cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cultural and Religious Reversals in Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino

Abstract Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino is one of the most fascinating religious films of recent decades. Its portrayal of confession is highly ambiguous and multi-layered, as it both mocks confession and recognizes the enduring importance of its moral core. Equally complex is the film’s imitation and reversal of the Christ story. The religious dimension is interwoven with a complex portrayal and evaluation of multicultural America that does not shy away from unveiling elements of moral ugliness in American history and the American spirit, even as it provides a redemptive image of American potential. The film reflects on the shallowness of a modern culture devoid of tradition and higher meaning without succumbing to an idealization of pre-modern culture. The film is also Eastwood’s deepest and most effective criticism of the relentless logic of violence and so reverses a common conception of Eastwood’s world-view.
The Effect of Self‐Efficacy and Issue Characteristics on Threat and Opportunity Categorization1

The purpose of the current study was to examine self-efficacy and issue characteristics as antecedents of issue categorization. A laboratory experiment using 277 participants manipulated self-efficacy, scenario category (threat/opportunity), and scenario strength (weak/strong), and subsequently measured perceptions of threat and opportunity. Results indicate that high self-efficacy participants categorized scenarios as more representative of opportunity and that self-efficacy influenced the framing of opportunity scenarios, but not threat scenarios. Parallel results were found across both categorical and dimensional threat and opportunity measures.
Computerized slide-making.

Computerized slide making will become more and more prevalent and convenient as equipment becomes cheaper, more powerful, and more familiar. Its attractions already outweigh any disadvantages, and more widespread use is inevitable.
Regulation of a viral proteinase by a peptide and DNA in one-dimensional space. III. atomic resolution structure of the nascent form of the adenovirus proteinase

Abstract The adenovirus proteinase (AVP), the first member of a new class of cysteine proteinases, is essential for the production of infectious virus, and here we report its structure at 0.98 A resolution. AVP, initially synthesized as an inactive enzyme, requires two cofactors for maximal activity: pVIc, an 11-amino acid peptide, and the viral DNA. Comparison of the structure of AVP with that of an active form, the AVP-pVIc complex, reveals why AVP is inactive. Both forms have an α + β fold; the major structural differences between them lie in the β-sheet domain. In AVP-pVIc, the general base His-54 Nδ1 is 3.9 A away from the Cys-122 Sγ, thereby rendering it nucleophilic. In AVP, however, His-54 Nδ1 is 7.0 A away from Cys-122 Sγ, too far away to be able to abstract the proton from Cys-122. In AVP-pVIc, Tyr-84 forms a cation-π interaction with His-54 that should raise the pKa of His-54 and freeze the imidazole ring in the place optimal for forming an ion pair with Cys-122. In AVP, however, Tyr-84 is more than 11 A away from its position in AVP-pVIc. Based on the structural differences between AVP and AVP-pVIc, we present a model that postulates that activation of AVP by pVIc occurs via a 62-amino acid-long activation pathway in which the binding of pVIc initiates contiguous conformational changes, analogous to falling dominos. There is a common pathway that branches into a pathway that leads to the repositioning of His-54 and another pathway that leads to the repositioning of Tyr-84.
Stage-specific embryonic antigen 3 as a marker of visceral extraembryonic endoderm.

Abstract The distribution of the stage-specific embryonic antigen SSEA-3 was studied immunohistochemically on postimplantation mouse embryos. This carbohydrate antigen, identified as an epitope of a globo-series ganglioside isolated from human teratocarcinoma cells (Kannagi et al., 1983, J. Biol. Chem. 258, 8934–8942) was originally detected on the zygote and mouse early cleavage-stage embryos. It disappears on the early blastocyst and reappears on the primitive endoderm of the implanting blastocyst (Shevinsky et al., 1982, Cell 30, 697–705). We now show in the early egg cylinder (on the sixth day of pregnancy) SSEA-3 is present in the entire visceral endoderm but not in any other part of the conceptus. From Day 7 of pregnancy onward, SSEA-3 is restricted to the extraembryonic visceral endoderm and the visceral yolk sac cells. Therefore, SSEA-3 is a useful marker for this endodermal cell lineage in midgestational mouse embryos.
The vibrational density of states of amorphous silicon and germanium from a small cluster model

Abstract A small crystalline cluster model of the vibrational spectrum of amorphous silicon and germanium has been developed. It has boundary conditions on the surface atoms simulating the imbedding of the cluster in a disordered medium. The vibrational spectrum obtained has the same gross three-peaked structure observed in the infrared absorption data for these materials. Good agreement with the positions of the high and low frequency peaks was obtained. However, the calculated frequency of the central peak was 20% higher than the observed frequency.
Biosynthesis of ganglioside mimics in Campylobacter jejuni OH4384. Identification of the glycosyltransferase genes, enzymatic synthesis of model compounds, and characterization of nanomole amounts by 600-mhz (1)h and (13)c NMR analysis.

We have applied two strategies for the cloning of four genes responsible for the biosynthesis of the GT1a ganglioside mimic in the lipooligosaccharide (LOS) of a bacterial pathogen,Campylobacter jejuni OH4384, which has been associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome. We first cloned a gene encoding an α-2,3-sialyltransferase (cst-I) using an activity screening strategy. We then used nucleotide sequence information from the recently completed sequence from C. jejuni NCTC 11168 to amplify a region involved in LOS biosynthesis from C. jejuni OH4384. The LOS biosynthesis locus from C. jejuni OH4384 is 11.47 kilobase pairs and encodes 13 partial or complete open reading frames, while the corresponding locus in C. jejuni NCTC 11168 spans 13.49 kilobase pairs and contains 15 open reading frames, indicating a different organization between these two strains. Potential glycosyltransferase genes were cloned individually, expressed in Escherichia coli, and assayed using synthetic fluorescent oligosaccharides as acceptors. We identified genes encoding a β-1,4-N-acetylgalactosaminyl-transferase (cgtA), a β-1,3-galactosyltransferase (cgtB), and a bifunctional sialyltransferase (cst-II), which transfers sialic acid to O-3 of galactose and to O-8 of a sialic acid that is linked α-2,3- to a galactose. The linkage specificity of each identified glycosyltransferase was confirmed by NMR analysis at 600 MHz on nanomole amounts of model compounds synthesized in vitro. Using a gradient inverse broadband nano-NMR probe, sequence information could be obtained by detection of3J(C,H) correlations across the glycosidic bond. The role of cgtA and cst-II in the synthesis of the GT1a mimic in C. jejuni OH4384 were confirmed by comparing their sequence and activity with corresponding homologues in two relatedC. jejuni strains that express shorter ganglioside mimics in their LOS.
Fuel treatments reduce the severity of wildfire effects in dry mixed conifer forest, Washington, USA

To address hazardous fuel accumulations, many fuel treatments are being implemented in dry forests, but there have been few opportunities to evaluate treatment efficacy in wildfires. We documented ...
Rotation evoked by nigral stimulation following lateral hypothalamic, striatal, and pallidal lesions in rats

Abstract Contraversive rotation evoked by electrical stimulation of the rat substantia nigra (nigral-evoked rotation, NER) was not reduced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA, 4 μg in 2 μl or 1 μg in 0.5 μl) at the ipsilateral lateral hypothalamus. These lesions produced striatal dopamine depletions equivalent to those produced by electrolytic lesions at that site which reduced NER. Electrolytic lesions at the lateral hypothalamus produced equivalent reduction in NER in rats with prior microinjection of either 6-OHDA (8 μg in 4 μl) or vehicle at that site. Thus, the decrease in NER after electrolytic lesions at the lateral hypothalamus appears to be entirely due to destruction of nondopaminergic fibers. Small electrolytic lesions at the ipsilateral caudate-putamen did not significantly change NER. Large electrolytic lesions at the caudate-putamen did not alter NER at 2 h after lesion but did reduce it at 3, 7, and 14 days postlesion. Electrolytic lesions at the ipsilateral globus pallidus significantly reduced contraversive NER at all times tested (2, 3, 7, and 14 days after lesion). Some rats with pallidal lesions responded to nigral stimulation with ipsiversive rotation. The difference in time course of the reduction in contraversive NER after caudate-putamen and pallidal lesions suggests that NER might be mediated by antidromic activitation of striatonigral neurons that send axonal collaterals to the pallidum.
Near and far EMI field analyses in a conducting environment to enhance underwater UXO detection

The underlying physics of low frequency EMI scattering phenomena in underwater environments from highly conducting and permeable metallic objects is analyzed using an approach that combines the method of auxiliary sources and a surface impedance boundary condition. The combined algorithm solves EMI boundary-value problems by representing the electromagnetic fields in each domain of the structure under investigation by a finite linear combination of analytical solutions of the relevant field equations, corresponding to elementary sources situated a small distance away from the boundaries of each domain. Numerical experiments are conducted for homogeneous and multilayer targets of canonical (spheroidal) shapes subject to frequency- or time-domain illumination, as well as for heterogeneous UXO like targets, to demonstrate: (a) how marine environments change EMI sensor performance and associated processing approaches for detecting highly conducting and permeable metallic objects underwater, and (b) what are the EMI sensors detectability limits. Near and far EMI field and induced eddy-current distributions are presented to help gain insight into underwater EMI scattering phenomena. Particularly, the results illustrate coupling effects between the object and its surrounding conductive medium, especially at high frequencies (early times for time-domain sensors). The results also suggest that this coupling depends on the object's material properties, the conductivity of the medium, and the distance between the sensor and the object's center.
The Development of Aggression During Adolescence: Sex Differences in Trajectories of Physical and Social Aggression Among Youth in Rural Areas

To describe trajectories of aggressive behaviors for adolescents living in rural areas, we compared the patterns, timing and sex differences in development of physical and social aggression using five waves of data collected from youth in school surveys administered over 2.5 years. The sample (N = 5,151) was 50.0% female, 52.1% Caucasian and 38.2% African-American. Multilevel growth curve models showed that physical and social aggression followed curvilinear trajectories from ages 11 to 18, with increases in each type of aggression followed by subsequent declines. Physical aggression peaked around age 15; social aggression peaked around age 14. Boys consistently perpetrated more physical aggression than girls, but the trajectories were parallel. There were no sex differences in the perpetration of social aggression. Given the characteristics of the developmental trajectories observed, interventions with both boys and girls targeting physically and socially aggressive behaviors are needed in early adolescence to slow the development of aggression.
Inferences from biased samples with a memory effect

Biased sampling occurs often in observational studies. With one biased sample, the problem of nonparametrically estimating both a target density function and a selection bias function is unidentifiable. This paper studies the nonparametric estimation problem when there are two biased samples that have some overlapping observations (i.e. recaptures) from a finite population. Since an intelligent subject sampled previously may experience a memory effect if sampled again, two general 2-stage models that incorporate both a selection bias and a possible memory effect are proposed. Nonparametric estimators of the target density, selection bias, and memory functions, as well as the population size are developed. Asymptotic properties of these estimators are studied and confidence bands for the selection function and memory function are provided. Our procedures are compared with those ignoring the memory effect or the selection bias in finite sample situations. A nonparametric model selection procedure is also given for choosing a model from the two 2-stage models and a mixture of these two models. Our procedures work well with or without a memory effect, and with or without a selection bias. The paper concludes with an application to a real survey data set.
Simultaneous detection and tracking of multiple objects in noisy and cluttered environment using maximum likelihood estimation framework

We discuss a versatile framework for multiple target detection and tracking based on maximum likelihood estimation with expectation maximization and a cognitive theory called dynamic logic. In this contribution extend the framework to detection of moving objects in video sequences. The paper presents the theory and an example of detection and tracking using a real world video sequence.
PISEMA Powder Patterns and PISA Wheels

Abstract Resonance patterns observed in 2D PISEMA (polarization inversion spin exchange at magic angle) spectra from a transmembrane α-helix have been demonstrated to yield structural details of the protein. This paper presents a mathematical discussion of the PISEMA powder spectrum as the image in the frequency plane of a quadratic function from the sphere of unit vectors. The simplicity of this function allows easy calculation of the powder spectrum. Based on this analysis of powder patterns, four degeneracies are discussed which arise in determining possible orientations associated with PISA spectra. This paper also gives parametric equations for PISA wheels, which are specific patterns observed in PISEMA spectra of oriented peptides. These wheels are useful both in assigning the resonances and in determining the orientation of the helix with respect to the magnetic field. The union of these PISA wheels gives the entire powder spectrum.
Impulse noise in narrow-band FM receivers

THE RELATIVELY NARROW BAND FM communication receivers designed for use in mobile equipment are subject to disturbances caused by ignition systems in automobiles as well as to other disturbances of a similar transient nature. R-f signals are radiated from such ignition systems and these noise signals combine with the desired carrier to produce impulse-noise interference. When the disturbances are of a magnitude considerably greater than the desired information signal, and assuming that the receiver operates in accordance with the theoretical principles of frequency modulation, the receiver will respond only to the transient noise signal for the duration of the noise impulses. This results in receiver “blanking.” If the disturbing signal is of approximately the same amplitude as the desired signal, the two signals combine in the receiver to produce sudden changes in phase. These sudden phase variations result in large frequency excursions at the discriminator and cause shock excitation of the audio section of the receiver. Thus, when the interfering signal is either greater than or approximately equal to the amplitude of the desired signal, information will be lost. It is, therefore, desirable to design the frequency-selective elements in such a manner as to minimize this type of interference.
Thermal Interface Resistances in Nanostructures

Nanostructured electronic and photonic devices include a high density of material interfaces, which can strongly impede heat conduction and influence performance and reliability. Thermal conduction through interfaces is a very mature field as long as the interface dimensions are large compared to the phonon wavelength. In nanostructures, however, the confinement of phonons in the directions parallel to the interface may strongly influence heat conduction. The present work investigates a model problem consisting of an abrupt junction between a harmonic 1D and 2D square lattice. The results show that energy couples to phonon modes localized near the free surface and that the energy transmission coefficient across the interface into these surface modes is less than unity even for materials with identical bulk impedances. The lattice dynamics calculations performed here provide an initial perspective on the impact of phonon confinement on the acoustic mismatch resistance and lay the groundwork for more detailed studies involving 3D molecular dynamics.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Star Formation in the Galaxy: An Observational Overview

The problems of star and planet formation are among the most important challenges facing modern astrophysical research. Stars and their accompanying planetary systems are continuously being formed in the Galaxy enabling direct observation and investigation of the star forming process. However, stars form invisibly deep within cold and dark molecular clouds. Observations of these stellar birth sites at infrared and millimeter wavelengths from space and the ground have resulted in considerable progress toward a physical understanding of stellar origins. In this contribution I will review the empirical basis for our current understanding of the process of star formation with an emphasis on the origin of low mass (sunlike) stars.
SKINOMICS: Transcriptional Profiling in Dermatology and Skin Biology

Recent years witnessed the birth of bioinformatics technologies, which greatly advanced biological research. These 'omics' technologies address comprehensively the entire genome, transcriptome, proteome, microbiome etc. A large impetus in development of bioinformatics was the introduction of DNA microarrays for transcriptional profiling. Because of its accessibility, skin was among the first organs analyzed using DNA microarrays, and dermatology among the first medical disciplines to embrace the approach. Here, DNA microarray methodologies and their application in dermatology and skin biology are reviewed. The most studied disease has been, unsurprisingly, melanoma; markers of melanoma progression, metastatic potential and even melanoma markers in blood have been detected. The basal and squamous cell carcinomas have also been intensely studied. Psoriasis has been comprehensively explored using DNA microarrays, transcriptional changes correlated with genomic markers and several signaling pathways important in psoriasis have been identified. Atopic dermatitis, wound healing, keloids etc. have been analyzed using microarrays. Noninvasive skin sampling for microarray studies has been developed. Simultaneously, epidermal keratinocytes have been the subject of many skin biology studies because they respond to a rich variety of inflammatory and immunomodulating cytokines, hormones, vitamins, UV light, toxins and physical injury. The transcriptional changes occurring during epidermal differentiation and cornification have been identified and characterized. Recent studies identified the genes specifically expressed in human epidermal stem cells. As dermatology advances toward personalized medicine, microarrays and related 'omics' techniques will be directly applicable to the personalized dermatology practice of the future.
Historical inferences from the self‐incompatibility locus

Summary Ancient polymorphism preserved at the self-incompatibility locus facilitates investigation of historical occurrences far older than extant species. We outline two ways in which studies of the S-locus can provide insights into patterns of speciation. First, we review evidence concerning the prevalence of founder events in speciation. A dramatic population size reduction is expected to reduce sequence diversity at the S-locus for millions of years. Only one potential bottleneck is preserved at the S-locus of the Solanaceae, suggesting that severe population size restrictions rarely occur in successful lineages. This must be interpreted with caution because of the restrictive conditions under which bottlenecks at the S-locus will be preserved. Second, S-locus polymorphism provides a novel opportunity to reconstruct, with considerable certainty, the presence or absence of self-incompatibility among ancestral taxa. We demonstrate this approach using a phylogenetic analysis and find that transitions from self-incompatibility to self-compatibility are common and essentially irreversible in the Solanaceae. Self-incompatibility is ancestral, but self-compatible taxa currently outnumber self-incompatible ones. Either self-incompatibility is going extinct, or the presence of incompatibility increases the diversification rate, maintaining a mixture of self-incompatible and self-compatible species in equilibrium. We outline how phylogenetic approaches can be used to determine the effect of incompatibility on diversification.
Open Information Policy for Student Research in Law Universities

This paper examines the need for and feasibility of adopting an Open Information Policy for student-research in the National Law Universities in India. India is currently in the midst of a communications revolution. Current statistics reveal that as many as 40 to 60 million Indians are active users of the Internet. Viewed as a percentage of the population this is a meagre 4 to 6 per cent. However, this is close to the total number of university graduates in India (48.7 million), and is adding users at a much higher rate than the number of new graduates every year (2.5 million). One of the possibilities that this per-capita increase in access to ICT promises is to place tools of self-learning at the disposal of scores of Indians who have been edged out of the formal channels by the highly competitive education system.This paper sees legal research by students in publicly funded universities as a valuable education resource in this context.
Cardiac Device Infection—or Not

Tremendous gains in our understanding of cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) infection were achieved over the past decade. The investigative efforts that led to these achievements were prompted largely by an increasing rate of device infection, which has been considerably higher than expected on the basis of the increasing rate of device placement.1–3 This observation was somewhat unanticipated in view of the generalized incorporation of strict infection control and prevention practices during the perioperative period of device placement and the routine use of preoperative antibiotic administration as surgical site prophylaxis that characterize the current practice. From data generated from epidemiological and case-control analyses,3–5 we now recognize that much of the increasing rate of CIED infection is likely multifactorial in cause and involves both host- and device-related factors. These include device placement in older and sicker patients and the implantation of more “hardware” (leads), which can require a longer intervention time. Article see p 1691 The increasing rate of CIED infection over the past decade prompted the American Heart Association (AHA) to develop a scientific statement4 that was published earlier this year that specifically addresses CIED infection and provides recommendations for its management. This, coupled with an updated version of the American College of Cardiology/AHA/Heart Rhythm Society document,6 was drafted to assist clinicians …
Bayesian color constancy for outdoor object recognition

Outdoor scene classification is challenging due to irregular geometry, uncontrolled illumination, and noisy reflectance distributions. This paper discusses a Bayesian approach to classifying a color image of an outdoor scene. A likelihood model factors in the physics of the image formation process, sensor noise distribution, and prior distributions over geometry, material types, and illuminant spectrum parameters. These prior distributions are learned through a training process that uses color observations of planar scene patches over time. An iterative linear algorithm estimates the maximum likelihood reflectance, spectrum, geometry, and object class labels for a new image. Experiments on images taken by outdoor surveillance cameras classify known material types and shadow regions correctly, and flag as outliers material types that were not seen previously.
Interpolation results in the split inversion neural network algorithm

It is shown that the split inversion neural network algorithm can provide accurate interpolation for nonlinear situations that would be difficult to obtain with a look-up table. Neural networks trained with the algorithm are shown to provide complex interpolation when used as associative memories. The nonlinear relations need never be known; the network learns these from training with representative examples. The discretization of the parameters used in obtaining training samples and the nature of the underlying equations determine the accuracy of the interpolation. This approach has been shown to be valuable for engineering design where expertise is often dependent on association with previous designs that on following a set of rules. The neural network has been applied to the design of a beam-truss-spring structure. >
GRID EROSION ANALYSIS OF THE T5 ION THRUSTER

The optics of the three-grid T5 electrostatic ion thruster are analyzed computationally using a combination of a hybrid fluid-Particle In Cell method for the plasma dynamics, and the direct simulation Monte Carlo method for collision dynamics. This is performed by considering the plasma flow through a single, representative aperture. The accuracy of the model is assessed through direct comparison with experimental measurements of currents collected on both the accel and decel grids over a range of thruster operating conditions. Agreement between the predicted and measured data is very good for all conditions studied. The sensitivity of the simulated results to a number of basic assumptions in the model is considered. Detailed data on the properties of the ions impacting on the accel and decel grids are extracted from the simulations and used to explain the macroscopic phenomena.
Cryptic diversity and population genetic structure in the rare, endemic, forest-obligate, slender geckos of the Philippines

Recent studies of forest lizards in Southeast Asia have highlighted spectacular morphological and cryptic genetic diversity in several poorly known clades. Unfortunately, many of the included species have microhabitat preferences for forested environments, and therefore they are threatened by extensive forest destruction throughout the region. This is particularly true in the Philippines, an archipelago with a strikingly high proportion (84%) of endemic geckos. Abundances inferred from historical museum collections suggests that we are in a critical period where apparent declines in population viability and species’ abundance have taken place faster than the growth in our understanding of alpha diversity. This phenomenon is exemplified in the exceedingly rare Philippine slender forest geckos of the genus Pseudogekko. Most of the known species are rarely encountered by field biologists, and species boundaries are unclear; this poor state of knowledge impedes effective conservation measures. Using the first multilocus phylogeny for these taxa, and phylogenetic and population genetic approaches, we elucidate evolutionary lineages and delimit species-level conservation targets in this unique radiation of endemic Philippine geckos. The results support the presence of widespread cryptic diversity in the genus, providing a framework for the re-evaluation of conservation priorities aimed at protecting these rare, forest-obligate species.
Building A Stronger Foundation For A New Century Of Treatments And Cures

In the past two years, the United States has made a historic investment in biomedical research. But innovative medicines often stall in the pipeline from microscope to market. To deliver the next generation of cures and treatments to help Americans live longer, healthier, and more comfortable lives, strong, strategic partnerships both within government and among government, academe, industry, and nonprofits are needed at every stage of drug development. In this article I describe actual and potential efforts on the part of the US government—including the Biomarkers Consortium and National Institutes of Health Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases program—to work with other stakeholders to advance biomedical research and development.
Coding-Free Model-Driven Enablement Framework and Engineering Practices of a Context-Aware SOA Modeling Environment

The rapid adoption of model-driven design (MDD) methodology in SOA-based solution design requires an adaptive tooling environment that can systematically improve designers' productivity. Ideally, the environment should be flexible enough to both handle frequently changing requirements and support new features without intensive coding efforts. In this paper, we provide a coding-free enablement framework to realize such extensible tooling environments based on a mathematical abstraction of key models in SOA solution design using graph theory definition. This abstraction formalizes the SOA modeling logic and semantics, and also guides the implementation of an extensible and customizable tooling environment. As a case study, we illustrate how our framework is able to transform the development style from Java programming to text editing through our implementation of a UML 2.0 based SOA modeling environment using IBMpsilas Rational Software Architect (RSA) development platform.
Gut microbiota, epithelial function and derangements in obesity

The gut epithelium is a barrier between the 'outside' and 'inside' world. The major function of the epithelium is to absorb nutrients, ions and water, yet it must balance these functions with that of protecting the 'inside' world from potentially harmful toxins, irritants, bacteria and other pathogens that also exist in the gut lumen. The health of an individual depends upon the efficient digestion and absorption of all required nutrients from the diet. This requires sensing of meal components by gut enteroendocrine cells, activation of neural and humoral pathways to regulate gastrointestinal motor, secretory and absorptive functions, and also to regulate food intake and plasma levels of glucose. In this way, there is a balance between the delivery of food and the digestive and absorptive capacity of the intestine. Maintenance of the mucosal barrier likewise requires sensory detection of pathogens, toxins and irritants; breakdown of the epithelial barrier is associated with gut inflammation and may ultimately lead to inflammatory bowel disease. However, disruption of the barrier alone is not sufficient to cause frank inflammatory bowel disease. Several recent studies have provided compelling new evidence to suggest that changes in epithelial barrier function and inflammation are associated with and may even lead to altered regulation of body weight and glucose homeostasis. This article provides a brief review of some recent evidence to support the hypothesis that changes in the gut microbiota and alteration of gut epithelial function will perturb the homeostatic humoral and neural pathways controlling food intake and body weight.
US veterans and their unique issues: enhancing health care professional awareness

United States veterans are a multifaceted population with a distinct culture that includes, but is not limited to, values, customs, ethos, selfless duty, codes of conduct, implicit patterns of communication, and obedience to command. Veterans experience mental health disorders, substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress, and traumatic brain injury at disproportionate rates compared to their civilian counterparts. Eighteen to 22 American veterans commit suicide daily and young veterans aged 18-44 are most at risk. Health care professionals must be aware of patients' military history and be able to recognize suicide-risk factors, regardless of age. Advancement in medical technology has allowed servicemen to survive their injuries but, for many, at the cost of a traumatic limb amputation and associated mental scarring. Health care professionals must be able to address physical safety concerns, as well as, emotional health of veterans. Approximately 49,933 American veterans are homeless and face the same difficulties as non-veterans in addition to service-related matters. Separation from military service and issues related to complex multiple deployments are among specifically identified veteran issues. Successful veteran reintegration into civilian life rests upon providing veterans with training that builds on their military knowledge and skill, employment post-separation from service, homelessness prevention, and mental health programs that promote civilian transition. Preparing health care providers to meet the complex needs of a vast veteran population can be facilitated by implementing veteran content into curricula that includes veteran patient simulations and case studies, and utilizes veteran clinical faculty.
Anisotropic Behaviour of Surface Roughening in Lattice Mismatched Heteroepitaxial Thin Films

Strained layer semiconductor structures provide possibilities for novel electronic devices. Heteroepitaxial Si{sub 1{minus}x}Ge{sub x} thin films deposited on silicon substrates exhibit surface roughening via surface diffusion under the effect of a compressive stress which is caused by a lattice mismatch. In these films, surface roughening can take place in the form of ridges which can be aligned along or directions, depending on the film thickness. In this paper, the authors investigate this anisotropic dependence of surface roughening and present an analysis of it. They have studied the surface roughening behavior of 19% Ge and 22% Ge thin films subjected to controlled annealing experiments. Transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy have been used to study the morphology and microstructure of the surface ridges and the dislocations that form during annealing.
The GCI combustion process from Volkswagen

The first road traffic driveable vehicle with gasoline engine HCCI combustion (GCI) was recently presented to the public by Volkswagen AG. The GCI combustion process is activated in a sub area of the stoichiometric operation map area of the engine. Perceptible advantages in fuel consumption are noticeable. Low engine-out emissions allow the use of a standard 3-way catalytic converter system. This contribution discusses the measured engine raw emissions from the GCI combustion process.
Term Infant With Ambiguous Genitalia

A 1-day-old term female infant presents with ambiguous genitalia noted during routine examination in the well-child nursery (Figure 1). Figure 1. Female infant with ambiguous genitalia ### Prenatal and Birth Histories ### Case Presentation Infant was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit for observation and workup. Infant remained stable on room air and was started on oral feeding and breastfeeding. ### Vital Signs ### Physical Examination
Laboratory and field evaluations of German cockroach (Orthoptera: Blattellidae) traps.

In laboratory and field studies, traps were evaluated to determine effectiveness in the capture of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.). Traps tested included: modified sticky (“Kuru Kuru”; Mr. Sticky), electrified cans, and bottles. Unbaited sticky traps caught significantly more cockroaches than other unbaited designs. There was no significant difference in cockroach catch between bottles or can traps or between petroleum jelly or cans fitted with 18-volt electric barriers. Increased cockroach catch in traps with roughened exterior (paper or sand) was noted. A flat sticky surface was as efficacious as other sticky trap designs tested. In field trials, electrified cans caught significantly more cockroaches than bottle traps. Although large numbers of cockroaches were caught and removed, we conclude that cockroach traps are most effective as monitoring devices, rather than providing acceptable control.
Research Methodology—How Much Emphasis?:

Is there a trade-off between breadth of coverage and depth of treatment in reporting the results of marketing research studies?
Meccanica dei continui. — Frame Indifference

It is shown, in the context of the Thermomechanics of simple materials with memory, that frame indifference and, equivalently, rotation invariance are necessary consequences of the laws of classical Mechanics and the definition of the stress matrix and heat flux vector.
“Bureaucratic Bargaining”: An American Foreign Policy Simulation

The complexities of the governmental machinery and personal perceptions involved in the formulation of American foreign policy are difficult for students to comprehend from the confines of the classroom. Beginning students often enter the study of international relations/political science with a simplistic view of policy making. They tend to accept a priori what Graham Allison (1971) calls the “rational actor model” in which students “package the activities of various officials of a national government as action chosen by a unified actor, strongly analogous to an individual human being.” Students often believe that foreign policy is set by a cohesive group of individuals who share common goals and preferences. The additional tendency to anthropomorphize the state leads undergraduates to write papers in which nation-states are portrayed with such diverse human qualities as sympathy, cruelty, greed, and aggression.Modern scholarship on decision making has expanded beyond this traditional view to encompass differing variables. There is an ongoing debate in the discipline as to what is the most potent variable in American foreign policy. One group of scholars contends that the bureaucratic or role variable is more important. While agreeing that role is a powerful restriction, particularly at the lower levels of the bureaucracy, other scholars argue that the individual perceptions and beliefs of policy makers are more important in the decision-making process.Given the complicated nature of this debate, a creative way to expose beginning students to American foreign policy decision making is through a simulation. Simulations are useful for the study of the decision-making process because the standard lecture-discussion format, which provides a linear overview of the subject, does not adequately communicate the complex structure and multiplicity of factors in operation.
STEM-Cathodoluminescence of SnO2 nanowires and powders

Abstract For the first time, ultra-high spatial resolution STEM-cathodoluminescence has been applied to SnO2 nanowires and nanoparticles in order to study the spatial distribution of point defects that form deep levels in the band gap and often dictate their gas-sensor performance. SnO2 nanowires consistently had emission signals centered at 1.76, 1.99, and 2.45 eV. Emission at 1.99 eV was found to be more intense with the STEM probe at the edges of nanowires and in higher surface-area nanoparticles compared to emission most intense at 2.45 eV with the probe in the center of a nanowire or particle. This result is contrary to recent studies proposing that both emission energies are associated with two different surface oxygen vacancy types. The ability to spatially map the luminescence of a single nanostructure also facilitated much less-ambiguous spectral deconvolution consistent across many particles which gives confidence in properly assigning the energies of each defect state. Individually-probed SnO2 nanowires were found to have much more consistent and reproducible defect states compared to commercial nanoparticles which has implications in stability as gas sensors and efforts to model interactions between analyte gases and the oxide surface.
Methylphenidate and Desipramine Toxicities

A double-blind controlled study of medications in 12 children with ADHD at New York University and Stony Brook Schools of Medicine showed that nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, tremor, headache, anorexia, lassitude, and tachycardia occurred more frequently when methylphenidate (20 mg) and desipramine (148 mg/day) were combined in therapy compared to either medication alone.
Co-Inquiry with Students: When Shared Questions Lead the Way

Co-inquiry represents a distinctive relational model for partnering with students in SoTL that focuses on the process of seeking itself, and in particular, the importance of shared questions. We use case studies from two institutions to illustrate co-inquiry in action and highlight the importance of shared questions in changing the faculty-student dynamic in ways that foster deep learning. Clarifying the nature of co-inquiry around shared questions represents a valuable way to effectively strengthen and enrich learning not only for students, but also for everyone involved in SoTL partnerships with students. The programs described here illustrate how co-inquiry can work as a form of institutional SoTL, providing valuable and authentic opportunities to incorporate student voices—and shared questions—in effecting institutional change.
Distinguishing Moderated Actinide Metal From Oxide Using Neutron Correlations and Spectroscopy

Determining the amount, chemical form, physical shape, and multiplication of the fissile material in an unknown assembly is a challenging problem that is of great importance in a number of national security contexts. The discrimination of plutonium in metal versus oxide form in special nuclear materials is crucial and yet remains a challenge for current methods. It has previously been shown that the $\alpha $ -ratio for un-moderated plutonium oxides can be rapidly determined by comparing the fast neutron spectrum measured with a liquid scintillator with pure fission and ( $\alpha $ ,n) neutron spectra measured with the same liquid scintillator. In this paper we show that the chemical form can be obtained for moderated nuclear materials using fast neutron detection systems. We describe a new method to distinguish moderated plutonium metal from oxide using liquid scintillators, neutron spectroscopy and neutron correlations.
In the Archives of Composition: Writing and Rhetoric in High Schools and Normal Schools by Lori Ostergaard & Henrietta Rix Wood

The archival turn in composition and rhetorical studies has yielded yet another gem. Lori Ostergaard and Henrietta Rix Wood’s edited collection demonstrates how small-scale, inductive work at local...
Optimality of (s, S) Inventory Policies under Renewal Demand and General Cost Structures

We study a single-stage, continuous-time inventory model where unit-sized demands arrive according to a renewal process and show that an (s;S) policy is optimal under minimal assumptions on the ordering/procurement and holding/backorder cost functions. To our knowledge, the derivation of almost all existing (s;S)-optimality results for stochastic inventory models assume that the ordering cost is composed of a fixed setup cost and a proportional variable cost; in contrast, our formulation allows virtually any reasonable ordering-cost structure. Thus, our paper demonstrates that (s;S)-optimality actually holds in an important, primitive stochastic setting for all other practically interesting ordering cost structures such as well-known quantity discount schemes (e.g., all-units, incremental and truckload), multiple setup costs, supplier-imposed size constraints (e.g., batch-ordering and minimum-order-quantity), arbitrary increasing and concave cost, as well as any variants of these. It is noteworthy that our proof only relies on elementary arguments. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
A Repulsive Environment Induces Neurodegeneration of Midbrain Dopaminergic Neurons.

The motor impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD) are caused mainly by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra par compacta (SNpc). The SNpc extends axons to the dorsal striatum, forming the nigrostriatal pathway, which is involved in motor function. In PD, degeneration
Bruton's tyrosine kinase is not essential for B cell survival beyond early developmental stages

Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) is a crucial regulator of B cell signaling and is a therapeutic target for lymphoma and autoimmune disease. BTK-deficient patients suffer from humoral immunodeficiency, as their B cells fail to progress beyond the bone marrow. However, the role of Btk in fully developed, mature peripheral B cells is not well understood. Analysis using BTK inhibitors is complicated by suboptimal inhibition, off-target effects, or failure to eliminate BTK's adaptor function. Therefore a Btkflox/Cre-ERT2 mouse model was developed and used to excise Btk after B cell populations were established. Mice lacking Btk from birth are known to have reduced follicular (FO) compartments, with expanded transitional populations, suggesting a block in development. In adult Btkflox/Cre-ERT2 mice, Btk excision did not reduce FO B cells, which persisted for weeks. Autoimmune-prone B1 cells also survived conditional Btk excision, contrasting their near absence in global Btk-deficient mice. Therefore, Btk supports BCR signaling during selection into the FO and B1 compartments, but is not needed to maintain these cell populations. B1-related natural IgM levels remained normal, contrasting global Btk deficiency, but B cell proliferation and T-independent type II immunization responses were blunted. Thus, B cells have nuanced signaling responses that are differentially regulated by Btk for development, survival, and function. These findings raise the possibility that Btk may also be expendable for survival of mature human B cells, therefore requiring prolonged dosing to be effective, and that success of BTK inhibitors may depend in part on off-target effects.
Pseudosarcomatous myofibroblastic proliferations of the genitourinary tract are genetically different from nodular fasciitis and lack USP6, ROS1 and ETV6 gene rearrangements.

Aims Pseudosarcomatous myofibroblastic proliferations of the genitourinary tract have a debatable relationship with inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour (generally lacking ALK rearrangement); however, they share several overlapping features with nodular fasciitis of soft tissue. As rearrangement of the USP6 gene has been recently recognised as a recurrent alteration in soft tissue nodular fasciitis, and several other alternative gene fusions have been recently recognised in inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour, the aim of this study was to investigate whether USP6, ROS1 or ETV6 rearrangements were present in these lesions (12 cases). Methods and results Fluorescence in-situ hybridisation analysis was performed by the use of bacterial artificial chromosome-derived break-apart probes against USP6, ROS1, and ETV6. Two cases with adequate genetic material from recent paraffin tissue blocks were also tested by use of a solid tumour gene fusion detection assay via next-generation sequencing, targeting >50 known genes involved in recurrent fusions. None of the genitourinary pseudosarcomatous myofibroblastic proliferations was found to harbour USP6 (0/12), ROS1 (0/8) or ETV6 (0/7) rearrangements, and no gene fusions were detected in two cases studied by sequencing. Conclusions Despite overlap in histological and immunohistochemical features between pseudosarcomatous myofibroblastic proliferation and nodular fasciitis, these tumours lack the recently recognised USP6 rearrangements that occur in nodular fasciitis, as well as alternative fusions found in ALK-negative inflammatory myofibroblastic tumours. At present, this diagnosis remains based primarily on clinical, histological and immunohistochemical features.