cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
c-Kit–Positive Cardiac Stem Cells Nested in Hypoxic Niches Are Activated by Stem Cell Factor Reversing the Aging Myopathy

Rationale: Hypoxia favors stem cell quiescence, whereas normoxia is required for stem cell activation, but whether cardiac stem cell (CSC) function is regulated by the hypoxic/normoxic state of the cell is currently unknown. Objective: A balance between hypoxic and normoxic CSCs may be present in the young heart, although this homeostatic control may be disrupted with aging. Defects in tissue oxygenation occur in the old myocardium, and this phenomenon may expand the pool of hypoxic CSCs, which are no longer involved in myocyte renewal. Methods and Results: Here, we show that the senescent heart is characterized by an increased number of quiescent CSCs with intact telomeres that cannot re-enter the cell cycle and form a differentiated progeny. Conversely, myocyte replacement is controlled only by frequently dividing CSCs with shortened telomeres; these CSCs generate a myocyte population that is chronologically young but phenotypically old. Telomere dysfunction dictates their actual age and mechanical behavior. However, the residual subset of quiescent young CSCs can be stimulated in situ by stem cell factor reversing the aging myopathy. Conclusions: Our findings support the notion that strategies targeting CSC activation and growth interfere with the manifestations of myocardial aging in an animal model. Although caution has to be exercised in the translation of animal studies to human beings, our data strongly suggest that a pool of functionally competent CSCs persists in the senescent heart and that this stem cell compartment can promote myocyte regeneration effectively, partly correcting the aging myopathy.
Long-term follow-up of patients with vascular dementia: Bertha memorial lecture, 1992.

leuko-araiosis and their compartmental perfusion values with cognitive test performance among age­ matched groups of patients suffering from multiple cerebral infarctions with and without cognitive im­ pairments. The presentlongitudinal study was, there­ fore, designed to measure local cerebral perfusion and volumes of leuko-araiosis among four groups of patients with multiple cerebral infarctions in order to: (a) compare results among those with and those with­ out cognitive impairments, and (b) compare results among MID patients that stabilized and those whose cognitive test performance continued to deteriorate over a follow-up interval of 2 years.
Oral glucose tolerance: relationship with hemoglobin A1c

Summary Fifty-two normal non-obese males and 77 male offspring of two diabetic parents, aged 15–72 years, were studied to identify possible reasons for discordance between the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and hemoglobin A 1c (Hb A 1c ). Subjects were classified into four study groups: group 1 ( n = 83), normal OGTT and normal Hb A 1c ; group 2 ( n = 19), normal OGTT and abnormal Hb A 1c ; group 3 ( n = 9), abnormal OGTT and normal Hb A 1c ; and group 4 ( n = 18), abnormal OGTT and abnormal Hb A 1c . Glucose and insulin response were analyzed in each study group. Group 2 showed slightly higher mean glucose areas during the first 60 min of OGTT testing when compared with group 1 ( P P P P P ⩽ 0.002). Also, relative hyperinsulinism in group 3 was suggested by the elevated insulin/glucose regression coefficient (1.86 ± 0.50) when compared with group 1 (1.17 ± 0.09), group 2 (0.92 ± 0.011) or group 4 (0.55 ± 0.17) ( P ⩽ 0.05). In this group mild oral glucose intolerance associated with normoglycemia on a day-to-day basis as indicated by a normal Hb A 1c appears to be due to a state of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia.
Cognitively Based Apparent Motion: An Extreme Case

An ambiguous figure is used to provide a demonstration of apparent motion in which there is no change in the retinal image or in external space.
A new damascene structure for submicrometer interconnect wiring

A damascene structure for forming high-density interconnect wiring is presented. The structure results in improved open and short yields, lower sheet resistances, and comparable contact/via resistances, and it shows excellent filling of high-aspect-ratio long lines with high copper content. The key aspect of this technique is the ability to combine soft, low-resistance metal (Al alloy, Cu alloy, etc.) deposited by physical vapor deposition (PVD) with a hard metal (W) deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with high wear resistance. As a result a structure with a good polish stop, better alloying capability, and high yields can be fabricated while maintaining planarity at all levels. This structure is applied to a dense 512 K SRAM design with 0.5 mu m minimum ground rules, resulting in improved yield of partially functional chips at second-level metal compared to the conventional reactive ion etching (RIE) structure. >
Instrumentation and sensor technologies for the measurement and detection of Lunar Dust

Planned Lunar missions within NASA's Exploration Program have resulted in renewed attention to problems attributable to fine particulates. While the difficulties experienced during the Apollo missions did not prove critical, the comparative duration and complexity of impending missions presents a different situation. This scenario creates the need for a spectrum of particulate measurement and sensor technologies. From a fundamental perspective, an improved understanding of the properties of the regolith dust fraction is required for future missions. The same capabilities are required for the iterative development and refinement of associated engineered simulant materials. A need also exists for end-use, mission compatible sensor technologies. Examples include provisions for air quality monitoring in spacecraft and remote habitation modules, and process control sensors for filtration systems. Required sensor attributes such as low mass, volume, and power consumption, autonomy of operation, and extended reliability cannot be accommodated by existing technologies. Described here are various advanced capabilities being developed to meet these requirements.
Products of Random Latent Variable Grammars

We show that the automatically induced latent variable grammars of Petrov et al. (2006) vary widely in their underlying representations, depending on their EM initialization point. We use this to our advantage, combining multiple automatically learned grammars into an unweighted product model, which gives significantly improved performance over state-of-the-art individual grammars. In our model, the probability of a constituent is estimated as a product of posteriors obtained from multiple grammars that differ only in the random seed used for initialization, without any learning or tuning of combination weights. Despite its simplicity, a product of eight automatically learned grammars improves parsing accuracy from 90.2% to 91.8% on English, and from 80.3% to 84.5% on German.
Interferometer direction finder for the H.F. band

The inherent accuracy of the simple two-element interferometer of several wavelengths, spacing can be utilized if resolution of the phase ambiguity is obtained. The statistical probability of this in the presence of wave interference is estimated from observations on a narrow-aperture pair of elements. The design problems and system errors are discussed for a five-element direction-finding array.
Time series prediction by chaotic modeling of nonlinear dynamical systems

We use concepts from chaos theory in order to model nonlinear dynamical systems that exhibit deterministic behavior. Observed time series from such a system can be embedded into a higher dimensional phase space without the knowledge of an exact model of the underlying dynamics. Such an embedding warps the observed data to a strange attractor, in the phase space, which provides precise information about the dynamics involved. We extract this information from the strange attractor and utilize it to predict future observations. Given an initial condition, the predictions in the phase space are computed through kernel regression. This approach has the advantage of modeling dynamics without making any assumptions about the exact form (linear, polynomial, radial basis, etc.) of the mapping function. The predicted points are then warped back to the observed time series. We demonstrate the utility of these predictions for human action synthesis, and dynamic texture synthesis. Our main contributions are: multivariate phase space reconstruction for human actions and dynamic textures, a deterministic approach to model dynamics in contrast to the popular noise-driven approaches for dynamic textures, and video synthesis from kernel regression in the phase space. Experimental results provide qualitative and quantitative analysis of our approach on standard data sets.
The Transcription Factor C/EBPβ Serves as a Master Regulator of Physiologic Cardiac Hypertrophy

Bostrom et al. Cell. 2010;143:1072–1083 Rosenzweig, Spiegelman, and colleagues recently published an exciting new paradigm in the journal Cell (2010;143:1072–1083), whereby the transcription factor C/EBPβ was shown to underlie important aspects of physiologic adaption of the heart associated with exercise.1 They showed that C/EBPβ is downregulated with exercise to permit expression of an adaptive gene profile associated with exercise. Indeed, siRNA knockdown of C/EBPβ or C/EBPβ+/- gene targeted mice showed changes in gene expression profiles that mimic exercise, and C/EBPβ+/- gene-targeted mice displayed markers of cardiomyocyte proliferation at baseline, as if exercised, and were protected from pathologic stress stimulation. Although dozens of signaling pathways and transcriptional effectors have been shown to underlie pathologic cardiac hypertrophy following myocardial infarction injury or pressure overload stimulation, much less is known of the molecular pathways underlying physiologic or exercise-induced hypertrophy. In general, pathologic hypertrophy is associated with pathologic insults and predisposition to worsening disease, whereas physiologic hypertrophy enhances cardiac performance and protects against disease. Rosenzweig, Spiegelman, and colleagues examined the mechanistic underpinnings of adaptive physiologic hypertrophy in detail, first starting with a basic characterization of the exercised heart and its cellular and molecular changes. …
Communication: Dynamic Data System Modeling---Revisited

In his comments on our paper, “A Time Series Approach to Queueing Systems with Applications for Modeling Job-Shop In-process Inventories,” Management Sci., March 1977, Oliver D. Anderson points out an inadequacy in the modeling results we presented on pp. 748--748. As a defender of the faith, he suggests that the culprit is our modeling strategy, a procedure he views as a Black-Box heresy. Since our modeling strategy is quite new and relatively unknown, especially compared to the Box-Jenkins 1 approach, Anderson's concluding remarks are not surprising.
Catalyst-Assisted Solution−Liquid−Solid Synthesis of CdS/CdSe Nanorod Heterostructures

We report the synthesis and characterization of axial nanorod heterostructures composed of cadmium selenide (CdSe) and cadmium sulfide (CdS). The synthesis employs a solution-liquid-solid (SLS) mechanism with the assistance of bismuth nanocrystals adhered to a substrate (silicon or a III-V semiconductor). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and diffraction studies show that CdSe and CdS segments exhibit the wurtzite (hexagonal) crystal structure with <5% stacking faults. Both of these segments grow along the [002] direction with an epitaxial interface between them. Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrometry using a high-resolution TEM operating in scanning mode confirms the alloy-free composition modulation in the nanorod heterostructures, showing that Se and S are localized in the CdSe and CdS portions of the nanorod heterostructures, respectively. This study demonstrates that SLS synthesis provides an alternate route to prepare axial nanorod heterostructures that have been difficult to generate using either vapor-liquid-solid growth or catalyst-free solution-phase synthesis.
Platelet monoamine oxidase, plasma dopamine β-hydroxylase activity, dementia and family history of alcoholism in chronic alcoholics

ABSTRACT— The authors measured platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity and plasma dopamine β-hydroxylase activity in 36 male chronic alcoholics during a period of non-abstinence, and in 29 normal controls. The influence of family history, dementia, chronicity of drinking and liver injury on the enzyme activities was also examined by multiple regression analysis. Platelet MAO was significantly lower in the alcoholic group. Both enzyme activities were negatively related to the presence of dementia, while low MAO activity was associated with positive family history (parents, sibs) of alcoholism.
Management Strategy for Very Mild Aortic Valve Stenosis

It is unclear how often patients with very mild aortic stenosis (gradients 1.2, evaluation every 1 or 2 years seems prudent.
Lymphatic Sparing Microscopic Retroperitoneal Varicocelectomy: A Preliminary Experience

Purpose: One of the most common approaches to varicocele in adolescents is the Palomo technique. We report the experience of a single surgeon using a modification in which an operating microscope was brought into the field so that lymphatics were identified and preserved. By sparing lymphatics we attempted to reduce the hydrocele rate to levels achieved with microscopic inguinal and subinguinal surgery.Materials and Methods: A total of 20 boys with grade III varicocele underwent retroperitoneal gonadal vessel ligation with microscope assisted sparing of lymphatics between November 2004 and June 2007. Mean patient age was 15 years and mean followup was 11.2 months (range 1 to 29).Results: Microscopic retroperitoneal varicocelectomy was performed in all patients with sparing of lymphatics under high power microscope. Clinical examination was performed at 1 week, 3, 6 and 12 months, and then annually to assess for recurrence and hydrocele. All boys who were followed had no hydrocele or recurrence.Conclusions...
The Effects of Lattice Shape on Photonic Band Gaps

We report on the influence of geometry and lattice shape parameter on the bandgaps associated with propagation in the plane and out of the plane of periodicity in photonic crystals.
Performance modeling of parallel Magnetostatic Wave calculations on shared memory multicore

The focus of this work is to identify data partitioning strategies and their performance models for memory intensive two dimensional Magneto-Static Wave (MSW) calculations for shared memory architecture. We have constructed computing, communication and synchronization time models for the different data partitioning schemes. We have identified that improved performance for any scheme can be achieved by reduced boundary sharing, decreasing stride penalties, reduced synchronization requirement and increased data sharing. A maximum speed-up of 3.9 for the largest data size is observed for one — dimensional partitioning.
Behavior of flow over step orography

A two-dimensional nonhydrostatic version of the NCEP regional Eta Model together with analytic theory are used to examine flow over isolated mountains in numerical simulations using a step-terrain vertical coordinate. Linear theory indicates that a singularity arises in the steady flow over the step corners for hydrostatic waves and that this discontinuity is independent of height. Analytic solutions for both hydrostatic and nonhydrostatic waves reveal a complex behavior that varies with both horizontal and vertical resolution. Witch of Agnessi experiments are performed with a 2D version of the Eta Model over a range of mountain half-widths. The simulations reveal that for inviscid flow over a mountain using the step-terrain coordinate, flow will not properly descend along the lee slope. Rather, the flow separates downstream of the mountain and creates a zone of artificially weak flow along the lee slope. This behavior arises due to artificial vorticity production at the corner of each step and can be remedied by altering the finite differencing adjacent to the step to minimize spurious vorticity production. In numerical simulations with the step-terrain coordinate for narrow mountains where nonhydrostatic effects are important, the disturbances that arise at step corners may be of the same horizontal scale as those produced by the overall mountain, and the superposition of these disturbances may reasonably approximate the structure of the continuous mountain wave. For wider mountains, where perturbations are nearly hydrostatic, the disturbances above the step corners have horizontal scales that are much smaller than the overall scale of the mountain and appear as sharp spikes in the flow field. The deviations from the ‘‘classic’’ Witch of Agnesi solution are significant unless the vertical resolution is very small compared to the height of the mountain. In contrast, simulations with the terrain-following vertical coordinate produce accurate solutions provided the vertical grid interval is small compared to the vertical wavelength of the mountain waves (typically at least an order of magnitude larger than the mountain height).
High coercivity CoCrPt/Ti perpendicular media by in situ interdiffusion of CrMn ultra thin overlayers

Summary form only given. Several reports have been published on CoCrPt perpendicular media and the use of a Ti buffer layer. The challenge to improve coercivity and squareness of this type of media is still extensive. We have deposited Ti (x nm)/CoCrPt (30nm)/CrMn (y nm) films at different substrate temperatures for different x and y values. We have observed that (0001) texture of Ti is strongly dependent on substrate temperature and Ti thickness, which subsequently affects the texture of the CoCrPt layer. A Ti buffer layer thickness of 50nm and a substrate temperature of about 280/spl deg/C introduce the best texture in the CoCrPt layer. Introduction of a 3nm thick CrMn overlayer improves the coercivity of the film by more than two times. The magnetic and structural properties of the films with and without CrMn layer are discussed.
Stochastic adaptive control of a continuous-time, linear periodic system with unknown baseline shift

Considers the problem of optimal control for a linear, time-varying system with periodic coefficients and quadratic cost in the case when an unknown periodic baseline shift is present. The author studies the estimation of this periodic parameter under arbitrary control inputs using a time-weighted least squares procedure. The author proves that the estimator converges a.s. to a piecewise constant approximation of the true parameter. The author then studies the problem of adaptive control using a certainty-equivalent controller based on this estimator. The author proves that this adaptive control is both admissible and /spl epsiv/-optimal. Finally, a simulation is included to illustrate the results herein. >
Occurrence of Sanguinicola occidentalis Van Cleave and Mueller, 1932 in Perca flavescens and Campeloma decisum From a Michigan Creek

Sanguinicola occidentalis (Trematoda: Sanguinicolidae) infected 58 (48%) of 120 yellow perch collected in 1997 and 40 (50%) of 80 yellow perch collected in 1998 from Silver Creek in lower Michigan. The mean intensity and mean abundance of this blood fluke were higher in 1998 than in 1997. The fluke was found in the bulbous arteriosus of the perch heart, free in the petri dishes when the gill filaments were teased apart, and in the body cavity washings, and 1 individual was associated with an eye. Of the 269 S. occidentalis examined from perch, none had eggs. Most perch examined and infected were only 1+ yr in age. Spearman's correlation coefficients between S. occidentalis intensity and host length in 1997 and 1998 were not significant. An additional 25 yellow perch (0+ yr in age) collected in 1998 were not infected. Thirty-seven (33%) of 113 snails (Campeloma decisum) examined in July and August 1999 from Silver Creek were infected with S. occidentalis.
Medical Ethics and School Football

Health professionals should call for ending public school tackle football programs. We disagree with the perspective and the argument of a recent report by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) ...
The mutating preconscious archetype in present-day ecological conditions

Competition is an important force behind evolution in present-day ecological conditions, its intensity varying according to the organisms' expectations vis-a-vis resources available. On the other hand, the role of mutation in the evolutionary process can hardly be underestimated: Leading to the change of the preconsciously functioning archetype, mutation makes it impossible for the ego to realize its image. This is a consequence of the clash between the mutated, preconsciously functioning archetype and the system of ethical and moral norms functioning in the collective superego of a given population group. The type of mutation that results from the accelerated pace of evolution can be viewed as a continuity in the development of an organism's behavior. The preconsciously functioning archetype, resulting from these mutations, contains impulses and predispositions that differ markedly from the impulses and predispositions functioning in the genetically determined "pattern of behavior." In a situation where anxiety results from the inhibition of impulses and dispositions, hostility reactions are likely to occur. In its turn, reactive hostility can induce anxiety, thus creating a reaction cycle. Underlying this mechanism is the mutated, preconsciously functioning archetype, which itself is a result of the development of civilization in our contemporary world.
Minimax estimators of the coverage probability of the impermissible error for a location family

We consider estimation for a multivariate location family. Between all confidence regions with volume less than a fixed value L, we find the equivariant confidence region with the biggest coverage probability. This region maximizes the infimum of the coverage probability over all confidence regions with volume less than L. As an application, we find an estimator of a location parameter with the property that minimizes the supremum of the probability that the error of the estimation exceeds a fixed constant. We also find a confidence region and an estimator having the previous properties, but based on the maximum likelihood estimator. In the one dimensional case, we find the Bahadur slope of the two obtained estimators. We show that except for certain families of distributions, the estimator based on the whole sample is superior to the estimator based upon the maximum likelihood estimator. Hence, we get that maximum likelihood estimators are not asymptotically sufficient.
Developmental characteristics of a forward roll.

Abstract A category checklist of developmental characteristics for the forward roll, modeled after Roberton's “component” approach, was hypothesized for this study. The categories were used to examine the usefulness of a component approach for describing actions occurring during the forward roll. Age-relatedness of category sequences was also explored. Three components were defined: hand/arm, head/neck, hip/leg. Each component was divided into phases which described the temporal course of actions occurring throughout the forward roll, from initial hand placement to heel strike. Within each component phase were hierarchically arranged steps, ordered from primitive to advanced. The potential usefulness of the components as a developmental checklist was examined using three criteria: (1) the comprehensiveness of the category system for describing observed movement behaviors; (2) the observed ordering of each component sequence in relation to the hypothesized ordering; and (3) the sign of the slopes of the ag...
In vitro antitumor activity of rebeccamycin analog (NSC# 655649) against pediatric solid tumors

PURPOSE This study determined the in vitro antitumor activity of a rebeccamycin analog (NSC# 655649) using tetrazolium/formazan (MTT) and clonogenic assays against established pediatric cell lines and solid tumor specimens obtained from children. MATERIALS AND METHODS Tumor cells from 14 established cell lines and 20 patient specimens were exposed in vitro for 1 hour to NSC# 655649 at concentrations ranging from 0.015 to 15.0 microM. The cytotoxicity (IC50) of this agent against established cell lines was determined using both the MTT (cytotoxic) and clonogenic/soft agar cloning (cytostatic) assays. Tumor specimens from children undergoing biopsy or surgical resection were also evaluated in vitro against NSC# 655649 using the clonogenic assay. For studies using patient specimens, antitumor activity was measured by comparing the number of tumor colonies from NSC# 655649-treated cells with those from solvent-treated controls. RESULTS These studies showed that the mean IC50S using the MTT and clonogenic assays using established solid tumor cell lines were 0.94 and 0.51 microM, respectively. In general, for cell lines tested using both types of assays, the clonogenic assay resulted in a smaller IC50. The overall in vitro responses (< or = 50% survival compared to controls) using patient tumor specimens and the clonogenic assay were 35% (1.5 microM), 60% (7.5 microM), and 80% (15.0 microM). Of the 9 patients with neuroblastoma, responses to NSC# 655649 were seen in 33% (1.5 microM), 58% (7.5 microM), and 92% (15.0 microM) of the specimens. Prior chemotherapy did not appear to adversely affect in vitro responses. CONCLUSIONS NSC# 655649 appears to have broad antitumor activity in vitro against pediatric malignancies at drug concentrations achieved during adult phase I clinical trials. These studies support the further development of NSC# 655649 for solid tumors in children.
Kinetics of Acid-Catalyzed Dehydration of Cyclic Hemiacetals in Organic Aerosol Particles in Equilibrium with Nitric Acid Vapor

Previous studies have shown that 1,4-hydroxycarbonyls, which are often major products of the atmospheric oxidation of hydrocarbons, can undergo acid-catalyzed cyclization and dehydration in aerosol particles to form highly reactive unsaturated dihydrofurans. In this study the kinetics of dehydration of cyclic hemiacetals, the rate-limiting step in this process, was investigated in a series of environmental chamber experiments in which secondary organic aerosol (SOA) containing cyclic hemiacetals was formed from the reaction of n-pentadecane with OH radicals in dry air in the presence of HNO3. A particle beam mass spectrometer was used to monitor the formation and dehydration of cyclic hemiacetals in real time, and SOA and HNO3 were quantified in filter samples by gravimetric analysis and ion chromatography. Measured dehydration rate constants increased linearly with increasing concentration of HNO3 in the gas phase and in SOA, corresponding to catalytic rate constants of 0.27 h–1 ppmv–1 and 7.0 h–1 M–1, r...
Abstract C76: A novel small molecule inhibitor of constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) that resensitizes doxorubicin-resistant neuroblastoma cells

This study aims to identify new specific small molecule inhibitors of the xenobiotic receptor CAR (constitutive androstane receptor) which could be used to increase sensitivity of resistant cancer cells to chemotherapeutics. CAR and PXR are xenobiotic sensors that respond to drugs and endobiotics by modulating the expression of metabolic genes that enhance detoxification and elimination. Elevated levels of drug metabolizing enzymes and efflux transporters resulting from CAR activation promote the elimination of chemotherapeutic agents leading to reduced therapeutic effectiveness. Interestingly, all previously reported CAR inverse-agonists are also activators of PXR thus rendering them mechanistically counterproductive in tissues expressing both receptors. Using a directed screening approach, we discovered a potent small molecule, CINPA1, capable of reducing CAR-mediated transcription with an IC50 of ∼70 nM, without activating PXR. CINPA1 is a specific xenobiotic inhibitor and has no general cytotoxic effects up to 25 μM. CINPA1 effectively inhibits CAR-mediated gene expression in all donors of human hepatocytes that express CAR endogenously. The mechanisms by which CINPA1 inhibits CAR function were extensively examined. We show that CINPA1 association with the CAR ligand binding domain results in increased corepressor interaction and reduced recruitment of coactivators. In addition, chromatin immunoprecipitation in the presence of CINPA1 illustrates reduced CAR binding to the promoter regions of target genes. Multidrug resistance in tumors after chemotherapy can be associated with errant CAR activity, as in the case of neuroblastoma. Treatment of doxorubicin-resistant neuroblastoma cells with CINPA1 resulted in reduced CAR activity and subsequent decrease in drug-transporter levels. In doxorubicin-resistant UKF-NB3 (neuroblastoma) cells, CINPA1 treatment increased doxorubicin sensitivity and decreased cell growth. This suggests that CAR inhibitors used in combination with existing chemotherapeutics could potentially be utilized to attenuate multidrug resistance and resensitize chemo-resistant cancer cells. Citation Format: Milu T. Cherian, Apana A. Takwi, Wenwei Lin, Taosheng Chen. A novel small molecule inhibitor of constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) that resensitizes doxorubicin-resistant neuroblastoma cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2015 Nov 5-9; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(12 Suppl 2):Abstract nr C76.
Experiments with a Public Transit Assistant for Blind Passengers

Public transportation is key to independence for many blind persons. Unfortunately, in spite of recent accessibility progress, use of public transportation remains challenging without sight. In this contribution, we describe a system that provides enhanced travel-related information access to a blind bus passenger. Users of this system can select a specific bus line and desired destination on a regular Android smartphone or tablet; are notified when the bus arrives; once in the bus, they are informed of its progress during the route; and are given ample advance notice when the bus is approaching their destination. This system was tested with four blind participants in realistic conditions.
Improving Comprehension of Numbers in the News

How many guns are there in the USA? What is the incidence of breast cancer? Is a billion dollar budget cut large or small? Advocates of scientific and civic literacy are concerned with improving how people estimate and comprehend risks, measurements, and frequencies, but relatively little progress has been made in this direction. In this article we describe and test a framework to help people comprehend numerical measurements in everyday settings through simple sentences, termed perspectives, that employ ratios, ranks, and unit changes to make them easier to understand. We use a crowdsourced system to generate perspectives for a wide range of numbers taken from online news articles. We then test the effectiveness of these perspectives in three randomized, online experiments involving over 3,200 participants. We find that perspective clauses substantially improve people's ability to recall measurements they have read, estimate ones they have not, and detect errors in manipulated measurements. We see this as the first of many steps in leveraging digital platforms to improve numeracy among online readers.
Visualization of Twitter Data in the Classroom.

The expression “big data” is ubiquitous in the business world today, but few undergraduate business students have the opportunity to gain practical experience with how new business analytics tools can be used in decision making. This article describes a set of hands-on labs that prepare students to incorporate streaming data analysis into group research projects. Splunk is used to help students analyze and visualize streaming social media data. An evaluation of student projects and student survey results show that this practical approach of training students to manipulate and visualize big data was largely successful in achieving instructional goals.
Linking Load, Fuel, and Emission Controls to Photochemical Production of Secondary Organic Aerosol from a Diesel Engine

Diesel engines are important sources of fine particle pollution in urban environments, but their contribution to the atmospheric formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is not well constrained. We investigated direct emissions of primary organic aerosol (POA) and photochemical production of SOA from a diesel engine using an oxidation flow reactor (OFR). In less than a day of simulated atmospheric aging, SOA production exceeded POA emissions by an order of magnitude or more. Efficient combustion at higher engine loads coupled to the removal of SOA precursors and particle emissions by aftertreatment systems reduced POA emission factors by an order of magnitude and SOA production factors by factors of 2–10. The only exception was that the retrofitted aftertreatment did not reduce SOA production at idle loads where exhaust temperatures were low enough to limit removal of SOA precursors in the oxidation catalyst. Use of biodiesel resulted in nearly identical POA and SOA compared to diesel. The effective S...
Case 3: Rash and Fever in a 12-year-old Girl.

1. Stacy B. Pierson, MD* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX A 12-year-old girl transfers to your inpatient service with a 5-day history of fever and rash. Initial symptoms included soreness under the left axilla associated with chills and a low-grade fever (100.5°F [38.1°C]). Repeated visits to multiple physicians yielded a diagnosis of viral syndrome due to nonspecific findings on examinations and negative results of radiography of the left shoulder and streptococcal rapid antigen testing. The soreness progressively worsened, with rapid development of a red, sunburnlike rash spreading from the axilla to the torso. Development of this rash coincided with abrupt onset of fever (up to 103.5°F [39.7°C]), headache, chills, and several episodes of vomiting the day of initial admission to the transferring hospital. Owing to the vomiting she was started on intravenous piperacillin/tazobactam to treat scarlet fever. Despite some improvement in symptoms after several days of intravenous antibiotics, the patient is transferred to your service to be seen by an infectious disease specialist due to uncertainty of diagnosis. Physical examination reveals a cooperative, but uncomfortable, girl. Her temperature is 97.9°F (36.6°C), pulse rate is 105 beats/min, respiratory rate is 24 breaths/min, and blood pressure is 116/66 mm Hg. The rash is erythematous, mildly edematous, and nontender, and it feels like sandpaper. Her skin is peeling at the tips of her fingers and toes. She is unable to abduct her left upper extremity due to soreness in the axilla and adjacent chest wall. …
The Senses of Slovenia: Peter Handke, Stanley Cavell, and the Environmental Ethics of Repetition

This analysis of the art of memory in Peter Handke’s Die Wiederholung argues that his notion of memory is rooted in Kierkegaard’s (future-oriented) concept of repetition rather than the Greek (past-oriented) concept of recollection. Drawing on Stanley Cavell’s reading of Thoreau, this chapter explores the environmental ramifications of such a dramaturgy of memory. It investigates the anthropological dialectics of primary and secondary nature, the relation between spatial mapping and language development, and the paradox of gaining identity through accepting otherness. Close readings of narrative strategies offer new insights into the ways in which Handke combines his language philosophy with an ethics of space, movement, and createdness. His poetics of world-forming anticipates concerns that are discussed in the Anthropocene debate today in powerful ways.
The University Faculty

(1933). The University Faculty. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 4, No. 7, pp. 393-394.
Groups acting on trees

The exposition in this chapter is based on, and sometimes follows very closely, the book by Jean-Pierre Serre: Trees, Translated from the French by John Stillwell, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York (1980). The reader should consult this work for more details, if needed.
The Pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus Eye Infections

Staphylococcus aureus is a major pathogen of the eye able to infect the tear duct, eyelid, conjunctiva, cornea, anterior and posterior chambers, and the vitreous chamber. Of these infections, those involving the cornea (keratitis) or the inner chambers of the eye (endophthalmitis) are the most threatening because of their potential to cause a loss in visual acuity or even blindness. Each of these ocular sites is protected by the constitutive expression of a variety of antimicrobial factors and these defenses are augmented by a protective host response to the organism. Such infections often involve a predisposing factor that weakens the defenses, such as the use of contact lenses prior to the development of bacterial keratitis or, for endophthalmitis, the trauma caused by cataract surgery or intravitreal injection. The structural carbohydrates of the bacterial surface induce an inflammatory response able to reduce the bacterial load, but contribute to the tissue damage. A variety of bacterial secreted proteins including alpha-toxin, beta-toxin, gamma-toxin, Panton-Valentine leukocidin and other two-component leukocidins mediate tissue damage and contribute to the induction of the inflammatory response. Quantitative animal models of keratitis and endophthalmitis have provided insights into the S. aureus virulence and host factors active in limiting such infections.
RB/E2F Regulation and Dual Activity in the Melanocytic System

Retinoblastoma (RB) is a tumor suppressor that represses the expression of E2F-regulated genes required for cell cycle progression. It is inactivated in melanomas and other cancer cells by phosphorylation catalyzed by persistent cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activity. CDK activity is sustained in melanoma cells mostly by the elimination of the CDK inhibitor, p16INK4A, and by high levels of cyclins, whose expression is maintained by stimuli emanating from activated cell-surface receptors and/or by mutated intracellular intermediates, such as N-Ras and B-Raf. However, RB also suppresses the expression of apoptosis genes, and its presence protects normal melanocytes from cell death. Its high expression in human melanoma cells and tumors suggests a similar positive effect on the viability of the malignant cells as well. The release and suppression of E2F transcriptional activity is likely to depend on promoter-specific RB/E2F interaction. Phosphorylated RB is displaced from cell cycle genes but not from others. In addition, RB gene repression is dependent on the nature of RB/E2F interaction and the composition of RB-bound proteins possessing specific chromatin modification activities recruited to the promoter. Deciphering the differences in RB/E2F complex formation in normal and malignant melanocytes is likely to shed light on the mechanism by which RB can exert tumor suppressing and promoting activities in this cellular system. The RB/E2F pathway provides opportunities for efficient therapy at multiple levels. Novel drugs can reactivate RB potential to suppress growth cycle-promoting genes. In addition, the high E2F transcriptional activity in melanoma cells can be exploited to deliver cytotoxic molecules specifically to tumors, sparing the normal tissues.
Vibrations of Polymers

Vibrational transitions of macromolecules have been demonstrated to influence the UV/VIS-absorption and emission spectra where these transitions cause the vibrational structure of electronic bands (Chap. 4). In the case of fluorescence and phosphorescence spectra this vibrational structure corresponds to ground state vibrations coupling with the electronic transition. Only a small fraction of all possible vibrations, however, can be identified in electronic spectra due to restrictions in coupling efficiency and spectral resolution. The methods of vibrational spectroscopy to be discussed in the following chapters allow a much broader range of polymer vibrations to be studied and additionally do not depend on the presence of chromophores with the exception of Resonance Raman Spectroscopy.
The murder of Wilbert Klerruu: collective agriculture on trial in Tanzania

This article uses the idea of a “tipping event” to help explain why the Government of Julius Nyerere called an abrupt end to the collective aspect of its policy of collective villagization. Perhaps...
Automated Debriefing: Interface for Large-Scale Research Ethics

Debriefing is an essential research ethics procedure in non-consented research where participants are informed about their participation in research and provided with controls over their data privacy. This demonstration presents a novel system for conducting and studying debriefing in large-scale behavioral experiments online. We designed a debriefing system, with an accompanying evaluation study, which are both delivered as a web application. Participants engage with this system once data collection for an experiment has concluded. The key contributions of this project are 1) the design and implementation of the debriefing system for field experiments, and 2) an approach to empirically evaluating public perception of research procedures.
Applying RFID and GPS Tracker for Ensuring Cargo Transportation Security

This chapter is about developing a centralized, internet based security tool which utilizes RFID and GPS technology to identify drivers and track the load integrity. The system will accomplish the security testing in real-time using the internet and the U.S. Customs’ database (ACE). A central database and the interfaces and communication between the database and ACE will be established. After the vehicle is loaded, all openings of the tanker are sealed with disposable RFID tag seals. Then a RFID reader and GPS tracker wirelessly connected with the databases will serve as testing grounds for the implementation of security measures that can help prevent future terrorist attacks and help in ensuring that the goods and products are not compromised while in transit. The system will reduce the labor work of security check to its minimum.
Teaching NeuroImages: Rete-like middle cerebral artery.

A 72-year-old woman underwent neuroimaging for evaluation of bilateral vertex headaches. Brain MRI was unremarkable but intracranial magnetic resonance angiography and CT angiography (figure) revealed unilateral, plexiform appearance of the proximal right middle cerebral artery (MCA). The constellation of imaging findings in absence of clinical correlates is consistent with a rete anomaly of the MCA (previously referred to as unfused or twig-like MCA).1 Unilateral involvement, exclusive involvement of proximal MCA, and otherwise normal intracranial vasculature ruled out moyamoya syndrome. The etiopathology of rete MCA anomaly is unknown. Recognition of rete anomaly is important to differentiate it from other vascular diseases and avoid unnecessary treatment.
Stabilization mechanisms of isotope-labeled carbon substrates in soil under moisture pulses and conservation agricultural management

Abstract Understanding the mechanisms of carbon (C) stabilization in soil under the influence of moisture pulses is essential for predicting the stability of terrestrial C in the face of climate change. Conservation agricultural management is widely recognized to mitigate climate change through soil C stabilization or retention. We conducted a 24-day mesocosm incubation using an agricultural soil under 36 years of conservation agricultural management including winter cover cropping and no-tillage farming. We added 13C-labeled simple (glucose) or complex (corn litter) C substrates to mesocosms, applied different frequencies of moisture pulses, and traced the fate of the added glucose- and corn-C in labile and stable soil C pools. Structural equation modelling was used to quantify the effect sizes of the short-term moisture pulses and the long-term conservation management on the stabilization of the added glucose- and corn-C in soil. Our results show that the added corn-C, which is more biochemically complex, had a lower recovery in microbial biomass than glucose-C after 24 days (0.15% vs. 46.98%). Compared to rewetting the soil, extended drought increased accumulation of glucose-C (46.39% vs. 77.45%) but decreased corn-C (0.22% vs. 0.06%) in microbial biomass. The extended drought also increased extractable organic C (0.22% vs. 0.91%) and H2O2-resistant C (1.48% vs. 3.14%) compared to rewetting the soil. Vetch, a nitrogen-fixing cover crop, appeared to stabilize the added C via facilitating incorporation into the H2O2-resistant fraction of soil C compared to no cover crop (3.37% vs. 1.95%). Moisture pulses disrupted macroaggregates and induced release of microaggregates, which may lead to destabilization of the added C. Structural equation models show that the multiple moisture pulses destabilized the added glucose-C and corn-C in soil, while the conservation management could mitigate some of these effects. Our results suggest that conservation agriculture can help improve the resilience of agroecosystem function in relation to soil C storage and stability in the face of climate change.
Surface chemistry of liquid bismuth under oxygen and water vapor studied by ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Abstract Bismuth (Bi) has a fairly low melting point of 544 K making it practical as a liquid metal medium in a number of applications. Under ambient atmospheric conditions the surface of solid Bi oxidizes. While the solid Bi interface has been fairly well characterized with surface science studies upon exposure to oxygen, to date little is known about the molecular level reactivity of the liquid interface. Using ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy the liquid–gas interfacial chemistry of Bi was examined upon exposure to oxygen gas and water vapor at 550 K up to a maximum pressure of 0.5 Torr. Water vapor remained unreactive towards the liquid interface over the entire pressure range. Oxygen remined unreactive up to 10−4 Torr, whereas above this pressure oxidation was observed forming Bi2O3. The oxidation exposure onset was > 5 × 105 Langmuirs, significantly higher than what is required for solid Bi interfaces.
Extended aging performance of high RAP mixtures and the role of softening oils

Recently, there is a growing interest in increasing content of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) material in the production of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) pavements to further reduce material costs and to...