cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Granule Cell Raphes and Parasagittal Domains of Purkinje Cells: Complementary Patterns in the Developing Chick Cerebellum

The extensive migration of granule cells and the parasagittal organization of Purkinje cells are two prominent features of cerebellar development. Using granule cell markers, we observed that the inward migration of a subset of granule cells occurs in streams that appear to be restricted to specific areas in the developing chick cerebellum. These streams are organized into a stereotypical series of parasagittal linear arrays, similar to the "granule cell raphes" described previously by . Similar raphes were found in the developing cerebellum of other avian species but not in the mouse cerebellum. During the period when granule cell raphes are apparent, Purkinje cells appear to be segregated into discrete parasagittal domains, interrupted by Purkinje cell-poor areas that correspond to the granule cell raphes. Purkinje cells in each domain exhibit a domain-specific expression profile of genes, including Bmp-7, EphA5/Cek-7, EphA4/Cek-8, and several chick homologs of Drosophila segmentation genes. From embryonic day 12 (E12) to E15, most of these genes gradually cease to be expressed differentially in parasagittal stripes, concurrent with the disappearance of the granule cell raphes by E15-E16. The spatial and temporal correlations of granule cell raphes and Purkinje cell parasagittal domains suggest a novel interaction between these two cell types and a potentially critical period of parasagittal patterning of the chick cerebellum.
Zero‐gravity distillation utilizing the heat pipe principle (micro‐distillation)

Separation of ethanol-water and methanol-water mixtures has been accomplished experimentally using a horizontal zero-gravity distillation column. A countercurrent flow between liquid and vapor phases was established utilizing the principle of the heat pipe. The concentration profile along the column has been investigated with various product rates. A high degree of separation was achieved in a relatively short column lined with capillary wicks. The flexible column orientation can also be a tremendous advantage as compared to the necessarily vertical operation of the conventional distillation columns.
A Novel CDS-Based Reputation Monitoring System for Wireless Sensor Networks

Reputation and Trust-based Monitoring Systems (RTMSs) have provided a ubiquitous framework for secure Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) computing. Employing sensors for neighborhood monitoring, which is secondary to their intended duties, depletes valuable and scarce resources which is counter-productive in WSNs. In this paper, we propose a novel, Connected Dominating Set (CDS)-based reputation monitoring system. Our model is the first attempt to employ a CDS-based monitoring backbone to securely aggregate the reputation of sensors without subjecting them to energy depletion or reputation pollution attacks encountered in existing reputation monitoring systems. Secure and certificateless node mobility and robustness to node replication and ID spoofing attacks are two vital by-products of our model. We confirm the performance of our model via simulation studies.
Teaching Professional Writing in an Academic Health Sciences Center: The Writing Center Model at the Medical University of South Carolina

Background: Writing is taught as professional competency in higher education generally, but the health science education literature emphasizes writing as a pedagogical means rather than a professional end. The Medical University of South Carolina established a Writing Center in 1994 to teach professional writing. Summary: This report describes the rationale for profession-specific, graduate-level writing instruction; summarizes the Writing Center model; and reports usage data. Students have reported improvement in particular texts and said they would be better able to complete writing tasks in the future. Conclusions: Interventions modeled after the Writing Center and staffed with professionally trained writing teachers may provide a means to pool resources to teach writing as professional competency. The Writing Center has provided the expertise to teach professional writing without demanding curricular revision.
Catalytic Determination of Vanadium in Blood and Urine

Abstract Trace amounts of vanadium catalyze the oxidation of phenylhydrazine-p-sulfonic acid by sodium chlorate. The diazonium salt produced is coupled with 1-naphthylamine to form an azodyestuff whose absorbance is read at 530 nm. Interferences ate eliminated by separating the vanadium by solvent extraction. Physiological concentrations of vanadium are determined in 10 ml. of ashed human blood or plasma and 25 ml. of ashed human urine. Recovery studies are reported along with results for the analysis of blood and urine samples.
Operation and control of a dynamic voltage restorer using transformer coupled H-bridge converters

The dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) as a means of series compensation for mitigating the effect of voltage sags has become established as a preferred approach for improving power quality at sensitive load locations. Meanwhile, the cascaded multilevel type of power converter topology has also become a workhorse topology in high power applications. This paper presents the detailed design of a closed loop regulator to maintain the load voltage within acceptable levels in a DVR using transformer coupled H-bridge converters. The paper presents system operation and controller design approaches, verified using computer simulations, and a laboratory scale experimental prototype.
Emerging disease model for functional gastrointestinal disorders

In response to perceived or experienced change that is considered threatening to the individual, the central nervous system mounts a stereotypic response that decreases the sensitivity to pain, modulates the autonomic nervous system outflow, and activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This response of the "emotional motor system" may or may not be associated with the conscious experience of feelings of fear or anxiety. Alterations in these response systems (either up- or downregulation) may produce symptoms, such as viscero-somatic hypersensitivity, altered bowel habits, or increased anxiety.
Weighted Likelihood Ratio (WLR) Hidden Markov Model for Noisy Speech Recognition

In this paper we present a weighted likelihood ratio (WLR) based Hidden Markov Model and apply it to speech recognition in noise. The WLR measure emphasizes spectral peaks than valleys in comparing two given speech spectra. The measure is more consistent with human perception of speech formants where natural resonances of vocal track are and tends to be more robust to broad-band noise interferences than other measures. A complete HMM framework of this measure is derived and a mixture of exponential kernels is used to model the output probability density function. The new WLR-HMM is tested on the Aurora2 connected digits database in noise. It shows more robust performance than the MFCC trained GMM baseline system. When combined with the dynamic cepstral features, the multiple-stream WLR-HMM shows a 39% relative improvement over the baseline system.*Join this work as a visiting student at MSRA
Proteolysis of the Hedgehog Signaling Effector Cubitus interruptus Requires Phosphorylation by Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 and Casein Kinase 1

The secreted signaling molecule Hedgehog regulates gene expression in target cells in part by preventing proteolysis of the full-length Cubitus interruptus (Ci-155) transcriptional activator to the Ci-75 repressor form. Ci-155 proteolysis depends on phosphorylation at three sites by Protein Kinase A (PKA). We show that these phosphoserines prime further phosphorylation at adjacent Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 (GSK3) and Casein Kinase I (CK1) sites. Alteration of the GSK3 or CK1 sites prevents Ci-155 proteolysis and activates Ci in the absence of Hedgehog. Ci-155 proteolysis is also inhibited if cells lack activity of the Drosophila GSK3, Shaggy, previously implicated in Wingless signaling. Conversely, Ci-155 levels are reduced in Hedgehog-responding cells by overexpression of PKA and the Drosophila CK1, Double-time, a regulator of circadian rhythms.
Working Memory for Letters, Shapes, and Locations: fMRI Evidence against Stimulus-Based Regional Organization in Human Prefrontal Cortex

Investigations of working memory (WM) systems in the frontal cortex have revealed two stimulus dimensions along which frontal cortical representations may be functionally organized. One hypothesized dimension dissociates verbal from nonverbal WM processes, dividing left from right frontal regions. The second hypothesized dimension dissociates spatial from nonspatial WM, dividing dorsal from ventral frontal regions. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to probe WM processes associated with three different types of stimuli: letters (verbal and nonspatial), abstract shapes (nonverbal and nonspatial), and locations (nonverbal and spatial). In a series of three experiments using the "n-back" WM paradigm, direct statistical comparisons were made between activation patterns in each pairwise combination of the three stimulus types. Across the experiments, no regions that demonstrated responses to WM manipulations were discovered to be unique to any of the three stimulus types. Therefore, no evidence was found to support either a left/right verbal/nonverbal dissociation or a dorsal/ventral spatial/nonspatial dissociation. While this could reflect a limitation of the present behavioral and imaging techniques, other factors that could account for the data are considered, including subjects' strategy selection, encoding of information into WM, and the nature of representational schemes in prefrontal cortex.
Interactive editing of lighting and materials using a bivariate BRDF representation

We present a new Precomputed Radiance Transfer (PRT) algorithm based on a two dimensional representation of isotropic BRDFs. Our approach involves precomputing matrices that allow quickly mapping environment lighting, which is represented in the global coordinate system, and the surface BRDFs, which are represented in a bivariate domain, to the local hemisphere at a surface location where the reflection integral is evaluated. When the lighting and BRDFs are represented in a wavelet basis, these rotation matrices are sparse and can be efficiently stored and combined with pre-computed visibility at run-time. Compared to prior techniques that also precompute wavelet rotation matrices, our method allows full control over the lighting and materials due to the way the BRDF is represented. Furthermore, this bivariate parameterization preserves sharp specular peaks and grazing effects that are attenuated in conventional parameterizations. We demonstrate a prototype rendering system that achieves real-time framerates while lighting and materials are edited.
Enhanced Second-Harmonic Generation by Metasurface Nanomixer and Nanocavity

We discuss the possibility of largely enhancing the nonlinear second-harmonic generation (SHG) from χ(2) nonlinear materials using metasurfaces consisting of suitably engineered optical nanoantenna arrays. The proposed setup may increase the SHG conversion efficiency by orders of magnitude, compared to a thin film of χ(2) nonlinear material of the same thickness. This enhancement is attributed to localized fields at the nanoload, due to the plasmonic resonance of noble-metal nanoantennas, combined with a suitably enhanced photonic local density of states induced by properly coupling two closely spaced metasurfaces to form a nanocavity to enhance SHG. The proposed subwavelength optical device can lead to versatile applications, such as wavelength conversion and wave mixing at the nanoscale.
Interdisciplinary Dialogue in Goodman and Jinks’ Socializing States

Goodman and Jinks’ forthcoming book, Socializing States, is a tour de force of international relations (IR) theorizing. The authors’ revised tripartite scheme of socialization mechanisms, their sophisticated theorizing of an “acculturation” mechanism, and their firm grounding in the sociological and psychological literatures set a standard of excellence as much for IR theorizing. The comments in this paper therefore focus on the authors’ empirical claims about the existing evidence for state socialization, and on the legal aspects of their analysis. The paper is organized in five parts. The first section discusses the relationship of the book to contemporary IR theory, focusing on the authors’ value-added contribution and encouraging them to make the links between their own work and existing IR scholarship a bit more transparent. In the second section, I move from theory to empirics, suggesting that recent IR scholarship is more equivocal about international socialization of state actors than the authors suggest. The third section moves from IR to IL, asking what is specifically legal in the authors’ analysis and in their hypothesized socialization mechanisms. Section four inquires briefly into the question of “how international law comes home,” asking questions about the domestic-level mechanisms and especially the agents of socialization in domestic legal systems. A fifth and final section very briefly discusses issues of regime design, noting the sharp differences between the mechanism-based guidelines of this book and the situation-structural approach of other studies in IL and IR.
Context-specific associations between harsh parenting and peer rejection on child conduct problems at home and school

Although harsh parenting and peer rejection are independently associated with childhood conduct problems (CP), these patterns are often informant specific, suggesting that their associations across contexts (i.e., home and school) should be considered. In a sample of 142 children with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; ages 5-10; 66% male), we used structural equation modeling to evaluate the structure of multi-informant (parent, teacher) and multimethod (semi-structured interview, questionnaire) rated aggressive, rule-breaking, and oppositional behavior. Next, we explored context-specific associations by modeling harsh parenting and peer rejection as simultaneous and independent predictors of home and school CP. We observed several key findings: (a) the structure of parent- and teacher-reported CP was best accounted by context-specific CP (i.e., home vs. school) and a second-order general CP factor; (b) harsh punishment and peer rejection each independently predicted the second-order general CP factor; and (c) peer rejection was uniquely associated with school CP, whereas harsh punishment was associated only with the second-order general CP factor and did not exhibit specificity with home CP. Whereas harsh parenting and peer rejection were each independently associated with generalized CP, peer rejection showed an additional, unique context-specific association with CP exclusively expressed at school. We discuss potential explanatory mechanisms underlying context-specific associations of CP, as well as address etiological and clinical implications for understanding informant-discrepancies in CP.
Labor market polarization, the decline of routine work, and technological change: A quantitative analysis

Abstract A common hypothesis for labor market polarization is that technological progress has decreased the price of machines which are substitutable with middle skilled jobs and complementary to higher and lower skilled jobs. I quantitatively evaluate this hypothesis in a dynamic general equilibrium model. I find that the near constant elasticities of labor demand in the standard technology hypothesis and the observed dynamics of the price of machines are inconsistent with rapid polarization pre-2000 and its slower dynamics thereafter. Extending the model to allow for a separate investment sector requiring only high skilled workers generates a much closer fit to data.
Anti-Staphylococcal Biofilm Effects of Human Cathelicidin Peptides

Staphylococcus aureus can live together in the form of biofilms to avoid elimination by the host. Thus, a useful strategy to counteract bacterial biofilms is to re-engineer human antimicrobial peptide LL-37 so that it can be used as a remedy for preventing and removing biofilms. This study reports antibiofilm effects of four human cathelicidin LL-37 peptides against community-associated and hospital isolated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. Although the intact molecule LL-37 inhibited biofilm formation at low concentrations, it did not inhibit bacterial attachment nor disrupt preformed biofilms. However, two 17-residue peptides, GF-17 and 17BIPHE2, inhibited bacterial attachment, biofilm growth, and disrupted established biofilms. An inactive peptide RI-10 was used as a negative control. Our results obtained using the S. aureus mutants in a static biofilm model are consistent with the literature obtained in a flow cell biofilm model. Because 17BIPHE2 is the most effective biofil...
Not wiser after 35 years of contemplating the death penalty

Is the death penalty dying? This autobiographical essay offers observations on the application of capital punishment in three very different legal jurisdictions at three different time periods when – partially by happenstance and partially by design – she was a homicide researcher, a participant and an observer of profound changes in the jurisdiction's application of the death penalty.
Marine Strategy Framework Directive: Current Gaps in Microbiological Issues

Rec date: May 26, 2014; Acc date: June 03, 2014; Pub date: June 12, 2014Copyright: © 2014 Caruso G. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use,distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
A Propulsion System Analysis of Oil Free Turbomachinery for Aviation Turbofan Engines

A strategy for the elimination of lubricating oil systems from aviation turbofans incorporates the use of foil bearings in place of traditional rolling element bearings. A foil bearing is a hydrodynamic device that utilizes air as the working fluid to separate a rigid shaft from a compliant static (non-rotating) structure. Modern developments in foil bearing design have increased the state of the art to the level where it is now appropriate to consider such devices for application in aircraft engines. This analysis is the first published work that quantifies the benefits of oil free turbomachinery. Conceptual designs are carried out for oil free gas turbine propulsions systems, which facilitate the calculation of the improved thrust to weight ratios that these engines could achieve. These engines are then applied to 50-passenger regional jet and 10-passenger supersonic business jet models to resize the vehicles and compute system benefits. Oil Free technology was applied to both the modern state of the art engines as well as advanced technology engines, which incorporate additional feature sponsored by the NASA Ultra Efficient Engine Technology Program. The figures of merit computed in this analysis include take-off gross weight, mission fuel, mission NOx, and landing and take-off operation NOx. The current state of the art 50 passenger vehicle achieved a 3.4% reduction in TOGW while the notional supersonic business jet achieved a 2.7% reduction.
Spontaneous closure of ventricular septal defects. Anatomic evidence in six adult patients.

Anatomic evidence of spontaneous closure of muscular ventricular septal defects was observed in six adults in a group of 600 consecutive autopsies. Recently completed fibrous obliteration was confirmed in four adults, relatively old fibrous obliteration was confirmed in one adult, and an old fibromuscular obliteration was found in the remaining adult. In one case, there were two muscular septal defects each closed by a thin fibrous membrane, a finding which has not been reported previously. Available information suggests that spontaneously closed ventricular septal defects are most likely those of the muscular ventricular septum, and the usual cause of septal closure is muscular encroachment and superimposed primary fibrosis. Incidence of anatomically confirmed spontaneous closure of muscular ventricular septal defects is sufficiently high to confirm and to support the clinical observation of this phenomenon, inasmuch as spontaneous closure of muscular septal defects occurring in the neonatal period or early childhood is not likely to be attended by clear-cut anatomic evidence of closed ventricular septal defect at autopsy.
Comparison of Genotoxic Responses of Some Benthic Marine Invertebrates to Radiation

The impact of radiation on the genetic material of a group of benthic inverterbates is under investigation to identify sensitive methods to be used to quantify genotoxic responses both under laboratory conditions and field conditions. Responses that have been compared are the induction of chromosomal aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges, lethal mutations, and DNA strand breakage. Of these, DNA strand breakage appears to be a sensitive and cost-effective method applicable for rapidly assessing radiation-induced damage.
Influence of doxorubicin chemotherapy on the expression of epithelial growth factor in the Balb/c mouse hepatocarcinoma

Purpose:To investigate the influence of doxorubicin chemotherapy on overexpression of epithelial growth factor. Methods:Cancer animal model was made and treated with doxorubicin. The concentration of EGF protein in Plasma and mRNA in cancer tissue were detected by ELISA and Real-time quantitative RT-PCR respectively and the correlation of this parameter was evaluated. Results:The plasma concentrations of EGF expression were 3X Group 1.19±0.42 pg/ml, 1X Group 1.61±0.51 pg/ml, control group 2.13±0.68 pg/ml, and normal 0.91±0.33 pg/ml respectively. The concentration of EGF were analysed by ANOVA q test. The median concentrations of mRNA were 3X Group 1.6×10 3 copies/ml, 1X Group 8.5×10 4 copies/ml, control 4×10 5 copies/ml, and normal 2.5×10 2 copies/ml respectively, and were analysed by rank-sum test. It was shown that the control group had higher EGF and EGFR expression level than those treated with doxorubicin. EGF and EGFR expression of 3X Group were lower than that of 1X Group but remained higher than that of normal (P0.01). Doxorubicin could reduce the expression of EGF and EGFR in a dose dependent manner. The concentration of plasma EGF and expression of mRNA was closely positively related(P0.01). Conclusions:These results suggest that doxorubicin can act throuch EGF signal pathways.
The Evaluation of Several Counter Measures for Lightning Tripout of Multi-circuit Transmission Lines at the Same Tower

In comparison with the single-circuit line,multi-circuit lines are liable to encounter lightning back strike and shielding failure strike so to threat the security of power networks.This paper evaluates several measures of preventing lightning trip of multi-circuit lines,including to reduce tower grounding resistance,to strengthen the line insulation level,to span the coupling ground wire as well as to install line arresters,and proposes the configuration principle of these measures: to reduce resistance to improve the grounding effect,to adopt high-insulation imbalance mode,to set up coupling ground wire at the top of towers,and to selectively install line arresters according to the specific circumstances of the lightning trip and line towers features.
Adaptive Dynamic Surface Control of Buck Power Converters

Based on the average model of Buck DC-DC power converters,which worked according to pulse width modulation principle,adaptive dynamic surface controller was designed.The controller can drive a class of Buck DC-DC power converters to operate well.It tracks the reference output voltage accurately,and has good robustness and adaptability for the parameter uncertainty.Adaptive dynamic surface control is a simplified algorithm for adaptive backstepping control of nonlinear systems.The addition of n-1 first-order filters allows the algorithm to be implemented without differentiating any model nonlinearities and suffering from the problem of the explosion of terms.When the filter time is small enough and the surface gain is selected reasonably,the controller is easy and prone to be practiced,and can guarantee semi-global stability.The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is verified by the simulation.
Chemotherapy of gastric cancer: a review

Gastric cancer remains a common malignancy with poor prognosis. Although surgery is possible in 80 to 90% of patients, less than 50% will have resectable disease and most of these patients will have recurrences. Many chemotherapy studies have been performed in patients with advanced carcinoma of the stomach. At least five conventional agents have been identified as having modest to moderate activity. It is unclear whether combination chemotherapy is more effective in terms of survival rate. Several new chemotherapeutic agents are being studied for gastric cancer, but none have yet proven to be more useful than conventional drugs. Although the rationale for adjuvant chemotherapy in gastric cancer is well established, a substantial number of prospective, controlled randomized trials in Western countries have failed to consistently demonstrate benefit. Thus, for patients with resectable disease who remain at high risk for recurrence, the preferred option is entry into a carefully planned investigation. In the absence of a research protocol, there are no data to support the routine use of chemotherapy in an adjuvant setting for stomach cancer.
Completing and signing the death certificate.

This scenario is becoming less common in primary care practice because the most common place of death (in nearly 80 percent of cases) in the United States has changed from the patient’s home to a hospital or long-term care facility. This shift in death location means that family physicians often are not the ones asked to certify the cause of unsupervised deaths.
Microtubules Mechanically Regulate Cell Adhesion Strengthening Via Cell Shape

Cell adhesion strengthening is a complex mechanical and biochemical process involving receptor binding, cytoskeletal reorganization, and morphological changes. Actin-myosin contractility has been established to drive focal adhesion assembly and adhesion strengthening; yet while microtubules are believed to balance contractile elements, their role in adhesion strength has not been investigated. A hydrodynamic adhesion assay and micropatterned surfaces to control cell shape were used to analyze the interdependent effects of microtubule inhibition and serum-modulated cytoskeletal tension on adhesion strength. Microtubule disruption enhanced contractility and focal adhesion assembly in serum, however only serum free conditions made cells susceptible to microtubule disruption in terms of spreading, morphology and adhesion strength. Forcing cells to remain spherical by micropatterning resulted in reduced adhesion strength after microtubule disruption in the presence of serum, and the temporal evolution of adhesion strength of spreading cells was observed to be strongly regulated by microtubules. Together these results, along with previous studies of contractility, establish that a tightly controlled intracellular force balance is required for the cell to reach its maximum adhesion strength and that cells are more sensitive to perturbations before they are fully spread.
Nurses, nurses, nurses. You can't live without them!

My father was ill for most of my childhood and early adulthood. He suffered his first MI at 37 when I was less than 10 years old, had a stroke at 47, and died of congestive heart failure at age 57. While you may wonder why I didn't become a cardiologist, it's probably understandable that I became a geriatrician, as I wished my father lived on into late life.
A Formative Evaluation of a Smartphone Application for Couples: The Affectionate Gesture Planner

OF THESIS A FORMATIVE EVALUATION OF A SMARTPHONE APPLICATION FOR COUPLES: THE AFFECTIONATE GESTURE PLANNER The Affectionate Gesture Planner (AGP) is a smartphone application (i.e., “app”) that aims to increase relationship satisfaction for couples in long-term relationships by prompting couples to complete loving acts for each other on a daily basis. The AGP app is informed by concepts from social exchange theory and the investment model (Rusbult, 1983), which predict that increasing the mutual exchange of beneficial investments to the relationship improves the quality and stability of the relationship. The present study is a formative evaluation on the prototype of the AGP app. Based on participant feedback, the AGP app will be improved prior to future trials. Future models of the AGP app will be used to compare the efficacy of using standardized suggestions versus personalized prompts.
Recycling urban spaces

The practice of recycling, renovating, and developing old urban neighborhoods has become widespread in contemporary America. Ybor City, a once marginalized and forgotten immigrant neighborhood in Tampa, Florida, has been recently “re‐discovered” and is currently being transformed into a popular nightclub district and tourist attraction. The current development of the neighborhood has prompted reflection among residents and visitors alike about the significance of the past and changing meanings of “home” and “community.” This essay entails an ethnographic analysis of identity of Ybor City by analyzing the work and stories of two neighborhood artists. The contemporary musical practice of “sampling” serves as a metaphor for understanding how the artists appropriate and recycle images and artifacts of “home” from the past into their art. The analysis reveals how the artists simultaneously resist and reproduce the dominant narrative of Ybor City development.
Karamanlidika Digital Library Proposal: Reconstructing the Past of a Specific Diaspora

The World Wide Web provides unlimited visibility for the personal documents and cultural artifacts that remain in the hands of families of people belonging to different diasporas. Computer mediated platforms are often the building blocks of their transcendental homelands. This article presents a study aiming to build a model and community around Karamanlides by using digital library technologies. Karamanlides is one of the many interesting communities in need of the creation of a “niche personal/community knowledge environment” as an archetype for similar conceptualizations.
Con todo mi corazón: Mentoring Latinas in Educational Leadership Doctoral Programs

Personal narrative essays were used to analyze the experiences of four Latina doctoral students who completed their first year in an educational leadership doctoral program in a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in the southwestern U.S. Four themes emerged from their testimonios 1) Con todo el corazon; 2) Somos como una familia; 3) Hermanas aren’t just doing it for themselves; and 4) Echando pa’lante. These themes demonstrate tenets of Latina/o educational leadership through the community-mentoring practices described in the study.
Cognitive factors as predictors of accented speech perception for younger and older adults

Though some studies suggest that older adults are not differentially impacted by foreign-accented speech relative to younger adults, other studies indicate that older adults are poorer at perceiving foreign-accented speech than younger adults. The present study sought, first, to clarify the extent to which older and younger adults differed in their perception of foreign-accented speech. The secondary aim was to elucidate the extent to which the cognitive mechanisms supporting accented speech perception differ for older and younger adults. The data indicated that older adults were poorer at perceiving accented speech than younger adults. Older adults' speech perception accuracy was associated with a significant main effect of working memory as well as significant interactions between hearing acuity and cognitive flexibility and between hearing acuity and inhibitory control. Younger adults' speech perception accuracy, in contrast, was associated with a significant interaction between hearing acuity and processing speed. It therefore appears that the differences in performance between younger and older adults observed here may be attributable to differences in the cognitive mechanisms that support accented speech perception.
Construction of Inexpensive Vortex Mixers

Commercial vortex mixers are very useful, but they are expensive. A vortex mixer, suitable for student use in laboratories without flammable materials, can be constructed easily and at low cost.
Decentering zoom lens in stereomicroscope

We can move an entrance pupil of a zoom lens from on-axis to off-axis by decentering lens groups of a zoom lens. This decentering zoom lens makes an objective lens of a stereomicroscope small. As a result, we can develop a stereomicroscope with high magnification and high resolution.
Exact analytical solution to the electron density for monolayer and bilayer graphene

This article presents a mathematical method for analytically evaluating the electron density for both monolayer and bilayer graphene. Once an appropriate probability function is chosen for finding the electronic density of states, a complete analytical solution is found for the electronic density without recourse to any analytical approximations or asymptotic formulations. The form of the solution is in terms of a convergent series involving the complementary error function. The analytical solution developed in this paper is valid for all temperatures and for all Fermi energies greater than or equal to zero. The method is easily extended to include Fermi energies less than zero.
Joint radar-communications waveform multiple access and synthetic aperture radar receiver

Radar and communications systems are often deployed in already crowded environments. The growing demand for additional communications users in frequency bands previously reserved for radar users motivates cooperation between these systems. One solution to the problem of radar-communications coexistence is to develop joint systems that simultaneously perform both tasks. One aspect of this co-design solution is to design waveforms simultaneously suitable for both systems' goals. Using a joint radar-communications waveform promises mutually beneficial performance gains while limiting spectral impact. We develop and simulate an example multiple access channel topology in which users simultaneously communicate and perform synthetic aperture radar imaging with a joint waveform. A joint radar-communications receiver is designed in the context of this example and shown to feasibly accomplish both systems' goals with a single waveform.
The Genesis of Voluntary Disclosure: An Analysis of Firms’ First Earnings Guidance

We investigate a firm’s decision to initiate earnings guidance during its first year as a public company following its initial public offering (IPO), which we label “early guidance.” Using a sample...
Some New Results on Cavitation Threshold Prediction and Bubble Dynamics

In the course of preparing a chapter on “Acoustic Cavitation” [1] for a volume on “Ultrasonics” (Peter Edmonds ed.) for the series Methods of Experimental Physic, (Academic Press), I noticed that one could calculate analytically an approximate expression for the “transient” cavitation threshold. When this is plotted along with thresholds for nucleation (by BLAKE) and thresholds for rectified diffusion (by SAFAR), one gets useful graphs for the prediction of the type and violence of cavitation as it depends on initial bubble size and acoustic pressure.
Mechanisms and Kinetics of Pollutant Formation during Reaction of Pulverized Coal

Pollutants arising from the reaction of pulverized coal can be divided into two classifications. The first classification includes pollutants common to all industrial combustion systems: CO, UHC (unburned hydrocarbons), soot, and NO x due to the fixation of atmospheric N2. The second classification includes pollutants formed from the impurities in coal. Sulfurous and nitrogenous pollutant gases and flyash dominate this classification. Other pollutant impurities are chlorine, fluorine, and traces of toxic metals.
Management of Cholesterol Disorders

Serum cholesterol, which normally consists predominantly of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (LDLC), is influenced by the liver’s expression of LDL receptors; the latter is regulated by the cholesterol content of liver cells. The process whereby cholesterol passes from peripheral tissues through high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and back to the liver is called reverse cholesterol transport. Cumulative data suggest that the risk of coronary heart disease declines to a total serum cholesterol of 150 mg/dL corresponding to an LDL level of 100 mg/dL or less. Highrisk coronary heart disease patients benefit from even lower LDL serum values—down to values of 70 mg/dL or less. The concept has emerged now that “the lower, the better” for risk reduction with LDL-C levels. Each component of atherogenic dyslipidemia appears to be independently atherogenic. In patients with elevated triglycerides, the non-HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) level is a better indicator of the total apo-B containing lipoproteins than is the LDL-C. Centrally important in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk reduction are complete smoking cessation, reduction of LDL-C, weight loss, and increased physical activity. Statins are the leader in LDL-lowering drugs and are generally well tolerated. They should not be given to patients with underlying liver disease. They diminish cholesterol synthesis by the liver. Ezetemide inhibits cholesterol absorption from the bowel. When combined with a statin, the LDL-lowering effect is enhanced. For every lowering of LDL-C by 1%, there is an approximate 1% reduction in major coronary events. Statin therapy is just as effective for reducing risk for ASCVD when diabetes is present as when it is not. Prospective studies have shown that an abnormal anklebrachial index (ABI) identifies an increased risk for future coronary events; that is, most patients with peripheral vascular disease also have important coronary heart disease. The metabolic syndrome includes any three of the following five conditions: 1. Elevated fasting glucose of 100 mg/dL or above 2. Elevated blood pressure of at least 130 mm Hg systolic or at least 85 mm Hg diastolic 3. Reduced HDL cholesterol (< 40 mg/dL in men and <50 mg/dL in women) 4. Elevated serum triglyceride level of at least 150 mg/dL 5. Abdominal obesity, that is, waist circumference of over 102 cm/40″ in men or over 88 cm/34.5″ in women The metabolic syndrome has an increased risk of ASCVD and for type II diabetes. A proinflammatory state predisposes to major cardiovascular events.
Ermüdungsfrakturen bei Athleten

Manche sonst gesunde Athleten, vor allem Laufer, erleiden Ermudungsverletzungen oder Ermudungsfrakturen wahrend ihrer Karriere. Es versteht sich von selbst, das die Vorbeugung oder das fruhzeitige Eingreifen die bevorzugte Handlungsweise ist. Jedoch ist es recht schwierig die Verletzung vorauszusehen, da in der Regel eine kritische Wechselwirkung zwischen einer individuellen biomechanischen Veranlagung des Laufers, der Trainingsmethode (Volumen und Intensitat der Aktivitat) und anderen Faktoren, wie Diat, Muskelkraft und Flexibilitat vorliegt. So kann z. B. die Ermudung der Muskulatur die schockabsorbierende Fahigkeit von exzentrischen Kontraktionen reduzieren, was zur Folge hat, das die einwirkenden Krafte des Korpergewichts vermehrt direkt die knocherne Struktur belasten.
Growth hormone and Pit-1 mRNA detection using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in adult and developing Ames dwarf mice.

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the study to investigate the use of RT-PCR to detect mRNAs relevant to elucidating the patterns of gene expression in the developing Ames dwarf pituitary. The use of RT-PCR for GH mRNA provides a rapid and reliable means of determining dwarfism at ages before body-size differences become apparent. The chapter presents a method that provides classification of dwarfs vs normals that is 100% correct for animals that could be identified by size. GH mRNA is not present in the Ames dwarf pituitary within three days of the initiation of transcription in the normal mouse pituitary. The Ames mutation appears to be involved in the blockage of GH transcription, implicating the involvement of Pit-1 in the effects of the mutation. The assays of Pit-1 confirmed the absence of detectable mRNA in dwarfs at 30 days of age or older. A study discussed in the chapter shows that Pit-1 is not detectable in dwarfs even at seven days of age.
Guayule Resin as a Protectant for Wood Against Attack by Various Marine and Terrestrial Wood-Destroying Organisms

The U.S. Navy has a large amount of wood in marine and terrestrial service, and this wood must be treated to protect it against depredation by wood-destroying organisms. Still, the annual cost for repair or replacement of wood damaged by marine borers, alone, amounts to about 25 million dollars (Pendleton and O’Neill, 1987); terrestrial wood destroyers add to this cost. Obviously, currently used wood preservatives are not entirely satisfactory; additionally, these preservatives are facing an uncertain future for environmental reasons. Thus, the Navy needs more effective, and environmentally acceptable, wood protectants to replace those in use. Pursuant evaluating for efficacy the by-product resin which this need, the Naval Research Laboratory is a marine and/or terrestrial wood protectant, accumulates during the production of rubber from guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray). Guayule grows in the arid southwestern United States and in northern Mexico and is the source of natural rubber nearly identical chemically and physically to that obtained from Hevea brasiliensis. This multicomponent resin contains a wide spectrum of organics (Banigan, et al., 1982; Schloman, et al., 1983) including polyphenols, cinnamyl derivatives, and a variety of terpenoids. Past experience (Bultman and Parrish, 1979; Bailey, et al., 1979; Chan and Jurd, 1973; Bultman, et al. 1982) indicates that these compounds would be the most likely to impart a protective character to the resin.
Impact of Backscattering on Microring-Based Silicon Photonic Links

The first quantitative analysis of optical power penalty due to the backscattering of silicon add-drop ring resonators is presented. Simulated results based on experimentally retrieved data show the attributing power penalty from fabricated microring is as high as 4.5 dB for 10 Gbps OOK links.
Survey of Nebraska Farmers' Adoption of Dicamba-Resistant Soybean Technology and Dicamba Off-Target Movement

In 2017, dicamba-resistant (DR) soybean was commercially available to farmers in the United States. In August and September of 2017, a survey of 312 farmers from 60 Nebraska soybeanproducing counties was conducted during extension field days or online. The objective of this survey was to understand farmers' adoption and perceptions regarding DR soybean technology in Nebraska. The survey contained 16 questions and was divided in three parts: (1) demographics, (2) dicamba application in DR soybean, and (3) dicamba off-target injury to sensitive soybean cultivars. According to the results, 20% of soybean hectares represented by the survey were planted to DR soybean in 2017, and this number would probably double in 2018. Sixty-five percent of survey respondents own a sprayer and apply their own herbicide programs. More than 90% of respondents who adopted DR soybean technology reported significant improvement in weed control. Nearly 60% of respondents used dicamba alone or glyphosate plus dicamba for POST weed control in DR soybean; the remaining 40% added an additional herbicide with an alternative site of action (SOA) to the POST application. All survey respondents used one of the approved dicamba formulations for application in DR soybean. Survey results indicated that late POST dicamba applications (after late June) were more likely to result in injury to non-DR soybean compared to early POST applications (e.g., May and early June) in 2017. According to respondents, off-target dicamba movement resulted both from applications in DR soybean and dicamba-based herbicides applied in corn. Although 51% of respondents noted dicamba injury on non-DR soybean, 7% of those who noted injury filed an official complaint with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Although DR soybean technology allowed farmers to achieve better weed control during 2017 than previous growing seasons, it is apparent that off-target movement and resistance management must be addressed to maintain the viability and effectiveness of the technology in the future.Nomenclature: dicamba; corn, Zea mays L.; soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr.
Extending Tobin’s mindfulness in education

A special issue of Learning: Research and Practice dedicated to mindfulness is summarized with the assertion that the contributions illustrate a perspective for successful mindfulness scholarship. Specifically, definitional components of mindfulness practice are just as essential for mindfulness scholarship. After a review of the special issue, this perspective for mindfulness scholarship is presented, and the article closes with two examples of mindfulness scholarship aligned with the 3-component framework of intention, awareness, and non-judgment.
Fabrication and characterization of short acetylene-filled photonic microcells

We have developed short (6-10 cm), connectorized acetylene-filled photonic microcells (PMCs) from photonic bandgap fibers that may replace near-IR frequency references for certain applications based on gas-filled glass cells. By using a tapering technique to seal the microcells, we were able to achieve a high transmission efficiency of 80% and moderate line center accuracy of 10 MHz (1σ). This approaches the National Institute of Standard Technology Standard Reference Material 2517a 10 MHz (2σ) accuracy. Using an earlier Q-tipping technique, 37% off-resonant transmission and 5 MHz accuracy were achieved in finding the line center, but a large 13% etalon-like effect appears on the wings of the optical depth. The etalon-like effect is reduced to less than 1% by using the tapering method. In both cases, the microcells could be connectorized, albeit with a reduction in off-resonant transmission efficiency, for integration into multimode fibers or free-space optical systems. Although contamination is introduced during both fabrication techniques, the P13 PMC line center shifts are small with respect to the sub-Doppler line center. This shows that the PMC can be used for moderate-accuracy frequency measurements. Finally, repeatable measurements show that PMCs are stable in terms of total pressure over approximately one year.
Nonhuman primate vestibuloocular reflex responses to prosthetic vestibular stimulation are robust to pulse timing errors caused by temporal discretization

Merging a vestibular implant system with existing cochlear implant technology can provide clinicians with a means to restore both vestibular and auditory sensation. Pulse timing errors inherent to ...