cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Speciated mercury at marine, coastal, and inland sites in New England - Part 1: Temporal variability

Abstract. A comprehensive analysis was conducted using long-term continuous measurements of gaseous elemental mercury (Hg0), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM), and particulate phase mercury (HgP) at coastal (Thompson Farm, denoted as TF), marine (Appledore Island, denoted as AI), and elevated inland (Pac Monadnock, denoted as PM) sites from the AIRMAP Observatories in southern New Hampshire, USA. Decreasing trends in background Hg0 were identified in the 7.5- and 5.5-yr records at TF and PM with decline rates of 3.3 parts per quadrillion by volume (ppqv) yr−1 and 6.3 ppqv yr−1, respectively. Common characteristics at these sites were the reproducible annual cycle of Hg0 with its maximum in winter-spring and minimum in fall, comprised of a positive trend in the warm season (spring – early fall) and a negative one in the cool season (late fall – winter). Year-to-year variability was observed in the warm season decline in Hg0 at TF varying from a minimum total (complete) seasonal loss of 43 ppqv in 2009 to a maximum of 92 ppqv in 2005, whereas variability remained small at AI and PM. The coastal site TF differed from the other two sites with its exceptionally low levels (as low as below 50 ppqv) in the nocturnal inversion layer possibly due to dissolution in dew water. Measurements of Hg0 at PM exhibited the smallest diurnal to annual variability among the three environments, where peak levels rarely exceeded 250 ppqv and the minimum was typically 100 ppqv. It should be noted that summertime diurnal patterns at TF and AI were opposite in phase indicating strong sink(s) for Hg0 during the day in the marine boundary layer, which was consistent with the hypothesis of Hg0 oxidation by halogen radicals there. Mixing ratios of RGM in the coastal and marine boundary layers reached annual maxima in spring and minima in fall, whereas at PM levels were generally below the limit of detection (LOD) except in spring. RGM levels at AI were higher than at TF and PM indicating a stronger source strength in the marine environment. Mixing ratios of HgP at AI and TF were close in magnitude to RGM levels and were mostly below 1 ppqv. Diurnal variation in HgP was barely discernible at TF and AI in spring and summer. Higher levels of HgP were observed during the day, while values that were smaller, but above the LOD, occurred at night.
Technologies for Refueling Spacecraft On-Orbit

This paper discusses the current technologies for on-orbit refueling of spacecraft. The findings of 55 references are reviewed and summarized. Highlights include: (1) the Russian Progress system used by the International Space Station; (2) a flight demonstration of superfluid helium transfer; and (3) ground tests of large cryogenic systems. Key technologies discussed include vapor free liquid outflow, control of fluid inflow to prevent liquid venting, and quick disconnects for on-orbit mating of transfer lines.
Initial Construct Validation of the Teaching Autonomy Scale

Abstract The purpose of these two studies was to develop and initially validate an instrument for measuring perceptions of teaching autonomy. In the first study, pilot data were collected from 74 practicing teachers who represented all grade levels on the initial 35-item scale. Twenty refined items were then administered to 370 practicing teachers in the second study. The results yielded two factors that were internally consistent: general autonomy and curricular autonomy. No significant differences in autonomy score were found by gender or highest degree held, nor did total autonomy score correlate with age and years of teaching experience. Significant differences on autonomy were found by grade level most often taught. This study provides solid evidence of the teaching autonomy construct.
On analytic process.

An innovative methodology is presented for identifying and assessing change process in psychoanalytic treatments. Using the Psychotherapy Process Q-set (PQS), a panel of experienced psychoanalysts developed a prototype of an ideal psychoanalytic hour. This prototype was then applied to verbatim transcripts of three archived treatment samples: psychoanalyses, long-term analytic therapies, and brief psychodynamic therapies. The degree to which these treatments fostered an analytic process as represented by the prototype was measured quantitatively. Analytic process was significantly more present in psychoanalyses than in the long-term analytic therapies, which, in turn fostered significantly more analytic process than did brief psychodynamic therapies. The study demonstrates that, given descriptive language that does not represent a particular theoretical perspective, analysts can agree on a definition of analytic process, and that analytic process can be operationalized and quantitatively assessed. A secon...
Haematopoietic stem cells do not asymmetrically segregate chromosomes or retain BrdU

Stem cells are proposed to segregate chromosomes asymmetrically during self-renewing divisions so that older ('immortal') DNA strands are retained in daughter stem cells whereas newly synthesized strands segregate to differentiating cells. Stem cells are also proposed to retain DNA labels, such as 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU), either because they segregate chromosomes asymmetrically or because they divide slowly. However, the purity of stem cells among BrdU-label-retaining cells has not been documented in any tissue, and the 'immortal strand hypothesis' has not been tested in a system with definitive stem cell markers. Here we tested these hypotheses in haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which can be highly purified using well characterized markers. We administered BrdU to newborn mice, mice treated with cyclophosphamide and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and normal adult mice for 4 to 10 days, followed by 70 days without BrdU. In each case, less than 6% of HSCs retained BrdU and less than 0.5% of all BrdU-retaining haematopoietic cells were HSCs, revealing that BrdU has poor specificity and poor sensitivity as an HSC marker. Sequential administration of 5-chloro-2-deoxyuridine and 5-iodo-2-deoxyuridine indicated that all HSCs segregate their chromosomes randomly. Division of individual HSCs in culture revealed no asymmetric segregation of the label. Thus, HSCs cannot be identified on the basis of BrdU-label retention and do not retain older DNA strands during division, indicating that these are not general properties of stem cells.
A model for viscoelastic fluid behavior which allows non-affine deformation

Abstract A continuum theory of viscoelasticity is developed which allows non-affine deformation, defined in an appropriate manner. The constitutive equation is a generalization of that obtained from molecular theory with the addition of one scalar parameter which becomes important for large deformations. The theory is applied to simple shear flows, the scalar parameter being determined to match certain experimental data. The theory shows good agreement with all data examined. The paper concludes with the development of a general non-affine thermodynamic theory.
Performance Overconfidence: Metacognitive Effects or Misplaced Student Expectations?

Prior research has shown that students consistently overestimate their performance on academic exams, with the error being inversely related to their grades. The effect has been explained as a matter of competency. If true, then students who do not know what they do not know are put in a double bind. They do not have the cognitive ability to recognize their own level of skills and consequently are unaware of any need to change or develop those skills. Another explanation of the effect suggests that students are generally aware of their performance but consistently overestimate their abilities in a systematic fashion. This study examines these two hypotheses and finds no evidence that the overestimation was due to lack of cognitive competence. It appears to be a systematic effect, perhaps determined by a students’ past experience and expectations.
Debt and other determinants of fiscal policy use

Using a measure of variation in real government expenditure for the period 1998 through 2008, this paper employs cross country regression analysis to look at the effect of public debt, both singularly and when adjusting for control variables, on fiscal policy usage. The empirical findings are consistent with the hypothesis that higher public debt tends to lessen the use of fiscal policy.
An Approximation Analysis of a Shared Buffer ATM Switch Architecture under Bursty Arrivals

We present an approximation algorithm for the performance analysis of a shared buffer ATM switch architecture. The arrival process to each input port of the ATM switch is assumed to be bursty and it is modelled by an Interrupted Poisson Process. Comparisons against simulation showed that the approximation algorithm has a good error-level.
Continuous Collection of Adeno-Associated Virus from Producer Cell Medium Significantly Increases Total Viral Yield

The ability to efficiently produce large amounts of high-titer recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a prerequisite to the continued success of AAV as a gene therapy tool targeted toward large-animal preclinical studies or human clinical therapeutics. Current manufacturing procedures necessitate laborious and time-consuming purification procedures to obtain AAV particles of sufficient titer and purity for these demanding biomedical applications. The finding that AAV can be harvested and purified from producer cell medium may represent an efficient alternative to purifying AAV from cellular lysates. Here we sought to determine the maximum duration of time, and frequency within which AAV can be harvested from producer cell medium, in order to maximize the yield obtained from a single transfection preparation. Human embryonic kidney 293T cells were transfected with polyethylenimine to produce AAV2/5 expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP), and cellular medium was harvested every 2 days until a maximum duration of 19 days posttransfection. AAV2/5-GFP was released into producer cell medium at a steady state until 7 days posttransfection, at which time titers dropped dramatically. Harvesting medium every two days resulted in the maximum yield of AAV from a single preparation, and the cumulative yield of AAV harvested from the producer cell medium was 4-fold higher than the yield obtained from a traditional purification of AAV from cellular lysates. The AAV2/5 harvested from medium within the 7-day collection time-course mediated high levels of transduction in vivo, comparable to AAV2/5 harvested from cellular lysates. AAV purified from cell lysates showed increasing amounts of empty particles at 5 and 7 days posttransfection, whereas AAV purified from cell medium did not show an increase in the amount of empty particles throughout the 7-day time course. Finally, we extended these findings to AAV2/9, demonstrating that a comparable ratio of AAV2/9 particles are also released for up to 7 days posttransfection.
Subliminal wiretapping

Subliminal Wiretapping is a subtly interactive artwork that utilizes random number generation modified through mind-matter effects to supply a continuous stream of words. Frequent, personal connections emerge from participants interpreting the stream as the words appear.
MRI of the Placenta

While ultrasound remains the primary imaging technique for placental evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging plays an adjunctive role in the setting of inconclusive sonographic findings. Accurate interpretation of placental MR imaging examinations requires knowledge of patient risk factors and sonographic findings in addition to familiarity with the expected normal and variant placental appearances at various stages of development. Multiplanar T2-weighted single-shot turbo/fast spin-echo sequences (e.g., rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement [RARE] sequences such as half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo [HASTE]) excel at revealing the internal structure of the placenta and underlying myometrium in addition to demonstrating fetal anatomy. When augmented with additional T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and/or balanced steady state free precession sequences, MRI becomes a powerful tool for detecting and characterizing clinically significant variants, hematomas, invasion, and neoplasms of the placenta.
Mass of 6 He

A precise value for the /sup 6/He mass excess has been obtained by comparison of the Q values for the /sup 7/Li(d,/sup 3/He)/sup 6/He and /sup 19/F(d,/sup 3/He)/sup 18/O* reactions, the latter populating the first excited state of /sup 18/O. The measurements were performed at 0/sup 0/ in a magnetic spectrograph. The result for the /sup 6/He mass excess is (17593.7 +- 1.1) keV, about 3 keV less than the previous value, and 3 times more accurate. The effect on the A = 8 isobaric quintet and on the ..beta.. decay of /sup 6/He is discussed.
Simultaneous Imaging of Rho GTPase and RhoGEF Activation using Novel GEF Biosensors Reveals Relationships between GEF and GTPase Activation in Cell Motility

Dbl-family RhoGEFs are broadly relevant signaling molecules that regulate cytoskeletal dynamics by integrating the effects of growth factors and adhesion molecules. The timing and localization of GEF activity precisely regulates Rho family GTPase activation to produce specific types of cellular morphodynamics. We describe a novel design approach, capable of generating biosensors for multiple GEFs, applied here to visualize activation of Vav2 and Tiam1 in living cells. A pair of fluorescent proteins was inserted in a region of the GEF with no known binding activity, such that relief of GEF autoinhibition altered FRET between the fluorescent pair. High content screening optimization increased the dynamic range of the biosensors to produce FRET ratio changes of up to 300%. These biosensors report phosphorylation of Vav2 by Src kinase and reversible Vav2 activation upon EGF stimulation; similar responses are seen with Tiam1. Using these novel biosensors we examined activation dynamics during constitutive migration of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, which revealed periodic activation of GEFs at the leading edge with clearly defined relationships to Rac1 and RhoA. To extend these studies we modified our existing Rho GTPase biosensors to simultaneously visualize GEF and GTPase activities and identify spatio-temporal correlations. The combination of these biosensors allow for broad application in dissecting different GEF-GTPase pathway functions. Currently we are focusing on how multi-specific RhoGEFs such as Vav2 differentially regulate downstream targets, and whether cyclic activation patterns of Rho GTPases at the leading edge are activated in discrete regions by different RhoGEFs
Co-movements of Non-Euro EU Currencies with the Euro

Abstract This paper examines co-movements of non-euro EU Members' currencies and the euro during the 2000–2015 sample period. We propose a model of cross-elasticity of exchange rates and perform the Bai-Perron multiple break points, GARCH and BVAR estimations on the daily data series. The results show high positive cross-elasticity (co-movements) between the euro and the currencies of Denmark, Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. For the Romanian lei, cross-elasticity with the euro is initially nonexistent but subsequently it is steadily increasing over the sample period. This implies a strong substitution between these currencies and the euro in foreign exchange markets. In contrast, cross-elasticity between the British pound and the euro is considerably lower. For all examined non-euro currencies substitution with the euro increases substantially during the 2008–2010 global financial crisis.
“Hey, Hey, My, My”: Joe L. Kincheloe, Friend, Teacher, Scholar, and Musician

Tracing a history back to the 1980s, this retrospective describes the foundations of Joe L. Kincheloe’s scholarship, teaching, and personal-professional networks. The autobiographical intersections of friend, teacher, and scholar frame the curriculum theory developed and shared with Joe over the span of a career. Joe’s multi-faceted personality and talents reflect in his love of critical epistemology and axiology, as well as musicianship, and song writing.
Arsenic Sulfide (As2S3)

Publisher Summary The chapter describes various aspects of the room temperature optical constants—namely, refractive index n and extinction coefficient k for arsenic sulfide (As2S3). The crystalline phase of As2S3 is explored in comparison with the vitreous phase. The crystalline form of As2S3 or orpiment is a naturally occurring mineral, but it is noted that it is difficult to obtain large crystals of good optical quality. The crystal exhibits micaceous cleavage and this feature, in particular, makes it difficult to obtain optical data perpendicular to its layers. The crystalline form is monoclinic. In the spectral region from 100 to 25 μm, the spectra are reflection spectra with some transmission measurements at the position of the weaker bands. The spectra were fit employing a superposition of several oscillators. The glassy or amorphous form of As2S3 is explored in substantially greater depth, than the crystalline form because of possible technological applications. It is noted that there are substantial differences between commercially available forms of a- As2S3.
Development and Initial Evaluation of the ClearSpeak Style for Automated Speaking of Algebra

The work described in this report is the first phase of a project to provide easy-to-use tools for authoring and rendering secondary-school algebra-level math expressions in synthesized speech that is useful for students with blindness or low vision. This report describes the initial development, software implementation, and evaluation of the ClearSpeak speech style—implemented for initial testing purposes using prerecorded synthetic speech, and implemented later in the project as a collection of predefined rules and in some cases variations (called preferences in ClearSpeak)—for automatically generated synthetic speech. In addition to wording, speech styles can specify pausing (or other prosodic cues) within the speech. The ClearSpeak style focuses on speech for secondary school algebra. The evaluation compares a prototype of the ClearSpeak style to two pre-existing speech styles: MathSpeak and SimpleSpeak. The primary parameters evaluated are students' success in drawing conclusions about the content and structure of math expressions and their perceptions regarding the familiarity, helpfulness, and understandability of the expressions as spoken. Please see Appendix E for information on obtaining a version of this report that is fully accessible using the tools described.
Expanding the phenotype of Triple X syndrome: A comparison of prenatal versus postnatal diagnosis.

Triple X syndrome (47, XXX) occurs in approximately 1:1,000 female births and has a variable phenotype of physical and psychological features. Prenatal diagnosis rates of 47, XXX are increasing due to non-invasive prenatal genetic testing. Previous studies suggest that prenatal diagnosed females have better neurodevelopmental outcomes. This cross-sectional study describes diagnosis, physical features, medical problems, and neurodevelopmental features in a large cohort of females with 47, XXX. Evaluation included review of medical and developmental history, physical exam, cognitive, and adaptive testing. Medical and developmental features were compared between the prenatal and postnatal diagnosis groups using rate calculations and Fisher's exact test. Cognitive and adaptive tests scores were compared using t-tests. Seventy-four females age 6 months-24 years (mean 8.3 years) participated. Forty-four (59.5%) females were in the prenatal diagnosis group. Mean age of postnatal diagnosis was 5.9 years; developmental delay was the most common indication for postnatal genetic testing. Common physical features included hypertelorism, epicanthal folds, clinodactyly, and hypotonia. Medical problems included dental disorders (44.4%), seizure disorders (16.2%), genitourinary malformations (12.2%). The prenatal diagnosis group had higher verbal (P < 0.001), general ability index (P = 0.004), and adaptive functioning scores (P < 0.001). Rates of ADHD (52.2% vs. 45.5%, P = 0.77) and learning disabilities (39.1% vs. 36.3%, P = 1.00) were similar between the two groups. These findings expand on the phenotypic features in females with Triple X syndrome and support that prenatally ascertained females have better cognitive and functional outcomes. However, prenatally diagnosed females are still at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Genetic counseling and treatment recommendations are summarized. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Text Encoder and Annotator: An All-in-one Editor for Transcribing and Annotating Manuscripts with RDF

In the context of the digitization of manuscripts, transcription and annotation are often distinct, sequential steps. This could lead to difficulties in improving the transcribed text when annotations have already been defined. In order to avoid this, we devised an approach which merges the two steps into the same process. Text Encoder and Annotator (TEA) is a prototype application embracing this concept. TEA is based on a lightweight language syntax which annotates text using Semantic Web technologies. Our approach is currently being developed within the Clavius on the Web project, devoted to studying the manuscripts of Christophorus Clavius, an influential 16th century mathematician and astronomer.
Crystallization of perovskite film using ambient moisture and water as co-solvent for efficient planar perovskite solar cell(Conference Presentation)

Smooth, compact and defect free morphology of perovskite is highly desired for enhanced device performance. Several routes such as thermal annealing, use of solvent mixtures, growth under controlled humidity has been adopted to obtain crystalline, smooth and defect free perovskite film. Herein we showed direct use of water (H2O) as co-solvent in precursor solution and have optimized the water content required to obtain smooth and dense film. Varying concentration of water was used in precursor solution of CH3NH3I and PbI2 mixed in γ-butyrolactone (GBL) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). Perovskite films were crystallized using toluene assisted solvent engineering method using GBL:DMSO:H2O as solvent mixture. The amount of water was varied from 1% to 25%, which resulted in change in film morphology and perovskite crystallinity. It was concluded that an appropriate amount of water is required to assist the crystallization process to obtain smooth pin-hole free morphology. The change in morphology led to improved fill factor in the device, with highest efficiency ~14%, which was significantly higher than devices made from perovskite film without adding water. We also showed that addition of up to 25% by volume of water does not significantly change the device performance.
Acute Mitral Regurgitation After Removal of an Impella Device

Acute mitral regurgitation is a very rare complication of an Impella device. We report a case of a 52-year-old man who had an Impella CP device placed for cardiogenic shock and developed acute mitral regurgitation after removal of the Impella. This was managed with the placement of TandemHeart device.
Kurator: Using The Crowd to Help Families With Personal Curation Tasks

People capture photos, audio recordings, video, and more on a daily basis, but organizing all these digital artifacts quickly becomes a daunting task. Automated solutions struggle to help us manage this data because they cannot understand its meaning. In this paper, we introduce Kurator, a hybrid intelligence system leveraging mixed-expertise crowds to help families curate their personal digital content. Kurator produces a refined set of content via a combination of automated systems able to scale to large data sets and human crowds able to understand the data. Our results with 5 families show that Kurator can reduce the amount of effort needed to find meaningful memories within a large collection. This work also suggests that crowdsourcing can be used effectively even in domains where personal preference is key to accurately solving the task.
GABA A Receptors as Targets for the Management of Pain-related Disorders: Historical Perspective and Update

Background Chronic pain is treated most commonly with opioid analgesics, anti-inflammatory steroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Method However, these compounds are not uniformly effective and their clinical use is constrained by unwanted side effects. GABAergic neurons are located in spinal nociceptive circuits suggesting that drugs with affinity at these receptors, including benzodiazepine-like drugs, may provide an alternative to opioids for the treatment of pain. However, systemically administered conventional benzodiazepines fail to produce antihyperalgesic effects, likely due to their concurrent sedative properties. Results Recent evidence suggests that by targeting specific benzodiazepine-sensitive GABAA; receptor subtypes, the sedative properties of benzodiazepines can be circumvented and these compounds may be useful alternatives to opioids for the treatment of chronic pain. Conclusion The present review provides an overview of the GABAA; receptor subtypes involved in pain transmission as well as implications for the development of analgesic medications.
The Role of Technology in Home-Based Medication Adherence for Preventive Cardiac Self-Care: A Human Factors and Usability Perspective:

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of persuasive technology in home-based medication adherence in a cardiovascular disease patient population. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States (Mozaffarian et al., 2015), which is why prevention is increasingly important in this national epidemic. Several medical conditions put people at a higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease, such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia (Mozaffarian et al., 2015). Because of the numerous co-morbidities that accompany heart disease, patients frequently are tasked with taking several different medications to treat these conditions, which can lead to issues related to medication non-compliance. Research studies show that medication compliance is directly linked to improved patient outcomes (Ho et al., 2009). For example, one study with self-reported measures of medication compliance showed that non-adherent patients had nearly double the cardiovascular events...
Rapid Detection and Characterization of Emerging Foreign Animal Disease Pathogens

To best safeguard human and animal health requires early detection and characterization of disease events. This must include effective surveillance for emerging infectious diseases. Both deliberate and natural outbreaks have enormous economic and public health impacts, and can present serious threats to national security. In this project, we developed novel next generation detection technologies to protect the agricultural economy and biosecurity. The first technology is a multiplexed assay to simultaneously detection 10 swine viral and bacterial pathogens. The second one is the Lawrence Livermore Microbial Detection Array (LLMDA) which can detect more than 10,000 microbial species including 4219 viruses, 5367 bacteria, 265 fungi, 117 protozoa and 293 archaea. We analyzed a series of swine clinical samples from past disease events to demonstrate the utility of the assays for faster and cheaper detection of emerging and foreign animal disease pathogens, and their utility as s routine diagnosis and surveillance tool. A second goal of the study is to better understand mechanisms of African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection in pigs to aid the development of countermeasures and diagnostics. There is no vaccine available for ASF. ASF outbreak is on the rise on several European countries. Though ASF is not currently inmore » the U.S., a potential outbreak in the U.S. would be detrimental to the swine industry and the US agricultural economy. We pursued a genome-wide approach to characterize the pig immune responses after ASFV infection. We used RNA sequencing and bioinformatics methods to identify genes and pathways that are affected during ASF infection. We have identified a list of most differentially expressed genes that are in the immune response pathways.« less
The Inner Structure of Time-Dependent Signals

This paper shows how a time series of measurements of an evolving system can be processed to create an inner time series that is unaffected by any instantaneous invertible, possibly nonlinear transformation of the measurements. An inner time series contains information that does not depend on the nature of the sensors, which the observer chose to monitor the system. Instead, it encodes information that is intrinsic to the evolution of the observed system. Because of its sensor-independence, an inner time series may produce fewer false negatives when it is used to detect events in the presence of sensor drift. Furthermore, if the observed physical system is comprised of non-interacting subsystems, its inner time series is separable; i.e., it consists of a collection of time series, each one being the inner time series of an isolated subsystem. Because of this property, an inner time series can be used to detect a specific behavior of one of the independent subsystems without using blind source separation to disentangle that subsystem from the others. The method is illustrated by applying it to: 1) an analytic example; 2) the audio waveform of one speaker; 3) video images from a moving camera; 4) mixtures of audio waveforms of two speakers.
Analysis of Vegard’s law for lattice matching In x Al 1−x N to GaN by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

Abstract Coherent In x Al 1−x N (x = 0.15 to x = 0.28) films were grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on GaN templates to investigate if the films obey Vegard’s Law by comparing the film stress-thickness product from wafer curvature before and after In x Al 1−x N deposition. The In composition and film thickness were verified using atom probe tomography and high resolution X-ray diffraction, respectively. Ex-situ curvature measurements were performed to analyze the curvature before and after the In x Al 1−x N deposition. At ∼In 0.18 Al 0.82 N, no change in curvature was observed following InAlN deposition; confirming that films of this composition are latticed matched to GaN, obeying Vegard’s law. The relaxed a 0 - and c 0 - lattice parameters of In x Al 1−x N were experimentally determined and in agreement with lattice parameters predicted by Vegard’s law.
Anatomy and the Higher Functions of the Brain

The following paper is composed of sections of three earlier publications, all dealing with the relationship of the anatomy of the nervous system to the higher mental functions. The first section is taken from my paper ‘The Development of the Brain and the Evolution of Language’. It discusses the changes in the course of evolution of the brain that made it possible to develop the understanding of names, an essential feature of human language, which is either not present or exists only in rudimentary form in other animals. The second section, taken from ‘The Neural Basis of Language’ discusses a presumably later step in the evolution of human language: The ability to repeat, and its anatomical substrate. In both of these papers the importance of anatomical connections between different portions of the brain is stressed. The third section from ‘Disconnexion Syndromes in Animals and Man’ applies these anatomical principles to certain clinical situations. It is shown here that certain syndromes resulting from localized brain damage and widely interpreted as perceptual in nature are in fact the result of destruction of associative connections between different portions of the brain.
Abstract 1061: Modulation of death pathways by TRAILR2 agonist antibody and NF-κB pathway by NIK inhibitor in HPV-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) induced by human papilloma virus (HPV) have increased recently in the US, and exhibit a different prognosis and response to therapies from HPV(-) cancers. Analysis of HNSCC TCGA datasets provide evidence for distinct alterations in expression of components of the NF-κB and death pathways in HNSCC with different HPV status. Previously, we have found that birinipant, a novel SMAC mimetic that inhibits inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs), sensitizes a subset of HPV(-) HNSCC cell lines to death agonists like TNF-α and TRAIL. In this study, we have observed that birinipant also sensitizes most HPV(+) cell lines to TRAIL and TNF-α in vitro. The IC50 of birinipant was under 50nM for HPV(+) UPCI-SCC-90 and UM-SCC-47 cell lines, when combined with TNF-α or TRAIL. To explore the therapeutic potential of enhancing TRAILR mediated death signaling in HPV(+) HNSCC cells, we investigated the effects of an agonistic polyclonal TRAILR2 antibody. Treatment of cells with TRAILR2 antibody alone shows little or no inhibitory effect on UPCI-SCC-90 and UM-SCC-47 cells in vitro. However, a combination of birinipant and TRAILR2 antibody, or triple combination of birinipant, TRAIL, and TRAILR2 antibody shows additive or synergistic effects to inhibit cell proliferation and induce cell death in a dose dependent manner. In addition, our preliminary data suggested that the non-canonical NF-κB pathway is predominately activated in HPV(+) HNSCC cells, and that NF-κB inducing kinase (NIK) is a key component of this pathway. When we tested the NIK inhibitor 4H-isoquinoline-1,3-dione in UPCI-SCC-90 cells, we found it reduced cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner (IC50 =1.5 μM). Taken together, these results indicate that TNF-α, TRAIL, and TRAILR2 agonist antibody sensitized birinipant anti-tumor activity, and triple combination exhibited synergistic effects in HPV(+) HNSCC cell lines. NIK inhibitor alone inhibits cell proliferation of HPV(+) cells, supporting the hypothesis of aberrant activation of alternative pathway in HPV(+) HNSCC cells. (Supported by NIDCD intramural projects ZIA-DC-000016, 73, 74). Citation Format: Yi An, Lillian Sun, Adeeb Derakhshan, Sophie Carlson, Rita Das, Zhong Chen, Carter Van Waes. Modulation of death pathways by TRAILR2 agonist antibody and NF-κB pathway by NIK inhibitor in HPV-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinomas [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1061. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1061
Microsatellite polymorphism in the endangered snail kite reveals a panmictic, low diversity population

Genetic structure and genetic diversity are key population characteristics that can inform conservation decisions, such as delineating management units or assessing potential risks for inbreeding depression. Evidence of genetic structuring or low genetic diversity in the critically endangered snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) would have implications for monitoring and planning decisions. Recent work on understanding connectivity across the snail kite range indicated that there is less dispersal between northern and southern parts of the current range, and that dispersal is shaped by individual habitat preference. We examine whether there is neutral genetic structure and the amount of genetic variation in the population by non-lethally sampling 235 nestlings from unique nests across the entire breeding range between 2013 and 2014. Data on 15 microsatellite revealed low diversity (e.g., N a = 2.54, H e = 0.37) and range-wide panmixia based on AMOVA, Bayesian clustering, spatial autocorrelation, isolation by distance, and spatially explicit ordination analyses. Our results emphasize that long-term recovery goals and management strategies should be based on viewing snail kites as a single genetic population, despite evidence for non-random dispersal between wetlands over ecological time scales. These results also highlight the need to understand potential effects of low genetic diversity on population dynamics and viability of snail kites. More broadly, these results add to the growing evidence for potential discrepancies between dispersal and genetic patterns, emphasizing that care should be taken if using one to interpret the other, particularly for widely-ranging species.
Macrophage Liver Kinase B1 Inhibits Foam Cell Formation and Atherosclerosis

Rationale: Liver kinase B1 (LKB1) is a serine/threonine kinase and tumor suppressor, which regulates the homeostasis of hematopoietic cells and immune responses. Macrophages transform into foam cells upon taking-in lipids. No role for LKB1 in foam cell formation has previously reported. Objective: We sought to establish the role of LKB1 in atherosclerotic foam cell formation. Methods and Results: LKB1 expression was examined in human carotid atherosclerotic plaques and in western diet fed atherosclerosis-prone Ldlr -/- and ApoE -/- mice. LKB1 expression was markedly reduced in human plaques when compared to non-atherosclerotic vessels. Consistently, time-dependent reduction of LKB1 levels occurred in atherosclerotic lesions in western diet fed Ldlr -/- and ApoE -/- mice. Exposure of macrophages to oxidized LDL downregulated LKB1 in vitro. Furthermore, LKB1 deficiency in macrophages significantly increased the expression of scavenger receptor A (SRA), modified LDL uptake and foam cell formation, all of which were abolished by blocking SRA. Further, we found LKB1 phosphorylates SRA resulting in its lysosome degradation. To further investigate the role of macrophage LKB1 in vivo, ApoE -/- LKB1 fl/fl LysM cre and ApoE -/- LKB1 fl/fl mice were fed with western diet for 16 weeks. Compared to ApoE -/- LKB1 fl/fl wild type control, ApoE -/- LKB1 fl/fl LysM cre mice developed more atherosclerotic lesions in whole aorta and aortic root area, with markedly increased SRA expression in aortic root lesions. Conclusions: We conclude that macrophage LKB1 reduction caused by oxidized LDL promotes foam cell formation and the progression of atherosclerosis.
Drivers for Change: A Study of Distributed Leadership and Performance Adaptation During Policy Innovation Implementation

Scaling up innovation in the instructional core remains a vexing proposition. Such disruptive innovations require teachers to engage in performance adaptation. Schools vary in their capacity to sup...
Attributes of Complex Development Programs

This chapter draws on complexity literature to outline attributes of complex development programs. Most attributes of complexity—such as dynamism, emergence, adaptation, nonlinearity, and scale—are likely to facilitate program success, but make it difficult to measure that success. In trying to measure success of complex programs, evaluators and program stakeholders often assume the reverse—that these programs are simple, linear, and predictable. An even greater problem is that these assumptions, huge as they are, are taken for granted (implicit); neither explicated nor tested.
Synaptic Adhesion-Like Molecules (SALMs)

The synaptic adhesion-like molecules (SALMs) are a newly discovered family of cell adhesion molecules that have a variety of functions in neuronal development, including aspects of neurite outgrowth and synapse formation (Ko et al. Neuron 50:233–245, 2006, Morimura et al. Gene 380:72–83, 2006, Wang et al. J Neurosci 26:2174–2183, 2006, Seabold et al. J Biol Chem 283:8395–8405, 2008, Wang et al. Mol Cell Neurosci, 39:83–94, 2008). Also known as Lrfn (leucine-rich and fibronectin III domain-containing), five family members have been identified thus far: SALM1/Lrfn2, SALM2/Lrfn1, SALM3/Lrfn4, SALM4/Lrfn3, and SALM5/Lrfn5. The SALMs have been shown to interact with NMDA receptors and the PSD-95 family of MAGUK proteins. Recent studies also indicate that the individual SALMs, while similar in structure, play distinct roles in heteromeric and homomeric protein interactions and neurite outgrowth (Seabold et al. J Biol Chem 283:8395–8405, 2008, Wang et al. Mol Cell Neurosci, 39:83–94, 2008). Neurite outgrowth and synapse formation are fundamental mechanisms in the development of the nervous system. While a considerable amount of information is known about both phenomena, the mechanism connecting the two is still enigmatic. SALMs join a growing mosaic of synaptic proteins that contribute to both neurite outgrowth and synapse formation during the course of development. Investigating SALMs and related proteins is essential for addressing fundamental questions of neuronal development.
Neurologically Impaired Patients

In clinical psychology practice, despite its varying degrees of reliability and validity, the interview is an appropriate and, in many insta:nces, excellent technique and procedure for obtaining information about the patient that is necessary and may be sufficient for a diagnosis. Furthermore, the clinical psychology interview is not only capable of allowing the clinician to make yes/no decisions with regard to diagnostic possibilities and probabilities, but is also adequate for obtaining information that allows sufficient descriptive information that a comprehensive evaluation can be said to have been accomplished along with whatever diagnostic or other formal classificatory activities are required.
Adhesion and stiffness of biotin-superavidin bonds

Abstract A non-invasive vibrational spectroscopy technique is introduced and utilized to characterize the average spring constant of a single Superavidin (SAv)-Biotin (Bi).polyethylene glycol (PEG) ligand receptor complex as well as the effective Young’s modulus and adhesion of a layer formed by the SAv-Bi.PEG ligand-receptors. In the reported experiments, SAv coated Polystyrene (PS) particles are deposited on a layer of Bi.PEG receptors, bound to a silicon (Si) substrate by silanization. The substrate and the bonded particles are subjected to a pulsed ultrasonic excitation field and their nanometer scale out-of-plane dynamic responses are acquired using a laser vibrometer. The acquired waveforms are processed to obtain the resonance frequencies of the particle motion. Employing a particle adhesion model, the average spring constant of the single ligand-receptor complex and the effective Young’s modulus and work-of-adhesion of the SAv-Bi.PEG ligand-receptor layer are extracted from the resonance frequencies. The average spring constant of an individual SAv-Bi.PEG bond is approximated as 0.1-0.4 mN/m. The work-of-adhesion and effective Young’s modulus of the SAv-Bi.PEG layer are determined to be 0.54–2.62 J/m2 and 0.15–2.80 MPa, respectively. The compressive Young’s modulus of the SAv-Bi.PEG layer is estimated as 31.0–58.0 MPa. The current approach provides a direct non-contact measurement technique for the stiffness of single ligand receptor complexes and the adhesion of their interfaces. SAv-Bi bonds and PEG polymers are among the most widely utilized complexes in the pharmaceutical and biological applications. Understanding the mechanical properties of PEG and SAv-Bi is an important step towards optimization of their utilization in practical applications such as biosensors and targeted drug delivery.
High-resolution Navier-Stokes simulations of Richtmyer-Meshkov instability with re-shock

The interaction of a Mach 1.45 shock wave with a perturbed planar interface between sulphur hexafluoride and air is studied through high-resolution two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) shock-capturing adaptive mesh refinement simulations of multi-species Navier-Stokes equations. The sensitivities of time-dependent statistics on grid resolution for 2D and 3D simulations are evaluated to ensure the accuracy of the results. The numerical results are used to examine the differences between the development of 2D and 3D Richtmyer-Meshkov instability during two different stages: (1) initial growth of hydrodynamic instability from multi-mode perturbations after first shock and (2) transition to chaotic or turbulent state after re-shock. The effects of the Reynolds number on the mixing in 3D simulations are also studied through varying the transport coefficients.
Long-term Outcome of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation From Unrelated Donor Using Tacrolimus/Sirolimus-based GvHD Prophylaxis: Impact of HLA Mismatch

BACKGROUND While tacrolimus and sirolimus (T/S)-based graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis has been effective in preventing acute GvHD post hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), its efficacy and long-term outcome in matched (MUD) and mismatched unrelated donor (mMUD) setting is not well defined. METHODS Herein, we evaluated a consecutive case-series of 482 patients who underwent unrelated donor HCT (2005-2013) with T/S-based GvHD prophylaxis. RESULTS With a median follow-up of 6.2 years (range = 2.4-11.3), the 5-year overall survival (OS) and relapse/progression-free survival were 47.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 43.0-52.0) and 43.6% (95% CI: 39.1-48.1), respectively; and the 5-year cumulative incidence of nonrelapse mortality (NRM) and relapse were 24.9%, and 31.5%, respectively. In this cohort, mMUD was associated with worse OS (39.0% versus 50.7% at 5 y; P = 0.034), primarily due to greater risk of NRM (33.5% versus 21.7%; P = 0.038). While rates of relapse, acute (II-IV or III-IV) or chronic GvHD (limited or extensive) were not different, death caused by chronic GvHD (20.8% versus 12.8%; P = 0.022) and infection (33.0% versus 18.1%; P < 0.01) were significantly greater in mMUD. In multivariable analysis, high-risk disease (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.16-4.23; P < 0.01) and mMUD (HR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.15-2.08; P = 0.004) were independent predictive factors for OS. CONCLUSIONS T/S-based GvHD prophylaxis is an effective and acceptable GvHD prophylactic regimen. However, survival after mMUD remained poor, possibly related to the severity of chronic GvHD.
Low Complexity NOMA Systems Based on Combinatorial Designs

In this paper, the sparse pattern of Balanced Incomplete Block Designs (BIBDs) combinatorial designs for non-orthogonal multiple access is studied. This combinatorial design supplies an inherent mapping for NOMA systems. We use a bijective mapping method at the transmitter to avoid the constellation overlapping and linearly combined the data of multiusers over the resource. These NOMA designs can manage larger number of users with moderate increases in complexity.
The Impact of the Stock Market Crash of 2008-2009 on the Wealth of U.S. Households

1. This research examines the potential impact of the stock market crash of 2008-2009 on U.S. working households. The Great Recession caused financial problems for many households in terms of unemployment, business losses, and decreases in real estate values, but the broadly based decreases in stock indexes impacted households in all areas of the United States.2. Among households age 30 to 70 with a head employed full-time, the ratio of equity assets to total wealth (net worth plus human wealth) had a mean value of 4.2%.3. The decreases in stock market indexes between 2007 and 2009 had substantial impacts on the wealth of only a small proportion of working households, with a mean potential loss in wealth due to stock market decreases of only 1.3%.4. The relative impact of the stock market declines was highest for the oldest working households, but the mean potential loss in wealth for that group was only 1.9%, and only 5% of households in that age range had a potential loss of 8.0% or more of wealth.5. By framing the potential wealth loss from severe stock market decrease as a percent of wealth including human wealth, financial advisors can add another perspective to assist clients in thinking rationally about portfolio choices.
Update on BEI Resources for Parasitology and Arthropod Vector Research

BEI Resources has contributed to the advancement of parasitic diseases research for over 16 years. The accessibility of our reference strains and reagents is relevant to the development of new therapeutics and vaccines. Here we provide a resource update with emphasis on the new assets for toxoplasmosis and vector research.