident. This, in turn, gave more incentive for the peasants in the East to invest in larger families and less incentive to invest in physical capital. My purpose is to explore Jones's idea of climatic variation and to summarize some relevant empirical evidence casting doubt on it. I carry out this analysis more in sorrow than anger, because the original impetus of this research was to provide evidence in support of Jones's idea.
Trauma, socioeconomic resources, and self-rated health in an ethnically diverse adult cohort.

Objectives. To evaluate ethnic group differences in the association between trauma exposure and health status among an ethnically diverse sample originating in Hawai‘i. Design. Across a 10-year period (1998–2008), participants (N=833) completed five waves of questionnaire assessments. Trauma exposure was measured retrospectively at the most recent assessment (wave 5), socioeconomic resources (educational attainment and employment status) were measured at wave 1, and self-rated health was measured at each of the five waves. Results. Results indicated that greater exposure to trauma was associated with poorer self-rated health, as were lower educational attainment and lower work status. In addition, there was ethnic group variation in health ratings, as well as in how strongly trauma exposure predicted health status. Specifically, within Filipino American and Native Hawaiian ethnic groups, there was a stronger negative association between trauma exposure and self-rated health. Conclusion. These results sugg...
Productive Paradoxes of the Assisted Reproductive Technologies in the Context of the New Kinship Studies

This article argues that the paradoxical, domain-crossing qualities of the assisted reproductive technologies have made them exceptionally productive in the “new kinship studies” in a number of different ways. First, the assisted reproductive technologies have collapsed the separations—between nature and culture, home and work, love and money, the domestic and the economic—that have been foundational to the conception of “modernity.” Second, they have been used creatively to generate a diverse array of new forms of kinship and kin-making around the globe. Third, their domain-crossing proclivities have made them a model and “platform” for “enterprising up” reproduction in the new bioindustrial complex. Finally, cross-cultural differences in religious, cultural, and national regulations concerning the reproductive technologies have generated complex and shifting global patterns in the commercialization and stratification of reproduction that reflect tensions between the reproductive liberties and opportunit...
Complex Field Network Coding for Multiuser Cooperative Communications

Multi-source relay-based cooperative communications can achieve spatial diversity gains, enhance coverage and potentially increase capacity when multiuser detection is used to effect maximum likelihood demodulation. If considered for large networks, traditional relaying entails loss in spectral efficiency that can be mitigated through network coding at the physical layer. These considerations motivate the complex field network coding (CFNC) approach introduced in this paper. Different from network coding over the Galois field, where wireless throughput is limited as the number of sources increases, CFNC always achieves throughput as high as 1/2 symbol per source per channel use. In addition to improved throughput, CFNC- based relaying achieves full diversity gain regardless of the underlying signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) and the constellation used. Furthermore, the CFNC approach is general enough to allow for transmissions from sources to a common destination as well as simultaneous information exchanges among sources.
Epidural metastases from endodermal sinus tumor arising from benign sacral teratoma. Case report and review of the literature.

✓The recurrence of benign sacral teratomas is a small but significant possibility. Recurrence as an endodermal sinus tumor (EST) with epidural metastases, however, has not been previously reported. The authors describe a case of a mature sacrococcygeal teratoma in a 4-day-old female patient that recurred after 22 months as an EST with epidural metastases. The child presented with abdominal pain, urinary retention, and difficulty walking. On imaging, a large pelvic mass and an epidural spinal mass were revealed. The patient's alpha-fetal protein (AFP) level was 68,000 ng/ml. Her neurological examination was significant for 3/5 plantar and dorsiflexion strength bilaterally. The patient underwent L-3, L-4, and L-5 bilateral laminectomies followed by subtotal resection of the recurrent pelvic tumor. Pathological testing of samples of both the recurrent pelvic and the extradural spinal tumors led to a diagnosis of EST. The patient underwent four cycles of chemotherapy with normalization of her AFP level to 13 ...
Increase in Ethanol Yield via Elimination of Lactate Production in an Ethanol-Tolerant Mutant of Clostridium thermocellum

Large-scale production of lignocellulosic biofuel is a potential solution to sustainably meet global energy needs. One-step consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) is a potentially advantageous approach for the production of biofuels, but requires an organism capable of hydrolyzing biomass to sugars and fermenting the sugars to ethanol at commercially viable titers and yields. Clostridium thermocellum, a thermophilic anaerobe, can ferment cellulosic biomass to ethanol and organic acids, but low yield, low titer, and ethanol sensitivity remain barriers to industrial production. Here, we deleted the hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase gene in ethanol tolerant strain of C. thermocellum adhE*(EA) in order to allow use of previously developed gene deletion tools, then deleted lactate dehydrogenase (ldh) to redirect carbon flux towards ethanol. Upon deletion of ldh, the adhE*(EA) Δldh strain produced 30% more ethanol than wild type on minimal medium. The adhE*(EA) Δldh strain retained tolerance to 5% v/v ethanol, resulting in an ethanol tolerant platform strain of C. thermocellum for future metabolic engineering efforts.
Retreat signature of a polar ice stream: sub-glacial geomorphic features and sediments from the Ross Sea, Antarctica

Abstract Three research expeditions to the Ross Sea, Antarctica resulted in collection of a dataset of more than 270 km of side-scan and chirp-sonar data, more than 330 km of swath bathymetry and 3.5 kHz data, and 24 cores within a glacially-carved trough. The former ice-stream flow path is divided into six zones, covering a distance of approximately 370 km, distinguished by unique stratigraphic signatures and geomorphic features. An erosional surface with thin, patchy lodgement till characterizes Zone 1. This region is interpreted as having experienced relatively high basal shear stress conditions. Zones 2, 3, and 4 are characterized by an erosional surface and thin, time-transgressive subglacial and grounding-line proximal deposits that include back-stepping moraines, flutes, transverse moraines, and corrugation moraines. These zones represent the transition between erosional and depositional regimes under the expanded LGM ice sheet; material eroded from the inner shelf was transported toward the outer shelf, possibly as a thin deforming till layer. The two outer zones are depositional and include maximum grounding-line (Zone 5) and pro-glacial deposits that were overridden subsequently by the ice sheet (Zone 6). Surface features include mega-scale glacial lineations, corrugation moraines, and iceberg furrows. Ice in these zones is interpreted as having experienced relatively lower basal shear stress, an extensional regime, and faster flow. This advance may have destabilized the ice sheet, initiating local draw-down and production of icebergs that furrowed the sea floor. Corrugation moraines are thought to represent annual retreat moraines, constraining the retreat rate of the ice sheet across the continental shelf to a consistent 40 to 100 m a −1 .
Rogers-Ramanujan and the Baker-Gammel-Wills (Padé) conjecture

In 1961, Baker, Gammel and Wills conjectured that for functions f meromorphic in the unit ball, a subsequence of its diagonal Pade approximants converges uniformly in compact subsets of the ball omitting poles of f. There is also apparently a cruder version of the conjecture due to Pade himself, going back to the early twentieth century. We show here that for carefully chosen q on the unit circle, the Rogers-Ramanujan continued fraction
Electrical dyssynchrony and endocardial fibroelastosis resection in the rehabilitation of hypoplastic left cardiac syndrome.

BackgroundStaged left ventricular rehabilitation is a novel surgical approach in patients undergoing single ventricle palliation for borderline hypoplastic left cardiac disease, in an attempt to salvage the left ventricle. The procedure includes resection of endocardial fibroelastosis from the left ventricular free wall and apex. We hypothesised that endocardial fibroelastosis removal may significantly affect ventricular conduction and myocardial electrical characteristics.MethodsThis study included 27 patients with borderline hypoplastic left cardiac syndrome who underwent staged left ventricle rehabilitation with endocardial fibroelastosis resection following single ventricle palliation. The effect on electrical synchrony was measured by ventricular depolarisation timing (QRS duration) on electrocardiogram. Patients were evaluated for a change in QRS duration before and after fibroelastosis removal and at most recent follow-up.ResultsThe QRS change in the immediate period after endocardial fibroelastosis resection ranged from −16 to 36 milliseconds with a median of 0 (p = 0.09). However, long-term conduction delay was common in 44% (12/27) of patients having a QRS duration greater than 98th percentile for the age at the most recent electrocardiogram. Only one patient had QRS duration greater than 98th percentile before any surgical procedure. Two patients developed left bundle branch block and one developed right bundle branch block with left, but anterior-fascicular block. Overall, the QRS duration correlated with left ventricular size (R = 0.54, p = 0.006) at the most recent electrocardiogram.ConclusionsElectrical dyssynchrony is a common finding in patients undergoing staged left ventricular rehabilitation after single ventricle palliation; however, it is not acutely related to surgical endocardial resection. Left ventricular size is correlated with QRS duration. Diligent follow-up is required to evaluate the effects of left ventricular growth and consideration of resynchronisation in this population.
Finding a niche: studies from the Drosophila ovary

Specialized microenvironments called niches help maintain stem cells in an undifferentiated and self-renewing state. The existence of niches has long been predicted from mammalian studies, but identifying stem cells in their native environments in vivo has remained a challenge in most vertebrates. Many of the mechanistic insights into how niches regulate stem cell maintenance have been obtained using invertebrate models such as Drosophila. Here, we focus on the Drosophila ovarian germline stem cell niche and review recent studies that have begun to reveal how intricate crosstalk between various signaling pathways regulates stem cell maintenance, how the extracellular matrix modulates the signaling output of the niche and how epigenetic programming influences cell development and function both inside and outside the niche to ensure proper tissue homeostasis. These insights will probably inform the study of mammalian niches and how their malfunction contributes to human disease.
Forecasting vegetation greenness with satellite and climate data

A new and unique vegetation greenness forecast (VGF) model was designed to predict future vegetation conditions to three months through the use of current and historical climate data and satellite imagery. The VGF model is implemented through a seasonality-adjusted autoregressive distributed-lag function, based on our finding that the normalized difference vegetation index is highly correlated with lagged precipitation and temperature. Accurate forecasts were obtained from the VGF model in Nebraska grassland and cropland. The regression R/sup 2/ values range from 0.97-0.80 for 2-12 week forecasts, with higher R/sup 2/ associated with a shorter prediction. An important application would be to produce real-time forecasts of greenness images.
New limit on the low-energy antiproton/proton ratio in the Galactic cosmic radiation

Results are presented from a balloon-borne apparatus searching for low-energy antiprotons in the Galactic cosmic rays. For energies less than 640 MeV at the top of the atmosphere, no cosmic-ray antiprotons were observed. This yields an upper limit to the antiproton/proton ratio of 0.000046 at the 85-percent confidence level.
Upper Central Series for Elementary-Abelian-Over-Cyclic Regular Wreath Product P-Groups

We compute the upper central series for the regular wreath product finite group C ≀ E where C is a cyclic p-group and E is an elementary abelian p-group for some prime p. The notion of a pattern subgroup enables us to describe the upper central series in a natural way.
Computational Aspects of Data Assimilation for Aerosol Dynamics

In this paper we discuss the algorithmic tools needed for data assimilation for aerosol dynamics. Continuous and discrete adjoints of the aerosol dynamic equation are considered, as well as sensitivity coefficients with respect to the coagulation kernel, the growth rate, and emission and deposition coefficients. Numerical experiments performed in the twin experiment framework for a single component model problem show that initial distributions and the dynamic parameters can be recovered from time series of observations of particle size distributions.
Epigenetic mechanisms in drug addiction

Changes in gene expression in brain reward regions are thought to contribute to the pathogenesis and persistence of drug addiction. Recent studies have begun to focus on the molecular mechanisms by which drugs of abuse and related environmental stimuli, such as drug-associated cues or stress, converge on the genome to alter specific gene programs. Increasing evidence suggests that these stable gene expression changes in neurons are mediated in part by epigenetic mechanisms that alter chromatin structure on specific gene promoters. This review discusses recent findings from behavioral, molecular and bioinformatic approaches being used to understand the complex epigenetic regulation of gene expression by drugs of abuse. This novel mechanistic insight might open new avenues for improved treatments of drug addiction.
Isomorph-free model enumeration: a new method for checking relational specifications

Software specifications often involve data structures with huge numbers of value, and consequently they cannot be checked using standard state exploration or model-checking techniques. Data structures can be expressed with binary relations, and operations over such structures can be expressed as formulae involving relational variables. Checking properties such as preservation of an invariant thus reduces to determining the validity of a formula or, equivalently, finding a model (of the formula's negation). A new method for finding relational models is presented. It exploits the permutation invariance of models—if two interpretations are isomorphic, then neither is a model, or both are—by partitioning the space into equivalence classes of symmetrical interpretations. Representatives of these classes are constructed incrementally by using the symmetry of the partial interpretation to limit the enumeration of new relation values. The notion of symmetry depends on the type structure of the formula; by picking the weakest typing, larger equivalence classes (and thus fewer representatives) are obtained. A more refined notion of symmetry that exploits the meaning of the relational operators is also described. The method typically leads to exponential reductions; in combination with other, simpler, reductions it makes automatic analysis of relational specifications possible for the first time.
Should we operate on asymptomatic patients with severe mitral regurgitation

The timing of surgery for chronic severe mitral regurgitation (MR) in asymptomatic patients with normal left ventricular (LV) function remains controversial. On the one hand, the natural history of chronic severe MR indicates a high likelihood of eventual progression to symptoms or LV dysfunction ([
A Practice Perspective on Websites for the Sharing Economy

The sharing economy describes an economic model in which people sell, share, or barter their skills or owned assets directly with others. This economy is facilitated primarily by websites that act as hubs for the visibility and transactions of local assets. Yochai Benkler notes that such peer-to-peer transactions are mediated not by market prices or organizational hierarchies, but by normative frameworks. The ways in which the normative frameworks are produced and perpetuated by transacting parties on the websites has yet to be studied by scholars. This paper proposes a practice perspective as a theoretical framework and Sense-Making as a methodology to explore how users interact with each other on the websites, so as to produce and sustain the normative frameworks critical to the success of the sharing economy.
Glucose uptake and GLUT-4 protein distribution in skeletal muscle of the obese Zucker rat

The rates of muscle glucose uptake of lean and obese Zucker rats were assessed by hindlimb perfusion under basal conditions (no insulin), in the presence of a maximally stimulating concentration of insulin (10 mU/ml), and after muscle contraction elicited by electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve. After perfusion, plasma and microsomal membranes were isolated from selected hindlimb muscles for determination of GLUT-4 protein distribution. Under basal conditions, rates of glucose uptake were similar for lean and obese rats despite plasma membranes from lean rats containing 82% more GLUT-4 protein than obese rats. Insulin stimulation resulted in significant increases in plasma membrane GLUT-4 protein concentration in lean but not obese rats. Glucose uptake of lean rats (35.3 +/- 4.7 mumol.h-1.g-1) in the presence of insulin was approximately fourfold greater than that of obese rats (8.8 +/- 1.3 mumol.h-1.g-1), but this difference in glucose uptake could not be completely accounted for by the difference in plasma membrane GLUT-4 protein concentration. Stimulation by contraction resulted in significant increases in plasma membrane GLUT-4 protein concentration in both lean and obese rats and similar rates of glucose uptake. These results suggest that the muscle insulin resistance of the obese Zucker rat is due to 1) a reduced plasma membrane GLUT-4 protein concentration, which results in part from an impairment in the insulin-stimulated GLUT-4 protein translocation process, and 2) a defect in the insulin-stimulated activation of this protein. However, contraction-stimulated glucose uptake, GLUT-4 protein translocation, and activation are normal in the obese Zucker rat.
Soil Inorganic Carbon Accumulation in Sand Putting Green Soils: I. Field Relationships among Climate, Irrigation Water Quality, and Soil Properties

There is a widely-held belief in the turfgrass industry that irrigating with water high in bicarbonate will result in carbonate accumulation in the soil, despite a lack of evidence for this claim. While water quality problems are traditionally associated with arid regions, water quality recommendations are being applied to more humid regions where there is a lack of research to correlate water chemistry with soil properties. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationships among soil properties, climate, and irrigation water quality for golf courses across the United States. This study examines the vertical distribution of soil inorganic carbon (SIC) in 28 sand putting green soils across a range of geographic locations and climates. Soils below a pH of 7.8 had very little inorganic carbon, and soils above this pH had variable levels of inorganic carbon. There was no relationship between SIC and the estimated bicarbonate load from irrigation water, mean annual precipitation (MAP), or annual potential evapotranspiration (ETp). Our findings from this study do not provide evidence that bicarbonate from irrigation will cause formation of layers or zones of accumulation in putting green soils, contrary to this widely-held belief in the turfgrass industry.
Experimental Studies of the Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn Sum Rules

The Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn sum rule, which was originally derived at Q 2 = 0, has been extended recently to finite Q 2. The measurement of its Q 2 behavior provides a powerful way to investigate the transition between the partonic and hadronic description of QCD. I recall first the theoretical grounds of GDH. Then new experimental results on both the original and extended sum rules are discussed. Here, I focus on the results obtained in Hall A at Jefferson Lab. I will conclude by presenting the experimental perspectives, both at low Q 2 and at large photon energies.
Publications Beyond Papers: The Future Is Now Supplements Are the Key to Better Understanding

Since the origins of science, researchers' main output has been books and papers that describe new theoretical and practical ideas and results. These sources are useful and important, but learning from them is often not easy. How can we facilitate this learning process?
Market Segmentation with Multivariate Aid

A multivariate extension of AID is presented for use in market segmentation studies where the criterion consists of multiple measures of behavioral response. The procedure is illustrated with an ex...
Feasibility study of the marine electromagnetic remote sensing (MEMRS) method for near- shore exploration

Summary Marine controlled source electromagnetic (MCSEM) surveys have become an important part of offshore petroleum exploration. However, there exist very nearshore areas, with the depth varying from tens of meters to a few hundred meters, where it is technically difficult to use a towed electrical bipole transmitter. In some cases, the operating of the controlled electric sources in the nearshore zones is prohibited by the environmental concerns of the impact of the powerful electric current on the marine fauna. To address the needs of EM exploration in the nearshore zones, a new marine EM method has been recently developed, which is called marine electromagnetic remote sensing (MEMRS). This method consists of a very high moment onshore electric bipole transmitter and a large array of offshore receivers. In this paper we present a feasibility study of the MEMRS method.
Written Messages Improve Beliefs and Edible Food Waste Behaviors in a University Dining Facility

Design: The population for this study was 540 university students living in the residence halls and participating in a meal plan. This study assessed whether simple prompt-type message interventions had an impact or if the addition of more personally relevant feedback-based data elicited a greater change in student beliefs and food waste behaviors. A written questionnaire and individual student tray waste measurement were used for data collection. The edible food items disposed of on 19,046 trays in this “all-you-care-to-eat” university dining operationwere evaluated. Simple print-formatmessageswere evaluated to assess the effect of an affordable message campaign.
Study on the Methods for the determination of Basic Size in Reverse Design

The importance of basic size determination is expounded and verified during realization of the reverse design, which is a major part of the reverse engineering. Two methods for determining basic size are discussed in detail: small sample statistic method and expert system method. Some corrective rules and power functions of basic size are put forward. Finally, the algorithms are realized with VC++5.0 on Windows95.
The Role of Surface Receptor Density in Surface-Initiated Polymerizations for Cancer Cell Isolation

Fluid biopsies potentially offer a minimally invasive alternative to traditional tissue biopsies for the continual monitoring of metastatic cancer. Current established technologies for isolating circulating tumor cells (CTCs) suffer from poor purity and yield and require fixatives that preclude the collection of viable cells for longitudinal analyses of biological function. Antigen specific lysis (ASL) is a rapid, high-purity method of cell isolation based on targeted protective coatings on antigen-presenting cells and lysis depletion of unprotected antigen-negative cells. In ASL, photoinitiators are specifically labeled on cell surfaces that enable subsequent surface-initiated polymerization. Critically, the significant determinants of process yield have yet to be investigated for this emerging technology. In this work, we show that the labeling density of photoinitiators is strongly correlated with the yield of intact cells during ASL by flow cytometry analysis. Results suggest ASL is capable of deliver...
Germinated Wheat: Phytochemical Composition and Mixing Characteristics

Germinated grain has been gaining popularity owing to its beneficial effect on human health. In this research, whole wheat samples obtained after three days and five days of germination were analyzed for biochemical components and mixing characteristics. Three days of germination caused severe initial degradation of SDS-insoluble glutenin macropolymers, which was accompanied by deterioration of mixing characteristics. Proteolysis during germination resulted in a significant increase of free amino acid concentration. For example, free asparagine concentration increased significantly after five days of germination. γ-Aminobutyric acid concentration, which was undetectable in nongerminated grain, also increased substantially during germination. Phenolic concentration and antioxidant activity level were elevated exponentially during germination, showing a high linear correlation between them (r = 0.999, P < 0.05). These findings indicate that germinated wheat flour may be a valuable ingredient for functional ...
Issues Specific to Collective Apologies

Collectives Corroborating Factual Records As with individual apologies, creating a record of the offense at issue is an important component of collective apologies. Tavuchis goes so far as to claim that the “principal function” of collective apologies “has little, if anything, to do with sorrow or sincerity but rather with putting things on the public record.” Tavuchis describes this recording function as “the ultimate source of [a collective apology's] power to remedy and conciliate,” and he believes that “to demand more of the form is to mistake its task and logic.” I explain why I find this a bit of an overstatement – even if the “things” that a collective apology “puts on the record” refer to something more like the entire performance of the apology rather than only the details of the incident – but I agree that we should not underestimate the importance of creating an official, public, or otherwise authoritative record of facts salient to the offense. Collective apologies typically multiply the difficulties of establishing a factual record faced by individual apologies. When apologizing for the actions of a legion of warriors, a loosely organized mob, an intricate corporate bureaucracy, or a market in human slaves, cataloging the wrongdoings will seem like a daunting task. If we return to the example of my philosophy department apologizing for what I described earlier as “failure to address concerns about gender equality,” notice the importance of including more information on the record than this vague description offers.
WTO vs. WTA? Exploring the World Trade Organization’s Impact on Technopolis

For the past twenty years, localities interested in capitalizing on the presence of technology firms have pursued a “technopolis strategy” for sustaining economic development. Dozens of these metropolitan areas from several countries have formed the World Technopolis Association (WTA). In a parallel but very separate development, NAFTA, Mercosur, GATT, WTO, and other free trade efforts worldwide have attempted to regularize trade rules among nations. Are these trends in harmony or in conflict? On their face, WTO’s efforts to treat with nation-states rather than regional “citistates” look quaintly old-fashioned, and its discussions of prohibiting differential tax treatment of companies would eliminate exactly the incentives that successful citistates have used to build viable industrial clusters. On the other hand, local technology clusters have benefited from the freer movement of people and material made possible by free trade agreements.
Development of a Mouse Model of Metabolic Syndrome, Pulmonary Hypertension, and Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF; World Health Organization Group II) secondary to left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction is the most frequent cause of PH. It is an increasingly recognized clinical complication of the metabolic syndrome. To date, no effective treatment has been identified, and no genetically modifiable mouse model is available for advancing our understanding for PH-HFpEF. To develop a mouse model of PH-HFpEF, we exposed 36 mouse strains to 20 weeks of high-fat diet (HFD), followed by systematic evaluation of right ventricular (RV) and LV pressure-volume analysis. The HFD induces obesity, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, as well as PH, in susceptible strains. We observed that certain mouse strains, such as AKR/J, NON/shiLtJ, and WSB/EiJ, developed hemodynamic signs of PH-HFpEF. Of the strains that develop PH-HFpEF, we selected AKR/J for further model validation, as it is known to be prone to HFD-induced metabolic syndrome and had low variability in hemodynamics. HFD-treated AKR/J mice demonstrate reproducibly higher RV systolic pressure compared with mice fed with regular diet, along with increased LV end-diastolic pressure, both RV and LV hypertrophy, glucose intolerance, and elevated HbA1c levels. Time course assessments showed that HFD significantly increased body weight, RV systolic pressure, LV end-diastolic pressure, biventricular hypertrophy, and HbA1c throughout the treatment period. Moreover, we also identified and validated 129S1/SvlmJ as a resistant mouse strain to HFD-induced PH-HFpEF. These studies validate an HFD/AKR/J mouse model of PH-HFpEF, which may offer a new avenue for testing potential mechanisms and treatments for this disease.