cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive Study of the Performance of SiC MOSFET-Based Automotive DC–DC Converter Under the Influence of Parasitic Inductance

With low loss, fast switching speed, and high-temperature capabilities, silicon carbide (SiC)-based devices are beneficial to automotive power converters in terms of efficiency increase and size reduction. Nevertheless, as a result of fast switching transitions and low on-state resistance of SiC devices, SiC-based converters are prone to overshoots and oscillations on switching waveforms, with the presence of parasitic inductances in the circuit. The overshoots and oscillations further contribute to increased converter loss and EMI emissions. This paper aims to study the influence of parasitic inductances on the performance of SiC MOSFETs for automotive dc–dc converters from the loss and electromagnetic interference perspective.
The Economic Choices Facing the Next President

The Economic Choices Facing the Next President was published in October 2014 to coincide with the start of Joko (Jokowi) Widodo’s time in office. The book was written by three well-known, highly re...
TrkB Signaling in Dorsal Raphe Nucleus is Essential for Antidepressant Efficacy and Normal Aggression Behavior

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its high affinity receptor, tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), have important roles in neural plasticity and are required for antidepressant efficacy. Studies examining the role of BDNF-TrkB signaling in depression and antidepressant efficacy have largely focused on the limbic system, leaving it unclear whether this signaling is important in other brain regions. BDNF and TrkB are both highly expressed in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), a brain region that has been suggested to have a role in depression and antidepressant action, although it is unknown whether BDNF and TrkB in the dorsal raphe nucleus are involved in these processes. We combined the adeno-associated virus (AAV) with the Cre-loxP site-specific recombination system to selectively knock down either Bdnf or TrkB in the DRN. These mice were then characterized in several behavioral paradigms including measures of depression-related behavior and antidepressant efficacy. We show that knockdown of TrkB, but not Bdnf, in the DRN results in loss of antidepressant efficacy and increased aggression-related behavior. We also show that knockdown of TrkB or Bdnf in this brain region does not have an impact on weight, activity levels, anxiety, or depression-related behaviors. These data reveal a critical role for TrkB signaling in the DRN in mediating antidepressant responses and normal aggression behavior. The results also suggest a non-cell autonomous role for BDNF in the DRN in mediating antidepressant efficacy.
An Assessment of Fuel Damage in Postulated Reactivity-Initiated Accidents

In late 1993 and early 1994, tests in France and Japan showed that cladding damage in fuel rods with burnups above 50 GWd/ton occurs at much lower energies than in unirradiatedfuel rods when exposed to large power pulses. During the last decade, significant additional test results have become available to permit an interim assessment of potential cladding failure in reactivity-initiated accidents (RIAs) in reactors with fuel burnups above 40 GWd/ton, which is generally regarded as high-burnup fuel. These data are summarized, and systematic biases due to atypical test conditions are identified. The magnitude of biases in the fuel enthalpy for failure are estimated to range from -19 to +27 cal/g for the cases analyzed. With these adjustments, a lower bound of the enthalpies for experimentally observed cladding failure is compared with potential enthalpies in pressurized water reactors and boiling water reactors. Based on available information on control rod worths, it is concluded that current operating reactors in the United States are not likely to experience cladding failure during the worst postulated RIAs.
Agronomic and quality characteristics of native north American hops

Native wild North American hops collected in 11 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces at various times since 1958 were evaluated for agronomic and quality characteristics during the 1990 and 1991 ...
A Minimally Invasive Technique to Reduce Platysma Banding

Introduction:Senescent changes of the submandibular zone and neck contribute to an obtuse cervicomental angle, submental fullness, and platysma band formation. Many open techniques for repair of pl...
Propagation and production of an endangered aquatic macrophyte: Texas wildrice (Zizania texana Hitchc.)

Texas wildrice ( Zizania texana Hitchc. [Poaceae]), a federally endangered aquatic macrophyte, is propagated from seeds (grains) and tillers at the USFWS’s San Marcos Aquatic Resource Center (SMARC) for supplementing natural populations in the San Marcos River and life history studies at SMARC. I found seeds to be more efficient and cost-effective compared to using tillers because of the amount of space required for maintaining tillers and the time required to collect wild tillers from the San Marcos River. Seed germination was 67% for 44 germination trials and seedling survival was 88% ( n = 9413) from 2012 to 2014. Growth rates based on total leaf length were 3875 cm (1525 in) at a flow of 0.4 m/s (1.3 ft/s) compared with 1069 cm (420 in) at 0.0 m/s. Texas wild seeds grown in a flow of 0.4 m/s (1.3 ft/s) can be planted in the San Marcos River at 10 to 12 wk post-germination. Outplanting of Texas wildrice in the lower San Marcos River resulted in a 4-fold increase in area coverage at 8 mo post-planting compared to initial planting at 0 mo.
A Practice-Based Theory of Healing Through Therapeutic Touch: Advancing Holistic Nursing Practice:

For nearly 50 years, Therapeutic Touch (TT) has contributed to advancing holistic nursing practice and has been recognized as a uniquely human approach to healing. This narrative explores the development of a practice-based theory of healing through TT, which occurred between 2010 and 2016. Through the in-depth self-inquiry of participatory reflective dialogue in concert with constant narrative analysis, TT practitioners revealed the meaning of healing within the context of their TT practice. As the community of TT experts participated in an iterative process of small group and community dialogues with analysis and synthesis of emerging themes, the assumptions and concepts central to a theory of healing emerged, were clarified and verified. Exemplars of practice illustrate the concepts. A model of the theory of healing illuminates the movement and relationship among concepts and evolved over time. Feedback from nursing and inter-professional practitioners indicate that the theory of healing, while situated within the context of TT, may be useful in advancing holistic nursing practice, informing healing and caring approaches, stimulating research and education, and contributing to future transformations in health care.
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: WHICH INCLUSION MODEL PROVIDES ACADEMIC GAINS FOR STUDENTS WITH MILD TO SEVERE DISABILITIES IN THE SECONDARY SETTING?

A major premise of inclusive education for students with mild-severe disabilities is to provide skills, which enable them to live, work, and participate in an integrated community of life-long learners. Inclusive education would lead these students to greater independence and opportunity to be educated together in age appropriate general education classrooms. Three inclusion models were compared to determine which model would produce higher gains, both academically and socially in a high school multi-disability classroom. All three groups were their own control groups. Students were assigned to groups based on intellectual functioning and individual needs. Each group consisted of students that were relatively higher functioning, relatively lower functioning and students with severe needs. The settings included a general education classroom with adult/paraprofessional interaction, a general education setting with peer interactions or a small group instructional classroom with peer directed instructional activities. A constant comparison methodology was used to analyze the data across three groups and role of stakeholders. Findings revealed the benefits of inclusive education for all students, but the gains varied depending on the setting/inclusion model used. Article visualizations:
Polarity Computations in Flexible Categorial Grammar

This paper shows how to take parse trees in CCG and algorithmically find the polarities of all the constituents. Our work uses the well-known polarization principle corresponding to function application, and we have extended this with principles for type raising and composition. We provide an algorithm, extending the polarity marking algorithm of van Benthem. We discuss how our system works in practice, taking input from the C&C parser.
Docs.com: Social File Sharing in Facebook

Social networking sites provide a unique opportunity for users to engage in broadcast online file sharing and collaboration. In this study we examine the usage of Docs.com, which integrates Microsoft Office web documents with Facebook. In reviewing the content of Docs.com documents, we found they were equally created and shared for work, personal productivity, and play. Users actively employed relationship levels in their Facebook networks to define access to their documents. However, we also found the most viewed documents were those shared to the entire public, with Facebook notifications driving most of the traffic to these public documents. Finally, through a factor analysis of user activity four primary types of usage emerged – sharing, creating, collaborating, and consuming. Those who created and collaborated around documents had higher levels of engagement than those who just shared or consumed documents, interacting with more documents and returning on more unique days.
A TQM Study of Faculty Perceptions of Research Administration Processes

Faculty interest in total quality management (TQM) can be encouraged, particularly at the initial stages, by identifying initiatives that apply continuous improvement methods targeted at critical research processes. Building on the experience of a TQM ..
Benchmarking transcranial electrical stimulation finite element models: a comparison study.

Objective To compare field measure differences in simulations of transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) generated by variations in finite element (FE) models due to boundary condition specification, use of tissue compartment smoothing filters, and use of free or structured tetrahedral meshes based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. Approach A structural MRI head volume was acquired at 1 mm3 resolution and segmented into ten tissue compartments. Predicted current densities and electric fields were computed in segmented models using modeling pipelines involving either an in-house (block) or a commercial platform commonly used in previous FE tES studies involving smoothed compartments and free meshing procedures (smooth). The same boundary conditions were used for both block and smooth pipelines. Differences caused by varying boundary conditions were examined using a simple geometry. Percentage differences of median current density values in five cortical structures were compared between the two pipelines for three electrode montages (F3-right supraorbital, T7-T8 and Cz-Oz). Main results Use of boundary conditions commonly used in previous tES FE studies produced asymmetric current density profiles in the simple geometry. In head models, median current density differences produced by the two pipelines, using the same boundary conditions, were up to 6% (isotropic) and 18% (anisotropic) in structures targeted by each montage. Tangential electric field measures calculated via either pipeline were within the range of values reported in the literature, when averaged over cortical surface patches. Significance Apparently equivalent boundary settings may affect predicted current density outcomes and care must be taken in their specification. Smoothing FE model compartments may not be necessary, and directly translated, voxellated tissue boundaries at 1 mm3 resolution may be sufficient for use in tES FE studies, greatly reducing processing times. The findings here may be used to inform future current density modeling studies.
Logistics Management Innovation, RFID Application on Intelligent Management of Valuable Assets

A company’s storage inventory accuracy and information instant realization are the key points to the logistics operation.UMC has acted as a leader in the field of semiconductor manufacturing since warehouse members took the first step of intelligent management by introducing RFID system to gas operation in 2015. In the view of our experience and achievement, as well as the evaluation of RFID applications, we have decided to apply RFID system for Dry Pump’s management.
Disclosing accommodation needs: exploring experiences of higher education students with disabilities

Despite increased access, students with disabilities in higher education face barriers and report greater dissatisfaction than peers without disabilities [Mullins and Preyde 2013; Strnadova, Hajkov...
II. Evaluation of the model in use Computer- simulated laboratory experiments in food science

Students gain in knowledge and attitudinal changes resulting from the use of computer simulation in solving problems is reported.
Continuous-Time Markov Chain and Regime Switching Approximations with Applications to Options Pricing

In this chapter, we present recent developments in using the tools of continuous-time Markov chains for the valuation of European and path-dependent financial derivatives. We also survey results on a newly proposed regime switching approximation to stochastic volatility, and stochastic local volatility models. The presented framework is part of an exciting recent stream of literature on numerical option pricing, and offers a new perspective that combines the theory of diffusion processes, Markov chains, and Fourier techniques. It is also elegantly connected to partial differential equation (PDE) approaches.
The Dynamic Double Flash Illusion: Auditory Triggered Replay of Illusory Visual Expansion

In the original double flash illusion, a visual flash (e.g., a sharp-edged disk, or uniformly filled circle) presented with two short auditory tones (beeps) is often followed by an illusory flash. The illusory flash has been previously shown to be triggered by the second auditory beep. The current study extends the double flash illusion by showing that this paradigm can not only create the illusory repeat of an on-off flash, but also trigger an illusory expansion (and in some cases a subsequent contraction) that is induced by the flash of a circular brightness gradient (gradient disk) to replay as well. The perception of the dynamic double flash illusion further supports the interpretation of the illusory flash (in the double flash illusion) as similar in its spatial and temporal properties to the perception of the real visual flash, likely by replicating the neural processes underlying the illusory expansion of the real flash. We show further that if a gradient disk (generating an illusory expansion) and a sharp-edged disk are presented simultaneously side by side with two sequential beeps, often only one visual stimulus or the other will be perceived to double flash. This indicates selectivity in auditory-visual binding, suggesting the usefulness of this paradigm as a psychophysical tool for investigating crossmodal binding phenomena.
Are theories of selection necessary

This commentary is an attempt to sharpen some of the issues raised in the paper and thereby increase the generality of the proposal. Some implications of an exact definition of behavior for strategies of measurement and hence behavioral variability are discussed. The role of both respondent and operant behavior in natural selection is emphasized.
Sporulation environment drives phenotypic variation in the pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillus fumigatus causes more than 300,000 life-threatening infections annually and is widespread across varied environments with a single colony producing thousands of conidia, genetically-identical dormant spores. Conidia are easily wind-dispersed to new environments where they can germinate and, if inhaled by susceptible hosts, cause disease. Using high-throughput, single-cell analysis we show that germination phenotypes vary among genetically-identical individuals and that the environment of spore production determines the degree of germination heterogeneity.
The Transnational Tobacco Industry and Oral Health

Objective All tobacco products carry established or probable adverse oral health effects. This study highlights several examples of actions by transnational tobacco corporations to obscure those effects, including several in which they were aided by the oral health community. Methods Information was derived primarily from a search of records in the Truth Tobacco Industry Documents Database, supplemented by other published material and the author's personal experiences. Results Tobacco companies attempted to interfere with oral cancer research and dissemination of its findings the 1950s and 1960s. Philip Morris, Inc. partnered with the American Dental Association's periodontal research centre until 1973 and the Council for Tobacco Research supported its dental student research program until 1972. Swedish Match funded much of the Swedish research on oral health effects of its smokeless tobacco products and helped foster the current "tobacco harm reduction" strategy. Electronic nicotine delivery devices are the current focus of that strategy, though data on oral health effects are sparse. Conclusions The transnational tobacco industry has a long history of deception, corruption, and devastation, and oral health was no exception. Organized dentistry may have unwittingly aided and abetted the tobacco industry during a critical period of history.
Theaphenon E prevents fatty liver disease and increases CD4+ T cell survival in mice fed a high-fat diet.

Summary Background & aims Obesity is a major cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is an epidemic affecting nearly 34% of the adult population in the US. As a chronic inflammatory disease, NAFLD influences the immune system by dysregulating T-cell activity. Remedies for the adverse effects on the immune system are urgently needed. We studied Theaphenon E (TE), a standardized formulation of green tea extract, on the adverse effects of NAFLD in C57BL/6J mice fed a high fat diet (HFD). Methods Mice received HFD, low fat diet (LFD) or HFD+2% TE for 35 weeks. Hepatic lipid accumulation, cell proliferation, apoptosis and CD4+T lymphocytes were measured throughout the bioassay. The hepatic composition of fatty acids was determined. The effects of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) metabolites on lipid accumulation in mouse and primary human liver cells were studied. Results Unlike mice receiving HFD, mice on HFD+2% TE maintained normal liver to body weight ratios with low levels of alanine and aspartate aminotransferase (ALT and AST). Hepatic lipid accumulation was observed in HFD mice, accompanied by increased proliferation, reduced apoptosis and loss of CD4+ T lymphocytes. TE significantly inhibited lipid accumulation, decreased proliferation, induced apoptosis and increased CD4+ T cell survival in HFD mice. It was found that the EGCG metabolite EGC-M3 reduced lipid accumulation in mouse and human hepatocytes. Linoleic acid showed the largest increase (2.5-fold) in livers of mice on a HFD and this increase was significantly suppressed by TE. Conclusions Livers of HFD-fed mice showed lipid accumulation, increased proliferation, reduced apoptosis, elevated linoleic acid and loss of CD4+ T cells. TE effectively ameliorated all of these adverse effects.
Detection Methods of Slow Read DoS Using Full Packet Capture Data

Detecting Denial of Service (DoS) attacks on web servers has become extremely popular with cybercriminals and organized crime groups. A successful DoS attack on network resources reduces availability of service to a web site and backend resources, and could easily result in a loss of millions of dollars in revenue depending on company size. There are many DoS attack methods, each of which is critical to providing an understanding of the nature of the DoS attack class. There has been a rise in recent years of application-layer DoS attack methods that target web servers and are challenging to detect. An attack may be disguised to look like legitimate traffic, except it targets specific application packets or functions. Slow Read DoS attack is one type of slow HTTP attack targeting the application-layer. Slow Read attacks are often used to exploit weaknesses in the HTTP protocol, as it is the most widely used protocol on the Internet. In this paper, we use Full Packet Capture (FPC) datasets for detecting Slow Read DoS attacks with machine learning methods. All data collected originates in a live network environment. Our approach produces FPC features taken from network packets at the IP and TCP layers. Experimental results show that the machine learners were quite successful in identifying the Slow Read attacks with high detection and low false alarm rates using FPC data. Our experiment evaluates FPC datasets to determine the accuracy and efficiency of several detection models for Slow Read attacks. The experiment demonstrates that FPC features are discriminative enough to detect such attacks.
Direct Measurement of Water-Assisted Ion Desorption and Solvation on Isolated Carbon Nanotubes

We have investigated the change in mean residence time of gaseous ions adsorbed on the surface of suspended carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNT-FETs) with and without native surface water layers that exists in atmospheric conditions. Devices were characterized electrically before and after dehydration by thermal, dry gas, and vacuum desiccation and in each scenario were found to have substantially higher mean ion residence times. It is proposed that water molecules native to the CNT surface in ambient conditions provide a reduction pathway for incoming gaseous ions, yielding hydronium ions (H3O+). This is supported by the appearance of frequent clustered readsorption events in the presence of surface water, caused by the rapid hopping of H+ between the device surface and the lowest water layer, which are not present in data collected from desiccated devices. After desiccation of the device, a thermal trial was conducted to determine the adsorption energy of N2+ ions on the CNT surface. This work has profound implications for our understanding of wetting in one-dimensional systems and the chemistry of ion chemisorption and solvation on the surfaces of materials in general.
Low-temperature carbonization of polyacrylonitrile/graphene carbon fibers: A combined ReaxFF molecular dynamics and experimental study

Abstract Graphene inclusion in a polymer matrix is a promising route to significantly enhance the mechanical properties of low-grade carbon fibers (CFs). Using ReaxFF molecular dynamics simulation, the atomistic mechanism leading to this enhancement is investigated. We demonstrate that the graphene edges along with the nitrogen and oxygen functional groups play a catalytic role and act as seeds to expedite alignment of the all-carbon rings, which are starting sites for the growth of graphitic structures. To examine the role of this proposed mechanism that enhances the graphitic structure of PAN/graphene CFs, we discuss the experimental results wherein the PAN/graphene CFs carbonized at 1250 °C demonstrate 91% (from 632 to 1207 MPa) increase in strength and 101% (from 88 to 177 GPa) enhancement in Young’s modulus compared to PAN-based CFs carbonized at 1500 °C. These enhanced mechanical properties of low-grade carbon fibers achieved via graphene inclusion at decreased carbonization temperature provide a means to realize both energy savings and cost reduction.
Role of pre-existing dislocations on the shock compression and spall behavior in single-crystal copper at atomic scales

Large-scale molecular dynamics simulations are carried out to investigate the role of pre-existing dislocation loops on the shock-induced deformation and spall behavior of single-crystal Cu microstructures. This study investigates the role of loading orientation and initial density of pre-existing dislocations on the decay behavior of the Hugoniot elastic limit (HEL) as well as the damage nucleation and growth behavior during spall failure of single-crystal Cu systems. The results suggest that the presence of pre-existing dislocation loops results in a decrease of the shock wave velocity and a substantial decay of the HEL values. The increased decay behavior is attributed to the decrease in the density of Shockley partials at the shock front as the shock wave travels through the metal as compared to defect-free initial single-crystal microstructures. Similarly, the presence of pre-existing dislocations is observed to result in increased values for the spall strength as compared to defect-free initial single-crystal microstructures wherein a higher density of dislocations results in the nucleation of a larger number of smaller voids. The decay behavior of the HEL values is observed to have a power–law dependence on the shock propagation distance with the initial dislocation density as a parameter. Similarly, a power–law dependence is also proposed for the number of voids nucleated at the spall plane with a dependence on the size of the voids as well as the initial density of dislocations. The evolution of microstructure (dislocation densities and voids) for the various loading orientations and initial densities of dislocations is discussed.
Excluding Whom? Race, Gender, and Suspension in High School:

Students of color are more apt to face exclusionary discipline in school, such as suspension or expulsion, than their white counterparts, and once suspended students may be more likely to drop out ...
Prostaglandin regulation of type 2 inflammation: From basic biology to therapeutic interventions.

Type 2 immunity is critical for the protective and repair responses that mediate resistance to parasitic helminth infection. This immune response also drives aberrant inflammation during atopic diseases. Prostaglandins are a class of critical lipid mediators that are released during Type 2 inflammation and are integral in controlling the initiation, activation, maintenance, effector functions and resolution of Type 2 inflammation. In this review, we explore the role of the different prostaglandin family members and the receptors they bind to during allergen- and helminth-induced Type 2 inflammation and the mechanism through which prostaglandins promote or suppress Type 2 inflammation. Furthermore, we discuss the potential role of prostaglandins produced by helminth parasites in the regulation of host-pathogen interactions, and how prostaglandins may regulate the inverse relationship between helminth infection and allergy. Finally, we discuss opportunities to capitalize on our understanding of prostaglandin pathways to develop new therapeutic options for humans experiencing Type 2 inflammatory disorders that have a significant prostaglandin-driven component, including allergic rhinitis and asthma. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Motivated to "roll the dice" on trust: The relationships between employees' daily motives, risk propensity, and trust.

Models of trust have focused on the notion that an employee's trust in a coworker is based on that coworker's trustworthiness and the employee's trust propensity-a generalized tendency to believe others are trustworthy. Although these models capture the general assessment of risk associated with trusting a particular coworker, they provide insufficient insight into why an employee might take the risk associated with trust on a particular day. Bringing the concept of risk propensity-the tendency to accept or avoid risk-from the decision-making literature into the trust literature, we build a model of trust that suggests employees' trusting behaviors stem from both their calculated assessment of risk (encapsulated in trustworthiness and trust propensity) and their tendency to take those risks. We draw on motivated reasoning theory (Kunda, 1990) and the decision-making literature to suggest that employees' daily strivings for achievement, affiliation, stimulation, and security induce a biased reasoning process that influences employees' risk propensity that day. Our test of this theoretical model demonstrates that generalized work motives have an indirect effect on employees' trust in their coworkers, through risk propensity, that goes above and beyond established bases of trust. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Medical Data of the Examination of 2333 Supposedly Normal Adult Young Women

(1912). Medical Data of the Examination of 2333 Supposedly Normal Adult Young Women. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 17, No. 8, pp. 608-623.
Adapting mutations in genetic algorithms using gene flow principles

Bit mutation in genetic algorithms is usually done with a single fixed probability. Methods to adapt this probability have been suggested, but they operate at the genome level. This paper describes a gene level adaption scheme, based on allele frequencies, which gives a better escape from local optima.
Progesterone binding in uterine cytosols of the guinea pig.

Guinea pig uterine cytosols have been prepared from normal, ovariectomized, and ovariectomized, estrogen-primed animals. The cytosols were incubated with [3H]progesterone and analyzed by sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation and equilibrium dialysis. A progesterone receptor, which has a sedimentation coefficient of about 7.6 S, was found in the cytosols but not in plasma. The receptor was dependent on in vivo estrogen. The intrinsic association constant, estimated from Scatchard plots, was about 5 x 108 m -1 when the concentration of cytosol protein was 5 mg per ml, and about 2 x 109 m -1 when the concentration was 2 mg per ml. Scatchard plots showed a maximum value of B/F at low ligand concentrations, indicating “cooperativity,” similar to that seen in plots of the estrogen receptor. Exposure of the receptor to 0.3 m KCl resulted in inactivation of binding sites rather than dissociation into 3.5 to 5.0 S subunits. There is evidence for the existence of a 5.5 to 6.0 S receptor after exposure to 0.3 m KCl which may have been derived from the 7.6 S receptor.
Modulation of Endotoxin- and Enterotoxin-Induced Cytokine Release by In Vivo Treatment with β-(1,6)-Branched β-(1,3)-Glucan

Leukocytes activated by endotoxin or enterotoxins release proinflammatory cytokines, thereby contributing to the cascade of events leading to septic shock. In the present studies, we analyzed the effects of in vivo administration of a soluble immunomodulator, β-(1,6)-branched β-(1,3)-glucan (soluble β-glucan), on toxin-stimulated cytokine production in monocytes and lymphocytes isolated from treated mice. In vitro stimulation of lymphocytes isolated from soluble β-glucan-treated mice with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) resulted in enhanced production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and suppressed production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), while stimulation of these cells with staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) or toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) resulted in enhanced production of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and suppressed production of IL-2 and TNF-α compared to that in cells isolated from untreated mice. In vitro stimulation of monocytes isolated from soluble β-glucan-treated mice with LPS also resulted in suppressed TNF-α production, while stimulation of these cells with SEB or TSST-1 resulted in suppressed IL-6 and TNF-α production compared to that in cells isolated from untreated mice. Thus, the overall cytokine pattern of leukocytes from soluble β-glucan-treated mice reflects suppressed production of proinflammatory cytokines, especially TNF-α. Taken together, our results suggest that treatment with soluble β-glucan can modulate the induction cytokines during sepsis, resulting in an overall decrease in host mortality.
DNA Isolation and Sample Preparation for Quantification of Adduct Levels by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry

A protocol is described for the isolation of DNA and subsequent preparation of samples for the measurement of adduct levels by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). AMS is a highly sensitive technique used for the quantification of adducts following exposure to carbon-14- or tritium-labeled chemicals, with detection limits in the range of one adduct per 10(11)-10(12) nucleotides. However, special precautions must be taken to avoid cross-contamination of isotope between samples and to produce a sample that is compatible with AMS. The DNA isolation method described is based on digestion of tissue with proteinase K, followed by extraction of DNA using Qiagen DNA isolation columns. DNA is then precipitated with isopropanol, washed repeatedly with 70% ethanol to remove salt, and then dissolved in water. This method has been used to generate reliably good yields of uncontaminated, pure DNA from animal and human tissues for analysis of adduct levels. For quantification of adduct levels from 14C-labeled compounds, DNA samples are then converted to graphite, and the 14C content is measured by AMS.
Development of the infrared blackbody source of gravity-type heatpipe and study of its characteristic

A gravity-type heat pipe blackbody source is described. The simple construction of the pipe involves condensed liquid flowing back to the evaporation zone under gravitational influence. The temperature distribution of the cavity walls is very even, with a maximum temperature difference of less than 0.6 C. The effective distribution of the double-cone construction is calculated, and it is found that the effective emissivity at the working area is over 0.999.
Dynamic and Static Behavior of a Curved-Girder Bridge with Varying Boundary Conditions

A curved, three-span continuous, steel I-girder bridge in Salt Lake City was tested in order to determine its dynamic and static load carrying properties for three boundary condition states. For each of the three boundary condition states, two dynamic forced vibration methods were applied to the bridge as well as a static live-load test. The first forced vibration method used an eccentric mass shaker. The second method involved striking the side of the bridge with an impact hammer. The live-load test was performed by slowly driving a truck at a crawl speed across the bridge. Velocity transducers, accelerometers, and strain gauges were utilized to record the response of the bridge. The analysis and compilation of recorded dynamic response of the bridge enabled the preparation of mode shapes and natural frequencies for each boundary condition. This paper discusses the resulting changes in relevant dynamic properties and compares them with the changes in the static properties that were determined from the bridge response recorded from the live-load tests.
Study of tau decay modes with multiple neutral mesons in the final states.

The decay modes with multiple neutral mesons in the final states have been studied with the Mark II detector at the SLAC storage ring PEP. The branching ratio for the decay mode - 20 is found to be consistent with the theoretical expectation. However, the branching ratio for - 30 is found to be inconsistent with the theoretical prediction unless there are other decay modes with multiple neutral mesons in the final states. © 1987 The American Physical Society.
Interaction of cyclic AMP and cell-cell contact in the control of tyrosine hydroxylase RNA.

Abstract The interaction between cell-cell contact and cyclic AMP-mediated control of the rat tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene was investigated in subclones of the PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cell line. Increasing cell culture density and elevation of intracellular cyclic AMP levels with forskolin both cause augmentation of TH RNA levels. However, the extent of increase in TH RNA following forskolin treatment is less in cultures grown at high density than those at low density, suggesting that there may be an interaction in the mechanism by which these two treatments modulate TH RNA levels. The role of cis-acting sequences in the TH gene in the induction of TH RNA by cyclic AMP and cell density was determined by the use of plasmid constructs containing the 5′-flanking sequences of the TH gene directing the transcription of the reporter gene, chloroamphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). Using transient transfection assays in PC12 cells, we have mapped the site of cyclic AMP regulation of the TH gene to a region between −60 and −41. Stable transformants of PC12 cells which express p5TH CAT ( −773 +27 ) were isolated and the activity of CAT following treatment of cells with forskolin and growth at different cell densities was evaluated. CAT activity does not differ between cells grown at low or high density. Forskolin induces CAT activity 2–4 fold, but the extent of induction does not vary with changes in cell culture density. We conclude from these experiments that the intracellular mechanism by which increased cell-cell contact modulates TH RNA levels is not through interaction with the same genomic elements as those which regulate gene expression by cyclic AMP.
Road Segmentation in Aerial Images by Exploiting Road Vector Data

Segmenting road regions from high resolution aerial images is an important yet challenging task due to large variations on road surfaces. This paper presents a simple and effective method that accurately segments road regions with a weak supervision provided by road vector data, which are publicly available. The method is based on the observation that in aerial images road edges tend to have more visible boundaries parallel to road vectors. A factorization-based segmentation algorithm is applied to an image, which accurately localize boundaries for both texture and nontexture regions. We analyze the spatial distribution of boundary pixels with respect to the road vector, and identify the road edge that separates roads from adjacent areas based on the distribution peaks. The proposed method achieves on average 90% recall and 79% precision on large aerial images covering various types of roads.
Fatigue Evaluation Procedures for Multiaxial Loading in Welded Structures Using Battelle Structural Stress Approach

The Battelle structural stress method is examined for the evaluation of multiaxial loading fatigue behavior in welded structures. Even though the structural stress and its master S-N curve approach have been mainly focused on normal loading dominant (Mode I) failure cases, the evaluations on multiaxial loading weld fatigue using structural stress parameters have been relatively recently performed such as using the modified Gough ellipse [1] and the path-dependent maximum range (PDMR) cycle counting procedure [2].In this article, in order to evaluate the multiaxial fatigue behavior, an effective equivalent structural stress range (EESS) parameter is defined as a von Mises form of combined normal and in-plane shear equivalent structural stress ranges. The newly developed in-plane shear equivalent structural stress range for in-plane shear dominant loading (Mode III) is introduced. This in-plane shear equivalent structural stress range parameter has been formulated based on the evaluation of fatigue behavior under in-plane shear loading. Also, the EESS parameter is a function of damage parameter based on the PDMR procedure.In this article, the procedure employing the EESS parameter is evaluated and validated using published weld fatigue data. The multiaxial fatigue date is consolidated within a small scatter band regardless of in-phase, out-of-phase, and non-proportional loading as well as torsional loading. Finally, the design master S-N curve is proposed for multiaxial loading weld fatigue.It is found that the dimensionless bend ratio parameter, Iτ (rτ)1/mτ for in-plane shear loading is a much more significant correction than that for normal loading when the ratio of bending structural stress to the total structural stress, rτ increases. This procedure will be beneficial for fatigue design with preventing over-conservatism.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Process Analysis Of Thin Film Deposition With An In Situ Ellipsometer

Thin films deposited in high vacuum by thermal evaporation, electron beam evaporation, and ion assisted deposition are anything but smooth, homogeneous, stratified media with plane parallel boundaries as assumed in thin film design and theory. In particular, the porosity brought about by the columnar microstructure of these films has been a problem ever since their first use. The refractive index may change upon exposure to ambient atmosphere, as a result of H2O adsorption. In-situ rapid scanning spectrophotometers and ellipsometers have helped various researchers to determine the degree of index change and the packing density of the films. Low voltage reactive ion plating is a rather novel deposition technique which produces thin films with packing densities of unity and higher. The dense, vitreous or polycrystalline microstructure, which pre-vents the films from adsorbing water upon exposure to air, yields films with bulk-like optical properties that are constant in time. However, there are problems with increased absorption particularly with ion plated TiO2 and SiO2 multilayer thin-film stacks. Continuous measurements of n and k during deposition need to be studied in order to determine the location of the increased absorption. Engineering aspects of mounting a Rudolph Research ellipsometer on a Balzers BAP 800 vacuum system will also be discussed.
Bounce back or move on: Regional resilience and economic development planning

Abstract While psychologists and ecologists have identified many factors that increase the odds of resilience in a person or an ecosystem, economic development officials and planning scholars do not yet have a firm grasp on how economic development planning relates to regional resilience. This study explores how two regions – Buffalo, New York and Cleveland, Ohio – have adapted and responded to deindustrialization using economic development. Interviews were conducted with past and present planning and economic development leaders and historical and current economic development plans were analyzed in order to increase our understanding of how regions respond to challenges, how economic development planning shapes these responses, and how both economic development planning and the larger response relate to adaptive resilience in distressed regions.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor reduces TrkB protein and mRNA in the normal retina and following optic nerve crush in adult rats

Abstract Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a well-known retinal neuroprotectant, but its effectiveness is limited; higher doses do not yield increased cell survival, multiple applications are not additive, and long-term delivery does not reverse, ganglion cell death. These limitations might reflect either injury- or BDNF-induced retinal changes in TrkB, the high affinity tyrosine kinase receptor used by BDNF. Retinal levels of TrkB protein and mRNA were measured in rats following intravitreal application of BDNF alone, optic nerve crush alone, and both. Full-length receptor protein levels (TrkB.FL) were determined by Western blot analysis and mRNA (trkB.FL) levels were measured using RNAse protection assay (RPA). BDNF alone produced a rapid and prolonged decrease in normal retina TrkB.FL. Nerve crush also resulted in decreased TrkB.FL, but the reduction was not apparent before 2-week post-crush. BDNF applied at the time of the crush yielded reductions in TrkB.FL similar to that of BDNF alone. With respect to TrkB mRNA levels, injection of BDNF into normal eyes and optic nerve crush alone showed bell-shaped patterns of change: ∼50% below normal at 24-h post-procedure, ∼50% above normal at 3 days, normal at 7 days, and ∼50% below normal at 2-week post-procedure. When BDNF and nerve crush were combined, trkB-FL levels reached 90% of normal 1-week post-crush/injection. The data suggest that the limitation of BDNF in promoting ganglion cell survival following optic nerve injury results, in part, due to drug-induced down-regulation of the full-length TrkB receptor needed to activate intracellular pathways.
Evaluation of fetal lung maturity in diamniotic twins

Abstract Objective: This study was undertaken to evaluate the correspondence in fetal lung development between diamniotic twins. Study Design: Lecithin/sphingomyelin ratios were determined for amniotic fluid specimens collected from each sac in 58 diamniotic twin pregnancies. Results: Overall, the lecithin/sphingomyelin ratios of twin A and twin B and those of the larger and smaller twins of each pair were closely correlated ( r ≥ 0.83, P 32 weeks' gestation (15%, P = .027). An analysis of the lecithin/sphingomyelin ratios of twins with a large lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio disparity (≥20%) suggested that this disparity was a result of 1 twin having a lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio that was advanced for gestational age with respect to that of the co-twin. Disparities in lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio were not significantly affected by fetal sex or by discordance in size between the twins. Conclusion: At relatively early stages of diamniotic twin gestation (≤32 weeks' gestation), lecithin/sphingomyelin ratios should be obtained for both amniotic sacs to ensure accurate assessment of fetal lung maturity in both twins. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;180:1438-41.)
Journalism ethics and Levinas' Third: interruption in a world of multiple Others

This paper develops a theory of journalism ethics centered on the concept of interruption. Interruption provides a space in which the “Other” can speak; an instance in which those with whom we have no other contact but through news media can disrupt us. While steeped in Levinasian philosophy, the theory of journalism ethics developed here challenges some of its key tenets: unlimited responsibility for the Other and the single passive ethical imperative “interrupt me.” In a world inhabited by a multitude of others, a dogmatic reading of Levinas cannot foster a “community of interruption” in which the news media play a crucial role. Ultimately, to achieve such a community, the “Third” (the Other's other) must be privileged over the Other and the passive ethical imperative requires a complementary active imperative best stated as “let me interrupt!”
Joint Effects of Child Temperament and Maternal Sensitivity on the Development of Childhood Obesity

The interplay between child characteristics and parenting is increasingly implicated as crucial to child health outcomes. This study assessed the joint effects of children’s temperamental characteristics and maternal sensitivity on children’s weight status. Data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development were utilized. Infant temperament, assessed at child’s age of 6 months by maternal report, was categorized into three types: easy, average, and difficult. Maternal sensitivity, assessed at child’s age of 6 months by observing maternal behaviors during mother-child semi-structured interaction, was categorized into two groups: sensitive and insensitive. Children’s height and weight were measured longitudinally from age 2 years to Grade 6, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. BMI percentile was obtained based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s BMI charts. Children, who had a BMI ≥ the 85th percentile, were defined as overweight-or-obese. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the data. The proportions of children overweight-or-obese increased with age, 15.58% at 2 years old to 34.34% by Grade 6. The joint effects of children’s temperament and maternal sensitivity on a child’s body mass status depended on the child’s age. For instance, children with difficult temperament and insensitive mothers had significantly higher risks for being overweight-or-obese during the school age phase but not during early childhood. Specific combinations of child temperament and maternal sensitivity were associated with the development of obesity during childhood. Findings may hold implications for childhood obesity prevention/intervention programs targeting parents.