cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adumbration as a Feature of Intercultural Communication

It is suggested that interpersonal communication occurs as a hierarchy of formally determined cybernetic responses. How a given communication sequence develops can be seen as a function of the strength of motivations of the two parties, their knowledge of the system, and how they respond to each other's adumbrations. All communication in this sense can be viewed as a discourse, even though different styles are used, while ability to participate in the discourse is a function of programing. Intuitively, the specialist in intercultural communications has known for a long time that neither of these positions is appropriate as a matter of policy. In the international political arena, adumbrative space has proved to be significant indeed. All other things being equal, and given a willingness to negotiate in the first place, there is little adumbrative significance for Americans regarding the choice of the place of a negotiation.
ROBOTIC PROJECT-BASED PRE-TRAINING FOR IN-COMING UNDERGRADUATE MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS

This paper describes the pre-training approach using research projects to get the in-coming mechanical engineering undergraduate student jump started for their four years of college career. We used a robotics research project to go through the full engineering design lifecycle, including (a) brain-storming, (b) feasibility studies, (c) building simple models for evaluation, and (d) engineering/construction. With the help of the mentors, the approach has effectively involved the students to identify potential problems and solve them effectively during the execution of the projects. The resulting constructed robotic delivery truck is a mathematically interesting problem that will be solved as a research problem.
Protective Anti-Hepatitis B Virus Responses in Rhesus Monkeys Primed with a Vectored Measles Virus and Boosted with a Single Dose of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen

The widely used hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine is based on three doses of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) protein. We previously showed that vectored measles viruses (MV) expressing HBsAg retain measles vaccine function in monkeys but do not induce a protective anti-HBs response in all animals. We show here that a single dose of HBsAg protein following a three-dose vaccination regimen with an optimized HBsAg-expressing MV elicits protective anti-HBs responses in all four vaccinated Rhesus monkeys. Vaccination strategies coupling the effective, long-term immunity elicited by the high-coverage MV vaccine to prophylactic HBV immunity are discussed.
US principals’ attitudes about and experiences with single-sex schooling

Despite a lack of scientific evidence supporting the use of single-sex education, the number of U.S. public schools offering single-sex education has increased. However, our understanding as to why decision-makers have implemented single-sex education is lacking. To address this gap, we surveyed U.S. public-school principals and assessed their attitudes about and experiences with single-sex schooling. Sixty-seven principals from single-sex schools and 193 from coeducational schools participated. The results indicated that principals who had experience with single-sex schooling tended to have more positive attitudes about single-sex schooling, viewed it as more effective, and more often evoked gender-essentialist rationales for the use of single-sex schooling than did coeducational principals. However, both single-sex and coeducational principals noted issues with single-sex schooling. It was concluded that single-sex schooling is not a silver bullet to educational reform and that when single-sex schooling is implemented, one set of issues and problems is substituted for another.
Perspective: Professional Standards In Health Care Calling All Parties To Account

Professional accountability involves all health care players—not just physicians—says AMA ethicist.
Inference Based on General Linear Models for Order Restricted Randomization

This article develops statistical inference for the general linear models in order restricted randomized (ORR) designs. The ORR designs use the heterogeneity among experimental units to induce a negative correlation structure among responses obtained from different treatment regimes. This negative correlation structure acts as a variance reduction technique for treatment contrast. The parameters of the general linear models are estimated and a generalized F-test is constructed for its components. It is shown that the null distribution of the test statistic can be approximated reasonably well with an F-distribution for moderate sample sizes. It is also shown that the empirical power of the proposed test is substantially higher than the powers of its competitors in the literature. The proposed test and estimator are applied to a data set from a clinical trial to illustrate how one can improve such an experiment.
Optimal bit allocation for joint contour-based shape coding and shape adaptive texture coding

In this paper, an optimal framework is proposed for the joint encoding of the shape and texture information in object based video. The solution is optimal in the operational rate distortion sense, i.e, given the coding setup, the solution guarantees the smallest possible distortion for a given rate. The shape is approximated using polygons or higher order curves. We also consider biasing the cost function to favor horizontal and vertical edges, for the case of polygon approximation (biased polygon approximation). The texture is encoded using shape adaptive discrete cosine transform (SA-DCT) or shape adaptive discrete wavelet transform (SA-DWT) of the MPEG-4 video codec. A comparison is drawn between the two techniques. Both a fixed-width and a variable-width tolerance band for shape coding are considered. The variable width of the tolerance band is a function of the texture profile, i.e, the width is inversely proportional to the magnitude of the image gradient. Experimental results are presented and conclusions are drawn.
Transverse displacement of the proximal segment after bilateral sagittal split osteotomy advancement and its effect on relapse.

Purpose To evaluate the transverse displacement of the proximal segment and its association with horizontal relapse post-treatment. Methods Retrospective study of 25 patients (10 males, 15 females) who underwent bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) advancement and Le Fort I osteotomy with rigid internal fixation (RIF) using bicortical lag screws. Posteroanterior and lateral cephalograms obtained preoperatively (T1), early postoperatively (T2), and after orthodontic treatment completion (T3) were used to assess: the angulation of each proximal segment relative to the upper orbital margin line and obtain the sum of both angles (total angle), mandibular intergonial width (IGW), mandibular length (Ar-B), B point position, and condylion position. Paired t tests were used to determine statistically significant (P Results T2-T1 findings: all 25 patients showed an increase in IGW with a mean of 6.5 ± 2.5 mm and the angulations of the proximal segments increased 3.2 ± 2.6° (total angle change). Ar-B increased 3.8 ± 3.4 mm. B point moved anteriorly 4.8 ± 2.9 mm. T3-T2 findings: IGW decreased 1.8 ± 1.5 mm; angulation of the right and left proximal segments decreased 1.2 ± 2.8° (total angle change). Condylion moved superiorly 1.5 ± 2.0. Conclusions Statistically significant changes occurred in transverse width and angulation of proximal segments of patients who underwent BSSO advancement with Le Fort I osteotomy. No clinically significant associations were found between transverse displacement of the proximal segments and horizontal relapse.
Improvements in filtered Rayleigh scattering measurements using Fabry–Perot etalons for spectral filtering of pulsed, 532-nm Nd:YAG output

In this manuscript, we investigate a new methodology for increasing the spectral purity of the second-harmonic output of an injection-seeded, frequency-doubled, Q-switched Nd:YAG laser operating near 532 nm. Specifically, tunable Fabry–Perot etalons (FPEs) are used as ultra-narrowband spectral filters, transmitting the desired single-mode output, while filtering out a significant portion of the broadband pedestal characteristic of injection-seeded lasers. A specific emphasis is placed on the design and optimization of the FPEs in the context of filtered Rayleigh scattering (FRS) measurements and how their utilization results in substantial increases in spectral purity, realizable attenuation of unwanted scattering, and applications in environments with high particulate levels. Experimental results show an increase in laser spectral purity of more than one order-of-magnitude (from 0.99997 to 0.999998) when using FPE filters, which led to a two-order-of-magnitude increase in achievable attenuation of laser light passing through a molecular iodine filter. The utility of the FPE-based spectral filtering of the pulsed Nd:YAG output for 2D FRS imaging was demonstrated in turbulent, isothermal gas-phase jets, seeded with varying levels of non-evaporating droplets with particle volume fractions (F Vp) ranging from ~5 to >60 parts-per-million (ppm). After implementation of an optimized air-spaced FPE in the 532-nm output, no particle scattering was observed (based on visual and statistical analysis), even for the highest seed case (F Vp ~ 60 ppm), and the gas-phase Rayleigh–Brillouin signals were collected without interference from the flowfield particulate. The current results suggest that the implementation of properly specified FPEs allows FRS to be applied in environments with high flowfield particulate levels; levels are well beyond what have been suitable for previous FRS measurements.
Bloodmeal size and spirochete acquisition of Ornithodoros hermsi (Acari: Argasidae) during feeding.

Ornithodoros hermsi Wheeler (Acari: Argasidae) is the vector of Borrelia hermsii, the primary cause of tick-borne relapsing fever in North America. This tick is one of the smallest Ornithodoros species involved with the biological transmission of spirochetes; yet, the amount of blood ingested while feeding is unknown. Therefore, we determined the amount of blood O. hermsi ingested during a bloodmeal to establish its potential for spirochete acquisition while feeding on an infected host. Ticks at different developmental stages were weighed before and after feeding and the volume of blood ingested was calculated. Females ingested the most blood, averaging ≈15 µl per meal, but late-stage nymphs took in the most blood in proportion to unfed body weight. A cohort of nymphs was weighed three more times during the 48 h after feeding, which demonstrated that O. hermsi may have excreted coxal fluid ranging from 24 –36% of the bloodmeal weight. We also developed a quantitative polymerase chain reaction method to determine the number of spirochetes ingested and maintained within the ticks after feeding. The density of spirochetes in ticks having just engorged was slightly less than in the host’s blood. In the first 5 d after feeding, the number of spirochetes within the ticks declined from the number initially ingested but then remained constant through 15 d. These observations establish a basis for future studies to determine the minimum number of spirochetes required in the host’s blood to allow O. hermsi to become persistently infected and transmit during subsequent bloodmeals.
Overview: Development of the National Ignition Facility and the Transition to a User Facility for the Ignition Campaign and High Energy Density Scientific Research

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has been operational since March 2009 and has been transitioning to a user facility supporting ignition science, high ...
Is the WTO Passe?: Exploring the Meaning of the Doha Debacle

Confronting two formidable crises, one internal (the Doha debacle) and the other external (the global financial crisis), this Article explores the fundamental question: has the WTO become irrelevant or even passe? After sketching a recidivistic pattern of collapses and resumptions, the Article locates the root cause of the current Doha deadlock in the stark philosophical divergence between developed (North) and developing (South) countries on the nature of the Doha “Development” Round. Development has become a “liability” to the North, while it still remains a "goal" to the South. Given this situation, the Doha Round may be relegated to inconvenience, irrelevance or incorrectness as far as politicians of both Worlds are concerned. Nonetheless, the current dire situation of the global economy adds fresh exigency in delivering a successful trade round. The focus of the Article's proposal in tackling this structural challenge is long-term. The Article argues that WTO members should shift their main paradigm in establishing trade policies from an "external" dimension (the WTO itself) to an "internal" dimension (internal politics). It views that unless WTO Members radically change the way in which they formulate trade policies domestically, from a top-down to a bottom-up approach which fully reflects the general welfare of citizens and the whole economy, the Doha round (and future WTO rounds) will still be at the mercy of contingencies and vicissitudes which special interests provide. Only through a vibrant democratic discourse on the genuine merits of free trade in the domestic arena, which comprises education, social marketing and transparent deliberations, can WTO members break away from the myopia of parochial mercantilism and establish trade policies from a mature standpoint of openness and competition.
Attributing seizures to TBI: Validation of a brief patient questionnaire

Abstract Purpose Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important cause of epilepsy and has also been associated with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES). We designed a brief questionnaire assessing patient beliefs regarding TBI as the cause of their seizures (Patient Seizure Etiology Questionnaire; PSEQ). This study reports content validity for the PSEQ. Methods Ninety Veterans undergoing comprehensive evaluation at 3 VA epilepsy centers completed the PSEQ, a series of questions regarding possible causes for their seizures, including TBI. The PSEQ was scored as YES vs. NO for TBI as the proposed cause of seizures. For each patient, two expert reviewers independently completed a structured chart review to determine whether TBI was the proposed cause of seizures (n = 180 reviews). Kappa statistic was used to assess agreement between the PSEQ and each chart review and between the PSEQ and combined chart reviews where both reviewers agreed on a TBI seizure etiology. Results The PSEQ scored higher overall rates for a TBI seizure etiology than did expert chart reviews (40% vs. 28%; p Conclusion The PSEQ provides a direct, standardized measure of patient beliefs regarding TBI as the cause of their seizures and has moderate–substantial agreement with expert chart reviews.
First-principles study of hydrogen storage on Li12C60

Solid state materials capable of storing hydrogen with high gravimetric (9 wt %) and volumetric density (70 g/L) are critical for the success of a new hydrogen economy. In addition, an ideal storage system should be able to operate under ambient thermodynamic conditions and exhibit fast hydrogen sorption kinetics. No materials are known that meet all these requirements. While recent theoretical efforts showed some promise for transition-metal-coated carbon fullerenes, later studies demonstrated that these metal atoms prefer to cluster on the fullerene surface, thus reducing greatly the weight percentage of stored hydrogen. Using density functional theory we show that Li-coated fullerenes do not suffer from this constraint. In particular, we find that an isolated Li12C60 cluster where Li atoms are capped onto the pentagonal faces of the fullerene not only is very stable but also can store up to 120 hydrogen atoms in molecular form with a binding energy of 0.075 eV/H2. In addition, the structural integrity ...
Glycogen in adrenal cortex of sodium depleted rat.

SummarySodium depletion resulted in widening of the glomerulosa zone of the rat adrenal cortex. The enlarged zone resembled the glomerulosa of the control animal in that no glycogen was stored. This contrasted with the fascicular and reticular zones where abundant glycogen was found. It is suggested that differences in glycogen storage may at least in part explain differences in the immediate metabolic response to stimulation of the zones.
Serve, Nudge, and Share: Engaging the Public as Government’s Customer, Partner, and Citizen

The following is a review of John Clayton Thomas’ book Citizen, Customer, Partner: Engaging the Public in Public Management. This review examines the book’s guidelines to managers on the public’s three roles in administration.
Histone deacetylase inhibition reactivates the silenced estrogen receptor alpha gene and sensitizes ER-negative human breast cancer cells to Tamoxifen

2280 The estrogen receptor alpha (ER) gene has been found to be silenced in human breast cancer tumors. Loss of ER gene expression is associated with insensitivity to endocrine therapy. Previous studies have shown that the interplay between histone deacetylases (HDACs) and DNA methyltransferase (DNMTs) is a potential mechanism for inactivation of the ER gene. However, little is known about the precise roles of HDAC in ER gene silencing. Treatment of the ER negative human breast cancer lines MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-435 with the HDAC inhibitor LBH589 (LBH) for 24 h restored ER mRNA and protein expression, but without a concomitant demethylation of CpG island at the ER promoter. The expression of ER mRNA was sustained at least 96 h after withdrawal of LBH treatment. Restoration of ER expression by LBH enhanced tamoxifen sensitivity in these cells. The molecular mechanism by which LBH reactivated ER silenced gene was explored with emphasis on chromatin structure reorganization, promoter activity, and DNMT1 protein expression. By chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis, LBH treatment released DNMT1, HDAC1, and the H3 (Lys-9) methyltransferase SUV39H1 from the ER promoter. Such changes were associated with a euchromatin formation manifested as accumulation of acetylated histones H3 and H4, a decrease in methylation of H3 lysine 9 (H3-K9), and an impaired binding of heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) at the promoter. The formation of euchromatin structure by LBH was coupled with an increase in ER promoter activity. In addition, inhibition of HDAC by either LBH or siRNA against HDAC1 reduced DNMT1 protein expression. Induction of DNMT1 degradation by LBH occurred in the nucleus and could be blocked by the presence of proteasomal inhibitor MG-132. The physical association of DNMT1 with heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) was shown by coimmunoprecipitation experiments. LBH induced acetylation of hsp90, thereby inhibiting the association of DNMT1 with hsp90, and promoting polyubiquitylation and degradation of DNMT1. Deletion of the N-terminal 120 amino acids blocked LBH-mediated ubiquitination of DNMT1, indicating that the N-terminal domain of DNMT1 is essential for its degradation. Our findings provide a novel mechanism by which HDAC inhibitors could restore the silenced ER gene by accelerating the proteasomal degradation of DNMT1, and reorganizing the heterochromatin-associated proteins. This research work was supported by the NIH grant (CA88843).
The Supreme Court of Arizona, Its 1998-99 Decisions

This article is the second annual review of the decisions of the Arizona Supreme Court, covering the period from July 1, 1998, to July 31, 1999. An annual review provides a current picture of the full scope of the court's work - the subject matter of the cases it decides, the sources of law used in deciding them, and the general character of the issues under review. Extensive substantive treatment of all of the decisions is provided in this annual review by student-authored works. Preceding the analytical treatment of the court decisions, a summary statistical analysis of the past year is also provided.
A Research on the Impoverishment in China from a Global Point of View

The research on impoverishment in China must meet the trend and the demands of the research around the world: i. e. to undergo a shift the research from absolute poverty to relative one, to move the centre of policies from communities to individuals, to break the range of research on lack of materials to that of humanities, and to expand the analysis of general economics to that of institution e-conomics. As to measures taken, people must intensify the establishment of a system of poverty elimination, the creation of supporting policies for the impoverished population, actions to narrow the gap between income and to meet the needs of humanities of the public.
The tuberous breast.

The tuberous breast deformity cannot usually be corrected satisfactorily by standard augmentation mammaplasty or mastopexy. The two operative techniques described have been most helpful in dealing with this difficult problem. Anatomic differences in patients may permit or require modification of the techniques to correct a specific deformity. Although our experience to date with these techniques has been limited in number, we have been pleased with the postoperative results.
Contralateral evoked brainstem auditory potentials as an indicator of intraoperative brainstem manipulation in cerebellopontine angle tumors

AbstractBrainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) were studied during operations to remove acoustic tumors using the retromastoid approach. BAEP were elicited from the side contralateral to the tumor, and changes in the latencies of peaks III and V of the BAEP were compared with changes in cardiovascular parameters throughout the operation. When the changes in the determined cardiovascular parameters were related to surgical manipulations, the related changes in the latencies of peaks III and V of the BAEP were more consistent than the changes in the cardiovascular parameters and they tended to occur earlier than the changes noted in the cardiovascular parameters. [Neurol Res 1996; 18: 528-540]
Type IV tympanoplasty revisited

Objective: There has been a great improvement in the material and design of prosthesis used for total ossicular reconstruction in recent years. As a result, the indication for type IV tympanoplasty has become more restricted. The long-term follow-up of type IV tympanoplasties performed by the author is presented. Study Design and Setting: This is a retrospective study of 31 patients who had type IV tympanoplasties performed by the author at the ear, nose, and throat clinic of a district general hospital. Patients: All the patients had chronic active otitis media with total loss of ossicles that were unsuitable for ossicular reconstruction. Intervention and Main Outcome Measures: The preoperative and postoperative air and bone conduction thresholds of all the patients who underwent type IV tympanoplasty were measured. Results: Twenty-six percent of the patients had a postoperative hearing level <40 dB and 58% had an air-bone gap <30 dB. The indication for type IV tympanoplasty can be categorized into four groups: severe atelectasis, patients with cleft palate, erosion of the footplate, and surgery on the better-only hearing ear. Conclusion: There still is a place for type IV tympanoplasty in modern otology.
Migration of Bone Wax into the Sigmoid Sinus after Posterior Fossa Surgery

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Bone wax is a hemostatic agent that has been reported in some instances to migrate into the sigmoid sinus following posterior fossa surgery. The purpose of this study was to characterize the CT and MR imaging findings of this entity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 212 consecutive patients who underwent posterior fossa surgery and postoperative CT and contrast-enhanced MR imaging. The presence of sigmoid sinus bone wax migration was determined with the following criteria: sigmoid sinus filling defect showing low signal on all MR imaging pulse sequences; sigmoid sinus filling defect showing low CT attenuation, similar to fat attenuation; and clinical confirmation that bone wax was used intraoperatively. CT and MR imaging of an in vitro bone wax sample was also performed. RESULTS: We identified 6 cases of sigmoid sinus bone wax migration. In each case, a low-signal-intensity, low-attenuation filling defect was noted in the sigmoid sinus. The morphology was linear ( n = 3) or globular ( n = 3). In patients with serial imaging, the appearance of migrated bone wax remained stable over time. No adverse outcomes related to sigmoid sinus bone wax migration were encountered. In vitro imaging of bone wax confirmed low CT attenuation and low MR imaging signal intensity on T1WI and T2WI. CONCLUSIONS: Bone wax migration into the sigmoid sinus is a recognizable imaging finding after posterior fossa surgery that appears to have a benign clinical course. The finding should be distinguished from more serious complications, such as venous sinus thrombosis.
Effect of coal-limestone mixtures on dust dispersion behind a moving shock wave

Abstract Secondary dust explosions in coal mines or industrial settings are known to cause greater catastrophic hazards than the coupled primary explosions themselves. The shock waves produced during a primary explosion lift surrounding coal particles from neighboring areas, and if added in an effort to create an inert mixture, limestone as well. This experimental study characterized the coupled effects of dust dispersion from coal-limestone mixtures and moisture-varied limestone dust. A shock tube modified to evaluate dust dispersion provided the optical access to characterize the shock wave/dust-layer interaction. The moisture-varied limestone samples were tested at three shock Mach numbers, namely M s = 1.1, 1.23, and 1.4, with trending data showing an average increase of 10% in overall lifting heights and 20% in initial linear growth rates for the moisture-reduced, dried samples, as compared to undried samples stored in standard temperature and pressure (STP) conditions. The coal-limestone mixture samples were tested at two shock Mach numbers, namely M s = 1.24 and 1.57, with the 75% limestone sample having the highest and the 25% limestone sample having the lowest effective dust dispersion effects. Conceivably, the effective moisture reduction in the samples led to fewer agglomerations and/or reduced densities, influencing the ability of lift forces to act on the particles, while as the limestone content was increased in coal-limestone mixtures, dust layers grew faster, larger, and transitioned into more pronounced instabilities on the dust-gas boundaries. The combined effects of dispersion, SEM imagery, and the study of test facility shadowgraphs lead to recommending the ignition-inhibiting coal-limestone mixture containing 50% limestone. The dust-layer rise height was measured with respect to time after the shock passage, where regardless of mixture-ratio or moisture content in the samples, initial linear dust growth rates increased with shock Mach number. Linear and unstable regimes were also identified in the data samples, as seen in previous studies by the authors.
Ultrasound-induced Bioeffects

Diagnostic ultrasound has had a long record of safety extending over 60 years and exams into the billions. In the USA, diagnostic acoustic output levels are held below prescribed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) levels and an output display standard provides a means of displaying real-time indicators related to two ultrasound-induced bioeffects: thermal indices related to temperature elevation models and the mechanical index related to an inertial cavitation threshold. A broader view of ultrasound bioeffects is presented, which encompasses different medical ultrasound modalities and shows that many of the physical effects are interrelated. On one extreme, slight temperature rises may be significant in diagnostic imaging; on another, large temperature rises are needed to perform high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) surgery and kill cancer cells with hyperthermia. Temperature elevation and exposure times are both related through exponential laws. Interest in cavitation bioeffects has shifted to extreme ultrasound modalities, HIFU, and lithotripsy, which create cavitation nucleation sites.
Development and Growth of Glass Through the Roman Period

As outlined in the previous chapter, glass as an independent material is not thought to predate 3000 BCE, with its earliest development located in Mesopotamia and Syria. Routine glass production is then thought to have started in Mesopotamia around 1550 BCE. It is generally assumed that glass-working was then introduced into Egypt during the reign of Tuthmosis III (1479–1425 BCE) through a combination of glass objects and ingots being imported as tribute. Mesopotamian glassmakers were also thought to have been imported into Egypt so that local production of glass in western Thebes was established by the time of Amenophis III (ca. 1388–ca. 1350 BCE). However, it is less well established whether Egypt initially relied on imported raw materials (in the form of ingots and cullet) that were then worked in Egypt, or whether glass was actually being produced onsite. Nevertheless, evidence supports onsite glass production in Egypt by 1350 BCE and points to Egypt as a primary glass producer during this early period of glass production.
Benign Neck Masses

Neck masses in the pediatric population are common and can often cause significant parental concern. Evaluation and management of these patients can be challenging, given the extensive and varied differential diagnosis of neck masses that occur in children. The vast majority of such masses are benign. However, clinicians should remain attentive to the possibility of a malignant process, as an estimated 5–10 % of biopsied pediatric neck masses are malignant. Thus, a comprehensive, organized approach to diagnosis and appropriate management is mandatory in each case.
Processing and consolidation of copper/tungsten

We developed a copper/tungsten (Cu/W) composite for mesoscale Materials Science applications using the novel High-Energy Diffraction Microscopy (HEDM) technique. Argon-atomized copper powder was selected as the starting raw powder and screened to remove the extremely large particle fraction. Tungsten particles were collected by milling and screening the −325 mesh tungsten powder between 500 and 635 mesh sieves. Hot pressing of screened Cu powder was performed at 900 °C in Ar/4 %H2 atmosphere. XRD and ICP results show that the hot-pressed Cu sample consists of about 5 vol% Cu2O, which is caused by the presence of oxygen on the surface of the starting Cu powder. Hot pressing the copper powder in a pure hydrogen atmosphere was successful in removing most of the surface oxygen. This process was also implemented for hot pressing the Cu/W composite. The density of the Cu/W composites hot pressed at 950 °C in pure hydrogen was about 94 % of the theoretical density (TD). The hot-pressed Cu/W composites were further hot isostatic pressed at 1050 °C in argon atmosphere, which results in 99.6 % of the TD with the designed Cu grain size and W particle distribution. Tensile specimens with D-notch were machined using the wire EDM method. The processing and consolidation of these materials will be discussed in detail. The HEDM images are also showed and discussed.
In Whom Do We Trust? Racial Trust in the Early Years of Barack Obama’s Presidency:

For many African Americans, Barack Obama’s presidential victory in 2008 was a step toward a racially tolerant society. Yet for others, the attack on Obama’s religious faith and citizenship status r...
Drude polarizable force field for aliphatic ketones and aldehydes, and their associated acyclic carbohydrates

The majority of computer simulations exploring biomolecular function employ Class I additive force fields (FF), which do not treat polarization explicitly. Accordingly, much effort has been made into developing models that go beyond the additive approximation. Development and optimization of the Drude polarizable FF has yielded parameters for selected lipids, proteins, DNA and a limited number of carbohydrates. The work presented here details parametrization of aliphatic aldehydes and ketones (viz. acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, butaryaldehyde, isobutaryaldehyde, acetone, and butanone) as well as their associated acyclic sugars (d-allose and d-psicose). LJ parameters are optimized targeting experimental heats of vaporization and molecular volumes, while the electrostatic parameters are optimized targeting QM water interactions, dipole moments, and molecular polarizabilities. Bonded parameters are targeted to both QM and crystal survey values, with the models for ketones and aldehydes shown to be in good agreement with QM and experimental target data. The reported heats of vaporization and molecular volumes represent a compromise between the studied model compounds. Simulations of the model compounds show an increase in the magnitude and the fluctuations of the dipole moments in moving from gas phase to condensed phases, which is a phenomenon that the additive FF is intrinsically unable to reproduce. The result is a polarizable model for aliphatic ketones and aldehydes including the acyclic sugars d-allose and d-psicose, thereby extending the available biomolecules in the Drude polarizable FF.
A compliant mechanism for inspecting extremely confined spaces

We present a novel, compliant mechanism that provides the capability to navigate extremely confined spaces for the purpose of infrastructure inspection. Extremely confined spaces are commonly encountered during infrastructure inspection. Examples of such spaces can include pipes, conduits, and ventilation ducts. Often these infrastructure features go uninspected simply because there is no viable way to access their interior. In addition, it is not uncommon for extremely confined spaces to possess a maze-like architecture that must be selectively navigated in order to properly perform an inspection. Efforts by the imaging sensor community have resulted in the development of imaging sensors on the millimeter length scale. Due to their compact size, they are able to inspect many extremely confined spaces of interest, however, the means to deliver these sensors to the proper location to obtain the desired images are lacking. To address this problem, we draw inspiration from the field of endoscopic surgery. Specifically we consider the work that has already been done to create long flexible needles that are capable of being steered through the human body. These devices are typically referred to as 'steerable needles.' Steerable needle technology is not directly applicable to the problem of navigating maze-like arrangements of extremely confined spaces, but it does provide guidance on how this problem should be approached. Specifically, the super-elastic nitinol tubing material that allows steerable needles to operate is also appropriate for the problem of navigating maze-like arrangements of extremely confined spaces. Furthermore, the portion of the mechanism that enters the extremely confined space is completely mechanical in nature. The mechanical nature of the device is an advantage when the extremely confined space features environmental hazards such as radiation that could degrade an electromechanically operated mechanism. Here, we present a compliant mechanism developed to navigate maze-like arrangements of extremely confined spaces. The mechanism is shown to be able to selectively navigate past three 90° bends. The ability to selectively navigate extremely confined spaces opens up new possibilities to use emerging miniature imaging technology for infrastructure inspection.
Dendritic Cell Amiloride-Sensitive Channels Mediate Sodium-Induced Inflammation and Hypertension.

Summary Sodium accumulates in the interstitium and promotes inflammation through poorly defined mechanisms. We describe a pathway by which sodium enters dendritic cells (DCs) through amiloride-sensitive channels including the alpha and gamma subunits of the epithelial sodium channel and the sodium hydrogen exchanger 1. This leads to calcium influx via the sodium calcium exchanger, activation of protein kinase C (PKC), phosphorylation of p47 phox , and association of p47 phox with gp91 phox . The assembled NADPH oxidase produces superoxide with subsequent formation of immunogenic isolevuglandin (IsoLG)-protein adducts. DCs activated by excess sodium produce increased interleukin - 1β (IL-1β) and promote T cell production of cytokines IL-17A and interferon gamma (IFN-γ). When adoptively transferred into naive mice, these DCs prime hypertension in response to a sub-pressor dose of angiotensin II. These findings provide a mechanistic link between salt, inflammation, and hypertension involving increased oxidative stress and IsoLG production in DCs.
Simplicial complex augmentation framework for bijective maps

Bijective maps are commonly used in many computer graphics and scientific computing applications, including texture, displacement, and bump mapping. However, their computation is numerically challenging due to the global nature of the problem, which makes standard smooth optimization techniques prohibitively expensive. We propose to use a scaffold structure to reduce this challenging and global problem to a local injectivity condition. This construction allows us to benefit from the recent advancements in locally injective maps optimization to efficiently compute large scale bijective maps (both in 2D and 3D), sidestepping the need to explicitly detect and avoid collisions. Our algorithm is guaranteed to robustly compute a globally bijective map, both in 2D and 3D. To demonstrate the practical applicability, we use it to compute globally bijective single patch parametrizations, to pack multiple charts into a single UV domain, to remove self-intersections from existing models, and to deform 3D objects while preventing self-intersections. Our approach is simple to implement, efficient (two orders of magnitude faster than competing methods), and robust, as we demonstrate in a stress test on a parametrization dataset with over a hundred meshes.
Introduction to Cytochrome P450

Cytochrome P450 is the name first given provisionally to describe a carbon monoxide-binding hemoprotein (Omura and Sato 1962), and for what has become recognized as a superfamily of monooxygenases found in just about every phylum in which the hemoprotein has been sought (Nelson et al. 1993). To date, more than 220 different cytochrome P450 genes have been identified, and, based upon determined or deduced primary structures of the proteins, fit into families of related and subfamilies of closely related enzymes, many with quite esoteric actions (see Schenkman and Greim 1993). Thirty six gene families have so far been described, 12 of which exist in mammals and comprise 22 subfamilies (Nelson et al. 1993). Most of the proteins when isolated were given common names. However, as investigators often isolated and characterized forms that turned out to be the same as forms isolated and named by other groups, common name nomenclature became extremely complex, as some forms of cytochrome P450 have as many as six common names. To obviate confusion, today most people use the genetic nomenclature. This nomenclature designates the gene family as an arabic number,e.g.,2, then a letter to designate the subfamily, if more than one exists, e.g., B, then the individual gene number, e.g.,4.
Mortality among United States aerospace materials manufacturing workers.

Objectives To evaluate long-term mortality rates among aerospace material manufacturing workers as follow-up to an earlier observed excess of nephritis/nephrosis. Methods Subjects were 2020 workers ever employed in the facility during 1963-2014. Vital status through 2014 was determined for all subjects and cause of death for 99.2% of 492 deaths. We computed standard mortality ratios (SMR) and internal relative risks. Results SMRs for nephritis/nephrosis were unremarkable. We observed statistically significant elevated SMRs for kidney cancer among all workers and for the category "other lymphatic hematopoietic tissue cancer" (4/5 deaths from multiple myeloma) among long-term workers with potential plant exposure. Conclusions We found no evidence of elevated mortality rates for nephritis/nephrosis. Study limitations precluded robust evaluation of whether the elevated rates for kidney cancer and other lymphatic hematopoietic tissue cancer were related to occupational factors at the study site. Our findings for these two cancers warrant continued mortality follow-up.
Robust repression of tRNA gene transcription during stress requires protein arginine methylation

Protein arginine methylation is an important means by which protein function can be regulated. In the budding yeast, this modification is catalyzed by the major protein arginine methyltransferase Hmt1. Here, we provide evidence that the Hmt1-mediated methylation of Rpc31, a subunit of RNA polymerase III, plays context-dependent roles in tRNA gene transcription: under conditions optimal for growth, it positively regulates tRNA gene transcription, and in the setting of stress, it promotes robust transcriptional repression. In the context of stress, methylation of Rpc31 allows for its optimal interaction with RNA polymerase III global repressor Maf1. Interestingly, mammalian Hmt1 homologue is able to methylate one of Rpc31's human homologue, RPC32β, but not its paralogue, RPC32α. Our data led us to propose an efficient model whereby protein arginine methylation facilitates metabolic economy and coordinates protein-synthetic capacity.
Reflections on a community health elective in Native Hawaiian health: a community-centred vision for health and the medical profession in indigenous contexts.

The medical profession is fundamentally thought of as a vocation and calling, one that requires the translation of knowledge and skill into counselling, diagnosis and interventions that benefit the lives of patients. Physicians and healthcare professionals have the immense privilege to compassionately use their vocation to improve the health of communities. What does this commitment look like in an Indigenous health setting? Using the author's own experience as a participant-observer in the University of Hawaii's John A. Burns School of Medicine's Native Hawaiian Health elective, an example is provided of an educational curriculum that seeks to integrate community health in Native Hawaiian settings. This paper shows the ways that the author's understanding of health broadened to include environmental stewardship and healthcare professionals' compassion and involvement in the life of the community throughout the elective. By providing this example, the author seeks to shed light on how a medical education initiative can change the way students approach Indigenous health.
Mechanisms of PrOx performance enhancement of oxygen electrodes for low and intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract Recent developments in solid oxide cells focus on decreasing operating temperatures below 600 °C for improved cost and electrochemical stability in order to improve viability for commercialization. In this work, we improve the performance and stability of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ (LSCF) and a recently developed electrode material, SrTi0.3Fe0.55Co0.15O3−δ (STFC), with addition of PrOx nanoparticles. Single-step PrOx infiltration improves performance of both LSCF and STFC across all tested temperatures (450–650 °C) with the most significant enhancements at lower temperatures. STFC modified with PrOx yields the best overall performance and stability, with the initial polarization resistance of 0.20 Ω cm2 at 550 °C increasing over ~800 h before stabilizing at 0.27 Ω cm2. This represents a factor of ~10 resistance decrease compared to the LSCF electrode at 550 °C. A distribution of relaxation times analysis sheds light on the electrochemical mechanisms impacted by PrOx.
Adjusting the lens on the spectrum through a developmental, individual-difference, relationship-based model: A developmental, parent-mediated, play-based intervention

Abstract This chapter describes an intervention for individuals with autistic spectrum disorder through the lens of the Developmental, Individual-difference, Relationship-based model. The core components of the model are described with particular attention to the play-based, self-regulatory, and parent-mediated features. The model is comprehensive and interprofessional in scope and historically was one of the first to embrace a play-based approach and to promote parent–child interaction and parent coaching.
No place like home: A national study on firearm-related injuries in the American household

Abstract Background We aimed to examine the prevalence of, and describe factors associated with, firearm-related injuries in American households. Methods Using the 2010–2016 ACS-TQIP database, all ICD-9/10 external causes of injury for firearm-related injuries were queried with the place of occurrence designated as “home”. Causes of injury were identified as assault, intentional self-injury, and unintentional injury. Univariate then multivariable regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with each injury type. Results 12,657 firearm-related injuries in households were identified. Of those, 49.9% were victims of assault, 35.7% were intentional self-injury, and 14.4% were unintentional. Mortality was highest among self-inflicted injuries (52.4%), followed by assault (12.9%), and unintentional injuries (5.9%). On multivariable analysis, age 65 years, White race, psychiatric illness, and alcohol use disorder were independently associated with intentional self-injury. White and American-Indian race were independently associated with unintentional injuries. Conclusions Assault is the most common cause of home-related firearm injury requiring hospitalization, while intentional self-injury is the most lethal.
Digital childcare: need of the hour for international student mothers

Changing dynamics of society along with the evolution of technology require us to accept and embrace the benefits and applications of using digital technology in everyday life. Many international student mothers seek help from digital technology and media for engaging their children so that they can complete their tasks, despite disadvantages associated with early childhood media exposure. Their choice of doing so lies in the lack of affordable and reliable childcare options available to them as an unemployed student, balancing time constraints, as well as cultural, social and academic expectations. My research seeks to explore the use of digital technology and media as childcare assistant, and contributes towards designing safe, affordable and productive digital media applications which can act as a childcare assistant for international student mothers.
Collision-induced dissociation of [UO 2 (NO 3 ) 3 ] - and [UO 2 (NO 3 ) 2 (O 2 )] - and reactions of product ions with H 2 O and O 2

Electrospray ionization (ESI) can produce a wide range of gas-phase uranyl (UO2 2+ ) complexes for tandem mass spectrometry studies of intrinsic structure and reactivity. We describe here the formation and collision-induced dissociation (CID) of [UO2 (NO3 )3 ]- and [UO2 (NO3 )2 (O2 )]- . Multiple-stage CID experiments reveal that the complexes dissociate in reactions that involve elimination of O2 , NO2 , or NO3 , and subsequent reactions of interesting uranyl-oxo product ions with (neutral) H2 O and/or O2 were investigated. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reproduce experimental results and show that dissociation of nitrate ligands, with ejection of neutral NO2 , is favored for both [UO2 (NO3 )3 ]- and [UO2 (NO3 )2 (O2 )]- . DFT calculations also suggest that H2 O adducts to products such as [UO2 (O)(NO3 )]- spontaneously rearrange to create dihydroxides and that addition of O2 is favored over addition of H2 O to formally U(V) species.