cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward Better Undergraduate Teaching

T O begin, teaching may be defined as the stimulation of learning concomitantly with learning, which may be defined as an active process carried on through doing, reacting, and sometimes undergoing changes and the like; and for both of these to be effective, the learner must participate in his own learning-teaching situation, hence his own education. Methods of teaching are our "tools," which we use systematically to stimulate the processes of learning. Therefore, methods must of necessity take into proper account the nature of learning and the nature of the learner. To be effective, experience indicates that methods must also recognize the desired outcomes of learners, and they must be considered with learners of differing backgrounds and of differing levels of maturity, etc. I hasten to add that the teacher must play the role of a counselor following classes in order to study and arrange for proper adjustment in his approach to any differences that may exist among students. At this point, it is necessary to bring into this presentation a few words concerning methods. Occasionally, one may consider or interpret techniques and devices as methods; however, these are only parts within methods. Therefore it is not surprising that considerable confusion exists in the teaching circle through misinterpretations of the meaning of the word "method." The following list will serve to telescope the situation-some people refer to the following as methods: recitation, textbooks, individual, project, study, socialized, drill, group, and visual. None of the above is a method; each is a subsidiary technique, a device, or part of a method [1, p. 866B]. Over time, advances in the complexity of learning, coupled with the rise of an intellectual tradition of tribal history, brought about the development of the first teaching methods. These involved demonstrations of skills to be performed plus enforcement of drill or practice. Initially, the use of deductive logic produced many erroneous beliefs because the original premise was predicated on many unrealistic assumptions. Yet, the deductive method is nonetheless a sound teaching method especially in specialized subjects with college students. The basic principle used in the deductive method involves generalization of a law or idea together with illustrations. Employing this method, the student is led to analyze the principle and examples and then to find new ones in his general field of study. It is expected that the student or learner will use conservatism relative to limitations.
Development of a Time-Dependent, Audio-Visual, Stated-Choice Method of Data Collection of Hurricane Evacuation Behavior

Revealed preference is the traditional method to collect hurricane evacuation behavior data. However, revealed preference surveys have the disadvantage that they are unable to collect time-sensitive and policy-sensitive data needed to test evacuation policies. In contrast, data collected from time-dependent, audio-visual, stated-choice surveys allow researchers to collect not only time-sensitive and policy-sensitive data but also information that will allow testing potential new evacuation policies. However, no research has been conducted to establish the methodology of such surveys. To fill the gap, this study is aimed at developing a new time-dependent, audio-visual, stated-choice method to collect evacuation behavior data. To achieve the objective, nine animations of hypothetical storms were developed based on recent hurricane history. To test the new methodology and its effectiveness, data was collected using both the methods, for new and traditional methods, in New Orleans and surrounding parishes. I...
Transtympanic administration of short interfering (si)RNA for the NOX3 isoform of NADPH oxidase protects against cisplatin-induced hearing loss in the rat.

Abstract Cisplatin produces hearing loss in cancer patients. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cochlea leads to lipid peroxidation, death of outer hair cells (OHCs), and hearing loss. The cochlea expresses a unique isoform of NADPH oxidase, NOX3, which serves as the primary source of ROS generation in the cochlea. Inhibition of NOX3 could offer a unique protective target against cisplatin ototoxicity. Here, we document that knockdown of NOX3 using short interfering (si) RNA abrogated cisplatin ototoxicity, as evidenced by protection of OHCs from damage and reduced threshold shifts in auditory brainstem responses (ABRs). Transtympanic NOX3 siRNA reduced the expression of NOX3 in OHCs, spiral ganglion (SG) cells, and stria vascularis (SV) in the rat. NOX3 siRNA also reduced the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channel and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), biomarkers of cochlear damage. Also, transtympanic NOX3 siRNA reduced the expression of Bax, abolished the decrease in ex...
The indeterminate thyroid fine-needle aspiration: experience from an academic center using terminology similar to that proposed in the 2007 National Cancer Institute Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration State of the Science Conference.

BACKGROUND: To date, thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) has been used by clinicians as the screening test of choice to determine whether surgery is required and this is what the pathology report should communicate. Standard terminology for reporting thyroid FNA has not been implemented yet, and pathologists have used various reporting systems to communicate results. A significant source of confusion among both pathologists and clinicians has been the use of the indeterminate category. On the basis of an analysis of 1150 thyroid FNAs in 2000, this institution modified the reporting of thyroid biopsy results into 6 categories, including unsatisfactory. The indeterminate category was separated into 3 subroups: 1) indeterminate for neoplasia (IND), 2) follicular neoplasm (FN), and 3) suspicious for malignan cy (SUSP). Repeat FNA in 6m onths to 12 months was recommended for IND and surgery for FN and SUSP categories. METHODS: To determine the validity of this approach, the outcomes of this reporting system from July of 2000 to December of 2006 were analyzed. The IND category was used for 2 subsets of cases: (a) those that morphologically fall into the gray zone between adenomatoid nodule (AN) and FN, for Hurthle cell nodule (hyperplasia vs neoplasm), and chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis with concern for neoplasia; and (b) for suboptimal specimens due to low epithelial cellularity or collection artifacts. RESULTS: Among 5194 thyroid nodules, the IND category comprised 18%. FNA follow-up was done in 21% of IND cases: 58% were benign/negative and did not require surgery based on cytology alone. Surgical follow-up in 46% of IND showed 52% were benign/negative, and 42% were follicular/Hurthle cell adenomas. The surgical yield of malignancy in IND was low (6%) when compared with the FN category, which was 14% (more than 2 that of the IND category), and the SUSP category, which was 53% (almost 9 that of the IND category). CONCLUSIONS: A 6-tier reporting system for thyroid FNA was effective for determining which patients needed surgery versus follow-up FNA and also guided the clinician on the extent of surgery. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2009;117:195–202. V C 2009 American Cancer Society.
The effectiveness of self-administered treatments: a practice-friendly review of the research.

Self-administered treatments are a cost-effective way to treat a broad spectrum of people. This article focuses on the existing research of self-administered treatments and their effectiveness when integrated with ongoing practice or when implemented alone. Evidence for their effectiveness is mixed; self-help has been proven successful in the treatment of depression, mild alcohol abuse, and anxiety disorders. It has proven less successful for smoking cessation and moderate to severe alcohol abuse. When determining whether self-administered treatment is appropriate, individual characteristics and attitude as well as the nature and severity of the problem should be taken into consideration. In addition, because many self-help treatments have not been evaluated, caution should be exercised when implementing self-administered treatment, and progress should be carefully monitored.
Widowhood and Remarriage in Sixteenth-Century Paris

This article analyzes the social, economic, and legal position of Parisian widows in the second half of the sixteenth century. Three principal aspects of widowhood are discussed: the position of the widow in the break-up of the family's economic community that occurred with the death of the head of the household, the continuing role of the widow in the management of family properties, and the situation of the widow who remarried. The author argues that sixteenth-century notions of feminine frailty and the legal incapacity of married women in sixteenth- century Paris must be understood within the context of a traditional concern for the protection of the family line and property, and that there is an ironic contrast between the presumed frailty of the female sex and the important responsibilities for the management of family affairs and property with which widows were in fact entrusted.
Combined Computational and Experimental Studies of the Mechanism and Scope of the Retro-Nazarov Reaction

Density functional theory calculations (B3LYP/6-31+G*) demonstrate that conjugating and electron-donating substituents at carbons three and four of a cyclopentenyl oxyallylic cation should have a r...
Nostega: A Novel Noiseless Steganography Paradigm

Steganography is the science and art of covert communications. When using a steganographic approach, if an adversary suspects the existence of a hidden message the approach is defeated regardless of whether or not a plaintext is revealed. Contemporary steganography approaches found in the literature often hide data by altering a text, image, audio, etc., that serves as a cover. Although, an alteration is still considered a noise that is introduced to the cover, a sender opts to make the alterations look subtle and hard to detect, in order to avert suspicion. However, recent advances in steganalysis have rendered these approaches highly vulnerable to a wide variety of attacks such as traffic, contrast, comparison, statistical, etc., which may be able to defeat the steganographic goal. This article promotes a new paradigm for covert communication, namely noiseless steganography paradigm (Nostega), that overcomes the vulnerabilities of current approaches. Nostega neither hides data in a noise nor produces noise, rendering the generated cover noiseless. Instead, it camouflages messages in a form of unquestionable data in the generated cover. Unlike all other approaches, Nostega not only camouflages a message but also its transmission. Examples of Nostega-based steganography methodologies are discussed.
Influence of Trialkylaluminum Reagents on the Propylene Polymerization Behavior of Bridged and Unbridged 2-Arylindene Metallocene Polymerization Catalysts

Trialkylaluminum reagents such as triisobutylaluminum (TIBA) and trimethylaluminum (TMA) influence the propylene polymerization behavior of methylaluminoxane (MAO)-activated dimethylsilyl[bis(2-phenylindenyl)]zirconium dichloride (1). TIBA selectively decreases the productivity of the meso diastereomer of 1 (1-meso). This is manifested in an increase in the isotacticity of polypropylene blends prepared from mixtures of 1-rac and 1-meso compared to polymer blends prepared in the absence of TIBA. In contrast, added trimethylaluminum decreases the productivity of both 1-rac and 1-meso. Similar trends in reactivity with AlR3 are observed for unbridged bis(2-phenylindenyl)zirconium dichloride (2) compared to a mixture of the bridged catalysts containing 57% 1-rac. Mechanical testing indicates that polypropylene from 2 has superior elastomeric properties to reactor blends prepared from mixtures of 1-rac and 1-meso in the presence and absence of trialkylaluminum reagents. Reactor blends prepared without AlR3 exh...
The thick, turbulent boundary layer on a cylinder: Mean and fluctuating velocities

The mean and fluctuating velocities in a turbulent boundary layer on a cylinder have been experimentally characterized for the case where the boundary layer is thick compared to the radius of transverse curvature. The mean velocity measurements suggest a mixed scaling for the ‘‘log law of the wall’’ using the wall coordinate yUτ/ν and the ratio of the local boundary layer thickness to the radius of the cylinder δ/a. A relation for the slope and intercept of the log law of the wall as functions of δ/a based on empirical results and simple analysis is presented. Measurements of the Reynolds stress for δ/a of order 10 show that the Reynolds stress drops off much more quickly with distance from the wall than for a turbulent boundary layer on a flat plate. Both the Reynolds stress data and the turbulent intensity in the mean flow direction data are functions of the inverse radial distance from the center of the cylinder.
Observational Boundary Layer Energy and Water Budgets of the Stratocumulus-to-Cumulus Transition

AbstractThe authors estimate summer mean boundary layer water and energy budgets along a northeast Pacific transect from 35° to 15°N, which includes the transition from marine stratocumulus to trade cumulus clouds. Observational data is used from three A-Train satellites, Aqua, CloudSat, and the Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO); data derived from GPS signals intercepted by microsatellites of the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC); and the container-ship-based Marine Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment Cloud System Study/Working Group on Numerical Experimentation (GCSS/WGNE) Pacific Cross-Section Intercomparison (GPCI) Investigation of Clouds (MAGIC) campaign. These are unique satellite and shipborne observations providing the first global-scale observations of light precipitation, new vertically resolved radiation budget products derived from the active sensors, an...
Accuracy and intuition: The mission of a science journalist

After years of experimenting with how to explain my thesis research to family and friends, I realized two things: (1) just because I was the presumed expert on a topic didn't mean I could easily break it down into absorbable nuggets of information; but (2) trying to do that was an absorbing challenge. It was more than a game; it was a sort of mission. How do I convince my audience that the underlying science isn't too esoteric—that science can be more fun than intimidating? The AAAS Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellowship program seemed like a perfect opportunity to undertake this mission. As a recent Ph.D. in marine geochemistry in the MITAVHOI Joint Program for Oceanography, I had written and presented specialized papers geared toward scientists. However, as a science journalist, I imagined I would be a sort of interpreter, an intermediary between scientists and the general public, translating complicated scientific concepts into readable prose, while maintaining constant vigilance against jargon and assumptions. Something like that.
Thresholds for Transverse Stimulation: Fiber Bundles in a Uniform Field

Cable theory is used to model fibers (neural or muscular) subjected to an extracellular stimulus or activating function along the fiber (longitudinal stimulation). There are cases however, in which activation from fields across a fiber (transverse stimulation) is dominant and the activating function is insufficient to predict the relative stimulus thresholds for cells in a bundle. This work proposes a general method of quantifying transverse extracellular stimulation using ideal cases of long fibers oriented perpendicular to a uniform field (circular cells in a 2-D extracellular domain). Several methods are compared against a fully coupled model to compute electrical potentials around each cell of a bundle and predict the magnitude of applied plate potential (Phip) needed to activate a given cell (Phipact). The results show that with transverse stimulation, the effect of cell presence on the external field must be considered to accurately compute Phipact. They also show that approximating cells as holes can accurately predict firing order and Phipact of cells in bundles. Potential profiles from this hole model can also be applied to single cell models to account for time-dependent transmembrane voltage responses and more accurately predict Phipact. The approaches used herein apply to other examples of transverse cell stimulation where cable theory is inapplicable and coupled model simulation is too costly to compute.
Motivation to Collaborate: Applying Motivation Theory to Community Organizations and Universities Working Together

Research has identified a variety of reasons community organizations choose to collaborate with universities. This study applies Bandura’s (1997) model of motivation to investigate the motivations for, benefits of, and challenges inherent in university collaboration for 15 community organizations. The study examined community partners’ anticipatory cognitive motivation, which is comprised of forethought, cognized goals, and outcome expectancies; the academic service-learning experience itself; and community partners’ retrospective reasoning, including perceived benefits and challenges. The study found that community partners are motivated to collaborate with the university not by external incentives but as a result of their desire to fulfill cognized goals and achieve expected outcomes. Keywords: Service-learning, community partners, motivation, partnerships
Identifying sufficient statistics in information networks

Given a network targeting information transmission, this paper considers the problem of identifying a set of edges or nodes whose transmission is sufficient to determine information flow at some other parts of the network. We give a simple information theoretic characterization for this problem, which naturally leads to a graph theoretic identifying procedure.
Ibn Taymiyya, Radical Polymath, Part 2: Intellectual Contributions

Part one of this two-part article surveys Ibn Taymiyya's life with particular attention to biographical perceptions in the premodern as well as modern worlds. The second part hones in on Ibn Taymiyya's intellectual contributions to a number of debates in his lifetime and following, with particular attention to how secondary scholarship has framed his work. Contemporary authors often reduce Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328) to a modern political inspiration by giving attention to his influence on allegedly puritanical religio-political movements in the modern world. Participants in these movements, including ‘Salafis’ and ‘Wahhabis,’ have selectively adopted his views on issues ranging from jihād to anti-Sufi tendencies and the promotion of state-sponsored Islamic law (sharī‘a). The complex polymath, however, wrote prodigiously on numerous topics including theology, political theory, qur'anic exegesis, jurisprudence, and mysticism. Although he espoused violence in some situations, he was a pacifist at other times. This, combined with his attention to independent legal reasoning (ijtihād), often offended authorities and landed him in jail on more than one occasion. Just as he upbraided certain Sufis, moreover, he also espoused a type of Sufism in accord with his own persuasions. We must therefore recognize the Damascene polymath for his abilities to adroitly navigate and contribute to all manners of debates in his time, regardless of—although relevant to—how modern scholars have understood his writings.
Inter- and intragranular nanostructure and possible spinodal decomposition in low-resistivity bulk MgB2 with varying critical fields

Three electromagnetically well-characterized bulk samples with nominal resistivities at 40 K [ρ(40 K)], varying from 1 to 18 μΩcm, were investigated by conventional and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Clean, coherent, or semi-coherent grain boundaries and dirty-grain boundaries wetted by amorphous phases were found in all three samples, even though the starting sample A had the very low resistivity of 1 μΩcm at 40 K, characteristic of clean-limit samples. Taking into account its porosity and wetted-grain boundary area, the true resistivity value is about 0.5 μΩcm. Additional samples B and C, prepared by exposing sample A to Mg vapor, showed enhanced ρ(40 K) values of 14 and 18 μΩcm, without noticeable change in either inter- or intra-granular microstructure. Intragranular nanoprecipitates with characteristics of a spinodal of MgB7, with a size of 1–5 nm, were observed in a few areas of samples A and B at high local density; however at too low an overall density to explain the increased resistivities and upper critical fields.
Increased Dietary Fat Promotes Islet Amyloid Formation and β-Cell Secretory Dysfunction in a Transgenic Mouse Model of Islet Amyloid

Transgenic mice expressing the amyloidogenic human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) in their islet β-cells are a model of islet amyloid formation as it occurs in type 2 diabetes. Our hIAPP transgenic mice developed islet amyloid when fed a breeder chow but not regular chow. Because the breeder chow contained increased amounts of fat, we hypothesized that increased dietary fat enhances islet amyloid formation. To test this hypothesis, we fed male hIAPP transgenic and nontransgenic control mice diets containing 15% (low fat), 30% (medium fat), or 45% (high fat) of calories derived from fat for 12 months, and we measured islet amyloid, islet endocrine cell composition, and β-cell function. Increased dietary fat in hIAPP transgenic mice was associated with a dose-dependent increase in both the prevalence (percentage of islets containing amyloid deposits; 34 ± 8, 45 ± 8, and 58 ± 10%, P < 0.05) and severity (percentage of islet area occupied by amyloid; 0.8 ± 0.5, 1.0 ± 0.5, and 4.6 ± 2.5%, P = 0.05) of islet amyloid. In addition, in these hIAPP transgenic mice, there was a dose-dependent decrease in the proportion of islet area comprising β-cells, with no significant change in islet size. In contrast, nontransgenic mice adapted to diet-induced obesity by increasing their islet size more than twofold. Increased dietary fat was associated with impaired insulin secretion in hIAPP transgenic ( P = 0.05) but not nontransgenic mice. In summary, dietary fat enhances both the prevalence and severity of islet amyloid and leads to β-cell loss and impaired insulin secretion. Because both morphologic and functional defects are present in hIAPP transgenic mice, this would suggest that the effect of dietary fat to enhance islet amyloid formation might play a role in the pathogenesis of the islet lesion of type 2 diabetes in humans.
Efforts to enhance coverage of crystallography in United States secondary education

Because crystallography has often been regarded as an `experts only' science, requiring advanced mathematics and physics, it has been eliminated from many science curricula. In the United States, high school is a critical time when students are exposed to science at a more significant level, preparing them for university, and it is when they make career choices. A contemporary secondary science teaching credential must qualify teachers to present topics in substantive ways, to attract talented and enthusiastic young people to science, and to develop scientific literacy in the future workforce. Education and training policies put forward by the United States National Committee for Crystallography and the American Crystallographic Association recommend that molecular structure awareness should begin in K-12 (kindergarten through 12th grade) education as a core component for implementing established national science standards. Furthermore, many contexts exist in which crystallography can be incorporated into secondary education with minimal disruption. Following these guidelines, preparation of secondary teachers should include professional development in crystallography, providing them with knowledge (fundamental and practical), learning units, tools and modern examples to incorporate into their curricula. This article describes activities whose objective is to enhance secondary education by raising crystallography awareness through workshops, summer schools, student/teacher research internships and remote-enabling technologies.
INHERENT ASYMMETRY AND REFLEX MODULATION OF THE LOCUST FLIGHT MOTOR PATTERN

1. Some aspects of the orientation and stability of flying locusts have been studied in free flight and with animals mounted so that they were free about the rolling axis only. Free flights were observed in white or infra-red light, with or without the wind-sensitive head hairs covered. Rolling behaviour was studied in light or darkness in front of a wind tunnel fitted with a movable simulated horizon while electrical recordings were made from flight control muscles. Flight muscles or single wings were removed in some experiments. 2. In the absence of visual feedback many intact animals roll consistently in one direction, and there is asymmetry in the motor output pattern. Removal of a wing causes a changed rolling torque in the absence of exteroceptive feedback. 3. In free flight, or in the presence of the illuminated simulated horizon, the centrally inherent or surgically induced asymmetrical behaviour is corrected by compensatory changes in the motor pattern. 4. Even though the locust flight control system contains a central motor score it exhibits the sort of adaptability called Plasticitat in the case of insect walking. In locust flight the compensations depend mainly upon exteroceptive feedbacks.
Risk of pancreatic cancer by alcohol dose, duration, and pattern of consumption, including binge drinking: a population-based study.

Alcohol consumption is postulated to be a risk factor for pancreatic cancer (PCA), but clarification of degree of risk related to consumption characteristics is lacking. We examined the association between alcohol consumption and PCA in a population-based case–control study (532 cases, 1,701 controls) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Population-based controls were frequency-matched by sex, age within 5-year categories and county of residence to cases identified by the cancer registry’s rapid case ascertainment. Detailed alcohol consumption data, including binge drinking (≥5 drinks/day), were collected during in-person interviews. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were computed using adjusted unconditional logistic regression. Depending on dose, duration, and pattern of drinking, ORs were increased 1.5- to 6-fold among men but not women. In men, ORs increased with increasing overall alcohol consumption (22–35 drinks/week OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.1–4.0; ≥35 drinks/week OR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.3–5.1, p-trend = 0.04). Most notable were effects with a history of binge drinking (OR = 3.5, 95% CI = 1.6–7.5) including increased number of drinks per day (p-trend = 0.002), and increased years of binge drinking (p-trend = 0.0006). In fully adjusted models that included smoking and other confounders, ORs for binge drinking in men were somewhat higher than in age-adjusted models. Results from our detailed analyses provide support for heavy alcohol consumption (including binge drinking) as a risk factor for PCA in men.
Range addressable network: a P2P cache architecture for data ranges

Peer-to-peer computing paradigm is emerging as a scalable and robust model for sharing media objects. We propose an architecture and describe the associated algorithms and data structures to support the execution of range selection queries over data scattered across a P2P network especially for resource discovery in grid environments. We develop a distributed data structure referred to as a range addressable network that provides the following two quality-of-service guarantees: (i) the located peer is one with the smallest superset of the query range (important from the application perspective), and (ii) in a P2P network of n peers, a query is routed through O(log n) peers before the intended peer is found (important from the system perspective). Our preliminary experimental evaluation indicates that the range addressable network has desirable properties of scalability and load-balancing, which are crucial for the success of a large-scale P2P system.
Chronometric Dating in Archaeology, vol. 2

Chronometric Dating in Archaeology. vol. 2. R. E. Taylor and Martin J. Aitken. eds. New York: Plenum, 1997.396 pp.
A scheme for data compression in supercomputers

There is a growing recognition of the importance of efficient coding and data compression schemes in supercomputing centers and in networks of high-speed computing machines. Recently, there has been a considerable interest in arithmetic coding as a promising technique for reducing the cost of data storage and transmission. In this paper, we present a compression algorithm that is tailored to utilize the enormous speed and memory size of supercomputers and which utilizes an enhanced arithmetic coding scheme. The paper also presents efficient VLSI designs for the enhanced scheme. These hardware designs are suitable for inclusion in disk and communication controllers of supercomputers and would provide a practical way to effectively increase thresholds of data transfer rates and communication bandwidth.
Simulation of longitudinal phase space in the SLC

Upon leaving the damping ring, the SLC (SLAC Linear Collider) beam passes through the ring-to-linac transfer line (RTL), the linac, and the arcs on its way to the collision point. In an earlier paper by K. Bane and R. Ruth (1989), calculations of the longitudinal distributions of the lengthened damping ring beam were presented, calculations that agreed remarkably well with measurements. The author presently propagates the damping ring distributions through the rest of the machine. Among the effects that are included in the calculations are the curvature of the compressor RF and the limited energy aperture in the RTL, the wakefields in the linac, and the momentum compaction in the arcs. >
High-stroke, high-order MEMS deformable mirrors

Monolithic fabrication of continuous facesheet high-aspect ratio gold microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) deformable mirrors (DMs) onto a thermally matched ceramic-glass substrate (WMS-15) has been performed. The monolithic process allows thick layer deposition (tens of microns) of sacrificial and structural materials thus allowing high-stroke actuation to be achieved. The fabrication process does not require wafer bonding to achieve high aspect ratio three-dimensional structures. A gold continuous facesheet mirror with 3.4 nm surface roughness has been deposited on a 16 × 16 array of X-beam actuators on a 1-mm pitch. A stroke of 6.4 μm was obtained when poking two neighboring actuators. Initial electrostatic actuation displacement results for a high-aspect ratio gold MEMS DM with a continuous facesheet will be discussed. © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI. (DOI: 10.1117/1.JMM.12.3.033012)
Enhanced in vivo absorption of itraconazole via stabilization of supersaturation following acidic-to-neutral pH transition.

Previous attempts to improve the dissolution and absorption properties of itraconazole (ITZ) through advanced formulation design have focused only on release in acidic media; however, recent reports indicate that absorption occurs primarily in the proximal small intestine. This suggests that enhancing supersaturation of ITZ in neutral aqueous environments is essential for improving absorption. The aim of this study was to evaluate different polymeric stabilizers with either immediate release (IR) (Methocel™ E5, Methocel™ E50, Kollidon® 12, and Kollidon® 90) or enteric release (EUDRAGIT® L 100-55, HP-55, and HP-55S) properties to determine the chemical and physical attributes of the polymeric stabilizers that promote supersaturation of ITZ in neutral media. Each amorphous composition was produced by hot-melt extrusion and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry. Dissolution testing by a supersaturated acidic-to-neutral pH change method was conducted on each composition. Testing of IR composition...
Anodic biofilms in microbial fuel cells harbor low numbers of higher-power-producing bacteria than abundant genera.

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) anode communities often reveal just a few genera, but it is not known to what extent less abundant bacteria could be important for improving performance. We examined the microbial community in an MFC fed with formic acid for more than 1 year and determined using 16S rRNA gene cloning and fluorescent in situ hybridization that members of the Paracoccus genus comprised most (~30%) of the anode community. A Paracoccus isolate obtained from this biofilm (Paracoccus denitrificans strain PS-1) produced only 5.6 mW/m2, whereas the original mixed culture produced up to 10 mW/m2. Despite the absence of any Shewanella species in the clone library, we isolated a strain of Shewanella putrefaciens (strain PS-2) from the same biofilm capable of producing a higher-power density (17.4 mW/m2) than the mixed culture, although voltage generation was variable. Our results suggest that the numerical abundance of microorganisms in biofilms cannot be assumed a priori to correlate to capacities of these predominant species for high-power production. Detailed screening of bacterial biofilms may therefore be needed to identify important strains capable of high-power generation for specific substrates.
Possession of a Controlled Substantive: Light ‘have’ and Other Verbs of Possession

Verbs like get, give, and transitive want incorporate a possession component, and hence receive paraphrases that include the verb have as given in (1): (1) a. John wants the car. ↔ John wants to have the car. b. John got the car. ↔ John came to have the car. c. Mary gave John the car. ↔Mary caused John to have the car. Evidence for an underlying “have” comes from durative adverbials, which may modify the “have” state (McCawley 1974, Ross 1976, Dowty 1979, inter alia): (2) a. John wants the car (for two days). (want or have for two days) b. John got the car (for two days). (have for two days) c. John gave me the car (for two days). (have for two days) Furthermore, with want both events can be modified at the same time as in (3a), something not possible with non-possession verbs as in (3b). (3) a. On Monday, John wanted a car Tuesday. (want Monday, have Tuesday) b. #On Monday, John painted a car Tuesday. This suggests these sentences have an underlying semantic ‘have’ formative. Two theories have been proposed for how this formative enters the picture. On one view it is in the lexical decomposition of the verb, as in (4a) for give (Dowty 1979, Rappaport Hovav and Levin 2008). The other posits a silent syntactic formative (McCawley 1974), as in the analysis of Harley (2003: 34, (3b)) in (4b), where Phave raises and adjoins to vcause, which Spells-Out as give (Harley 2003: 34, (3b)). (4) a. give := [ x CAUSE [ z HAVE y ] ] b. vP
Deficient Critical Thinking Skills among College Graduates: Implications for leadership

Although higher education understands the need to develop critical thinkers, it has not lived up to the task consistently. Students are graduating deficient in these skills, unprepared to think critically once in the workforce. Limited development of cognitive processing skills leads to less effective leaders. Various definitions of critical thinking are examined to develop a general construct to guide the discussion as critical thinking is linked to constructivism, leadership, and education. Most pedagogy is content‐based built on deep knowledge. Successful critical thinking pedagogy is moving away from this paradigm, teaching students to think complexly. Some of the challenges faced by higher education moving to a critical thinking curricula are discussed, and recommendations are offered for improving outcomes.
Intracellular Ca2+ transients evoked by lactic acid in cultured mammalian neurons

During cerebral ischemia, accumulation of the glycolytic end product lactic acid may contribute to brain infarction. In vitro, lactic acid evokes a process of slowly evolving neuronal death characterized by a transient maintenance of cellular viability after initial injury. We examined effects of lactic acid on intracellular Ca2+ (Cai2+). Cultured neurons loaded with the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fura 2 showed a marked increase in Cai2+ to as high as 600 nM. This increase occurred after lactic acid exposure when intracellular pH had normalized. Membrane potential was unaltered during this period, indicating that the Cai2+ increment was not a result of membrane depolarization. Increase in Ca2+ was prevented by incubating cultures in Ca(2+)-free solutions or exposing them to the L-type Ca2+ channel antagonist nimodipine. Cai2+ returned to resting levels within 20 min and remained normal during the remainder of the 4-h observation period. Neuronal Ca2+ homeostasis was disrupted after lethal exposure to lactic acid, in that subsequent exposure to 50 mM K+ failed to increase neuronal Cai2+. Cai2+ increment was integrated over a 20-min period to obtain a measure of neuronal Cai2+ load. This "calcium integral" was found to correlate directly with severity of neuronal damage observed 24 h later. Thus the Cai2+ increase integrated over time closely reflected the likelihood of lethal neuronal injury after lactic acid exposure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Financing Capacity and Fire Sales: Evidence from Bank Failures

Theory suggests the reduction in financing capacity after the failure of a financial intermediary can reduce the value of financial assets. Forced sales of the intermediary’s assets could consume liquidity, depressing the liquidation value of the assets of healthy intermediaries and causing contagious runs. This paper investigates these predictions using a new dataset of bank failures during the farm depression just before the Great Depression. Using regulatory impediments to lending across state borders as a means of identification, we find that the reduction in local financing capacity as a result of bank failures reduces the recovery rates on failed assets of nearby banks, depresses local land prices, renders land markets illiquid, and is associated with subsequent financial sector distress among nearby banks. All this indicates a rationale for why bank failures are contagious.
Catchlike property of rat diaphragm: subsequent train frequency effects in variable-train stimulation.

A high-frequency burst of pulses at the onset of a subtetanic train of stimulation allows skeletal muscle to hold force at a higher level than expected from the extra pulses alone because of the ca...
A Perfect Peace Too Horrible to Contemplate: Justice Holmes and the Perpetual Conviction of Eugene Victor Debs

This article analyzes the content of Eugene V. Debs’ famous 1918 speech in Canton, Ohio to argue that, regarding political dissent, Debs v. U.S. is the most speech-restrictive case in Supreme Court history. It also examines the evolution of Justice Holmes’s First Amendment jurisprudence by analyzing his opinions in three cases, which the article calls "the Holmes triumvirate."
Pursuing artificial general intelligence by leveraging the knowledge capabilities of ACT-R

Intelligence is a multifaceted phenomenon which makes trying to capture its very essence a slippery task. In this paper, we commit to a hybrid notion of intelligence, conceived as the combination of cognitive operations and knowledge resources that leads to purposeful behavior. Accordingly, this paper describes an artificial system that benefits from both mechanism---centered and knowledge---centered approaches. In particular, the system integrates the ACT-R cognitive architecture with SCONE, a knowledge-based system for ontological reasoning, to combine ACT-R's subsymbolic cognitive mechanisms with SCONE's knowledge representation and inference capabilities. We apply the hybrid system to computationally approximate human intelligent behavior in a task of visual recognition.
Comparison of class 2a truck electric vehicle drivetrain losses for single- and two-speed gearbox systems with IPM traction machines

Production electric vehicles currently only utilize traction machines paired with a single-speed gearbox. Higher drivetrain efficiency and lower system mass can potentially be achieved by utilizing a two-speed gearbox. Two single-speed gearbox systems are compared to a two-speed gearbox system for a Class 2a electric pickup truck. An interior permanent magnet traction machine is designed using finite element analysis for each case, and each machine is designed to utilize the same traction drive with a phase current limit of 450Arms and nominal bus voltage of 350Vdc. The efficiency map for each machine is presented, and the two-speed gearbox system is shown to be more efficient and achieve greater driving range than the single-speed systems for both constant-speed driving and for various standard drive cycles.
Photosynthesis: Rubisco rescue.

Rubisco catalyses the first step in photosynthetic carbon fixation, but it can be easily poisoned by side-products of its activity. Structural and functional analyses of a protein conserved across plants, algae and bacteria shows how one such blockage is both removed and recycled.
Nanosecond Tunable Optical Delay using Silicon Cavities

We present a tunable delay element that is inherently insensitive to free-carrier loss and achieves up to nanosecond delays even when tuned slowly. This will enable electrically tunable buffers on a silicon chip.
Mergers and Acquisitions, Technological Change and Inequality

This paper documents important shifts in the occupational composition of industries following high merger and acquisition (M&A) activity as well as accompanying increases in mean wages and wage inequality. We propose mergers and acquisitions act as a catalyst for skill-biased and routine-biased technological change. We argue that due to an increase in scale, improved efficiency or lower financial constraints, M&As facilitate technology adoption and automation, disproportionately increasing the productivity of high-skill workers and enabling the displacement of occupations involved in routine-tasks, typically mid-income occupations. An increase in M&A intensity of 10% is associated with a 24% (27%) reduction in industry (local labor market) routine share intensity and an eight (sixteen) percentage point increase in the share of high skill workers. These results have important implications on wage inequality: An increase in M&A activity by 10% is associated with a 24% (43%) increase in the mean industry (local labor market) hourly wage and an 20% (48%) increase in industry (local labor market) wage polarization. Our results are robust to several robustness tests which further support the notion that firm reorganizations through M&As are a first-order driving force of job polarization and inequality.
Stress Induced Changes in Indices of Zinc, Copper, and Iron Status in U.S. Navy Seal Trainees

Decreased serum zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) concentrations and increased serum copper (Cu) concentrations are some of the acute phase responses to infection, inflammation, and physical trauma (1). Lower serum Zn but higher Cu concentrations have also been observed in highly trained endurance athletes as compared to untrained men (2,3). Whether similar patterns are observed in response to physical training programs or when physically active, healthy individuals are exposed to chronic stress has not been previously studied.
The Implementation of COP21 Agreement in the Third World

The so-called Third World must now start developing implementation strategies of the COP21 objectives. In both emerging economies and poor countries, CO2:s area rather high except some countries where CO2:s are very high. Thus, the energy reliance upon coal – wood or solid – as well as petroleum must be transformed somehow. Hydro power requires lots of water, which further global warming may deny – look at Venezuela today. Thus, major investments in wind, solar or/and nuclear power are called for, which will have to be partly financed by the COP21 superfund. Yet, implementing a major decarbonisation conflicts with the developmental goals of Third World countries whatever they may be: “catch-up”, reducing poverty, UN development framework, etc. Implementation theory (Wildavsky, Sabatier) teaches us humbleness about the likelihood of goal fulfillment.
Bifidobacteria as probiotic organisms: An introduction

Abstract The genus Bifidobacterium is one of five genera within the family Bifidobacteriaceae, in turn, one of two families in the order Bifidobacteriales. Members of this phylum are Gram-positive are important members of the commensal microbiome of the gastrointestinal tract, vagina and oral and several have been shown to possess probiotic properties.
An Autoinhibitory Role for the Pleckstrin Homology Domain of Interleukin-2-Inducible Tyrosine Kinase and Its Interplay with Canonical Phospholipid Recognition.

Pleckstrin homology (PH) domains are well-known as phospholipid binding modules, yet evidence that PH domain function extends beyond lipid recognition is mounting. In this work, we characterize a protein binding function for the PH domain of interleukin-2-inducible tyrosine kinase (ITK), an immune cell specific signaling protein that belongs to the TEC family of nonreceptor tyrosine kinases. Its N-terminal PH domain is a well-characterized lipid binding module that localizes ITK to the membrane via phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3) binding. Using a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mutagenesis, we have mapped an autoregulatory protein interaction site on the ITK PH domain that makes direct contact with the catalytic kinase domain of ITK, inhibiting the phospho-transfer reaction. Moreover, we have elucidated an important interplay between lipid binding by the ITK PH domain and the stability of the autoinhibitory complex formed by full length ITK. The ITK activation lo...
Gastrojejunoscopy facilitates placement of a percutaneous transgastric jejunostomy in a patient with a pancreaticoduodenectomy and multiple-failed feeding tube placements

Enteral access is one of the most common procedures performed in abdominal and interventional radiology. The surgical anatomy of the postoperative stomach may, however, make enteral access challenging. This report describes a patient with a pancreaticoduodenectomy complicated by a gastrojejunostomy leak who underwent 2 unsuccessful transoral endoscopic nasojejunal tube placements and 2 failed percutaneous gastrojejunostomy tube placements. Eventually, a gastrojejunostomy tube was placed utilizing percutaneous techniques with fluoroscopy assistance and gastrojejunoscopy guidance. A combined technique with fluoroscopy and endoscopy, both controlled by interventional radiology, may be useful in patients with complex postsurgical gastrointestinal anatomy who require enteral access.
Body temperatures of very low birth weight infants on admission to a neonatal intensive care unit.

Objective: Hypothermia occurs frequently in the first minutes after birth in preterm infants. Hyperthermia also occurs, often as a consequence of efforts to provide thermal support. Both hypothermi...
Corrosion and environmental impacts during the flowback water disposal associated with the Bakken shale

Abstract This study investigates the flowback water impacts on the corrosion of mild steel pipelines used to transport the saline wastewater generated during fracturing of the Bakken shale. The uniform corrosion rates were high under acidic conditions compared to those under neutral and alkaline conditions. The pitting attack on the flowback water pipelines was 100-fold and 10-fold higher for acidic and alkaline conditions, respectively, than those for the neutral conditions. The corrosion deposits on the mild steel were characterized by a large specific surface area and high reactivity. These results suggest that the flowback water pipelines become a potential source of contaminants that threaten agricultural land and water resources.