cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stochastic unpaced line design: Review and further experimental results

Abstract Previous design studies of unpaced assembly lines that exhibit stochastic task times indicate that an unbalanced allocation of task times results in optimal output rates. In this article, we present a comprehensive review of the previous literature on this topic and discuss the results of simulation experiments that test the bowl distribution for unbalancing unpaced lines. The simulation experiment was designed to test the bowl distribution in more realistic environments than previously tested and illustrates that a balanced line configuration is as good as or better than an unbalanced line configuration when task times are modeled with more typical values of variance. Stochastic unpaced assembly line research employs both simulation and analytical approaches to test the allocation of buffer capacity and task times to work stations. Analytical models are utilized to investigate simple line designs with exponential or Erlang task time distributions. Simulation is used for longer lines and for normal task time distributions. From the review of the previous research using both approaches, we note five major findings: 1) unbalancing task time allocation is optimal when task time variation is large; 2) unbalanced allocation of buffer storage capacity improves line output rate when task time variation is large; 3) output rate of an unpaced line decreases as the number of sequential workstations increases; 4) output rate increases as more buffer storage capacity is available; and 5) output rate decreases as the task time variation increases. Most of the previous research on unpaced lines investigated lines with few workstations and large task time variation. Empirical research by Dudley (6) suggests that variation of task times in practice is much less than variations employed in previous unpaced line studies. We present the results from simulation experiments that model longer unpaced lines with lower levels of task time variance of the magnitude that is likely to occur in practice. The results of our simulation experiments verify the benefits of using the bowl distribution for task time allocation when line lengths are short and task times experience large variance. However, when line lengths are extended or task time variation is reduced, the use of the bowl distribution for unbalancing the line degrades the line's efficiency. In these situations, the optimal task time allocation is a balanced line. Two important implications for managers follow from the results of our experiments: 1) that unpaced line output rate is relatively insensitive to moderate variations from optimal task time allocations when buffer storage is limited; and 2) that perfectly balanced line designs are optimal for most cases in practice.
Types de montage et écriture du réel et du mythe dans le genre biographique des cinémas d’Afrique noire et des Antilles francophones

Cet article examine l’ecriture cinematographique de deux cineastes dans leur representation des figures historiques de l’espace francophone d’Afrique noire et de sa diaspora caribeenne. Ecriture deja selon son etymologie, le cinema enrichit ses ambitions artistiques et esthetiques par l’appropriation particuliere que chaque cineaste fait de ses techniques. Les strategies du montage employees par David Achkar et Charles Najman dans Allah tantou et Royal Bonbon respectivement sont au centre de l’etude. La grille semio-structuraliste – elle combine les outils de la semiotique et du structuralisme essentiellement – encadre l’analyse focalisee sur le fonctionnement du montage dans les deux films, les effets qu’il produit et leurs significations. L’etude montre que l’esthetique subjective des deux cineastes s’affranchit de toute infeodation a quelque norme etablie. Leur art est une illustration de l’ecriture cinematographique d’une tranche de l’histoire afro-antillaise au moyen du genre biographique.
Local Sources of Information and Voter Choice in State Elections: Microlevel Foundations of the "Friends and Neighbors" Effect

Previous studies of aggregated election returns have identified a local component to the vote in state election contests. The authors suggest that a geographical distribution of information about candidates produces these aggregate patterns and demonstrate that the farther a voter resides from a candidate's home media market, the less likely it is that the voter knows about the candidate. Furthermore, uncertainty associated with distance reduces the likelihood that a voter will select a candidate. This effect holds in partisan and nonpartisan (primary) contests. The findings call attention to the need for additional study of vehicles that transmit information at the local level.
Cosolvent Approach for Solution-Processable Electronic Thin Films

Low-temperature solution-processable electronic materials are of considerable interest for large-area, low-cost electronics, thermoelectrics, and photovoltaics. Using a soluble precursor and suitable solvent to formulate a semiconductor ink is essential for large-area fabrication of semiconductor thin films. To date, it has been shown that hydrazine can be used as a versatile solvent to process a wide range of inorganic semiconductors. However, hydrazine is highly toxic and not suitable for large-scale manufacturing. Here we report a binary mixed solvent of amine and thiol for effective dispersion and dissolution of a large number of inorganic semiconductors including Cu2S, Cu2Se, In2S3, In2Se3, CdS, SnSe, and others. The mixed solvent is significantly less toxic and safer than hydrazine, while at the same time offering the comparable capability of formulating diverse semiconductor ink with a concentration as high as >200 mg/mL. We further show that such ink material can be readily processed into high-per...
Rate processes in cycling a reversible gas‐solid reaction

Rate studies are reported of the effect of rehydration-dehydration cycling on the vapor hydration behavior of solid K/sub 2/CO/sub 3/. Isothermal rate data were obtained at different temperatures and water vapor pressures for the reaction of narrowlysized anhydrous particles. Effects of different particle preparation histories on the rehydration rate were investigated and correlations of rate with particle pore structure explored. Rehydration rates of dehydrated K/sub 2/CO/sub 3/ X 3/2H/sub 2/O were found to depend on the conditions of the prior dehydration. Rehydration is comparatively very slow at relative pressures below P/P/SUB eq/ about 1.5; rates increase linearly with pressure above P/P/SUB eq/ about 3. Hydration rates of K/sub 2/CO/sub 3/ particles obtained as anhydrous are substantially slower than those of identically-sized crystals produced by prior dehydration of K/sub 2/CO/sub 3/ X 3/2H/sub 2/O; after one rehydration-dehydration cycle, rehydration rates are increased by as much as two orders of magnitude and this distinction between sources virtually disappears. Diffusional resistances based on calculated water vapor diffusivities are qualitatively consistent with the observed effects of cycling but do not by themselves account fully for the observations.
On the Electrostatic Control of Gate-Normal-Tunneling Field-Effect Transistors

A gate-normal-tunneling field-effect transistor (gate-normal TFET) with abrupt switching and increased tunneling current is a promising candidate for low-voltage operation in advanced technology nodes. However, it is still challenging to experimentally achieve steep subthreshold swings (SSs) of theoretical predictions. The parasitic nonnormal tunneling initiated prior to the desired normal tunneling due to poor electrostatic control is considered to be one of the explanations for the experimentally inferior SS. This paper investigates the electrostatic control of gate-normal TFETs via numerical simulations in which a semiclassical approximation is used for the tunneling barrier imposed by quantum confinement. The electrostatic potential throughout the device is found to be strongly influenced by quantum effects. As a result, we predicted a higher parasitic tunneling current using our semiclassical simulations (quantum corrected 3-D) compared with classical (nonquantum corrected 3-D) results for gate-normal TFETs with a homojunction. This finding was supported by a qualitative fully quantum mechanical (2-D sub-band) study. A heterojunction gate-normal TFET design utilizing an underlying modulation-doping layer is proposed to minimize parasitic tunneling with small variation of quantum confinement and low doping level in the channel.
Fyn phosphorylates human MAP-2c on tyrosine 67.

The Src homology 3 (SH3) domain of Fyn binds to a conserved PXXP motif on microtubule-associated protein-2. Co-transfections into COS7 cells and in vitro kinase assays performed with Fyn and wild-type, or mutant MAP-2c, determined that Fyn phosphorylated MAP-2c on tyrosine 67. The phosphorylation generated a consensus sequence for the binding of the SH2 domain of Grb2 (pYSN). Pull-down assays with SH2-Grb2 from human fetal brain homogenates, and co-immunoprecipitation of Grb2 and MAP-2 confirmed the interaction in vivo, and demonstrated that MAP-2c is tyrosine-phosphorylated in human fetal brain. Filter overlay assays confirmed that the SH2 domain of Grb2 binds to human MAP-2c following incubation with active Fyn. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays confirmed the interaction between the SH2 domain of Grb2 and a tyrosine-phosphorylated MAP-2 peptide spanning the pY67SN motif. Thus, MAP-2c can directly recruit multiple signaling proteins important for central nervous system development.
Feeding rates and carbohydrate metabolism by Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) on different quality phloem saps

.The effects of water stress on phloem sap quality of the melon, Cucumis melo, and how this, in turn, has an impact on the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci were studied. Melon plants were grown under watering regimes that produced plants with or without water stress. Plants showed strong developmental responses to the treatments; water-stressed plants were shorter, with fewer, smaller leaves than those without stress. There was, however, no effect of plant water stress on the development period of whiteflies feeding on these plants, or on the weights of male or female adults. Honeydew production was used as an indirect measure to test whether the absence of insect developmental or behavioural effects was due to differential phloem sap ingestion. Feeding rates on the stressed plants were almost half those on unstressed plants, and there was also variation in the daily pattern of honeydew production. Phloem sap and honeydew were analysed to determine why the feeding behaviours differed. Amino acid composition of the phloem sap was similar in both groups of plants, but carbohydrate concentrations were greater in water-stressed plants, indicating that lower feeding rates may have been due either to the physical or nutritional quality of the phloem sap. The honeydew of insects that were feeding on water-stressed plants contained a greater concentration of carbohydrate than those on unstressed plants, and was composed of a significantly greater proportion of glucose and the disaccharide, trehalulose. This isomerization of more complex sugars from those in the diet suggests that B. tabaci uses a mechanism of osmoregulation to actively maintain its internal water status. It is concluded that transient conditions of water stress in this host plant do not affect the development of B. tabaci, due to physiological and behavioural changes in response to diets with different nutritional and physical properties. The implications of this finding for the feeding biology of B. tabaci on desert-grown crops are discussed.
Process signatures in regional patterns of shoreline change on annual to decadal time scales

Gradients in wave-driven alongshore sediment transport influence the morphologies of sediment-covered coastlines on a range of spatial and temporal scales, affecting accretion and erosion patterns relevant to human development. Recent theoretical findings predict that a correlation between shoreline change and shoreline curvature results from patterns of alongshore sediment flux; the sign (positive or negative) of that correlation depends on whether high- or low-angle waves dominated the wave climate. Using lidar surveys of the northern North Carolina coast from 1996–2005 to document shoreline change and quantify alongshore patterns of erosion and deposition, we isolate these signals diagnostic of alongshore-transport processes. Our analyses show a persistent, significant negative correlation between shoreline-position change and shoreline curvature consistent with a low-angle-dominated incident wave climate over the last decade. At large spatial scales, convex-seaward promontories have eroded landward, while concave-seaward bays have aggraded seaward, resulting in an apparent diffusion of alongshore morphological features
Supported employment for persons with traumatic brain injury: A preliminary investigation of long-term follow-up costs and program efficiency

Abstract Wehman P, Kregel J, Keyser-Marcus L, Sherron-Targett P, Campbell L, West M, Cifu DX. Supported employment for persons with traumatic brain injury: a preliminary investigation of long-term follow-up costs and program efficiency. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2003;84:192-6. Objective: To investigate the long-term follow-up costs of supported employment as well as the wage and employment characteristics for individuals with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) who participated in supported employment services over a 14-year time period. Design: Longitudinal design with prospectively collected data. Setting: A university-based supported employment program that uses the individual placement model of supported employment. Participants: Fifty-nine individuals with moderate to severe TBI who were consecutively referred for supported employment services. The sample was restricted to individuals who were placed into a least 1 supported employment position during the study period. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Data were collected on clients placed into at least 1 competitive supported employment position from 1985 to 1999. Analyses were performed to examine the costs of supported employment, employment characteristics (eg, wages, length of employment), and benefit-cost ratios of supported employment for individuals with TBI. Results: The average length of employment for the current sample was 42.58 months. Average gross earnings were $26,129.74 for individuals during their entire duration of employment. Billing charges accrued for employment services averaged $10,349.37. Individuals with TBI earned an average of $17,515 more than the costs associated with their supported employment. Conclusions: Our investigation provides additional support for the conclusion that supported employment is cost effective for individuals with disabilities, including individuals with TBI, and that the costs of supported employment decrease over time. [copy ] 2003 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Stability of model immune complexes during zone electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing in agarose gels.

We evaluated the stability of model immune complexes, consisting of radioiodinated follitropin (125I-FSH), bound either to a mouse monoclonal antibody to FSH or to sheep polyvalent anti-FSH antiserum, during zone electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing in agarose gels. The complexes were relatively stable during zone electrophoresis at conventional voltages (less than 40 V/cm), about 80% of the initially bound antigen migrating in the gamma region. Highter voltages resulted in a linear increase in the antigen stripped from the gamma region. By contrast, isoelectric focusing very effectively dissociated the acidic 125I-FSH from the basic sheep immunoglobulins, even if the complexes were subjected to electromotive forces alone, i.e., by loading them onto the neutral region of the gel. The monoclonal complexes were not dissociated by high voltage alone. The monoclonal complexes could be completely dissociated by loading them at the anode, where gel acidification enhances complex dissociation. These observations can form the basis of a simple technique for isolating and dissociating human immune complexes before Western immunoblot analysis. Furthermore, the ease and rapidity with which bound and free antigen can be separated during zone electrophoresis in agarose suggests that this technique may have some application in clinical immunoassays.
Nonsequential Double Ionization as a Completely Classical Photoelectric Effect

We introduce a unified and simplified theory of atomic double ionization. Our results show that at high laser intensities ($I\ensuremath{\ge}{10}^{14}\text{ }\mathrm{W}/{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}}^{2}$) purely classical correlation is strong enough to account for all of the main features observed in experiments to date.
Influences on Residential Yard Care and Water Quality: Tualatin Watershed, Oregon

The Tualatin is the first watershed in Oregon to implement the Total Maximum Daily Load provisions of the Clean Water Act to deal with nonpoint source pollution. Local officials cite residential yard care practices as potential contributors to nonpoint source pollution in the basin. Qualitative and quantitative meth- ods, including observation of yard maintenance styles, suggest behaviors potentially harmful to water quality and conservation. Yard maintenance is influenced by the importance of neighborhood appearance and concern for aesthetics. These concerns stimulate residents to water, fertilize, and apply weed control at more fre- quent intervals than yard care experts recommend. Better under- standing of the effects that relations with neighbors and yard maintenance knowledge have on residential yard care practices can help improve water quality. (KEY TERMS: residential yard care practices; urban water man- agement; water quality; water conservation; environmental values; urban pollution.) In residential areas, NPS management requires working with many small, private landowners. The research goal was to know the incentives that influ- enced behaviors related to residential yard care. Keeping green and homogeneous lawns is a tradition in many areas of the United States. An assumption is that maintenance of green and homogeneous lawns requires large amounts of water and fertilizer. A research objective is to determine the practices and factors that influence residential yard care. The research looked at factors associated with yard care practices in the Tualatin watershed in the vicini- ty of Portland, Oregon. The watershed has a history of severe NPS pollution, and actions to reduce pollution were initiated well before USEPA proposed TMDLs
The classic pneumoconioses: new epidemiological and laboratory observations

The purpose of this article is to provide an update on selected issues of current interest and recent developments related to 3 types of inorganic mineral dust exposures causing classic forms of pneumoconiosis: coal mine dust, crystalline silica, and asbestos. Common themes include new imaging modalities, emerging exposures, and evolving appreciation of additional adverse health effects associated with exposure to these inorganic mineral dusts.
Making disability visible: How disability studies might transform the medical and science writing classroom

This article describes how disability studies can be used in a medical and science writing class to critically examine the assumptions of scientific discourse. An emerging, interdisciplinary field, disability studies draws on feminist, postmodern, and post‐colonial theory and extends their critiques to the medicalization of disability. Deconstructing the medical model of disability helps students understand how science is socially constructed. After conceptualizing disability studies, this essay discusses sample disability‐related classroom activities, readings, and writing assignments.
Draft Genome Sequence of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Strain J96.

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli J96 (O4:K6) was isolated from a human pyelonephritis patient. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of E. coli J96, which contains virulence genes, including adhesion factors, alpha-hemolysins, and cytotoxic necrotizing factor. J96 infects the kidney and bladder, making it an important tool for studying E. coli pathogenesis.
PRODUCTION OF VEGETABLES USING COVER CROP AND LIVING MULCHES : A REVIEW

ABSTRACT Living and cover crop mulches can reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers in vegetable production. Cover crop mulches are commonly small grains or legumes that are killed prior to planting the vegetable crop. Cover crop mulches modify the microclimate and release allelochemicals that affect weed and insect populations. Living mulches are grasses, legumes or Brassica species that grow with the vegetable crop. Living mulches will reduce pest populations but are difficult to manage in vegetable cropping systems because they compete with the crop. Strip tillage or the application of low rates of herbicides may reduce the competitiveness of living mulches, allowing their use in vegetable production.
Symptoms and Significance: Constructivist Contributions to the Treatment of Performance Anxiety

Drawing on the case study of Gabriel, a college student faced with severe performance anxiety, I illustrate the possible approach to case conceptualization and treatment that might be taken by two constructivist schools of psychotherapy—personal construct therapy and coherence therapy. In doing so, I emphasize the distinctive procedures that characterize these classic and contemporary constructivist models, which differentiate them clearly from the orientation to assessment and intervention preferred by many other approaches to cognitive therapy. Finally, I close by noting my own penchant for a personal, integrative style of therapy that finds inspiration in both personal construct and coherence models, as well as a diversity of other constructivist and social constructionist perspectives.
A Myristoylated Alanine-Rich C Kinase Substrate–Related Peptide Suppresses Cytokine mRNA and Protein Expression in LPS-Activated Canine Neutrophils

Myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) is a ubiquitously expressed protein kinase C substrate that has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for the amelioration of mucin secretion and inflammation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. MARCKS also plays a key role in regulating the adhesion, migration, and degranulation of neutrophils. Moreover, given its biological role in epithelial and immune cells, we hypothesized that MARCKS may play an integral role in cytokine secretion by neutrophils. Because the amino terminus of MARCKS is highly conserved across vertebrate species, we successfully applied the well-characterized human MARCKS inhibitory peptide, myristoylated N-terminal sequence (MANS), to attenuate the function of MARCKS in isolated canine neutrophils. Pretreatment of canine neutrophils with MANS peptide significantly reduced both mRNA and protein expression in a broad range of LPS-induced cytokines, including IL-8, a chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand–1 orthologue, and TNF-α, in comparison with untreated cells or those treated with a control peptide. This reduction in cytokine expression was observed even when neutrophils were treated with MANS 2 hours after LPS exposure. The observed reduction in cytokine secretion was not attributable to protein retention or cell death, but was associated with reduced cytokine transcript synthesis. These observations identify MARCKS protein as a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of inflammatory diseases or syndromes attributed to neutrophil influx and inflammatory cytokine production, such as sepsis, acute lung injury, and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Is VAT really single linkage in disguise

This paper addresses the relationship between the Visual Assessment of cluster Tendency (VAT) algorithm and single linkage hierarchical clustering. We present an analytical comparison of the two algorithms in conjunction with numerical examples to show that VAT reordering of dissimilarity data is directly related to the clusters produced by single linkage hierarchical clustering. This analysis is important to understanding the underlying theory of VAT and, more generally, other algorithms that are based on VAT-ordered dissimilarity data.
Increased number of BrdU-labeled neurons in the rostral migratory stream of the estrous prairie vole.

In the mammalian forebrain, most neurons originate from proliferating cells in the ventricular zone lining the lateral ventricles, including a discrete area of the subventricular zone in which neurogenesis continues into adulthood. The majority of the cells generated in the anterior portion of the subventricular zone (SVZa) are neuronal precursors with progeny that migrate to the olfactory bulb (OB) along a pathway known as the rostral migratory stream (RMS). The list of factors that influence the proliferation and survival of neurons in the adult brain remains incomplete, but previous studies have implicated neurotrophins in mammals and estrogen in birds. This study examined the effect of estrus induction on the proliferation of SVZa neurons in female prairie voles. Prairie voles, unlike many other rodents, are induced into estrus by chemosensory cues from a male. This olfactory-mediated process results in an increase in serum estrogen levels and the consequent induction of behavioral estrus (sexual receptivity). Female prairie voles induced into estrus by male exposure had a 92% increase in BrdU-labeled cells in the SVZa compared to females exposed to a female. Double-label immunocytochemical studies demonstrated that 80% of the BrdU-labeled cells in the RMS displayed a neuronal phenotype. Ovariectomized females exposed to a male did not show an increase in serum estrogen or BrdU labeling in the RMS. Conversely, ovariectomized females injected with estrogen were sexually receptive and had more BrdU-labeled cells in the RMS than oil-injected females. These data suggest that, in female prairie voles, estrus induction is associated with increased numbers of dividing cells in the RMS, possibly via an estrogen-mediated process.
Ante- and postmortem diagnostic techniques for anthrax: rethinking pathogen exposure and the geographic extent of the disease in wildlife.

Abstract Although antemortem approaches in wildlife disease surveillance are common for most zoonoses, they have been used infrequently in anthrax surveillance. Classically, anthrax is considered a disease with extremely high mortality. This is because anthrax outbreaks are often detected ex post facto through wildlife or livestock fatalities or spillover transmission to humans. As a result, the natural prevalence of anthrax infection in animal populations is largely unknown. However, in the past 20 yr, antemortem serologic surveillance in wildlife has indicated that not all species exposed succumb to infection, and anthrax exposure may be more widespread than originally appreciated. These studies brought about a multitude of new questions, many of which can be addressed by increased antemortem serologic surveillance in wildlife populations. To fully understand anthrax transmission dynamics and geographic extent, it is important to identify exposure in wildlife hosts and associated factors and, in turn, u...
R-Baclofen Reverses a Social Behavior Deficit and Elevated Protein Synthesis in a Mouse Model of Fragile X Syndrome

Background: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common known inherited form of intellectual disability and the single genomic cause of autism spectrum disorders. It is caused by the absence of a fragile X mental retardation gene ( Fmr1 ) product, FMRP, an RNA-binding translation suppressor. Elevated rates of protein synthesis in the brain and an imbalance between synaptic signaling via glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are both considered important in the pathogenesis of FXS. In a mouse model of FXS ( Fmr1 knockout [KO]), treatment with R-baclofen reversed some behavioral and biochemical phenotypes. A remaining crucial question is whether R-baclofen is also able to reverse increased brain protein synthesis rates. Methods: To answer this question, we measured regional rates of cerebral protein synthesis in vivo with the L-[1-14C]leucine method in vehicle- and R-baclofen–treated wildtype and Fmr1 KO mice. We further probed signaling pathways involved in the regulation of protein synthesis. Results: Acute R-baclofen administration corrected elevated protein synthesis and reduced deficits on a test of social behavior in adult Fmr1 KO mice. It also suppressed activity of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway, particularly in synaptosome-enriched fractions, but it had no effect on extracellular-regulated kinase 1/2 activity. Ninety min after R-baclofen treatment, we observed an increase in metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 expression in the frontal cortex, a finding that may shed light on the tolerance observed in human studies with this drug. Conclusions: Our results suggest that treatment via activation of the GABA (GABA receptor subtype B) system warrants further study in patients with FXS.
Abstract 3330: Nanog, cancer stem cells, and resistance to chemotherapy

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC It has been increasingly appreciated that cancer stem cells are responsible for initiating tumor formation as well as resistance to chemoradiotherapy, but the mechanisms involved remain unknown. Nanog is a transcription factor essential for self-renewal of embryonic stem cells. The expression of Nanog has been reported in some cancer cells but its role in tumor initiation and resistance to chemotherapy has not been convincingly demonstrated. Herein, we report that Nanog is expressed in tumorigenic prostate cancer cells and further it plays an essential role of Nanog in tumor formation and resistance to chemotherapy. Enrichment for Nanog-expressing tumor cells led to an increase in the number of cells positive for stem/progenitor markers, increased clonogenic growth, and increased ability to form prostaspheres. When injected into mice, enriched Nanog-expressing cells formed tumors earlier and formed larger tumors than the vector control cells did. Knockdown of Nanog in tumorigenic cancer cells, via small hairpin RNAs, reduced clonogenic growth, stimulated epithelial differentiation, and significantly compromised their tumor initiating ability. Prospective enrichment of tumor cells with endogenous Nanog expression also led to enrichment of tumor cells resistant to Taxol, vinblastine, and doxorubicin, but not camptothecin (CPT). The increased resistance in Nanog expressing cells was attenuated, but not abolished, by inhibitors of p-glycoprotein, the ATP-bind cassette efflux transporter B1 (ABCB1), or by knockdown of ABCB1 via small hairpin RNAs (shRNAs). Expression of ABCB1 was increased in tumor cells enriched with endogenous Nanog expression while knockdown of Nanog reduced the expression of ABCB1 and sensitized tumor cells toward chemotherapeutics. Taken together, the data from gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies suggest an essential role of Nanog for prostate cancer cells to self-renew or propagate, to initiate tumor formation, and to resist chemotherapy via regulating the expression of ABC transporters. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3330.
Are We Teaching Outside the Box? A National Survey on Teaching the Minimum Wage in Undergraduate Economics Classes

The purpose of this paper is to study how professors in the US teach about the minimum wage. Results of a survey suggest that almost all instructors cover the topic of minimum wage in their introdu...
Field studies on the mode of entry of Aspergillus flavus into cotton seeds

Aspergillus flavus was introduced into several natural openings in cotton plants at or before anthesis and the subsequent infection rate in the mature seed determined. Cotyledonary leaf scars of seedlings, unopened flower buds, and involucral nectaries or stigmata of newly opened flowers were inoculated with dry fungal spores. Seeds from plants inoculated at the cotyledonary node, involucral nectaries, and flower buds had significantly higher A. flavus infection rates than uninoculated control plants.
Carbon Nanotube Microspheres Produced by Surfactant-Mediated Aggregation

Using the inherent self-organizing nature of nanotubes, we have prepared mechanically robust, stable, surfactant-mediated carbon nanotube microspheres (CNMs). This work reveals the effects of a series of surfactants with cationic, anionic, and nonionic charges on the formation of CNMs. This occurs through the spherical entanglement of carboxylic acid-terminated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The morphology, electrochemical and electrical performance, and the surface charge of CNMs were systemically observed with SEM, focused ion beam (FIB) milling, four-point probe, cyclic voltammetry, and ζ-potential analysis. The SEM results revealed that surfactant-wrapped CNMs were densely packed with relatively smooth exterior surfaces possessing large reactive areas. In addition, FIB milling observation provided cross-sectional views of CNMs and demonstrated the similarity to those of the external surface. The surfactants' concentration (0.01−1% w/v) influenced the properties of CNMs, leading to a slight varia...
Evaluating the Patient with Right Upper Quadrant Abdominal Pain

Right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain is among the most common complaints in the emergency department. The differential diagnosis is broad and includes gastrointestinal (GI) and non-GI causes for pain. Evaluation of patients requires a combination of history, physical examination, laboratory testing, and diagnostic imaging. This article details the anatomy and physiology of the right upper abdomen and approach to the history and physical examination of the most common diseases encountered in the emergency department. "Can't miss," non-GI diagnoses are discussed. Best practices of laboratory and imaging, and treatment of most common diagnoses of RUQ pain are reviewed.
Brief Report: Development and Validation of a Semiautomated Method to Measure Erosion Volume in Inflammatory Arthritis by Computed Tomography Scanning.

OBJECTIVE Valid measurement of erosion volume in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) will facilitate the testing of treatments that may help to heal erosion. This study was undertaken to develop and validate a software method to measure erosion volume on computed tomography (CT) scans of the hand and wrist. METHODS Duplicate CT acquisitions of both hands of 5 patients with RA were evaluated using a semiautomated software tool to measure erosion volume in the entire hand and wrist and in each of 6 subregions. Reproducibility was quantified using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), root mean square standard deviation (RMSSD), and coefficient of variation (CV), and the analysis was performed at the level of the hand (n = 10) and the subject (n = 5). RESULTS The ICCs between 2 repositioned acquisitions were excellent, ranging from 0.97 to 1.00. At the hand level, the RMSSD was 15.6 mm(3) with a CV of 7.3%, and the CVs at the 6 regions ranged from 7.6% to 21.0%. At the subject level, the RMSSD was 31.2 mm(3) with a CV of 3.7%, and the CVs at the 6 regions ranged from 0.5% to 15.8%. CONCLUSION We have developed a novel semiautomated software method to measure erosion volume on hand and wrist CT scans. The method is reproducible and can be used to detect changes in erosion volume. This will facilitate the testing of treatments intended to reduce erosion volume.
Dependability Analysis of Embedded Software Systems

A two-step Dynamic Flowgraph Methodology (DFM) is presented for the dependability analysis of embedded systems. The first step in its application consists of building a model that expresses the logic and dynamic behavior of the system in terms of its physical and software variables. The modeling framework that is used combines and expands on the structures of two known techniques: logic flowgraph methodology (LFM) and Petri nets, the former being used to model flow of causality and the latter to model the timed control of the causality flow. The second step of DFM application consists in using the model developed in the first step to build “timed” fault trees that identify and represent logic combinations and time sequences of variable states that can cause the system to be in certain specific states of interest (desirable or undesirable). This is accomplished by backtracking through the DFM model of the system of interest in a systematic, specified manner. The information, contained in the fault trees, concerning the hardware and software conditions that can lead to system states of interest can be used to uncover undesirable or unanticipated software/hardware interactions and to improve upon the system design by eliminating unsafe software-execution paths. It can also be used to develop a focused testing strategy.
Hepatic Fatty Acid Oxidation Restrains Systemic Catabolism during Starvation

The liver is critical for maintaining systemic energy balance during starvation. To understand the role of hepatic fatty acid β-oxidation on this process, we generated mice with a liver-specific knockout of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 2 (Cpt2(L-/-)), an obligate step in mitochondrial long-chain fatty acid β-oxidation. Fasting induced hepatic steatosis and serum dyslipidemia with an absence of circulating ketones, while blood glucose remained normal. Systemic energy homeostasis was largely maintained in fasting Cpt2(L-/-) mice by adaptations in hepatic and systemic oxidative gene expression mediated in part by Pparα target genes including procatabolic hepatokines Fgf21, Gdf15, and Igfbp1. Feeding a ketogenic diet to Cpt2(L-/-) mice resulted in severe hepatomegaly, liver damage, and death with a complete absence of adipose triglyceride stores. These data show that hepatic fatty acid oxidation is not required for survival during acute food deprivation but essential for constraining adipocyte lipolysis and regulating systemic catabolism when glucose is limiting.
Idiodynamics and Applied Psychoanalysis

This communication explores the implications of Rosenzweig's idiodynamic method for applied psychoanalytic studies. After reviewing the methodological problems intrinsic to applied psychoanalysis, the author summarizes the idiodynamic method. Rosenzweig's idiodynamic studies of loss and creativity in Freud's life (and the lives of creative individuals) are briefly reviewed. With Rosenzweig's insights in mind, Freud's methodological problem in Totem and Taboo is identified and explored in terms of its psychological meaning. Freud's split with Jung was an important factor in the composition of Totem and Taboo. The Freud–Jung split also influenced the insular nature of organized psychoanalysis and contributed to the relative neglect of empirical methods within psychoanalysis in the twentieth century. The idiodynamic method is intended to foster empirical rigor. For applied psychoanalytic studies, the idiodynamic method would place actual known events, with consequent patterns and meanings emerging over time, above any theoretical scheme. Although his method does not resolve all of the methodological problems of applied psychoanalysis, Rosenzweig offers a disciplined method for creative psychological inquiry.
Long-Term Management of Complications of Retinal Artery Macroaneurysms with Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection

Purpose: To report the 1-year follow-up results of intravitreal aflibercept injection (IAI) for the management of complications of retinal artery macroaneurysms (
Racial-Ethnic Socialization and Achievement: The Mediating Role of Academic Engagement

This brief report examined how racial socialization is directly and indirectly related to academic achievement for African Americans attending a predominantly White institution. We expected that st...
Decoupling Tooth Loss from the Evolution of Baleen in Whales

Baleen whales, or mysticetes, include the largest vertebrates to have ever evolved. Their gigantism, evolutionary success, and ecological diversity have been linked to filter feeding. Mysticetes filter feed using elaborate keratinous baleen plates, which grow from the palate and allow them to strain large quantities of prey out of the water. While the earliest mysticetes retained the adult, mineralized teeth present in ancestral whales, all species of living baleen whales lack teeth and instead possess baleen. The mechanism by which this evolutionary transformation took place remains unknown. We present four independent, but non-exclusive hypotheses for the origin of baleen. We evaluate the support for these hypotheses based on separate lines of evidence, including paleontological, molecular, and ontogenetic data. We suggest that the origin of baleen is decoupled from the loss of teeth, with a separate morphological and genetic basis. Moreover, we outline how new fossils and phylogenetic analyses may resolve current debates about morphological transitions in tooth loss and baleen origin across the phylogeny of stem and crown Mysticeti. Additional insights will likely arise from more detailed examination of developmental and biomechanical data, with sufficient ontogenetic and phylogenetic sampling.
Preoperative vitamin D level as predictor of post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia in patients sustaining transient parathyroid injury.

BACKGROUND Several studies have sought to identify predictors of postoperative hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy; however, there have been conflicting results regarding the impact of preoperative vitamin D deficiency. METHODS The medical records of patients undergoing total thyroidectomy were retrospectively reviewed. The number of parathyroid glands identified or reimplanted at the time of surgery was used as a marker of transient parathyroid gland damage. RESULTS Sixty-seven patients were included in the study. Vitamin D deficiency was a significant predictor of hypocalcemia in patients in whom ≥3 parathyroid glands were identified, but not in patients in whom 0-2 parathyroid glands were identified intraoperatively (odds ratio [OR] 5.8; P = .036). CONCLUSION Vitamin D deficiency is a significant predictor of postoperative hypocalcemia in patients in whom ≥3 parathyroid glands are identified intraoperatively, but not in patients who sustain minimal transient damage to the parathyroid glands.
Pentablock copolymer dexamethasone nanoformulations elevate MYOC: in vitro liberation, activity and safety in human trabecular meshwork cells.

Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the elevation of MYOC in long-term treatment of human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells using dexamethasone (DEX) encapsulated pentablock (PB) copolymer-based nanoparticles (NPs) (DEX-PB-NPs). Materials & methods: PB copolymers and DEX-PB-NPs were synthesized and characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance, gel permeation chromatography, and X-ray diffraction analyses. MYOC levels secreted from HTM cells were measured by western blot (WB) analysis. Results: DEX-PB-NPs were formulated in the size range of 109 ± 3.77 nm (n = 3). A long term DEX release from the NPs was observed over three months. Cell viability and cytotoxicity were not affected up to 12 weeks of treatment with PB-copolymer or DEX-PB-NPs. WB data from five HTM cell strains showed that MYOC levels increased by 5.2 ± 1.3, 7.4 ± 4.3, and 2.8 ± 1.1-fold in the presence of DEX-PB-NPs compared with 9.2 ± 3.8, 2.2 ± 0.5, and 1.5 ± 0.3-fold at 4, 8 and 12 weeks in control-DEX treatment group, respectively (...
On Advanced Control Methods toward Power Capture and Load Mitigation in Wind Turbines

Abstract This article provides a survey of recently emerged methods for wind turbine control. Multivariate control approaches to the optimization of power capture and the reduction of loads in components under time-varying turbulent wind fields have been under extensive investigation in recent years. We divide the related research activities into three categories: modeling and dynamics of wind turbines, active control of wind turbines, and passive control of wind turbines. Regarding turbine dynamics, we discuss the physical fundamentals and present the aeroelastic analysis tools. Regarding active control, we review pitch control, torque control, and yaw control strategies encompassing mathematical formulations as well as their applications toward different objectives. Our survey mostly focuses on blade pitch control, which is considered one of the key elements in facilitating load reduction while maintaining power capture performance. Regarding passive control, we review techniques such as tuned mass dampers, smart rotors, and microtabs. Possible future directions are suggested.
Abstract B166: Investigating the effect of CDK4/6 and MDM2 inhibition on melanoma

Introduction: The purpose was to investigate how inhibition of MDM2 and CDK4/6 would affect growth of melanoma tumors with deleted CDKN2A in vivo. Methods: B16F0 and WM115 cells were cultured with increasing concentrations of MDM2 inhibitors nutlin-3a, RG7112, or RG7388. Viability was monitored by CellTiter-Blue assay. Induction of p21, MDM2, and BAX expression was monitored by qRT-PCR. C57BL/6J mice (n=40) were injected subcutaneously into both flanks with 50,000 B16F0 cells, a CDKN2A-deficient mouse melanoma cell line. Tumors grew for one week, then mice were randomized into four treatment groups: vehicle (100 µL 0.5% methylcellulose) (n=10), CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib 100 mg/kg (n=10), RG7388 150 mg/kg (n=10), and combination palbociclib 100 mg/kg + RG7388 150 mg/kg (n=10). Drugs were given daily via oral gavage. Tumor volumes were measured every 2-3 days, and mice with tumors >15 mm in diameter were euthanized. After 12 days of therapy, tumors were excised and weighed. At the time of euthanasia, mice were bled to evaluate AST and ALT levels. Four tumors per group were randomly selected for HE 2017 Oct 26-30; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2018;17(1 Suppl):Abstract nr B166.
Tracking Certificate Misissuance in the Wild

Certificate Authorities (CAs) regularly make mechanical errors when issuing certificates. To quantify these errors, we introduce ZLint, a certificate linter that codifies the policies set forth by the CA/Browser Forum Baseline Requirements and RFC 5280 that can be tested in isolation. We run ZLint on browser-trusted certificates in Censys and systematically analyze how well CAs construct certificates. We find that the number errors has drastically reduced since 2012. In 2017, only 0.02% of certificates have errors. However, this is largely due to a handful of large authorities that consistently issue correct certificates. There remains a long tail of small authorities that regularly issue non-conformant certificates. We further find that issuing certificates with errors is correlated with other types of mismanagement and for large authorities, browser action. Drawing on our analysis, we conclude with a discussion on how the community can best use lint data to identify authorities with worrisome organizational practices and ensure long-term health of the Web PKI.