cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Into the public square: Explaining the origins of religious interest groups

Abstract In recent years, many new religious interest groups have entered the political process. After describing the extent of this increase, this article assesses how pluralist and exchange theories can explain the origins of these new groups. Pluralists have stressed that groups form in response to disturbances such as economic distress, new technologies, or unfavorable legislation. Critics of pluralism including exchange theorists point to the presence of many disturbances that did not lead to group formation. Instead, exchange theorists argue that individual entrepreneurs must overcome the obstacles to organization by creating profitable exchanges between leaders and individual members. The action of group leaders—not the disturbing conditions—are central to group formation. Contrary to most recent scholarship, I conclude that the pluralist tradition provides the better explanation.
Binaural integration of melodic patterns.

It has been argued that there is a limit to the rate at which we can switch attention between ears in monitoring auditory information. Listeners identified melodic configurations formed by rapid sequences of tones. When these sequences were presented binaurally, excellent performance was obtained. Yet when the component tones of the melody were distributed between the ears, performance was largely nullified when a drone (i.e., a lower constantfrequency tone) was presented to the ear opposite that receiving the melody component. This improvement in performance cannot be attributed to processing the harmonic relationships between melody and drone, since when, instead, the drone was presented to the same ear as the melody component, performance was at chance. Onset-offset asynchronies between the drone and melody components resulted in performance levels between those where the drone and melody components were synchronous and those where the melody switched between ears without an accompanying drone. It is argued that difficulties in binaural integration are due not to processing limitations, but to a mechanism that is invoked under certain conditions to prevent confusion in monitoring individual sound sources.
Electrophysiological and pharmacological correspondence between Kv4.2 current and rat cardiac transient outward current

Objective: The transient outward current ( I TO ) plays an important role in early repolarization and overall time course of the cardiac action potential. At least two K+ channel α-subunits cloned from cardiac tissue (Kv1.4 and Kv4.2) encode rapidly inactivating channels. The goal of this study was to determine functional and pharmacological properties of Kv4.2 expressed in mammalian cells, especially those that would differentiate between both isoforms in comparison to native I TO . Methods: Both Kv4.2 and Kv1.4 isoforms were stably expressed in mouse L-cell lines, and expressed currents were studied using whole-cell voltage clamp techniques. Results: The expressed Kv4.2 currents displayed fast inactivation with a half-inactivation potential of −41 mV. Recovery from inactivation was rapid ( τ recov = 160 ms at −90 mV) and strongly voltage-dependent. Flecainide (10 μM) had minimal effects on Kv1.4 currents, but reduced Kv4.2 peak current by 53% and increased the apparent rate of inactivation consistent with open channel block. Quinidine (10–20 μM) reduced the peak current and accelerated the apparent rate of inactivation in both isoforms. The Kv4.2 current displayed use-dependent unblock in the presence of 4-AP. Conclusions: The functional properties of Kv4.2, especially the flecainide sensitivity, resemble those of I TO in rat (and human) myocytes better than those of Kv1.4. These results provide the necessary functional support for the hypothesis that Kv4.2 is a major isoform contributing to cardiac I TO , consistent with independent biochemical and molecular evidence that indicates that Kv4.2 is readily detected in rat myocytes.
Micro/Nano-CT for Visualization of Internal Structures

Computed tomography (CT) has been commonly used in medicine for assessing the anatomy of humans in conventional computer axial tomography (CAT) scans. It is also a very common tool for assessing the architecture of trabecular bones for diagnosis of conditions such as osteoporosis. More recently, high-resolution CT (micro-CT) has found increasing use in materials science for the evaluation of the internal structure of a variety of advanced materials for industrial applications. Knowledge of the micro-architecture of these materials is extremely important to better understand their performance. Micro-CT is a non-destructive 3D characterization tool that uses X rays to determine the internal structure of objects through imaging of different densities within the scanned object. High-resolution laboratory-based micro-CT or nano-CT provides image resolution on the order of 300 nm. Such high resolution allows one to visualize the internal 3D structure of fine-scale features. The data from micro-CT results in a virtual rendering of the object under investigation, which allows one to travel through the volume in any direction and angle, revealing complex hidden structures within the object. Thus, micro-CT can be an important complementary technique for a microscopy laboratory.
Food quality of gelatinous colonial chlorophytes to the freshwater zooplankters Daphnia pulicaria and Diaptomus oregonensis

SUMMARY 1. The capacities of the gelatinous colonial chlorophytes Pandorina morum and Sphaerocystis schroeteri to sustain survival and reproduction in the calanoid copepod Diaptomus oregonensis and the cladoceran Daphnia pulicaria were evaluated quantitatively. Control groups of animals were fed equivalent biovolumes of Cryptomonas reflexa, which is known to favour high levels of survival and reproduction. 2. On a biovolume basis, all three algae sustained equal survival of Daphnia, but Cryptomonas and Pandorina allowed longer survival of Diaptomus than did Sphaerocystis. 3. Both animals produced significantly more offspring clutch−1 and more total offspring on Cryptomonas than on either chlorophyte. Both animals produced more total offspring on Pandorina than on Sphaerocystis. 4. The interclutch duration for Daphnia was significantly longer on Pandorina than the other algae, and the interclutch duration for Diaptomus was longer on Pandorina than on Cryptomonas. 5. Daphnia utilized the gelatinous chlorophytes more effectively than did Diaptomus.
Injury patterns in children and adolescent skiers

Over 3,500 students from five major high schools in the Seattle metropolitan area were studied as to skiing injuries. Each had skiied an average of 13.3 days. The average age of the group was 13.5 years, the ages ranging from 3 to 19 years. The students 10 years and under had the lowest incidence of injuries, those aged 11 to 14 years had the highest over-all injury rates, and the group 15 years of age and over laid midway between these two groups in injury rate. There was no evidence in the study that the open physis led to a higher incidence of epiphy seal injuries. The knee was more commonly involved than the ankle, and sprains, contusions, and fractures followed in that order as far as injury rates were concerned. The female was more prone to injury than the male. Skiiers with greater ability had fewer injuries than those with less skill in this particular sport.
Heterogeneous organization of the locus coeruleus projections to prefrontal and motor cortices.

The brainstem nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) is the primary source of norepinephrine (NE) to the mammalian neocortex. It is believed to operate as a homogeneous syncytium of transmitter-specific cells that regulate brain function and behavior via an extensive network of axonal projections and global transmitter-mediated modulatory influences on a diverse assembly of neural targets within the CNS. The data presented here challenge this longstanding notion and argue instead for segregated operation of the LC–NE system with respect to the functions of the circuits within its efferent domain. Anatomical, molecular, and electrophysiological approaches were used in conjunction with a rat model to show that LC cells innervating discrete cortical regions are biochemically and electrophysiologically distinct from one another so as to elicit greater release of norepinephrine in prefrontal versus motor cortex. These findings challenge the consensus view of LC as a relatively homogeneous modulator of forebrain activity and have important implications for understanding the impact of the system on the generation and maintenance of adaptive and maladaptive behaviors.
Effects of medial and lateral displacement calcaneal osteotomies on tibiotalar joint contact stresses

Translational calcaneal osteotomies are used clinically to realign the mechanical axis of the lower limb. In this study, the effects of medial and lateral displacements of the posteroinferior fragment on tibiotalar joint contact mechanics were assessed using pressure-sensitive film. Eight osteotomized fresh-frozen cadaver specimens were loaded in each of three testing positions: neutral position (no shift), 1 cm of lateral displacement of the inferior fragment with respect to the superior fragment, and 1 cm of medial displacement of the inferior fragment. For an applied load of 1,330 N, two times body weight, a 1 cm lateral displacement shifted the center of pressure an average of 1.06 mm laterally, whereas a 1 cm medial displacement shifted the center of pressure an average of 1.58 mm medially. While global contact parameters (contact area, spatial mean contact stress, and peak local contact stress) were not appreciably altered by osteotomy, regional contact parameters changed in a reproducible and statistically significant manner. Among four nominally equal-sized, parasagittally bounded cartilage zones, lateral displacements consistently unloaded the most medial zone and increased loading of the most lateral zone; medial calcaneal displacements had the converse effect. These cadaver results suggest that translational calcaneal osteotomies may be used clinically to partially offload focal areas of cartilage along the medial and lateral borders of the tibiotalar joint.
Political Sociological Models of the U.S. New Deal

The U.S. New Deal raises issues of class, race, gender, region, social movements, and institutional constraint in the context of a societal-wide economic and political crisis, and has not surprisingly generated a considerable body of work by political sociologists over the past twenty years. In particular, the New Deal has served as a major empirical context for developing, testing, or applying broader theoretical models of political change in the United States. In this sense, it is a paradigmatic example of the “historical turn” in the social sciences. This paper examines the theoretical and empirical controversies that have persisted between four competing theoretical models of New Deal political change: (a) those emphasizing the importance of social movements from below in generating momentum for political reform, (b) those highlighting the centrality of business influence on successful New Deal reform initiatives, (c) feminist models, and (d) historical institutional models. I then turn to a survey of...
A Signal Transduction Pathway Model Prototype II: Application to Ca2+-Calmodulin Signaling and Myosin Light Chain Phosphorylation

An agonist-initiated Ca2+ signaling model for calmodulin (CaM) coupled to the phosphorylation of myosin light chains was created using a computer-assisted simulation environment. Calmodulin buffering was introduced as a module for directing sequestered CaM to myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) through Ca2+-dependent release from a buffering protein. Using differing simulation conditions, it was discovered that CaM buffering allowed transient production of more Ca2+-CaM-MLCK complex, resulting in elevated myosin light chain phosphorylation compared to nonbuffered control. Second messenger signaling also impacts myosin light chain phosphorylation through the regulation of myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP). A model for MLCP regulation via its regulatory MYPT1 subunit and interaction of the CPI-17 inhibitor protein was assembled that incorporated several protein kinase subsystems including Rho-kinase, protein kinase C (PKC), and constitutive MYPT1 phosphorylation activities. The effects of the different routes of MLCP regulation depend upon the relative concentrations of MLCP compared to CPI-17, and the specific activities of protein kinases such as Rho and PKC. Phosphorylated CPI-17 (CPI-17P) was found to dynamically control activity during agonist stimulation, with the assumption that inhibition by CPI-17P (resulting from PKC activation) is faster than agonist-induced phosphorylation of MYPT1. Simulation results are in accord with literature measurements of MLCP and CPI-17 phosphorylation states during agonist stimulation, validating the predictive capabilities of the system.
PERTURBATION-ENERGY APPROACH FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NONLINEAR EQUATIONS OF SHIP MOTION

A perturbation analysis of the nonlinear coupling between the pitch and roll modes is used to illustrate that an energy approach can be used to advantage in developing the nonlinear equations governing the motion of ships. It is shown that employing Taylor series expansions to determine the loads on the hull of a ship can lead to the physically unrealistic prediction of self-sustained oscillations, unless certain relationships among the nonlinear coefficients are satisfied. It is shown that the simplified equations of motion which result after imposing these relationships can be found directly from an energy formulation of the problem. The energy approach is used to develop the nonlinear equations governing the roll and pitch modes to third order and the equations governing motions having six degrees-of-freedom to second order.
COVARIANCE AND RELAXATION TIME IN FINITE MARKOV CHAINS

retical soffdity of the time reversible case. It does so by examining the structure of the quadratic distance d(t) to ergodicity. It is shown that, for any function f(j) defined for states j, the correlation function p](v) has the bound ]pl(r)] < exp[-0]7 I] and that this inequality is tight. The
Alterations in the Non-Clay-Mineral Fraction of Pelitic Rocks Across the Diagenetic to Low-Grade Metamorphic Transition, Ouachita Mountains, Oklahoma and Arkansas

ABSTRACT The transformation of smectite to illite has been cited by many authors as a source of silica during diagenesis of mudrocks. Illites themselves, however, undergo chemical changes as they recrystallize into micas during high-grade diagenesis/low-grade metamorphism. Average compositions of phyllosilicates from the literature suggest that an equivalent amount of silica is available from transformation of illite to muscovite as from illitization of smectites. The fate of silica released by this process has not been reported, but could be a major contributor to the silt-size quartz population. The quartz and feldspar fraction of pelites from the Stanley Shale (Mississippian) in the Ouachita Mountains of Oklahoma and Arkansas was separated using sodium bisulfate fusions. The mineralogy and the grainsize distribution of this fraction were determined using standard petrographic and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Bulk rock samples were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) methods. The data obtained were related to illite crystallinity and vitrinite reflectance as reported by Guthrie et al. (1986) and Houseknecht and Matthews (1985). Both the percentage of quartz and the mean grain size of the quartz and feldspar fraction increase with greater illite crystallinity values. The growth in quartz is especially apparent in the finest size fractions. A corresponding decrease in the silica content of the clay-mineral fraction is also observed. Development of quartz polycrystallinity occurs across the same interval. Whole-rock chemical abundances show no statistical correlation with thermal maturity. Relative to titanium, both the major-element and the trace-element concentrations show little variation. Rare-earth element ratios do not correlate with thermal maturity and remain essentially constant. Our results are consistent with reported differences between quartz in schists and their shale precursors, and suggest that release of silica during diagenesis of phyllosilicates continues after the smectite-illite transformation. This silica precipitates as quartz within the pelite, consistent with the suggestion by Blatt (1987) that metapelites are the source of abundant silt-size quartz. The lack of whole-rock chemical variation with thermal maturity implies closed-system behavior across much of the pelite-to-metapelite transition.
Description of the General Electric Company's Broadcasting Station at Schenec Tady, New York

After a consideration of the points of similarity and of differ ence of commercial and broadcasting radio telephone transmitters, there are described the pick-up devices, amplifying equipment, transmitters, and control systems of a modem broadcasting station. The factors entering into the operation and performance of such a station are considered.
Layers, decisions, patterns, styles, and architectures

The pattern-composition diagram and the attribute/decision graph summarize an architecture and its rationale, respectively. The paper introduces, defines, and discusses these notations, with an example of a reference architecture for a broad class of real-time systems. The design patterns organizing the infrastructure of the example system would be highly recommended for most large systems today, and are therefore nominated as "foundational architectural patterns".
Reasoning About Institutional Change: Winners, Losers and Support for Electoral Reforms

This study assesses how the mass public reasons about political institutions by examining the effects of winning and losing on support for several electoral reform proposals. The national sample survey identified majorities supporting proposals for major changes in America's electoral institutions, and that suggested electoral losses may have a modest effect in reducing losers' satisfaction with how democracy works. Random assignment experiments that tested hypotheses derived from theories of risk perception were conducted. It was found that people who saw themselves as winners and losers in the electoral arena reasoned differently when proposals for change were framed in terms of loss. Losers may be just slightly more supportive than winners of some electoral reforms; however, they appeared less sensitive than winners to framing effects that presented reform proposals in terms of the risks of loss. Winners may support the same reform proposals but their support for change decreased more when the proposals were framed as a potential loss. Winners are thus risk aversive when evaluating electoral reform proposals, while losers may even be risk seeking. Although this survey found support for major reforms, the patterns of reasoning that were identified in the mass public suggest a basis for the stability of electoral institutions.
Development of the enteric nervous system.

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is required for normal gastrointestinal motility and can function independently from the central nervous system, and alterations in its development result in significant human disorders. Insights into the development of the ENS have been obtained by the application of new approaches in animal models. Such insights have been translated into understanding of the pathophysiology and genetics of congenital disorders of ENS function in humans. This article highlights these recent findings and their application to human disease.
Mapping of brain metabolite distributions by volumetric proton MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI)

Distributions of proton MR-detected metabolites have been mapped throughout the brain in a group of normal subjects using a volumetric MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) acquisition with an interleaved water reference. Data were processed with intensity and spatial normalization to enable voxel-based analysis methods to be applied across a group of subjects. Results demonstrate significant regional, tissue, and gender-dependent variations of brain metabolite concentrations, and variations of these distributions with normal aging. The greatest alteration of metabolites with age was observed for white-matter choline and creatine. An example of the utility of the normative metabolic information is then demonstrated for analysis of data acquired from a subject who suffered a traumatic brain injury. This study demonstrates the ability to obtain proton spectra from a wide region of the brain and to apply fully automated processing methods. The resultant data provide a normative reference for subsequent utilization for studies of brain injury and disease.
Identification of the proximal erythroid promoter region of the mouse anion exchanger gene

The AE1 gene is expressed in erythrocytes and the A-type intercalated cells of the kidney distal collecting duct. Although the 5′ end of the principal transcript expressed in murine erythroid cells has previously been mapped to a cluster of transcription start sites located immediately upstream of exon 1, the 5′ end of the mouse kidney transcript has not been identified. Using the anchored polymerase chain reaction technique to analyze mouse kidney AE1 mRNA, we identified an internal transcription start site located within erythroid intron 3. This site defines an exon of 37 nucleotides that forms the 5′ end of the mouse kidney AE1 transcript. AE1 transcripts beginning at this internal start site could not be detected in RNA isolated from purified erythroid progenitor cells or from erythroid cells undergoing erythropoietin-dependent terminal maturation, although transcripts derived from the upstream site were abundant, indicating that only the upstream promoter is active during erythropoiesis. Transient expression of reporter constructs in erythroid and nonerythroid cell lines identified a proximal upstream region of approximately 135 nucleotides that was active as a basal promoter. However, an additional approximately 200 nucleotides of upstream sequence was required for induced levels of activity in erythroid cells. Although our functional approach does not yet indicate the precise sequences required for erythroid induction, the AE1 gene upstream region contains potential GATA sites at -154, -141, and -60; an E-box at -163; CACCC or GGTGG motifs at -188, -121, and -88; and an AP-1/NF-E2-like site at -42.
Abstract 5605: Differential expression of fatty-acid binding proteins 3 and 5: Role in survival disparity among African-American women with breast cancer

African-American (AA) patients present with more advanced breast cancer and have lower survival at all ages compared with Caucasian-Americans (CA). While AA women have a lower overall breast cancer incidence than CA women, AA women have a higher mortality rate. These differences may be due in part to socioeconomic factors; however emerging evidence suggests that biological factors may also play a role in this health disparity. Altered fatty acid binding protein (FABP) expression has been demonstrated in breast cancer. FABP3 is a protective tumor suppressor that has been shown to inhibit breast cell proliferation, and is downregulated in breast cancer tissues. Levels of FABP3 correspond with mammary differentiation, and reach their height during pregnancy and lactation, in response to very high prolactin expression. Thus, FABP3 is correlated with the protective effect against breast cancer induced by lactation. FABP5, another member of the FABP family, is associated with metastasis and is upregulated in breast cancer tissues. Hence, increased levels of FABP5 may compensate for decreased levels of FABP3. Since FABP3 is associated with decreased breast cell proliferation, and FABP5 is associated with increased proliferation, we reasoned that differential expression of these proteins in breast tissues would correlate with breast cancer incidence and progression. Therefore, we hypothesized that higher incidence of breast cancer is associated with lower FABP3 and consequently, higher FABP5. We analyzed protein and mRNA levels of the FABPs in paired breast tissue samples from AA and CA women by Western blot analysis and RT-PCR. Data was divided into two groups- ages below 50, and ages 50 and above. Protein measurements showed that the ratio of FABP3 to FABP5 levels (FABP ratio) was significantly higher in AA patients below 50 compared to those 50 and older (p=0.059) and compared to age-matched CA patients (p=0.049). FABP3 mRNA levels were significantly higher in AA malignant (AAM) tissues from ages below 50 (p=0.003), and significantly lower in AAM tissues from ages 50 and older (p Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5605. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5605
Evaluation of Some Commercial Media for the Cultivation and Enumeration of Clostridium perfringens from the Chick Intestine

Four commercial media marketed for the detection and enumeration of Clostridium perfringens were found to adequately support the growth of a pure culture (ATCC 13124) of this species but enumeration of colony-forming units was difficult on Clostrisel and lecithin-lactose-agar base (LLA) media. Colonies of C. perfringens on LLA had typical opalescent zones, a distinctive feature that can aid in presumptive identification. Colonies on sulfite-polymyxin-sulfadiazone and tryptose-sulfite-neomycin (TSN) agar media were morphologically similar but black colonies were observed on TSN incubated at 46 C. Extreme difficulty was encountered in enumerating enteric bacteria from the chick intestine on Clostrisel medium because of the pinpoint size of the colonies and on LLA because of the opacity of the medium. Morphological characteristics of bacteria picked from colonies which formed after these media had been inoculated with chick intestinal contents were in sharp contrast to those of the pure culture of C. perfringens. Numbers of colony-forming units were higher than documented levels of C. perfringens in the intestine of chicks. These observations led to the conclusion that these formulations are inadequate for the selective cultivation and enumeration of this bacterial species from the intestine of healthy chicks, unless used in combination with further tests for specific identification.
Characteristics of Side-by-Side Vehicle Crashes and Related Injuries as Determined Using Newspaper Reports from Nine U.S. States

Side-by-side (SxS) vehicles have become increasingly popular, but there are few reports on injury epidemiology. Newspaper reports of SxS and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes were analyzed for nine U.S. states from 2009 to 2011, including comparisons between the two vehicle types. Seventy-nine SxS crashes involving 104 injured victims were identified; three-fourths were males. There was a relatively high percentage of injured passengers (37%), and a higher proportion of female victims were passengers as compared to males (p = 0.015). Children <16 years of age were 44% of those injured and had the highest proportion of both passenger and operator victims as compared to other age groups. Over half of the crashes occurred on roadways; nearly two-fifths occurred at night. As compared to adults, a lower percentage of crashes involving youth were at night (p = 0.0037) but the percentages on roadways were similar. Only one in five roadway SxS crashes involved a collision with a motorized vehicle. Rollovers were the most common mechanism (50%). Two-thirds of victims were ejected, and one-half were struck or pinned by the vehicle. Twenty-eight deaths (27%) were reported. Although most current SxSs have roll bars, lack of safety belt use has likely reduced their benefit. Children should be prohibited from operating SxSs.
The Continuous Newton's Method, Inverse Functions, and Nash-Moser

(2007). The Continuous Newton's Method, Inverse Functions, and Nash-Moser. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 114, No. 5, pp. 432-437.
A Fast All-sky Radiation Model for Solar applications (FARMS): Algorithm and performance evaluation

Abstract Radiative transfer (RT) models simulating broadband solar radiation have been widely used by atmospheric scientists to model solar resources for various energy applications such as operational forecasting. Due to the complexity of solving the RT equation, the computation under cloudy conditions can be extremely time consuming though many approximations (e.g. two-stream approach and delta-M truncation scheme) have been utilized. Thus, a more efficient RT model is crucial for model developers as a new option for approximating solar radiation at the land surface with minimal loss of accuracy. In this study, we developed a fast all-sky radiation model for solar applications (FARMS) using the simplified clear-sky RT model, REST2, and simulated cloud transmittances and reflectances from Rapid Radiation Transfer Model (RRTM) with a sixteen-stream Discrete Ordinates Radiative Transfer (DISORT). Simulated lookup tables (LUTs) of cloud transmittances and reflectances are created by varying cloud optical thicknesses, cloud particle sizes, and solar zenith angles. Equations with optimized parameters are fitted to the cloud transmittances and reflectances to develop the model. The all-sky solar irradiance at the land surface can then be computed rapidly by combining REST2 with the cloud transmittances and reflectances. This new RT model is more than 1000 times faster than those currently utilized in solar resource assessment and forecasting since it does not explicitly solve the RT equation for each individual cloud condition. Our results indicate the accuracy of the fast radiative transfer model is comparable to or better than two-stream approximation in term of computing cloud transmittance and solar radiation.
Direct Observation of Backbone Hydrogen Bonding in the Folding Transition of Chymotrypsin Inhibitor 2 (CI2)

Protein folding is a complex process in which a polypeptide chain is converted to a native structure by multiple non-covalent interactions [1]. The role of side chains in the process of folding is determined by thermodynamic and kinetic analysis using site directed mutagenesis. An intriguing question in protein folding is how the secondary structure is formed during the folding process, and its relationship to the formation of tertiary interactions. In the case of small single domain proteins such as Chymotrypsin Inhibitor 2 (CI2), it has been established through site directed mutagensis and kinetic analysis [2], that both secondary structure and tertiary interactions are present in the transition state ensamble. Since the side chain modifications only indiretly probes secondary structure, the objective of this work is to directly alter the peptide backbone using ester by incorporating α-hydroxy acids into the protein.
Laparoscopic Subxiphoid and Suprapubic Hernia Repair

Subxiphoid and suprapubic hernias pose a difficult challenge as the fascial defects abut bony structures. Additionally, care must be taken during fixation of the mesh for repair in order to avoid viscera and minimize potential long-term pain. Laparoscopy is an effective approach to repair these defects. Thorough knowledge of the anatomy and careful dissection for mesh will minimize complications and allow for a durable hernia repair.
A Mitochondrial-Targeted Nitroxide Is a Potent Inhibitor of Ferroptosis

Discovering compounds and mechanisms for inhibiting ferroptosis, a form of regulated, nonapoptotic cell death, has been of great interest in recent years. In this study, we demonstrate the ability of XJB-5-131, JP4-039, and other nitroxide-based lipid peroxidation mitigators to prevent ferroptotic cell death in HT-1080, BJeLR, and panc-1 cells. Several analogues of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers XJB-5-131 and JP4-039 were synthesized to probe structure–activity relationships and the influence of subcellular localization on the potency of these novel ferroptosis suppressors. Their biological activity correlated well over several orders of magnitude with their structure, relative lipophilicity, and respective enrichment in mitochondria, revealing a critical role of intramitochondrial lipid peroxidation in ferroptosis. These results also suggest that preventing mitochondrial lipid oxidation might offer a viable therapeutic opportunity in ischemia/reperfusion-induced tissue injury, acute kidney ...
Nutrition Considerations for Microbiota Health in Diabetes.

Recently, it has become accepted that the tiny microbial cells harbored by the human gut play a significant role in health and in certain disease states, including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Although many details remain unclear, new technologies have uncovered many of the physiological benefits the human microbiota provides the host. A healthy gut microbiota plays a role in health, but imbalances can become pathological, increasing inflammation and contributing to metabolic dysfunction. Diet plays a significant role in shaping the composition and function of the microbiota. Eating patterns high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes promote the abundance of healthier bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids and other health-promoting metabolites. This article reviews the functions of the microbiota, how it is formed, and nutritional strategies to improve gut health. The human body harbors >100 trillion organisms; these are mostly bacteria, but also include archaea, viruses, parasites, and fungi, which together make up the microbiota (1,2). In the human body, these tiny microbial cells outnumber human cells by 10 to 1 (2–5). The microbiome, which is the collective genome of the microbiota community living in our gut, outnumbers the human genome by 100- to 200-fold (2–5). New nonculture-dependent technologies have led to the identification of 1,000 species and >3 million microbial genes, providing evidence of the symbiotic relationship this “organ” has with the human host (1,2,4). Known functions of the microbiota include degradation of nondigestible polysaccharides, synthesis of vitamins, strengthening of the microvilli, and protection of the host from pathogens by maintaining healthy gut barrier integrity (3,5–7). The gut microbiota is instrumental in the normal development of innate and adaptive immunity (4). The composition of the human gut microbiota is highly individualized, with …
Achieving Differential Privacy in Secure Multiparty Data Aggregation Protocols on Star Networks

We consider the problem of privacy-preserving data aggregation in a star network topology, i.e., several untrusting participants connected to a single aggregator. We require that the participants do not discover each other's data, and the service provider remains oblivious to each participant's individual contribution. Furthermore, the final result is to be published in a differentially private manner, i.e., the result should not reveal the contribution of any single participant to a (possibly external) adversary who knows the contributions of all other participants. In other words, we require a secure multiparty computation protocol that also incorporates a differentially private mechanism. Previous solutions have resorted to caveats such as postulating a trusted dealer to distribute keys to the participants, or introducing additional entities to withhold the decryption key from the aggregator, or relaxing the star topology by allowing pairwise communication amongst the participants. In this paper, we show how to obtain a noisy (differentially private) aggregation result using Shamir secret sharing and additively homomorphic encryption without these mitigating assumptions. More importantly, while we assume semi-honest participants, we allow the aggregator to be stronger than semi-honest, specifically in the sense that he can try to reduce the noise in the differentially private result. To respect the differential privacy requirement, collusions of mutually untrusting entities need to be analyzed differently from traditional secure multiparty computation: It is not sufficient that such collusions do not reveal the data of honest participants; we must also ensure that the colluding entities cannot undermine differential privacy by reducing the amount of noise in the final result. Our protocols avoid this by requiring that no entity -- neither the aggregator nor any participant -- knows how much noise a participant contributes to the final result. We also ensure that if a cheating aggregator tries to influence the noise term in the differentially private output, he can be detected with overwhelming probability.
An OCD perspective of line edge and line width roughness metrology

Metrology of nanoscale patterns poses multiple challenges that range from measurement noise, metrology errors, probe size etc. Optical Metrology has gained a lot of significance in the semiconductor industry due to its fast turn around and reliable accuracy, particularly to monitor in-line process variations. Apart from monitoring critical dimension, thickness of films, there are multiple parameters that can be extracted from Optical Metrology models3. Sidewall angles, material compositions etc., can also be modeled to acceptable accuracy. Line edge and Line Width roughness are much sought of metrology following critical dimension and its uniformity, although there has not been much development in them with optical metrology. Scanning Electron Microscopy is still used as a standard metrology technique for assessment of Line Edge and Line Width roughness. In this work we present an assessment of Optical Metrology and its ability to model roughness from a set of structures with intentional jogs to simulate both Line edge and Line width roughness at multiple amplitudes and frequencies. We also present multiple models to represent roughness and extract relevant parameters from Optical metrology. Another critical aspect of optical metrology setup is correlation of measurement to a complementary technique to calibrate models. In this work, we also present comparison of roughness parameters extracted and measured with variation of image processing conditions on a commercially available CD-SEM tool.
Physiological stability and renal clearance of ultrasmall zwitterionic gold nanoparticles: Ligand length matters

Efficient renal clearance has been observed from ultrasmall zwitterionic glutathione-coated gold nanoparticles (GS-AuNPs), which have broad preclinical applications in cancer diagnosis and kidney functional imaging. However, origin of such efficient renal clearance is still not clear. Herein, we conducted head-to-head comparison on physiological stability and renal clearance of two zwitterionic luminescent AuNPs coated with cysteine and glycine-cysteine (Cys-AuNPs and Gly-Cys-AuNPs), respectively. While both of them exhibited similar surface charges and the same core sizes, additional glycine slightly increased the hydrodynamic diameter of the AuNPs by 0.4 nm but significantly enhanced physiological stability of the AuNPs as well as altered their clearance pathways. These studies indicate that the ligand length, in addition to surface charges and size, also plays a key role in the physiological stability and renal clearance of ultrasmall zwitterionic inorganic NPs.
Circuit Level Design of a Hardware Hash Unit for use in Modern Microprocessors

Modern microprocessors contain several Special Function Units (SFUs) such as specialized arithmetic units, cryptographic processors, etc. In recent times, applications such as cloud computing, web-based search engines, and network applications are widely used, and place new demands on the microprocessor. Hashing is a key algorithm that is extensively used in such applications. Hashing is typically performed in software. Thus, implementing a hardware-based hash unit on a modern microprocessor would potentially increase performance significantly. In this paper, we present the circuit design for a hardware hash unit (HU) for modern microprocessors, using a 45nm technology. Our proposed hardware hash unit is based on the use of a CAM to implement each bin of the hash function. We simulate the HU circuit and compare it with a traditional CAM design. We demonstrate an average power reduction of 5.48x using the HU over the traditional CAM. Also, we show that the HU can operate at a maximum frequency of 1.39 GHz (after accounting for process, voltage and temperature (PVT) variations and accounting for wiring parasitics). Furthermore, we present the delay, power and area trade-offs of the HU design with varying hash table sizes.
Hungry Bengal: war, famine and the end of empire

This monograph presents a detailed narrative of the history of Bengal presidency in colonial India during World War II and through 1946. The book focuses on the events that led to the Bengal famine...
Serendipitous solution to the problem of culturing Arabidopsis plants in sealed containers for spaceflights of long duration

The Arabidopsis thaliana plant species is tested to determine how a higher plant will develop from seed to maturity when deprived of all gravitational information that it might use to control its growth. Experimental results show that Arabidopsis seedlings can develop to maturity by means of a light-dependent but CO2-independent metabolism that feeds on organic compounds derived from the culture medium. This process is identified as photoassimilation. The ability of a higher plant to nourish itself by photoassimilation and thereby to survive in a heremetically sealed chamber of small dimensions is more than a biochemical curiosity. It allows the botanical investigator to design a culture system convenient for space-flight applications, which ensures isolation of each test plant from the gaseous environment of the spacecraft.
Despite Boosting Children's Coverage Rates To Historic Levels, Medicaid And CHIP Face An Uncertain Future.

The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which was enacted twenty years ago, covers uninsured children who do not qualify for Medicaid but lack access to affordable coverage. Together these safety-net programs have boosted the health insurance coverage rate among US children to historic levels, exceeding 95 percent of children in 2015. However, the future of both CHIP and Medicaid is uncertain. In the current congressional debate over the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid has become a target for potential funding reductions and other changes that would undermine the scope of children’s coverage. Congress has yet to act to extend CHIP funding beyond September 30, 2017, when the current appropriation expires. State and federal policy makers should act now to preserve the foundation of coverage currently in place while striving to ensure that every child in the United States has health coverage.
Synthesizing multiple data types for biological conservation using integrated population models

Abstract Assessing the impacts of ongoing climate and anthropogenic-induced change on wildlife populations requires understanding species distributions and abundances across large spatial and temporal scales. For threatened or declining populations, collecting sufficient broad-scale data is challenging as sample sizes tend to be low because many such species are rare and/or elusive. As a result, demographic data are often piecemeal, leading to difficulties in determining causes of population changes and developing strategies to mitigate the effects of environmental stressors. Thus, the population dynamics of threatened species across spatio-temporal extents is typically inferred through incomplete, independent, local-scale studies. Emerging integrative modeling approaches, such as integrated population models (IPMs), combine multiple data types into a single analysis and provide a foundation for overcoming problems of sparse or fragmentary data. In this paper, we demonstrate how IPMs can be successfully implemented by synthesizing the elements, advantages, and novel insights of this modeling approach. We highlight the latest developments in IPMs that are explicitly relevant to the ecology and conservation of threatened species, including capabilities to quantify the spatial scale of management, source-sink dynamics, synchrony within metapopulations, and population density effects on demographic rates. Adoption of IPMs has led to improved detection of population declines, adaptation of targeted monitoring schemes, and refined management strategies. Continued methodological advancements of IPMs, such as incorporation of a wider set of data types (e.g., citizen science data) and coupled population-environment models, will allow for broader applicability within ecological and conservation sciences.
Feedback, Selection, and Function: A Reductionistic Account of Goal-Orientation

The theme of this essay is the mechanism of goal-orientation in nonconscious organisms and in machines. The first portion presents an explication of feedback which, because it is done in the language of analytical physics, is claimed to be a reductionistic explication. Applications are made in the appendix to examples from physics, chemistry, biology, and psychology.
A Self-Sustaining Maritime Mesh Network

This paper proposes a self-sustaining maritime mesh network. The system consists of two components, energy harvesting buoys, and wireless mesh routers. The radios operate in the white space frequency band. The white space routers were designed and prototyped. A pair of these systems was used in a communication link in the Claytor Lake. An ocean-surface simulator is designed and used to predict the height of the buoys and ocean waves to assist the communication protocol to maintain connectivity. The measurement shows 2 Mbps UDP throughput at a radius of 5 km on the lake.
Enantiospecific Synthesis of (3 R ,4 R )‑1-Benzyl-4-fluoropyrrolidin-3-amine Utilizinga Burgess-Type Transformation

Manufacture of an EGFR inhibitor required the asymmetric synthesis of a key 3,4-trans-substituted pyrrolidine suitable for pilot-plant scale. The initial synthetic route utilized reagents and inter...
Engendering justice: women and the prosecution of sexual violence in international criminal courts

Does the participation of women in international criminal courts enhance the provision of gender justice? Scant scholarly attention has been paid to women as prosecutors, despite the pivotal role t...
Radiation in Rectal Cancer: What Are the Options and If/When Can It Be Avoided?

Overview:Treatment of rectal cancer has improved greatly over recent decades. This review looks at the pivotal trials in the development of the current standard of therapy as well as new directions...
A compact high-precision periodic-error-free heterodyne interferometer

We present the design, bench-top setup, and experimental results of a compact heterodyne interferometer that achieves picometer-level displacement sensitivities in air over frequencies above 100 MHz. The optical configuration with spatially separated beams prevents frequency and polarization mixing, and therefore eliminates periodic errors. The interferometer is designed to maximize common-mode optical laser beam paths to obtain high rejection of environmental disturbances, such as temperature fluctuations and acoustics. The results of our experiments demonstrate the short- and long-term stabilities of the system during stationary and dynamic measurements. In addition, we provide measurements that compare our interferometer prototype with a commercial system, verifying our higher sensitivity of 3 pm, higher thermal stability by a factor of two, and periodic-error-free performance.