cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Control methodology for on-chip switching power supplies for biomedical implants

Recent developments in biomedical implants have increased the demand for on-chip power supplies. Switching power supplies provide high efficiency solution, which also serves in reducing the size of energy harvesting or energy storage devices. Hence, on-chip switching power supplies are ideal for implantable applications. However, they have the problem of higher ripple at the output than the conventional linear regulator due to the impractical values of on-chip components. In this paper, we present a new control methodology for on-chip switching power supply optimized for inductively powered implantable devices without any off-chip filtering components. The control methodology smoothens the transition between switching states based on pulse density modulation (PDM) feedback, in addition to an output voltage slope-limiting circuit. Simulated results of output ripple and efficiency based on 130nm RF-CMOS are shown. The control methodology reduce the ripple with minimal effect on power efficiency and without the need for any external filtering components.
n-Boson Energies at Finite Volume and Three-Boson Interactions

We calculate the volume dependence of the ground-state energy of $n$ identical bosons with short-range repulsive (or weakly attractive) interactions in a periodic spatial volume of side $L$, up to and including terms of order ${L}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$. With this result, Lattice-QCD calculations of the ground-state energies of three or more pions will allow for a systematic extraction of the three-pion interaction at this order in the volume expansion.
Newer aspects of echocardiography.

The recent increase in interest in echocardiography is partially due to the feasibility of using this technic to evaluate left ventricular performance in a noninvasive manner. It has been demonstrated that one can obtain an internal dimension of the left ventricular cavity and that this dimension is closely related to the corresponding volumes in uniformly contracting ventricles. Thus in patients with valvular heart disease, congenital heart disease, or cardiomyopathy, echocardiography provides an excellent noninvasive means of estimating diastolic volume, systolic volume, stroke volume, ejection fraction, and mean rate of circumferential shortening. In patients with segmental left ventricular disease, such as with coronary artery disease, these dimensions may not be true reflectors of the corresponding volumes. In such ventricles one probably should use echocardiography to evaluate the motion of individual segments of the chamber. To evaluate overall left ventricular function, one could use the mitral va...
Male-induced precocial puberty in female mice: confirmation of the role of estrogen.

Previous work has shown that exposure of prepubertal female mice to an adult male results in an immediate, sequential release of LH and estrogen. An ovulating release of LH follows in a predictable 3-day period, providing that maleexposure occurs at a particular body weight. Using this three day system, the present objective was to determine how effectively exogenous estrogen would substitute for the male's presence. Control experiments established that neither social isolation nor exposure to a castrated male would yield ovulatory puberty within the 3-day experimental period. Immature females were then subjected to a variety of sequences of three daily treatments including male-exposure and/or steroid injection. Two days of male exposure and no treatment on the third day was as effective in eliciting ovulation on the third night as 3 full days of cohabitation. Furthermore, either or both of the first two days of male-exposure could be mimicked by single injections of estrogen if followed by male-exposure...
Surgery for scleroderma of the esophagus: A 12-year experience

Twenty patients with scleroderma of the esophagus were treated with esophageal dilation, an anti-reflux procedure, or colon interposition over a 12-year period. Antireflux procedures consisted of the following: six Belsey Mark IV, two Collis-Belsey, three Nissen, and one Collis-Nissen. Reflux esophagitis recurred in all patients at an average of 4 years postoperatively. Esophageal strictures were severe in 3 patients and necessitated partial esophagectomy and short-segment colon interposition. These patients had been on a regimen of long-standing high-dose steroid therapy, and none showed any wound healing problems or postoperative leaks. There was 1 death, which occurred fifteen days postoperatively as a result of pulmonary complications. Control of reflux and dysphagia can be achieved with antireflux procedures, but in our experience, all will ultimately fail in time. We believe esophageal replacement should be considered as the initial step in treatment of strictures of the esophagus in patients with scleroderma.
Plenary lecture: Innovative modeling approaches applicable to risk assessments

Proper identification of safe and unsafe food at the processing plant is important for maximizing the public health benefit of food by ensuring both its consumption and safety. Risk assessment is a holistic approach to food safety that consists of four steps: 1) hazard identification; 2) exposure assessment; 3) hazard characterization; and 4) risk characterization. Risk assessments are modeled by mapping the risk pathway as a series of unit operations and associated pathogen events and then using probability distributions and a random sampling method to simulate the rare, random, variable and uncertain nature of pathogen events in the risk pathway. To model pathogen events, a rare event modeling approach is used that links a discrete distribution for incidence of the pathogen event with a continuous distribution for extent of the pathogen event. When applied to risk assessment, rare event modeling leads to the conclusion that the most highly contaminated food at the processing plant does not necessarily pose the highest risk to public health because of differences in post-processing risk factors among distribution channels and consumer populations. Predictive microbiology models for individual pathogen events can be integrated with risk assessment models using the rare event modeling method.
Paternal urine elicits increased maternal care in grasshopper mice

Southern grasshopper mice, Onychomys torridus, exhibit monogamous pair bonding. Both mother and father display high levels of parental care of their offspring. Based upon earlier work (Schultz, N. J. (1979) . Paternal role and behavior of the southern grasshopper mouse, Onychomys torridus. Doctoral thesis, The Johns Hopkins University), if the male of a pair is removed from the female and their litter, maternal pup licking, an important parental care action, declines. However, if isolated mothers with pups are exposed to urine samples collected from their respective mates, maternal pup licking increases significantly. The effect does not appear for a few days, but then increases rapidly and significantly. Apparently, paternal urine contains a chemical cue that increases levels of adaptive maternal care toward young.
Affirmative Action in Higher Education: A Sourcebook.

(1984). Affirmative Action in Higher Education: A Sourcebook. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 55, No. 1, pp. 113-116.
Matrix granulometry of catastrophic debris flows (December 1999) in central coastal Venezuela

Abstract After 2 days of intense precipitation, devastating flooding and debris flows affected the central coast of Venezuela on December 15–16, 1999. These events killed nearly 30,000 people and destroyed or damaged 126,000 homes. I visited the disaster area in March 2000; coastal valleys affected by debris flows were extensively covered by an interstitial matrix that included large amounts of often impressive boulders, up to 35–40 tons in weight. Granulometric analyses of four matrix samples from the Naiguata valley showed they were all similarly coarse; their main constituent was sand, and grains Data suggest the following events must have taken place in coastal Venezuela. Torrential rains quickly caused flooding along creeks and rivers, which must have rapidly attained hyperconcentrated streamflow. Bulking of stream alluvium in flood surges may also have taken place. However, the storm triggered widespread landsliding along the steep, unstable flanks of the Coastal Cordillera; many slides started in upper-basin areas, underlain by gneiss bedrock (Pena de Mora). Such slides released vast amounts of coarse, sandy debris, which mixed with turbulent floodwaters to produce numerous granular, noncohesive debris flows. These flows, despite their coarse matrix, exhibited intense particle collisions and interactions, thus were able to effectively mobilize vast masses of large boulders.
A model for delivering smart healthcare using patient-facing dashboards, Clinical DSS and Electronic Health Records

The past few years have seen a momentum shift in the healthcare industry towards using new information and communication technologies to enable patients to play a greater role in their own healthcare delivery.
Obesity: its influence on breast cancer susceptibility

Obesity is an increasing worldwide epidemic. With an increased prevalence of obesity there is an increase in obesity-related cancers, such as breast cancer. Although reproductive and lifestyle choices are among the best-recognized risk factors for breast cancer, few of these can be modified readily by the individual. Obesity is unlike these other risk factors since it can be modified and controlled. Breast cancer prognosis is worse in patients who are obese, and epidemiological data suggests that obesity is a significant risk factor for postmenopausal breast cancer. Addressing the obesity epidemic, at both an individual and public health level, is expected to have a significant impact on breast cancer incidence and mortality.
The gendered transition to college: The role of culture in ego-network evolution

Abstract This article argues that gender norms and students’ entering network structure affect their transition to college. More specifically, just as Bourdieu (1977) posited that the education system privileges the culture of the dominant classes, I argue that elite universities favor those students who enter with sparse, diverse networks – the network capital of the adult upper class – and that their presence creates incentives that lead all students to adopt this structure. I predict that cultural mandates that encourage women to cultivate and manage ties actively will foster a more satisfying social transition than for men, who rely more on the very dense networks that the elite university environment undermines. I find that after one year at an elite university, students’ networks are sparser and more diverse. Interviews reveal that men from dense networks experience a particularly difficult social transition to the university. Because gendered cultural norms contribute so greatly to tie formation in this sample, I conclude that culture plays a key role in network evolution.
A comparison of frequencies of stress behaviors observed in kindergarten children in classrooms with developmentally appropriate versus developmentally inappropriate instructional practices

This research was an initial study designed to explore differences in the frequency of stress behaviors exhibited by children (n = 37) in developmentally appropriate (n = 20) and developmentally inappropriate (n = 17) kindergarten classrooms. Results indicated that children in the developmentally inappropriate classroom exhibited significantly more stress behaviors than children in the appropriate classroom. In looking at stress within various activity types, higher frequencies of stress behaviors were found during whole group and workbook/worksheet activities for children in the inappropriate classroom, whereas those in the appropriate classroom had higher levels of stress during center and transition activities. Differences were also found between the two classrooms in amount of time spent in various activities. More center, group story, and transition activities were found in the appropriate classroom, whereas there were more whole group and workbook/worksheet activities in the inappropriate classroom. Marginal gender differences were also noted, with males exhibiting more overall stress behaviors than females.
Interstitial photoablative laser therapy guided by magnetic resonance imaging for the treatment of deep tumors.

The failure rate of cancer treatment remains unacceptably high, still being a leading cause of mortality in adults and children despite major advances over the past 50 years in the fields of surgery, radiation therapy, and, more recently, chemo and immunotherapy. In the United States, the 5-year survival rate for all cancers in the population has increaed by only approximately 10% since 1960. Surgical access to some deep tumors of the head and neck and other areas often require extensive dissections with residual functional and cosmetic deformities. Repeated treatment is not possible after maximum dose radiotherapy and chemotherapy is still limited by its systemic toxicity. An attractive solution to these problems would be the development of a new adjunctive method combining the best features of interstitial laser phototherapy for selective tumor destruction via minimally invasive techniques for access and 3D-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a monitoring system for laser-tissue interactions. Our experience with this new technique is reviewed.
Spectral reflectance measurements in the genus Sphagnum

High-spectral resolution reflectance data were acquired in the laboratory for four species of Sphagnum (peat moss): S. cuspidatum, S. papillosum, S. fallax, and S. capillifolium. All four species had different spectral reflectance properties. Species differences were noted especially in the visible portion of the spectrum from 0.45 [mu]m to 0.70 [mu]m; some major spectral differences were also noted in the near infrared. Samples analyzed had much lower reflectance than typical green vegetation in the midinfrared region of the spectrum from 1.30 [mu]m to 2.40 [mu]m. In addition, Sphagnum had very pronounced water-related absorption features at about 1.00m [mu] and 1.20 [mu]m, unlike typical green vegetation. Spectral data acquired as samples were dried indicated large spectral increases with increasing dryness, especially in the midinfrared. Simulated Landsat Thematic Mapper 5/4 band ratio data were linearly related to the log of wet weight/dry weight. Reflectance from vegetation in the midinfrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum is strongly modified by water content. Peatlands are major sources of global methane and it has been found that methane evolution within these peatlands is related to water status within these peatlands is related to water status within the wetland. It may be possible to indirectly estimate methanemore » flux using remote sensing data.« less
Behavior of the Adult Alfalfa Weevil in Diapause

The alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica , in the laboratory was shown to exhibit a strong negative photo- and hygro-taxis, and a moderate positive thigmotaxis while in diapause.
The high-temperature pyrolysis of hexachloropropene: Kinetic analysis of pathways to formation of perchloro-arylbenzenes

The authors present the results of a study of the thermal degradation of hexachloropropene in a tubular flow reactor with in-line GC-MS product analysis. Hexachloropropene was observed to be thermally fragile with initial reaction products (T < 773 K) including CCl{sub 4}, C{sub 2}Cl{sub 4}, C{sub 2}C{sub 6}, and C{sub 3}Cl{sub 4}, (a). At higher temperatures (up to 1,223 K), pronounced molecular growth was observed with reaction products including C{sub 4}Cl{sub 6}, C{sub 6}Cl{sub 6} (cy), C{sub 6}Cl{sub 8}, C{sub 8}Cl{sub 8} (cy), and C{sub 12}Cl{sub 8} (cy). Kinetic modeling of observed product yields indicated that Cl displacement of CCl{sub 3} radicals was the dominant initiation pathway for conversion of C{sub 3}Cl{sub 6} into C{sub 2}Cl{sub 4}, CCl{sub 4}, and C{sub 2}Cl{sub 6}. Four reaction submodels were considered in developing a model for the formation of C{sub 6}Cl{sub 6} (cy): recombination of C{sub 3}Cl{sub 5}, recombination of C{sub 3}Cl{sub 3}, pericyclic addition of C{sub 3}Cl{sub 4} (a), and addition reactions of C{sub 2} and C{sub 4} unsaturated radicals with C{sub 2}Cl{sub 2}. Recombination of C{sub 3}Cl{sub 5} radicals accounted for all of the observed yields at low temperatures. At higher temperatures, C{sub 3}Cl{sub 3} recombination accounted for about 80% ofmore » observed yields with C{sub 3}Cl{sub 5} recombination accountable for the remainder. Purely C{sub 4} radical-molecule reactions were also shown to make significant contributions to formation of octachlorostyrene. Consequently, the more conventional C{sub 2} molecular growth pathways were observed to be insignificant for this system.« less
IL-7: griffinesque role in GVHD

The development of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and immunoincompetence are the major obstacles to successful utilization of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplanation (allo-HSCT). In this issue, Chung and colleagues report that blockade of IL-7Rα impairs the bad— GVHD, and restores the good—immune reconstitution after allo-HSCT.
BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON SHOCK : IV. THE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION OF LIVER AND KIDNEY TISSUE FROM RATS IN HEMORRHAGIC SHOCK.

1. With increasing severity of shock following hemorrhage in fasted rats there is an increasing depression in the rate of oxygen uptake, in oxygen, of liver slices from the bled animals. The respiration of kidney tissue is only slightly depressed even in severe states of shock. 2. The rates of oxygen uptake of liver tissue from bled rats are nicely correlated with the increases in blood amino nitrogen that follow severe hemorrhage. 3. A supplement of coenzyme factors, in the form of a hot water extract of normal rat liver, increases the oxygen uptake of liver tissue from rats in mild shock, but is without effect on the respiration of liver slices from rats in moderate or severe shock. 4. The ability of rat liver to oxidize succinate is not impaired even in severe shock, but the extra oxygen uptake does not improve the basal rate of respiration of the tissue. 5. Effects on the rate of oxygen uptake of normal rat liver slices comparable to those seen after hemorrhage could be produced by exposing the tissue to an atmosphere of nitrogen for periods of 15 and 60 minutes. This treatment had more marked effects on the respiration of kidney slices than are found after hemorrhage, but the kidney, unlike the liver, exhibited a marked degree of recovery in the presence of glucose. 6. The significance of these findings is briefly discussed.
Double sorting: testing their sorting skills

You're teaching elementary sorting techniques, and you would like your students to do a programming assignment that tests their understanding of the ideas. But all of the code for elementary sorting techniques are in the textbook, easily found on the Web, etc. We suggest the use of two "Double Sorting" techniques whose solution is not standardly available, are fairly straight-forward to code, and offer speed improvements over the "straight" sorts. Double Sorting, the idea of processing two chosen elements simultaneously, applies to both Insertion Sort and Selection Sort, with speedups of 33% and 25%, hence are good enough to justify coding, but not good enough to be in Web collections. Code for this can be written in as little as a dozen lines of C++/Java code, and is easily within the reach of introductory students who understand the basic algorithms. In addition, the ideas used for double sorting are natural first steps in understanding how the N2 sorts can be improved towards the N log N sorts that they will study later. For more advanced students, these double sorts also generate good exercises in the analysis of algorithms.
Terminal Steiner Tree with Bounded Edge Length

In this paper, we study a Steiner tree related problem called “Terminal Steiner Tree with Bounded Edge Length”: given a set of terminal points P in a plane, one is asked to find a Steiner tree T such that any point in P is a leaf in T and the length of each edge in T is no more than a constant b. The objective of the problem is to minimize the number of Steiner points in T. This problem is motivated from wireless network design and has various applications in wireless network area. We present a constant approximation algorithm for this problem in this paper.
Software Agent-Monitored Tutorials Enabling Collaborative Learning in Computer-Aided Design and Analysis

Internet chat-based tutorials are being developed for integrating computer modeling and design skills into mechanical engineering undergraduate and middle school outreach programs. These tutorials help students navigate complicated software interfaces while teaching fundamental concepts through dynamic dialogues between tutorial agents and student user groups. In a typical assignment, students are asked to perform a design or modeling task that includes the use of software such as a commercial finite element code or specially designed educational software. Students work in teams, but team members are distributed within a room or between remote sites, linked by a text interface. As students collaborate electronically, an intelligent agent monitors their interactions and interjects questions or comments in response to the use of key phrases, or due to other triggers. This platform is being used to help automate collaborative learning experiences and to study how students can effectively interact with each other and with the software agents. In undergraduate projects, fundamental technical skills and intuition in interpreting results are emphasized. In outreach efforts, participants are led to consider how their work relates to the broad mechanical engineering profession.
Androgen Receptor Antagonism and an Insulin Sensitizer Block the Advancement of Vaginal Opening by High-Fat Diet in Mice

Reduced hypothalamic sensitivity to steroid negative feedback may contribute to the onset of puberty. In high fat-fed rodents, the timing of vaginal opening (VO) is advanced, suggesting that puberty begins earlier. Because obesity can increase androgens, which interfere with normal steroid feedback in adult females, we hypothesized that androgens reduce hypothalamic sensitivity to negative feedback during puberty and that blocking androgen action would prevent advanced VO in high fat-fed mice. Age at VO was examined in mice fed high-fat or low-fat diets from weaning and treated with the androgen receptor antagonist flutamide or vehicle (controls). VO was advanced in high-fat vs. low-fat controls, and flutamide blocked this advancement. VO was also delayed in low fat-fed flutamide-treated females, suggesting involvement of androgens in the timing of normal puberty. We next investigated if high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance contributes to early VO, as elevated insulin can stimulate androgen production. VO was examined in mice on either diet treated with the insulin sensitizer metformin. Metformin blocked high-fat advancement of VO but did not alter the timing of VO in low fat-fed mice. Insulin was elevated in high fat-fed females that had undergone VO compared with age-matched low fat-fed or metformin-treated animals on either diet that had not undergone VO. Together, these data suggest a model in which metabolic changes induced by high-fat diet, including transient increased circulating insulin, act in part by increasing androgen action to influence the timing of puberty in females.
Endogenous bioelectrical networks store non‐genetic patterning information during development and regeneration

Pattern formation, as occurs during embryogenesis or regeneration, is the crucial link between genotype and the functions upon which selection operates. Even cancer and aging can be seen as challenges to the continuous physiological processes that orchestrate individual cell activities toward the anatomical needs of an organism. Thus, the origin and maintenance of complex biological shape is a fundamental question for cell, developmental, and evolutionary biology, as well as for biomedicine. It has long been recognized that slow bioelectrical gradients can control cell behaviors and morphogenesis. Here, I review recent molecular data that implicate endogenous spatio-temporal patterns of resting potentials among non-excitable cells as instructive cues in embryogenesis, regeneration, and cancer. Functional data have implicated gradients of resting potential in processes such as limb regeneration, eye induction, craniofacial patterning, and head-tail polarity, as well as in metastatic transformation and tumorigenesis. The genome is tightly linked to bioelectric signaling, via ion channel proteins that shape the gradients, downstream genes whose transcription is regulated by voltage, and transduction machinery that converts changes in bioelectric state to second-messenger cascades. However, the data clearly indicate that bioelectric signaling is an autonomous layer of control not reducible to a biochemical or genetic account of cell state. The real-time dynamics of bioelectric communication among cells are not fully captured by transcriptomic or proteomic analyses, and the necessary-and-sufficient triggers for specific changes in growth and form can be physiological states, while the underlying gene loci are free to diverge. The next steps in this exciting new field include the development of novel conceptual tools for understanding the anatomical semantics encoded in non-neural bioelectrical networks, and of improved biophysical tools for reading and writing electrical state information into somatic tissues. Cracking the bioelectric code will have transformative implications for developmental biology, regenerative medicine, and synthetic bioengineering.
Fast and flexible buffer trees that navigate the physical layout environment

Buffer insertion is an increasingly critical optimization for achieving timing closure, and the number of buffers required increases significantly with technology migration. It is imperative for an automated buffer insertion algorithm to be able to efficiently optimize tens of thousands of nets. One must also be able to effectively navigate the existing layout, including handling large blockages, blockages with holes specifically for buffers, specially allocated buffer blocks, placement porosity, and routing congestion. The algorithm must also be flexible enough to know when to use and when not to use expensive layout resources. Although several previous works have addressed buffer insertion in the presence of blockages, this is the first to present a complete solution that can manage the physical layout environment.
Automated web-based user interfaces for novice programmers

This paper presents the development of a library for introductory programming courses that automatically builds web forms based on a simple specification of parameter types (both primitive and complex, user-defined) and labels for a function. Upon invocation, the library launches a browser to display a page with a reasonably well laid-out form that allows entry of input values, browsing and recall of past inputs, and application of the underlying function to validated inputs. Novice programmers can thus develop programs focusing on design, implementation, and testing of their algorithm (realized as a function of appropriate parameters) and ignore the intricacies of handling user I/O. The web interface is more impressive than console I/O and is much less complicated to assemble than a traditional GUI, requiring no knowledge of web technologies to setup and launch.
WEIGHT-BASED DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT: PSYCHOLOGICAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS

This article takes an interdisciplinary approach to the issue of weight-based discrimination in employment, drawing on diverse literatures (psychology, law, sociology, economics), and integrating a review of empirical research and a traditional legal analysis. First, empirical research that focuses on the extent of bias against overweight individuals in employment contexts is reviewed and evaluated. Second, current legal requirements relevant to weight-based discrimination in employment are identified and discussed, and those requirements are applied to the research findings to assess the extent to which the weight-based bias identified in the reviewed studies involves illegal discrimination. Third, based on the results of the review of the research and legal literatures, future research directions are offered and practical implications for employers and policy makers are identified.
Whey protein ingestion in elderly persons results in greater muscle protein accrual than ingestion of its constituent essential amino acid content.

It is recognized that both whey protein (WY) and essential amino acids (EAA) are stimuli for muscle protein anabolism. The aim of the present study was to determine if the effects of WY ingestion on muscle protein accrual in elderly persons are due solely to its constituent EAA content. Fifteen elderly persons were randomly assigned to ingest a bolus of either 15 g of WY, 6.72 g of EAA, or 7.57 g of nonessential amino acids (NEAA). We used the leg arteriovenous model to measure the leg phenylalanine balance, which is an index of muscle protein accrual. Phenylalanine balance (nmol x min(-1) kg lean leg mass(-1)) during the 3.5 hours after the bolus ingestion improved in the WY (-216 +/- 14 vs -105 +/- 19; P .05) or NEAA groups (-203 +/- 19 vs -204 +/- 21; P > .05). The insulin response (uIU x mL(-1) 210 min(-1)) during the same period was lower in both the NEAA (48 +/- 40) and EAA (213 +/- 127) when compared to the WY (1073 +/- 229; P < .05). In conclusion, WY ingestion improves skeletal muscle protein accrual through mechanisms that are beyond those attributed to its EAA content. This finding may have practical implications for the formulation of nutritional supplements to enhance muscle anabolism in older individuals.
Near-Infrared Fluorescence Enhancement Using Silver Island Films

Near-infrared (near-IR) excitation produces little background signal from biological molecules, making near- IR fluorescence technology highly useful in proteomic and genomic applications. To increase the emissions of near-IR fluorophores, we examined the use of metal-enhanced fluorescence on these longer wavelength dyes. IRDye ® 700- and IRDye ® 800-labeled DNA oligonucleotides and pro- teins were spotted onto silver island film (SIF)-coated glass slides, and analyzed using a LI-COR Odyssey ® IR imaging system. We observed more than 18-fold enhancement of the IRDye ® 700 and 15-fold enhancement of the IRDye ® 800- labeled DNA oligonucleotides when spotted on SIF-coated surfaces compared with uncoated surfaces. We also dem- onstrated that the enhanced emissions produced on the SIF- coated slides remained linear over several orders of magnitude, that the emissions remained reproducible across a slide surface, and that the SIF-coated slide remained effective at enhancing emissions after 9 months of storage. Our results indicate that SIF-coated glass slides are effective at enhancing near-IR fluorescence and could be developed into an effective tool to aid in molecular biological applications.
Research on Eating Behavior and Obesity: Where Does it Fit in Personality and Social Psychology?

The study of human eating behavior provides a model for understanding the operation of a system of motivated behaviors involving the integration of physiological, sensory, cognitive, social and cultural inputs in a control system to which they are all essential. A review of current research in the area demonstrates the reciprocal relationship of these factors and indicates that eating must be examined at many different levels of analysis and with mul tiple methodologies. Work on eating and obesity suggests conceptual issues relevant to the use of the internal-external dichotomy in social psychology and has importance for research on stigmatiza tion and deviance, self perception, control and predictability, group processes, and individual differences. Research on eating behavior further demonstrates how conceptual analyses evolve in settings and for problems which were not specifically created to test theory.
MR Imaging of the Gallbladder: A Pictorial Essay

The gallbladder serves as the repository for bile produced in the liver. However, bile within the gallbladder may become supersaturated with cholesterol, leading to crystal precipitation and subsequent gallstone formation. The most common disorders of the gallbladder are related to gallstones and include symptomatic cholelithiasis, acute and chronic cholecystitis, and carcinoma of the gallbladder. Other conditions that can affect the gallbladder include biliary dyskinesia (functional), adenomyomatosis (hyperplastic), and postoperative changes or complications (iatrogenic). Ultrasonography (US) has been the traditional modality for evaluating gallbladder disease, primarily owing to its high sensitivity and specificity for both stone disease and gallbladder inflammation. US performed before and after ingestion of a fatty meal may also be useful for functional evaluation of the gallbladder. However, US is limited by patient body habitus, with degradation of image quality and anatomic detail in obese individuals. With the advent of faster and more efficient imaging techniques, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has assumed an increasing role as an adjunct modality for gallbladder imaging, primarily in patients who are incompletely assessed with US. MR imaging allows simultaneous anatomic and physiologic assessment of the gallbladder and biliary tract in both initial evaluation of disease and examination of the postoperative patient. This assessment is accomplished chiefly through the use of MR imaging contrast agents excreted preferentially via the biliary system.
Genes with Restricted Introgression in a Field Cricket (Gryllus firmus/Gryllus pennsylvanicus) Hybrid Zone Are Concentrated on the X Chromosome and a Single Autosome

Characterizing the extent of genomic differentiation between recently diverged lineages provides an important context for understanding the early stages of speciation. When such lineages form discrete hybrid zones, patterns of differential introgression allow direct estimates of which genome regions are likely involved in speciation and local adaptation. Here we use a backcross experimental design to construct a genetic linkage map for the field crickets Gryllus firmus and Gryllus pennsylvanicus, which interact in a well-characterized hybrid zone in eastern North America. We demonstrate that loci with major allele frequency differences between allopatric populations are not randomly distributed across the genome. Instead, most are either X-linked or map to a few small autosomal regions. Furthermore, the subset of those highly differentiated markers that exhibit restricted introgression across the cricket hybrid zone are also concentrated on the X chromosome (39 of 50 loci) and in a single 7-cM region of one autosome. Although the accumulation on the sex chromosome of genes responsible for postzygotic barriers is a well-known phenomenon, less attention has been given to the genomic distribution of genes responsible for prezygotic barriers. We discuss the implications of our results for speciation, both in the context of the role of sex chromosomes and also with respect to the likely causes of heterogeneous genomic divergence. Although we do not yet have direct evidence for the accumulation of ecological, behavioral, or fertilization prezygotic barrier genes on the X chromosome, faster-X evolution could make these barriers more likely to be X-linked.
The U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine response to the Pentagon attack: a multipronged prevention-based approach.

Personnel of the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine responded to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the Pentagon with in a multipronged approach that encompassed the areas of environmental science, behavioral health, occupational and preventive medicine, risk communication, epidemiology, and medical surveillance. In the early weeks and months following the attack the USACH-PPM staff: completed an in-depth environmental exposure assessment of the Pentagon; assisted the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command in providing direct health care to those with physical and mental health concerns; have developed, fielded, processed, and are analyzing the results of the Pentagon Post-Disaster Health Assessment; and have returned information on these areas to both decision makers in Department of Defense and the employees of the Pentagon. Language: en
Temperature Dependent Cathodoluminescence Characterization of Ultraviolet Emitting Films Grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Strontium sulfide (SrS) is known to have an indirect bandgap of ~ 4.32 eV. When doped with tellurium (Te), ultraviolet emission occurs at 360 nm (for Tes singlet) and 400nm (for TesTes dimers) due to radiative recombination from bound exciton states. In this paper we discuss the ultraviolet emission of pulsed laser deposited thin films of SrS:Te grown as SrS-Te and SrSTe-SrS multi-layer structures on Si substrates. The Te doping was incorporated by conventional diffusion into the SrS films. Temperature dependent ultraviolet emission measurements were taken and will be discussed along with results from microstructural and chemical characterization techniques.
Structural Evolution and Mechanical Behavior of Bio-inspired Oxide Films on Self-Assembled Organic Layers

A bio-inspired approach is employed to deposit the oxide films on the substrates coated with self-assembled organic layers. Particularly, titania and zirconia films are grown in aqueous precursor solutions at near room temperatures. This process, directed by the nanoscale organic template, mimics the controlled nucleation and growth of the biominerals such as bones and teeth. Multiscale structural evolution resulting from initial bulk nucleation, nanoparticle aggregation, and ultimate film formation are systematically studied by adjusting the precursor solution conditions. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) is utilized to characterize initial nanoparticles and their associated aggregates/clusters formed in situ in solution. Corresponding nano- and microstructure developments of the oxide films are investigated through high-resolution transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). In addition, mechanical performance is evaluated with the aid of a dynamic nanoindentation testing to establish the structure-property relationships of the bio-inspired oxide films. The goal of this study is to have a capability to tailor microstructures and mechanical behaviors by identifying the controlling mechanisms responsible for nucleation and growth of such oxide films.
Understanding the Experiences of Women and LGBT Veterans in Department of Veterans Affairs Care

Women have been actively serving in the United States military since the birth of our nation. Since the inception of the wars in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom, OIF) and Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom, OEF), as well as the peacekeeping mission in Iraq (Operation New Dawn, OND), more than 280,000 United States female service members have been deployed overseas (United States Department of Defense Armed Forces. Active duty military strength & other personnel statistics. Retrieved April 24, 2013, from http://www.defense.gov/faq/pis/mil_strength.html). This chapter summarizes recent research regarding the mental health and experience of gender-based violence among recent female veterans, and describes Veterans Administration programs aimed at supporting the unique needs of women. This chapter also describes VHA policies specifically directed at women and reviews the emerging needs of sexual and gender minority veterans.
VOLATILE CLIMATE CONDITIONS CAHOKIA: COMMENT ON BENSON, PAUKETAT AND COOK 2009

The rapidly growing archaeological literature on Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) reconstructions (e.g., Benson et al. 2007; Cooper 2008; Stahle et al. 2007) demonstrates the significant gains that can be made in explaining cultural developments in prehistory when appropriate climate data are available. Benson et al. (2009) added to this literature with an analysis of the climatic conditions associated with peak social complexity in the American Bottom. They focus on abundance of precipitation. We applaud their effort and offer an additional perspective on the development of social complexity using the same data, by highlighting the importance of variability in conditioning complexity.
MNGO-08MENINGIOMA GROWTH INHIBITION AND RADIOSENSITIZATION BY THE SMALL MOLECULE YAP INHIBITOR VERTEPORFIN

Meningiomas frequently harbor inactivating mutations in the tumor suppressor protein Merlin (NF2), an upstream activator of the Hippo signaling pathway. This aberration drives tumor growth and aggressiveness through inactivation of this pathway and unchecked activation of its downstream effector, Yes-associated protein (YAP). The transcriptional coactivator YAP has been previously implicated in driving meningioma growth and malignant transformation of non-neoplastic arachnoid cells. YAP exerts its effect by direct binding to the TEAD family of transcription factors and transactivation of growth-related genes. However, the efficacy of pharmacologic modulation of this pathway in meningioma has yet to be explored. Verteporfin is a small molecule inhibitor of the porphyrin family, recently implicated as a direct inhibitor of YAP. Here, we report that Verteporfin modulates growth and radiation resistance in NF2 driven meningiomas through inhibition of the YAP-TEAD interaction. In particular, our data demonstrates that Verteporfin treatment in the NF2 mutant KT21MG1 human malignant meningioma cell line, results in a decreased activity of oncogenic YAP, resulting in decreased mRNA expression of YAP downstream targets (CTGF, Mcl-1 and ANKRD1) (p ≤ 0.05). Moreover, Verteporfin inhibits meningioma cell growth and proliferation in a dose dependent manner (MTT reduction and viable cell number) (p ≤ 0.05). Interestingly, pretreatment with Verteporfin results in increased sensitivity to irradiation in vitro (p ≤ 0.05). In addition, we explore the in vivo efficacy of Verteporfin treatment in a murine skull base xenograft model of human meningioma. Taken together, our results show that Verteporfin is a potent inhibitor of meningioma cell growth and radioresistance, making it an attractive drug candidate for treatment of this disease. Hence, this targeted therapy towards the NF2-YAP axis holds promising alternatives to current standard of care.
Going to Scale with Family-Centered, School-Based Interventions: Challenges and Future Directions

Although family-centered interventions are known to be effective at reducing risk behavior and increasing academic success, few schools can deliver these interventions successfully. The Positive Family Support (PFS) program was developed based on multiple research studies on the Family Check-Up that have shown the Family Check-Up to be an efficacious prevention model that reduces the risk of substance use, problem behavior, and achievement difficulties. The PFS program was designed to take the Family Check-Up and associated intervention modules to scale in middle schools. The PFS program was implemented in 41 middle schools randomly assigned to receive the training and support associated with the PFS program or middle school as usual. School staff at each middle school delivered the intervention to youths and families. In this chapter, we summarize the key aspects of the PFS program and our approach to implementation. We discuss challenges we faced in the schools, such as budget cuts, staffing, leadership turnover, school climate issues, and fidelity of implementation. Last, we discuss implications of this work for future research and scale-up of family-centered interventions in schools.
Analysis of pathogen on influenza surveillance in Huizhou city

Objective To analyze the results of etiological surveillance of influenza in 2010 in Huizhou,so as to capture the epidemic information of influenza in time and to provide scientific evidence for influenza control and prevention effectively.Method MDCK cells were used to isolate the influenza virus and the subtype of isolated virus was identified by hemagglutination inhibition test.Results 520 specimens were collected from influenza-like patients,from which 41 cases of influenza viruses were isolated with the isolation rate of 7.9%.The isolates were mainly new influenza A H1N1.63.4% were type of influenza A virus(H1N1),12.2% were type of(H3N2),2.4% were type B(Yamagata),and 22.0% were type B(Victoria).Influenza serum antibody positive rate is not high in health people.The new Influenza A H1N1 antibody positive rate was the highest of 41.9%,and the type B(Yamagata) antibody positive rate was the lowest of only 8.1%.The results of two new influenza A /H1N1 sequencing showed that no gene mutation of influenza H1N1,and probably not going to cause a large epidemic.Conclusions The prevalence of influenza viruses have significant seasonal trend in 2010 in Huizhou.Influenza virus occurance is relatively low.The new H1N1 influenza virus is the dominant strain of the spring of 2010 and then gradually shift to H3N2 influenza virus of the second half of the year.
Study on Activation of Desulfurization of Hydroxyl-Ferric Oxide Under Different Technical Conditions

The author made many FeOOH samples adopting different alkaline proportion(n=1,0.8),different aeration capacity(1.25L/min and 1.5L/min)and different oxidation measures under the system of FeCl2-NH4OH.The TEM、XRD and TG token of samples indicated that reducing the oxidation speed can easily produce the mixture of Fe3O4 or γ-FeOOH、α-FeOOH and Fe3O4,which are of lower activation of desulfurzation,and increasing air flux or adding oxidizer to quicken oxidation speed can produce FeOOH with higher activation of desulfurization.
The mechanisms of inhibitory effect of retinoic acid on human pancreatic carcinoma cells

AIM:To investigate the mechanisms of two kinds of retinoic acid (RA) on the growth inhibition of human pancreatic carcinoma cells. METHODS:MTT colorimetric assays, flow cytometric analysis, subrenal capsule(SRC) xenograft assay in nude mice and transmission electron microscopy were performed. RESULTS:RA inhibited the growth of pancreatic caricinoma cells. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) of all-trans RA(ATRA) and 13-cis RA(CRA) on cell growth occurred after 6d induction were 10～30 μmol/L and 30～50 μmol/L respectively. RA increased the precentage of cell population in the G 0/G 1 phase ,but reduced it in S phase and also reduced proliferation index (PI). Cell apoptosis index (AI) was higher in 6d ATRA treated group than control group. AI/PI of ATRA and CRA 6d treated group were 4 and 2 times as control group. ATRA inhibited significantly growth of SRC pancreatic carcinoma. The morphology of ATRA treated cells was primarily characterized by apoptosis. CONCLUSION:The antitumor effects of RA are primarily related to the inhibition of proliferation of pancreatic carcinoma cells.