cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A multi-sensor study of the impact of ground-based glaciogenic seeding on clouds and precipitation over mountains in Wyoming. Part II: Seeding impact analysis

Abstract The AgI Seeding Cloud Impact Investigation (ASCII) campaign, conducted in early 2012 and 2013 over two mountain ranges in southern Wyoming, was designed to examine the impact of ground-based glaciogenic seeding on snow growth in winter orographic clouds. Part I of this study ( Pokharel and Geerts, 2016 ) describes the project design, instrumentation, as well as the ambient atmospheric conditions and macrophysical and microphysical properties of the clouds sampled in ASCII. This paper (Part II) explores how the silver iodide (AgI) seeding affects snow growth in these orographic clouds in up to 27 intensive operation periods (IOPs), depending on the instrument used. In most cases, 2 h without seeding (NOSEED) were followed by 2 h of seeding (SEED). In situ data at flight level (2D-probes) indicate higher concentrations of small snow particles during SEED in convective clouds. The double difference of radar reflectivity Z (SEED − NOSEED in the target region, compared to the same trend in the control region) indicates an increase in Z for the composite of ASCII cases, over either mountain range, and for any of the three radar systems (WCR, MRR, and DOW), each with their own control and target regions, and for an array of snow gauges. But this double difference varies significantly from case to case, which is attributed to uncertainties related to sampling representativeness and to differences in natural trends between control and target regions. We conclude that a sample much larger than ASCII's sample is needed for clear observational evidence regarding the sensitivity of seeding efficacy to atmospheric and cloud conditions.
The Exposure Uncertainty Analysis: The Association between Birth Weight and Trimester Specific Exposure to Particulate Matter (PM2.5 vs. PM10)

Often spatiotemporal resolution/scale of environmental and health data do not align. Therefore, researchers compute exposure by interpolation or by aggregating data to coarse spatiotemporal scales. The latter is often preferred because of sparse geographic coverage of environmental monitoring, as interpolation method cannot reliably compute exposure using the small sample of sparse data points. This paper presents a methodology of diagnosing the levels of uncertainty in exposure at a given distance and time interval, and examines the effects of particulate matter (PM) ≤2.5 µm and ≤10 µm in diameter (PM2.5 and PM10, respectively) on birth weight (BW) and low birth weight (LBW), i.e., birth weight <2500 g in Chicago (IL, USA), accounting for exposure uncertainty. Two important findings emerge from this paper. First, uncertainty in PM exposure increases significantly with the increase in distance from the monitoring stations, e.g., 50.6% and 38.5% uncertainty in PM10 and PM2.5 exposure respectively for 0.058° (~6.4 km) distance from the monitoring stations. Second, BW was inversely associated with PM2.5 exposure, and PM2.5 exposure during the first trimester and entire gestation period showed a stronger association with BW than the exposure during the second and third trimesters. But PM10 did not show any significant association with BW and LBW. These findings suggest that distance and time intervals need to be chosen with care to compute exposure, and account for the uncertainty to reliably assess the adverse health risks of exposure.
Steric Pressure from Peripheral Protein Conformational Changes Drives Membrane Curvature

Geometric changes in lipid membranes are essential in cellular processes like vesicle trafficking and fusion1. Hydrophobic insertion of amphipathic helices and membrane scaffolding by proteins are classical membrane bending mechanisms2.However, recent research suggests that crowding of peripherally bound proteins can drive membrane curvature independent of the protein's scaffold or membrane insertion3. Proteins with large hydrodynamic radii should contribute the most to membrane expansion, and thus to membrane bending.
Expanding Scientific Community Reach Based on Web Access Data

Knowing the main characteristics of a scientific community, how it reaches all stakeholders, and understanding how individuals engage around a subject is needed in order to support decision makers to plan strategies to maintain and nurture the community. This work presents a new way of interpreting the reach of a scientific community by incorporating Web access data to the co-author network commonly considered. The case presented involves the Brazilian Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) community and the access to the website of the XV Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computer Systems, the main HCI conference in Brazil. The proposed method is grounded on Organizational Semiotics and differs from the existing works because it considers a wider population than the conference authors. Inspired by the Organizational Onion, it considers three different levels of connection: Informal, Formal, and Technical. In the presented case, the reach commonly used (i.e., author-author network) counts on 257 authors while the total of people orbiting the event involved 5,432 unique visitors, in other words, the co-author network represents approximately 5% of the population orbiting the event. The presented method shows that data originated from Web accesses support a different way of representing a scientific community reach, including multiple segments that are commonly not considered as the target-audience, resulting in a more inclusive approach in the sense of considering the plurality of people orbiting an event, mediated or not by a computer. Our contribution shows a data informed approach of expanding the scientific community reach in order to characterize people orbiting the conference.
The neural control of movement must contend with trajectory-specific and nonlinearly distorted manifolds of afferent muscle spindle activity

We introduce the concept of trajectory-specific sensory manifolds. They are the unique multidimensional and time-varying combinations of afferent signals that obligatorily emerge during a limb movement. We use the example of muscle spindles (i.e., the muscle's proprioceptors for length and velocity) that arise during movements of an arm (a planar 2-DOF 6-muscle model) during the production of straight, curved and oscillatory hand movements. Through the use of parallel coordinates, we visualize the high-dimensional evolution of the afferent signaling across muscles and tasks. We demonstrate that a given movement gives rise to a distinct sensory manifold embedded in the 12-D space of spindle information that is largely independent of the choice of muscle coordination strategy. Given that muscle lengths and velocities are fully determined by joint kinematics, such manifolds provide a rich set of information to use in its control.
Comparison of methods to enumerate white blood cells in semen

Seminal WBC counts obtained by an mAb-based immunohistologic method correlated well with seminal granulocyte counts obtained with a simple peroxidase method (rho = +0.70; P 10(6) WBC/mL semen, whereas the peroxidase method resulted in only 10 samples (8.9%) with > 10(6) WBC/mL. When the threshold defining leukocytospermia was set at 1 x 10(6) positive cells/mL for both methods, the specificity of the peroxidase test compared with the immunohistology technique was 100% (10/10), but the sensitivity was only 58.8% (10/17). When the threshold for leukocytospermia in the peroxidase test was lowered to 5 x 10(5) positive cells/mL semen, the sensitivity relative to the immunohistology technique increased to 94.1% (16/17), and specificity remained 100% (16/16). Likewise, good interassay sensitivity and specificity values were obtained with thresholds of 10(6) WBC/mL for the peroxidase assay and 2 x 10(6) WBC/mL for the immunohistology assay. We conclude that either peroxidase or immunohistology assays can be used to screen for leukocytospermia, but that more research is needed to establish thresholds for pathological levels of WBC in semen using these two approaches. Total round cell counts are of no value for enumerating WBC in semen.
A variable-tune spatial heterodyne spectrometer for broadband spectral line studies in the visible and near-UV

Reflective Spatial Heterodyne Spectroscopy (SHS) is an interferometric technique that combines high resolving power and a large input acceptance angle in a format that is compact enough for use at small telescope focal planes and in spacecraft observations of targets in the visible to far ultra-violet (FUV) spectral range. SHS instruments are well suited to the study of faint, extended emission line sources, particularly in the UV where stellar background continuum becomes weak. Their primary limitation comes from the limited spatial sampling of the output interference pattern generated by the incoming spectral source, which limits their use to narrow bandpass near the central tuning wavelength. We describe a the first light results from a broadband SHS that can be used to scan the tuning wavelength across a bandpass extending from 300 to 700 nm. The limitations on the bandpass are arbitrary and can easily be extended into the UV or near infrared. We discuss the results of these validation program and the potential improvements that could be used to expand and/or improve the broadband spectral response of the instrument.
Microbial Root Mutualists Affect the Predators and Pathogens of Herbivores above Ground: Mechanisms, Magnitudes, and Missing Links

Tri-trophic interactions among plants, herbivores and natural enemies of herbivores are common in nature, and are crucial components of trophic cascades and the dynamics of community composition. Plant traits are key determinants of the interactions between herbivores and their natural enemies aboveground, which in turn are affected by soil organisms. Recent years have seen a surge in studies of the interactions between below- and aboveground biota, including descriptions of how microbial root mutualists influence plant traits and herbivore performance. However, concomitant effects on the natural enemies of herbivores remain relatively poorly understood. Here, we review the currently available literature to assess how and when mutualistic root microbes impose significant indirect effects on the performance of predators and pathogens of insect herbivores. We focus on how root microbes influence predator attraction, on-plant foraging efficiency, and the quality of prey tissues. We also consider the underappreciated effects of microbial root mutualists on the growth, transmission, and virulence of insect pathogens. We end by discussing missing links and important directions for future research.
Species of (Code) Spaces

As digital technologies make a powerful impact on the production of space and software mediates most of our everyday activities, we find ourselves living, working and interacting in the common ground of code and space. The environmental diffusion of computing should be considered in relation to the increasing acceleration and simultaneity of socio-spatial and economic processes, characteristic conditions of a dynamic spatial ontology that evolved during the past decades, changing the ways we inhabit, design and think about our environments. By following the gradual hybridization of space and time, this essay investigates the ways in which software and communication networks infuse space with temporal qualities, enhancing its inherent mediality with successive layers of meaning. An account of this in urban scale is the endeavour of smart cities, a fluid field of tension and negotiation between centralized managerial visions and bottom-up participation and appropriation initiatives. Finally, as spatial production becomes increasingly transdisciplinary and the digital turn reaches a certain level of maturity, the role of the architect and the architectural object changes drastically. Cedric Price famously argued that the best solution to a spatial problem is not necessarily a building, but the question is still pending – could it then be code?
Semi-analytical modelling with numerical and experimental validation of electromagnetic forming using a uniform pressure actuator

Abstract In this study, an electromagnetic forming process using a uniform pressure actuator is investigated through electro-magnetic-mechanically coupled numerical simulations; a simplified analytical model to predict the forming pressure and shell theory for mechanical deformation; and experimental results, which include Photon Doppler Velocimetry to measure the deformation. Velocity and the final deformed part shape are compared between the numerical, analytical, and experimental methods and reasonably good agreement is demonstrated. However, accurate comparison is affected by the energy level used with the numerical simulations matching better for the lower energy case due to less material draw-in and the analytical model providing more precise results for the higher energy case.
Triggered Vacuum Switch Construction and Performance

The previous sections of this chapter have described the basic breakdown and recovery mechanisms relevant to the voltage hold-off, breakdown, and recovery characteristics of a triggered vacuum switch. This section will describe the operation of vacuum switches in general and the construction and performance of the specific switches which have been reported in the literature.
Relevance of the community college curriculum to the international student

OF THE DISSERTATION Relevance of the Community College Curriculum to the International Student
Crack tip shielding/antishielding by impurity atoms

The impurity crack tip shielding/antishielding stress intensity factor is found for equilibrium impurity concentrations near the crack tip for a crack tip with or without a plastic zone. It is found that the impurity atoms produce either no shielding/antishielding stress intensity factor or only a very small shielding/antishielding stress intensity factor. However, if the impurity concentration near a crack tip is perturbed from equilibrium values the possibility arises that appreciable crack tip shielding/antishielding can exist. If a small elastic enclave exists between the crack tip and the plastic zone, impurity atoms also may be able to produce an appreciable crack tip shielding/antishielding.
Security and the Environment in the Caspian Sea

Discussions of the Caspian Sea’s environmental health have so far been focused mainly on the negative effects of more extensive oil and gas exploration and production, increased commercial traffic (including tanker traffic), and the indiscriminate exploitation of marine resources, such as sturgeon. Yet threats to the Caspian Sea’s fragile environmental balance can also emanate from the exacerbation of regional conflicts, and from growing international competition for economic and strategic influence in the region. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is 1) to outline the basic geostrategic and political characteristics of the Caspian Sea region; 2) to identify the most likely sources of potential military conflict in the region; 3) to assess the current military balance among the Caspian Sea littoral states and likely trends; and 4) to suggest means for helping to prevent the exacerbation of regional tensions, and hence to reduce the risk of large-scale militarization and damage to the Caspian Sea’s environmental balance.
Intravenous Infusion of Nucleated Peripheral Blood Cells Restores Fertility in Mice with Chemotherapy-Induced Premature Ovarian Failure

Cancer treatment with specific chemotherapeutic agents has been well documented to have an adverse impact on female fertility leading to premature ovarian failure (POF). The objective of this study is to investigate if chemotherapeutic induced POF can be reversed by the infusion of autologous nucleated peripheral blood cells (PBMC). To reach our goal, mice were treated with a single intraperitoneal injections of busulfan and cyclophosphamide to induce POF. This was followed by transfusion of PBMC. The ovarian morphology and functional parameters were monitored by radioimmunoassay, real-time PCR, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry analysis. Our study showed that chemotherapy (CTX) protracted estrous cycle period and repressed E2 production. In addition, CTX decreased the expressions of steroidogenesis markers, CYP-17 synthesis, StAR (steroidogenic acute regulatory protein), and Connexin-43 protein expression in the ovarian follicles. We also observed reduced numbers and sizes of the primordial and primary follicles in CTX-treated mice compared to untreated controls (p < 0.05). When both CTX and untreated control groups were stimulated with gonadotrophin, the control group produced ten times more ova than the CTX group. Finally, the treatment of premature ovarian failure induced by CTX with autologous PBMC transfusion resulted in over-expression and a statistically significant increase in several stem cell markers and restoration of fertility. Infusion with PBMC in CTX further decreased the estrous cycle length by 2.5 times (p < 0.01). We found that transfusion of autologous PBMC to mice with chemotherapy induced POF was very effective at restoring fertility. These results are similar to other studies using bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells.
Quenching of photoluminescence in a Zn-MOF sensor by nitroaromatic molecules

We uncover the exact mechanisms that lead to a quenching of the photoluminescence in a Zn-based metal organic framework (MOF) material upon nitroaromatic molecule adsorption. We present evidence based on ab initio simulations, coupled with in situ IR spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements, showing that quenching occurs as the result of a shift of the lowest unoccupied orbital from the MOF host to the guest molecule. Our results provide a mechanistic understanding of quenching of photoluminescence in MOFs and are of importance for chemical sensing applications, where they aid the design of novel MOFs with increased sensing selectivity.
A mobile device dual-task paradigm for the assessment of mTBI

Research objective Dual-task performance, in which individuals complete two or more activities simultaneously, is impaired following mild traumatic brain injury. The aim of this project was to develop a dual-task paradigm that may be conducive to military utilization in evaluating cognitive-motor function in a standardized and scalable manner by leveraging mobile device technology. Methods Fifty healthy young adult civilians (18-24 years) completed four balance stances and a number discrimination task under single- and dual-task conditions. Postural stability was quantified using data gathered from iPad's native accelerometer and gyroscope. Cognitive task difficulty was manipulated by presenting stimuli at 30, 60, or 90 per minute. Performance of cognitive and balance tasks was compared between single- and dual-task trials. Results Cognitive performance from single- to dual-task paradigms showed no significant main effect of balance condition or the interaction of condition by frequency. From single- to dual-task conditions, a significant difference in postural control was revealed in only one stance: tandem with eyes closed, in which a slight improvement in postural stability was observed under dual-task conditions. Conclusion The optimal dual-task paradigm to evaluate cognitive-motor performance with minimal floor and ceiling effects consists of tandem stance with eyes closed while stimuli are presented at a rate of one per second.
How Effective are Psychosocial Group Workings in Improving Treatment Compliance and Self-Efficacy? An Experimental Study with Substance Users.

Introduction Group work is one of the most effective treatment methods in rehabilitation of substance use behavior. In addition, the individual's motivation to quit substance and self-efficacy perceptions of quitting are important factors for the course of the treatment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of group work process on motivational processes (intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, interpersonal help seeking and confidence-in-treatment subscales) and self-efficacy perception of substance users. Method This is an experimental study with 43 substance users. The Treatment Motivation Questionnaire subscales were used to measure the effect of the group work on the dimensions of treatment motivation (intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, confidence-in-treatment, interpersonal help seeking), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale was used to measure the effect of group work on the self-efficacy perceptions. Results The group work resulted in a significant increase in participants' intrinsic motivation and confidence-in-treatment. However, group work did not result in any significant change in extrinsic motivation, interpersonal help seeking and the perception of self-efficacy. In the follow-up process, a significant decrease was observed in the participants' self-efficacy perceptions. Conclusions Group work with substance users increases the intrinsic motivation and confidence-in-treatment. Therefore, group work practices will increase the effectiveness of substance use treatment.
Syngeneic murine model for prostate cancer using RM1 cells transfected with gp100

Background Prostate cancer (PC) is the most commonly diagnosed solid tumor in men. A major challenge in PC immunotherapy is the lack of an animal model that resembles human adenocarcinoma and allows for manipulation or monitoring of the immune response. Mouse models are needed for preclinical testing of new immunotherapies, whether used alone or in combination with established drugs, and to develop companion biomarkers that can be validated in clinical trials. Methods To develop a syngeneic prostate adenocarcinoma model with a well-defined tumor antigen, murine RM1 PC cells were transfected with the endogenous mouse melanoma protein, gp100 (RM1-gp100). Gp100 was attractive because it is a self-protein and it instantly allowed us to use the large trove of immune research tools developed for melanoma research. A dendritic cell (DC) vaccine was used as model immunotherapy to demonstrate that adoptive immunotherapy against gp100 decreases the growth of RM1-gp100 but not RM1. Results Expressing gp100 did not change the growth of RM1 cell in vitro or in vivo. The DCs pulsed with RM1-gp100 could be used to stimulate Pmel-1 lymphocyte proliferation and activation. Pmel-1 lymphocytes could be adoptively transferred into C57Bl/6 mice that were treated with DCs pulsed with RM1-gp100. The resulting Pmel-1 lymphocytes were monitored to assess the primary cellular immune response and memory response. Conclusion We describe a murine model for prostate adenocarcinoma with a well-characterized antigen that can be used in an immunologically intact mice to monitor the temporal CD8+ lymphocyte-mediated antitumor immunity.
Biased Stochastic Gradient Descent for Conditional Stochastic Optimization

Conditional Stochastic Optimization (CSO) covers a variety of applications ranging from meta-learning and causal inference to invariant learning. However, constructing unbiased gradient estimates in CSO is challenging due to the composition structure. As an alternative, we propose a biased stochastic gradient descent (BSGD) algorithm and study the bias-variance tradeoff under different structural assumptions. We establish the sample complexities of BSGD for strongly convex, convex, and weakly convex objectives, under smooth and non-smooth conditions. We also provide matching lower bounds of BSGD for convex CSO objectives. Extensive numerical experiments are conducted to illustrate the performance of BSGD on robust logistic regression, model-agnostic meta-learning (MAML), and instrumental variable regression (IV).
Feasibility and efficacy of a weight gain prevention intervention for breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a randomized controlled pilot study

Weight gain is common among breast cancer patients and may contribute to poorer treatment outcomes. Most programs target breast cancer survivors after the completion of therapy and focus on weight reduction. This study examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an intervention designed to prevent primary weight gain among women receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. Thirty-eight newly diagnosed stage II or III breast cancer patients were randomized to the BALANCE intervention or usual care within 3 weeks of starting neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The intervention used a size acceptance-based approach and encouraged home-based resistance and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise as well as a low energy-dense diet to prevent weight gain. Assessments were conducted at baseline, mid-chemotherapy (3 months), and post-chemotherapy (6 months). Intervention feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects on anthropometric, quality of life, and circulating biomarker measures were evaluated. Intervention participant retention (100%) and in-person session attendance (80%) were high during the intervention period, although attendance dropped to 43% for telephone-delivered sessions. The majority of participants reported being satisfied with the intervention during chemotherapy (88%). Participants in the intervention group had greater reductions in waist circumference (p = .03) and greater improvements in self-reported vitality scores (p = .03) than the control group at the end of chemotherapy. Significant effects on biomarkers were not observed. A size acceptance weight management program is feasible during neoadjuvant chemotherapy among breast cancer patients and may have beneficial effects on waist circumference and patient vitality. This study was registered as a clinical trial at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00533338).
How to screen the disorder of speech and language in pediatrics

Speech and language is the core competence of infant development,a sign of cognitive skills and social skills development,but also reflects the development of motor ability of certain features.Pediatrician in health physical examination of children,children of all ages should be assessed in language and speech abilities.This review discusses the Pediatic screening in language disorder. Key words: Children; Disorder of speech and language; Screening
How identity influences public attitudes towards the US federal government: lessons from the European Union

This study examines why Americans have positive or negative affect towards the US federal government. Specifically, it draws on existing theoretical and empirical research regarding individual attitudes towards the European Union, examining the effect of ethnocentrism on American attitudes towards the federal government. Relying on this existing research regarding the EU, it is hypothesized that those who are more ethnocentric will be more negative towards the US federal government. To test this expectation, we use longitudinal data from the American National Election Study from 1992 to 2012. We find those who are more ethnocentric are significantly more likely to possess negative attitudes towards the federal government. These findings have important implications for policymaking at both the federal and state levels, as well as party positioning both at the time of and between American elections, and the overall stability of multilevel governance in the United States. Additionally, the findings of this study indicate that theories designed to explain phenomena in the European Union are applicable to the US case.
Migration, Orientation, and Navigation

Storing food, becoming dormant, or migrating is one of three strategies that an animal may adopt to survive environmental harshness, e.g., winter cold and snow. The annual appearances and disappearances of birds were long a mystery (Gill 1990). For instance, Aristotle knew that cranes migrated from Asia to the Nile, but he believed that smaller birds hibernated. We now know that over 180 bird species migrate from Europe and Asia to Africa, and that over 170 species migrate from North America to the tropics each year.
Investigating the effect of message framing on event attendees’ engagement with advertisement promoting food waste reduction practices

Abstract This research aims to examine the optimal communication strategies to persuade event attendees to engage in food waste reduction (FWR) practices by utilizing the concepts of regulatory focus and reference points in advertising message framing. An online experiment study was conducted to investigate the interaction effects between regulatory focus (prevention- or promotion-focus) and reference points (self- or other-referencing) on consumers’ perceived intrinsic motives of event organizations’ green activities, their attitude toward the company’s FWR practices, and their behavioral intention toward participating in the company’s FWR practices as well as mediating effect of perceived intrinsic motives. Findings revealed a significant interaction effect between regulatory focus and reference points on persuasiveness of green appeals in the context of FWR practices. Mediation analysis revealed that the impact of regulatory focus message on behavioral intention is serially mediated via perceived intrinsic motives and attitude and this serial mediation effects vary in different reference points. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
Inventing the World Grant University: Chinese International Students’ Mobilities, Literacies, and Identities, by Fraiberg, S., Wang, X., & You, X.

The impact of globalization has increased the mobility of economic transactions and academic exchange. In response to the growing number of Chinese international students (CIS) in US higher educati...
DO SUPPLY-SIDE FORCES EXPLAIN GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION IN HEALTH CARE USE?

Regional variation in health care utilization has been well‐documented, yet uncertainty persists about whether this variation is primarily the result of supply‐side or demand‐side forces. We provide new evidence on this issue by examining changes in health care use for the near‐elderly as they transition from being uninsured into Medicare. Results support a causal, supply‐side explanation of regional variation. Estimates indicate that gaining Medicare coverage in above‐median spending regions increases the probability of at least one hospital visit by 40% and the probability of having more than five doctor visits by 26% relative to similar individuals in below‐median spending regions. (JEL D43, H42, H51, I1, I11, I13)
Redox-Related Metabolic Dynamics Imprinted on Short-Chain Carboxylic Acids in Soil Water Extracts: A 13C-Exometabolomics Analysis

Soil microbial metabolism is critical to carbon cycling, but direct annotation of metabolic activities is challenging. Here, we present an exometabolomics approach coupled with 13C profiling for in...
Materials progress for the development of beta-Ga2O3 for power electronics

In the past year and a half, major progress has been realized in beta-Ga2O3 as a power electronic material. In comparison with other wide and ultrawide bandgap (WBG and UWBG) semiconductors, bulk beta-Ga2O3 can be grown directly from the melt. The material offers controlled donor doping with Si, Ge, or Sn, remarkably low background unintentional compensating acceptor concentration, intentional compensation doping with Mg, Fe, or N. The material offers controlled wet etching. Recent thermal calculations show that despite the modest thermal conductivity (~1/2 of GaAs), heat can be managed in canonical lateral and vertical devices designs. For vertical devices, taking into account dopant ionization energies, a revised figure of merit for minimum on-resistance shows the superior performance potential for beta-Ga2O3 compared to all WBG and UWBG semiconductors.
Emerging investigator series: aramid amphiphile nanoribbons for the remediation of lead from contaminated water

Self-assembled nanoribbons from small molecule amphiphiles with a structural domain to impart mechanical stability and chelating head groups are reported for the remediation of lead from contaminated water. The nanoribbons' remediation capacity is affected by pH and the presence of competing cations, and can be modulated by head group choice.
Quantitative texture analysis using the NOMAD time-of-flight neutron diffractometer

Strategies for efficient and reliable texture measurements have been explored using the Nanoscale Ordered Materials Diffractometer (NOMAD) at the Spallation Neutron Source located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). To test these strategies, the texture of an Al alloy was also investigated using another neutron diffraction instrument, a constant-wavelength neutron diffractometer (NRSF2) located at the High Flux Isotope Reactor, also at ORNL. Reasonable agreement was found across the two experimental methods, but differences in overall texture strength and the symmetry of some components were noted, depending on the data reduction and analysis method selected. On the basis of these results, potential improvements are identified which would enhance the texture measurement capability on NOMAD.
Patterns of poverty across adolescence predict salivary cortisol stress responses in Mexican-origin youths.

Abstract Poverty is a chronic stressor associated with disruptions in psychophysiological development during adolescence. This study examined associations of chronic poverty and income changes experienced from pre- to mid-adolescence with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis stress responses in late adolescence. Participants (N = 229) were adolescents of Mexican-origin (48.7% female). Household income (converted to income-to-needs ratios) was assessed annually when children were 10–16 years old. At 17 years, adolescents completed Cyberball, a social exclusion simulation task while undergoing a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. Saliva samples were collected prior to and five times over a 50-minute period following the scan, from which salivary cortisol was assayed. Results showed that differential trajectories of poverty from ages 10–16 predicted HPA axis activity at age 17. Relative to others, distinct HPA suppression (hyporeactivity) was demonstrated by youth who started adolescence in deep poverty and were still living in poverty at age 16 despite experiencing some income gains. Youth from more economically secure families evinced typical cortisol increases following the lab stressor. These results suggest that subsequent HPA functioning varies as a function of economic status throughout adolescence, and that efforts to increase family income may promote healthy HPA functioning for youths in the most impoverished circumstances.
The Early Career Years of Engineering: Crossing the Threshold Between Education and Practice

In studies of engineering practice, the early career phase is a particularly intriguing area of inquiry. It is frequently imagined as the time when more-or-less competent graduates enter the workfo...
The Nanotech vs. the Biotech Revolution: Sources of Productivity in Incumbent Firm Research

Does the adaptation of incumbent firms to new methods of inventing follow similar patterns across industries and inventions? We investigate this question in the context of the revolutionary scientific advances enabling biotechnology and nanotechnology, both of which represent inventions of methods of inventing for incumbent firms. We hypothesize that an incumbent firm's ability to exploit these new methods of invention depends initially on access to tacit knowledge on how to employ the new methods. Over time, however, as firms learn and/or the knowledge becomes codified in routine procedures or commercially available equipment, inventive output is more highly dependent on traditional R&D investments. We empirically test these hypotheses on two longitudinal samples over the 21-year time period between 1980 and 2000: 80 incumbent pharmaceutical firms generating 15,607 biotechnology patents, and 249 firms across a diverse set of industries that were granted a total of 3,236 nanotechnology patents. We find broad support for our conjectures.
Avapritinib in the Treatment of Systemic Mastocytosis: an Update.

Patients with systemic mastocytosis, a dangerous and rare myeloid neoplasm, have long had few therapies available to them and, historically, rarely achieved from significant disease control. However, research and translational developments over the last decade have led to promising new options for disease management. In this review, we briefly outline the history of treatment for systemic mastocytosis and subsequently focus on the clinical development and potential applications of avapritinib (previously known as BLU-285), a potent and selective oral inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase most commonly mutated in this condition. Phase I data and recent phase II data have demonstrated both safety and efficacy of this agent used as monotherapy, even in patients who have progressed on other targeted therapy. Studies to date have focused on patients with the most aggressive disease, but new trials in indolent mastocytosis are accruing currently. Over the next several years, one may anticipate finalized, peer-reviewed, and formally published data for this agent in both advanced systemic and indolent mastocytosis. Evidence from these early studies will also likely highlight where more research is needed.
Positive and negative ways that informal caregivers are affected by weight and weight management efforts for care recipients with spinal cord injury

PURPOSE To understand how informal caregivers are affected by weight and weight management of care recipients with SCI. MATERIALS AND METHODS In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 24 informal caregivers of community-dwelling Veterans and civilians with SCI. Thematic analysis was conducted. RESULTS Three themes described how the care recipient's weight management efforts impacted the caregiver, including: (1) motivation and involvement in weight management efforts for themselves, (2) emotional well-being (positive and negative aspects), and (3) physical tasks (both ease and burden). Caregivers may experience emotional and/or physical burden by taking on extra caregiving tasks to help with care recipient's weight management. Caregivers also may experience positive impacts from the care recipient's weight management efforts, regardless of who drove the efforts, including improvement in their own motivation and involvement in weight management, enhanced emotional well-being (happiness for and with the care-recipient), and making physical caregiving tasks easier. CONCLUSIONS Rehabilitation providers can use these findings to educate dyads about potential impacts of weight management efforts for the care recipient, specifying areas that may cause burden but emphasizing the potential benefits for both recipient and caregiver. Integrating this education into rehabilitation practice may reduce overweight-related problems with function and declines in disability among dyads.Implications for RehabilitationInformal caregivers experience both positive and negative consequences with regard to weight management for individuals with SCI.Helping their loved one with weight management can facilitate informal caregivers' involvement in their own weight management activities.Findings may offer guidance to healthcare and rehabilitation providers as they incorporate weight management into education programs for informal caregivers of persons with SCI.Integrating this education into rehabilitation practice may reduce or delay overweight-related problems with function and declines in disability among dyads.
Aspirations and Possibilities

A travers ce texte, l'A. fait part de ses differences de conception de la recherche universitaira en sociologie. Ainsi, en retracant son enfance et ses anees d'etudes, il explique pourquoi il a tenu a respecter ses opinions et convictions devant une certaine reticence de la communaute scientifique
Time-resolved resonance raman spectroscopy of intermediates in cytochrome oxidase

This chapter focuses on time-resolved resonance Raman spectroscopy of intermediates in cytochrome oxidase. Cytochrome oxidase is the membrane-bound terminal enzyme in the electron transfer chain. It serves the dual role of generating a proton gradient by coupling redox events to proton translocation and maintaining continued electron flow for oxidative phosphorylation by catalyzing the four-electron reduction of O 2 to H 2 0. The reaction of this enzyme is very complex. However, great progress in its understanding has been made by resonance Raman studies. Most of the intermediates in the reaction scheme have been identified and their kinetics determined. The reaction scheme of the enzyme is divided into two phases. In the oxidative phase, the four-electron reduced enzyme reacts with oxygen and becomes fully oxidized. In the reductive phase, the enzyme is rereduced. The first intermediate in the reaction is labeled as compound A and is considered to be a ferric-superoxide species. In the Raman spectrum, this species has an iron-oxygen stretching mode at 568 cm -1 .
Abstract P260: Obesity is Associated With DNA Methylation in Population-Based Adolescents

Introduction: The association between obesity and DNA methylation in adolescents are extremely limited. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that gene specific methylations are associated with obesity in population-based adolescents. Methods: From the population-based Penn State Child Cohort follow-up exam (N=421), we randomly selected 20 obese cases from those with BMI percentile > 95, and 20 nonobese controls from those with BMI percentile < the median (61). White Blood Cell DNA was subjected to enhanced reduced representation bisulfite sequencing providing single nucleotide resolution of DNA methylation in CpG sites and surrounding regions. Briefly, 20 ng of genomic DNA was digested by MspI, which recognizes and cleaves CpG sites, followed by end repair, adenylation and adapter ligation using NEXTflex Bisulfite-Seq Library Prep Kit and NEXTflex Bisulfite-Seq Barcodes with a modification of bead size selection to capture MspI fragments of 70-320 bp size. The resulting libraries were bisulfite-converted by using EZ DNA Methylation Kit, followed by 18 to 20 cycles of PCR amplification using the NEXTflex Bisulfite-Seq U+PCR Master Mix and NEXTflex Primer Mix. Purified and quantified libraries were pooled at 6 samples per sequencing lane and read by 1X50 bp on HiSeq 2500. CASAVA-demultiplexed .fastq files were subjected to downstream analyses. Base calls of bisulfite treated sequencing reads with phred quality scores < 20 were trimmed and the adaptor was cut using trim_galore v0.3.3. Resulting reads were mapped to the hg19 assembly and methylation calls were performed using Bismark v0.10.1. Analysis was performed using custom R scripts and methylKit v0.9.2. Bases with less than 10x coverage were excluded. Bases with fewer than 5 subjects in either the obese or nonobese groups were also excluded. Significance at each base was assessed with t-test. A gene-level analysis was conducted by selecting only bases with a p-value < .05 and identifying genes with the largest number of differentially methylated bases after normalizing by gene length. Results: We identified 4136 bases with statistically significant differential methylation and an average difference of 25% or more. The genes with the most differentially methylated bases after normalizing to the gene length are GADD45B (8 bases), NKX6-2 (5 bases), UNCX (7 bases), KCNG2 (5 bases). Other significant genes include GNAS (8 bases), KIF26A (8 bases), TBX3 (8 bases), PDGFB (7 bases), B3GALT6 (6 bases), DLG3 (6 bases), GRIN3B (6 bases). Methylkit also identified the following significantly differentially methylated genes: LINC01444, GPR123, PTP4A3, SH3PXD2A-AS1, ZNF835. One base on the PHYKPL gene maintained significance (p=.01) after multiple correction at the chromosome level. Conclusion: Obesity is associated DNA methylation in otherwise healthy adolescents. Future analysis will focus on validating significant findings in a larger cohort.
Designing help using a GOMS model: an information retrieval evaluation

The GOMS model was used to develop the structure and content of a help system from the goals, operators, methods, and selection rules needed to perform HyperCard™ authoring tasks. The retrieval effectiveness of the GOMS help system was compared with an original help system developed by Apple® Computer. Two groups, each consisting of 14 novice HyperCard users, retrieved help for 56 authoring tasks separated into four blocks using either the GOMS or original help system. Users of GOMS help were significantly faster than were the original system users, with the largest difference occurring during the first block. Retrieval performance with GOMS help was stable, whereas original system users improved significantly over blocks. The explicit procedural structure of GOMS help seemed to ease retrieval, whereas original system users had to learn the location of specific information. This study suggests that a GOMS model can aid in the development of a procedural help system that is easy to learn and use for retrie...
A new token passing distributed mutual exclusion algorithm

Eliminating interference between concurrently executing activities through mutual exclusion is one of the most fundamental problems in computer systems. The problem of mutual exclusion in a distributed system is especially interesting owing to the lack of global knowledge in the presence of variable communication delays. In this paper, a new token-based distributed mutual exclusion algorithm is proposed. The algorithm incurs approximately three messages at high loads, irrespective of the number of nodes N in the system. At low loads, it requires approximately N messages. The paper also addresses failure recovery issues, such as token loss.
SUPRAMOLECULAR STRUCTURES OF PEPTIDE ASSEMBLIES IN MEMBRANES BY NEUTRON OFF-PLANE SCATTERING : METHOD OF ANALYSIS

In a previous paper (Yang et al., Biophys. J. 75:641-645, 1998), we showed a simple, efficient method of recording the diffraction patterns of supramolecular peptide assemblies in membranes where the samples were prepared in the form of oriented multilayers. Here we develop a method of analysis based on the diffraction theory of two-dimensional liquids. Gramicidin was used as a prototype model because its pore structure in membrane in known. At full hydration, the diffraction patterns of alamethicin and magainin are similar to gramicidin except in the scale of q (the momentum transfer of scattering), clearly indicating that both alamethicin and magainin form pores in membranes but of different sizes. When the hydration of the multilayer samples was decreased while the bilayers were still fluid, the in-plane positions of the membrane pores became correlated from one bilayer to the next. We believe that this is a new manifestation of the hydration force. The effect is most prominent in magainin patterns, which are used to demonstrate the method of analysis. When magainin samples were further dehydrated or cooled, the liquid-like diffraction turned into crystal-like patterns. This discovery points to the possibility of investigating the supramolecular structures with high-order diffraction.