cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interactions of Age and Blood Immune Factors and Non-Invasive Prediction of Glioma Survival.

Background Tumor-based classification of human glioma portends patient prognosis; however, considerable unexplained survival variability remains. Host factors (eg, age) also strongly influence survival times, partly reflecting a compromised immune system. How blood epigenetic measures of immune characteristics and age augment molecular classifications in glioma survival has not been investigated. We assess the prognostic impact of immune-cell fractions and epigenetic age in archived blood across glioma molecular subtypes for the first time. Methods We evaluated immune-cell fractions and epigenetic age in archived blood from the University of California San Francisco Adult Glioma Study, including a training set of 197 IDH-wildtype, 1p19q intact, TERT wildtype (IDH/1p19q/TERT-WT) glioma patients, an evaluation set of 350 patients with other subtypes of glioma, and 454 subjects without glioma. Results IDH/1p19q/TERT-WT patients had lower lymphocyte fractions (CD4+T, CD8+T, natural killer, and B cells) and higher neutrophil fractions than subjects without glioma. Recursive partitioning analysis delineated four statistically significantly different survival groups for IDH/1p19q/TERT-WT patients based on an interaction between chronological age and two blood immune factors, CD4+T cells, and neutrophils with median overall survival ranging from 0.76 years [95% confidence intervaI = 0.55 to 0.99] for the worst survival group (n = 28) to 9.72 years [95% confidence intervaI = 6.18 to NA] for the best (n = 33). The Recursive partitioning analysis also statistically significantly delineated four risk groups in patients with other glioma subtypes. Conclusion The delineation of different survival groups in the training and evaluation sets based on an interaction between chronological age and blood immune characteristics suggests that common host immune factors among different glioma types may impact survival. The ability of DNA methylation-based markers of immune status to capture diverse, clinically relevant information may facilitate non-invasive personalized patient evaluation in the neuro-oncology clinic.
Determinants of Consumer Sentiment: Evidence from Household Survey Data

We study the information content of the five components of the University of Michigani¯s Index of Consumer Sentiment and identify the main determinants of these measures, using semiparametric ordered choice models and household data from the Surveys of Consumers from January 1978 to September 2012. Our findings suggest that consumersi¯ own perceptions and expectations, as measured by other survey questions in the Surveys of Consumers, are the most important determinants of the sentiment index. After this set of factors is controlled for, consumersi¯ demographic characteristics, aggregate macroeconomic variables, and professional forecasts account for little in addition. We also find that the sentiment components about the overall economic conditions are less sensitive to consumersi¯ own views and characteristics than the components about consumersi¯ household financial situations. These findings could motivate the use of consumer sentiment measures in a variety of applications, including forecasting consumption expenditures.
Nonparametric Bayesian modeling for stochastic order

In comparing two populations, sometimes a model incorporating stochastic order is desired. Customarily, such modeling is done parametrically. The objective of this paper is to formulate nonparametric (possibly semiparametric) stochastic order specifications providing richer, more flexible modeling. We adopt a fully Bayesian approach using Dirichlet process mixing. An attractive feature of the Bayesian approach is that full inference is available regarding the population distributions. Prior information can conveniently be incorporated. Also, prior stochastic order is preserved to the posterior analysis. Apart from the two sample setting, the approach handles the matched pairs problem, the k-sample slippage problem, ordered ANOVA and ordered regression models. We illustrate by comparing two rather small samples, one of diabetic men, the other of diabetic women. Measurements are of androstenedione levels. Males are anticipated to produce levels which will tend to be higher than those of females.
Effects of Creep and Shrinkage on Prestressed Concrete Columns

Results are presented for an analytical study of the effect of creep and shrinkage on the behavior and ultimate capacity of long rectangular prestressed concrete columns with hinged ends. The effects of concrete strength, steel percentage, slenderness ratio, eccentricity and partial prestressing were considered. The results indicate that long eccentrically loaded columns can be significantly increased by sustained loading. In addition the prestressing force in the column may be reduced appreciably under sustained loading.
A Dynamic Programming Model for Algorithm Design in Simultaneous Auctions

In this paper we study algorithms for agents participating in multiple simultaneous auctions for a single private-value good; we use stochastic dynamic programming to derive formal methods for optimal algorithm specification; we study a number of algorithms of complementary complexity and effectiveness, and report preliminary tests on them. The methods and analysis in this paper extend naturally to more complicated scenarios, such as the purchase of multiple complementary goods, although different problem areas bring their own challenges with respect to computational complexity.
The effects of chemical cross-linking agents on calcium-induced structural changes in skinned muscle fibers. Origin within thick filaments detected by optical diffraction methods.

Abstract We have reported earlier (Sabbadini, R.A., Rieser, G.D. and Paolini, P.J. (1979) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 578, 526–533) that physiological levels of calcium (p Ca 6.95-5.49) can produce structural changes in thick filaments which are detectable as an intensity loss of the first-order optical diffraction lines from chemically skinned skeletal muscle fibers stretched beyond myofilament overlap. We now show that the calcium-induced intensity decrease results from structural changes within, rather than between, thick filaments. Glycerinated, detergent-treated fibers from frog semitendinosus muscle were incubated in 1–10 mM concentrations of dimethylsuberimidate (DMS), dithiobis(succinimidylpropionate) (DTSP) or dimethyl-3,3′-dithiobispropionimidate (DTBP) for 4 h. These substances are homobifunctional lysine-modifying cross-linking reagents known to restrict movement of S-1 heads and limit changes in the association of myosin rods within the core of the thick filament without affecting interfilament lattice spacing. Diffraction patterns from cross-linked cells in relaxing solution were identical to those in control cells, but Ca 2+ (p Ca 5.49) totally failed to produce the typical 50–70% attenuation of first-order line intensity. Cleavage of the disulfide bond in DTBP-treated cells with dithiothreitol fully restored the Ca 2+ sensitivity. Lysine group modification with methylacetimidate, a monofunctional lysine modification reagent equivalent to DMS, did not block the Ca 2+ sensitivity. We observed that intensity reductions can also be produced by numerous other agents and mechanisms, such as nonionic polymeric solutions of polyvinylpyrrolidone, which reduces the lattice spacing, and alkaline pH, which probably displaces the S-1 heads from a resting position close to the thick filament surface. However, the prevention of the Ca 2+ effect by cross-linkers indicates that intrafilament rather than interfilament changes in structure are responsible for the light diffraction intensity decrease accompanying activation.
Estimating sum by weighted sampling

We study the classic problem of estimating the sum of n variables. The traditional uniform sampling approach requires a linear number of samples to provide any non-trivial guarantees on the estimated sum. In this paper we consider various sampling methods besides uniform sampling, in particular sampling a variable with probability proportional to its value, referred to as linear weighted sampling. If only linear weighted sampling is allowed, we show an algorithm for estimating sum with O(√n) samples, and it is almost optimal in the sense that Ω(√n) samples are necessary for any reasonable sum estimator. If both uniform sampling and linear weighted sampling are allowed, we show a sum estimator with O(3√n) samples. More generally, we may allow general weighted sampling where the probability of sampling a variable is proportional to any function of its value. We prove a lower bound of Ω(3√n) samples for any reasonable sum estimator using general weighted sampling, which implies that our algorithm combining uniform and linear weighted sampling is an almost optimal sum estimator.
Can You Fine Tune the Ketogenic Diet (P4.323)

OBJECTIVE: Although the ketogenic diet (KD) is effective in approximately 50% of children with refractory epilepsy, some children on the diet are not fully controlled. In these situations, doctors often begin “fine-tuning” the KD. DESIGN/METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed of 200 children that started the KD at Johns Hopkins Hospital between October 2007 and June 2013. Ten dietary/supplement changes were identified as the most commonly implemented. Medication adjustments were also reviewed. Patient records were reviewed over the entire KD duration up to a maximum of 4 interventions per child. Success was defined as a documentation of >50% seizure reduction after a change. RESULTS: The majority, 156 (78%), had at least one intervention. A total of 391 distinct and occasionally concurrent interventions occurred, of which 265 were made specifically for seizure control. Overall, there was an 18% chance that any intervention would be successful, but only a 3% chance of resultant seizure freedom. The likelihood of success did not decrease with each subsequent intervention (p=.44). There was a trend towards medication adjustments being more successful than dietary modifications (24% vs. 15%, p = 0.08). Of the dietary adjustments, no one modification stood out as the most effective in achieving seizure control. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that fine-tuning the KD is helpful in approximately 1 in 5, even after 12 months of use. Medication adjustment and dietary modification lead to similar outcomes, therefore both can be tried if the KD is not meeting seizure control expectations. Study Supported by: AAN Medical Student Summer Research Scholarship Disclosure: Dr. Selter has nothing to disclose. Dr. Turner has nothing to disclose. Dr. Doerrer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kossoff has received personal compensation for activities with Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. and Eisai, Inc. as a scientific advisory board member. Dr. Kossoff has received research support from Nutricia, Inc.
Easing the transition: medical students' perceptions of critical skills required for the clerkships.

Objectives: The preclinical years of undergraduate medical education provide educational content in a structured learning environment whereas clerkships provide clinical training in a more experiential manner. Although early clinical skills training is emphasized in many medical schools, students still feel unprepared and anxious about starting their clerkships. This study identifies the skills medical students perceive as essential and those skill areas students are most anxious about prior to starting clerkship rotations. Methods: Open-ended questionnaires were administered to two cohorts of students, preclinical students (PCS) completing their second year and clinical students (CS) in the ninth month of the clinical training of their third year at a single urban US medical school. The following questions were addressed in the survey: which three clinical skills do they perceive are most essential for the clerkships; which skills are students most anxious about as they enter clerkships; and what additional skills training should be provided to students to ease the transition into clerkships. Results: Response rate to the questionnaire was 84%. PCS (n=93) reported the three most essential skills to be prepared for clerkships are: history taking/physical examination (73%), proficiency in oral case presentations (56%), and generation of differential diagnosis (46%). CS (n=105) reported interpersonal skills (80%), history taking/physical examination (37%), and time management (26%) as most essential. PCS were most anxious about their oral case presentation skills (30%), but CS were most concerned about time management and self care (40%). Conclusions: This study identified the skills that students at one school regard as most important to have mastered before beginning clerkship training and the areas students find most anxiety provoking before and after they make the transition into clerkships. These results can inform medical educators about needed curriculum to facilitate this transition and decrease the anxiety of students entering the clinical realm.
A Tutorial on Computational Approaches to Quantum Scattering

The following is a summary of a series of tutorial lectures given at the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications during a Workshop on Waves and Scattering during the Spring, 1995. The purpose was to provide a little background in computational methods that have been developed over the past several decades by quantum dynam- icists. Most of these techniques have been developed without worrying about mathematical details, with the primary objective being to apply them to specific systems. It is not possible to give an exhaustive account of all the methods that have been used, but hopefully a sufficiently wide range is given to enable one to obtain a general sense of the types of methods that have been brought to bear. Both time-independent and time- dependent approaches are discussed, and representative references to the literature given to facilitate the interested reader to obtain more details. For the most part, we have restricted ourselves to simple one-dimensional (1D) problems in order to illustrate the strategies, but the methods are more general and have been applied to real problems of varied complexity. In general, the systems of interest are conservative ones, although at least one computational method is discussed which can be applied to systems with an explicitly time dependent Hamiltonian. Finally, in addition to discussing computational techniques, we also give a brief outline of how one extracts the physically meaningful or measureable quantities from solutions of the Schrodinger equation (since this also may not be familiar to the non-specialist in quantum scattering).
Low cost, high performance, high volume heatsinks

Higher-powered electronics are being integrated into automobiles rapidly. With these electronics comes the problem of how to cool this equipment economically. Heat sink costs have not benefited nor adapted to the high volume nature of automotive electronics. Specially shaped heat sinks are much more efficient for a given size than the aluminum extrusion-based ones most prevalently used in automobiles. However, machining costs preclude specially shaped heat sink use in most automotive applications. High purity extruded aluminum has always been a good heat sink material for electronic components. Casting aluminum to create more efficient and useful shapes has a severe penalty in thermal conductivity due to the impurities necessary for casting. Porosity is another significant factor which lowers thermal conductivity in both die and hand cast aluminum. This paper gives show a new heat sink design and material process that allows porosity-free low cost heat sinks to be diecast into complicated 3D shapes. A cost and performance analysis comparing different high volume heat sink manufacturing methods, die cost, and per piece cost are examined for various commercial copper-based, zinc, zinc-aluminum, and aluminum die casting materials. Additionally, the paper shows where the automotive industry can benefit from these technologies and where they may not be as appropriate.
Role of protein-protein bridging interactions on cooperative assembly of DNA-bound CRP-CytR-CRP complex and regulation of the Escherichia coli CytR regulon

The unlinked operons that comprise the Escherichia coli CytR regulon are controlled coordinately through interactions between two gene regulatory proteins, the cAMP receptor protein (CRP) and the cytidine repressor (CytR). CytR controls the balance between CRP-mediated recruitment and activation of RNA polymerase and transcriptional repression. Cooperative interactions between CytR, when bound to an operator (CytO) located upstream of a CytR-regulated promoter, and CRP, when bound to flanking tandem promoters, are critical to the regulatory role of CytR. When CytR binds cytidine, cooperativity is reduced resulting in increased transcriptional activity. However, this cytidine-mediated effect varies among promoters, suggesting that coupling between cytidine binding to CytR and CytR−CRP association is sensitive to promoter structure. To investigate the chemical and structural basis for these effects, we investigated how cytidine binding affects association between CytR and CRP in solution and how it affects ...
Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus-associated changes in serum glycosaminoglycans

Abstract It is known that diabetes mellitus affects the metabolism of several components of extracellular matrix, including glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). These changes are believed to play an important role in the development of diabetic complications. An altered GAG metabolism is one of the main causes of diabetes-associated vascular pathology. For these reasons it was decided to evaluate the changes in serum GAGs of patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The GAGs were isolated from the serum of healthy subjects (control group) and diabetic patients (investigated groups). They were submitted to electrophoretic fractionation and quantitative evaluation by enzymatic methods. It was found that NIDDM is accompanied by a distinct increase in the concentration of serum GAGs. First of all, the concentrations of chondroitin sulphates (ChS) and dermatan sulphate (DS) were found to be elevated. These alterations were much more distinct in patients with a poor metabolic control than in those with a good metabolic control. An increase in ChS and DS fractions was accompanied by nonsignificant elevation in heparan sulphate/heparin (HS/H) level in patients with good metabolic control and by a distinct decrease in HS/H concentration in poorly controlled diabetic subjects. Hyaluronic acid (HA) (undetectable in healthy subjects and in patients with a good metabolic control) was found in trace amounts in poorly controlled diabetic individuals. The obtained data allow to conclude that NIDDM-associated disturbances of tissue GAGs metabolism result in significant alterations in serum GAG composition.
Potential of osmotic power generation by pressure retarded osmosis using seawater as feed solution: Analysis and experiments

Abstract The most commonly explored salinity-gradient scheme in the pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) process is based on the pairing of seawater and river water as a salinity gradient resource. However, due to the lack of a high-performance PRO membrane, a sufficient osmotic pressure differential across the membrane active layer to produce high power density cannot be attained with this seawater–river water pair. While high-performance PRO membranes have to be developed, there are other approaches to increase power density that combine several salinity gradient resources more efficiently. This study analyzes scenarios of osmotic power generation by PRO based on a variety of salinity gradient resources. Brine from RO (or future FO) desalination plants and municipal wastewater effluent (or brackish water) may be used as a high-salinity draw solution and low-salinity feed solution, respectively. The use of high salinity brines (as draw solution) from future FO desalination plants paired with seawater (as feed solution) may be an especially viable approach for a hybrid process of FO desalination and PRO power generation. In this approach, seawater is the only input resource, and there is no need to have separate intake and pre-treatment for the feed and draw solutions as in the conventional seawater–river water PRO scheme. From the analysis of these scenarios, we performed experiments with seawater (0.5 M NaCl) as feed solution to investigate the feasibility of the PRO process with the various proposed schemes. For the 2 M draw/0.5 M feed solution scheme at a solution temperature of 30 °C, a water flux of 13.9 L m−2 h−1 and corresponding projected power density of 4.7 W/m2 were obtained at a hydraulic pressure difference of 12.5 bar using a commercial cellulose triacetate FO membrane. This study demonstrates that osmotic power generation by pressure retarded osmosis using seawater as a feed solution is potentially viable through the introduction of a hybrid process of FO desalination and PRO osmotic power generation.
Growing use of standardized patients in teaching and evaluation in medical education

In May 1993, a survey was sent to each U.S. and Canadian medical school requesting information about how standardized patients (SPs) are used for teaching and evaluating clinical skills. The survey was done to determine what change, if any, there has been in the use of SPs since a similar survey was done in 1989 (by Paula Stillman, MD, & colleagues1). Ninety‐seven percent of the schools responded to the survey. One hundred eleven schools reported using SPs—an increase from 94 schools in 1989. Results of the survey support the perception that the use of SPs in the medical school curriculum is increasing, particularly the use of SPs for teaching and evaluating interviewing, medical history, and complete physical examination. Thirty‐nine of the 111 schools require students to take an examination before graduation, which involves using SPs to evaluate clinical skills. The need for a national resource or databank to house SP cases, training materials, and evaluation forms is highlighted.
Serotonergic mediation of a negative feedback effect of estrogen on luteinizing hormone release in ovariectomized rats

Effects of the serotonin receptor antagonists ketanserin, metergoline, and methysergide on LH release were tested in ovariectomized (OVX) rats pretreated with estradiol benzoate (EB) (5 micrograms/100 g BW) on each of the 2 days preceding the experiment. LH concentration measured by RIA in plasma samples obtained at 10 min intervals was analyzed using the PULSAR computer program to identify and characterize pulses observed in the LH profile of each rat individually. Multiple pulses were identified in seven of seven OVX rats but in only two of eight OVX rats primed with EB. Multiple pulses were identified in OVX EB-primed rats pretreated with ketanserin (six of seven), metergoline (three of seven), and methysergide (six of eight). Administration of the serotonin (5HT) agonist quipazine (2 mg/kg iv) to OVX rats inhibited pulsatile LH release and depressed mean plasma concentrations for approximately 45 min. This inhibitory response was antagonized by pretreatment of the OVX animals with ketanserin. These results suggest that 1) quipazine inhibits pulsatile LH release in OVX rats by a serotonin2 receptor mechanism; and 2) the inhibitory effect of estrogen on pulsatile LH release may also be mediated, at least in part, via 5HT2 systems.
Embryonic domains of the aorta derived from diverse origins exhibit distinct properties that converge into a common phenotype in the adult

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are derived from distinct embryonic origins. Vessels originating from differing smooth muscle cell populations have distinct vascular and pathological properties involving calcification, atherosclerosis, and structural defects such as aneurysm and coarctation. We hypothesized that domains within a single vessel, such as the aorta, vary in phenotype based on embryonic origin. Gene profiling and myographic analyses demonstrated that embryonic ascending and descending aortic domains exhibited distinct phenotypes. In vitro analyses demonstrated that VSMCs from each region were dissimilar in terms of cytoskeletal and migratory properties, and retention of different gene expression patterns. Using the same analysis, we found that these same two domains are indistinguishable in the adult vessel. Our data demonstrate that VSMCs from different embryonic origins are functionally distinct in the embryonic mouse, but converge to assume a common phenotype in the aorta of healthy adults. These findings have fundamental implications for aortic development, function and disease progression.
Padded continued fraction absorbing boundary conditions for dispersive waves

Continued fraction absorbing boundary conditions (CFABCs) are new arbitrarily high-order local absorbing boundary conditions that are highly effective in simulating wave propagation in unbounded domains. The current versions of CFABCs are developed for the non-dispersive acoustic wave equation with convex polygonal computational domains. In this paper, the CFABCs are modified through augmentation of special padding elements, and are effective for absorbing evanescent waves occurring in dispersive wave problems while retaining their absorption properties for propagating waves. The padded CFABCs for dispersive wave equations result in fourth order evolution equations, which are solved using an efficient combination of Crank Nicholson method, Newmark time-stepping scheme, and operator splitting ideas. The effectiveness of the padded CFABCs and their implementation is illustrated through numerical examples with varying levels of dispersion.
Clues to QCD dynamics from flavor dependence of nucleon spin-flip transitions

It is much harder to flip the spin of a proton by flipping a $d$-quark spin than by flipping a $u$-quark spin. This gives very strong flavor dependence which can be used in tests of QCD models. For example, the ratio of the spin-flip transitions $\frac{\ensuremath{\sigma}({\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\rho}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p)}{\ensuremath{\sigma}({\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\rho}}^{+}p)}$ is predicted to be 1 if the mechanism is flavor-independent gluon exchange, to be 16 if the mechanism is quark-antiquark annihilation and pair creation, and to be $\frac{1}{16}$ if the mechanism is quark exchange.
Small Conductance Ca2+-activated K+ Channels and Calmodulin CELL SURFACE EXPRESSION AND GATING

Small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels (SK channels) are heteromeric complexes of pore-forming α subunits and constitutively bound calmodulin (CaM). The binding of CaM is mediated in part by the electrostatic interaction between residues Arg-464 and Lys-467 of SK2 and Glu-84 and Glu-87 of CaM. Heterologous expression of the double charge reversal in SK2, SK2 R464E/K467E (SK2:64/67), did not yield detectable surface expression or channel activity in whole cell or inside-out patch recordings. Coexpression of SK2:64/67 with wild type CaM or CaM1,2,3,4, a mutant lacking the ability to bind Ca2+, rescued surface expression. In patches from cells coexpressing SK2:64/67 and wild type CaM, currents were recorded immediately following excision into Ca2+-containing solution but disappeared within minutes after excision or immediately upon exposure to Ca2+-free solution and were not reactivated upon reapplication of Ca2+-containing solution. Channel activity was restored by application of purified recombinant Ca2+-CaM or exposure to Ca2+-free CaM followed by application of Ca2+-containing solution. Coexpression of the double charge reversal E84R/E87K in CaM (CaM:84/87) with SK2:64/67 reconstituted stable Ca2+-dependent channel activity that was not lost with exposure to Ca2+-free solution. Therefore, Ca2+-independent interactions with CaM are required for surface expression of SK channels, whereas the constitutive association between the two channel subunits is not an essential requirement for gating.
fMRI constrained linear estimation of cortical activity from MEG measurements: A model study

The localization of activity within the brain based on magnetoencephalography (MEG) measurements is inherently ill-posed. It has been suggested that information from functional magnetic resonance images (fMRI) can be used to constrain the ill-posedness [1,2,3,4]. Using the MEG temporal data and a linear estimation approach [1] or weighted minimum norm, we wish to compute the time courses of activated areas observed by fMRI.
Electrochemical behaviour of iron and iron oxide thin films in alkaline (1 m KOH) aqueous solution: a voltammetry study for cathodic instability of coating/metal interface

The electrochemical behaviour of thin film metallic iron and the iron oxides in 1 m KOH anaerobic aqueous solution was studied by cyclic voltammetry technique. The material studied was of thin film (50 nm) iron supported on a glass substrate, and the oxide thermally formed on the iron film. The voltammetry of thin film iron on glass was similar to that of low carbon steel and gave a convenient means for preparing specimens for obtaining information relevant to the degradation of structural steel. In this report, the formation of various types of oxides on the iron surface are identified, and the electrochemical stability of the oxides and their relevance to the cathodic disbonding of organic coating from cathodically protected steel pipelines are discussed.
MicroRNA-146b promotes myogenic differentiation and modulates multiple gene targets in muscle cells.

MicroRNAs are established as crucial modulators of skeletal myogenesis, but our knowledge about their identity and targets remains limited. In this study, we have identified microRNA-146b (miR-146b) as a novel regulator of skeletal myoblast differentiation. Following up on a previous microRNA profiling study, we establish that the expression of miR-146b is up-regulated during myoblast differentiation in vitro and muscle regeneration in vivo. Inhibition of miR-146b led to reduced myoblast differentiation, whereas overexpression of miR-146b enhanced differentiation. Computational prediction combined with gene expression information has revealed candidates for miR-146b targets in muscles. Among them, the expression of Smad4, Notch1, and Hmga2 are significantly suppressed by miR-146b overexpression in myocytes. In addition, expression levels of Smad4, Notch1 and Hmga2 are decreased during myoblast differentiation and muscle regeneration, inversely correlating to the levels of miR-146b. Importantly, inhibition of endogenous miR-146b prevents the down-regulation of Smad4, Notch1 and Hmga2 during differentiation. Furthermore, miR-146b directly targets the microRNA response elements (MREs) in the 3′UTR of those genes as assessed by reporter assays. Reporters with the seed regions of MREs mutated are insensitive to miR-146b, further confirming the specificity of targeting. In conclusion, miR-146b is a positive regulator of myogenic differentiation, possibly acting through multiple targets.
Turbulent Dissipation-Rate Equation for Compressible Flows

The turbulent dissipation rate in a compressible flow is modeled in terms of its solenoidal and dilatational parts. In the κ-e framework the solenoidal dissipation rate is computed using the modeled dissipation-rate equation for incompressible flows. This is based on the assumption that the solenoidal dissipation rate for compressible flows follows the same dynamics as the dissipation rate for incompressible flows. We test this assumption by comparing the exact transport equations of these two quantities, both analytically and using direct numerical simulation data of a Mach 4 boundary layer. The two equations are found to be equivalent except for an additional term caused by the variation of fluid viscosity in the compressible case. This forms the rigorous basis for using the incompressible modeled dissipation-rate equation in a compressible boundary-layer flow provided the extra term caused by variation of fluid viscosity is included. Finally, the implications of the dissipation-rate analysis on the κ-ω turbulence model are pointed out
Reference Potential Terms in Static Capacitance Calculations Via the Method of Moments

In an earlier publication [1], a numerical method for determining the per-unit-length generalized capacitance matrix for a system of parallel cylindrical conductors with cylindrical dielectric insulations (wires) was given. In the formulation of the method, potential expressions were developed in which reference-potential terms were omitted. In this paper, a proof of the validity of omitting the reference-potential terms is presented.
Secure Information Aggregation for Smart Grids Using Homomorphic Encryption

In this paper, we present a distributed incremental data aggregation approach, in which data aggregation is performed at all smart meters involved in routing the data from the source meter to the collector unit. With a carefully constructed aggregation tree, the aggregation route covers the entire local neighborhood or any arbitrary set of designated nodes with minimum overhead. To protect user privacy, homomorphic encryption is used to secure the data en route. Therefore, all the meters participate in the aggregation, without seeing any intermediate or final result. In this way, our approach supports efficient data aggregation in smart grids, while fully protecting user privacy. This approach is especially suitable for smart grids with repetitive routine data aggregation tasks.
THE EFFECT OF THYROXIN ON GROWTH, OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND BODY COMPOSITION OF HEREDITARY DWARF MICE

THE MUTATION causing dwarfism in mice was found by Smith and MacDowell (1, 2) to act primarily on the pituitary and indirectly on the endocrine glands which it controls. Pituitaries from dwarf mice implanted into other dwarfs stimulated sexual development but not growth. Normal pituitaries and crude pituitary extracts, however, produced both effects. The dwarf mouse has a low metabolic rate (3, 4, 5) and an atrophic thyroid (1, 6). Snell (6) was the first to observe growth stimulation in dwarf mice treated with thyroid. The growth resulting is reported (7) to be abnormal as the ears and hair are overemphasized and the apparent growth exaggerated by large masses of fat. Following 140 days of treatment all of 30 dwarf mice had body weights between 20 and 30 gm. (7). Treatment for shorter periods results in only moderate growth with no obvious excess fat (8, 9).
Global confinement and discrete dynamo activity in the MST reversed‐field pinch

Results obtained on the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) reversed‐field pinch [Fusion Technol. 19, 131 (1991)] after installation of the design poloidal field winding are presented. Values of βθe0≡2μ0ne0Te0/B2θ(a)∼12% are achieved in low‐current (I=220 kA) operation; here, ne0 and Te0 are central electron density and temperature, and Bθ(a) is the poloidal magnetic field at the plasma edge. An observed decrease in βθe0 with increasing plasma current may be due to inadequate fueling, enhanced wall interaction, and the growth of a radial field error at the vertical cut in the shell at high current. Energy confinement time varies little with plasma current, lying in the range of 0.5–1.0 msec. Strong discrete dynamo activity is present, characterized by the coupling of m=1, n=5–7 modes leading to an m=0, n=0 crash (m and n are poloidal and toroidal mode numbers). The m=0 crash generates toroidal flux and produces a small (2.5%) increase in plasma current.
External auditors' willingness to rely on the work of internal auditors: The influence of work style and barriers to cooperation

Abstract The extent to which external auditors rely on the work of internal auditors is an important judgment. Recently, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board has recommended that external auditors “rely (more) on the work of others” to reduce the greater-than-expected costs associated with compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act. Reliance decisions, however, are complex decision tasks that require professional judgment and may be influenced by a number of factors, both external (environmental) and internal (cognitive and affective), including the auditors' working style and pervious experiences related to barriers to external/internal auditor cooperation (e.g., previously experienced low versus high internal auditor objectivity and/or competence). We experimentally examine these influences in our research reported herein. Consistent with expectations, external auditors' work styles significantly influenced the extent of planned audit testing, internal auditor reliance judgments, and interpretation of analytical procedures results. Auditors' perceptions about internal auditors' competence and objectivity, developed over years of interaction, also influenced these judgments, and interacted with work styles. Inconsistent with expectations, auditor rank (senior versus manager) did not influence judgments.
Lifetimes and transition probabilities for some Fe II levels by the beam-foil method

Abstract The lifetimes of five levels in Fe II have been determined by the beam-foil method. Measurements were made at several energies between 200 and 400 keV using both 5 and 10 μg/cm2 carbon foils. The various results for a given level agree to within ±8% and show no significant variation with energy. There is good agreement with the results of Andersen. The experimental total transition probability, or reciprocal of the lifetime, was compared to the transition probability calculated from the oscillator strengths of Warner, corrected by using the normalization function of Warner and Cowly. There is disagreement by roughly a factor of three which would be significant in solar iron abundance calculations based on Fe II. It will be necessary to determine accurate branching ratios for all the transitions which depopulate the upper-levels studied in order to resolve this discrepancy.
Systemic and left ventricular responses to exercise stress in asymptomatic patients with valvular aortic stenosis

Patients with heart disease may have myocardial ischemia or left ventricular (LV) dysfunction without symptoms. The exercise responses of 14 asymptomatic patients with valvular aortic stenosis (AS) were studied using treadmill testing, thallium-201 scintigraphy and radionuclide angiography. Compared with age- and gender-matched control subjects, patients with AS demonstrated reduced exercise tolerance (10.7 ± 2.5 vs 13.3 ± 4.2 min; p = 0.06) and maximal oxygen consumption (26.7 ± 6.3 vs 36.3 ± 9.5 ml O2/min/kg; p = 0.004) associated with decreased peak systolic blood pressure response to exercise (177 ± 18 vs 214 ± 42 mm Hg; p < 0.004). Ten of 14 patients developed ST-segment depression during exercise, only 3 of whom had reversible thallium defects. Patients with AS tended to have greater LV ejection fractions at rest (65 ± 11 vs 58 ± 7; p = 0.08) and significantly decreased early peak filling rates (4.8 ± 1.3 vs 6.1 ± 0.6 stroke volume/s; p = 0.003) compared with those of control subjects. During maximal supine exercise, patients with AS had less of an increase in ejection fraction (2 ± 9 vs 15 ± 7%; p < 0.001) associated with a decrease in end-diastolic (−7 ± 15 vs +5 ± 16%; p = 0.06) and stroke (−6 ± 17 vs +30 ± 13%; p < 0.001) volumes from baseline measurements. The limitation in stroke volume and heart rate to exercise stress in patients with AS was associated with attenuation of the cardiac output response during exercise compared with that of control subjects (73 ± 48 vs 284 ± 48%; p < 0.001), which correlated directly with effort limitation (r = 0.717, p = 0.004). Thus, despite the absence of symptoms patients with AS demonstrate limited effort tolerance with abnormal systemic and LV hemodynamics, which is most likely a consequence of the inability to augment end-diastolic volume during exercise.
Micropatterning of block copolymer solutions

Submicron patterns of block copolymers were generated using an elastomeric mold against solutions of block copolymers. To prevent the swelling of the elastomeric mold by the solvent used in the block copolymer solution, a thin layer of amorphous fluorinated polymer was coated on the surface of the mold. The comparison of patterns generated using an unmodified mold with those generated using a modified mold is also reported. Coupled with their microphase separation at nanometer scale, these block copolymer patterns can be applied in nanofabrication as nanotemplates.
Properties of allelic variants of phosphoglucomutase from the sea anemone Metridium senile.

The phosphoglucomutase (Pgm) locus from populations of the sea anemone Metridium senile has three alleles in natural populations from the northeastern coast of North America. Two of the alleles exhibit clinal variation north of Cape Cod, suggesting a possible association of allele frequency with environmental temperature. This clinal pattern is reproducible and stable over at least brief periods of time. The allozymes encoded by each of the six Pgm genotypes have been partially purified and characterized. The symmetrical pH optimum for Vmax is pH 7.5; the apparent Km (Kmapp) of glucose-1-phosphate declines monotonically as the pH increases from 6.5 to 8.5. There are no pronounced differences in heat stabilities of PGM produced by various genotypes, nor are there significant differences in specific activities. There are no differences in the sensitivity of Vmax to temperature. Kmappvalues are very low for all genotypes, ranging from about 2 to 12 µm, depending upon the temperature. Kmappof glucose-1-phosphate declines as the temperature is raised for all genotypes, whether the pH is held constant or allowed to vary with the temperature. Under certain conditions, there are small significant differences among genotypes in Kmappvalues, but there is no systematic pattern to these differences. The present data provide no biochemical explanation for the maintenance of the Pgm cline by selection for functional differences under different thermal regimes.
Site selective laser spectroscopy of the dynamics of defect aggregation in alkali halides

Abstract The individual sites in KCl:Sm2+ are followed by site selective spectroscopy as aggregation occurs after quenching from high temperatures. The mechanism for aggregation is found to be dimer formation.
Solicitation and Donation: An Econometric Evaluation of Alumni Generosity in Higher Education

This paper evaluates the relationship between alumni solicitation and alumni donation within institutions of higher education. The issue of alumni giving is important for universities because the average cost of university tuition has increased dramatically over the past 20 years at an annual growth rate larger than the United States CPI (Harvard University Factbook, 2005–06). For instance, in 2005 at Harvard, only 21 percent of total university income came from student tuition, whereas 48 percent came from donors. By 2003, alumni donations across all US universities have become on average the largest source of donations and in 2005 have risen to 26.6 percent of university donations. Of key importance for our research is resolving the debate within the literature on the effect of solicitation of alumni donations. We employ a fixed effects model on the largest and longest-spanning panel dataset yet seen in the literature on alumni giving. This dataset consists of 2,986 universities and colleges in the United States over a period of 12 years. Second, we look at those schools most highly regarded in the US, as determined by the US News and World Report, which consists of 117 schools. We determine that solicitation efforts, in all of our regression analyses, provide a positive marginal effect on levels of alumni donations. Thus, we add to the field on alumni generosity by developing definitive conclusions regarding the verifiable effects of solicitation, as well as other university-specific characteristics.
A framework approach for developing parallel adaptive multiphysics applications

This paper presents the concept of using a computational framework for enabling rapid development of parallel adaptive multiphysics application codes. A computational framework supplies a software architecture along with a toolbox of advanced capabilities for the many mechanics-independent pieces of the software. These pieces include high-level concepts to support parallel communications, parallel transfer operators that support code coupling, and parallel mesh refinement and unrefinement services with dynamic load rebalancing. We describe these capabilities in the context of the SIERRA framework developed at Sandia National Laboratories. Numerical examples are given, demonstrating the use of framework services for developing a parallel coupled application and a parallel single-physics h-adaptive application.
Re-Placing Race in (White) Psychoanalytic Discourse: Founding Narratives of Feminism

It has become a commonplace for psychoanalytic feminist scholars to return to the "great debate" of the 1920s and 1930s, when central figures in the movement explored the question of whether an autonomous model of female sexuality should or could be delineated as distinct from the male-based model that had been privileged in Freud's accounts. Indeed, this debate is recapitulated in diverse collections of essays, in which the arguments of the original protagonists in the debate are variously summarized (Freud, Jeanne Lampl-de Groot, Helene Deutsch, Ruth Mack Brunswick, Marie Bonaparte, Karen Horney, Ernest Jones, Joan Riviere, Melanie Klein), and then contemporary analysts or theorists take up the arguments anew, extending or revising conceptualizations of"female sexuality" in both clinical and applied areas of psychoanalysis.' Psy-
Plasma sheath behavior and ionic wind effect in electric field modified flames

Abstract Plasma sheath theory is applied to understand the plasma behavior in electric field modified flames. This paper presents a set of 1D plasma sheath equations with approximated analytical solutions to calculate the sheath thickness for given applied voltages and plasma properties. The results show that the anode sheath is ten of microns thick, less than 1 V, and largely independent of the applied voltage. The cathode sheath grows with the applied voltage to centimeters thick. The limited extent of the anode and cathode sheaths, which limits the reach of the electric field, in part explains the different flame behaviors reported in the literature. The ionic wind body force is also calculated based on ion energy losses due to collisions. The sheath analysis provides a possible explanation for reported flame behavior under a DC field modified such as saturation current and diode-like behavior.
Linkage of genes for nitrogenase and nodulation ability on plasmids in Rhizobium leguminosarum and R. phaseoli

The ability to identify genes that specify nitrogenase (nif genes) in Rhizobium depends on the close homology between then and the corresponding nif genes of Klebsiella pneumoniae (Nuti et al. 1979; Ruvkun and Ausubel 1980). Rhizobium plasmids of high molecular weight (>100 Md) were separated on agarose gels, transferred to nitrocellulose filters and tested for their ability to hybridise with radioactively labelled pSA30, containing the nifKDH region of K. pneumoniae. Five large plasmids, each present in different strains of R. leguminosarum or R. phaseoli, were found to hybridise. Each of these plasmids had previously been shown to determine other symbiotic functions such as nodulation ability. The nif genes on three different plasmids appeared to be in conserved DNA regions since they were within an EcoRI restriction fragment of the same size.