cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Iterative Microarray and RNA Interference–Based Interrogation of the Src-Induced Invasive Phenotype

Src kinase has long been recognized as a factor in the progression of colorectal cancer and seems to play a specific role in the development of the metastatic phenotype. In spite of numerous studies conducted to elucidate the exact role of Src in cancer progression, downstream targets of Src remain poorly understood. Gene expression profiling has permitted the identification of large sets of genes that may be functionally interrelated but it is often unclear as to which molecular pathways they belong. Here we have developed an iterative approach to experimentally reconstruct a network of gene activity regulated by Src and contributing to the invasive phenotype. Our strategy uses a combination of phenotypic anchoring of gene expression profiles and loss-of-function screening by way of RNA-mediated interference. Using a panel of human colon cancer cell lines exhibiting differential Src-specific activity and invasivity, we identify the first two levels of gene transcription responsible for the invasive phenotype, where first-tier genes are controlled by Src activity and the second-tier genes are under the influence of the first tier. Specifically, perturbation of first-tier gene activity by either pharmacologic inhibition of Src or RNA-mediated interference–directed knockdown leads to a loss of invasivity and decline of second-tier gene activity. The targeting of first-tier genes may be bypassed altogether because knockdown of second-tier genes led to a similar loss of invasive potential. In this manner, numerous members of a “transcriptional cascade” pathway for metastatic activity have been identified and functionally validated.
Proceedings from the transnational street gang/organization seminar:

They came from all over. Researchers from Barcelona, Genova, Milan, Santo Domingo, Quito, and New York City descended on John Jay College of Criminal Justice to discuss the emerging socio-cultural phenomenon of transnational youth gangs developing into street organizations, similar to those documented by the author in the late 1990s in New York City (see Brotherton and Barrios, 2004). The reaction of the media is also comparable, ranging from fear, panic and pathological stereotyping to curiosity and a genuine attempt to paint the subjects in a humanistic and multi-dimensional light. But the response of local political establishments is anything but traditional in the case of two of the cities: Barcelona and Genova. For the city governments in both of these locales have taken the unprecedented step of legally recognizing both the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation and the Asociacion Neta as `cultural associations' organized by primarily first and 1.5 generation immigrant Latin American youth. The semina...
The Impact of Continuing Professional Development versus Traditional Continuing Pharmacy Education on Pharmacy Practice

Background:The Institute of Medicine states that the new vision for continuing education (CE) for health-care professionals will be based on continuing professional development (CPD); however, information on the utility of CPD is lacking.Objective:To assess the effect of CPD, compared with that of traditional continuing pharmacy education (CPE), on perceptions of factors related to pharmacy practice.Methods:This 10-month, nonblinded, randomized controlled study recruited licensed pharmacists employed at a health maintenance organization (HMO). After completing a basic CPD course, participants were randomized to the intervention or control group. The control group was instructed to continue with traditional CPE. The intervention group participants completed 3 CPD workshops and were instructed to utilize the CPD approach for their learning needs. At baseline and follow-up, all participants completed a study questionnaire on perceptions of their pharmacy practices. The outcome measures were comparisons on fo...
Information transfer in disordered media by broadband time-reversal: stability, resolution and capacity

We analyse rigorously the time reversal of a multiple-input-multiple-output system in a strongly fluctuating disordered medium described by the stochastic Schr¨ odinger equation with a random potential under the sub-Gaussian assumption. We prove that in a broadband limit the conditions for stable super-resolution are the packing condition such that the spacing among the N transmitters and M receivers be more than the coherence lengthc and the consecutive symbols in the datum streams are separated by more than the inverse of the bandwidth B −1 and the multiplexing (or stability) condition such that the number of the degrees of freedom per unit time at the transmitters (∼ NB) be much larger than the number of the degrees of freedom (∼ MC) per unit time in the ensemble of intended messages. Here C is the number of symbols per unit time in the datum streams intended for each receiver. When the two conditions are met, all receivers simultaneously receive streams of statistically stable, sharply focused signals intended for them, free of fading and interference. We show that an O(P/ν) information rate P/ νcan be achieved with statistical stability under the condition NMP /(νB) where P is the average total power constraint and ν the noise power per unit bandwidth. The packing condition then implies that γ −d β −d cP /(νB) in the optimal transfer regime where γ is the Fresnel number, βc the coherence bandwidth and d the transverse dimension. Our results should be valid for diffusive waves with βc = Thouless frequency. Therefore, under the ideal packing and multiplexing conditions time reversal communications result in a high signal-to-interference ratio and low probability of intercept and is an effective means for achieving the information capacity of disordered media in the presence of multiple users.
Quicker, Faster, Darker: Changes in Hollywood Film over 75 Years:

We measured 160 English-language films released from 1935 to 2010 and found four changes. First, shot lengths have gotten shorter, a trend also reported by others. Second, contemporary films have more motion and movement than earlier films. Third, in contemporary films shorter shots also have proportionately more motion than longer shots, whereas there is no such relation in older films. And finally films have gotten darker. That is, the mean luminance value of frames across the length of a film has decreased over time. We discuss psychological effects associated with these four changes and suggest that all four linear trends have a single cause: Filmmakers have incrementally tried to exercise more control over the attention of filmgoers. We suggest these changes are signatures of the evolution of popular film; they do not reflect changes in film style.
Jack Stimpfling-The Voice from the Wilderness

The wilderness whence Jack Stimpfling's voice has been heard during the past 23 years is not the “hideous and desolate waste” feared by Nathaniel Morton, secretary of the Plymouth Colony; neither does it necessitate, as in the case of John the Baptist—as recorded by St. John from Patmos—a diet of “locusts and wild honey.” Instead, it is, in Justice Douglas' words, “the murmur of brooks and the chatter of squirrels—the refuge for automated man.” It is the wilderness of the Missouri Canyon, the “beautiful clifts” (sic) seen by Merriwether Lewis, apparent as one floats down the river during a warm August night, the moon rising above Eagle Rock, and deer watering at the river's edge. The river meanders northward, and enters the vast plains under the Big Sky. You see Square Butte to the left. Yet further to the West, past hillocks carrying clumps of scraggly juniper and clusters of black Angus cattle, you see Haystack Butte and the shining mountains of the Saw Tooth Range of the Rockies.
A computational pipeline for protein structure prediction and analysis at genome scale

Motivation Experimental techniques alone cannot keep up with the production rate of protein sequences, while computational techniques for protein structure predictions have matured to such a level to provide reliable structural characterization of proteins at large scale. Integration of multiple computational tools for protein structure prediction can complement experimental techniques. Results We present an automated pipeline for protein structure prediction. The centerpiece of the pipeline is our threading-based protein structure prediction system PROSPECT. The pipeline consists of a dozen tools for identification of protein domains and signal peptide, protein triage to determine the protein type (membrane or globular), protein fold recognition, generation of atomic structural models, prediction result validation, etc. Different processing and prediction branches are determined automatically by a prediction pipeline manager based on identified characteristics of the protein. The pipeline has been implemented to run in a heterogeneous computational environment as a client/server system with a web interface. Genome-scale applications on Caenorhabditis elegans, Pyrococcus furiosus and three cyanobacterial genomes are presented. Availability The pipeline is available at http://compbio.ornl.gov/proteinpipeline/
Definitions of Rape: Scientific and Political Implications

Definitions set the parameters of research and influence the results and conclusions. It is thus crucial that researchers critically examine definitions and terms, particularly in fields that use popular terms likely to be influenced by the unacknowledged biases and political concerns of the dominant group. The study of sexual assault is such a field, and therefore this article examines researchers' definitions of sexual assault, rape, and related terms. Definitions vary along several dimensions, including (a) the sexual behaviors specified, (b) the criteria for establishing nonconsent, (c) the individuals specified, and (d) the perspective specified—that is, who decides whether sexual assault has occurred. For each dimension, the article discusses implications for researchers' results and conclusions, underlying assumptions, and political ramifications.
Grandparent-Adult Grandchild Affection and Consensus Cross-Generational and Cross-Ethnic Comparisons

Euro-American grandparents' ratings of affection for, and consensus with, their adult grandchildren have been found to be significantly greater than the grandchildren's ratings—a phenomenon known as the “intergenerational stake phenomenon.” However, it is unclear whether this cross-generational difference in affection and perceived consensus exists for all gender dyads and for more collectivistic ethnic groups. This study compared levels of affection and consensus for Euro-American and Mexican American grandparents and their adult grandchildren. Results revealed that Euro-American grandmothers and grandfathers have significantly greater affection for their granddaughters than their granddaughters have for them; however, this gap was not found for grandsons. Among Mexican Americans, grandsons have significantly greater affection for their grandfathers than their grandfathers have for them. Analyses of covariance revealed that when grandchildren of either ethnic group perceived themselves to be similar in a...
A 2D field solver for periodic structures with special corner elements

A two-dimensional (2D) finite element field solver has been written which allows quasi-periodic boundary conditions, making it ideal for calculating traveling waves in periodic structures. Special elements are used at corners for improved accuracy. Comparisons with URMEL, URMEL-T, SUPERFISH, and analytic solutions are made, showing that this code yields better eigenvalues than the URMELs despite the use of a coarser mesh. The 2D solver is capable of finding transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes in axisymmetric structures. The structures can include symmetry and periodic boundaries. The algebraic eigenvalue solver uses the inverse power method with an eigenvalue shift, which yields the mode with eigenvalue closest to a specified target eigenvalue. >
Glucose Signaling in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Eukaryotic cells possess an exquisitely interwoven and fine-tuned series of signal transduction mechanisms with which to sense and respond to the ubiquitous fermentable carbon source glucose. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has proven to be a fertile model system with which to identify glucose signaling factors, determine the relevant functional and physical interrelationships, and characterize the corresponding metabolic, transcriptomic, and proteomic readouts. The early events in glucose signaling appear to require both extracellular sensing by transmembrane proteins and intracellular sensing by G proteins. Intermediate steps involve cAMP-dependent stimulation of protein kinase A (PKA) as well as one or more redundant PKA-independent pathways. The final steps are mediated by a relatively small collection of transcriptional regulators that collaborate closely to maximize the cellular rates of energy generation and growth. Understanding the nuclear events in this process may necessitate the further elaboration of a new model for eukaryotic gene regulation, called “reverse recruitment.” An essential feature of this idea is that fine-structure mapping of nuclear architecture will be required to understand the reception of regulatory signals that emanate from the plasma membrane and cytoplasm. Completion of this task should result in a much improved understanding of eukaryotic growth, differentiation, and carcinogenesis.
The expression of megalin (gp330) and LRP diverges during F9 cell differentiation

The receptor-associated protein, RAP, is a chaperonin-like molecule that binds to two members of the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) superfamily-megalin (gp330) and the LDL receptor-related protein (LRP). In F9 embryonal carcinoma cells, expression of RAP mRNA increases when differentiation is induced with retinoic acid and dibutyryl-cyclic AMP. We have investigated the expression of megalin and LRP and their interaction with RAP in F9 cells using biochemical and immunocytochemical methods. Both receptors are expressed in uninduced F9 cells, but only megalin co-precipitates with RAP. When F9 cells were induced to differentiate into parietal endoderm, the expression of megalin was dramatically increased. The expression of megalin exceeded that of LRP and RAP by an order of magnitude and both receptors co-precipitated with RAP. By immunoelectron microscopy, megalin and LRP were localized to clathrin-coated pits at the cell surface in both undifferentiated and differentiated F9 cells, whereas RAP was found mainly in the ER. A sizeable pool of LRP was also detected in the ER. When F9 cells were grown in suspension in the presence of RA and induced to develop into embryoid bodies, the expression of megalin and LRP segregated into different cell types: megalin was found in the outer epithelial layer and LRP in the stem cells of the inner core. Our results demonstrate that F9 cells induced to differentiate in monolayer culture express megalin, LRP and RAP, and RAP is capable of interacting simultaneously with both receptors. In embryoid bodies the expression of megalin and LRP diverges, and only megalin is expressed in the outer epithelial layer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Prebiotics and probiotics used alone or in combination and effects on pullet growth and intestinal microbiology

Abstract A study was conducted examining the effects of prebiotics and probiotics separately and in combination on growth parameters, fecal and cecal microbiota. Six dietary treatments consisted of: 1) control, 2) control + 0.2 lb/ton calculated to contain 1 × 1010Pediococcus acidilactici/kg, 3) control + 0.2 lb/ton calculated to contain 2 × 1010 live Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii/kg, 4) control + 2 lb/ton yeast cell wall extract (YCWE), 5) control + 0.2 lb/ton calculated to contain 1 × 1010 /kg Pediococcus acidilactici/kg and + 2 lb/ton YCWE, and 6) control + 0.2 lb/ton calculated to contain 2 × 1010/kg live Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii/kg + 2 lb/ton YCWE. Dietary treatments had 10 replicates during the brooder phase; 6 replicates from grower phase through conclusion of the study. Bovan white pullets were utilized for the study. There was not a significant difference between treatments for feed intake, body weight, body weight gain or feed conversion. There were no significant differences between treatments for Salmonella enteritidis presence or fecal counts of E. coli, coliform, and Salmonella spp. Cecal E. coli and coliform counts were not affected by treatment. There was a significant treatment by time effect for Enterobacteriaceae cecal counts. Enterobacteriaceae counts increased at 16 wk of age and decreased through the study for all treatments, except for YCWE. The addition of prebiotics and probiotics, individually or in combination, did not significantly improve growth or alter the potentially pathogenic bacteria microbiology of feces or ceca in pullet chicks.
Small Lesion Detection with Resolution Enhancement Compression

A novel coded-excitation method, resolution-enhancement compression (REC), increases the axial resolution and the echo signal-to-noise ratio (eSNR) for an ultrasonic imaging system. The REC technique was examined for its ability to improve lesion detectability. The REC technique was used to double the -3-dB fractional pulse-echo bandwidth of an ultrasonic source in both simulations and experiments. The increase in usable bandwidth increased lesion detectability compared to conventional pulsing (CP) techniques and coded excitation using a linear chirp (LC). Lesion detectibility was quantified through lesion signal-to-noise ratio (lSNR), which is a metric that quantifies the ability of an isolated observer to detect a focal lesion against a background. In simulations, a higher lSNR value was observed using the REC technique for lesions ranging in size from 1 mm to 8 mm in diameter. In addition, the eSNR was increased by almost 15 dB. To validate simulation results, a hydrogel-cone phantom was constructed to provide lesions with +6-dB contrast of different sizes. A transducer was scanned perpendicular to the major axis of the cone at different levels to provide lesions of 3, 5 and 8 mm in diameter. The lSNR was estimated for lesions of different sizes and using the three excitation techniques, i.e., CP, LC and REC. In experiments, the lSNR was observed to be higher using the REC technique than the other pulsing techniques. The lSNR scores for REC were higher by 15%, 45% and 40% for the 3, 5 and 8 mm over the other two excitation techniques. The eSNR was increased by 5.7 dB. Therefore, according to the lSNR metric, the improvement in spatial resolution from the REC technique resulted in improved detectability of small lesions.
Automatic correlated terrain database generation and management for ground vehicle simulators

Modeling and interrogating the elevation of the terrain is necessary in both flight and driving simulation applications. In flight simulation, with the exception of ground based operations, the requirements for resolution and interrogation rate can often be met by the image generator or other simplified databases containing airports and the surrounding area. In ground vehicle simulators however, the requirements for interrogation rate, performance, resolution, and geographical coverage are much more stringent and separate databases are often used. Work described in this paper extends prior developments on correlated terrain databases specifically focused on driving simulation applications by adding key features on usability, correlated data generation, singularities, and performance. Key features of the earlier system included variable resolution storage, real-time execution time independent of the size of the database, and the ability to model vertically stacked terrain with minimal runtime overhead. Improvements of the new system include the automation of the database generation process given the source code of the visual databases, a new interrogation technique that eliminates distracting artifacts that appear across areas that have been sampled at different ,resolutions, and the use of graphical interactive tools for verifying the correlation of the final terrain database against the original visual model. The paper includes examples that demonstrate the process, along with information on the performance of the code under various conditions and computing systems. Introduction and Prior Work In ground vehicle simulators, where the interaction of the vehicle with the environment provides the majority of the feedback cues, a representation of the underlying terrain is critical for proper fidelity and realism. Copyright
62 A COMPARISON OF THE FREQUENCY OF URINARY INCONTINENCE IN HISPANIC AND NON-HISPANIC WHITE MEN AND WOMEN IN THE NEW MEXICO ELDER HEALTH SURVEY.

The New Mexico Elder Health Survey was designed to compare health and health-related issues in the Hispanic and non-Hispanic white (NHW) men and women, age ≥ 65 years, residing in Bernalillo County (Albuquerque), New Mexico. Equal numbers of the four ethnic/gender groups were randomly selected from the HCFA (Medicare) rolls and recruited as paid volunteers for a home interview and 4-hour interview/examination. The participants were questioned about the presence/absence of UI with specific questions used to characterize the presence of stress incontinence (SI), urge incontinence or overactive bladder (OAB), and overflow incontinence (OI). The prevalence of all forms of UI was much higher in women than in men (34% vs 15%) so men and women were examined separately and level of education influenced prevalence rates so regression analyses were utilized to adjust rates for these variables (adjusted OR for differences between all men and women was 2.96, p value 30) (women only), and multiple coexisting morbidities (3+ medical conditions) (men and women). Variables that did not reach levels of statistical significance included hysterectomy, use of hormone replacement therapy and vaginal dryness in women, low cognitive scores (MMSE ≤ 25), and depression (GDS ≥ 6). The primary difference in prevalence of UI between Hispanic and NHW participants was that fewer Hispanic women had symptoms of OAB than NHW women.
Endoplasmic Reticulum Calcium Regulates Epidermal Barrier Response and Desmosomal Structure.

Ca 2+ fluxes direct keratinocyte differentiation, cell-to-cell adhesion, migration, and epidermal barrier homeostasis. We previously showed that intracellular Ca 2+ stores constitute a major portion of the calcium gradient especially in the stratum granulosum. Loss of the calcium gradient triggers epidermal barrier homeostatic responses. In this report, using unfixed ex vivo epidermis and human epidermal equivalents we show that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca 2+ is released in response to barrier perturbation, and that this release constitutes the major shift in epidermal Ca 2+ seen after barrier perturbation. We find that ER Ca 2+ release correlates with a transient increase in extracellular Ca 2+ . Lastly, we show that ER calcium release resulting from barrier perturbation triggers transient desmosomal remodeling, seen as an increase in extracellular space and a loss of the desmosomal intercellular midline. Topical application of thapsigargin, which inhibits the ER Ca 2+ ATPase activity without compromising barrier integrity, also leads to desmosomal remodeling and loss of the midline structure. These experiments establish the ER Ca 2+ store as a master regulator of the Ca 2+ gradient response to epidermal barrier perturbation, and suggest that ER Ca 2+ homeostasis also modulates normal desmosomal reorganization, both at rest and after acute barrier perturbation.
Effect of Disease Pathologies on Transporter Expression and Function

Transporters are important determinants of drug absorption, distribution, and excretion. The clinical relevance of drug transporters in drug disposition and toxicology depends on their localization in liver, kidney, and brain. There has been growing evidence regarding the importance of disease status on alterations in metabolizing enzymes and transporter proteins. This review focuses on uptake and efflux transporter proteins in liver, kidney, and brain and discusses mechanisms of altered transporter expression and function secondary to disease.
A variation on forced migration: Wilhelm Peters (Prussia via Britain to Turkey) and Muzafer Sherif (Turkey to the United States).

In 1933 the Turkish Republic formally offered university positions to 30 German-speaking academics who were dismissed with the coming to power of the National Socialist Government. That initial number went up to 56 with the inclusion of the technical assistants. By 1948 the estimated total had increased to 199. Given renewable five-year contracts with salaries substantially higher than their Turkish counterparts, the foreign emigres were to implement the westernization program of higher education. The ten year-old secular Turkish Republic's extensive social reforms had encompassed the adoption of the Latin alphabet, and equal rights for women, removing gender bias in hiring. Such a high concentration of emigre academics in one institution, "the highest anywhere in the world," provides a unique opportunity to study a subject which has been neglected. In this article two cases in psychology will be examined: Wilhelm Peters (1880-1963), who came, via Britain, to Istanbul in 1936 from the University of Jena in Germany, and Muzafer Sherif (1906-1988) who went to the United States from Ankara University in 1945. The purpose of the comparative analysis is to identify the features that are specific to the German experience, and those that are shared and underlie translocation in science within the multifaceted complexity of the process of forced migration.
The Grim Reaper, Hounds of Hell, and Dr. Death: The Role of Storytelling for Palliative Care in Competing Medical Meaning Systems.

ABSTRACTPalliative care (PC) is a medical specialty that strives to fulfill the physical, psychosocial, emotional, practical, and spiritual needs of individuals at end of life or in tandem with curative treatment. Although exponentially rising in use and beneficial to patient well-being at end of life, the purpose of PC is often misunderstood and those providing its services frequently report resistance from organizational members. Such resistance can be attributed to tensions between traditional biomedical models of medicine that privilege curative treatment and biosocial models of medicine that holistically care for patients. Thus, this study addresses what tensions PC providers experience in their institutions and what communicative strategies they use at the interpersonal level in managing those tensions. Using structuration theory in tandem with relational dialectics theory, we inductively analyzed semistructured interviews with 24 Circle of Life award-winning PC providers. Findings indicate two dial...
Animal likenesses: dogs and the boundary of the human in South Africa

ABSTRACTThe dog is a charged and powerful symbol in South Africa. Racialized canine invective played a formative role in colonial efforts to dispossess Africans of land. However, the symbolic meanings of dogs in South African culture range far beyond insult. Recent portrayals of canines have turned suggestively, if equivocally, from denigration toward signalling post-apartheid racial authenticity. To reflect on this shift, I draw on academic and popular writing about dog–human relations in South Africa, among them political discourse, popular media, tweets and the use of ‘animal likenesses’ in the essay ‘The Year of the Dog’ by Njabulo Ndebele, the novel Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee, and a series of photographs of Africanis dogs by the artist Daniel Naude. Through this examination, I consider the ambivalent emblem of the dog beyond the framework of either abuse or authenticity, to consider it as a barometer of critical shifts in notions of race in South African culture.
Molecular Geometry in 19th-Century France: Shifts in Guiding Assumptions

The histories of crystallography and mineralogy have been comparatively neglected by historians and philosophers of science. Recently, however, this state of affairs has begun to change with the appearance of a number of books and smaller monographs by historians of science. There is general consensus that the work of the French scientist Rene-Just Hauy (1743–1822) marked a watershed in the development of these fields. Hauy devised the first comprehensive quantitative model of crystal structure;1 subsequently he turned to mineral classification and developed a system whose basic unit, the species, was dependent upon his theory of crystal structure. With these achievements, crystallography and perhaps mineralogy are considered to have reached scientific maturity.
Analyses of Genome-Wide Histone Modifications in the Mammalian Genome

Abstract Epigenetic mechanisms regulate the transcriptional programs in response to developmental and environmental cues through DNA and histone modifications, histone variants, chromatin regulators, as well as other epigenetic layers and their interactions. There are at least 18 types of histone modifications discovered so far, mainly methylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, and phosphorylation, that occur predominantly on the histone tails. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and sequencing has enabled the genome-wide mapping of histone modifications, histone variants, and chromatin regulators from over 100 human cell types, even at the level of single cells. In this chapter, we summarize the functions and global distributions of major histone modifications, histone variants, and chromatin regulators, depicting those that are mainly located in cis-regulatory regions and gene bodies. We illustrate how histone marks can be used to identify epigenetic abnormalities in human disease. Finally, we describe major challenges in this field and highlight key areas for future studies.
Cinthya M. Ippoliti and Rachel W. Gammons. User-Centered Design for First Year Library Instruction Programs. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Libraries Unlimited, 2017. 192p. Paper, $60.00 (ISBN 9781440838521). LC 2016-032797.

Information literacy is evolving. To address this evolution of library instruction, the authors of User-Centered Design for First Year Library Instruction Programs argue that the student and his or her needs must take center stage when designing library instruction programs. A rapidly changing digital and information landscape requires librarians to adjust how they teach and what content is included in those instruction sessions. The new era of “fake news” requires librarians to move away from focusing on students’ current needs and instead step back to consider the future where critical thinking is the ultimate tool in a student’s toolkit to address unknown issues and information requirements. The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) developed The Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education in part as a response to this new and seemingly altered landscape where much of the underlying focus is on the students’ personal relationship with information literacy. Ippoliti and Gammons argue that user-centered design can help librarians to incorporate this and other elements of Framework by always keeping users at the center of their thoughts when planning library instruction, a method that should firmly ground an instruction program.
Learning Apart, Living Apart: How the Racial and Ethnic Segregation of Schools and Colleges Perpetuates Residential Segregation:

BackgroundDespite a powerful civil rights movement and legislation barring discrimination in housing markets, residential neighborhoods remain racially segregated.PurposeThis study examines the ext...
30 Years of Progress toward Increased Biomass Yield of Switchgrass and Big Bluestem

Breeding to improve biomass production of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) for conversion to bioenergy began in 1992. The purpose of this study was (i) to develop a platform for uniform regional testing of cultivars and experimental populations for these species, and (ii) to estimate the gains made by breeding during 1992 to 2012. A total of 25 switchgrass populations and 16 big bluestem populations were planted in uniform regional trials at 13 locations in 2012 and 2014. The reference region was USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 6 in the humid temperate United States. Significant progress toward increased biomass yield was made in big bluestem and within upland-ecotype populations, lowland-ecotype populations, and hybrid-derived populations of switchgrass. Four mechanisms of increasing biomass yield were documented: (i) increased biomass yield per se, (ii) later flowering to extend the growing season, (iii) combined later flowering from the lowland ecotype with survivorship of the upland ecotype in hybrid-derived populations, and (iv) increased survivorship of late-flowering lowland populations in hardiness zones that represent an expansion of their natural adaption zone. Switchgrass exhibited all four mechanisms in one or more improved populations, whereas improved populations of big bluestem were likely influenced by two of the four mechanisms. The uniform testing program was successful at documenting increases in biomass yield, identifying the mechanisms for increased yield, and determining adaptation characteristics and limitations of improved populations.
Mobile Application Web API Reconnaissance: Web-to-Mobile Inconsistencies & Vulnerabilities

Modern mobile apps use cloud-hosted HTTP-based API services and heavily rely on the Internet infrastructure for data communication and storage. To improve performance and leverage the power of the mobile device, input validation and other business logic required for interfacing with web API services are typically implemented on the mobile client. However, when a web service implementation fails to thoroughly replicate input validation, it gives rise to inconsistencies that could lead to attacks that can compromise user security and privacy. Developing automatic methods of auditing web APIs for security remains challenging. In this paper, we present a novel approach for automatically analyzing mobile app-to-web API communication to detect inconsistencies in input validation logic between apps and their respective web API services. We present our system, WARDroid, which implements a static analysis-based web API reconnaissance approach to uncover inconsistencies on real world API services that can lead to attacks with severe consequences for potentially millions of users throughout the world. Our system utilizes program analysis techniques to automatically extract HTTP communication templates from Android apps that encode the input validation constraints imposed by the apps on outgoing web requests to web API services. WARDroid is also enhanced with blackbox testing of server validation logic to identify inconsistencies that can lead to attacks. We evaluated our system on a set of 10,000 popular free apps from the Google Play Store. We detected problematic logic in APIs used in over 4,000 apps, including 1,743 apps that use unencrypted HTTP communication. We further tested 1,000 apps to validate web API hijacking vulnerabilities that can lead to potential compromise of user privacy and security and found that millions of users are potentially affected from our sample set of tested apps.
IIR Digital Filters

Publisher Summary From the point of view of the impulse response duration, digital filters can be classified as infinite-duration impulse response (IIR) or finite-duration impulse response (FIR) digital filters. IIR digital filters realized recursively by feeding back a weighted sum of past output values and adding these values to a weighted sum of present and past input values. In principle, such filters have infinite memory. The major advantage of IIR digital filters is that the recursive realizations of IIR digital filters are computationally efficient. This chapter presents some standard techniques for designing IIR digital filters. It discusses the stability of these filters and standard digital filter realizations and describes filter specifications in the frequency domain and the use of analog filters as prototypes. The chapter also discusses various analog filter types, their design, and analog transformations for converting the lowpass prototypes to lowpass, highpass bandpass, and bandstop filters. It explores various transformations necessary for the digitalization of analog prototype filters. The chapter examines spectral transformations used for transforming a prototype lowpass digital filter to bandpass and highpass. These techniques require precise knowledge of the transfer functions of analog and digital filters at some stage of the design process. The chapter also presents two types of IIR digital filters that start with a doubly terminated analog lossless ladder network as a prototype, thus, obviating the need for exact knowledge of transfer functions. These filters have low sensitivity to coefficient quantization errors and are well-suited for narrowband designs.
Optical properties of ferroelectric Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12

We report optical properties of ferroelectric ${\text{Bi}}_{4}{\text{Ti}}_{3}{\text{O}}_{12}$ based on spectroscopic ellipsometry and calculations with the recently developed density functional of Tran and Blaha. We find a close accord between the experiment and the calculated results with this functional, including the energy onset of optical transitions and the scale of the optical conductivity. The band gap is indirect, with a value of 2.9 eV, and an onset of direct optical transitions at 3.1 eV.
Protein kinase C in rat brain is altered by developmental lead exposure.

The absence of learning-related redistribution of hippocampal protein kinase C (PKC) has been correlated with impairment of learning performance induced by developmental lead (Pb) exposure. This study was designed to examine whether the properties of brain PKC are altered by chronic Pb exposure during development. Two-tenth percent Pb acetate was administered to pregnant and lactating dams and then administered to weanlings in drinking water until postnatal day (PN) 56. Effects of Pb on translocation of PKC were studied in brain slices prepared from hippocampus. When the slices were treated with 0.33 μM phorbol-12, 13-dibutyrate (PDBu) for 15 min, a significant increase in PKC activity was observed in the membrane fraction of hippocampal slices from Pb-exposed rats, suggesting that chronic Pb exposure potentiates PDBu-activated PKC translocation. Data obtained from saturation binding assays in the frontal cortices of Pb-exposed rats showed a decrease in the dissociation constant (KD) in both membrane and cytosolic PKC. A decrease in the total binding sites (Bmax) of [3H]PDBu binding was only observed in membrane PKC. Furthermore, developmental Pb exposure decreased PKC-γ, but not PKC-α, -βII, and -e in the membrane fraction of the hippocampus and the frontal cortex. These results indicate that chronic Pb exposure during development increases phorbol ester binding affinity, enhances phorbol ester-induced translocation of PKC, and down-regulates membrane PKC, mainly PKC-γ.
Angiotensin II- and IV-induced changes in cerebral blood flow. Roles of AT1, AT2, and AT4 receptor subtypes.

Abstract Our laboratory has previously reported the discovery of a unique angiotensin binding site (termed AT 4 ) specific for angiotensin IV (AngIV) in cultured vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. The present investigation employed laser-Doppler flowmetry to examine the effect of angiotensin II (AngII) and AngIV stimulation of these receptors on cerebral microcirculation in anesthetized Sprague–Dawley rats. Internal carotid artery infusion of AngII at a low dose (0.1 pmol min −1 ) revealed a 23% reduction in cerebral blood flow (CBF), while the infusion of AngIV increased CBF in a dose-dependent fashion with the highest dose (100 pmol min −1 ) resulting in an elevation of 30%. In a second experiment separate groups of rats were pre-treated with the AT 1 receptor subtype antagonist DuP 753 (Losartan), the AT 2 receptor subtype antagonist PD123177, or a newly synthesized AT 4 receptor subtype antagonist Divalinal-AngIV (Divalinal), followed by AngII or AngIV for the purpose of determining which angiotensin receptor subtype is responsible for mediating these AngII- and AngIV-induced responses. Pre-treatment with Losartan completely blocked subsequent AngII-induced reductions in CBF, while both PD123177 and Divalinal failed to inhibit this response. In contrast, significant increases in CBF were measured due to AngIV stimulation following pre-treatment with Losartan and PD 123177, while Divalinal abolished this AngIV-induced response. These results suggest that AngII and IV play opposite roles in cerebral microcirculation, i.e., the AT 1 receptor subtype mediates AngII-induced reductions in CBF, while the AT 4 receptor subtype regulates increases in CBF.
Rapid Relief: Thyroidectomy is a Quicker Cure than Radioactive Iodine Ablation (RAI) in Patients with Hyperthyroidism

Time to hormonal control after definitive management of hyperthyroidism is unknown but may influence patient and physician decision making when choosing between treatment options. The hypothesis is that the euthyroid state is achieved faster after thyroidectomy than RAI ablation. A retrospective review of all patients undergoing definitive therapy for hyperthyroidism was performed. Outcomes after thyroidectomy were compared to RAI. Over 3 years, 217 patients underwent definitive therapy for hyperthyroidism at a county hospital: 121 patients received RAI, and 96 patients underwent thyroidectomy. Age was equivalent (p = 0.72). More males underwent RAI (25% vs 15%, p = 0.05). Endocrinologists referred for both treatments equally (p = 0.82). Both treatments were offered after a minimum 1-year trial of medical management (p = 0.15). RAI patients mostly had Graves (93%), versus 73% of thyroidectomy patients (p < 0.001). Thyroidectomy patients more frequently had eye symptoms (35% vs 13%, p < 0.001), compressive symptoms (74% vs 15%, p < 0.001), or were pregnant/nursing (14% vs 0, p < 0.001). While the thyroidectomy patients had a documented discussion of all treatment modalities, 79% of RAI patients did not have a documented discussion regarding the option of surgical management (p < 0.001). Both treatment groups achieved an euthyroid state (71% vs 65%, p = 0.39). Thyroidectomy patients became euthyroid faster [3 months (2–7 months) versus 9 months (4–14 months); p < 0.001]. Thyroidectomy for hyperthyroidism renders a patient to an euthyroid state faster than RAI. This finding may be important for patients and clinicians considering definitive options for hyperthyroidism.
Bayesian Defogging

Atmospheric conditions induced by suspended particles, such as fog and haze, severely alter the scene appearance. Restoring the true scene appearance from a single observation made in such bad weather conditions remains a challenging task due to the inherent ambiguity that arises in the image formation process. In this paper, we introduce a novel Bayesian probabilistic method that jointly estimates the scene albedo and depth from a single foggy image by fully leveraging their latent statistical structures. Our key idea is to model the image with a factorial Markov random field in which the scene albedo and depth are two statistically independent latent layers and to jointly estimate them. We show that we may exploit natural image and depth statistics as priors on these hidden layers and estimate the scene albedo and depth with a canonical expectation maximization algorithm with alternating minimization. We experimentally evaluate the effectiveness of our method on a number of synthetic and real foggy images. The results demonstrate that the method achieves accurate factorization even on challenging scenes for past methods that only constrain and estimate one of the latent variables.
Reabilitação respiratória: a abordagem holística da pessoa com DPOC

A reabilitacao respiratoria assume-se, nos dias de hoje, como um pilar fundamental no tratamento da doenca pulmonar obstrutiva cronica (DPOC). Ao adotar uma abordagem holistica da pessoa, tendo em conta as varias manifestacoes sistemicas da doenca, consegue melhorar sintomas, exacerbacoes, capacidade funcional e vertente psicossocial, promovendo uma melhoria global da qualidade de vida. As evidencias atuais apontam para um beneficio na introducao deste programa a partir do momento em que a doenca e sintomatica e causa impacto nas atividades de vida diaria. Este quadro corresponde frequentemente a graus de obstrucao do fluxo aereo ainda moderados – grau GOLD 2 - e a reabilitacao nesta fase permite uma maior estabilizacao ou mesmo regressao das manifestacoes sistemicas da doenca. A capacidade de resposta dos servicos hospitalares que oferecem este tipo de programa e, contudo, muito escassa, limitando-se aos doentes em estadios mais severos - GOLD 3 e, sobretudo, GOLD 4. Torna-se, pois, fundamental investir em programas de reabilitacao respiratoria comunitarios, inseridos nos Cuidados de Saude Primarios, de forma a aumentar a acessibilidade e equidade de cuidados a todos os que deles beneficiam.
Blended Learning Research: Components critical to student learning from a meta-analysis

This meta-analysis study examined two broad categories related to student satisfaction: course content and instruction format. A systematic review of the literature using meta-analysis was conducted to both analyze and synthesize data across a large number of studies. The results show that in the higher-education environment, it is essential that both the method of interaction and the content be given purposeful attention during course development and presentation of course curricula. Future research should be aimed at identifying the critical subcomponents of these two categories. Additional research on course design factors in both the online and blended learning environments related to instruction should be conducted. In addition, the hybrid approach of blended learning seems to integrate the instructor more fully into positive student perceptions of overall learning outcomes. Overall, this study demonstrated that this type of meta-analysis can provide valuable insight in educational research that is worthy of additional study for higher education.
OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING FOR DESIGNERS AND INSTALLERS OF PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS

ABSTRACT The Colorado Mountain College has developed a Vocational Training Program for designers and installers of photovoltaic (PV) power systems. The Training is to provide occupational design and installation skills training for stand-alone PV power systems. Described in detail are the program's content and technical specifications of the working demonstration system.
Laboratory simulation of uranium metal corrosion in different soil moisture regimes.

Abstract A novel laboratory simulation system has been developed for the study of the corrosion of uranium metal in soils. Corrosion and transportation of depleted uranium (DU) as the metal undergoes weathering as a buried material within the soil environment. The corrosion of uranium metal in soil was not well understood due to the gas-liquid-solid phase of the soil. This study presents a novel method to investigate the change of uranium species during the process of process of oxidation of metallic uranium in these environments. Compared with other techniques used for the study of environmental corrosion of metals in soils, this method has the advantage of low secondary uranium pollution, no energy consumption, and ease of operation. The simulation system has been used for the following studies: • Simultaneously simulate the corrosion of uranium metal in different soil moisture regimes • Study the influence of biogeochemical factors on the corrosion of uranium metal • Investigate the change of uranium species during oxidation