cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Positive Reinforcing Mechanisms between GPR120 and PPARγ Modulate Insulin Sensitivity

G protein-coupled receptor 120 (GPR120) and PPARγ agonists each have insulin sensitizing effects. But whether these two pathways functionally interact and can be leveraged together to markedly improve insulin resistance has not been explored. Here, we show that treatment with the PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone (Rosi) plus the GPR120 agonist Compound A leads to additive effects to improve glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, but at lower doses of Rosi, thus avoiding its known side effects. Mechanistically, we show that GPR120 is a PPARγ target gene in adipocytes, while GPR120 augments PPARγ activity by inducing the endogenous ligand 15d-PGJ2 and by blocking ERK-mediated inhibition of PPARγ. Further, we used macrophage- (MKO) or adipocyte-specific GPR120 KO (AKO) mice to show that GRP120 has anti-inflammatory effects via macrophages while working with PPARγ in adipocytes to increase insulin sensitivity. These results raise the prospect of a safer way to increase insulin sensitization in the clinic.
Identifying modifier genes for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Abstract Background Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) severity greatly varies among patients even with the same HCM gene mutations. This variation is largely regulated by modifier gene(s), which, however, remain largely unknown. The current study is aimed to identify modifier genes using BXD strains, a large murine genetic reference population (GRP) derived from crosses between C57BL/6 J (B6) and D2 DBA/2 J (D2) mice. D2 mice natualy carrythe genetic basis and phenotypes of HCM. Methods Myocardial hypertrophy, the major phenotype of HCM, was determined by cardiomyocyte size on cardiac sections in 30 BXD strains, and their parental B6 and D2 strains and morphometric analysis was performed. Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) mapping for cardiomyocyte sizes was conducted with WebQTL in GeneNetwork. Correlation of cardiomyocyte size and cardiac gene expression in BXDs accessed from GeneNetwork were evaluated. QTL candidate genes associated with cardiomyocyte sizes were prioritized based on the score system. Results Cardiomyocyte size varied significantly among BXD strains. Interval mapping on cardiomyocyte size data showed a significant QTL on chromosome (Chr) 2 at 66– 73.5 Mb and a suggestive QTL on Chr 5 at 20.9–39.7 Mb. Further score system revealed a high QTL score for Xirp2 in Chr 2. Xirp2 encodes xin actin-binding repeat containing 2, which is highly expressed in cardiac tissue and associate with cardiomyopathy and heart failure. In Chr5 QTL, Nos3, encoding nitric oxide synthase 3, received the highest score, which is significantly correlated with cardiomyocyte size. Conclusion These results indicate that Xirp2 and Nos3 serve as novel candidate modifier genes for myocardial hypertrophy in HCM. These candidate genes will be validated in our future studies.
Integrated VAC: A robust strategy for identifying eigenfunctions of dynamical operators

One approach to analyzing the dynamics of a physical system is to search for long-lived patterns in its motions. This approach has been particularly successful for molecular dynamics data, where slowly decorrelating patterns can indicate large-scale conformational changes. Detecting such patterns is the central objective of the variational approach to conformational dynamics (VAC), as well as the related methods of time-lagged independent component analysis and Markov state modeling. In VAC, the search for slowly decorrelating patterns is formalized as a variational problem solved by the eigenfunctions of the system's transition operator. VAC computes solutions to this variational problem by optimizing a linear or nonlinear model of the eigenfunctions using time series data. Here, we build on VAC's success by addressing two practical limitations. First, VAC can give poor eigenfunction estimates when the lag time parameter is chosen poorly. Second, VAC can overfit when using flexible parameterizations such as artificial neural networks with insufficient regularization. To address these issues, we propose an extension that we call integrated VAC (IVAC). IVAC integrates over multiple lag times before solving the variational problem, making its results more robust and reproducible than VAC's.
Telecommunication-Compatible Photoconductive Terahertz Detection without using a Short-Carrier-Lifetime Substrate

We present a telecommunication-compatible photoconductive detector, which uses plasmonic nano structures to provide ultrafast carrier transit times for high-performance terahertz detection (>110 dB signal-to-noise-ratio and >3 THz bandwidth), eliminating the need for short-carrier-lifetime substrates for the first time.
Life cycle assessment of wheat production and wheat-based crop rotations.

In the northern Great Plains (NGP), wheat is the primary grain commodity. There is a need for the NGP to have a detailed analysis of environmental impacts for wheat-based agricultural production systems to better understand regional agroecosystems. This article provides a cradle-to-field gate life cycle assessment (LCA) for NGP dryland wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production. The environmental impacts for winter wheat production using crop rotation and agricultural intensification are quantified. Fourteen no-till crop rotations ranging in duration from 2 to 6 yr were evaluated and compared using data from a historical 13-yr replicated rotation study (>300 observations). Midpoint LCA categories chosen for this comparison are energy, agricultural land use, climate change potential, freshwater eutrophication, and freshwater ecotoxicity due to their direct links with agricultural management practices. The NGP farmers commonly use a fallow period every other year due to moisture limitations. This specific agricultural practice and allocations within rotations are critical considerations within agricultural LCAs. Two aspects of fallow considerations and a sensitivity analysis were also performed. The allocated midpoint impacts between crops in rotational studies averaged 0.31, 0.79, 0.62, and 0.63 kg CO2 eq. per unit of winter wheat when energy, economic, mass, and cereal unit allocations were used, respectively. Economic analysis of the studied experimental crop was performed; results demonstrated that crop insurance policies improved diversification economics by 20%. Agricultural diversification benefits and burdens were better represented by endpoint damage assessments than by midpoint impact analysis.
The Fetal Lamb Model of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Shows Increased Lung Stiffness Using Shear Wave Elastography

Purpose: Children born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) have intrinsic lower lung compliance. Shear wave elastography (SWE) is an emerging, noninvasive tool to evaluate lung stiffness with the potential to predict postnatal lung function. SWE of the lung in CDH has never been performed in utero. We aimed to evaluate lung elastography in a fetal lamb model of CDH. Methods: Following IACUC-approved protocols, 3 fetal …
A mixed-methodology investigation of the linguistic and affective outcomes of summer study abroad

Abstract: The purpose of this mixed-methodology study was to investigate linguistic and affective outcomes of summer study abroad (SA) participation by 25 college French students. This investigation sought to determine if significant changes occurred in two linguistic factors, oral and listening French skills, and two affective factors, integrative motivation and language anxiety after SA. This research also examined whether pre-SA affective differences existed for SA participants versus non-SA peers. Results demonstrated that French linguistic skills improved significantly and that classroom and nonclassroom language anxiety after SA decreased significantly. Integrative motivation of the SA group was unchanged after the experience. Pre-SA affective differences did not exist between SA participants and non-SA peers. Analysis of interviews and program evaluations suggested that participants faced two sources of language anxiety while abroad: linguistic insecurity and cultural differences. Implications of this study include (1) the continued endorsement of summer SA programs to enhance communication skills, (2) the need for greater pre-SA emphasis on “nonacademic” factors to reduce foreign language anxiety, and (3) the importance of SA programs including contact with native speakers in class and during informal learning, in order to stimulate attitudinal changes as well as linguistic gains.
Becoming Ottomans: Sephardi Jews and Imperial Citizenship in the Modern Era: By JULIA PHILLIPS COHEN. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. xxi + 219 pp., notes, bibliography and index. $42.95 ISBN: 978-0-19-934040-8.

Sepharad is the Hebrew word for Spain. Sephardi or Sephardim (plural) refers to the Jews who made Spain their home for seven centuries ending with their expulsion from it under the threat of conver...
Autonomic modulation and cardiac arrhythmias: old insights and novel strategies

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a critical role in both health and states of cardiovascular disease. There has been a long-recognized role of the ANS in the pathogenesis of both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). This historical understanding has been expanded in the context of evolving insights into the anatomy and physiology of the ANS, including dysfunction of the ANS in cardiovascular disease such as heart failure and myocardial infarction. An expanding armamentarium of therapeutic strategies-both invasive and non-invasive-have brought the potential of ANS modulation to contemporary clinical practice. Here, we summarize the integrative neuro-cardiac anatomy underlying the ANS, review the physiological rationale for autonomic modulation in atrial and VAs, highlight strategies for autonomic modulation, and finally frame future challenges and opportunities for ANS therapeutics.
Ultra-High Q-factor Through Fused-silica Via (TFV) Integrated 3D Solenoid Inductor for Millimeter Wave Applications

In this work, a substrate integrated 3D solenoid inductor with an ultra-high quality factor (Q-factor) is demonstrated using the combination of Through Fused-silica Vias (TFVs) for low substrate loss and Copper (Cu) / Cobalt (Co) metaconductors for low conductor loss for millimeter wave (mmWave) applications. Especially, a Cu/Co metaconductor based 1 turn 3D solenoid inductor is integrated on a $300\ \mu\mathrm{m}$ thick fused-silica substrate with a small form factor of $170\ \mu\mathrm{m}\times 200\ \mu\mathrm{m}$ . The Cu/Co inductor shows a peak Q-factor of 204 while a solid Cu counterpart does a Q-factor of 88.9 at 28.4 GHz, showing 130% Q-factor improvement. Modeling and optimization of the inductors has been performed using a lumped element circuit model and High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) simulation. Design, fabrication, and characterization of the inductors is detailed.
Long-Term Effect of Four Surgical Periodontal Therapies and One Non-Surgical Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the long term (≥2 years) effect of four surgical and non-surgical therapies in treating periodontal disease.Methods: An electronic search of four databases and a hand search of peer-reviewed journals for relevant articles were conducted. Prospective human controlled clinical trials were included that compared surgical therapy to non-surgical therapy in ≥10 patients diagnosed with chronic periodontitis with a follow-up period of ≥2 years and that reported change in probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) after the therapy. Random effect meta-analysis was performed to compare the outcome of surgical and non-surgical therapy in shallow, moderate, and deep PD.Results: Eight human prospective clinical trials were included. In 1- to 3-mm PD, scaling and root planing (SRP), modified Widman flap (MWF), and osseous surgery (OS) resulted in 23.2%, 39.4%, and 61.39% CAL loss, respectively; SRP, MWF, and OS resulted in increased mean PD of 2....
The Fine Structural Localization of Biogenic Monoamines in Nervous Tissue

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the presently available electron cytochemical methods for the analysis of biogenic monoamines, norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), and serotonin (5-HT) and emphasizes on the state of knowledge of the cytochemical reactions involved in localizations. On the basis of a large number of experimental approaches, which combine various neurocytological and histochemical observations, the association of NE-storing nerve terminals in the peripheral sympathetic nervous system is well correlated with intra-axonal small granular vesicles (SGV). Large granular vesicles (LGV) occurring in these nerves seem to play only a minor role in the storage. A nonvesicular binding material may be ubiquitously present throughout the monoamine perikaryon and portions of the axons of these cells. However, the exact composition of the SGV granule and its qualitative and quantitative relation to the monoamine are believed to be present in the vesicle, which remains to be established.
Role of antibiosis in competition of erwinia strains in potato infection courts.

Erwinia carotovora subsp. betavasculorum strains produced a bactericidal antibiotic in vitro that inhibited a wide spectrum of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. The optimum temperature for production was 24°C, and the addition of glycerol to culture media enhanced antibiotic production. Antibiotic production by these strains in the infection court of potato was the principal determinant enabling it to gain ascendancy over competing antibiotic-sensitive Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora strains. There was a complete correlation between antibiotic production by E. carotovora subsp. betavasculorum in vitro and inhibition of competing E. carotovora subsp. carotovora strains in planta. Inhibition of the latter by the former was apparent after 10 h of incubation in potato tuber wounds. Population densities of sensitive E. carotovora subsp. carotovora strains in mixed potato tuber infections with E. carotovora subsp. betavasculorum were approximately 106-fold lower after 48 h of incubation than in corresponding single sensitive strain infections. E. carotovora subsp. carotovora were not inhibited in tuber infections that were incubated anaerobically. This correlated with the absence of antibiotic production during anaerobic incubation in vitro. Antibiotic-resistant strains of E. carotovora subsp. carotovora were not inhibited in planta or in vitro by E. carotovora subsp. betavasculorum. Moreover, isogenic antibiotic-negative (Ant−) mutant E. carotovora subsp. betavasculorum strains were not inhibitory to sensitive E. carotovora subsp. carotovora strains in tuber infections.
Decoupled multiagent path planning via incremental sequential convex programming

This paper presents a multiagent path planning algorithm based on sequential convex programming (SCP) that finds locally optimal trajectories. Previous work using SCP efficiently computes motion plans in convex spaces with no static obstacles. In many scenarios where the spaces are non-convex, previous SCP-based algorithms failed to find feasible solutions because the convex approximation of collision constraints leads to forming a sequence of infeasible optimization problems. This paper addresses this problem by tightening collision constraints incrementally, thus forming a sequence of more relaxed, feasible intermediate optimization problems.We show that the proposed algorithm increases the probability of finding feasible trajectories by 33% for teams of more than three vehicles in non-convex environments. Further, we show that decoupling the multiagent optimization problem to a number of single-agent optimization problems leads to significant improvement in computational tractability. We develop a decoupled implementation of the proposed algorithm, abbreviated dec-iSCP. We show that dec-iSCP runs 14% faster and finds feasible trajectories with higher probability than a decoupled implementation of previous SCP-based algorithms. The proposed algorithm is real-time implementable and is validated through hardware experiments on a team of quadrotors.
Comparison of empirical strategies to maximize GENEHUNTER lod scores

We compare four strategies for finding the settings of genetic parameters that maximize the lod scores reported in GENEHUNTER 1.2. The four strategies are iterated complete factorial designs, iterated orthogonal Latin hypercubes, evolutionary operation, and numerical optimization. The genetic parameters that are set are the phenocopy rate, penetrance, and disease allele frequency; both recessive and dominant models are considered. We selected the optimization of a recessive model on the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) data of chromosome 1 for complete analysis. Convergence to a setting producing a local maximum required the evaluation of over 100 settings (for a time budget of 800 minutes on a Pentium II 300 MHz PC). Two notable local maxima were detected, suggesting the need for a more extensive search before claiming that a global maximum had been found. The orthogonal Latin hypercube design was the best strategy for finding areas that produced high lod scores with small numbers of evaluations. Numerical optimization starting from a region producing high lod scores was the strategy that found the highest maximum observed.
Composable Code Generation for Model-Based Development

Many engineering and application domains, including distributed real-time and embedded (DRE) systems, are increasingly employing a graphical model-based development approach. However, the full potential of this approach has not yet been realized due to the complexity of automatically generating non-standard types of code. In this paper, we present a new framework for generating code that is referred to as composable code generation. Under this framework, code generators are not written as monolithic programs that are separate from their corresponding graphical models as has been the practice in the past. Instead, code generators are composed of modular entity-specific generation routines that are attached directly to modeling entities, their meta-data, or to collections of modeling entities. Code is built up by traversing the model, querying each entity that is encountered for a specific type of code generation routine and then executing each accessed routine. We describe this framework in detail and provide experimental results from a DRE application domain.
INTERACTIONS BETWEEN NITRATE UPTAKE AND NITROGEN FIXATION IN CONTINUOUS CULTURES OF THE MARINE DIAZOTROPH TRICHODESMIUM (CYANOBACTERIA)1

Diazotrophic cyanobacteria can take up combined nitrogen (nitrate, ammonium, amino acids, dissolved organic nitrogen) from solution, but the interaction between N 2 fixation and uptake of combined nitrogen is not well understood. We studied the effects of combined nitrogen (NO - 3 ) additions on N 2 fixation rates in the cyanobacterium Trichodesmium erythraeum (IMS-101) maintained in continuous culture in an N-free medium (YBCII) and a 12:12-h light:dark cycle. We measured acetylene reduction rates, nutrient concentrations, and biomass throughout the 12h of illumination after the addition of nitrate (0.5-20 μM) at the start of the light period. Compared with unamended controls, Trichodesmium showed strong inhibition of acetylene reduction (up to 70%) in the presence of NO - 3 , with apparent saturation of the inhibition effect at an initial NO - 3 concentration of approximately 10 μM. The inhibition of acetylene reduction persisted through much of the light period as NO - 3 concentration in the culture vessel decreased. Recovery of N 2 fixation was observed late in the light period in cultures amended with low concentrations of NO - 3 (<5 μM) when ambient NO - 3 concentrations had decreased to 0.3-0.4 μM in the culture vessel. Nitrate uptake accounted for as much as 86% of total N uptake and, at the higher treatment concentrations, more than made up for the observed decrease in N 2 fixation rates. We conclude that Trichodesmium can obtain significant quantities of N through uptake of nitrate and does so in preference to N 2 fixation when sufficient NO - 3 is available.
Critical digital systems: a fly-by-light consideration

Addresses the benefits and issues associated with fly-by-light technology and discusses the status of ongoing work. The rapid increase and evolution of digital electronic aircraft systems has evidenced some new and potentially troublesome failure modes heretofore not encountered with commercial aircraft. One potential cause of some of these faults or failures is the external electromagnetic environment (EME) in which aircraft must operate. In many systems fiber optics could provide cost effective EME protection. Douglas Aircraft has conducted or been directly involved in six flight test programs dealing with the fiber optics aspects of fly-by-light and associated with a number of others. The baseline Douglas Aircraft fly-by-light architecture shown was developed in 1984 from an internal study chartered to design a highly reliable digital flight control system for future transport aircraft. As an adjunct to the fly-by-wire/fly-by-light test integration facility work, Douglas Aircraft is also integrating a fly-by-light cockpit simulator which is discussed. >
Wiener-Hopf determinants with Fisher-Hartwig symbols

With localization techniques one can obtain general limit theorems for Toeplitz determinants with Fisher-Hartwig singularities from the asymptotics for any symbol with one singularity of general type. There exists a family of these for which the determinants can be evaluated explicitly and their asymptotics determined. But for the Wiener-Hopf analogue, although there are likely analogous localization techniques, there is not a single example known of a symbol with Fisher-Hartwig singularity for which the determinant can be evaluated explicitly. In this paper we determine the asymptotics of Wiener-Hopf determinants for a symbol with one Fisher-Hartwig singularity of general type. We do this by showing that it is asymptotically equal to a Toeplitz determinant with symbol having the corresponding singularity.
Drug and alcohol use among rural Mexican-Americans.

The purpose of this chapter is to review the literature on drug and alcohol use among rural Mexican-Americans. Given the lack of empirical data on substance use among this population, the review was expanded to include adult alcohol use in rural areas of Mexico and the United States and in urban areas of the United States. This chapter focuses on sociocultural factors (gender, community norms, family traditionalism, and acculturation) associated with drug and alcohol use among rural Mexican-Americans by presenting an integrative analysis of factors related to the risks of drug use. The interrelationship between levels of acculturation and levels of family traditionalism as they relate to the risks of drug abuse is also examined. Finally, suggestions are offered for future research and for preventive interventions applicable to rural Mexican-American populations.
A $35 Firewall for the Developing World

A number of recent efforts aim to bridge the global digital divide, particularly with respect to Internet access. We take this endeavor one step further and argue that Internet access and web security go hand in glove in the developing world. To remedy the situation, we explore whether low-cost platforms, such as Raspberry Pi (\$35) and Cubieboard (\$59), can be used to implement security mechanisms. Using a firewall as a motivating security application we benchmark its performance on these platforms to test our thesis. Our results show that these platforms can indeed serve as enablers of security functions for small sized deployments in the developing world, while only consuming less than $2.5 worth of electricity per device per annum. In addition, we argue that the use of these platforms also addresses maintenance challenges such as update roll-out and distribution. Furthermore, a number of additional network functions, such as caching and WAN acceleration can also be implemented atop this simple infrastructure. Finally, we posit that this deployment can be used for in-network monitoring to facilitate ICT4D research.
Early upregulation of myocardial CXCR4 expression is critical for dimethyloxalylglycine-induced cardiac improvement in acute myocardial infarction

The stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1):CXCR4 is important in myocardial repair. In this study we tested the hypothesis that early upregulation of cardiomyocyte CXCR4 (CM-CXCR4) at a time of high myocardial SDF-1 expression could be a strategy to engage the SDF-1:CXCR4 axis and improve cardiac repair. The effects of the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) hydroxylase inhibitor dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG) on CXCR4 expression was tested on H9c2 cells. In mice a myocardial infarction (MI) was produced in CM-CXCR4 null and wild-type controls. Mice were randomized to receive injection of DMOG (DMOG group) or saline (Saline group) into the border zone after MI. Protein and mRNA expression of CM-CXCR4 were quantified. Echocardiography was used to assess cardiac function. During hypoxia, DMOG treatment increased CXCR4 expression of H9c2 cells by 29 and 42% at 15 and 24 h, respectively. In vivo DMOG treatment increased CM-CXCR4 expression at 15 h post-MI in control mice but not in CM-CXCR4 null mice. DMOG resulted in increased ejection fraction in control mice but not in CM-CXCR4 null mice 21 days after MI. Consistent with greater cardiomyocyte survival with DMOG treatment, we observed a significant increase in cardiac myosin-positive area within the infarct zone after DMOG treatment in control mice, but no increase in CM-CXCR4 null mice. Inhibition of cardiomyocyte death in MI through the stabilization of HIF-1α requires downstream CM-CXCR4 expression. These data suggest that engagement of the SDF-1:CXCR4 axis through the early upregulation of CM-CXCR4 is a strategy for improving cardiac repair after MI.
Chromatin Immunoprecipitation of Adult Murine Cardiomyocytes

This unit describes a streamlined two-step protocol for the isolation of adult murine cardiomyocytes with subsequent Chromatin ImmunoPrecipitation (ChIP). Isolation and culturing of cardiomyocytes is a delicate process and the protocol presented here optimizes the combination of cardiomyocyte isolation with ChIP. ChIP is an invaluable method for analyzing molecular interactions occurring between a specific protein (or its post-translationally modified form) and a region of genomic DNA. ChIP has become a widely used technique in the last decade since several groundbreaking studies have focused attention on epigenetics and have identified many epigenetic regulatory mechanisms. However, epigenetics within cardiovascular biology is a new area of focus for many investigators, and we have optimized a method for performing ChIP in adult murine cardiomyocytes as we feel this will be an important aid to both the cardiovascular field and for the development of cell- and tissue-specific ChIP.
Tradeoff analysis for location update and paging in wireless networks

Location management plays the central role in providing ubiquitous communications services in the future wireless mobile networks. Location update and paging are commonly used in tracking mobile users on the move; location update is to update a mobile user's current location while the paging is used to locate a mobile user, both will incur signaling traffic in the wireless networks. The more frequent the location updates, the less paging in locating a mobile user, thus there is a tradeoff in terms of signaling cost. Tradeoff analysis of this type has been carried out in the past under exponential assumption for certain time variables. In this paper, we relax all assumptions and analytically derive the average number of location updates during the inter-service time for a movement-based location update scheme under fairly realistic assumptions, a number which are required for all tradeoff analysis. We then carry out case studies and numerically demonstrate that the cost function in our analysis indeed has a unique global optimal movement threshold.
Cloaking a conducting sphere with dispersive metamaterial coating and an intervening air gap

The electromagnetic backscattering from a dispersive metamaterial coated conducting sphere with an intervening air gap is presented in this article. The boundary-value technique is used to obtain the backscattering cross section. The results indicate that it is possible to achieve low radar echo width over a broad range of frequencies for certain cases. This opens possibilities for devices such as spherical antennas with low observability.
Performance of the radphi detector and trigger in a high rate tagged photon beam

We describe the design and operation of a detector system for measuring all-photon decays of mesons photoproduced in a tagged photon beam with energies between 4.3 and 5.4 GeV and a flux of 5×107 tagged photons per second. Photons from meson decays were detected with a lead-glass calorimeter with an energy resolution of 11% at 1 GeV. Various veto and trigger components were also present. Final states with as many as six photons were successfully detected and reconstructed.
Exploring the Effect of Exposure to Short-Term Solitary Confinement Among Violent Prison Inmates

This study tracked the behavior of male inmates housed in the general inmate populations of 70 different prison units from a large southern state. Each of the inmates studied engaged in violent misconduct at least once during the first 2 years of incarceration (n = 3,808). The goal of the study was to isolate the effect of exposure to short-term solitary confinement (SC) as a punishment for their initial act of violent behavior on the occurrence and timing of subsequent misconduct. This study relied upon archival longitudinal data and employed a multilevel counterfactual research design (propensity score matching) that involved tests for group differences, event history analyses, and trajectory analyses. The results suggest that exposure to short-term solitary confinement as a punishment for an initial violence does not appear to play a role in increasing or decreasing the probability, timing, or development future misconduct for this particular group on inmates. Upon validation, these findings call for continued research and perhaps a dialog regarding the utility of solitary confinement policies under certain contexts. This unique study sets the stage for further research to more fully understand how solitary impacts post-exposure behavior.
Use of multimode optical fibers for fiber-based coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microendoscopy imaging

A multimode fiber (MMF) was used for both delivery of excitation lasers and collection of returned coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) signals in a CARS microendoscopy prototype imaging system. We demonstrated a polarization-based scheme for suppression of four-wave mixing (FWM) signals in delivery fibers. Our experimental results showed that this polarization-based FWM-suppressing scheme can dramatically reduce FWM signals generated in MMFs, and MMFs can be used to produce CARS images in this microendoscopy system. The proposed MMF-based CARS microendoscopy imaging system with the polarization-based FWM-suppressing scheme offers a potential platform for building fiber-based CARS microendoscopes that can effectively suppress FWM background noises.
Toward a Poetics of Theatre and Public Events: In the Case of Stephen Lawrence

The day after the second London bombing episode (8 July 2005), I walked across town from Fleet Street to Sloane Square’s Royal Court Theatre to see Talking to Terrorists, a play by Robin Soans based on interviews with people who have been involved with or directly affected by terrorism. The play — directed by Max Stafford-Clark as a joint production between his company, Out of Joint, and the Royal Court Theatre — is only one of a number of recent British plays that have come to be called “Verbatim Theatre” because they use people’s actual words.
Ultrafast Differential Ion Mobility Spectrometry at Extreme Electric Fields Coupled to Mass Spectrometry

Microchip-based field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) analyzers featuring a grid of 35 μm-wide channels have allowed electric field intensity (E) over 60 kV/cm, or about twice that in previous devices with >0.5 mm gaps. Since the separation speed scales as E4 to E6, these chips filter ions in just ∼20 μs (or ∼100−10 000 times faster than “macroscopic” designs), although with reduced resolution. Here we report integration of these chips into electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry, with ESI coupled to FAIMS via a curtain plate/orifice interface with edgewise ion injection into the gap. Adjusting gas flows in the system permits control of ion residence time in FAIMS, which affects resolving power independently of ion desolvation after the ESI source. The results agree with a priori simulations and scaling rules. Applications illustrated include analyses of amino acids and peptides. Because of limited resolving power, the present FAIMS units are more suitable for distinguishing ...
Parental factors and early English education as a foreign language: a case study in Mainland China

As English has increasingly become associated with social and economic power in the context of globalisation, there has been a growing concern regarding achievement gaps in English that appear to be correlated to learners’ socio-economic status (SES). The present study aims to examine how parents’ SES and their behaviours and beliefs about English education relate to their children’s English language learning, and how such relationships may differ across different grade levels. The participants were fourth-, sixth- and eighth-grade students who had learned English from the third-grade level (572 students in total) together with their parents in a medium-sized city in China. An extensive parental survey revealed that while parental beliefs about English education and their beliefs about their children’s success in acquiring English did not differ between different SES groups, their direct behaviours (such as providing direct assistance for their children to learn English) and their indirect behaviours (suc...
Body iron excretion by healthy men and women

BACKGROUND: Iron excretion measured by isotope dilution has been a primary basis for the factorial derivation of recommendations for iron intake, but the results have been available for men only. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to confirm iron excretion measurements in healthy men and extend them to women. DESIGN: The turnover rate of ⁵⁵Fe that had been administered greater-than-or-equal1 y earlier was determined from blood sampled semiannually for up to 3 y from 53 subjects in the community. Body iron was determined from hemoglobin, serum ferritin, and transferrin receptor. Complete menstrual collections were obtained from 13 women. RESULTS: The total median (range) iron excretion was 1.18 (0.11-2.07) mg/d for 29 men, 1.58 (0.65-4.88) mg/d for 19 menstruating women, and 0.99 (0.86-1.57) for 5 postmenopausal women. When hormonal contraceptive users were omitted, the median for 15 menstruating women increased to 1.66 mg/d. The distribution of iron excretion was normal for the men and postmenopausal women and was highly skewed for the menstruating women; menstrual iron accounted for 90% of the variation. Iron excretion was not strongly related to body weight. Body iron in menstruating women decreased somewhat (by 4.6%) in the men and tended to increase (by 1.5%) during the study. CONCLUSIONS: The results extend direct iron excretion measurements in men to include similar measurements in women. The results emphasize the wide range of iron excretion in humans, which results in a 40-fold range of requirements for absorbed iron. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00755105.
Short stature in partially corrected X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency--suboptimal response to growth hormone.

Background X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (XSCID) results from defects in the common cytokine receptor γ chain (γc) required for signaling by receptors for interleukin (IL)-2, -4, -7, -9, -15, and -21 (1). Following haploidentical bone marrow transplant without myelo-conditioning for XSCID, most patients achieve partial reconstitution(2) often limited to T lymphocytes. Many partially corrected patients manifest extreme short stature (<5th percentile). Previous reports have implicated γc in growth hormone (GH) receptor signaling, thus severe growth failure in XSCID may be related to the underlying γc defect.
Patterning of self-assembled films using lithographic exposure tools

This paper presents an approach for fabricating surfaces with precise positional control of chemical functionalities at submicron resolutions using direct patterning of organosilane self-assembled monolayer films (SAFs) with lithographic exposure tools. Although the process is of general applicability, microelectronics applications are emphasized here. The suitability of monolayer SAFs for high resolution patterning is discussed and deep UV photochemical mechanisms for several classes of SAFs are presented. Selective electroless metallization of patterned SAFs provides sufficient plasma etch resistance and compatibility with current microelectronics processing technologies to allow fabrication of functioning Si MOSFET test structures. Unique features of the process, including an ability to utilize a variety of substrates and control metal film adhesion by judicious choice of the SAF, are discussed.
Regulation of pyruvate oxidation in blowfly flight muscle mitochondria: requirement for ADP.

Blowfly (Phormia regina) flight muscle mitochondria oxidized pyruvate (+ proline) in the presence of either ADP (coupled respiration) or carbonylcyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP-uncoupled respiration). There was an absolute requirement for ADP (Km = 8.0 μm) when pyruvate oxidation was stimulated by FCCP in the presence of oligomycin. This requirement for ADP was limited to the oxidation of pyruvate; uncoupled α-glycerolphosphate oxidation proceeded maximally even in the absence of added ADP. Atractylate inhibited uncoupled pyruvate oxidation whether added before (>99%) or after (95%) initiation of respiration with FCCP. In the presence of FCCP, oligomycin, and limiting concentrations of ADP (less than 110 μm), there was a shutoff in the uptake of oxygen. This inhibition of respiration was completely reversed by the addition of more ADP. Plots of net oxygen uptake as a function of the limiting ADP concentration were linear; the observed ADP/O ratio was 0.22 ± 0.025. An ADP/O ratio of 0.2 was predicted if phosphorylation occurred only at the succinyl-CoA synthetase step of the tricarboxylate cycle. Experiments performed in the presence of limiting concentrations of ADP, and designed to monitor changes in the mitochondrial content of ADP and ATP, demonstrated that the shutoff in oxygen uptake was not due to the presence of a high intramitochondrial concentration of ATP. Indeed, ATP, added to the medium prior to the addition of FCCP, inhibited uncoupled pyruvate oxidation; the apparent KI was 0.8 mm. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that it is the intramitochondrial ATP/ADP ratio that is one of the controlling factors in determining the rate of flux through the tricarboxylate cycle. Changes in the mitochondrial content of citrate, isocitrate, α-ketoglutarate, and malate during uncoupled pyruvate oxidation in the presence of a limiting concentration of ADP were consistent with the hypothesis that the mitochondrial NAD+-linked isocitric dehydrogenase is a major site for such control through the tricarboxylate cycle.
Robust Control of a MEMS Probing Device

In this paper, a systematic design based on the robust control theory is developed for a microelectromechanical systems nanopositioning/probing device. The device is fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator substrate, and provides decoupled XY motion by using a parallel kinematics mechanism design. Each axis of the device is actuated by linear comb-drives and the corresponding displacements are sensed by separate comb structures. To improve the sensing resolution, the sensing and driving combs are electrically isolated. The nonlinear dynamic model between the actuation voltage and the sensed displacement will increase the complexity of model identification and control design. We circumvent the nonlinear model by redefining the input and output (I/O) signals during the model definition and identification, which results in linear and time-invariant models. A dynamical model of the system is identified through experimental input-output frequency-domain identification. The implemented H∞ control design achieves a significant improvement over the response speed, where the bandwidths from the closed-loop sensitivity and complementary sensitivity functions, respectively, are 68 and 74 Hz. When compared to open-loop characteristics, enhancement in reliability and repeatability (robustness to uncertainties) as well as noise attenuation (by over 12%) is demonstrated through this design.
Adult Lung Transplantation: Technical Considerations

The technical details of lung transplantation have seen considerable refinement with two decades of experience. Recent efforts to expand the donor pool are an exciting development. The technical details of donor organ procurement and the implantation are discussed here with a note to common pitfalls encountered.
Effect of transverse normal strain on the bending of thick circular plates on an elastic foundation subjected to surface loads

Abstract In this work a two-dimensional elastostatic theory for circular plates on an elastic foundation is presented. This theory incorporates the transverse normal strain effect in addition to the transverse shear and normal stress effects. The governing equations and solutions for the nonsymmetrical bending of circular thick plates resting on an elastic foundation are presented. Also, the governing equations for the in-plane displacements u 0 and v 0 are derived and can be used in practical applications, particularly in stability analysis. A problem for which the transverse effects are significant is discussed. Illustrative numerical results for an infinite plate subjected to a concentrated load resting on an elastic foundation are included. The results are compared to those obtained using the plate theory by Reissner and the classical plate theory.
Pulsed laser deposition for CdTe-based photovoltaics

One of the major advantages of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) for thin- film growth is the use of simply prepared solid targets. Especially for our work with CdTe-related materials in photovoltaics, target preparation by cold pressing from high purity powders works well, partly because the II-VI semiconductors such as CdTe, CdS, and ZnTe do not create serious problems with particulate generation in the PLD plume. Thus we have used mixtures of these binary compounds to produce ternary alloy films with good results. These alloy films are being used to produce band-gap-graded structures in PV cells. In addition, the PLD technique lends itself readily to the preparation of doped films again through appropriate target mixing such as elemental copper mixed into ZnTe or elemental indium mixed into CdS. In addition, doping from the vapor phase by reactive deposition of CdTe in the presence of small pressures of O2 has been successful in reducing the normally very high resistivity of the polycrystalline CdTe Films. Electrical measurements, Raman and photoluminescence, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy results from these materials will be presented.
Decision Analysis and Real Options: A Discrete Time Approach to Real Option Valuation

In this paper we seek to enhance the real options methodology developed by Copeland and Antikarov (2001) with traditional decision analysis tools to propose a discrete time method that allows the problem to be specified and solved with off the shelf decision analysis software. This method uses dynamic programming with an innovative algorithm to model the project’s stochastic process and real options with decision trees. The method is computationally intense, but simpler and more intuitive than traditional methods, thus allowing for greater flexibility in the modeling of the problem.
A Note on Summer CO2 Flux, Soil Organic Matter, and Microbial Biomass from Different High Arctic Ecosystem Types in Northwestern Greenland

We measured CO2 flux, soil organic matter, and soil microbial biomass carbon in six high arctic tundra communities near Thule, Greenland, in July 1997, including polar desert, polar semidesert, and polar oasis ecosystems. Three of the four polar desert sites were in a contiguous toposequence originating at the receding margin of the Greenland ice cap and extending away from the ice approximately 400 m. The other sites ranged from 3 to 12 km from the ice margin. We measured net ecosystem CO2 uptake in the polar desert ecosystem most distance from the ice sheet (1.2 g CO2 m-2 d-1) and in the polar semidesert ecosystem (0.3 g CO2 m-2 d- 1), but net CO2 loss in the polar oasis site and the three polar desert sites in the toposequence. Ecosystem respiration tended to be greatest in the ecosystems that have apparently been ice-free the longest, with efflux rates up to 3.7 g CO2 m-2 d-~. In the toposequence, soil organic matter was greatest adjacent to the icecap (3.10%) and decreased to 0.93% is the polar desert site 400 m from the ice. The polar semidesert and polar oases sites had 2.67 and 3.83% soil organic matter, respectively. Soil microbial biomass carbon ranged from about 1 mg C g-~ soil in the polar oasis ecosystem to about 0.2 mg C g-~ soil in one of the polar desert ecosystems but did not follow the patterns we found for soil organic matter. Our findings substantiate other recent studies showing significant CO2 flux between high arctic ecosystems and the atmosphere, and suggest that carbon exchange in these systems merit consideration in circumarctic estimates of carbon flux.
Teaching data structures with beSocratic

This paper describes a novel intelligent tutoring system called beSocratic, which targets question types that allow students to respond with free-form input but are able to be automatically evaluated and analyzed. Using beSocratic's GraphPad module, students are able to draw data structures using a mouse, touch, or a stylus. Once a student has completed a question, their final answer and a replay of their actions is uploaded to beSocratic's database. This allows teachers to replay student answers and identify common mistakes. In addition, beSocratic contains a set of post-analysis tools that utilize hidden Markov modeling to cluster student submissions with similar sequences of actions. Along with the modeling, beSocratic generates several visualizations to help teachers interpret the results. This can potentially help teachers identify students who are using the same strategies to answer questions. We have begun pilot-testing its use in computer science classrooms to teach student to properly construct splay trees. The splay tree activity teaches students to construct data structures using free-form drawing and the rotations needed for the splay operation. The activity concludes with an extended example where students must construct a splay tree from scratch. At each step, GraphPad evaluates how the students are performing and provides feedback. Students responded positively to the initial pilot study and we believe this warrants further investigation. beSocratic is free to use at beSocratic.clemson.edu.