Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electronic Structure and the Effects of Spin-Orbit Coupling and Orbital Character in Low-Dimensional Semiconducting Materials with Electronic Device Applications

Author(s): Latzke, Drew | Advisor(s): Lanzara, Alessandra | Abstract: Interest in low-dimensional (l= 2-dimensional) semiconducting materials is ever growing as electronic device sizes shrink and new physics continues to emerge at such a microscopic scale. Heterostructures allow for a set of physical building blocks made from low-dimensional materials that can be used to tailor devices to obtain precise and unique electronic interactions and device characteristics. Over time as this field has grown, certain research materials that for a time were overlooked in favor of other materials have come into renewed interest as a result of their unique properties that were previously deemed not as useful or were simply left undetected. One such example of this is the family of thin film transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), whose unique monolayer and thin film photoluminescence, band gap transition, and spin-orbit-coupling-induced physics has recently been studied intensely as a result of their unique spintronics and valleytronics applications. Another example is C60 which has an extremely unique low-dimensional buckyball molecular structure. It too can take on a crystalline thin film form to be used in heterostructures and electronic devices, but experimental evidence of long-range electronic order in thin film C60 has been lacking until now.This dissertation presents angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) studies of multiple TMD and C60 compounds with supporting theory calculations to investigate the electronic stucture of these materials. Specific attention is given to the effects of spin-orbit coupling and orbital character. The relationship between the electronic properties of bulk and thin film TMDs is elaborated in detail with a focus on the valence band splitting at the K point. The first observation of a dispersive thin film C60 band structure is discussed as well as the unique photoemission traits of the C60 band manifolds. Study of the electronic properties of these low-dimensional TMD and C60 materials provides important considerations for current and future cutting-edge electronic device applications.
Bryostatin Induces Protein Kinase C Modulation, Mcl-1 Up-Regulation and Phosphorylation of Bcl-2 Resulting in Cellular Differentiation and Resistance to Drug-induced Apoptosis in B-cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells

Bryostatin, a macrocyclic lactone and protein kinase C (PKC) modulator, has been shown to have differentiation and anti-tumor activity against several leukemia cell lines in vitro. In this study, we demonstrated Bryostatin-induced differentiation in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells, characterized by an increase in cell size and a marked up-regulation of CD11c expression. The specific inhibitors of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and protein kinase C pathways, PD98059 and GF 109203X respectively, each completely blocked Bryostatin-induced differentiation of B-CLL cells, suggesting that activation of the ERK pathway plays a direct role in this process in a PKC-dependent manner. Furthermore, Bryostatin reduced both spontaneous and drug-induced apoptosis with chlorambucil, fludarabine and 2-chloro-2'-deoxyadenosine (2-Cda) in B-CLL cells. This resistance was associated with an early up-regulation of the anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 and post-translational phosphorylation of Bcl-2 at serine 70. The anti-apoptotic effects of Bryostatin were abrogated by GF 109203X, and to a lesser extent by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) inhibitor, LY294002. Interestingly, the ERK inhibitor, PD98059 inhibited Mcl-1 expression but had little effect on Bryostatin-induced survival suggesting that the ERK pathway predominantly affects differentiation. Taken together these results present an explanation for Bryostatin-induced B-CLL cell survival in which modulation of the PKC pathway couples differentiation with an increase in antiapoptotic protein expression and calls into question the rationale for its use in the treatment of B-CLL.
Changing minds and transforming professional development...virtually

The Virtual PLD (VPLD) programme was trialled and evaluated in 2010 with 10 teachers from the tertiary, secondary and primary sectors, and is being piloted in 2011 with 20 teachers and principals. The findings from the 2010 in-depth evaluation have fed forward into the pilot, which in turn is providing opportunities to test the robustness of the existing model with a larger number and variety of participants. This paper will provide a description of the VPLD model, as well as an overview of some of the findings from the 2010 trial.
The Experience of Participants in an Online Collaborative Learning Environment

This study explored the experience of participants in an online collaborative learning environment, including the experience of the technical facilitator. The study was conducted from an action research perspective using Peters' (1997, 2002) DATA-DATA model and a qualitative case study methodology. Data were collected through participant interviews, document analysis, and participant observation. The inductive analysis model of Hatch (2002) was employed to reveal five themes that describe participants' experience of the online collaborative learning environment: establishing a comfortable environment, perceptions of other participants, participating in collaborative learning, making sense of the experience, and learning outcomes. The experience of the participants and the facilitator, along with related literature in the areas of collaborative learning and online learning, were informative with respect to how the elements of collaborative learning are experienced online and ways in which the facilitation of online collaborative learning may be improved to enhance the collaborative learning process.
Vitamin D status and recurrent preterm birth: a nested case–control study in high‐risk women

Please cite this paper as: Thorp J, Camargo C, McGee P, Harper M, Klebanoff M, Sorokin Y, Varner M, Wapner R, Caritis S, Iams J, Carpenter M, Peaceman A, Mercer B, Sciscione A, Rouse D, Ramin S, Anderson G. Vitamin D status and recurrent preterm birth: a nested case–control study in high‐risk women. BJOG 2012;119:1617–1623.
Migration and Bilateral Trade Flows - Evidence from Italy

A significant number of empirical studies, focusing on different countries, have found a positive link between immigration and trade. This paper studies the relationship between emigration, immigration and trade using Italian data. The sample regards 51 foreign trading partners and spans from 1990 to 2005. The results suggest that: networks of Italian emigrants in foreign countries boost trade and this pro-trade effect does not depend on institutional and cultural dissimilarities of the trading partners; immigrants reduce imports (substitution effect); finally, there are no preference effects of emigrants on exports.
Selection or Socialization? A Propensity Score Matched Study of Personality and Life Events

Socialization or selection? A propensity score matched study of personality and life events by Emorie D. Beck Master of Arts in Psychological and Brain Sciences Washington University in St. Louis, 2018 Professor Joshua J. Jackson, Chair Across the lifespan, personality changes in normative ways, but the source of such change remains ambiguous. Life events may be one impetus of such change, but strong selection effects into such events makes it unclear whether such change is driven by already existing differences (selection) between people or socialization following life events. In a preregistered study, we test socialization and selection effects of the Big 5 and life events using a large (N = 19,627) representative sample of Germans and 12 life events (e.g. marriage, retirement) from the GSOEP. Using propensity score matching and Bayesian multilevel growth curve models, we demonstrate variability in selection and socialization effects of different traits and life events. When controlling for selection bias, nearly all socialization effects following life events disappear. We conclude by discussing the implications of the absence of life event socialization and emphasize the importance of studying selection effects.
Problems of the Women Headed Households

1995 ii Preface Empirical evidence point to a causal relationship between the socioeconomic status of individuals and communities and their health. Indeed improvement in health is expected to follow socioeconomic development. Yet this hypothesis has rarely been tested; at least it has not undergone the scrutiny of scientific inquiry. Even less understood are the processes and mechanisms by which the changes are brought about. The Rural Development Program (RDP) of BRAC is a multisectoral integrated programme for poverty alleviation directed at women and the landless poor. It consists of mobilization of the poor, provision of non-formal education, skill training and income generation opportunities and credit facilities. The programme is the result of 20 years of experience through trial and error. However evaluation of its impact on human well-being including health has not been convincingly undertaken. The Matlab field station of ICDDR,B is an area with a population of 200,000, half of whom are recipients of an intensive maternal and child health and family planning services. The entire population is part of the Center's demographic surveillance system where health and occasionally socioeconomic indicators have been collected prospectively since 1966. A unique opportunity arose when BRAC decided to extent its field operations (RDP) to Matlab. ICDDR,B and BRAC joined hands to seize this golden occasion. A joint research project was designed to study the impact of BRAC's socioeconomic interventions on the well-being of the rural poor, especially of women and children, and to study the mechanism through which this impact is mediated. In order to share the progress of the project and its early results, a working paper series has been initiated. This paper is an important addition in this endeavour. The project staff will appreciate critical comments from the readers. The authors are also grateful to Dr. Mushtaque Chowdhury and Dr. Abbas Bhuiya for their guidance and encouragement, and to other team members of the BRAC-ICDDR,B Collaborative project for their all out supports at various levels.
Active damping control strategy of matrix converter via modifying input reference currents

The matrix converter (MC) with an LC filter at source side suffers from system instability, thereby requiring damping control. To improve system stability, this paper proposes a novel active damping control strategy. First, the method of generating space vector modulation signals is improved, in order to make the amplitude and phase angle of input currents directly controllable without affecting the priority of output voltage control. Then, the proposed strategy, which is realized by injecting damping signals into input reference currents, is presented. In this way, the proposed strategy can suppress the oscillations in source currents directly. Besides, it is effective with source voltages or capacitor voltages sampled for modulation, regardless of the operation mode of MC. Furthermore, it is applicable to most of existing modulation algorithms. Finally, experimental results of four-quadrant operation on a 2.4-kW prototype illustrate that, under the condition of the same parameters, the proposed active damping control strategy performs better than passive damping control in filtering and the same in damping at source side, without sacrificing the driving performance at output side.
Passive Vibration Absorption for Extremely High Density Recording

A method is proposed for passive vibration absorption in hard-disk drives during transient events such as the coming into proximity of the rotating disk within the context of thermal fly-height control nanotechnology or external shock. The method uses a nonlinear energy sink at the center of mass of the slider that can absorb energy over a wide range of excitation frequencies. Its feasibility and performance are investigated through a 4-degree-of-freedom dynamic model of the head-disk interface used to predict head-disk clearance and vibrations.
Impact of Using Roundhouse Diagram and Discrepancy Strategy to Improve Reflective Thinking Skills to Acquire Scientific Concepts by Primary Third Grade Students in Jordan

The study has shown statistically significant effect at the level (α= 0.05), for both discrepancy and roundhouse strategies, in improving the thinking skills and acquiring the scientific concepts. In comparison to the traditional way, roundhouse strategy has surpassed the discrepancy strategy in improving reflective thinking skills and scientific concepts for primary third grade students. Therefore, the study recommended the adoption of discrepancy and roundhouse strategies to teach science and including it in the teachers’ training courses.
SHP2 and SOCS3 Contribute to Tyr-759-dependent Attenuation of Interleukin-6 Signaling through gp130*

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) activates the Jak/STAT pathway as well as the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade. Tyrosine 759 of the IL-6 signal-transducing receptor subunit gp130 has been identified as being involved in negative regulation of IL-6-induced gene induction and activation of the Jak/STAT pathway. Because this site is known to be a recruitment motif for the protein-tyrosine phosphatase SHP2, it has been suggested that SHP2 is the mediator of tyrosine 759-dependent signal attenuation. We recently observed that the suppressor of cytokine-signaling SOCS3 also acts through the tyrosine motif 759 of gp130. However, the relative contributions of SHP2 and SOCS3 to the repression of IL-6 signaling are not understood. Therefore, we designed experiments allowing the independent recruitment of each of these proteins to the IL-6-receptor complex. We show that receptor- and membrane-targeted SHP2 counteracts IL-6 signaling independent of SOCS3 binding to gp130. On the other hand, SOCS3 inhibits signaling in cells expressing a truncated SHP2 protein, which is not recruited to gp130. These data suggest, that there are two, largely distinct modes of negative regulation of gp130 activity, despite the fact that both SOCS3 and SHP2 are recruited to the same site within gp130.
How Streptomyces anulatus Primes Grapevine Defenses to Cope with Gray Mold: A Study of the Early Responses of Cell Suspensions

Gray mold, caused by Botrytis cinerea, is one of the most destructive diseases of grapevine and is controlled with an intense application of fungicides. As alternatives to chemicals, beneficial microbes may promote plant health by stimulating the plant’s immune system. An actinomycete, Streptomyces anulatus S37, has been screened from the rhizosphere microbiome of healthy Vitis vinifera on the basis of its ability to promote grapevine growth and to induce resistance against various phytopathogens, including B. cinerea. However, molecular mechanisms involved locally after direct perception of these bacteria by plant cells still remain unknown. This study focuses on local defense events induced in grapevine cells during interactions with S. anulatus S37 before and after pathogen challenge. We demonstrated that S. anulatus S37 induced early responses including oxidative burst, extracellular alkalinization, activation of protein kinases, induction of defense gene expression and phytoalexin accumulation, but not the programmed cell death. Interestingly, upon challenge with the B. cinerea, the S. anulatus S37 primed grapevine cells for enhanced defense reactions with a decline in cell death. In the presence of the EGTA, a calcium channel inhibitor, the induced oxidative burst, and the protein kinase activity were inhibited, but not the extracellular alkalinization, suggesting that Ca2+ may also contribute upstream to the induced defenses. Moreover, desensitization assays using extracellular pH showed that once increased by S. anulatus S37, cells became refractory to further stimulation by B. cinerea, suggesting that grapevine cells perceive distinctly beneficial and pathogenic microbes.
Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of clients seeking assisted conception at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Nigeria

Abstract The socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of 246 consecutive couples seeking assisted conception in a university teaching hospital in Nigeria from inception in 2011 till 2014 were reviewed restrospectively. Eighty-five (34.5%) were in the 35–40 years age group. The body mass index of the women showed that 111 (45.1%) were overweight. One hundred and ninety five (88%) were referred on account of secondary infertility. The mean duration of infertility was 9.6 ± 4.8 years. Major factors identified were male factor 128 (52%), ovarian/age-related decline in fertility 107 (43.5%), tubal 83 (33.7%) and combined male/female factor 71 (28.9%). One hundred and ninety (77.2%) clients seeking assisted conception were Christians at advanced age (greater than 35 years) with a longstanding duration of infertility of more than 10 years. Government, private and religious organisations need to raise public awareness about the availability of in-vitro fertilisation services as well as encourage early resort to assisted reproductive technologies. Impact statement What we already know: Secondary infertility due mainly to tubal factor is reported to be the commonest cause of infertility in developing countries like Nigeria and clients affected seek assisted reproductive techniques late. What the results of this study add: Male factor infertility is more common amongst infertile couples seeking in vitro fertilisation in LASUTH. The implications of the findings for practice and/or further research: A thorough examination of the male partner followed by investigation is vital at the initial visit so that they can be referred early for assisted conception.
House Price, Mortgage Premium, and Business Fluctuations

This paper investigates the transmission mechanism of mortgage premium to characterize the relationship between the housing market and business cycle for the U.S. We find that mortgage premium is crucial for the amplification and propagation of the model to match the main properties of U.S. housing market and business cycles. The counterfactual analysis suggests that had the Federal Reserve raised the interest rate in 2003Q1, it would have curbed the housing market boom before the crisis, yet failed to alleviate the precipitous decline in housing market activity after the crisis. Moreover, the pre-emptive monetary policy aimed to contain the housing market boom can effectively lower volatilities of major economic aggregates; however, it also exerts a significantly negative effect on the levels of these economic aggregates. Thus, using monetary policy to stabilize asset price inflation involves a trade-off between the volatility and the level of economic activity.
Channels and benefits of interactions between public research organizations and industry: comparing country cases in Africa, Asia, and Latin America

Interactions between firms and universities are key building blocks of innovation systems. This book focuses on those interactions in developing countries, presenting studies based on fresh empirical material prepared by research teams in 12 countries from three continents. The result is a more universal and dynamic view of the shaping and reshaping of interactions between firms and universities throughout different countries and phases of development. There are dimensions of those interactions that cannot be seen in the US, Europe or Japan. There are aspects and features of interactions that cannot be seen when we investigate Uganda, China or Mexico alone. In a time of increasing internationalization, interactions between firms and universities must be investigated tracking their international linkages. Professor Richard Nelson (Columbia University) writes in his preface: "The studies reported in this book are among the first to be directed to what is going on in developing countries".
Indeterminate cell histiocytosis—a clinicopathological entity with features of both X‐ and non‐X histiocytosis

An otherwise healthy 50‐year‐old woman presented with a 6‐month history of having developed more than 100 generalized, non‐confluent, reddish‐brown, partially yellow‐coloured papules. A non‐epidermotropic, monomorphous infiltrate of vacuolated mononuclear, and occasionally multinuclear, histiocytes, positive for factor XIIIa and macrophage markers HAM56 and KiM1p, was consistent with the clinical impression of generalized eruptive histiocytomas. However, the additional reactivity for S100 protein, in the absence of features of histiocytosis X, suggested a diagnosis of indeterminate cell histiocytosis (ICH). Further immunohistochemical studies, performed on snap‐frozen material, characterized the lesions as being diffusely positive with LN3 (HLA‐UR). Leu4 (CD3) and Leu3 (CD4). the infiltrate in the upper dermis as reactive for OKT6 (CD1) and IOT6c (CD1c), and the infiltrate in the lower dermis as reactive for a variety of macrophage markers. Ultrastructural studies showed various non‐specific features of histocytic disorders, but no Birbeck granules
Small molecule inhibitor of type I transforming growth factor‐β receptor kinase ameliorates the inhibitory milieu in injured brain and promotes regeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic axons

Transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β), a multifunctional cytokine, plays a crucial role in wound healing in the damaged central nervous system. To examine effects of the TGF‐β signaling inhibition on formation of scar tissue and axonal regeneration, the small molecule inhibitor of type I TGF‐β receptor kinase LY‐364947 was continuously infused in the lesion site of mouse brain after a unilateral transection of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway. At 2 weeks after injury, the fibrotic scar comprising extracellular matrix molecules including fibronectin, type IV collagen, and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans was formed in the lesion center, and reactive astrocytes were increased around the fibrotic scar. In the brain injured and infused with LY‐364947, fibrotic scar formation was suppressed and decreased numbers of reactive astrocytes occupied the lesion site. Although leukocytes and serum IgG were observed within the fibrotic scar in the injured brain, they were almost absent in the injured and LY‐364947‐treated brain. At 2 weeks after injury, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)‐immunoreactive fibers barely extended beyond the fibrotic scar in the injured brain, but numerous TH‐immunoreactive fibers regenerated over the lesion site in the LY‐364947‐treated brain. These results indicate that inhibition of TGF‐β signaling suppresses formation of the fibrotic scar and creates a permissive environment for axonal regeneration. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.