cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using complimentary microscopy methods to examine Ni-Mn-Si-precipitates in highly-irradiated reactor pressure vessel steels

Abstract Nano-scale Ni-Mn-Si-rich precipitates formed in a reactor pressure vessel steel under high neutron fluence have been characterized using highly complimentary atom probe tomography (APT) and scanning transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (STEM-EDS) combined with STEM-EDS modeling. Using these techniques in a synergistic manner to overcome the well-known trajectory aberrations in APT data, the average upper limit Fe concentration within the precipitates was found to be ∼6 at.%. Using this knowledge, accurate compositions of the precipitates was determined and it was found that the spread of precipitate compositions was large, but mostly centered around the Γ2-and G-phases. The use of STEM-EDS also allowed for larger areas to be examined, and segregation of minor solutes was observed to occur on grain boundaries, along with Ni-Mn-Si-rich precipitates that were smaller in size than those in the matrix. Solute segregation at the grain boundaries is proposed to occur through a radiation induced segregation or radiation enhanced diffusion mechanism due to the presence of a denuded zone about the grain boundary. It is also proposed that the reduced precipitate size at the grain boundaries is due to the structure of the grain boundary. The lack of Ni-Mn-Si precipitates observed in larger Mo-rich precipitates is also discussed, and the absence of the minor solutes required to form the Ni-Mn-Si precipitates results in the lack of nucleation. This is in contrast to cementite phases in which Ni-Mn-Si precipitates have been observed to have formed. It was also determined through this work that the exclusion of all the Fe ions during atom probe analysis is a reasonable approximation.
A New Paradigm for Spectrum Sharing Between Cellular Wireless Communications and Radio Astronomy Systems

This paper proposes a new paradigm for spectrum sharing between cellular wireless communications (CWC) and radio astronomy systems (RAS). In contrast to the existing paradigm of geographical and spectral isolation between CWC and RAS, this paper develops a three phase spectrum access, which enables geographical and spectral coexistence between CWC and RAS. Shared spectrum access zone (SSAZ) is created around the RAS site and CWC cells within the SSAZ follow the three phase spectrum access scheme while those outside the SSAZ have full spectrum access. In addition, system characteristics-based improved spectrum sharing is developed. Furthermore, a built-in fine tuning mechanism is presented for addressing mismatches between design and practical environments as well as for facilitating service evolutions. Performance evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed paradigm offers 1) certain guaranteed spectrum access to RAS, which is impossible in the existing paradigm, 2) capability to handle higher peak and mean traffics to CWC under spectrum restructuring of both CWC and RAS bands, and 3) overall improved spectrum utilization.
Study Abroad, Global Citizenship, and the Study of Nongovernmental Organizations

Nonprofit education and management programs often recognize the efficacy of including experiential learning opportunities such as study abroad in their curricula. In addition, higher education institutions increasingly prioritize global citizenship as a learning outcome. However, challenges abound for educators who want to evaluate study abroad courses that expect students to acquire or deepen their levels of global citizenship. This study seeks to evaluate the impact of a short-course study abroad program on students’ global citizenship orientation. Our qualitative findings suggest that students indeed grapple with the notion of global citizenship in various ways while immersed in such a course. They can also express conflicting views, further confounding scholarly understanding of how to best measure global citizenship. We discuss implications for students expressing more of an observational role than an inclination to act on global issues.
A Grounded Theory of Adolescent High School Women’s Choir Singers’ Process of Social Identity Development:

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to discover the process of social identity development for adolescent high school women’s choir participants. Purposive maximum variation sampling was ...
Mutant LRRK2 mediates peripheral and central immune responses leading to neurodegeneration in vivo

Missense mutations in the leucine rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene result in late-onset Parkinson's disease. The incomplete penetrance of LRRK2 mutations in humans and LRRK2 murine models of Parkinson's disease suggests that the disease may result from a complex interplay of genetic predispositions and persistent exogenous insults. Since neuroinflammation is commonly associated with the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease, we examine a potential role of mutant LRRK2 in regulation of the immune response and inflammatory signalling in vivo. Here, we show that mice overexpressing human pathogenic LRRK2 mutations, but not wild-type mice or mice overexpressing human wild-type LRRK2 exhibit long-term lipopolysaccharide-induced nigral neuronal loss. This neurodegeneration is accompanied by an exacerbated neuroinflammation in the brain. The increased immune response in the brain of mutant mice subsequently has an effect on neurons by inducing intraneuronal LRRK2 upregulation. However, the enhanced neuroinflammation is unlikely to be triggered by dysfunctional microglia or infiltrated T cells and/or monocytes, but by peripheral circulating inflammatory molecules. Analysis of cytokine kinetics and inflammatory pathways in the peripheral immune cells demonstrates that LRRK2 mutation alters type II interferon immune response, suggesting that this increased neuroinflammatory response may arise outside the central nervous system. Overall, this study suggests that peripheral immune signalling plays an unexpected-but important-role in the regulation of neurodegeneration in LRRK2-associated Parkinson's disease, and provides new targets for interfering with the onset and progression of the disease.
A qualitative analysis of the role of emotions in different patterns of long-term weight loss

Objective: To explore participant perspectives of the impact emotions have on weight loss.Design: A qualitative design gathered data through semi-structured interviews with participants in a weight management programme. The interview addresses the following research questions: (1) how do individuals working to lose weight perceive the impact emotions have on their long-term success, and (2) what strategies do more or less successful participants use to regulate their emotions? Researchers conducted and transcribed the interviews then completed content analysis to create and organise themes.Results: Two broad themes emerged through the interviews with 21 participants: emotional impact and emotional regulation. Further subthemes captured emotions blocking action toward goals, strategies for regulating emotions (e.g. exercise, food) and the need for new strategies to regulate emotions. Themes were also split in to three groups based on weight outcomes: regainer, moderate success (3–6% loss) and large success...
Mechanisms of circulation metabolism coupling in skeletal muscle.

Post-contraction vasodilation is unaffected by extrinsic denervation (3). It is therefore believed that local metabolites fully account for the phenomenon. Recently, however, neuronal cell bodies have been identified in the walls of arteries and arterioles (8). The experiments to be described indicate that these intrinsic nerves initiate post-contraction vasodilation. A unifying hypothesis is proposed which assigns specific functions to extrinsic sympathetic nerves, intrinsic nerves and metabolites in control of circulation during muscle contraction.
Elementary Excitations of High Degree Pair Interactions in Rare Earth Compounds

Rare earth ions retain many of their free ion properties when they form solids. In particular, the total angular momentum \(\vec J = \vec L + \vec S\) remains a relatively good quantum number. In a first approximation the effect of the crystal field surrounding the rare earth ion is to split the (2J + 1)-fold degeneracy of the ground manifold. If the surrounding has high point group symmetry, e. g., cubic Oh symmetry, the split levels will still be degenerate; the orbital angular momentum of the rare earth ion is not quenched. Therefore we expect that the effects of orbital angular momentum on the magneto-thermal properties of rare earth compounds are quite marked.
The State of Subnormal Operators

In this paper we present the highlights of the theory of subnormal operators that was initiated by Paul Halmos in 1950. This culminates in Thomson’s Theorem on bounded point evaluations where several applications are presented. Throughout the paper are some open problems.
Partition and adsorption on soil and mobility of organic pollutants and pesticides.

The mechanism for sorption of organic pollutants and pesticides by soil has long been a subject of profound interest because of its direct impacts on the mobility and activity of the compounds in soil. Although a large volume of laboratory and field data on many aspects of soil behavior had been gathered between the 1950s and 1970s, during which period the use of organic pesticides was increased, no general agreement was reached regarding the sorptive mechanism involved. Since the 1970s, the outgrowth of public concern over environmental contamination further stimulated research in this subject. The development of this field of research has now reached a point that the diverse characteristics of soil sorption can be placed in a much better perspective. This enables researchers to reexamine old and new data for consistency and for assessing the activity of organic pollutants and pesticides in soil.
MRI Brain Abnormalities in Acute Flaccid Myelitis: Characteristics and Differentiation from Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (P5.145)

Objective: To describe MRI brain findings in patients meeting criteria for Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM), and to discuss factors distinguishing AFM from acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). Background: AFM is defined by acute flaccid paralysis that is asymmetric or monomelic with areflexia and longitudinal gray matter involvement on spinal cord MRI. ADEM is a monophasic demyelinating disease with polysymptomatic presentation, altered mental status, and multi-focal CNS lesions, typically large lesions affecting white and deep gray matter. Differentiating the two is essential, as medical treatments for ADEM may not be safe or effective in AFM. Design/Methods: Retrospective review of MRI brain reports for patients presenting to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Kennedy Krieger Institute, or reported to the California Department of Public Health. All cases met clinical and spinal cord imaging criteria for AFM. Results: Seventy-four patients had brain MRI reports available. Brainstem lesions were common, often as an extension of spinal cord lesions into the medulla and pons. Supratentorial lesions were seen in 20 (27%), including subcortical white matter lesions in 10 (13.5%), cortical gray matter in 7 (9.4%), thalamic in 6 (8.1%), basal ganglia in 3 (4%). Cerebellar lesions were seen in 5 (6.7%). Sixteen patients (20%) had mental status changes, including lethargy. Large supratentorial, ill-defined white matter lesions typical of ADEM were not seen. Conclusions: AFM’s defining central spinal cord lesions may extend into the brainstem and a subset has thalamic/basal ganglia involvement. In contrast, ADEM typically involves large supratentorial lesions, with more occasional spinal cord involvement. Care should be taken in diagnosing ADEM in patients presenting with flaccid paralysis and longitudinal lesions on spinal cord MRI, particularly in the fall months, when AFM incidence is increased. There are implications for treatment; ADEM is treated with steroids and plasma exchange, but their safety and efficacy in AFM remains unclear. Disclosure: Dr. Hopkins has nothing to disclose. Dr Gordon-Lipkin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Van Haren has nothing to disclose. Dr. Santoro has nothing to disclose. Dr. Munoz-Arcos has nothing to disclose. Dr. Matesanz has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pardo-Villamizar has nothing to disclose. Dr Banwell has nothing to disclose.
Apolipoprotein E pathology in vascular dementia

Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common form of dementia and is currently defined as a cerebral vessel vascular disease leading to ischemic episodes. Apolipoprotein E (apoE) gene polymorphism has been proposed as a risk factor for VaD, however, to date there are few documented post-mortem studies on apoE pathology in the VaD brain. To investigate a potential role for the apoE protein, we analyzed seven confirmed cases of VaD by immunohistochemistry utilizing an antibody that specifically detects the amino-terminal fragment of apoE. Application of this antibody, termed N-terminal, apoE cleavage fragment (nApoECF) revealed consistent labeling within neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), blood vessels, and reactive astrocytes. Labeling occurred in VaD cases that had confirmed APOE genotypes of 3/3, 3/4, and 4/4, with respect to NFTs, staining of the nApoECF co-localized with PHF-1 and was predominantly localized to large, stellate neurons in layer II of the entorhinal cortex. Quantitative analysis indicated that approximately 38.4% of all identified NFTs contained the amino-terminal fragment of apoE. Collectively, these data support a role for the proteolytic cleavage of apoE in the VaD and support previous reports that APOE polymorphism is significantly associated with susceptibility in this disease.
Synaptic Rearrangements In The Kainic Acid Model Of Ammon’s Horn Sclerosis

Intraventricular and intravenous injections of kainic acid were used to create a model of Ammon’s horn sclerosis in the rat. Anatomical studies demonstrated a number of synaptic rearrangements in the hippocampal formation. Neurons whose target cells were destroyed decreased the size of their terminal arborizations and numbers of synaptic contacts in the region of neuronal degeneration. Dentate granule cells rapidly shed a portion of their perforant path innervation by a mechanism that did not involve degeneration and later regained these connections. Finally, new connections were made to replace those which had formerly been provided by degenerated CA3–CA4 neurons. Most notably, the hippocampal mossy fibers sprouted recurrent collaterals that appeared to form electrophysiologically functional excitatory synapses with the dentate granule cell population. If sufficiently numerous, these recurrent collaterals could evidently mediate afterdischarge in the fascia dentata. We suggest that the formation of aberrant recurrent excitatory circuits in experimental or clinical Ammon’s horn sclerosis could exacerbate or possibly even create an epileptic condition.
Interagency Collaboration: Recurring Obstacles and Some Possible Solutions

Summary Interagency collaboration has been described in various ways as service coordination, service integration, and community-wide agency cooperation. Regardless of how it is described, interagency collaboration has as its overall goal improving services through better planning and coordination. Several impediments exist which reduce the effectiveness of interagency collaboration. A number of recommendations are made to enhance interagency collaboration, thereby increasing successful inclusive education for many special needs students.
Cystic Fibrosis Papers of the Year 2016

Summary This is arguably the most exciting era in the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) with the emergence of potentially disease modifying therapies. The last year has seen fewer landmark papers, with the consolidation of existing knowledge and advances in the understanding of the patho-physiology and management of CF.
Domestic Section 351 Transfers of Intellectual Property: The Law as It Is vs. The Law as the Commissioner Would Prefer It to Be

Section 351(a) applies only if there is a transfer of property to a corporation in exchange for the transferee’s stock or securities. I.e. "transfer" and "property" are critical requirements for qualifying under Section 351.In the intellectual property area, the Service has sought to make the transfer requirement a substantial barrier to the availability of Section 351. However, the reported decisions have rejected the Service’s position in favor of an approach that treats virtually any complete or incomplete conveyance of a valuable item as sufficient, thus giving the transfer requirement a minimal role in determining the scope of Section 351. Since this position is consistent with the premises of Section 351 while the Service’s position is not, the Service should change its pronouncements to follow the taxpayer-favorable case law.With respect to the property requirement, statutory and decisional law have created a situation in which services are excluded from the property classification, but the products of services, such as patents and trade secrets, are Section 351 property even though consideration received in exchange for patents and trade secrets by the creators of those items is effectively compensation for services rendered. This exclusion of services and inclusion of the products of services sets up a tension with respect to generic know-how that cannot be settled without drawing formalistic lines. An approach that treats generic know-how as Section 351 property only if it qualifies for substantial legal protection or is merely ancillary to a transfer of legally protected property provides a balanced and apparently administrable solution to this tension.
Investigation of characteristic rippling topology produced during UHMWPE sliding

Abstract Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) remains the sole polymer bearing material for use in orthopedic implants and its behavior has been studied extensively. Various techniques, such as crosslinking, have been employed to reduce the total wear volume. However, little is known about the actual wear mechanisms that contribute to the removal of debris from the bulk. A nearly universal observation of the wear surfaces after multidirectional sliding of UHMWPE is the presence of regularly-spaced parallel ripples whose wavelength closely matches debris size. In spite of the fact that this phenomenon has been observed for decades in both retrieved implants as well as wear simulation studies, the specific causes of the rippled topology have not yet been identified. Proposed mechanisms have included abrasion, crystallinity effects, fatigue, stick-slip behavior, thermal softening, and Schallamach waves. This investigation involved an experimental and computational factorial test design to determine the role of various parameters involved in the rippling phenomenon. The authors employed a film buckling theoretical model and applied it to UHMWPE using a finite element modeling approach. Wear testing was performed on a two-axis tribometer to expose the polymer to multi-directional sliding. Characteristic ripples developed on all wear surfaces, but with varying periodicity. Two regimes of the ripple phenomenon were observed: localized long wavelength (2.2–3.2 µm) ripples which appeared to dominate before steady state wear was established, and long-range shorter-wavelength (approximately 1 µm) ripples which indicated a steady-state condition. Surprisingly, feature wavelength showed little dependence on roughness or temperature but were slightly affected by contact pressure. The wear surfaces were cleaved and examined by SEM to gauge the thickness of the plastically deformed quasi-film layer. These layers were on the order of 10–20 nm thick. Further examination of the surfaces confirms the development of a deformed layer which acts similarly to a buckled thin film.
Pornography, religiosity, and social work:

SummaryThe effects of pornography have received increased scrutiny in the digital age. Several U.S. states have recently passed resolutions declaring pornography a public health crisis, and clients...
College Reading Specialists: Are They Being Short-Changed by Graduate Schools?

(1975). College Reading Specialists: Are They Being Short-Changed by Graduate Schools? Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Western College Reading Association: Vol. 8, Proceedings of the Eight Annual Conference of the WCRA. College Learning Skills Today and Tomorrowland, pp. 65-68.
Growth of two Atlantic Coast Piping Plover populations

Species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act are required to meet stated recovery goals for delisting. These goals often are developed early in the species' conservation history and may need to be updated or refined as new information becomes available. The Atlantic Coast Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), which was listed more than 30 yr ago, has not met recovery goals through much of its range. Initial recovery goals included maintaining a reproductive output of 1.5 fledged chicks per pair for 5 yr. This goal was based on modelling that assumed equal survival rates for adults throughout the range, but recent studies suggest that demographic rates may vary with latitude. To investigate latitudinal variation, we developed demographic and population growth estimates for 2 breeding populations of Piping Plovers on the U.S. Atlantic Coast on Fire Island, New York (40.7°N), and on the Outer Banks of North Carolina (35.3°N) in 2013–2017. Breeding success (nest success and pre-fledge chick survival) varied annually but was lower in North Carolina than New York. Average adult true survival in New York ( = 0.73, SE = 0.04) was similar to average survival in North Carolina ( = 0.69, SE = 0.07). Annual post-fledging survival for both sites, however, was variable and often higher than had been previously reported for Atlantic Coast Piping Plovers (0.43–0.66 for New York; 0.31 and 1.0 for North Carolina). While the estimated reproductive output needed for a stationary population for both sites was similar (1.10 chicks per pair for New York, 95% CI: 0.83–1.41; 1.08 for North Carolina, 95% CI: 0.67–1.59), only the New York population achieved or exceeded these values during our study. Our findings suggest that understanding annual and latitudinal demographic variability would be helpful in refining recovery goals.
Historical voices, collective memory and interdiscursive trauma in the legal order:

This study examines how collective memory and cultural trauma inhere in the multimodal interplay between macro structures of space-time and microcosmic action. Using a criminal trial as data, we sh...
Black Spots, Actors, and Governance

As we discover more about black spots and the linkages among them, we begin to discern that the actors governing these locations have different motivations and goals driving their actions. Such information provides us with hints about where to look for more black spots as well as the directions the flows linking the black spots might take. Consider that the Uighurs in Kashgar, China; the PKK in the Hakkâri-Van provinces in Turkey; and the Tuareg in the Tri-border Area of Algeria/Mali/Niger have different motivations for the black spots that they choose than do al-Shabaab in Kismayo, Somalia; the Pakistani Taliban in the FATA Territory; or the Sinai Province jihadists and, in turn, than do the illegal miners in the Shinkolobwe Mine in the DRC; the drug lords in Manaus, Brazil; or the Camorra crime families in the Scampia/Secondigliano neighborhoods in Naples. The Uighurs, PKK, and Tuareg lay claim to a particular territory and are engaged in a dispute with a legitimate government over the rights to that territory. Al-Shabaab, the Pakistani Taliban, and the Sinai Province jihadists use their geographic bases of operations as the places from which to launch terrorist attacks targeted at inducing fear and increasing their own power in the area. The illegal miners, drug lords, and Camorra crime families are intent on making money and controlling the resources in a region that facilitates that cause. In this chapter, we examine what the black spots are like where we find each of these types of organizations separately and then we compare and contrast them. We explore the kinds of black spots each type of organization seeks, the activities which it launches from its black spots, interactions with law enforcement, and the major focus of the organizations’ activities in their black spots.
MEIOSIN: A New Watchman of Meiotic Initiation in Mammalian Germ Cells.

The capacity to undergo meiosis defines vertebrate germ cells, yet mechanisms driving initiation of this specialized process are largely undefined. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Ishiguro et al. (2020) identified the transcription factor MEIOSIN as a gatekeeper of meiotic initiation in both male and female germ cells.
Assessment of the Blue Light Hazard for Light Sources with Non-Uniform Luminance

IEC 62471:2006 provides a method for assessing the risk of blue-light retinal injury. We examined the effects of nonuniformity of the luminance and spectral distributions of two light sources on ri...
Internal Medicine Physicians and Social media: Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes.

ObjectiveIncreasing adoption of social media have revolutionized communications between individuals, groups, and organizations This research study was designed to assess the knowledge, skills, and ...
The Road to Becoming a Scientist: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Supports and Barriers Experienced by First-Year Community College Students

BackgroundAlthough a long line of research has been devoted to transfer pathways in general, there remains limited work on the capacity for community colleges to cultivate STEM baccalaureate transf...
Law and Economics

Law and economics has had a significant impact on foundational private law subjects — property, contracts, and torts — as well as advanced private law areas. This chapter analyzes how law and economics influences private law and how New Private Law (NPL) is influencing law and economics. After a brief introduction in Section I, Section II provides background on law and economics. Section III focuses on property, contracts, and torts. For each area, this section distinguishes three generations of scholarship in law and economics, discusses the major ideas that economic analysis has contributed to private law, and surveys contributions of the NPL. Section IV briefly discusses the impact of law and economics on advanced private law areas such as business associations, trusts and estates, and intellectual property. Section V concludes by focusing on future directions in NPL and economics, including recent scholarship that takes seriously both the law and the effects of law.
Criminal Investigations: An InteractiveExperience to Improve Student Engagement and Achievement in Cybersecurity courses

This poster presents Criminal Investigations, a text-based interactive activity designed to teach and assess reverse-engineering and firmware analysis skills in upper-division undergraduate cybersecurity courses. The activity incorporates elements of game design such as storytelling, experience points (XP), and just-in-time learning content delivery to increase student engagement and learning. Criminal Investigations is implemented as an easily accessible web-based application, deployed in a cloud-based environment.
Transcranial Infrared Laser Stimulation Improves Cognition in Older Bipolar Patients: Proof of Concept Study.

This is the first study to examine if transcranial infrared laser stimulation (TILS) improves cognition in older euthymic bipolar patients, who exhibit greater cognitive decline than is expected fo...
Towards reconfigurable and flexible multirotors

Reconfigurable multirotors (RMs) with flexible frames and integrated mechanical compliance are increasingly explored to develop multifunctional aerial robots with high power-to-weight ratios. In this paper, we review the state-of-the-art research on RMs and classify them into three broad categories as tiltrotors, multimodal and foldable RMs. The RMs with the ability to arbitrarily orient their thrust by employing tilting rotors are classified as tiltrotors, the multirotors with multi modal locomotion capabilities by transforming the chassis into land/water propulsion systems are classified as multimodal RMs, and those which can alter the size of the chassis are labelled as foldable RMs. Existing platforms are analyzed from three different perspectives—mechanical design, challenges of low-level control and high level motion planning techniques. Finally, we identify the critical parameters for design optimization, and discuss the issues associated with developing a common control and motion planning algorithm that can leverage any RM’s features to demonstrate successful autonomous missions.
How is Covid Changing the Geography of Entrepreneurship? Evidence from the Startup Cartography Project

Leveraging data from eight U.S. states from the Startup Cartography Project, this paper provides new insight into the changing nature and geography of entrepreneurship in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Consistent with other data sources, following an initial decline, the overall level of state-level business registrations not only rebounds but increases across all eight states. We focus here on the significant heterogeneity in this dynamic pattern of new firm formation across and within states. Specifically, there are significant differences in the dynamics of new business registrants across neighborhoods in terms of race and socioeconomic status. Areas including a higher proportion of Black residents, and more specifically higher median income Black neighborhoods, are associated with higher growth in startup formation rates between 2019 and 2020. Moreover, these dynamics are reflected in the passage of the major Federal relief packages. Even though legislation such as the CARES Act did not directly support new business formation, the passage and implementation of relief packages was followed by a relative increase in start-up formation rates, particularly in neighborhoods with higher median incomes and a higher proportion of Black residents.
Effect of reversible osmotic stress on live cell plasma membranes, probed via Laurdan general polarization measurements

Here we seek to gain insight into changes in the plasma membrane of live cells upon the application of osmotic stress using Laurdan, a fluorescent probe that reports on membrane organization, hydration, and dynamics. It is known that the application of osmotic stress to lipid vesicles causes a decrease in Laurdan9s generalized polarization (GP), which has been interpreted as an indication of membrane stretching. In cells, we see the opposite effects, as GP increases when the osmolarity of the solution is decreased. This increase in GP is associated with the presence of caveolae, which are known to disassemble and flatten in response to osmotic stress, in a process that supplies extra plasma membrane in physiological processes.
Interleukin-6 Receptor Inhibition Prevents Descending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Formation.

Background Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) represent related but distinct disease processes. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is known to be significantly upregulated in human TAA and AAA. We hypothesize that loss of IL-6 is protective in experimental TAA and AAA. Methods Murine TAAs or AAAs were created using a novel model in C57/B6 mice by treating the intact aorta with elastase. Cytokine profiles were analyzed with antibody arrays (n = 5 per group). Separately, to determine the role of IL-6, thoracic (n = 7) or abdominal (n = 7) aortas of wild type mice and IL-6 knockout (KO) mice were treated with elastase. Additionally, thoracic animals treated with either the IL-6 receptor antagonist tocilizumab (n = 8) or vehicle (n = 5). Finally, human TAA and AAA were analyzed with human cytokine array. Results Elastase treatment of thoracic aortas yielded dilation of 86.8% ± 9.6%, and abdominal aortas produced dilation of 85.6% ± 16.2%. Murine IL-6, CXCL13, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 were significantly elevated in TAA compared with AAA ( p = 0.004, 0.028, and 0.001, respectively). The IL-6KO mice demonstrated significantly smaller TAA size relative to wild type mice (wild type 100.1% versus IL-6KO 76.5%, p = 0.04). The IL-6KO mice did not show protection from AAA ( p = 0.732). Pharmacologic inhibition of IL-6 resulted in significant reduction in TAA size (tocilizumab 71.5% ± 13.2% versus vehicle 103.6% ± 20.7%, p = 0.005). Human TAA showed significantly greater IL-6 ( p Conclusions Interleukin-6 is significantly greater in both murine and human TAA compared with AAA, suggesting fundamental differences in these disease processes. Interleukin-6 receptor antagonism attenuates experimental TAA formation, indicating that IL-6 may be a potential target for human thoracic aneurysmal disease.
Modelling and strong linear programs for mixed integer programming

Mixed integer programming modeling is considered from two points of view: getting the model correctly generated in an understandable form, and formulating or reformulating the model so that the problem can be solved. For the former considerations, a relational approach is presented. For the latter, three techniques are discussed: preprocessing, constraint generation, and column generation. For all three techniques, mixed integer problems are considered. For column generation, two problem classes (cutting stock and crew scheduling) for which column generation techniques are classical, are presented in a unified framework and then clustering problems are discussed in the same framework. In the constraint generation section, some constraints based on mixed 0–1 implication graphs are presented.
Component Technology for High-Performance Scientific Simulation Software

We are developing scientific software component technology to manage the complexity of modern, parallel simulation software and increase the interoperability and re-use of scientific software packages. In this paper, we describe a language interoperability tool named Babel that enables the creation and distribution of language-independent software libraries using interface definition language (IDL) techniques. We have created a scientific IDL that focuses on the unique interface description needs of scientific software, such as complex numbers, dense multidimensional arrays, and parallel distributed objects. Preliminary results indicate that in addition to language interoperability, this approach provides useful tools for the design of modern object-oriented scientific software libraries. We also describe a web-based component repository called Alexandria that facilitates the distribution, documentation, and reuse of scientific components and libraries.
Learning blocking schemes for record linkage

Record linkage is the process of matching records across data sets that refer to the same entity. One issue within record linkage is determining which record pairs to consider, since a detailed comparison between all of the records is impractical. Blocking addresses this issue by generating candidate matches as a preprocessing step for record linkage. For example, in a person matching problem, blocking might return all people with the same last name as candidate matches. Two main problems in blocking are the selection of attributes for generating the candidate matches and deciding which methods to use to compare the selected attributes. These attribute and method choices constitute a blocking scheme. Previous approaches to record linkage address the blocking issue in a largely ad-hoc fashion. This paper presents a machine learning approach to automatically learn effective blocking schemes. We validate our approach with experiments that show our learned blocking schemes outperform the ad-hoc blocking schemes of non-experts and perform comparably to those manually built by a domain expert.
The multinotch, part I: A low latency, high numerical fidelity filter for mechatronic control systems

Control of lightly damped mechatronic systems is often accomplished in practice with a PID-like controller in series with a filter to limit the effects of high frequency resonances. The high frequency filtering is often limited by an inability to precisely match multiple lightly damped resonances with a digital filter, and by the extra computational delay of the such filters. The multinotch is a filter topology that addresses these issues, allowing for precise matches to many lightly damped resonances and anti-resonances, while maintaining a small and fixed computational delay [1]. Coefficient adjustments for higher precision when the resonant dynamics to be filtered span a large frequency range are described in [2].
Binding of Short Cationic Peptides (KX)4K to Negatively Charged DPPG Monolayers: Competition between Electrostatic and Hydrophobic Interactions.

The influence of the peptide sequence on the binding of short cationic peptides composed of five lysines alternating with uncharged amino acids within the series (KX)4K to negatively charged monolayers of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol (DPPG) was investigated by adsorption experiments in combination with epifluorescence microscopy. To evaluate the impact of electrostatic and hydrophobic contributions, different uncharged amino acids X with increasing hydrophobicity, where X = G (glycine), A (alanine), Abu (α-aminobutyric acid), V (valine), or L (leucine) were introduced into the peptide sequence to tune the peptide hydrophobicity. The adsorption kinetics of these peptides to a DPPG monolayer always showed two superimposed processes, one leading to an increase and another to a decrease of the surface pressure Π. Thus, the plots of the change in Π after peptide binding vs initial surface pressure of the monolayer showed an unusual behavior with maxima and negative changes in Π at high initial ...
The addition of low-dose-rate brachytherapy and androgen-deprivation therapy decreases biochemical failure and prostate cancer death compared with dose-escalated external-beam radiation therapy for high-risk prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to determine whether the addition of low-dose-rate brachytherapy or androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) improves clinical outcome in patients with high-risk prostate cancer (HiRPCa) who received dose-escalated radiotherapy (RT). METHODS: Between 1995 and 2010, 958 patients with HiRPCa were treated at Schiffler Cancer Center (n = 484) or at the University of Michigan (n = 474) by receiving either dose-escalated external-beam RT (EBRT) (n = 510; minimum prescription dose, 75 grays [Gy]; median dose, 78 Gy) or combined-modality RT (CMRT) consisting of 103Pd implants (n = 369) or 125I implants (n = 79) both with pelvic irradiation (median prescription dose, 45 Gy). The cumulative incidences of biochemical failure (BF) and prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) were estimated by using the Kaplan-Meier method and Fine and Gray regression analysis. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 63.2 months (interquartile range, 35.4-99.0 months), and 250 patients were followed for >8 years. Compared with CMRT, patients who received EBRT had higher prostate-specific antigen levels, higher tumor classification, lower Gleason sum, and more frequent receipt of ADT for a longer duration. The 8-year incidence BF and PCSM among patients who received EBRT was 40% (standard error, 38%-44%) and 13% (standard error, 11%-15%) compared with 14% (standard error, 12%-16%; P < .0001) and 7% (standard error 6%-9%; P = .003) among patients who received CMRT. On multivariate analysis, the hazard ratios (HRs) for BF and PCSM were 0.35 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23-0.52; P < .0001) and 0.41 (95% CI, 0.23-0.75; P < .003), favoring CMRT. Increasing duration of ADT predicted decreased BF (P = .04) and PCSM (P = .001), which was greatest with long-term ADT (BF: HR, 0.33; P < .0001; 95% CI, 0.21-0.52; PCSM: HR, 0.30; P = .001; 95% CI, 0.15-0.6) even in the subgroup that received CMRT. CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective comparison, both low-dose-rate brachytherapy boost and ADT were associated with decreased risks of BF and PCSM compared with EBRT. Cancer 2013. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Commentary on Balcetis: On Some Limits to the Motivational Direction Approach

While we are sympathetic to Balcetis’s approach, we feel that using motivational direction as the sole organizing structure for influences of affect on perception may be unnecessarily limiting. Thr...
Short Bowel Syndrome After Continence-Preserving Procedures

The short bowel syndrome (SBS) can result from a variety of conditions, including postoperative complications and malignancy. Continence-preserving operations are generally performed for either ulcerative colitis (UC) or familial polyposis (FAP). These procedures can be associated with high morbidity and the potential for future malignancy. Our aim was to determine the causes and consequences of SBS in patients undergoing these procedures. Twenty-four patients (12 men and 12 women) 18 to 64 years of age were identified with SBS after continence-preserving procedures. Eighteen had pelvic procedures, and six had continent ileostomies. All SBS patients had a proximal ostomy. Remnant length measured 120 cm in nine patients. Overall 13 patients required long-term PN. Four FAP patients with desmoid tumors died. One patient with UC underwent intestinal transplant and expired. Follow-up ranges from 6 to 192 months. Overall 14 patients had UC, nine had FAP, and one had functional disease. Eight patients with an initial diagnosis of UC had subsequent Crohn’s disease necessitating further resection and pouch excision. Eight patients (five with UC, two FAP, and one with functional disease) had postoperative complications, including obstruction or mesenteric ischemia requiring resections. One UC patient developed adenocarcinoma in a continent ileostomy. Seven of the nine FAP patients required resection for desmoid tumors. Six of these underwent resection alone. Three died at 10, 11, and 13 months after SBS from liver failure and sepsis while awaiting transplant. One patient has recurrent desmoid at 30 months, another is alive and well at 48 months, and the other patient, who was not a transplant candidate, died from an unrelated cardiac operation at 23 months. A single patient underwent resection with simultaneous multivisceral transplantation. SBS can develop after continence-preserving procedures. This occurs with inflammatory bowel disease when unsuspected Crohn’s disease is present or complications occur. SBS related to desmoid tumors has a poor prognosis in patients undergoing resection alone. A more aggressive approach to intestinal transplantation in these patients may be warranted.
Extraction of reduced molybdophosphoric and molybdoantimonylphosphoric acids with oxygenated solvents

Abstract The extractability of reduced molybdophosphoric acid and molybdoantimonylphosphoric acid depends principally on the solution acidity and the solvent. The effect of acidity is not related to the formation equilibria or stability of the heteropoly acids in the ranges studied (0.0003–2.5 M ). A number of solvents extract independently of acidity, which suggests that suppression of dissociation is not a major factor. In certain instances, extraction is related to the ionic strength and acidity rather than just the acidity. The solvent influence can be related to its basicity or ability to solvate the heteropoly anion; Generally, the less basic the solvent, the greater the acidity or ionic strength must be to reach maximal extraction. The effect is probably one of dehydration or salting-out. Butyl acetate and acetophenone appear to be the best choices as extractants for reduced molybdoantimonylphosphoric acid based on minimal mutual solubility, acidity dependency, and extraction efficiency.
95Mo and 97Mo magnetic resonance in aqueous molybdate solutions

95Mo and 97Mo relaxation times have been measured for aqueous solutions of sodium molybdate in the pH range 7–12. From the relaxation times at high pH where exchange effects are negligible the quadrupole moment ratio 97Q95Q = 11.4 ± 0.4 was obtained. This large ratio allows a particularly simple determination of kinetic parameters of interest, such as the protonation rate constant and the relaxation time of the protonated anion.
Solvency and hydrogen bonding interactions in nonaqueous systems

Abstract A study of the importance of hydrogen-bonding interactions in the formation of complexes is useful in providing knowledge of the physical and chemical properties of drug molecules and hopefully it will eventually lead to rational formulation of drugs into suitable dosage forms. The present report deals with a study of some of the methods available for the experimental measurement of these interactions and the means of determining the association (equilibrium) constants from the experimental results. An attempt is made to develop suitable methods for the quantitative analysis of hydrogen-bonding data so that useful estimates of association constants can be made a priori. The effect of the non-aqueous solvent on the value of the association constant is also discussed and a method is given whereby an estimate of solvent interaction can be calculated.
Wolf-Rayet Stars and Galaxies*

Wolf-Rayet (W-R) stars have strong broad emission lines of highly excited ions present in their optical spectra. These features have been found in massive, young but highly evolved, hot luminous stars and in the integrated spectra of some starburst galaxies. The stellar emission lines have their origin in robust winds with sufficient density that unit optical depth is formed in the outflowing material. The W-R galaxy spectra arise from the superposition of the emission-line spectra of many W-R stars, seen in contrast to the starburst continuum. This occurs when sufficient numbers of W-R stars are present, at a relatively early time in the history of the starburst. I will provide a brief overview of the history of W-R stars, a glance at our current understanding of their nature and evolution, and a glimpse of their promise for providing information about starbursts near and far.
Electrical and thermal stability of AuGeNi ohmic contacts to GaAs fabricated with in situ RF sputter cleaning

Abstract In situ RF sputter cleaning of the GaAs surface before the AuGeNi deposition gave low contact resistance R c ⋍ 0.1 Ω-mm . When the contacts were annealed at 400°C for 57 hours, Rc ⩽ 0.6 Ω-mm was obtained. This is still an acceptable value for 1 μm gate MESFET process. With low sputtering voltages or short sputtering times, contact resistance was large and non-uniform. Normally a short alloying time of 2 min at 440°C is used for ohmic contact formation. For the process described here, alloying times as long as 15 min at 430°C gave low contact resistance R c ⋍ 0.2 Ω-mm . When the AuGe films were deposited from two separate sources of Au and Ge (“layered” process) low contact resistances R c ⋍ 0.2 Ω-mm were obtained. However, this “layered” process did not show the same kind of uniformity and low contact resistance that was obtained when the AuGe film was deposited from a single “eutectic” source.
Consensus Analysts' Forecasts and Current Price Level

This paper attempts to shed light on the issue whether investors' earnings expectations completely align with analysts' forecasts. I find that current price level is not significantly correlated with one‐year‐out realized earnings, but, it is significantly correlated with two‐year‐out, three‐year‐out, four‐year‐out and five‐year‐out realized earnings after I control for analysts' forecasts (and current earnings). Current price is found to be useful in improving the accuracy of long‐term analyst consensus forecasts. My findings are consistent with the notion that the market's near term expectation closely follows analyst forecasts while the market's long‐term expectation contains more information than analyst consensus forecasts.