cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bivalent inhibitors of the tyrosine kinases ABL and SRC: determinants of potency and selectivity.

We recently reported a chemical genetic method for generating bivalent inhibitors of protein kinases. This method relies on the use of the DNA repair enzymeO6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) to display an ATP-competitive inhibitor and a ligand that targets a secondary binding domain. With this method potent and selective inhibitors of the tyrosine kinases SRC and ABL were identified. Here, we dissect the molecular determinants of the potency and selectivity of these bivalent ligands. Systematic analysis of ATP-competitive inhibitors with varying linker lengths revealed that SRC and ABL have differential sensitivities to ligand presentation. Generation of bivalent constructs that contain ligands with differential affinities for the ATP-binding sites and SH3 domains of SRC and ABL demonstrated the modular nature of inhibitors based on the AGT scaffold. Furthermore, these studies revealed that the interaction between the SH3 domain ligand and the kinase SH3 domain is the major selectivity determinant amongst closely-related tyrosine kinases. Finally, the potency of bivalent inhibitors against distinct phospho-isoforms of SRC was determined. Overall, these results provide insight into how individual ligands can be modified to provide more potent and selective bivalent inhibitors of protein kinases.
Mobile QoS management using complex event processing: (industry article)

This paper describes a use case and a corresponding prototype of a system that provides end-to-end Quality-of-Service (QoS) management for mobile broadband telecommunications service operations using measurements collected from end-user devices. Traditionally mobile telecommunications systems manage performance by monitoring network elements. With a device-based approach the main source of monitored information are end-user devices, where users run their applications and where they directly experience the effects of variations in performance in the sub-systems that comprise the mobile application delivery chain: data center, network and device.In this solution, user devices measure and report transaction latencies combined with location data and bandwidth capacity usage. These measurement event streams are collected and analyzed by a CEP application that provides near real-time insight on the state of the network. It identifies problem conditions such as congested base stations and high latency devices, detects opportunities to correct problems and initiates actions when conditions apply, specifically involving offloading of traffic to WiFi networks. Since QoS management in mobile networks is highly dependent on the dynamic location and speed of devices, this CEP application heavily leverages geospatial functions in the selected CEP platform.
Fixed categories in a portable landscape: the causes and consequences of land-cover categorization

In this paper I explore both the causes and the effects of defining land-cover categories for the mapping of landscapes. Utilizing a participatory remote sensing technique in a case example from Rajasthan, India, I demonstrate that local and expert characterizations of the environment are qualitatively and quantitatively divergent. Satellite imagery, I therefore conclude, is not an impartial tool for the settlement of debates about land cover but is instead the result of prior debates about the character of nature. Moreover, such imagery acts as a force in the transformation of the environment; by fixing certain interpretations of the environment and forcing certain forms of management, technology changes on the land through a process of reverse adaptation. I conclude, therefore, that bureaucratic efforts at mechanical objectivity serve to institutionalize and therefore create measurable, quantifiable, and aggressive land covers through the practice of ecological modernization.
DNA Looping by Saccharomyces cerevisiae High Mobility Group Proteins NHP6A/B CONSEQUENCES FOR NUCLEOPROTEIN COMPLEX ASSEMBLY AND CHROMATIN CONDENSATION

The formation of higher order protein˙DNA structures often requires bending of DNA strands between specific sites, a process that can be facilitated by the action of nonspecific DNA-binding proteins which serve as assembly factors. A model for this activity is the formation of the invertasome, an intermediate structure created in the Hin-mediated site-specific DNA inversion reaction, which is stimulated by the prokaryotic nucleoid-associated protein HU. Previously, we have shown that the mammalian HMG1/2 proteins substitute for HU in this system and display efficient DNA wrapping activity in vitro. In the present work, we isolate the primary sources of assembly factor activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as measured by the ability to stimulate invertasome formation, and show that these are the previously identified NHP6A/B proteins. NHP6A/B have comparable or greater activity in DNA binding, bending, and supercoiling with respect to HU and HMG1 and appear to form more stable protein˙DNA complexes. In addition, expression of NHP6A in mutant Escherichia coli cells lacking HU and Fis restores normal morphological appearance to these cells, specifically in nucleoid condensation and segregation. From these data we predict diverse architectural roles for NHP6A/B in manipulating chromosome structure and promoting the assembly of multicomponent protein˙DNA complexes.
Isoxazolidines, 1,3-amino alcohols and alcohols from long chain olefins

Abstract Diaryl nitrones reacted with 1-hexadecene, 10-undecenoate, oleate and linoleate to yield isoxazolidines. These were reduced to amino alcohols and alcohols. Chemical degradation of some of the alcohols showed that they have straight aliphatic chains. Accordingly, the addition of diphenyl nitrone to 1-hexadecene and to 10-undecenoate led to 5-alkyl isoxazolidines. Alkyl phenols similar to cardanols were obtained from isoxazolidines that had been prepared from C-hydroxyphenyl nitrones and 1-hexadecene.
Performance Modeling for the Panda Array I/O Library

We present an analytical performance model for Panda, a library for synchronized i/o of large multidimensional arrays on parallel and sequential platforms, and show how the Panda developers use this model to evaluate Panda's parallel i/o performance and guide future Panda development. The model validation shows that system developers can simplify performance analysis, identify potential performance bottlenecks, and study the design trade-offs for Panda on massively parallel platforms more easily than by conducting empirical experiments. More importantly, we show that the outputs of the performance model can be used to help make optimal plans for handling application i/o requests, the first step toward our long-term goal of automatically optimizing i/o request handling in Panda.
Writing From the Archive: Creating Your Own

The author hopes to address what counts as an historical record, especially in the area of media history, and to lay out how one creates one's own archive that might capture the media zeitgeist of the past, and might even reveal, however incompletely, how past audiences might have made sense of the media environments surrounding them. Using her own research, she focuses on 3 archives: one for a standard academic monograph that relies on existing and self-constructed archives, a second that is almost completely homemade on the representations of women in the media, and a third for an overview history of radio in the United States.
A discrete bidirectional reflectance model in remote sensing

A numerical scheme is devised to develop a discrete bidirectional reflectance model. A pseudospectral method is utilized with which the discrete solution of the radiative transfer equation is made part of this development. To produce discrete bidirectional reflectance values, a set of algebraic equations is solved. Illustrative examples are given to demonstrate the performance of the developed model.
Hemodynamic and pulmonary edema protein measurements in a case of reexpansion pulmonary edema.

We describe a patient with unilateral reexpansion pulmonary edema following thoracocentesis of a right pleural effusion. The pulmonary edema-serum total protein ratio was 0.85. Right heart catheterization revealed a normal pulmonary wedge pressure. The pulmonary edema cleared quickly. This is the first case to our knowledge in which pulmonary hemodynamics and lung fluid total protein levels have been monitored in reexpansion pulmonary edema.
Mandibular advancement devices and seep disordered breathing

It has been nearly 90 years since a dentist first fabricated a dental appliance for a patient with snoring. Since then, mandibular advancement devices or MADs have become a common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea and are used to increase the caliber of the airway during sleep. Their primary use is for the patient who has snoring or mild to moderate, but not severe, OSA problems. Unfortunately, only a small amount of empirical data exists on the topics of long-term compliance, complications and contraindications for these devices. Nevertheless, it appears that only a small percentage of patients will quit using a MAD because of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) or masticatory muscle soreness. An even smaller percent of the long-term MAD users will get changes in their occlusion. Compliance reports suggest that only 50% of the patients will be using the device after 3 years. Overall, these data suggest that MADs should be carefully fabricated by dentists who work on a referral basis with sleep medicine physicians and patients using MADs must be monitored regularly for ongoing efficacy and for associated complications. The good news (with good data support for this conclusion) is that MAD's are a moderately effective treatment of snoring and mild to moderate OSA.
Monolayers at the oil/water interface as a proper model for bilayer membranes

Abstract In order to clarify the structural relationship between lipid monolayer and bilayer membranes, physical states of these membranes are discussed from their energetic points of view. It is concluded that the monolayer formed at the oil/water interface is a proper model system to represent the physical state of half of a bilayer in its liquid crystalline state. The theoretical prediction is confirmed by the monolayer surface tension measurements and the bilayer conductance experiments with water soluble (extrinsic) proteins. It is also deduced that the surface pressure of the bilayer in the liquid crystalline state is quite high, about 45 dyn/cm, and the interaction of cytochrome c with the bilayer is mainly electrostatic at the bilayer membrane periphery.
Phosphodiesterase 1C is dispensable for rapid response termination of olfactory sensory neurons.

Phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity in olfactory sensory neuron cilia is thought to be responsible for degrading odor-induced signaling, resulting in rapid response termination. However, disrupting the variety of PDE found only in cilia unexpectedly turns out not to result in a rapid response termination deficit. Only eliminating both cilia-localized and cell body–localized varieties of PDEs resulted in prolonged termination.
Semirelativistic approximation to gravitational radiation from encounters with nonspinning black holes

The capture of compact bodies by black holes in galactic nuclei is an important prospective source for low frequency gravitational wave detectors, such as the planned Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. This paper calculates, using a semirelativistic approximation, the total energy and angular momentum lost to gravitational radiation by compact bodies on very high eccentricity orbits passing close to a supermassive, nonspinning black hole; these quantities determine the characteristics of the orbital evolution necessary to estimate the capture rate. The semirelativistic approximation improves upon treatments which use orbits at Newtonian order and quadrupolar radiation emission, and matches well onto accurate Teukolsky simulations for low eccentricity orbits. Formulas are presented for the semirelativistic energy and angular momentum fluxes as a function of general orbital parameters.
Severity of pediatric traumatic brain injury and neurobehavioral recovery at one year—A cohort study

Abstract As part of an ongoing longitudinal cohort study of children with mild, moderate, and severe traumatic brain injury and their matched controls, the neurobehavioral status of 94 case-control pairs was assessed one year after initial postinjury testing. There was a statistically significant dose-response association of severity with performance in all six domains of neurobehavioral functioning (intelligence, adaptive problem solving, memory, academic performance, motor performance, and psychomotor problem solving) with Spearman correlation coefficients of up to −.35, p
A data tree structure for a hierarchical structure processing

Abstract In this electronic age, the manufacturing sector has been searching for a unique data structure scheme which can easily represent different data types relating to design, process and inventory management. In this paper, an efficient way of representing the hierarchically significant data, especially in manufacturing, is investigated. Unlike the contemporary tree structure representation using pointers, this approach adopts a unique arithmetic encoding scheme to represent individual paths. The encoded nodes will have the capability to regenerate the entire paths (of a tree) using simple arithmetic procedures. The most significantly benefits of this approach are increased data processing efficiency and ease of navigation of data paths in hierarchical data structures. The preliminary testing of this approach on a simulated factory data have indicated significant improvement on data representation and processing efficiency. This structure promises application in Computer Aided Design, Manufacturing Resources Planning, and Hypermedia Data Structure.
Initial dietary influences on antibody absorption in newborn puppies.

SummaryThe ingestion of protein or other food does not appear to be a primary factor in the cessation of absorption of antibodies from the intestine of newborn puppies.The authors thank Randy H. Mertens for technical assistance necessary to complete this work.
Vacuum ultraviolet optical microscopy

Microscopy using vacuum ultraviolet and soft x-ray radiation offers high resolution, high contrast, and chemical sensitivity. Holography and contact printing are unique in their potential to achieve wavelength-limited resolution because they eliminate optical elements and their imperfections. Both methods, however, lack magnification and require high resolution films and methods to recover images. We present our results on source development and film characterization.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effects of repeated neuropsychological assessments.

Abstract The effects of repeated administrations of neuropsychological instruments were evaluated in a group of chronic cigarette smokers who served as control subjects in a larger research project. Subjects performance on 13 neuropsychological variables across four assessments was evaluated using trend analyses. Statistically significant results were obtained on the Logical and Figurai Memory Subtests of the Wechsler Memory Scale (Form I — Russell's Revision) Part B of the Trail Making Test and the Grooved Pegboard Test (preferred hand). Of the remaining seven variables the Speech Sounds Perception Test, the Seashore Rhythm Test and Simple Auditory Reaction Time were highly consistent across all four assessments. The implications of these findings in clinical practice and research settings are addressed.
A General View of the Regular Spanish Language Press in the United States

THE Spanish language press in this country is well deserving of special study. It serves as one of the chief means of circulating news, information, commercial advertising and various types of political ideologies among the old and new Mexican populations of the Southwest and in Chicago, as well as among the Puerto Rican, Cuban and Spanish Republican colonies in New York and a few other large urban centers, and in the Cuban colonies in Tampa and elsewhere in Florida. The present study is an effort to evaluate the Spanish language press and to understand the people who read it and toward whom it is directed.
Optimal order multigrid methods for solving exterior boundary value problems

The coupling of boundary elements and finite elements combines the advantage of boundary elements for treating domains extended to infinity and that of finite elements in treating the nonhomogeneity of equations and the complexity of domains. In the case of the Laplacian, by taking a circle or a sphere as the artificial coupling boundary, it is shown that the corresponding boundary integral equation can be solved without any cost and the coupled system is reduced to a simple finite element system. Two multigrid methods are proposed to solve this finite element linear system. Both methods are of optimal order and can be used to solve such finite element equations as efficiently as to solve those arising from interior boundary value problems.Numerical experiments are included to show the efficiency and advantages of the methods. An apparent significance of the methods is that the boundary elements appear neither in the discretization nor in the coding.
Initial validation of the functional impairment scale for children and adolescents.

ABSTRACT Objective Two studies assessed the validity of the Functional Impairment Scale for Children and Adolescents (FISCA), a multidimensional parent-report questionnaire. Method In study 1, quasi-exploratory and confirmatory procedures tested whether FISCA data for 804 inpatients (mean age = 13.4, 456 boys), collected October 1994 through December 1995, fit a 3-factor model. Study 2 (n = 330) used survival and discriminant analyses to predict recidivism status at 3 and 6 months follow-up from FISCA scores at intake. Results The 8 FISCA scales reduced to 3 factors describing undercontrolled aggression, social role violations, and self-focused aspects of child functional impairment. Serious impairment on the Aggression and School scales each predicted a 3-fold increase in recidivism risk. Together, impairment scores for Aggression, School, Thinking, and Delinquency correctly identified 73% of the recidivists. However, 51% of the nonrecidivists also were classified as recidivists. Conclusions Although these data initially support the FISCA's validity, they underscore the need for more effective strategies to identify severely impaired children whose problems will be sporadic or short-lived.
Comparison of Survivor Curves of Bacillus subtilis Spores Subjected to Wet and Dry Heat

SUMMARY: Survivor curves for spores of Bacillus subtilis were determined in wet and dry heat over a wide range of temperatures. Wet heat tests were determined using a thermoresistometer and thermal death time cans. Dry heat tests were conducted in a closed system using thermal death time cans. There were major differences in the shape of the wet vs. dry heat survivor curves. Wet heat resulted in convex curves at low temperatures, but a straight line at higher temperature. Dry heat resulted in concave curves at all temperatures. These results suggest that physiological differences exist between wet and dry heat destruction of bacteria. Several possible explanations for the difference in the shape of the survivor curves were discussed.
Correlations in high dimensional or asymmetric data sets: Hebbian neuronal processing

The Hebbian neural learning algorithm that implements Principal Component Analysis (PCA) can be extended for the analysis of more realistic forms of neural data by including higher than two-channel correlations and non-Euclidean 1p metrics. Maximizing a dth rank tensor form which correlates d channels is equivalent to raising the exponential order of variance correlation from 2 to d in the algorithm that implements PCA. Simulations suggest that a generalized version of Oja's PCA neuron can detect such a dth order principal component. Arguments from biology and pattern recognition suggest that neural data in general is not symmetric about its mean; performing PCA with an implicit 1l metric rather than the Euclidean metric weights exponentially distributed vectors according to their probability, as does a highly nonlinear Hebb rule. The correlation order d and the 1p metric exponent p were each roughly constant for each of several Hebb rules simulated. High-order correlation analysis may prove increasingly useful as data from large networks of cells engaged in information processing becomes available.
A new interpretation of sea-surface slope probability density functions

[1] Sea-surface slope probability density functions, which are usually fitted to a Gram-Charlier series, can be fit equally well by a bound wave/free wave model in which the distributions of bound and free waves are Gaussian. Bound waves are generated by longer waves on the surface and travel at nearly the phase speed of the long wave while free waves are generated directly by the wind and travel at their intrinsic phase speed. These two types of short surface waves can usually be separated in measurements that yield their velocities. The integrals over the two distributions yield the probabilities of finding bound or free waves on the surface. We show that the probability of finding bound waves on the ocean is comparable to that in a wind-wave tank and much larger than the probability of whitecapping. The mean slopes of the two distributions yield the mean tilts of bound or free waves. We show that the mean tilt of the bound waves is similar to that in a wind-wave tank and close to that necessary to explain Doppler shifts in microwave backscatter from the sea surface at high incidence angles. Finally, the widths of the two distributions yield the variance of sea-surface slopes at the locations of bound and free waves. We show that these are larger at sea than in a wind-wave tank, which explains why bound waves at sea have not been recognized previously in sea-surface slope probability distributions.
Expanding the Educational Horizons of Undergraduates through Cognitive Aging Research

Involving undergraduate students in cognitive aging research requires extra efforts not associated with graduate assistants. However, if the researcher acknowledges the limited experience of undergraduates in structuring their participation, the rewards are copious for the students and researcher alike. This paper describes undergraduate student assistance in a research project supported by a National Institutes of Health Academic Research Enhancement Award grant. This is a funding mechanism tailored for 4-year teaching institutions that requires undergraduate involvement in all phases of the work. Descriptions of the researcher's institution, academic program, and student characteristics are given. Next, the recruitment and initial training of student assistants are explained. The training is tailored to provide all student assistants with a rigorous conceptual background in the research area, regardless of their ultimate responsibilities in the project. Various specializations within the project are the...
Psychosocial and environmental influences on physical activity and health outcomes in sedentary women.

Purpose: To develop a model of psychosocial and environmental influences on physical activity and psychophysiological health outcomes in women. Design: A structural equation model was evaluated. Variables included 13 predictors (perceived benefits to exercise, self-efficacy, goal setting, restructuring plans, relapse prevention, social support, work hassles, community hassles, family hassles, age, race, income, and education), two mediator variables assessing physical activity (performance, physical activity level), and three health outcome variables (body size, vigor, and fatigue). Methods: A cross-sectional sample of 198, self-described sedentary women aged 30–60 years completed several paper-and-pencil tests, after which they were assessed physiologically by means of performance on a 1-mile walk, BMI, and percentage of body fat measurements. Results: Overall, the model showed good fit. Self-efficacy, age, race, and income correlated with physical performance, and restructuring plans, relapse prevention, and age related to physical activity level. Performance was inversely correlated with body size, and physical activity level was directly related to perceived vigor. Conclusions: Findings indicate that psychosocial determinants are important factors in understanding physical activity and psychophysiological health, and thus they should be incorporated into intervention programs focused on increasing physical activity and improving health outcomes in women.
The Creation of the First Public Salmon Hatchery in the United States

Abstract The first public salmon hatchery in the United States was constructed in 1871 at what was then known as Craig's Pond Brook, Maine. Funded by a consortium of northeastern states, the eggs and juveniles reared at the hatchery were intended to assist rehabilitation of depressed runs of wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in New England. By 1876, however, Atlantic salmon also were being distributed to at least 19 states and several countries, including such unlikely destinations as North Carolina, Texas, and Nebraska. Commercial weir operators on the Penobscot River sold live adult Atlantic salmon from their traps and these were transported in semi-submerged “salmon cars” to a holding pond at the hatchery. These cars were actually wooden boats with 100 holes drilled to provide circulation and oxygen. Charles Atkins, the first superintendent of the hatchery, developed several innovative culture techniques that are still in use today, such as his modification of the “Russian dry method” of spawning whic...
Vacancy creation during low energy ion bombardment

Abstract The use of a helium probe technique to determine the number of single : acancies in the damage state produced by ion bombardment is described. The technique is applied to (2–7) keV Ne on Ni(100) and to 5 keV Kr on W(100). In particular it is found that after a 5 keV Ne ion bombardment (8 × 1010/cm2) on Ni(100) there remains approximately 1 vacancy/ion in the damaged state whereas after a 5 keV Kr ion bombardment on W(100) there remains approximately (0.8–1.1) vacancies/ion.
Semiconormed possibility integrals and multi-feature pattern classification

Abstract The semiconormed possibility integrals are proposed as a multi-feature pattern classification model. A semiconormed possibility integral is a nonlinear integration of a function and its corresponding non-normalized possibility measures over feature space. The function of an object's feature vector represents the possibilities with uncertainty that the object belongs to a class. The uncertainty is due to the similar characteristics of objects from different classes and the distortion of the original characteristic information caused by feature data acquisition systems. The uncertainty is assessed by the non-normalized possibility measures, a possibility measure of a feature is considered as the credibility of the feature to provide reliable information for pattern classification. Integration of a function and the possibility measures effectively reduces the uncertainty and improves the pattern classification results. A pattern classification algorithm based on the semiconormed possibility integrals was used to classify a set of “ellipse data” and the well-known IRIS data, the classification results were compared with those obtained by using Bayes classifier.
Campaigning and Community Development: The Self-Education of a Political Candidate

This study examines the self-education of a political candidate regarding community values and priorities as they relate to community development. Political campaigns are described as events that allow citizens to assess candidates' knowledge and plans with respect to community problems. As a participant-observer in the political process, the author provides a unique perspective from which to identify problems facing a community and the preferences that citizens express about problem solutions. The essentially adversarial nature of the self-education of a political candidate is documented. The relationship of the intellectual content in the political process to community development is also explored.
High pressure NMR study of molecular motions and glass transition in several elastomers

Abstract The NMR proton spin-lattice relaxation times, T1, have been measured in natural rubber, synthetic cis-1,4-polyisoprene, cis-1,4-polybutadiene and natural rubber gum stock over a range of pressures from 1 bar to 3 kbar at temperatures from −10° to 100°C at 24.2 and 56.4 MHz. Using the concept of most probable correlation time for the motion of main chain segments the activation enthalpy and activation volume are calculated from the temperature and pressure dependences of the Ti minimum. The finding that ΔV ‡ increases with increasing temperature, and the relative role of thermal and volume effects on relaxation are briefly discussed. The observed pressure dependence of the glass transition temperature for these elastomers indicates that configurational entropy rather than volume plays an important role in determining the glass transition.
Optimization of MoO3 nanoparticles as negative-electrode material in high-energy lithium ion batteries

Abstract Highly uniform MoO3 nanoparticles, created using a unique hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) system, were studied as active material for negative electrodes in high-energy lithium ion batteries. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), surface area analysis (BET), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were utilized for powder characterization. Electrodes were fabricated from a slurry of MoO3, acetylene black (AB), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder deposited on copper foil. Electrochemical performance was optimized as a function of pre-annealing temperature and AB:PVDF ratio. Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicated both water removal and binder decomposition during heat treatment. However, melting binder rich electrodes appeared to redistribute the conductive additive and create a uniform coating that lead to improved durability. An optimized reversible high capacity of ∼1050 mAh g−1 was obtained for an electrode fabricated from 70:10:20 active material:AB:PVDF with a 250 °C pre-heat treatment.
Frequency reconfigurable wideband E-shaped patch antenna: Design, optimization, and measurements

This paper presents the design of a frequency reconfigurable wideband E-shaped patch antenna using particle swarm optimization. Ideal switches are used to demonstrate proof of concept of frequency reconfigurability. Utilizing an appropriate fitness function, an optimized design which works in the frequency range from 2GHz to 3.25Hz (53% total bandwidth) is obtained. A prototype of the design is developed and measurements are performed.
Photoreflectance studies of electronic transitions in quantum well structures under high presure

Superlattices of alternating layers of semiconductors were first proposed1 in 1970, and since then a variety of structures have been grown. Their technological importance has spurred considerable experimental and theoretical work. The unique feature of quantum confinement of carriers has made possible unusual devices. By combining various semiconductors and alloys of ffl-V, 11-TV and group IV materials, unusual band lineups between neighboring layers have been obtained. Both lattice matched and strained layer structures have been grown. In this article we will focus on the electronic structure of the quantum well heterostructures under the external perturbation of hydrostatic pressure. Pressure has been used extensively to investigate materials in regions of phase space not otherwise accessib1. lu the study of quantum well structures, it has also been used to move band edges in a controlled fashion, and alter band lineups, allowing the determination of band offsets with an accuracy that was not possible without the use of pressure. As in bulk semiconductors, optical techniques provide powerful tools in studying the electronic states in quantum well heterostructures (QWH). Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy is only sensitive to spectral features associated with energy states close to the bottom of the well due to rapid thermalization of carriers. Photoluminescence excitation (PLE) is often limited by the availability of tunable lasers. Photoreflectance (PR), on the other hand, can provide a rich structure due to both symmetry allowed and forbidden transitions encompassing the entire quantum well. This sensitivity is due to the derivative nature of the spectroscopy. Experiments can be carried out easily at different temperatures and over wide spectral regions. This article is organized as follows. In section 2 we will review some of the theoretical calculations of electronic bands in quantum wells and discuss the changes expected under pressure. In Sec. 3, we discuss the experimental details, including descriptions of the optical techniques used. Section 4 will deal with studies of the quantized transitions in GaAs/GaixAlxAs and GaSb/A1Sb QWH under pressure,using PR and PL. The examples are illustrative of the comparative merits of the two techniques.
Abstract 614: Increased oxidative DNA damage in human prostate cancer and its relationship to GSTP1 expression

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL The pi-class glutathione S-transferase (GSTP1) has been described as a ‘caretaker’ gene, as it actively protects the cell from oxidative genome damage mediated by carcinogens and electrophilic compounds. Loss of GSTP1 expression via promoter hypermethylation is one of the most common epigenetic alterations observed in human prostate cancer. Silencing of GSTP1 can increase prostate epithelial cells more vulnerable to both oxidant and electrophile carcinogens and causes genetic aberrations leading to increased risk of tumor progression. Observations suggest that increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) causes DNA damage in cells, as measured by 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), contribute to increased incidence of prostate cancer. However there are no studies which demonstrate correlation between GSTP1 protein/activity and DNA damage in prostate cancer. We took a panel of 24 human prostate specimens obtained after surgery which comprised of matched primary tumor and adjacent nontumorous (benign) prostate tissues. Oxidative DNA damage, GSTP1 protein expression and its activity, and GSTP1 promoter methylation was assessed. The 8-OHdG levels in DNA of prostate cancer tissues ranged from 0.307 to 0.609ng/μg DNA, whereas the levels in benign tissue range from 0.156 to 0.322ng/μg DNA, respectively. 8-OHdG and GSTP1 promoter methylation levels were higher in adenocarcinoma compared to their benign counterparts, which positively correlated with the loss of GSTP1 activity. The GSTP1 protein activity of prostate cancer tissues ranged from 738.2 to 1754.4ng/mg protein, whereas the levels in benign tissue range from 1728.6 to 2580.4ng/mg protein. The loss of GSTP1 expression in cells might increase their vulnerability to cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated DNA damage. In further experiments, human prostate carcinoma LNCaP cells, which contains a silenced GSTP1 gene, was genetically modified to constitutively express high levels of GSTP1. Introduction of GSTP1 lowered endogenous ROS levels in LNCaP cells; treatment with H2O2 significantly reduced ROS and 8-OHdG in LNCaP-GSTP1 cells, compared to parental cell line. Furthermore, treatment with green tea polyphenols to LNCaP cells caused re-expression of GSTP1 which protected the cells from H2O2-mediated DNA damage compared to pretreated cells. These results suggest that oxidative stress-induced DNA damage may be an important measure for primary prevention of prostate cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 614. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-614
Sparse matrix approximation method for an active optical control system

We develop a sparse matrix approximation method to decompose a wave front into a basis set of actuator influence functions for an active optical system consisting of a deformable mirror and a segmented primary mirror. The wave front used is constructed by Zernike polynomials to simulate the output of a phase-retrieval algorithm. Results of a Monte Carlo simulation of the optical control loop are compared with the standard, nonsparse approach in terms of accuracy and precision, as well as computational speed and memory. The sparse matrix approximation method can yield more than a 50-fold increase in the speed and a 20-fold reduction in matrix size and a commensurate decrease in required memory, with less than 10% degradation in solution accuracy. Our method is also shown to be better than when elements are selected for the sparse matrix on a magnitude basis alone. We show that the method developed is a viable alternative to use of the full control matrix in a phase-retrieval-based active optical control system.
Gene-level Integrated Metric of negative Selection (GIMS) Prioritizes Candidate Genes for Nephrotic Syndrome

Nephrotic syndrome (NS) gene discovery efforts are now occurring in small kindreds and cohorts of sporadic cases. Power to identify causal variants in these groups beyond a statistical significance threshold is challenging due to small sample size and/or lack of family information. There is a need to develop novel methods to identify NS-associated variants. One way to determine putative functional relevance of a gene is to measure its strength of negative selection, as variants in genes under strong negative selection are more likely to be deleterious. We created a gene-level, integrated metric of negative selection (GIMS) score for 20,079 genes by combining multiple comparative genomics and population genetics measures. To understand the utility of GIMS for NS gene discovery, we examined this score in a diverse set of NS-relevant gene sets. These included genes known to cause monogenic forms of NS in humans as well as genes expressed in the cells of the glomerulus and, particularly, the podocyte. We found strong negative selection in the following NS-relevant gene sets: (1) autosomal-dominant Mendelian focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) genes (p= 0.03 compared to reference), (2) glomerular expressed genes (p = 4×10-23), and (3) predicted podocyte genes (p = 3×10-9). Eight genes causing autosomal dominant forms of FSGS had a stronger combined score of negative selection and podocyte enrichment as compared to all other genes (p=1 x 10-3). As a whole, recessive FSGS genes were not enriched for negative selection. Thus, we also created a transcript-level, integrated metric of negative selection (TIMS) to quantify negative selection on an isoform level. These revealed transcripts of known autosomal recessive disease-causing genes that were nonetheless under strong selection. We suggest that a filtering strategy that includes measuring negative selection on a gene or isoform level could aid in identifying NS-related genes. Our GIMS and TIMS scores are available at http://glom.sph.umich.edu/GIMS/.
Metabolic Complications Associated with HIV Infection and Antiretroviral Therapy

William Powderly, M.D., is Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. He received his M.D. from University College Dublin in Ireland and completed Internal Medicine training in Dublin. He did his fellowship in Infectious Disease at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Dr. Powderly is currently Principal Investigator of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded AIDS Clinical Trials Unit at Washington University, which is part of the Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Group. Dr. Powderly is an Associate Editor of AIDS Patient Care and STDs.
Vector Competence of Aedes dorsalis (Diptera: Culicidae) from Morro Bay, California, for Western Equine Encephalomyelitis Virus

In laboratory vector competence studies, Aedes dorsalis (Meigen) collected from Morro Bay, CA, did not vertically transmit sympatric strains of western equine encephalomyelitis virus (WEE). This population of Ae. dorsalis was highly susceptible to oral infection and was a competent horizontal vector of WEE. The E2 region of the viral genome of the 3 virus strains isolated from Ae. dorsalis in Morro Bay were closely related genetically to a strain of WEE isolated in 1953 from a geographically separate location that is used regularly in the laboratory. These laboratory findings support recent field research and indicate that Ae. dorsalis probably does not play a significant role in WEE persistence in coastal California.
Loneliness, Cooperation, and Conformity Among American Undergraduates

Summary Three studies (involving a total of 80 male and 101 female American undergraduates) tested the hypothesis that lonely persons' pessimistic feelings and expectations for self and others would interfere with usually adaptive social processes. Individuals classified as lonely, by the UCLA Loneliness Scale, were less confident in their opinions, and less willing than nonlonely persons to advance their opinions publicly—the first step in the social comparison process. Lonely males also were less conforming to a social consensus when making important judgments about the welfare of another individual. Similarly, they were less influenced by the behavior of a helpful model in a standard altruism experiment. Lonely females, however, were more conforming and more likely to match the responses of the model. Gender differences are discussed in terms of coping mechanisms which may be differentially available to men and women.
Evaluating Aspects of the Community Land and Atmosphere Models (CLM3 and CAM3) Using a Dynamic Global Vegetation Model

Abstract The Community Land Model version 3 (CLM3) Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (CLM–DGVM) is used diagnostically to identify land and atmospheric model biases that lead to biases in the simulated vegetation. The CLM–DGVM driven with observed atmospheric data (offline simulation) underestimates global forest cover, overestimates grasslands, and underestimates global net primary production. These results are consistent with earlier findings that the soils in CLM3 are too dry. In the offline simulation an increase in simulated transpiration by changing this variable's soil moisture dependence and by decreasing canopy-intercepted precipitation results in better global plant biogeography and global net primary production. When CLM–DGVM is coupled to the Community Atmosphere Model version 3 (CAM3), the same modifications do not improve simulated vegetation in the eastern United States and Amazonia where the most serious vegetation biases appear. The dry bias in eastern U.S. precipitation is so severe that t...
Exciton Recombination and Upconverted Photoluminescence in Colloidal CdSe Quantum Dots

We studied photoluminescence (PL) of colloidal CdSe quantum dots (QDs) synthesized by a single-step method using cadmium oxide (CdO) and tri-n-octylphosphine selenide (TOPSe) as the Cd and Se sources, respectively, and tri-n-octylphosphine (TOP) as the reaction medium and subsequently dispersed in hexane. The QDs were excited by a narrow-band incoherent cw light source with photon energies near or below the first absorption maximum of the sample, and the resulting luminescence was dispersed and recorded. In the PL spectra, we identified two displaced by ∼16−38 meV strongly overlapping components with excitation energy dependent intensities. We also investigated lifetimes of the nonresonant PL decay at various excitation and emission energies using a frequency-domain method and observed multiexponential decay with three lifetimes approximately equal to 11.5(1.0), 41(2), and 155(15) ns. The low-energy component with the full width at half-maximum (fwhm) ranging from 135−155 meV was assigned to the charged e...
Complement, granulocytes, and shock lung

Intravascular leukostasis in the pulmonary microvasculature is a cardinal early histologic finding in patients with shock lung. Identical leukostasis is also observed in patients undergoing extracorporeal hemodialysis with cellophane membrane dialyzers, and it has been documented that the accumulation of granulocyte plugs in the lung is mediated by complement activation triggered by dialyzer cellophane. The C5a-desarg so generated causes peripheral blood granulocytes to aggregate, and the aggregates so formed embolize to the lung, where they cause occlusion of the microvasculature and increased capillary leakage, manifested by interstitial and alveolar edema. In vitro studies suggest that this endothelial damage is mediated by hydrogen peroxide from the adherent granulocytes. Most importantly, a close correlation has been found between the presence of C5a-desarg in plasma and the subsequent onset of shock lung in patients after trauma, burns, and sepsis. As exemplified by hemodialysis leukopenia, C5a-desarg-mediated pulmonary leukostasis is a self-limiting process because of selective down-regulation of granulocyte receptors for C5a-desarg--a mechanism that primarily limits the lung damage associated with intravascular complement activation.
Identifying a small set of marker genes using minimum expected cost of misclassification

Objectives: This paper presents a model independent feature selection approach to identify a small subset of marker genes. Methods and material: An evaluation measure, minimum expected cost of misclassification (MEMC), is used to estimate the discriminative power of a feature subset without building a model. The MECM measure is combined with sequential forward search for feature selection. This approach was applied to a breast cancer profiling problem, with the goal of identifying a small number of marker genes whose expression can be used to predict cancer molecular subtype (p53 gene status). Furthermore, the method was also applied to find a small set of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that can be used to predict molecular phenotype of a different type, namely alleles (genetic variants) of human leukocyte antigen genes that play an important roles in autoimmunity. Results: Two marker genes were identified based on p53 status, which achieved a p-value of 7.53x10^-^5 (vs. 6x10^-^4 with 32 genes identified by previous research) in survival analysis. Six SNP loci were identified that achieved a leave-one-out cross-validation accuracy of 92.8% (vs. 90.6% and 89.5% with 18 SNPs selected using @g^2 statistics and information gain, respectively). Conclusion: The MECM-based feature selection approach is capable of identifying a smaller subset of market genes with comparable or even better performance than that obtained using conventional filter methods.
Effects of quinidine on vascular resistance and sympathetic nerve activity in humans.

AbstractObjectives. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that intravenous quinidine, unlike procainamide, causes direct vasodilation and reflexly mediated increases in sympat...