cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Emerging Roles of Apolipoprotein E and Apolipoprotein A-I in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Lung Disease

Emerging roles are being recognized increasingly for apolipoproteins in the pathogenesis and treatment of lung diseases on the basis of their ability to suppress inflammation, oxidative stress, and tissue remodeling, and to promote adaptive immunity and host defense. Apolipoproteins, such as apolipoprotein E (apoE) and apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), are important components of lipoprotein particles that facilitate the transport of cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids between plasma and cells. ApoE-containing lipoprotein particles are internalized into cells by low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDLRs), whereas apoA-I can interact with the ATP-binding cassette subfamily A member 1 (ABCA1) transporter to efflux cholesterol and phospholipids out of cells. ApoE and apoA-I also mediate receptor-independent effects, such as binding to and neutralizing LPS. Both apoE and apoA-I are expressed by lung cells, which allows apoE/LDLR- and apoA-I/ABCA1-dependent pathways to modulate normal lung health and the pathogenesis of respiratory diseases, including asthma, acute lung injury, cancer, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension. Data from human studies and research using experimental murine model systems have shown that both apoE and apoA-I pathways play primarily protective roles in lung biology and respiratory disease. Furthermore, apolipoprotein mimetic peptides, corresponding to the LDLR-binding domain of apoE or the class A amphipathic α-helical structure of apoA-I, have antiinflammatory and antioxidant effects that attenuate the severity of lung disease in murine models. Thus, the development of inhaled apolipoprotein mimetic peptides as a novel treatment paradigm could represent a significant advance for patients with respiratory disease who do not respond to current therapies.
Summarize research status of minority mathematics education

Pass literature study of nation mathematics education,brief connection of nation mathematics education and cross-cultural mathematics education,comparatively and roundly sum up headway and connectional production that our minority mathematics education acquired in twenty years.
Electrochemical Rectification of Redox Mediators Using Porphyrin-Based Molecular Multilayered Films on ITO Electrodes.

Electrochemical charge transfer through multilayer thin films of zinc and nickel 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-ethynylphenyl) porphyrin constructed via copper(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) “click” chemistry was examined. Current rectification toward various outer-sphere redox probes is revealed with increasing numbers of layers, as these films possess insulating properties over the neutral potential range of the porphyrin, then become conductive upon reaching its oxidation potential. Interfacial electron transfer rates of mediator–dye interactions toward [Co(bpy)3]2+, [Co(dmb)3]2+, [Co(NO2-phen)3]2+, [Fe(bpy)3]2+, and ferrocene (Fc), all outer-sphere redox species, were measured by hydrodynamic methods. The ability to modify electroactive films’ interfacial electron transfer rates, as well as current rectification toward redox species, has broad applicability in a number of devices, particularly photovoltaics and photogalvanics.
Importance of papillary muscle infarction detected by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in predicting cardiovascular events.

Abstract Background Recent studies suggest that papillary muscle infarction (PMI) following recent myocardial infarction (MI) correlates with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence and prognostic significance of PMI by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in a large cohort of patients. Methods Retrospective study of patients who underwent CMR between January 2007 and December 2009 were evaluated for the presence of PMI in one or both of the left ventricle papillary muscles. The primary outcome was a time to a combined endpoint of all-cause mortality and worsening heart failure. Secondary outcomes were time to individual components of the combined outcome. Results 419 patients were included in our analysis, 232 patients (55%) had ischemic cardiomyopathy. Patients were followed at six-month intervals for a median follow-up time of 3.7 (interquartile range (IQR): 1.6; 6.3) years after initial imaging. During this period 196 patients (46.8%) had a primary outcome and 92 patients (22%) died. PM infarct was identified in 204 (48.7%) patients with twice as many posteromedial (PRM) (27%) than anterolateral (ARL) lesions (11%) and a similar number with infarct in both (11%). There was no association between studied outcomes and the presence of PMI in either PRM or ARL PM. The presence of infarct in both PM was a predictor of both the primary outcome (HR 1.69, CI[1.01–2.86], p Conclusion The presence of infarct in either papillary muscle was not associated with outcomes. However, infarct involving both papillary muscles was associated with worse outcomes.
The Aging Critical Care Physician: A 50-Year Progression of Events

This chapter illustrates how thorough postgraduate training and successful research with excellent mentoring directed a young academician into a new and rapidly growing field in high demand and offered the opportunity for a leading position with international reputation and suitable continued involvement into retirement.
Atypical Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy

Researchers at the Royal Children’s Hospital and Melbourne University, Victoria, Australia report a 12-year-old boy with a 12-month history of progressive weakness affecting extremities and neck flexion but no facial weakness.
Structural Changes in the Internal Domain of CD20 Antigen Associated with the Emergence of Rituximab Resistance: Effects of Proteasome Inhibition in CD20 Structure and Rituximab Anti-Tumor Activity in Rituximab-Resistant Cell Lines (RRCL).

Abstract Background: The acquirement of resistance to rituximab has been observed in lymphoma patients. To define the molecular basis for rituximab resistance we developed various RRCL and studied changes in CD20 structure, membrane reorganization and signaling events following rituximab therapy in RRCL. In addition we previously reported upregulation in gene/protein expression of members of the ubiquitin-proteasome system in RRCL. Recently, we evaluated the effects of proteasome inhibition in the structure of CD20 antigen and rituximab sensitivity in RRCL. Methods: RRCL were generated by chronic exposure of Raji cells to escalating doses of rituximab alone (2R) or with human complement (4RH). Functional assays were performed to demonstrate a decrease in rituximab-associated activity. Changes in the structure of CD20 were determined by Western blotting using various antibodies recognizing epitopes located in the internal (GST77 and 1439) and external domain (B1) of CD20. Following rituximab treatment, lipid raft domains were extracted from Raji and RRCL. Redistribution of CD20 antigen following rituximab exposure was evaluated by Western blotting. RRCL were exposed to 0, 20 and 100nM of Bortezomib for 24 and 48 hrs. Changes in the internal domain of CD20 were evaluated by Western-blotting. Rituximab responses following Bortezomib exposure were determined by flow cytometric analysis in RRCL exposed to rituximab or isotype (10μg/ml) +/− human serum (dilution 1:4). Results: No significant changes were observed in the expression of the external domain of CD20 antigen between rituximab-sensitive and RRCL as demonstrated by flow cytometric analysis and Western blotting. However, significant changes in the internal domain of CD20 were observed in RRCL. Specifically, a significant decrease in expression of the N-terminal, and to a lesser degree the C-terminal region of the internal domain of CD20 were observed in RRCL. Redistribution of CD20 into the lipid raft domains was decreased in RRCL following rituximab exposure. In vitro exposure to Bortezomib for 24 and 48 hrs resulted in an increased expression of the C-terminal region of the internal domain of CD20 in RRCL. In addition, Bortezomib-exposed RRCL regained partial sensitivity to rituximab-associated complement mediated cytotoxicity. Conclusions: Our data strongly suggests that the acquirement of rituximab resistance is associated with significant changes in the structure of the internal domain of the CD20 antigen. The abnormal production of truncated forms of the CD20 antigen, while not affecting rituximab binding, decreases the redistribution of CD20 antigen into lipid raft domains and negatively impacts rituximab anti-tumor activity. The C-terminal region of CD20 expression is modulated by exposure to Bortezomib. Proteasome inhibition partially improves rituximab responsiveness suggesting the existence of mediators of rituximab-resistance.
COMPARISON OF TWO PROCEDURES FOR ENUMERATION OF MICROORGANISMS FROM FROZEN FOODS1

Microbial counts of frozen raw shrimp, frozen processed shrimp, and frozen mixed vegetables were obtained by various combinations of recovery media, diluents, spread or pourplating, and incubation temperatures of 27 C and 35 C. Greater numbers of microorganisms were recovered after incubation at 27 than at 35 C. Spread-plating yielded higher counts than the pour-plating. The addition of 0.5% NaCl and peptone to the agar medium resulted in a greater recovery of microorganisms from frozen raw shrimp, but had no effect on frozen processed shrimp or frozen mixed vegetables. Butterfield's phosphate buffer was slightly superior to 0.2% peptone as a diluent.
PON1 status of farmworker mothers and children as a predictor of organophosphate sensitivity

The objective was to determine PON1 status as a predictor for organophosphorus insecticide sensitivity in a cohort of Latina mothers and newborns from the Salinas Valley, California, an area with high levels of organophosphorus insecticide use. PON1 status was established for 130 pregnant Latina women and their newborns using a high-throughput two substrate activity/analysis method which plots rates of diazoxon (DZO) hydrolysis against rates of paraoxon (PO) hydrolysis. Arylesterase activity (AREase) was determined using phenylacetate as a substrate, allowing comparison of PON1 levels across PON1192 genotypes in mothers and children. Phenylacetate hydrolysis is not affected by the Q192R polymorphism. Among newborns, levels of PON1 (AREase) varied by 26-fold (4.3-110.7 U/ml) and among mothers by 14-fold (19.8-281.4 U/ml). On average, children's PON1 levels were four-fold lower than the mothers' PON1 levels (P<0.001). Average PON1 levels in newborns were comparable with reported hPON1 levels in transgenic mice expressing human PON1Q192 or PON1R192, allowing for prediction of relative sensitivity to chlorpyrifos oxon (CPO) and DZO. The predicted range of variability in sensitivity of mothers and children in the same Latino cohort was 65-fold for DZO and 131 to 164-fold for CPO. Overall, these findings indicate that many of the newborns and some of the mothers in this cohort would be more susceptible to the adverse effects of specific organophosphorus pesticide exposure due to their PON1 status. Of particular concern are exposures of pregnant mothers and newborns with low PON1 status.
Caracterización sociodemográfica y criminológica de hombres condenados por delitos sexuales

Este estudio descriptivo correlacional de tipo transversal, describe y analiza variables sociodemograficas y criminogenas en 174 personas que cumplen sentencia por delitos sexuales en el Complejo Penitenciario de Valparaiso, Chile. Los resultados muestran que la mayoria de los sujetos corresponde a hombres solteros de mediana edad, de nivel educacional medio, presentando un bajo y mediano nivel de compromiso delictual. La mayoria de los participantes fueron sentenciados por abuso sexual y/o violacion de adultos, o violacion de ninos menores de 14 anos. No se encontraron relaciones significativas entre las variables estudiadas. Se concluye que los resultados del estudio confirman parcialmente los informes internacionales sobre la caracterizacion de los delincuentes sexuales y que el grupo estudiado parece estar mas cerca de las caracteristicas de la poblacion general que de la poblacion carcelaria condenada por otros delitos comunes.
Engendering the Corporate Landscape: A View from the Miners' Doublehouse

America’s mining landscapes are instinctively viewed as male-dominated spaces – landscapes that have been cut out, created, shaped, operated, altered, and often abandoned through the actions of men. Helvetia Mine, a bituminous coal mine in western Pennsylvania, is no exception. Its history encompasses the stories of hundreds of miners and their sons – stories often spanning several generations.
Directed Self-Assembly (DSA) for contact applications

Directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers offers opportunities for resolution enhancement of existing patterning by pitch splitting, contact hole (CH) shrinks or, improvement of pattern profile or patterning window.1-2 By co-optimization of guiding pattern geometry, guiding pattern profile, block copolymer formulation, pattern transfer steps, the after-etch DSA patterns meet target pitch ratio. This DSA assessment shows combination of DSA and single iArF-patterning has potential to meet the specific CD dimension and pitch requirement of a conventional patterns that requires double-patterning.
Development of high intensity X-ray sources at the National Ignition Facility

Laser heated plasmas have provided recently some of the most powerful and energetic nanosecond length laboratory sources of x-ray photons (Ephoton = 1–30 keV). The highest x-ray to laser conversion is currently accessible by using underdense (ne ∼ 0.25 nc) plasmas since optimal laser coupling is obtained in millimeter scale targets. The targets can have conversion efficiencies of up to 10%. Several types of targets can be used to produce underdense plasmas: metal lined cylindrical cavities, gas pipes, and most recently nano-wire foams. Both the experimental and simulation details of these high intensity x-ray sources are discussed.
Involvement and Participation of Students with Severe Disabilities in SWPBIS

With more schools implementing Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) and achieving valued student outcomes associated with these efforts, the inclusion of students with...
Selective activation of estrogen receptors, ERα and GPER-1, rapidly decreases food intake in female rats.

Abstract Many of estradiol's behavioral effects are mediated, at least partially, via extra-nuclear estradiol signaling. Here, we investigated whether two estrogen receptor (ER) agonists, targeting ERα and G protein-coupled ER-1 (GPER-1), can promote rapid anorexigenic effects. Food intake was measured in ovariectomized (OVX) rats at 1, 2, 4, and 22 h following subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of an ERα agonist (PPT; 0–200 μg/kg), a GPER-1 agonist (G-1; 0–1600 μg/kg), and a GPER-1 antagonist (G-36; 0–80 μg/kg). To investigate possible cross-talk between ERα and GPER-1, we examined whether GPER-1 blockade affects the anorexigenic effect of PPT. Feeding was monitored in OVX rats that received s.c. injections of vehicle or 40 μg/kg G-36 followed 30 min later by s.c. injections of vehicle or 200 μg/kg PPT. Selective activation of ERα and GPER-1 alone decreased food intake within 1 h of drug treatment, and feeding remained suppressed for 22 h following PPT treatment and 4 h following G-1 treatment. Acute administration of G-36 alone did not suppress feeding at any time point. Blockade of GPER-1 attenuated PPT's rapid (within 1 h) anorexigenic effect, but did not modulate PPT's ability to suppress food intake at 2, 4 and 22 h. These findings demonstrate that selective activation of ERα produces a rapid (within 1 h) decrease in food intake that is best explained by a non-genomic signaling pathway and thus implicates the involvement of extra-nuclear ERα. Our findings also provide evidence that activation of GPER-1 is both sufficient to suppress feeding and necessary for PPT's rapid anorexigenic effect.
Insect Host Responses Against Parasitoids and the Parasitoid’s Resistance: With Emphasis on the Lepidoptera-Hymenoptera Association

The defense reactions of insect hosts towards parasitoids and the means by which parasitoids sometimes evade the host’s defense have been the subject of numerous reviews (Salt, 1963a, 1968, 1970; Nappi, 1975a; Whitcomb et al., 1974; Jackson et al., 1969; Lafferty and Crichton, 1973). There is, however, very little consensus of opinion concerning the mechanism of the host’s defense reaction or the means by which a parasitoid escapes it. As has been pointed out (Nappi, 1975; Whitcomb et al., 1974; Salt, 1970), the major factors responsible for the immune response of vertebrates, notably the antigen-antibody complementary system and antigenic memory, appear to be lacking in insects.
Establishing a generalized autoclitic repertoire in preschool children.

Skinner's (1957) analysis of language presents the notion of secondary verbal behavior, some of which is termed “autoclitic.” These kinds of verbal responses are dependent upon primary verbal behavior and are controlled by some feature of the primary verbal relationship (e.g., mand, tact, etc.). In this study preschool children were trained to make autoclitic responses evoked by the weakness of the relation controlling a primary tact response. A method for training tacting of private events known as “public accompaniment” was utilized. Theoretical issues related to the nature of autoclitic behavior as well as practical concerns for training are discussed.
Verifiable goals for communication

We saw in Chapter 2 that our sensing functions are sufficient to capture all finite goals for which we can design protocols, but we only gave two examples of such sensing functions: Example 2.23, a sensing function for the goal of printing described in Example 2.8; and Example 2.24, a sensing function for the goal of computation, first described in Section 1.4.2 and then formally revisited in Example 2.17. It is not immediately clear how many more interesting goals actually have universal protocols! Fortunately, we can show that many goals can be captured by safe and viable sensing functions, and hence have universal protocols—in fact, we believe that most (if not all) reasonable goals for communication can be captured in this way. We will support this claim by developing a variety of examples of goals, and demonstrating how we can provide sensing for each of the goals. These examples are adapted from an early technical report (Juba and Sudan, 2008).
6.10 Bacterial Exotoxins

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses bacterial exotoxins. Disruption of normal cell function is the critical outcome in bacterial diseases. Bacteria produce a variety of virulence factors for this purpose and the arsenal of most pathogenic bacteria includes exotoxins. Exotoxins subvert, alter, or destroy host cell functions ultimately, leading to cellular dysfunction or death, and the wide variety of methods they use is a testament to the intriguing evolution of these virulence factors and associated pathology. Identification of a bacterial exotoxin requires its purification and demonstration of toxic effects in specific animal or cellular models. An approach for testing virulence for an exotoxin is the application of molecular Koch's postulates and comparison of bacterial constructs isogenic for the exotoxin gene with wild-type parents in parallel animal models. Many products from bacteria implicated in enterotoxic diseases are highlighted to cause direct detrimental effects in appropriately manipulated animal models or organ explant systems. Other than direct measurement of the diarrheal or emetic responses associated with exotoxins, measurements of changes in the intestinal tract leading to fluid accumulation are commonly used. The chapter further explains neurotoxic activity.
Factors Influencing Adherence to Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer

Patient adherence to clinical treatment recommendations, while critical to patient outcomes, may be challenging to achieve. This chapter presents and discusses adherence theory with particular application to the rehabilitation of patients with head and neck cancer. Considerations and strategies that may enhance patient adherence will be outlined, and clinical applications will be addressed.
Particle identification in the Belle II experiment

The Belle II experiment integrates two dedicated particle identification (PID) subdetectors for pion/kaon separation. The Aerogel Ring Image Cherenkov (ARICH) detector is a forward region PID detec...
A simple algorithm for objective threshold determination of auditory brainstem responses

Abstract The auditory brainstem response (ABR) is a sound-evoked neural response commonly used to assess auditory function in humans and laboratory animals. ABR thresholds are typically chosen by visual inspection, leaving the procedure susceptible to user bias. We sought to develop an algorithm to automate determination of ABR thresholds to eliminate such biases and to standardize approaches across investigators and laboratories. Two datasets of mouse ABR waveforms obtained from previously published studies of normal ears as well as ears with varying degrees of cochlear-based threshold elevations (Maison et al., 2013; Sergeyenko et al., 2013) were reanalyzed using an algorithm based on normalized cross-covariation of adjacent level presentations. Correlation-coefficient vs. level data for each ABR level series were fit with both a sigmoidal and two-term power function. From these fits, threshold was interpolated at different criterion values of correlation-coefficient ranging from 0 to 0.5. The criterion value of 0.35 was selected by comparing visual thresholds to computed thresholds across all frequencies tested. With such a criterion, the mean algorithm-computed thresholds were comparable to the visual thresholds noted by two independent observers for each data set. The success of the algorithm was also qualitatively assessed by comparing averaged waveforms at the thresholds determined by the two methods, and quantitatively assessed by comparing peak 1 amplitude growth functions expressed as dB re each of the two threshold measures. Application of a cross-covariance analysis to ABR waveforms can emulate visual thresholding decisions made by highly trained observers. Unlike previous applications of similar methodologies using template matching, our algorithm performs only intrinsic comparisons within ABR sets, and therefore is more robust to equipment and investigator differences in assessing waveforms, as evidenced by similar results across the two datasets.
Angelic Encounters as Reported by Burn Survivors.

After collecting personal accounts of near-death experiences from persons with large burn injuries, it was discovered that several of the participants described seeing, talking with (and even huggi...
From Scandalous Outing to Casual Acknowledgment

This chapter begins by providing an overview of this project which examines how sports journalists covered the coming out stories of tennis champion and feminist icon Billie Jean King and basketball superstars Sheryl Swoopes and Brittney Griner. However, the chapter primarily focuses on providing a detailed account of the events and circumstances surrounding King’s outing, and the coming announcements of Swoopes and Griner.
Inhibition deficits are modulated by age and CGG repeat length in carriers of the FMR1 premutation allele who are mothers of children with fragile X syndrome

Abstract Individuals who carry a premutation (PM) allele on the FMR1 gene may experience executive limitations associated with their genetic status, including inhibition deficits. However, poor understanding of individualized risk factors has limited clinical management of this group, particularly in mothers who carry the PM allele who have children with fragile X syndrome (FXS). The present study examined CGG repeat length and age as factors that may account for variable expressivity of inhibition deficits. Participants were 134 carriers of the PM allele who were mothers of children with FXS. Inhibition skills were measured using both self-report and direct behavioral assessments. Increased vulnerability for inhibition deficits was observed at mid-range CGG lengths of approximately 80–100 repeats, with some evidence of a second zone of vulnerability occurring at approximately 130–140 CGG repeats. Risk associated with the genotype also became more pronounced with older age. This study identifies personalized risk factors that may be used to tailor the clinical management of executive deficits in carriers of the PM allele. Inhibition deficits may contribute to poor outcomes in carriers of the PM allele and their families, particularly in midlife and early old age, and clinical monitoring may be warranted.
PENGEMBANGAN KEMAMPUAN MENGENAL POLA ABC-ABC MELALUI MODEL TALKING STICK DI KELOMPOK A TK DAMAI BANJARMASIN

Latar belakang masalah yang terjadi dalam penelitian ini adalah rendahnya aktivitas guru, aktivitas anak dan rendahnya pengembangan aspek kognitif anak terhadap pembelajaran mengenal pola ABC-ABC di TK Damai Banjarmasin. Hal ini disebabkan karena guru kurang memiliki kreativitas yang bagus dalam melaksanakan kegiatan pembelajaran serta kurangnya ketersediaan media atau alat peraga yang terbatas. Hal ini mengakibatkan anak kurang memiliki ketertarikan dengan sistem pembelajaran yang dilaksanakan guru, sehingga anak masih belum bisa mengembangkan kemampuan aspek kognitif dalam mengenal pola ABC-ABC secara maksimal sesuai dengan usia perkembangan dan pertumbuhan anak. Penelitian ini merupakan Penelitian Tindakan kelas (PTK) yang dilaksanakan dalam dua siklus. Setting penelitian adalah anak kelompok A di TK Damai Banjarmasin tahun ajaran 2013/2014, dengan jumlah anak 11 orang terdiri dari 7 orang laki-laki dan 4 orang perempuan. Data yang dikumpulkan antara lain menggunakan data kualitatif dan kuantitatif. Data kualitatif diperoleh melalui instrument penelitian berupa lembar observasi aktivitas guru dan kegiatan anak melakukan aktivitas dan mengembangkan kemampuan aspek kognitif. Sedangkan data kuantitatif diperoleh melalui lembar kerja yang dikerjakan anak. Analisis data menggunakan teknik naratif dan persentase. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penerapan model talking stick dapat mengembangkan kognitif anak pada aspek mengenal pola ABC-ABC. Aktivitas guru pada siklus I pertemuan 1 mencapai 48,33 dengan kategori cukup baik meningkat menjadi 71,67 dengan kategori baik pada pertemuan 2, sedangkan pada siklus II mencapai 96,67 dengan kategori sangat baik. Aktivitas anak dalam mengikuti pembelajaran juga meningkat, keaktifan anak untuk siklus I pertemuan 1 mencapai 36,37% meningkat menjadi 54,54% pada pertemuan kedua, sedangkan, keaktifan anak untuk siklus II mencapai 90,9%. Keberhasilan pada pengembangan kognitif anak pada aspek mengenal pola ABC-ABC pada siklus I pertemuan 1 sebesar 54,55% meningkat menjadi 72,72% pada pertemuan 2, sedangkan siklus II mencapai 100%. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian bahwa hipotesis yang berbunyi “jika menggunakan model pembelajaran talking stick dalam menyusun pola ABC-ABC, maka dapat meningkatkan pengembangan aspek kognitif anak di Kelompok A pada TK Damai Banjarmasin” dapat diterima. Dengan ini, diharapkan agar guru-guru dapat menggunakan model talking stick dalam pembelajaran di Taman Kanak-Kanak sebagai upaya dalam menciptakan perbaikan dan pengembangan kemampuan kognitif, peningkatan aktivitas anak serta peningkatan mutu pembelajaran disekolah masingmasing. Kata Kunci : Mengenal Pola ABC-ABC, Talking Stick
Multidimensional Fractional Iyengar Inequalities for Radial Functions

Here we derive a variety of multivariate fractional Iyengar type inequalities for radial functions defined on the shell and ball.
Solar-blind photodetectors based on Ga2O3 and III-nitrides

Recently, there has been a surge of interest in the wide bandgap semiconductors for solar blind photo detectors (SBPD). This work presents our recent progress in the growth/doping of AlGaN and Ga2O3 thin films for solar blind detection applications. Both of these thin films grown are grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) in the same Aixtron MOCVD system. Solar-blind metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors were fabricated with Ga2O3. Spectral responsivity studies of the MSM photodetectors revealed a peak at 261 nm and a maximum EQE of 41.7% for a −2.5 V bias. We have also demonstrated AlGaN based solar-blind avalanche photodiodes with a gain in excess of 57,000 at ~100 volts of reverse bias. This gain can be attributed to avalanche multiplication of the photogenerated carriers within the device. Both of these devices show the potential of wide bandgap semiconductors for solar blind photo detectors.
Impact of Dynamic Storage Management of Wetlands and Shallow Ponds on Watershed-scale Flood Control

This paper presents a case study on the impact of dynamic management of wetland storage on downstream flood control at the Cypress Creek Watershed in Houston, Texas. Dynamic storage management is performed by optimizing the schedule of flow releases from managed wetlands for minimizing downstream inundation. The novelty of this study is to increase the available storage capacity of wetlands on a watershed scale and thus improve their performance on flood mitigation. The main objective of this study is to compare the extent of downstream flood inundation with and without dynamic management of wetland storage. This study used HEC-HMS for the overland flows and the level pool routing in the wetlands and HEC-RAS for simulating river inundation. Wetlands were implemented in the midstream region of the watershed. The schedule of optimal wetland flow releases were determined using the MATLAB Genetic Algorithm toolbox. The optimization results indicate that, when wetland size exceeds a fairly low threshold, dynamic storage management of wetlands can significantly reduce flood area, flood depth and flood duration at the downstream region of the watershed compared with the case without dynamic storage management.
Community Socioemotional Wealth: Preservation, Succession, and Farming in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania:

This study builds theory on socioemotional wealth (SEW) in family firms and, specifically, proposes a new concept, community SEW, that moves SEW beyond the organizational level of analysis to inclu...
Combinations of (lipo)glycopeptides with β-lactams against MRSA: susceptibility insights.

Background Increasing application of vancomycin due to the high prevalence of MRSA infections has led to the emergence of vancomycin intermediate-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and heterogeneous VISA (hVISA). Consequently, the need for alternative therapies that target MRSA has become evident. Objectives To evaluate the synergy between (lipo)glycopeptides (LGP/GPs) (vancomycin, teicoplanin, telavancin, dalbavancin and oritavancin) and β-lactams (ceftaroline, cefepime, cefazolin and oxacillin) against MRSA, hVISA, VISA and daptomycin non-susceptible (DNS) phenotypes. Methods Twenty randomly selected clinical MRSA strains (i.e. 5 MRSA, 5 hVISA, 5 VISA and 5 DNS) were assessed versus LGP/GPs alone and LGP/GPs in combination with β-lactams for MICs. Although verification of antibiotic potency against bacterial strains is assessed by the microbroth dilution (MBD) MIC method recommended by the CLSI, some antibiotics need modified assay conditions in order to demonstrate their optimal activity. Results Addition of β-lactams reduced MIC values of LGP/GPs against all strains (up to 160-fold reduction). In general, LGPs (dalbavancin, oritavancin and telavancin) were more active (significant differences in MIC values, up to 8-fold) compared with vancomycin and teicoplanin. The majority of these combinations were bactericidal and superior to any single agent. Conclusions This report has examined the susceptibility patterns of LGP/GPs and their combination with β-lactams. Of interest, the impact of susceptibility tests (in terms of MIC plates and their surface area) on the synergistic activity in 24 h time-kill experiments was apparent for LGPs. Further clinical research is required to investigate synergy with LGP/GPs and β-lactams against these Staphylococcus strains.
Empowering Leadership Research at the Dawn of the New Decade: Current Research and New Directions

This symposium sheds light on key current developments in empowering leadership (EL) research as reflected in the following questions: Does the effectiveness of EL depend on other leader behaviors?...
Design of Experiments for the Development of Injectable Drug Products

Design of experiments (DoE) is a widely used statistical tool for planning experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and drawing valid conclusions. This chapter describes the basics of DoE, types of DoE designs, and rationale for the selection of a design. Applications of DoE in the development of pharmaceutical drug products are discussed with emphasis on injectable drug products. Also, a practical case study of the development of a nanoemulsion product is discussed in detail.
Past Stock Returns and the MAX Effect

This paper investigates how past stock returns affect investors’ lottery demand. We show that the maximum daily return (MAX) effect, first documented by Bali et al. (Maxing Out: Stocks as Lotteries...
Complexity Analysis and u-net Based Segmentation of Meningeal Lymphatic Vessels

This paper showcases a u-net based architecture for the automated segmentation images of meningeal lymphatic vessels. These lymphatic vessels surround the cerebral cortex and have been recently found to drain waste from the brain. Studies on mice have shown loss of memory and impairment in cognitive ability if the vessels’ draining capacity does not function adequately. As the meningeal lymphatic vasculature itself is a recent discovery, there is no software tailored for automatically segmenting these images. Instead, segmentation must be performed by hand, which is a tedious and errorprone process. By building an automatic segmentation tool for these vessels, we can provide informatics for understanding and researching them, in a quick and reliable way. A convolutional neural network, called u-net, is adapted to the vessel segmentation application, with the goal of teaching the network how to segment the vessels. Segmentation using u-net is compared to traditional non-learning based segmentation methods using Dice coefficient. Three complexity measures are also proposed to evaluate the segmentation quality: vessel ramification index, porosity, and vessel length. The existence of a technique and associated software to automatically segment and analyze these vessels will drastically speed up subsequent neuroscience research in the field.
Isolation of Mycobacterium avium ssp paratuberculosis from the saliva of cattle

Johne's disease can be an economically devastating disease on dairy farms. Current risk assessment (RA)-based control programs use best management practices to prevent the transmission of the causative pathogen, Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (MAP), between animals. Most effort is focused on the fecal-oral route of transmission between infectious dams and calves. Because MAP has been isolated from water troughs, the objective of this pilot study was to determine whether MAP can be detected in the saliva (a previously overlooked route of transmission) of infected cattle.
Science and Literacy: Considering the Role of Texts in Early Childhood Science Education

This chapter examines the integration of science and literacy in early childhood education. We begin with a review of research on the types of science texts designed for young children and for early childhood classrooms – commercially produced, trade literature, and researcher-created. Such science texts present unique challenges in their content, their linguistic structures, and their varied visual representations. As relates specifically to trade literature, genre and subject matter can be sources of concern – genre in that texts that conflate story with scientific information and explanations may produce little science learning or scientific misconceptions, and subject matter in that current trade literature for young children chiefly addresses life science, with very few books written on physical science topics. Despite their importance, science texts have a very limited presence in current early childhood classrooms. Further, early childhood teachers appear reluctant to include such texts in common early childhood instructional practices, such as read alouds; this may be due to their own insecurities regarding science instruction. Given the importance of inquiry science, multiple researchers, working to enhance the quality of early childhood science instruction, have integrated text and inquiry science. We examine various Text Integrated Inquiry Science (TIIS) programs, acknowledging both unique and common program features, as well as limitations in research designs. A consideration of promising TIIS practices concludes this chapter.
4-1BB Ligand, a Member of the TNF Family, Is Important for the Generation of Antiviral CD8 T Cell Responses

4-1BB (CD137) is a costimulatory molecule expressed on activated T cells and interacts with 4-1BB ligand (4-1BBL) on APCs. To investigate the role of 4-1BB costimulation for the development of primary immune responses, 4-1BBL-deficient (4-1BBL-/-) mice were infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). 4-1BBL-/- mice were able to generate CTL and eliminate acute LCMV infection with normal kinetics, but CD8 T cell expansion was 2- to 3-fold lower than in wild-type (+/+) mice. In the same mice, virus-specific CD4 Th and B cell responses were minimally affected, indicating that 4-1BB costimulation preferentially affects CD8 T cell responses. This result contrasts with our earlier work with CD40L-deficient (CD40L-/-) mice, in which the CD8 T cell response was unaffected and the CD4 T cell response was markedly impaired. When both 4-1BBL- and B7-dependent signals were absent, CD8 T cell expansion was further reduced, resulting in lower CTL activity and impairing their ability to clear LCMV. Altogether, these results indicate that T cells have distinct costimulatory requirements: optimal CD8 responses require 4-1BBL-dependent interactions, whereas CD4 responses are minimally affected by 4-1BB costimulation, but require CD40-CD40L and B7-dependent interactions.
Disturbances of cardiac rhythm and conduction induced by exercise. Diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Abstract Alterations of cardiac rhythm and conduction occur frequently during exercise stress testing and may provide significant information regarding cardiovascular status. Exertion may induce arrhythmias as a result of sympathetically enhanced phase 4 depolarization of ectopic foci or the induction of myocardial ischemia secondary to increased myocardial oxygen demand. Exercise may abolish arrhythmias present in the resting state, an effect attributed to overdrive suppression and inhibition related to sinus tachycardia. Although a wide spectrum of electro-physiologic changes may be elicited by stress testing, ventricular dysrhythmias are of primary importance. Premature ventricular contractions that are frequent, multifocal, repetitive or associated with light work loads have been particularly indicative of coronary artery disease. Exertional ventricular irritability has been observed more frequently in patients with coronary atherosclerosis involving two or more coronary vessels and accompanied by abnormalities of left ventricular wall motion. Exercise testing may have advantages over portable monitoring in the detection of ventricular arrhythmias. The mere presence of ventricular ectopic beats at rest does not preclude carefully performed graduated stress testing nor does their disappearance during effort exclude the presence of coronary artery disease.
Some remarks on multiplicity free spaces

We study multiplicity free representations of connected reductive groups. First we give a simple criterion to decide the multiplicity freeness of a representation. Then we determine all invariant differential operators in terms of a finite reflection group, the little Weyl group, and give a characterization of the spectrum of the Capelli operators. At the end, we reproduce the classification of multiplicity free representations (without proof) annotated with the same basic data.
Socially Responsible Indexes: Composition and Performance

One purpose of this study is to explore the characteristics that define socially responsible companies by comparing the content of the S&P 500 Index of conventional companies to the contents of four indexes of socially responsible companies, the Domini 400 Social Index (DS 400 Index), the Calvert Social Index, the Citizens Index, and the U.S. portion of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. A second purpose of the study is to compare the returns of the four SRI indexes to those of the conventional S&P 500 Index, and to examine the tracking errors of the SRI indexes relative to the S&P 500 Index. We find that SRI indexes vary in composition and social responsibility scores but the mean social scores of each is higher than that of the S&P 500 Index. Socially responsible indexes differ in the emphasis they place on social characteristics. For example the DS 400 Index is the strongest among all indexes on the environment while the Calvert Index is strongest on corporate governance. We find that the returns of the DS 400 Index were higher than those of the S&P 500 Index during the overall May 1990 - April 2004 but not in every sub-period. In general, SRI indexes did better than the S&P 500 Index during the boom of the late 1990s but lagged it during the bust of the early 2000s. The correlations between the returns of SRI indexes and those of the S&P 500 Index are high, ranging from 0.939 of the DJ Sustainability Index during January 1995 - April 2004 to the 0.985 of the DS 400 Index during September 1999 - April 2004. But tracking errors are substantial. For example, the expected difference between 12-month returns of the DS 400 Index and the S&P 500 Index, based on correlation and standard deviations during May 1990 - April 2004, was 2.84% and the realized mean difference was 2.49%.
Congenital Etiologies of Lacrimal System Obstructions

Congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction occurs in 5 % of newborn infants. In this chapter we outline the theoretical mechanisms behind the embryogenesis and etiologies of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction, as well as discuss important diagnostic factors when evaluating children with this condition. We divide possible etiologies as conditions that affect the upper nasolacrimal system and those that affect the lower nasolacrimal system and highlight entities unique to each system. Other conditions that may cause tearing in a newborn are also discussed. This chapter allows for a better understanding of the different embryologic abnormalities and anatomic sites of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction.
Immunocytochemical evidence for co-expression of Type III IP3 receptor with signaling components of bitter taste transduction.

Taste receptor cells are responsible for transducing chemical stimuli into electrical signals that lead to the sense of taste. An important second messenger in taste transduction is IP3, which is involved in both bitter and sweet transduction pathways. Several components of the bitter transduction pathway have been identified, including the T2R/TRB taste receptors, phospholipase C β2, and the G protein subunits α-gustducin, β3, and γ13. However, the identity of the IP3 receptor subtype in this pathway is not known. In the present study we used immunocytochemistry on rodent taste tissue to identify the IP3 receptors expressed in taste cells and to examine taste bud expression patterns for IP3R3. Antibodies against Type I, II, and III IP3 receptors were tested on sections of rat and mouse circumvallate papillae. Robust cytoplasmic labeling for the Type III IP3 receptor (IP3R3) was found in a large subset of taste cells in both species. In contrast, little or no immunoreactivity was seen with antibodies against the Type I or Type II IP3 receptors. To investigate the potential role of IP3R3 in bitter taste transduction, we used double-label immunocytochemistry to determine whether IP3R3 is expressed in the same subset of cells expressing other bitter signaling components. IP3R3 immunoreactive taste cells were also immunoreactive for PLCβ2 and γ13. Alpha-gustducin immunoreactivity was present in a subset of IP3R3, PLCβ2, and γ13 positive cells. IP3R3 is the dominant form of the IP3 receptor expressed in taste cells and our data suggest it plays an important role in bitter taste transduction.
Surface Charge Analysis of Ultrathin HfO2 , SiO2 , and Si3 N 4

Surface charge analysis (SCA) was used to characterize the interface properties of very thin chemical vapor deposited (CVD) HfO 2 , thermal SiO 2 , and thermal Si 3 N 4 films on Si. The thickness dependence of flatband charge Q FB indicates that negative charge exists at the HfO 2 /Si interface, while a positive charge exists in the bulk of the HfO 2 film. The interface state density, D IT , for as-deposited HfO 2 was found to be almost identical to a clean, bare Si surface, and degraded upon exposure to clean room ambient. Degradation during the process of wafer loading into a low pressure CVD furnace was more severe, a factor of four increase in D IT was seen. Annealing in forming gas was found to be effective for reducing D IT . For SiO 2 and Si 3 N 4 films, high-temperature annealing in N 2 was found to be effective for reducing both Q FB and D IT . Hole traps and positive Q FB were observed in SiO 2 , whereas electron traps and negative Q FB were seen in Si 3 N 4 .
Divorce Risk, Wages and Working Wives: A Quantitative Life-Cycle Analysis of Female Labour Force Participation

This article develops a quantitative life-cycle model to study the increase in married women’s labour force participation (LFP). We calibrate the model to match key life-cycle statistics for the 1935 cohort and use it to assess the changed environment faced by the 1955 cohort. We find that a higher divorce probability and changes in wage structure are each able to explain a large proportion of the LFP increase. Higher divorce risk increases LFP not because the latter contributes to higher marital assets or greater labour market experience, however. Instead, it is the result of conflicting spousal preferences towards the adjustment of marital consumption in the face of increased divorce risk. The dramatic increase in the second half of the twentieth century in married women’s labour force participation (LFP) has given rise to a large and growing literature that explores the roles of the multiple forces that led to this evolution. Some explanations have emphasised technological change in the household (Greenwood et al., 2005) or in medical/contraceptive technology (Goldin and Katz, 2002; Albanesi and Olivetti, 2009a, b; Knowles, 2007). Other explanations have emphasised changes in the wage
Modulation of neostriatal acetylcholine in the rat by dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine afferents.

Abstract Endogenous and deuterium labelled acetylcholine (ACh) and choline (Ch) in the neostriatum were chemically assayed after radio-frequency lesions in the substantia nigra-ventral tegmental area and in the B7 or B8 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) regions of the brainstem. Lesions in the substantia nigra-ventral tegmental region or in the B7 area, which provide dopamine (DA) and 5-HT afferents to the caudate-putamen nucleus, respectively, caused a decrease in 2 H 9 -ACh synthesis, while endogenous levels of ACh and Ch were unchanged. A unilateral lesion of the B8 5-HT region, which projects in part to the substantia nigra, produced an increase in endogenous ACh levels, as well as a decrease in 2 H 9 -ACh synthesis on the side ipsilateral to the lesion. On the basis of these data, we conclude that DA and 5-HT projections to the caudate-putamen nucleus have a net excitatory effect on cholinergic interneurons in that area. Furthermore, we suggest that the putative B8 5-HT projection is excitatory upon nigral neurons that, in turn, project to the neostriatum.