cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A single-arm, phase II study assessing the efficacy of pembrolizumab (pembro) plus radiotherapy (RT) in metastatic triple negative breast cancer (mTNBC).

14Background: Overall response rates of 13-19% have been reported with checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy in chemotherapy-resistant, PD-L1-positive mTNBC. RT is frequently used to enhance local control in mTNBC and has been reported to induce distant (abscopal) tumor responses when combined with immunotherapy. In this study, we evaluate the safety and efficacy of RT combined with a programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor, pembro, in a single-arm, two-stage, phase II study in mTNBC. Methods: Eligible women had biopsy-proven mTNBC, ECOG performance status 0-2, and ≥2 measurable sites of metastatic disease with at least one site requiring RT. A total RT dose of 3000 cGy was delivered in 5 daily fractions. Pembro 200 mg was given intravenously within 3 days of first RT fraction, then every 3 weeks +/-3 days until disease progression. The primary endpoint was overall response rate at week 13 in the non-irradiated lesions by RECIST v1.1. Secondary endpoints included safety and overall survival. Tumor bio...
A diffusion-limited reaction model for self-propagating Al/Pt multilayers with quench limits

A diffusion-limited reaction model was calibrated for Al/Pt multilayers ignited on oxidized silicon, sapphire, and tungsten substrates, as well as for some Al/Pt multilayers ignited as free-standing foils. The model was implemented in a finite element analysis code and used to match experimental burn front velocity data collected from several years of testing at Sandia National Laboratories. Moreover, both the simulations and experiments reveal well-defined quench limits in the total Al + Pt layer (i.e., bilayer) thickness. At these limits, the heat generated from atomic diffusion is insufficient to support a self-propagating wave front on top of the substrates. Quench limits for reactive multilayers are seldom reported and are found to depend on the thermal properties of the individual layers. Here, the diffusion-limited reaction model is generalized to allow for temperature- and composition-dependent material properties, phase change, and anisotropic thermal conductivity. Utilizing this increase in mode...
Interrogation as a Thermometer of Public Fear

Book review of "Confessions of Guilt: From Torture to Miranda and Beyond" by George C. Thomas III and Richard A. Leo
Genetic and environmental influences on stomates of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Abstract Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is a dominant C4 prairie grass that has wide distribution and several genetically distinct ecotypes. Many of the ecotypic adaptations are related to water availability in the native environment. Stomates facilitate photosynthetic gas exchange and regulate water loss from the plant. As such, stomatal size and density represent possible adaptations to conserve water. We hypothesized drought-tolerant ecotypes of big bluestem would have fewer or smaller stomates compared to more mesic ecotypes. Five ecotypes of big bluestem were planted in four common gardens from western Kansas to southern Illinois, USA to determine genetic and environmental influences on stomates. Leaves of all ecotypes of A. gerardii were largely hypostomatous and genetics was a greater influence than environment for stomatal size and density. The drought-tolerant Sand bluestem had larger stomates on abaxial surfaces of leaves, but a lower density compared to most other ecotypes. The most mesic Illinois ecotype and the Kaw cultivar had the greatest density of stomates on abaxial surfaces of leaves. Sand Bluestem had a greater density of stomates on adaxial surfaces of leaves compared to all other ecotypes. Gas exchange measures followed patterns of stomate distribution, where abaxial CO2 uptake rates were greater than adaxial CO2 uptake rates, although differences between leaf surfaces was more pronounced in stomatal density than in CO2 uptake. There were minor differences in size and density of stomates among sites that corresponded with precipitation, although these differences were minor, illustrating the genetic underpinnings of stomates in big bluestem. There is a genetic predisposition for drought-tolerant ecotypes to have fewer stomates, illustrating an evolutionary adaptation to drought tolerance in an important prairie species.
Numerical simulations of nearly incompressible viscoelastic membranes

Abstract This work presents a novel numerical investigation of the dynamics of free-boundary flows of viscoelastic liquid membranes. The governing equation describes the balance of linear momentum, in which the stresses include the viscoelastic response to deformations of Maxwell type. A penalty method is utilized to enforce near incompressibility of the viscoelastic media, in which the penalty constant is proportional to the viscosity of the fluid. A finite element method is used, in which the slender geometry representing the liquid membrane, is discretized by linear three-node triangular elements under plane stress conditions. Two applications of interest are considered for the numerical framework provided: shear flow, and extensional flow in drawing processes.
High-Content Assay Multiplexing for Muscle Toxicity Screening in Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Skeletal Myoblasts.

Abstract Skeletal muscle-associated toxicity is an underresearched area in the field of high-throughput toxicity screening; hence, the potential adverse effects of drugs and chemicals on skeletal m...
Minimal microsatellite shift in microsatellite instability high endometrial cancer: a significant pitfall in diagnostic interpretation

Mismatch-repair deficiency testing plays a critical role in the identification of proband in Lynch Syndrome families and triaging patients with high stage or recurrent solid malignancies for check point inhibitor (Pembrolizumab) immunotherapy. We compared microsatellite shift patterns of microsatellite instability PCR analysis at 5 NCI recommended loci between microsatellite instability high endometrial carcinoma (n = 50) and microsatellite instability high colorectal cancer (n = 19). The endometrial cancer cohort included 45 endometrioid, 1 serous, and 4 clear cell carcinomas. Overall, 52% (26/50) of microsatellite instability high endometrial cancers showed minimal microsatellite shift (defined as a one to three nucleotide repeat shift at an involved locus) observed at least at one locus. Among microsatellite instability high endometrial cancers with minimal microsatellite shift, the frequencies at each involved locus were D2S123 (21/21, 100%), D17S250 (10/11, 89%), D5S346 (11/12, 92%), BAT25 (9/12, 80%), and BAT26 (8/21, 45%). Noticeably, 11 of the 26 cases (42%) showed only minimal shift. Among microsatellite instability high endometrial cancers with minimal microsatellite shift, 65% (17/26) had combined MLH1 and PMS2 loss, 8% (2/26) had combined MSH2 and MSH6 loss, 13% (3/26) had MSH6 loss and 15% (4/26) had loss of PMS2 by immunohistochemistry. In contrast, only 16% (3/19) had minimal microsatellite shift seen in colorectal cancer cohort with corresponding loss of MLH1/PMS2, MSH2/MSH6, or MSH6. Overall, 15% (7/50) of microsatellite instability high endometrial carcinomas showed isolated loss of MSH6 in contrast to 7% (1/15) seen in microsatellite instability high colorectal carcinomas. In conclusion, microsatellite instability high endometrial carcinomas have a significantly higher frequency of minimal microsatellite shift that coincides with a high percentage of combined loss of MLH1/PMS2. Microsatellite instability high endometrial cancers also have more frequent loss of MSH-6. Diagnostically, recognition of minimal microsatellite shift is crucial for accurate interpretation of microsatellite instability PCR data of endometrial carcinoma.
Cux1 regulation of the cyclin kinase inhibitor p27kip1 in polycystic kidney disease is attenuated by HDAC inhibitors

Cux1 is a homeodomain protein involved in cell cycle regulation and kidney development. Cux1 represses the cyclin kinase inhibitor p27 during early kidney development, promoting cell proliferation in the nephrogenic zone. Promoter reporter analysis of p27 revealed that Cux1 represses p27 in a concentration dependent manner, and immunoprecipitation showed that Cux1 interacts with the co-repressor Grg4 and the histone deacetylases HDAC1 and HDAC3. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) identified the interaction of Cux1, Grg4, HDAC1, and HDAC3 at two different sites in the p27 promoter. To determine whether there was an interaction between these two loci in the developing kidney, we performed chromatin conformation capture (3C) assay. Analysis of newborn kidney tissue with 3C and ChIP-loop showed that the p27 promoter forms a loop intersecting at these two loci and that Cux1 bridges these two sites. To determine whether HDACs are required for Cux1 repression of p27 we analyzed p27 promoter activity in the presence of the HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA). TSA treatment completely relieved the repression of p27 by Cux1 and Grg4, demonstrating that Cux1 represses p27 in an HDAC dependent manner. To begin to test whether HDAC inhibitors could be used to target Cux1 repression of p27 for the treatment of PKD, we treated Pkd1 targeted pregnant mice with TSA or vehicle beginning at embryonic day 10.5 until embryonic day 18.5. Newborn Pkd1 mutant mice that received vehicle exhibited extensive collecting duct cysts, while newborn Pkd1 mutant mice that received TSA showed a significant reduction in cysts. Moreover, p27 expression was upregulated in TSA treated Pkd1 mice. Taken together, these results suggest that HDACs are required for cyst growth, and further support studies indicating that HDAC inhibitors may be an effective treatment for PKD.
In search of microbial indicator taxa: shifts in stream bacterial communities along an urbanization gradient

A majority of environmental studies describe microbiomes at coarse scales of taxonomic resolution (bacterial community, phylum), ignoring key ecological knowledge gained from finer-scales and microbial indicator taxa. Here, we characterized the distribution of 940 bacterial taxa from 41 streams along an urbanization gradient (0%-83% developed watershed area) in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina (USA). Using statistical approaches derived from macro-organismal ecology, we found that more bacterial taxa were classified as intolerant than as tolerant to increasing watershed urbanization (143 vs 48 OTUs), and we identified a threshold of 12.1% developed watershed area beyond which the majority of intolerant taxa were lost from streams. Two bacterial families strongly decreased with urbanization: Acidobacteriaceae (Acidobacteria) and Xanthobacteraceae (Alphaproteobacteria). Tolerant taxa were broadly distributed throughout the bacterial phylogeny, with members of the Comamonadaceae family (Betaproteobacteria) presenting the highest number of tolerant taxa. Shifts in microbial community structure were strongly correlated with a stream biotic index, based on macroinvertebrate composition, suggesting that microbial assemblages could be used to establish biotic criteria for monitoring aquatic ecosystems. In addition, our study shows that classic methods in community ecology can be applied to microbiome datasets to identify reliable microbial indicator taxa and determine the environmental constraints on individual taxa distributions along environmental gradients.
Abstract 2235: Circulating microRNA-205 as a potential prognostic biomarker for recurrent ovarian cancer

Background: Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy and the fifth most common cancer in women in the U.S. Patients diagnosed in advanced-stage ovarian cancer have 70-95 % chance of relapse. Additional non-invasive approaches to monitor response to treatment and to predict recurrent disease are urgently needed. Aberrant expression levels of circulating microRNAs are diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers in ovarian cancer. We recently published that microRNA-205 (miR-205) expression is elevated in ovarian cancer and correlates with advanced-stage disease. Here, we investigate circulating microRNA-205 as a potential biomarker for monitoring disease in patients diagnosed with advanced-stage ovarian cancer. Methods: Plasma samples from normal controls (n=12) and recurrent stage III/IV ovarian cancer patients (n=5) in our biorepository were used. Samples were collected 1 day before surgery operation and at 1 month, 2 months and 6 months after the primary surgery. All samples were from serous ovarian carcinomas. All the patients went through the standard chemotherapy and CA-125 levels were decreased to the normal range ( Results: Our results confirmed that the expression of circulating miR-205 was significantly elevated in stage III/IV ovarian cancer plasma samples compared with normal controls (5.91 fold; p Conclusion: Dynamic changes of the circulating miR-205 expression in pre- and post-operative plasma samples of recurrent stage III/IV ovarian cancer patients demonstrated that circulating miR-205 levels could be used as non-invasive biomarkers for monitoring disease in patients diagnosed with advanced stage ovarian cancer. Further investigation is warranted in larger cohorts of patients. Citation Format: Meghan W. Kusch, Julia A. Chapman, Carl P. Weiner, Katherine F. Roby, Dineo Khabele, Helen H. Zhou. Circulating microRNA-205 as a potential prognostic biomarker for recurrent ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2235.
Sequential Hydrogenation of CO 2 to MethanolUsing a Pincer Iron Catalyst

Methanol is a crucial precursor for the preparation of many high-value commercial chemicals and synthesizing it from an inexpensive and renewable carbon source such as carbon dioxide (CO2) could ha...
A Model of Potential Entrepreneurship: Profiles and Educational Implications

In an effort to determine the propensity for entrepreneurship of potential entrepreneurs, students enrolled in Small Business Management classes at the graduate and undergraduate level were examined. A series of surveys including Jackson's Personality Inventory for Innovation and Risk Taking, and Jackson's PRF for Need for Achievement as well as the Carland Entrepreneurship Index were completed. The results supported the empirical development of a model of potential entrepreneurship. That model was tested from theoretical, statistical and visual perspectives. Finally, the model was used to develop implications for entrepreneurship education.
When Small Signs of Change Add Up: The Psychology of Tipping Points:

Things change, but the exact point at which they do is often unknown. After how many loveless nights is a relationship “officially” in trouble? After how many happy days has one’s depression “offic...
Self-employment and cardiovascular risk in the US general population.

Abstract Background Studies on self-employment and cardiovascular risk are very limited. We examined the relationship between self-employment and cardiovascular risk among the general population in the United States from 1999 to 2016. Methods Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we identified all patients with hypertension (HTN), hyperlipidemia (HLD), diabetes mellitus (DM), stroke, heart failure (HF), and coronary artery disease (CAD) between 1999 and 2016. Type of job was defined based on the participant's response to the survey question as “an employee of a private company, business, or individual for wages, salary, or commission” or “self-employed in own business, professional practice or farm”. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to adjust for confounders. Results Of 30,103 patients, 2835 (9.4%) were self-employed in their own business, professional practice, or farm and 27,268 (90.6%) were employed by a private company, business, or government. After adjusting for age, race, sex, BMI, marital status, educational level, health insurance status, smoking status, sleep duration and lipid profiles, self-employed individuals had a higher prevalence of HTN (OR: 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05–1.20), HLD (OR: 1.10; 95% CI 1.07–1.31), stroke (OR: 1.45; 95% CI 1.27–1.67), HF (OR: 1.17; 95% CI 1.03–1.32), and CAD (OR: 1.26; 95% CI 1.13–1.35) (all P v Conclusions Self-employment may be associated with greater cardiovascular risk in the US general population. Further prospective studies are urgently needed to establish the optimal preventive strategy to reduce cardiovascular risk in self-employed individuals.
JAK/STAT Inhibition Targets TP53 altered Primary Human Acute Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cells

In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the impact of genetic drivers on response to therapy and long-term survival has been well characterized. AML with complex cytogenetics and TP53 alterations (TP53Alt) is a poor-risk AML subtype that is largely insensitive to chemotherapy, modern targeted agents, and hematopoietic stem cell transplant leading to survival rates 0-10% at 1 year. In contrast, AML with favorable risk molecular features is highly sensitive to chemotherapy and confers survival rates of 50-70%. AML with intermediate risk molecular features can be responsive to chemotherapy and can be cured with hematopoietic stem cell transplant leading to overall survival rates of 30-60%. Leukemia stem cells (LSCs), the cells that recapitulate and propagate leukemia, are central to leukemia progression and relapse. Given the differences in chemo-sensitivity and clinical behavior of genetic subgroups of AML, we asked whether LSCs from poor risk AMLs exhibit distinct signaling activation profiles. We assembled a panel of 23 primary human AML samples with intermediate- and poor- risk genetics and used CyTOF (mass cytometry) to quantitatively measure the levels of immunophenotypic proteins and intracellular signaling molecules in each sample, at the single-cell level. We gated on CD34+CD123+CD3-CD19- cells (LSCs) and measured the level of intracellular signaling molecules within the LSCs of each sample. Notably, the intracellular signaling activation state of LSCs from each AML subtype was distinct; NFkB, pERK, p4EBP1, and pSTAT3 were uniquely upregulated in complex cytogenetics and TP53Alt LSCs, relative to LSCs from intermediate risk AML, suggesting that these signaling pathways may be important for LSC function in this AML subtype. Given that TP53Alt independently confer treatment resistance in AML, we focused on this genetic subgroup. We compared the gene expression profiles of TP53Alt and TP53-wild-type AML samples from the BEAT AML dataset (Tyner et al. Nature 2018) and found that the gene expression profiles of TP53Alt samples are enriched for gene sets representing JAK/STAT signaling, consistent with our CyTOF data, which identified activation of STAT3 in TP53Alt LSCs. A recent drug screen in AML demonstrated that a JAK1/2 kinase inhibitor, AZD1480, can reduce the in vitro viability of TP53-deleted AML cell lines (Nechiporuk et al. Ca Discovery 2019), but these effects were not tested in primary AML samples or on LSCs. Since LSCs confer treatment resistance, we investigated the effect of the AZD1480 on the LSC population in TP53Alt primary human AML samples. AZD1480 treatment abolished all colony formation in primary human TP53Alt AML samples (n=7, 6 replicates per sample, p Download : Download high-res image (556KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure . Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Geometric Parameter Estimation of Buried Objects in Near-Field Microwave Images

We present a method to estimate and quantify geometric parameters of a buried object in near-field microwave images. These parameters are shape, location, size, and orientation. Unlike the parameter estimation based on a conventional ground-penetrating radar image, a 3-D well-focused coherent image is generated. Instead of choosing a z-slice of the 3-D image, both 2-D projection and shadow projection images are used to perform the parameter estimation. The shape of the buried object is determined based on both x- and y-polarized images. Other geometric parameters, such as location, size, and orientation, are estimated by the method of spatial moments. Both numerical and experimental data of an object buried in a dielectric slab are used to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed geometric parameter estimation algorithm.
Two-dimensional multifunctional materials from endohedral fullerenes

A multifunctional two-dimensional (2D) material is theoretically predicted based on systematic ab initio calculations and model simulations for the honeycomb lattice of endohedral fullerene $\mathrm{W}@{\mathrm{C}}_{28}$ molecules. It has structural bistability, ferroelectricity, multiple magnetic phases, and excellent valley characters and can be easily functionalized by the proximity effect with magnetic isolators such as $\mathrm{Mn}\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$. Furthermore, we may also manipulate the valley Hall and spin transport properties by selectively switching a few $\mathrm{W}@{\mathrm{C}}_{28}$ molecules to the metastable phase. These findings contribute to integrating different functions in a single 2D material for technological innovations.
Natural hot-ion modes in a rotating plasma.

In steady state, the fuel cycle of a fusion plasma requires inward particle fluxes of fuel ions. These particle flows are also accompanied by heating. In the case of classical transport in a rotating cylindrical plasma, this heating can proceed through several distinct channels depending on the physical mechanisms involved. Some channels directly heat the fuel ions themselves, whereas others heat electrons. Which channel dominates depends, in general, on the details of the temperature, density and rotation profiles of the plasma constituents. However, remarkably, under relatively few assumptions concerning these profiles, if the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ particles, the by-products of the fusion reaction, can be removed directly by other means, then a hot-ion mode tends to emerge naturally.
The Teacher Support Imperative: Teacher Education and the Pedagogy of Connection

Just as teacher education programs depend upon practicing teachers for the quality and integrity of their programs, they have a responsibility for playing a role in ongoing support for these educators We begin by describing how we think about a pedagogy of connection for teacher education, building upon the earlier contributions of education scholars, and then briefly discuss the role of teacher education programs in cultivating this pedagogical strategy with teacher candidates and practicing teachers Teacher educators may also benefit from participating in virtual communities alongside teacher candidates and practicing teachers Teacher educators' ability to foster a pedagogy of connection with teacher candidates and practicing teachers is necessary to help them understand the full scope of students' academic, social, and emotional needs and how to effectively respond ([1]) [Extracted from the article] Copyright of Journal of Teacher Education is the property of Sage Publications Inc and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )
Applying deep neural networks and inertial measurement unit in recognizing irregular walking differences in the real world

Abstract Falling injuries pose serious health risks to people of all ages, and knowing the extent of exposure to irregular surfaces will increase the ability to measure fall risk. Current gait analysis methods require overly complicated instrumentation and have not been tested for external factors such as walking surfaces that are encountered in the real-world, thus the results are difficult to extrapolate to real-world situations. Artificial intelligence approaches (in particular deep learning networks of varied architectures) to analyze data collected from wearable sensors were used to identify irregular surface exposure in a real-world setting. Thirty young adults wore six Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensors placed on their body (right wrist, trunks at the L5/S1 level, left and right thigh, left and right shank) while walking over eight different surfaces commonly encountered in the living community as well as occupational settings. Three variations of deep learning models were trained to solve this walking surface recognition problem: 1) convolution neural network (CNN); 2) long short term memory (LSTM) network and 3) LSTM structure with an extra global pooling layer (Global-LSTM) which learns the coordination between different data streams (e.g. different channels of the same sensor as well as different sensors). Results indicated that all three deep learning models can recognize walking surfaces with above 0.90 accuracy, with the Global-LSTM yielding the best performance at 0.92 accuracy. In terms of individual sensors, the right thigh based Global-LSTM model reported the highest accuracy (0.90 accuracy). Results from this study provide further evidence that deep learning and wearable sensors can be utilized to recognize irregular walking surfaces induced motion alteration and applied to prevent falling injuries.
Reactive anti-predator behavioral strategy shaped by predator characteristics.

Large mammalian herbivores use a diverse array of strategies to survive predator encounters including flight, grouping, vigilance, warning signals, and fitness indicators. While anti-predator strategies appear to be driven by specific predator traits, no prior studies have rigorously evaluated whether predator hunting characteristics predict reactive anti-predator responses. We experimentally investigated behavioral decisions made by free-ranging impala, wildebeest, and zebra during encounters with model predators with different functional traits. We hypothesized that the choice of response would be driven by a predator’s hunting style (i.e., ambush vs. coursing) while the intensity at which the behavior was performed would correlate with predator traits that contribute to the prey’s relative risk (i.e., each predator’s prey preference, prey-specific capture success, and local predator density). We found that the choice and intensity of anti-predator behaviors were both shaped by hunting style and relative risk factors. All prey species directed longer periods of vigilance towards predators with higher capture success. The decision to flee was the only behavior choice driven by predator characteristics (capture success and hunting style) while intensity of vigilance, frequency of alarm-calling, and flight latency were modulated based on predator hunting strategy and relative risk level. Impala regulated only the intensity of their behaviors, while zebra and wildebeest changed both type and intensity of response based on predator traits. Zebra and impala reacted to multiple components of predation threat, while wildebeest responded solely to capture success. Overall, our findings suggest that certain behaviors potentially facilitate survival under specific contexts and that prey responses may reflect the perceived level of predation risk, suggesting that adaptive functions to reactive anti-predator behaviors may reflect potential trade-offs to their use. The strong influence of prey species identity and social and environmental context suggest that these factors may interact with predator traits to determine the optimal response to immediate predation threat.
Defining Sites and Mechanisms of Interaction Between Rhodopsin and Transducin

It has been known for many years that sensory and hormonal effects on cells are mediated by specific receptors which activate diverse intracellular processes. Much recent progress in the understanding of signal transduction has come from molecular and biochemical studies on one large family of signal receptors, the G protein-coupled receptors. These molecules transduce signals by activating GTP-GDP exchange reactions on heterotrimeric G proteins, which in turn interact with diverse effectors to change second messenger levels or ionic gradients in cells. The mechanisms by which receptors interact with and activate GTP binding proteins are currently under intense scrutiny.
Generating Minimum Dispersion Densities from an Interval-Valued Fuzzy Set.

Let f be an interval-valued fuzzy subset of a nite set U of size n. This yields n closed intervals inside the unit interval. Picking a point in each interval and dividing by the sum of the points gives rise to a probability density on the set of intervals. For a given measure of dispersion, such as entropy, the problem is to pick points that maximize (or minimize) this dispersion. The particular case considered here is to pick points that minimize the sum of the squares of probabilities in the density. We provide an algorithm for picking such points. Keywordsinterval-valued fuzzy set; minimum dispersion density; probability density; sum of squares
Ontology-Driven Generalization of Cartographic Representations by Aggregation and Dimensional Collapse

Automatic generalization of cartographic features has been recognized as a goal of Geographic Information Science (GIScience). Many successful algorithms have been introduced for generalization tasks such as point reduction and smoothing of linear features. Such algorithms operate well as a function of change in map scale or resolution. Other generalization tasks have proved considerably more difficult. Two of these operations, aggregation and dimensional collapse, are trivial to implement --- replacing a set of points with an area feature or replacing an area feature with a single point --- but have proven challenging to make operational. The decision to aggregate or collapse features is as much dependent on the context of the features as they are change in map scale. This dissertation proposes to show how ontologies can be used to inform automated generalization in these operations.
Structural properties of stellacyanin, a copper mucoprotein from Rhus vernicifera, the Japanese lac tree.

Stellacyanin, or Rhus vernicifera blue protein, was purified from lac acetone powders. It is 20% carbohydrate and 20% hexosamine with the remainder being a polypeptide matrix of 108 amino acid residues in which is embedded a single cupric atom. The molecule contains no methionine or valine. Optical rotatory dispersion and optical and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectral studies show that the ligand field of the copper of stellacyanin contains large odd and rhombic components and is thereby distorted away from the usual square-planar axial configuration. This results in an unusual EPR spectrum and an extraordinarily intense blue color. Raising the pH of a stellacyanin solution above 8.3 relaxes the rhombic distortions. This leads to downward shifts in wave lengths of the peaks in the visible and near ultraviolet optical spectrum, and the EPR spectrum changes to that of basic copper bis-biuret. The pH may be returned from 11.5 to 8.3, restoring the original optical and EPR spectra. A pH above 11.5 produces irreversible structural changes within the molecule. It is concluded from this stepwise denaturation that the close ligands of copper in stellacyanin are 4 nitrogen atoms. Lowering the pH of a stellacyanin solution below 2.0 releases the odd constraints and the optical absorption decreases. With longer incubation the copper becomes more accessible to ethylenediaminetetraacetate so that raising the pH to neutrality does not effect a reconstitution of color. Ultraviolet optical rotatory dispersion studies indicate that stellacyanin contains little or no helical structure.
HIGH-MASS, FOUR-PLANET CONFIGURATIONS FOR HR 8799: CONSTRAINING THE ORBITAL INCLINATION AND AGE OF THE SYSTEM

Debates regarding the age and inclination of the planetary system orbiting HR 8799, and the release of additional astrometric data following the discovery of the fourth planet, prompted us to examine the possibility of constraining these two quantities by studying the long-term stability of this system at different orbital inclinations and in its highmass configuration (7‐10‐10‐10MJup). We carried out ∼1.5 millionN-body integrations for different combinations of orbital elements of the four planets. The most dynamically stable combinations survived less than ∼5Myr at inclinations of 0 ◦ and 13 ◦ , and 41, 46, and 31Myr at 18 ◦ ,2 3 ◦ , and 30 ◦ , respectively. Given such short lifetimes and the location of the system on the age‐luminosity diagram for low-mass objects, the most reasonable conclusion of our study is that the planetary masses are less than 7‐10‐10‐10MJup and the system is quite young. Two trends to note from our work are as follows. (1) In the most stable systems, the higher the inclination, the more the coordinates for planets b and c diverge from the oldest archival astrometric data (released after we completed our N-body integrations), suggesting that either these planets are in eccentric orbits or have lower orbital inclinations than that of planet d. (2) The most stable systems place planet e closer to the central star than is observed, supporting the conclusion that the planets are more massive and the system is young. We present the details of our simulations and discuss the implications of the results.
Nonlinear Landau damping and collisionless heating in bounded plasmas

Summary form only given. It is well known that linear Landau damping theory is not valid if the bounce frequency of resonant electrons, trapped in the wave, is larger than the linear decrement of wave. In this case (nonlinear Landau damping), pure collisionless heating vanishes after several bounces of resonance electrons in the potential well and the amplitude of the wave becomes stationary. The further decrement of the wave is only possible if rare collisions are taken into account. The decrement of nonlinear Landau damping has been calculated analytically taking electron collisions with neutrals into account. The approximation of analytical calculation for decrement of nonlinear Landau damping gives, within error less than 5%. /spl gamma//sub nl/=/spl gamma//sub l/ tanh(/spl nu//spl tau/), (1) where /spl gamma//sub l/ is the linear Landau damping, /spl nu/ is the total collision frequency, /spl tau/ is the bounce time of trapped electrons in the wave potential well. It follows from Eq. (1) that the nonlinear damping coincides with the linear damping for /spl nu//spl tau//spl Gt/1. In the opposite case /spl nu//spl tau//spl Lt/1, the nonlinear damping tends to zero with /spl nu/. The obtained result is applied to calculation of collisionless heating in a bounded plasma. As a practical example, the low-pressure radio-frequency gas discharges have been chosen. A comparison of analytical results and Monte Carlo simulations is presented. The importance of accounting for the nonuniform plasma density profile for computing the current density profile and the electron energy distribution function is demonstrated.
Moving Toward Unity Attitudes in the Nomination and General Election Stages of a Presidential Campaign

Conventional wisdom suggests that presidential nomination campaigns are inherently divisive and that the intraparty division fostered during the nomination campaign continues into the general election contest. Division occurs within the party between those preferring a nomination winner, the in-group, and those preferring a nomination loser, the out-group. This study examines in-group/out-group relations during the 1980 presidential nomination and general election campaigns. The author found clear evidence of intraparty division during the nomination period. However, during the general election the in-group/out-group relationship is ameliorated The author suggests that the institutional process, moving from a nomination to a general election campaign, helps to reduce factional division among the party's rank-and-file membership.
Modeling phase fraction shakedown during thermomechanical cycling of shape memory materials

Abstract Shape memory actuation typically involves thermodynamic paths traversing regions of the stress–temperature phase diagram that support microstructures involving coexistence of austenite with multiple martensite variants. The fractional partitioning between these different phase/variant species depends on the previous path history. We discuss a simple model for the role that repeated stress–temperature cycling has on selecting the microstructural variants. The treatment is in terms of transitions between the austenite phase {A} and two martensite variants {M+} and {M−} with equal and opposing transformation strains. Purely temperature induced transitions then involve {M−, A, M+} mixtures with equal amounts of {M−} and {M+}. The {M+} variant is favored under positive stress, and positive stress transformation activity reflects this bias by a greater incremental gain in {M+} and/or a greater incremental loss in {M−}. Stress–temperature cycling then gives a {M−, A, M+}-partitioning that approaches a periodic limit cycle, giving rise to a limiting periodic strain response.
Linking Habitat Restoration to Meaningful Units of Animal Demography

To restore habitat is to restore the functional aspects of a place where one or more species are intended to live. However, habitat restored with the right structural elements can still fail to support the species due to insufficient space and spatial contiguity (e.g., movement corridors) with nearby habitat. The spatial extent of habitat determines its capacity to support various demographic units, such as a breeding pair of individuals, a true population, or a metapopulation. In scatter-plots of published density estimates and their corresponding study area sizes, I found consistent patterns that appeared to represent spatial scale domains, in which subpopulations, populations, and multiple populations exist for each species. These spatial scale domains can help guide habitat restoration by indicating the minimum area needed to support a population. The effectiveness of restored habitat, considered alone or in combination with existing habitat, should be judged by the habitat's capacity to sustain a functioning population, which includes the population's membership in a metapopulation. Additionally, the evidence increasingly demonstrates that habitat must include sufficient space for the population(s) to periodically relocate as resources are depleted locally. The spatial extent of proposed habitat restoration can now be linked to the likely demographic unit of the species that can be supported there. I provide two examples of proposed habitat conservation and their likely effectiveness based on their spatial areas.
Conditional probability analysis for a domain model of Ca(2+)-inactivation of Ca2+ channels

The domain model of Ca2+ inactivation of Ca2+ channels, which has been used to explain rapid inactivation of whole cell Ca2+ currents in pancreatic beta cells, is applied to single-time and conditional open probability measurements on guinea pig ventricular myocyte Ca2+ channels. These two measurements greatly constrain the choice of kinetic constants in the model. Calculations with the model provide a simple quantitative explanation of recent experimental results, including a slow increase in the inactivation rate.
Investigating the antimalarial action of 1,2,4-trioxolanes with fluorescent chemical probes.

The 1,2,4-trioxolanes are a new class of synthetic peroxidic antimalarials currently in human clinical trials. The well-known reactivity of the 1,2,4-trioxolane ring toward inorganic ferrous iron and ferrous iron heme is proposed to play a role in the antimalarial action of this class of compounds. We have designed structurally relevant fluorescent chemical probes to study the subcellular localization of 1,2,4-trioxolanes in cultured Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Microscopy experiments revealed that a probe fluorescently labeled on the adamantane ring accumulated specifically in digestive vacuole-associated neutral lipid bodies within the parasite while an isosteric, but nonperoxidic, congener did not. Probes fluorescently labeled on the cyclohexane ring showed no distinct localization pattern. In their subcellular localization and peroxidative effects, 1,2,4-trioxolane probes behave much like artemisinin-based probes studied previously. Our results are consistent with a role for adamantane-derived car...
Parametric blind deconvolution of microscopic images: further results

Blind deconvolution microscopy, the simultaneous estimation of the specimen function and the point spread function (PSF) of the microscope is an under-determined problem with non- unique solutions. The non-uniqueness is commonly avoided by enforcing constraints on both the specimen function and the PSF, such as non-negativity and band limitation. These constraints are sometimes enforced in ad hoc ways. In addition, many of the existing methods for blind deconvolution estimate the PSF pixel by pixel thus greatly increasing the number of parameters to estimate the slowing the convergence of the algorithm. We derived a maximum- likelihood-based method for blind deconvolution in which we assume that the PSF follows a mathematical expression that depends on a small number of parameters. The algorithm then estimates the unknown parameters together with the specimen function. The mathematical model ensures that all the constraints of the PSF are satisfied and the maximum likelihood approach ensures that the specimen is non- negative. This parametric blind deconvolution method successfully removes out-of-focus blur but its degree of success depends on the features of the specimen. Specimen features that fall in mostly the null space of the PSF are more difficult to recover and make PSF estimation more difficult.
Microtubule Organization, Acetylation, and Nucleation in Xenopus laevis Oocytes: II. A Developmental Transition in Microtubule Organization during Early Diplotene

Abstract Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy of ovaries from juvenile frogs revealed changes in the organization, acetylation, and nucleation, of microtubules (MTs), and redistribution of γ-tubulin (γ-TB), during early oogenesis in Xenopus laevis. Interphase oogonia contained sparse, radially organized, MT arrays and prominent centrosomes. Acetylated MTs were not commonly found in oogonia. In contrast, small (∼12-25 μm), postmitotic (stage 0) oocytes contained dense, highly polarized, MT networks that exhibited little or no evidence of radial organization. Examination of stage 0 oocytes stained with antibodies to γ-TB, in conjunction with assays of MT nucleation activity, revealed that stage 0 oocytes do contain active centrosomes. In addition, stage 0 oocytes contained numerous acetylated MTs, suggesting that arrest in meiotic prophase is accompanied by MT stabilization. Early stage I oocytes (diameters from ∼35-50 μm) exhibited a rounded morphology and contained a dispersed, apparently disordered, MT array with a substantial population of acetylated MTs. Examination of stage I oocytes stained with γ-TB antibodies revealed that this centrosomal protein was present in multiple cytoplasmic foci which did not function as MTOCs following cold-induced MT disassembly. The results presented indicate that the maternal centrosome is inactivated during early stage I, roughly coincident with the onset of the diplotene stage of meiotic prophase and prior to assembly of the mitochondrial mass. Our observations place constraints on the role of MTs and the maternal centrosome during specification of the animal-vegetal axis of Xenopus oocytes and raise questions regarding the mechanisms by which MT assembly and organization are regulated during oocyte differentiation.
Novel nanoprocessing route for bulk graphene nanoplatelets reinforced metal matrix nanocomposites

It is extremely difficult to effectively incorporate and disperse graphene nanoplatelets into metal matrix by traditional processing methods. In this paper, a novel nanoprocessing method that combines liquid state ultrasonic processing and solid state stirring is presented for fabrication of bulk metal–graphene nanoplatelets nanocomposites. The obtained graphene nanoplatelets reinforced Mg-based metal matrix nanocomposite shows a uniform dispersion of graphene nanoplatelets and dramatically enhanced properties. This novel nanoprocessing route has great potential for the production of ultrahigh performance metal matrix nanocomposites.
False-positive mediastinal lymph node activity on positron emission tomographic scan after adjuvant treatment of gynecologic malignancies

examination of the resected left lower lobe. In retrospect, the benefit of preserving a small diseased segment of the lung seemed minor compared with the risk of infection and reoperation in case of necrosis. Therefore, we believe that resection of the affected lung segment remains the safest treatment option for symptomatic intralobar lung sequester. References 1. Yamanaka A, Hirai T, Fujimoto T, Hase M, Noguchi M, Konishi F. Anomalous systemic arterial supply to normal basal segments of the left lower lobe. Ann Thorac Surg. 1999;68:332-8. 2. Baek WK, Cho J, Kim JT, Yoon YH, Kim KH, Lim HK, et al. Systemic arterial supply to normal basal segments of the left lower lobe along with the pulmonary artery: is lung resection warranted? J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2006;131:742-3.
PREDICTED AND OBSERVED EFFECTS OF CHRONIC GAMMA RADIATION ON A NEAR-CLIMAX FOREST ECOSYSTEM

Abstract Shoot growth and tree mortality were measured for the six principal woody species of a forest ecosystem which was being subjected to chronic gamma radiation from a cesium-137 source. These responses were compared with responses predicted on the basis of nuclear volume and chromosome number alone, a technique described in an earlier publication. Observed growth was generally less than predicted for any exposure, suggesting a general mechanism affecting the prediction. Two factors are suggested as potentially important: the higher physiological stresses characteristic of natural ecosystems and the fact that woody species seem generally more sensitive to ionizing radiation than herbaceous species of similar chromosome number and nuclear volume. It is clear from this work that prediction of the range of sensitivity of plants in natural arrays is possible now within broad limits from chromosome number and nuclear volume alone, but further refinements of the method are needed.
Relationship between quality of life and mood in long-term survivors of breast cancer treated with mastectomy

This study sought to compare the mood and quality of life (QOL) of breast cancer survivors with those observed in low-risk breast cancer screening patients. A group of long-term stage I–III breast cancer survivors (n=60) was compared with low-risk breast cancer screening patients (n=93) on measures of depression, anxiety, and QOL. Patients without a previous psychiatric history were studied. Although the groups differed in age and education, correlations performed between age, education, and the outcome measures showed no association of age and education with the outcome measures. Breast cancer patients with stage III disease showed significantly poorer functioning in all areas except family than did other breast cancer patients; however, when compared with the breast cancer screening group, they showed higher QOL scores in several domains. Higher mood scores were correlated with poorer scores in all QOL areas except family functioning in the breast cancer group. Only significantly elevated depression scores correlated with poorer QOL areas in the breast cancer screening group. The psychological measures were found to be more robust predictors of QOL than the demographic variables in both the cancer and the screening patients. These results suggest that long-term survivors of breast cancer continue to experience significant stress and emotional distress, as evidenced by increased depression and lower QOL functioning.