cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A prediction for the maximum phase and duration of sunspot cycle 22

A projected value of the maximum amplitude of sunspot cycle 22 is used to predict the ascent, maximum phase, and length of the cycle. It is suggested that cycle 22 will have a lower maximum amplitude than cycle 21. This would make cycle 22 a 'negative-valued' maximum amplitude first-difference cycle with an ascent with a median value of 4 years. Cycle 22 is predicted to be a long-period cycle with a length in the range of 138 + or - 8 months. It is concluded that cycle 22 will probably peak sometime in the latter half of 1990 or the first half of 1991 and that it will not end until early to mid 1998.
Narrative Temporality: Implications for Organizational Research

Our aim is to stimulate critical reflection on an issue that has received relatively little attention: how alternative presuppositions about time can lead to different narrative ways of researching and theorizing organizational life. Based on two amendments to Paul Ricoeur’s work in Time and Narrative, we re-story narrative research in organizations as Narrative Temporality (NT). Our amendments draw upon the temporality perspective of Jean-Paul Sartre in order to reframe narrative research in organizations as a fluid, dynamic, yet rigorous process open to the interpretations (negotiated) of its many participants (polyphonic) and situated in the context and point of enactment (synchronic). We believe an approach to narrative organizational research grounded in NT can open up new ways of thinking about experience and sense-making, and help us take reflexive responsibility for our research.
Simulation fidelity in microlithography

Ground truth comparison between our advanced simulation modules and specific sets of experiments is presented, and simulation fidelity is evaluated. The resists described below are SNR248 negative chemically amplified deep-UV resist, KTI895i positive I-line resist, Shipley ANR negative chemically amplified I-line resist, and SMP1400 positive G-line resist. The simulation is composed of several modules: aerial image calculation, exposure, post-exposure baking (PEB) as reaction-diffusion equations, and dissolution employing reaction-diffusion equations as well as Hamilton-Jacobi systems. The experiments described display variations in exposure energies to determine process latitude and cd control, defocus, as well as line shape. Detailed comparisons between experiments and simulations are exhibited for a wide range of photolithographic applications.
Depletion and resynthesis of tissue thiols by helenalin and tenulin.

ABSTRACTThe depletion of tissue thiols by two anti-leukemic agents helenalin and tenulin was studied in mice. Helenalin (100 mg/kg) and tenulin (213 mg/kg) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were administered orally, and the acid-soluble total thiol concentrations in the liver, kidney, stomach and small intestine were determined at 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 6.0, 12.0 and 24.0 hr post-treatment. The lowest tissue thiol levels (42–84% of pretrial values) were observed within 0.5 - 1.0 hr following helenalin treatment. The tenulin treated mice exhibited the lowest values (46–80% of pretrial control values) at 3.0 hr post-treatment in all tissues except in the stomach, which reached its lowest value at 1.0 hr. The most dramatic effects were found in the stomach and small intestine where the mean thiol concentrations varied from 43% to 141% (at 1.0 and 24.0 hr) and from 76% to 169% (at 0.5 and 24.0 hr) of pretrial values, respectively, among helenalin treated mice. The tissue thiol levels in DMSO- and physiological saline (PSS...
Failure to detect Chlamydia pneumoniae in senile calcific aortic stenosis or calcified congenital bicuspid aortic valve by immunofluorescence, polymerase chain reaction and electron microscopy.

Abstract Introduction: Chlamydia pneumoniae has been identified in arterial atherosclerosis. Aortic valves affected by senile calcific aortic stenosis (SCAS) or calcification of a congenital bicuspid valve (CCBAV) may have interior environments similar to atherosclerosis. This study aimed to detect C. pneumoniae within either SCAS or CCBAV. Methods: 60 valves showing either SCAS ( n =36) or CCABV ( n =22) and control valves ( n =2) were studied for the presence of C. pneumoniae by the following three techniques: (1) indirect immunofluorescence (IF) was performed on 36 SCAS valves, 22 CCBAV valves and 2 control aortic valves using a HEp-2 cell line infected with C. pneumoniae as a positive control. Negative controls comprised duplicate slides of the same valves with omission of the primary antibody step. A section of human stomach was also used as a negative control. A semiquantitative scoring method was used to grade positive IF staining. (2) Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on 30 SCAS valves, 20 CCBAV valves and 1 control valve using C. pneumoniae as a positive control and negative controls comprised a Ureaplasma sp. and human DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. (3) Electron microscopy (EM) was performed upon 13 SCAS, 8 CCBAV and 2 control valves. Results: All three methods failed to detect the presence of C. pneumoniae in any of the 60 aortic valves examined. False positive IF staining was encountered in 81% of test valves and in 76% of negative control valve sections (positive in calcified material due to nonspecific binding of FITC-conjugated secondary antibody). No staining was observed in the negative control stomach sections. Conclusions: This study failed to detect C. pneumoniae within aortic valves showing SCAS or CCBAV. Studies using IF alone to detect C. pneumoniae in calcified tissues should be interpreted with caution, since nonspecific binding of FITC-conjugated secondary antibody by calcium in the cusps may be misinterpreted as evidence of Chlamydia . The use of appropriate controls and ancillary methods for the identification of C. pneumoniae are important in this regard.
Growth of grain boundary precipitates in Al-4% Cu by interfacial diffusion

The lengthening rates and the thickening rates of θ precipitates which nucleate at grain boundaries and grow preferentially along them, known as grain boundary allotriomorphs, were measured in the temperature range 200°–325°C in an Al-4 % Cu alloy. Both the lengthening rates and thickening rates were found to be orders of magnitude too rapid to be controlled by the volume diffusion of Cu toward the growing allotrimorphs. Analyses of these kinetic data indicate that the thickening of θ allotriomorphs is controlled by the rate of diffusion of Cu along the α : θ boundary comprising the broad faces of the allotriomorphs. The lengthening of these crystals proceeds by volume diffusion of Cu to the α:α grain boundaries, followed by grain boundary diffusion to the advancing edges of the allotriomorphs. From the thickening kinetics, the interphase boundary diffusion coefficient was found to be Dαθ = 0.23 exp (−12,800/RT), in order of magnitude agreement with diffusivities along disordered grain boundaries in other metals.
The Business Writer, the Law, and Routine Business Communication: A Legal and Rhetorical Analysis.

Business communicators today risk legal liability as courts are increasingly holding writers and their employing organizations responsible for reasonable—although often unintended—interpretations of their routine writing. Research and pedagogy have not kept abreast of this change. Rhetorical theory, particularly a social perspective, provides a useful foundation for understanding judicial resolution of claims arising out of writing; however, theory must also account for factors not encompassed within extended audience analysis. Current texts offer general descriptions of the laws most likely to affect business writers; in addition, writing pedagogy must provide specific strategies for avoiding liability-prone prose.
Application of super-resolution image reconstruction to digital holography

We describe a new application of super-resolution image reconstruction to digital holography which is a technique for three-dimensional information recording and reconstruction. Digital holography has suffered from the low resolution of CCD sensors, which significantly limits the size of objects that can be recorded. The existing solution to this problem is to use optics to bandlimit the object to be recorded, which can cause the loss of details. Here super-resolution image reconstruction is proposed to be applied in enhancing the spatial resolution of digital holograms. By introducing a global camera translation before sampling, a high-resolution hologram can be reconstructed from a set of undersampled hologram images. This permits the recording of larger objects and reduces the distance between the object and the hologram. Practical results from real and simulated holograms are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed technique.
Changes in the Cross-Striations of Muscle during Contraction and Stretch and their Structural Interpretation

Changes in the Cross-Striations of Muscle during Contraction and Stretch and their Structural Interpretation
The microstructure of fluidizable cracking catalysts

The characteristic morphologies of components used to prepared fluidizable cracking catalysts have been identified informed microspheres by a scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray analyser system. Differences in preparation methods and materials are observed in the catalyst microstructure. Cracking unit processes and laboratory simulation experiments result in changes in catalyst morphology. The relationships between cracking catalyst microstructure and performance are discussed in this paper.
Biosocial Studies of Antisocial and Violent Behavior in Children and Adults: A Review

Despite increasing knowledge of social and biological risk factors for antisocial and violent behavior, we know surprisingly little about how these two sets of risk factors interact. This paper documents 39 empirical examples of biosocial interaction effects for antisocial behavior from the areas of genetics, psychophysiology, obstetrics, brain imaging, neuropsychology, neurology, hormones, neurotransmitters, and environmental toxins. Two main themes emerge. First, when biological and social factors are grouping variables and when antisocial behavior is the outcome, then the presence of both risk factors exponentially increases the rates of antisocial and violent behavior. Second, when social and antisocial variables are grouping variables and biological functioning is the outcome, then the social variable invariably moderates the antisocial‐biology relationship such that these relationships are strongest in those from benign home backgrounds. It is argued that further biosocial research is critical for establishing a new generation of more successful intervention and prevention research.
Transition-Metal-Promoted Hydroboration of Alkenes: A Unique Reversal of Regioselectivity

When hydroboration of 1-octene is carried out in the presence of catalytic amounts of rhodium trichloride followed by the usual oxidation (hydrogen peroxide in aqueous alkali), only minor proportions of 1-octanol (2.4%) are formed accompanied by very significant amounts of 2- (17.4%), 3- (36.9%), and 4-octanol (43.3%). These product compositions are obtained in good overall yield when the borane-THF complex is slowly added to a stirred solution of 1-octene in THF solvent containing the rhodium trichloride. Isomerization of 1-octene to 2-, 3-, and 4-octene in the presence of rhodium trichloride alone is far too slow to account for the foregoing results. The mechanism likely involves multiple and reversible addition/elimination of a Rh-activated B-H species across the double bonds.
A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of oxcarbazepine in the treatment of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents

Objective: This multicenter trial examined the efficacy and safety of oxcarbazepine in the treatment of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents. Method: A total of 116 outpatients 7 to 18 years of age with bipolar I disorder, manic or mixed, were recruited at 20 centers in the United States and randomly assigned to receive 7 weeks of double-blinded, flexibly dosed treatment with oxcarbazepine (maximum dose 900–2400 mg/day) or placebo. The primary efficacy measure was the mean change from baseline to endpoint in the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), using the last-observation-carried-forward method. Results: Oxcarbazepine (mean dose=1515 mg/day) did not significantly improve YMRS scores at endpoint compared with placebo [adjusted mean change: oxcarbazepine, –10.90 (N=55); placebo, –9.79 (N=55)]. Dizziness, nausea, somnolence, diplopia, fatigue, and rash were each reported in at least 5% of the patients in the oxcarbazepine group with an incidence at least twice that of the placebo group. The majority o...
Impact of the Repressive Personality Style on the Measurement of Psychological Distress in Children and Adolescents with Chronic Illness: An Example from Hemophilia

Described the impact of the repressive personality style on the measurement of psychological distress among children and adolescents with hemophilia. Two groups were compared on parent and self-report measures of anxiety and depression: a nondefensive group (n = 34) with low distress; and a highly defensive group (n = 26) who were identified as having a repressive personality style and who also reported low distress. Consistent with hypotheses, highly defensive children reported comparable levels of anxiety and lower levels of depression than nondefensive children. On the other hand, mothers of highly defensive children and adolescents described them as more distressed than mothers of nondefensive (self-assured) children. Findings underscore the importance of including data from other informants, (e.g., parents, teachers, or peers) to avoid misleading findings based on self-reports of anxiety and depression obtained from highly defensive children.
Cardiovascular-Renal Responses to Long-Term Nitric Oxide Inhibition During Angiotensin II-AT1 Receptor Inhibition

A previous study in conscious dogs showed that the normal hypertensive response to short-term nitric oxide synthesis inhibition was markedly attenuated during angiotensin II-AT1 receptor inhibition. However, whether angiotensin plays an important cardiovascular role in the dog during long-term nitric oxide synthesis inhibition has not been determined and was therefore the goal of this investigation. Studies were conducted in 16 conscious dogs that received angiotensin AT1 receptor inhibition with L158809 (N = 8) or vehicle (N = 8) for 12 d. During the last 6 d of this infusion, nitric oxide synthesis was inhibited by infusing NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester intravenously at 37.1 nmol/kg/min. In both the AT1 and vehicle groups, nitroarginine infusion significantly decreased the acetylcholine depressor response, glomerular filtration rate, renal plasma flow, and heart rate, and increased arterial pressure and renal vascular resistance in a similar manner, whereas it caused little change in the urinary excretion of sodium and water or in plasma renin activity. In conclusion, the long-term responses of arterial pressure, renal hemodynamics, and the renal excretion of sodium and water to nitric oxide synthesis inhibition were not significantly influenced by blockade of angiotensin AT1 receptors with L158809 in the dog.
The Implications of Institutional Design for Macroeconomic Performance: Reassessing the Claims of Consensus Democracy

The choice between a proportional representation (PR) or plurality-based electoral system is commonly assumed to involve a trade-off. The former is assumed to provide fairer representation but at a...
Localized Corrosion Resistance of Fe-Cr-Mo-W-B-C Bulk Metallic Glasses Containing Mn+Si or Y in Neutral and Acidified Chloride Solutions

Abstract The localized corrosion properties of a series of iron-based metallic glasses containing either the elements Fe-Cr-Mn-Mo-W-B-C-Si or Fe-Cr-Mo-W-B-C-Y have been studied in near-neutral pH, ...
Digital zoom camera with image sharpening and suppression

The intention of zooming in a video camera is to obtain more detailed visual information than the full frame view. The optical zooming mechanisms provide this additional information, however, when optically zoomed, the camera no longer detects the full frame view, which was detected before zooming. Digital zooming can detect the full view at all times, however, fails to provide additional visual information when zoomed. In applications such as visual surveillance and manufacturing quality measurement, it is required to detect the full frame view at all times, the camera should be capable of providing additional visual information when zoomed to the region of interest (ROI). This paper presents a video camera system incorporating an autonomous pan, tilt and zoom functionality based on ROI decided upon motion detection capability, which provides more visual information in zoomed modes while detecting the full view at all times. The intelligent ROI decision can be made not only based on motion but also shape, color, sizes etc. of targeted objects for tracking. Image sharpening and noise reduction methods are also provided within the camera system. Standard testing results indicate that this camera system can resolve up to 800 TV lines and produces comparable color quality to other CCD based CCTV surveillance cameras, especially at good lighting conditions.
Technique of kidney transplantation in mice with anti-reflux urinary reconstruction

Experimental models of organ transplantation play a crucial role in establishing the principles of transplantation immunobiology. Murine transplant models of vascularized organs are particularly useful for immunobiological studies because there are more immunological tools available. However, the technique of kidney transplant in mice is very challenging. A difficult aspect of this model is urinary reconstruction, which is frequently associated to complications. In this article, the technique of mouse kidney transplantation using an anti-reflux system (modified extravesical ureteroneocystostomy) is described and illustrated for the first time. Although technically demanding, this procedure is feasible and may reduce the incidence of urine leakage and reflux.
Charge localization in molecule‐ions upon electron‐impact. Mass spectra of some substituted 1‐carbamoyl‐ and 1‐thiocarbamoyl‐2‐pyrazolines and related compounds

The mass spectra of some substituted 2-pyrazolines and a pyrazolidine are discussed. With the exception of III which favours McLafferty rearrangements prior to fragmentation, I, IV and V fragment to give isocyanate or isothiocyanate radicals and ions with structures corresponding to their heterocyclic molecular compounds. These results which can be explained in the light of the concept of charge localization at preferential sites, are in good agreement with the ionization potential studies on substituted ureas and thioureas.5 Other compounds show simple straight-forward fragmentations upon electron-impact.
A Scalable Bandwidth Extension Algorithm

Most modern bandwidth extension techniques predict the high- frequency band based on features extracted from the lower band. While this works for some frames, problems arise when the correlation between the low and the high band is insufficient. In these situations, additional high-band information must be sent to the decoder. In this paper, we propose a scalable speech coding method based on the principles of bandwidth extension. The rate selection is based on explicit psychoacoustic criteria, while the bandwidth extension is performed using a constrained MMSE estimation technique. Objective and subjective evaluations indicate that the proposed system performs at a lower average bit rate when compared to other similar algorithms while improving speech quality.
Active, uncalibrated visual servoing

Proposes a method for visual control of a robotic system which does not require the formulation of an explicit calibration between image space and the world coordinate system. Calibration is known to be a difficult and error prone process. By extracting control information directly from the image, the authors free their technique from the errors normally associated with a fixed calibration. The authors demonstrate this by performing a peg-in-hole alignment using an uncalibrated camera to control the positioning of the peg. The algorithm utilizes feedback from a simple geometric effect, rotational invariance, to control the positioning servo loop. The method uses an approximation to the image Jacobian to provide smooth, near-continuous control. >
Superposition solutions of coupled nonlinear equations

Abstract Symmetrically coupled nonlinear Schrodinger (CNLS), coupled Korteweg-de Vries (CKdV), and coupled bound-continuum-bound (CBCB) equations are shown to have solitary-wave solutions that are generally expressible in terms of a superposition of two solitary waves of different forms. Control of wave propagation with different superpositions, and extending the superposition solutions to other nonlinearly coupled equations, are two possible useful applications.
Debt and Graduation from American Universities

The goal of "college-for-all" in the United States has been pursued in an environment of rising tuition, stagnant grant aid and already strapped family budgets with the gap filled by college loans. College students are thus facing increasing levels of debt as they seek to develop their human capital and improve their career options. Debt is a useful resource for making needed investments. It is unique as a resource, however, because it must be repaid and can thus also increase vulnerabilities and limit options. We find that lower levels of educational debt do support college completion. However, additional educational debt beyond about $10,000 actually reduces the likelihood of college completion compared to lower levels of debt as the burden of repayment looms. Graduation likelihoods for students from the bottom 75% of the income distribution at public universities are especially influenced by debt. The article considers how the macro-level changes in financing societal functions influence the individual-level risks and vulnerabilities of life in a debt-based society.
Cutting edge: in vitro generated Th17 cells maintain their cytokine expression program in normal but not lymphopenic hosts.

Upon activation, naive CD4+ T cells differentiate into effector Th cell subsets. The stability and plasticity of effector Th cells have not been well understood. In this study we used an IL-17F-red fluorescent protein reporter mouse to analyze the plasticity of Th17 cells in vitro and in vivo. We found that in vitro generated Th17 cells poorly maintained their differentiation program in vitro and could be reprogrammed into other T cell lineages. Moreover, upon transfer into lymphopenic hosts, Th17 cells rapidly lost their IL-17 expression and were converted into Th1 cells independently of IL-7 signaling. However, Th17 cells maintained their phenotypes well in normal animals, even in the absence of Ag and inflammation. These results, although suggesting the plasticity of Th17 cells, also indicate active maintenance of their program in vivo.
Reporting of radiation exposure in contemporary interventional cardiology trials

Objectives: To determine reporting of radiation exposure in contemporary interventional cardiology randomized trials published in leading journals. Background: Interventional cardiology procedures are a significant source of ionizing radiation, which can have detrimental effects on both patients and medical personnel. Methods: The EuroIntervention 2010 supplement served as a source of randomized trials in interventional cardiology published in scientific literature from 2000 to 2010. Results: Of all the trials in the supplement, 204 represented original research and were examined for reporting of radiation dose and fluoroscopy times. Only eight trials (3.92%) reported either radiation exposure or fluoroscopy time, covering 16,563 patients (4.55% of the total patient population of 363,727). All of these trials were published after 2006. The average fluoroscopy time reported in seven trials was 13.6 min and the mean radiation dose reported in three trials was 58.67 Gy cm2. Conclusions: Radiation exposure is not consistently reported in contemporary interventional cardiology trials. Even when reporting occurs, trials may not report detailed data such as radiation dose, radiation exposure time, or fluoroscopy time. Although reporting of radiation exposure has not been a requirement in research studies, efforts by professional societies and regulatory authorities toward standardized reporting should aid clinicians in making a more informed decision on specific interventional procedures and devices. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The pursuit of cryptococcal pathogenesis: heterologous hosts and the study of cryptococcal host–pathogen interactions

Analysis of the molecular mechanisms by which a pathogen interacts with the human host is most commonly performed using a mammalian model of infection. However, several virulence-related genes previously shown to be involved in mammalian infection with Cryptococcus neoformans have also been shown to play a role in the interaction of these pathogens with invertebrates, such as Acanthamoeba castellanii, Caenorhabditis elegans, Dictyostelium discoideum, Drosophila melanogaster and Galleria mellonella. The study of host-pathogen interactions using these model hosts has allowed rapid screening of mutant libraries and can be used for the study of evolutionarily preserved aspects of microbial virulence and host response.
Genocide and Mass Killing: Origins, Prevention, Healing and Reconciliation

This article focuses on intense collective violence, especially mass killing and genocide. It briefly presents a conception of their origins, with new elements in the conception and comparisons with other approaches. Various aspects of genocide and mass killing are considered, including their starting points (such as difficult life conditions and group conflict), cultural characteristics, psychological and social processes (such as destructive ideologies), the evolution of increasing violence and its effect on perpetrators and bystanders, and the roles of leaders and of internal and external bystanders. Actions that might be taken by the community of nations and other actors to halt or prevent violence are described. In considering prevention there is a focus on processes of healing within previously victimized groups and reconciliation between hostile groups. A project on healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation in Rwanda is briefly described.
A decade of NSTX operations using collaborative software

Since the beginning of the National Spherical Torus Experiment's (NSTX) research activities in 1999, open-source and collaborative software have been used extensively for experimental operations. The software included Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) and the Model Data System plus (MDSplus). This paper will begin with a retrospective of ten years of integrated computing, control, and data analysis on NSTX. A variety of practical issues will be reviewed such as: system reliability, availability, and maintainability; using open source software with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware; obsolescence and remaining current. Recent improvements, current status, and emerging issues will be presented. Numerous proposals for NSTX upgrades have been made that will extend the performance and operating lifetime of NSTX. In light of this, a collective strategy for improving NSTX's collaborative software model for a new decade of operations will be examined.
Bone-Forming Tumors

Bone-forming tumors represent a broad spectrum of neoplasms that arise within or on the surface of bone and may rarely occur in extraskeletal sites. The hallmark of these tumors is that the neoplastic cells produce the organic components of bone or bone matrix that may or may not be mineralized. Osteoma is usually solitary but in rare cases may be multiple. The latter is seen typically in association with Gardner syndrome. Osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma are terms used to describe benign bone-forming tumors with essentially identical histologic features, thus preventing their distinction from one another solely on histomorphologic grounds. They differ in size, anatomic sites, and clinical manifestations. Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant tumor of bone, exclusive of hematologic malignancies. Although the tumor may occur at any age with a slightly male predilection, it has a bimodal age distribution, with a propensity to develop predominantly in adolescents and young adults. This is followed by a smaller second peak in the elderly, frequently with conditions known to predispose to osteosarcoma, including Paget disease and prior radiation.
Entrepreneurs' Storytelling: Preliminary Evidence of Entrepreneurs' Use of Oral Narrative

The research regarding entrepreneurs and storytelling is scarce.This study examines the use of storytelling by entrepreneurs as a means of exchanging information.Drawing on self-identified entrepreneurs from the southwest of Canada and the northwest of the United States, the subjects (n=25) were interviewed and asked to recount their life stories.The data were analyzed on the basis of the way each entrepreneur described his or her use of storytelling.The findings revealed four major ways in which storytelling was utilized, including the following:as a tool for organizing, as a way to identify and communicate opportunities, as a sales tool, and as a means to finance ventures.The implications and limitations of the study are discussed, as are areas for future study.(AKP)
Boosting naïve Bayesian learning on a large subset of MEDLINE.

We are concerned with the rating of new documents that appear in a large database (MEDLINE) and are candidates for inclusion in a small specialty database (REBASE). The requirement is to rank the new documents as nearly in order of decreasing potential to be added to the smaller database as possible, so as to improve the coverage of the smaller database without increasing the effort of those who manage this specialty database. To perform this ranking task we have considered several machine learning approaches based on the nai ve Bayesian algorithm. We find that adaptive boosting outperforms nai ve Bayes, but that a new form of boosting which we term staged Bayesian retrieval outperforms adaptive boosting. Staged Bayesian retrieval involves two stages of Bayesian retrieval and we further find that if the second stage is replaced by a support vector machine we again obtain a significant improvement over the strictly Bayesian approach.
A whole-genome RNAi screen uncovers a novel role for human potassium channels in cell killing by the parasite Entamoeba histolytica

The parasite Entamoeba histolytica kills human cells resulting in ulceration, inflammation and invasion of the colonic epithelium. We used the cytotoxic properties of ameba to select a genome-wide RNAi library to reveal novel host factors that control susceptibility to amebic killing. We identified 281 candidate susceptibility genes and bioinformatics analyses revealed that ion transporters were significantly enriched among susceptibility genes. Potassium (K+) channels were the most common transporter identified. Their importance was further supported by colon biopsy of humans with amebiasis that demonstrated suppressed K+ channel expression. Inhibition of human K+ channels by genetic silencing, pharmacologic inhibitors and with excess K+ protected diverse cell types from E. histolytica-induced death. Contact with E. histolytica parasites triggered K+ channel activation and K+ efflux by intestinal epithelial cells, which preceded cell killing. Specific inhibition of Ca2+-dependent K+ channels was highly effective in preventing amebic cytotoxicity in intestinal epithelial cells and macrophages. Blockade of K+ efflux also inhibited caspase-1 activation, IL-1β secretion and pyroptotic death in THP-1 macrophages. We concluded that K+ channels are host mediators of amebic cytotoxicity in multiple cells types and of inflammasome activation in macrophages.
Role of cGMP versus 20-HETE in the vasodilator response to nitric oxide in rat cerebral arteries.

This study examined the response to nitric oxide (NO) in rat middle cerebral arteries (MCA). NO donors increased the activity of a 205-pS K+ channel recorded from vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells isolated from MCA 10-fold. Blockade of guanylyl cyclase activity with 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazole[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, 10−5 M) did not alter the effect of NO on this channel. In contrast, adding 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) to the bath (10−7 M) abolished the response to NO. NO donors also increased the diameter of serotonin-preconstricted MCA to 85% of control. Blockade of K+ channels with iberiotoxin or a high-K+ medium reduced this response by 50%. ODQ (10−5 M) reduced this response by 47 ± 3%, whereas preventing the fall of 20-HETE levels reduced the response by 59 ± 2% (n = 5). Blockade of both pathways eliminated the response to NO donors. These results indicate that activation of K+ channels contributes 50% to vasodilator response to NO in rat MCA. This is mediated by a fall in 20-HETE level...
Types of Degree Questions: Consequences of Different Adjective Classes

This paper observes that what constitutes an appropriate answer to a degree question differs for two types of gradable adjectives – dimension (e.g. big) and color (e.g. red). When we ask 'how big' something is, we are asking for that object’s size within some reasonable limits. When we ask 'how red,' we are asking to what degree of redness (appropriate to that object) the object has. I propose that the two types of adjectives merge with degree quantifiers that have different restrictors. This accounts for the differing interpretation/answerhood conditions of dimension and color degree questions.
Flexible RF-antennas coated by a super hydrophobic paint for minimal water absorption

Over the past few years, engineers have been exploring the utilization of various types of substrates like fabrics, organic, and even papers substrate to fabricate microwave components. Use of such flexible substrates renders simplified fabrication process, and can easily lead to low cost mass production and fast turn around. But they generally have a serious problem that is water absorption that would significantly degrade their performance. In this paper, we utilize a super-hydrophobic material to cover these circuits to minimize water absorption while sustaining their RF performance. The results show very consistent performance before and after applying the super-hydrophobic coating on the antenna surface and minimal degradation if any.
Foreword: A New Frontier in Criminal Justice Reform

Foreword to the Wake Forest Journal of Law & Policy issue on Criminal Justice Reform. Each author featured in this issue of the Wake Forest Journal of Law & Policy explores different aspects of the criminal justice system in the United States, and they come to the same conclusion that there is widespread consensus that in order for our system to fully embody the ideals of our nation and our great Constitution, critical reforms must occur at every stage within the criminal justice process.There is currently strong momentum and bipartisan support to encourage changes that will impact not only those currently imprisoned, but also those in the pipeline to prison, and recent policy shifts suggest that we are at a crossroads in criminal justice. However, meaningful reforms will occur only with bold and innovative solutions at each stage of the criminal process, beginning with policing, which represents the entry point into the criminal justice system. Ensuring humane treatment of those convicted and sentenced to prison for their crimes, as well as providing needed services to ease the transition of those reentering society from prison, are all on the reform agenda. Policymakers have announced several important criminal justice policy changes that signify that the nation is indeed in the midst of a "criminal justice revolution." My introduction will contextualize the articles and discuss how the proposals they analyze compliment these recent policy shifts and embody the types of changes needed to ensure sustainable and effective criminal justice reforms.
Multiphase Distribution Feeder Reduction

Quasi-static time-series simulations (QSTS) of distribution feeders are a critical element of distributed solar PV integration studies. QSTS are typically carried out through computer simulation tools, such as OpenDSS. Since a typical feeder contains thousands of buses, for long investigation periods or at fine time scales such simulations are computationally costly. Simulation times are reduced in this paper through a reduction of the number of buses in the model. The feeder reduction algorithm considers p -phase distribution feeders with unbalanced loads and generation, unbalanced wire impedance, and mutual coupling, while preserving the spatial variation of load and generation. An extensive Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis was performed on a real feeder from a California utility. All bus voltage differences are found to be less than 1.13% with a root mean square error of 0.21%. Simulation time savings were up to 96% when only one bus is selected to remain in the model. Example applications of the proposed algorithm are interconnection studies of utility-scale photovoltaic system to the distribution grid, siting analyses of other distributed energy resources and dynamic behavior of devices in large systems, such as smart inverters on distribution grids.
Ultrasound-Induced Bubble Clusters in Tissue-Mimicking Agar Phantoms.

Therapeutic ultrasound can drive bubble activity that damages soft tissues. To study the potential mechanisms of such injury, transparent agar tissue-mimicking phantoms were subjected to multiple pressure wave bursts of the kind being considered specifically for burst wave lithotripsy. A high-speed camera recorded bubble activity during each pulse. Various agar concentrations were used to alter the phantom's mechanical properties, especially its stiffness, which was varied by a factor of 3.5. However, the maximum observed bubble radius was insensitive to stiffness. During 1000 wave bursts of a candidate burst wave lithotripsy treatment, bubbles appeared continuously in a region that expanded slowly, primarily toward the transducer. Denser bubble clouds are formed at higher pulse repetition frequency. The specific observations are used to inform the incorporation of damage mechanisms into cavitation models for soft materials.
Extinction Analysis of a Methane-Oxygen Counterflow Flame at High Pressure

ABSTRACTA numerical study on a high-pressure laminar counterflow diffusion flame is presented. Extinction limits are studied at pressures up to 100 atm for two cases: one with pure methane and the other for a diluted mixture of methane with 40% water vapor mass fraction. The fuel stream flows against pure oxygen on both cases. Solutions for the 1D ideal-gas model and for a real-gas model are provided with both detailed and reduced chemical kinetics, and are compared against real-gas results from the literature. Previous studies increased the strain rate by rising the inflowing velocities of the opposing streams, yielding very high speeds near extinction. Here, strain rate is increased mainly by moving the nozzles closer to each other and also by small increases in the inflow velocities until extinction occurs. When no water is present, there is good agreement in the extinction strain rate between all the cases. However, substantial differences appear in extinction temperature, which features a local minim...
Variable Importance Using Decision Trees

Decision trees and random forests are well established models that not only offer good predictive performance, but also provide rich feature importance information. While practitioners often employ variable importance methods that rely on this impurity-based information, these methods remain poorly characterized from a theoretical perspective. We provide novel insights into the performance of these methods by deriving finite sample performance guarantees in a high-dimensional setting under various modeling assumptions. We further demonstrate the effectiveness of these impurity-based methods via an extensive set of simulations.
Liquid interrogator for security applications

This paper presents a new technique for dielectric spectroscopy utilizing self-resonance of a solenoid based sensor. The sensor is designed to detect self-resonance frequencies and reflection coefficients of unknown liquid in a plastic bottle. Four types of liquids of interest for airport security purposes and mixed liquids were tested for signatures detection. A statistical classification was prepared to identify liquid based on its self-resonance frequencies and the magnitudes of reflection coefficients at the resonance. Experimental results show that the bottled liquids in the list of interest could be identified accurately from classification. Finite element simulation results match with the experiments.
Distribution of Fos-immunoreactive neurons in the gustatory cortex elicited by intra-oral infusion of taste solutions in conscious rats.

Abstract The location of neurons in the gustatory cortex (GC) activated by intra-oral infusion of solutions in conscious rats was mapped using Fos immunohistochemistry. Groups of adult male Wistar rats (N's = 5) received an infusion of one of the following: dH2O, 0.1 or 1.0 M NaCl, 0.1 or 1.0 M sucrose, 0.32 M MSG (with 100 µM amiloride and 2.5 M inosine 5′-monophosphate), 0.03 M HCl, or 0.003 M QHCl delivered via an intra-oral cannula (0.233 ml/min for 5 min). Unstimulated control rats received no infusion. Taste reactivity (TR) behaviors were videotaped and scored. The number of Fos-immunoreactive (Fos-IR) neurons was counted in eight sections throughout the anterior-posterior extent of the GC in the medial and lateral halves of the granular (GI), dysgranular (DI), and dorsal (AID) and ventral (AIV) agranular insular cortices. Intra-oral infusion of dH2O, NaCl, or sucrose altered the number of Fos-IR neurons in only specific subareas of the GC and the effects of these tastants were concentration-dependent. For example, 1.0 M NaCl increased Fos-IR neurons in the posterior lateral AID and DI and elicited more aversive TR responses than 0.1 M NaCl. Compared to dH2O, infusions of HCl or QHCl increased the total number of Fos-IR neurons in many subareas of the GC throughout its anterior-posterior extent and increased aversive TR behaviors. Linear regression analyses suggested that neurons in the medial AID of the posterior GC may influence aversive behavioral responses to HCl and QHCl while neurons in the posterior lateral AID and DI may play a role in aversive TR responses to 1.0 M NaCl.
Self-assembled Mn3O4/C nanospheres as high-performance anode materials for lithium ion batteries

Abstract A self-assembled Manganese (Mn) based metal organic complex (Mn-MOC) with spherical structure was synthesized via a solvothermal reaction. The Mn-MOC precursor materials were converted to hierarchical porous Mn3O4/C nanospheres through thermal annealing treatment. These nanospheres exhibited a high reversible specific capacity (1237 mAh/g at 200 mA/g), excellent ratability (425 mAh/g at 4 A/g), and extremely long cycle life (no significant capacity fading after 3000 cycles at 4A/g) as an anode in lithium ion batteries. The notable capability for lithium storage is attributed to the unique porous hierarchical structure of the Mn3O4/C nanospheres, which consist of homogeneously distributed Mn3O4 nanocrystals with thin carbon shells. Such a desired nanostructure not only provided large reaction surface area and enhanced electrical conductivity, but also promoted the formation of a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and accommodated the volume change of the conversion reaction type electrode.
Quality Tensions and Endogenous Development

In this chapter I examine the Bolivarian education reforms in Venezuela. A key consideration behind these reforms is that they occur within a broader context of endogenous development. Importantly, they are ongoing in the sense that Venezuela’s Bolivarian project is still undetermined. In this environment, quality is a contested term and any assessment of the quality of the Bolivarian schools will be influenced by the ideological perceptions of the evaluator. For this project, I spent 6 weeks in Venezuela researching these educational reforms by visiting recently transitioned Bolivarian schools and speaking with school directors, teachers, and other school employees.
Diagnostic Teaching for Elementary School Mathematics.

Both Johnny and Janie missed six out often addition problems on their mathematics papers yesterday. As a result of this poor performance, they are assigned ten more addition exercises for today under the assumption that attempting to do more examples of a similar nature will help them comprehend the concept of addition and improve their skill in solving addition problems. How often is this futile procedure repeated in the school day of Johnny, Janie, and their peers? What are the alternatives? One alternative is diagnostic teaching. To use this method of helping children learn, three important questions must be considered. First, exactly which errors are made, and second, what is the rationale for the errors?
Molecular and cytogenetic organization of the 5S ribosomal DNA array in chicken (Gallus gallus).

The 5S ribosomal (r) RNA genes encode a small (∼120-bp) highly-conserved component of the large ribosomal subunit. The objective of the present research was to study the molecular and cytogenetic organization of the chicken 5S rDNA. A predominant 2.2-kb gene (5Sα) consisting of a coding and intergenic spacer (IGS) region was identified in ten research and commercial populations. A variant gene repeat of 0.6 kb (5Sβ) was observed in some of the populations. Genetic linkage analysis and cytogenetic localization by fluorescence in-situ hybridization assigned the 5S rDNA to chromosome 9. The 5S rDNA array was determined to be 80.2 ± 7.0 kb upon electrophoretic sizing following EcoRV digestion. Sequence analysis of 5Sα IGS regions revealed considerable conservation between chicken subspecies (98.4% identity) as well as homology with vertebrate Pol III promoter and regulatory sequence motifs. Minor intraindividual sequence variation within 1000 bp of IGS was observed in four cloned Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus gallus gallus) 5Sα repeats (95.5% identity in this region). Sequence comparisons between IGS regions of 5Sα and 5Sβ genes indicated two short continuous (>20 bp) and many short non-continuous homologous regions as well as other conserved features such as promoter and termination motifs.