cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Controlled Release of Small Molecules from Elastomers for Reducing Epidermal Downgrowth in Percutaneous Devices.

The elevated infection rise associated with indwelling devices can compromise the performance of percutaneous devices and increase the risk of complications. High infection rates are associated with both the high bacterial load on the skin and epidermal downgrowth at the interface of the indwelling material. Here, we propose a drug-eluting material that promotes local dermal regeneration to reduce epidermal downgrowth. Mesoporous elastomeric matrices composed of naturally occurring monomers were prepared by a combination of photo- and thermal-crosslinking. Elastomeric devices loaded with conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), a class of small molecules that promote local anti-inflammatory responses, can deliver these compounds for 7 d (DCLA-elastomer = 3.94 × 10–9 cm2/s, 95% CI [3.12 × 10–9, 4.61 × 10–9]). In a mouse model, CLA-eluting elastomeric matrices increase the M2 population (5.0 × 103 ± 1.4 × 103 cells/cm2), compared to blank devices (3.8 × 103 ± 2.2 × 103 cells/cm2), and also reduce skin contraction (...
Apolipoproteins A-I, B, and C-III and Obesity in Young Adult Cherokee.

Since young adult Cherokee are at increased risk for both diabetes and cardiovascular disease, we assessed association of apolipoproteins (A-I, B, and C-III in non-HDL and HDL) with obesity and related risk factors. Obese participants (BMI ≥ 30) aged 20–40 years ( ) were studied. Metabolically healthy obese (MHO) individuals were defined as not having any of four components of the ATP-III metabolic syndrome after exclusion of waist circumference, and obese participants not being MHO were defined as metabolically abnormal obese (MAO). Associations were evaluated by correlation and regression modeling. Obesity measures, blood pressure, insulin resistance, lipids, and apolipoproteins were significantly different between groups except for total cholesterol, LDL-C, and HDL-apoC-III. Apolipoproteins were not correlated with obesity measures with the exception of apoA-I with waist and the waist : height ratio. In a logistic regression model apoA-I and the apoB : apoA-I ratio were significantly selected for identifying those being MHO, and the result ( -statistic = 0.902) indicated that apoA-I and the apoB : apoA-I ratio can be used to identify a subgroup of obese individuals with a significantly less atherogenic lipid and apolipoprotein profile, particularly in obese Cherokee men in whom MHO is more likely.
Gold nanozyme-based paper chip for colorimetric detection of mercury ions.

In this study, we developed a facile gold nanozyme-based paper chip (AuNZ-PAD) for Hg2+ detection. This device has the advantages of being simple, rapid, cost effective, sensitive, selective, high throughput, and applicable to onsite detection. The colorimetric mercury assay on the AuNZ-PAD is established based on the enzyme-like catalytic activity of gold nanoparticles promoted by the formation of Au–Hg amalgam, which is correlated to the intensity of the colorimetric response resulting from the catalytic reaction of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and H2O2. Highly sensitive and selective detection of Hg2+ ions is achieved in both distilled and tap water samples, indicating the feasibility and applicability of our device for the determination of mercury pollution in real samples. Moreover, AuNZ-PAD analysis using a smartphone camera eliminates the need for expensive analytical equipment, thereby increasing the practicality of field monitoring of trace Hg2+ compared with other sensing methods.
Community Benefits Agreements: Flexibility and Inclusion in U.S. Zoning

Community benefits agreements (CBAs) have been recently introduced as adjuncts into the traditional U.S. zoning process. These agreements are executed by developers of major real estate projects and community groups representing the neighborhood where the development is to be built. Government often collaborates in CBAs to varying degrees, including participating in the CBA negotiations, or executing the document. CBA provisions usually bind developers in two ways: (1) CBAs impose requirements similar to those of typical land use regulation, focusing on reducing physical negative externalities of the project; (2) CBAs institute community development obligations, including providing jobs and support for community building. Community groups value CBAs because they give greater and more direct control over their neighborhoods and address community enhancement issues not covered by zoning. Many developers believe that neighborhood support through a CBA will help gain any needed governmental approvals. Public policy is served because CBAs bring inclusiveness and transparency to the land regulation process, even though there may be a loss in public planning on a municipal-wide basis.
The impact of social exclusion on anticipatory attentional processing.

Abstract The importance of understanding how we anticipate and prepare for social rejection is underscored by the mental and physical toll of continual social vigilance. In this study, we investigate the impact of social rejection on anticipatory attentional processes using the well-known Cyberball task, a paradigm in which participants engage in a game of catch with virtual avatars who after an initial period of fair-play (inclusion condition) then exclude the participant from the game (exclusion condition). The degree of anticipatory attention allocated by subjects towards the avatars was assessed by measuring P3b responses towards the avatars' preparatory actions (i.e. the phase preceding their exclusionary actions) using high density EEG. The results of the study show that relative to the inclusion, participants exhibit elevated levels of anticipatory attentional allocation towards the avatars during the exclusion block. This shift was however significantly moderated by participants' self-reported cognitive regulation tendencies. Participants with higher levels of self-reported cognitive reappraisal tendencies showed larger anticipatory P3b increases from the inclusion to exclusion block relative to participants with reduced levels of reappraisal tendencies. These results highlight the impact of social exclusion on anticipatory neural processing and the moderating role of cognitive reappraisal on these effects.
The Environment Strongly Affects Estimates of Heterosis in Hybrid Sweet Sorghum

Sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] has potential as a biofuel feedstock, but hybrid cultivars are needed to support an industry based on this crop. The purpose of this study was to compare five inbred sweet sorghum lines and 15 hybrids derived from them and to determine the extent of environmental effects on estimates of hybrid vigor (heterosis) and heritability for various agronomic traits. The test was repeated across 2 years (2013 and 2015) and three planting dates each year (April, May, and June) at Tifton, GA, USA. Environmental conditions were highly variable, and thus, estimates of heterosis for various traits, as well as correlations between hybrids and midparents (average of the inbred parents), were also variable. In the 2015 season, a new insect pest, sugarcane aphid (Melanaphis sacchari Zehntner), appeared to cause reduced juice Brix in the April planting. Hybrids generally flowered earlier than their inbred male-parent lines, and flowering time was highly correlated between midparents and hybrids. Hybrids frequently had greater lodging percentage than inbreds, but lodging was also correlated between midparents and hybrids in four environments. Heterosis for juice Brix and sugar yield was uncommon, while heterosis for panicle (grain) yield was frequently observed. Based on this study, it will be difficult to predict hybrid performance for juice Brix, sugar yield, and panicle yield based on inbred performance. Testing in multiple environments will be essential for the development of sweet sorghum hybrids, and there is a critical need for sweet sorghum cultivars with resistance to sugarcane aphids.
Analysis of multiple revenue streams for privately-owned energy storage systems

Energy storage systems (ESS) increase the flexibility of electric power systems and provide services and benefits to industry stakeholders. Optimization models are required to analyze these services in terms of their economic benefits to industry actors. Most of the existing research on ESS services has been for utility-owned ESS. On the other hand, privately-owned ESS benefits, an important emerging market, is not well-understood. This paper analyzes four of the most important ESS services and develops optimization models that maximize the owner's revenue for a single service and for multiple combined services. Simulation results with the California ISO market data show that the highest single-service revenue stream is the frequency regulation in this market. Also, multiple services are stacked to maximize the owner's revenue. When all the services are provided, ESS owner collects the highest revenue that is almost 80% of the sum of individual service revenues.
Emerging artificial intelligence methods in structural engineering

Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) is proving to be an efficient alternative approach to classical modeling techniques. AI refers to the branch of computer science that develops machines and software with human-like intelligence. Compared to traditional methods, AI offers advantages to deal with problems associated with uncertainties and is an effective aid to solve such complex problems. In addition, AI-based solutions are good alternatives to determine engineering design parameters when testing is not possible, thus resulting in significant savings in terms of human time and effort spent in experiments. AI is also able to make the process of decision making faster, decrease error rates, and increase computational efficiency. Among the different AI techniques, machine learning (ML), pattern recognition (PR), and deep learning (DL) have recently acquired considerable attention and are establishing themselves as a new class of intelligent methods for use in structural engineering. The objective of this review paper is to summarize techniques concerning applications of the noted AI methods in structural engineering developed over the last decade. First, a general introduction to AI is presented and the importance of AI in structural engineering is described. Thereafter, a review of recent applications of ML, PR, and DL in the field is provided, and the capability of such methods to address the restrictions of conventional models are discussed. Further, the advantages of employing such algorithmic methods are discussed in detail. Finally, potential research avenues and emerging trends for employing ML, PR, and DL are presented, and their limitations are discussed.
Univalent semantics of constructive type theories

In this talk I will outline a new semantics for dependent polymorphic type theories with Martin-Lof identity types. It is based on a class of models which interpret types as simplicial sets or topological spaces defined up to homotopy equivalence. The intuition based on the univalent semantics leads to new answers to some long standing questions of type theory providing in particular well-behaved type theoretic definitions of sets and set quotients. So far the main application of these ideas has been to the development of “native” type-theoretic foundations of mathematics which are implemented in a growing library of mathematics for proof assistant Coq. On the other hand the computational issues raised by the univalent semantics may lead in the future to a new class of programming languages.
Land Use/Land Cover Monitoring and Geospatial Technologies: An Overview

Accurate and detailed land use and land cover information forms an important resource for hydrologic analysis; remote sensing forms a critical resource for acquiring and analyzing broad-scale land use information. Although aerial photography is an important resource for land use information, it was the availability of multispectral satellite data beginning in 1972 that significantly advanced the ability of remote sensing researchers to systematically monitor and evaluate land use/land cover changes and their impacts on water quality and quantity. In that context, practitioners developed classification schemes specifically tailored for use with remotely sensed imagery and for systematic assessment of land use change. Since then, land observation technologies have evolved to allow extensive and intricate land use monitoring techniques, and now, in the twenty-first century, include the use of lasers for 3-D analyses and unmanned aerial systems. Such technologies have enabled land use assessment to contribute not only to its original focus in urban and regional planning but to a broad range of environmental and social issues. This chapter provides an overview of remote sensing, its technological evolution, and remote sensing applications in land use and land cover mapping and monitoring, with a focus upon implications for watershed assessment and management.
On Trusting C 3 I, Particularly in SDI: When the PIE Meets the Sky

Abstract New technology has driven industrial and military systems to become highly automated, and is now driving human operators of these systems into dependence upon artificial intelligence for command, control, communication and information (C 3 I). While these complex man-machine systems embody extensive computerized data-bases and models at many levels, and while artificial intelligence has proved itself in many applications of manageable size and complexity, empirical data and theoretical models to characterize and predict large scale military C 3 I performance are lacking and possibly unknowable, especially if human decision-makers are expected to participate under stress of time. This raises serious questions of our dependence upon such systems as instruments of national security.
Authorial Atonement in Ian McEwan's Atonement and Sweet Tooth

Ian’s McEwan’s 2001 novel Atonement ends with a question: “how can a novelist achieve atonement when, with her absolute power of deciding outcomes, she is also God?” (350). And it concludes, in res...
John Levi Martin. Thinking through Methods: A Social Science Primer . Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2017. 269p. Paper, $30.00 (ISBN 978-0-22-643172-7). LC 2016025207.

Thinking through Methods: A Social Science Primer , John Levi Martin’s new book on social science research, focuses on qualitative research methods as tools for thinking, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of social science research output. Martin, the Florence Borchert Bartling Professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago, undergirds his discussion of qualitative social sciences research methods with wide-ranging examples from the literature of the discipline, as he champions rigor in the work of social science research with humor and some snark.
Adaptation of Cochlear Amplification to Low Endocochlear Potential

Endocochlear potential (EP) is essential for cochlear amplification by providing the voltage source needed to drive outer hair cell (OHC) transducer current, which leads to OHC electromechanical force. An early study using furosemide to reversibly reduce EP showed that distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) recovered before EP. This indicated that cochlear amplification may be able to adjust to a new, lower EP. To investigate the mechanism of this adjustment, the extracellular OHC voltage, which we term local cochlear microphonic (LCM), was measured simultaneously with DPOAE and EP while using intraperitoneal (IP) and intravenous injection of furosemide to reversibly reduce EP. With IP injection, the DPOAEs recovered fully, whereas the EP was reduced, but LCM showed a similar time course as EP. The DPOAEs failed to accurately report the variation of cochlear amplification. With intravenous injection, for which both reduction and recovery of EP are known to occur relatively quickly compared to IP, the cochlear amplification observed in LCM could attain nearly full or even full recovery with reduced EP. This showed the cochlea has an ability to adjust to diminished operating condition. Furthermore, the cochlear amplifier and EP recovered with different time courses: cochlear amplification just started to recover after the EP was nearly fully recovered and stabilized. Using a Boltzmann model and the second harmonic of the LCM to estimate the mechanoelectric transducer channel operating point, we found that the recovery of cochlear amplification occurred with recentering of the operating point.
Is Post-discharge Rehabilitation Timing Associated with 90-Day Readmission in Primary Total Joint Arthroplasty?

BackgroundPhysical therapy (PT) is an accepted standard of care after total joint arthroplasty (TJA) and essential to maximizing joint functionality and minimizing complications that lead to readmi...
The Influence of Heat on Daily Police, Medical, and Fire Dispatches in Boston, Massachusetts: Relative Risk and Time-Series Analyses

Objectives. To examine the impact of extreme heat on emergency services in Boston, MA.Methods. We conducted relative risk and time series analyses of 911 dispatches of the Boston Police Department ...
Waitlist Mortality in US Children Listed for Heart Transplant - Where are We Now?

Purpose Studies suggest that pediatric heart transplant (HT) waitlist mortality has declined. The impact of factors such as heart allocation system refinements, patient selection, greater ABO incompatible (ABOI) HT, and rise in VAD use are unknown. We examined the 20-year trend in waitlist mortality to identify factors associated with declining mortality and whether allocational inefficiencies persist. Methods All children Results Overall, 10,730 patients met inclusion criteria (3,397 in Era 1; 5,359 in Era 2; 1,974 in Era 3). Waitlist mortality declined significantly across eras (22%, 17%, 14%, P Conclusion Pediatric HT waitlist mortality has declined significantly over the past 20 years. There is evidence to suggest that greater VAD use, revisions to organ allocation, refinements in patient selection, and ABO-I transplant may all contribute. Organ allocation inefficiencies persist under the current allocation system, suggesting opportunities for allocation improvement may still exist.
Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome

Interstitial cystitis or bladder pain syndrome is a chronic condition of suprapubic pain associated with bladder distention and accompanied by lower urinary tract symptoms such as urgency, frequency, and nocturia. Commonly affecting those in the fourth and fifth decades with a strong preponderance for female gender, IC has a complex and poorly understood pathophysiology which involves urothelial dysfunction, inflammatory disturbances, neuroendocrine changes, and central sensitization. The mainstays of treatment include patient education, diet and activity modification, and physical therapy as well as both oral and intravesicular therapies. Common oral pharmacologic agents include amitriptyline, hydroxyzine, cimetidine, pentosan polysulfate, and cyclosporine, while common intravesicular therapies include heparin, lidocaine, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, pentosan polysulfate, dimethyl sulfoxide, triamcinolone, and botulinum toxin A. For patients not responsive to more-conservative therapies, a host of interventions and surgeries can be done including cystoscopy and fulguration of ulcerative lesions, neuromodulation, and cystectomy. Current research involves discovery of biomarkers to aid in diagnosis of IC as well as development of both oral and intravesicular therapies aimed at providing greater relief to those suffering from BPS.
Methods for Nitrogen Fixation Measurement

This chapter introduces the acetylene reduction assay (ARA) and 15N2 technique, two commonly used methods for the measurement of N2-fixation rates of aquatic samples in the field and laboratory. As a simple, low-cost, and relatively sensitive technique, the AR assay determines the acetylene (C2H2) reduction or ethylene (C2H4) production rate in samples using gas chromatography and yields the N2-fixation rate by converting the C2H4 production rate. A detailed protocol of the ARA is described in this chapter, including the principles, acetylene preparation, sample collection and incubation, and quantification and conversion of the C2H4 production rate.
Multi-Scale Analyses and Modeling of Metallic Nano-Layers

The current work centers on multi-scale approaches to simulate and predict metallic nano-layers’ thermomechanical responses in crystal plasticity large deformation finite element platforms. The study is divided into two major scales: nano- and homogenized levels where Cu/Nb nano-layers are designated as case studies. At the nano-scale, a size-dependent constitutive model based on entropic kinetics is developed. A deep-learning adaptive boosting technique named single layer calibration is established to acquire associated constitutive parameters through a single process applicable to a broad range of setups entirely different from those of the calibration. The model is validated through experimental data with solid agreement followed by the behavioral predictions of multiple cases regarding size, loading pattern, layer type, and geometrical combination effects for which the performances are discussed. At the homogenized scale, founded on statistical analyses of microcanonical ensembles, a homogenized crystal plasticity-based constitutive model is developed with the aim of expediting while retaining the accuracy of computational processes. Accordingly, effective constitutive functionals are realized where the associated constants are obtained via metaheuristic genetic algorithms. The model is favorably verified with nano-scale data while accelerating the computational processes by several orders of magnitude. Ultimately, a temperature-dependent homogenized constitutive model is developed where the effective constitutive functionals along with the associated constants are determined. The model is validated by experimental data with which multiple demonstrations of temperature effects are assessed and analyzed.
Understanding the Effect Size of Peer-Mediated Academic Instruction: A Meta-Analysis:

A deficit in social skills often makes teaching academics a second thought when instructing students with autism. Peer-mediated instruction has been well studied for increasing academic skills acro...
Degradability, thermal stability, and high thermal properties in spiro polycycloacetals partially derived from lignin

A series of partially bio-based spiro polycycloacetals was synthesized using lignin-based feedstocks, vanillin and its derivative syringaldehyde, along with pentaerythritol and commercially available co-monomers including 4,4′-difluorobenzophenone (DFP) and bis(4-fluorophenyl) sulfone (DFS). These spiro polycycloacetals displayed high thermal stabilities (degradation temperatures in the range of 343–370 °C, as quantified by 5% mass loss) and high glass transition temperatures (in the range of 179–243 °C). While DFS-containing polymers were amorphous, DFP-containing polymers were semi-crystalline with high melting temperatures (in the range of 244–262 °C). The hydrolytic degradation behavior of one spiro polycycloacetal, derived from vanillin and DFP, was investigated. Importantly, the spiro polycycloacetal was rapidly degraded to small molecules and oligomeric byproducts under acid-catalyzed conditions. This class of spiro polycycloacetals is therefore an important contributor to the development of more easily degradable polymers which also retain sufficiently high thermal properties and thermal stability.
A skeleton model for the MJO with refined vertical structure

The Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) is the dominant mode of variability in the tropical atmosphere on intraseasonal timescales and planetary spatial scales. The skeleton model is a minimal dynamical model that recovers robustly the most fundamental MJO features of (I) a slow eastward speed of roughly $$5\, {\mathrm{ms}}^{-1}$$ , (II) a peculiar dispersion relation with $$d\omega /dk \approx 0$$ , and (III) a horizontal quadrupole vortex structure. This model depicts the MJO as a neutrally-stable atmospheric wave that involves a simple multiscale interaction between planetary dry dynamics, planetary lower-tropospheric moisture and the planetary envelope of synoptic-scale activity. Here we propose and analyse an extended version of the skeleton model with additional variables accounting for the refined vertical structure of the MJO in nature. The present model reproduces qualitatively the front-to-rear vertical structure of the MJO found in nature, with MJO events marked by a planetary envelope of convective activity transitioning from the congestus to the deep to the stratiform type, in addition to a front-to-rear structure of moisture, winds and temperature. Despite its increased complexity the present model retains several interesting features of the original skeleton model such as a conserved energy and similar linear solutions. We further analyze a model version with a simple stochastic parametrization for the unresolved details of synoptic-scale activity. The stochastic model solutions show intermittent initiation, propagation and shut down of MJO wave trains, as in previous studies, in addition to MJO events with a front-to-rear vertical structure of varying intensity and characteristics from one event to another.
Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Recent Trials

Coronary heart disease and other vascular disorders are the most common causes of death in the United States and in most industrialized countries (1, 4). This is a modern phenomenon; coronary disease as a recognized cause of death was quite rare until the mid-twentieth Century (2). Our epidemic is abating. The United States experienced a 25 % decrease in coronary death in the decade ending in 1978 (1, 3). The decrease in stroke related death began earlier (1950s) and is more dramatic; it may be as high as 40 % (3, 4, 5). This decrease is shared by Australia, Canada, and a few Western European countries. The epidemic is still at full force in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union (6). The explanation for the waxing and more particularly the cause or causes of the retreat of cardiovascular disease is regularly debated with no clear resolution. It is unclear whether the decrease is due to more effective treatment of patient stricken with vascular disease (secondary prevention) or due to primary prevention through modification of risk factors.
Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian finite element simulation and experimental investigation of wavy interfacial morphology during high velocity impact welding

Abstract Finite element simulations of high strain rate forming processes are of significant interest to industry, but are challenging due to the coupled physics and dynamic nature of the processes. For instance, in high velocity impact welding, extremely high plastic strain regions develop. Thus, a traditional pure Lagrangian analysis is not able to accurately model the process due to excessive element distortion near the contact zone. In this study, the Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian method (ALE) was used to simulate an impact welding process for two Al6061-T6 plates. The ALE method was able to numerically predict the temperature at the interface as well as the necessary process parameters to achieve a wavy morphology at the interface of the materials which is assumed to be a characteristic of a quality impact weld. This allowed the prediction of a weldability window, including separate regions for melting and purely solid state welds. To validate the proposed numerical model and wavy morphology regions, experimental tests with a Vaporizing Foil Actuator Welding (VFAW) process were conducted including Photon Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) measurements of the impact velocity. The numerical results were in good agreement with the experimental tests including the temperature prediction and interfacial melting observed through microstructural analyses.
Effect of Social Structure on Genetic Structure of White-Tailed Deer in the Central Adirondack Mountains

Behavioral and genetic characteristics of social groups of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus vir-ginianus) were studied on the Huntington Wildlife Forest, Newcomb, New York. Previous studies have focused on either social behavior or genetic characteristics and have hypothesized that where a social structure is developed, there should also be genetic subdivisions. To date, few empirical data exist to support this hypothesis. This study focuses on two hypotheses: (1) social groups of white-tailed deer represent genetically distinct subunits within the population, and (2) adjacent social groups on summer range and groups that use the same winter range are more genetically similar. Eight social groups are defined based on movement patterns for 45 radio-collared does. Genetic analyses, based on starch-gel electrophoresis, indicate that social groups are genetically distinct subunits, and clusters of social groups using the same winter range may represent an interbreeding unit. We found no association between genetic distance and geographic distance on summer ranges. However, we found a significant association between genetic distance and winter yard membership. Because social groups have a high degree of overlap on summer range, we suspect that individual males breed females in several groups, homogenizing genetic structure. This homogenization would account for the lack of genetic and geographic association between otherwise distinct groups of females on summer range.
Epidermal growth factor activation of vinculin and beta 1-integrin gene transcription in quiescent Swiss 3T3 cells. Regulation through a protein kinase C-independent pathway.

Abstract Growth activation of quiescent Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts leads to a rapid induction of vinculin and beta 1-integrin gene expression. Addition of serum, epidermal growth factor (EGF), or platelet-derived growth factor to serum-starved, density-arrested cells resulted in a rapid increase in vinculin and beta 1-integrin mRNA levels and a corresponding increase in vinculin synthesis. The increase in vinculin and beta 1-integrin mRNA expression by serum or EGF was not blocked by the inhibition of protein synthesis by cycloheximide. The kinetics of induction of vinculin and beta 1-integrin mRNAs by EGF are different: vinculin mRNA levels reached a peak of expression 4-5-fold greater than that measured in quiescent cells by 2 h after addition of growth factor, whereas beta 1-integrin mRNA levels increased more slowly and to a lesser extent, reaching peaks of 2-3-fold induction at 5 h poststimulation. Down-regulation of protein kinase C by prolonged pretreatment of cells with phorbol 1,2-myristate 1,3-acetate had no effect on the ability of EGF or platelet-derived growth factor to activate vinculin or beta 1-integrin mRNA expression. Furthermore, direct activation of protein kinase C with 1,2-myristate 1,3-acetate did not induce the expression of vinculin or beta 1-integrin mRNA, but did activate c-fos expression. In vitro nuclear "run-on" transcription assays demonstrate a greater than 7-fold increase in vinculin and beta 1-integrin transcription at 40-60 min after addition of EGF when compared with levels in quiescent cells. This activation was rapid and transient, but appeared to occur later than the increase in c-fos and actin transcription. These results demonstrate that vinculin and beta 1-integrin, important components of the cell adhesion apparatus, are members of a group of immediate early growth-responsive genes, along with c-fos, c-myc, actin, and fibronectin. In addition, regulation of these cell adhesion genes occurs exclusively through a protein kinase C-independent pathway in serum-deprived, density-arrested Swiss 3T3 cells.
Context-dependent synaptic action of glycinergic and GABAergic inputs in the dorsal cochlear nucleus

Cartwheel cells are prominent interneurons in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) that bear considerable homology to cerebellar Purkinje cells. They contact other cartwheel cells as well as fusiform cells, the principal cells of the DCN. In fusiform cells, the inhibition from cartwheel cells interacts with excitation mediated by granule cells and auditory nerve fibers, and shapes the output of the DCN in its ascent to the inferior colliculi. With intracellular recordings from anatomically identified cells in slices, synaptic inputs to fusiform and cartwheel cells were analyzed pharmacologically. Shocks to the auditory nerve and granule cell domains evoked glutamatergic, glycinergic, and GABA(A)ergic postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) in both cartwheel and fusiform cells. The temporal patterns of spontaneous and evoked glycinergic PSPs in fusiform and cartwheel cells were similar and mirrored the pattern of firing of cartwheel cells, probably reflecting the anatomical connections between these cell types and supporting the conclusion that cartwheel cells are glycinergic. In fusiform cells, glycinergic and GABA(A)ergic IPSPs evoked with shocks reversed at -68 mV on average. In marked contrast, glycinergic and GABA(A)ergic PSPs in cartwheel cells, as well as responses to exogenous application of 50-100 mM glycine or 100 microns muscimol, were depolarizing. Reversal potentials of PSPs and responses to glycine and muscimol were similar and averaged -52 mV. Glycinergic and GABA(A)ergic PSPs could elicit firing from cartwheel cells at their resting potentials, but could also reduce rapid firing during strong depolarizations. Thus, the action of glycinergic and GABA(A)ergic inputs on cartwheel cells depends on the electrophysiological context in which they occur.
Understanding Simultaneity and Causality in Static Diagrams versus Animation

This study assesses how the mode of presentation affects the way in which people structure their mental models of a mechanical system, namely a flushing cistern. Subjects were assigned to one of three learning conditions: diagram only, 3-phases diagram, or animation. After learning the material, subjects generated written descriptions of the workings of the cistern. An analysis of temporal conjunctions used and the number of causal events mentioned indicates that for understanding simultaneity and causality, animation does not provide any benefit over seeing the same information in static diagrams.
The IRS 16 Complex: The Importance of Stellar Winds at the Galactic Center

The cluster of mass-losing hot stars (IRS 16) near the Galactic center appears to be surrounded by the Northern Arm of Sgr A West to the east, by the gravitational potential of a 106 M⊙black hole candidate (Sgr A*), and another member of the hot cluster (IRS 16NW) to the west, and by the supergiant star (IRS 7) to the north. It is argued that the common thread that unifies these sources in terms of their activities is their physical interaction with the Galactic center outflow. Preliminary VLA observations reveal radio continuum emission from IRS 16 NW and provide additional credibility to the mass-losing nature of the IRS 16 cluster. The inferred mass-loss rate from radio continuum data gives a value 1.7 × 10-6 M⊙yr-1 which is typical of mass-loss rates found for Wolf-Rayet stars. In addition, the apparent size of Sgr A* at long wavelengths are discussed in the context of an anisotropic turbulent medium at the Galactic center acting as a screen to broaden the shape of Sgr A*.
Piecewise Linear Model for Snubberless Dual Active Bridge Commutation

A dual active bridge (DAB) converter promises high power density. The highest power transfer can be achieved by phase shift modulation inside the zero-voltage switching boundaries. This paper analyzes the transients of DAB commutation. Although commutation has been previously analyzed for DAB with the linear turn-off snubbers, in today's industries, the output capacitors of the switches are utilized as the snubberless approach. The presence of these time-variant capacitors leads to nonlinear equations. This paper applies a piecewise linear model for analyzing the commutation of the ac-link current into the switches. The study is inspired by practical experiments, and the results are experimentally verified.
Cutting Edge: Antigen-Independent CD8 T Cell Proliferation

Recent analyses of CD8 T cell responses to Listeria monocytogenes infection demonstrate that the duration of in vivo T cell proliferation is not determined by the amount or duration of Ag presentation. However, the extent to which T lymphocytes are capable of proliferating in the absence of Ag is unknown. Herein we demonstrate that CD8 T lymphocytes undergo up to eight rounds of proliferation in the absence of Ag following transient, 2.5-h in vitro antigenic stimulation. Ag-independent expansion of CD8 T cells is driven by IL-2 and is further augmented by IL-7 or IL-15. These experiments clearly demonstrate that CD8 T cells undergo prolonged proliferation following transient Ag exposure and support the notion that in vivo CD8 T cell expansion following infection can be uncoupled from Ag presentation.
Magnetic Neutron Scattering

The neutron is a spin- particle that carries a magnetic dipole moment of −1.913 nuclear magnetons. Magnetic neutron scattering then originates from the interaction of the neutron's spin with the unpaired electrons in the sample, either through the dipole moment associated with an electron's spin or via the orbital motion of the electron. The strength of this magnetic dipole-dipole interaction is comparable to the neutron-nuclear interaction, and thus there are magnetic cross-sections that are analogous to the nuclear ones, which reveal the structure and dynamics of materials over wide ranges of length scale and energy. Magnetic neutron scattering plays a central role in determining and understanding the microscopic properties of a vast variety of magnetic systems—from the fundamental nature, symmetry, and dynamics of magnetically ordered materials—to the elucidation of the magnetic characteristics essential in technological applications. One traditional role of magnetic neutron scattering has been the measurement of magnetic Bragg intensities in the magnetically ordered regime. Such measurements can be used to determine the spatial arrangement and directions of the atomic magnetic moments, the atomic magnetization density of the individual atoms in the material, and the value of the ordered moments as a function of thermodynamic parameters such as temperature, pressure, and applied magnetic field. These types of measurements can be carried out on single crystals, powders, thin films, and artificially grown multilayers, and often the information collected can be obtained by no other experimental technique. For magnetic phenomena that occur over length scales that are large compared to atomic distances, the technique of magnetic small angle neutron scattering (SANS) can be applied, in analogy to structural SANS. This is an ideal technique to explore domain structures, long wavelength oscillatory magnetic states, vortex structures in superconductors, and other spatial variations of the magnetization density on length scales from 1 to 1000 nm. This particular technique has enjoyed dramatic growth during the last decade due to the rapid advancement of atomic deposition capabilities. Neutrons can also scatter inelastically, to reveal the magnetic fluctuation spectrum of a material over wide ranges of energy and over the entire Brillouin zone. Neutron scattering plays a truly unique role in that it is the only technique that can directly determine the complete magnetic excitation spectrum, whether it is in the form of the dispersion relations for spin wave excitations, wave vector and energy dependence of critical fluctuations, crystal field excitations, magnetic excitons, or moment fluctuations. In this overview we will discuss some of these possibilities are discussed. Keywords: magnetic neutron scattering; competitive techniques; related techniques; principles; magnetic diffraction; subtraction technique; polarized beam technique; inelastic scattering; practical aspects; method automation; sample preparation; data analysis; initial interpretation; problems
Colored plastic and metal leg bands do not affect survival of Piping Plover chicks

Leg bands are commonly used to mark shorebird chicks as young as 1-d old, but little is known about the possible impacts of bands on survival of prefledging shorebirds. We used a mark-recapture framework to assess the impact of bands and banding-related disturbance on prefledging survival in a federally endangered population of Piping Plovers {Charadrius melodus) breeding in the Great Lakes region from 2000 to 2008. We banded approximately 96% of all surviving chicks hatched prior to fledging, typically between 5 and 15 d of age. We used a multistate approach in program MARK whereby individuals contributed data as unbanded chicks before capture (N = 1073) and as banded chicks afterward (N = 780). The cumulative probability of surviving through 24 d of age was 0.63 and did not differ between banded and unbanded chicks. In addition, we found a positive effect of banding-related disturbance on survival up to 3 d following banding (s = 0.60 CI: 0.17-1.02), possibly due to increased postbanding vigilance on the part of chicks and adults. Our results indicate that banding has no detrimental effect on survival of Piping Plover chicks prior to fledging and that current capture and banding methods are appropriate for this endangered species. RESUMEN. Anillos plasticos de colores y metalicos no afectan la supervivencia de polluelos de Charadrius melodus
Do Public Hospitals Affect Private Health Insurance Choice

Public hospitals have been important providers of health care for Medicaid enrollees and the uninsured. In this paper, public hospitals are modeled as a public subsidy to health care providers for providing care to the uninsured. However, a possible cost of this type of provision is that by offering an alternative to the private insurance market, the proximity of free or subsidized care may decrease the incentive to purchase private health insurance. Individual- level data for respondents under age 65 was obtained from the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey (NMES). The sample was divided into three groups: those with household incomes below the poverty level (n=2,836), between 100-400% (n=13,113), and greater than 400% of the poverty level (n= 7,793). Multinomial logit regressions are estimated for the low and middle income groups where the dependent variable (insurance) can take one of three values: private insurance, Medicaid, or no insurance, while a binomial probit (private insurance or no insurance) is estimated for the high income group. For people below the poverty level and those with high incomes, public hospital proximity is not related to insurance coverage. Those in the middle income group, however, are shown to be less likely to be privately insured if a public hospital is in their county. For the low-income group, the presence of a public hospital was associated with a lower likelihood of Medicaid coverage. The accessibility of public hospitals to care for the poor may give individuals an incentive to forego private insurance and rely instead upon public provision of medical care.
Personalized medicine going precise: from genomics to microbiomics

Practicing medicine has always been an art dependent upon the judgment of a physician. This art relies on listening, caring, and empathizing for the patient, and on judgment applied to every patient under their own unique circumstances in the backdrop of optimum medical care. Thus, medical treatment and disease management has always been personalized. However, practicing modern medicine is increasingly more complex in the era of genomics and microbiomics, as physicians and their patients have much more information to consider about the disease, and more treatment options are becoming available.
Body fat deposition in adult obese women. I Patterns of fat distribution

Fat patterning was studied in a sample of 76 obese women before and after weight reduction by principal components analysis. Circumferences were selected as variables rather than skinfolds because circumferences correlated more highly with body composition determined either by total body water or total body potassium. A separate sample of 136 males and females, measured once, was employed to validate the results. The validation sample yielded similar findings. Two significant components were found, the first contrasting upper and lower fatness and the second trunk and extremity fatness. Waist circumference was the best predictor of upper-body fat patterning. For the lower body, thigh circumference loaded more highly than did the iliac crest circumference. Arm circumference did not contribute significantly to upper-lower fat patterning.
A comparison of CO oxidation on ceria-supported Pt, Pd, and Rh

Steady-state, CO-oxidation kinetics have been studied at differential conversions on model, ceria-supported, Pt, Pd, and Rh catalysts, from 467 to 573 K, and the results compared to the alumina-supported metals. On each of the ceria-supported metals, there is a second mechanism for CO oxidation under reducing conditions which involves oxygen from ceria reacting with CO on the metals. The rates of this second process are independent of which metal is used. The process has a significantly lower activation energy (14±1 kJ/mol compared to 26±2 kJ/mol on alumina-supported catalysts) and different reaction orders for both CO (zeroth-order compared to −1) and 02 (0.40 to 0.46 compared to first-order). This second process leads to significant rate enhancements over alumina-supported catalysts at low temperatures, especially for Pt. The implications of these results for automotive catalysis are discussed.
Dropping Out of Middle School: A Multilevel Analysis of Students and Schools

Prior research on dropouts has often focused on high schools and examined the issue from either the individual perspective or the institutional perspective. Using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Survey of 1988 and a new form of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), this study focuses on dropouts from middle school and examines the issue from both individual and institutional perspectives. At the individual level, the results identified a number of family and school experience factors that influence the decision to leave school, with grade retention being the single most powerful predictor. But disaggregating the analysis also revealed that there are widespread differences in the effects of these factors on White, Black, and Hispanic students. At the institutional level, the results revealed that mean dropout rates vary widely between schools and that most of the variation can be explained by differences in the background characteristics of students. But restricting the analysis to lower SES ...
Visual narrative and trauma recovery

Visual representations are powerful vehicles for the transmission of collective memory and the processing of traumatic events (Zelizer, 1998). But how do images create narrative, particularly in context of a traumatic past? This paper analyzes two visual narratives created by national truth commissions in Guatemala and Peru. Drawing from various theories of visual narrative and visual grammar, mainly Eisner (1985), McCloud (1993), Kress and Van Leeuwen (2006), and Cohn (2013), this paper analyzes how each project used visuals — photography and illustrations — to create the building blocks of narrative: characters, setting, and plot. It compares and contrasts the two projects in terms of how they depict the main actors in the conflicts, as well as the main events and the overall visual narrative structure. Finally, this paper discusses the potential benefits and drawbacks of each medium as a post-traumatic tool.