cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Generation and metabolism of lipoxygenase products in normal and membrane-damaged cultured human keratinocytes

Abstract The production and metabolism of lipoxygenase eicosanoids were studied in cultured human keratinocytes. The identity of these eicosanoid structures was established by a variety of chromatographic and analytical techniques. Normal cultured keratinocytes did not produce lipoxygenase eicosanoids either spontaneously or when given arachidonic acid in the presence of permeabilizing concentrations of ethanol or dimethyl sulfoxide. Freeze-thawing of human neonatal and adult keratinocytes resulted in a rapid release of linoleic and arachidonic acids over time. Activation of a latent 15-lipoxygenase was demonstrated by the synthesis of 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) and 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid, and both these products were greatly increased in amount when the corresponding fatty acid precursor was added. Eicosanoid production by cells of newborn and adult origin was indistinguishable. Rapid metabolism of exogenous 15-HETE by normal keratinocytes was observed. Measurable quantities of esterified 15-HETE were found after 1 min, but by 18–20 hall the esterified 15-HETE was degraded to the extent that 80% of the recovered radioactivity was found in water-soluble form. In contrast, when labeled or unlabeled 5-HETE was used a much larger fraction was esterified intact (30% as opposed to 10%) and at the end of 18–20 hours a substantial peak of esterified 5-HETE remained. Intact esterified [ 3 H]HETE were recovered only in the triacylglycerol fraction. The key findings that ω-6 lipoxygenase products are generated but not esterified by membrane-damaged keratinocytes, whereas these products are esterified but not generated by normal keratinocytes, may be of importance in transcellular metabolic control.
Partial isolation of the suprachiasmatic nuclei: effects on circadian rhythms of rat drinking behavior.

Abstract The rat's daily pattern of contact with a drinking tube was observed in a light-dark cycle (LD 12:12) and in constant light (LL) after partial isolation of the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) with a wire microknife that transected their lateral, dorsal, and caudal connections or the passage of a wire microknife through the SCN. Animals whose SCN had been partially isolated remained entrained to an LD cycle and phase shifted drinking behavior when the LD cycle was delayed 4 hr. Disintegration of circadian rhytmicity was observed when these rats were exposed to LL. Passage of the knife through the SCN resulted in immediate and persistent disruption of circadian rhythmicity as severe as that seen after electrolytic lesions of the SCN. These data confirm the necessity of the SCN in regulating circadian behavior and suggest that the SCN may mediate entrainment and freerunning rhythms via different neural systems.
Physically based methodology for generating LAI and FPAR earth system data records from AVHRR and MODIS

We have developed and tested a physically based approach, rooted in the theory of stochastic radiative transfer within vegetation, for generating a seamless time series of LAI and FPAR fields from AVHRR NDVI data and MODIS reflectance data. Our goal is to: (i) develop a theoretical formulation that results in consistent LAI and FPAR fields from satellite data of varying spectral and spatial resolutions, and (ii) assess the uncertainties in the generated fields due to differences in quality and information content of AVHRR and MODIS sensors. Our results suggests that single scattering albedo and overall relative uncertainty of input surface reflectances and/ or NDVI are configurable parameters in governing the accuracy of LAI/FPAR retrievals from NDVI as an input. Single scattering albedo accounts for differences in both spatial and spectral resolution and the implementation of the algorithm is performed over test areas such that: (i) the consistency requirements are met, (ii) the retrieval index is maximized, and (iii) the difference between reference LAI and LAI obtained from AVHRR NDVI is minimized.
Help your mobile applications with fog computing

Cloud computing has paved a way for resource-constrained mobile devices to speed up their computing tasks and to expand their storage capacity. However, cloud computing is not necessary a panacea for all mobile applications. The high network latency to cloud data centers may not be ideal for delay-sensitive applications while storing everything on public clouds risks users’ security and privacy. In this paper, we discuss two preliminary ideas, one for mobile application offloading and the other for mobile storage expansion, by leveraging the edge intelligence offered by fog computing to help mobile applications. Preliminary experiments conducted based on implemented prototypes show that fog computing can provide an effective and sometimes better alternative to help mobile applications.
CEO Tenure, Performance and Turnover in S&P 500 Companies

The centrality of the CEO is reflected in the empirical literature linking CEO turnover to poor firm performance. However, less is known about the institutional and personal correlates of CEO turnover. In this study, we find two CEO characteristics interact with turnover: tenure and ownership. We interpret our results as indicating that CEOs of S&P 500 firms divide into two groups with different tenure patterns – “owners” (who have large personal shareholdings) and “managers” (who have smaller holdings). The tenure of manager-CEOs (as opposed to owner-CEOs) exhibits a term structure loosely similar to the one produced by the tenure process at academic institutions. Turnover of all kinds is low during a CEO’s first four years on the job. In contrast, once a CEO reaches his fifth year, retirements begin a multi-year increase and exits via merger exhibit a large one-year spike. These term effects are strongest for relatively young CEOs, and appear to be independent of such factors as firm performance or retirement norms. We also find that deals and retirements are partially related, but partially distinct, modes of CEO turnover in other respects, which are similar along some dimensions but sharply different along others.
Flexible fuzzy logic control for collision-free manipulator operation

Robot path planning is an important part in the development of autonomous systems. Numerous strategies have been proposed in the literature regarding mobile robots but trajectory planning for manipulators is considerably more difficult since the entire structure can move and produce collisions with surrounding obstacles. This paper presents an original and robust solution that can be used for safe path planning for various manipulator arms working in cluttered environments. Path planning is executed in two steps. First, a global path is determined to guide the end effector using classical artificial potential fields, probabilistic datasets and multiresolution occupancy grids. Then, a fuzzy logic controller performs a local tracking for the entire robot structure by considering the kinematics of the robot as well as repulsive forces originating from nearby obstacles. Experimentation with robots of various architectures and different environments demonstrated the robustness and flexibility of the proposed planning and control approach which requires minimal tuning.
Compound conditioning in honeybees: Blocking tests of the independence assumption

Six experiments with color-odor compounds failed to produce convincing evidence of blocking in honeybees even when the possibility of masking by within-compound association could be discounted. The parsimonious assumption that the components of a compound stimulus gain and lose associative strength independently with reinforcement and nonreinforcement of the compounds (which the experiments were designed to challenge) remains tenable for color-odor compounds, although perhaps not for intramodal compounds.
11-Cis vitamin A in dark-adapted rod outer segments is a probable source of prosthetic groups for rhodopsin biosynthesis.

THROUGHOUT life, the outer segments of rod photoreceptors (ROS) are renewed continually1, a process that entails assembly of new disk membranes at the base of the ROS. Biosynthesis of the apoprotein of rhodopsin, the major membrane protein of the ROS disks, is known to occur in several stages in the inner segment2–5. Bok has found, however, that completion of the rhodopsin molecule by combination with its retinaldehyde prosthetic group does not take place until after the apoprotein has been transported to the ROS6, perhaps just before its insertion in to the membrane. The process continues unimpaired in darkness7,8, so that in these conditions a pool of 11-cis vitamin A should be readily available close to the site of synthesis.
Optical Interconnect Opportunities for Future Server Memory Systems

This paper deals with alternative server memory architecture options in multicore CPU generations using optically-attached memory systems. Thanks to its large bandwidth-distance product, optical interconnect technology enables CPUs and local memory to be placed meters away from each other without sacrificing bandwidth. This topologically-local but physically-remote main memory attached via an ultra-high-bandwidth parallel optical interconnect can lead to flexible memory architecture options using low-cost commodity memory technologies
Phylogenetic Utility of the Glycerol-3-Phosphate Acyltransferase Gene: Evolution and Implications in Paeonia (Paeoniaceae)

The nuclear-encoded chloroplast-expressed glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) gene has been found to be single-copy in a number of angiosperm families. In this study we investigated the phylogenetic utility of the GPAT gene at the interspecific level using the genus Paeonia (Paeoniaceae) as an example. An approximately 2.3- to 2.6-kb fragment of the GPAT gene, containing a large intron of more than 2 kb, was amplified, cloned, and sequenced from 19 accessions representing 13 Paeonia species. The GPAT gene phylogeny inferred by parsimony analysis supported interspecific relationships that were previously unresolved, suggesting that large introns of low-copy nuclear genes are particularly informative in the resolution of close relationships at low taxonomic levels. Whereas the GPAT phylogeny is largely congruent with the previous phylogenetic hypothesis of Paeonia, it shows a significant discordance involving the paraphyly of section Paeonia. Given evidence of an ancient duplication and the subsequent silencing of one GPAT locus in P. anomala, this discordance is most likely the result of paralogy. Two distinct genomic clones containing partial GPAT genes were isolated from P. anomala. The GPAT sequence from one clone corresponded to the functional copy of the gene, and the second genomic clone was determined to contain a GPAT pseudogene. The insertion of a retrotransposon in an intron of this pseudogene may have been responsible for the silencing of this GPAT locus in P. anomala. This study suggests that, although it is unlikely that universal nuclear gene markers free from paralogy are usually available, low-copy nuclear genes can be very useful in plant phylogenetic reconstruction, especially at low taxonomic levels, as long as the evolutionary dynamics of the genes are carefully examined.
Pattern recognition considerations for continuous sign language recognition

This paper examines a specific area of human gesture recognition by computer, which is the interpretation of sign language. This is achieved by focusing on the key technology of continuous recognition, where considerations must include both linguistic and biomechanical principles.
Stress and Androgyny: A Preliminary Study:

The relationship between sex roles and stress was investigated by administering two sex-role inventories, the Bern Sex-role Inventory and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire, and the Modified Col...
Transliteration as Constrained Optimization

This paper introduces a new method for identifying named-entity (NE) transliterations in bilingual corpora. Recent works have shown the advantage of discriminative approaches to transliteration: given two strings (ws, wt) in the source and target language, a classifier is trained to determine if wt is the transliteration of ws. This paper shows that the transliteration problem can be formulated as a constrained optimization problem and thus take into account contextual dependencies and constraints among character bi-grams in the two strings. We further explore several methods for learning the objective function of the optimization problem and show the advantage of learning it discriminately. Our experiments show that the new framework results in over 50% improvement in translating English NEs to Hebrew.
Promoting Positive Youth Development: Implications for Future Directions in Developmental Theory, Methods, and Research

The efforts of the Miami Youth Development Project reported in this special issue illustrate how Developmental Intervention Science (DIS; a fusion of the developmental and intervention science) ext...
The Effect of Pension Income on the Quality of Corporate Earnings IBM: A Case Study

This case examines the effect of pension income, as determined by the Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (SFAS) No. 87, on the quality of corporate earnings. Specifically, students are asked to interpret the pension footnote from IBM's 2001 Annual Report. Unlike many companies that indicate a cost associated with their pension plans, IBM reports pension income, not pension expense, for fiscal year 2001. An article in the Wall Street Journal referred to in the case reports that pension income boosted IBM's income before taxes by 13 percent in 2001. Through a series of questions, students are asked to analyze IBM's pension footnote and its effect on earnings. The purpose of this case is to enhance the learning process by reinforcing material learned from accounting texts with a real‐world application, to understand the effect of pension accounting on a company's quality of earnings, to illustrate that accounting standards occasionally include provisions that effectively mitigate potential earnings v...
Eastern chipmunks increase their perception of predation risk in response to titmouse alarm calls

Vocally signaling a predator’s presence through alarm calls creates public information regarding risk in the environment. If having this information confers an advantage, eavesdropping behavior, the use of information in signals by individuals other than the primary target, is expected to evolve. Thus, eavesdropping for information on predation risk to avoid predators may be common. We describe the first study to quantify an effect of avian alarm calling on the perceived cost of predation in a mammalian receiver/eavesdropper using the eastern tufted titmouse–eastern chipmunk dyad. We used the technique of giving-up densities to quantify changes in chipmunks’ perceived risk of predation while foraging under experimental playbacks of titmouse vocalizations (seet, mobbing, and contact calls), hawk calls, and wood thrush song (control). Titmouse mobbing calls significantly increased chipmunk’s perceived risk of predation. Chipmunks also appeared to divert attention (i.e., cost of multitasking) to monitoring alarm call playbacks/assessing predation risk as shown by the absence of density-dependent foraging. In contrast, when foraging during hawk calls (a direct cue of predation risk), chipmunks showed no differences in foraging relative to controls. These results support other published studies that prey respond more strongly to indirect source of information about predation risk than to direct sources. Key words: alarm calls, eastern tufted titmouse, eavesdropping, information, predation risk. [Behav Ecol]
Explorations in statistics: confidence intervals

Learning about statistics is a lot like learning about science: the learning is more meaningful if you can actively explore. This third installment of Explorations in Statistics investigates confidence intervals. A confidence interval is a range that we expect, with some level of confidence, to include the true value of a population parameter such as the mean. A confidence interval provides the same statistical information as the P value from a hypothesis test, but it circumvents the drawbacks of that hypothesis test. Even more important, a confidence interval focuses our attention on the scientific importance of some experimental result.
An approximate robotics algorithm to assemble a loop between two helices

We have developed an algorithm to assemble a loop in between two helices using the idea of the cyclic coordinate descent (CCD) that is an inverse kinematics approach in the field of robotics. Our method is a variant of the original CCD. It uses both the forward walk and the backward walk with different targets. A test of 20 cases suggests that the minimum root mean square deviation to native for the 500 assembled loops is comparable to that of the original CCD method but less number of the loops is needed. The results of the test suggest that the number of walks needed to reach the required accuracy can be significantly smaller than 50, the maximum number allowed in our method.
An Analysis of Microarchitecture Vulnerability to Soft Errors on Simultaneous Multithreaded Architectures

Semiconductor transient faults (i.e. soft errors) have become an increasingly important threat to microprocessor reliability. Simultaneous multithreaded (SMT) architectures exploit thread-level parallelism to improve overall processor throughput. A great amount of research has been conducted in the past to investigate performance and power issues of SMT architectures. Nevertheless, the effect of multithreaded execution on a microarchitecture's vulnerability to soft error remains largely unexplored. To address this issue, we have developed a microarchitecture level soft error vulnerability analysis framework for SMT architectures. Using a mixed set of SPEC CPU 2000 benchmarks, we quantify the impact of multithreading on a wide range of microarchitecture structures. We examine how the baseline SMT microarchitecture reliability profile varies with workload behavior, the number of threads and fetch policies. Our experimental results show that the overall vulnerability rises in multithreading architectures, while each individual thread shows less vulnerability. By considering both performance and reliability, SMT outperforms superscalar architectures. The SMT reliability and its tradeoff with performance vary across different fetch policies. With a detailed analysis of the experimental results, we point out a set of potential opportunities to reduce SMT microarchitecture vulnerability, which can serve as guidance to exploiting thread-aware reliability optimization techniques in the near future. To our knowledge, this paper presents the first effort to characterize microarchitecture vulnerability to soft error on SMT processors
CoSL: A coordinated statistical learning approach to measuring the capacity of multi-tier websites

Website capacity determination is crucial to measurement-based access control, because it determines when to turn away excessive client requests to guarantee consistent service quality under overloaded conditions. Conventional capacity measurement approaches based on high-level performance metrics like response time and throughput may result in either resource over-provisioning or lack of responsiveness. It is because a website may have different capacities in terms of the maximum concurrent level when the characteristic of workload changes. Moreover, bottleneck in a multi-tier website may shift among tiers as client access pattern changes. In this paper, we present an online robust measurement approach based on statistical machine learning techniques. It uses a Bayesian network to correlate low level instrumentation data like system and user cpu time, available memory size, and I/O status that are collected at run-time to high level system states in each tier. A decision tree is induced over a group of coordinated Bayesian models in different tiers to identify the bottleneck dynamically when the system is overloaded. Experimental results demonstrate its accuracy and robustness in different traffic loads.
Welfare And Immigration Reforms: Unintended Side Effects For Medicaid

Welfare reform and changes in immigrants' eligibility may lead to significant reductions in Medicaid caseloads, even though many states are expanding Medicaid eligibility rules to accommodate changes under the new welfare programs. In 1996, for the first time in almost a decade, Medicaid participation of adults and children fell about 2 percent, and further reductions seem likely in 1997. The gradual restrictions on new immigrants also will affect future caseloads. Although new initiatives such as the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) should expand health coverage for children, the welfare reform and immigration changes will disproportionately lead to loss of insurance among adults.
Gas centrifugation of research isotopes

Abstract The use of the gas centrifugation process now makes it possible to produce isotopes of several elements in kilogram quantities.
Live demonstration: Tactile imaging sensor for mechanical properties quantification of breast tumor

In this live demonstration, a Tactile Imaging Sensor is presented, which is used for quantifying the mechanical properties of breast tumor. A tumor or malignancy feels different from the tissue surrounding it, which motivates the development of this system. Currently, a subjective method of clinical breast examination is performed for early detection of breast cancer. The method only provides qualitative information about the size and elastic modulus of suspicious lesion. To complement this method, we introduce a tactile imaging sensor that provides quantitative interpretations of the mechanical properties of embedded inclusion. In this sensor, a flexible Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) optical waveguide is used as the sensing probe. The sensing probe is illuminated by light emitting diodes in such a way that the total internal reflection occurs. When the embedded inclusion is compressed from the surface by the probe, the internally reflected light inside the probe is scattered. This scattered light is then captured by a near-infra-red CMOS camera, and forms the tactile images. Simultaneously, a load cell records the force reading. These images and force readings are then analyzed for estimating the size and elastic modulus of the embedded inclusion. This high resolution optical sensor offers a non-invasive and non-ionized technique for tumor screening. It is also a cost-effective and portable system, which requires minimal training of the operator. The demo will highlight the sensor use by estimating the mechanical properties of embedded inclusions inside a silicone phantom.
The Unruly Class Action

This article examines the modern “issue class action” and its tenacious existence in a hostile class action landscape. I contend that this unauthorized, unbounded device is on a collision course with decades of Supreme Court jurisprudence narrowly interpreting the federal class action rule. Rather than either suffering such an ignoble fate or continuing to stumble forward as an evolving judicial creation, I advocate instead a robust vetting and evaluative process through formal rulemaking channels. The issue class action derives from Rule 23(c)(4), which has steadily emerged from a position of near obscurity in the federal class action rule to a widely embraced alternative to the classic (b)(3) damages class action. This approach – authorizing a class action comprised solely of issues common to the class and excluding from that action adjudication of any issues requiring individual consideration – effectively eliminates one of (b)(3)’s two defining requirements, that common issues predominate over individual issues. The Supreme Court’s recent class action decisions have underscored the Court’s consistently constrained reading of Rule 23, particularly with regard to lower court innovative efforts to bypass (b)(3)’s predominance requirement.In my view, the wide-ranging implications of the issue class action can best be evaluated through an open process of formal rulemaking that includes consideration of recent judicial experimentation, Supreme Court precedent, the input of scholars, practitioners, judges, and other interested parties. Only through such a robust inquiry could we determine whether the issue class action furthers the goals of Rule 23 and, if so, how to amend Rule 23 to accommodate this novel class action in order to reduce its risks and optimize its potential rewards.
Mechanism of aluminum-induced calcium efflux from cultured neonatal mouse calvariae

Aluminum has been shown to increase unidirectional 45Ca efflux from prelabeled bones in vitro; whether aluminum affects net calcium efflux and, if so, by what mechanism has not been studied. To examine the effects of aluminum on net calcium flux from bone we cultured live and dead neonatal mouse calvariae with and without graded concentrations of aluminum (10(-8) to 10(-5) M). Aluminum induced a dose-dependent net calcium efflux from live bone after 24 h, but not 3 h, which was similar in magnitude to that produced by 10(-8) M parathyroid hormone. The normal calcium influx into dead bone was not altered by aluminum. Release of beta-glucuronidase, a lysosomal enzyme released by osteoclasts, increased after a 24-h incubation in aluminum-containing medium and was correlated with net calcium efflux. Calcitonin, an inhibitor of osteoclastic bone mineral dissolution, abolished the increase in beta-glucuronidase release and nullified the aluminum-induced net calcium efflux. Thus aluminum induces cell-mediated net calcium efflux from bone and increases beta-glucuronidase release. Calcitonin inhibits the increase in both calcium efflux and beta-glucuronidase release, suggesting that aluminum stimulates osteoclasts to release bone mineral.
School Climate Associated with School Dropout Among Tenth Graders

Objective. This study evaluated the association between high school dropout and six dimensions of school climate. Method. The sample consisted of 638 tenth graders who participated in the Healthy Teens Longitudinal Study. Participants attended school in Northeast Georgia, United States of America; they were surveyed even if they dropped out of school. Information about dropout was obtained through twelfth grade. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of dropout. Results. More boys (22.1%) than girls (14.4%) dropped out of school. Compared to students who remained in school, students who dropped out of school reported significantly higher overt and relational peer victimization and lower positive relationships with peers, school connectedness, caring adults at school, and meaningful participation in school. In the logistic regression model, male gender (AOR = 1.68) and relational victimization (AOR = 1.51) increased the odds of dropping out, and school connectedness (AOR = 0.78) and the presence of a caring adult at school (AOR = 0.73) decreased odds of dropping out. Conclusion. The dimensions of school climate in tenth grade were associated with the decision to abandon or persist in school. Its multiple dimensions can guide educators to develop programs and practices to reduce high school dropout.
Our time of pestilence: purchasing immunity and ignoring the misery of others.

Do medical professionals have a moral obligation to relieve the misery of people far away? The world is increasingly starkly divided geographically, into lands of long life and lands of early death. In the wealthy world, we are followers of Herman M. Biggs, who said that “health is purchasable”: medical professionals warn of impending epidemics and attend to reducing risk. In the poor world, people live in misery and die in disasters. The word “epidemic” is used to designate perceived threats to the long life of the wealthy, such as obesity, but “epidemic” is not applied to the sources of greater misery, including malaria, tuberculosis, and diarrheal diseases, which are responsible for more widespread mortality. The experience in 2009 with H1N1 flu illustrated the danger of the excessive focus on forecasts of epidemic risk: expenditures for flu vaccine were far in excess of spending for prevention of illnesses that cause greater mortality. In the end, billions of euros were transferred from public funds into private hands, yet flu immunization was irrelevant to the outbreak, and the outbreak was relatively mild. To learn from lessons like this, health professionals should attend to the main purpose of medical science: to make the world better.
Charge symmetry of weak interactions

The invariance of strong interactions under $G$, the product of charge symmetry and charge conjugation, has important consequences for strangeness-conserving lepton interactions. According to the $G$-transformation properties of the strongly interacting "currents," we may divide the primary weak interactions into two classes. The first class includes the conventional nucleon-lepton Fermi interaction, and is the only class that contributes to the $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay coupling constants. Unambiguous tests for the existence of second-class interactions include: (a) induced scalar term in ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ absorption, (b) inequality of certain small correction terms in ${\mathrm{B}}^{12}$ and ${\mathrm{N}}^{12}$, or in ${\mathrm{Li}}^{8}$ and ${\mathrm{B}}^{8}$ $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay, (c) inequality in rates of ${\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}^{0}+{e}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}+\ensuremath{\nu}$. Absence of second-class interactions would indicate a deep relation between isotopic spin and weak interactions; for example, the recent Feynman-Gell-Mann theory predicts that all vector weak interactions are first class. The presence of second-class interactions would mean that the usual Fermi interaction is insufficient, and must be supplemented by terms involving strange particles. Some general remarks are also made about the relations between (${l}^{\ensuremath{-}}, \overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}$) and (${l}^{+}, \ensuremath{\nu}$) processes, and we prove the following useful theorem: no interference between $V$ and $A$ may occur in any experiment which treats both leptons identically and in which no parity nonconservation effects are measured, providing that we may neglect the mass and charge of the leptons.
"Excuse Me, but What Is a Research Paper?": Embedded Librarian Program and Information Literacy Skills of Community College Students.

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the embedded librarian program and its impact on the information literacy skills of community college students at Queensborough Community College (QCC). It is a collaboration between an embedded librarian and an English instructor at QCC. The study participants are QCC students enrolled in seven sections of English 101 and English 102 in the fall 2014 and spring 2015 semesters. An annotated bibliography is used to measure information literacy skills and is graded using a rubric. The results are positive in terms of students' abilities to utilize library databases and find reliable sources. However, the results indicate that students need improvement in the citation process: citing sources in a style format, incorporating sources properly in writing (in-text citation), and creating a works cited page. This article also discusses the findings from voluntary surveys in which the same students participated.
Resource Aggregated Reconfigurable Control and Risk-Allocative Path Planning for On-orbit Servicing and Assembly of Satellites

Future spaceflight missions will require the use of distributed satellite systems, where multiple spacecraft must work in concert to manipulate, assemble, service, or function as a cohesive unit. Such spacecraft architectures must be able to capitalize on the resources of the system as a whole. Resource Aggregated Reconfigurable Control (RARC) techniques will enable satellites to control flexible, multi-body assemblies autonomously by adapting controllers in real time to changing mass, inertia, sensor, and actuator properties of the combined systems. As these systems maneuver throughout assembly or servicing processes, an algorithm called p-Sulu, or probabilistic Sulu, can plan risk-optimal paths around obstacles to rendezvous locations. RARC and p-Sulu are implemented using the Space Systems Laboratory’s Synchronized Position Hold Engage and Reorient Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) facilities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. SPHERES provides a platform for developing new controllers with the ability to rapidly modify and test control architectures while maintaining traceability to International Space Station testing and future spaceflight missions. Data captured from this testing shows that p-Sulu can successfully and robustly plan paths assuming a fixed horizon and specified risk bound. Furthermore, initial RARC algorithms show significant advancements in the ability to control the position and attitude of aggregate satellite systems when additional modules constitute a large percentage of system mass. Such abilities have clear traceability to future space missions in which satellites will cooperate autonomously to assemble and service onorbit spacecraft and structures.
Induction of resistance vessel dilation by ginger root juice, possibly through extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase activation in endothelial cells

Objective To investigate the effects of ginger root juice on contractibility of resistance blood vessels from mice and on activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in human endothelial cells. Methods Juice was prepared from semi-dry ginger roots. Mesenteric artery rings were dissected from healthy adult C57BL/J6 mice. Primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were isolated from umbilical cords of normal full-term babies. The contractibility of the dissected vessel rings in the presence or absence of ginger root juice at 0.1% (v/v) after potassium (100 mM KCL) stimulation was measured by wire myography. The phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2 and eNOS in the presence of ginger root juice in the culture medium at 0, 0.025%, 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.2% (v/v) in HUVECs were assessed by western blotting analysis. Results An immediate sharp increase in the contractile activity was observed in mesenteric artery rings in response to KCL stimulation. Ginger root juice effectively attenuated the KCL-mediated vessel contraction. Moreover, ginger root juice significantly increased phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and eNOS in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions Ginger root juice is capable of relaxing resistance blood vessels. Activation of ERK1/2 and eNOS through phosphorylation in endothelial cells may be a mechanism underlying the vasodilator activity of ginger root.
Contrasts in Reproductive Ecology Between Temperate and Tropical Populations of Jadera haematoloma, a Mate-Guarding Hemipteran (Rhopalidae)

Field studies of the effect of climate and host-plant phenology on reproductive patterns of the seed-feeding Jadera haematoloma Herrich-Schaeffer were undertaken in Oklahoma and Florida. In Oklahoma, most reproduction is confined to August and September, when seeds of the sapindaceous host trees, Sapindus saponaria L. var. drummondii (Hooker & Arnett) (Benson) and Koelreuteria paniculata (Laxman), are mature, and is followed by a reproductive diapause in winter. The proportion of females becoming reproductive in their natal year declined from August to September. Diapause occurred while food was still available and is probably photoperiodically induced. In Florida, most reproduction occurred in April–May and November–January, when seeds of the sapindaceous vine, Cardiospermum corindum L., were available. Diapause here occurred when seeds were unavailable. Bugs in Florida are larger, take longer to mature, and produce larger eggs, at a slower rate, that take longer to hatch, than those in Oklahoma. Greater mortality of females as overwintering adults and as nymphs in summer contributed to a strong male-bias in the adult sex ratio of Oklahoma aggregations, whereas sex ratios in Florida were not male-biased. It was therefore predicted that Oklahoma males might guard their mates from other males, whereas those in Florida would not. However, males in both populations were found to prevent females from mating with other males by remaining in copula from the time of intromission until oviposition. Contact guarding continues during oviposition and the pair may recouple afterwards. Postinsemination guarding, although not predicted by Florida sex ratios, may occur there because of greater last-male sperm precedence in that population than in Oklahoma.
Development of an in vitro tumor spheroid culture model amenable to high-throughput testing of potential anticancer nanotherapeutics

AbstractContext: Three-dimensional tumor spheroid cultures are a better representative of in vivo solid tumors than monolayer cultures and should be used for testing potential nanotherapeutics in vitro.Objective: To develop techniques to test the disposition and efficacy of nanocarrier formulations in spheroids in a cost-effective manner amenable to high-throughput testing.Methods: Spheroids were obtained using a modified liquid overlay technique in a 96-well plate. Several nanocarrier formulations were prepared and tested in the spheroid model. The disposition of the formulations in the spheroids was determined by confocal microscopy while the effect of the drug-loaded formulations was assessed in terms of the cell viability, loss of membrane integrity, induction of caspases and inhibition of growth of the spheroids.Results: The surface charge of the formulations influenced the accumulation of the nanocarrier and drug in the spheroid, with the cationic formulation accumulating to the greatest extent. Als...
Prejudices Unshelved: Variation in Attitudes toward Controversial Public Library Materials in the General Social Survey, 1972–2014

ABSTRACTUsing the General Social Survey from 1972–2014, we examine variation in attitudes toward retaining controversial materials in libraries. Previously controversial topics have become much more widely accepted. We find that other controversies remain, showing how global conflicts become intertwined in local cultural controversies, and how the perceived threat from particular groups informs public concern with disseminating information from those groups. We find that more frequent library users are somewhat less likely to want to remove controversial books from the shelves, although some of these relationships are explained by variation in the respondent’s age, race, and other characteristics.
Update on pulmonary arterial hypertension pharmacotherapy

Pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) refers to several subgroups of disease in which the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) is elevated to more than 25 mm Hg, pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) ≤ 15 mmHg, and an elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) > 3 Wood units as confirmed by right heart catheterization. The prevalence and geographic distribution of PAH vary depending on the type and etiology of the disease. Despite enormous efforts in the research and development of therapeutic agents in the last twenty years, the disease remains relatively incurable and the overall prognosis remains guarded. Median survival for an untreated patient is 2.8 years. In the last three decades, there have been dramatic advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in the disease, resulting in emerging new treatment strategies. In the following pages, we will review currently approved treatments for PAH, as well as a new generation of investigational drugs.
Primary Role of Discouragement in Coexistence of Food Insecurity and Excess Weight in Costa Rican Women

ABSTRACTFood insecurity coexists with excess weight in women in many countries, but why this occurs is not well understood. We aimed to understand why and how food insecurity and excess weight coexist. Two discussion groups, 5 focus groups, 7 in-depth interviews, and 2 member-checking sessions with 28 women in Costa Rica were conducted. The majority of these women felt discouraged. Discouragement resulted in anxiety. Anxiety leads these women to eat foods that are sweet and high in carbohydrates and energy. After eating, they felt remorse and shame, and these feelings led them to feel more discouraged. Discouragement is the primary link for the coexistence of food insecurity and excess weight. These results can inform future interventions with food insecure women.
Seizure detection using empirical mode decomposition and time-frequency energy concentration

The aim of this study is to evaluate a new method for seizure detection using the tripolar Laplacian electroence-phalography signal (tEEG) recorded using a tripolar concentric ring electrode (TCRE) on the scalp surface of rats based on empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and time-frequency energy concentration. Data from 10 rats were examined with the proposed algorithm. After EMD decomposition, three oscillation components named intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) were selected. An energy estimate of the TFR for the selected IMFs was calculated and used as a feature for automatic seizure detection of the tEEG signals. After classification the obtained results using the proposed method produced an accuracy of 98.61%. This study developed the proposed algorithm to work with TCREs, and shows it to be effective to detect seizures from rat's tEEG signals.
Function of neural stem cells in ischemic brain repair processes

Hypoxic/ischemic injury is the single most important cause of disabilities in infants, while stroke remains a leading cause of morbidity in children and adults around the world. The injured brain has limited repair capacity, and thereby only modest improvement of neurological function is evident post injury. In rodents, embryonic neural stem cells in the ventricular zone generate cortical neurons, and adult neural stem cells in the ventricular-subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle produce new neurons through animal life. In addition to generation of new neurons, neural stem cells contribute to oligodendrogenesis. Neurogenesis and oligodendrogenesis are essential for repair of injured brain. Much progress has been made in preclinical studies on elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms that control and coordinate neurogenesis and oligodendrogenesis in perinatal hypoxic/ischemic injury and the adult ischemic brain. This article will review these findings with a focus on the ventricular-subventricular zone neurogenic niche and discuss potential applications to facilitate endogenous neurogenesis and thereby to improve neurological function post perinatal hypoxic/ischemic injury and stroke.
Toward a Comprehensive Hypothesis of Chronic Interstitial Nephritis in Agricultural Communities

Over the past 20 years, there has been an increase in chronic interstitial nephritis in agricultural communities (CINAC) not associated with traditional risk factors. This disease has become an important public health problem and is observed in several countries in Central America and Asia. CINAC predominantly affects young male farmers between the third and fifth decades of life with women, children, and adolescents less often affected. Clinically, CINAC behaves like a chronic tubulointerstitial nephropathy but with systemic manifestations not attributable to kidney disease. Kidney biopsy reveals chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis with variable glomerulosclerosis and mild chronic vascular damage, with the severity depending on sex, occupation, and CKD stage. The presence of toxicological, occupational, and environmental risk factors within these communities suggests a multifactorial etiology for CINAC. This may include exposure to agrochemicals, a contaminated environment, repeated episodes of dehydration with heat stress, and an underlying genetic predisposition. An understanding of these interacting factors using a multidisciplinary approach with international cooperation and the formulation of a comprehensive hypothesis are essential for the development of public health programs to prevent this devastating epidemic.
Theory in Evaluation

Distinctions are drawn among social science theory; evaluation theory; evaluators’ theory; and program theory. Similarly, the distinguishing characteristics that mark differences between results chains and theories of change are discussed. The chapter underlines the concept that logic models are incomplete if they do not spell out the assumptions (implicit/or behind-the-scenes concepts, conditions, and qualifications) within the linkages or arrows in a results chain, which explain why result A is expected to lead to result B and so on.
Clostridium difficile PCR Cycle Threshold Predicts Free Toxin.

There is no stand-alone Clostridium difficile diagnostic that can sensitively and rapidly detect fecal free toxins. We investigated the performance of the C. difficile PCR cycle threshold (CT ) for predicting free toxin status. Consecutive stool samples (n = 312) positive for toxigenic C. difficile by the GeneXpert C. difficile/Epi tcdB PCR assay were tested with the rapid membrane C. Diff Quik Chek Complete immunoassay (RMEIA). RMEIA toxin-negative samples were tested with the cell cytotoxicity neutralization assay (CCNA) and tgcBIOMICS enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Using RMEIA alone or in combination with CCNA and/or ELISA as the reference method, the accuracy of CT was measured at different CT cutoffs. Using RMEIA as the reference method, a CT cutoff of 26.35 detected toxin-positive samples with a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 96.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 90.2% to 98.9%), 65.9% (95% CI, 59.0% to 72.2%), 57.4% (95% CI, 52.7% to 62%), and 97.1% (95% CI, 92.8% to 98.9), respectively. Inclusion of CCNA in the reference method improved CT specificity to 78.0% (95% CI, 70.7% to 84.2%). Intercartridge lot CT variability measured as the average coefficient of variation was 2.8% (95% CI, 1.2% to 3.2%). Standardizing the input stool volume did not improve CT toxin specificity. The median CT values were not significantly different between stool samples with Bristol scores of 5, 6, and 7, between pediatric and adult samples, or between presumptive 027 and non-027 strains. In addition to sensitively detecting toxigenic C. difficile in stool, on-demand PCR may also be used to accurately predict toxin-negative stool samples, thus providing additional results in PCR-positive stool samples to guide therapy.