cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TRAIL/Apo-2L : mechanisms and clinical applications in cancer

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL/APO-2L) is a member of the TNF family that promotes apoptosis by binding to the transmembrane receptors TRAIL-R1/DR4 and TRAIL-R2/DR5. Its cytotoxic activity is relatively selective to the human tumor cell lines without much effect on the normal cells. Hence, it exerts an antitumor activity without causing toxicity, as apparent by studies with several xenograft models. This review discusses the intracellular mechanisms by which TRAIL induces apoptosis. The major pathway of its action proceeds through the formation of DISC and activation of caspase-8. The apoptotic processes, therefore, follow two signaling pathways, namely the mitochondrial-independent activation of caspase-3, and mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis due to cleavage of BID by caspase-8, the formation of apoptosomes, and activation of caspase-9 and the downstream caspases. Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L) have no effect on TRAIL-induced apoptosis in lymphoid cells, whereas these genes block or delay apoptosis in nonlymphoid cancer cells. TRAIL participates in cytotoxicity mediated by activated NK cells, monocytes, and some cytotoxic T cells. Hence, TRAIL may prove to be an effective antitumor agent. In addition, it may enhance the effectiveness of treatment with chemotherapeutic drugs and irradiation. Nontagged Apo-2L/TRAIL does not cause hepatotoxicity in monkeys and chimpanzees and in normal human hepatocytes. Thus, nontagged Apo-2L/TRAIL appears to be a promising new candidate for use in the treatment of cancer.
The influence of carrier generation and collection on short-circuit currents in amorphous silicon solar cells☆

Abstract A detailed study of air mass one (AM1) short-circuit currents and of the carrier collection efficiencies was carried out on discharge-produced hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-SiHx) films. The techniques used to correlate these currents accurately and quantitatively with the intrinsic properties of the different a-SiHx films are described. Results are presented which illustrate the techniques and the various characteristics found for the collection of photogenerated carriers in the a-SiHx films. The dependence of these characteristics on both the optical and the electronic properties of the a-SiHx films as well as on the different processes determining the carrier collection are discussed. The methods used in correlating the AM1 short-circuit currents with the generation and collection of photogenerated carriers are presented. This includes the characterization of photogenerated carriers in terms of a carrier collection width Xc and the optical absorption of the a-SiHx. The importance of Xc, which is independent of photon energies, in correlating the collection of photogenerated carriers with other measurements on the a-SiHx electronic properties and in the evaluation of AM1 short-circuit currents in different films is indicated.
Migraine and vertebrobasilar dissection: Case reports

We report two patients with chronic migraine headaches who developed vertebrobasilar arterial dissections. In both cases, there was a change in both the character and location of the headaches, which prompted further evaluation with magnetic resonance imaging and angiography, which led to the diagnosis. Other possible risk factors for dissection in these patients included hypertension, exercise, and chiropractic manipulation. Both patients were treated with anticoagulation and recovered with little to no neurologic deficit. A review of the literature relating migraine and arterial dissection suggests that there may be an association. Although more extensive controlled studies are needed to demonstrate the significance of this association, we suggest that the diagnosis of cervicocranial arterial dissection be strongly considered in migraine patients who develop an abrupt change in the nature of their headaches.
A Lacrimal Gland is a Lacrimal Gland, But Rodent's and Rabbit's Are Not Human

Research into the physiological processes governing both normal and abnormal functions of the lacrimal gland has used animal models to provide insights that might be applied to improving our understanding of human disease and designing of beneficial therapeutic interventions. Animal models most frequently used are mice, rats, and rabbits. As participants in research into normal and abnormal lacrimal gland function, the authors have observed significant differences between the various animal models, and these differences must be considered in investigational studies. This review summarizes a wide range of topics, including structural organization of the lacrimal gland and the immunological, secretomotor and hormonal processes regulating lacrimal gland function in all three animal models. In addition, comparisons with relevant aspects of the human lacrimal gland are included where permitted by available data.
Homogeneous Decomposition of Vinyl Ethers. The Heat of Formation of Ethanal-2-yl

The thermal unimolecular decomposition ot' three vinylethers has been studied in a VLPI' apparatus. The high-pressure rate constant for the retro-ene reaction of ethylvinylether was f'it by log fi (sec--') = (11.47 + 0.25) - (43.4 f l,Oj/?.:30:3 KT at (T) = 900 K and that of t ~ htylvinylether by log k (sec-'1 = (12.00 f 0.27) - (38.4 f l.Oj/X303 KT at (T) = 800 K. No evidence for the competition of the higher energy homolytic hond-fission process could be ohtained from the experimental data. The rate constant compatible with the C--0 bond ion reaction in the case of henzylvinylether was log li (sec-') = (16.63 f 0.:10) - (53.74 f 1.0)/2.303 RT at (7') = 750 K. Together with LH)l,300(henzyl-)
Solid variant of aneurysmal bone cyst of the hamate

Solid variant of aneurysmal bone cyst is a variant of aneurysmal bone cyst in which the predominant histology is that of the solid material of a cystic aneurysmal bone cyst. In this article, we present a patient with solid variant of aneurysmal bone cyst of the hamate and discuss the differential diagnosis and current treatment for this lesion.
Structure of a tractable stochastic mimic of soft particles

The structure and assembly of soft particles is difficult to characterize because their interpenetrability allows them to be packed at ever higher density albeit with an increasing penalty in energy and/or pressure. Alternatively, the use of impenetrable particles (such as hard spheres) as a reference model for soft particles can fail because the packing densities are limited by the impossibility of complete space filling. We recently introduced the stochastic penetration algorithm (SPA) so as to allow for the computationally efficient integration of hard sphere models while including overlaps seen in soft interactions [Craven et al., J. Chem. Phys., 2013, 138, 244901]. Moving beyond the initial one-dimensional case studied earlier, we now consider the spatial properties of systems of stochastically penetrable spheres in dimensions d ≤ 3 through the use of molecular dynamics simulations and analytic methods. The stochastic potential allows spheres to either interpenetrate with a probability δ or collide elastically otherwise. For δ > 0 the particles interpenetrate (overlap), reducing the effective volume occupied by the particles in the system. We find that the occupied volume can be accurately predicted using analytic expressions derived from mean field arguments for the particle overlap probabilities with the exception of an observed clustering regime. This anomalous clustering behavior occurs at high densities and small δ. We find that this regime is coincident with that observed in deterministic penetrable models. The behavior of the stochastic penetrable particles also indicates that soft particles would be characterizable through a single reduced parameter that captures their overlap probability.
Correlation between Subclinical Heart Disease and Cardiovascular Risk Profiles in an Urban Emergency Department Population with Elevated Blood Pressures: A Pilot Study.

Abstract Background Uncontrolled hypertension is a primary risk factor for development of cardiovascular complications. Objective Determine the point prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and diastolic dysfunction in an urban emergency department (ED) population with elevated blood pressures (BP) and examine correlations between subclinical disease and patient cardiovascular risk profiles. Methods A convenience sample of patients with EBP (>140/90 on two measurements) had limited bedside echocardiograms (LBE). Subclinical hypertensive heart disease was classified as the presence of: LVH, abnormal ejection fraction (EF), or diastolic dysfunction. Results Thirty-nine patients with EBP were enrolled. The mean age was 46 years (SD = 10.9), 59% were women, 21% were smokers, and 92% had a history of hypertension. The average body mass index was 30.7 (SD = 8.7). Patients were 67% African American, 23% Latino, 5% Caucasian, 3% Asian, and 3% Native American. Subclinical disease was found in 39%: 31% had LVH, 15% had diastolic dysfunction, and 8% had abnormal EF. On bivariate analysis, elevated BP ( p = 0.039) and blood urea nitrogen ( p = 0.016) were correlated with subclinical heart disease. After adjusting for other covariates, receiving oral/intravenous antihypertensive medications in the ED ( p = 0.005) was associated with subclinical heart disease. Conclusions We found a point prevalence of subclinical heart disease of 39% in this urban ED population, using LBE. Real-time identification of subclinical heart disease at early stages in the ED in conjunction with abnormal renal function can help emergency physicians identify those patients in need of more aggressive therapy and urgent follow-up.
Religion and the State: A Comparative Sociology

Jack Barbalet, Adam Possamai & Bryan S. Turner, eds., 2011 London & New York: Anthem Press 282 pp., £60.00, US$99.00 (hb) ISBN 978–0–85728–798–4 This insightful and wide-ranging collection is one o...
Rheological properties of poloxamer vehicles

Abstract The rheological behavior of poloxamer vehicles as a function of composition and temperature was evaluated using continuous shear methods. For poloxamer vehicles in the sol state (low concentration and temperature) a linear relationship was observed between shear rate and shear stress. For some of the vehicles, as concentration or temperature was increased, the systems underwent a sol-gel transition and their theological behavior became non-Newtonian.The addition of sodium chloride or polyhydroxy compounds such as glycerin or propylene glycol to the vehicles produced an increase in their apparent viscosities. At low temperature (5°C) apparent viscosities were exponentially related to concentration. As temperature was increased to 15°C, positive deviations from the expected viscosities were observed at the higher polymer concentrations.
Enhanced protein and carbohydrate hydrolyses in plume-associated deepwaters initially sampled during the early stages of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Abstract Oil spilled in the ocean can be biodegraded through a cascade of microbial processes, including direct degradation of petroleum-derived hydrocarbons, as well as subsequent degradation of transformation byproducts and exopolymeric substances (EPS) that are produced by microbes to emulsify hydrocarbons and facilitate access to oil. In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, we measured enzymatic hydrolysis of carbohydrates and peptides in waters initially collected from within and outside of the deep hydrocarbon plume. The rationale is that the presence of EPS and other transformation byproducts in the deepwater plume may have enhanced heterotrophic bacterial metabolism in the cold deepwater environment. Our investigation targets carbohydrate and peptide hydrolase activities as indicators of the degradation of high molecular weight organic matter, including EPS substrates. Deepwater associated with the hydrocarbon plume revealed higher peptidase activity compared to non-plume deepwater samples. Enzymatic hydrolysis of carbohydrates, measured by the means of exo-acting enzyme activity (β-glucosidase), was also more rapid inside compared to outside the deepwater plume. Hydrolysis rates and patterns of endo-acting polysaccharide hydrolases, measured by means of distinct polysaccharide substrates in longer-term incubations, demonstrated more rapid plume-associated hydrolysis of two (laminarin and xylan) of the three substrates hydrolyzed in deepwaters. Our results indicate that microbial communities associated with the deepwater plume exhibited ‘primed’ responses to addition of specific substrates, which may structurally resemble components found in bacterial EPS and oil degradation byproducts. Bacterial transformation of oil-degradation byproducts thus likely contributed to microbial growth and respiration measured inside the deepwater plume.
Affect, Cognition, and Play in Young Children with Down Syndrome: An Overview of Recent Research

This article summarizes the recent research literature on affective and cognitive development in young children with Down syndrome. Researchers agree that affect and cognition seem to be as closely Interrelated in children with Down syndrome as they are in nonretarded children. In addition, the overall findings indicate that, during the first two years of life, children with Down syndrome experience significant delays in regard to the development of both affective and cognitive responses. These findings have important implications for parents and educators who must select those objectives and strategies that enhance affective and cognitive development by providing opportunities for handicapped infants to react to and explore their environments, especially during play activities.
The growth regulatory fibroblast IK channel is the prominent electrophysiological feature of rat prostatic cancer cells.

Physiological effectors for mitogenic cell growth control remain to be determined for mammalian tumor cells, particularly those derived from prostatic tissue. One such effector for mitogenic Ras/MAPK signaling in fibroblasts is an intermediate-conductance, calcium-activated potassium channel (FIK). In this study patch-clamp electrophysiology was used to show that both AT2.1 and MatLyLu rat prostate cancer cell lines express high levels of a current identified as FIK, based on the following criteria: activation by elevation of intracellular calcium, voltage independence, potassium selectivity, and block by charybdotoxin (ChTX) and the Stichodactyla helianthus potassium channel neurotoxin (StK). FIK current densities in AT2.1 and MatLyLu cells were comparable to the high levels seen in fibroblasts transfected with oncogenic Ras or Raf, suggesting hyperactivity of the Ras/MAPK pathway in prostatic cancer cells. Voltage-gated sodium current was present in most MatLyLu cells but absent from AT2.1 cells, and all AT2.1 cells had voltage-gated potassium currents. Thus, FIK is the main electrophysiological feature of rat prostatic cancer cells as it is for mitogenically active fibroblasts, suggesting it may play a similar growth regulatory role in both.
Wireless Sensor Networks for Area Monitoring and Integrated Vehicle Health Management Applications

components on a single die that will be produced in high volumes for low-cost. This will permit large numbers of Distributed, wireless, microsensor networks promise to wireless integrated networked sensors to be easily and enable a myriad of applications for sensing and controlling rapidly deployed. (e.g., airdropped into battlefields or the physical world. Rockwell Science Center has created a deployed throughout an aircraft or space vehicle) to form development environment for wireless integrated networked highly redundant, self-configuring, ad hoc sensor networks. sensors (WINS) that includes customizable, sensor-laden For ease of deployment, the nodes use wireless networked nodes and both mobile and inter-net-hosted user communications and are capable of establishing and interfaces. The WINS development system allows operating their own network. To prolong battery life, all node and network. functions are designed to consume examination of issues relative to design, deployment and usage of microsensor networks. WINS nodes sense their minimal power. Highly capable and ultra-reliable systems environment via multiple sensors, process sensor data both will be built out of large numbers of such nodes that are autonomously and in cooperation with neighboring nodes individually inexpensive and use cooperation between nodes into information, and communicate this information to users to produce highly reliable, high quality information. A via a variety of network topologies. WINS are self- summary of the technologies comprising the WINS systems ~organizing in that they establish and maintain the network is shown in Fig. 1. Rockwell's experience with prototype without user intervention. Minimizing power consumption wireless sensor networks points to the great ~potential for is a primary driver in WINS development. Each node robust, large-scale environmental and systems monitoring processes sensor data into information, thereby reducing and control. power-hungry communications requirements. Power minimization also drives the design of integrated WINS The Rockwell Science Center, in collaboration with hardware and the creation of new networking protocols researchers at UCLA, has developed a prototype specific to the needs of microsensor networks. Prototype development platform for experimenting with microsensor WINS are being applied to area monitoring, surveillance, networks under a number of government and industry and physical security, to networking of personnel and sponsored programs. The prototype node, called "WINS l", physical assets over large areas, as well as to machinery and is based on an open, modular design using widely available platform health and status monitoring. The WINS commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technology. To date more development environment and several of these applications than one hundred units of the latest version of wireless are discussed here.
Monopole Pair Production in a Magnetic Field

The rate of monopole pair production in a weak external magnetic field is computed by a semiclassical method. The result is analogous to that for electron-positron pair production in an electric field.
Erythromelalgia: a hereditary pain syndrome enters the molecular era.

In contrast with acquired pain syndromes, molecular substrates for hereditary pain disorders have been poorly understood. Familial erythromelalgia (Weir Mitchell's disease), also known as primary erythermalgia, is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by burning pain in the extremities in response to warm stimuli or moderate exercise. The cause of this disorder has been enigmatic, and treatment has been empirical and not very effective. Recent studies, however, have shown that familial erythromelalgia is a channelopathy caused by mutations in the gene encoding the Nav1.7 sodium channel which lead to altered channel function. Selective expression of Nav1.7 within dorsal root ganglion neurons including nociceptors (in which this channel is targeted to sensory terminals, close to impulse trigger zones) and within sympathetic ganglion neurons explains why patients experience pain but do not suffer from seizures or other manifestations of altered excitability within central nervous system neurons. Erythromelalgia is the first human disorder in which it has been possible to associate an ion channel mutation with chronic neuropathic pain. Identification of mutations within a peripheral neuron-specific sodium channel suggests the possibility of rational therapies that target the affected channel. Moreover, because some other pain syndromes, including acquired disorders, involve altered sodium channel function, erythromelalgia may emerge as a model disease that holds more general lessons about the molecular neurobiology of chronic pain. Ann Neurol 2005;57:785–788
CHEMICALS AND GASES

This article covers the major chemicals and gases that are considered to be of the most clinical relevance to the primary care provider. The reader is referred to other comprehensive textbooks of toxicology and occupational medicine for a complete discussion of the numerous additional products found in the workplace that may result in occupational exposure.
Experimental demonstration of a high-speed optical correlator for phase-modulated packets

A high-speed programmable optical correlator for phase-modulated packets is demonstrated at 40 Gb/s. The system is based on the temporal analogue of the spatial 4-f correlator.
Notes to accompany a student laboratory experiment on chaos

A set of notes on the nonlinear phenomena of chaos is given that can be directly presented to undergraduate electrical and computer engineering students in a laboratory course. Sufficient detail permits the student to understand the subject of chaos, initially through a numerical study of a simple nonlinear algebraic equation and then through an elementary analytical analysis. An experiment using varactor diodes is described. >
Spatial working memory activity of the caudate nucleus is sensitive to frame of reference.

We used event-related fMRI to test the hypothesis that the caudate nucleus is preferentially recruited by a spatial working memory task employing egocentrically defined stimuli, which are amenable to transformation into a motor code, as contrasted with allocentrically defined stimuli, which are not. Our results revealed greater delay-epoch activity in egocentric than in allocentric trials in the caudate nucleus and trends in the same direction in the putamen and the lateral premotor cortex (PMC). Response-related activity was greater for egocentric trials in the lateral PMC. We propose that the neostriatum, possibly interacting with the PMC, may contribute to the sensory-motor transformation necessary to establish a prospective motor code (e.g., the representation of a saccade or a grasp). In addition, the PMC may participate in decision-making processes, prompted by the onset of the probe stimulus, that employ this prospective motor information. This model accounts for the empirical evidence that motor distraction disrupts spatial working memory performance.
Tenth International RETRAN Conference Overview: RETRAN's Role in Supporting the Nuclear Industry's Vision

The nuclear industry’s current “vision” for 2020 is for growth in U.S. nuclear to a 23% share of generation in 2020. To support this vision, the Electric Power Research Institute’s Nuclear Power Di...
Predictors of Alcohol and Drug Use: A Multi-Ethnic Comparison

In this study socioeconomic status and demographic differences in reported alcohol and drug use among Black, Hispanic, and White respondents to the 1988 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (T. Virag, B. Cox, & J. V. Rachel, 1991) were examined. White respondents reported significantly higher levels of alcohol and drug use than Blacks and Hispanics did. Separate regression analyses of alcohol and drug use by race revealed that education, income, and employment status were significant determinants of alcohol use. Employment status and marital status significantly influenced drug use among all respondents.
History and Globalization in China's Long Twentieth Century

This commentary reflects on the contributions of the five principal essayists in this volume of Modern China. It seeks to grasp the role and weight of historical and distinctively Chinese factors in relation to global forces operating in China since the early twentieth century in these macroscopic essays. Building on their contributions, I develop a “globalization paradigm” in which the embeddedness of nations in global discourses and practices are often misrecognized as national and domestic. But while many national practices represent globally familiar reactions to recognized global tendencies, several of these essays help us to identify often unarticulated historical tendencies and emergent practices, including those from the Chinese socialist experience. They suggest ways in which Chinese and global practices become intertwined, as for instance adaptations of the Qing imperial idea to the current day. These practices not only make China different from other nations, but also have the potential to make...
Systematic reinforcement: academic performance of underachieving students

The effect of contingent tangible and social reinforcement on academic performance was investigated in an experimental classroom of 25 selected underachieving students. Measures were taken of both teacher and child behavior during a baseline and two experimental treatment periods. During Treatment I, a point system with tangible backup reinforcers was combined with contingent social reinforcers dispensed by the teaching staff to assess the effects on three measures of academic performance (i.e., per cent of time at work, work output per minute, and accuracy). During Treatment II, the contingencies for the tangible reinforcers were terminated while social reinforcement was continued to see if the positive effects of Treatment I on academic performance would persist. The results show that with combined tangible and social reinforcers, students' work time, rate of output per hour, and accuracy in all activities substantially increased. After termination of the tangible reinforcers, the students maintained their high rates of output per hour and accuracy for the remaining period of the study while the total amount of time at work returned to the baseline level.
Water resources in the next millennium

As pressures from an exponentially increasing population and economic expectations rise against a finite water resource, how do we address management? This was the main focus of the Dubai International Conference on Water Resources and Integrated Management in the Third Millennium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2–6 February 2002. The invited forum attracted an eclectic mix of international thinkers from five continents. Presentations and discussions on hydrology policy/property rights, and management strategies focused mainly on problems of water supply, irrigation, and/or ecosystems.
Solving Systems of Linear Equations on the CELL Processor Using Cholesky Factorization

The Sony/Toshiba/IBM (STI) CELL processor introduces pioneering solutions in processor architecture. At the same time it presents new challenges for the development of numerical algorithms. One is effective exploitation of the differential between the speed of single and double precision arithmetic; the other is efficient parallelization between the short vector SIMD cores. The first challenge is addressed by utilizing the well known technique of iterative refinement for the solution of a dense symmetric positive definite system of linear equations, resulting in a mixed-precision algorithm, which delivers double precision accuracy, while performing the bulk of the work in single precision. The main contribution of this paper lies in addressing the second challenge by successful thread-level parallelization, exploiting fine-grained task granularity and a lightweight decentralized synchronization. The implementation of the computationally intensive sections gets within 90 percent of peak floating point performance, while the implementation of the memory intensive sections reaches within 90 percent of peak memory bandwidth. On a single CELL processor, the algorithm achieves over 170~Gflop/s when solving a symmetric positive definite system of linear equation in single precision and over 150~Gflop/s when delivering the result in double precision accuracy.
An Evaluation of Methods for Presentation of Graphic Multiple Trends—Experiment III1:

The primary objective of this study was to determine the effect of multiple-line versus multiple-graph presentation of trend-type displays on operator performance. Four types of lines having low co...
Radiative engineering of nanoantenna arrays for ultrasensitive vibrational spectroscopy of proteins

Infrared absorption spectroscopy offers direct access to the vibrational signatures of molecular structure. Although absorption cross sections are nearly 10 orders of magnitude larger than the Raman cross sections, they are small in comparison with those of fluorescent labels. Sensitivity improvements are therefore required in order for the method to be applicable to single molecule/monolayer studies. In this work, we demonstrate a plasmon enhanced vibrational spectroscopy technique which allow for the measurement of molecule specific signatures at the monolayer level. Specifically, we show 4-5 order of magnitude enhancement of the amide-I and II backbone signature of protein monolayers, the signal resulting from only zeptomole quantities of molecules.
A General Algorithm for Energy-Aware Dynamic Reconfiguration in Multitasking Systems

System optimization techniques based on dynamic reconfiguration are widely adopted for energy conservation. While dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) techniques have been extensively studied for processor energy conservation, dynamic cache reconfiguration (DCR) for reducing cache energy consumption in multitasking systems is still in its infancy. In this paper, we propose a general and flexible algorithm for energy optimization based on dynamic reconfiguration in multitasking systems. Our algorithm is flexibly parameterized and can be used to provide tradeoffs between running time and solution quality. Furthermore, it can easily incorporate variable reconfiguration overhead. Experimental results show that our technique can generate near-optimal solutions with significantly low running time and memory requirements.
A tale of two worlds: molecular ecology and population structure of the threatened Florida scrub-jay

Elsewhere in this issue of Molecular Ecology, Coulon et al. provide a detailed analysis of population structure of the threatened Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) using genetic markers and compare it to that inferred from previous demographic surveys and observed dispersal behaviour in this species. In contrast to previous attempts at such comparisons, estimates from the two methods are reasonably congruent. Although challenges remain, Coulon et al.’s analyses demonstrate the potential for closing the gap between these alternative methodologies, and ultimately for future genetic surveys to be used confidently in conservation planning.
Who Monitors the Monitor? Bank Capital Structure and Borrower Monitoring

The role that banks play in screening and monitoring their borrowers is well understood. However, these bank activities are costly and unobservable, thus difficult to contract upon. This introduces the possibility of shirking and leads to the question – who monitors the monitor? Financial intermediation theories posit that bank capital structure plays such a role in incentivizing banks to monitor their borrowers. Both bank debt and bank equity have been proposed in various theories as providing the discipline to induce banks to monitor. However, empirical evidence on how bank capital structure influences borrower monitoring is scant. To circumvent identification concerns with regressing (unobservable) bank monitoring on (endogenous) bank capital structure, we use variation in country-level creditor rights to capture banks’ need to monitor their borrowers. We develop a theoretical model in which greater expost protection offered to lenders (i.e., banks) during borrower bankruptcy/renegotiation reduces the bank’s ex-ante incentives to monitor. This is because the greater salvage value of bank loans reduces the bank’s expected loss from not monitoring. Our model also examines how banks alter their capital structures in response to changes in their country’s creditor rights, and shows that the reduced demand for bank monitoring induced by stronger creditor rights induces the bank to shift its capital structure away from the source of financing that induces it to monitor. We find empirically that increases in creditor rights result in banks tilting their capital structures away from equity and towards deposits. We verify (theoretically and empirically) that these demand-based tilts in bank capital structure are not explained by supply-side effects (i.e., creditor rights make it cheaper to supply bank debt), and conclude that bank equity is a stronger source of discipline on banks than bank debt.
Copper wire amperometric detector for capillary electrophoresis

The use of a copper wire amperometric detector for capillary electrophoresis is reported. Detection is accomplished by use of a porous glass joint, which allows amperometric detection at a copper wire electrode inserted in the end of the capillary. An anodic current is produced by a change in the copper oxide film solubility, resulting from complexation of copper ions with certain analytes at the electrode surface. This copper/copper oxide electrode has been used to detect nonelectroactive native amino acids and dipeptides. Subfemtomole detection limits in picoliter injection volumes have been obtained without solute derivatization. In addition, simultaneous analysis of nonelectroactive amino acids and electroactive catecholamines has been demonstrated.
Replicators: transformations to address model scalability

In Model Integrated Computing, it is desirable to evaluate different design alternatives as they relate to issues of scalability. A typical approach to address scalability is to create a base model that captures the key interactions of various components (i.e., the essential properties and connections among modeling entities). A collection of base models can be adorned with necessary information to characterize their replication. In current practice, replication is accomplished by scaling the base model manually. This is a time-consuming process that represents a source of error, especially when there are deep interactions between model components. As an alternative to the manual process, this paper presents the idea of a replicator, which is a model transformation that expands the number of elements from the base model and makes the correct connections among the generated modeling elements. The paper motivates the need for replicators through case studies taken from models supporting different domains.
Low-threshold photonic crystal laser

We have fabricated planar photonic crystal nanocavity lasers, based on our new high-quality factor design that incorporates fractional edge dislocations in triangular lattice photonic crystal cavities. Lasers with InGaAsP quantum well active material emitting at 1550nm were optically pumped with 10ns pulses, and lase at room temperature at threshold pumping powers below 220 microWatt. We have attributed this to the small mode volume and the high Q factors inherent to our device design. We have performed detailed numerical analysis of our structures, and have found an excellent agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental results. The optical field of the lasing mode in our nano-laser is localized in the air-hole region and therefore the laser can be used to investigate interaction between light and matter introduced in the cavity and nanospectroscopy.
Shape sensitivity of constructive representations

Most solid models are archived using boundary representations, but they are created, edited, and optimized using high level constructive methods that rely on parameterized Boolean set operations and feature-based techniques. Downstream applications often require optimization of integral-valued performance measures over such models that include volume, mass, and energy properties, as well as more general distributed fields (stress, temperature, etc.). A key computational utility in all such applications is the computation of the sensitivity of the performance measure with respect to the parameters in the solid's construction history.We show that for a class of performance measures defined as domain integrals, the sensitivity with respect to a parameter requires integration over a subset of the solid's boundaries that is affected by that parameter. In contrast to earlier methods, the proposed approach for computing sensitivities does not require solid's boundary to remain homeomorphic, and may be used with most types of constructive representations, including CSG and feature-based representations, where the defining Boolean expression may not be known. Simplicity and effectiveness of the proposed technique are illustrated on several common shape optimization problems.
Plane wave scattering from 2-D perfectly conducting superquadric cylinders

The plane-wave scattering from perfectly conducting two-dimensional cylinders of arbitrary squareness parameter is investigated. A uniform geometrical optics (UGO) solution valid across the smooth caustics generated by the surface poles or zero curvature (inflection) points is developed based on physical optics (PO). The classical geometrical optics solution is modified using a multiplicative transition function that compensates for the caustic singularities and accounts for the complex ray contributions emanating from nonspecular scattering centers located near the surface poles. The transition function is heuristically derived on the basis of the PO radiation integral and involves a generalized (higher-order) form of Airy functions. The resulting UGO solution for the scattered field is simple, easy to apply, and computationally efficient for electrically large cylinders. It compares well with physical optics (numerical integration) and moment-method solutions for both backscatter and limited bistatic configurations. >
Probing macrocycle flexibility : ligand binding to zinc and nickel tetraphenylhydroporphyrins

Dans le but d'evaluer le role de la reduction chimique du macrocycle porphyrinique dans la reactivite du metal, les constantes d'equilibres porphyrine metallique/imidazole, pyrrolidine ou leurs derives, ont ete mesurees avec le zinc et le nickel
Study on serotype,virulence genes and drug resistance of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates from seafood in Sanya

Objective To understand the pollution levels,major serotype distribution,virulence genes and drug resistance of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in seafood. Methods Vibrio parahaemolyticus were isolated from seafood according to GB /T4789. 7-2008 for biochemical identification and serotyping. Virulence genes were tested by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR,and the drug resistance of these Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates were tested by KB agar disk diffusion method. Results Sixty seafood samples were found Vibrio parahaemolyticus in 208 seafood samples,and these Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates belonged to9 serotypes. No tdh and trh genes were detected in the isolates,while tlh gene was positive in all the isolates. There were 4 serotypes in 38 Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates from patients,which were all found carrying tlh gene,not carrying trh,and tdh was detected in 36 strains,accounting for 94. 74%. Drug susceptibility results showed 76 isolates were highly sensitive to aminoglycoside and quinolones antibiotics. Conclusion Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates showed diverse serotype distribution in seafood of Sanya,and they were highly sensitive to aminoglycoside and quinolones antibiotics. Shellfish was seriously contaminated by Vibrio parahaemolyticus. No tdh and trh gene was detected in Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates from seafood,and those from the patients were mainly O3 and O4 serotypes. There was no significant correlation between Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates from the patient and seafood. Monitoring and drug resistance analysis of the Vibrio parahaemolyticus should further be strengthened.
Controversies in the management of localized prostate cancer: after the rhetoric.

For the September and October issues of ­ONCOLOGY, we have assembled a team of experts in the diagnosis and management of early-stage prostate cancer—ie, disease that has not clinically metastasized at first presentation, and which is theoretically curable—and have asked them to take a position on optimal patterns of care.
A 3-D Kinematic Model For The Biomechanical Analysis Of The Lower Limb While Cycling

In this paper, a ten-joint 3-D kinematic model has been developed by carefully st.udymg the anatomy of the lower limb during bicycling for understandmg and analyzmg the complex motions of the joint...
Is there an association between the “critical shoulder angle” and clinical outcome after rotator cuff repair?

Background:Variations in scapular morphology have been associated with the development of atraumatic rotator cuff tears (RCTs). The critical shoulder angle (CSA) accounts for both glenoid inclinati...
Novel polysilicon/TiN stacked-gate structure for fully-depleted SOI/CMOS

Fully-depleted SOI/CMOS transistors were fabricated using titanium-nitride (TiN) gates with near midgap work-function in order to optimize the p- and n-channel threshold voltages for operation at low supply voltage. To simplify the process as well as to minimize the strain, a novel gate structure was used in which a thick polysilicon (300 nm) was stacked on a thin TiN layer ( >
Annotated checklist of fishes at Jiquilisco Bay, El Salvador

Ninety-eight species of fish are reported in an annotated checklist from Jiquilisco Bay, El Salvador. The systematic: survey, including basic capture data, updates two previous short-term surveys of this large mangrove embayment. Three range extensions are also reported.
Creep Response of Compacted Waste Foundry Sands for Use as Roadway Embankment Fill

AbstractCompressibility of five different samples of waste foundry sand (WFS) was evaluated through one-dimensional and triaxial compression tests to assess permanent strains under vertical and dev...
Gesturing and Embodiment in Teaching: Investigating the Nonverbal Behavior of Teachers in a Virtual Rehearsal Environment

Interactive training environments typically include feedback mechanisms designed to help trainees improve their performance through either guided or self-reflection. In this context, trainees are candidate teachers who need to hone their social skills as well as other pedagogical skills for their future classroom. We chose an avatar-mediated interactive virtual training system–TeachLivE–as the basic research environment to investigate the motions and embodiment of the trainees. Using tracking sensors, and customized improvements for existing gesture recognition utilities, we created a gesture database and employed it for the implementation of our real-time gesture recognition and feedback application. We also investigated multiple methods of feedback provision, including visual and haptics. The results from the conducted user studies and user evaluation surveys indicate the positive impact of the proposed feedback applications and informed body language. In this paper, we describe the context in which the utilities have been developed, the importance of recognizing nonverbal communication in the teaching context, the means of providing automated feedback associated with nonverbal messaging, and the preliminary studies developed to inform the research.
Lanthionine synthetase C-like protein 2 (LanCL2) is important for adipogenic differentiation

Adipogenic differentiation is a highly regulated process that is necessary for metabolic homeostasis and nutrient sensing. The expression of PPARγ and the subsequent activation of adipogenic genes is critical for the process. In this study, we identified lanthionine synthetase C-like protein 2 (LanCL2) as a positive regulator of adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. Knockdown of LanCL2, but not LanCL1, inhibited adipogenic differentiation, and this effect was not mediated through cAMP or Akt signaling pathways. The expression of early adipogenic markers CCAAT enhancer binding protein β (C/EBPβ) and C/EBPδ remained intact in LanCL2 knockdown cells, but levels of late adipogenic markers PPARγ and C/EBPα were suppressed. The addition of the naturally occurring PPARγ activator 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 or conditioned medium from differentiating cells did not restore differentiation, implying that LanCL2 may not be involved in the production of a secreted endogenous PPARγ ligand. Pulldown assays demonstrated a direct physical interaction between LanCL2 and PPARγ. Consistent with a regulatory role of LanCL2, luciferase reporter assays revealed that full transcriptional activation by PPARγ was dependent on LanCL2. Taken together, our study reveals a novel role of LanCL2 in adipogenesis, specifically involved in PPARγ-mediated transactivation of downstream adipogenic genes.
Phenotypic and functional changes induced at the clonal level in hematopoietic stem cells after 5-fluorouracil treatment

A significant fraction of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have been shown to be resistant to the effects of cytotoxic agents such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), which is thought to eliminate many of the rapidly dividing, more committed progenitors in the bone marrow and to provide a relatively enriched population of the most primitive hematopoietic progenitor cells. Although differences between 5-FU-enriched progenitor populations and those from normal bone marrow have been described, it remained unclear if these differences reflected characteristics of the most primitive stem cells that were revealed by 5-FU, or if there were changes in the stem-cell population itself. Here, we have examined some of the properties of the stem cells in the bone marrow before and after 5-FU treatment and have defined several activation-related changes in the stem-cell population. We found that long-term reconstituting stem cells decrease their expression of the growth factor receptor c-kit by 10-fold and increase their expression of the integrin Mac-1 (CD11b). These changes begin as early as 24 hours after 5-FU treatment and are most pronounced within 2 to 3 days. This activated phenotype of HSCs isolated from 5-FU-treated mice is similar to the phenotype of stem cells found in the fetal liver and to the phenotype of transiently repopulating progenitors in normal bone marrow. We found that cell cycle is induced concomitantly with these physical changes, and within 2 days as many as 29% of the stem-cell population is in the S/G2/M phases of the cell cycle. Furthermore, when examined at a clonal level, we found that 5-FU did not appear to eliminate many of the transient, multipotent progenitors from the bone marrow that were found to be copurified with long-term repopulating, activated stem cells. These results demonstrate the sensitivity of the hematopoietic system to changes in its homeostasis and correlate the expression of several important surface molecules with the activation state of HSCs.
On the Four Block Problem, I

This paper is concerned with the study of the singular values of a “four block operator” which naturally appears in control engineering and which possesses a number of interesting mathematical properties. The study of this operator will be shown to be reducible to a skew Toeplitz operator problem of the kind studied in [1]. The main theoretical fact proven here is an explicit closed form formula for the essential norm of the four block operator (see Proposition 1.1). We dedicate this paper to the memory of Constantin Apostol who was a great master of the essential properties of operators in Hilbert space.