cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Basicity on Sintering of Cr-bearing Vanadium and Titanium Magnetite Ore

The effect of basicity(R) on sintering of Cr-bearing vanadium and titanium magnetite ore was studied via sintering pot experiment on the basis of production conditions in Chengde Jianlong Special Steel Company, and the sinter characterized. The results showed that with the increase of basicity, the sintering rate rose firstly, and then fell with a increasing burning loss, leading to a max sintering rate of 19.70 mm/min at R=2.5. Tumbler strength of sinter had the maximum value was 63.53% when the basicity was 2.7. Meanwhile, increasing the basicity was beneficial to the improvement of low-temperature reduction degradation index(RDI) of sinter, and its maximum value of powders size larger than 3.15 mm was 75.09% at R=2.7. Moreover, with the increase of basicity, productivity rose firstly, then fell, and had a maximum value of 1.35 t/(m2·h) when R=2.5. The fuel consumption ratio rose at R=2.1~2.5, and its minimum value was 43.21 kg/t when R=2.1. In addition, increasing basicity was also beneficial to the softening properties through improving the beginning and ending softening temperatures of sinter. The improvement in mineral composition and structure aroused by increasing the basicity was the essential reason for improving sintering properties. Overall, the optimal basicity of V-Ti-Cr sinter for industrial application was 2.5.
Determining synthesis region of the single wall carbon nanotubes in arc plasma volume

Abstract Arc discharge is one of the most efficient and environmental friendly method to synthesize Single Wall Carbon Nanotube (SWCNT). However, due to the ultra-fast synthesis procedure, localization of the SWCNT synthesis in an arc discharge plasma volume in situ has been a long standing problem. This relates to the ability of controlling volumetric synthesis of nanostructures in plasmas in general. In order to better understand the mechanism of the nanotube growth in plasma, we have developed an actuator driven high-speed system that is able to extract material from the arc plasma volume during the synthesis procedure. The majority of the SWCNTs produced using arc discharge method are semiconducting with diameter of about 1.5 nm. It is shown that the growth region of SWCNTs is between 3 mm and 11 mm away from the center of the arc discharge. Dependent on the origin, the length of SWCNTs increases non-monotonically up to 500 nm, while diameter and chirality only slightly depend on the growth position.
Dissociation between food intake, diet composition, and metabolism in parabiotic partners of obese rats

When one member of a parabiosed pair of rats is overfed, its ad libitum-fed partner loses body fat in the absence of a statistically significant decrease in food intake. Three experiments investigated the relationships between food intake, metabolism, and body composition in this model. In vivo measurement of lipogenesis confirmed that loss of fat is associated with decreased fat deposition. When partners of overfed rats were compared with food-restricted single rats, proportional changes in body composition and metabolism were similar for the two treatments, although there was no significant change in the food intake of parabiotic rats, whereas restricted rats received only 60% of the intake of their controls. The final experiment demonstrated that changes in body composition of partners of overfed rats were independent of dietary composition. These results suggest that, when a rat is made obese by overfeeding, a circulatory factor is released that inhibits fat deposition and disrupts regulatory mechanisms that normally stimulate food intake during a period of negative energy balance.
Application of Multi-Step Processes to Nuclear Structure Studies: The \( ^{28}Si\left( {\vec d,p\gamma } \right) \) Reaction

In a previous study1) proton-gamma ray angular correlations (PGAC) were studied for the 28Si(d,pγ)29Si(5/2+,2.03 MeV) reaction at particle scattering angles near the stripping peak. The correlations were found to be sensitive to the excited core configurations existing in the state populated by the reaction. However in that study some questions still remained. Thus we have performed the 28Si(a,pγ) reaction to try to resolve these ambiguities. Here we present results for two of the 29Si levels examined.
The Sudden Death Syndrome of Infancy

The “crib death” that remains totally unexplained after complete necropsy is beginning to yield its secrets to careful follow-up study. Disclosing a surprisingly consistent pattern of pathologic and epidemiologic features, this research may open the way to eventual prophylaxis. It already provides physicians with the means to relieve parents of the dreadful burden of guilt many now carry.
Direct calorimetric verification of thermodynamic instability of lead halide hybrid perovskites

Hybrid perovskites, especially methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3), exhibit excellent solar power conversion efficiencies. However, their application is plagued by poor chemical and structural stability. Using direct calorimetric measurement of heats of formation, MAPbI3 is shown to be thermodynamically unstable with respect to decomposition to lead iodide and methylammonium iodide, even in the absence of ambient air or light or heat-induced defects, thus limiting its long-term use in devices. The formation enthalpy from binary halide components becomes less favorable in the order MAPbCl3, MAPbBr3, MAPbI3, with only the chloride having a negative heat of formation. Optimizing the geometric match of constituents as measured by the Goldschmidt tolerance factor provides a potentially quantifiable thermodynamic guide for seeking chemical substitutions to enhance stability.
Dialectical behavior therapy skills use and emotion dysregulation in personality disorders and psychopathy: a community self-report study.

Emotion dysregulation is a critical transdiagnostic mental health problem that needs to be further examined in personality disorders (PDs). The current study examined dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills use, emotion dysregulation, and dysfunctional coping among adults who endorsed symptoms of cluster B PDs and psychopathy. We hypothesized that skills taught in DBT and emotion dysregulation are useful for adults with PDs other than borderline personality disorder (BPD). Using a self-report questionnaire, we examined these constructs in three groups of community adults: those who reported symptoms consistent with borderline personality disorder (BPD; N = 29), those who reported symptoms consistent with any other cluster B PD (N = 22), and those with no reported cluster B PD symptoms (N = 77) as measured by the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 + . Both PD groups reported higher emotion dysregulation and dysfunctional coping when compared to the no PD group. Only the BPD group had significantly lower DBT skills use. DBT skills use was found to be a significant predictor of cluster B psychopathology but only before accounting for emotion dysregulation. When added to the regression model, emotion dysregulation was found to be a significant predictor of cluster B psychopathology but DBT skills use no longer had a significant effect. Across all groups, DBT skills use deficits and maladaptive coping, but not emotion dysregulation, predicted different facets of psychopathy. Emotion dysregulation and use of maladaptive coping are problems in cluster B PDs, outside of BPD, but not in psychopathy. Inability to use DBT skills may be unique to BPD. Because this study relied exclusively on self-report, this data is preliminary and warrants further investigation.
Early Withdrawal of Antiepileptic Drugs

Recurrence rate, risk factors for recurrence, and outcome in 161 children after early withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were studied at Leiden University and other centers in The Netherlands.
Litigo: A Cost-Driven Model for Opaque Cloud Services

Cloud computing provides software, platform, and infrastructure as a service that helps organizations to perform several resource intensive tasks. The services offered by a cloud service provider are limited by provider-specific options in terms of the pre-specified configurations. Moreover, it is sometimes expensive to pay a fixed amount of money without any format of negotiation or price-matching deals for the cloud-based services and resources. Conversely, the negotiator-based model for opaque services has gained popularity in various markets, such as, for flights, hotels, and rentals. We posit that a similar opaque inventory for cloud-based services and resources is the next generation niche for consumer acquisition and service delivery in the cloud computing market. Such a model will facilitate the clients with flexible resource and service provisioning at reasonable prices, and will also allow a higher revenue and increase resource utilization for cloud service providers. In this paper, we propose Litigo, a cost-driven model for opaque service platforms for cloud computing. The Litigo component acts as a middle-man to deliver cloud-based services from a set of cloud service providers to the end users. We present a detailed cost model and comparison between establishing a cloud service vs. an opaque cloud service. Our empirical framework allows a Litigo service provider to analyze the profit model and creates the market niche accordingly. We performed extensive analysis using simulated model verification for Litigo. The proposed model delivers an opaque cloud as a service to clients at a reasonable price by maximizing the resource utilization and revenue of cloud service providers.
Master and Student

In Europe, during the middle ages, without knowledge of Latin and Greek, you probably would get only a rudimentary education. Whatever your European nationality if you were not a member of the upper-class or a novice monk, the riddles would mean nothing to you. With the invention of the movable type printing press by German Johannes Gutenberg (1450), more books became available to people. However, they were still written in Latin and Greek. Books needed to be translated into the vernacular (the native language of a particular population).
Coral disease hotspots in the Caribbean

Recent outbreaks of coral diseases in the Caribbean have been linked to increasingly stressful sea-surface temperatures (SSTs). Yet, ocean warming is spatially heterogeneous and therefore has the potential to lead to hotspots of disease activity. Here, we take an epidemiological approach to examine spatial differences in the risk of white-band disease on Acropora spp. and yellow-band disease on Orbicella spp. in the Caribbean. Our analysis involved examining the spatial patterns of disease prevalence, and creating a Bayesian-risk model that tested for regional differences in disease risk. The spatial examination of disease prevalence showed several clusters of white-band disease, including high prevalence in the Turks and Caicos, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Belize, whereas yellow-band disease seemed most prevalent along the Yucatan Peninsula. The Bayesian-risk model showed regional clusters of white-band disease near the southern Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Lesser Antilles, whereas the risk of yellow-band disease was highest in the southern Caribbean. The relative risk of both diseases increased with warmer SSTs. The Bayesian-risk model allowed us to predict where we should expect future outbreaks of coral diseases at a regional scale, and suggests regions where the implementation of disease mitigation plans may be most urgent.
Operating Room Setting and Robotic Instrumentation

Robotic system technology for minimally invasive surgery has gained maximum attention also in children. However, the lack of specialized instruments for infants and children requires an adapted platform to maximize the efficiency of standard instruments in the pediatric field and minimize the potential for errors. Careful preoperative room planning must be specifically defined in pediatrics to address the limited surface area in small children. The best way to modify the pediatric robotic operating room is to use an operating room table that can move with respect to the robot. The placement of all the working ports in a limited working space in small children is crucial and represents the most challenging aspect to maximize movement and prevent collisions with the external robotic arms. Proper patient positioning on the operating table is essential to allow optimal surgical view. A well-trained and collegial surgical team is crucial for the operating room dynamics and likely contributes to positive patient outcomes.
When Does the Knee Feel Normal Again: A Cross-Sectional Study Assessing the Forgotten Joint Score in Patients After Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background The forgotten joint score (FJS) is a recent scoring system that assesses how natural the prosthesis feels after total joint arthroplasty. Although the FJS has been extensively applied in populations with total hip prosthetics, less is known about the patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study is to investigate the temporal relationship between TKA and the FJS. Methods We evaluated 566 patients after TKA using the FJS questionnaire. Scores were calculated at the follow-up intervals of 1 (n = 79), 6 (n = 78), 12 (n = 81), 24 (n = 100), 36 (n = 76), 48 (n = 75), and 60 (n = 77) months. The scores ranged from 0-100, with a higher score indicating a more natural or “forgotten” joint. Results Postoperative FJS averages were 39.3 ± 27.4 at 1 month, 59.4 ± 28.3 at 6 months, 72.5 ± 24.2 at 1 year, 76.4 ± 23.4 at 2 years, 75.1 ± 24.2 at 3 years, 68.6 ± 28.7 at 4 years, and 64.4 ± 29.0 at 5 years. The average score at 1 month was significantly lower than the average scores at all other intervals. The average score at 6 months was significantly lower than the average scores at 12, 24, and 36 months. The average score at 60 months was significantly lower than the average score at 24 months. Conclusion Based on the findings of this study, patients can expect marked improvement in the natural feel of the prosthesis during the first year after TKA, slight continued improvement at 2 and 3 years, and a decline after 4 years.
A non-affine micro-macro approach to strain-crystallizing rubber-like materials

Abstract Crystallization can occur in rubber materials at large strains due to a phenomenon called strain-induced crystallization. We propose a multi-scale polymer network model to capture this process in rubber-like materials. At the microscopic scale, we present a chain formulation by studying the thermodynamic behavior of a polymer chain and its crystallization mechanism inside a stretching polymer network. The chain model accounts for the thermodynamics of crystallization and presents a rate-dependent evolution law for crystallization based on the gradient of the free energy with respect to the crystallinity variables to ensures the dissipation is always non-negative. The multiscale framework allows the anisotropic crystallization of rubber which has been observed experimentally. Two different approaches for formulating the orientational distribution of crystallinity are studied. In the first approach, the algorithm tracks the crystallization at a finite number of orientations. In contrast, the continuous distribution describes the crystallization for all polymer chain orientations and describes its evolution with only a few distribution parameters. To connect the deformation of the micro with that of the macro scale, our model combines the recently developed maximal advance path constraint with the principal of minimum average free energy, resulting in a non-affine deformation model for polymer chains. Various aspects of the proposed model are validated by existing experimental results, including the stress response, crystallinity evolution during loading and unloading, crystallinity distribution, and the rotation of the principal crystallization direction. As a case study, we simulate the formation of crystalline regions around a pre-existing notch in a 3D rubber block and we compare the results with experimental data.
Securing Home IoT Environments with Attribute-Based Access Control

Rapid advances in iotn~ have led to the proliferation of several end-user iot devices. A modern day home iot environment now resembles a complete network ecosystem with a variety of devices co-existing and operating concurrently. It is necessary that these devices do not disrupt the operations of other devices, either accidentally or maliciously. Accidental disruptions are usually due to misconfigured devices, which may, for instance, result in a device sending network broadcasts and flooding the network. Malicious disruptions may be caused by devices being compromised by attackers or due to devices purchased from untrusted manufacturers. An intentional disruption can include sending control information to other devices to manipulate their operations, and requesting for sensitive information such as surveillance videos or camera pictures. One way of preventing such disruptions is by enforcing access control on iot devices. Attribute-Based Access Control is the most appropriate model because of its ability to enforce access control based on the attributes of the devices, users, and environment context. We consider the NIST Next Generation Access Control (NGAC) specification for our ABAC requirements because of several reasons, including its support for adaptive policies, efficiency, and ease of policy management.
Computations: Three or More Servers

In this chapter we will show that as c and M grow the computations in this model become prohibited, without a computer program to automatically do these calculations, and we will change to modeling a fuzzy queuing system using fuzzy arrival/sevice rates to be discussed in the next two chapters.
Why Do We Teach Art Today? Conceptions of Art Education and Their Justification.

Different, and sometimes conflicting, justifications have been advanced for the importance of teaching art in schools. Following the broad historical conceptual frameworks established by Efland (1990) to describe these debates, the paper traces how these frameworks continue to be useful in categorizing contemporary arguments on the form of art education. The paper contends that many current popular justifications for art education lack a solid epistemological rationale. Out of this review, a conceptual framework that approaches art education as a study of reasoned perception is advocated as the soundest epistemological foundation for the field.
The Relationship Between Wage Inequality and International Trade

Abstract This paper argues that growing international competition in concentrated industries can explain much of the increase in wage inequality. First, a cointegration analysis suggests that the long-run trend in wage inequality is systematically linked to the trade deficit in durable goods. Second, a theoretical model is presented to argue that import competition is likely to have a greater impact on the distribution of wages in durable good industries — such as autos — than in nondurable goods industries — such as apparel — because the former are more concentrated. Third, wage and employment trends in some industries most likely to be affected by international competition are investigated to evaluate empirically the theory.
PLASTICITY OF MESOLIMBIC DOPAMINE NEURONS

ABSTRACT The developmental growth of mesolimbic dopamine (DA) neurons and their reaction to partial deafferentation of the olfactory tubercle (OT) as reflected by changes in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity and 3H-DA uptake were found to be very similar. A transient elevation of TH activity in A10 cell bodies preceded growth of axon terminals as reflected by a gradual but permanent increase in TH activity and 3H-DA uptake within the OT. Collateral sprouting, however, did not occur prior to an initial developmental period of the OT, the target area.
Filter Design for AFE Rectifier using SiC MOSFET

The new generation wide bandgap semiconductor power devices such as silicon carbide MOSFET, which can have much higher switching frequency, have been applied in active frond end rectifiers in recent years. A higher switching frequency may enable a much smaller filter for the the active frond end rectifier. In this paper, the filter design method for active frond end rectifier with high switching frequency up to 40 kHz is studied. A new filter design procedure is presented, and the converter side inductor optimization with different core materials is investigated. For different switching frequencies, different core materials are selected with the optimized cost. Electromagnetic and thermal finite element analysis are carried out and seven inductor prototypes are designed. A 10 horsepower active frond end system based on silicon carbide MOSFET is built and the optimal designs are evaluated through experimental tests.
Intraoperative Sepsis: A Simulation Case for Anesthesiology Residents.

Introduction Sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in medicine and is managed in ICUs daily. Critical care training is a vital part of anesthesiology residency, and understanding the p...
Risk of Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome with Vesicular Monoamine Transporter Inhibitors.

Objective Vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT2) inhibitors have been proven to be effective for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia and their use is likely to increase. The evidence base of published clinical reports was reviewed to evaluate the possible risk of neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) with these drugs. Methods Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science and PsycINFO databases were queried for all years using terms for "neuroleptic malignant syndrome", "hyperthermia" AND "vesicular monoamine transporter inhibitors", "reserpine", "tetrabenazine", "valbenazine" or "deutetrabenazine". Results Thirteen clinical cases, ten of which involved tetrabenazine, were identified in which VMAT2 inhibitors were prescribed in patients with current or past NMS episodes. In most cases, the association was confounded by limited reporting of clinical data, variable temporal correlation with VMAT2 inhibitors, polypharmacy with antipsychotics, and uncertain differential diagnoses. Conclusion While rare cases of NMS meeting consensus criteria have been reported primarily with tetrabenazine, the risk with recently developed VMAT2 inhibitors may be even less. Evidence of causality of NMS with VMAT2 inhibitors is confounded by concomitant treatment with antipsychotics and diagnostic uncertainties in patients susceptible to basal ganglia dysfunction. Nevertheless, clinicians should remain vigilant for early signs of NMS in all patients treated with any drugs that affect brain dopamine activity.
Anxiety, depression, and opioid misuse among adults with chronic pain: the role of emotion dysregulation

The opioid epidemic is a significant public health concern in the United States, particularly among adults with chronic pain. Considerable research suggests that people with mental health problems, including anxiety and depression, may experience more opioid-related problems in the context of chronic pain. Yet, little work has examined potential mechanisms underyling these relations. Emotion dysregulation is one mechanistic factor that may link anxiety and depression and opioid-related problems among persons with chronic pain. Therefore, the current study examined the explanatory role of emotion dysregulation in the cross-sectional relationship between anxiety and depression problems and current opioid misuse and severity of opioid dependence among 431 adults with chronic pain who reported currently using opioid medications (74% female, Mage=38.32 years, SD = 11.11). Results indicated that emotion dysregulation explained, in part, the relationship between anxiety and depression symptoms and opioid-related problems. These findings highlight the need to further consider the role of emotion dysregulation among adults with chronic pain who use prescription opioids and experience symptoms of anxiety or depression. Future prospective research will be needed to further establish emotion dysregulation as a mechanism in anxiety/depression-opioid misuse/dependence processes.
CNS changes in chronic hypoxia

Chronic hypoxia increases the hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) in awake humans and animals [1] and we have shown that this involves changes in the "CNS gain of the HVR". The ventilatory or phrenic nerve response to pharmacological stimulation of carotid bodies or electrical stimulation of the carotid sinus nerve is significantly increased in awake and anesthetized rats, respectively, after 2–7 days at PIO2 = 74 Torr [2]. We hypothesize that changes in neurotransmitters and their receptors along the HVR reflex pathway, and specifically in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), increase the CNS gain of the HVR during chronic hypoxia. Previously we found that dramatic time-dependent changes in dopaminergic neurotransmission occur in the NTS during chronic hypoxia but they cannot explain the changes in the HVR [2]. Now we are testing the hypothesis that NMDA receptors in the NTS are necessary for the increased CNS gain of the HVR during chronic hypoxia. We previously reported no significant changes in mRNA for NMDA-R1 receptors during 7 days of hypoxia [3] but further experiments are planned to quantify changes in actual receptor protein. In awake unrestrained rats held in normoxic conditions (n = 6), chronic administration of a non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist to the caudal NTS (25 μL/hr of MK-801 for 7 days via an Alzet miniosmotic pump) did not significantly change the HVR measured with barometric pressure plethysmography after 2 or 7 days of treatment. This is in contrast to the decrease in the HVR observed by other laboratories performing acute microinjections of MK-801 to the NTS [4]. However, acute systemic injections of MK-801 (3 mg/kg ip.) decreased the HVR in our laboratory (n = 8) in agreement with published results [5]. These results suggest time-dependent changes in glutamate neurotransmission with chronic blockade of NMDA receptors and we are testing this by repeating experiments using acute microinjections of MK-801. Experiments with acute or chronic blockade of NMDA receptors after chronic hypoxia will be compared with the former results to determine the independent effects of hypoxia versus NMDA receptor activation on the CNS gain of the HVR. Future experiments will investigate the role of GABA in determining the CNS gain of the HVR. Chronic hypoxia changes mRNA levels for GABA-R1α [3] and GABA is reported to modulate the gain of preinspiratory bulbospinal neuron responsiveness to other neural inputs [6]. This change in gain instead of set point is similar to that observed for the HVR during chronic hypoxia.
Measuring and Modeling Variation in the Risk-Return Trade-off

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews what is known about the time-series evolution of the risk-return trade-off for stock market investment and presents some new empirical evidence. Financial markets are often hard to understand. Stock prices are highly volatile and difficult to predict, requiring that market participants and researchers devote significant resources to understanding the behavior of expected returns relative to the risk of stock market investment. Understanding the time-series properties of the Sharpe ratio is crucial to the development of theoretical models capable of explaining observed patterns of stock market predictability and volatility. The behavior of the Sharpe ratio over time is fundamental for assessing whether stocks are safer in the long run than they are in the short run, as increasingly advocated by popular guides to investment strategy. Only if the Sharpe ratio grows more quickly than the square root of the horizon—so that the standard deviation of the return grows more slowly than its mean—stocks are safer investments in the long run than they are in the short run. Such a dynamic pattern is not possible if stock returns are unpredictable, i.i.d. random variables. Thus, understanding the time series, behavior of the Sharpe ratio not only provides a benchmark for theoretical progress but also has profound implications for investment professionals concerned with strategic asset allocation.
Integrating Spatiotemporal Epidemiology, Eco-Phylogenetics, and Distributional Ecology to Assess West Nile Disease Risk in Horses

Mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV) is the causative agent of West Nile disease in humans, horses, and some bird species. Since the initial introduction of WNV to the United States (US), approximately 30,000 horses have been impacted by West Nile neurologic disease and hundreds of additional horses are infected each year. Research describing the drivers of West Nile disease in horses is greatly needed to better anticipate the spatial and temporal extent of disease risk, improve disease surveillance, and alleviate future economic impacts to the equine industry and private horse owners. To help meet this need, we integrated techniques from spatiotemporal epidemiology, eco-phylogenetics, and distributional ecology to assess West Nile disease risk in horses throughout the contiguous US. Our integrated approach considered horse abundance and virus exposure, vector and host distributions, and a variety of extrinsic climatic, socio-economic, and environmental risk factors. Birds are WNV reservoir hosts, and therefore we quantified avian host community dynamics across the continental US to show intra-annual variability in host phylogenetic structure and demonstrate host phylodiversity as a mechanism for virus amplification in time and virus dilution in space. We identified drought as a potential amplifier of virus transmission and demonstrated the importance of accounting for spatial non-stationarity when quantifying interaction between disease risk and meteorological influences such as temperature and precipitation. Our results delineated the timing and location of several areas at high risk of West Nile disease and can be used to prioritize vaccination programs and optimize virus surveillance and monitoring.
Effects of Sex and 17 β-Estradiol on Cardiac Fibroblast Morphology and Signaling Activities In Vitro

Several studies have demonstrated estrogen's cardioprotective abilities in decreasing the fibrotic response of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). However, the majority of these studies are not sex-specific, and those at the cellular level utilize tissue culture plastic, a substrate with a much higher stiffness than physiological conditions. Understanding the intrinsic differences between male and female CFs under more physiologically "healthy" conditions will help to elucidate the divergences in their complex signaling networks. We aimed to do this by conducting a sex-disaggregated analysis of changes in cellular morphology and relative levels of profibrotic signaling proteins in CFs cultured on 8 kPa stiffness plates with and without 17 β-estradiol (E2). Cyclic immunofluorescent analysis indicated that there was a negligible change in cellular morphology due to sex and E2 treatment and that the differences between male and female CFs occur at a biochemical rather than structural level. Several proteins corresponding to profibrotic activity had various sex-specific responses with and without E2 treatment. Single-cell correlation analysis exhibited varied protein-protein interaction across experimental conditions. These findings demonstrate the need for further research into the dimorphisms of male and female CFs to develop better tailored sex-informed prevention and treatment interventions of cardiac fibrosis.
Revisiting the tesol technology standards for teachers: Integration and adaptation

This article revisits the TESOL Technology Standards for Teachers (TTST) and discusses the potential for their continued relevance 13 years after they were first promulgated (TESOL, 2008). To provide a historical backdrop, I first cover the development of the standards from the inside perspective of one of the six members of the team that created them. I next review some key literature relat-ing to the influence of the TESOL standards on teacher education and professional development. I then discuss a multi-year project, in which the TTST were first introduced into an existing CALL course and then integrated throughout the eight units of the course. I describe how the TTST as presented in the two TESOL publications—TESOL (2008) and Healey et al. (2011)—can provide a somewhat problematic set of expectations for the pre-service teacher candidates in that course. Input from participants led to a restructuring of the course and a reformulation of the Healey et al.’s (2011) “can do” statements to better serve those who have not yet begun their teaching career. I conclude with specula-tion about the value of the TTST in the present and near future, particularly in light of the recent expansion of online teaching brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2021, equinox publishing.
A novel impact of a novel weapon: allelochemicals in Alliaria petiolata disrupt the legume-rhizobia mutualism

Some introduced species become invasive by releasing novel allelochemicals into the soil, directly harming nearby plants and soil microbes. Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) is an invasive plant, well known to excrete a suite of phytotoxic and anti-microbial allelochemicals, including allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) and benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC). While the effects of these chemicals on plant-mycorrhizae mutualisms are well documented, the effects on other plant-soil microbe interactions, such as the legume-rhizobia mutualism, have not yet been tested. Here, we performed laboratory and greenhouse experiments with both synthetic chemicals and leaf extracts to investigate the effects of allelochemicals in A. petiolata on a native leguminous plant, Amphicarpaea bracteata, and its rhizobia mutualists. We found that BITC reduced rhizobia growth rate in the lab, but had no effect on nodulation in the greenhouse when rhizobia were grown in the presence of plants. AITC did not directly harm either plants or rhizobia, though plants and rhizobia grown in the presence of AITC showed reduced nodulation, indicating that it disrupted the formation of the mutualism itself. We found no effects of A. petiolata allelochemical leaf extracts on plant performance or nodulation. Our data suggest that AITC causes mutualism disruption in this system by preventing the formation of nodules, which reduces plant growth and could threaten the long-term performance of rhizobia. Our study shows that the allelochemicals in A. petiolata disrupt the legume-rhizobia resource mutualism, adding another impact of these novel weapons in addition to their well-documented role in disrupting plant-mycorrhizae symbioses.
Tomotherapy: Optimal coplanar radiotherapy

Tomotherapy, literally “slice therapy”, is intensity-modulated fan-beam rotational therapy. The NOMOS Peacock™ system is a serial (or sequential slice) tomotherapy system [1]. It is installed in more than 50 U.S. centers and has been used in the treatments of thousands of patients. Helical tomotherapy, like helical CT, has the fan beam continuously rotating around the patient as the couch is transporting the patient longitudinally through a ring gantry [2–7]. The Tomotherapy Research Group at the University of Wisconsin is assembling the first helical tomotherapy unit at the UW’s Physical Sciences Laboratory at the Kegonsa Research Campus. Figure 1 is a photograph of the gantry for this unit while under construction.
Chapter 2 The Optical Absorption Edge of a-Si: H

Publisher Summary This chapter explores the effect of temperature, isochronal annealing, and preparation conditions on the optical absorption edge of a-Si:H x films. The chapter describes the Tauc, Abe, and Toyazawa models. The Tauc model defines the absorption edge of an amorphous semiconductor through the concept of a nondirect optical transition in which electron momentum is not conserved (total disorder). By utilizing the random phase approximation and parabolic bands, Tauc defined an optical gap E G that is widely used by experimentalists to define the position and the shape of the high-energy side of the absorption edge for a-Si:H x and other amorphous semiconductors. The quantity E G is not a significant feature of the absorption edge but can be successfully correlated with the magnitude of the mobility gap deduced from transport measurements. Abe and Toyazawa generalized the Tauc model to include a variable degree of Gaussian site disorder on the basis of the coherent potential approximation. From this generalization, the Tauc optical gap E G becomes an additive function of structural and thermal disorder, in agreement with experiment.
Organometallic compounds of group III : XXXIV. Steric factors in the carbalumination of olefins. The question of the anomalous, reduced reactivity of olefins versus acetylenes.

Abstract In order to understand the reasons for the anomalous, reduced reactivity of olefins toward electrophilic carbalumination, compared with that of acetylenes, the reactivity, stereochemistry and regiochemistry of a series of acyclic and cyclic olefins in carbalumination with triphenylaluminum were investigated. The following substrates underwent reaction between 80 and 225°C with decreasing ease in the order: norbornadiene > cis -β-methylstyrene > trans -β-methylstyrene ∼ 1,2-dihydronaphthalene ∼ 1,1-dimethylindene > cis -1,2-diphenylethylene > 3,3,3-triphenylpropene > trans -1,2-diaryethylenes ∼ phenylcyclopropanes. The stereochemistry of the mono- and bis-carbaluminations of norbornadiene was shown to be syn, exo . The regiochemistry observed with unsymmetrical olefins could readily be rationalized by a steric effect operative in the preferential collapse of an olefin—(C 6 H 5 ) 3 Al π-complex. Besides carbalumination, several other reactions were observed with these olefins: (1) cis, trans -isomerization of acyclic olefins; (2) metallation of vinylic carbon atoms by (C 6 H 5 ) 3 Al; (3) elimination of (C 6 H 5 ) 2 AlH from carbalumination adducts; (4) by inference from the foregoing reaction with certain systems, epimerization at sp 3 -hybridized carbon-aluminum bonds; and (5) decarbalumination with carbon-carbon bond scission. These side reactions were considered together with relative reactivities, stereochemistry and regiochemistry in developing energy profiles for the carbalumination of olefins and acetylenes. The reduced reactivity of olefins is thought to arise from steric factors that destabilize a π-complex-with (C 6 H 5 ) 3 Al and that cause a trapezoidal-like transition state to be of higher energy and rate-determining. The higher reactivity of acetylenes is ascribed to less steric hindrance both to π-complexation with (C 6 H 5 ) 3 Al, and to the collapse of the complex via a trapezoidal configuration. For acetylenes, it is judged that the formation of an intimate π-complex is rate-determining.
Molecular and statistical approaches to the detection and correction of errors in genotype databases.

Abstract Errors in genotyping data have been shown to have a significant effect on the estimation of recombination fractions in high-resolution genetic maps. Previous estimates of errors in existing databases have been limited to the analysis of relatively few markers and have suggested rates in the range 0.5%-1.5%. The present study capitalizes on the fact that within the Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain (CEPH) collection of reference families, 21 individuals are members of more than one family, with separate DNA samples provided by CEPH for each appearance of these individuals. By comparing the genotypes of these individuals in each of the families in which they occur, an estimated error rate of 1.4% was calculated for all loci in the version 4.0 CEPH database. Removing those individuals who were clearly identified by CEPH as appearing in more than one family resulted in a 3.0% error rate for the remaining samples, suggesting that some error checking of the identified repeated individuals may occur prior to data submission. An error rate of 3.0% for version 4.0 data was also obtained for four chromosome 5 markers that were retyped through the entire CEPH collection. The effects of these errors on a multipoint map were significant, with a total sex-averaged length of 36.09 cM with the errors, and 19.47 cM with the errors corrected. Several statistical approaches to detect and allow for errors during linkage analysis are presented. One method, which identified families containing possible errors on the basis of the impact on the maximum lod score, showed particular promise, especially when combined with the limited retyping of the identified families. The impact of the demonstrated error rate in an established genotype database on high-resolution mapping is significant, raising the question of the overall value of incorporating such existing data into new genetic maps.
Adult human retinal cells in culture. Identification of cell types and expression of differentiated properties.

A method for culturing adult mammalian retinal neurons in serum-free N2 medium supplemented with nerve growth factor (NGF) is described. Identification of neurons in cultures of dispersed human retina was based upon morphology, immunocytochemical localization of bound tetanus toxin, and autoradiographic localization of 3H-neurotransmitter candidates (γ-aminobutyric acid, glycine, dopamine) accumulated by high-affinity uptake mechanisms. Neurons would not attach to glass or plastic substrates, consequently the present studies were performed using neurons plated upon a feeder layer. Serum was required for the initial phase of attachment. The feeder layer was derived from retinal cells that had been plated on glass or plastic in the presence of serum and had later been passaged. Since these cells exhibited glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity, they were tentatively identified as being glial in origin. Under these conditions, neuron- and glia-specific properties were retained up to 28 days. The presence of interstitial retinol-binding protein (IRBP) in medium of cultures of neuronal cells on feeder layers was demonstrated by an immunoblot technique using rabbit antibovine IRBP antibodies. No IRBP was detected in medium in which the feeder layers alone had been cultured. IRBP biosynthesis was demonstrated by incubation of the cultures with [35S]methionine. Immunoprecipitable [35S]IRBP was detected only in medium from cultures containing neurons; cells of the feeder layer did not synthesize and secrete this glycoprotein. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that IRBP, a 135K constituent of the interphotoreceptor matrix, is synthesized in vivo by a neuronal cell, specifically, the photoreceptors.
The Legislator as Political Entrepreneur: Investment in Political Capital

This paper applies the standard Austrian theory of capital investment to the standard interest group model of legislator behavior. Distinguishing between reputational capital and representative capital as interdepen- dent forms of political capital, I argue that legislator behavior (specifically roll call voting) can be explained as entrepreneurial investment in political capital under uncertainty. I discuss several examples in which this approach can potentially add predictive power regarding legislative voting.
Sources and contribution of terrigenous organic carbon to surface sediments in the Gulf of Mexico

The sources and burial processes of organic matter in marine sediments are not well understood, yet they are important if we are to have a better understanding of the global carbon cycle1. In particular, the nature and fraction of the terrestrial organic carbon preserved in marine sediments is poorly constrained. Here we use the chemical and stable carbon isotope signatures of oxidation products from a macromolecular component (lignin)2 of the terrigenous organic matter preserved in offshore surface sediments in the Gulf of Mexico to complement similar data from an existing onshore transect3 in this region. The complete onshore–offshore data set, along with radiocarbon dates of the bulk organic material at the same sites, allows the differentiation of material originating from plants that photosynthesize using the C4 mechanism from those that undergo C3 photosynthesis. We conclude that the offshore lignins derive from erosion of the extensive grassland (C4) soils of the Mississippi River drainage basin, and that the nearshore lignins originate largely from C3 plant detritus from coastal forests and swamps. This distribution is probably due to the hydrodynamic sorting of the different source materials4 during their seaward transport. These results suggest that previous studies3,5 have significantly underestimated the terrigenous fraction of organic matter in offshore sediments by not recognizing the contribution of C4 vegetation to the carbon-isotope composition. Such an underestimate may force revisions in the assessment of past marine primary productivity and associated organic carbon fluxes6, and of organic matter preservation/remineralization7 and nutrient cycling8 in marine sediments.
Regulation of Development: Differentiation and Morphogenesis

The sections in this article are: 1 The Cellular Processes of Determination and Differentiation 1.1 Cell Determination 1.2 Cell Differentiation 1.3 Genes Regulate Determination and Differentiation 2 The Process of Morphogenesis 2.1 Cell Adhesion 2.2 Change in Cell Shape 2.3 Localized Cell Proliferation 2.4 Localized Cell Death 3 Strategies of Development 3.1 Cell Lineage 3.2 Cell Interactions 3.3 Tissue Interactions 4 Effect of the Cellular Microenvironment on Morphogenetic Behavior 4.1 Extracellular Matrix Components 4.2 Matrix-Associated Effectors of Cell Behavior 4.3 Biological Activities of Extracellular Matrix Components 4.4 Peptide Growth Factors 5 Reparative Responses to Injury Analogous to Developmental Processes
Detection of Cytolethal Distending Toxin Activity and cdt Genes in Campylobacter spp. Isolated from Chicken Carcasses

This study was designed to determine whether isolates from chicken carcasses, the primary source of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in human infections, commonly carry the cdt genes and also whether active cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) is produced by these isolates. Campylobacter spp. were isolated from all 91 fresh chicken carcasses purchased from local supermarkets. Campylobacter spp. were identified on the basis of both biochemical and PCR tests. Of the 105 isolates, 70 (67%) were identified as C. jejuni, and 35 (33%) were identified as C. coli. PCR tests amplified portions of the cdt genes from all 105 isolates. Restriction analysis of PCR products indicated that there appeared to be species-specific differences between the C. jejuni and C. coli cdt genes, but that the restriction patterns of the cdt genes within strains of the same species were almost invariant. Quantitation of active CDT levels produced by the isolates indicated that all C. jejuni strains except four (94%) had mean CDT titers greater than 100. Only one C. jejuni strain appeared to produce no active CDT. C. coli isolates produced little or no toxin. These results confirm the high rate of Campylobacter sp. contamination of fresh chicken carcasses and indicate that cdt genes may be universally present in C. jejuni and C. coli isolates from chicken carcasses.
Cryo-EM imaging of vaults and vault-like particles

The vault is a large 13 MDa ribonucleoprotein particle that is present in abundant copy numbers and has a nearly ubiquitous distribution among eukaryotic cells. The strong conservation of morphology and composition of the vault across species is an indication of an important cellular function, and recently vaults have been implicated in multidrug resistance in certain cancer cells. We have published several cryo-electron microscopy structural studies of the vault isolated from rat and knockout mice. The structures reveal a large internal cavity in the vault and suggest a role for the particle in either macromolecular transport or sequestration. Here we present our latest results on the structure of recombinantly produced vaultlike particles with various protein compositions.