cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ADJUSTABLE LIMITING ALGORITHMS FOR ROBUST MOTION SIMULATION

Motion-based aircraft simulators use washout filters to suppress sustained motion. However, these filters occasionally produce dynamics requiring assistance from limiting algorithms to constrain a simulator to electrical and physical limits. These limiting algorithms should minimally interfere with "normal simulator operations" using washout filters, while ensuring that physical and electrical boundaries are not transcended. In addition, these algorithms should provide an adjustable relationship between efficiency during normal operations and comfort during limiting. Under the assumption that limiting is implemented using linear, second order filters, all coefficients may be determined by the selection of a single normalized parameter per axis, along with the axis' hard limits. The relationships that unify washout and limiting filters are called "Adjustable Limiting Algorithms for Robust Motion Simulation" (ALARMS). These algorithms produce a robust interface while establishing efficiency metrics for motion cues relative to the maximum capacity of a simulator.
Oral Immunotherapy for Food Allergy: Towards a New Horizon

their estimated prevalence in North America are: milk (2.5%), egg (1.5%), peanuts (1%), tree nuts (0.5%), shellfish (0.1%), fish (0.1%), and wheat/soy (0.4%). 3-6 Definitive and accurate assess ment of the prevalence of food allergy however, is limited by the different definitions of food allergy and the variability of diag nostic methods utilized in various studies. 7
RANK GENERATION, PRESERVATION, AND REVERSAL IN THE ANALYTIC HIERARCHY DECISION PROCESS

Decision making has the objective of finding the best alternative or set of alternatives by considering a number of goals, objectives, criteria, competitors, and other important factors. The analytic hierarchy process is a decision aid used to assist a decision maker in sorting out the complexity of a decision problem and making use of his or her judgments. A decision maker must be assured that the arithmetic operations of any such decision process are the right ones—that they surface the correct ranking and values of the alternatives and preserve or alter ranks appropriately when new alternatives are added or deleted. In this paper it will be shown that with absolute measurement, rank always is preserved, with relative measurement, rank changes with nspect to scveral criteria only because of the structural dependence (involving both numbers and measurements) of criteria on alternatives. A discussion of the effect on rank of replicas and near replicas of the alternatives also is given.
Wear mechanisms and particle generation in ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene

The effect of varying the initial surface roughness of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) tested in reciprocating wear against CoCr pins in bovine serum is investigated. It is found that wear occurs in two distinct stages that appear and disappear cyclically. The low wear phase corresponds to the development of surface deformation features that degenerate into a high amplitude wavelike topography. The features wear by fibrillar pullout and microfracture, producing submicrometer particulate debris.
Experimental evaluation of performance and scalability of a multiprogrammed shared-memory multiprocessor

This paper investigates the performance and scalability of a shared-memory multiprocessor - the CEDAR supercomputer - in multiprogrammed environments. For the 4-cluster Cedar system, the overhead due to multiprogramming is 115% for the finegrain loop parallel applications considered. There is no appreciable variation in the overhead as the multiprogramming level is increased. We find that while a single application executing on a dedicated system achieves significant speedups as the system is scaled up, in multiprogrammed environments however, there is no performance improvement with scaling. This interplay of two factors - unequal distribution of parallel work among the tasks and increased waiting times at the barriers - is found to be the major cause of the performance loss and poor scalability in multiuser environments. We find that the barrier wait time increases sharply as we go from a dedicated environment to one where 2 applications are multiprogrammed. However, the barrier wait time decreases as the multiprogramming level is increased further, due to the increasing inequality in the parallel work distribution. >
Systematic theoretical uncertainties in jet quenching due to gluon kinematics

We find that the current radiative energy loss kernels obtained from the opacity expansion dramatically violate the collinear approximation used in their derivation. By keeping only the lowest order in collinearity terms, models based on the opacity expansion have $~50%$ systematic uncertainty in the calculation of ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$ ${R}_{\mathit{AA}}$ in the most central RHIC collisions, resulting in a systematic uncertainty of $~200%$ in the extracted medium density. Surprisingly, the inclusion of a thermal gluon mass of the order of the Debye screening scale affects ${R}_{\mathit{AA}}$ only at about the $5%$ level due to nonintuitive coherence effects. For some observables such as ${R}_{\mathit{AA}}$, the effect of these uncertainties decreases with increasing jet energy; for others, such as the average number of radiated gluons, the effect is energy independent. We note that it is likely that the differences reported in the extracted values of medium parameters such as $\mathrm{q\ifmmode \hat{}\else \^{}\fi{}}$ by various jet energy loss models will fall within this collinear approximation systematic uncertainty; it is imperative for the quantitative extraction of medium parameters or the possible falsification of the hypothesis of weak coupling between the hard probes and the soft modes of the quark-gluon plasma medium that future radiative energy loss research push beyond the lowest-order collinear approximation.
Afferent-Specific AMPA Receptor Subunit Composition and Regulation of Synaptic Plasticity in Midbrain Dopamine Neurons by Abused Drugs

Ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons play a pivotal role in processing reward-related information and are involved in drug addiction and mental illness in humans. Information is conveyed to the VTA in large part by glutamatergic afferents that arise in various brain nuclei, including the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN). Using a unique rat brain slice preparation, we found that PPN stimulation activates afferents targeting GluR2-containing AMPA receptors (AMPAR) on VTA DA neurons, and these afferents did not exhibit long-term depression (LTD). In contrast, activation of glutamate afferents onto the same DA neurons via stimulation within the VTA evoked EPSCs mediated by GluR2-lacking AMPARs that demonstrated LTD or EPSCs mediated by GluR2-containing AMPA receptors that did not express LTD. Twenty-four hours after single cocaine injections to rats, GluR2-lacking AMPARs were increased at both PPN and local VTA projections, and this permitted LTD expression in both pathways. Single injections with the main psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC), increased GluR2-lacking AMPA receptors and permitted LTD in only the PPN pathway, and these effects were prevented by in vivo pretreatment with the cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist AM251. These results demonstrate that cocaine more globally increases GluR2-lacking AMPA receptors at all glutamate synapses on VTA dopamine neurons, whereas Delta(9)-THC selectively increased GluR2-lacking AMPA receptors at subcortical PPN synapses. This suggests that different abused drugs may exert influence over distinct sets of glutamatergic afferents to VTA DA neurons which may be associated with different reinforcing or addictive properties of these drugs.
Compact 3D integrable SU8 embedded microwave bandpass filters using complementary split ring resonator loaded half mode substrate integrated waveguide

A 3D integrable, compact SU8 epoxy embedded evanescent wave half mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW) microwave resonator and a bandpass filter at 12GHz (Ku band) have been designed and fabricated by using a multilayer surface micromachining fabrication process. Evanescent wave amplification with forward transmission below the characteristic waveguide cutoff frequency is achieved with the use of complementary split ring resonators (CSRR) loaded on the top surface of a half mode substrate integrated waveguide, resulting in compact resonators with controllable Q factor and dual band operation capability. The use of the photopatternable SU8 epoxy as the dielectric for implementing the embedded RF passive devices enables tall vertical interconnects and multilayer 3D passives with high-Q factors, the integration of MEMS devices on CMOS circuits with its low temperature capability, and batch fabrication of multiple devices. Full wave electromagnetic simulations shows promising results at 12GHz, with a Q factor of 12 to 19 and a great size reduction of more than 50% when compared with conventional PCB implementations.
Calcium promotes exopolysaccharide phase variation and biofilm formation of the resulting phase variants in the human pathogen Vibrio vulnificus

Vibrio vulnificus is a Gram-negative bacterium found in estuaries and coastal waters and is associated with human disease caused by ingestion of raw shellfish. Pathogenesis is directly related to the presence of capsular polysaccharide (CPS). Encapsulated virulent strains exhibit an opaque colony phenotype, while unencapsulated attenuated strains appear translucent. A third colony type, rugose, is caused by expression of rugose extracellular polysaccharide (rEPS) and forms robust biofilms. Vibrio vulnificus undergoes phase variation associated with altered levels of CPS and rEPS, and we show here that calcium (Ca²(+) ) significantly increases the rate of CPS and rEPS phase variation in this species. Interestingly, multiple phenotypic responses to increased [Ca²(+) ] were observed among strains, which suggests the existence of underlying cognate genetic or epigenetic differences. Certain translucent isolates contained deletions at the group I CPS operon, inferring increased [Ca²(+) ] upregulates existing phase variation mechanisms. Expanding on a previous observation (Kierek and Watnick, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100: 14357-14362, 2003), increased [Ca²(+) ] also enhanced biofilm formation for all phase variants. Our results show that Ca²(+) promotes both polysaccharide phase variation and biofilm formation of the resulting phase variants, thereby likely serving a dual role in persistence of V. vulnificus in the environment.
Opposing roles of CXCR4 and CXCR7 in breast cancer metastasis

Introduction: CXCL12-CXCR4 signaling has been shown to play a role in breast cancer progression by enhancing tumor growth, angiogenesis, triggering cancer cell invasion in vitro, and guiding cancer cells to their sites of metastasis. However, CXCR7 also binds to CXCL12 and has been recently found to enhance lung and breast primary tumor growth, as well as metastasis formation. Our goal was to dissect the contributions of CXCR4 and CXCR7 to the different steps of metastasis - in vivo invasion, intravasation and metastasis formation. Methods: We overexpressed CXCR4, CXCR7 or both in the rat mammary adenocarcinoma cell line MTLn3. Stable expressors were used to form tumors in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, and in vivo invasiveness, intravital motility, intravasation, and metastasis were measured. Results: We found that CXCR4 overexpression increased the chemotactic and invasive behavior of MTLn3 cells to CXCL12, both in vitro and in vivo, as well as in vivo motility and intravasation. CXCR7 overexpression enhanced primary tumor growth and angiogenesis (as indicated by microvessel density and VEGFA expression), but decreased in vivo invasion, intravasation, and metastasis formation. In vitro, expression of CXCR7 alone had no effect in chemotaxis or invasion to CXCL12. However, in the context of increased CXCR4 expression, CXCR7 enhanced chemotaxis to CXCL12 but decreased invasion in response to CXCL12 in vitro and in vivo and impaired CXCL12 stimulated matrix degradation. The changes in matrix degradation correlated with expression of matrix metalloproteinase 12 (MMP12). Conclusions: We find that CXCR4 and CXCR7 play different roles in metastasis, with CXCR4 mediating breast cancer invasion and CXCR7 impairing invasion but enhancing primary tumor growth through angiogenesis.
The Political Ecology of Uneven Urban Green Space The Impact of Political Economy on Race and Ethnicity in Producing Environmental Inequality in Milwaukee

This article investigates the role of urban political economy, private-public property relations, and race and ethnicity in the social production of Milwaukee's urban forest. By integrating urban-forest canopy-cover data from aerial photography, United States Census data, and qualitative data collected through in-depth interviews, this analysis suggests that there is an inequitable distribution of urban canopy cover within Milwaukee. Since urban trees positively affect quality of life, the spatially inequitable distribution of urban trees in relation to race and ethnicity is yet another instance of urban environmental inequality that deserves greater consideration in light of contemporary and dynamic property relations within capitalist societies.
Detection of malingering in assessment of adult ADHD

Comparisons of two assessment measures for ADHD: the ADHD Behavior Checklist and the Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test (IVA CPT) were examined using undergraduates (n=44) randomly assigned to a control or a simulated malingerer condition and undergraduates with a valid diagnosis of ADHD (n=16). It was predicted that malingerers would successfully fake ADHD on the rating scale but not on the CPT for which they would overcompensate, scoring lower than all other groups. Analyses indicated that the ADHD Behavior Rating Scale was successfully faked for childhood and current symptoms. IVA CPT could not be faked on 81% of its scales. The CPT's impairment index results revealed: sensitivity 94%, specificity 91%, PPP 88%, NPP 95%. Results provide support for the inclusion of a CPT in assessment of adult ADHD.
A multichannel microwave test station

Expensive microwave test equipment poses an obstacle to the introduction of modern microwave laboratory courses into electrical engineering curricula. An economical solution to this problem using a personal computer system and a novel switching network is discussed. The design and implementation of this scalar analyzer are discussed. >
Development of a robust CIM laboratory environment using multi-criteria goal setting and evaluation

Abstract The design of a CIM laboratory environment that will satisfy multiple criteria is difficult at best. Monetary concerns limit the range of options. There are competing factions vying for use of the lab. There are factors of design of the equipment which prevent physically moving it when a new need is identified. This paper presents an analysis that was performed upon the design of the CIM laboratory at OSU. The chosen design will control the decisions upon which equipment is purchased and the overall layout of the facility. The software that is used to facilitate the analysis is MIMES (Taylor, 1993).
Online Social Networking by Patients with Diabetes: A Qualitative Evaluation of Communication with Facebook

Background Several disease-specific information exchanges now exist on Facebook and other online social networking sites. These new sources of knowledge, support, and engagement have become important for patients living with chronic disease, yet the quality and content of the information provided in these digital arenas are poorly understood.
The effect of thrombospondin-1 on breast cancer metastasis

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) has been proposed to have both pro-metastatic and anti-metastatic properties. To elucidate its role in breast cancer metastasis, we compared tumor progression in the polyomavirus middle T antigen (Pyt) transgenic mouse and the TSP-1-null Pyt transgenic mouse. We characterized the tumors in these mice at 45, 60 and 90 days of age. Tumor size, areas of necrosis, macrophage infiltration, levels of active and total TGF-β, vessel morphology, and lung and blood metastasis were measured in these mice. Mammary tumors were larger in the TSP-1-null mouse, and vessels were larger, but fewer in number in these tumors. The level of total TGF-β was significantly higher in the Pyt tumors at 90 days of age. Importantly, significantly fewer metastases were observed in the lungs of the TSP-1-null/Pyt mouse. Primary Pyt tumor cells were more migratory than TSP-1-null Pyt tumor cells on collagen. Treatment of Pyt mice with recombinant proteins that contain the type-1 repeats of TSP-1 resulted in decreased primary tumor growth and metastasis. Sequences that are involved in CD36 binding and those required for TGF-β activation mediated the inhibition of primary tumor growth. Thus, TSP-1 in the mammary tumor microenvironment inhibits angiogenesis and tumor growth, but promotes metastasis to the lung in the Pyt transgenic mouse. The ability of TSP-1 to support metastasis correlates with its ability to promote tumor cell migration.
Synthesis and Characterization of Peptidomimetic Self-Assembled Biodegradable Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles (NPs) are being used extensively for tumor drug delivery. These devices offer the advantage of their size, protection of the encapsulated species, and biodegradability to prevent accumulation in the interstitium. Our laboratory has synthesized polylactide fumarate (PLAF, PLGF) macromers capable of self-assembling into biodegradable and biocompatible NPs with average particle size of 280 nm. To assess the possibility of further decreasing the particle size and distribution of PLGF NPs, the polymers were conjugated with the peptide sequence Cys-Val-Val-Val-Val-Val-Val-Lys-Lys (CV6K2), which is known to self-assemble in aqueous solution into vesicles of about 50-60 nm in size. The results indicate that the PLGF-CV6K2 conjugates are capable of self-assembling into NPs of 100 nm in diameter. The NPs are proposed as having a bilayer structure, with peptide chains facing the aqueous environment and the polymer chains compacted in an internal hydrophobic layer. Degradation kinetics and release profiles show that the NPs could effectively retain and release Paclitaxel up to 30 days until completely degraded. The NPs act as reservoirs for sustained release of the active agent by diffusion and degradation of the matrix when taken up by tumor cells.
J. S. Mill's Language of Pleasures

A significant feature of John Stuart Mill's moral theory is the introduction of qualitative differences as relevant to the comparative value of pleasures. Despite its significance, Mill presents his doctrine of qualities of pleasures in only a few paragraphs in the second chapter of Utilitarianism, where he begins the brief discussion by saying:utilitarian writers in general have placed the superiority of mental over bodily pleasures chiefly … in their circumstantial advantages rather than in their intrinsic nature.… [B]ut they might have taken the … higher ground with entire consistency. It is quite compatible with the principle of utility to recognize the fact, that some kinds of pleasure are more desirable and more valuable than others. It would be absurd that while, in estimating all other things, quality is considered as well as quantity, the estimation of pleasures should be supposed to depend on quantity alone (U, II, 4).
DISPERSION IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE

Abstract Transosonde balloon data are analyzed to provide a measure of the dispersion on a large scale in the upper atmosphere. An expression for the autocorrelation function is inferred from synoptic experience and is applied to autocorrelation values computed from the balloon data. Taylor's theorem is applied to this function to compute dispersion out to ten days. A comparison is made with direct computation at two days.
The Sea Slug, Pleurobranchaea californica: A Signpost Species in the Evolution of Complex Nervous Systems and Behavior

How and why did complex brain and behavior evolve? Clues emerge from comparative studies of animals with simpler morphology, nervous system, and behavioral economics. The brains of vertebrates, arthropods, and some annelids have highly derived executive structures and function that control downstream, central pattern generators (CPGs) for locomotion, behavioral choice, and reproduction. For the vertebrates, these structures-cortex, basal ganglia, and hypothalamus-integrate topographically mapped sensory inputs with motivation and memory to transmit complex motor commands to relay stations controlling CPG outputs. Similar computations occur in the central complex and mushroom bodies of the arthropods, and in mammals these interactions structure subjective thought and socially based valuations. The simplest model systems available for comparison are opisthobranch molluscs, which have avoided selective pressure for complex bodies, brain, and behavior through potent chemical defenses. In particular, in the sea-slug Pleurobranchaea californica the functions of vertebrates' olfactory bulb and pallium are performed in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) of the chemotactile oral veil. Functions of hypothalamus and basal ganglia are combined in Pleurobranchaea's feeding motor network. The actions of basal ganglia on downstream locomotor regions and spinal CPGs are analogous to Pleurobranchaea's feeding network actions on CPGs for agonist and antagonist behaviors. The nervous systems of opisthobranch and pulmonate gastropods may conserve or reflect relations of the ancestral urbilaterian. Parallels and contrasts in neuronal circuits for action selection in Pleurobranchaea and vertebrates suggest how a basic set of decision circuitry was built upon in evolving segmentation, articulated skeletons, sociality, and highly invested reproductive strategies. They suggest (1) an origin of olfactory bulb and pallium from head-region PNS; (2) modularization of an ancestral feeding network into discrete but interacting executive modules for incentive comparison and decision (basal ganglia), and homeostatic functions (hypothalamus); (3) modification of a multifunctional premotor network for turns and locomotion, and its downstream targets for mid-brain and hind-brain motor areas and spinal CPGs; (4) condensation of a distributed serotonergic network for arousal into the raphe nuclei, with superimposed control by a peptidergic hypothalamic network mediating appetite and arousal; (5) centralization and condensation of the dopaminergic sensory afferents of the PNS, and/or the disperse dopaminergic elements of central CPGs, into the brain nuclei mediating valuation, reward, and motor arousal; and (6) the urbilaterian possessed the basic circuit relations integrating sensation, internal state, and learning for cost-benefit approach-avoidance decisions.
Visualizing the Social Underpinnings of a Building Type & Widespread Adoption of Student Unions

Using both found and created visual evidence, this paper will chart the origin and wide spreadadoption of Student Union buildings on college campuses in the United States from the 1920s through World War II. Original photographs, plans, and drawings of buildings – published or buried in archives – mount a story about the emerging building type that Student Union proponents and architects sought to establish on university campuses. Existing visual evidence provides important clues about the character and intent of the social spaces for college students, but this evidence does not explain the rapid adoption or the similarities among contemporaneous buildings, which were built by different architects under various campus administrations. New maps, however, are able to depict how ideas about the building type coalesced geographically through social connections, and why construction spread across the country as membership to the Association of College Unions grew. Although the history of Student Union buildings entails a range of topics that span how architecture supported social education and citizenship, conjured “home,” and served to establish a broad middle-class culture after World War II, this paper focuses on how social processes and individuals, on behalf of an institution, established the building type through a social network. Specific historic factors visualized include directed travel for Student Union research, conventions, and membership to the Association of College Unions, as well as travel by Student Union professionals. The significance of this research is that it harnesses maps and visual media to explore when and how social connections –much like social media today – circulated ideological approaches to social education, and shaped the form and meaning of Student Union buildings themselves. Thus, this paper contributes to discourse on building typologies as it examines the potential of maps and visual evidence in architectural history.
The British Garden: a Personal Perspective on a Year of Gardening in the United Kingdom

The Royal Horticultural Society/Garden Club of America Interchange Fellowship was established in 1952 and is awarded to one American and one British student annually. It was formerly known as the Martin McLaren Scholarship and was created to help encourage the exchange of ideas and information in the horticultural world. Terry Huang was selected as the American 2013–2014 Royal Interchange Fellow. His travels and placements solidified for him the important role that botanic and public gardens play as interpreters of the plant world. He describes some of his experiences and examples of excellence that he saw while in Britain. He goes on to explain that the work placements have influenced and inspired the work he does today in the Botany Greenhouse at the University of Washington.
Evaluation of the accuracy of the rigid body approach in the prediction of the dynamic stresses of complex multibody systems

In this paper, the floating frame of reference and absolute nodal coordinate formulations (ANCF) are explained in detail and used in the stress analysis of the track links in a complex three-dimensional tracked vehicle model. One of the most common areas of failure for such tracked vehicles is attributed to the failure of the track link chains, and therefore, performing a detailed fully coupled stress analysis, as the one described in this investigation, is necessary in order to obtain more accurate stress results and avoid failure of such complex vehicle systems.
Arachidonic acid activates Jun N-terminal kinase in vascular smooth muscle cells

We have previously demonstrated that arachidonic acid activates extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases (ERKs) group of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). To understand the role of arachidonic acid in cellular signaling events, we have now studied its effect on jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) group of MAPKs in VSMC. Arachidonic acid activated JNK1 in a time- and concentration-dependent manner with maximum effects at 10 min and 50 microM. Induced activation of JNK1 by arachidonic acid is specific as other fatty acids such as linoleic and stearic acids had no such effect. Indomethacin and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), potent inhibitors of the cyclooxygenase (COX) and the lipoxygenase (LOX)/monooxygenase (MOX) pathways, respectively, had no effect on arachidonic acid activation of JNK1 suggesting that the observed phenomenon is independent of its metabolism through either pathway. However, 12-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HpETE), the LOX metabolite of arachidonic acid significantly induced JNK1 activity. Protein kinase C (PKC) depletion by prolonged treatment of VSMC with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) resulted in partial decrease in the responsiveness of JNK1 to arachidonic acid suggesting a role for both PKC-dependent and -independent mechanisms in the activation of JNK1 by this important fatty acid. On the other hand, the responsiveness of JNK1 to 12-HpETE was completely abolished in PKC-depleted cells, suggesting a major role for PKC in 12-HpETE-induced JNK1 activation. IL-1beta and TNF-alpha activated JNK1 in a time-dependent manner with maximum effect at 10 min. Desensitization of JNK1 by arachidonic acid significantly reduced its responsiveness to both the cytokines. In addition, 4-bromophenacyl bromide (4-BPB), a potent and selective inhibitor of phospholipase A2 (PLA2), significantly attenuated the cytokine-induced activation of JNK1. Together, these results show that (1) arachidonic acid and its LOX metabolite, 12-HpETE, activate JNK1 in VSMC, (2) PKC-dependent and -independent mechanisms play a role in the activation of JNK1 by arachidonic acid and 12-HpETE, and (3) arachidonic acid mediates, at least partially, the cytokine-induced activation of JNK1.
Effects of Ions on Hydrogen-Bonding Water Networks in Large Aqueous Nanodrops

Ensemble infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectra in the hydrogen stretch region (∼2800–3800 cm–1) are reported for aqueous nanodrops containing ∼250 water molecules and either SO42–, I–, Na+, Ca2+, or La3+ at 133 K. Each spectrum has a broad feature in the bonded-OH region (∼2800–3500 cm–1) and a sharp feature near 3700 cm–1, corresponding to the free-OH stretch of surface water molecules that accept two hydrogen bonds and donate one hydrogen bond (AAD water molecules). A much weaker band corresponding to AD surface water molecules is observed for all ions except SO42–. The frequencies of the AAD free-OH stretch red-shift with increasingly positive charge, consistent with a Stark effect as a result of the ion’s electric field at the droplet surface, and from which the corresponding frequency for water molecules at the surface of neutral nanodrops of this size is estimated to be 3699.3–3700.1 cm–1. The intensity of the AAD band increases with increasing positive charge, consistent with a greater populati...
Religious Education: Analysis Over the Years

The present study is an effort to gather research aspects for religious education in Pakistan. Religious education, most commonly known as madrasa education, has a profound history titled as Nizamiyah. Historical changes in the Muslim regions have influenced this mode of education as well. It has been argued by some researchers that positivity of faith based education has diminished due to the changes in international political and economical scenario. Terrorism was found to be a strongly associated variable with madrasa education and researchers have reasoned it with poverty, strong mentoring system and misconceptualizations of some religious beliefs. This study has found that while madrasas are perceived very negatively, research shows that there are positive influences regarding availability of education and women empowerment. The negativity is attributed largely to media misrepresentation and political interests.
Image filtering and edge enhancing algorithm based on local information

This article mainly aimd at egg image processing about mottle removing,dirt block processing and edge peaking.The algorithm divided the image into certain sub-images,and gave specific processing to each of them.It can automatically complete the filter processing and edge peaking all at once.The test result indicated that the algorithm has a good effect on image processing,and also provieded the essential pretreatment for the egg yolk color examination method.
Nonadrenergic sympathetic neural influences on basal pancreatic hormone secretion

Evidence for peptidergic innervation of the islets of Langerhans is increasing, yet the role of neuropeptides in mediating neurally induced changes of islet function is not clear. To determine if n...
The First Voyage: Purity and the Politics of Fear

In the first Voyage, Swift’s shift in perspective tranforms Gulliver into an inevitable and obvious focus for the fears and anxieties of the Lilliputians. Because of his size, Gulliver is seen by the Lilliputians not only as an obvious danger but also as a potential source of contagion and defilement; indeed he says on two occasions that he owes his life to the Lilliputian fear of the ‘Infection’ which ‘the Stench of his Carcass’ might spread (XI, 32, 71). Perhaps the clearest indication that Gulliver is viewed as unclean by the Lilliputians is the abandoned temple in which he is finally ordered to be placed by the emperor. Because this temple had been ‘polluted some years before by an unnatural murder’, Gulliver tells us that ‘according to the Zeal of those People’, it was ‘looked upon as Profane, and therefore had been applied to common Use, and all the Ornaments and Furniture carried away’ (XI, 27).
Semiconducting and Superconducting Physics and Devices in theInAs/AlSb Materials System

Advances in the understanding of mesoscopic transport have benefited from the ability to fabricate and characterize structures at the requisite dimensions (≤ 100 nm), having appropriate materials characteristics. For example, the high mobilities of modulation-doped heterostructures, with their resulting long mean free paths, have enabled the observation of quantized conductance, and Aharanov-Bohm oscillations. In addition to the high mobilities, the field-controllable modulation of electron densities has made such semiconductor materials key factors in the observation of mesoscopic phenomena.
Prognostic importance of p53 codon 72 polymorphism differs with race in microsatellite stable colorectal adenocarcinoma

PR-11 Background: We reported an increased incidence of mortalityfor African-Americans with colonic adenocarcinomas but not withrectal adenocarcinomas when compared to Caucasians (Cancer 2004; 101:66-76);moreover, this disparity was due to high-grade colorectal adenocarcinomas (CRCs) (Cancer2005; 103:2163-70). To understand the molecular basis for thisdisparity, the current preliminary study assessed the mutationalpatterns of the p53 gene in microsatellite (MS) stable CRCs collected from African-American and non-HispanicCaucasian patients and correlated with their survival. Materialsand Methods: We selected MS stable CRCs from 86 African-Americans and 119 Caucasians which were previously evaluated for the MS status.None ofthese patients have received any pre- or post-surgery adjuvanttherapies. The status of the p53 gene was assessed by directsequencing of the entire coding region (exons 2 through 11),using exon-specific primers. We used the Chi-square test to comparebaseline characteristics and Univariate Kaplan-Meier survivalanalyses to assess the prognostic significance of codon 72 polymorphism of the p53 gene based on race/ethnicity. Results: Overall, p53 missense mutations were observed in 53 of 205 (26%) MS stable CRCs, and the incidence of these mutations were similar in African-Americans (18 of 86; 21%) and Caucasian patients (35 of 119; 29%). Analysis of the 72 codon polymorphism in these CRCs demonstrated a higher frequency of Arg/Pro phenotypes (109 of 205, 53%) than phenotypes Arg/Arg (70 of 205, 34%) or Pro/Pro (26 of 205, 13%). CRCs homozygous for the Pro/Pro (7 of 26; 27%) or Arg/Arg (25 of 70; 36%) phenotypes had significantly higher incidence of p53 missense mutations (p=0.04) compared to heterozygous for the Arg/Pro (21 of 109; 19%) phenotype. The incidence of homozygous mutant variants Pro/Pro was higher in African-American patients as compared to Caucasians (58% versus 42%); in contrast, the wild type variant (Arg/Arg) frequency was higher in Caucasians than African-Americans (74% versus 26%) (p=0.002). CRCs with Pro/Pro mutant phenotypes were significantly correlated with the proximal colon (p=0.039), nodal metastasis (p=0.036) and exhibited high grade differentiation (p=0.015). African-Americans with SNPsat codon 72 which exhibit the phenotypes, Pro/Pro had higher mortality (median survival of 5 months) than those withthe phenotype Arg/Arg (median survival of 35 months) or Arg/Pro (median survival of 52 months) (overall, log-rank, P=0.046),such a difference in mortality was not observed in Caucasianpatients (overall, log-rank, P=0.686). Conclusions: These preliminaryfindings suggest that in MS stable CRCs the SNP pattern at codon 72 of the p53gene and their prognostic value differs in African-American and Caucasian patients; specifically, the phenotypes Pro/Proof p53 are associated with poor clinical outcome of African-Americanpatients. These studies are supported by a NCI/NIH grant CA098932-01.
Electrical conductivity channels in the atmosphere produced by relativistic-electron microbursts from the magnetosphere

Abstract The properties of a cylindrical-shaped magnetic-field-aligned channel of electrical conductivity produced by the precipitation of relativistic-electrons into the atmosphere during a spatially localized magnetospheric microburst are estimated. The conducting channel connects the middle atmosphere (~50 km) to the ionosphere. A channel diameter of ~ 8 km with an electric conductivity of 1.2×10−9 Ω−1m−1 near the bottom and 1.8×10−7 Ω−1m−1 higher up is found. In the fair-weather electric field, the higher-conductivity portions of the channel can carry substantial electrical currents.
New Feasibility Conditions for Directed Strongly Regular Graphs

We prove two results for directed strongly regular graphs that have an eigenvalue of multiplicity less than $k$, the common out-degree of each vertex. The first bounds the size of an independent set, and the second determines an eigenvalue of the subgraph on the out-neighborhood of a vertex. Both lead to new nonexistence results for parameter sets.
Social Epistemology and LIS: How to Clarify Our Epistemic Objectives

Many different objectives for libraries and other information services have been proposed. Most commonly, these objectives focus on properties of the collection itself: the quality of the materials, the demand for the materials, the comprehensiveness of the materials, the accessibility of the materials, etc. However, these properties are only valuable because they are instrumental to achieving a more fundamental epistemic objective...
Inverse spectral problem for analytic domains, II: ℤ2-symmetric domains

This paper develops and implements a new algorithm for calculating wave trace invariants of a bounded plane domain around a periodic billiard orbit. The algorithm is based on a new expression for the localized wave trace as a special multiple oscillatory integral over the boundary, and on a Feynman diagrammatic analysis of the stationary phase expansion of the oscillatory integral. The algorithm is particularly effective for Euclidean plane domains possessing a ℤ 2 symmetry which reverses the orientation of a bouncing ball orbit. It is also very effective for domains with dihedral symmetries. For simply connected analytic Euclidean plane domains in either symmetry class, we prove that the domain is determined within the class by either its Dirichlet or Neumann spectrum. This improves and generalizes the best prior inverse result that simply connected analytic plane domains with two symmetries are spectrally determined within that class.
A Modeling Study on Inspired CO2 Rebreathing Device for Sleep Apnea Treatment by Means of CFD Analysis and Experiment

We present the device design, simulation, and measurement results of a therapy device that potentially prevents sleep apnea by slightly increasing inspired CO2 through added dead space (DS). The rationale for treatment of sleep apnea with CO2 manipulation is based on two recently reported premises: (i) preventing transient reductions in PaCO2 will prevent the patient from reaching their apneic threshold, thereby preventing “central” apnea and instabilities in respiratory motor output; and (ii) raising PaCO2 and end-tidal CO2, even by a minimal amount, provides a strong recruitment of upper airway dilator muscles, thereby preventing airway obstruction. We have also provided the simulation results, obtained from solving the Navier–Stokes (NS) equations within the device volume. Therein, the NS equations are coupled with a convection–diffusion equation that represents the transport of CO2 in the device, thus enabling the transient simulation of CO2 propagation. Using this procedure, a prototype of variable volume dead space reservoir device was designed. Volumetric factors influencing carbon dioxide increases in the added reservoir (open-ended DS) were investigated. The maximum/minimum amount of CO2 concentration were obtained for the maximum/minimum device volume; 3.4 and 2.4 mol/m3 for the DS volumes of 1.2 and 0.5 × 10−3 m3, respectively. In all case studies, the CO2 buildup reached a plateau after approximately 20 breathing cycles. The experimental measurement results are in agreement with the simulation and numerical results obtained using the proposed simplified modeling technique, with a maximum relative error of 3.5%.
Caloric Restriction Prevents Carcinogen-Initiated Liver Tumorigenesis in Mice

Caloric restriction (CR) and endurance exercise elicit wide-ranging health benefits including reduced risk of select cancers. In addition, diet composition influences oncogenesis, although its interactions with exercise and CR are not well understood. Therefore, to investigate the potential interactions between diet and lifestyle interventions on liver tumorigenesis, the carcinogen diethylnitrosamine was administered to 72 male C57Bl/6 mice that were subsequently fed diets enriched with lard (CTL) or olive oil and were further stratified to voluntary wheel running (Ex) or 30% CR for 49 weeks. Although Ex and diet composition did not influence liver oncogenesis, CR prevented hepatic tumor formation. In addition, CR reduced steatosis, hepatocyte ballooning, inflammation, and immune cell infiltration, all of which are hallmarks in the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease to liver tumorigenesis. RNA sequencing of nontransformed liver tissues from CR mice revealed changes in metabolic pathways and reduced inflammation, cytokine production, stellate cell activation and migration, and genes associated with liver injury and oncogenesis. These data demonstrate that CR protects against steatosis, liver inflammation, and liver injury and is a robust deterrent of carcinogen-induced hepatic oncogenesis. Cancer Prev Res; 10(11); 660-70. ©2017 AACR.
Differential cell-matrix mechanoadaptations and inflammation drive regional propensities to aortic fibrosis, aneurysm or dissection in hypertension

The embryonic lineage of intramural cells, microstructural organization of the extracellular matrix, local luminal and wall geometry, and haemodynamic loads vary along the length of the aorta. Yet, it remains unclear why certain diseases manifest differentially along the aorta. Toward this end, myriad animal models provide insight into diverse disease conditions-including fibrosis, aneurysm and dissection-but inherent differences across models impede general interpretations. We examined region-specific cellular, matrix, and biomechanical changes in a single experimental model of hypertension and atherosclerosis, which commonly coexist. Our findings suggest that (i) intramural cells within the ascending aorta are unable to maintain the intrinsic material stiffness of the wall, which ultimately drives aneurysmal dilatation, (ii) a mechanical stress-initiated, inflammation-driven remodelling within the descending aorta results in excessive fibrosis, and (iii) a transient loss of adventitial collagen within the suprarenal aorta contributes to dissection propensity. Smooth muscle contractility helps to control wall stress in the infrarenal aorta, which maintains mechanical properties near homeostatic levels despite elevated blood pressure. This early mechanoadaptation of the infrarenal aorta does not preclude subsequent acceleration of neointimal formation, however. Because region-specific conditions may be interdependent, as, for example, diffuse central arterial stiffening can increase cyclic haemodynamic loads on an aneurysm that is developing proximally, there is a clear need for more systematic assessments of aortic disease progression, not simply a singular focus on a particular region or condition.
Responses of weanling pigs to spray-dried animal plasma added to simple diets containing varying levels of soya-bean meal

A total of 276 crossbred pigs were used in three trials to determine if feeding spray-dried animal plasma (SDAP) in simple phase 1 piglet diets with differing soya-bean meal (SBM) levels can influence performance or immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels specific to the antigenic soya proteins, glycinin and β-conglycinin. Pigs were blocked according to initial body weight and equalized across treatments according to gender and ancestry. Blocks of pigs were then randomly assigned to one of three treatments in a completely randomized block design. The dietary treatments were as follows: (1) 10% +: 100 g/kg SBM with 75 g/kg SDAP; (2) 20% +: 200 g/kg SBM with 75 g/ kg SDAP; (3) 20%-: 200 g/kg SBM without SDAP. Pigs were given treatment diets for 14 days, followed by a common diet for the duration of the trials (35 days). Average daily gain (ADG) and gain to food (G: F) ratios were not affected by dietary treatments. Average daily food intake (ADFI), however, was greater for pigs given 10% + as compared with 20% + and 20%- (P < 0.05) during days 0 to 14 post weaning. Addition of SDAP increased ADFI (P < 0.01) and tended to increase ADFI when added to diets containing 200 g/kg of soya-bean meal (P = 0.06). No differences were detected in soya-specific IgG levels during any collection period. These data suggest that SDAP addition to simple phase 1 piglet diets increased ADFI during the first 2 weeks, but did not alter ADG or food efficiency. There was no indication that SDAP addition altered IgG titres against the soya-bean proteins, glycinin and β-conglycinin.
Effects of Substance Use and Sex Practices on the Intestinal Microbiome During HIV-1 Infection.

Background Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection alters the human intestinal microbiome; however, behavioral factors driving these changes remain poorly defined. Here we examine the effects of substance use and sex behavior on the microbiome during HIV-1 infection. Methods Archival rectal swab specimens, urine drug test results, and responses to substance use and sex behavior questionnaires were obtained from 37 HIV-positive participants at 2 time points, separated by 6 months, in a cohort examining the effects of substance use in men who have sex with men (MSM). Microbiome profiling was performed using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing, and associations with behavioral factors were examined using 0-inflated negative binomial regression. Further analysis of selected variables of interest was performed using propensity scores to account for multiple confounders. Results Using permutational multivariate analysis of variance, we found that receptive anal intercourse, methamphetamine use, and marijuana use were among the most important drivers of microbiome variation. Propensity score-adjusted analyses revealed that methamphetamine use and marijuana use displayed unique associations; methamphetamine use was associated with an increased abundance of Porphyromonas and Granulicatella organisms and a decreased abundance of Ruminococcus, Collinsella, and Parabacteroides organisms, whereas marijuana use was associated with an increased abundance of Ruminococcus, Clostridium cluster IV, Solobacterium, and Fusobacterium organisms and a decreased abundance of Acidaminococcus, Prevotella, Dialister, Anaerostipes, and Dorea organisms. Conclusions Drug use and sex behavior are important factors associated with intestinal dysbiosis during chronic HIV-1 infection among young MSM.
Public Policy and Caregiving

Public policymakers are always faced with the challenge of designing and evaluating social programs that take into consideration the budgetary implications, political realities, and ethical dilemmas of a wide spectrum of stakeholders. It is from this perspective of multiple competing priorities that public policy makers consider caregiving and what is known and what is needed.