cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stage-specific expression of myelin basic protein in oligodendrocytes involves Nkx2.2-mediated repression that is relieved by the Sp1 transcription factor.

The homeodomain-containing protein Nkx2.2 is critical for the development of oligodendrocyte lineage cells, but the target genes of Nkx2.2 regulation have not been identified. In the present study, we found that the myelin basic protein gene is one of the genes that is regulated by Nkx2.2. Expression of Nkx2.2 represses the expression of myelin basic protein in oligodendrocyte progenitors. Two regulatory elements in the myelin basic protein promoter were identified and found to interact with Nkx2.2 in vitro. Despite their sequence divergence, both sites were involved in the Nkx2.2-mediated repression of the myelin basic protein promoter. Binding of Nkx2.2 also blocked and disrupted the binding of the transcriptional activator Purα to the myelin basic protein promoter. Additionally Nkx2.2 recruited a histone deacetylase 1-mSin3A complex to the myelin basic protein promoter. We also found that the transcription factor Sp1 was able to compete off the binding of Nkx2.2 to its consensus binding site in vitro and reversed the repressive effect of Nkx2.2 in vivo. Our data revealed a novel role for Nkx2.2 in preventing the precocious expression of myelin basic protein in immature oligodendrocytes. Based on this study and our previous reports, a model for myelin basic protein gene control is proposed.
Linking enhancing and impairing effects of emotion—the case of PTSD

As illustrated by the present Research Topic, emotion that can either enhance or hinder various aspects of our cognition and behavior. For instance, the emotional charge of an event can increase attention to and memory for that event (Dolcos et al., 2012), whereas task-irrelevant emotional information may lead to increased distraction away from goal-relevant tasks (Iordan et al., 2013; see also Dolcos et al., 2011). Interestingly, sometimes these opposing effects of emotion co-occur. For example, hearing a gunshot may enhance memory for central aspects of what was happening at the time, while impairing memory for peripheral details (Christianson, 1992). It is also possible that increased distraction from ongoing goals produced by task-irrelevant emotional stimuli may lead to better memory for the distracting information itself. The co-occurrence of enhancing and impairing effects of emotion is probably most evident in affective disorders, where both of these opposing effects are exacerbated. Specifically, uncontrolled recollection of and rumination on distressing memories observed in depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may also lead to impaired cognition due to enhanced emotional distraction. Here, we illustrate an example based on evidence from studies of PTSD, pointing to the importance of investigating both enhancing and impairing effects of emotion, in elucidating the nature of alterations in the way emotion interacts with cognition in clinical conditions.
Passive propulsion in vortex wakes

A dead fish is propelled upstream when its flexible body resonates with oncoming vortices formed in the wake of a bluff cylinder, despite being well outside the suction region of the cylinder. Within this passive propulsion mode, the body of the fish extracts sufficient energy from the oncoming vortices to develop thrust to overcome its own drag. In a similar turbulent wake and at roughly the same distance behind a bluff cylinder, a passively mounted high-aspect-ratio foil is also shown to propel itself upstream employing a similar flow energy extraction mechanism. In this case, mechanical energy is extracted from the flow at the same time that thrust is produced. These results prove experimentally that, under proper conditions, a body can follow at a distance or even catch up to another upstream body without expending any energy of its own. This observation is also significant in the development of low-drag energy harvesting devices, and in the energetics of fish dwelling in flowing water and swimming behind wake-forming obstacles.
Trouble-shooting earth-to-neutral voltage

Neutral-to-earth voltages that are produced by a farm electrical system and those that are produced off the farm are discussed. It is noted that if a company is to investigate neutral-to-earth voltage on a farm, policy decisions are necessary before providing such a service. A test is described that will indicate if there is a voltage which is reaching animals to a specific location on a farm. A procedure that can be used to identify the major sources of neutral-to-earth voltage is proposed. Mitigation techniques for reducing neutral-to-earth voltages are covered in detail. >
Facilitating the process of knowledge construction among preservice teachers through computer-mediated communications

This paper highlights a segment of a larger study that examined the potential for computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools to foster reflective thinking among preservice teachers. Using a mixed-methods research design, the extent to which the CMC among six groups of preservice teachers was influenced by: (a) the focus and structure of the CMC context; and (b) the interactions and social dialogue among peers was examined. Highlighted in this discussion are the patterns of interactions and social dialogue that were made apparent within cognitively in-depth CMC.
A COMPUTATIONAL THEORY OF SELECTION BY CONSEQUENCES APPLIED TO CONCURRENT SCHEDULES

Virtual organisms animated by a computational theory of selection by consequences responded on symmetrical and asymmetrical concurrent schedules of reinforcement. The theory instantiated Darwinian principles of selection, reproduction, and mutation such that a population of potential behaviors evolved under the selection pressure exerted by reinforcement from the environment. The virtual organisms' steady-state behavior was well described by the power function matching equation, and the parameters of the equation behaved in ways that were consistent with findings from experiments with live organisms. Together with previous research on single-alternative schedules (McDowell, 2004; McDowell & Caron, 2007) these results indicate that the equations of matching theory are emergent properties of the evolutionary dynamics of selection by consequences.
Madness, Diasporic Difference, and State Violence: Explaining Filicide in American Courts

This article examines the state's mobilization of difference in meting out irrational violence through juxtaposing two filicidal cases, those of Andrea Yates and Sailaja Hathaway. Biological deviance in Andrea Yates's case and cultural difference in Sailaja Hathaway's case are used to administer retributive justice. However, in deciding on the cases of `mad' mothers, the state appears irrationally violent. First, ideas on what is culturally driven and psychotically driven behavior are arbitrary. And second, punishment is not proportional to crime. Yates killed her five children, but was declared innocent by reason of insanity, and is undergoing psychiatric treatment. Conversely, immigrant mother Hathaway's filicidal act did not have long-term physical effects on her two sons, yet she was sentenced to 15 years in prison. This article concludes that demarcating diasporic difference, through cultural testimony in Sailaja Hathaway's case in this instance, abets the state's classificatory and disciplinary func...
Response-reinforcement relationships in chronic pain syndrome: Applicability of Herrnstein's law

The quantitative relationship between chronic pain behavior and reinforcement has been generally found to be positive. Herrnstein's statement of the law of effect adds a qualification: it predicts that response rate varies hyperbolically with contingent reinforcement, and that response rate is also negatively related to extraneous reinforcement. The present study is an original investigation of the first of these assertions with regard to the naturally occurring behaviors in chronic pain syndrome. It was found that the stereotypic pain behaviors of 12 chronic pain patients were hyperbolically rather than proportionally related to contingent reinforcement from their significant others. Likewise, healthy behaviors in the same group were a hyperbolic function of contingent reinforcement. Estimates of extraneous reinforcement were also obtained for each category of behaviors. As a group, the subjects showed an inverse relationship between pain behaviors and healthy behaviors, consistent with previous research in the pain area. The present findings add generality to Herrnstein's matching law which serves as a descriptive model of target behaviors in chronic pain patients. The findings also have prescriptive implications for the modification of behavior among chronic pain sufferers.
Increased educational attainment and its effect on child mortality in 175 countries between 1970 and 2009: a systematic analysis

Summary Background In addition to the inherent importance of education and its essential role in economic growth, education and health are strongly related. We updated previous systematic assessments of educational attainment, and estimated the contribution of improvements in women's education to reductions in child mortality in the past 40 years. Methods We compiled 915 censuses and nationally representative surveys, and estimated mean number of years of education by age and sex. By use of a first-differences model, we investigated the association between child mortality and women's educational attainment, controlling for income per person and HIV seroprevalence. We then computed counterfactual estimates of child mortality for every country year between 1970 and 2009. Findings The global mean number of years of education increased from 4·7 years (95% uncertainty interval 4·4–5·1) to 8·3 years (8·0–8·6) for men (aged ≥25 years) and from 3·5 years (3·2–3·9) to 7·1 years (6·7 −7·5) for women (aged ≥25 years). For women of reproductive age (15–44 years) in developing countries, the years of schooling increased from 2·2 years (2·0–2·4) to 7·2 years (6·8–7·6). By 2009, in 87 countries, women (aged 25–34 years) had higher educational attainment than had men (aged 25–34 years). Of 8·2 million fewer deaths in children younger than 5 years between 1970 and 2009, we estimated that 4·2 million (51·2%) could be attributed to increased educational attainment in women of reproductive age. Interpretation The substantial increase in education, especially of women, and the reversal of the gender gap have important implications not only for health but also for the status and roles of women in society. The continued increase in educational attainment even in some of the poorest countries suggests that rapid progress in terms of Millennium Development Goal 4 might be possible. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
DNA Analysis of Natural Fiber Rope

When rope is found at a crime scene, the type of fiber is currently identified through its microscopic characteristics. However, these characteristics may not always unambiguously distinguish some types of rope from others. If rope samples contain cells from the plants of ori- gin, then DNA analysis may prove to be a better way to identify the type of rope obtained from a crime scene. The objective of this project was to develop techniques of DNA analysis that can be used to differentiate between ropes made from Cannabis sativa L. (hemp), Agave sisalana Perrine (sisal), Musa textilis Ne (abaca, ''Manila hemp''), Linum usitatissimum L. (flax), and Corchorus olitorus L. (jute). The procedures included extracting the DNA from the rope, performing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the extracted DNA as a template, and analyzing the DNA products. A primer pair for PCR, chosen from within a chloroplast gene for the large subunit of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase ⁄ oxygenase, was designed to be specific for plant DNA and complementary to the genes from all five plants. The resulting PCR fragments were approximately 771 base pairs long. The PCR fragments, distinguished through base sequence analysis or restriction enzyme analysis, could be used to identify the five different rope types. The procedure provides a useful addition to visual methods of comparing rope samples.
Management of broadband networks using 3D virtual world

Just as broadband networks will enable user-to-user communications to extend from textural services to those employing multimedia, they will also enable a management environment that can take advantage of increased bandwidth and multimedia technology. The fundamental advances incorporated in such an environment can provide efficient solutions to the problem of information management. To establish this environment, the authors tackle the fundamental problems of observability and controllability of broadband networks. A virtual world provides a next-generation network management interface through which a user can observe and interact with the network directly in real time. The system that the authors are developing uses a 3D virtual world as the user interface for managing a large gigabit ATM network. It provides the capability for experimentation in all aspects of network transport, control and management. >
The role of carbohydrates in insulin resistance

Insulin resistance is a metabolic disorder that is increasing worldwide and is associated with some of the most common diseases affecting modern societies including diabetes, hypertension, obesity and coronary heart disease. Although pharmacologic approaches to managing insulin resistance are being advocated by some, public health approaches involving changes in diet and physical activity are attractive because of their lower cost and risk. We briefly summarize some new information on the mechanisms that mediate insulin's many biological actions and examine the effects of dietary carbohydrates on insulin sensitivity. Specifically, we summarize some of the information available on the effects of simple sugars, complex carbohydrates including fiber, slowly digested starch and the general concept of glycemic index. The available data support the idea that consumption of diets high in total carbohydrate does not adversely affect insulin sensitivity compared with high fat diets. Animal data suggest that simple sugars, in particular fructose, have adverse effects on insulin action, but adverse effects have not been shown conclusively in humans. Increased intake of dietary fiber appears to improve insulin action and may protect against the development of diabetes. The effects of diets with high or low glycemic index on insulin action are controversial at this time. For firm conclusions to be reached, future studies must be of reasonable duration, be in defined populations and compare the effects of relevant doses of nutrients on specific endpoints of insulin action.
Delusional boot: securing hypervisors without massive re-engineering

The set of virtual devices offered by a hypervisor to its guest VMs is a virtualization component ripe with security exploits -- more than half of all vulnerabilities of today's hypervisors are found in this codebase. This paper presents Min-V, a hypervisor that disables all virtual devices not critical to running VMs in the cloud. Of the remaining devices, Min-V takes a step further and eliminates all remaining functionality not needed for the cloud.To implement Min-V, we had to overcome an obstacle: the boot process of many commodity OSes depends on legacy virtual devices absent from our hypervisor. Min-V introduces delusional boot, a mechanism that allows guest VMs running commodity OSes to boot successfully without developers having to re-engineer the initialization code of these commodity OSes, as well as the BIOS and pre-OS (e.g., bootloader) code. We evaluate Min-V and demonstrate that our security improvements incur no performance overhead except for a small delay during reboot of a guest VM. Our reliability tests show that Min-V is able to run unmodified Linux and Windows OSes on top of this minimal virtualization interface.
Long-term outcomes for individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication: Part III – contributing factors

In order to improve outcomes for individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), it is important to understand what factors contribute to or detract from positive outcomes. Seven young men who had used AAC systems for at least 15 years, their family members, and professionals who had worked with them, participated in the study. Qualitative interviews were used to identify contextual factors that may have contributed (both positively and negatively) to the young men's outcomes. Factors that impeded positive outcomes included: attitude barriers, cultural differences, technological barriers, and service delivery limitations. Contributions to positive outcomes included: community support, parent and family support, personal characteristics, and appropriate and high-quality AAC services. The results are discussed with implications for clinical practice and directions for future research.
The S/Net's Linda kernel

Linda is a parallel programming language that differs from other parallel languages in its simplicity and in its support for distributed data structures. The S/Net is a multicomputer, designed and built at ATT the simplicity of the language and of our implementation's logical structure suggest that similar Linda implementations might readily be constructed on related architectures. We outline the language, and programming methodologies based on distributed data structures; we then describe the implementation, and the performance both of the Linda primitives themselves and of a simple S/Net-Linda matrix-multiplication program designed to exercise them.
Amino-Terminal Protein Fusions to the TraR Quorum-Sensing Transcription Factor Enhance Protein Stability and Autoinducer-Independent Activity

TraR of Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a member of the LuxR family of quorum-sensing transcription factors and regulates genes required for conjugation and vegetative replication of the tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid in the presence of the autoinducer 3-oxooctanoyl-homoserine lactone (OOHL). In the absence of OOHL, TraR is rapidly destroyed by proteolysis, suggesting that this ligand is required for TraR folding. To date, no TraR variant has been found that is active in the absence of OOHL. In this study, we conducted whole-cell and plasmid mutagenesis experiments to search for constitutive mutations of traR and identified two constitutive alleles. Surprisingly, neither contained a point mutation within the traR gene, but rather, both encoded fusion proteins between TraR and the N-terminal domain of an aminoglycoside N-acetyltransferase, encoded by a plasmid-borne antibiotic resistance gene present in the original strain. Data from Western immunoblot assays, pulse-chase assays, and immunoprecipitation assays show that these fusion proteins are far more stable to proteolysis than native apo-TraR. We also constructed a library of traR alleles encoding random amino-terminal fusions and selected for constitutive TraR activity. Five independent fusion proteins were identified by this approach. These fusion proteins accumulated to far higher levels than wild-type TraR in the absence of OOHL. One of these fusions was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and showed detectable tra box binding in the absence of OOHL. These data suggest that the native amino terminus of TraR may signal proteolysis and that fusing it to other proteins might sequester it from intracellular proteases.
NGC 770: A Counterrotating Core in a Low-Luminosity Elliptical Galaxy

We present evidence for a counterrotating core in the low-luminosity (MB = -18.2) elliptical galaxy NGC 770 based on internal stellar kinematic data. This counterrotating core is unusual, as NGC 770 is not the primary galaxy in the region and lies in an environment with evidence of ongoing tidal interactions. We discovered the counterrotating core via single-slit Keck ESI echelle spectroscopy; subsequent integral field spectroscopy was obtained with the Gemini Multiobject Spectrograph. The counterrotating region has a peak rotation velocity of 21 km s-1 as compared to the main galaxy's rotation speed of greater than 45 km s-1 in the opposite direction. The counterrotating region extends to a radius of ~4'' (0.6 kpc), slightly smaller than the half-light radius of the galaxy, which is 53 (0.8 kpc). The photometry and two-dimensional kinematics suggest that the counterrotating component is confined to a disk whose scale height is less than 08 (0.1 kpc). The major axis of counterrotation is misaligned with that of the outer galaxy isophotes by 15°. We compute an age and metallicity of the inner counterrotating region of 3 ± 0.5 Gyr and [Fe/H] = 0.2 ± 0.2 dex based on Lick absorption-line indices. The lack of other large galaxies in this region limits possible scenarios for the formation of the counterrotating core. We discuss several scenarios and favor one in which NGC 770 accreted a small gas-rich dwarf galaxy during a very minor merging event. If this scenario is correct, it represents one of the few known examples of merging between two dwarf-sized galaxies.
Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Communities and Water Quality at Buffered and Non-Buffered Wetland Sites on Federal Waterfowl Production Areas in the Rainwater Basin, Nebraska

Nebraska’s Rainwater Basin has an abundance of natural wetlands and is a focal point in the annual migration corridor used by millions of waterfowl and shorebirds. However, these wetlands are in a landscape dominated by agriculture and as a result, siltation and poor water quality are continual problems. We evaluated twelve wetland sites on federally managed Waterfowl Protection Areas from 2007 – 2009 for water quality, sediment quality, and macroinvertebrate diversity. Six of the sites received agricultural runoff directly via culverts and drainage ditches (non-buffered sites) and six sites were protected from agricultural runoff by a vegetated buffer (buffered sites). Mean total number of aquatic macroinvertebrates were significantly greater (p <0.001) for buffered sites (230 ± 44 standard error) than non-buffered sites (97 ± 24). Water from non-buffered sites had significantly greater turbidity, conductivity, and concentrations of chlorophyll α and atrazine than buffered sites in addition to consistently greater annual averages of total nitrogen and total phosphorus. Furthermore, sediments from non-buffered sites had significantly greater cadmium, potassium, sodium and zinc than buffered sites. Use of vegetative buffers to intercept direct row-crop runoff can improve water quality and aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity and abundance in Rainwater Basin wetlands.
Traveltimes for infrasonic waves propagating in a stratified atmosphere

SUMMARY The tau‐p method of Buland & Chapman (1983) is reformulated for sound waves propagating in a stratified atmosphere under the influence of a height-dependent wind velocity profile. For a given launch angle along a specified azimuth, the ray parameter is redefined to include the influence of the horizontal wind component along the direction of wave propagation. Under the assumption of negligible horizontal wind shear, the horizontal wind component transverse to the ray propagation does not aVect the direction of the wave normal, but displaces the reference frame of the moving wavefront, thus altering the observed incidence azimuth. Expressions are derived for the time, horizontal range, and transverse range of the arriving waves as a function of ray parameter. Algorithms for the location of infrasonic wave sources using the modified tau‐p formulation in conjunction with regional atmospheric wind and temperature data are discussed.
A set of design guidelines for object-oriented deductive systems

This paper presents a set of design guidelines for the construction of complex, real-world problem-solving systems using a hybrid object-oriented deductive formalism. These guidelines address implementation issues in a multi-paradigm environment. Examples are provided in the context of a large-scale knowledge based system (KBS). >
Nelson Rockefeller in Latin America: Global Currents of US Prison Growth

Nelson Rockefeller is a key piece of the puzzle that is the explosion of the US prison population in the last forty years, thanks both to his drug policies of 1973 and his response to the Attica prison rebellion two years previously, which set in motion a series of changes in prison practice. This essay argues that understandings of Rockefeller’s attitudes about crime and pun-ishment, and US prison growth in general, would be enhanced by paying at-tention to transnational currents, in particular the riptides of the Cold War. It therefore places Rockefeller’s prison-related actions within the context of his long experience in Latin America prior to and during his governorship of New York, showing his evolving anti-communism to be a product of his Latin-American engagements, including a crucial trip to the region in 1969. Contextualizing Rockefeller in this way reveals some of the transnational currents of his punitive turn, as well as the nation’s.
Winter grazing decreases the probability of fire-induced mortality of bunchgrasses and may reduce wildfire size: a response to Smith et al. (this issue)

A recent commentary by Smith et al. (2016) argues that our study (Davies et al. 2016) contained methodological errors and lacked data necessary to support our conclusions, in particular that winter grazing may reduce the probability of fire-induced mortality of bunchgrasses. Carefully reading Davies et al. (2016) and relevant literature provides strong evidence that the comments of Smith et al. are unfounded. Most notably, Smith et al. (2016) state that thermocouples placed in the air have no correlation to temperatures experienced by vegetation. However, in our study, thermocouples were placed inside the centre of meristematic crowns of bunchgrasses, as was clearly stated in the methods. Nowhere in the manuscript does it say that thermocouples were placed in the air. Duration of elevated temperatures has been repeatedly linked to an increased risk of fire-induced mortality of vegetation in the literature, contrary to claims by Smith et al. (2016) that no evidence of a relationship exists. The conclusion that winter grazing may decrease the likelihood of perennial bunchgrass mortality was not based solely on data collected in this experiment, but also Davies et al. (2009), where post-fire bunchgrass density and production in ungrazed areas were less than half those of grazed areas.
Diversity of patient profile, urethral stricture, and other disease manifestations in a cohort of adult men with lichen sclerosus

Purpose: Lichen sclerosus (LS) in men is poorly understood. Though uncommon, it is often severe and leads to repeated surgical interventions and deterioration in quality of life. We highlight variability in disease presentation, diagnosis, and patient factors in male LS patients evaluated at a tertiary care center. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed charts of male patients presenting to our reconstructive urology clinic with clinical or pathologic diagnosis of LS between 2004 and 2014. Relevant clinical and demographic information was abstracted and descriptive statistics calculated. Subgroup comparisons were made based on body mass index (BMI), urethral stricture, and pathologic confirmation of disease. Results: We identified 94 patients with clinical diagnosis of LS. Seventy percent (70%) of patients in this cohort had BMI >30 kg/ m 2 , and average age was 51.5 years. Lower BMI patients were more likely to suffer from urethral stricture disease compared to overweight counterparts (p=0.037). Patients presenting with stricture disease were more likely to be younger (p=0.003). Thirty percent (30%) of this cohort had a pathologic diagnosis of LS. Conclusions: Urethral stricture is the most common presentation for men with LS. Many patients endure skin scarring and have numerous comorbidities. Patient profile is diverse, raising the concern that not all patients with clinical diagnosis of LS are suffering from identical disease processes. The rate of pathologic confirmation at a tertiary care institution is alarmingly low. Our findings support a role for increased focus on pathologic confirmation and further delineation of the subtype of disease based on location and clinical manifestations.
Codification, transplants and history: law reform in Louisiana (1808) and Quebec (1866)

The publication of this highly significant doctoral thesis, written in the late 1970s and which attracted limited attention at the time, is very welcome. Thirty-five years ago, John Cairns defended...
Preschool Literacy and the Common Core: A Professional Development Model.

Many states have adopted the Common Core Standards for literacy and math and have begun enacting these standards in school curriculum. In states where these standards have been adopted, professional educators working in K-12 contexts have been working to create transition plans from existing state-based standards to the Common Core standards. A part of this process has included re-aligning professional development models to support implementation of these new standards. While K-12 professional educators have been hard at work in this changeover, little attention has been paid to early childhood contexts and the need of pre-school curriculum to support learners in moving toward new kindergarten goals in the Common Core.This study examines the alignment between an existent professional development model for preschool literacy widely employed in one Southern state and the new Common Core Standards. The researcher’s goal was to examine the existent professional development model to determine if the offered curriculum supported teachers in supporting learners’ knowledge and skills expected in a kindergarten classroom preparing students for the common core. The researchers sought to determine where the curriculum supported learners in this new standards environment as well as to recommend revising the professional development content as necessary in light of the new standards. The overarching goal of the study was to support preschool teachers’ abilities to prepare their students for the new expectations for school-based literacy.
Floating point processing using FPGAs

This article consists of a collection of slides from the author's conference presentation on Altera's Stratix V, floating point processing using field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology. Some of the specific topics discussed include: the Stratic V FPGA architecture and system specifications; approaches for fused data path processing; throughout capabilities comparing GFLOPS and GFLOPS/W; computational accurary and error analysis; and third party benchmarking techniques.
Polar Applications of Spaceborne Scatterometers

Wind scatterometers were originally developed for observation of near-surface winds over the ocean. They retrieve wind indirectly by measuring the normalized radar cross section ( $\sigma ^o$ ) of the surface, and estimating the wind via a geophysical model function relating $\sigma ^o$ to the vector wind. The $\sigma ^o$ measurements have proven to be remarkably capable in studies of the polar regions where they can map snow cover; detect the freeze/thaw state of forest, tundra, and ice; map and classify sea ice; and track icebergs. Further, a long time series of scatterometer $\sigma ^o$ observations is available to support climate studies. In addition to fundamental scientific research, scatterometer data are operationally used for sea-ice mapping to support navigation. Scatterometers are, thus, invaluable tools for monitoring the polar regions. In this paper, a brief review of some of the polar applications of spaceborne wind scatterometer data is provided. The paper considers both C-band and Ku-band scatterometers, and the relative merits of fan-beam and pencil-beam scatterometers in polar remote sensing are discussed.
Calibration-free quantitative analysis of thin-film oxide layers in semiconductors using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)

The current largest market share and continually growing industry of the semiconductor manufacturing sector in the US demands rapid and cost-effective quality control and characterization of thin film semiconducting materials. To this end, we demonstrate Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) as a facile and effective analytical tool for rapid process-line characterization of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistors and capacitors. Specifically, we carry out quantitative LIBS analysis on silicon oxide (SiO2) thin-films of various thicknesses grown by high-temperature moisture-free oxidation on industrial-grade Si wafers. The stoichiometric ratios of oxygen to silicon ([O]/[Si]) in various SiO2 films are measured by LIBS analyses using an internal calibration technique. The results are verified against benchmark analyses based on oxide layer thicknesses and laser-induced crater profile topographies from ellipsometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and profilometry measurements. The stoichiometric ratios of [O]/[Si] calculated from thickness and profilometry measurements are used to compare with our direct LIBS measurements. Our results indicate good agreement between the LIBS and profilometry calculation results, demonstrating the future capability of LIBS for thin film characterization during their industrial processing.
Muscle-Specific Mis-Splicing and Heart Disease Exemplified by RBM20

Alternative splicing is an essential post-transcriptional process to generate multiple functional RNAs or proteins from a single transcript. Progress in RNA biology has led to a better understanding of muscle-specific RNA splicing in heart disease. The recent discovery of the muscle-specific splicing factor RNA-binding motif 20 (RBM20) not only provided great insights into the general alternative splicing mechanism but also demonstrated molecular mechanism of how this splicing factor is associated with dilated cardiomyopathy. Here, we review our current knowledge of muscle-specific splicing factors and heart disease, with an emphasis on RBM20 and its targets, RBM20-dependent alternative splicing mechanism, RBM20 disease origin in induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs), and RBM20 mutations in dilated cardiomyopathy. In the end, we will discuss the multifunctional role of RBM20 and manipulation of RBM20 as a potential therapeutic target for heart disease.
Expanding the Environment in Social Work: The Case for Including Environmental Hazards Content

Toxic chemicals and other hazardous substances and conditions in the physical environment threaten the health, mental health and social well-being of human beings. Increasingly, individuals, families and communities interact with a physical environment lacking in nutritive capacity and contributing to or causing serious dysfunction. This article examines efforts in the profession to define the physical environment, and presents an outline of four curriculum modules to integrate environmental hazards content into the foundation preparation of social workers.
How good are we at selecting students that meet our mission? Outcomes of the 2011 and 2012 entering classes selected by a locally developed multiple mini interview.

Background: Can a locally developed multiple mini interview (MMI) process lead to outcomes reflective of local values and mission?Methods: In 2017, the authors performed a retrospective analysis of...
Vorbereitung zur Operation

Die meisten Schritte zur Vorbereitung eines Patienten auf eine Herzoperation sind selbstverstandlich und standardisiert, gleich, welche Operation geplant ist oder in welchem Krankheitsstadium sich der Patient befindet. Die praoperative Medikation weist allerdings einige Besonderheiten auf, die sorgfaltiger Beachtung bedurfen und daher in diesem Kapitel neben der routinemasigen Operationsvorbereitung behandelt werden.
The Avatar as Sociomaterial Entanglement: A Performative Perspective on Identity, Agency and World-Making in Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds are utterly contrived and artificial simulations of the actual world. As such, they offer exciting new opportunities to question taken-for-granted, supposedly naturally-occurring binaries such as subject/objects, human/non-human, and reality/fantasy and to explore computer-mediated work and play in ways that do not rely on a priori boundaries between people and technology, online and off-line identities, and actual and virtual reality. Focusing on the avatar as a sociomaterial assemblage constituted of the embodied user and his/her virtual embodiment, this research explores how virtual worlds users construct agency, identity and reality in situated practice by making agential cuts. Whereas prior research on virtual worlds has tended to frame the distinctions between the avatar and the user, between human and material agency, and between reality and fantasy in more essentialist terms, theorizing these boundaries as given and fixed, this research employs a performative lens. It identifies a number of discursive and material practices virtual world users rely on to construct identity, agency and worlds.
Using Models and Representations: Exploring the Chip Model for Integer Subtraction

Mathematics educators advocate for the use of models as an instructional practice that can potentially aid in building students’ understanding of difficult topics. Integers and integer operations are historically problematic for students and are critically important in both arithmetic and the future study of algebra. In this chapter, I explore one particular model for working with integers, a discrete model using colored chips. By doing so, I illustrate a tension that arises when deciding how to present a model during instruction and examine key questions about the use of models in mathematics teaching. How should mathematics teachers build connections between students’ informal understandings of mathematical content and formal mathematics? In what ways can teachers encourage students to use a model in ways that make sense while challenging the utility of the model for related problems?
Krylov vector methods for model reduction and control of flexible structures

Krylov vectors and the concept of parameter matching are combined here to develop model-reduction algorithms for structural dynamics systems. The method is derived for a structural dynamics system described by a second-order matrix differential equation. The reduced models are shown to have a promising application in the control of flexible structures. It can eliminate control and observation spillovers while requiring only the dynamic spillover terms to be considered. A model-order reduction example and a flexible structure control example are provided to show the efficacy of the method.
Ca2+ regulation of Drosophila phototransduction.

Drosophilavision research has benefited from simultaneous application of genetic, molecular, electrophysiological analyses. The work establishes an essential role of Ca2+in regulation of phototransduction. Many different proteins are the targets of Ca2+regulation and these proteins act at multiple steps of the process. These targets include proteins involved in the rhodopsin cycle, proteins responsible for intermediate steps of phototransduction, and the TRP and TRPL light-gated channels. The regulation of these phototransduction components by Ca2+occurs in three different ways. First, the presence of Ca2+/calmodulin-binding sites in phototransduction-mediating proteins places these proteins under Ca2+control. Second, a protein kinase C regulated by Ca2+phosphorylates proteins to modulate their activity. Finally, some proteins contain Ca2+-binding sites and apparently are directly regulated by Ca2+. Here I review the photoreceptor proteins regulated by Ca2+and summarize current views on the roles of these proteins in theDrosophilaphotoresponse.
Should Health Care Demand Interpretable Artificial Intelligence or Accept "Black Box" Medicine?

Health care applications of artificial intelligence (AI) have recently emerged. Artificial intelligence approaches, such as deep learning, rely on vast amounts of data and complex model structures ...
General Considerations in Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Needle Biopsies

This brief chapter includes general considerations in ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous needle biopsies of the breast, including deciding whether to perform a biopsy and who should perform it; the three fundamental steps of a US-guided percutaneous needle biopsy; target selection and timing of the biopsy; the critical role of communication with the pathologist; and reasons for the epidemic of US-guided breast biopsies.
Integrating Tephritid Trapping into Phytosanitary Programs

Systematic deployment of attractant-baited traps has long been a mainstay of phytosanitary programs for tephritid fruit flies. Trapping arrays are used for detecting, delimiting, monitoring, and confirming eradication of tephritid populations, as well as for demonstrating minimal risk of infestation of commodities in support of trade. Designing and optimizing trapping systems to meet these various functions requires a basic understanding of the efficiency of the trapping system, including the influence of programmatic variables, such as trap density and distribution. Distance-capture functions, based on results of release-recapture tests, are discussed as one tool for assessing the sensitivity of trapping systems. As a demonstration of their use, these functions are incorporated into Monte Carlo simulations for estimating probabilities of detecting populations, including the effects of population size, time (in fly generations), and programmatic variables. Examples are provided for three key pest species: Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), and B. cucurbitae (Coquillett). Results of these or comparable analyses can be used to predict potential ranges of population size at the time of detection or estimate the maximum expected size of a residual population after control measures are applied given a continued absence of captures. Optimal design of trapping systems for any given location and purpose requires consideration of a number of factors that may include, among other things, the frequency of introduction of the target pest(s), availability and feasibility of using various control methods (insecticides, sterile insect releases, etc.), potential of the pest population to spread, and/or costs of survey, eradication, and other program activities. In combination with this information, quantitative assessments of tephritid trapping systems can be used to ensure adequate and appropriate system sensitivity, identify opportunities to improve overall cost-effectiveness of phytosanitary programs, and provide scientific justification for program strategies and protocols.
Educators of students who are deafblind in the United States: A snapshot of their perceived needs for teacher preparation programs:

The needs of students who are deafblind are unique in that it is not simply the addition of vision loss and hearing loss but the impact of both together. Often times, professionals who work with st...
Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura: A Sequelae of Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infection.

Our patient presented with a mild upper respiratory infection, which quickly developed into atypical pneumonia. Although atypical pneumonia is a common clinical presentation, our case is unique due to the rare hematologic complications associated with the underlying etiology of this atypical pneumonia case. Most cases of atypical pneumonia are simple, but ours developed immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), which is a rare complication associated with an acute Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection (evidenced by positive IgM titers). Although our patient did not develop significant bleeding, our review of the literature demonstrated that ITP associated with M. pneumoniae infection can be fatal. Platelet count should be closely monitored and promptly treated.
Airborne Radiometry for Calibration, Validation, and Research in Oceanic, Coastal, and Inland Waters

Author(s): Guild, Liane S; Kudela, Raphael M; Hooker, Stanford B; Palacios, Sherry L; Houskeeper, Henry F | Abstract: Present-day ocean color satellite sensors, which principally provide reliable data on chlorophyll, sediments, and colored dissolved organic material in the open ocean, are not well suited for coastal and inland water studies for a variety of reasons, including coarse spatial and spectral resolution plus challenges with atmospheric correction. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) airborne mission concepts tested in 2011, 2013, 2017, and 2018 over Monterey Bay, CA, and nearby inland waters have demonstrated the feasibility of improving airborne monitoring and research activities in case-1 and case-2 aquatic ecosystems through the combined use of state-of-the-art above- and in-water measurement capabilities. These competencies have evolved through time to produce a sensor-web approach: imaging spectrometer, microradiometers, and a sun photometer (airborne) with their analogous algorithms, and with corresponding in-water radiometers and ground-based sun photometry. The NASA airborne instrument suite and mission concept demonstrations, leveraging high-quality above- and in-water data, significantly improves the fidelity as well as the spatial and spectral resolution of observations for studying and monitoring water quality in oceanic, coastal, and inland water ecosystems. The goal of this series of projects was to develop and fly a portable airborne sensor suite for NASA science missions focusing on a gradient of water types from oligotrophic to turbid waters addressing the challenges of an optically complex coastal ocean zone and inland waters. The airborne radiometry in this range of aquatic conditions and sites has supported improved results of studies of water quality and biogeochemistry and provides capabilities for research areas such as ocean productivity and biogeochemistry; aquatic impacts of coastal landscape alteration; coastal, estuarine, and inland waters ecosystem productivity; atmospheric correction; and regional climate variability.
The Emerging Role of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for the Management of NAFLD

Context The burden of cirrhosis from NAFLD is reaching epidemic proportions in the United States. This calls for greater awareness among endocrinologists, who often see but may miss the diagnosis in adults with obesity or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) who are at the highest risk. At the same time, recent studies suggest that GLP-1RAs are beneficial versus steatohepatitis (NASH) in this population. This minireview aims to assist endocrinologists to recognize the condition and recent work on the role of GLP-1RAs in NAFLD/NASH. Evidence acquisition Evidence from observational studies, randomized controlled trials, and meta-analyses. Evidence synthesis Endocrinologists should lead multidisciplinary teams to implement recent consensus statements on NAFLD that call for screening and treatment of clinically significant fibrosis to prevent cirrhosis, especially in the high-risk groups (i.e., people with obesity, prediabetes or T2D). With no FDA-approved agents, weight loss is central to their successful management, with pharmacological treatment options limited today to vitamin E (in people without T2D) and diabetes medications that reverse steatohepatitis, such as pioglitazone or GLP-1RA. Recently the benefit of GLP-1RAs in NAFLD, suggested from earlier trials, has been confirmed in adults with biopsy-proven NASH. In 2021, the FDA also approved semaglutide for obesity management. Conclusion A paradigm change is developing between the endocrinologist's greater awareness about their critical role to curve the epidemic of NAFLD and new clinical care pathways that include a broader use of GLP-1RAs in the management of these complex patients.
Increasing Relevance, Diminishing Access Require Unchanging Values for a Changing Audience

Adam Posen, President of the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, DC, explores the Future of Think Tanks and Policy Advice in the United States.