cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Iron deficiency anemia, population health and frailty in a modern Portuguese skeletal sample.

Introduction Portugal underwent significant political, demographic and epidemiological transitions during the 20th century resulting in migration to urban areas with subsequent overcrowding and issues with water sanitation. This study investigates population health during these transitions and interprets results within a framework of recent history and present-day public health information. We investigate skeletal evidence for anemia (cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis) as indicators of stress and frailty–i.e., whether the lesions contribute to susceptibility for disease or increased risk of death. Methods The presence and severity of skeletal lesions were compared against known sex and cause of death data to investigate potential heterogeneity in frailty and the relationship between lesions and risk of dying over time. Additionally, we tested for the presence of selective mortality in our data (i.e., whether or not the sample is biased for individuals with higher frailty). Our sample derives from a large, documented, modern Portuguese collection from Lisbon and is the first study of its kind using a documented collection. The collection represents primarily middle-class individuals. Results and conclusions Analyses indicated that porotic hyperostosis became more common and severe over time, while cribra orbitalia severity increased over time. Neither process was linked to cause of death. However, there was a significant relationship to sex; males exhibited a higher prevalence and severity of lesions and increased mortality. A Gompertz function showed decreased survivorship in early life but increased survivorship over age 60. Using comorbidities of anemia, we were unable to detect selective mortality–i.e., in our sample, lesions do not represent a sign of poor health or increased frailty and are not significantly linked with a decreased mean age-at-death. However, lesion prevalence and severity do reflect the socioeconomic processes in urban Lisbon during the 1800s and 1900s and the possibility of water-borne parasites as the contributing factor for iron deficiency anemia.
Synthetic sequence entanglement augments stability and containment of genetic information in cells

In synthetic biology, methods for stabilizing genetically engineered functions and confining recombinant DNA to intended hosts are necessary to cope with natural mutation accumulation and pervasive lateral gene flow. We present a generalizable strategy to preserve and constrain genetic information through the computational design of overlapping genes. Overlapping a sequence with an essential gene altered its fitness landscape and produced a constrained evolutionary path, even for synonymous mutations. Embedding a toxin gene in a gene of interest restricted its horizontal propagation. We further demonstrated a multiplex and scalable approach to build and test >7500 overlapping sequence designs, yielding functional yet highly divergent variants from natural homologs. This work enables deeper exploration of natural and engineered overlapping genes and facilitates enhanced genetic stability and biocontainment in emerging applications.
Residue analysis of nitric oxide fumigation in nine stored grain and nut products

Abstract Nitric oxide (NO) is a recently discovered fumigant for postharvest pest control on fresh and stored products. Nitric oxide fumigation also does not leave residues on fresh fruit and vegetables when conducted properly. In this study, we analyzed nitrate (NO3−) and nitrite (NO2−) levels in liquid extracts and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) desorption rates as residues of NO fumigation at various times after fumigation on nine stored grain and nut products. Each product was fumigated separately with 3.0% NO for 24 h in two treatments: one treatment (NO–N2) was terminated with nitrogen gas (N2) flush and the other (NO-Air) was terminated with normal air flush. For NO–N2, NO3− concentrations of all fumigated products were not significantly higher than those of untreated controls at 1, 7, and 14 d after fumigation. NO2− concentrations of all fumigated products from N2 gas flush were not significantly higher than those of control products at 14 d after fumigation. NO2 desorption rates for most products from NO–N2 treatment showed no significant difference from those for the controls 1 d after NO fumigation, except for beans and wheat, which showed no significant difference at ≥7 d after fumigation. All products from NO-Air treatment, however, had significant higher NO3− and NO2− ion concentrations in liquid extracts at 14 d after fumigation than those from NO–N2 treatment and the control. NO2 desorption rates in all products from NO-Air treatment were also significantly higher than those from NO–N2 treatment and the control at 21 d after fumigation. Therefore, when terminated properly with N2 flush, NO fumigation did not result in significant increases of NO3−, NO2−, or NO2 as residue in nut and grain products.
Abstract WP306: Disparities in Stroke Code Activation Times

Background: Early activation of the stroke code system allows for rapid treatment and potentially better outcomes. Multiple disparities have been identified in standard time metrics of acute stroke...
The Appropriateness of Digital Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Images for a Computer-Aided Glaucoma Screening System.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability to screen for glaucoma using a Food Drug Administration (FDA) Class II diagnostic digital fundus photography system used for diabetic retinopathy screening (DRS). Methods All research participants underwent a comprehensive eye examination as well as non-mydriatic 45°single photograph retinal imaging centered on the macula. Optic nerve images within the 45° non-mydriatic and non-stereo DRS image were evaluated by two methods: 1) grading by three glaucoma specialists, and 2) a computer-aided automated segmentation system to determine the vertical cup-to-disc ratio (VCDR). Using VCDR from clinical assessment as gold standard, VCDR results from two methods were compared to that from clinical assessment. Inter-grader agreement was assessed by computing intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). In addition, sensitivity and specificity were calculated. Results Among 245 fundus photos, 166 images met quality specifications for analysis. Fifty images were not processed by the automated system due to the poor quality of the optic disc, and 29 images did not include the optic nerve head due to the patient movement during the photo acquisition. The ICC value for the VCDR between the gold standard clinical exam and the automated system was 0.41, indicating fair agreement. The ICC value between the three ophthalmologists and the gold standard was 0.51, 0.56, and 0.69, respectively, indicating fair to moderate agreement. Discussion Assessing the VCDR on non-mydriatic and non-stereo DRS fundus photographs by either the computer-aided automated segmentation system or by glaucoma specialists showed similar fair to moderate agreement. In summary, optic nerve assessment for glaucoma from these 45° non-mydriatic and non-stereo DRS images is not yet suitable for tele-glaucoma screening.
Psychological Distress and Well‐Being in Trauma‐Exposed Adolescents: A Residualized, Person‐Centered Approach to Resilience

Positive adaptation manifests differently in the aftermath of traumatic events. Methodological limitations, however, impede the ability to test conceptualizations of resilience that emphasize the multifaceted nature of these responses. In response, an approach that synthesized a residualized and person-centered conceptualization of resilience examined associations between aspects of resilience in an adolescent sample. In total, 584 racially/ethnically diverse adolescents (age range: 12-17 years; M = 14.98 years; SD = 1.05; 50.9% female; 30.1% White, 29.6% African American, 19.5% Hispanic) self-reported lifetime emotional maltreatment and community violence exposure as well as current levels of depression, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), violent behavior, and psychological well-being (PWB). Each mental health outcome was regressed on lifetime trauma exposure to create residuals used as indices of resilience. Correlations between the residuals suggested that PWB was more closely related to resilience to depression and PTS, rs = .17-.30, than violent behavior, r = .00. Residuals were subsequently entered into person-centered analyses to identify representative well-being profiles. Cluster analysis identified four groups, including two adaptive profiles defined by (a) lower distress and higher PWB and (b) lower psychopathology and lower PWB, based on adolescents' levels of trauma exposure. These two profiles did not vary regarding impairment, p > .999, suggesting both profiles represent positive adaption to lifetime trauma exposure. Theoretical and clinical implications of distinguishing between these two profiles by assessing PWB in adolescents are discussed, as well as how PWB may manifest within the context of different patterns of psychological distress.
A Typological Comparison of Japanese and Spanish

In order to empirically test the theory of adult L2 acquisition outlined in Chapter 3, we must look at the L2 acquisition of English by adult speakers of two different languages, and relevant correspondences between these two languages and English should vary in meaningful ways. The two language groups chosen for this purpose are Spanish and Japanese, Aspects of these languages that are important for a test of the proposed theory of adult L2 acquisition will be reviewed in this chapter. This review will include a general description of properties of word order, head-direction, and anaphora,1 as well as a discussion of properties of anaphora in adverbial adjunct clauses in each language.
A Data-Driven Model Predictive Control for Alleviating Thermal Overloads in the Presence of Possible False Data

Effective mitigation of thermal overloads is crucial in preventing power grid outages. With large-scale adoption of phasor measurement units, new and more effective mitigation opportunities have emerged. However, the possibility of false data attacks on the measured data, or the relay status information, threatens the promise of utilizing measurements for timely mitigation of thermal overloads. False data can lead to wrong estimation of the system states and the power flow model, which may eventually lead to wrong mitigations. To address these newly introduced challenges, in this article, a data-driven model-predictive control method is introduced for mitigation of the thermal overloads, which is resilient to false data injection attacks. This is achieved by constructing a data-driven power flow model from the trustworthy system measurements, which is independent from system topology and model parameters. Hence, the power flow model becomes immune to wrong system model information. To eliminate the adverse impacts of false data on the measurements, the actual system states are recovered from the historical trustworthy data if an attack is detected. Case studies demonstrate that the developed model predictive control methodology effectively identifies the optimal mitigations in a finite prediction horizon.
Herpes Simplex Virus and Pattern Recognition Receptors: An Arms Race

Herpes simplex viruses (HSVs) are experts in establishing persistent infection in immune-competent humans, in part by successfully evading immune activation through diverse strategies. Upon HSV infection, host deploys pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) to recognize various HSV-associated molecular patterns and mount antiviral innate immune responses. In this review, we describe recent advances in understanding the contributions of cytosolic PRRs to detect HSV and the direct manipulations on these receptors by HSV-encoded viral proteins as countermeasures. The continuous update and summarization of these mechanisms will deepen our understanding on HSV-host interactions in innate immunity for the development of novel antiviral therapies, vaccines and oncolytic viruses.
Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator modulators for cystic fibrosis: a new dawn?

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-limiting inherited condition in Caucasians. It is a multisystem autosomal recessive disorder caused by variants in the gene for cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein, a cell-surface localised chloride channel that regulates absorption and secretion of salt and water across epithelia. Until recently, the treatment for CF was predicated on ameliorating and preventing the downstream symptoms of CFTR dysfunction, primarily recurrent respiratory infections and pancreatic exocrine failure. But a new class of therapy—the CFTR modulators, which treat the basic defect and decrease the complications of CF, leads to significantly improved pulmonary function, decreased respiratory infections and improved nutrition. The newest agent, a combination of elexacaftor, tezacaftor and ivacaftor, will be suitable for approximately 90% of all people with CF and is likely to decrease the morbidity and significantly increase the life expectancy for most people with CF. The major barrier to their widespread introduction has been their cost, with many countries unwilling or unable to fund them. Nevertheless, such is their therapeutic efficacy and their likely potent effect on life expectancy that their advent has wider societal implications for the care of children and adults with CF.
The Externally-Supported Ross Procedure With Konno Aortoventriculoplasty

The Ross procedure remains the best aortic valve replacement option for children and young adults due to the superior hemodynamics, resistance to infection, durability, and lack of thrombogenicity when compared to bioprostheses and mechanical valve options. In particular, avoiding anticoagulation in this patient population is especially advantageous. Modifications to the technique have been developed to ameliorate the most common problem following the Ross procedure: dilatation of the autograft with development of aortic regurgitation. External support of the autograft with a Dacron tube graft have demonstrated excellent early- and mid-term outcomes. In cases of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, the externally supported Ross procedure can be combined with a Konno aortoventriculoplasty with a few simple modifications. This paper describes the technique of the externally supported Ross procedure with a Sinus of Valsalva Dacron graft (Gelweave Terumo Cardiovascular Group, Ann Arbor, MI) in patients with aortic stenosis. This paper will specifically address the subset of patients with hypoplastic aortic annuli requiring a Konno aortoventriculoplasty.
Gender Disparity in Students’ Choices of Information Technology Majors

Background: The gender disparity in the Information Technology (IT) field has persisted over the years. In 2018, only 27.2% of IT workers were women. Once hired, women face more challenges, and they are leaving the field twice as fast as men are. The misconception that women are weak in tech is one of the root causes of gender disparity issues in IT. Objectives: We examine the gender disparity in students’ choices of IT majors, as well as the decision process of Computer Information Systems (CIS) graduates. Methods/Approach: We use the United States public universities’ student data from 2010 to 2018. Both the Pooled and the Satterthwaite t-test are used to investigate the gender disparity issue among the students. Results: Our results support our hypothesis that female students are statistically less likely to choose CIS than their male peers are. An additional analysis of students’ grades in CIS courses shows that female students perform equally well as male students do. We did not find any evidence that it takes longer for female students to get the CIS degree; however, female students did change their majors more often. Conclusions: Female students tend to avoid IT majors; they often think they may not do well in the courses; however, such an assumption is not true. Our findings provide strategies for university and high school administration to be more proactive in developing recruiting strategies to attract and retain female CIS students.
Two Metanarratives of Contemporary Business

This note discusses two alternate narratives, or conceptions, of the role corporations can or should play in society, with attention paid to the influence of an emergent expectation of transparency brought about by the advent of social media. Excerpt UVA-BC-0250 Aug. 11, 2013 Two METANarratives of Contemporary Business Story and narrative—terms once thought primarily literary—are now central to corporate communications. The function has always drawn managers with backgrounds in journalism, public relations, and English, so the importance of story was never lost on insiders, but what is remarkable is the widespread acceptance across functions of this central concept—the extent to which it is taken for granted and considered necessary. The accepted use of stories in business over the past 20 years has coincided with the evolution of two larger stories—metanarratives—about the role of business in society. These stories are not neatly political, nor will they be treated as such, even if some political point of view may find one or the other more appealing. My intent here is to see what these metanarratives tells us about how we look at business. Historical Perspectives on Perception . . .
Epidemiology and treatment of Behçet’s disease in the USA: insights from the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) Registry with a comparison with other published cohorts from endemic regions

Behcet’s disease (BD), a chronic systemic vasculitis, has distinct geographical and ethnic variation. Data regarding the epidemiology of patients with BD in the U.S. are limited; therefore, we sought to describe BD patient characteristics and medication use in the U.S., and compared them with data from patients from endemic regions. We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the RISE registry (2014–2018). Patients aged ≥ 18 years with BD were included. Sociodemographic and treatment information was extracted. We compared patients from the RISE registry to data from other published studies of patients with BD from endemic areas. One thousand three hundred twenty-three subjects with BD from the RISE registry were included. Mean age was 48.7 ± 16.3 years, female to male ratio was 3.8:1, and 66.7% were White. The most frequently used medications included glucocorticoids (67.6%) and colchicine (55.0%). Infliximab and adalimumab were the most used biologics (14.5% and 14.1%, respectively); 3.2% of patients used apremilast. The RISE registry had more women (79.3%), and patients were older compared to previously published BD studies from endemic areas. Methotrexate and TNFi were more commonly reported in RISE (21.8% and 29.4%) compared to studies from Egypt and Turkey. Colchicine, cyclosporine, and cyclophosphamide were more commonly used in cohorts from Egypt, Turkey, and Iran. Findings from the largest BD dataset in the U.S. suggest that BD patients are predominantly female. Further research is needed to explore the reasons for the higher prevalence of BD among women in the U.S. and its possible impact on disease severity and management.
Molecular Alterations in Pediatric Low-Grade Gliomas That Led to Death.

Pediatric low-grade gliomas (PLGGs) have excellent long-term survival, but death can occasionally occur. We reviewed all PLGG-related deaths between 1975 and 2019 at our institution: 48 patients were identified; clinical data and histology were reviewed; targeted exome sequencing was performed on available material. The median age at diagnosis was 5.2 years (0.4-23.4 years), at death was 13.0 years (1.9-43.2 years), and the overall survival was 7.2 years (0.0-33.3 years). Tumors were located throughout CNS, but predominantly in the diencephalon. Diagnoses included low-grade glioma, not otherwise specified (n = 25), pilocytic astrocytoma (n = 15), diffuse astrocytoma (n = 3), ganglioglioma (n = 3), and pilomyxoid astrocytoma (n = 2). Recurrence occurred in 42/48 cases, whereas progression occurred in 10. The cause of death was direct tumor involvement in 31/48 cases. Recurrent drivers included KIAA1549-BRAF (n = 13), BRAF(V600E) (n = 3), NF1 mutation (n = 3), EGFR mutation (n = 3), and FGFR1-TACC1 fusion (n = 2). Single cases were identified with IDH1(R132H), FGFR1(K656E), FGFR1 ITD, FGFR3 gain, PDGFRA amplification, and mismatch repair alteration. CDKN2A/B, CDKN2C, and PTEN loss was recurrent. Patients who received only chemotherapy had worse survival compared with patients who received radiation and chemotherapy. This study demonstrates that PLGG that led to death have diverse molecular characteristics. Location and co-occurring molecular alterations with malignant potential can predict poor outcomes.
Ten-week high fat and high sugar diets in mice alter gut-brain axis cytokines in a sex-dependent manner.

ABSTRACT Diets high in fat and sugar induce inflammation throughout the body, particularly along the gut-brain axis; however, the way these changes in immune signaling mediate one another remains unknown. We investigated cytokine changes in the brain and colon following prolonged high fat or sugar diet in female and male adult C57BL/6 mice. Ten weeks of high fat diet increased levels of TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6, IFNγ, and IL-10 in the female hippocampus and altered cytokines in the frontal cortex of both sexes. High sugar diet increased hippocampal cytokines and decreased cytokines in the diencephalon and frontal cortex. In the colon, high fat diet changed cytokine expression in both sexes, while high sugar diet only increased TNFα in males. Causal mediation analysis confirmed that colon IL-10 and IL-6 mediate high fat diet-induced neuroimmune changes in the female hippocampus and male frontal cortex. Additionally, high fat diet increased food consumption and weight gain in both sexes, while high sugar diet decreased male weight gain. These findings reveal a novel causal link between gut and brain inflammation specific to prolonged consumption of high fat, not high sugar, diet. Importantly, this work includes females which have been under-represented in diet research, and demonstrates that diet-induced neuroinflammation varies by brain region between sexes. Furthermore, our data suggest female brains are more vulnerable than males to inflammatory changes following excessive fat and sugar consumption, which may help explain the increased risk of inflammation-associated psychiatric conditions in women who eat a Western Diet rich in both dietary components.
Two conjectures on gauge theories, gravity, and infinite dimensional Kac-Moody groups

We propose that the structure of gauge theories, the (2,0) and little-string theories is encoded in a unique function on the real group manifold E10(R). The function is invariant under the maximal compact subgroup K acting on the right and under the discrete U-duality subgroup E10(Z) on the left. The manifold E10(Z)\E10(R)/K contains an infinite number of periodic variables. The partition function of U(N), N = 4 Super-Yang-Mills theory on T 4 , with generic SO(6) R-symmetry twists, for example, is derived from the N th coefficient of the Fourier transform of the function with respect to appropriate periodic variables, setting other variables to the R-symmetry twists and the radii of T 4 . In particular, the partition function of nonsupersymmetric Yang-Mills theory is a special case, obtained from the twisted (2,0) or little-string theories. The function also seems to encode the answer to questions about M-theory on an arbitrary T 8 . The second conjecture that we wish to propose is that this function is harmonic with respect to the E10(R) invariant metric. In a similar fashion, we propose that there exists a function on the infinite Kac-Moody group DE18 that encodes the twisted partition functions of the E8 5+1D theories as well as answers to questions about the heterotic string on T 7 .
Comment on “Flagellin Induces Antibody Responses through a TLR5- and Inflammasome-Independent Pathway”

Lopez-Yglesias et al. ([1][1]) present evidence for Ab responsiveness to flagellin through a TLR5- and inflammasome-independent pathway, but the identity of this novel pathway is not known. The authors state, “…it is unknown whether the third pathway is evolutionarily conserved and contributes
The Constitutionality of Proposed Database Protection Legislation

Individual facts are not copyrightable. For most of the history of United States copyright law, however, under the so-called sweat of the brow doctrine, collections of uncopyrightable facts - often referred to today as databases - could seek federal statutory copyright protection. In Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co., Inc., the Supreme Court rejected the sweat of the brow theory as inconsistent with basic copyright principles. The Court held that collections of facts are federally copyrightable only when some originality inheres in their selection or arrangement and that, even when such originality exists, the federal copyright covers only the original selection and arrangement, and not the collection of facts itself. The twin holdings of Feist, the Court said, are a constitutional requirement because originality is a constitutionally mandated prerequisite for copyright protection. The holdings in Feist have prompted proposals for new federal legislation. Under Feist, such legislation cannot be based on Congress's copyright power. The most likely alternative source of legislative power would be Congress's broad authority under Article I of the Constitution to regulate interstate and foreign commerce. This article addresses two constitutional questions that have been raised in connection with such legislative proposals: (1) Does the Court's holding in Feist preclude Congress from using its commerce, rather than its copyright, power to provide protection against the unauthorized and commercially unfair appropriation of databases? (2) Even if the Commerce Clause is a potential source of affirmative federal power, does the First Amendment prohibit such federal database protection?
Adaptation of a mixture of multivariate Bernoulli distributions

The mixture of multivariate Bernoulli distributions (MMB) is a statistical model for high-dimensional binary data in widespread use. Recently, the MMB has been used to model the sequence of packet receptions and losses of wireless links in sensor networks. Given an MMB trained on long data traces recorded from links of a deployed network, one can then use samples from the MMB to test different routing algorithms for as long as desired. However, learning an accurate model for a new link requires collecting from it long traces over periods of hours, a costly process in practice (e.g. limited battery life). We propose an algorithm that can adapt a preexisting MMB trained with extensive data to a new link from which very limited data is available. Our approach constrains the new MMB's parameters through a nonlinear transformation of the existing MMB's parameters. The transformation has a small number of parameters that are estimated using a generalized EM algorithm with an inner loop of BFGS iterations. We demonstrate the efficacy of the approach using the MNIST dataset of handwritten digits, and wireless link data from a sensor network. We show we can learn accurate models from data traces of about 1 minute, about 10 times shorter than needed if training an MMB from scratch.
Enhancing sickle cell anemia/sickle cell disease genetic understanding through simulation: A descriptive pilot study

Objective : Post-test pilot descriptive study of the genetic component of a simulation scenario addressing sickle cell anemia/sickle cell disease exploring students’ and nurse educators’ perceived genetic knowledge. Background: Genetic/genomic knowledge has radically changed the way health care is provided. Augmenting this newly required competency into constrained nursing curricula is a challenge. Simulation prepares students for real-world experiences and as we enter the genetic/genomic era, simulation has an obvious role in expanding and developing these competencies. Methods : Post-test perceptions of genetic knowledge among nursing students and nurse educators following a genetic-based simulation experience. Results : Thirty-one junior, thirty-one senior nursing students and eight clinical nurse educators agreed that their understanding of the genetic component improved. Conclusions : Integrating a genetic component into simulation was an effective educational format to further enhance the genetic knowledge of both students and facilitators. The pilot findings support integrating a genetic component into simulation to further enhance the perceived genetic knowledge of both students and nurse educators. Based on the findings, further research with a pre/post survey will be utilized to continue to explore integrating a genetic component into a simulation experience. This article presents utilizing simulation as a novel contemporary hands-on educational experience designed on sickle cell anemia learning for pre-licensed baccalaureate undergraduate students.
Modeling and Fabrication of Fine‐Grain Alumina‐Zirconia Composites Produced from Nanocrystalline Precursors

Fully dense fine-grained 32.6-vol%-zirconia-toughened alumina composites have been fabricated from nanocrystalline rapidly solidified material. A model considering the thermodynamics of the constrained t-ZrO2m-ZrO2 phase transformation was developed for this percolated two-phase material. This analysis indicated that the grain size at which this phase transformation is thermodynamically favorable was 1.26 µm in a composite that contained 32.6 vol% ZrO2 and was stabilized with 1.50 mol% Y2O3. These results of the model compared favorably with experimental results, showing that grains of this size could be retained after heating to temperatures of as high as 1600°C. The rapidly solidified precursor was ball-milled into submicrometer powder and centrifugally cast into green specimens that were pressureless sintered to full density at temperatures as low as 1500°C. A composite containing nearly 100%t-ZrO2 was produced by pressureless sintering at 1500°C and a composite containing 45 vol%t-ZrO2/55 vol%m-ZrO2 was obtained by sintering at 1600°C. The resulting two-phase microstructures contained uniformly distributed, micrometer-size grains whose sizes are consistent with the facilitation of transformation and microcrack toughening.
Racial socialization messages and the quality of mother/child interactions in African American families.

Racial socialization messages were examined within a particular ecological niche: two-parent, African American families with a child in early adolescence. The linkage between mothers’provision of racial socialization messages and family process components (e.g., communication, warmth, negativity, child monitoring, and involvement) of the mother/child relationship was examined. Sixty-six African American mothers and their early adolescent sons and daughters participated in videotaped mother/child interactions and completed questionnaires regarding family demographics and parenting. Based on the frequency of their provision of proactive responses to discrimination items, mothers were categorized into three groups (high, moderate, and low). Results indicated that mothers in the moderate socialization group exhibited the most positivity, were the most involved, and monitored their child’s activities the most. Mothers in that group also displayed the lowest levels of dyadic negativity. Mothers in the moderate ...
ASE in thin disk lasers: theory and experiment

We derive equations for the ASE intensity, decay time, and heat load. The crux of our development is frequency integration over the gain lineshape followed by a spatial integration over the emitters. These integrations result in a gain length that is determined from experiment. We measure the gain as a function of incident pump power for a multi-pass pumped Yb:YAG disk doped at 9.8 at.% with an anti-ASE cap. The incident pump powers are up to 3kW. Our fit to the measured gain is within 10% of the measured gain up to pump powers where the gain starts to flatten out and roll over. In this comparison we extract the gain length that turns out to be 43% of the pump spot size of 7mm.
Security awareness in service discovery for multimedia collaboration

Multimedia capable devices for professional and private use grow digital these days. With the advent of short-range wireless communication capabilities, these devices gain new potentials such as enabling seamless collaboration within groups of devices. As a side effect of these technologies, new problems emerge, spatially in the area of security. This paper focuses on security issues to form (peer)groups among these devices. Our primary goal is to establish security awareness via the service discovery process. We show that the combination of the pure Internet Protocol and today's state of the art service discovery protocols lack the necessary features for solving the problem described. We introduce a novel design of a service discovery system as a solution for security aware ad-hoc usage.
Paper 42.1: Invited Paper: Field-Emission Lamp for Avionics AMLCD

We report the demonstration of a field emission lamp for Avionics AMLCD backlighting. This lamp promises to be thin, high brightness, high luminous efficiency, and temperature invariant with uniform diffuse light output. It will also require less electronic control circuitry. The lamp consists of a two-dimensional array of thin-film-edge field emitter microstructures and a phosphor screen separated by spacers. This paper describes the operation, design, fabrication and characterization of a thin-film-edge field emission lamp. It also explores the use of other cold electron sources such as diamond and carbon nanotubes.
A robust multi-shot scan strategy for high-resolution diffusion weighted MRI enabled by multiplexed sensitivity-encoding (MUSE).

Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) data have been mostly acquired with single-shot echo-planar imaging (EPI) to minimize motion induced artifacts. The spatial resolution, however, is inherently limited in single-shot EPI, even when the parallel imaging (usually at an acceleration factor of 2) is incorporated. Multi-shot acquisition strategies could potentially achieve higher spatial resolution and fidelity, but they are generally susceptible to motion-induced phase errors among excitations that are exacerbated by diffusion sensitizing gradients, rendering the reconstructed images unusable. It has been shown that shot-to-shot phase variations may be corrected using navigator echoes, but at the cost of imaging throughput. To address these challenges, a novel and robust multi-shot DWI technique, termed multiplexed sensitivity-encoding (MUSE), is developed here to reliably and inherently correct nonlinear shot-to-shot phase variations without the use of navigator echoes. The performance of the MUSE technique is confirmed experimentally in healthy adult volunteers on 3 Tesla MRI systems. This newly developed technique should prove highly valuable for mapping brain structures and connectivities at high spatial resolution for neuroscience studies.
On the generality of the mass sum rule

Abstract The sum rule, Σ i (−1) 2 J i (2 J i +1) m i 2 =2 Σ a D a Tr Q a , is studied to first order in supersymmetry breaking, treating the other interactions exactly. It is found to hold for spontaneous breaking and many types of explicit breaking.
Plasmon polaritons in finite-length metal-nanoparticle chains : The role of chain length unravelled

While the conceptual framework for nanoplasmonic waveguides composed of a chain of noncontacting metal nanoparticles usually neglects the effects of the ends, the long-range nature of the interparticle coupling underlying the electromagnetic transport means that finite chain length can play an important role. Here, the complex energies of the plasmon-polariton modes in finite-length nanoparticle chains are calculated to ascertain the effects of chain length on the mode dispersion and the radiative contribution to the attenuation. The results indicate that, for typical parameters, the infinite-chain limit is reached with ∼10 nanoparticles. Thus, even for chain lengths well exceeding the attenuation length, long-range coupling of distant nanoparticles is shown to impact the dispersion and radiative loss.
Selective absorption of ultraviolet laser energy by human atherosclerotic plaque treated with tetracycline

Abstract Tetracycline is an antibiotic that absorbs ultraviolet light at 355 nm and preferentially binds to atherosclerotic plaque both in vitro and in vivo. Tetracycline-treated human cadaveric aorta was compared with untreated aorta using several techniques: absorptive spectrophotometry, which demonstrated a distinct absorptive peak at 355 nm in tetracycline-treated plaque that was absent in treated normal vessel; ultraviolet microscopy, which showed that treated atheroma acquired the characteristic fluorescence of tetracycline under ultraviolet light; and tissue uptake of radiolabeled tetracycline, which showed 4-fold greater uptake by atheroma than by normal vessel. In addition, intravenous tetracycline administered to patients undergoing vascular surgery demonstrated characteristic fluorescence in surgically excised diseased arteries. Because of tetracycline's unique properties, we exposed tetracycline-treated and untreated aorta to ultraviolet laser radiation at a wavelength of 355 nm. We found enhanced ablation of tetracycline-treated atheroma compared with untreated atheroma. The plaque ablation caused by ultraviolet laser radiation was twice as extensive in tetracycline-treated vs nontreated plaque (2.2 ± 0.25 mm vs 1.3 ± 0.55 mm, p
The Use of Collagen‐GAG Membranes in Reconstructive Surgery

: Porous collagen-glycosaminoglycan (PCG) membranes with a porous silicone elastomer coating have been useful as a scaffold for dermal replacement in burn victims. Critical physicochemical parameters of these membranes include pore size, cross-link density, the percentage of glycosaminoglycan, and the degree of banding of the collagen. These factors govern the immunobiological response. Optimizing these parameters can reduce inflammation, scarring, and contraction of wounds grafted with PCG membranes. PCG membranes are currently commercially manufactured (Integra®, Integra Life Sciences, New Jersey) and available for clinical use. Because clinical outcomes have improved using these membranes for burn wound coverage, other skin reconstruction problems including scar resurfacing, keloids, treatment of donor sites, and treatment of chronic wounds can be considered as potential applications. This manuscript illustrates our early experience using Integra® as a CG membrane for dermal replacement in reconstructive surgery. Our results indicate that CG membranes can lead to improved compliance and appearance compared to a meshed graft and may be sequentially placed in multiple layers to correct contour deformities. Also, in one case, we observed that, if placed on a wound bed with embedded skin epithelial cells, the PCG promotes epithelialization through the PCG matrix. The use of this material results in a supple integument with many similarities to normal skin.
"Supertagger" behavior in building folksonomies

A folksonomy is ostensibly an information structure built up by the "wisdom of the crowds", but is the "crowd" really doing the work? Tagging is in fact a sharply skewed process in which a small minority of users generate an overwhelming majority of the annotations. Using data from the social music site Last.fm as a case study, this paper explores the implications of this tagging imbalance. Partitioning the folksonomy into two halves - one created by the prolific minority and the other by the non-prolific majority of taggers - we examine the large-scale differences in these two sub-folksonomies and the users generating them, and then explore several possible accounts of what might be driving these differences. We find that prolific taggers preferentially annotate content in the long-tail of less popular items, use tags with higher information content, and show greater tagging expertise. These results indicate that "supertaggers" not only tag more than their counterparts, but in quantifiably different ways.
Many-Body van der Waals Interactions between Graphitic Nanostructures

van der Waals interactions between finite-length single-wall carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoribbons are calculated including all many-body contributions. Comparative studies between the total tw...
Discovery of two novel radical S-adenosylmethionine proteins required for the assembly of an active [Fe] hydrogenase.

To identify genes necessary for the photoproduction of H2 in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, random insertional mutants were screened for clones unable to produce H2. One of the identified mutants, denoted hydEF-1, is incapable of assembling an active [Fe] hydrogenase. Although the hydEF-1 mutant transcribes both hydrogenase genes and accumulates full-length hydrogenase protein, H2 production activity is not observed. The HydEF protein contains two unique domains that are homologous to two distinct prokaryotic proteins, HydE and HydF, which are found exclusively in organisms containing [Fe] hydrogenase. In the C. reinhardtii genome, the HydEF gene is adjacent to another hydrogenase-related gene, HydG. All organisms with [Fe] hydrogenase and sequenced genomes contain homologues of HydE, HydF, and HydG, which, prior to this study, were of unknown function. Within several prokaryotic genomes HydE, HydF, and HydG are found in putative operons with [Fe] hydrogenase structural genes. Both HydE and HydG belong to the emerging radical S-adenosylmethionine (commonly designated “Radical SAM”) superfamily of proteins. We demonstrate here that HydEF and HydG function in the assembly of [Fe] hydrogenase. Northern blot analysis indicates that mRNA transcripts for both the HydEF gene and the HydG gene are anaerobically induced concomitantly with the two C. reinhardtii [Fe] hydrogenase genes, HydA1 and HydA2. Complementation of the bx;1C. reinhardtii hydEF-1 mutant with genomic DNA corresponding to a functional copy of the HydEF gene restores hydrogenase activity. Moreover, co-expression of the C. reinhardtii HydEF, HydG, and HydA1 genes in Escherichia coli results in the formation of an active HydA1 enzyme. This represents the first report on the nature of the accessory genes required for the maturation of an active [Fe] hydrogenase.
Ground‐Water Flow and Uranium in Colorado Plateau

The precipitation of humates at the interface between a humic acid solution and an aluminum potassium sulfate solution was studied in porous media models to gain some insight into the deposition of Colorado Plateau type uranium deposits. The effects of variable flow rates, porous-media layering, mudstone lenses, fluid density differences, and geochemical reactions on the flow phenomenon and the resulting precipitate were evaluated. A numerical model was developed to predict the shape and location of the interface where precipitation occurs. The numerical model was verified by comparing its predictions with the results obtained from the porous media model. The association of precipitate bands with modeled sedimentary features and the similarities between these precipitate bands and actual deposits in the Colorado Plateau suggest that these model studies provide data useful both in understanding and predicting the relations between tabular ore deposits and ground-water flow patterns.
ADAPTIVE CONTROL THEORY: SURVEY AND POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS TO DECISION PROCESSES*

An important and distinct feature of a class of decision processes discussed in this paper is the possibility of gathering additional information between decisions and using it to improve future decisions. The analysis of these so-called sequential decision processes is both complicated and far-reaching in its implications. The purpose of this paper is to describe this class of decision processes to make its potential both more readily understood and better appreciated.
CdTexSe1-x: a potential candidate for room-temperature radiation detector applications

CdTexSe1-x, with its several advantages over the conventional CdZnTe (CZT) material, offers potential as a roomtemperature radiation detector. Its main advantage is the near-unity segregation coefficient of Se in the CdTe matrix that results in higher compositional homogeneity of the grown ingot. In this paper, we discussed the growth of CdTeSe crystals by various techniques, such as the Traveling Heater method and the Vertical Bridgman technique. We analyzed the different defects in the grown ingots, including Te inclusions/precipitations, sub-grain boundaries and dislocation networks, and studied their effects on the materials’ charge-transport characteristics. Our experimental findings demonstrated several advantages of CdTeSe over CZT, in addition to the near-unity segregation coefficient of Se, including lower concentrations of Te-inclusions/precipitations and sub-grain boundaries and a higher degree of uniformity. Our findings on its charge-transport characteristics also are very encouraging.
Thyroid hormone receptors form distinct nuclear protein-dependent and independent complexes with a thyroid hormone response element.

We have examined the binding of nuclear proteins and recombinant thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) to the palindromic thyroid hormone responsive element AGGTCATGACCT (TREp) using a gel electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Four specific protein- DNA complexes were detected after incubation of nuclear extracts (NE) from T3-responsive pituitary (GH3) cells with a TREp-containing DNA fragment. This was compared with the TREp binding of reticulocyte lysate-synthesized TRs. TRα1 and TRβ2 each formed a single major TR:TREp complex which comigrated with the least retarded complex formed by GH3 NE, while TRβ1 formed multiple complexes suggesting that it can bind to TREp as an oligomer. Interestingly, coincubation of 35S-TRα1, GHM3 NE, and unlabeled TREp resulted in not only the 35S-TR:TREp complex, but in two additional more greatly retarded complexes containing 35S-TRα1 and comigrating with those formed by GH3 extract alone. Incubation of each of the TRs with NE from COS-7 cells, which do not possess sufficient en...
Application of the Dual-Process Theory of Decision Making to Threat Detection during Airport Security Screening:

We investigated the effects of different decision frames and incentives on training in a simulated airport security screening task using a 3 (frame: analytical, affective, comparative) x 2 (incentive: positive, negative) x 4 (trial block) design. Performance was measured by criterion settings, sensitivities, and detection response times. Results indicate that participants in the analytical frame (i.e., emphasis on gaining/losing points) outperformed participants in both the affective (i.e., emphasis on saving/losing lives) and comparative frames (i.e., emphasis on performing better/worse than peers). These results have implications for training airport luggage screeners in the real world in that eliciting strong emotions override our reason and logic and lead participants to perform poorly in discriminating between signal and noise.