cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Good Cop, Bad Cop: Using Cognitive Dissonance Theory to Reduce Police Lying

This article argues that lessons from the social psychology field of cognitive dissonance theory can be applied to create a successful police integrity training and mentoring program, one that matches rookie officers with cadets still in training at the police academy as a way to perpetuate honesty as an intrinsic police value and prevent good cops from turning bad.Cognitive dissonance is the tension that arises when one holds two conflicting beliefs or believes one way and then acts another. Dissonance is strongest when it involves a cognition about the self and behavior that violates that self-concept. Self-concept theory rests on the assumption that humans strive to maintain consistency between their own high concept of themselves, including their moral self-concept, and their behavior.If a person considers herself to be a moral person and commits an immoral act, she will experience dissonance. Reducing this dissonance will require her to rethink or justify her actions to make them more consistent with her self-concept by changing attitudes or behavior. Because it directly challenges a person’s image of herself, dissonance-based persuasion is a powerful behavior-altering force. Dissonance persuasion has been used successfully to change attitudes and behavior about energy conservation, condom use for AIDS prevention, weight reduction, and adolescent smoking.McClurg articulates a framework for police integrity programs based on the sponsorship model used effectively in 12-step recovery programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous — which unwittingly capitalize on the power of cognitive dissonance theory — that would provide an effective foundation for keeping police officers, most of whom begin their careers as honest and idealistic, from straying from their moral compasses.
Intrinsic reactivity profile of electrophilic moieties to guide covalent drug design: N-α-acetyl-L-lysine as an amine nucleophile

Covalent drugs contain a reactive electrophilic moiety or covalent reactive group (CRG), which forms an irreversible bond between the drug and a biological target. Consequently, the intrinsic reactivity of the CRG is an important consideration in the design of irreversible inhibitors. Although reactivity assessments of CRGs with sulfur nucleophiles, such as glutathione and cysteine have been reported, reactivity of these moieties with amine-containing nucleophiles is not well described. In this study, intrinsic reactivities were determined for a series of electrophiles (acrylamides, nitriles, cyanamides, sulfones, and sulfonamides) using N-α-acetyl-L-lysine as a model amine-based nucleophile and compared with results using glutathione (GSH). Since the e-amine of N-α-acetyl-L-lysine is protonated at neutral pH, reactions were carried out at pH 10.2. In addition to reporting rate data for reactions of CRGs with N-α-acetyl-L-lysine, elements of selectivity relative to thiol-containing nucleophiles are also be discussed.
Free thyroxine. An abbreviated practical assay.

Free or unbound thyroxine (FT4) in serum comprises less than .1% of total circulating thyroxine. This small fraction is thought to be responsible for the physiologic action of thyroxine. Protein-bound iodine (PBI) butanol-extractable iodine (BE1) T4 by column and T4 by competitive protein binding are all measurements of total T4 in serum. They usually reflect thyroid status. However during pregnancy and with estrogen therapy total T4 is elevated and is not an accurate measure of thyroid disease as FT4 levels remain normal. This report describes a simplified rapid reproducible procedure for determining FT4 in serum. A 3.5-hour dialysis technic in which serum was diluted and labeled with T4-125 iodine was used. Subsequent purification of the dialysate was done with protein-coated charcoal. The shortened dialysis period eliminated the effects of bacterial contamination noted by longer methods. The protein-coated charcoal purification of the dialysate is less complicated than those previously described. Results compared favorably. Details of preparation of reagents and technics employed are given. Blood specimens were obtained from hyperthyroid and hypothyroid patients pregnant women women using oral contraceptives and euthyroid women sick with diseases not known to affect thryoid function. Diluted radioactive serum was prepared for each patient. Repeated freezing and thawing of serum samples with repetition of tests had no significant effect on results. Values between the various groups of patients agree with those found by other workers. Thyroid function in pregnant women and in women using oral contraceptives is shown by FT4 not total T4. The method described is suitable for routine use in clinical laboratories.
Vulnerable Narcissism, Forgiveness, Humility, and Depression: Mediator Effects for Differentiation of Self

Vulnerable narcissism (VN), a central construct in Kohutian self-psychology, lags behind grandiose narcissism in the empirical research literature, yet a growing body of evidence suggests important implications for VN in relation to mental health and psychosocial functioning. Recent empirical research in the field of positive psychology has found negative associations between VN and the relational virtues of forgiveness and humility, while other studies have supported Kohut’s theorized connection between VN and depression. The current study tested a proposed theoretical model of the relations between VN and (a) interpersonal forgiveness, (b) humility, and (c) depression with differentiation of self (DoS) as a mediator of the effects in a sample of graduate students in the helping professions (N = 162) at a Protestant-affiliated university in the United States. VN was operationalized based on Self Psychology and utilizing measures of (a) idealization needs, (b) goal instability, and (c) hiding the self. The model in this study also draws on Kohutian and Bowenian understandings of DoS as an indicator of self-cohesion and capacities for self-regulation of emotions and interpersonal stress. Results based on Structural Equations Modeling supported the proposed theoretical model for 3 of the 4 measures of VN with DoS mediating the relationships between the predictor variables of approach idealization, goal instability, and hiding the self and the dependent variables of depression, forgiveness, and humility. The findings suggest the potential benefits of integrating research in psychoanalysis, family systems, and positive psychology. Implications are considered for future research, training of helping professionals, and clinical practice.
Band engineering in silicide alloys

A relatively low conductivity of PtSi is one of the impediments to its application as a contact material in semiconductor technology. In this paper, we discuss a possible strategy to control the conductivity of PtSi by manipulating the density of states at the Fermi level through alloying. Using density functional theory, we demonstrate theoretically that alloying PtSi with Ti substantially increases the number of conducting electrons and suggest possible ways to increase the Ti solubility limit. We identify a tertiary compound with the conducting electron concentration almost three times larger than that of bulk PtSi. We analyze the effect of Ti alloying on the work function of PtSi and its Schottky barrier height to Si, and we examine the effect of alloy scattering on PtSi conductivity.
Soft memory in a ferroelectric nanoparticle-doped liquid crystal.

A small quantity of ${\text{BaTiO}}_{3}$ ferroelectric nanoparticles (FNP) was doped in a liquid crystal (LC), and the LC + FNP hybrid was found to exhibit a nonvolatile electromechanical memory effect in the isotropic phase. The permanent dipole moment of the FNPs causes the LC molecule to form short-range pseudonematic domains surrounding the FNPs. The FNP-induced short-range orders become more prominent in the isotropic phase when the global nematic order is absent. These short-range domains, being anisotropic in nature, interact with an external electric field, exhibiting a Fr\'eedericksz-type transition. When the field is turned off, these domains stay oriented, showing a hysteresis effect due to the absence of any long-range order and restoring forces in the isotropic phase. The hysteresis graph for this memory effect shows a significant pretransitional behavior on approaching the nematic phase from the isotropic phase.
Analysis of the monitoring results of summer food safety in Beidaihe of Hebei province in 2010

Objective:To understand the status of summer food safety in Beidaihe of Hebei province.Methods: According to the monitoring scheme made by Hebei Food Safety Office and the sampling plan made by Hebei Center for Disease Control and Prevention,drinking water,dairy,cooked meat,steeping in water for reconstitution and dried seafood and salad for 59 test items were monitored in Beidaihe area.Results: The total qualified rate of the 180 samples in 5 types was 55.56%.While the qualified rates were 100%,80.00%,70.00%,27.50%,10.00% respectively for every type of samples.Conclusion: The qualified rates of drinking water,steeping in water for reconstitution and dried seafood and dairy were higher,but that of the cooked meat and salad was lower.Summer food saftey remained to be strengthened and improved.
Putting medical practice guidelines into practice: the cholesterol model.

As more and more medical practice guidelines are developed in the United States, commensurate evaluation efforts should assess their impact on professional practice and patient outcomes. We describe an ongoing research program designed to develop and test practice models for applying the 1988 Adult Treatment Panel Guidelines for the clinical management of high blood cholesterol. Four studies are evaluating different models to assist nonacademic community practices in the detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood cholesterol. We have designed randomized controlled trials set in solo and small-group primary care practices of family or general practitioners and internists situated in rural, suburban, and urban settings. Patients include adult men and women who represent diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. We are measuring rates of cholesterol screening; dietary and drug treatment and follow-up; changes in dietary intake and compliance with drug therapy; changes in quality of life and cost of intervention; and reduction in cholesterol level. Scheduled for completion in 1994, this program will provide insights into practical and effective methods of lipid management. It serves as a model for studying the application of health guidelines in the context of nonacademic primary care practices serving diverse patient populations. [Am J Prev Med 1994;10:209–16]
Preoperative risk stratification of children with ovarian tumors

Abstract Background The appropriate operative approach to pediatric patients with ovarian tumors must balance real risk of malignancy with maximal preservation of reproductive potential. We evaluate preoperative risk of malignancy in order to more precisely guide treatment, so as to err on the side of ovarian preservation if at all possible. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the records of all patients undergoing surgical intervention for ovarian tumors at a single institution. The primary endpoint was ovarian malignancy. Results Of 502 patients who underwent surgery for ovarian tumors, 44 (8.8%) had malignancies. Malignancy rate (95% confidence interval) was low for cystic lesions Conclusions We developed a decision strategy to help determine who may and may not require an ovarian-sparing approach, which warrants prospective application and validation. Ultimately, the decision to pursue an oncologic surgery with oophorectomy and staging (as opposed to fertility-preserving surgery) should be made after individualized discussion involving the surgeon, patient, and family.
Sleep Duration and Area-Level Deprivation in Twins.

STUDY OBJECTIVES We used quantitative genetic models to assess whether area-level deprivation as indicated by the Singh Index predicts shorter sleep duration and modifies its underlying genetic and environmental contributions. METHODS Participants were 4,218 adult twin pairs (2,377 monozygotic and 1,841 dizygotic) from the University of Washington Twin Registry. Participants self-reported habitual sleep duration. The Singh Index was determined by linking geocoding addresses to 17 indicators at the census-tract level using data from Census of Washington State and Census Tract Cartographic Boundary Files from 2000 and 2010. Data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate genetic decomposition and quantitative genetic interaction models that assessed A (additive genetics), C (common environment), and E (unique environment) main effects of the Singh Index on sleep duration and allowed the magnitude of residual ACE variance components in sleep duration to vary with the Index. RESULTS The sample had a mean age of 38.2 y (standard deviation [SD] = 18), and was predominantly female (62%) and Caucasian (91%). Mean sleep duration was 7.38 h (SD = 1.20) and the mean Singh Index score was 0.00 (SD = 0.89). The heritability of sleep duration was 39% and the Singh Index was 12%. The uncontrolled phenotypic regression of sleep duration on the Singh Index showed a significant negative relationship between area-level deprivation and sleep length (b = -0.080, P < 0.001). Every 1 SD in Singh Index was associated with a ∼4.5 min change in sleep duration. For the quasi-causal bivariate model, there was a significant main effect of E (b(0E) = -0.063; standard error [SE] = 0.30; P < 0.05). Residual variance components unique to sleep duration were significant for both A (b(0Au) = 0.734; SE = 0.020; P < 0.001) and E (b(0Eu) = 0.934; SE = 0.013; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Area-level deprivation has a quasi-causal association with sleep duration, with greater deprivation being related to shorter sleep. As area-level deprivation increases, unique genetic and nonshared environmental residual variance in sleep duration increases.
TU-H-CAMPUS-JeP3-02: Automated Dose Accumulation and Dose Accuracy Assessment for Online Or Offline Adaptive Replanning

Purpose: With introduction of high-quality treatment imaging during radiation therapy (RT) delivery, e.g., MR-Linac, adaptive replanning of either online or offline becomes appealing. Dose accumulation of delivered fractions, a prerequisite for the adaptive replanning, can be cumbersome and inaccurate. The purpose of this work is to develop an automated process to accumulate daily doses and to assess the dose accumulation accuracy voxel-by-voxel for adaptive replanning. Methods: The process includes the following main steps: 1) reconstructing daily dose for each delivered fraction with a treatment planning system (Monaco, Elekta) based on the daily images using machine delivery log file and considering patient repositioning if applicable, 2) overlaying the daily dose to the planning image based on deformable image registering (DIR) (ADMIRE, Elekta), 3) assessing voxel dose deformation accuracy based on deformation field using predetermined criteria, and 4) outputting accumulated dose and dose-accuracy volume histograms and parameters. Daily CTs acquired using a CT-on-rails during routine CT-guided RT for sample patients with head and neck and prostate cancers were used to test the process. Results: Daily and accumulated doses (dose-volume histograms, etc) along with their accuracies (dose-accuracy volume histogram) can be robustly generated using the proposed process. The test data for a head and neck cancer case shows that the gross tumor volume decreased by 20% towards the end of treatment course, and the parotid gland mean dose increased by 10%. Such information would trigger adaptive replanning for the subsequent fractions. The voxel-based accuracy in the accumulated dose showed that errors in accumulated dose near rigid structures were small. Conclusion: A procedure as well as necessary tools to automatically accumulate daily dose and assess dose accumulation accuracy is developed and is useful for adaptive replanning. Partially supported by Elekta, Inc.
Why Do Inventors Sell to Patent Trolls? Experimental Evidence for the Asymmetry Hypothesis

Why do individual patent holders assign their patents to "trolls" rather than license their technologies directly to manufacturers or assert them through litigation? We explore the hypothesis that an asymmetry in financial resources between individual patent holders and manufacturers prevents individuals from making a credible threat to litigate against infringement. First, individuals may not be able to cover the upfront costs associated with litigation. Second, unsuccessful litigation can result in legal fees so large as to bankrupt the individual. Therefore, a primary reason why individual patent holders sell to PAEs is that they offer insurance and liquidity. We test this hypothesis by experimentally manipulating these financial constraints on a representative sample of inventors and entrepreneurs affiliated with academic institutions that are particularly known for their innovative activity: Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. We find that in the absence of these constraints, subjects were significantly less likely to sell their patent to a PAE in a hypothetical scenario. Furthermore, treatment effects were significant only for subjects who were hypothesized to be most sensitive to these constraints.
1H NMR Studies of Calmodulin-Peptide Interactions

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the results of NMR studies of five calmodulin (CaM)-binding peptides aimed at determining the existence and the nature of peptide-induced conformational changes in CaM. Titrations were performed at a CaM concentration of 0.5 mM in the NMR tube. In their original characterization of M13 as a CaM-binding domain, Blumenthal et al. noted that the peptide sequence exhibited α-helical probability >1 for residues 1–18. The results indicate that a single high-affinity species of peptide-CaM complex is formed and that the conformation of both the peptide and CaM are markedly altered upon complex formation, thus supporting our earlier conclusions based on the 27-residue peptide M13. The NMR results obtained for the CaM-binding peptides are more complex. The demonstration that different peptides induce different conformational changes in CaM provides the first structural evidence for a model for CaM-target enzyme interactions in which an enzyme-specific conformational change in CaM plays an important role in the enzyme's activation.
Nonlinear dynamic behavior of thin PCB board for solder joint reliability study under shock loading

Solder joint reliability under shock loading condition has been a concern over the years especially with constant reductions in the characteristic dimensions of the package and the solder joint. With the impeding transition to lead free solder, attention has moved from temperature cycle failure to mechanical shock failure. A method has been developed that employs a specially designed shock test board (STB) to characterize the solder joint performance as a function of board surface strain. This unique test board can be adapted to a wide range of test and boundary conditions. Using this board, a range of shock inputs is tested to establish correlation of the dynamic response and solder joint damage severity. This method can be used to characterize solder joint performance at the component level, early in development. One can also provide board strain based design limits guide system design and prevent late discovery of solder joint issues. Modal analysis based and explicit time integration finite element models have been used to supplement understanding of the board response after shock loading. The shock model demonstrates good correlation of the strain on the thick board while thin board shows challenges in modeling prediction where nonlinear behavior observed. The modeling data also suggested that the maximum principal stress at the solder joint interface is a good failure criterion as it maps well with the actual failure region found.
Early poverty exposure predicts young adult educational outcomes in China

Abstract Comparative research suggests that poverty in childhood, and especially in the early years, impedes educational attainment. With longitudinal data from China, we estimate hazard models of dropping out of school in young adulthood with two dynamic measures of childhood poverty: poverty spell indicators that distinguish poverty in early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence, and poverty indices that measure the depth of poverty and distinguish chronic from transient poverty. Four main results emerge: 1) Children who experience spells in poverty leave school at a higher rate than others, even adjusting for poverty in later periods; 2) Transient poverty is more widespread, and shows a greater negative association with school-leaving, than chronic poverty; 3) Early childhood poverty shows greater negative associations with education outcomes than poverty in later periods; and 4) Girls may be more susceptible than boys to early poverty. We further test two possible mechanisms of impact: early nutrition poverty and school fees. While lower protein intake at an early stage of life is related to poorer educational outcomes in young adulthood, adjusting for nutritional deprivation does not attenuate the associations of early transient income poverty. Results do not suggest that cohorts that experienced school-fee abolishment policies experienced different poverty effects than other cohorts.
A three-parameter two-state model of receptor function that incorporates affinity, efficacy, and signal amplification

A generalized model of receptor function is proposed that relies on the essential assumptions of the minimal two-state receptor theory (i.e., ligand binding followed by receptor activation), but uses a different parametrization and allows nonlinear response (transduction) for possible signal amplification. For the most general case, three parameters are used: Kd, the classic equilibrium dissociation constant to characterize binding affinity; e, an intrinsic efficacy to characterize the ability of the bound ligand to activate the receptor (ranging from 0 for an antagonist to 1 for a full agonist); and γ, a gain (amplification) parameter to characterize the nonlinearity of postactivation signal transduction (ranging from 1 for no amplification to infinity). The obtained equation, E/Emax=eγLeγ+1−eL+Kd, resembles that of the operational (Black and Leff) or minimal two-state (del Castillo-Katz) models, E/Emax=τLτ+1L+Kd, with eγ playing a role somewhat similar to that of the τ efficacy parameter of those models, but has several advantages. Its parameters are more intuitive as they are conceptually clearly related to the different steps of binding, activation, and signal transduction (amplification), and they are also better suited for optimization by nonlinear regression. It allows fitting of complex data where receptor binding and response are measured separately and the fractional occupancy and response are mismatched. Unlike the previous models, it is a true generalized model as simplified forms can be reproduced with special cases of its parameters. Such simplified forms can be used on their own to characterize partial agonism, competing partial and full agonists, or signal amplification.
Offshore Plankton and Benthos of the Gulf of Mexico

Ecosystem components at the bottom of oceanic food webs (phytoplankton, zooplankton, mid-water fishes, and seafloor organisms) are tabulated and mapped. Sessile communities in hard bottom habitats, including the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, are also reviewed. Some of the foundation species have symbiotic bacteria that use methane as a source of energy and carbon, but others (the vestimentiferan worms) use sulfide for energy. The inner continental shelf habitats are supplied with nutrients from numerous rivers, and thus, the biota nearshore is supported by phytoplankton enriched in nitrate. The freshwater and nitrate supplied to the Louisiana coast by the Mississippi River are so large that they overwhelm the ecosystem, and a large zone of detrimental hypoxia forms consistently during summer months off Louisiana. The size of the hypoxic zone is directly proportional to river flow volume and the delivery of nitrate. The broad continental slope south of Texas and Louisiana is riddled with numerous basins that are tens of kilometers in diameter and hundreds of meters deep relative to the surrounding slope, but the habitats in each can vary from lakes of oil and salt surrounded by dense populations of mussels to simple depauperate mud-lined basins. Offshore of the continental shelf, the productivity and species composition of the plankton of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem are controlled by the source water (Caribbean) and concomitant physical processes.
Use of Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorter for Screening Mutant Cells

Until recently, virtually all measurements of cellular mutation frequencies have been based on clonogenic assays. In fact, clonogenicity has been considered essential for the legitimate identification of mutant cells because it confirms the transmissbility of the variant phenotype. However, largely because of the apparent connection between somatic mutagenesis and carcinogenesis, it has become important to measure mutational injury in samples of normal somatic cells that generally have little or no replicative capacity. As a result, a number of efforts are underway to develop nonclonogenic mutation assays applicable to cells obtained from in vivo tissue samples and to find alternative means for authenticating the mutant pedigree of detected cells.
Abstract 3223: Novel tubulin inhibitor DJ101 targets the colchicine binding site and suppresses melanoma growth and metastasis

Interfering with microtubule dynamics is a validated approach for anticancer treatment and by selectively targeting the colchicine binding site on tubulin, microtubule destabilizing agents can evade mechanisms of drug resistance that commonly develop with other antimitotic agents such as taxanes and vinca alkaloids. We have recently reported the discovery of a potent and metabolically stable tubulin inhibitor (DJ101) that specifically targets the colchicine binding site on the beta tubulin subunit, disrupts tubulin polymerization and effectively circumvents drug efflux pumps that decrease the efficacy of existing tubulin inhibitors. To further pre-clinically evaluate DJ101 as a novel tubulin inhibitor and confirm its mechanism of action, we first visually demonstrated the ability of DJ101 to disrupt microtubule dynamics and elucidated the changes in microtubule structure and cell morphology through immunofluorescence techniques. Furthermore, we solved the crystal structure of DJ101 in complex with tubulin to determine its molecular interactions with the protein. We then demonstrated the significant in vitro potency of DJ101 against a panel of metastatic melanoma cell lines harboring major clinically relevant mutations observed in tumors and also validated its cytotoxicity against a broader array of NCI-60 cell lines. Further analysis revealed that DJ101 effectively thwarted anchorage-dependent melanoma colony formation and drastically hindered cell mobility and motility of those cancer cells. We further ascertained that DJ101 shows negligible off-target effects for major physiologically important receptors and ion channels, suggesting a good safety profile. Encouraged by the preliminary results from our in vitro assessment, we evaluated the in vivo activity of DJ101 in two different mouse models. At a dose of 30 mg/kg via i.p. injections, DJ101 nearly completely suppressed tumor growth in a human A375 melanoma xenograft model. It also appreciably inhibited metastasis potential in a murine B16F10 lung metastasis model at the same dose. In conclusion, we have described a microtubule destabilizing agent that targets the colchicine binding site on tubulin, confirmed its mechanism action, determined its potency in a vast array of cancer cell lines, particularly metastatic melanoma, demonstrated its inhibitory effect on cellular proliferation, motility and migration, and evaluated its anticancer potential in terms of tumor growth inhibition and metastasis in two in vivo models. Our findings offer a compelling rationale to further develop and advance DJ101 as a tubulin inhibitor for cancer therapy. Citation Format: Kinsie Arnst, Dong-Jin Hwang, Duane D. Miller, Wei Li. Novel tubulin inhibitor DJ101 targets the colchicine binding site and suppresses melanoma growth and metastasis [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 3223. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3223
Epistemological motivations for anti-realism

Anti-realism is often claimed to be preferable to realism on epistemological grounds: while realists have difficulty explaining how we can ever know claims if we are realists about it, anti-realism faces no analogous problem. This paper focuses on anti-realism about normativity to investigate this alleged advantage to anti-realism in detail. I set up a framework in which a version of anti-realism explains a type of modal reliability that appears to be epistemologically promising, and plausibly explains the appearance of an epistemological advantage to realism. But, I argue, this appearance is illusory, and on closer investigation the anti-realist view does not succeed in explaining the presence of familiar epistemological properties for normative belief like knowledge or the absence of defeat. My conclusion on the basis of this framework is that there is a tension in the anti-realist view between the urge to idealize the conditions in which normative beliefs ground normative facts, and a robust kind of reliability that normative belief can have if the anti-realist resists these idealizations.
Novel vaccination of supplementing live attenuated influenza vaccine with M2 ectodomain tandem repeat to confer universal protection (VAC8P.1051)

Current influenza vaccines including live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) do not provide cross-protection against drift and potential pandemic strains. We hypothesized that supplementing LAIV with a highly conserved protective antigenic target M2 ectodomain (M2e) would confer broad cross-protection by inducing humoral and cellular immune responses to conserved antigenic targets (M2e, NP), overcoming strain-specific protection of current vaccines. Intranasal vaccination with LAIV (A/NL/09/H1N1) supplemented with tandem repeat M2e containing virus-like particles (M2e5x VLPs) induced M2- and H1N1 virus-specific antibodies. Upon heterosubtypic challenge with pandemic potential rgA/H5N1 virus, we found that M2e5x VLP supplemented LAIV immune mice showed significantly improved heterosubtypic protection by preventing weight loss and lowering lung viral titers compared to the LAIV alone group inducing poor heterosubtypic immunity. Further mechanistic studies on heterosubtypic immunity suggest that recall T cell responses to M2e and nucleoprotein as well as systemic and mucosal M2e antibodies were found to be major heterosubtypic immune correlates. Therefore, this study demonstrates a novel vaccination strategy to confer universal protection by supplementing current strain-specific vaccines with a highly conserved cross protective antigenic target M2e5x VLPs.
Outcomes, Reflection, and Next Steps

Successful promotion is institutional validation of achievements. Promotion may bring rewards and/or increased responsibilities. Successful applicants should use their experience to provide feedback on the process and to mentor other faculty members in future cycles. Failure to obtain a requested promotion should prompt efforts to obtain feedback and analyze the application in order to identify problems in presentation and/or content and determine an appropriate course of action. The options open to unsuccessful applicants are determined by institutional policies but commonly include appeal, resubmission in a subsequent cycle, and change of track. The time frame to appeal a decision may be limited and the grounds restricted to demonstrating failure of process. Denial of tenure is a serious situation that may trigger non-reappointment. Courtesy, civility, and professionalism are essential in managing both denial and award of academic promotion.
Contesting Religion: African Religious Leaders in Sexual Politics

Religious leaders’ negative public statements on homosexuality can influence the politics related to homosexuality in Christian and Islamic Africa. As these faiths grow in numbers and political influence, politicians in need of votes side with anti-gay actors. The politicization of homosexuality increases the domestic profiles of religious leaders in domestic politics and, to some extent, global church politics. To make this case, I employ the Vatican, Pope Francis, Protestants, and US conservatives as an illustration of the transnational nature of Christian-influenced sexual politics. Against claims of imperialism, I argue that anti-gay global North actors perceive themselves as protecting non-Westerner anti-gay advocates and Africa from the global homosexual and gender ideology agenda. Protective homophobia, I conclude, is fostering ecumenical and interfaith relations while developing a democratic culture in sub-Saharan Africa.
Demonstrating Their Freedom: The Post-Emancipation Migration of Black Americans

Why did newly freed slaves and their descendants wait a half century before migrating in large numbers to the superior economic opportunities in the North? Census lifetime migration data on both movers and stayers are examined intertemporally for both whites and blacks. Regression analysis reveals that before 1920 Southern blacks has a very strong affinity for the "Southern way of life." We hypothesize that changes in the relationship between actual and expected economic welfare over time lead to a decline in that affinity. Aside from regional affinity, black migrants responded strongly to economic stimuli, including wages, job opportunities, and information costs.
Abstract 037: Role of Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) Specific PTP1B in Differential Regulation of Blood Pressure, Liver Lipid Accumulation and Glucose Tolerance in Response to a High Fat Diet

Obese subjects are often resistant to leptin’s metabolic effects although blood pressure (BP) and sympathetic nervous system responses appear to be preserved. Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), a negative regulator of leptin signaling, may play a role in promoting this selective leptin resistance and causing metabolic dysfunction in obesity. Our previous studies suggest that the chronic BP responses to leptin are mediated via activation of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons. The goal of this study was to determine if PTP1B in POMC neurons differentially controls metabolic functions and BP in mice fed a high fat diet (HFD). Male mice with POMC specific PTP1B deletion (POMC/PTP1B -/- ) and littermate controls (PTP1B flox/flox ) were fed a HFD from 6 to 22 wks of age. Baseline BP after 16 weeks of a HFD (95±2 vs. 95±3 mmHg) and BP responses to acute stress (Δ32±0 vs. Δ32±6 mmHg), measured by telemetry, were not different in POMC/PTP1B -/- compared to control mice, respectively. Heart rate (HR) was not different in POMC/PTP1B -/- and control mice during acute stress (699±4 vs. 697±15 bpm, respectively). Total body weight (TBW) and fat mass were reduced at 20 weeks of age in POMC/PTP1B -/- compared to controls (36.7±0.1 vs. 42.0±1 g TBW and 12.7±0.4 vs. 16.1±1.0 g fat mass, respectively). Liver weight of POMC/PTP1B -/- mice was less than in controls, and this was evident even when liver weight was normalized as % of TBW (4.5±0.2 vs. 5.0±0.2 %). POMC/PTP1B -/- males had reduced liver lipid accumulation compared to controls as measured by EchoMRI (0.08±0.03 vs. 0.15±0.03 g/g liver weight). Glucose tolerance was also improved by 46% in POMC/PTP1B -/- compared to controls as measured by AUC, 25856±1683 vs. 47267±5616 mg/dLx120min, respectively. These findings indicate that PTP1B signaling in POMC neurons plays a crucial role in regulating liver lipid accumulation and glucose tolerance but does not appear to mediate changes in BP or BP responses to acute stress in mice fed a high HFD (supported by NHLBI-PO1HL51971 and NIGMS P20GM104357)
Multiemployer plans: evaluating a proposal to spread the pain

The Multiemployer Pension Reform Act (MPRA) allows multiemployer plans facing insolvency to apply for approval from the Treasury to cut accrued benefits of plan members to prolong plan solvency—a departure from the benefit protections of Employee Retirement Income Security Act. To assess the law's impact, this paper models Central States Teamsters – by far the largest – plan to have applied under the new law to reduce benefits. Using a stochastic model of future investment returns, the probability of insolvency within 10 years drops from 50% (without cuts) to 6% (with cuts). While benefit cuts increase the overall welfare of participants by extending the plan's life, the welfare of younger retirees (under age 75) worsens and welfare of workers improves.
Model Uncertainty and the Crisis in Science

The “crisis in science” today is rooted in genuine problems of model uncertainty and lack of transparency. Researchers estimate a large number of models in the course of their research but only pub...
LOCAL SPACE APPROXIMATION METHODS FOR CORRELATED ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE CALCULATIONS IN LARGE DELOCALIZED SYSTEMS THAT ARE LOCALLY PERTURBED

Rigorous electronic structure calculations including correlation at all common levels of theory are feasible for large delocalized systems that are locally perturbed using the generic local space approximation (LSA). The basic ideas involved in the LSA are reviewed in the context of a single determinant Hartree-Fock or Kohn-Sham treatment. It is, then, shown how this treatment can be extended so as to explicitly incorporate local many-body interactions. For a problem such as a catalytic reaction on a metal surface the translational symmetry of the bare metal can be readily exploited. Several ‘proof of the method’ studies are discussed which demonstrate that accuracy improves monotonically as the size of the local region is increased and that the initial rate of convergence is rapid.
Faith in Politics: Conclusion: toward a better sort of liberal democracy

Few issues seem to vex liberal political theorists as much as those concerning religion's place in contemporary democratic political life. In one sense, the continuing controversies are surprising. It is as settled as anything can be, after all, that political authorities may not coerce citizens into professions of faith and that church and state, even if they need not be separated as strongly as they are in the United States, must be distinct enough to give one another “freedom of movement.” Religious liberty is a “first liberty” without which no state can reasonably be called liberal or democratic. Its benefits, both political and religious, are so obvious and attractive that religious traditions long thought inimical to its charms have become significant, perhaps leading, proponents of its protection and expansion. In another sense, however, the controversies should not surprise us. Though Locke was right to suggest that declining to make the state responsible for securing our religious salvation would lower the temperature of political conflicts, he was wrong to think that the conflicts would be rare. Religions have always had something to say about the way we ought to dress, what foods we should (or should not) eat, how we should raise our children and care for our elderly, how we should make and spend our money, and how we should identify and treat our neighbor.
Cryosurgery for Common Skin Conditions

Cryosurgery is a highly effective treatment for a broad range of benign skin problems. With appropriate instruction and supervised experience, family physicians can master the technique quickly. Cryosurgery is best suited for use in patients with light skin and for treatment of lesions in most non-hair-bearing areas of the body. Spray methods include the timed spot freeze technique, the rotary or spiral pattern, and the paintbrush method. Benign skin lesions that are suitable for freezing include actinic keratosis, solar lentigo, seborrheic keratosis, viral wart, molluscum contagiosum, and dermatofibroma. Cryosurgery requires little time and fits easily into the physician's office schedule. Advantages of this treatment include a short preparation time, low risk of infection, and minimal wound care. In addition, cryosurgery requires no expensive supplies or injectable anesthesia, and the patient does not have to return for suture removal. Potential side effects include bleeding, blister formation, headache, hair loss, and hypopigmentation, but rarely scarring. Skin lesions often can be treated in a single session, although some require several treatments.
Effects of translational position error on microwave synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging systems

Translational position error in imaging systems can cause significant imaging quality degradation or image distortion. In this study, effects of translational position error in microwave SAR imaging system is investigated and evaluated by defining three image quality metrics. Extensive simulations are performed, in X-Band (8.2–12.4 GHz), to show the relationship between image quality and translational position error. Simulation results show that the imaging quality degrades with increasing position errors, and the sensitivity to translational position error increases as the standoff distance decreases. Measurements are also performed in X-Band for a 1D SAR imaging system. The measured results show good agreement with the simulated results. The methodology proposed in this study could be used to evaluate the feasibility or help define the required specifications of a microwave SAR imaging system for a specific application.
Hod up to ADR+Θ is measurable

Abstract Suppose M is a transitive class size model of A D R + “Θ is regular” . M is a minimal model of A D R + “Θ is measurable” if (i) R , O r d ⊆ M (ii) there is μ ∈ M such that M ⊨ “ μ is a normal R -complete measure on Θ” and (iii) for any transitive class size N ⊊ M such that R ⊆ N , N ⊨ “there is no R -complete measure on Θ” . Continuing Trang's work in [8] , we compute HOD of a minimal model of A D R + “Θ is measurable” .
In vivo detection of free radicals in rats with LPS-induced encephalopathy using molecular-targeted MRI and treatment with the anti-inflammatory agent, OKN-007

It is known that long-term neuroinflammation is correlated with vascular and cognitive impairment. Sepsis is a severe acute systemic inflammatory reaction to circulating bacterial toxins, and is a serious and potentially fatal illness, that can result in multi-organ dysfunction and failure. In this study, we used a rat model for septic encephalopathy to induce inflammation and assess in vivo levels of free radicals in non-treated and OKN-007-treated rats. In vivo free radical levels were assessed using immuno-spin trapping coupled with molecular-targeted MRI (mtMRI). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to induce encephalopathy. Rats (male; n=10 anti-DMPO (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide)-albumin-Gd-DTPA-biotin (anti-DMPO-probe) (n=5 saline-treated; n=5 LPS-exposed; 24 hours), and n=10 anti-DMPO-albumin-Gd-DTPA-biotin (anti-DMPO-probe) (n=5 saline-treated; n=5 LPS-exposed; 1 week), were anesthetized with isoflurane for LPS or saline administration (i.p.), and for MRI scans. A targeted contrast agent probe for DMPO trapped free radicals was used to obtain trapped macromolecular free radical images. Multiple brain region MR image slices were obtained. Rat brains were imaged at pre-contrast and at several intervals post-contrast agent injection. T1-weighted images were also obtained. Pixel-by-pixel relaxation maps were reconstructed from a series of T1-weighted images using a nonlinear two-parameter fitting procedure. The T1 value of a specified region-of-interest (ROI) was computed from all the pixels in the identified ROIs. mtMRI was able to demonstrate increased free radical levels in LPS-exposed rat brains at both 24 hours and 1 week post-LPS administration, compared to saline-treated controls, and decreased free radical levels 1 week after OKN-007 treatment. Data indicates the feasibility of conducting in vivo mtMR imaging for free radical levels in a rat model for encephalopathy begfore and after treatment with the anti-inflammatory agent, OKN-007. Here we used mtMRI to show for the first time non-invasive in vivo detection of free radical levels associated with endotoxia-induced encephalopathy, and the effect of a therapeutic intervention.
Dormant origin signaling during unperturbed replication

Mechanisms that limit origin firing are essential as the ˜50,000 origins that replicate the human genome in unperturbed cells are chosen from an excess of ˜500,000 licensed origins. Computational models of the spatiotemporal pattern of replication foci assume that origins fire stochastically with a domino-like progression that places later firing origins near recent fired origins. These stochastic models of origin firing require dormant origin signaling that inhibits origin firing and suppresses licensed origins for passive replication at a distance of ∼7-120 kbp around replication forks. ATR and CHK1 kinase inhibitors increase origin firing and increase origin density in unperturbed cells. Thus, basal ATR and CHK1 kinase-dependent dormant origin signaling inhibits origin firing and there appear to be two thresholds of ATR kinase signaling. A minority of ATR molecules are activated for ATR and CHK1 kinase-dependent dormant origin signaling and this is essential for DNA replication in unperturbed cells. A majority of ATR molecules are activated for ATR and CHK1 kinase-dependent checkpoint signaling in cells treated with DNA damaging agents that target replication forks. Since ATR and CHK1 kinase inhibitors increase origin firing and this is associated with fork stalling and extensive regions of single-stranded DNA, they are DNA damaging agents. Accordingly, the sequence of administration of ATR and CHK1 kinase inhibitors and DNA damaging agents may impact the DNA damage induced by the combination and the efficacy of cell killing by the combination.
Do Periplasmic Oligosaccharides Provide a Role in the Osmotic Adaptation of Gram-Negative Bacteria?

A wide diversity of Gram-negative bacteria has been shown to strictly osmoregulate the biosynthesis of anionic periplasmic oligosaccharides. Specifically, the concentrations of these oligosaccharides and their counterions increase when cells are grown in media of low osmolarity. Based on the amounts of these oligosaccharides, their presence should substantially influence periplasmic osmotic strength and volume. In addition, the development of a Donnan potential across the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria should also derive largely from the concentrations of these anionic periplasmic oligosaccharides. This paper provides a review of several studies which indicate that the cell-envelope structure of Gram-negative bacteria is influenced greatly by the presence of periplasmic oligosaccharides. The possible role for these compounds in the osmotic adaptation of Gram-negative bacteria is also considered.