cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Feasibility of meeting increased biofuel mandates with E85.

The Environmental Protection Agency implements the Renewable Fuel Standard through annual blending mandates for different categories of biofuels. In its proposed rule released for the 2014, 2015 and 2016 calendar years, EPA reduced mandates because the volume of ethanol that consumers can easily use is lower than the original mandates specified in the Renewable Fuels Standard. This study estimates the demand for E85 using a new dataset that allows direct inference about the demand from the data. We report on how owners of flex vehicles in two metropolitan areas responded to changes in the price of E85. Using our new estimates of consumer demand, we find that owners of current flex vehicles in all US metro areas would consume 285 million gallons of E85 if it was priced at parity on a cost-per-mile basis with E10, and one billion gallons of E85 if it was priced to save drivers 20% on a cost-per-mile basis.
Metamestizaje and the narration of political movements from the south

This article analyzes the use of the “Indian” in three Chicana texts involved in romantic couplings that point to what I term as a “mestizaje” naturalized in the Southwest that necessitates a "metamestizaje" reading. A naturalized mestizaje allows the writers to interpellate Indian characters or racialized others from the south into the larger Latino family. I argue that by doing so, the novelists unwittingly erase Indigenous autonomy, language, and cultural histories, privileging a US brand of mestizo identity popularized in political discourse and cultural productions. Indeed, I conclude that, ultimately, these novels are about Chicano and Latino disenfranchisement and not about solidarity and horizontal relationships with Indigenous communities in the south.
Depletion of adult neurogenesis exacerbates cognitive deficits in Alzheimer’s disease by compromising hippocampal inhibition

The molecular mechanism underlying progressive memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease is poorly understood. Neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus is a dynamic process that continuously changes the dentate gyrus and is important for hippocampal plasticity, learning and memory. However, whether impairments in neurogenesis affect the hippocampal circuitry in a way that leads to memory deficits characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown. Controversial results in that regard were reported in transgenic mouse models of amyloidosis. Here, we conditionally ablated adult neurogenesis in APPswe/PS1ΔE9 mice by crossing these with mice expressing nestin-driven thymidine kinase (δ-HSV-TK). These animals show impairment in performance in contextual conditioning and pattern separation tasks following depletion of neurogenesis. Importantly, these deficits were not observed in age-matched APPswe/PS1ΔE9 or δ-HSV-TK mice alone. Furthermore, we show that cognitive deficits were accompanied by the upregulation of hyperphosphorylated tau in the hippocampus and in immature neurons specifically. Interestingly, we observed upregulation of the immediate early gene Zif268 (Egr-1) in the dentate gyrus, CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus following learning in the neurogenesis-depleted δ-HSV-TK mice. This may suggest overactivation of hippocampal neurons in these areas following depletion of neurogenesis. These results imply that neurogenesis plays an important role in the regulation of inhibitory circuitry of the hippocampus. This study suggests that deficits in adult neurogenesis may contribute to cognitive impairments, tau hyperphosphorylation in new neurons and compromised hippocampal circuitry in Alzheimer’s disease.
Ray Virta discusses being Broadway’s go-to understudy, accent work, and pre-show volleyball

I met Ray Virta on a late Sunday afternoon at a coffee shop in Midtown West, Manhattan, NY. His towering stature and salt and pepper hair immediately intimidated me, but upon recognizing me, he let...
“Wrestling With the Politics and Ideology”: Teacher Educators’ Responses to Dyslexia Discourse and Legislation:

Since 1985, when Texas passed the first dyslexia law, there has been a profusion of dyslexia legislation across the country, with a rapid increase in recent years. Including Texas, which has multip...
Overview of Hardware and Software Architectures

Memories are typically associated with data storage in computer system. They either store data temporarily (for example by volatile memories such as SRAM, DRAM etc.) or permanently (for example by non-volatile memories such as Flash, magnetic disks etc.). In this chapter we first draw the outline how the embedded memory may be used for computing as well in a time-multiplexed hardware reconfigurable system. In particular, this chapter makes the following key contributions: We propose a hardware architecture to utilize a dense 2-D memory array for the purpose of reconfigurable computing. The main idea is to map multiple multi-input multi-output LUTs to the embedded memory array at each compute block and evaluate them over multiple clock cycles. The proposed framework is therefore a spatio-temporal framework unlike the conventional hardware reconfigurable frameworks which are fully spatial. In the proposed hardware architecture, multiple computing elements communicate with each other over a time-multiplexed programmable interconnect. Along with the hardware architecture we outline an effective software framework which maps an input application to the proposed hardware reconfigurable framework. The software flow outlined partitions the input application and maps it to multiple compute blocks, and finally places and routes the mapped design. We describe the application domains of the proposed memory based computing model. We identify that the model can be applied to realize a stand-alone reconfigurable framework for mapping random logic as well as it can be used for hardware acceleration of algorithmic tasks.
Belief and Desire

It is a short step from perception to perceptual belief, which is just acceptance of a sensible thing as a type. However, a general theory of belief is a long step from an abstract model of the perceptual, and I have no very constructive theory to present. A study of the relationship of perceptual belief to other intentional attitudes, in particular to immediate desires, is alone enough to keep us quite busy except for assorted programmatic remarks that I will offer in the last section of this chapter.
Breathing Room: Calculating an Architecture of Air

How do the findings of science—the precise mathematical measurements and calculations of phenomena that reveal the deep truths of the natural world—get translated into real life, into real practices, and, for the purposes of this paper, into architectural theory and practice? The answer, far from straightforward now in an era of rapid change, was equally difficult at a time when architects were concerned about tradition as much as innovation. By correlating pneumatic research in the 1700s to architectural designs specifically intended to promote a healthier internal air, this paper tries to trace how scientific findings became practical knowledge. The pneumatic research sought to quantify internal volumetric requirements and to outline ideal patterns of air movement in the creation of healthy spaces. Its practical application, however, posed a particular challenge for architects, who typically paid little attention to room occupancy and air flow. How architects dealt with (or ignored) this challenge illuminates the larger historical issue of how innovation is disseminated from initial laboratory-based mathematical findings to later empirically-processed practical changes. This work focuses on prison and hospital design. Those building types were the subject of intense discussion and experimentation, particularly over their air quality. They have, moreover, received considerable historical scrutiny.
A Genre-Based Approach to Teaching Argument Writing

This chapter provides an authentic classroom example of a research-based approach that secondary ESOL/ELA teachers can apply to teach ELLs from diverse cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds to write an academic-style, authoritative argument. Using the teaching and learning cycle (TLC) of genre pedagogy, teachers can make visible and tangible the language tools, or academic language resources, that ELLs can employ to write well in this critical genre. Grounded in theories of language and learning, teachers can use the TLC to design and implement instruction that strengthens ELLs’ academic language and literacy development while supporting learning of grade-level disciplinary content.
Review of Hult, F. M. & D. C. Johnson (2015) Research methods in language policy and planning: A practical guide (Vol. 7)

This article reviews Research methods in language policy and planning: A practical guide (Vol. 7)
Graphene-Triggered Autophagy: The Savior or Slayer

Abstract Because of its unique physicochemical features, graphene and related nanoparticles are gradually becoming popular among various biomedical, diagnostic, drug delivery, and cosmeceutical product research groups. These electron-rich particles exert potent stress on cytocellular homeostasis, of which autophagy is one of the consequences. While the autophagic flow may lead to cell death and cytotoxicity, some studies established cytoprotective benefit of graphene compounds. The inductive extent of autophagy varies widely among the cell lines being exposed. Moreover, the size of the nanoparticles and the dose and treatment periods regulate the onset and magnitude of autophagy. In order to manipulate their safe theranostic application, a well-defined understanding of the underlying biochemical mechanism of graphene-medicated autophagy is warranted.
Charged nanoporous graphene membranes for water desalination

Water desalination using positively and negatively charged single-layer nanoporous graphene membranes are investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Pressure-driven flows are induced by the motion of specular reflection boundaries with a constant speed, resulting in a prescribed volumetric flow rate. Simulations are performed for 14.40 A hydraulic pore diameter membrane with four different electric charges distributed on the pore edges. Salt rejection efficiencies and the resulting pressure drops are compared with the previously obtained base-line case of 9.9 A diameter pristine nanoporous graphene membrane, which exhibits 100% salt rejection with 35.02 MPa pressure drop at the same flow rate. Among the positively charged cases, q = 9e shows 100% and 98% rejection for Na+ and Cl- ions respectively, with 35% lower pressure drop than the reference. For negatively charged pores, optimum rejection efficiencies of 94% and 93% are obtained for Na+ and Cl- ions for the q = -6e case, which requires 60.6% less pressure drop than the reference. The results indicate the high potential of using charged nanoporous graphene membranes in reverse osmosis (RO) desalination systems with enhanced performance.
Intraoperative anatomy of the vascular supply to the medial femoral condyle

The arterial anatomy of the medial femoral condyle (MFC) for vascularized bone grafting has been extensively studied in cadaveric specimens. A majority of cadaveric studies have limited numbers of specimens, and the data from these studies are extrapolated to the surgical environment. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the vascular anatomy of the medial femoral condyle in a large clinical series. A retrospective review of operative reports was conducted of medial femoral condyle and trochlea vascularized bone grafts performed by the senior surgeons between 2005 and 2018. A total of 113 patients were included in the study. Demographic data, preoperative diagnosis, and type of graft harvested were collected. The descending genicular artery, a branch of the superficial femoral artery, was the dominant pedicle in 77% of cases. It was also the dominant arterial pedicle for medial femoral trochlea (MFT) bone grafts in 7 out of the 9 cases (77.8%). The superomedial genicular artery was the dominant pedicle in 23% (26 of 113 total) of all cases. In eight patients, a descending genicular branch was not identified. The superomedial genicular artery was absent in 2% of cases (2 of 113). The descending genicular artery was the dominant arterial pedicle for vascularized bone grafts from the medial femur and was present in 93% of cases. This is in contrast to published cadaveric studies showing the artery was present in 89% of specimens.
Disease characteristics of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma predicting relapse after autologous stem cell transplantation.

e19030Background: High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (HDC/ASCT) is standard of care for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) whose diseases relap...
Conserve or Perish

Mining and agriculture are the fundamental industries that convert natural resources into useable forms. The output of our mining, minerals, metal, mineral reclamation, and energy industries was valued at more than $175 billion in 1973. Over 4 billion tons-40 000 lb per person-of new mineral supplies are needed annually in our economy. Our use of energy is equivalent to 300 persons working around-the-clock for each one of our citizens. As we assess our current minerals posture we must keep in mind that our population is but 6 percent of the world's, and our land area but 6 percent of the world's. The other 94 percent of the people on earth also want significantly improved living standards, and worldwide demand for energy and minerals is rising rapidly. Despite our vast natural resources, we find increasing evidence that development of domestic resources is not keeping pace with domestic demand. Also, in the past 3 years our annual deficit in the mineral balance of trade has increased from only $6 billion in 1972 to $24 billion in 1974. If this trend is not reversed it will approach $100 billion by the year 2000. We must begin now to conserve our natural resources or we may very well perish.
Home Technology Innovations, Inc.: Transitioning to the new leasing standard

Abstract This case entails determining the expected financial statement impacts and related reporting requirements associated with the newly-promulgated leasing standard. The dataset includes financial statements, disclosures, and related supporting data for Home Technology Innovations, Inc. (a fictional, privately-held firm). You will determine financial statement effects of capitalizing existing operating lease obligations, evaluate the likelihood of exercising lease renewal options and calculate the impacts on lease capitalization calculations, research and prepare journal entries necessary to transition to the new leasing standards under both U.S. GAAP and IFRS, research and analyze the accounting for lease complexities, and apply broader business concepts in making recommendations. Instructors can select from combinations of case requirements so that the case can be used in financial accounting courses from the intermediate through the graduate level.
Neoadjuvant therapy and breast specimen processing and reporting

Abstract Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) is becoming a common approach to treat breast cancers. The most important advantage of NAT is the opportunity to evaluate the tumor response to treatment within few months after starting the medication. Pathology is the gold standard to determine the post therapy changes and response. An accurate and reproducible pathology report requires a multidisciplinary approach, a standard and appropriate handling of the gross specimen and recognizing the microscopic changes associated with a post NAT specimen. This review focuses on the standard approach for a post NAT breast specimen, based on the available guidelines and other related articles.
Real-time space occupancy sensing and human motion analysis using deep learning for indoor air quality control

Abstract This study proposed a novel indoor air quality control methodology that uses occupancy sensing and motion recognition techniques in combination with human motion analysis. The automated occupancy sensing systems that are most prevalent today analyze either environmental conditions (i.e., room temperature or data from entities in the room, such as states of electronic devices) to make human occupancy predictions. Since little emphasis is placed on observing humans directly, the estimations of these sensing systems are often inaccurate. Erroneous occupancy estimation leads to poor control of building resources such as HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air-conditioning) and lighting systems. To address this issue, the paper puts forth a lean, vision-based system that estimates the number of occupants and recognizes their activities using the stacked history of unconstrained non-deterministic human movements over transient intervals. The system implements a multi-stream deep neural network to identify human activities and uses the YOLO V3 deep neural network for object detection to estimate occupancy count in a room. The study uses a publicly available action recognition dataset – NADA – to train the neural networks and experiment with a variety of video classification techniques to achieve higher accuracies.
Evaluation of mood disorders in bladder cancer patients and their primary caregivers.

e17013Background: Mood disorders are prevalent in cancer patients in general and in bladder cancer specifically. New psychiatric diagnoses post-bladder cancer treatment are associated with decrease...
Student Perceptions of Their Interactions with Peers at a Cyber Charter High School

K-12 online students are increasingly communicating and collaborating with their peers; however, research on the topic is limited—especially research examining students’ perceptions and experiences. Guided by the Adolescent Community of Engagement framework’s concept of peer engagement, this case study examined learner-learner interactions at a cyber charter high school. Ten students were selected by teachers based on their ability to independently engage in learning activities—five students were more independent and five required more support from others. Each student took part in two, hour-long interviews for a total of 20 interviews. The interviewers covered students’ perceptions an experiences regarding teachers, parents, and peers. This report only focuses on peers. Students found that their interactions with peers allowed them to develop friendships, improve their motivation, receive peer instruction, and collaborate effectively with others. Challenges are also covered. The article concludes with recommendations for research and practice.
Modeling, optimization, and validation of an extended-depth-of-field optical coherence tomography probe based on a mirror tunnel.

The diagnostic capability of high-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) may be enhanced by using extended depth-of-field (EDOF) imaging that retains high transverse resolution over long depths. A recently developed mirror-tunnel optical probe design (single-mode fiber to multimode fiber to lens structure) that generates coaxially focused modes has been previously shown to enable EDOF for endoscopic OCT applications. Here, we present ray-tracing optical modeling of this optical configuration, which has the potential to guide performance improvement through optimization. The Huygens wave propagation of the field was traced through probe components with initial lengths. The irradiance along the x-z plane was analyzed, yielding an average full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 9 µm over a 640 µm DOF (defined as the axial range over which the beam’s transverse FWHM is maintained). A custom merit function was then defined, based on the focal region illumination intensity profile that yielded the maximum possible depth having a constrained FWHM size. An orthogonal gradient descent optimization algorithm was then applied using this merit function, using the multimode fiber, spacer, and lens lengths as variables. Optimization resulted in a modeled mean 6 µm FWHM spot diameter over an EDOF of 1 mm. Following optimization, a probe was fabricated, and was validated using a custom-built near-field scanning pinhole beam profiler. The experimental results (6 µm mean FWHM over 800 µm EDOF) showed reasonable correspondence to the simulated predictions, demonstrating the potential utility of optical modeling and optimization for improving EDOF performance in mirror-tunnel endoscopic OCT probes.
Leader Effects in Competition Among Teams: Evidence from a Field Intervention

This paper investigates the factors that make teams successful in competitive environments. In collaboration with a medium-sized Latin-American bank, we designed a series of contests among the branches of the bank, in which we varied the prize structure of the tournaments (in some tournaments, the prizes were shared among all branch employees, while in other tournaments there was an additional prize for the branch manager). We also surveyed the branch managers and employees prior to our intervention to measure the team characteristics and the leadership style of the managers, and we evaluate the pictures that teams post on the intranet to measure their creativity and desire to have fun. We find that more creative and less jovial teams, as well as teams with a manager that encourages teamwork, perform better in the tournament. However, the effects are reversed when the tournament awards a prize to the branch manager. The results are consistent with leadership prizes encouraging managers to monitor employees more closely, but at the same time, hampering their efforts to build team spirit.
Amygdalar Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Signaling Is Required for Later-Life Behavioral Dysfunction Following Neonatal Pain

Neonatal pain such as that experienced by infants in the neonatal intensive care unit is known to produce later-life dysfunction including heightened pain sensitivity and anxiety, although the mechanisms remain unclear. Both chronic pain and stress in adult organisms are known to influence the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system in the Central Nucleus of the Amygdala, making this system a likely candidate for changes following neonatal trauma. To examine this, neonatal rats were subjected to daily pain, non-painful handling or left undisturbed for the first week of life. Beginning on postnatal day, 24 male and female rats were subjected to a 4-day fear conditioning and sensory testing protocol. Some subjects received intra-amygdalar administration of either Vehicle, the CRF receptor 1 (CRF1) receptor antagonist Antalarmin, or the CRF receptor 2 (CRF2) receptor antagonist Astressin 2B prior to fear conditioning and somatosensory testing, while others had tissue collected following fear conditioning and CRF expression in the CeA and BLA was assessed using fluorescent in situ hybridization. CRF1 antagonism attenuated fear-induced hypersensitivity in neonatal pain and handled rats, while CRF2 antagonism produced a general antinociception. In addition, neonatal pain and handling produced a lateralized sex-dependent decrease in CRF expression, with males showing a diminished number of CRF-expressing cells in the right CeA and females showing a similar reduction in the number of CRF-expressing cells in the left BLA compared to undisturbed controls. These data show that the amygdalar CRF system is a likely target for alleviating dysfunction produced by early life trauma and that this system continues to play a major role in the lasting effects of such trauma into the juvenile stage of development.
Performance study of statistical and deterministic channel models for mmWave wi-fi networks in ns-3

To address the needs of emerging bandwidth-intensive applications in 5G and beyond era, the millimeter-wave (mmWave) band with very large spectrum availability have been recognized as a promising choice for future wireless communications. In particular, IEEE 802.11ad/ay operating on 60 GHz carrier frequency is a highly anticipated wireless local area network (WLAN) technology for supporting ultra-high-rate data transmissions. In this paper, we describe additions to the ns-3 802.11ad simulator that include 3D obstacle specifications, line-of-sight calculations, and a sparse cluster-based channel model, which allow researchers to study complex mmWave Wi-Fi network deployments under more realistic conditions. We also study the performance accuracy and simulation efficiency of the implemented statistical channel model as compared to a deterministic ray-tracing based channel model. Through extensive ns-3 simulations, the results show that the implemented channel model has the potential to achieve good accuracy in performance evaluation while improving simulation efficiency. We also provide a detailed parametric analysis on the statistical channel model, which yields insight on how to properly tune the model parameters to further improve performance accuracy.
CT for estimating adequacy of lymph node dissection in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

BACKGROUND Indices obtained from lymph node dissection specimens, specifically lymph node yield (LNY) and lymph node ratio (LNR), have prognostic significance in the setting of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCCa). However, there are currently no validated tools to estimate adequacy of planned lymph node dissection using preoperative data. The present study sought to evaluate CT-derived estimates of lymphatic tissue volumes as a preoperative tool to guide cervical node dissection. METHODS Fifteen cervical lymph node dissections were performed in 14 subjects with HNSCCa. Preoperative CT-derived estimates of lymphatic tissue volumes were compared with gross pathology tissue volume estimates and pathologically-determined LNY. RESULTS Resected tissue volume (calculated using the triaxial ellipsoid method) correlates with CT-derived preoperative lymphatic volume estimates (r = 0.74, p = 0.003) while LNY does not(r = - 0.12, p = 0.67). When excluding pathologically enlarged lymph nodes ("refined" data), a negative correlation was observed between refined CT-derived volume estimates and refined LNY (r = - 0.65, p = 0.009). CONCLUSION In the setting of cervical lymph node dissection, CT-derived lymphatic volume estimates correlate with resected tissue volume, but refined CT-derived volume estimates correlate negatively with refined LNY. TRIAL REGISTRATION Retrospectively registered. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4.
Bit rate reduction by Markov-Huffman coding of speech parameters

A post-quantization processing method is presented which reduces the bit rate of LPC-coded speech without any effect on the speech quality. A Markov model is applied to the quantization levels of the LPC parameters and the resulting transition probabilities are used co generate Huffman coding tables. The appropriate coding table is selected depending on the quantization level of the parameter in the previous frame. It is demonstrated that Markov-Huffman coding can lead to average savings of more than 20% in bit rate. A suboptimal scheme is also investigated, which can facilitate the implementation of the method on currently available signal processing chips.
Lake Michigan Passenger Steamers . By George W. Hilton. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2002. Pp. xii, 364, $75.00.

The author, a retired UCLA economist, has written a number of highly specialized transportation studies. In his Lake Michigan Passenger Steamers much as in his Great Lakes Car Ferries and American Narrow Gauge Railroads, George W. Hinton acknowledges that â€œthe principle purpose is to provide antiquarian scholarshipâ€ (p. xi). Here we learn about the wooden and steel, sailing and steam ships that operated on Lake Michigan from the early nineteenth century until well into the twentieth century. Although some attention is devoted to the interlake trade, the passenger lines that draw most of the author's attention are those that served Lake Michigan points exclusively.
Economics students need not be greedy: Fairness and the ultimatum game

Abstract Following Adam Smith, conventional economics gives self-interest the primary role of all economic behavior. However, past experiments with the ultimatum game often produce outcomes inconsistent with this orthodox conception of ‘economic man.’ In our replication of the ultimatum experiment, students at a small, liberal arts college do not allocate monetary rewards in a self-interested manner, but rather their choices conform with the social norm of ‘fairness’ (i.e., a 50/50 split). Contrary to past research, we find that economic majors are less motivated by self-interest than other students.
Theoretical considerations of the adjustment disorders.

Abstract The major challenge for the development of a theoretical framework for adjustment disorders is the heterogeneity inherent in the problem. There is an infinite variety of traumata to which a person can respond and an infinite number of ways to adjust to those traumata. To answer this challenge, a developmentally sequential model with several distinct components is proposed. In addition, a special systems theory is described that explores the stability of particular disorders.
Plantar flexion and flexion synergy in brain death

An 18-year-old man with anaplastic oligoastrocytoma was pronounced brain dead based on absent confounding factors, absent brainstem reflexes, apnea with CO2 challenge, and isoelectric EEG. Plantar flexion, triple flexion response, and …
Viscoelastic shear properties of porcine temporomandibular joint disc

Structured Abstract Objectives To investigate the intrinsic viscoelastic shear properties in porcine TMJ discs. Materials and methods Twelve fresh porcine TMJ discs from young adult pigs (6–8 months) were used. Cylindrical samples (5 mm diameter) with uniform thickness (~1.2 mm) were prepared from five regions of the TMJ disc. Torsional shear tests were performed under 10% compressive strain. Dynamic shear was applied in two methods: 1) a frequency sweep test over the frequency range of 0.1–10 rad/s with a constant shear strain amplitude of 0.05 rad and 2) a strain sweep test over the range of 0.005–0.15 rad at a constant frequency of 10 rad/s. Transient stress relaxation tests were also performed to determine the equilibrium shear properties. Results As the frequency increased in the frequency sweep test, the dynamic shear complex modulus increased, with values ranging from 7 to 17 kPa. The phase angle, ranging from 11 to 15 degrees, displayed no pattern of regional variation as the frequency increased. The dynamic shear modulus decreased as the shear strain increased. The equilibrium shear modulus had values ranging from 2.6 to 4 kPa. The posterior region had significantly higher values for dynamic shear modulus than those in the anterior region, while no significant regional difference was found for equilibrium shear modulus. Conclusion Our results suggest that the intrinsic region-dependent viscoelastic shear characteristics of TMJ disc may play a crucial role in determining the local strain of the TMJ disc under mechanical loading.
The variably spaced superlattice energy filter quantum well avalanche photodiode: A solid-state photomultiplier

A new highly-efficient, single-carrier-type avalanche photodiode is presented based on impact ionization across the band edge discontinuity. A resonant tunneling superlattice structure, the variably spaced superlattice energy filter (VSSEF), is used to selectively tune the incident electron distribution to the quantum well impact excitation energy. The gain is greatly enhanced within the structure for two reasons: most of the incident electrons contribute to the ionization process in each stage of the device, and the lowest lying subbands, which are by far the most highly occupied, can be ionized. It is predicted that multiple ionization, similar to secondary emission in photomultiplier tubes, can occur thereby greatly enhancing the gain of the device. The device behaves in principle more like a photomultiplier than other existing solid-state photodetectors since more than one secondary carrier can be produced per initiating carrier per stage of the device. Representative devices are presented for the Ga 0.47 In 0.53 As/ (Al 0.48 In 0.52 AsBa 0.17 Sr 0.83 F 2 ) and GaAs/(AlGaAs-ZnSe) material systems based on a calculation using first an uncoupled quantum well system and second, a complete resonant tunneling coupled quantum well calculation based on an Airy function approach.
Assessing the Progression of Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury in Mice

Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome receiving mechanical ventilation typically experience repetitive closure (derecruitment) and subsequent reopening (recruitment) of airways and alveoli. This can lead, over time, to further ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Recruitment and derecruitment (R/D) thus reflect both the current level of lung injury and the risk for sustaining further injury. Accordingly, we investigated how the dynamics of R/D are altered as VILI develops following application of high tidal volume ventilation in initially healthy mice. R/D occurring on subsecond timescales was assessed from the shape of the pressure-volume ( PV) loop measured during a single large breath. R/D occurring on a timescale of minutes was evaluated via a derecruitability test in which we tracked the progressive increases in lung elastance occurring during periods of mechanical ventilation immediately following a recruitment maneuver. The degrees of R/D occurring on these different times scales were strongly correlated. To interpret these findings in quantitative terms, we developed a computational model of the lung in which changes in lung volume occurred both via R/D and distention of already open lung units. Fitting this model to measured PV loops indicates that VILI causes R/D both to increase and to occur at progressively higher pressures, and that the lung tissue that remains open during the breath becomes progressively more overdistended. We conclude that the dynamic PV loop in conjunction with our computational model can be used to assess the current injury state of the lung as well as its likelihood of sustaining further VILI.
Immunoblot specificity of monoclonal antibodies assayed against complex extracts

Monoclonal antibodies of known specificity, and target cells of known antigen expression, were used to evaluate the specificity of the immunoblot assay against complex extracts. The antibody panel included 10 previously characterized monoclonals to antigens of known structure: HLA-A,B,C; Ia; and actin. In addition, a commercial reagent was shown to react with HLA chains in immunoblots, and not to cross-react with actin. Target cells known to have strong, weak, or negative expression of the antigens were examined. In all cases, the results were in complete accord with the established properties of the antibodies, antigens, and target cells. For example, HLA bands were detected in lymphoid cells with strong HLA-A,B,C expression, and also in a neuronal cell line with 0.5% of the lymphoid activity. Cytoskeletal cross-reactions, or other unexpected specific bands, were not observed. This work lays a foundation for interpreting immunoblot analyses of monoclonal antibodies to newly defined proteins of complex tissue.
Policy Analysis for What? The Effectiveness of Nonpartisan Policy Research Organizations

For the past several decades, scholars have studied the role of policy research in decision making. Depending how “use” is measured, the results have indicated only modest or indirect impacts. This study takes another direction to studying knowledge utilization, comparing the influence of nonpartisan policy research organizations in 19 states on their principal clients: state legislators. Nonpartisan research agencies represent a particularly rigorous test since the literature on knowledge utilization questions whether nonpartisan policy analysis organizations (NPROs) can remain neutral and contribute meaningfully to policymaking. Further, this analysis is comparative across states, studies institutions rather than specific reports or policy domains, and examines multiple types of “use.” Using the results of surveys of both agencies and legislators, the results indicate a strong association between the size and type of policy research organizations and legislators’ assessments of use, even controlling for political and ideological factors. This suggests that policy analysis organizations—even those in a highly politicized environment—have a significant impact on policymaking, mainly by providing information and analysis to decision makers but also in influencing public policy outcomes.
Interdependence of Cell Growth and Gene Expression: Origins and Consequences

In bacteria, the rate of cell proliferation and the level of gene expression are intimately intertwined. Elucidating these relations is important both for understanding the physiological functions of endogenous genetic circuits and for designing robust synthetic systems. We describe a phenomenological study that reveals intrinsic constraints governing the allocation of resources toward protein synthesis and other aspects of cell growth. A theory incorporating these constraints can accurately predict how cell proliferation and gene expression affect one another, quantitatively accounting for the effect of translation-inhibiting antibiotics on gene expression and the effect of gratuitous protein expression on cell growth. The use of such empirical relations, analogous to phenomenological laws, may facilitate our understanding and manipulation of complex biological systems before underlying regulatory circuits are elucidated.
Development of metallic nanostructures for biosensing

Surface-Enhanced-Raman-Scattering (SERS) is potentially a very sensitive spectroscopic technique for the detection of biological agents (i.e., proteins, viruses or bacteria). However, since initial reports, its utility has not been realized. Its limited acceptance as a routine analysis technique for biological agents is largely due to the lack of reproducible SERS-active substrates. Most established SERS substrate fabrication schemes are based on self-assembly of the metallic (typically, Au, Ag, Pt, Pd or Cu) particles responsible for enhancement. Further, these protocols do not lend themselves to the stringent control over the enhancing feature shape, size, and placement on a nanometer scale. SERS can be made a more robust and attractive spectroscopic technique for biological agents by developing quantifiable, highly sensitive, and highly selective SERS-active substrates. Electron Beam Lithography (EBL), a semiconductor fabrication technique, can be utilized to address many of the obstacles which have limited the broad acceptance of SERS. Specifically, EBL can be employed to precisely control the shape, size and position (on a nanometer scale) of the SERS substrate enhancing features. Since Ashkin's seminal work in the early 1970s, the optical trapping phenomenon has been broadly accepted as a powerful tool to study micrometer-scale biological particles. Recently, research in our laboratory has demonstrated that it is possible to combine the Optical Trapping phenomenon and SERS to develop a high sensitivity spectroscopic technique for the detection of individual bacterial spores. Highly reproducible SERS-active substrates fabricated using EBL have been utilized with this novel spectroscopic technique to investigate the utility of SERS technique for the spectral discrimination of bacterial spores. The SERS substrate fabrication methodology, substrate reproducibility and SERS spectral reproducibility will be discussed.
The Adjustment of Fathers to their First Baby: The Roles of Parenting Groups and Marital Relationship

ABSTRACT: Forty-seven first-time fathers from Lamaze classes were studied by means of self-reports of their feelings of well-being, sense of competence as parents, views of their babies’temperaments, marital relationships and social support systems. These self-reports were recorded at 2–3 months, 5–6 months and 9–10 months after childbirth. Twenty of the fathers were attending parenting groups during this period, while 27 fathers expressed interest but did not attend. Fathers participated more in baby care and felt more comfortable as parents as their babies become older, but they reported a slight decrease in marital satisfaction. Although fathers who attended parenting groups showed the same pattern of adjustment as did fathers who did not participate in the groups, they reported significantly lower feelings of relaxation and health for themselves, and more fussy moods in their babies at each of the three points during the first year. The quality of the marital relationship and attendance at parenting groups were associated with positive over-all adjustment to the baby at 9–10 months.
Discovery of non-peptidergic MrgX1 and MrgX2 receptor agonists and exploration of an initial SAR using solid-phase synthesis

A class of small molecules displaying comparable activities with peptide ligands BAM22 and corticostatin-14 at both the human and rhesus monkey MrgX1 and MrgX2 receptors, respectively, was discovered. A comparative study to compare solid-phase and solution-phase chemistries for the efficient synthesis of the active class, tetracyclic benzimidazoles, was undertaken. The solid-phase chemistry was found to be superior both for the synthesis of analogs and for the synthesis of gram quantities.
Modeling regional sulfate during the BRAVO study Part 1. Base emissions simulation and performance evaluation

Abstract The Regional Modeling System for Aerosols and Deposition (REMSAD) was employed to predict sulfate formation and transport in the Big Bend Regional Aerosol and Visibility Observational Study (BRAVO). Fine particulate sulfate was the main component of haze measured at Big Bend National Park (BBNP) during the BRAVO field measurement campaign, which was conducted July–October 1999. Predicted sulfate was evaluated against measurements collected from BRAVO and CASTNet (Clean Air Speciation and Trends Network) monitors. During the four month study period, average observed and predicted sulfate concentrations at the 37 BRAVO sites were 3.1 and 3.3 μg m−3, respectively, and 4.5 and 5.0 μg m−3 at the 62 CASTNet sites, respectively. Spatial and temporal biases were clearly apparent. Underestimations of sulfate during July and August were evident throughout the BRAVO monitoring network (fractional biases of −0.60 and −0.44, respectively), corresponding to a period of increased atmospheric transport from Mexico to Texas. Biases in estimated sulfate in the vicinity of BBNP may be attributed to an overestimation of predicted precipitation rates during July and August. Positive biases within the BRAVO network were apparent in October (fractional bias=0.39), when atmospheric transport from the eastern US was more prevalent. Overall performance statistics for sulfate predictions relative to the BRAVO and CASTNet sites were: correlation coefficient=0.61 and 0.90, respectively; fractional error=0.56 and 0.35, respectively; fractional bias=−0.10 and 0.04, respectively. This simulation provided the basis for a series of emission sensitivity simulations that were used to estimate a sulfate source apportionment for BBNP.
SU‐FF‐T‐640: Evaluation of Monte Carlo Treatment Planning for CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery/radiotherapy Treatments of Head and Body Lesions

Purpose: To evaluate Monte Carlo calculated plans for Cyberknife Stereotactic Radiosurgery/Radiotherapy treatments of head and body lesions. Method and Materials: The Multiplan is the Cyberknife treatment planning system which recently implemented a Monte Carlo(MC) in addition to the original pencil‐beam based Raytrace (RT) algorithm for dose calculations. This study compares DVHs and maximum doses (Dmax) to the lesions and selected critical organs obtained by the two algorithms. Planning is done on CT fused with either MRI or PET image sets as appropriate. A treatment plan is created on the Multiplan 2.1 using the RT with equivalent pathlength inhomogemeity corrections. When an acceptable distribution is obtained, the plan is recalculated using MC with 1% relative mean standard deviation. The number of beams, beam directions, and monitor units are kept the same. The dose distributions are then compared with respect to maximum doses to target and critical organs, as well as target coverage. Results: For lung lesions PTV Dmax calculated by the RT are on average larger then the MCdoses by up to a factor of 1.63 while Dmax to critical structures were up to 4 times greater. For cranial and abdominal targets the differences in maximum doses and tumor coverage were generally less than 2% between the two plans. Larger differences of ∼5% are noted for planning for lesions in the nasopharynx in the vicinity of air cavities. Conclusion: In lungMC can produce large differences in target and critical organs'dose coverage relative to RT. RT tends to underdose target structures and the effect is more pronounced as the collimator size decreases. Smaller differences are observed in plans for sites where beams traverse mostly homogeneous water‐equivalent tissue. Therefore the Monte Carlo algorithm should be consistently used for planning for lesions in lung and near air cavities.
Genetic dissection of nutritional copper signaling in chlamydomonas distinguishes regulatory and target genes.

A genetic screen for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutants with copper-dependent growth or nonphotosynthetic phenotypes revealed three loci, COPPER RESPONSE REGULATOR 1 (CRR1), COPPER RESPONSE DEFECT 1 (CRD1), and COPPER RESPONSE DEFECT 2 (CRD2), distinguished as regulatory or target genes on the basis of phenotype. CRR1 was shown previously to be required for transcriptional activation of target genes like CYC6, CPX1, and CRD1, encoding, respectively, cytochrome c6 (which is a heme-containing substitute for copper-containing plastocyanin), coproporphyrinogen III oxidase, and Mg-protoporphyrin IX monomethylester cyclase. We show here that CRR1 is required also for normal accumulation of copper proteins like plastocyanin and ferroxidase in copper-replete medium and for apoplastocyanin degradation in copper-deficient medium, indicating that a single pathway controls nutritional copper homeostasis at multiple levels. CRR1 is linked to the SUPPRESSOR OF PCY1-AC208 13 (SOP13) locus, which corresponds to a gain-of-function mutation resulting in copper-independent expression of CYC6. CRR1 is required also for hypoxic growth, pointing to a physiologically meaningful regulatory connection between copper deficiency and hypoxia. The growth phenotype of crr1 strains results primarily from secondary iron deficiency owing to reduced ferroxidase abundance, suggesting a role for CRR1 in copper distribution to a multicopper ferroxidase involved in iron assimilation. Mutations at the CRD2 locus also result in copper-conditional iron deficiency, which is consistent with a function for CRD2 in a pathway for copper delivery to the ferroxidase. Taken together, the observations argue for a specialized copper-deficiency adaptation for iron uptake in Chlamydomonas.
Clostridium difficile Colitis

Figure 1. A 62-year-old man presented with abdominal pain and a sigmoid-colostomy output of more than 1 liter of stool per day while receiving cefazolin for aspiration pneumonia. The colostomy was temporary and had been placed after surgery for diverticulitis. Abdominal examination revealed a distended and mildly tender abdomen with hypoactive bowel sounds. Inspection of the stoma revealed multiple small (2 to 5 mm) whitish-yellow plaques covering a hyperemic, prolapsing, and edematous colonic mucosa (Panel A). Colonoscopy through the stoma revealed similar changes in segments of the transverse colon (Panel B) and cecum (Panel C). Biopsy demonstrated focal ulcerations of . . .
Government shekels and government shackles revisited: Questions for church and state

What do the new provisions for Charitable Choice mean for faith-based African American charitable organizations?