cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pattern scaling effect on the radiative properties of wafer’s surface

This paper presents a parametric study of the radiative properties of patterned wafers with a polysilicon gate array on the Si substrate, considering the effect of wavelength and polarization. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method was employed to examine the pattern scaling effect on the spectral absorptance via numerical solutions of the Maxwell’s equations. The effective medium theory (EMT) was also used to help explain the absorptance predictions. While the gate sizes are very small compared to wavelength, the results show rather unusual phenomena. The absorptance calculated by EMT is in agreement with FDTD in the cases with small gate and period sizes. With the increase of period and decrease of the ratio of the gate width to the grating period, both EMT and FDTD results for the TM (transverse magnetic) mode approach to pure silicon since the grating effect diminishes. However, the error of EMT results for the TE mode in some cases becomes considerable due to the limitation of EMT, which requires the period to be significantly smaller than the wavelength. Besides, the TE (transverse electric) absorptance curve separates from that of plain Si when the wavelength equals the grating period, this is because the gate can interact with its neighbering region by diffraction and the diffraction effects are weak, when the wavelength is small. The peak absorptance can be attributed to the thin film effect. It shows that a slight increase in the gate height can drastically increase the absorptance and the increased gate height shifts the peak absorptance to longer wavelength due to the increase of optical path length in the effective thin film. This work is of great importance for optimization of advanced annealing techniques in semiconductor manufacturing.
Ethanol‐Induced Up‐Regulation of Candidate Plasminogen Receptor Annexin II in Cultured Human Endothelial Cells

Introduction: Epidemiological studies indicate that moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk for coronary heart disease and that this cardioprotective benefit may be mediated, in part, by increased fibrinolysis. Endothelial cells (ECs) synthesize plasminogen activators, tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), receptors for plasminogen activators, and a receptor for plasminogen, annexin II (Ann-II). These receptors localize and facilitate receptor-bound plasminogen activator-mediated conversion of receptor-bound plasminogen to receptor-bound plasmin on the EC surface, which results in the regulated expression of surface-localized EC fibrinolytic activity. Ethanol is a systemic factor that affects these components, which increases EC fibrinolysis and hence reduces the risk for thrombosis, coronary heart disease, and myocardial infarction (MI). Methods: This study was carried out to determine whether low ethanol (0.1% v/v) increased plasminogen receptor, Ann-II antigen (western blot), messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; RT-PCR) expression, activity (ligand binding/Scatchard analysis), and hence fibrinolysis (plasmin generation) in cultured human ECs. Results: Plasminogen receptor activity increased ∼2-fold (2.5 vs. 5.6 X 10 6 sites/cell), as evidenced by increased 125 I-labeled Glu-plasminogen ligand binding/Scatchard analysis. In addition, western blot analyses indicated an increase in Ann-II antigen, and mRNA levels increased ∼2-fold (RT-PCR). This increase in Ann-II expression was concomitant with ∼2- to 3-fold sustained increase (∼24 hr) in surface-localized EC fibrinolytic activity. Nuclear transcription run-on assays showed an ∼5- to 6-fold increase in new 32 P-labeled Ann-II mRNA levels, compared with controls (no ethanol). Conclusions: These results demonstrated that low ethanol increased Ann-II antigen/mRNA levels and up-regulated Ann-II gene expression at the transcriptional level. The results further identify and define the contribution and role of the plasminogen receptor, Ann-II, in the ethanol-induced mechanism of increased EC fibrinolysis that may underlie and contribute, in part, to the cardioprotective benefit associated with moderate alcohol consumption.
Fellows' forum forgotten?

TO THE EDITOR: Jennifer Armstrong was a new oncology Fellow in Manhattan (New York, NY) when the Sept. 11 World Trade Center tragedy occurred. In the November 1, 2004, issue of the Journal, she describes how the war against cancer in which she had become entrenched prevented her from mourning, grieving, and commiserating with the rest of the nation and half the world. Her experiences with patients dying of cancer were too overwhelming for her to feel the loss at “Ground Zero.” After learning how her own war was affecting her, she found articles in the cancer literature about programs that had been designed to aid in this process. She then sought administrative help in setting up a program to help Fellows cope with dying, pain, and suffering in their patients. By July 2003, she launched a Fellows’ forum that she described as follows: Twice a month, we invited the medical oncology fellows to a lunch-time forum to discuss the psychosocial aspects of clinical oncology. We encouraged fellows to share any clinical encounters that had remained with them for more than 24 hours. The sessions were cofacilitated by me and a fellow in psychiatry, with supervision from an attending physician in psychiatry. The initial sessions were gritty. Fellows appeared in great numbers and recounted stories about patients they had cared for who had stayed with them for months or even years. One fellow explained the outpouring as, “We’re thirsty for this venue.” The obvious need was translated into a successful program for the Fellows that has continued to this day. What’s striking to me is that the same need was observed during my Fellowship a third of a century ago, and a nearly identical solution was provided. The sessions were held weekly exclusively for the Fellows and co-facilitated by a psychiatrist and an oncologist. Dr. Armstrong may have missed the first iteration of such a forum, perhaps because it was too long ago. In medicine, as in all endeavors of life, history does repeat itself. Most hopefully, we have learned from history to avoid a repeat of the event that occurred elsewhere in Manhattan 3 years ago.
The Accurate Measurement Of Small Rotations By Modulating Polarization

An instrument developed to accurately measure small rotations (twist about an optical axis) uses a Faraday rotator to modulate the polarization of a HeNe laser beam. Twist sensors located in the beam path consist of a calcite polarizer (analyzer), a silicon detector and associated electronics. The sensors measure relative changes of the sensor analyzer and the null position of the modulated source beam. Reference measurements of the laser intensity and beam modulation are made to avoid accurately characterizing the modulation amplitude. This instrument has a sensitivity of 0.2 microradians at 5 Hz bandwidths over a 17.5 milliradians measuring range. This is accomplished by controlling the beam wander, reducing the laser divergence, and utilizing synchronous detection.
Kinetics of the crystal size distribution during glass crystallization

On suppose que le rayon du cristal varie avec le temps selon une loi en puissance. On considere les cristaux comme des «points» se deplacant dans un espace de rayon cristallin a une dimension. Dans ce modele simple de germination et croissance on peut mettre exactement en relation la fonction de distribution de dimension du cristal et la fonction de vitesse de germination du cristal
Stochastic properties of total air traffic control voice communication time

Past studies of air traffic controller communication workload have considered stochastic properties of individual communication transmission or sets of transmissions. This paper asserts that most of the stochastic variation in total communication workload is due to fluctuations in the number of required communication transmissions rather than fluctuations in the transmission lengths themselves. Both the length of transmission and the number of transmissions are assumed to be random variables. Thus, total communication workload is formulated as the sum of a random number of random variables. Expressions are derived for the mean and variance of total communication workload. An example is solved using data from related air traffic control research. Finally, suggestions are presented for incorporating statistical fluctuations in controller workload into workload capacity concepts.
Treating Hyponatremia: What Is All the Controversy About?

Few subjects consistently engender as much heated discussion as the treatment of hyponatremia. The confusion surrounding this subject is also evident from perusal of the medical literature. Whereas...
Spatial uniformity of quantum efficiency of a silicon photovoltaic detector

In the course of investigating the spatial uniformity of response of a silicon detector, an extensive experiment was conducted to examine the correlation between changes in reflectance, internal and external quantum efficiency as a function of position and wavelength on the detector. The sensitivity of the technique was tested and demonstrated in several ways. The examined detector was found to be suitably uniform for absolute radiometric purposes, and the small changes observed in external quantum efficiency can be easily accounted for by the dead layer model.
Public attitudes toward animal research: some international comparisons.

A comparative analysis was made of the public's attitudes toward the use of animals in scientific research in 15 different nations. The intensity of opposition to animal research was found to vary from relatively low levels in Japan and the United States to much higher levels in France, Belgium, and Great Britain. More women than men were opposed to animal research in all 15 nations. Scientific knowledge, or the lack of knowledge, was not found to have a consistent relationship with attitudes toward animal research. Concern about the environment was found to be related to opposition to animal research in some western European nations, in particular West Germany. Cluster analysis was used to group the nations into four patterns based on intensity of opposition, level of opposition, gender differences in opposition, and the relationship between attitudes toward animal research and both environmental concern and scientific knowledge.
Homologous expression of recombinant cellobiose dehydrogenase in Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

Cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) is a novel extracellular hemoflavoenzyme from Phanerochaete chrysosporium and is produced only in cultures supplemented with cellulose. In this report, CDH from P. chrysosporium has been homologously expressed in cultures supplemented with glucose as the sole carbon source when no endogenous CDH is expressed. This was achieved by placing the cdh-1 gene under the control of the D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpd) promoter (1.1 kb) fused upstream of the ATG start codon of cdh-1. The gpd promoter-chd-1 construct was inserted into the multiple cloning site of the expression vector pOGI18, which contained the Schizophyllum commune ade5 as a selectable marker. The P. chrysosporium ade1 auxotrophic strain OGC107-1 was transformed with the pAGC1 construct, and the prototrophic transformants were assayed for CDH activity. Approximately 50% of the Ade(+) transformants exhibited CDH activity in the extracellular medium of stationary cultures. At least one of the transformants produced high levels (500-600 U/liter) of recombinant CDH (rCDH). Purification by ammonium sulfate precipitation, Sephacryl S-200 chromatography, and FPLC using a Mono-Q 5/5 column yielded homogeneous rCDH. Physical, spectral, and kinetic characteristics of purified homologously expressed rCDH were similar to those of wild-type CDH. This expression system will enable site-directed mutagenesis studies to be carried out on CDH.
Performance-based Measures of Visual Function

Review of the substantial literature reveals that the importance of performance-based measures of visual function is becoming increasingly recognized. Alone, or in combination with other assessment modalities, they have been shown to provide a reliable and valid means of evaluating visual ability. Further, they have been demonstrated to predict outcomes better than self-report or clinical measures alone.
Adaptive online testing for efficient hard fault detection

With growing semiconductor integration, the reliability of individual transistors is expected to rapidly decline in future technology generations. In such a scenario, processors would need to be equipped with fault tolerance mechanisms to tolerate in-field silicon defects. Periodic online testing is a popular technique to detect such failures; however, it tends to impose a heavy testing penalty. In this paper, we propose an adaptive online testing framework to significantly reduce the testing overhead. The proposed approach is unique in its ability to assess the hardware health and apply suitably detailed tests. Thus, a significant chunk of the testing time can be saved for the healthy components. We further extend the framework to work with the StageNet CMP fabric, which provides the flexibility to group together pipeline stages with similar health conditions, thereby reducing the overall testing burden. For a modest 2.6% sensor area overhead, the proposed scheme was able to achieve an 80% reduction in software test instructions over the lifetime of a 16-core CMP.
ERK Phosphorylation Is Predictive of Resistance to IGF-1R Inhibition in Small Cell Lung Cancer

New therapies are critically needed to improve the outcome for patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) inhibition is a potential treatment strategy for SCLC: the IGF-1R pathway is commonly upregulated in SCLC and has been associated with inhibition of apoptosis and stimulation of proliferation through downstream signaling pathways, including phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase. To evaluate potential determinants of response to IGF-1R inhibition, we assessed the relative sensitivity of 19 SCLC cell lines to OSI-906, a small molecule inhibitor of IGF-1R, and the closely related insulin receptor. Approximately one third of these cell lines were sensitive to OSI-906, with an IC50 < 1 μmol/L. Cell line expression of IGF-1R , IR , IGF-1 , IGF-2 , IGFBP3 , and IGFBP6 did not correlate with sensitivity to OSI-906. Interestingly, OSI-906 sensitive lines expressed significantly lower levels of baseline phospho-ERK relative to resistant lines ( P = 0.006). OSI-906 treatment resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of phospho-IGF-1R and phospho-Akt in both sensitive and resistant cell lines, but induced apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest only in sensitive lines. We tested the in vivo efficacy of OSI-906 using an NCI-H187 xenograft model and two SCLC patient xenografts in mice. OSI-906 treatment resulted in 50% tumor growth inhibition in NCI-H187 and 30% inhibition in the primary patient xenograft models compared with mock-treated animals. Taken together our data support IGF-1R inhibition as a viable treatment strategy for a defined subset of SCLC and suggest that low pretreatment levels of phospho-ERK may be indicative of sensitivity to this therapeutic approach. Mol Cancer Ther; 12(6); 1131–9. ©2013 AACR .
The intentional mind and the hot hand: Perceiving intentions makes streaks seem likely to continue.

People can appear inconsistent in their intuitions about sequences of repeated events. Sometimes people believe such sequences will continue (the ‘‘hot hand”), and sometimes people believe they will reverse (the ‘‘gambler’s fallacy”). These contradictory intuitions can be partly explained by considering the perceived intentionality of the agent generating the streak. The intuition that streaks will continue (reverse) should emerge in contexts involving agents that are perceived to be intentional (unintentional), and should be most common among those who are most inclined to attribute intentions to other agents. Four studies support these predictions, identifying both situational and dispositional determinants of the perceived continuity of streaks. Discussion focuses on the foundational nature of intentionality for perceptions of interdependence between events, the relationship between these findings and existing theoretical accounts, and the inverse possibility that people use perceptions of streakiness as a cue for an agent’s intentionality.
The MFMU cesarean registry: risk of uterine rupture with a trial of labor in women with multiple and single prior cesarean delivery

CATED BY LUPUS J. PATRICIA DHAR, LYNETTE ESSENMACHER, JOEL AGER, ROBERT SOKOL, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Internal Medicine/Rheumatology, Detroit, MI Wayne State University, Center for Health Care Effectiveness Research, Detroit, MI Wayne State University, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Detroit, MI OBJECTIVE:The objective of this study was to evaluate whether fetal growth has improved or gestational duration has increased over time. We hypothesized improved outcomes that might be attributable to advances in lupus intervention. STUDY DESIGN: A cohort analysis of pregnancy outcomes from 1985-2002 in women with lupus was performed at our center. The Wayne State University Lupus Registry was linked to the Wayne State University Perinatal Database to obtain all pregnancies in women with lupus delivered at our institution. The control population consisted of demographically similar non-lupus pregnancies from the Wayne State University Perinatal Database RESULTS: There were 473 singleton deliveries in 327 women with lupus delivered at our institution. To ensure statistical independence, we calculated the mean birth weight and gestational age in the first pregnancy per parturient delivered at our center, leaving us with 327 pregnancies in 327 womenwith lupus (first pregnancy group). The control group consisted of 78,905 deliveries at our center during the same period. The mean birthweight and gestational age for the first pregnancy group was significantly decreased (2790 grams and 36 weeks, respectively) compared to the control group (P < 0.0001). Gestational age and birthweight did not significantly change over time. However, when birthweight percentiles over time were analyzed, a statistically significant increase in fetal growth was seen (r = 0.098, r2 = 0.10, P = 0.041). CONCLUSION: Fetal growth in pregnancies complicated by lupus improved over the 18 years of this study. Because there were no major changes in the characteristics of the sample, we speculate that this improvement might reflect advancing technology of care and improved intervention, as originally hypothesized, most notably aggressive thrombophilia assessments and treatment, as well as concurrent rheumatologic care during pregnancy. Any change in ‘‘spontaneous’’ gestational duration over timemight be hidden by changes in obstetric intervention.
Helicity, reconnection, and dynamo effects

The inter-relationships between magnetic helicity, magnetic reconnection, and dynamo effects are discussed. In laboratory experiments, where two plasmas are driven to merge, the helicity content of each plasma strongly affects the reconnection rate, as well as the shape of the diffusion region. Conversely, magnetic reconnection events also strongly affect the global helicity, resulting in efficient helicity cancellation (but not dissipation) during counter-helicity reconnection and a finite helicity increase or decrease (but less efficiently than dissipation of magnetic energy) during co-helicity reconnection. Close relationships also exist between magnetic helicity and dynamo effects. The turbulent electromotive force along the mean magnetic field (alpha-effect), due to either electrostatic turbulence or the electron diamagnetic effect, transports mean-field helicity across space without dissipation. This has been supported by direct measurements of helicity flux in a laboratory plasma. When the dynamo effect is driven by electromagnetic turbulence, helicity in the turbulent field is converted to mean-field helicity. In all cases, however, dynamo processes conserve total helicity except for a small battery effect, consistent with the observation that the helicity is approximately conserved during magnetic relaxation.
On Using Functions to Describe the Shape

In this paper, a systematic review of various contour functions and methods of their analysis, as applied in the field of shape description and characterization, is presented. Contour functions are derived from planar object outlines and are used as an intermediate representation from which various shape properties can be obtained. All the functions are introduced and analyzed following the same scheme, thus making it possible to compare various representations. Although only a small subset of contour functions is included in the survey (cross-section, radius-vector, support, width, parametric, complex, tangent-angle, curvature, polynomial, and parametric cubic), the paper demonstrates a multitude of techniques for shape description that are based on this approach. Several analysis tools, such as statistics, line moments and invariants, Fourier and other series expansions, curvature scale space image, wavelet, and Radon transform are described.
Using Multiple Specialized Keyboards on Touch Screen Displays: Is Switching Keyboards Distracting to Novice Users?

This study was designed to investigate, effects of using multiple specialized keyboards within the context of a simple data entry task. Twenty-four participants with minimal or no computer experience were asked to enter name and address data as well as choose a personal identification number (PIN) utilizing three data entry conditions. The first condition utilized a QWERTY keyboard exclusively, the second utilized a numeric keypad for the PIN and the third utilized a numeric keypad for the ZIP code, telephone number and PIN. The offset of the keys on the QWERTY keyboard was also manipulated. Results suggest that switching keyboards has no effect on data entry time or accuracy. Additionally, no significant effect was found for keyboard offset. User preferences as well as applications to design and limitations on generalizability are discussed.
From Fanatics to Folk: Brazilian Millenarianism and Popular Culture

From Fanatics to Folk: Brazilian Millenarianism and Popular Culture. Patricia Pessar, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2004. 273 pp.
Thinking scientifically during participation in a citizen‐science project

A movement has begun recently to involve nonscientists in scientific investigations through projects in which a range of individuals gather data for use by scientists to investigate questions of research importance. These projects are frequently referred to as citizen-science projects, and the benefits are assumed to extend beyond the production of important large databases. Those who argue in support of citizen-science projects assume that participants will increase their understanding about the process of science through this engagement in authentic science, in contrast to traditional, tightly scripted school laboratory investigations. However, very little research on the impact of participating in such projects has been carried out. This article examines the letters written by more than 700 participants in a citizen-science project conducted by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Of these letters, which were unsolicited and not connected with a formal evaluation, nearly 80% revealed that participants had engaged in thinking processes similar to those that are part of science investigations. We cannot state that participation in a citizen-science project caused this thinking, but we can say that participation provided a forum in which participants engaged in these habits of thought. The letters also raise some issues about some misunderstandings of science that citizen-science projects should strive to address. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sci Ed84:265–275, 2000.
Modeling the elastic properties and damage evolution in Ti-Al3Ti metal-intermetallic laminate (MIL) composites

Abstract The mechanical performance of Ti–Al3Ti metal–intermetallic laminate (MIL) composites synthesized by a reactive foil sintering technique was evaluated. The elastic properties and anisotropy of the laminates were calculated and successfully compared with resonant ultrasonic spectroscopy (RUS) measurements. The effect of internal stresses due to differences in the thermal expansion coefficient on fracture toughness was analyzed. The principal mechanisms of damage initiation and accumulation were identified experimentally. The compressive strength was modeled by FEM using the Johnson–Holmquist constitutive equation. The computed results were successfully compared with experiments.
Nanomechanical Forces Generated by Surface Grafted DNA

Recent experiments show that the adsorption of biomolecules on one surface of a microcantilever generates surface stresses that cause the cantilever to deflect. If a second species binds to the adsorbed molecules, the stresses change, resulting in a different deflection. By choosing adsorbed probe molecules that recognize specific molecules, it may be possible to detect pathogens and biohazards. In particular, Fritz et al. (Fritz, J.; Baller, M. K.; Lang, H. P.; Rothuizen, H.; Vettiger, P.; Meyer, E.; Guntherodt, H.-J.; Gerber, Ch.; Gimzewski, J. K. Science 2000, 288, 316) and Wu et al. (Wu, G.; Haifeng, J.; Hansen, K.; Thundat, T.; Datar, R.; Cote, R.; Hagan, M. F.; Chakraborty, A. K.; Majumdar, A. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.2001, 98, 1560) show that the presence of an individual sequence of DNA may be identified by observing the change in deflection as hybridization occurs. Also, it has been shown that this platform can detect prostate specific antigen (PSA). However, to exploit this phenomenon for the development of reliable microdevices, it is necessary to understand the origin of the nanomechanical forces that lead to cantilever deflection upon molecular recognition, as well as the dependence of such deflections on the identity and concentration of the target molecule. In this paper, we present a model with which we examine cantilever deflections resulting from adsorption and subsequent hybridization of DNA molecules. Using an empirical potential, we predict deflections upon hybridization that are consistent with experimental results. We find that the dominant contribution to these deflections arises from hydration forces, not conformational entropy or electrostatics. Cantilever deflections upon adsorption of single stranded DNA are smaller that those predicted after hybridization for reasonable interaction strengths. This is consistent with results in Fritz et al., but not those in Wu et al. The deflections predicted for DNA before and after hybridization are strongly dependent on surface coverage, as well as the degree of disorder on the surface. We argue that self-assembly of probe molecules on the cantilever surface must be carefully controlled and characterized for the realization of microdevices for pathogen detection that rely on nanomechanical forces generated by molecular recognition.
An Interactive Online Database for Potato Varieties Evaluated in the Eastern United States

Databases are commonly used to coordinate and summarize research from multiple projects. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) research community has invested significant resources in collecting data from multiple states and provinces, and we have developed a web-based database format for the use of researchers, farmers, and consumers. The northeast regional potato variety development project (NE1031) is a U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (USDA-CSREES) regional project focused on developing and evaluating the suitability of new varieties and advanced clones from multiple breeding programs for a range of environments. This multistate project and its predecessors have been in existence for more than two decades, and they have resulted in the collection of a significant amount of standardized potato trial data. We have developed an interactive potato variety database that allows researchers and end-users to access and obtain potato variety trial results in one centralized site. The database is populated with the results of potato variety trials conducted in eight states (Florida, Maine, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia) and two Canadian provinces (Prince Edward Island and Quebec). It currently contains over 35 data features and was developed primarily for scientists interested in potato variety development, growers, and allied industry members. Hypertext mark-up language (HTML) and hypertext preprocessor (PHP) were used to develop the database interface.
Interview with a Quality Leader: Barbara Dickey on Outcomes Measurement, Continuous Quality Improvement, and Performance Indicators

Barbara Dickey, PhD, is director of the mental health services research department at McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA, and associate professor of psychology in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Her research interests have focused on managed care and its effect on cost, outcomes, and quality. Related to these research interests is her work at McLean Hospital to use data-driven activities to improve the quality of patient care. Outcomes measurement, continuous quality improvement (CQI), and the use of performance indicators in the facility's widely distributed report cards, McLean Reports, are all supported by her department. She received the Partners in Excellence Award in 1996 from the Partners Health Care System, Inc., and has served on many ad hoc committees for the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, and the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR). Dr. Dickey is coeditor of Outcomes Assessment in Clinical Practice (1996) and the forthcoming book, Achieving Quality in Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Practice: Concepts and Case Reports.
Identifying and Quantifying the Value of Responsiveness in the Presence of Uncertainty

The emphasis on space responsiveness has steadily g rown over the past few years. To date, studies have focused on identifying ways for improving space res ponsiveness, by improving or modifying the launch infrastructure, the spacecraft architecture, and th e payload. Furthermore, responsiveness is increasin gly recognized as an attribute to be accounted for duri ng the design process, and consequently it may be investigated along with (and in some cases traded a gainst) other spacecraft attributes. In the burgeon ing value-centric mindset for space system design and a cquisition, assessing the value of responsiveness w ill become increasingly important. Responsiveness is recognized as a critical attribut e for coping with different sources of uncertainty in the space industry. In this paper, we focus on the valu e of responsiveness in relation to two particular s ources of uncertainty: market/environmental uncertainty and the emergence of new needs and opportunities; and failure uncertainty driven by the stochastic nature of on-orbit failures. In the first case, we discus s how the utility provided by a spacecraft over time is relat ed to the forecasting horizon and the responsivenes s of spacecraft delivery once the need is identified. We demonstrate why a paradigm shift is required to de sign for responsiveness and to fully capture the value of re sponsiveness, by adopting a calendar-based design mindset (as opposed to the traditional clock-based design o ptimization). In the second case, we present a Mark ov model spacecraft failures and replacement that esti mates the cumulative utility provided by the operat ion of spacecraft over time. We focus on one of its main c onstitutive elements, the probability of replacing a failed spacecraft, that we refer to as “responsiveness par ameter”. The value of responsiveness is captured by analyzing the impact of changes in the responsivene ss parameter on the total utility provided to the u ser. Important trends and invariants are identified and discussed. We believe that the results presented in this work constitute an essential first step towards the quantification of the value of responsiveness, and should help convince various decision and policy-makers of the importance of responsive space.
The dynamic nature of autophagy in cancer

Macroautophagy (referred to hereafter as autophagy) is a highly regulated cellular process that serves to remove damaged proteins and organelles from the cell. Autophagy contributes to an array of normal and pathological processes, and has recently emerged as a key regulator of multiple aspects of cancer biology. The role of autophagy in cancer is complex and is likely dependent on tumor type, stage, and genetic context. This complexity is illustrated by the identification of settings where autophagy acts potently to either promote or inhibit tumorigenesis. In this review, I discuss the underlying basis for these opposing functions and propose a model suggesting a dynamic role for autophagy in malignancy. Collectively, the data point to autophagy as serving as a barrier to limit tumor initiation. Once neoplastic lesions are established, it appears that adaptive changes occur that now result in positive roles for autophagy in malignant progression and in subsequent tumor maintenance. Remarkably, constitutive activation of autophagy is critical for continued growth of some tumors, serving to both reduce oxidative stress and provide key intermediates to sustain cell metabolism. Autophagy is also induced in response to cancer therapies where it can function as a survival mechanism that limits drug efficacy. These findings have inspired significant interest in applying anti-autophagy therapies as an entirely new approach to cancer treatment. It is now apparent that aberrant control of autophagy is among the key hallmarks of cancer. While much needs to be learned about the regulation and context-dependent biological functions of autophagy, it seems clear that modulation of this process will be an attractive avenue for future cancer therapeutic approaches.
TLR2 and ERK signaling control macrophage responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the balance of inflammatory mechanisms and Th1 activation (INC7P.402)

Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of death and morbidity worldwide. The causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, has co-evolved with humanity and developed numerous immune evasion strategies to establish chronic, latent infection. These strategies include modification of anti-microbial responses and antigen processing and presentation by cells that harbor the pathogen, such as macrophages. In these studies, we demonstrate that inhibition of MHC class II, expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, and inhibition of maximal production of the Th1-inducing cytokine IL-12 are dependent on TLR2 and ERK signaling in macrophages following M. tuberculosis infection in vitro. Furthermore, macrophages deficient in the TLR2-ERK signaling pathway (macrophages deficient in Tpl2, the kinase that activates MEK/ERK downstream of TLR signaling) are more potent at activating antigen-specific CD4 T cells, enhance T cell expression of T-bet, a marker of Th1 differentiation, and induce more IFN-γ from activated T cells. These results collectively suggest that M. tuberculosis uses the TLR2-ERK signaling pathway in macrophages to facilitate its intracellular survival and prevent efficient elimination by antigen-specific, IFN-γ-producing T cells.
Some Controversies in Suicidology: Toward a Mentalistic Discipline.

The main assertion in this paper is that psychache (mental pain) has a life of its own and is separate from the study of the brain, the organ that cradles the processes of the mind. No amount of biologicizing or medicalizing suicide can gainsay the fact that the human impulse of self-destruction is a decision of mind to put an end to the flow of its own unbearable conscious contents, to stop the psychache. The explanations for suicidal actions lie in the Oxford English Dictionary, not in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Unless suicidology asserts and maintains the position that suicide is essentially psychachical, that the main focus of suicidal action is in the mind (as opposed to the mind's somatic abode, the brain), it will lose its identity and its usefulness. This is not just a quarrel over professional territory, money, or power; it is a philosophic war, a fight for the very soul of suicidology--and of the mind.
The postnatal development of the substantia nigra: a light and electron microscopy study.

The early postnatal development of neurons, dendrites, and synaptic connectivity in kitten substantia nigra (SN) was studied by light and electron microscopy. The compact and reticular divisions of the SN are present at birth but boundaries are indistinct. Most nigral neurons stain deeply in routine histological sections and their diameters increase slightly with age. Ultrastructurally, cell bodies are characterized by eccentrically located and often invaginated nuclei surrounded by cytoplasm rich in well-formed or-ganelles. Axosomatic synapses are infrequent and cell surfaces are enveloped by glial processes. Immature dendritic features, including growth cones and filiform processes, are commonly observed during the first 10 days. Gradually the dendritic profiles elongate and thicken and contours become smoother, retaining only scattered spinelike appendages. Clear examples of the three synaptic types described in cat are found in newborn kittens, but immature terminals contain fewer synaptic vesicles and mitochondria. Approximately 90% of synapses present at birth in both nigra subdivisions are Type I, which contain large pleomorphic vesicles and contact dendrites symmetrically. Asymmetrical contacts characterize most of the remaining definable synapses. The postnatal increase in synaptic connectivity, which was estimated from random photographs of pars reticulata neuropil, is twofold during the first 50 days of life. Initially young dendrites are enveloped by glia and then gradually become ensheathed by axon terminals. Synaptogenesis in pars reticulata reflects the postnatal increase of neostriatal inputs to this subdivision and can be correlated with functional changes in strionigral connectivity.
Abstract P212: Reduced High-Density Lipoprotein Efflux in Psoriasis Relates to Increased Coronary Plaque Burden by Quantitative CT Angiography

INTRODUCTION: Psoriasis is known to increase cardiovascular risk, possibly due to the presence of inflammatory, lipid-rich, non-calcified plaques in the coronary arteries. Psoriasis is also known to decrease HDL activity. However, whether having abnormal or low-functioning HDL increases arterial disease is currently unknown. HYPOTHESIS: We aimed to test our hypothesis that coronary plaque burden assessed by quantitative CT angiography is related to HDL efflux capacity and other cardiometabolic parameters in a well-phenotyped psoriasis cohort (NCT# 01778569). METHODS: Psoriasis patients (N=67) underwent coronary CT angiography (Toshiba 320 slice). Coronary plaque was assessed using QAngio CT (Medis, The Netherlands). Total (TB), dense calcium (DCB), and non-calcified burden (NCB) plaque indices were calculated by dividing total vessel plaque volume by total vessel length. We also performed deep phenotyping for lipid markers including HDL efflux capacity and other cardiometabolic parameters. RESULTS: The study population was middle aged (52.2 ± 12.4 yr), had relatively low Framingham Risk Score (median 4%, IQR 2-7%), and had normal Apo A1 (156 ± 26.3 mg/dL) and HDL levels (54 ± 17 mg/dL). However, HDL efflux capacity was similar to that in coronary artery disease (0.95 ± 0.17). In univariate regression, NCB increased as HDL efflux capacity decreased (β= -0.84, p=0.01) and was robust to adjustment for cardiometabolic risk factors (β= -0.67, p=0.03). Furthermore, when stratified by median HDL efflux (0.94), patients having lower HDL efflux capacity had higher TB and NCB (TB 3.80 ± 0.82, 4.17 ± 0.97 mm2, p=0.003; NCB 3.59 ± 0.68, 3.94 ± 0.75 mm2, p=0.001 in the low and high HDL efflux groups, respectively). Additional biologic relations in univariate regression are shown in Table 1. CONCLUSIONS: We show that HDL efflux is negatively associated with coronary plaque burden measured by quantitative CT angiography. Low HDL efflux may therefore be a strong biomarker for subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Enhanced and tunable resolution from an imperfect negative refractive index lens

Material loss diminishes the ability of a negative refractive index material to function as a superresolution lens. We find that the transmittance of a negative index slab can be greatly enhanced at a certain evanescent field spatial frequency if the imaginary parts of the permittivity and permeability in the slab can be tuned, even when the object, lens, and image domains have overall loss. This leads to a proposed method to image the far-subwavelength features of an object by reconstructing the evanescent part of its spectrum.
“The Sins of Name Calling”: Responses to Paula Deen’s Use of Ethnophaulisms

Although many think, or wish to think, that racism in the United States is part of our peripheral past, contemporary discourses of racial and ethnic relations suggest otherwise. Discussions of ethnicity and race are still at the forefront of public discourse. The recent publication of news articles citing celebrity chef Paula Deen’s use of ethnophaulisms and prejudiced talk resulted in thousands of user-generated comments and responses. This article purports, then, to highlight the current discourses of racial and ethnic relations as revealed through online responses to one particular ethnophaulism used by celebrity chef Paula Deen. Important to this discussion, however, is the interesting finding that comments made by readers spoke to larger “meta” discourses of language use: Users commented about contemporary American race and racial relations and how we use (or do not use) language with specific purposes and power in mind, rather than the specific case of Paula Deen’s utterance.
Item response theory analysis of Working Alliance Inventory, revised response format, and new Brief Alliance Inventory

AbstractObjective: The Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) has made great contributions to psychotherapy research. However, studies suggest the 7-point response format and 3-factor structure of the client version may have psychometric problems. This study used Rasch item response theory (IRT) to (a) improve WAI response format, (b) compare two brief 12-item versions (WAI-sr; WAI-s), and (c) develop a new 16-item Brief Alliance Inventory (BAI). Method: Archival data from 1786 counseling center and community clients were analyzed. Results: IRT findings suggested problems with crossed category thresholds. A rescoring scheme that combines neighboring responses to create 5- and 4-point scales sharply reduced these problems. Although subscale variance was reduced by 11–26%, rescoring yielded improved reliability and generally higher correlations with therapy process (session depth and smoothness) and outcome measures (residual gain symptom improvement). The 16-item BAI was designed to maximize “bandwidth” of item ...
LITTORAL IMPACT OF OCEAN CITY INLET, MARYLAND, USA

Ocean City Inlet, Maryland presents a data-rich site for evaluating the total littoral impact of an inlet system with a significant adjacent beach response. Analysis of adjacent beach and bay shoreline data, adjacent beach profiles, ebb and flood shoal evolution, and dredge/fill history provided a database with which the inlet's littoral impact to adjacent beaches was quantified. The even/odd method, which decomposes shoreline changes into their symmetric (even) and antisymmetric (odd) components about a point of significance, was applied to the volume change dataset. This analysis indicated a present-day (1996) alongshore impact distance of 8 to 13 km from the centerline of the inlet. A second method, which relates the total "inlet sink" volume to adjacent island (ocean and bay) volume change, was also applied. The total inlet sink volume ranged from 10.8 to 15.6 million m3, and reflects the volume of material captured by the inlet which is assumed to have been derived from adjacent beaches. The inlet sink method indicated that, at most, 10.8 million m3 can be realized within ±.14.2 km (data limit). The paper concludes that the alongshore impact of Ocean City Inlet most likely extends beyond ±.14.2 km.
β-Phocacholic Acid in Bile; Biochemical Evidence that the Flamingo is Related to an Ancient Goose

The biliary bile acid composition of 10 anseriform and three flamingo species was determined using a variety of chromatographic techniques. Some bile samples contained an unusual 23-hydroxylated derivative of chenodeoxycholic acid, (23R)-3a,7a,23-trihydroxy-50-cholan-24-oic acid (f-phocacholic acid). The proportion of this unusual bile acid correlated highly with the order of evolutionary appearance. f-Phocacholic acid was found to constitute a major proportion of biliary bile acids in three flamingo species. The bile acid spectra present in these flamingos were similar to those of several ducks from the subfamily Anatinae; those of the Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) were virtually identical to those of the Nene or Hawaiian Goose (Branta sandvicensis). It is suggested that the common presence of a new biochemical character, 0-phocacholic acid, in both ducks (Anatinae) and flamingos (Phoenicopteridae) provides evidence for a close evolutionary link between these bird families.
Numerical Investigation of Thermoelectric Topping Cycle in Coal Fired Power Plant Boiler

Traditional fossil fuel power generation process typically has low efficiency. Large amount of the energy loss in Rankine cycle steam turbines (ST) is due to the temperature difference between the combustion flame temperature ∼2250 K (adiabatic) and the high pressure steam temperature up to 900 K. This paper investigates the potential of harvesting this energy to produce additional electrical power using solid-state thermoelectric (TE) power generators placed into the gap between the flame temperature and the steam temperature. Three dimensional (3D) numerical model of a simplified TE module is developed. Different dimensions of fin added to the TE module were investigated to maximize the additional electrical power generation without sacrificing the boiler efficiency.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Neral and Geranial: Identification in a Colletid Bee

Notwithstanding the fact that substantial documentation has established the important role that pheromones play in the social biology of higher bees, there is a paucity of information on both the chemistry and occurrence of these social releasers in the lower bees. Kullenburg (1953), who classified the odors associated with bees of many genera, provided persuasive evidence for regarding solitary bees as a rich source of natural products. Species in many genera of solitary bees are associated with lemonlike odors (Shinn 1967) and that author has suggested that at least 1 of these apparent terpenoid secretions is utilized both as a pheromone and a defensive secretion. European species in the genus Hylaeus (as Prosopis ) are characterized by a very strong lemony fragrance (Shuckard 1866, Ferton 1901), as are North American members of this taxon. We report on the identity of the principal components in the mandibular gland secretion of Hylaeus cressoni (Cockerell).