cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Possible observation of “string excitations” of a hole in a quantum antiferromagnet

Abstract We argue that recently reported high resolution angle-resolved photoelectron spectra from cuprates, where an anomalous high-energy dispersion was identified, reveal the internal structure of the hole quasiparticle in quantum antiferromagnets and more importantly it is evidence for the existence of “string-excitations” which validate early predictions based on the t – J model. Their energy–momentum dispersion, the manner in which the spectral weight is transfered to higher energy string excitations, and the vanishing of the quasiparticle spectral weight near the Γ point, are all in agreement with predictions without adjusting any parameters.
The functional diversity of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors is increased by a novel subunit: β4

Abstract A new nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunit, β4 was identified by screening a rat genomic library. In situ hybridization histochemistry revealed expression of the β4 gene in the medial habenula of adult rat brains. The primary structure of this subunit was deduced from a cDNA clone isolated from a PC12 cDNA library. Functional nAChRs were detected in Xenopus oocytes injected in pairwise combinations with in vitro synthesized RNAs encoding β4 and either the α2, 0, or α4 subunit. Unlike the a3β2 receptor, the α3β4 receptor is not blocked by bungarotoxin 3.1, indicating that the β subunit can affect the sensitivity of neuronal nAChRs to this toxin. These results extend the functional diversity of nicotinic receptors in the nervous system.
Moral Responsibility, Manipulation Arguments, and History: Assessing the Resilience of Nonhistorical Compatibilism

Manipulation arguments for incompatibilism all build upon some example or other in which an agent is covertly manipulated into acquiring a psychic structure on the basis of which she performs an action. The featured agent, it is alleged, is manipulated into satisfying conditions compatibilists would take to be sufficient for acting freely. Such an example used in the context of an argument for incompatibilism is meant to elicit the intuition that, due to the pervasiveness of the manipulation, the agent does not act freely and is not morally responsible for what she does. It is then claimed that any agent’s coming to be in the same psychic state through a deterministic process is no different in any relevant respect from the pertinent manner of manipulation. Hence, it is concluded that compatibilists’ proposed sufficient conditions for free will and moral responsibility are inadequate, and that free will and moral responsibility are incompatible with determinism. One way for compatibilists to resist certain manipulation arguments is by appealing to historical requirements that, they contend, relevant manipulated agents lack. While a growing number of compatibilists advance an historical thesis, in this paper, I redouble my efforts to show, in defense of nonhistorical compatibilists like Harry Frankfurt, that there is still life left in a nonhistorical view. The historical compatibilists, I contend, have fallen shy of discrediting their nonhistorical compatibilist rivals.
CLIMATE AND FOOD SYNCHRONIZE REGIONAL FOREST BIRD ABUNDANCES

Analysis of synchrony in population fluctuations can help to identify factors that regulate populations and the scales at which these factors exert their influence. Using 15 years of data on the abundances of songbirds at four replicate forest sites in New Hampshire, USA, we addressed two main questions: (1) Are forest bird populations synchronous at the scale measured (tens of kilometers), and if so, (2) what environmental factors are responsible for the synchrony? Nine of the 10 bird species we examined exhibited significant spatial synchrony across the four sites. Within nesting and foraging species groups, tree nesters and foliage gleaners exhibited the highest spatial synchrony. Long-distance (Neotropical) migrants exhibited higher spatial synchrony than did short-distance migrants or year-round residents. Synchrony within and among six species of long-distance, migratory, insectivorous birds was correlated with synchronous fluctuations in the abundance of lepidopteran larvae, a primary food type during the breeding season, which in turn have been shown to be influenced by El Nino/La Nina global climate patterns. Abundances of year-round resident species were related to another large-scale climatic phenomenon, the North Atlantic Oscillation. Winter weather can have both direct (e.g., via temperature-mediated mortality) and indirect (e.g., via winter food availability) effects on year-round resident species. We do not believe that predation on adults or nests accounted for the observed synchrony. Dispersal among regional populations in this system may have played a role but is likely a product of the influence of regionally synchronous caterpillar fluctuations on bird reproduction. Long-term regional population trends may have contributed to the observed synchrony for some species, but we do not consider these trends to be primary factors. Our findings of population synchrony support the importance of food and climate in influencing forest bird abundances and have broad implications for potential responses of bird and insect populations to climate change.
A Specific Complement-Fixation Test for Infection with Poliomyelitis Virus.

A complement-fixing antigen has been developed, using as source of material CNS tissue from newborn mice infected with the newborn mouse-adapted strain of the Lansing type, MEF1 virus. With this antigen, specific reactions have been obtained with sera from mice, cotton rats, and monkeys immunized with the Lansing-type virus, and from monkeys and chimpanzees convalescent from infection with this virus. Twenty-one of 35 human sera obtained from individuals convalescent from poliomyelitis were positive and 6 of 22 from apparently normal persons having Lansing-neutralizing antibody, while this held true for only 1 of 19 from those having no Lansing-neutralizing antibody. The fact that positive results were found in sera from patients having an infection with poliomyelitis virus of the Brunhilde type and at the same time no Lansing-neutralizing antibody brings up the possibility of the existence of a cross-reaction in complement fixation between the two types.
Phosphorus availability to beans via interactions between mycorrhizas and biochar

We sought to understand biochar’s role in promoting plant phosphorus (P) access via arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM), focusing on whether P solubility and biochar-P proximity altered AM enhancement of P uptake in a mycorrhizal crop legume. A greenhouse study compared feedstock-derived P with 50 mg P pot−1 of sparingly soluble FePO4 (Fe-P) or soluble NaH2PO4 (Na-P) at different proximities to biochar (co-pyrolyzed, mixed with biochar, mixed with soil) on Phaseolus vulgaris P uptake, specific root length (SRL), AM colonization, AM neutral lipids, and microbial biomass-P. Biochar increased AM colonization by 6 % (p 2×) with AM hyphae. Biochar-P proximity did not alter P uptake, but shifted uptake towards AM for Fe-P and roots for Na-P. Soluble P located on biochar increased total plant + microbial P (p < 0.05). Biochar reversed (p < 0.05) reductions in SRL induced by AM. Biochar enhanced AM’s access to sparingly soluble P, and root/microbial access to soluble P. Biochar augments sparingly soluble P uptake at scales larger than biochar particles, perhaps by reducing P sorption or facilitating root/hyphal exploration.
Toward the Assured Cyberspace Advantage: Air Force Cyber Vision 2025

The US Air Force completed Cyber Vision 2025, a science and technology blueprint to assure cyberspace advantage in the air, space, and cyber domains. Four cross-domain themes guide Air Force science and technology investments: mission assurance and empowerment, agility and resilience, optimized human-machine systems, and software and hardware foundations of trust.
Total unsaturated compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in molluscs collected from waters around Newfoundland

Baseline concentrations of total unsaturated compounds extracted from six species of molluscs, collected from waters around Newfoundland and Labrador were determined by ultraviolet/fluorescence spectroscopy (uv/f, chrysene equivalents, IOC recommendation). Extracts of muscle tissue from scallops,Placopecten magellanicus, clams,Mya arenaria, whelks,Buccinum undatum and propeller clams,Cyrtoderia siliqua had negligible hydrocarbon concentrations compared to the corresponding visceral mass. The pattern of concentration (GC-MS) of the 16 PAH priority pollutants (EPA recommendation) was similar in the visceral mass of these species and in whole mussels (Mytilus edulis) and periwinkles (Nucella lapillus). When the 16 PAH were detected (>5 ng/g, dry weight), fluoranthene dominated (<200 ng/g), followed by phenanthrene-anthracene (<50 ng/g). Extracts of the visceral mass of scallops appeared to contain a relatively larger amount of uv/f absorbing hydrocarbons; therefore, a further investigation was undertaken. A C-25 unsaturated hydrocarbon of molecular weight 346 was identified as the major component of the extraction mixture. Overall, hydrocarbon levels were very low in comparison to other geographical regions.
Natural Cork Agglomerate Employed as an Environmentally Friendly Solution for Quiet Sandwich Composites

Carbon fiber-synthetic foam core sandwich composites are widely used for many structural applications due to their superior mechanical performance and low weight. Unfortunately these structures typically have very poor acoustic performance. There is increasingly growing demand in mitigating this noise issue in sandwich composite structures. This study shows that marrying carbon fiber composites with natural cork in a sandwich structure provides a synergistic effect yielding a noise-free sandwich composite structure without the sacrifice of mechanical performance or weight. Moreover the cork-core sandwich composites boast a 250% improvement in damping performance, providing increased durability and lifetime operation. Additionally as the world seeks environmentally friendly materials, the harvesting of cork is a natural, renewable process which reduces subsequent carbon footprints. Such a transition from synthetic foam cores to natural cork cores could provide unprecedented improvements in acoustic and vibrational performance in applications such as aircraft cabins or wind turbine blades.
Expression of hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α in brain tumors

BACKGROUND Hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) plays a critical role in angiogenesis during vascular development. The authors tested the hypothesis that HIF-1 expression correlates with progression and angiogenesis in brain tumors. METHODS The authors investigated the expression of the HIF-1α and HIF-1β subunits in human glioma cell lines and brain tumor tissues using Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS In glioblastomas multiforme (GBMs), HIF-1α primarily was localized in pseudopalisading cells around areas of necrosis and in tumor cells infiltrating the brain at the tumor margin. In contrast, HIF-1α was expressed in stromal cells throughout hemangioblastomas (HBs). Like HIF-1α, HIF-1β was most highly expressed in high grade tumors but was expressed more widely than HIF-1α, including cells away from necrotic zones. In the brains of mice injected with Glioma 261 cells, a pattern of HIF-1α expression identical to that observed in human GBMs was noted. CONCLUSIONS In GBMs, the heterogeneous pattern of HIF-1α expression appears to be determined at least in part by tissue oxygenation, whereas in HBs the homogeneous expression of HIF-1α may be driven by an oncogenic rather than a physiologic stimulus. Cancer 2000;88:2606–18. © 2000 American Cancer Society.
Neutron activation analysis of automobile exhaust pollutants

An approximation of the distribution of lead particulate from vehicular exhausts is given. A neutron activation analysis study has shown that there is an extremely detailed pattern of the effluent from vehicular highway traffic.
Acidic Phospholipid Bicelles: A Versatile Model Membrane System

With the aim of establishing acidic bicellar solutions as a useful membrane model system, we have used deuterium NMR spectroscopy to investigate the properties of dimyristoyl/dihexanoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC/DHPC) bicelles containing 25% (w/w in H(2)O) of either dimyristoylphosphatidylserine (DMPS) or dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPG). The addition of the acidic lipid component to this lyotropic liquid crystalline system reduces its range of stability because of poor miscibility of the two dimyristoylated phospholipids. Compared to the neutral bicelles, which are stable at pH 4 to pH 7, acidic bicelles are stable only from pH 5.5 to pH 7. Solid-state deuterium NMR analysis of d(54)-DMPC showed similar ordering in neutral and acidic bicelles. Fully deuterated DMPS or DMPG is ordered in a way similar to that of DMPC. Study of the binding of the myristoylated N-terminal 14-residue peptide mu-GSSKSKPKDPSQRR from pp60(nu-src) to both neutral and acidic bicelles shows the utility of these novel membrane mimetics.
Tracking Human Motion With Multichannel Interacting Multiple Model

Tracking human motion with multiple body sensors has the potential to promote a large number of applications such as detecting patient motion, and monitoring for home-based applications. With multiple sensors, the tracking system architecture and data processing cannot perform the expected outcomes because of the limitations of data association. For the collaborative and intelligent applications of motion tracking (Polhemus Liberty AC magnetic tracker), we propose a human motion tracking system with multichannel interacting multiple model estimator (MC-IMME). To figure out interactive relationships among distributed sensors, we used a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) for clustering. With a collaborative grouping method based on GMM and expectation-maximization algorithm for distributed sensors, we can estimate the interactive relationship with multiple body sensors and achieve the efficient target estimation to employ a tracking relationship within a cluster. Using multiple models with filter divergence, the proposed MC-IMME can achieve the efficient estimation of the measurement and the velocity from measured datasets of human sensory data. We have newly developed MC-IMME to improve overall performance with a Markov switch probability and a proper grouping method. The experiment results shows that the prediction overshoot error can be improved on average by 19.31% by employing a tracking relationship.
Mechanism of reduced cardiac stroke volume at high altitude

Two postulates have been advanced to account for reduced stroke at high altitude: (1) diminished venous return secondary to contracted plasma volume and (2) left ventricular (LV) dysfunction secondary to hypoxia. To test these hypotheses, we assessed LV dimensions and contractility indices by M-mode echocardiography and systolic time intervals in 11 young men at sealevel and serially for 10 days at 3100 m altitude. Mean LV end-diastolic dimension fell 16% after 6-8 days, with a 20% decrease in plasma volume reflected by hematocrit rise. Pre-ejection period to LV ejection time (PEP/LVET) ratio was increased after 1-2 days. All indices of contractility were unchanged at rest, and slightly enhanced during exercise. Thus stroke volume falls and PEP/LVET ratio rises at 3100 m because of diminished venous return despite preservation of LV systolic performance.
Non-violence in the Inner City: 'Decent' and 'Street' as Strategic Resources

This study explores how young people in the inner-city draw upon “the code of the street,” the paradoxical notion that one must resort to violence to find security, as an incorrigible proposition, which members sustain even when providing evidence to the contrary. While “the code” may describe what young people would like to do when confronted with potential violence, both their reasons and methods for avoiding violence are artful and nuanced, expressed with a wit that can be quite liberatory.
Analysis of Real-World Lead Vehicle Operation for Modal Emissions and Traffic Simulation Models

New models and data are needed in microscopic traffic simulation tools to allow effective use with newer modal tailpipe emissions models. Traffic simulation models offer the ability to simulate large, second-by-second vehicle operation data sets as input for emissions models. However, more data are needed to improve simulation of second-by-second vehicle speed. This research analyzes and models the vehicle dynamics of unconstrained drivers in real-world driving situations based on road geometry. Vehicle dynamics data were collected by using an instrumented vehicle driven by 22 volunteers over a 17-mi predetermined test route. The objective of this research was to analyze and model the nonrandom speed variations in unconstrained lead drivers. The results of this study suggest that horizontal and vertical curvatures have a significant impact on the second-by-second operation of an unconstrained lead vehicle. Furthermore, these nonrandom changes in speed are important considerations since they can produce considerable variations in the level of tailpipe emissions.
DNA Condensation and Complexation

A primary aim of these lectures is to introduce two structural motifs in biology that have provided the motivation for many recent studies of electrostatic effects in solutions of macro-ions.
Current status of cardiac rehabilitation.

Cardiac rehabilitation is increasingly recognized as an integral component of the continuum of care for patients with cardiovascular disease. Its application is a class I recommendation in most contemporary cardiovascular clinical practice guidelines. Despite the documentation of substantial morbidity and mortality benefits, cardiac rehabilitation services are vastly underutilized. The core components of cardiac rehabilitation have been detailedly delineated. Implementation of newly available performance measures offers the potential to enhance referral to, enrollment in, and completion of cardiac rehabilitation.
Race and breast cancer survival by intrinsic subtype based on PAM50 gene expression

To evaluate whether differences in PAM50 breast cancer (BC) intrinsic (Luminal A, Luminal B, Basal-like, and HER2-enriched) subtypes help explain the Black–White BC survival disparity. Utilizing a stratified case-cohort design, this study included 1,635 women from the Pathways and Life After Cancer Epidemiology cohorts, selecting women with tumors based upon IHC classification, recurrences, and deaths.One millimeter punches were obtained from tumor tissue, and expression of the PAM50 genes for molecular subtype was determined by RT-qPCR of extracted RNA. Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze associations between race and BC outcomes, adjusted for PAM50 BC subtype. All tests of statistical significance were two-sided. Black women had a higher prevalence of the Basal-like BC subtype. Adjusted for potential confounding variables and disease characteristics at diagnosis, Black women had higher risks of recurrence (HR 1.65, 95 % CI 1.06–2.57) and breast cancer-specific mortality (HR 1.71, 95 % CI 1.02–2.86) than White women, but adjusting further for subtype did not attenuate survival disparities. By contrast, Hispanic women had a lower risk of recurrence (HR 0.54, 95 % CI 0.30–0.96) than Whites. Among those with the Basal-like subtype, Black women had a similar recurrence risk as women in other race groups but a higher recurrence risk for all other subtypes. Hispanic women had a lower recurrence risk within each subtype, though associations were not significant, given limited power. Although Black women had a higher risk of the Basal-like subtype, which has poor prognosis, this did not explain the Black–White BC survival disparity.
Gene expression profiling and localization of Hoechst-effluxing CD45- and CD45+ cells in the embryonic mouse lung

Hoechst-effluxing cells (side population cells) are a rare subset of cells found in adult tissues that are highly enriched for stem and progenitor cell activity. To identify potential stem and prog...
Microtubule-associated protein 1b (MAP1b) is concentrated in the distal region of growing axons

Microtubule-associated protein 1b (MAP1b) is expressed at especially high levels in neurons actively extending axons, and although it appears to be required for axon growth, the nature of its role is unknown. We reasoned that a detailed description of the localization of MAP1b in growing axons would help define how MAP1b participates in axon growth. Therefore, we have stained cultured sympathetic neurons with various antibodies against MAP1b, and then used digital image processing and analysis procedures to quantify MAP1b distribution, phosphorylation and association with microtubules (MTs) in actively elongating axons. MAP1b is present on MTs all along the axon. Quantitative analyses showed that MAP1b has a nonuniform distribution along growing axons. It is present at relatively low and constant levels along the axon shaft until approximately 130 microns from the axon tip, where the amount of MAP1b begins to increase sharply and reaches a peak close to the growth cone. The peak amount of MAP1b in the distal axon is an order of magnitude greater than the average amount in the axon shaft. The enrichment of MAP1b in the distal axon was observed for total MAP1b and assembled MAP1b, and was even more pronounced for phosphorylated MAP1b. This distribution pattern remains after correcting the relative amount of MAP1b along the axon for variations in axonal volume. Thus, the concentration of MAP1b in the distal axon exceeds by severalfold that in the rest of the axon. The amount of assembled MAP1b relative to the amount of MT polymer also varies along the axon, and is greatest distally near the growth cone. This pattern of MAP1b localization in axons focuses attention on the distal axon and growth cone as the principal sites of MAP1b function in axon growth. We discuss the possibility that MAP1b regulates MT dynamics in the distal axon so that it is properly coordinated with growth cone events involved in axon extension.
Design and Testing of a Carbon Foam Based Supercooler for High Heat Flux Cooling in Optoelectronic Packages

The feasibility of using carbon foam as a heat sink and heat spreader in optoelectronic packages is assessed. A “supercooler” is designed, fabricated and tested to verify its cooling capability under high heat flux conditions in a typical optoelectronic package. The supercooler uses carbon foam as a primary heat transfer material. Water is soaked into the carbon foam and under evacuated pressure, boiling is initiated under the heating region to provide enhanced cooling. Experiments were conducted for a heat flux of up to 400 W/cm 2 deposited over a heating area of 0.5 mm x 5 mm. Two dimensional transient temperature distributions were recorded using a high speed infrared camera. Data were obtained for steady heating, as well as periodic heating with frequency up to 8 hz. Results show that the supercooler is very efficient in dissipating heat away from the heating region. Data obtained under 8 hz periodic heating with a peak power input of 10W, for example, showed that the temperature of the heated surface rises quickly to a local maximum of 15 to 20 °K above the ambient. The heated surface is then cooled uniformly back to a near ambient condition (with a maximum temperature of less than 5 °K above ambient) during the cooling half of the cycle (less than 0.0625 sec after the heating is turned off). The average cooling rate during the cooling period exceeds 170 °K/s. A numerical model, based on COMSOL, is developed to interpret the experimental data and to provide insights on the relevant physics responsible for the rapid cooling. Numerical data are presented to demonstrate how the supercooler can be further improved and adopted for other applications.
A Passive Hemagglutination Test for Diagnosis of Trench Fever Due to Rochalimaea quintana

A passive hemagglutination test devised for diagnosis of trench fever was easily performed and highly sensitive and specific. Tanned sheep erythrocytes were sensitized with soluble antigen from Rochalimaea quintana. The test detected antibody in six of seven cases of primary infection and in four cases of late, relapsed trench fever. Titers of antibody ranged from 1:20 to 1:640. Although both IgM and IgG antibody to R. quintana were detected by passive hemagglutination, IgG appeared to be the major reactive antibody. Antigens involved in the reaction were two types of proteins, one inactivated at 50 C and 60 C and the other at 80 C and 100 C. Of 322 control samples of sera that were tested, only one reacted positively; thus, the test had a specificity of greater than 99%. The single positive reaction was in serum from a patient with Q fever. This finding suggests that, in an area where Q fever is endemic, this disease must be ruled out in the interpretation of a positive passive hemagglutination test. Sera should be tested routinely against tanned, unsensitized erythrocytes, since an occassional sample of serum may agglutinate unsensitized cells. Because of its sensitivity and specificity, as well as its simplicity of performance, the passive hemagglutination test shows promise as a useful procedure for serologic identification of both acute and past infection with R. quintana.
Differentiation of Eight Phenotypes and Discovery of Potential Biomarkers for a Single Plant Organ Class Using Laser Electrospray Mass Spectrometry and Multivariate Statistical Analysis

Laser electrospray mass spectrometry (LEMS) coupled with offline multivariate statistical analysis is used to discriminate eight phenotypes from a single plant organ class and to find potential biomarkers. Direct analysis of the molecules from the flower petal is enabled by interfacing intense (10 13 W/cm 2 ), nonresonant, femtosecond laser vaporization at ambient pressure with electrospray ionization for postionization of the vaporized analytes. The observed mass spectral signatures allowed for the discrimination of various phenotypes using principal component analysis (PCA) and either linear discriminant analysis (LDA) or K-nearest neighbor (KNN) classifiers. Cross-validation was performed using multiple training sets to evaluate the predictive ability of the classifiers, which showed 93.7% and 96.8% overall accuracies for the LDA and KNN classifiers, respectively. Linear combinations of significant mass spectral features were extracted from the PCA loading plots, demonstrating the capability to discover potential biomarkers from the direct analysis of tissue samples.
Exact ROI image reconstruction with perturbed source trajectories in C-arm CT

In C-arm CT, the actual trajectory executed by the X-ray source may deviate from the designed scan due to mechanical error. Without taking into account this deviation, artifacts will appear in the reconstructed image. In this work, we propose to use the recently developed backprojection filtration (BPF) algorithm, which can accommodate general trajectories, to incorporate the deviation of the source trajectory. The preliminary studies demonstrate that this algorithm provides the exact image reconstruction in the case that the deviation of the source trajectory from the ideal trajectory can be measured.
Does seasonal reproductive state affect the neuroendocrine response of the ewe to a long-day pattern of melatonin?

This study examined whether or not the reproductive response of female sheep to photoperiod varies with seasonal reproductive state. The specific objective was to test the hypothesis that the reproductive response to a long-day pattern of melatonin varies with the reproductive state of the ewe. The response examined was the synchronization of reproductive neuroendocrine induction (rise in serum luteinizing hormone, or LH) following nocturnal infusion of melatonin into pinealectomized ewes for 35 consecutive nights. This infusion restored a pattern of circulating melatonin similar to that in pineal-intact ewes maintained in a long photoperiod (LD 16:8). The ewes had been pinealectomized and without melatonin replacement for 16-25 months prior to the study. They were in differing reproductive states at the start of the infusion, as their endogenous reproductive rhythm had become desynchronized among individuals and with respect to time of year. Noninfused pinealectomized ewes served as controls. Regardless ...
A fault-tolerant embedded microcontroller testbed

The paper presents a design approach for implementing a fault-tolerant embedded computing node based on the use of low-cost commodity microcontrollers. A combination of software and relatively simple external logic is used to implement fault-tolerance in a redundant set of microcontrollers. A node can be protected with different amounts of redundancy (duplex, triplex, hybrid) depending upon the needs of its host subsystem, and is intended to be interconnected with other nodes into a modular distributed network. The structure of the node, and fault detection and recovery algorithms are described, along with a description of an experimental testbed that is being implemented.
Ethics and Scholarship

Within the precincts of Harvard University, one can still hear an ardent defense of the venerable distinction between “facts” and “values,” or, as sometimes put, between “description” and “evaluation.” Arguments over this distinction go to the heart of the relation of ethics to scholarship, as was vividly illustrated recently by a controversy in this university concerning a doctoral dissertation proposal in “ethnonational studies.” Among other things, the proposal, which envisioned an examination and a critique of ideas of citizenship, as they bear on a contemporary case of ethnonational conflict, was criticized for being more a piece of advocacy, more the subject for an op-ed article, than serious scholarship. The possible consequences were portentous. If the case against the proposal had stood, the candidate would, in effect, have had no right as a scholar to pursue such a line of inquiry in the way proposed.
Effects of creatine supplementation on the energy cost of muscle contraction: a 31P-MRS study

Five women and 3 men (29.8 ± 1.4 yr) performed dynamic knee-extension exercise inside a magnetic resonance system (means ± SE). Two trials were performed 7–14 days apart, consisting of a 4- to 5-mi...
Characterization of arsenide/phosphide heterostructure interfaces by scanning tunneling microscopy

Abstract We have used cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to study interface structure in arsenide/phosphide heterostructures grown by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy. High-resolution images of a sample grown at 550°C and consisting of GaAs interrupted at 200 A intervals with a 40 s P2 flux reveal phosphide interlayers as wide as 30 A and exhibiting lateral variations in structure over nanometer length scales. A similar sample grown at 450°C exhibits narrower interlayers and a lower level of phosphorus incorporation. Data obtained by STM have been corroborated by data from high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) studies. Together, these studies provide direct information about nanometer-scale grading and lateral nonuniformity of interfaces that can occur under these growth conditions.
The effects of absorptive and joint learning on the instability of international joint ventures in emerging economies

The objective of this study is to advance a theoretical framework pertaining to how interpartner learning in international joint ventures (IJV) may affect IJV instability in emerging economies. The proposed framework expands the interpartner learning theory of IJV instability in the current literature, which is focused on absorptive learning of IJV partners, by incorporating IJV partners’ joint learning. Using longitudinal dyadic data from IJVs in China, we found that local and foreign IJV parties’ absorptive learning capacity decreases one party's dependence on the other, while joint learning capacity in IJV increases both parties’ dependence on each other. In addition, an IJV partner's absorptive learning capacity positively moderates the effect of joint learning capacity on its dependence on another partner. These findings lend support to the expanded interpartner learning perspective of IJV instability, and have important theoretical and managerial implications for IJVs in emerging economies. The results underscore the importance of the IJV actively developing organizational rules, procedures, and structures to create and embed new knowledge in order to maintain the stability of the IJV. Finally, we found that IJV partners’ dependence asymmetry increases IJV instability, whereas their total dependence decreases IJV instability.
Smooth muscle cell phenotype alters cocultured endothelial cell response to biomaterial‐pretreated leukocytes

Model in vitro culturing systems were developed to analyze roles of biomaterial-induced leukocyte activation on endothelial cell (EC) and smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotype, and their crosstalk. Isolated monocytes or neutrophils were pretreated with model biomaterial beads and applied directly to "more secretory" (cultured in media containing 5% fetal bovine serum) or forced contractile (serum and growth factor starved) human aortic SMCs (HASMCs), or to the human aortic EC (HAEC) surface of HAEC/HASMC cocultures (HASMC phenotype varied to be "more or less secretory") for 5 or 24 h of static culture. Surface expression of proinflammatory [ICAM-1, VCAM-1, E-selectin], procoagulant (tissue factor), and anticoagulant (thrombomodulin) markers, as well as HAEC proliferation, were assessed by flow cytometry. Incubation of HAEC with biomaterial-pretreated monocytes (and neutrophils to lesser degree) suppressed HAEC proliferation and induced a proinflammatory/procoagulant HAEC phenotype. This HAEC phenotype was amplified in coculture with "more secretory" HASMCs and subdued in coculture with "less secretory" HASMCs. Direct incubation of biomaterial-pretreated monocytes or neutrophils with "more secretory" HASMCs further increased HASMC ICAM-1 and tissue factor expression. Direct incubation of biomaterial-pretreated monocytes or neutrophils with forced contractile HASMCs upregulated ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and tissue factor expression above the presence of serum-containing media alone.
Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas

Contents: Preface Glossary of Spanish terms Editor's introduction Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas Select bibliography Index.
Hip Abductor Muscle Activity in Persons With a Hip Prosthesis While Carrying Loads in One Hand

Background and Purpose. Carrying loads in one hand may result in the hip abductor (HA) muscles needing to generate large forces. For a person with a prosthetic hip, these forces may contribute to loosening of the implant. In this study, surface electromyography (EMG) was used to estimate the relative demands placed on the HA muscles as persons with a prosthetic hip carried loads in one hand. Subjects. Twenty-five active subjects (9 female, 16 male) with a prosthetic hip participated. Subjects were aged 40 to 86 years (X=63.7, SD=10.7). Methods. Surface EMG data from the HA muscles (primarily the gluteus medius) were analyzed during mid-stance as subjects carried loads weighing 5%, 10%, and 15% of their body weight. Loads were carried in the hand opposite the side of the prosthetic hip (contralaterally held loads) or in the hand on the same side as the prosthetic hip (ipsilaterally held loads). Results. Results showed that the contralaterally held loads produced greater HA muscle EMG activity levels than no-load walking. The ipsilaterally held loads produced lower HA muscle EMG activity levels than no-load walking. Conclusion and Discussion. These EMG data, in addition to calculations using a simple biomechanical model, suggest that persons should use caution or avoid carrying loads in the hand on the side contralateral to their prosthetic hip.
Ammonium and bicarbonate transport in isolated perfused rodent long-loop thin descending limbs

Ammonium accumulates in the renal medullas of antidiuretic mammals. The accumulation process is thought to involve countercurrent multiplication, energy-dependent recycling between the ascending and descending limbs of Henle's loop. To investigate the role of the long-loop thin descending limb (LDL) in countercurrent multiplication of ammonium, we have perfused outer medullary and inner medullary subsegments of the chinchilla LDL (and inner medullary subsegments of rat LDL) in vitro and measured the fluxes of total ammonia and total CO2. No spontaneous fluxes of total ammonia or total CO2 occurred in the absence of imposed concentration gradients. When transepithelial concentration gradients were imposed, passive total ammonia and total CO2 transport were observed in all subsegments, although the permeabilities varied with distance along the descending limb. Passive total ammonia transport occurred through a combination of NH3 and direct NH4+ permeation. The outer medullary segment was the most permeable to NH4+. The deep inner medullary segment was the most permeable to bicarbonate. Addition of carbonic anhydrase to the lumen accelerated passive NH3 entry in the outer medullary LDL, indicating that little or no luminal carbonic anhydrase is endogenously present. The passive secretion of NH4+ and NH3 into the LDL may contribute to the countercurrent multiplication of ammonium in the rodent renal medulla.
Ask the Instructors: Motivations and Challenges of Teaching Massive Open Online Courses

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have experienced rapid growth and attracted significant attention within aca-demia. However, despite widespread acceptance of MOOCs as a unique opportunity to transform educational practices, many questions remain regarding their sustainability, given the high dropout rates and challenges related to collabora-tive learning support [12]. Recent research has attempted to address these concerns by analyzing students' MOOC expe-riences and how MOOCs may fall short in meeting students' learning needs [41]. However, very little research has approached the problem from an instructor perspective. We report an interview study of 14 MOOC instructors in which we used grounded theory to uncover the complex processes, motivations, and challenges associated with teaching a MOOC. A key finding is that we should provide support through the whole instruction process. By enhancing sup-port for instructors and their MOOC collaborators, we may improve outcomes for all MOOC stakeholders, including students.
Restore truncation for performance improvement in future DRAM systems

Scaling DRAM below 20nm has become a major challenge due to intrinsic limitations in the structure of a bit cell. Future DRAM chips are likely to suffer from significant variations and degraded timings, such as taking much more time to restore cell data after read and write access. In this paper, we propose restore truncation (RT), a low-cost restore strategy to improve performance of DRAM modules that adopt relaxed restore timing. After an access, RT restores a bit cell's voltage only to the level required to persist data to the next scheduled refresh rather than to the default full voltage. Because restore time is shortened, the performance of the cell is improved under process variations. We devise two schemes to balance performance, energy consumption, and hardware overhead. We simulate our proposed RT schemes and compare them with the state of the art. Experimental results show that, on average, RT improves performance by 19.5% and reduces energy consumption by 17%.
Longevity of Adult Pink Bollworms at Constant and Fluctuating Temperatures

Longevity of adult pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), from field-collected larvae and from a laboratory strain was similar. Rearing at fluctuating or constant temperatures had no effect on longevity. Adults held at constant temperatures lived longer than adults held at comparable fluctuating temperatures. At constant temperatures below 30° C, females lived 65—70% as long as males but longevity was similar for males and females at 35° C.
Vertebral centroid measurement of lumbar lordosis compared with the Cobb technique.

STUDY DESIGN An observational study in which vertebral centroid measurement of lumbar lordosis, developed in this study, was used to examine lumbar curvature. The intra- and interobserver reliability of the vertebral centroid measurement of lumbar lordosis and the Cobb technique were compared. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the reliability of a new method of measuring lumbar lordosis and to examine the changes in the lordotic curve from 0 degree to 90 degrees flexion of the trunk. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Several different methods are used to measure lumbar lordosis. The Cobb technique, based on measurement of vertebral endplates, is the method most frequently adopted for clinical diagnosis. However, because of the variations in the vertebral endplate architecture, the vertebral surface angle is difficult to identify. This reduces the reliability of the Cobb technique. METHODS Lateral radiographs of 16 study participants were taken from the upright position to a trunk flexion of 90 degrees in 30 degrees increments. The lumbar lordotic curve was measured by three observers individually using two applications of the traditional Cobb technique and the vertebral centroid measurement of lumbar lordosis. RESULTS Correlation coefficients of lumbar lordosis between the two methods ranged from 0.589 to 0.772 with participants standing upright (all P < 0.05). Interobserver reliability coefficients were 0.903 for vertebral centroid measurement of lumbar lordosis, 0.826 for Cobb (L1-L5), and 0.784 for Cobb (L1-S1), although the three measurements all revealed an excellent intraobserver reproducibility (r greater than 0.9). The vertebral centroid measurement of lumbar lordosis showed the smallest mean absolute differences between any two observers' measurements (< 1.7 degrees). CONCLUSIONS The findings from this study indicate that the vertebral centroid measurement of lumbar lordosis is more reliable than the Cobb method for assessing lumbar lordosis. The vertebral centroid measurement of lumbar lordosis also can be used to evaluate the actual lumbar curvature in outline at various angles of trunk flexion.
Impacts of cell phone use on driving safety and drivers’ perception of risk

In this study, the factors influencing phone-related driving safety and drivers’ perceptions of cell phone usage were analyzed. A representative sample of more than 500 licensed drivers in Texas who own a cell phone was interviewed based on a well-design questionnaire. Logistic regression model showed that the impact of using cell phone on driving safety varies depending on the characteristics of drivers, such as gender, age, driving experience, and use intensity. Additionally, the results indicated that the strong determinants of phone-related hazard are different from that of phone-related accidents. Regarding the drivers’ perception of cell phone usage, there are two key findings. First, there is no explicit belief among the drivers about whether cell phone usage impairs driving safety regardless of the drivers’ age, gender, driving education experience etc. Second, most of drivers have not realized that cell phone use while driving would increase their perception reaction time. Based on the analysis of these results, implications of cell phone use on driving safety along with some safety countermeasures, such as selective bans and non-cell phone zones, are discussed in the paper.
The Systematic Review of Performance Evaluation of Public Health Service in China

Objective To summarize the research condition of the performance evaluation of public health service in China,and to provide references for the reform of public health institutions and the implementation of performance pay. Methods Several databases such as Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched for literatures on studies related to performance evaluation of public health institutions and services,and extracted important variables such as theme,theory,subject and method,to conduct the pool- analysis. Results 34 studies were included,main including disease control agencies 10 studies( 29.4%),community health service institutions 16 studies( 47.1%). Expert consultation is the major method of performance evaluation planning( 16,61. 5%) with more institution evaluations( 19,73. 1%) and less individual evaluations( 7,26. 9%). The standardized workload measurement( 5) was the main theory for the performance evaluation of community health service institutions,while in disease control agencies input- output theory( 2) and Key Performance Indicators( 3) were the main theories for the performance evaluation of some jobs which were easily quantified. Conclusion The performance evaluation of public health service in China is lack of quantitative studies and objective indicators. The evaluation contents are far from comprehensive,and individual performance evaluation is urgent to be developed.
PRETREATMENT METHOD OF HEAVY METALS IN MONITORING

With the develo pment of industrialization, the waste water containing heavy metal ions has produced more and more. Heavy metal has become one of the most important, the most common contaminants. Due to heavy metals in organisms enrichment, absorption and transformation, which is harmful to human health through the food chain. Such as carcinogenic, teratogenic, so heavy metals monitoring plays a crucial role in environmental protection.This paper introduces in detail the pretreatment method of heavy metal in the monitoring process, in order to better provide the basis for monitoring and treatment of heavy metals in water.
Transforming Layered to Nonlayered Two-Dimensional Materials: Cation Exchange of SnS2 to Cu2SnS3

We demonstrate the chemical transformation of layered, two-dimensional (2D) SnS2 to nonlayered Cu2SnS3 via cation exchange. Resulting Cu2SnS3 nanosheets (NSs) retain the overall starting morphology of their parent, few-layer SnS2 templates. Specifically, they possess micrometer-sized dimensions and have controlled thicknesses dictated by the number of initial SnS2 layers. Our demonstration shows that existing layered compounds can serve as templates for difficult-to-synthesize nonlayered 2D specimens with cation exchange providing a bridge between families of layered and nonlayered materials. New 2D systems are therefore accessible, opening the door to future explorations of low-dimensional nanostructure anisotropic optical and electrical properties.
Circadian blood pressure rhythm and its characterization in isolated systolic hypertension (ISH)

Twenty-four-hour noninvasive ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) was performed in 131 consecutive elderly subjects (61 with isolated systolic hypertension, ISH; 19 with mixed/diastolic hypertension, MDH; 29 with borderline hypertension, BLH; 23 in the normotensive group, NT). It was found that in ISH blood pressure rised during awaking period and fell during sleeping period (P < 0.05); the circadian systolic blood pressure rhythm was similar to ones in MDH, BLH and NT. However, the circadian diastolic blood pressure rhythm was attenuated in ISH. We conclude that circadian blood pressure rhythm alters in ISH, which may be related to the ischemia in organs, especially cerebral ischemia.