cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laser double resonance measurements of rotational energy transfer rates in HF(η = 2)

Abstract An intense laser pulse excites a single rotational level of the first overtone vibration of HF and a continuous laser monitors the collisional transfer of population into other rotational states. The rotational equilibration is substantially faster than gas kinetic and decreases monotonically with the energy change in the initially excited molecule.
Nascent HPC activities at an HBCU

In this paper, we describe the formative activities related to HPC applications and TeraGrid at Texas Southern University (TSU). TSU is an urban MSI (minority serving institution) and HBCU with a very small student body in STEM areas (7% of the undergraduate population). We have a vibrant and diverse faculty. Limited resources compound the challenges faced by the HPC community at TSU. We faced several difficulties as well as successes in the building of HPC access and its utilization at TSU.
INTERPERSONAL DEFICITS AND TIME SPENT IN EXERCISE OR ACTIVE RECREATION

This study was designed to investigate the hypothesis that people with interpersonal deficits would spend less time in exercise or active recreation. Participants completed a questionnaire about the time spent per week in exercise or active recreation as well as in other activities such as reading and watching television. They also completed a questionnaire designed to measure both interpersonal and cognitive-perceptual deficits. Interpersonal deficits measured were social anxiety, constricted affect, and lack of close friends. Cognitive-perceptual deficits measured were perceptual aberration, magical ideation, and ideas of reference. Analysis showed that interpersonal deficits were related to reduced time spent in exercise or active recreation. Cognitive-perceptual deficits were not associated with time spent in exercise or active recreation.
Formal techniques for SystemC verification

SystemC has emerged lately as a de facto, open, industry standard modeling language, enabling a wide range of modeling levels, from RTL to system level. Its increasing acceptance is driven by the increasing complexity of designs, pushing designers to higher and higher levels of abstractions.While a major goal of SystemC is to enable verification at higher level of abstraction, enabling early exploration of system-level designs, the focus so far has been on traditional dynamic validation techniques. It is fair to see that the development of formal-verification techniques for SystemC models is at its infancy. In spite of intensive recent activity in the development of formal-verification techniques for software, extending such techniques to SystemC is a formidable challenge. The difficulty stems from both the object-oriented nature of SystemC, which is fundamental to its modeling philosophy, and its sophisticated event-driven simulation semantics.In this position paper we discuss what is needed to develop formal techniques for SystemC verification, augmenting dynamic validation techniques. By formal techniques we refer here to a range of techniques, including assertion-based dynamic validation, symbolic simulation, formal test generation, explicit-state model checking, and symbolic model checking.
Space-based RF signal classification using adaptive wavelet features

RF signals are dispersed in frequency as they propagate through the ionosphere. For wide-band signals, this results in nonlinearly- chirped-frequency, transient signals in the VHF portion of the spectrum. This ionospheric dispersion provide a means of discriminating wide-band transients from other signals (e.g., continuous-wave carriers, burst communications, chirped-radar signals, etc.). The transient nature of these dispersed signals makes them candidates for wavelet feature selection. Rather than choosing a wavelet ad hoc, we adaptively compute an optimal mother wavelet via a neural network. Gaussian weighted, linear frequency modulate (GLFM) wavelets are linearly combined by the network to generate our application specific mother wavelet, which is optimized for its capacity to select features that discriminate between the dispersed signals and clutter (e.g., multiple continuous-wave carriers), not for its ability to represent the dispersed signal. The resulting mother wavelet is then used to extract features for a neutral network classifier. The performance of the adaptive wavelet classifier is the compared to an FFT based neural network classifier.
Surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy of iron-dopamine complexes

Abstract Surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy (SERRS) at silver colloids is used to detect the catecholamines, 3-hydroxytyramine (dopamine) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), in a modified Ringer's solution. Catecholamines form very strong complexes with iron(III) in solution ( K f > 10 40 ) and exhibit a broad ligand-to-metal charge-transfer (LMCT) absorption in the visible (∼ 500 nm). Resonance enhancement is achieved by excitation at 532 nm from a frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser with high quality spectra attainable in 1 s. Maximum SERRS signal is observed when basic buffer is added to a dopamine sample containing 50 × 10 −6 M ferric ion. Dopamine concentrations in the nanomolar (resting level) range are obtained using this technique.
Comparison of surface wave mitigation techniques for a low-profile DORIS receive antenna

A new low-profile satellite antenna for reception of DORIS beacon signals is presented. Two approaches, one involving the use of a corrugated surface and the other using an Electromagnetic Bandgap (EBG) structure, are considered for reducing the degradation of antenna radiation patterns due to surface wave interactions with the satellite platform.
Optimization of Multistage Orbit Transfer Processes by Dynamic Programming

Physics of the Sun," Trans, of the Conf. on the Use of Solar Energy, vol. 1, Chap. 1, 1955. 3 Thostesen, T. O., Hibbs, A. R. and Buwalda, E. P., "Temperature Control of the Explorers and Pioneers," Surface Effects on Spacecraft MateHals, F. J. Clauss (ed.), John Wiley and Sons Inc., New York, 1960. 4 Edwards, D. K., Nelson, K. E., Roddick, R. D. and Gier, J. T., "Basic Studies on the Use and Control of Solar Energy," Annual Rep. 60-98, Na-
A novel immunogenic CS1-specific peptide inducing antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes targeting multiple myeloma.

The CS1 antigen provides a unique target for the development of an immunotherapeutic strategy to treat patients with multiple myeloma (MM). This study aimed to identify HLA-A2(+) immunogenic peptides from the CS1 antigen, which induce peptide-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) against HLA-A2(+) MM cells. We identified a novel immunogenic HLA-A2-specific CS1(239-247) (SLFVLGLFL) peptide, which induced CS1-specific CTL (CS1-CTL) to MM cells. The CS1-CTL showed a distinct phenotype, with an increased percentage of effector memory and activated CTL and a decreased percentage of naive CTL. CS1(239-247) peptide-specific CD8(+) T cells were detected by DimerX analyses and demonstrated functional activities specific to the peptide. The CTL displayed HLA-A2-restricted and antigen-specific cytotoxicity, proliferation, degranulation and γ-interferon (IFN-γ) production against both primary MM cells and MM cell lines. In addition, the effector memory cells subset (CD45RO(+) CCR7(-) /CD3(+) CD8(+) ) within CS1-CTL showed a higher level of CD107a degranulation and IFN-γ production as compared to effector cells (CD45RO(-) CCR7(-) /CD3(+) CD8(+) ) against HLA-A2(+) primary MM cells or MM cell lines. In conclusion, this study introduced a novel immunogenic HLA-A2-specific CS1(239-247) peptide capable of inducing antigen-specific CTL against MM cells that will provide a framework for its application as a novel MM immunotherapy.
Rapid elevation of rat serum prolactin concentration by cyclosporine, a novel immunosuppressive drug

Abstract Within one hr of the administration of cyclosporine to rats, there was a 4-fold elevation in the serum prolactin concentration. Doses of 0.12, 1.2, and 12 μg/100 g body weight cyclosporine significantly elevated the serum prolactin level. Higher doses, 120 or 1200 μg/100 g body weight cyclosporine resulted in small but insignificant elevations of the serum prolactin concentration. Bromocriptine, a dopamine agonist which inhibits prolactin release from the anterior pituitary, completely blocked the elevation in serum prolactin in response to cyclosporine alone. These data suggest that the ability of cyclosporine to suppress immune function may involve its ability to rapidly produce hyperprolactinemia.
Electron Removal in Argon Afterglows

Ambipolar diffusion and recombination occurring in argon after the cut-off of a pulsed microwave discharge have been studied. The electron density and spectroscopic data obtained indicated that ambipolar diffusion is operative at low pressures, supplemented by recombination which is characterized by a relatively low recombination coefficient. At high pressures, electron removal is principally by recombination which is characterized by a relatively high value of recombination coefficient.
Effect of material environment on a class of nuclear lifetimes

The connection between internal conversion of a nuclear transition and EXAFS is pointed out. A prediction is made of sizable variations of lifetimes of nuclear states depending on the surrounding material environment, provided that the transition energy is just above threshold and the internal conversion coefficient is appreciable. 12 refs., 2 figs.
Non-linear evolution of f(R) cosmologies I: methodology

We introduce the method and the implementation of a cosmological simulation of a class of metric-variation f(R) models that accelerate the cosmological expansion without a cosmological constant and evade solar-system bounds of small-field deviations to general relativity. Such simulations are shown to reduce to solving a non-linear Poisson equation for the scalar degree of freedom introduced by the f(R) modifications. We detail the method to efficiently solve the non-linear Poisson equation by using a Newton-Gauss-Seidel relaxation scheme coupled with multigrid method to accelerate the convergence. The simulations are shown to satisfy tests comparing the simulated outcome to analytical solutions for simple situations, and the dynamics of the simulations are tested with orbital and Zeldovich collapse tests. Finally, we present several static and dynamical simulations using realistic cosmological parameters to highlight the differences between standard physics and f(R) physics. In general, we find that the f(R) modifications result in stronger gravitational attraction that enhances the dark matter power spectrum by ~20% for large but observationally allowed f(R) modifications. More detailed study of the non-linear f(R) effects on the power spectrum are presented in a companion paper.
Families of Children with Autism: A Synthesis of Family Routines Literature

This paper provides a selective review and synthesis of the occupation-focused literature on routines of families of children with autism, in order to identify commonalities, critique the disability/barriers perspective often employed in research with these families, and to offer suggestions for further research. Identified commonalities include (a) tension between the need for and difficulty with routines, (b) the link between family routines and health of the family, (c) family participation as patterned around the child with autism, (d) pursuit of routines in the face of challenges, (e) difficult routines, (f) meaningful routines for family bonding, and (g) adaptations families make to routines. We go beyond the research findings to address how the “embrace of paradox” impacts caregivers’ perceptions of family routines. Finally, we offer suggestions for the way forward in occupational science research with families with children with autism, in order to address gaps in the literature and move towards i...
Model-based data assessment for terrestrial carbon processes: implications for sampling strategy in FACE experiments

The value of different types of data in the estimation of different carbon transfer parameters is investigated. A carbon accounting model is used with different observation operators to generate data. The effectiveness of the inversion is assessed by observing relative errors of estimators and likelihood ratios. It is demonstrated that for an observation operator that relative errors vary widely with the sample test problems. An effective strategy to test types of data is to test the effectiveness of corresponding observation operators on an ensemble of sample problems for which parameters are selected from the space of admissible parameters. The selection is carried out under the assumption that the test parameters themselves are random variables uniformly distributed over the space of admissible parameters.
Self-Study of the Craft of Faculty Team Teaching in a Non-Traditional Teacher Education Program

We share our self-study research of faculty-building a successful collaborative culture and team teaching experience in a unique Master's program for experienced teachers. As part of self-study and reflective practice, this faculty team shared its collaborative experiences with teachers. This transparency had positive effects on the teachers' perceptions of faculty and on their own teaming experiences. To frame our work, we use the perspective of learning zones adapted from Vygotsky's conception of zone of proximal development. A multi-vocal perspective on the processes of faculty professional development and program development is presented.
Probabilistic safety assessment support for the maintenance rule at Duke Power Company

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published the Maintenance Rule on July 10, 1991 with an implementation date of July 10, 1996 [1]. Maintenance rule implementation at the Duke Power Company has used probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) insights to help focus the monitoring of structures, systems and components (SSC) performance and to ensure that maintenance is effectively performed. This paper describes how the probabilistic risk assessment (PRA)1 group at the Duke Power Company provides support for the maintenance rule by performing the following tasks: (1) providing a member of the expert panel; (2) determining the risk-significant SSCs; (3) establishing SSC performance criteria for availability and reliability; (4) evaluating past performance and its impact on core damage risk as part of the periodic assessment; (5) providing input to the PRA matrix; (6) providing risk analyses of combinations of SSCs out of service; (7) providing support for the SENTINEL program; and (8) providing support for PSA training. These tasks are not simply tied to the initial implementation of the rule. The maintenance rule must be kept consistent with the current design and operation of the plant. This will require that the PRA models and the many PSA calculations performed to support the maintenance rule are kept up-to-date. Therefore, support of the maintenance rule will be one of the primary roles of the PSA group for the remainder of the life of the plant.
AlGaN/GaN transistors for power electronics

The focus of GaN based devices has expanded beyond LEDs and lasers to the large market of power electronics where the materials properties of high electron mobility, high breakdown field and good thermal conductivity make it attractive in ultra-high efficiency applications ranging from power supplies, PV inverters to motor drives.
Post annealing immersion: A new technique for studying rare earth ions in porous materials

A novel technique is introduced for studying how rare earth ions are incorporated into the matrix of porous materials. Tb 3 + -doped silica sol-gel is annealed to form porous glass and immersed in an aqueous Gd(NO 3 ) 3 solution. Re-heating removes the liquid and deposits Gd 3+ ions on the internal pore surfaces. Spectroscopic investigation of Gd 3+ → Tb 3+ energy transfer yields information about the location of Tb 3+ dopant ions relative to pore surfaces. Results from post-annealing immersion experiments indicate that most Tb 3+ dopant ions are close to pore surfaces when sol-gel glass is annealed to 700 °C. The observed energy transfer decreases with higher annealing temperatures, indicating that Tb 3+ dopants in densified regions are isolated from Gd 3+ ions deposited on pore surfaces. Al 3+ co-doping affects both the overall sample density and the degree of Gd 3+ → Tb 3+ interaction in post-annealing immersion samples.
A GIS method for assessing the zone of human-environmental impact around archaeological sites: a test case from the Late Neolithic of Wadi Ziqlâb, Jordan

Abstract Assessing the impact of prehistoric sites on their local environment is difficult to accomplish with standard archaeological methods. Simulation modeling offers a solution to this issue, but it is first necessary to delimit a site catchment, or “zone of impact”, around archaeological sites in which to carry out human–environment interaction modeling. To that end, I have developed a new method for GIS-based catchment reconstruction and distilled it into a custom module (r.catchment) for GRASS GIS, which calculates catchments of a given area based on anisotropic travel costs from a point of origin. One method of applying this new module in exploratory catchment modeling is discussed using the pastoral economy of the Late Neolithic period in Wadi Ziqlâb, Northern Jordan as a test case. A model of Late Neolithic herding economy and ecology is constructed, which combines data from archaeology, phytogeography, range science, agronomy, and ethnohistory. Four sizes of pastoral catchments are then derived using r.catchment, and the herd ecology model is used to estimate the stocking-rate (carrying capacity) of mixed goat and sheep herds for each catchment. The human populations these herd numbers could support (between 3 and 630 people in the Wadi) are then compared with human population estimates derived from household architectural analyses (between 18 and 54 people in the Wadi) to determine the most probable catchment configurations. The results indicate that the most probable zone of impact around the known Late Neolithic sites in Wadi Ziqlâb was somewhere between 9 and 20 square kilometers, delineated by 3 and 4.5 km pasture radii respectively.
COMPARISON OF ASCORBIC ACID CONTENT OF SUPER‐MARKET VERSUS ROADSIDE STAND PRODUCE

Seven vegetables and one fruit from two roadside stands and two major local supermarkets were analyzed for their ascorbic acid content. Produce was sampled during a nine week period from late July through September of 1987. Significant differences at the 0.05 level for ascorbic acid were observed between supermarket and roadside stand produce for potato, cauliflower, cabbage and tomato while no significant differences were found between cantaloupe, broccoli, green peppers and spinach from either market. Cabbage was the only supermarket item that was significantly higher in ascorbic acid concentration. Very little dehydroascorbic acid was shown to be present in these vegetables and fruit making ascorbic acid an accurate indicator of total vitamin C activity for this study. The quality of freshness does not appear to be a major factor as to the amount of vitamin C present in these 8 products.
The Association of Neurocognitive Decline and Other Variables With Return to Work, Hobbies, and Activities of Daily Living After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

ABSTRACTPurpose: Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is an integral method of palliative treatment for coronary artery disease. Despite many advances in surgical techniques, some patients continue to have neurocognitive deficits after surgery. The impact of these deficits on the patient's ability to return to work (RTW), daily activities of life, and hobbies has not been evaluated fully. The goal of this research project is to describe variables associated with the patients’ ability to RTW and necessary and essential activities. Methods: Sixty-three subjects who had CABG surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and who participated in neurocognitive testing preoperatively and postoperatively were interviewed by telephone 7–8 years after CABG surgery. Information was obtained on functional status measured by the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), symptoms of depression measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, RTW status, and ability to participate in hobbies and activitie...
Urolithiasis: not just a 2-legged animal disease.

Purpose: In this systematic review we summarize information on animal models of stone formation, the similarities of stone formation between humans and nonhuman animals, and the management of naturally occurring stones in animals, particularly dogs and cats.Materials and Methods: A comprehensive review of the peer reviewed literature was performed using the key words urolithiasis and animals. The search was then limited to articles in English that were published within the last 30 years (1977 to 2007).Results: Multiple animal species are affected by urolithiasis and the mechanisms of formation appear to mirror those in humans. Recently described models of animal stone disease may help us better understand and ultimately treat nephrolithiasis in humans.Conclusions: The pathogenesis of urolithiasis and treatment protocols in animals parallel those of humans. Given the number of similarities between treatment patterns for humans and animals, many urologists are now being integrated into the treatment of animals.
The Livermore distributed storage system: implementation and experiences

Several key design goals and implementation areas which support the extensibility, modularity, and flexibility of the LINCS storage system are discussed. The separation of data and control messages has had a positive impact on performance and modularity by allowing third-party copies without the actual passing of data through the bitfile servers. Efficient management of storage media and bitfile headers has increased storage utilization and provided integrity of the header information. A network-wide locking mechanism that preserves an object's consistency when accessed concurrently by multiple applications has been designed. The separation of the human-oriented naming mechanism from the other object servers, has given the system and its clients flexibility, extensibility, and modularity not found in an integral naming mechanism. >
USING NDT TO CALCULATE THE 1986 AASHTO GUIDE SUBGRADE EFFECTIVE RESILIENT MODULUS

The research reported assessed a major change in the 1986 AASHTO Guide for Design of Pavement Structures. The soil support value was replaced with subgrade effective resilient modulus (M R ) in flexible pavement design. M R was introduced into the 1986 AASHTO Guide as part of an overall shift to the use of elastic modulus as the indicator of pavement layer structural capacity. Because subgrade modulus changes when the subgrade moisture content changes or when the subgrade freezes, M R must reflect the combined effect of the modulus values from all seasons of the year. AASHTO suggests that the spring thaw modulus may be as low as 20 to 50% of the summer modulus. NDT testing was performed during the spring thaw and summer seasons of 1986 on 15 Indiana flexible pavements with subgrades ranging from high plasticity clays to sands. Deflections from sensors 5 ft (152 cm) and 7 ft (213 cm) from the load plate were recorded for use in seasonal subgrade resilient modulus determination as provided by AASHTO. M R for each of the 15 pavements was determined using the following seasonal moduli as inputs: spring thaw and summer moduli as calculated from NDT deflections, spring/fall wet modulus interpolated between spring thaw and summer moduli, and winter modulus estimated as recommended by AASHTO. The research yielded the following findings for the conditions present in Indiana in 1986: contrary to expectations, the typical spring thaw modulus value was not dramatically lower than the summer modulus value; and summer modulus values were close enough to M R values that they may be used to approximate M R if spring thaw, spring/fall wet, and winter data are not available.
Early removal of nasogastric tube is beneficial for patients undergoing radical cystectomy with urinary diversion

Purpose: Examine the beneficial effect of early nasogastric tube (NGT) removal in patients undergoing radical cystectomy with urinary diversion. Patients and Methods: 43 consecutive patients underwent radical cystectomy with urinary diversion and were randomized into 2 groups. In the intervention group (n = 22), the NGT was removed 12 hours after the operation. Comparatively, in the control group (n = 21), the NGT remained in place until the appearance of the first flatus. The appearance of ileus, patient ambulation, time to regular diet, and hospital discharge of the two patient groups were assessed. Patient discomfort due to the NGT was also recorded. Results: The 2 groups showed statistical homogeneity of their baseline characteristics. Two patients (9.09%) from the intervention and 3 patients (14.3%) from the control group developed postoperative ileus and were treated conservatively. No significant differences in intraoperative, postoperative, bowel outcomes or other complications were found between the two groups. All patients preferred the NGT to be removed first in comparison to their other co-existing drains. Conclusions: This is the first randomized, prospective study, to our knowledge, to assess early NGT removal after radical cystectomy. We advocate early removal, independently of the selected type of urinary diversion, since it is not correlated with ileus and is advantageous in terms of patient comfort and earlier ambulation.
CAF-secreted annexin A1 induces prostate cancer cells to gain stem cell-like features.

Annexin A1 (AnxA1), a phospholipid-binding protein and regulator of glucocorticoid-induced inflammatory signaling, has implications in cancer. Here, a role for AnxA1 in prostate adenocarcinoma was determined using primary cultures and a tumor cell line (cE1), all derived from the conditional Pten deletion mouse model of prostate cancer. AnxA1 secretion by prostate-derived cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) was significantly higher than by normal prostate fibroblasts (NPF). Prostate tumor cells were sorted to enrich for epithelial subpopulations based on nonhematopoietic lineage, high SCA-1, and high or medium levels of CD49f. Compared with controls, AnxA1 enhanced stem cell–like properties in high- and medium-expression subpopulations of sorted cE1 and primary cells, in vitro, through formation of greater number of spheroids with increased complexity, and in vivo, through generation of more, larger, and histologically complex glandular structures, along with increased expression of p63, a basal/progenitor marker. The differentiated medium-expression subpopulations from cE1 and primary cells were most susceptible to gain stem cell–like properties as shown by increased spheroid and glandular formation. Further supporting this increased plasticity, AnxA1 was shown to regulate epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in cE1 cells. These results suggest that CAF-secreted AnxA1 contributes to tumor stem cell dynamics via two separate but complementary pathways: induction of a dedifferentiation process leading to generation of stem-like cells from a subpopulation of cancer epithelial cells and stimulation of proliferation and differentiation of the cancer stem-like cells. Implications: AnxA1 participates in a paradigm in which malignant prostate epithelial cells that are not cancer stem cells are induced to gain cancer stem cell–like properties. Mol Cancer Res; 12(4); 607–21. ©2014 AACR.
Flexible clap and fling in tiny insect flight

Of the insects that have been filmed in flight, those that are 1 mm in length or less often clap their wings together at the end of each upstroke and fling them apart at the beginning of each downstroke. This ;clap and fling' motion is thought to augment the lift forces generated during flight. What has not been highlighted in previous work is that very large forces are required to clap the wings together and to fling the wings apart at the low Reynolds numbers relevant to these tiny insects. In this paper, we use the immersed boundary method to simulate clap and fling in rigid and flexible wings. We find that the drag forces generated during fling with rigid wings can be up to 10 times larger than what would be produced without the effects of wing-wing interaction. As the horizontal components of the forces generated during the end of the upstroke and beginning of the downstroke cancel as a result of the motion of the two wings, these forces cannot be used to generate thrust. As a result, clap and fling appears to be rather inefficient for the smallest flying insects. We also add flexibility to the wings and find that the maximum drag force generated during the fling can be reduced by about 50%. In some instances, the net lift forces generated are also improved relative to the rigid wing case.
BLOOD PRESSURE RESPONSE IN HYPERTENSIVE PREGNANCIES TREATED WITH CORTISOL

Thirty-two hypertensive gravidas were treated in the third trimester of pregnancy with intravenous cortisol to enhance fetal lung maturity before premature delivery. Blood pressure was measured throughout 24 hours of steroid therapy. No significant increase in maternal blood pressure occurred. Complications and precautions are discussed. Fear of steroid induced exacerbation of maternal hypertension is not a valid reason to withhold steroid therapy in hypertensive pregnancy.
Binary analysis and optimization-based normalization of gene expression data

Motivation: Most approaches to gene expression analysis use real-valued expression data, produced by high-throughput screening technologies, such as microarrays. Often, some measure of similarity must be computed in order to extract meaningful information from the observed data. The choice of this similarity measure frequently has a profound effect on the results of the analysis, yet no standards exist to guide the researcher. Results: To address this issue, we propose to analyse gene expression data entirely in the binary domain. The natural measure of similarity becomes the Hamming distance and reflects the notion of similarity used by biologists. We also develop a novel data-dependent optimization-based method, based on Genetic Algorithms (GAs), for normalizing gene expression data. This is a necessary step before quantizing gene expression data into the binary domain and generally, for comparing data between different arrays. We then present an algorithm for binarizing gene expression data and illustrate the use of the above methods on two different sets of data. Using Multidimensional Scaling, we show that a reasonable degree of separation between different tumor types in each data set can be achieved by working solely in the binary domain. The binary approach offers several advantages, such as noise resilience and computational efficiency, making it a viable approach to extracting meaningful biological information from gene expression data.
α-Retinol and 3,4-didehydroretinol support growth in rats when fed at equimolar amounts and α-retinol is not toxic after repeated administration of large doses.

Dietary α-carotene is present in oranges and purple-orange carrots. Upon the central cleavage of α-carotene in the intestine, α-retinal and retinal are formed and reduced to α-retinol (αR) and retinol. Previous reports have suggested that αR has 2 % biopotency of all-trans-retinyl acetate due in part to its inability to bind to the retinol-binding protein. In the present work, we carried out three studies. Study 1 re-determined αR's biopotency compared with retinol and 3,4-didehydroretinol in a growth assay. Weanling rats (n 40) were fed a vitamin A-deficient diet for 8 weeks, divided into four treatment groups (n 10/group) and orally dosed with 50 nmol/d retinyl acetate (14·3 μg retinol), α-retinyl acetate (143 μg αR), 3,4-didehydroretinyl acetate (14·2 μg DR) or cottonseed oil (negative control). Supplementation was continued until the control rats exhibited deficiency signs 5 weeks after the start of supplementation. Body weights and AUC values for growth response revealed that αR and DR had 40–50 and 120–130 % bioactivity, respectively, compared with retinol. In study 2, the influence of αR on liver ROH storage was investigated. The rats (n 40) received 70 nmol retinyl acetate and 0, 17·5, 35 or 70 nmol α-retinyl acetate daily for 3 weeks. Although liver retinol concentrations differed among the groups, αR did not appreciably interfere with retinol storage. In study 3, the accumulation and disappearance of αR over time and potential liver pathology were determined. The rats (n 15) were fed 3·5 μmol/d α-retinyl acetate for 21 d and the groups were killed at 1-, 2- and 3-week intervals. No liver toxicity was observed. In conclusion, αR and didehydroretinol are more biopotent than previously reported at sustained equimolar dosing of 50 nmol/d, which is an amount of retinol known to keep rats in vitamin A balance.
Nasal chemosensory cells use bitter taste signaling to detect irritants and bacterial signals

The upper respiratory tract is continually assaulted with harmful dusts and xenobiotics carried on the incoming airstream. Detection of such irritants by the trigeminal nerve evokes protective reflexes, including sneezing, apnea, and local neurogenic inflammation of the mucosa. Although free intra-epithelial nerve endings can detect certain lipophilic irritants (e.g., mints, ammonia), the epithelium also houses a population of trigeminally innervated solitary chemosensory cells (SCCs) that express T2R bitter taste receptors along with their downstream signaling components. These SCCs have been postulated to enhance the chemoresponsive capabilities of the trigeminal irritant-detection system. Here we show that transduction by the intranasal solitary chemosensory cells is necessary to evoke trigeminally mediated reflex reactions to some irritants including acyl–homoserine lactone bacterial quorum-sensing molecules, which activate the downstream signaling effectors associated with bitter taste transduction. Isolated nasal chemosensory cells respond to the classic bitter ligand denatonium as well as to the bacterial signals by increasing intracellular Ca2+. Furthermore, these same substances evoke changes in respiration indicative of trigeminal activation. Genetic ablation of either Gα-gustducin or TrpM5, essential elements of the T2R transduction cascade, eliminates the trigeminal response. Because acyl–homoserine lactones serve as quorum-sensing molecules for Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, detection of these substances by airway chemoreceptors offers a means by which the airway epithelium may trigger an epithelial inflammatory response before the bacteria reach population densities capable of forming destructive biofilms.
Intra- and inter-specific density affects plant growth responses to arbuscular mycorrhizas

Arbuscular mycorrhizas can alter competitive interactions between plants that markedly differ in their dependence upon mycorrhizas, but little is known about how mycorrhizas affect intra- and inter...
CalcTutor: Applying the teachers dilemma methodology to calculus pedagogy

We have designed and built CalcTutor, an online educational tool for Calculus that employs the Teachers Dilemma methodology. This methodology is centered around a game framework where students take on, and are rewarded for playing well, both the role of learner and teacher. Students create machine-verifiable questions for each other and gain points based on not only correct answers but also asking good questions. This framework has been used and studied in a variety of projects, mostly in the K-12 arena. The CalcTutor tool expands this approach to college level classes, specifically introductory Calculus. In this paper, we are reporting on our experience with a pilot study of CalcTutor, as used in conjunction with a college Calculus class. The system is designed to support learning in two ways, teachers can build quizzes for their students and the students can pair off and play games with each other. The students are given dynamic feedback about how appropriate their question is for their partner in the game as they develop each problem. During this pilot study, students asked and answered problems of two types: finding the derivative of a function and calculating the tangent line to a function at a point. The system was simultaneously tested in five introductory Calculus sections which generated a sizeable body of system data as well as survey feedback. Unfortunately, like many new tools, some of the students found getting used to the interface hard and some of our theoretical concepts did not pan out. Nevertheless the technical parts of the system worked well; students and teachers were able to create and answer questions without any issues. Some of the untested ideas that we were trying out met with success. And many students enjoyed some features of the system, particularly the instantaneous feedback.
Investigations of Canavanine Biochemistry in the Jack Bean Plant, Canavalia ensiformia (L.) DC I. Canavanine Utilization in the Developing Plant

An ontogenetic study of the canavanine and soluble protein pools in the developing jack bean plant, Canavalia ensiformis (L.) DC., was conducted. Evidence was presented which clearly established the conversion of canavanine to canaline and urea as the principal pathway of canavanine utilization. The catabolic reactions of certain bacteria involving the formation of guanidine or hydroxyguanidine from canavanine are not operative in the cotyledons of jack bean. Evidence was obtained which indicates that a second, minor reaction is functioning in canavanine degradation.
1,15:21,35-Bis(oxydiethyl-ene)-5,8,11,18,25,28,31,38-octa-oxa-1,15,21,35-tetra-azacyclo-tetra-decane-16,20,36,40-tetra-one-benzene (1/2): a macrotricyclic tetra-lactam.

The macrotricyclic title compound, C36H64N4O14·2C6H6, is located on a crystallographic center of symmetry. The mol­ecule has four tertiary amide bridgehead atoms and consists of two unsymmetrical 20-membered diaza­tetra­oxamacrocycles (N2O4 donor atom set) connected through the N atoms by two lateral oxydiethyl­ene bridges. The bridging subunits, together with the short bridging strand (NCCOCCN) from each monocycle, define a 24-membered ring (N4O4 donor atom set) that forms a central cavity.
Charter values, bailouts and moral hazard in banking

In this study, we examine the disciplining effect of charter values for U.S. insured depository institutions during the 1995–2012 period and the impact of government bailouts on bank risk-taking incentives following the 2008 financial crisis. Bank charter value arises from the monopolistic rents in the imperfect competition in the highly regulated banking industry. It may offset moral hazard resulting from government safety net. We analyze the impact of bank charter values, jointly with bank leverage, within the framework suggested by the Marcus (J Bank Financ 28:2259–2281, 1984) model, which originally introduced the disciplining role of bank charter value. We demonstrate that while high charter values reduce risk-taking incentives, low charter values are positively associated with higher risk-taking incentives in the shareholder value maximization problem. We also show that the impact of government bailouts (Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP) on bank risk taking is non-monotonic: It increases risk-taking incentives for bailout recipients relative to non-recipients for “weak” institutions with low charter values and high leverage, while the opposite is true for “strong” institutions with high charter values and low leverage.
Touch or Watch to Learn? Toddlers' Object Retrieval Using Contingent and Noncontingent Video.

The experiment reported here was designed to examine the effect of contingent interaction with touch-screen devices on toddlers’ use of symbolic media (video) during an object-retrieval task. Toddlers (24–36 months old; N = 75) were randomly assigned to watch an animated character hiding on screen either in a no-contingency video (requiring no action), a general-contingency video (accepting touch input anywhere on screen), or a specific-contingency video (requiring touch input on a particular area of interest). After the hiding event, toddlers searched for the character on a corresponding felt board. Across all trials, younger toddlers were more likely to search correctly after a specific-contingency video than after a no-contingency video, which suggests that contingent interaction designed to emphasize specific information on screen may promote learning. However, this effect was reversed for older toddlers. We interpret our findings with respect to the selective encoding of target features during hiding...
Evaluating Site Significance in Historical Mining Districts

During the last several years, intensified mining of low grade ore deposits in the American West has created an explosion of CRM-related archaeological research. The evaluation of historic mining sites, however, has been plagued with a number of problems. Perhaps the most important is the lack of a coherent research design for assessing significance under National Register criterion (d). Other problem areas are related to scale, inventory, integrity, the lack of a comparative data base, and mining landscapes.
Paediatric obesity: can medications help.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The purpose of this study is to review current and emergent antiobesity drugs in paediatrics. RECENT FINDINGS Understanding of the pathophysiology of obesity is improving, but access to antiobesity drugs continues to be challenging, especially in paediatrics. Few antiobesity drug trials have been conducted in paediatrics and postmarketing findings remain a source of concern. New approaches by the European Medicines Agency and the US Food and Drug Administration have provided guidance for the development of antiobesity drugs. However, few are in the pipeline and high-quality trials in paediatrics are lacking. SUMMARY We are providing a summary of available antiobesity drug therapies, barriers to treatment and emerging pharmacotherapies.
Composite CaO-Based CO2 Sorbents Synthesized by Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis: Experimental Results and Modeling

We report the preparation of calcium oxide (CaO)-based sorbents by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) with both experimental results and modeling of the sorption process. To mitigate CaO deactivation during carbonation/regeneration cycles, metal oxides with high melting temperatures were dispersed into CaO particles in this bottom-up synthetic method (USP), and their performance was experimentally characterized and evaluated over 50 cycles. The performance of synthesized sorbents was then compared to those expected from an unreacted shrinking core model. The model was able to predict the experimental results and provide an explanation for the effect of sintering and agglomeration on the performance of the sorbents through a variable effective diffusivity. Moreover, it was used to extrapolate sorbent performance over large numbers of cycles.
Estimation of the marker gene frequency and linkage disequilibrium from conditional marker data.

Abstract A method is proposed to calculate the maximum likelihood estimate of gene frequency and linkage disequilibrium from disease-codominant marker conditional data. The method is illustrated using data on sickle-cell anemia and Duchenne muscular dystrophy and linked polymorphic restriction endonuclease cleavage sites.
LGBTQ Youth Bullying Experiences in Schools: The Role of School Counselors Within a System of Oppression

Sexual minority and gender expansive youth often experience bullying in schools. However, no study to date has provided school-wide LGBTQ-specific antibullying interventions grounded in current nat...
Study of atmospheric pressure plasma jet parameters generated by DC voltage driven cold plasma source

In this work, plasma and discharge parameters of a DC voltage driven cold plasma source were measured. The device exhibits a plasma jet with a length of 3 cm and a pulsation frequency of about 2.75 kHz. The peak current of each pulse was about 1.1 mA, and the duration was about 5 μs. The repetition rate could be increased by raising the DC voltage level. By utilizing the microwave scattering system, electron density in the plasma was measured to be about ∼1011 cm−3. Vibrational and rotational temperatures of atmospheric pressure plasma jets were also measured by optical emission spectroscopy. The vibrational temperature was measured to be 2850 K and rotational temperature to be 300 K at the applied voltage of 5 kV. No strong dependence of the temperatures was found with the DC voltage level.
Current Status and Unanswered Questions for Food Allergy Treatments

Although there is no FDA approved therapy for food allergy, over the past decades, several routes of immunotherapy have been investigated for food allergy. Thus far, these therapies have shown variable levels of efficacy at desensitizing to foods, with oral immunotherapy (OIT) far more successful than sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) or epicutaneous immunotherapy (EPIT). However, desensitization tends to be temporary, and safety remains a major concern with OIT. Moreover, although it seems logical that desensitization will result in fewer reactions, it is not clear whether OIT or other immunotherapies are associated with an overall lower or higher risk of reactions over the long term. Eosinophilic esophagitis is a known complication of OIT, and may also be a risk with SLIT and possibly EPIT, although it has not been reported in the relatively few patients treated thus far. Adjuvants such as omalizumab or probiotics may improve the safety and/or efficacy of immunotherapy for food allergy, but more research is needed. In the future, biomarkers may identify subsets of patients who are better candidates for specific treatments. As therapies become commercially available, patients and providers will need to consider whether the benefits justify the risks and burdens of these treatments.
Martha Raile Alligood. (2018). Nursing Theorists and Their Work. 9th ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier, 601 pages, $83.95, softcover, ISBN: 9780323402248

Any library that counts nurses or nursing students as their patrons knows that nursing theorists are always a hot topic. The ninth edition of this work is an outstanding and invaluable addition to ...
Oxygen Activation and Radical Transformations in Heme Proteins and Metalloporphyrins

As a result of the adaptation of life to an aerobic environment, nature has evolved a panoply of metalloproteins for oxidative metabolism and protection against reactive oxygen species. Despite the diverse structures and functions of these proteins, they share common mechanistic grounds. An open-shell transition metal like iron or copper is employed to interact with O2 and its derived intermediates such as hydrogen peroxide to afford a variety of metal–oxygen intermediates. These reactive intermediates, including metal-superoxo, -(hydro)peroxo, and high-valent metal–oxo species, are the basis for the various biological functions of O2-utilizing metalloproteins. Collectively, these processes are called oxygen activation. Much of our understanding of the reactivity of these reactive intermediates has come from the study of heme-containing proteins and related metalloporphyrin compounds. These studies not only have deepened our understanding of various functions of heme proteins, such as O2 storage and trans...