cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disorganization of Cortical Microtubules Stimulates Tangential Expansion and Reduces the Uniformity of Cellulose Microfibril Alignment among Cells in the Root of Arabidopsis

To test the role of cortical microtubules in aligning cellulose microfibrils and controlling anisotropic expansion, we exposed Arabidopsis thaliana roots to moderate levels of the microtubule inhibitor, oryzalin. After 2 d of treatment, roots grow at approximately steady state. At that time, the spatial profiles of relative expansion rate in length and diameter were quantified, and roots were cryofixed, freeze-substituted, embedded in plastic, and sectioned. The angular distribution of microtubules as a function of distance from the tip was quantified from antitubulin immunofluorescence images. In alternate sections, the overall amount of alignment among microfibrils and their mean orientation as a function of position was quantified with polarized-light microscopy. The spatial profiles of relative expansion show that the drug affects relative elongation and tangential expansion rates independently. The microtubule distributions averaged to transverse in the growth zone for all treatments, but on oryzalin the distributions became broad, indicating poorly organized arrays. At a subcellular scale, cellulose microfibrils in oryzalin-treated roots were as well aligned as in controls; however, the mean alignment direction, while consistently transverse in the controls, was increasingly variable with oryzalin concentration, meaning that microfibril orientation in one location tended to differ from that of a neighboring location. This conclusion was confirmed by direct observations of microfibrils with field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Taken together, these results suggest that cortical microtubules ensure microfibrils are aligned consistently across the organ, thereby endowing the organ with a uniform mechanical structure.
Biomechanical comparison of acromioclavicular joint reconstructions using coracoclavicular tendon grafts with and without coracoacromial ligament transfer.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the initial strength of acromioclavicular joint reconstructions using coracoclavicular (CC) tendon grafts with and without coracoacromial (CA) ligament transfers. Methods Two different acromioclavicular joint reconstructions were performed in 7 matched pairs of cadaveric shoulders. Paired shoulders were repaired with either a hamstring allograft CC reconstruction (group 1) or a hamstring allograft CC reconstruction plus a CA ligament transfer (group 2). Intact specimens and then reconstructions were cycled from 0 to 100 N at 1 Hz for 100 cycles in a superior direction, and displacements were recorded. Finally, the stiffness of the reconstructions and the ultimate load to failure were recorded. Results Superior displacement of the reconstructions after cyclic loading was 4.43 ± 1.82 mm in group 1 and 3.75 ± 1.56 mm in group 2 ( P = .38). Ultimate load after load to failure was 970.3 ± 361.03 N in group 1 and 952.7 ± 296.89 N in group 2 ( P = .94). Finally, stiffness of the reconstructions was 50.6 ± 6.14 N/mm in group 1 and 65.6 ± 18.45 N/mm in group 2 ( P = .12). Conclusions The addition of a transfer of the CA ligament to an acromioclavicular joint reconstruction with a CC hamstring graft does not appear to significantly improve its overall initial biomechanical strength. Clinical Relevance These data suggest that a CA ligament transfer may add very little to a CC tendon graft reconstruction augmented with high-strength suture with regard to initial, time zero displacement and strength.
Strengths-Based Case Management: Implementation With High-Risk Youth

Few effective methods of intervention exist for youth at risk for negative life outcomes. One method used successfully with both adults with chronic mental illness and adults with substance abuse problems is strengths-based case management (SBCM). Based on the principles of strengths theory, SBCM aims to assist individuals in identifying and achieving personal goals, with an emphasis on the case manager–client relationship and client self-determination. In the current study, the authors report findings from a feasibility study that implemented SBCM with adolescent runaways. Challenges to implementation, such as financial status, the role of families, abuse and neglect, developmental issues, education, peer relationships, and transportation, are examined. The current findings suggest that it is feasible to successfully implement SBCM with adolescents, but the challenges to application are different with this group compared with adults, given the developmental differences between adolescents and adults.
Hybrid numerical methods for multiscale simulations of subsurface biogeochemical processes

Many subsurface flow and transport problems of importance today involve coupled non-linear processes that occur in media exhibiting complex heterogeneity. Problems involving biological mediation of reactions fall into this class of problems. Recent experimental research has revealed important details about the physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms that control these processes from the molecular to laboratory scales. We are developing a hybrid multiscale modeling framework that combines discrete pore-scale models (which explicitly represent the pore space geometry at a local scale) with continuum field-scale models (which conceptualize flow and transport in a porous medium without a detailed representation of the pore space geometry). At the pore scale, we have implemented a parallel three-dimensional Lagrangian model of flow and transport using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method and performed test simulations using millions of computational particles on the supercomputer at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory. We have also developed methods for gridding arbitrarily complex pore geometries and simulating pore-scale flow and transport using parallel implementations of grid-based computational fluid dynamics methods. Within the multiscale hybrid framework, we have coupled pore- and continuum-scale models to simulate coupled diffusive mixing, reaction, and mineral precipitation, and compared the results with conventional continuum-only simulations. The hybrid multiscale modeling framework is being developed using a number of SciDAC enabling technologies including the Common Component Architecture, advanced solvers, Grid technologies, scientific workflow tools, and visualization technologies.
Multi-effect Decompositions for Financial Data Modeling

High frequency foreign exchange data can be decomposed into three components: the inventory effect component, the surprise information (news) component and the regular information component. The presence of the inventory effect and news can make analysis of trends due to the diffusion of information (regular information component) difficult. We propose a neural-net-based, independent component analysis to separate high frequency foreign exchange data into these three components. Our empirical results show that our proposed multi-effect decomposition can reveal the intrinsic price behavior.
Genetic algorithms and Linear Discriminant Analysis based dimensionality reduction for remotely sensed image analysis

Remotely sensed data (such as hyperspectral imagery) is typically associated with a large number of features, which makes classification challenging. Feature subset selection is an effective approach to alleviate the curse of dimensionality when the number of features contained in datasets is huge. Considering the merits of genetic algorithms (GA) in solving combinatorial problems, GA is becoming an increasingly popular tool for feature subset selection. Most algorithms presented in the literature using GA for feature subset selection use the training classification accuracy of a specific algorithm as the fitness function to optimize over the space of possible feature subsets. Such algorithms require a large amount of time to search for an optimal feature subset. In this paper, we will present a new approach called Genetic Algorithm based Linear Discriminant Analysis (GA-LDA) to extract features in which feature selection and feature extraction are performed simultaneously to alleviate over-dimensionality and result in a useful and robust feature space. Experimental results with classification tasks involving both hyperspectral imagery and SAR data indicate that GA-LDA can result in very low-dimensional feature subspaces yielding high classification accuracies.
Optical interconnect systems for communication and computing

Recently, optical interconnection technology is increasingly being used for interconnections to peripheral devices, computers as well as backplanes. Simultaneously, the feature size of silicon VLSI technology decreases resulting in increased bandwidth that will become available for computation, increasing the demand for communication bandwidth, and thus relying on development of novel interconnect technologies. In this paper we will discuss three examples on using novel diffractive optics with multifunctionality and nonlinear optical technologies for realization of optical interconnections for communication and computing applications.
On the volatility and production mechanisms of newly formed nitrate and water soluble organic aerosol in Mexico City

Measurements of atmospheric gases and fine par- ticle chemistry were made in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) at a site 30 km down wind of the city cen- ter. Ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) dominated the inorganic aerosol fraction and showed a distinct diurnal signature char- acterized by rapid morning production and a rapid mid-day concentration decrease. Between the hours of 08:00-12:45, particulate water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) concentra- tions increased and decreased in a manner consistent with that of NO 3 , and the two were highly correlated (R 2 =0.88) during this time. A box model was used to analyze these be- haviors and showed that, for both NO 3 and WSOC, the con- centration increase was caused primarily ( 75-85%) by sec- ondary formation, with a smaller contribution ( 15-25%) from the entrainment of air from the free troposphere. For NO 3 , a majority ( 60%) of the midday concentration de- crease was caused by dilution from boundary layer expan- sion, though a significant fraction ( 40%) of the NO 3 loss was due to particle evaporation. The WSOC concen- tration decrease was due largely to dilution ( 75%), but volatilization did have a meaningful impact ( 25%) on the decrease, as well. The results provide an estimate of ambient SOA evaporation losses and suggest that a significant frac- tion ( 35%) of the fresh MCMA secondary organic aerosol (SOA) measured at the surface volatilized.
Fatigue properties of lanthanum strontium manganate-lead zirconate titanate epitaxial thin film heterostructures produced by a chemical solution deposition method

A liquid-precursor process was used to produce an epitaxial all-oxide ferroelectric memory device structure. The lanthanum strontium manganate–lead zirconate titanate–lanthanum strontium manganate (LSMO–PZT–LSMO) structure used for this device shows excellent polarization and fatigue behavior with a remnant polarization Pr of 42 µC/cm2 and a coercive field Ec of 68 keV. The polarization was found to only slightly degrade after over 1010 fatigue cycles. This behavior is contrasted with epitaxial PZT using a metal top electrode. In addition, the use of a top LSMO electrode was a sufficient barrier to Pb loss during heating to allow subsequent (or prolonged) heat treatments that would generally lead to Pb loss.
Receiver-initiated multicasting with multiple QoS constraints

To support QoS for multicast with dynamic and distributed member joining, in this paper we present a receiver-initiated multicast protocol with multiple QoS constraints (RIMQoS). Assuming link-state information and QoS unicast routing protocol are available, a receiver computes a path to join the multicast tree rooted at the source. It then sends join request along the path to join the group. Our protocol specifies under what conditions the new member can be accepted into the group without affecting the QoS of other members and how to adjust the existing tree if necessary. It attempts to minimize the cost of the tree by letting a node join the tree via a low-cost path and may later switch to a higher-cost but more QoS stringent path when necessary. The proposed scheme allows fully distributed operation and supports multiple QoS metrics and requirements. It greatly reduces the number of messages and simplifies message processing to join members compared with some other approaches. Simulation results show that it is very efficient in finding low-cost solutions.
Connections between Mining Frequent Itemsets and Learning Generative Models

Frequent itemsets mining is a popular framework for pattern discovery. In this framework, given a database of customer transactions, the task is to unearth all patterns in the form of sets of items appearing in a sizable number of transactions. We present a class of models called Itemset Generating Models (or IGMs) that can be used to formally connect the process of frequent item- sets discovery with the learning of generative models. IGMs are specified using simple probability mass functions (over the space of transactions), peaked at specific sets of items and uniform everywhere else. Under such a connection, it is possible to rigorously associate higher frequency patterns with generative models that have greater data likelihoods. This enables a generative model-learning interpretation of frequent itemsets mining. More importantly, it facilitates a statistical significance test which prescribes the minimum frequency needed for a pattern to be considered interesting. We illustrate the effectiveness of our analysis through experiments on standard benchmark data sets.
Influence of general anaesthesia on the pharmacokinetics of intravenous fentanyl and its primary metabolite in horses.

Summary Reasons for performing study: In order to evaluate its potential as an adjunct to inhalant anaesthesia in horses, the pharmacokinetics of fentanyl must first be determined. Objectives: To describe the pharmacokinetics of fentanyl and its metabolite, N-[1-(2-phenethyl-4-piperidinyl)maloanilinic acid (PMA), after i.v. administration of a single dose to horses that were awake in Treatment 1 and anaesthetised with isoflurane in Treatment 2. Methods: A balanced crossover design was used (n = 4/group). During Treatment 1, horses received a single dose of fentanyl (4 μg/kg bwt, i.v.) and during Treatment 2, they were anaesthetised with isoflurane and maintained at 1.2 × minimum alveolar anaesthetic concentration. After a 30 min equilibration period, a single dose of fentanyl (4 μg/kg bwt, i.v.) was administered to each horse. Plasma fentanyl and PMA concentrations were measured at various time points using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results: Anaesthesia with isoflurane significantly decreased mean fentanyl clearance (P < 0.05). The fentanyl elimination half-life, in awake and anaesthetised horses, was 1 h and volume of distribution at steady state was 0.37 and 0.26 l/kg bwt, respectively. Anaesthesia with isoflurane also significantly decreased PMA apparent clearance and volume of distribution. The elimination half-life of PMA was 2 and 1.5 h in awake and anaesthetised horses, respectively. Conclusions and potential relevance: Pharmacokinetics of fentanyl and PMA in horses were substantially altered in horses anaesthetised with isoflurane. These pharmacokinetic parameters provide information necessary for determination of suitable fentanyl loading and infusion doses in awake and isoflurane-anaesthetised horses.
Nitrogen limitation of growth and nutrient dynamics in a disturbed mangrove forest, Indian River Lagoon, Florida

The objectives of this study were to determine effects of nutrient enrichment on plant growth, nutrient dynamics, and photosynthesis in a disturbed mangrove forest in an abandoned mosquito impoundment in Florida. Impounding altered the hydrology and soil chemistry of the site. In 1997, we established a factorial experiment along a tree-height gradient with three zones, i.e., fringe, transition, dwarf, and three fertilizer treatment levels, i.e., nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), control, in Mosquito Impoundment 23 on the eastern side of Indian River. Transects traversed the forest perpendicular to the shoreline, from a Rhizophora mangle-dominated fringe through an Avicennia germinans stand of intermediate height, and into a scrub or dwarf stand of A. germinans in the hinterland. Growth rates increased significantly in response to N fertilization. Our growth data indicated that this site is N-limited along the tree-height gradient. After 2 years of N addition, dwarf trees resembled vigorously growing saplings. Addition of N also affected internal dynamics of N and P and caused increases in rates of photosynthesis. These findings contrast with results for a R. mangle-dominated forest in Belize where the fringe is N-limited, but the dwarf zone is P-limited and the transition zone is co-limited by N and P. This study demonstrated that patterns of nutrient limitation in mangrove ecosystems are complex, that not all processes respond similarly to the same nutrient, and that similar habitats are not limited by the same nutrient when different mangrove forests are compared.
Diabetes Mellitus, Prediabetes, and Incidence of Subclinical Myocardial Damage

Background—Persons with prediabetes and diabetes mellitus are at high risk for cardiovascular events. However, the relationships of prediabetes and diabetes mellitus to the development of subclinical myocardial damage are unclear. Methods and Results—We measured cardiac troponin T with a highly sensitive assay (hs-cTnT) at 2 time points, 6 years apart, among 9051 participants of the community-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study with no diabetes mellitus, or prediabetes, and without cardiovascular disease including silent myocardial infarction by ECG. First, we examined the incidence of elevated hs-cTnT (≥14 ng/L) at 6 years of follow-up. Second, we examined clinical outcomes during the subsequent ≈14 years of follow-up among persons with and without incident elevations in hs-cTnT. Cumulative probabilities of elevated hs-cTnT at 6 years among persons with no diabetes mellitus, prediabetes, and diabetes mellitus were 3.7%, 6.4%, and 10.8%, respectively. Compared with normoglycemic persons, the a...
The “green” side of materialism in emerging BRIC and developed markets: The moderating role of global cultural identity

Abstract Drawing on cultural identity theory, global consumer culture theory, and sustainability research, we examine the “green” side of materialism in emerging BRIC markets and developed (U.S. and Australian) markets. We assess the moderating effect of global cultural identity on the relationship between materialism and environmentally friendly tendencies using three different conceptualizations and measures of global cultural identity — the lifestyle and brand dimensions of global consumption orientation and global connectedness. In emerging markets, we observe strong positive effects of materialism on the concern for environmentally friendly products, the willingness to pay extra for environmentally friendly products, perceptions of global companies as environmentally friendly, and the likelihood to engage in environmentally friendly tendencies for the global segment across all three conceptualizations of global cultural identity; in addition, for individuals with a glocal cultural identity, we observe a significant positive relationship between materialism and these measures of environmentally friendly tendencies. In developed markets, significant effects are observed only for the global segment, but specific effects depend on the conceptualization of a global cultural identity. Therefore, our results indicate that multinational companies focused on combining materialistic appeals with their green positioning in the emerging markets must carefully target consumers with a strong global cultural identity.
A numerical analysis of the evolutionary iterated snowdrift game

The iterated prisoner's dilemma (IPD) game has been extensively investigated to help researchers gain a better understanding of how cooperation develops in populations. One criticism of IPD is it underestimates the level of cooperation particularly in human populations. The iterated snowdrift (ISD) game has emerged as a viable alternative model, in part because it predicts higher cooperation levels. To date no numerical analysis of ISD has been done. In this paper we report the results from a numerical analysis conducted on an ISD with an N-player, well-mixed population. Our results show, with certain cost-to-benefit ratios, evolved ISD strategies can maintain surprisingly high quasi-stable levels of cooperation in the population.
Aperiodic Tilings: Breaking Translational Symmetry

Classical results on aperiodic tilings are rather complicated and not widely understood. In the present article, an alternative approach to these results is discussed in the hope of providing additional intuition, not apparent in classical works.
Study of Field Emission Behavior of Carbon Nanotubes with Different Sources

The field emission properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from various sources are investigated for the application of field emission displays. Comparisons are made between graphite with Ni metal as catalyst and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon as precursor by the arc discharge method. Cathode deposits are examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) to determine microstructure. Carbon structure is studied using Raman spectroscopy. Electron field emission characteristics are measured with the diode method at 10 -6 torr pressure. In this study, SEM micrographs of cathode deposits show dense random fiber-like carbon nanotubes. The HRTEM images clearly exhibit characteristic features of multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Microstructural investigation provides evidence that both the metal catalyst and the precursor can be used to synthesize carbon nanotubes. The Raman spectrum shows a stronger peak at about 1580 cm -1 indicating formation of a well-graphitized carbon nanotube. The degree of carbon nanotube graphitization is high and is in good agreement with the HRTEM result. From field emission measurements, the lowest onset field is about 1.0 V/μm and can be attributed to highly sharp tips and the high density of carbon nanotubes. Based on microstructure characterization and field emission measurements, the influence on field emission properties including turn on voltage and threshold voltage of carbon nanotubes synthesized from different sources is discussed.
Age- and brain region-specific differences in mitochondrial bioenergetics in Brown Norway rats

Abstract Mitochondria are central regulators of energy homeostasis and play a pivotal role in mechanisms of cellular senescence. The objective of the present study was to evaluate mitochondrial bioenergetic parameters in 5 brain regions (brain stem [BS], frontal cortex, cerebellum, striatum, hippocampus [HIP]) of 4 diverse age groups (1 month [young], 4 months [adult], 12 months [middle-aged], 24 months [old age]) to understand age-related differences in selected brain regions and their possible contribution to age-related chemical sensitivity. Mitochondrial bioenergetic parameters and enzyme activities were measured under identical conditions across multiple age groups and brain regions in Brown Norway rats (n = 5/group). The results indicate age- and brain region–specific patterns in mitochondrial functional endpoints. For example, an age-specific decline in ATP synthesis (State III respiration) was observed in BS and HIP. Similarly, the maximal respiratory capacities (State V1 and V2) showed age-specific declines in all brain regions examined (young > adult > middle-aged > old age). Amongst all regions, HIP had the greatest change in mitochondrial bioenergetics, showing declines in the 4, 12, and 24-months age groups. Activities of mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and electron transport chain complexes I, II, and IV enzymes were also age and brain region specific. In general, changes associated with age were more pronounced with enzyme activities declining as the animals aged (young > adult > middle-aged > old age). These age- and brain region-specific observations may aid in evaluating brain bioenergetic impact on the age-related susceptibility to environmental chemical stressors.
Ethnic assortative matching in marriage and family outcomes: evidence from the mass migration to the US during 1900–1930

Positive assortative matching in terms of traits such as ethnicity and race has been prevalent in marital formation. One possible explanation for this is that spouses in endogamous marriages possess complementary skills and tastes that increase marital surplus. This paper aims to estimate the effects of ethnic assortative matching on a variety of household outcomes by using the exogenous variation in immigrant flows in the USA during the period 1900–1930 to disentangle the selection effect of partners. The major finding is that the complementarities in home production from same ethnic marriage enhances investment in household public goods such as childrearing and home ownership and reduces the market labor supply of wives. The OLS estimates of the sizes of these effects appear to be substantially biased downward, indicating positive selection into intermarriage in terms of unobservable traits that increase marital surplus.
A surface tracking fast algorithm for computing Lagrangian coherent structures in 3D unsteady flows

A surface tracking algorithm is developed for the computation and extraction of Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS) in 3D unsteady flows. An advancing front algorithm is used to approximate the LCS surface with a mesh of triangles at each time step. Computations are performed only along the ridges in the finite time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) field, which identify LCS. Initial results appear very promising and a fully optimized implementation of the algorithm is expected to provide large savings in computational time. Nomenclature
Survey of High-Temperature Polymeric Encapsulants for Power Electronics Packaging

Semiconductor encapsulation is crucial to electronic packaging because it provides protection against mechanical stress, electrical breakdown, chemical erosions, α radiations, and so on. Conventional encapsulants are only applicable below 150 °C. However, with increasing demand for high-density and high-temperature packaging, encapsulants that are functional at or above 250 °C are required. In this paper, five types of encapsulants, including conformal coatings, underfills, molding compounds, potting compounds, and glob tops, are surveyed. First, recommended properties and selection criteria of each type of encapsulant are listed. Second, standard test methods for several crucial properties, including glass-transition temperature (T g ), coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), dielectric strength, and so on are reviewed. Afterward, commercial products with high-operation temperature are surveyed. However, the results of the survey reveal a lack of high-temperature encapsulants. Therefore, this paper reviews recent progress in achieving encapsulants with both high-temperature capability and satisfactory properties. Material compositions other than epoxy, such as polyimide (PI), bismaleimide (BMI), and cyanate ester (CE), are potential encapsulants for high-temperature (250 °C) operation, although their CTE needs to be tailored to limit internal stress. Fillers are reported to be efficient in reducing the CTE. In addition, fillers may also have a beneficial impact on the thermal stability of silicone-based encapsulants, whose high-temperature capability is limited by their thermal instability.
Endomyces geotrichum a perfect state of Geotrichum candidum.

SUMMARY Endomyces geotrichum Butler & Petersen, isolated from soils in Puerto Rico, is described as the perfect form of Geotrichum candidum Lk. ex Pers. Wild-type cultures are self-fertile but give rise to selfsterile, cross-fertile mating types. Endomyces geotrichum is morphologically similar to E. reessii van der Walt but differs from it in the formation of a median-furrowed, punctate ascospore wall. Geotrichum candidum Lk. ex Pers. was first described in 1809. Since that time the species has been the subject of a great deal of research, but no works have positively made the connection between G. candidum and a perfect state. However, Guilliermond (10) and Brefeld (3) pointed out the similarities of Endomyces magnusii Ludwig and E. decipiens Reess, respectively, to Oidium lactis (= G. candidum). Endomyces lactis was proposed by Windisch (20) as a new name for the perfect state of G. candidum on the basis of asci and ascospores that he found in liquid culture. The perfect state described by Windisch appeared only once in his strain 7 and he was unable to obtain it again, though he tried many times (Windisch, personal communication, 1970). With regard to the findings of Windisch, Carmichael (7) stated "It now seems doubtful that the structures he described actually represented sexual reproduction." In 1959, following the report of Windisch (20), van der Walt (19) described Endomyces reessii from South Africa. He stated that E. reessii shows resemblance morphologically and biochemically to Oospora lactis (= G. candidum), but that "There are no grounds to consider 0. lactis as its perfect form." The present paper describes and characterizes the perfect state of G. candidum isolated from soils in Puerto Rico. Brief notice of this report was made earlier (5); at that time we proposed the combination Endomyces candidus but it cannot be employed because of prior use (8). In the case of the name Endomyces geotrichum the epithet is taken from Geotrichum candidum the type species of the genus Geotrichum.
Ultrafast Nanoimaging of the Photoinduced Phase Transition Dynamics in VO2.

Many phase transitions in correlated matter exhibit spatial inhomogeneities with expected yet unexplored effects on the associated ultrafast dynamics. Here we demonstrate the combination of ultrafast nondegenerate pump–probe spectroscopy with far from equilibrium excitation, and scattering scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) for ultrafast nanoimaging. In a femtosecond near-field near-IR (NIR) pump and mid-IR (MIR) probe study, we investigate the photoinduced insulator-to-metal (IMT) transition in nominally homogeneous VO2 microcrystals. With pump fluences as high as 5 mJ/cm2, we can reach three distinct excitation regimes. We observe a spatial heterogeneity on ∼50–100 nm length scales in the fluence-dependent IMT dynamics ranging from <100 fs to ∼1 ps. These results suggest a high sensitivity of the IMT with respect to small local variations in strain, doping, or defects that are difficult to discern microscopically. We provide a perspective with the distinct requirements and considerations of...
A Look Toward the Future of Social Attention Research

The chapters in this volume comprise a small sample of a broad multidisciplinary effort to understand how humans navigate their labyrinthine social world. Social attention is fundamental to this endeavor because it determines what information is processed by the individual. In this final chapter we begin by summarizing some of the major findings from this volume, and, in so doing, emphasize how the field has significantly changed during this last century. We then discuss why these findings are still tentative and incomplete as researchers are beginning to confront a number of new challenges and opportunities while studying social attention including: (1) innovative technologies, (2) multimodal data, (3) live versus prerecorded stimuli, and (4) first- versus third-person perspectives. Implicit throughout this volume has been the assumption that social attention is somehow distinct and perhaps specialized, which inevitably leads to controversy, and thus we decided to address this issue directly before concluding. In order to achieve some conceptual coherence, we divide our discussion into three logically separable issues: innateness versus acquisition of expertise, the existence of domain specificity, and brain localization. We conclude with some recommendations on how social attention might be investigated in the future, and argue that social attention should be broadened and studied as a dynamical system—a system that is high-dimensional, multilevel, multicausal, and nonlinear.
Characterization of Nanodiamond Seeded Interdigitated Electrodes using Impedance Spectroscopy of Pure Water

Abstract We have recently demonstrated enhancement in sensitivity of an impedance biosensor by seeding detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) at the interdigitated electrodes (IDEs). Here, impedance spectroscopy of pure water is carried out at such IDEs to reveal the role of the DNDs. The impedance data is fit to an equivalent circuit model consisting of a geometrical resistance in series with a distributed element for Havriliak-Negami (HN) relaxation, and in parallel with a geometrical capacitance. Concurrently, the motion of charges across the IDEs is modeled as Plank-Nerst-Poisson anomalous diffusion across two partially blocking conductive electrodes. Results show that the DNDs (having a positive zeta potential) at the IDEs reduce the geometrical resistance to less than half, and the time constant for the HN relaxation to less than one-fourth. These changes propose doubled diffusion coefficient and mobility of the charged species, and reduced dielectric relaxation time constant. The diffusion modeling suggests insignificant increase in charged mobile species upon DND seeding. It is hypothesized that the DNDs, which have a positive zeta potential, when seeded on gold and oxide surfaces with a negative zeta potential, reduce the electrostatic force acting on the diffuse layer ions, and increase their mobility.
The Anxieties of Classical Political Economy

Equilibrium is the article of faith of a political economy defined in terms of harmony. No matter the temporary impediments to order and abundance in political-economic life, the actions of self-interested states, firms, and individuals will in time adjust to new conditions and deliver a new set of prices, a new level of output, and a stable institutional order reflecting a new balance of political interests. Where irrationalities erupt, they can be attributed to the operation of ‘norms’ and subsumed as an exception that proves the rule. States, firms, and individuals calculate, markets clear, and institutions adjust. From this vantage point, political economy appears as a ‘great and harmonious machine’ (Blaney and Inayatullah 2010a: 58). Existing theorizations of European Union enlargement are heavily indebted to this account of political-economic life, explaining the function of EU membership conditionality in terms of bargaining outcomes, legislative alignment, and rule/norm adoption that work to harmonize interests, law, and institutions.
Lentiviral Vectors for Gene Therapy of HIV-Induced Disease

In recent years, enormous advances have been made in our understanding of HIV pathogenesis and in the development of effective therapeutic strategies to combat HIV infection. Combination antiretroviral drugs can effectively reduce HIV RNA in peripheral blood and lymphoid tissue to undetectable levels (COLLIER et al. 1996; CAVERT et al. 1997). The advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) initially raised expectations for the possibility of complete eradication of the virus from infected individuals. However, cell-associated virus can act as a reservoir of HIV infection in quiescent cells and remain protected from the immune system and the effects of drugs (FINZI et al. 1997; LAFEUILLADE et al. 1998). This inability to eradicate the latent viral reservoir remains perhaps the most important limitation of drug therapy as a means to cure HIV infection. Other important limitations of antiretroviral drugs include the uniform eventual development of drug resistance, severe toxicity, and cumbersome schedules that hinder compliance.
Goods, Bads, and the Foa Resources: Analyzing Their Operation in the New Unified Theory of Sociobehavioral Forces

In this chapter, Guillermina Jasso concludes that virtually all theoretical and empirical work in the social sciences incorporates one or another of the Foa’s six resources. One of these approaches, the new unified theory of sociobehavioral forces, posits that personal quantitative characteristics (such as wealth, skill, and other goods and bads) generate the primordial sociobehavioral outcomes (such as status, power, and the sense of justice) within groups formed by personal qualitative characteristics (such as citizenship and gender). Moreover, the theory indicates that further outcomes (e.g., love and social cohesion) arise from the individuals’ sociobehavioral outcomes (status, justice, etc.) and that the Foa resources are at work in all corners of the new unified theory. This chapter initiates an analysis of the precise ways that goods, bads, and the Foa resources operate in the new unified theory, and suggests that resource theory and the new unified theory might benefit from explicit theoretical integration.
Dietary Behaviors in Psoriasis: Patient-Reported Outcomes from a U.S. National Survey

Psoriasis patients demonstrate high interest in the role of diet on their skin condition. However, data are lacking to describe dietary interventions among psoriasis patients and associated outcomes. This study aims to identify common dietary habits, interventions and perceptions among patients with psoriasis, and to examine patient-reported skin outcomes in response to these interventions. We administered a 61-question survey to the National Psoriasis Foundation membership asking psoriasis patients about dietary habits, modifications, skin responses, and perceptions. A total of 1206 psoriasis patients responded to the survey. Compared to age- and sex-matched controls, psoriasis patients consumed significantly less sugar, whole grain fiber, dairy, and calcium (p < 0.001), while consuming more fruits, vegetables, and legumes (p < 0.01). Eighty-six percent of respondents reported use of a dietary modification. The percentage of patients reporting skin improvement was greatest after reducing alcohol (53.8%), gluten (53.4%), nightshades (52.1%), and after adding fish oil/omega-3 (44.6%), vegetables (42.5%), and oral vitamin D (41%). Specific diets with the most patients reporting a favorable skin response were Pagano (72.2%), vegan (70%), and Paleolithic (68.9%). Additionally, 41.8% of psoriasis respondents reported that a motivation for attempting dietary changes was to improve overall health. This national survey is among the first to report the dietary behaviors of patients with psoriasis. The data provided from this large cohort may benefit patients and clinicians as they discuss the role of diet in managing both psoriasis and associated cardiometabolic comorbidities.
Infrared spectroscopy as a screening technique for colitis

There remains a great need for diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), for which the current technique, colonoscopy, is not cost-effective and presents a non-negligible risk for complications. Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy is a new screening technique to evaluate colitis. Comparing infrared spectra of sera to study the differences between them can prove challenging due to the complexity of its biological constituents giving rise to a plethora of vibrational modes. Overcoming these inherent infrared spectral analysis difficulties involving highly overlapping absorbance peaks and the analysis of the data by curve fitting to improve the resolution is discussed. The proposed technique uses colitic and normal wild type mice dried serum to obtain ATR/FTIR spectra to effectively differentiate colitic mice from normal mice. Using this method, Amide I group frequency (specifically, alpha helix to beta sheet ratio of the protein secondary structure) was identified as disease associated spectral signature in addition to the previously reported glucose and mannose signatures in sera of chronic and acute mice models of colitis. Hence, this technique will be able to identify changes in the sera due to various diseases.
Ischemic Preconditioning Protects Astrocytes against Oxygen Glucose Deprivation Via the Nuclear Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 Pathway

Induction of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) represents a potential therapy against cerebral ischemia by activation of adaptive pathways and modulation of mitochondria to induce ischemic tolerance to various cells and tissues. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been ascribed to contribute to numerous neurodegenerative conditions and cerebral ischemia. Nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that has traditionally been involved in upregulating cellular antioxidant systems to combat oxidative stress in the brain; however, the association of Nrf2 with mitochondria in the brain remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effects of Nrf2 on (i) IPC-induced protection of astrocytes; (ii) OXPHOS protein expression; and (iii) mitochondrial supercomplex formation.Oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) was used as an in vitro model of cerebral ischemia and IPC in cultured rodent astrocytes derived from WT C57Bl/6J and Nrf2-/- mice. OXPHOS proteins were probed via western blotting, and supercomplexes were determined by blue native gel electrophoresis.IPC-induced cytoprotection in wild-type, but not Nrf2-/- mouse astrocyte cultures following a lethal duration of OGD. In addition, our results suggest that Nrf2 localizes to the outer membrane in non-synaptic brain mitochondria, and that a lack of Nrf2 in vivo produces altered supercomplex formation in mitochondria.Our findings support a role of Nrf2 in mediating IPC-induced protection in astrocytes, which can profoundly impact the ischemic tolerance of neurons. In addition, we provide novel evidence for the association of Nrf2 to brain mitochondria and supercomplex formation. These studies offer new targets and pathways of Nrf2, which may be heavily implicated following cerebral ischemia.
Years Versus Days Between Successive Surgeries, After an Initial Outpatient Procedure, for the Median Patient Versus the Median Surgeon in the State of Iowa.

Background Previously, we studied the relative importance of different institutional interventions that the largest hospital in Iowa could take to grow the anesthesia department's outpatient surgical care. Most (>50%) patients having elective surgery had not previously had surgery at the hospital. Patient perioperative experience was unimportant for influencing total anesthesia workload and numbers of patients. More important was the availability of surgical clinic appointments within several days. These results would be generalizable if the median time from surgery to a patient's next surgical procedure was large (eg, >2 years), among all hospitals in Iowa with outpatient surgery, and without regard to the hospital where the next procedure was performed. Methods There were 37,172 surgical cases at hospital outpatient departments of any of the 117 hospitals in Iowa from July 1, 2013, to September 30, 2013. Data extracted about each case included its intraoperative work relative value units. The 37,172 cases were matched to all inpatient and outpatient records for the next 2 years statewide using patient linkage identifiers; from these were determined whether the patient had surgery again within 2 years. Furthermore, the cases' 1820 surgeons were matched to the surgeon's next outpatient or inpatient case, both including and excluding other cases performed on the date of the original case. Results By patient, the median time to their next surgical case, either outpatient or inpatient, exceeded 2 years, tested with weighting by intraoperative relative value units and repeated when unweighted (both P Conclusions The median time to the next surgery was >2 years for patients versus 1 day for surgeons. Thus, although patients' experiences are an important attribute of quality of care, surgeons' experiences are orders of magnitude more important from the vantage point of marketing and growth of an anesthesia practice.
A Kinetic Isotope Effect in the Thermal Dehydration of Cellobiose

The thermal dehydration kinetics of cellobiose have been studied previously in the 170–250 °C temperature range.1 A comparison with the dehydration kinetics of sucrose suggested that the eliminated water is responsible for its liquefaction at 238 °C and that this so-called melting process is a high temperature aqueous dissolution of the partially dehydrated cellobiose. The kinetics of dehydration appear to be strongly influenced by the fact that each hydroxyl hydrogen atom is hydrogen bonded, either inter- or intramolecularly, to a neighboring hydroxyl oxygen atom.2
Abstract 10961: QRS Duration and Left Bundle Branch Block Do Not Deter Assessment of Low Voltage in Cardiac Amyloidosis

Introduction: Left bundle branch block (LBBB) with QRS duration > 120 msec is typically associated with increased ECG voltage without a necessary increase in left ventricular wall thickness. Studie...
Fraud, convenience, and e-voting: how voting experience shapes opinions about voting technology

In this article, we study previous experiences with voting technologies, support for e-voting, and perceptions of voter fraud, using data from the 2015 Cooperative Congressional Election Study. We ...
Iron promotes oxidative cell death caused by bisretinoids of retina.

Intracellular Fe plays a key role in redox active energy and electron transfer. We sought to understand how Fe levels impact the retina, given that retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are also challenged by accumulations of vitamin A aldehyde adducts (bisretinoid lipofuscin) that photogenerate reactive oxygen species and photodecompose into damaging aldehyde- and dicarbonyl-bearing species. In mice treated with the Fe chelator deferiprone (DFP), intracellular Fe levels, as reflected in transferrin receptor mRNA expression, were reduced. DFP-treated albino Abca4−/− and agouti wild-type mice exhibited elevated bisretinoid levels as measured by high-performance liquid chromatography or noninvasively by quantitative fundus autofluorescence. Thinning of the outer nuclear layer, a parameter indicative of the loss of photoreceptor cell viability, was also reduced in DFP-treated albino Abca4−/−. In contrast to the effects of the Fe chelator, mice burdened with increased intracellular Fe in RPE due to deficiency in the Fe export proteins hephaestin and ceruloplasmin, presented with reduced bisretinoid levels. These findings indicate that intracellular Fe promotes bisretinoid oxidation and degradation. This interpretation was supported by experiments showing that DFP decreased the oxidative/degradation of the bisretinoid A2E in the presence of light and reduced cell death in cell-based experiments. Moreover, light-independent oxidation and degradation of A2E by Fenton chemistry products were evidenced by the consumption of A2E, release of dicarbonyls, and generation of oxidized A2E species in cell-free assays.
THE ROLE OF AUTOMATED BLOOD GROUPING AS AN INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEM

Abstract : The role of the human blood groups is used as the common denominator in a reliable identification program. A master plan is considered with details for its present-day requirement and methodology to implement an information retrieval system.
Aspects of the Language Question in Italy

Two major concerns characterize the Language Question in Italy at the beginning of the fourteenth century: 1) the defense of the vernacular as a language qualified to replace Latin on all levels and for every purpose of communication; 2) the definition of this vernacular and of how it ought to be used in order that it achieve sufficient “dignity” to replace Latin without a loss in the power of expression. The first concern deals with the question of a choice between two linguistic systems; the second, conversely, is focused on the question of a formal, that is, a stylistic and lexical choice within a given linguistic system.