cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Involvement of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore in chronic ethanol-mediated liver injury in mice.

Chronic ethanol consumption increases sensitivity of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pore induction in liver. Ca2+ promotes MPT pore opening, and genetic ablation of cyclophilin D (CypD) increases the Ca2+ threshold for the MPT. We used wild-type (WT) and CypD-null (CypD−/−) mice fed a control or an ethanol-containing diet to investigate the role of the MPT in ethanol-mediated liver injury. Ca2+-mediated induction of the MPT and mitochondrial respiration were measured in isolated liver mitochondria. Steatosis was present in WT and CypD−/− mice fed ethanol and accompanied by increased terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP-mediated nick-end label-positive nuclei. Autophagy was increased in ethanol-fed WT mice compared with ethanol-fed CypD−/− mice, as reflected by an increase in the ratio of microtubule protein 1 light chain 3B II to microtubule protein 1 light chain 3B I. Higher levels of p62 were measured in CypD−/− than WT mice. Ethanol decreased mitochondrial respiratory control ratios and select complex activities in WT and CypD−/− mice. Ethanol also increased CypD protein in liver of WT mice. Mitochondria from control- and ethanol-fed WT mice were more sensitive to Ca2+-mediated MPT pore induction than mitochondria from their CypD−/− counterparts. Mitochondria from ethanol-fed CypD−/− mice were also more sensitive to Ca2+-induced swelling than mitochondria from control-fed CypD−/− mice but were less sensitive than mitochondria from ethanol-fed WT mice. In summary, CypD deficiency was associated with impaired autophagy and did not prevent ethanol-mediated steatosis. Furthermore, increased MPT sensitivity was observed in mitochondria from ethanol-fed WT and CypD−/− mice. We conclude that chronic ethanol consumption likely lowers the threshold for CypD-regulated and -independent characteristics of the ethanol-mediated MPT pore in liver mitochondria.
A multi-scale framework for effective elastic properties of porous materials

This paper presents a statistical micromechanics-based multi-scale material modeling framework to predict the effective elastic moduli of porous materials. The present formulation differs from most of the existing theoretical models in that the interaction effects among the pores are directly accounted for by considering the pair-wise interaction and the statistical information of pore distribution is included by applying the ensemble volume averaging process. The theory of average fields is employed to derive the stress and strain concentration factor tensors that relate the local average fields to the global averages. Closed-form and analytical explicit expressions for the effective elastic moduli of porous materials are obtained in terms of the mechanical properties of the matrix material and porosity. The dependence of effective elastic properties on the porosity is investigated. Comparison of our theoretical prediction with the results of the published experimental data and other existing theoretical models is performed to illustrate the predictive capability of the proposed framework for porous materials.
Treatment Attendance Among Veterans With Depression, Substance Use Disorder, and Trauma

ABSTRACTObjective: Low attendance in psychotherapy, particularly among individuals with comorbid disorders, is a pervasive challenge. The present study examined predictors of treatment attendance in a sample of veterans with depression, substance use disorder, and trauma. Methods: This is an analysis of data collected as part of a larger clinical trial involving outpatients at a Veterans Administration dual diagnosis clinic. Individuals were excluded if they had significant memory deficits, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or substantial travel constraints. Participants (N = 146) received 12 weeks of group-delivered integrated cognitive behavioral therapy for depression and substance use, followed by randomization to 12 additional weeks of individually delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (n = 62) or cognitive processing therapy (n = 61) modified to address substance use and trauma. Participants, therapists, and researchers were not blinded to group assignment. For this study, we included only the 123 p...
Role of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase 2B in thrombin-induced endothelial cell contractile responses

Thrombin-induced Ca2+ mobilization, activation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent myosin light chain (MLC) kinase (MLCK), and increased phosphorylation of MLCs precede and are critical to endothelial cel...
Design and Demonstration of 820-GHz Array Using Diode-Connected NMOS Transistors in 130-nm CMOS for Active Imaging

An 820-GHz 8 $\,\times\,$ 8 diode-connected NMOS transistor active imaging array with an on-chip pixel selection circuit was demonstrated in a 130-nm CMOS technology. The noise performance of this architecture is comparable to the state-of-the-art MOSFET and Schottky diode detector arrays. The imaging array consists of a row and column selector, an array of diode-connected NMOS transistor passive pixels, an analog multiplexer, and a low-noise amplifier bank. At 823 GHz, it achieves 2.56 kV/W of measured mean responsivity with a standard deviation of 18% and 36.2 $\hbox{pW/Hz}^{1/2}$ of measured mean noise equivalent power (NEP) at 1-MHz modulation frequency with a standard deviation of 67%. The mean responsivity is greater than $\sim \hbox{2 kV/W}$ between 815 to 835 GHz. The minimum NEP of 12.6 $\hbox{pW/Hz}^{1/2}$ is the lowest for CMOS based detectors at $\sim \hbox{1 THz}$ . The 8 $\,\times\,$ 8 imaging array occupies 2.0 $\,\times\,$ 1.7 $\hbox{mm}^{2}$ and consumes 9.6 mW of power. Reducing device sizes to support the increase of operating frequency is expected to increase the variability and mitigation approaches will be required. The measured access time for the pixel is $\sim \hbox{40 nS}$ . The number of elements that can be connected in a row is determined by the modulation frequency and can be more than 1000 elements while supporting a frame rate greater than 1000 per second. Lastly, the expressions of responsivity and NEP including $1/{\rm f}$ noise that can be used for the detector optimization are derived and presented .
Atrioventricular canal ventricular septal defect with cleft mitral valve - Angiographic and echocardiographic features

A rare form of endocardial cushion defect is an atrioventricular (AV) canal-type ventricular septal defect with cleft mitral valve in the absence of a primum atrial septal defect. In two infants with Down's syndrome, preoperative delineation of this entity was accomplished. M-mode echocardiographic features included presence of two distinct AV valves, attachment of the anterior portion of the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve to the interventricular septum, and normal septal motion. Two-dimensional echocardiography demonstrated the intact atrial septum, ventricular septal defect, presence of two distinct AV valves, and the cleft mitral valve. Angled (axial) cineangiography was employed to delineate the AV valve morphological characteristics, position of ventricular septal defect, and absence of a primum atrial septal defect. Since the surgical approach to this lesion is different from other forms of endocardial cushion defects and specific problems related to AV valve morphology may be encountered, the preoperative diagnosis of this entity is important.
Entropy-driven segregation of nanoparticles in polymer melts.

We present a Monte Carlo study of the dispersibility of nanoparticles in polymer melts based on the relative entropic contributions of particles and polymer chains. Our model predictions are in terms of the particle diameter d and the chain statistical segment length l. In the limit of small (d=l) particles, a good dispersion is predicted, as the high entropy contribution of the small particles largely offsets the loss in polymer chain entropy. This is not the case, however, at larger d ≈ 3l and particle segregation at the surfaces of thin polymer films is observed. That model prediction is in good agreement with experimental observation for systems with little or no enthalpic interaction between polymer and particles.
The Genetics of POI

The vast majority of POI cases throughout the world are spontaneous and idiopathic. Despite expansion of genetic testing, lowered cost, and increased awareness, 90 % of idiopathic, spontaneous POI has no known etiology. The genetics of POI is a growing body of literature and new candidate genes are discovered daily. This chapter presents genetic syndromes of POI and non-syndromic genetic etiologies and describes the unique nature of the X chromosome. If there is a genetic explanation for a woman’s POI, discovering that diagnosis is essential in formulating an individualized prognosis, estimating chance of pregnancy, and learning about future health implications.
Civic Reflection: A Pedagogical Teaching Strategy to Enhance Student Civic Engagement

This article presents a pedagogical strategy using civic reflection to engage undergraduate social work students in self-reflection and intergroup dialogue on civic engagement. This module consisted of three components: the Civic Responsibility Behavior Questionnaire, which measured civil, political, and social behavior as well as civic efficacy and motivation; a civic reflection module, which promoted dialogue on associating, serving, giving, and leading via poems and stories; and content analysis, which examined student evaluations of the civic reflection experience. Findings revealed that students had knowledge of civic engagement and increased their level of civic efficacy and motivation. For social work education, assessing students’ level of civic engagement and developing teaching strategies that meet their learning needs are indicated.
Reversibility of glioma stem cells’ phenotypes explains their complex in vitro and in vivo behavior: Discovery of a novel neurosphere-specific enzyme, cGMP-dependent protein kinase 1, using the genomic landscape of human glioma stem cells as a discovery tool

// Thomas J. Wilson 1 , Daniel B. Zamler 1 , Robert Doherty 1 , Maria G. Castro 1,2 and Pedro R. Lowenstein 1,2 1 Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA 2 Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Training Programs in Cancer Biology, Immunology & Neurosciences, The University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Correspondence to: Pedro R. Lowenstein, email: // Keywords : glioblastoma, stem cells, plasticity, PRKG1, genomics Received : June 09, 2016 Accepted : August 13, 2016 Published : August 24, 2016 Abstract Glioma cells grow in two phenotypic forms, as adherent monolayers and as free floating “neurospheres/tumorspheres”, using specific media supplements. Whether each phenotype is irreversible remains unknown. Herein we show that both states are reversible using patient derived glioblastoma cell cultures (i.e., HF2303, IN859, MGG8, IN2045). Both phenotypic states differ in proliferation rate, invasion, migration, chemotaxis and chemosensitivity. We used microarrays to characterize gene expression across the patient derived glioblastoma cell cultures, to find specific inhibitors of the sphere population. Traditional chemotherapeutics (i.e., doxorubicin or paclitaxel) inhibit rapidly dividing adherent cells; it has been more challenging to inhibit the growth of the sphere phenotype. PRKG1, known to induce apoptosis when activated, is increased in all patient derived glioblastoma spheres. Stimulation of PRKG1 activity preferentially reduced cell viability in the sphere phenotype. Computational network and gene ontology analysis identified novel potential target genes linked to the PRKG1 expression node.
Electrospun Li4Ti5O12/C composites for lithium-ion batteries with high rate performance

Abstract Two types of Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /C composites were synthesized through the electrospinning method. The first composite consists of Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 nanoparticles and aggregates coated by carbon and connected by carbon nanofibers. The second composite is constructed solely by Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /C fibers. These two composites are denoted as Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /C particles/fibers and Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /C fibers, respectively. It is found that both composites show higher reversible capacities and better rate performance than commercial Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 nanoparticles. Comparing the two electrospun composites, Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /C fibers exhibit higher reversible capacity, greater rate capacity, and smaller electrode polarization, indicating that Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /C fibers have better kinetics than Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /C particles/fibers due to the elimination of Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 aggregates and the formation of carbon-based fiber structure.
Indentureship, Land, and Indo-Caribbean Feminist Thought in the Literature of Rajkumari Singh and Mahadai Das

Baksh traces cross-generational Indo-Caribbean feminist genealogies, illustrating how Indo-Guyanese feminist thought is rooted in indentureship heritage and in socialist political activism. Focusing on the poetry of two Indo-Guyanese women, Rajkumari Singh (1923–1979) and Mahadai Das (1954–2003), the chapter examines the ways which these women navigated political and literary careers in the 1970s, negotiating gender, ethnicity, class, and socialist nationalism. By analyzing Singh’s and Das’ depictions of indentureship history, women, and landscape, Baksh shows how Indo-Caribbean women poets insert Indo-Guyanese culture into the emerging nation and reclaim Guyanese land and women’s bodies from colonial and postcolonial male power to legitimate their authority as women writers.
Prevalence and Predictive Value of BI-RADS 3, 4, and 5 Lesions Detected on Breast MRI: Correlation with Study Indication.

Rationale and Objectives This study aims to determine the prevalence and predictive value of Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 3, 4, and 5 findings on breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to evaluate the impact of study indication on the predictive value of BI-RADS categories. Materials and Methods This institutional review board approved, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant retrospective review of our breast MRI database from 2009 to 2011, of 5778 contrast-enhanced studies in 3360 patients was performed. At our institution, each breast receives an individual BI-RADS assessment. Breast MRI reports and electronic medical records were reviewed to obtain BI-RADS assessment, patient demographics, and outcomes. Univariate analysis was performed with Fisher exact and chi-square tests. Results A total of 9216 BI-RADS assessments were assigned during the study period: 7879 (85.5%) BI-RADS 1 and 2, 567 (6.2%) BI-RADS 3, 715 (7.8%) BI-RADS 4, and 55 (0.6%) BI-RADS 5 assessments. The frequency of BI-RADS 3, 4, and 5 assessments was higher in studies performed for diagnostic (7.8%, 14.6%, 1.6%, respectively) than screening (5.2%, 4.0%, 0.1%) indications ( P P = 0.76). The positive predictive value (PPV2) of BI-RADS 4 and 5 was higher for diagnostic (29.1%, 154 of 530) than for screening (22.9%, 55 of 240) indications. Conclusions Abnormal interpretation rates and PPV2 for MRIs performed for diagnostic indications are higher than for screening indications. Similar to mammography, breast MRI audits should be separated by study indication.
Theory of Stiffness Control in Robotics Using the Conservative Congruence Transformation

In this paper, we present a new theory of conservative congruence transformation (CCT) to replace the conventional congruence formulation, K θ = J θ T K p J θ , first derived by Salisbury in 1980. The conservative congruence transformation defines the correct and consistent mapping of the stiffness matrices between the joint and Cartesian spaces. We present the theory and simulation, and show that the conventional formulation is only valid when the manipulator is always maintained at unloaded position. Once the grasping and manipulation are deviated from the unloaded configuration by the application of conservative force, the CCT must be used. The CCT takes into consideration the changes in geometry through the differential Jacobian, or the Hessian, matrix of the robot manipulators. We also show that the omission of the changes in the Jacobian during grasping and manipulation would result in discrepancy of the work, and lead to contradiction to the fundamental physical properties of stiffness control. The CCT, however, preserves the conservative and consistent properties of stiffness control in robotics for the mapping between the joint and Cartesian spaces.
No-reference image quality metric based on features evaluation

We develop an efficient general-purpose no-reference (NR) image quality assessment (IQA) model that based on a hypothesis that an effective combination of image features can be used to develop NR-IQA approaches having competitive performance with the state-of-the-art. First, we design a collection of features, then evaluate the usefulness of each feature on different kinds of distortions using different features evaluation techniques. Therefore, we came up with a set of optimal features for each learning model in the framework. Our experimental results show that our approach outperforms state- of-the-art blind image quality prediction models.
Single-Port Laparoscopic Adnexal Surgery

Laparoscopic management of the adnexa in gynecology dates back to the initial descriptions of diagnostic laparoscopy and laparoscopic tubal surgery in the early 1900s. In 1910, a Swedish physician named Jacobeaus was credited with coining the term laparoscopy when he performed the first intraperitoneal “scope” using a cystoscope. Despite the discovery of this novel technique to see inside the abdomen with only a small incision, laparoscopy got off to a slow start in the United States. In the late 1940s, TeLinde and colleagues described the use of a rigid scope placed though the vagina for evaluation of the adnexa. TeLinde termed this culdoscopy and used it in the work-up of fertility patients, as well as to assess for ectopic pregnancy before laparotomy. The visualization of the pelvic abdominal cavities via a transvaginal approach was one of the foundations for natural orifice surgery. Transabdominal laparoscopic visualization of the peritoneal cavity took a little longer to catch on in the United States. It was not until the late 1960s, when descriptions of laparoscopic tubal cauterization using a single-channel operative laparoscope with a mirrored lens began to surface, that operative laparoscopy gained more interest. Since that time, innovations in technology have greatly improved the optics and the safety of laparoscopic equipment, while technical innovations and forward-thinking surgeons have identified new potential applications for operative laparoscopy. The result has been a recent surge in publications on standard laparoscopic, robotic-assisted laparoscopic, and, more recently, single-port laparoscopic management of benign and malignant adnexal conditions. This chapter focuses on single-port laparoscopic management of the adnexa in gynecologic surgery.
Abstract P322: Chamber-Specific Differences in Oxidative Stress in Newborn Versus Adult Rabbit Hearts Following Ischemia-Reperfusion

Each year, tens of thousands of children undergo cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) to correct congenital heart defects. While necessary for surgery, CPB involves stopping the heart and exposing it to ischemic conditions. While much is known about adult injury, little is known about the effects of global ischemia on newborn ventricles. The purpose of this study was to determine age- and chamber-specific differences in oxidative stress following global ischemia-reperfusion injury. We studied newborn (2–4 days) and adult (>8 weeks) rabbit hearts subjected to Langendorff ischemia-reperfusion (30 minutes ischemia, 60 minutes reperfusion). Catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were measured, as well as real-time hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and superoxide (O 2 − ) generation using confocal microscopy in isolated left and right ventricular (LV and RV) myocytes exposed to hypoxia. Our data demonstrate chamber and age-specific changes in oxidative stress. During ischemia, H 2 O 2 increased significantly in the RV while remaining constant in the LV of newborn rat rabbit myocytes. In contrast, there was a smaller, nonsignificant increase in H 2 O 2 in both both RV and LV myocytes of adults. The increase seen in the RV of newborns was several fold higher than that of adults (4.3-fold vs. 2.2 fold; p 2 O 2 scavenger, Ebselen, loaded in nanoparticles, improved recovery of developed pressure (49.53±16.25 to 80.0±11.31) in the RV of the newborn (p
Personalized Behavior Recommendation: A Case Study of Applicability to 13 Courses on edX

Individualized and personalized learning has taken on different forms in the context of digital learning environments. In intelligent tutoring systems, individualization is focused on estimation of the cognitive mastery of the student and the speed at which the student progresses through the material is conditioned on her individual rate of mastery. In prior work, a recommendation framework based on learner behaviors, rather than learner's cognitive abilities, was proposed and developed. This framework trained a behavior model on millions of previous student actions in order to estimate how a future learner might behave. This behavior model can incorporate the amount of time spent on each course page, such that the model can take into account a learner's previous behaviors and provide a specific course page recommendation to where the learner may want to go next where they can be expected to spend a significant amount of time on. We stipulate that this approach touches on factors more aligned with personalization, since the prediction of behavior is an aggregation of the student's cognitive abilities, affective state, and preferences. This model was applied to a hand-picked pair of MOOC offerings where model results were expected to be favorable. In this paper, we investigate the suitability of this behavioral prediction approach by applying it to an expanded set of 13 UC Berkeley MOOCs run on the edX platform. Preliminary results from applying the time-augmented Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) based behavior model approach are presented and compared to baseline models. These findings contribute to the discussion of when and in what context this form of collaborative based personalized recommendation is appropriate in MOOCs.
The malaria parasite Plasmodium relictum in the endemic avifauna of eastern Cuba

Island populations are vulnerable to introduced pathogens, as evidenced by extinction or population decline of several endemic Hawaiian birds caused by the malaria parasite, Plasmodium relictum (order Haemosporida). We analyzed blood samples from 363 birds caught near Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the presence of haemosporidian infections. We characterized parasite lineages by determining nucleotide variation of the parasite's mitochondrial cyt b gene. Fifty-nine individuals were infected, and we identified 7 lineages of haemosporidian parasites. Fifty individuals were infected by 6 Haemoproteus sp. lineages, including a newly characterized lineage of Haem. (Parahaemoproteus) sp. CUH01. Nine individuals carried the P. relictum lineage GRW4, including 5 endemic Cuban Grassquits (Tiaris canorus) and 1 migratory Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina). A sequence of the merozoite surface protein gene from one Cuban Grassquit infected with GRW4 matched that of the Hawaiian haplotype Pr9. Our results indicate that resident and migratory Cuban birds are infected with a malaria lineage that has severely affected populations of several endemic Hawaiian birds. We suggest GRW4 may be associated with the lack of several bird species on Cuba that are ubiquitous elsewhere in the West Indies. From the standpoint of avian conservation in the Caribbean Basin, it will be important to determine the distribution of haemosporidian parasites, especially P. relictum GRW4, in Cuba as well as the pathogenicity of this lineage in species that occur and are absent from Cuba.
The Bronchial Arterial Circulation in Lung Transplantation: Bedside to Bench to Bedside, and Beyond.

AbstractChronic allograft dysfunction (CLAD) remains a major complication, causing the poor survival after lung transplantation (Tx). Although strenuous efforts have been made at preventing CLAD, surgical approaches for lung Tx have not been updated over the last 2 decades. The bronchial artery (BA)
Trends in Utilization of Third-Line Therapies for Non-neurogenic Overactive Bladder: Sacral Neuromodulation, Peripheral Tibial Nerve Stimulation, and Intradetrusor OnabotulinumtoxinA

To report on current and emerging trends in the use of third-line therapies for non-neurogenic overactive bladder (OAB). The use of third-line therapies for OAB has been steadily increasing, but it appears that only a small percentage of OAB patients receive them. Recent research has found an increased risk of dementia associated with cumulative use of anticholinergic medications, including OAB antimuscarinic medications. Cost-effective analyses suggest that these third-line therapies may be worth considering prior to medications. Research and efforts to improve adherence to current OAB guidelines are needed to increase their use by patients with refractory OAB. Whether or not the therapies we presently consider third line should actually be second line for some of our patients remains to be determined.
Radiation exposure to the surgeon during minimally invasive spine procedures is directly estimated by patient dose

Radiation exposure is a necessary component of minimally invasive spine procedures to augment limited visualization of anatomy. The surgeon’s exposure to ionizing radiation is not easily recognizable without a digital dosimeter—something few surgeons have access to. The aim of this study was to identify an easy alternative method that uses the available radiation dose data from the C-arm to accurately predict physician exposure. The senior surgeon wore a digital dosimeter during all minimally invasive spine fusion procedures performed over a 12-month period. Patient demographics, procedure information, and radiation exposure throughout the procedure were recorded. Fifty-five minimally invasive spine fusions utilizing 330 percutaneous screws were included. Average radiation dose was 0.46 Rad/screw to the patient. Average radiation exposure to the surgeon was 1.06 ± 0.71 μSv/screw, with a strong positive correlation (r = 0.77) to patient dose. The coefficient of determination (r2) was 0.5928, meaning almost two-thirds of the variability in radiation exposure to the surgeon is explained by radiation exposure to the patient. Intra-operative radiation exposure to the patient, which is easily identifiable as a continuously updated fluoroscopic monitor, is a reliable predictor of radiation exposure to the surgeon during percutaneous screw placement in minimally invasive spinal fusion surgery and therefore can provide an estimate of exposure without the use of a dosimeter. With this, a surgeon can better understand the magnitude of their exposure on a case-by-case basis rather than on a quarterly basis, or more likely, not at all. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material
EVIDENCE FOR A POTENTIATING EFFECT OF CIRCULATING ANGIOTENSIN IN THE OSMOTICALLY STIMULATED INCREASE IN PLASMA ANTIDIURETIC HORMONE CONCENTRATION

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the role of the renin–angiotensin system of renal renin origin and circulating angiotensin in the control of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) release. Earlier experiments indicate that the renin–angiotensin system and ADH respond differently to various stimuli and do not appear to be interdependent under most circumstances. Increases in plasma ADH concentration resulting from blood volume reduction occur without concurrent increases in plasma renin activity (PRA). It appears that under conditions of normal plasma osmolality, the mechanism of ADH stimulation by intravenous infusions is minimal because infusion of renin into normally hydrated dogs to produce high physiological levels of PRA failed to effect plasma ADH concentration in an experiment described in the chapter. Similar infusions of renin into the same dogs when they were dehydrated elevated plasma ADH concentration. The site of action of circulating angiotensin in the release of ADH is still not established.
Novel X-Ray Imaging Method for Evaluating Defect Evolution in Ceramic Tapes

Ceramic tape casting is critical to the electronics industry for manufacturing a wide range of components including piezoelectric actuators, MLC capacitors, and substrates for VLSI and LSI chips [1–3]. Recent regulatory changes, led by the Environmental Protection Agency concerning hazardous chemicals used in ceramic tape-casting, have renewed interest in the development of environmentally-friendly modifications to this process. In turn, this has increased interest in developing a better, fundamental understanding of how microstructural defects form and evolve during the sequence of processing steps associated with tape casting. In order to form more reliable electronic components, there is a need to develop a better, basic understanding of how to eliminate these defects by optimizing critical processing variables.
Forecasting the Customer Development of a Publishing Company with Decision Trees

Many companies recognize that it is important to concentrate their marketing budget on customers with good prospects in future. This paper proposes a new approach which was applied to a company selling loose-leaf notebooks consisting of a basic volume and several updating volumes. In recent years the customers were valued with respect to their actual transaction volume. The validation has some drawbacks. Therefore, a new type of valuation described in this paper was introduced: now, the customers are valued due to their short term as well as their long term potential. The short term potential is the probability of ordering a basic volume. The number of updating volumes represents the long term potential.
Statistics—The Word

Two views about quantification are expressed by a scientist and a poet. First, Lord Kelvin: When you can measure what you arc speaking about, and express it in numbers, then you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and the metabolic syndrome: Effects of weight loss and a review of popular diets. Are low carbohydrate diets the answer?

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) encompasses a wide spectrum of fat-induced liver injury, ranging from relatively benign steatosis to cirrhosis and liver failure. The presence of obesity and insulin resistance is strongly associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver and confers on it a greater risk of histologically advanced disease. There is a growing concern in the medical profession as the prevalence of this disease continues to rise in parallel with the rise in obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Treatment options are limited and dietary weight loss is often advised. Low fat diets are difficult to adhere to and recent studies have shown the potential of low carbohydrate diets for weight loss and improving insulin resistance. Thus far, no study has evaluated the effect of low carbohydrate diets on NAFLD. Future studies will be required to address this question and others with regards to the nutritional adequacy and long-term side effects of these diets.
Selection Has Countered High Mutability to Preserve the Ancestral Copy Number of Y Chromosome Amplicons in Diverse Human Lineages.

Amplicons—large, highly identical segmental duplications—are a prominent feature of mammalian Y chromosomes. Although they encode genes essential for fertility, these amplicons differ vastly between species, and little is known about the selective constraints acting on them. Here, we develop computational tools to detect amplicon copy number with unprecedented accuracy from high-throughput sequencing data. We find that one-sixth (16.9%) of 1,216 males from the 1000 Genomes Project have at least one deleted or duplicated amplicon. However, each amplicon’s reference copy number is scrupulously maintained among divergent branches of the Y chromosome phylogeny, including the ancient branch A00, indicating that the reference copy number is ancestral to all modern human Y chromosomes. Using phylogenetic analyses and simulations, we demonstrate that this pattern of variation is incompatible with neutral evolution and instead displays hallmarks of mutation-selection balance. We also observe cases of amplicon rescue, in which deleted amplicons are restored through subsequent duplications. These results indicate that, contrary to the lack of constraint suggested by the differences between species, natural selection has suppressed amplicon copy number variation in diverse human lineages.
Anhedonia in cocaine use disorder is associated with inflammatory gene expression

Treatments for Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD) are variably effective, and there are no FDA-approved medications. One approach to developing new treatments for CUD may be to investigate and target poor prognostic signs. One such sign is anhedonia (i.e. a loss of pleasure or interest in non-drug rewards), which predicts worse outcomes in existing CUD treatments. Inflammation is thought to underlie anhedonia in many other disorders, but the relationship between anhedonia and inflammation has not been investigated in CUD. Therefore, we assessed peripheral genome-wide gene expression in n = 48 individuals with CUD with high (n = 24) vs. low (n = 24) levels of anhedonia, defined by a median split of self-reported anhedonia. Our hypothesis was that individuals with high anhedonia would show differential gene expression in inflammatory pathways. No individual genes were significantly different between the low and high anhedonia groups when using t-tests with a stringent false discovery rate correction (FDR-corrected p < 0.05). However, an exploratory analysis identified 166 loci where t-tests suggested group differences at a nominal p < 0.05. We used DAVID, a bioinformatics tool that provides functional interpretations of complex lists of genes, to examine representation of this gene list in known pathways. It confirmed that mechanisms related to immunity were the top significant associations with anhedonia in the sample. Further, the two top differentially expressed genes in our sample, IRF1 and GBP5, both have primary inflammation and immune functions, and were significantly negatively correlated with total scores on our self-report of anhedonia across all 48 subjects. These results suggest that prioritizing development of anti-inflammatory medications for CUD may pay dividends, particularly in combination with treatment-matching strategies using either phenotypic measures of anhedonia or biomarkers of inflammatory gene expression to individualize treatment.
Including the public perspective in health-related MCDA: ideas from the field of public opinion research and polling.

This commentary utilizes the lens of public opinion research in health to suggest ideas for best integrating public input into multi-criteria decisions analysis (MCDA) approaches. The field of public opinion research suggests: (1) there is frequently a distinction between public and expert views, even outside of situations where the public has direct experience; (2) representative samples are important to ensure findings reflect all segments of the relevant population; and (3) limiting cognitive burden in studies designed to elicit public preferences is essential for meaningful responses that represent the population’s views. Together these reflections suggest the need for considering new avenues for including public views in MCDA approaches where representative samples relying on well-designed questions are utilized more regularly.
The Intertextualist: Future Teachers, Past Pedagogy, and Dedifferentiation in Multicultural Education.

Multicultural education is thought to consist of five dimensions: content integration, the knowledge-construction process, prejudice reduction, equity pedagogy, and an empowering school culture and social structure. Of the five, equity pedagogy is identified as an essential element by leading scholars in the field. Can equity pedagogy alone create the powerful learning experiences needed for multicultural education? This is an important question to consider as conservatism and dedifferentiation challenge multicultural education. If dedifferentiation is a recurring feature that impacts teachers and students, then we need a pedagogy that accounts for its significance. This article explores the ways a pedagogy of intertextuality responds to dedifferentiation and extends equity pedagogy for the development of future teachers and leaders.
Spatial and temporal patterns of public and private land protection within the Blue Ridge and Piedmont ecoregions of the eastern US

Abstract Protected lands are an established method for conserving biodiversity and ecosystem services. Moreover, agencies and organizations are increasingly looking to private lands as places for new protected lands establishment. However, the effectiveness of protected lands in guarding against the loss of species or services can vary based on their coverage of habitat and species, management strategy, and their size and configuration across the landscape. We compare protected lands patches between two adjacent ecoregions, the public lands centric Blue Ridge and the private land dominated Piedmont, using estimates of land cover, management practices, and landscape configuration as a proxy for their relative contribution towards the long-term conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. We conducted a hotspot analysis to evaluate geographic changes in spatial clustering of protected lands establishment between the years 1985 and 2015. In addition, we evaluated climate resiliency of protected lands patches using metrics developed by Anderson et al. (2016). We found that, compared to public lands, private protected lands contain larger amounts of agriculture than forest, allow for more utilitarian use than public lands, and are less resilient to climatic change. Furthermore, although total area of private protected lands increased since 1985, they are smaller and more disconnected, contributing less to overall connectivity of the protected lands network. To improve upon past efforts, we must improve management accounting and practice and prioritize land for protection that improves coverage, network connectivity, and climate resilience.
Food in correctional facilities: A scoping review.

In the last 20 years, there has been an exponential increase in research about food in prison. Given this growing interest, it is appropriate to take stock of the field by mapping and synthesizing existing knowledge in order to identify gaps in knowledge and make recommendations for future research. Specifically, the purpose of this scoping review is to understand the experiences of incarcerated people with food in order to inform interventions that will promote positive outcomes for justice-involved individuals and correctional facilities. This review identified 38 peer-reviewed research articles about food in correctional facilities. This sample included qualitative (n = 28) and quantitative (n = 10) research that explored the both the pragmatic and symbolic dimensions of food in these settings. Taken together, this body of research provides a rich description of prison food practices and the implications of these practices on medical, psychological, and sociological outcomes. Moving forward, collaboration between academics, incarcerated people, and correctional practitioners is encouraged in order to develop programs that use this research to improve individual and intuitional outcomes. In addition, while emerging research has begun to develop knowledge about prison food in developing countries, the literature focuses primarily on the US, Canada and Western Europe and there is a need to expand the geographic scope of this inquiry.
A Framework for Motivating Sketching Practice with Sketch-based Gameplay

Sketching is a valuable skill to learn but requires extensive motivation and practice to improve. We present a framework for motivating practice with sketch-based gameplay that is rooted in a grounded theory study of the motivations of various individuals with different skills levels. The individuals interviewed included a range from novice and intermediate industrial design students to established design professionals. Four categories emerged that explain the differences in motivation between individuals with different skill levels, including achievement, competition, communication, and creativity. We also present a case study of the implementation of two different gameplay approaches for encouraging line work practice in a high school art course and a university sketching course. The study revealed that both approaches were very engaging and motivating to students, with 72,842 lines practiced across the 150 students overall. We also gained insights about how the approaches differed in motivating students, and share principles we learned on motivating students with gameplay that may be useful to other researchers, educators, and technologists.
Diversifying the Liberal Arts Curriculum in an Asian Context

The liberal arts curriculum has traditionally been divided into two components: breadth and depth. Approaches to curricular breadth take many forms, one of them being a “core” curriculum of classes that all students take. In the United States, such core curricula have traditionally focused on a so-called canon of “Great Books” dating back to Western antiquity. This model has been fiercely challenged recently as being racist and exclusionary, resulting in significant changes in approach. But these challenges are themselves rooted in the concerns of the west. In this chapter, I will discuss the experience of creating a core curriculum at Yale-NUS College in Singapore as an example of the possibilities of an Asian-oriented core curriculum.
Innovation in Undergraduate Data Science Education

The workshop will allow participants to gain experience with a series of innovations developed at UC Berkeley that have enabled the teaching of undergraduate data science at scale to students from all backgrounds. Rather than beginning with established introductory strategies as the gateway to computer science, students in the "Foundations of Data Science" (data8.org) learn computational skills and concepts in relation to real world issues and with attention to societal implications. By engaging with students' interest in the applications of computing on data, and integrating societal impact from the start, the program has developed long term commitment to advance computational skills for large numbers of students. These innovations in teaching not only convey important computational content, but also broaden participation beyond existing approaches to computer science, and integrate issues of human contexts and ethics throughout the full curriculum. Goals include increasing diversity among students learning computer science, giving students a strong ethical foundation within their computer science work, and encouraging critical thinking in the application of inference and statistical techniques. Bringing a laptop is recommended
A review of CAD to CAE integration with a hierarchical data format (HDF)-based solution

Abstract Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) are two of the essential tools to design and develop new products. CAD systems help to design a new product efficiently, whereas CAE systems are used to predict and assess the future functionalities (durability, structural strength, etc.) of a product. Usually, these two systems work independently; however, their mutual dependency is a topic of interest for the researchers. This paper discusses the contemporary research efforts in the domain of CAD to CAE integration and later find the research gap. Based on the research gap this paper develop a methodology to integrate a CAD to CAE systems where scientific data format HDF (Hierarchical Data Format) acts as a bridge to link the gap between a CAD and CAE system. The virtual prototype of a product is getting accurate with the advancement of CAD systems; hence, the transferability of those models to a CAE system has become more sophisticated using traditional (e.g., .step, .iges files) methodologies. Since HDF is often used to handle massive and complex datasets for various research domains; hence, in this research effort HDF acts as a data repository neutral system to interact with the CAD and CAE systems. Based on the comprehensive literature review, this research effort aims to develop an uninterrupted integrated platform to handle complex design and analysis models using a big open-source data handling platform HDF (Hierarchical Data Format). MATLAB is used to bridge from the CAD system to HDF primarily and later from the HDF to CAE. A simple case study of analyzing a classic fluid mixing elbow demonstrates the preliminary implementation effort towards the proposed HDF-based integrated platform.
Revised notes from a leisure son: expanding an understanding of White supremacy in leisure

Within leisure studies, to properly explore and understand ‘Whiteness’ as a cultural process that impacts lived realities it is important to create distance from the oft-used term, White privilege,...
Sampling Random Chordal Graphs by MCMC (Student Abstract).

Chordal graphs are a widely studied graph class, with applications in several areas of computer science, including structural learning of Bayesian networks. Many problems that are hard on general graphs become solvable on chordal graphs. The random generation of instances of chordal graphs for testing these algorithms is often required. Nevertheless, there are only few known algorithms that generate random chordal graphs, and, as far as we know, none of them generate chordal graphs uniformly at random (where each chordal graph appears with equal probability). In this paper we propose a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method to sample connected chordal graphs uniformly at random. Additionally, we propose a Markov chain that generates connected chordal graphs with a bounded treewidth uniformly at random. Bounding the treewidth parameter (which bounds the largest clique) has direct implications on the running time of various algorithms on chordal graphs. For each of the proposed Markov chains we prove that they are ergodic and therefore converge to the uniform distribution. Finally, as initial evidence that the Markov chains have the potential to mix rapidly, we prove that the chain on graphs with bounded treewidth mixes rapidly for trees (chordal graphs with treewidth bound of one).