cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nitrite Oxidase Activities of Cytochrome P450 and Mitochondria

Abstract Abstract 5310 Once dismissed as an inert byproduct of nitric oxide (NO) auto-oxidation, nitrite (NO2−) is now accepted as an endocrine reserve of NO that elicits a number of fundamental biological responses in all major organ systems. While it is known that tissue nitrite is derived from both oxidation of NO and from dietary nitrite and nitrate, much less is known about how nitrite is metabolized by tissue or about the factors that influence this metabolism. Here we investigate the rates and mechanisms by which nitrite is metabolized by tissue over a range of oxygen tensions in rats and mice. We show that the rate of nitrite metabolism differs in heart, liver, lung and brain tissue. Further, oxygen regulates the rate and products of nitrite metabolism in each of these tissues. In hypoxic tissue, nitrite is predominantly reduced to NO, with significant formation of iron-nitrosyl heme proteins and S-nitrosothiols. Interestingly, this hypoxic nitrite metabolism is mediated by different sets of nitrite reductase enzymes in each tissue. In contrast, tissue consumption of nitrite is more rapid in normoxia and the major end product is nitrate. While cytochrome P450s and myoglobin contributed in the liver and heart respectively, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase played a significant role in this normoxic nitrite oxidation, which could be completely inhibited by cyanide in all tissues. We used cyanide-based nitrite preservation solution to measure the pharmacokinetics of oral and intraperitoneally administered nitrite in vivo. Using this methodology, we measured basal levels of nitrite in the major tissues and confirm that the heart contains the greatest concentration of nitrite, followed by the liver and finally the lung. We demonstrate that intraperitoneal administration of nitrite to mice increases nitrite levels most significantly in the liver and heart, where nitrite uptake is rapid (5–10 min) and steadily decreases thereafter, such that levels are back to baseline by 30 min. Little to no increase was observed in the lung. In these studies, changes in nitrate were difficult to detect due to the high levels of basal nitrate present in vivo and low concentration of nitrite administered. However, the rapid metabolism of nitrite in the tissue suggests that oxidation is at least partially responsible. In contrast to intraperitoneal nitrite, oral nitrite increased nitrite levels in all organs of mice, an effect which peaked in all organs except liver at 3 days. Collectively, these data provide insight into the fate of nitrite in tissue, the enzymes involved in hypoxic and normoxic nitrite metabolism and the role of oxygen in regulating these processes. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
International Student Engagement: Strategies for Creating Inclusive, Connected, and Purposeful Campus Environments

International Student Engagement: Strategies for Creating Inclusive, Connected, and Purposeful Campus Environments is an in-depth analysis of seven colleges and universities across the United States, examining unique programs and activities for international students that foster belonging and connectedness on campus. This book provides a snapshot into the ways institutions effectively engage with international students. The authors examine the effectiveness of programs and policies intended to assist international students through research findings and by examining first-hand student experiences. For higher education/student affairs professionals, this book is an excellent resource to help move higher education institutions forward and into a space that promotes inclusivity.
Paracrine factors produced by bone marrow stromal cells induce apoptosis in LNCaP and C4-2B prostate cancer cells

2780 Preferential metastasis of human prostate cancer cells to bone marrow contributes to disease mortality and morbidity. Local factors present in the bone stromal extracellular matrix microenvironment affect tumor growth through paracrine interactions between tumor and stromal cells. We studied the interactions between prostate cancer and bone stromal cells using three prostate cancer cell lines: PC3, LNCaP, and the LNCaP derivative subline, C4-2B. Co-culture of LNCaP and C4-2B cells with the bone marrow stromal cell lines, HS27a and HS5, decreased cell number, as did culture with conditioned medium (CM) harvested from these two bone stromal cell lines suggesting a soluble paracrine factor was responsible. PC3 cell growth was not affected. Interestingly, CM harvested from bone stromal cell lines triggered apoptosis in LNCaP and C4-2B cell lines, but not in PC3 cells. Surviving prostate cancer cells grown in bone stromal cell CM over several days were growth arrested, suggesting the presence of a growth inhibitor. Apoptosis induced by CM was dose dependent. Flow cytometry demonstrated that over a five day culture period in stromal cell CM, LNCaP and C4-2B cell lines, but not PC3, underwent considerably more apoptosis compared to parallel cultures grown in serum free medium. The LNCaP and C42B cells also showed morphology changes after exposure to stromal cell CM. These results suggest that the bone stromal microenvironment is initially hostile to prostate cancer cells resulting in cancer cell apoptosis. Activation of survival pathways in a subset of apoptotic resistant cells may support phenotypic adaptation during disease progression in bone, eventually favoring the osteoblastic transformation characteristic of prostate cancer. Supported by NIH/ NCI (P01 CA098912) and DOD (W81XWH-04-1-0919).
Experimental evidence of an observer effect in high-flux solar simulators

Abstract High-flux solar simulators consist of lamps that mimic concentrated sunlight from a field of heliostats or parabolic dish. These installations are used to test promising solar-thermal technologies for technical viability. Ideally, the conditions in a given high-flux solar simulator closely approximate those in solar furnaces, experimental facilities that are driven by actual sunlight. During the characterization of a new high-flux solar simulator at the University of Colorado an artifact predicted in high-flux solar simulators, but not solar furnaces, was observed experimentally. Specifically, power measurements from the 18 lamp, 45kWelectric, device increased by 11.1% depending on the wider optical environment, which was either specularly reflective or diffusely absorbing. This calorimetry result was confirmed by a flux gauge, which showed that optical conditions could inflate incident flux by more than 20% at the radiation target. An “observer effect” in high-flux solar simulators was first suggested by Monte Carlo ray traces, and refined ray traces recapitulated the experimental results. Thus, solar-thermal designs may behave differently when evaluated in solar furnaces, versus high-flux solar simulators. Artifacts can be minimized by insuring that solar targets, including radiation measurement instrumentation, present diffusely absorbing surfaces to high-flux solar simulators. Under these conditions the new high-flux solar simulator featured a peak flux of 12.50 MW/m2 and delivered 9.076 ± 0.190 kW onto a ∅10 cm target for a mean flux of 1.155 MW/m2.
Suicide as a Response to Trauma

For individuals without pre-existing medical or psychiatric issues, trauma is highly correlated to depressive and/or anxious symptoms, withdrawal, and most notably suicidal ideations or attempts. For those with existing medical conditions such as mood or anxiety disorders, suicidal ideations or attempt, the correlation with trauma significantly increases. While there are several demographic and medical factors that contribute to suicide risk, history of trauma is one of the most significant and thoroughly studied. The most common forms of trauma include: physical or sexual abuse, physical injury, or witnessing physical violence or death. For purposes of this article, trauma will follow DSM-5 Criterion A, experiencing or exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence either personally, or witnessing/experiencing vicariously by retelling. This paper will explore the relationship between known forms of trauma: physical, sexual, and vicarious trauma. We will also explore culturally based trauma such as hate crimes, and large-scale generational trauma and historic trauma .
Multilayer busbar design for a Si IGBT and SiC MOSFET hybrid switch based 100 kW three-level T-type PEBB

In this paper, the design of a multi-layer laminated busbar for a Si and SiC hybrid switch based 100 kW three-level T-type, single-phase, power electronics building block is presented. Due to the absence of three-level T-type topology in WBG based power modules at this power level, the PEBB design along with the busbar design is novel. This busbar facilitates the interconnection between the DC-link capacitor bank and the semiconductor devices while introducing ultra-low stray inductance compared to state-of-the-art designs in the current commutation loop (CCL) and also ensure symmetrical CCLs. This ensures low voltage stress operation of the SiC devices and enables high switching frequency operation of the inverter. The design was verified using 3-D finite element analysis (FEA) and switching experiments.
How do Socioeconomic Characteristics Interact with Equity and Efficiency Considerations? An Analysis of Hurricane Disaster Relief Goods Provision

Spatial analytic research has explored the issue of where to best site hurricane relief distribution facilities, but it has largely concentrated on the efficient provision of these services. However, equity considerations may also impact decisions on where to locate facilities. Questions of efficiency vs. equity become all the more acute when more detailed assessments of peoples’ socioeconomic characteristics are made as a part of these decisions. This paper examines the issue of siting hurricane disaster relief facilities based on equity vs. efficiency objectives, in light of populations’ socioeconomic differences. Population differences are measured in terms of a household income variable. p-median and vertex p-center problems are applied to find relief center locations in a Southeastern U.S. city. Results show that income differences interact with the location strategies employed to produce variation in people’s accessibility to relief goods.
Dynamic Distribution of Patients to Medical Facilities in the Aftermath of a Disaster

In the aftermath of a disaster, emergency responders must transport a large number of patients to medical facilities, using limited transportation resources (such as ambulances). Decisions about where to send the patients are typically made in an ad hoc manner by responders on the scene. Using a Markov decision process formulation, we develop two heuristic policies that use limited information such as mean travel times and congestion levels to determine (a) how to allocate ambulances to patient locations and (b) which medical facility should be the destination for those ambulances. In a simulation study, we incorporate patient survival rates and service times for different types of traumatic injuries, and show that the proposed heuristics can provide substantial improvement in the expected number of survivors compared to the common practice of transporting to the nearest facility, even when the decision maker has only limited up-to-date information about the system state. In particular, a myopic approach ...
The Influence of Technology Delivery Mode on Intervention Outcomes: Analysis of a Theory-Based Sexual Health Program.

Background: There are few studies on the role of technology delivery mode on health intervention outcomes. Furthermore, the opportunity to examine potential mode effects on a program that is theory-based and integrates principles of communication and decision-making science to influence sexual and reproductive health outcomes is a new contribution to the literature. Objective: Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s national Chat/Text program can be accessed via short message service (SMS; more commonly referred to as text messaging), Web-based desktop chatting, and mobile phone chatting. The program has been in existence since 2010 and has conducted over 1,000,000 conversations. In this study, we examined whether the mode used to access the program (SMS text, desktop chat, or mobile phone chat) affected program users’ intention to act on the action plan established in their conversation. Methods: Data were examined for a 6-month period from January 2016 to June 2016. The data were collected as a part of the monitoring and evaluation of an ongoing program. We limited our sample to the program’s priority audience of 15-24 years residing within the United States, which resulted in a sample of 64,939 conversations. Available data items for analysis included user demographics, delivery mode, topic discussed, helpfulness rating (on a 4-point scale), user confidence in following through on the intentions made during the conversation (on a 4-point scale), and educator confidence in whether the user would follow through on the stated intention. Linear and multinomial robust regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between conversation delivery mode and confidence. Results: No significant relationships between users’ confidence to carry out their intentions and gender or race were found. None of the 3 modalities (SMS text, desktop chat, or mobile phone chat) were significantly associated with user confidence. All the 3 modalities had significant associations with educator confidence and showed similar effect sizes to those of user confidence. Educator confidence was significantly associated with all the topics discussed. Conclusions: The Planned Parenthood Chat/Text program was designed as a tool to improve access to sexual and reproductive health care among young people. The mode of intervention delivery was not associated with users’ confidence in their ability to carry out their stated intention, suggesting that all modes are legitimate for delivering this intervention. Furthermore, each mode worked across gender and race or ethnicity, indicating that this is a modality that can work across groups.
Structure and Modeling of 2D Alkali Liquids in Graphite

When graphite samples are exposed at elevated temperature to the vapor phase of either alkali metals or a variety of molecular species, they form compounds in which the normal sequence of stacked hexagonal graphite layers is regularly interrupted by layers of the (so-called) intercalated species. These graphite intercalation compounds, or GIC℉s /1,2/, thereby provide us with very interesting examples of two-dimensional (2D) systems of interacting particles in a periodic host lattice. The competing interactions in the GIC℉s that determine the structure and dynamics of the intercalated layer are a) the interatomic or intermolecular potential and b) the host-intercalant potential. There are also, of course, the interlayer interactions responsible for the regular sequencing of the intercalated species and these are repulsive due both to coulombic and elastic effects /3/.
Recent Progress in Stellarator Reactor Conceptual Design

The Stellarator/Torsatron/Heliotron (S/T/H) class of toroidal magnetic fusion reactor designs continues to offer a distinct and in several ways superior approach to eventual commercial competitiven...
JAK/STAT Signaling and Invertebrate Immune Responses

This review focuses on JAK/STAT signaling and its role in response to infection in invertebrates. Most of our knowledge comes from studies conducted in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. However, we tentatively cover available information on JAK/STAT signaling in other invertebrates, including mosquitoes. Covered topics include the components of JAK/STAT signaling and their role in humoral, cellular and mucosal immunity. Finally, we summarize recent developments on the role of JAK/STAT signaling in the maintenance of homeostasis in response to intestinal challenge.
En mission extraordinaire: carnets d’un ambassadeur d’Algérie en France (1970-1979): by Mohammed Bedjaoui, Paris, L’Harmattan, 2016, 418 pp., €40 (paperback), ISBN 978-2-343-09957-6

Mohammed Bedjaoui was one of the brightest stars in that glittering constellation that Ardavan Amir-Aslani has called the ‘golden age’ of Algerian diplomacy (Amir-Aslani 2015). Born in 1929, Bedjao...
A discrete time west nile virus transmission model with optimal bird- and vector-specific controls.

Abstract A discrete-time model describing the west nile virus transmission among the mosquito, wild bird, and domestic bird populations is constructed. The expressions for the basic reproduction number R 0 and the disease-free fixed point of the model are computed. The local stability of the disease-free fixed point is established based on R 0 . Optimal control theory is used to devise the most effective administration profile of mosquito larvicide, mosquito adulticide and domestic bird-protection in controlling the virus transmission among the mosquito – wild bird – domestic bird community.
LONG-TERM VISUAL OUTCOMES AND CLINICAL FEATURES AFTER ANTI-VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR INJECTION-RELATED ENDOPHTHALMITIS.

Purpose:To determine long-term visual outcomes in patients who developed endophthalmitis after intravitreal anti–vascular endothelial growth factor injections and to correlate visual outcomes with clinical features.Methods:This is a retrospective, multicenter, consecutive case series of patients dia
The Use of a Collaborative Math Tutoring Model to Improve Content Knowledge among Special Education Teacher Candidates.

ABSTRACTThe mathematics achievement gap in special education is a chronic and significant challenge for the field. The need for improved teacher preparation in mathematics is crucial in addressing this gap. This study examines a capstone experience in higher level mathematics tutoring for preservice teachers. Results indicate that the experience was effective at improving preservice teachers’ higher level math content knowledge compared to teachers who did not receive experiential math learning in their teacher preparation. Implications for preservice teacher preparation programs are presented.
Coverage of Nonpharmacologic Treatments for Low Back Pain Among US Public and Private Insurers

Importance Despite epidemic rates of addiction and death from prescription opioids in the United States, suggesting the importance of providing alternatives to opioids in the treatment of pain, little is known regarding how payers’ coverage policies may facilitate or impede access to such treatments. Objective To examine coverage policies for 5 nonpharmacologic approaches commonly used to treat acute or chronic low back pain among commercial and Medicare Advantage insurance plans, plus an additional 6 treatments among Medicaid plans. Design, Setting, and Participants Cross-sectional study of 15 commercial, 15 Medicaid, and 15 Medicare Advantage health plans for the 2017 calendar year in 16 states representing more than half of the US population. Interviews were conducted with 43 senior medical and pharmacy health plan executives from representative plans. Main Outcomes and Measures Medical necessity and coverage status for the treatments examined, as well as the use of utilization management tools and cost-sharing magnitude and structure. Results Commercial and Medicare insurers consistently regarded physical and occupational therapy as medically necessary, but policies varied for other therapies examined. Payers most commonly covered physical therapy (98% [44 of 45 plans]), occupational therapy (96% [43 of 45 plans]), and chiropractic care (89% [40 of 45 plans]), while transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (67% [10 of 15 plans]) and steroid injections (60% [9 of 15 plans]) were the most commonly covered among the therapies examined for Medicaid plans only. Despite evidence in the literature to support use of acupuncture and psychological interventions, these therapies were either not covered by plans examined (67% of all plans [30 of 45] did not cover acupuncture) or lacked information about coverage (80% of Medicaid plans [12 of 15] lacked information about coverage of psychological interventions). Utilization management tools, such as prior authorization, were common, but criteria varied greatly with respect to which conditions and what quantity and duration of services were covered. Interviewees represented 6 Medicaid managed care organizations, 2 Medicare Advantage or Part D plans, 9 commercial plans, and 3 trade organizations (eg, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association). Interviews with plan executives indicated a low level of integration between the coverage decision-making processes for pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies for chronic pain. Conclusions and Relevance Wide variation in coverage of nonpharmacologic treatments for low back pain may be driven by the absence of best practices, the administrative complexities of developing and revising coverage policies, and payers’ economic incentives. Such variation suggests an important opportunity to improve the accessibility of services, reduce opioid use, and ultimately improve the quality of care for individuals with chronic, noncancer pain while alleviating the burden of opioid addiction and overdose.
Socioeconomic Differences in the Epidemiologic Transition From Heart Disease to Cancer as the Leading Cause of Death in the United States, 2003 to 2015: An Observational Study.

Background Recent data suggest that the United States is in the midst of an epidemiologic transition in the leading cause of death. Objective To examine county-level sociodemographic differences in the transition from heart disease to cancer as the leading cause of death in the United States. Design Observational study. Setting U.S. death records, 2003 to 2015. Participants Decedents aged 25 years or older, classified by racial/ethnic group. Measurements All-cause, heart disease, and cancer mortality stratified by quintiles of county median household income. Age- and sex-adjusted mortality rates and average annual percentage of change were calculated. Results Heart disease was the leading cause of death in 79% of counties in 2003 and 59% in 2015. Cancer was the leading cause of death in 21% of counties in 2003 and 41% in 2015. The shift to cancer as the leading cause of death was greatest in the highest-income counties. Overall, heart disease mortality rates decreased by 28% (30% in high-income counties vs. 22% in low-income counties) from 2003 to 2015, and cancer mortality rates decreased by 16% (18% in high-income counties vs. 11% in low-income counties). In the lowest-income counties, heart disease remained the leading cause of death among all racial/ethnic groups, and improvements were smaller for both heart disease and cancer. Limitation Use of county median household income as a proxy for socioeconomic status. Conclusion Data show that heart disease is more likely to be the leading cause of death in low-income counties. Low-income counties have not experienced the same decrease in mortality rates as high-income counties, which suggests a later transition to cancer as the leading cause of death in low-income counties. Primary funding source National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.
Antenna-coupled lumped-element ALD titanium nitride KIDs for CMB instruments (Conference Presentation)

Future ground-based cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments will require more than $10^5$ polarization sensitive pixels covering multiple atmospheric bands. The scientific potential for such an experiment is impressive; however, the technical challenges are daunting: such an instrument will require square meters of focal plane covered in background limited cryogenic detectors and a dramatic increase in readout capability. We are developing novel kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) optimized for this purpose. These devices use a twin-slot microwave antenna, superconducting Nb transmission line, and a novel coupling scheme that deposits mm-wavelength power onto a high-resistivity meander deposited as the first layer on a bare Si wafer. This architecture allows us to independently adjust the detector and antenna properties and to pursue multi-band designs. We have fabricated superconducting resonators made from atomic layer deposited (ALD) titanium nitride (TiN), with thicknesses ranging from 3 to 40 nm. We find a strong dependence of transition temperature on thickness, from 0.6 to 4.2 K for our thinnest and thickest films, respectively. In dark measurements, we find internal quality factors that range from $10^4$ to $7\times 10^5$ depending on film thickness, and kinetic inductance as high as 8 nH/square. The very small volumes and high kinetic inductance make it possible to engineer extremely sensitive detectors with inductor volumes approaching a few cubic microns that operate at readout frequencies of tens to hundreds of MHz. By taking advantage of the large fractional bandwidth available at low frequencies, we expect to achieve multiplexing densities that exceed that of state of the art TES arrays even without further improvements in film quality factor. We will present the characterization of film properties and dark devices, as well as well as initial optical results for antenna coupled single-band and single-pol devices. We will also discuss designs and sensitivity projections for future dual-pol and multi-band arrays ready for deployment in near-future CMB instruments.
Spatiotemporal analysis of urban heat island intensification in the city of Minneapolis-St. Paul and Chicago metropolitan areas using Landsat data from 1984 to 2016

Most major cities worldwide are affected Urban Heat Islands – a condition of relatively higher temperatures being observed in one area compared to another that can be caused by a decrease in greens...
Treatment of idiopathic chylothorax in dogs and cats: A systematic review.

Objective To evaluate the evidence published on the treatment of idiopathic chylothorax (IC) in small animals. Study design Systematic literature review. Sample population Dogs and cats with IC. Methods A literature search was performed in three bibliographic databases in July 2018 for publications on IC in dogs and cats. Articles meeting criteria for inclusion were evaluated for treatment, survival, outcome data, and level of evidence (LoE) with a modified Oxford Level of Evidence (mOLE) and GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations) system. Results Eleven of 313 identified articles met the inclusion criteria. Only one study was identified in dogs as having higher LoE by using the mOLE system, whereas no study was identified as such in either species with the GRADE system. Surgery was the primary treatment in all dogs and in 93% (68/73) of cats. Medical therapy was the primary treatment in 7% (5/73) of cats. The most common surgical treatment combined thoracic duct ligation (TDL) and subtotal pericardiectomy (SP; 40%; 34/84) in dogs and TDL in cats (51% [37/73]). Conclusion The body of literature for IC treatment in small animals was limited to one higher LoE study in dogs and none in cats. No strong conclusion could be drawn regarding the effectiveness of any one surgical method in dogs or cats, and no evidence was found to support medical therapy as a primary treatment. Clinical significance The best available evidence regarding the treatment of IC is published in dogs and provides some support for surgical treatment with either TDL + cisterna chyli ablation or TDL + SP. Additional evidence is required to confirm this finding.
XFEM to couple nonlocal micromechanics damage with discrete mode I cohesive fracture

Abstract A computational tool is developed to simulate the propagation of a discrete fracture within a continuum damage process zone. Microcrack initiation and propagation prior to coalescence are represented by a nonlocal anisotropic Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM) model in which the crack density is calculated explicitly. A damage threshold is defined to mark the beginning of crack coalescence. When that threshold is reached, a cohesive segment is inserted in the mesh to replace a portion of the damage process zone by a segment of discrete fracture. Discretization is done with the extended Finite Element Method (XFEM), which makes it possible to simulate fracture propagation without assigning the fracture path a priori. Rigorous calibration procedures are established for the cohesive strength (related to the damage threshold) and for the cohesive energy release rate, to ensure the balance of energy dissipated at the micro and macro scales. The XFEM-based tool is implemented into an open source object-oriented numerical package (OOFEM), and used to simulate wedge splitting and three-point bending tests. Results demonstrate that the proposed numerical method captures the entire failure process in mode I, from a mesh-independent diffuse damage zone to a localized fracture. Future work will investigate mixed mode fracture propagation.
Clinical analysis of adult binocular diplopia: a 117 cases report

Objective To analyze the types of strabismus and the path of the genetic features in binocular diplopia in adults in order to improve the therapeutic effect of treatment.Methods A Hess screen,red glass test and motility examination were used to evaluate ocular alignment,ocular ductions and versions and diplopic image analysis in 117 cases of binocular diplopia.Biochemical examination of blood,image analysis (MRI and/or MRA) and an edrophonium test were used.Results The main types of strabismus among the 117 cases were paralytic strabismus that included sixth cranial nerve palsy (35 cases,29.9％),third cranial nerve palsy (28 cases,23.93％),superior oblique palsy (19 cases,16.2％),and multiple cranial nerve palsy (8 cases,6.8％).Restricted strabismus included restricted hypotropia (18 cases,15.4％) and restricted exotropia (2 cases,1.7％).Concommitent strabismus included early onset intermittent exotropia (4 cases,3.4％)and acute esotropia (4 cases,3.4％).The main causes were diabetes (32 cases,27.4％),vascular disease (20 cases,17.1％),trauma (15 cases,12.8％),brain tumor (11 cases,9.4％),virus infection (10 cases,8.6％),Graves disease (9 cases,7.7％),myasthenia gravis(5 cases,4.3％),chemotherapy (2 cases,1.7％) and unknown reasons (4 cases,3.4％).Conclusion Binocular diplopia is a complicated syndrome.Multiple methods should be combined to identify the latent causes and find better treatments. Key words: Diplopia; Strabismus ; Adult
Revisiting the Minority Threat Perspective: Examining the Main and Interactive Effects of Segregation on Sentencing Severity

Drawing on the minority threat perspective, this study assesses the main and interactive effects of racial/ethnic segregation on the incarceration and sentence length decisions. Using the State Cou...
Towards Environment-independent Behavior-based User Authentication Using WiFi

With the increasing prevalence of smart mobile and Internet of things (IoT) environments, user authentication has become a critical component for not only preventing unauthorized access to security-sensitive systems but also providing customized services for individual users. Unlike traditional approaches relying on tedious passwords or specialized biometric/wearable sensors, this paper presents a device-free user authentication via daily human behavioral patterns captured by existing WiFi infrastructures. Specifically, our system exploits readily available channel state information (CSI) in WiFi signals to capture unique behavioral biometrics residing in the user’s daily activities, without requiring any dedicated sensors or wearable device attachment. To build such a system, one major challenge is that wireless signals always carry substantial information that is specific to the user’s location and surrounding environment, rendering the trained model less effective when being applied to the data collected in a new location or environment. This issue could lead to significant authentication errors and may quickly ruin the whole system in practice. To disentangle the behavioral biometrics for practical environment-independent user authentication, we propose an end-to-end deep-learning based approach with domain adaptation techniques to remove the environment-and location-specific information contained in the collected WiFi measurements. Extensive experiments in a residential apartment and an office with various scales of user location variations and environmental changes demonstrate the effectiveness and generalizability of the proposed authentication system.
Remaining Useful Life Prediction through Failure Probability Computation for Condition-based Prognostics

The key goal in prognostics is to predict the remaining use- ful life (RUL) of engineering systems in order to guide dif- ferent types of decision-making activities such as path plan- ning, fault mitigation, etc. The remaining useful life of an engineering component/system is defined as the first future time-instant in which a set of safety threshold conditions are violated. The violation of these conditions may render the system inoperable or even lead to catastrophic failure. This paper develops a computational methodology to analyze the aforementioned set of safety threshold conditions, calculate the probability of failure, and in turn, proposes a new hy- pothesis to mathematically connect such probability to the re- maining useful life prediction. A significant advantage of the proposed methodology is that it is possible to learn important properties of the remaining useful life, without simulating the system until the occurrence of failure; this feature renders the proposed approach unique in comparison with existing direct- RUL-prediction approaches. The methodology also provides a systematic way of treating the different sources of uncer- tainty that may arise from imprecisely known future operating conditions, inaccurate state-of-health state estimates, use of imperfect models, etc. The proposed approach is developed using a model-based framework prognostics using principles of probability, and illustrated using a numerical example.
Local Feedback Inhibition Tightly Controls Rapid Formation of Hippocampal Place Fields

Hippocampal place cells form a physiological substrate for spatial navigation and memory in the brain. Remarkably, CA1 pyramidal neurons can acquire stable place fields in a few trials through a novel behavioral timescale" synaptic plasticity rule (BTSP). While this process can enable rapid learning, local feedback circuits likely tightly restrict the recruitment of individual cells into ensemble representations; this interaction between local circuit dynamics and BTSP remains unexplored. Here we developed \all-optical" approaches that combine novel optogenetic induction of place fields via BTSP in CA1 pyramidal cells with 2-photon calcium activity imaging during spatial navigation. We find that induction efficacy depends strongly on the density of co-activated neurons. Place fields can be reliably induced in single cells, but induction fails during co-activation of larger CA1 populations. Our results implicate local circuit constraints on the induction of place fields, whereby recurrent inhibition regulates the prevalence of BTSP across the ensemble. Consistent with this interpretation, we found that temporary relief of local inhibition permitted the simultaneous induction of place fields in larger CA1 ensembles. We demonstrate the behavioral consequences of these dynamics, as applying our ensemble optogenetic induction protocol at an arbitrary location enhanced animals' subsequent performance in a spatial reward learning task involving that location.
Hittite Architect and a Rope-Climbing Ritual

Contents: I. Introduction, II. KUB 55.28+Bo 7740 in -Transliteration and Translation, III. Commentary, IV. Excursus 1: On the Role of Games, Fake Fights and Dances in Hittite Ceremonies, V. Excursus 2: Some New Insights into Hittite Architecture: Some Remarks on Pillars and Roofing Techniques.
The selective TAAR1 partial agonist RO5263397 promoted novelty recognition memory in mice.

Trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) is a G protein-coupled receptor that has a particular role in regulating dopaminergic, serotonergic, and glutamatergic transmission. TAAR1 agonists have shown pro-cognitive activities. However, it remains largely unknown of the effects of TAAR1 agonists on memory performance. Here, by using the mice novel object recognition (NOR) test, we examined the effects of the selective TAAR1 partial agonist RO5263397 on recognition memory. We found that RO5263397 significantly enhanced the retrieval of short-term memory (STM; 20 min after training) both in male and female mice. RO5263397 promoted the retrieval of STM in the wild-type (WT) littermates but not TAAR1-KO mice, indicating that the effects of RO5263397 were dependent on TAAR1. Interestingly, compared to their WT litters, TAAR1-KO mice showed similar levels of STM, suggesting that genetic deletion of taar1 gene did not affect the STM retrieval. Furthermore, RO5263397 also promoted the retrieval of long-term NOR memory (24 h after training). These results indicate that TAAR1 activation promotes NOR memory retrieval. Consistent with previous studies, our finding further suggests that TAAR1 agonists have pro-cognitive properties.
Associations between Long-term UFP Exposure and Certain Inflammatory Biomarkers and Blood Lipid Indicators: An Analysis Featuring Peak Exposure Metrics

BACKGROUND AND AIM: __ __Recent studies suggested that certain inflammatory biomarkers and blood lipid indicators may be associated with annual average of ultrafine particle (UFP) exposure. However...
Positive behavior support: considerations for the future of a model.

The emergence of positive behav-ior support (PBS) has presented somechallenges and opportunities for ap-plied behavior analysis. In a recentreview and critique of positive behav-ior support, Johnston, Foxx, Jacob-son, Green, and Mulick (2006) ac-knowledge that the success of PBS ingarnering support in schools, agen-cies that service individuals with de-velopmental disabilities, and stateand federal agencies, and suggestsome behaviors to be emulated byapplied behavior analysis in order togarner similar support. However,they recommend that PBS shouldnot be embraced by behavior analystsbecause it poses a threat to the fieldand is less effective than appliedbehavior analysis. Before this recom-mendation is embraced by behavioranalysts, it is important to considerthe ramifications of a split betweenPBS and behavior analysis, particu-larly given that PBS has its origins inbehavior analysis and is conceptual-ized by prominent adherents of thePBS model to be a type of orextension of applied behavior analy-sis (Dunlap, 2006; Horner, 2000). Ipropose that PBS should not bedismissed but should be viewed asan opportunity by the field of appliedbehavior analysis to reach its goal oflarge-scale adoption. A continuedstrong relation between PBS andbehavior analysis may actually ac-complish the broadest disseminationand adoption of effective behavioraltechnology. It will also benefit PBSby keeping it grounded in the con-ceptual system that fostered its de-velopment.PBS is clearly still in its formativestages; in fact the executive board ofthe Association for Positive BehaviorSupport currently is working to de-velop a comprehensive definition ofPBS and to define the roles for theorganization (C. Anderson, personalcommunication, November 2, 2006).As is true in any organization—eventhe Association for Behavior Analy-sis—different members may espousedifferent perspectives on issues suchas the relation between PBS andother perspectives, training models,and so on. This in itself has been thesource of many challenges, and per-haps misunderstandings, for those inthe behavior analysis community.For example, Johnston et al. (2006)emphasize the negative views of PBSresearchers toward behavior analysis.However, many leaders, trainers, andresearchers in PBS have a favorableview of behavior analysis, considerthemselves to be behavior analysts,and continue to publish in behavioraljournals such as the Journal ofApplied Behavior Analysis and TheBehavior Analyst. Thus, although thissituation has been viewed pessimisti-cally by Johnston et al., I believe thatthere are significant grounds forhaving an optimistic view about thefuture relation between PBS andapplied behavior analysis. BecausePBS is in its formative stages and isrooted in behavior analysis, the field
Synchronization of Escherichia coli by Zonal Centrifugation

A zonal centrifugation technique that can select the smallest newborn cells in an exponentially growing culture of Escherichia coli B/r is described.
The DegP and DegQ periplasmic endoproteases of Escherichia coli: specificity for cleavage sites and substrate conformation

DegP and DegQ are homologous endoproteases found in the periplasmic compartment of Escherichia coli. The studies presented here suggest that DegP and DegQ have very similar substrate specificities and cleave substrates which are transiently or globally denatured. Model substrates were cleaved at discrete Val/Xaa or Ile/Xaa sites, suggesting that aliphatic, beta-branched residues, which are typically buried in the hydrophobic core of most proteins, are important determinants of cleavage specificity. Indeed, the peptide bonds cleaved in the model substrates are generally inaccessible in the native three-dimensional structures. In addition, a chimeric fusion protein, which is a DegP substrate in vivo, is degraded in vitro only after reduction of its intramolecular disulfide bonds. Taken together, these findings suggest that DegP and DegQ may degrade transiently denatured proteins, unfolded proteins which accumulate in the periplasm following heat shock or other stress conditions, and/or newly secreted proteins prior to folding and disulfide bond formation. Cross-linking studies indicate that both DegP and DegQ form dodecamers in solution and thus are similar to many other intracellular proteases which form large oligomeric complexes.
Evaluation of Different Mixed Model Nonlinear Functions on Pigs Fed Low-Nutrient Excretion Diets1

Abstract Three nonlinear growth functions were evaluated on barrows (n=108) and gilts (n=105) fed diets designed to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous excretion. The pigs were weighed at birth and at approximate 14-d intervals from 62 to 147 d of age and then weekly to 190 d of age. Mixed models including pig specific random effects were evaluated for the Bridges, Weibull, and generalized Michaelis-Menten (GMM) functions. Two pig specific random effects were included in each function—one for predicted mature BW and one variable associated with the age at which maximum ADG was achieved. Alternative analyses were completed in which a random effect for a third parameter was predicted as a linear function of the random effect for mature BW. The alternative analyses resulted in improved likelihood statistics and smaller standard errors for the between-pig variance in mature BW. The 3 functions provided similar likelihood statistics, residual standard deviations, predicted BW, and predicted mean age (140 d for barrows and 134 d of age for gilts) and mean BW (83 kg for barrows and 73 kg for gilts) at which maximum ADG was achieved. The Weibull and Bridges functions predicted that 3 barrows and 6 gilts had mature BW of less than 130 kg. The GMM function allowed for more gradual growth to 50% greater mature BW than the Weibull and Bridges functions. The GMM equation allows for nonsymmetric sigmoidal growth and in some cases may provide a better fit to the BW data of pigs.
A novel 4H-SiC IGBT structure with improved trade-off between short circuit capability and on-state voltage drop

A novel IGBT structure with a built-in lateral JFET region is proposed to reduce the saturation current. A low saturation current level for high voltage IGBTs is desirable for strong short circuit capability. The saturation current can be reduced by increasing the cell pitch of the conventional IGBT structure at the sacrifice of increased on-state voltage drop. The proposed structure provides a greatly improved tradeoff between saturation current and forward voltage drop. Furthermore, reduced saturation current in the IGBT limits the reverse recovery current of the freewheeling diode without substantial increase of the turn-on energy loss at reduced di/dt and prevents the snappiness of the diode during reverse recovery. In this paper, the viability of the new structure is demonstrated using 15kV 4H-SiC devices by 2-D simulations. The proposed new structure can also be applied to devices in other materials and other voltage ratings.
Conceptualizing and Theorizing About the Idea of a “Post-Racial” Era

I critically examine the eliminativist theories of race or racism, and the behavioral theory of racism, which provide the theoretical foundation, respectively, for the nominalist and substantive conceptualizations of the idea of a post-racial era. The eliminativist theories seek to eliminate the concepts of “race” or “racism” from our discourse. Such elimination indicates a nominalist sense of the idea of a post-racial era. The behavioral theory of racism argues that racism must be manifested in obviously harmful actions. And because such harmful actions are not prevalent today, this implies that we are in a post-racial era in a substantive sense. I conceptualize some subtle forms of racism that are prevalent today, which cannot be captured by the behavioral theory, but can best be captured by doxastic theories of racism. I conceptualize a substantive idea of a post-racial era, and then argue based on such conceptualization, that we are not in a post-racial era because subtle forms of racism are still prevalent today.
Opioid antagonists and drinking: Evidence of κ-receptor involvement

Abstract Diprenorphine, naloxone, MR-2266-BS and WIN-44,441-3 were compared for their ability to antagonize morphine analgesia and to decrease deprivation-induced drinking in rats. Diprenorphine and naloxone were markedly more potent (32 ×) than MR-2266-BS and WIN-44,441-3 in antagonizing the analgesic effects of morphine. In contrast, diprenorphine, naloxone and MR-2266-BS decreased deprivation-induced drinking over a similar dose range. The doses required to reduce fluid consumption were higher than those necessary to antagonize morphine. WIN-44,441-3 was ineffective in decreasing drinking. The relatively similar potencies of diprenorphine, naloxone and MR-2266-BS for decreasing deprivation-induced drinking suggest that the effect on drinking involves antagonist activity at a κ-opioid receptor.
The reponse to parathyroid extract (PTE) in infants of diabetic mothers (IDM)

Neonatal hypoclacemia (NHC) in infants of diabetic mothers (IDM) has been thought to be related to transient hypoparathyroidism or lack of responsiveness to parathyroid hormone. Previous reports of NHC in IDM have not documented its existence when compared to gestation matched infants. A previous study of low birth weight infants demonstrated the importance of early gestation on the incidence of NHC. In the present study 28 IDM were matched with infants of similar age, sex, gestation and perinatal complications. Seven IDM developed NHC compared with one in controls (p < 0.025). In IDM mean calcium levels were lower at 12, 24, 48, 60 and 72 hours of age. One IDM (maternal class D) developed temporary hypomagnesemia with NHC. During the first 3 days of life, in all infants tubular reabsorption of P (TRP) fell (93% to 87%), urinary P excretion rose (5 to 40 mg/24 hour) and urinary Ca and Mg remained low (<1 and <0.5 mg/24 hr respectively). In 6 IDM who were given PTE (5 units/kg) at 24 hours and 48 hours of age, 5 responded with temporary elevations of Ca at 12 hours post-injection compared with untreated IDM (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in serum Mg and P levels, TRP and urinary P, Ca and Mg between treated and untreated IDM and between IDM and controls. This report demonstrates that IDM are prone to NHC, are capable of conserving Ca and Mg, and have a positive calcemic response to PTE.