cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cancer risk among career male and female Florida firefighters: Evidence from the Florida Firefighter Cancer Registry (1981-2014).

Background Firefighters are at increased risk for select cancers. However, many studies are limited by relatively small samples, with virtually no data on the cancer experience of female firefighters. This study examines cancer risk in over 100,000 career Florida firefighters including 5000 + females assessed over a 34-year period. Methods Florida firefighter employment records (n = 109 009) were linked with Florida Cancer Data System registry data (1981-2014; ~3.3 million records), identifying 3760 male and 168 female-linked primary cancers. Gender-specific age and calendar year-adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals for firefighters vs non-firefighters were calculated. Results Male firefighters were at increased risk of melanoma (aOR = 1.56; 1.39-1.76), prostate (1.36; 1.27-1.46), testicular (1.66; 1.34-2.06), thyroid (2.17; 1.78-2.66) and late-stage colon cancer (1.19;1.00-1.41). Female firefighters showed significantly elevated risk of brain (2.54; 1.19-5.42) and thyroid (2.42; 1.56-3.74) cancers and an elevated risk of melanoma that approached statistical significance (1.68; 0.97-2.90). Among male firefighters there was additional evidence of increased cancer risk younger than the age of 50 vs 50 years and older for thyroid (2.55; 1.96-3.31 vs 1.69; 1.22-2.34), prostate (1.88; 1.49-2.36 vs 1.36; 1.26-1.47), testicular (1.60; 1.28-2.01 vs 1.47; 0.73-2.94), and melanoma (1.87; 1.55-2.26 vs 1.42; 1.22-1.66) cancers. Conclusion Male career firefighters in Florida are at increased risk for five cancers with typically stronger associations in those diagnosed younger than the age of 50, while there was evidence for increased thyroid and brain cancer, and possibly melanoma risk in female firefighters. Larger cohorts with adequate female representation, along with the collection of well-characterized exposure histories, are needed to more precisely examine cancer risk in this occupational group.
Atrial Arrhythmias in COVID-19 Patients.

The COVID-19 global pandemic presents with a wide range of clinical manifestations, including biochemical, echocardiographic, and electrocardiographic (ECG) evidence of myocardial involvement ([1–3][1]). However, the occurrence of atrial arrhythmias in patients with this infection and how these
1-Chromonyl-5-Imidazolylpentadienone Demonstrates Anti-Cancer Action against TNBC and Exhibits Synergism with Paclitaxel

Curcumin has been well studied for its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer action. Its potential as a therapy is limited due to its low bioavailability and rapid metabolism. To overcome these challenges, investigators are developing curcumin analogs, nanoparticle formulations, and combining curcumin with other compounds or dietary components. In the present study, we used a 1-chromonyl-5-imidazolylpentadienone named KY-20-22 that contains both the pharmacophore of curcumin and 1,4 benzopyrone (chromone) moiety typical for flavonoids, and also included specific moieties to enhance the bioavailability. When we tested the in vitro effect of KY-20-22 in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines, we found that it decreased the cell survival and colony formation of MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells. An increase in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species was also observed in TNBC cells exposed to KY-20-22. Furthermore, KY-20-22 decreased epithelial-mesenchymal formation (EMT) as evidenced by the modulation of the EMT markers E-cadherin and N-cadherin. Based on the fact that KY-20-22 regulates interleukin-6, a cytokine involved in chemotherapy resistance, we combined it with paclitaxel and found that it synergistically induced anti-proliferative action in TNBC cells. The results from this study suggested that 1-chromonyl-5-imidazolylpentadienone KY-20-22 exhibited anti-cancer action in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells. Future studies are required to evaluate the anti-cancer ability and bioavailability of KY-20-22 in the TNBC animal model.
Methylnaltrexone crosses the blood-brain barrier and attenuates centrally-mediated behavioral effects of morphine and oxycodone in mice.

Abstract Background Antagonism of peripheral opioid receptors by methylnaltrexone (MNTX) was recently proposed as a potential mechanism to attenuate the development of opioid analgesic tolerance based on experiments conducted in mice. However, reports indicate that MNTX is demethylated to naltrexone (NTX) in mice, and NTX may subsequently cross the blood-brain barrier to antagonize centrally-mediated opioid effects. The goal of this study was to determine whether MNTX alters centrally-mediated behaviors elicited by the opioid analgesics, morphine and oxycodone, and to quantify concentrations of MNTX and NTX in blood and brain following their administration in mice. Methods Combinations of MNTX and morphine were tested under acute and chronic conditions in thermal nociceptive assays. Effects of MNTX and NTX pretreatment were assessed in an oxycodone discrimination operant procedure. Blood and brain concentrations of these antagonists were quantified after their administration using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results MNTX dose-dependently attenuated acute and chronic morphine antinociception. MNTX and NTX dose-dependently antagonized the discriminative stimulus effects of oxycodone. MNTX and NTX were detected in both blood and brain after administration of MNTX, confirming its demethylation and demonstrating that MNTX itself can cross the blood-brain barrier. Conclusions These results provide converging behavioral and analytical evidence that MNTX administration in mice attenuates centrally-mediated effects produced by opioid analgesics and results in functional concentrations of MNTX and NTX in blood and brain. Collectively, these findings indicate that MNTX cannot be administered systemically in mice for making inferences that its effects are peripherally restricted.
U.S. Multinational Affiliate Exports from Developing Countries

Globalization of production is one of the dominant issues of the international economy. This paper explores how country characteristics influence the choice of developing country export bases by U.S. multinationals. It separately analyzes two types of exports, exports to the headquarters country and exports to the rest of the world. The main findings are that favorable host country geography has attracted both types of export-oriented foreign direct investment, and liberal policies toward multinationals have attracted affiliates that produce rest-of-world exports. Labor costs and taxes, traditional determinants, also prove important to investment for both types of exports. More fundamentally, this research shows that country characteristics relate to the location of multinational production differently depending on the purpose of the production.
‘The Battle for Abu Simbel’: Archaeology and Postcolonial Diplomacy in the UNESCO Campaign for Nubia:

This essay examines the role and agency of British archaeologists in the discussions surrounding Egypt’s construction of the Aswan High Dam beginning in the late 1950s. The dam was conceived as a g...
Colin Gray’s geopolitics — Then and now

In 1977, America seemed adrift in the world. The Vietnam War had soured many on its post-World War II internationalist foreign policy. The new president, Jimmy Carter, proclaimed that the United St...
Factor XIII A is synthesized and expressed on the surface of U937 cells and alveolar macrophages.

Factor XIII A subunit was detected in U937 cells and human alveolar macrophages by immunohistology and Western blotting. U937 cells synthesize factor XIII A subunit de novo under serum-free, platelet- free conditions, as indicated by 35S-methionine labeling and immunoprecipitation. Thrombin-dependent activity was demonstrated to account for 98% of the total transglutaminase activity in U937 cells (1.5 micrograms per 0.5 X 10(6) cells/mL). Intact U937 cells and alveolar macrophages and homogenates from these cells cross-linked fibrin to form gamma-gamma and alpha-polymers. Factor XIII A was detected on the surface of intact U937 cells and macrophages by flow cytometry and 125I-labeling and immunoprecipitation. Cell surface expression of factor XIII A was augmented in the presence of several soluble macrophage activators; however, no concurrent increase in its biosynthesis was observed. The presence and cell surface expression of factor XIII A subunit within macrophages suggest new pathways by which these cells may function in clotting and in the remodeling of the extracellular matrix during inflammation and wound healing.
Kinetic treatment of unsegmented flow systems : Part 1. Subjective and semiquantitative evaluations of flow-injection systems with gradient chamber

Abstract A variable-time kinetic model is used to evaluate a single-channel flow-injection system with gradient chamber that has been identified as a continuous-flow titration. A physical model, mathematical equations, computed concentration vs. time profiles, experimental data, and formal definitions are used to identify qualitative and quantitative features of the method that have not been apparent from the titration model for the system. It is shown that determinations can be performed with and without reactant in the flow stream and when reactant is in the flow stream, with and without reactant in the gradient chamber when the sample is introduced. It is shown that lowest concentrations with shortest cycle times can be achieved when determinations are performed without reagent in the gradient chamber initially. Characteristics unique to each of three different data processing options are used to evaluate the validity of equations presented. It is suggested that some methods previously identified as continuous-flow titrations are most accurately identified as variable-time kinetic methods, and it is shown that this semantic differentiation can provide improved insight into the methods and can expand the scope of the methods by suggesting new experimental approaches with potential advantages relative to previously described procedures.
Real-Time Detection of CTL Function Reveals Distinct Patterns of Caspase Activation Mediated by Fas versus Granzyme B

Activation of caspase-mediated apoptosis is reported to be a hallmark of both granzyme B- and Fas-mediated pathways of killing by CTLs; however, the kinetics of caspase activation remain undefined owing to an inability to monitor target cell-specific apoptosis in real time. We have overcome this limitation by developing a novel biosensor assay that detects continuous, protease-specific activity in target cells. Biosensors were engineered from a circularly permuted luciferase, linked internally by either caspase 3/7 or granzyme B/caspase 8 cleavage sites, thus allowing activation upon proteolytic cleavage by the respective proteases. Coincubation of murine CTLs with target cells expressing either type of biosensor led to a robust luminescent signal within minutes of cell contact. The signal was modulated by the strength of TCR signaling, the ratio of CTL/target cells, and the type of biosensor used. Additionally, the luciferase signal at 30 min correlated with target cell death, as measured by a (51)Cr-release assay. The rate of caspase 3/7 biosensor activation was unexpectedly rapid following granzyme B- compared with Fas-mediated signal induction in murine CTLs; the latter appeared gradually after a 90-min delay in perforin- or granzyme B-deficient CTLs. Remarkably, the Fas-dependent, caspase 3/7 biosensor signal induced by perforin-deficient human CTLs was also detectable after a 90-min delay when measured by redirected killing. Thus, we have used a novel, real-time assay to demonstrate the distinct pattern of caspase activation induced by granzyme B versus Fas in human and murine CTLs.
Static analysis versus model checking for bug finding

This talk tries to distill several years of experience using both model checking and static analysis to find errors in large software systems. We initially thought that the tradeoffs between the two was clear: static analysis was easy but would mainly find shallow bugs, while model checking would require more work but would be strictly better -- it would find more errors, the errors would be deeper and the approach would be more powerful. These expectations were often wrong. This talk will describe some of the sharper tradeoffs between the two, as well as a detailed discussion of one domain -- finding errors in file systems code -- where model checking seems to work very well.
The influence of urban literature on African-American adolescent girls' sexual behaviors.

Many African-American teenaged girls are reading urban literature. This genre of literature is known for its gritty portrayal of urban life and has themes of violence, promiscuity, substance abuse and misogyny. Although research has demonstrated that the portrayal of sex and violence in the media are influential on adolescent sexual behavior, to date there has been little research on the influence of "urban lit" on adolescent sexual risk behaviors. This qualitative study explores the influence of urban literature on the sexual risk behaviors among a group of African-American adolescent girls. Findings from this study suggest that African-American adolescent girls may be influenced by the sexual themes depicted in this genre of literature. Additional research is needed to gain a greater understanding of this phenomon. Language: en
Employment Growth and Stability under Profit‐Sharing: A Longitudinal Study

This study tests the hypotheses that employment will increase and become more stable when firms replace traditional reward systems with a bifurcated approach incorporating profit-sharing. Time-series data for 443 publicly traded profit-sharing firms and a closely matched group of industry non-sharers were analysed before and after plan implementation. While there was evidence that profit-sharing generated short-term growth, little support emerged for its theorized effect on employment variability. Unlike previous reports, organizational size was more likely to influence the impact of share arrangements than was industry type.
Response of jejunal phosphate absorption to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) stimulationin vivo in young X-linked hypophosphatemic (Hyp) mice.

YoungHyp mice malabsorb phosphate from the jejunum at 4 weeks of age. This has been attributed to both low plasma levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and to intestinal resistance to stimulation by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. To differentiate between these two hypotheses, 4 week old normal andHyp mice were treated with 0, 17, 50, or 150 ng/kg/day of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 by Alzet osmotic mini pumps (n=10–12/group). After 4 days, the jejunum was isolated by sutures and 0.5 ml 2 mM Na2HPO4 in 150mm NaCl with 1.0 µCi32PO4 was injected into the lumen. After 8 min, plasma, jejunal tissue and lumenai contents were measured for32P content. Absorption was measured as counts removed from the lumen. Both normal andHyp mice responded to the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 with increased absorption, increased tissue32P and increased plasma32P.Hyp mice responded less than normal mice to the 50 ng/kg/day dose in plasma32P levels (significant dose by genotype interaction,P<0.05). Plasma was pooled by genotype and dose for the measurement of plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. This yielded 13 samples (7 normal and 6Hyp). Absorption of32P (r=0.75, p=0.002) and jejunal tissue content of32P (r=0.66, p=0.02) were correlated to plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Analysis of covariance revealed a significant difference in phosphate absorption between normal andHyp mice (p=0.02). In conclusion, there is a partial resistance of intestinal phosphate absorption to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D stimulation.
An efficient cross-validation algorithm for window width selection for nonparametric kernel regression

This paper presents an approach to cross-validated window width choice which greatly reduces computation time, which can be used regardless of the nature of the kernel function, and which avoids the use of the Fast Fourier Transform. This approach is developed for window width selection in the context of kernel estimation of an unknown conditional mean.
First-principles study of the temperature-pressure phase diagram of BaTiO3.

We investigate the temperature-pressure phase diagram of ${\mathrm{B}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{T}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ using a first-principles effective-Hamiltonian approach. We find that the zero-point motion of the ions affects the form of the phase diagram dramatically. Specifically, when the zero-point fluctuations are included in the calculations, all the polar (tetragonal, orthorhombic, and rhombohedral) phases of ${\mathrm{B}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{T}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ survive down to 0 K, while only the rhombohedral phase does otherwise. This behavior results from a practical equivalence between thermal and quantum fluctuations. Our work confirms the essential correctness of the phase diagram proposed by Ishidate et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 2397 (1997)].
EFFECT OF SEQUENCE HYDROPHOBICITY AND BILAYER WIDTH UPON THE MINIMUM LENGTH REQUIRED FOR THE FORMATION OF TRANSMEMBRANE HELICES IN MEMBRANES

Abstract The minimum hydrophobic length necessary to form a transmembrane (TM) helix in membranes was investigated using model membrane-inserted hydrophobic helices. The fluorescence of a Trp at the center of the sequence and its sensitivity to quenching were used to ascertain helix position within the membrane. Peptides with hydrophobic cores composed of poly(Leu) were compared to sequences containing a poly 1:1 Leu:Ala core (which have a hydrophobicity typical of natural TM helices). Studies varying bilayer width revealed that the poly(Leu) core peptides predominately formed a TM state when the bilayer width exceeded hydrophobic sequence length by (i.e. when negative mismatch was) up to ∼ 11-12 A (e.g. the case of a 11-12 residue hydrophobic sequence in bilayers with a biologically relevant width, i.e. dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) bilayers), while poly(LeuAla) core peptides formed predominantly TM state with negative mismatch of up to 9 A (a 13 residue hydrophobic sequence in DOPC bilayers). This indicates that minimum length necessary to form a predominating amount of a TM state (minimum TM length) is only modestly hydrophobicity-dependent for the sequences studied here, and a formula that defines the minimum TM length as a function of hydrophobicity for moderately-to-highly hydrophobic sequences was derived. The minimum length able to form a stable TM helix for alternating LeuAla sequences, and that for sequences with a Leu block followed by an Ala block, was similar, suggesting that a hydrophobicity gradient along the sequence may not be an important factor in TM stability. TM stability was also similar for sequences flanked by different charged ionizable residues (Lys, His, Asp). However, ionizable flanking residues destabilized the TM configuration much more when charged than when uncharged. The ability of short hydrophobic sequences to form TM helices in membranes in the presence of substantial negative mismatch implies that lipid bilayers have a considerable ability to adjust to negative mismatch, and that short TM helices may be more common than generally believed. Factors that modulate the ability of bilayers to adjust to mismatch may strongly affect the configuration of short hydrophobic helices.
MEASUREMENT OF SMALL RESONANCE EFFECTS IN 237Np DEBYE TEMPERATURE OF Am METAL

— Measurements of the Np resonance have been performed using the current integration technique. Spectra have been obtained with count-rates of approximately 5 MHz, allowing high quality data to be accumulated in only a few minutes. Using this technique, the temperature dependence of the resonance fraction of Np in Am metal has been measured. In the range T — 20 K to 100 K, the data are described by a Debye temperature of 125 K. Below 20 K, the resonance fraction decreases with decreasing temperature. This anomaly is discussed in terms of lattice dynamics and recoil damage effects.
Structure of the major polar lipids isolated from the aceticlastic methanogen, Methanothrix concilii GP6

Abstract About 10% of the cell dry weight of the aceticlastic methanogen, Methanothrix concilii , was found to be lipid consisting of 93% (wt.%) polar and 7% (wt.%) neutral lipids, respectively. Several minor phospholipids and glycolipids were detected; however, the major lipid components, a phospholipid and two glycolipids, accounted for approx. 84% (wt.%) of the total polar fraction. The three major polar lipids were identified as: (1) phospholipid; 2, 3- di -O- phytanyl -sn- glycero -1- phosphoryl -1′-myo- l - inositol ; (2) glycolipid-1; 2- O - phytanyl-3- O -[3′-hydroxy-3′, 7′, 11′, 15′- tetramethyl]hexadecyl -1-O-[β- d - galactopyranosyl -(1→ 6) -β- d - galactopyranosyl ]-sn- glycerol and (3) glycolipid-2; 2, 3- di -O- phytanyl -1-O-[α- d - mannopyranosyl - (1→ 3)-β- d - galactopyranosyl ]-sn- glycerol .
The effect of cation place exchange on the electrical conductivity of SrBi2M2O9 (M=Ta, Nb)

Abstract The defect chemistry and charge transport in undoped and doped SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT) and SrBi2Nb2O9 (SBN) has been studied by measurement of the equilibrium electrical conductivity as a function of oxygen activity at temperatures between 600 and 800 °C. Undoped SBT appears to contain about 1% excess acceptor centers, while undoped SBN appears to contain about 1% excess donor centers. The behavior is attributed to substantial place exchange between Sr+2 and Bi+3 in the alternating layers of the structure with partial local compensation by oxygen vacancies in the bismuth layers and by electrons in the perovskite-like layers. The total conductivity is then dominated by the better conducting layer, i.e. ionic conductivity by oxygen vacancies in the bismuth layers in SBT, and electron conduction in the perovskite-like layers in SBN. The major determining factor is the larger band gap and greater electron trapping in SBT.
Oxygen tension within the arterial wall: relationship to altered bioenergetic metabolism and lipid accumulation

Oxygen tension (pO2) was measured in upper thoracic arteries and in muscular foci at the celiac bifurcation from atherosclerosis-susceptible White Carneau and atherosclerosis-resistant Show Racer pigeons at 6, 12, and 24 weeks of age. At each site the pO2 was measured within adventitial (outer), medial (middle), and subendothelial (inner) zones with polarographic oxygen microelectrodes while the animals were under dissociative anesthesia. The atherosclerosis-resistant Show Racer pigeons exhibited no significant age or site differences in pO2 levels. The medial pO2 was approximately 25 mm Hg, while the adventitial and subendothelial zones had pO2 levels of approximately 30 mm Hg. The pO2 profiles through the various zones of the arterial wall of 6-week-old atherosclerosis-susceptible White Carneau pigeons were similar to those of the Show Racers. However, significantly lower oxygen tension was found in the subendothelial zone from 12- and 24-week White Carneau celiac bifurcations (27 and 21 mm Hg) than in corresponding zones in Show Racer sites. Also, the medial zone in 24-week White Carneau celiac foci exhibited a significantly lower pO2 (20 mm Hg) than the medial zone of younger White Carneau. When correlated with previously described biochemical and morphological changes in White Carneau pigeons, the findings presented herein indicate that focal decreases in oxygen availability within arterial tissue occur after the onset of spontaneous atherogenesis, and probably result from decreased diffusion of oxygen into the arterial wall.
The Cultivated Self: Self Writing, Subjectivity, and Debate

As Crowley and Hawhee explain in Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students, debate as we know it today is nothing more than “spat, ‘mere’ theater” because conceptions of “opinion-as-identity stands in the way of rhetorical exchange.” However, in Foucault's “Self Writing” and in Montaigne's Essais, another version of subjectivity in writing is conceptualized and practiced—one where the subject is constituted in practices at work in the care of the self. In this version of subjectivity, the productive exchange of ideas would be possible.
A novel in vitro model of the early endometriotic lesion demonstrates that attachment of endometrial cells to mesothelial cells is dependent on the source of endometrial cells.

Objective To characterize the source of variability in endometrial stromal cell (ESC) binding to peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMC). Design In vitro study. Setting University medical center. Patient(s) Reproductive-age women without endometriosis undergoing surgery for benign conditions. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Binding of ESCs (n = 9) to PMCs collected from the anterior abdominal wall (AAW) (n = 5), a commercially available mesothelial cell line (LP9) (three different passages) and normal ovarian surface epithelium (NOSE) (n = 5). Result(s) There were no differences in the binding of same-source ESCs to mesothelial cells obtained from the AAW of different women, to different passages of LP9s or to NOSE of different women. There was a trend toward increased binding of ESCs to NOSE compared to AAW PMCs. In contrast, there were significant differences in the ability of ESCs obtained from different women to bind to same-source PMCs. Conclusion(s) There is significant variability in ESC binding to PMCs. This variation is dependent primarily on the source of the ESCs. The ESC binding to LP9 PMCs was similar to AAW PMCs and NOSE.
Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity and Breast Cancer Metastasis to the Brain

Brain metastasis, an important cause of cancer morbidity and mortality, occurs in at least 30% of patients with breast cancer. A key event of brain metastasis is the migration of cancer cells through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Although preventing brain metastasis is immensely important for survival, very little is known about the early stage of transmigration and the molecular mechanisms of breast tumor cells penetrating the BBB. The brain endothelium plays an important role in brain metastasis, although the mechanisms are not clear. Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells (BMECs) are the major cellular constituent of the BBB. BMECs are joined together by intercellular tight junctions (TJs) that are responsible for acquisition of highly selective permeability. Failure of the BBB is a critical event in the development and progression of several diseases that affect the CNS, including brain tumor metastasis development. Here, we have delineated the mechanisms of BBB impairment and breast cancer metastasis to the brain. Understanding the molecular mediators that cause changes in the BBB should lead to better strategies for effective treatment modalities targeted to inhibition of brain tumors.
Cross sections and rates for direct electron-impact ionization of sodiumlike ions

Cross sections and rate coefficients for the direct electron-impact ionization of sodiumlike ions have been calculated in a distorted-wave Born exchange approximation. For higher charge states the cross section is dominated by inner-shell ionization of the $2{p}^{6}$ subshell. Analytic fits to the data allow rapid calculation of cross sections and rate coefficients over a wide range of incident electron energies. The importance of electron-impact excitation to autoionizing states is discussed.
Strong and weak, unsteady reconfiguration and its impact on turbulence structure within plant canopies

Flexible terrestrial and aquatic plants bend in response to fluid motion and this reconfiguration mechanism reduces drag forces, which protects against uprooting or breaking under high winds and currents. The impact of reconfiguration on the flow can be described quantitatively by introducing a drag coefficient that decreases as a power-law function of velocity with a negative exponent known as the Vogel number. In this paper, two case studies are conducted to examine the connection between reconfiguration and turbulence dynamics within a canopy. First, a flume experiment was conducted with a model seagrass meadow. As the flow rate increased, both the mean and unsteady one-dimensional linear elastic reconfiguration increased. In the transition between the asymptotic regimes of negligible and strong reconfiguration, there is a regime of weak reconfiguration, in which the Vogel number achieved its peak negative value. Second, large-eddy simulation was conducted for a maize canopy, with different modes of reconfiguration characterized by increasingly negative values of the Vogel number. Even though the mean vertical momentum flux was constrained by field measurements, changing the mode of reconfiguration altered the distribution, strength, and fraction of momentum carried by strong and weak events. Despite the differences between these two studies, similar effects of the Vogel number on turbulence dynamics were demonstrated. In particular, a more negative Vogel number leads to a more positive peak of the skewness of streamwise velocity within the canopy, which indicates a preferential penetration of strong events into a vegetation canopy. We consider different reconfiguration geometry (one- and two-dimensional) and regime (negligible, weak, and strong) that can apply to a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic canopies.
Descrambling the social TV echo chamber

Ubiquitous broadband access and increased adoption of tablet and smartphone devices is driving new trends in x-shifting and multi-screen viewing for television. These create audience and attention fragmentation problems that impact viewer engagement. But they also fuel demand for second screen experiences that can enhance first screen content. This dichotomy calls for better understanding and modeling of viewer behavior at a micro-level that can support the design of attention-aware, engagement-boosting experiences. In this paper we report on an exploration of social activity around television from two perspectives: quality and quantity of attention or behavior 'signal' in the social noise, and ease of extraction and presentation of signals as real-time 'hints' to mobile applications. The process taught us valuable lessons on the cost, constraints and characteristics of different echo chambers for social television. We share these along with early insights into collective attention behaviors observed at different fidelities, some intriguing enough to warrant further investigation. The results show promise for the development of noise cancellers and signal boosters to extract the relevant attention data, but require more work to develop a robust solution for real-time use in second screen companion apps.
Failure to Down Regulate Interleukin 8 (IL8) mRNA in Patients with Idiopathic Minimal Lesion Nephrotic Syndrome (IMLNS) 1804

Failure to Down Regulate Interleukin 8 (IL8) mRNA in Patients with Idiopathic Minimal Lesion Nephrotic Syndrome (IMLNS) 1804
Flower-like Au-Fe 3 O 4 optical nanosensor for imaging protease expressions in vivo

History has witnessed an enormous progress of developing nanocrystals into “smart” probes for either imaging or therapeutic applications. Such progress is in large part powered by our ability to manipulate the surface of nanoparticles, marked by the establishment of surface engineering techniques that permit facile docking of functional motifs onto particles. However, these techniques have been increasingly challenged by the growing needs of imparting multiple motifs onto a single nanoplatform without disturbing the balance among the particles' physiological stability, target specificity and biological activity. Biphasic composite nanoparticles yield a multiplied combination of structural and functional parameters thereby providing greater flexibility in the design of nanogadgets. Here we have used a flower-shaped Au-Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticle as a template to construct an optical probe that can be specifically activated by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) expressed in tumors. Gold nanoparticles have excellent quenching properties but labile surface chemistry in an in vivo environment; on the other hand, iron oxide nanoparticles afford robust surface chemistry but are suboptimal as energy receptors. By the marriage of the two, we have been able to combine the strengths of each component to yield a unified structure with a desired performance that would not be achievable with the separate components. Our results demonstrate that the architecture of nanoparticles can be modulated to tailor their function as molecular imaging/therapeutic agents.
Optimal Convergence of the Original DG Method for the Transport-Reaction Equation on Special Meshes

We show that the approximation given by the original discontinuous Galerkin method for the transport-reaction equation in $d$ space dimensions is optimal provided the meshes are suitably chosen: the $L^2$-norm of the error is of order $k+1$ when the method uses polynomials of degree $k$. These meshes are not necessarily conforming and do not satisfy any uniformity condition; they are required only to be made of simplexes, each of which has a unique outflow face. We also find a new, element-by-element postprocessing of the derivative in the direction of the flow which superconverges with order $k+1$.
Violent Victimization and Perpetration During Adolescence: Developmental Stage Dependent Ecological Models

Using a variant of the ecological-transactional model and developmental theories of delinquency on a nationally representative sample of adolescents, the current study explored the ecological predictors of violent victimization, perpetration, and both for three different developmental stages during adolescence. We examined the relative influence of individual and family characteristics, peers, and neighborhood characteristics on the odds of experiencing violent victimization and perpetration over time with two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health for those adolescents who reported no exposure to violence at Wave 1 (N = 8,267; 50% female; 59% Caucasian; 17% African-American; 14% Hispanic). We found that more proximal factors differentiated between different experiences with violence at Wave 2. Also, negative peers significantly differentiated between violent victimization and perpetration, and this influence was strongest in early adolescence. In exploratory analyses, we found that middle adolescents were particularly vulnerable to their disadvantaged neighborhoods for a high-risk group. This analysis is one of the few that considers multiple ecological contexts simultaneously and provides support for developmental differences within adolescence on the influence that peers and neighborhoods have in predicting violent victimization and perpetration.
National Human Exposure Assessment Survey: Analysis of exposure pathways and routes for arsenic and lead in EPA Region 5

The National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS) Phase I field study conducted in EPA Region 5 (Great Lakes Area) provides extensive exposure data on a representative sample of approximately 250 residents of the region. Associated environmental media and biomarker (blood, urine) concentration data were also obtained for the study participants to aid in understanding of the relationships of exposures to both contaminant pathways and doses. Besides fulfilling the primary NHEXAS objectives, the NHEXAS data provided an opportunity to explore secondary usages, such as examining pathway to route of exposure relationships. A generic type of structural equation model was used to define the anticipated relationships among the various data types for both arsenic (As) and lead (Pb). Since, by design, only a few participants provided data for all sample types, implementing this model required that some media concentrations (outdoor air and soil) be imputed for subjects with missing information by using measurements collected in the same geographic area and time period. The model, and associated pairwise correlations, generally revealed significant but weak associations among the concentrations, exposures, and doses; the strongest associations occurred for the various air measurements (indoor versus outdoor and personal). The generally weak associations were thought to be partly due to the absence of complete coverage of nonresidential environmental media and to nonsynchronization of relevant measurement times and integration periods of collection across the various sample types. In general, relationships between the NHEXAS questionnaire data and the various concentration, exposure, and body-burden measures were also weak. The model results and the modeling exercise suggest several ways for optimizing the design of future exposure assessment studies that are aimed at supporting structural modeling activities.
THE EFFECT OF CASINO GAMBLING ON CRIME IN NEW CASINO JURISDICTIONS

ABSTRACT Crime was analyzed in seven new casino jurisdictions (Sioux City, IA; Biloxi, MS; Alton and Peoria, IL; St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and Alton, IL) to determine if crime rates increased after casino gambling was legalized. To be included in the study, local law enforcement agencies had to make available data for Part I and Part II crimes dating back at least four years before casinos opened in the community. Crime-specific rates were calculated using both community population and population at risk, which adjusts the community population to include the annualized tourist population. Results indicate a lack of consistency in the general crime trends and in the crime specific analyses. Using the crime rates based upon the population at risk, three communities had many more crimes that significantly increased than decreased, three other communities had many more crimes that significantly decreased than increased, and one community had few significant changes in either direction. When the Wilcox...
Two distinct adhesion systems are responsible for EDTA-sensitive adhesion in Dictyostelium discoideum

Abstract Early in their developmental program, Dictyostelium discoideum exhibit EDTA-sensitive and EDTA-resistant adhesion. The molecules which mediate the adhesions have been called contact sites, with contact sites A mediating EDTA-resistant adhesion and contact sites B mediating EDTA-sensitive adhesion. The studies described here have revealed that prior to aggregation, a second EDTA-sensitive adhesion system emerges. In keeping with previously established nomenclature, the molecules mediating the newly discovered adhesion system have been called contact sites C. Unlike contact sites B, contact sites C are unaffected by a contact sites B-blocking peptide. Contact sites C-mediated adhesion is also distinct from contact sites B-mediated adhesion in that contact sites C-mediated adhesion is EGTA-resistant and in the presence of EDTA it can be rescued by the addition of Mg2+. Thus Mg2+ may be the cation present under physiological conditions that is essential for contact sites C activity. Unlike contact sites B-mediated adhesion, contact sites C-mediated adhesion is not observed in growing amoebae. Contact sites C-mediated adhesion first becomes apparent within hours after the initiation of development and its strength appears to increase throughout the first 10 h of the developmental program. A mutant lacking the EDTA-resistant contact sites A exhibits normal contact sites B- and C-mediated adhesion, demonstrating that both EDTA-sensitive adhesion systems are independent of contact sites A. Thus aggregating D. discoideum amoebae possess three distinct adhesion systems, one of them is EDTA-resistant and the other two are EDTA-sensitive.
Molecular imaging of the ATM kinase activity.

Purpose Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is a serine/threonine kinase critical to the cellular DNA-damage response, including from DNA double-strand breaks. ATM activation results in the initiation of a complex cascade of events including DNA damage repair, cell cycle checkpoint control, and survival. We sought to create a bioluminescent reporter that dynamically and noninvasively measures ATM kinase activity in living cells and subjects. Methods and Materials Using the split luciferase technology, we constructed a hybrid cDNA, ATM-reporter (ATMR), coding for a protein that quantitatively reports on changes in ATM kinase activity through changes in bioluminescence. Results Treatment of ATMR-expressing cells with ATM inhibitors resulted in a dose-dependent increase in bioluminescence activity. In contrast, induction of ATM kinase activity upon irradiation resulted in a decrease in reporter activity that correlated with ATM and Chk2 activation by immunoblotting in a time-dependent fashion. Nuclear targeting improved ATMR sensitivity to both ATM inhibitors and radiation, whereas a mutant ATMR (lacking the target phosphorylation site) displayed a muted response. Treatment with ATM inhibitors and small interfering (si)RNA-targeted knockdown of ATM confirm the specificity of the reporter. Using reporter expressing xenografted tumors demonstrated the ability of ATMR to report in ATM activity in mouse models that correlated in a time-dependent fashion with changes in Chk2 activity. Conclusions We describe the development and validation of a novel, specific, noninvasive bioluminescent reporter that enables monitoring of ATM activity in real time, in vitro and in vivo. Potential applications of this reporter include the identification and development of novel ATM inhibitors or ATM-interacting partners through high-throughput screens and in vivo pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies of ATM inhibitors in preclinical models.
A dilemma for medical education reform: form versus content.

of physicians to the needs of health care in the United Stateswhether by regulation or by market forces-has not been marked by success. This gives me a cautious feeling as I read the essay by Fitzhugh Mullan and colleagues (1994), despite the fact that I share the belief with many others that it is necessary to actively increase the supply of generalists. James Thurber summed up the problem in a fable. He tells of a "fairly intelligent" fly who wisely refused to land on a spider web because there were no other flies on it, lighting instead on a piece of flypaper crowded with flies because he assumed they were dancing. His moral: "There's no safety in numbers, or anything else" (Thurber 1939). The basic problem with the analysis, and others like it, is the assumption that the genesis of the change in the mix of physicians to the new 50/50-110 proposal formula is, in fact, based on the grounds given by the authors: that the current oversupply of specialists at the expense of generalists fails to meet the problems of the undeserved as well as playing a part in the escalating cost of healthy care. These reasons, while they may be true, are merely more obvious pieces of evidence (especially interesting to policy makers) of the continuing evolution of the whole system of medicine over more than 150 years. The proposal may result in
Interface design for an interactive information retrieval system: A literature survey and a research system description

This article focuses on the human interaction characteristics of an information retrieval system, suggests some design considerations to improve man-machine cooperation, and describes a research system at Stanford that is exploring some of these techniques. Librarians can only be of limited assistance in helping the naive user formulate an unstructured feeling in his mind into an appropriate search query that maps into the retrieval system. Consequently, the process of query formulation by the user, interactively with the information available in the system, remains one of the principal problems in information retrieval today. In an attempt to solve this problem by improving the interface communication between man and the computer, we have pursued the objective of displaying hierarchically structured index trees on a CRT in a decision tree format permitting the user merely to point (with a light pen) at alternatives which seem most appropriate to him. Using his passive rather than his active vocabulary expands his interaction vocabulary by at least an order of magnitude. Moreover, a hierarchically displayed index is a modified thesaurus, and may be augmented by adding lateral links to provide semantic assistance to the user. A hierarchical structure was chosen because it seems to replicate the structure of cognitive thought processes most closely, thus allowing the simplest, most direct transfer of the man's problem into the structure and vocabulary of the system.
Harmonic non-linear response of beck's column to a lateral excitation

Abstract The non-linear response of a column with a follower force (Beck's column) subjected to a distributed periodic lateral excitation, or to a support excitation, is determined. An analytical solution for the response amplitude in terms of the loading and system parameters is obtained by a perturbation analysis of the differential equations of motion. Non-linear inertia and non-linear curvature terms are taken into account in the formulation of the differential equations.
Nodal solutions of nonlocal boundary value problems

We study the nonlinear boundary value problem consisting of the second order differential equation on [a, b] and a boundary condition involving a Riemann‐Stieltjes integral. By relating it to the eigenvalues of a linear Sturm‐Liouville problem with a two‐point separated boundary condition, we obtain results on the existence and nonexistence of nodal solutions of this problem. We also discuss the changes of the existence of different types of nodal solutions as the problem changes. First published online: 14 Oct 2010
Hypertension and hyperglycemia in experimental stroke.

Abstract Both diabetes mellitus and hypertension are risk factors for stroke and also influence prognosis following stroke. Experimentally, hyperglycemia augments cortical infarct size in stroke models where collateral citculation exists, and infarct size in hypertensive rats is larger than in normotensive strains. Whether the deleterious effect of hyperglycemia is altered in the setting of hypertension has not previously been studied experimentally. The effect of hyperglycemia on infarct size in spontaneously hypertensive rats was examined in this study. Focal neocortical cerebral ischemia was induced by tandem right common carotid and middle cerebral artery occlusion. Preischemic hyperglycemia had no influence on infarct volume whether the duration of postischemic hyperglycemia was transient or prolonged. Although hyperglycemia increases infarct size in cortical stroke models where collateral circulation is available, this study demonstrates the effect can be modified by the presence of underlying hypertension.
A chromatographic comparison of the pore structures of zirconia high performance liquid chromatographic materials made by the polymerization induced colloidal aggregation and the oil emulsion methods

The pore structures of zirconium oxide particles prepared by two different methods (PICA and Oil Emulsion processes) are compared. Nitrogen sorptometry and size exclusion chromatography are used to characterize the two different types of particles. Significant and unexpected differences were found in the accessible pore volumes and the bed packing densities of the two materials. The PICA material was found to have a higher totally included and totally excluded volume than would be normally expected. The chromatographic method provides results which are more useful for the application of these materials to separation sciences.