cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of cognitive apprenticeship in learning science in a virtual world

This article extends the discussion started by Margaret Beier, Leslie Miller, and Shu Wang’s (2012) paper, Science games and the development of possible selves. In this paper, I suggest that a theoretical framework based on a sociocultural theory of learning is critical in learning in a virtual environment. I will discuss relevant research on the application of various components of the sociocultural perspective of learning in classroom environments and the potential for applying them in virtual worlds. I propose that research in science education should explore the processes underlying cognitive apprenticeship and determine how these processes can be used in virtual environments to help students learn science successfully.
The APS X-ray undulator photon beam position monitor and tests at CHESS and NSLS

Abstract The advent of third generation synchrotron radiation sources, like the Advanced Photon Source (APS), will provide significant increases in brilliance over existing synchrotron sources. The APS X-ray undulators will increase the brilliance in the 3–40 keV range by several orders of magnitude. Thus, the design of the photon beam position monitor is a challenging engineering task. The beam position monitors must withstand the high thermal load, be able to achieve submicron spatial resolution while maintaining their stability, and be compatible with both undulators and wigglers. A preliminary APS prototype photon beam position monitor consisting of a CVD-diamond-based, tungsten-coated blade was tested on the APS/CHESS undulator at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Radiation Source (CHESS) and on the NSLS X-13 undulator beamline. Results from these tests, as well as the design of this prototype APS photon beam position monitor, will be discussed in this paper.
Advances in Optics and Photonics First Impact Factor 9688: Editorial

Advances in Optics and Photonics Editor-in-Chief, Govind Agrawal, announces the Journal’s first Impact Factor.
Computational fluid dynamics simulation of virtual impactor performance: Comparison to experiment

Abstract Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed on a slit virtual impactor (SVI). A full-section planar model of the critical zone (nozzle) was constructed based on the measured values of geometrical dimensions of the SVI. Simulation was performed for a flow rate of 20.33 SCFH (standard cubic feet per hour) that corresponded to a Reynolds number value of 448 in the experiment. Impactor efficiency curve was computed and compared to experimental data. Details of internal wall losses were characterized and the wall loss curve was generated. Performance characteristics obtained from simulation results are in good agreement to the observed experimental trend over the complete range of Stokes numbers and the exact value of the cut-point Stokes number. Tracks for lower Stokes number particles faithfully reproduce the trend observed in the experiment, namely the regional demarcation of particle origin in the inlet nozzle, based on their final destination. Further, the effect of crossing trajectories that was visualized in the experiment for higher Stokes number particles of value of ~ 50 was captured. Additional details from the simulation results indicated that the onset of effect of crossing trajectories occurred for particles larger than a Stokes number of 6 and the collection efficiency for the above device was nearly unity over a wide range of Stokes number (Stk ~ 2 to 125) values.
Superficial temporal to middle cerebral artery anastomosis. Clinical outcome in patients with ischemia of infarction in internal carotid artery distribution.

• The clinical outcome of our first 40 patients (six with transient ischemic attacks, 22 with mild ischemic infarctions, and 12 with moderate ischemic infarctions) treated with a superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery anastomosis was analyzed. All cerebral ischemias or infarctions occurred in the internal carotid artery distribution. An independent neurologist observer recorded the patient's preoperative and postoperative medical and neurological histories and objective neurological findings. There was no operative mortality. During the period of observation (up to 36 months), four patients died of probable myocardial infarction. No patient suffered from recurrent cerebral infarction. Three patients experienced a single ischemic event postoperatively. Neurological deficits were either unchanged (21 patients) or improved (19 patients). Postoperative angiograms showed patency in 97% of the anastomoses.
The Post-Graduation Attrition of Engineering Students: An Exploratory Study on Influential Career Choice Factors

Attrition issues with undergraduate engineering students, while concerning, are well documented. However, little research has explored post-graduation attrition. U.S. Department of Labor statistics suggest that as many as 45 percent of workers with engineering degrees are not employed in engineering jobs. As China and India increasingly compete with the U.S. in the production of engineers and enrollment in U.S. engineering programs continues to lag behind other four-year degrees, training a consistent number of quality engineers is a critical issue for the American workforce. Anecdotal evidence of problematic post-graduation attrition—that is, attrition related to controllable factors in students’ educational experiences that push them away from engineering careers, as opposed to attrition of students who wish to creatively apply their skills in other occupations—coupled with the need for engineers in the workforce motivated this research. This study investigated the post-graduation plans of senior level mechanical engineering students at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Over the course of one year, two surveys were administered to 169 students, a mix of graduating seniors and students in a Senior Capstone Project course. Students were classified into four groups based on their post-graduation plans: 1. Pursuers (35% of total sample): students pursuing an engineering career immediately after graduation without reservations or plans to leave the field in the future. 2. Returners (22% of total sample): students not pursuing an engineering career immediately after graduation but with plans for an engineering career in the future. 3. Pursuers with Reservations (34% of total sample): students pursuing an engineering career immediately after graduation who currently had reservations about their career choice and/or planned to leave the field in the future. 4. Leavers (9% of total sample): students not pursuing an engineering career immediately after graduation with no plans for an engineering career in the future. The results indicated that 65% of the sample had, at least, some reservations about pursuing an engineering career. Results also suggested five factors that may influence post-graduation attrition: 1. Feeling prepared to pursue an engineering career, 2. Internship experiences, 3. Senior Capstone Project course experiences, 4. Satisfaction with the quality of instruction in the engineering program, and 5. Career values related to financial rewards and enjoying co-workers.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Improved HMM training and scoring strategies with application to accent classification

We propose two methods to improve HMM speech recognition performance. The first method employs an adjustment in the training stage, whereas the second method employs it in the scoring stage. It is well known that a speech recognition system performance increases when the amount of labeled training data is large. However, due to factors such as inaccurate phonetic labeling, end-point detection, and voiced-unvoiced decisions, the labeling procedure can be prone to errors. We propose a selective hidden Markov model (HMM) training procedure in order to reduce the adverse influence of atypical training data on the generated models. To demonstrate its usefulness, selective training is applied to the problem of accent classification, resulting in a 9.4% improvement in classification error rate. The second goal is to improve HMM scoring performance. The objective of HMM training algorithms is to maximize the probability over the training tokens for each model. However, this does not guarantee a minimized error rate across the entire model set. Typically, biases in the confusion matrices can be observed. We propose a method for estimating the bias from input training data, and incorporating it into the general scoring algorithm. Using this technique, a 9.8% improvement is achieved in accent classification error rate.
Identifying plant species with root associated bacteria that promote nitrification and denitrification in ecological treatment systems

Plant-based systems, such as wetlands and other ecological treatment systems, are promising, sustainable alternatives to conventional wastewater treatment. One of the biggest drawbacks of these systems when compared with conventional wastewater treatment systems is a large land area requirement; thus greater efficiency is needed to reduce land requirements and consequent costs. This research identified plant species that promote greater nitrogen removal, and whose use could lead to increased efficiency of ecological treatment systems. Potential nitrification and denitrification rates of bacteria associated with the roots of herbaceous species (Cyperus papyrus, Colocasia esculentus), and woody species (Hibiscus moscheutus and Salix nigra) were measured in the lab. Potential nitrification rates were determined from the rate of NO 3 − accumulation in microcosms containing wastewater and live plants. Potential denitrification was measured using the acetylene inhibition technique on microcosm incubations of filtered wastewater and plant roots. Significantly more NO 3 − (mg 1−1 hr−1) was produced by bacteria associated with S. nigra and C. papyrus roots than in microcosms containing only wastewater, or H. moscheutus, (P < 0.001). Potential denitrification rates were significantly greater in H. moscheutos and S. nigra root microcosms than in C. esculentus and C. papyrus root microcosms on dry weight, wet weight and root area bases (P < 0.001). These results demonstrate that the efficiency of ecological treatment systems treating wastewater high in NH 4 + would be improved with a mix of herbaceous and woody species, whereas wastewater high in NO 3 − would be most efficiently treated with woody species. Thus, a diversity of species is needed to optimize ecological treatment system function.
Materials Science in General Chemistry for Freshman Engineering Majors

The College of Engineering at the University of Alabama is a member of the Foundation Coalition. We have created a new freshman engineering curriculum that integrates subject matter from calculus, chemistry, physics and general engineering studies courses. To motivate the study of chemistry, materials science themes were incorporated into the general chemistry course sequence.
Is the Brain an Effective Computer

The main feature of conventional information processing systems is that they are programmable. There are also systems in nature which process information but with which it is not possible to communicate in this sense. In particular this is true for molecular automata. The evolutionary properties of such systems differ dramatically from those of conventional computers. These differences have phylogenetic and (possibly ontogenetic) implications for the mechanism of brain function.
Assessment of collateral flow in patients with cerebrovascular disorders

The ability to maintain cerebral parenchymal perfusion during states of acute or chronic ischemic insult depends largely on the capacity of the cerebral collateral circulation. Perfusion techniques, including perfusion-CT and arterial spin labeling, may not only describe the overall status of the collateral network, but can also quantify the pathophysiologic collateral reserve, which is occult to conventional imaging techniques. The following review details advanced imaging modalities capable of resolving pathophysiologic collateral circulation in a functional and dynamic manner, with regards to the evaluation of both acute ischemic penumbra and chronic cerebral vascular reserve. Specifically, the applications of perfusion-CT, arterial spin labeling MRI techniques, and transcranial Doppler are reviewed in the context of collateral circulation with emphasis on perfusion techniques and proposed clinical utility.
Electronic media, violence, and adolescents: an emerging public health problem

Adolescents' access to and use of new media technology (e.g., cell phone, personal data assistant, computer for Internet access) are on the rise, and this explosion of technology brings with it potential benefits and risks. Attention is growing about the risk of adolescents to become victims of aggression perpetrated by peers with new technology. In September 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention convened a panel of experts in technology and youth aggression to examine this specific risk. This special issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health presents the data and recommendations for future directions discussed at the meeting. The articles in the Journal support the argument that electronic aggression is an emerging public health problem in need of additional prevalence and etiological research to support the development and evaluation of effective prevention programs.
The Effect of Moderate Haemodilution with Fluosol-DA or Hespan on the Nonmicrosomal Acetylation of Sulphadimidine in the Rat

The effects of Fluosol-DA (Fluosol) and Hespan haemodilution on the nonmicrosomal acetylation of sulphadimidine were studied in male rats. Fluosol increased the acetylsulphadimidine percent excreted in urine, the metabolic formation rate constant (kf), and the formation clearance (CLF) for 72 h after haemodilution without any significant changes in the sulphadimidine apparent volume of distribution (Vd) or total body clearance (CL). Hespan haemodilution increased the acetylsulphadimidine percent excreted in urine only at 48 h while significantly decreasing the sulphadimidine clearance, urinary excretion rate constant (ku), and renal clearance (CLR) for 72 h. The enhanced N-acetyltransferase activity after Fluosol haemodilution may have therapeutic consequences for concomitantly given drugs metabolized by this enzyme.
Functional analysis and molecular model of the human urate transporter/channel, hUAT.

Recombinant protein, designated hUAT, the human homologue of the rat urate transporter/channel (UAT), functions as a highly selective urate channel in lipid bilayers. Functional analysis indicates that hUAT activity, like UAT, is selectively blocked by oxonate from its cytosolic side, whereas pyrazinoate and adenosine selectively block from the channel's extracellular face. Importantly, hUAT is a galectin, a protein with two β-galactoside binding domains that bind lactose. Lactose significantly increased hUAT open probability but only when added to the channel's extracellular side. This effect on open probability was mimicked by glucose, but not ribose, suggesting a role for extracellular glucose in regulating hUAT channel activity. These functional observations support a four-transmembrane-domain structural model of hUAT, as previously predicted from the primary structure of UAT. hUAT and UAT, however, are not functionally identical: hUAT has a significantly lower single-channel conductance and open probability is voltage independent. These differences suggest that evolutionary changes in specific amino acids in these highly homologous proteins are functionally relevant in defining these biophysical properties.
RAD51AP2, a novel vertebrate- and meiotic-specific protein, shares a conserved RAD51-interacting C-terminal domain with RAD51AP1/PIR51

Many interacting proteins regulate and/or assist the activities of RAD51, a recombinase which plays a critical role in both DNA repair and meiotic recombination. Yeast two-hybrid screening of a human testis cDNA library revealed a new protein, RAD51AP2 (RAD51 Associated Protein 2), that interacts strongly with RAD51. A full-length cDNA clone predicts a novel vertebrate-specific protein of 1159 residues, and the RAD51AP2 transcript was observed only in meiotic tissue (i.e. adult testis and fetal ovary), suggesting a meiotic-specific function for RAD51AP2. In HEK293 cells the interaction of RAD51 with an ectopically-expressed recombinant large fragment of RAD51AP2 requires the C-terminal 57 residues of RAD51AP2. This RAD51-binding region shows 81% homology to the C-terminus of RAD51AP1/PIR51, an otherwise totally unrelated RAD51-binding partner that is ubiquitously expressed. Analyses using truncations and point mutations in both RAD51AP1 and RAD51AP2 demonstrate that these proteins use the same structural motif for RAD51 binding. RAD54 shares some homology with this RAD51-binding motif, but this homologous region plays only an accessory role to the adjacent main RAD51-interacting region, which has been narrowed here to 40 amino acids. A novel protein, RAD51AP2, has been discovered that interacts with RAD51 through a C-terminal motif also present in RAD51AP1.
Bcl6 and Blimp-1 are reciprocal and antagonistic regulators of T follicular helper cell differentiation.

Effective B cell–mediated immunity and antibody responses often require help from CD4+ T cells. It is thought that a distinct CD4+ effector T cell subset, called T follicular helper cells (TFH), provides this help; however, the molecular requirements for TFH differentiation are unknown. We found that expression of the transcription factor Bcl6 in CD4+ T cells is both necessary and sufficient for in vivo TFH differentiation and T cell help to B cells in mice. In contrast, the transcription factor Blimp-1, an antagonist of Bcl6, inhibits TFH differentiation and help, thereby preventing B cell germinal center and antibody responses. These findings demonstrate that TFH cells are required for proper B cell responses in vivo and that Bcl6 and Blimp-1 play central but opposing roles in TFH differentiation.
Finding Jobs in Political Science: 1996 Placement Candidates Report on Their Employment Search and Outcomes

CPST web site (www.nextwave.org/ surveyl3.htm). The major APSA activity for this collaborative project was a survey of the doctoral graduates in political science who were looking for jobs in 1996. This essay discusses data collected from respondents to the survey. These data provide the first direct account by political science placement candidates of their job search experiences and their evaluation of the resources they used in seeking employment. Their experiences, augmented by comments on what was and would be useful in the
Thermal performance of FC M BGA: Exposed molded die compared to lidded package

Thermal resistance data were collected using two different style flip chip ball grid array (FCBGA) packages; one with an exposed molded die and a second with a lid. Eleven different heat sink designs and two different thermal interface materials (TIM) were tested to quantify the thermal interaction between heat sink size, base material and TIM resistance as a function of package style. Package style and TIM material did not appreciably change the total thermal resistance (less than 10%) for small heat sinks 50mm × 50mm smaller. The exposed molded die package thermal resistance was 14% smaller than the lidded package when tested with a heat pipe heat sink. An understanding of the long term performance impact of TIM II degradation was investigated using conduction based models. Lidded style packages may increase safety margin when TIM II materials experience pump-out, dry-out or voiding.
Institutional Elder Care in China

The authors begin with conceptual issues surrounding institutional care and offer a working definition for the discussion in this chapter. The development of institutional care is reviewed by placing it within the context of Chinese elder care system including family support and social provisions. Elder care institutions in Nanjing and Tianjin and their residents are profiled to provide specific examples. Empirical data from a survey conducted in Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu province, are used to examine the willingness of elderly Chinese for institutional care. Implications of the findings are discussed and policy recommendations are made.
Abstract 19829: PKIalpha Modulates Adrenergic Signaling in Cardiac Physiology and Pathophysiology

Introduction: Protein kinase inhibitor peptide α (PKIα) isoforms are abundantly expressed endogenous inhibitors of PKA in the heart. The physiological and pathophysiological relevance of PKIα has not been studied. Hypothesis: PKIα is an endogenous regulator of β-adrenergic response in normal and post-myocardial infarction (MI) hearts. Methods: PKIα knockout (KO) and c57bl/6 control (CTR) mice were used to test if PKIα affected cardiac β-adrenergic response and if played a role in post-MI hearts. Results: Protein abundance of PKIα, but not the other PKI isoforms (PKIβ and PKIγ), was significantly increased in failing human and post-MI mouse ventricles compared to in control ventricles. The loss of PKIα in mice did not affect the expression of the other two PKI isoforms. Nor did it change the expression of PKA regulatory and catalytic subunits. In vivo cardiac function was evaluated by conventional echocardiography (ECHO) in PKIα KO mice did not show alterations in basal cardiac morphology, function and life span of mice. However, when in vivo and ex vivo cardiac β-adrenergic response was determined by intra-LV hemodynamic measurements in response to different doses of isoproterenol, the loss of PKIα sensitizes the heart in response to ISO and the maximum dp/dt increases more (by 25%) in KO mice than in control mice. Isolated ventricular myocytes were used to determine cellular responses to β-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol (ISO, 10nM and 100nM). PKI KO myocytes were more sensitive to ISO in that 10nM ISO increased myocyte contraction and Ca2+ transient amplitudes more in KO myocytes. At the ISO concentration of 10-9M, ISO increased more phosphorylation of the Ser16 site (PKA site) on phospholamban. In post-MI animals, the loss of PKIα enhances cardiac function in the short term but in a longer term it caused more myocardial infarction and depression in cardiac function. Conclusions: PKIα may blunt cardiac β-adrenergic responses by antagonizing PKA. This mechanism could be protective to avoid β-adrenergic overstimulation, especially in post-MI patients and animal models.
Income Averaging Can Increase Your Tax Liability

Classroom Capsules serves to convey new insights on familiar topics and to enhance pedagogy through shared teaching experiences. Its format consists primarily of readily understood mathematics capsules which make their impact quickly and effectively. Such tidbits should be nurtured, cultivated, and presented for the benefit of your colleagues elsewhere. Queries, when available, will round out the column and serve to open further dialog on specific items of reader concern. Readers are invited to submit material for consideration to:
Reduction of Climate Sensitivity to Solar Forcing due to Stratospheric Ozone Feedback

AbstractAn accurate assessment of the role of solar variability is a key step toward a proper quantification of natural and anthropogenic climate change. To this end, climate models have been extensively used to quantify the solar contribution to climate variability. However, owing to the large computational cost, the bulk of modeling studies to date have been performed without interactive stratospheric photochemistry: the impact of this simplification on the modeled climate system response to solar forcing remains largely unknown. Here this impact is quantified by comparing the response of two model configurations, with and without interactive ozone chemistry. Using long integrations, robust surface temperature and precipitation responses to an idealized irradiance increase are obtained. Then, it is shown that the inclusion of interactive stratospheric chemistry significantly reduces the surface warming (by about one-third) and the accompanying precipitation response. This behavior is linked to photochem...
Comparison of patients' confidence in office, ambulatory, and home blood pressure measurements as methods of assessing for hypertension.

ObjectiveUncertainty exists when relying on office (clinic) blood pressure (BP) measurements to diagnose hypertension. Home BP monitoring and ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) provide measurements that are more strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. The degree to which patients exhibit uncer
How is lightning initiated in thunderclouds

Maximum electric fields typically measured in thunderclouds (see Table 3.2 of Rakov and Uman (2003) and references therein) are 1–2 × 10 5 V/m (the highest measured value is 4 × 10 5 V/m), which is lower than the expected conventional breakdown field, of the order of 10 6 V/m. Two mechanisms of lightning initiation have been suggested. One relies on the emission of positive streamers from hydrometeors when the electric field exceeds 2.5–9.5 × 10 5 V/m, and the other involves high-energy cosmic ray particles and the runaway breakdown that occurs in a critical field, calculated to be about 10 5 V/m at an altitude of 6 km. Either of these two mechanisms permits, in principle, creation of an ionized region (“lightning seed”) in the cloud that is capable of locally enhancing the electric field at its extremities. Such field enhancement is likely to be the main process leading to the formation (via conventional breakdown) of a hot, self-propagating lightning channel. Conventional breakdown According to the conventional breakdown mechanism, lightning is initiated via the emission of positive corona from the surface of precipitation particles, highly deformed by strong electric fields in the case of raindrops, coupled with some mechanism whereby the electric field is locally enhanced to support the propagation of corona streamers. Positive streamers are much more likely to initiate lightning than negative ones because they can propagate in substantially lower fields. The most detailed hypothetical scenario of lightning initiation via conventional breakdown is described by Griffiths and Phelps (1976b), who consider a system of positive streamers developing from a point on a hydrometeor where the electric field exceeds the corona onset value of 2.5–9.5 × 10 5 V/m (2.5–9.5 kV/cm). The developing streamers are assumed to form a conical volume that grows longitudinally. The ambient electric field in the thundercloud required to support the propagation of corona streamers, E 0 , was found by Griffiths and Phelps (1976a) from laboratory experiments to be 1.5 × 10 5 V/m (1.5 kV/cm) at about 6.5 km and 2.5 × 10 5 V/m (2.5 kV/cm) at about 3.5 km. If the ambient electric field is higher than E 0 , the streamer system will intensify, carrying an increasing amount of positive charge on the propagating base of the cone, which simulates the positive streamer tips, and depositing an equally increasing amount of negative charge in the conical volume which represents the trails of the positive streamers.
Normal Variants in Echocardiography

Echocardiography is a powerful and convenient tool used routinely in the cardiac evaluation of many patients. Improved resolution and visualization of cardiac anatomy has led to the discovery of many normal variant structures that have no known pathologic consequence. Importantly, these findings may masquerade as pathology prompting unnecessary further evaluation at the expense of anxiety, cost, or potential harm. This review provides an updated and comprehensive collection of normal anatomic variants on both transthoracic and transesophageal imaging.
Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the urethra/Cowper's gland with concurrent high-grade prostatic adenocarcinoma: a detailed clinicopathologic case report and review of the literature

Primary adenoid cystic carcinoma of the urethra is uncommon with only 9 cases reported in the medical literature; all tumors arose from Cowper's glands. Herein, we report the histological features and immunohistochemical characteristics of 1 patient with primary adenoid cystic carcinoma involving the entire posterior urethra, prostate gland, corpus spongiosum, corpora cavernosa, urogenital diaphragm, perianal soft tissue, and muscularis propria layer of rectum. We also review other published cases to evaluate the prognosis and treatment.
Classification of Thymic Epithelial Neoplasms

Thymomas are tumors of thymic epithelial cells, with a variable admixture of lymphocytes. Traditional classifications have stratified thymomas by the relative proportions of lymphocytes and epithelial cells, with or without taking into account the shape of the epithelial cells (polygonal or spindle cell) (Table 1) (1–6). There are several difficulties with this approach. First, it attempts to be quantitative, yet it is in fact subjective. Second, the proportion of lymphocytes and epithelial cells often varies from one area to another in the same tumor. Finally, although some studies using these methods have shown that “epithelial-rich” tumors are more aggressive; all observers have agreed that only stage truly predicts outcome for patients with thymoma (Table 2) (7, 8, 5). Based on this experience, Levine and Rosai (4) proposed that thymomas not be classified at all based on histologic criteria, but simply stratified according to invasiveness as benign (noninvasive) and malignant (invasive). The rare cytologically malignant neoplasms of thymic origin were designated, thymic carcinomas (Table 3) (9–12).
Summer Methods in Summer Camps: Teaching Projects WILD, WET, and Learning Tree at an Outdoor Environmental Education Center

Elementary and secondary science preservice teachers teach environmental education (EE) to summer camp children during their first science methods course. Local children in grades K-6 attend a week-long, summer day-camp at the university’s outdoor EE education center. Preservice teachers receive training in the use of the environmental curricula including Projects WILD, WET, and Learning Tree, from a Cooperative Extension Specialist. Information on the development of these curricula is also presented. Preservice teachers collaborate with the camp director and staff to plan and coteach lessons from these environmental curricula to rotating groups of campers. A typical day at the camp is described. Elementary preservice teachers report in written journals an increase in their confidence and abilities to teach environmental science and its related interdisciplinary subjects in the outdoors.
Control of Muscle Metabolism by the Mediator Complex

Exercise represents an energetic challenge to whole-body homeostasis. In skeletal muscle, exercise activates a variety of signaling pathways that culminate in the nucleus to regulate genes involved in metabolism and contractility; however, much remains to be learned about the transcriptional effectors of exercise. Mediator is a multiprotein complex that links signal-dependent transcription factors and other transcriptional regulators with the basal transcriptional machinery, thereby serving as a transcriptional "hub." In this article, we discuss recent studies highlighting the role of Mediator subunits in metabolic regulation and glucose metabolism, as well as exercise responsiveness. Elucidation of the roles of Mediator subunits in metabolic control has revealed new mechanisms and molecular targets for the modulation of metabolism and metabolic disorders.
Proshares Hedge Replication ETF

At the start of 2014, Joanne Hill was preparing to present at a conference focused on alternative investments for financial advisers. Exhibit 1 provides selected slides from the presentation. Hill wants to showcase how Hedge Replication ETF (HDG) provided an exposure to hedge funds at low fees, with full transparency and providing daily liquidity. But she had to overcome some resistance in the audience because most hedge fund strategies had underperformed the overall stock market in recent years. Could 2014 be a comeback year for hedge fund strategies? Excerpt UVA-F-1714 Feb. 19, 2015 ProShares Hedge Replication ETF At the start of 2014, Joanne Hill was preparing to present at a conference focused on alternative investments for financial advisers. As ‎head of institutional investment strategy at ProShares, Hill had been part of the research and development team behind the firm's lineup of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). ProShares was a leader in packaging liquid alternative strategies in ETFs, using combinations of securities and derivatives products. Hill's presentation on that day was titled “Hedge Fund Replication: A Closer Look,” and it was focused on one of ProShares's liquid alternative strategy products: the Hedge Replication ETF (HDG). Exhibit 1 provides selected slides from the presentation, which can also be watched online. Hill wanted to showcase how HDG provided an exposure to hedge funds at low fees, with full transparency and providing daily liquidity. But she had to overcome some resistance in the audience because most hedge fund strategies had underperformed the overall stock market in recent years. For example, HDG's return had been 4.4% in 2013 (with volatility of 4.8%), while the S&P 500 index had returned 32.4% over the same period (with 11% volatility). Could 2014 be a comeback year for hedge fund strategies? ProShares: The Alternative ETF Company ProShares, based in Bethesda, Maryland, had established itself as the world's largest manager of short and leveraged exchange-traded funds, which the firm labeled as “geared” ETFs. Its affiliate, ProFunds, was founded in 1997, offering leveraged and inverse mutual funds across a range of equity and bond indexes. In 2006, ProShares introduced geared ETFs, the first of their kind ever offered. These geared ETFs sought to deliver multiples of the performance of the index or benchmark they tracked. Ultra (or leveraged) ETFs had daily objectives to produce 2× or 3× the daily return of an index. Short (or inverse) ETFs sought to deliver −1×, −2×, or −3× daily exposures and were designed to go up when market indices went down and vice versa. To accomplish their objectives, geared ETFs used collateralized positions in swaps, futures contracts, and other derivative instruments. Some ProShares ETFs tracked broad equity indices, some were sector specific, and still others were linked to bond, commodity, and currency indexes. These ETFs could be purchased and sold like stocks and allowed investors to take hedging and speculative positions without directly using any derivatives. . . .
Mechanistic study of the role of Au, Pd and Au–Pd in the surface reactions of ethanol over TiO2 in the dark and under photo-excitation

In situ infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and catalytic reactions are employed to explore the photo-oxidation and photo-reforming of ethanol over TiO2 and M/TiO2 (M = Au, Pd and Au–Pd) catalysts. The effect of metal loadings (in mono- and bimetallic systems), the presence and absence of gas phase oxygen and the role of water are investigated. TEM images of the Au–Pd/TiO2 sample indicate that the mean Au particle size is 3.6 nm while that of Pd is 1.4 nm. Reaction intermediates on the surface during photo-oxidation of ethanol include carbon monoxide, acetaldehyde, acetate, formate and carbonate/bicarbonate species. The extent of formation and stability of adsorbed acetaldehyde, generated by dehydrogenation of ethanol, are in the order Au–Pd/TiO2 > Pd/TiO2 > Au/TiO2 > TiO2. Carboxylates predominantly appeared on all catalysts, while carbon monoxide (under inert flow) and carbonates/bicarbonates (under an O2 environment) are specifically produced on catalysts containing higher loading of Pd in both mono- and bimetallic systems. During photo-catalytic hydrogen production in the presence of ethanol/water at a light flux of 4–5 mW cm−2 (excitation energy = 3.44 eV), a maximum hydrogen production rate of 2.0 × 10−4 mol min−1 gcatalyst−1 is obtained with the Au–Pd/TiO2 catalyst (higher than those on its monometallic counterparts). The presence of Au in the bimetallic catalysts kept Pd in its metallic state as evidenced from UV-vis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies due to the enhanced carrier dynamics, facilitating charge transfer from Au to Pd, generating more hydrogen. The turnover frequency (TOF) per metal atom increases in the case of Au–Pd/TiO2 when compared to those of the monometallic catalysts (Au/TiO2 and Pd/TiO2 at similar loadings). In addition to hydrogen, during the initial period of the photo-reaction, acetaldehyde (in both the gas and dissolved phases) and methane (in the gas phase) are produced, suggesting that ethanol in aqueous solution reacted through dehydrogenation as well as C–C bond cleavage pathways. As the reaction proceeds, carbon dioxide is released following the same trend as that of methane. Results from this study are discussed in order to provide a comprehensive reaction network needed to understand the key parameters behind the photo-catalytic reaction on metal/semiconductor materials.
More on the Bergman and Szegő Kernels

We build here on the introductory material in Chapter 5 Key topics are the Szegő and Poisson-Szegő kernels, Aronszajn theory, constructions of the Bergman kernel, and various forms of the Bergman space.
VRInsole: An unobtrusive and immersive mobility training system for stroke rehabilitation

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term impairment, causing a fatality if not act upon in time. Home-based post-stroke rehabilitation plays an important role in helping patients to regain normal mobility and functionality at their residence. However, existing home-based rehabilitation approaches fail to effectively motivate patients on frequent engagement with exercise to achieve the intended outcome. In this paper, we develop VRInsole, a synthetical solution combining a Smart Insole footwear sensor and virtual reality (VR), targeting lower extremity mobility training in an immersive environment for stroke rehabilitation. Specifically, the motion information collected from the Smart Insole serve as the input for the VR to perform corresponding exercise animations. To prove the feasibility of VRInsole, an experiment is conducted on the recognition of lower extremity motion direction, which achieves an average accuracy of 93.9%.
Role of Heteroatoms in S,N-Codoped Nanoporous Carbon Materials in CO2 (Photo)electrochemical Reduction

Thiourea-modified wood-based activated carbon materials were evaluated as catalysts for the CO2 electrochemical reduction reaction (CO2 ERR). The materials obtained at 950 °C showed long-term stability. The results indicated that thiophenic sulfur provides the catalytic activity for CO formation. However, it was not as active for CH4 formation as was pyridinic N. Tafel plots suggested that the nanoporous structure enhanced the kinetics for CO2 reduction. The electric conductivity limited the activity for CO2 ERR in the materials modified at 600, 800, and 900 °C. The effect of visible light on CO2 ERR was also investigated in this study. Upon irradiation, photocurrent was generated, and the current density increased during the CO2 reduction process. Combined with a band-gap alignment, the results indicate that thiophenic S in the carbon matrix contributed to the sample's photoactivity in visible light. These species enhance the overall reduction process, promoting both the hydrogen evolution reaction and CO2 reduction to CO.
Long Tailed Distributions

By “long tailed distributions” ([2], Chapter 10) we mean that we have different classes of customers, with one class of customer taking a long time in a server. We will consider only two classes of customer: (1) normal, or those who take a regular, or normal, time in a server; and (2) long, or those who usually take a much longer time in a server. The long tailed distribution relates to the fact that there is a positive probability that a customer will take a long time in the server. We will model this situation as having two different arrival rates, one for the “normal” customers and another for those who take a long time in the servers. Also, there will be two different service rates. The results will depend on whether we are using fuzzy probabilities or fuzzy arrival/service rates.
Sharpen your bargaining skills.

As the health-care revolution continues, bargaining skills have become more crucial for doctors than ever before. If you want your practice to thrive, you must regularly negotiate with colleagues, practice administrators, allied health professionals, managed-care plans, business groups, hospitals, and the government. Yet medical schools and residency programs devote little if any time to negotiating skills. The "golden days," when physicians could afford to be mavericks, are over. Doctors must develop a new collaborative outlook to be successful and happy in their careers, says Leonard J. Marcus, Ph.D., lead author of the book "Renegotiating Health Care: Resolving conflict to Build Collaboration." He and his co-authors often conduct seminars for health professionals on improving bargaining skills. The following excerpt concerns the role of conflict in negotiation, and how to resolve it.
Applications of Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Stroke Diagnosis and Treatment

The availability of imaging technologies to detect the extent of ischemic strokes and associated perfusion deficits shortly after onset would provide a valuable adjunct to the design and execution of therapeutic trials. While computerized tomographic (CT) scanning and standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain provided major advances in the clinician’s capability to assess stroke patients, neither of these imaging modalities can disclose the location or size of focal ischemic brain insults during the critical first few hours after onset. With CT scans, almost 24 h must elapse before an ischemic stroke can be accurately visualized, while standard T1 and T2 MRI requires approximately 12h for reliable ischemic lesion detection [1,2]. Accumulating evidence suggests that the first 4–6 h after stroke onset is the critical period for successful therapeutic intervention, whether by a thrombolytic or a neuroprotective or a combination approach [3].
A 3.1–10.6-GHz 57-Bands CMOS Frequency Synthesizer for UWB-Based Cognitive Radios

An ultra-wideband (UWB)-based cognitive radio (CR) is a promising technique to utilize 3.1–10.6-GHz band efficiently for high data-rate short-range wireless connectivity even in overcrowdedness of the frequency spectrum. Frequency synthesizers tailored to the UWB-based CR should provide wide lock range, multiple frequency bands, and low in-band spurs while consuming low power. This paper investigates a low power, wide lock range, integer-N frequency synthesizer approach with 132-MHz frequency step and 57 subbands in the UWB band. Two-stage supply regulated differential ring oscillator provides linear and wide tuning range with voltage controlled oscillator gain of 22.5 GHz/V and low supply-noise sensitivity. A modular true-single-phase-clock programmable divider achieves wide operating frequency range of 0.1–6.5 GHz and power efficiency of 6.25 GHz/mW by compensating leakage current at the dynamic nodes with conditional latches. Replica-based digital calibration reduces the current mismatch of the charge pump to <1% for low in-band reference spurs of <−60 dBc. A frequency synthesizer test chip was fabricated in 65-nm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor technology. The active area of the frequency synthesizer is 0.12 mm2. It achieves <−30-dBc integrated phase noise and enables the UWB-based CR to get bit error rate of <10−3 while consuming <−10.1 mW.
The brain and the US education system: Perpetuation of neuromyths

Misconceptions about the brain and its relation to education are widespread. This can lead to the implementation of ineffective methods and the waste of precious resources. To examine the extent of...
Investigating the Role of Coil Designs and Anatomical Variations in Cerebellar TMS

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique that is used for treating various neurological disorders such as major depressive disorder. TMS has been gaining popularity in the field of neurostimulation of the cerebellum, since the cerebellum is a complex structure connected with almost the entire central nervous system and TMS has promise for non-invasively probing cerebellar function. Recent studies have discovered that the cerebellum plays an important role not only in motor planning and behavior but also in the cognitive domain. However, few studies have explored how different coil designs and anatomical variations affect the effectiveness of cerebellar TMS. Therefore, in this paper, we investigated the effects of cerebellar TMS with different coil designs positioning on several locations. Finite-element modeling was conducted with Figure-8 coil and D-B80 coil. Each coil was positioned in the center, 1 and 3 cm to the left of center of the cerebellum, and all the locations were tangential to the scalp at a distance of 5 mm. Furthermore, 50 MRI derived head models were used in the computer modeling to examine how anatomical variations affect the distribution and intensity of electric field in cerebellar TMS.
A Bi-Directional, Liquid-Spring-Magnetorheological-Fluid-Damper System

The goal of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of a novel fail-safe, bi-directional liquid spring, controllable magnetorheological fluid damper (BDLS-CMRD). This research introduces a device with independently pre-set spring forces in compression and rebound combined with controllable MR fluid damping. The BDLS-CMRD can potentially replace traditional metal spring-damper suspension systems. Bulky and heavy metal spring-damper suspension systems can be upgraded to the smaller and lighter BDLS-CMRD, reducing the mass of vehicle suspensions. In this work, a BDLS-CMRD was designed, fabricated, tested and evaluated in three phases. The first design phase demonstrates the concept of a liquid spring with different spring forces in compression and rebound. The second phase incorporates viscous fluid damping of pure silicone fluid with the first phase BDLS. The final design phase combines a controllable magnetorheological fluid (MRF) damper with the first phase BDLS. This study presents the response of the BDLS-CMRD in a wide range of preloaded conditions and frequencies. Experiments were performed for sinusoidal displacements in the quasistatic and dynamic ranges to evaluate the performance of the BDLS-CMRD under different magnetic fields. The experimental results demonstrate that the device operates with significantly different spring forces from the compression to rebound regions, while providing passive viscous fluid damping or controllable MR fluid damping. This system has successfully demonstrated that the utility of a bi-directional liquid spring can be combined with the reliability of passive viscous fluid damping and the capabilities of controllable MR fluid damping into one compact and versatile device.