cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Teaching and incorporating practice models in a human behavior in the social environment (HBSE) course

ABSTRACTHuman behavior and the social environment (HBSE) instructors do not systematically or routinely teach and incorporate practice models in their course. In this article, social work educators describe an approach to teaching and incorporating practice models in a HBSE course using a five-step adapted, modified version of Mosey’s extrapolation method for teaching master level social work students to evaluate and apply practice models. The authors use the Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ) model as an illustration to help social work students develop critically reflective approaches to evaluating and applying practice models. The techniques and guidelines outlined in this article could be applied to other practice models and used by social work educators and students interested in other fields of practice.
The masses of the neutrinos

If the cosmological limits on the sum of the neutrino masses are taken seriously we have first measurements of the masses of the neutrinos. Using the Planck experiment’s limit P3=1 mi < 230 meV and some simple assumptions on measurement uncertainties the mass of the heaviest neutrino is 63±11 meV and the lightest 40±18 meV for either hierarchy. A recent seminar at Fermilab reviewed the status of the sum of the masses of neutrinos from various cosmological measurements [1]. If those limits are taken seriously then we already have measurements of the masses of the three neutrinos with some precision. This note reduces the simple algebra of the neutrino masses to graphical form to illustrate this. The cosmological limits on the sum of neutrino masses is a long and growing list of measurements [2]. I have chosen to use the latest result of the Planck collaboration [3], M = P 3=1 mi < 230 meV , to work in units of meV since all the interesting numbers are cleanly represented to appropriate precision as integers, and to use the PDG’s averages for the neutrino masssquared differences: �m 2 = m 2 m 2 = 75.3 ± 1.8 meV 2 �m 2 = m 2 m 2 = 2420 ± 60 meV 2 Normal hierarchy �m 2 = m 2 m 2 = 2490 ± 60 meV 2 Inverted hierarchy M = P 3=1 mi = m1 + m2 + m3
Investigation on pesticide residues in vegetables in Qujing City during 2012

[Objective]To investigate the situation of pyrethroid and organophosphorus pesticide residues in vegetables on the markets of Qujing.[Methods]80 samples of vegetable were randomly selected,and the pesticide residues were detected by the method of GB/T 5009.145-2003 and GB/T 5009.146-2003.All the samples were evaluated according to the Maximum residue limits for pesticides in food(GB 2763-2005).[Results]13 kinds of pesticide residues were detected,4 kinds of pesticides,which exceeded the standard,were cyhalothrin,dichlorvos,methamidophos and chlorpyrifos.The total detection rate of pyrethroid and organophosphorus were respectively 52.5% and 23.75%,and the over standard rate of them was 2.5% and 6.25% respectively.[Conclusion]The situation of pesticide residues in vegetables in Qujing City is serious,and the detection rate of pyrethroid pesticides is higher.In order to ensure the safety of vegetables consumption,it is necessary to strengthen the surveillance of pesticide residues.
Science and Technology Progress of Rice Cultivation and Its Contribution

In this paper,Recalling the history of Jilin Province rice cultivation and rice course.It's devided to six historical periods on the Jilin rice breeding,cultivation and development of scientific and technological progress,and to contribute to the development of rice in Jilin,Jilin rice for the development of science and technology determine the direction of research,maintain rice Level for reference.
The patient-staff meeting--a technique for encouraging communication in the psychiatric hospital.

(1963). The Patient-Staff Meeting-A Technique for Encouraging Communication in the Psychiatric Hospital. Psychiatry: Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 19-25.
The inflatable penile prosthesis: clinical experience with a new controlled expansion cylinder.

AbstractControlled expansion inflatable penile prosthetic cylinders were implanted in 63 patients with erectile dysfunction from September 1983 through January 1986. The majority of these patients previously had received standard inflatable cylinders. To study the efficacy of these new cylinders, revision with the controlled expansion cylinder was used in various conditions, with aneurysmal dilatation of the corpora cavernosa being the most common cause for cylinder replacement. Controlled expansion cylinders were used for revision after cylinder leaks and for penile straightening procedures as well as in the primary treatment of impotence. During our 3-year followup of these patients there have been no recurrences of the primary problem that necessitated the revision.
Parathion residues on leafy crops.

In Germany, during World War II, G. SchraDer developed the compound E-605 (O,O-diethyl-O-p-nitrophenyl thiophosphate) which is commonly known as parathion. It was soon discovered that this organophosphate was an extremely effective insecticide against a number of insect species. With the exception of DDT, parathion is probably still the most universally-used insecticide.
The Hawke Years and the End of Keynesian Beliefs

Even though many have dated the death of Keynesianism at around the time of the mid-1970s, there is good reason to suggest that as recently as the last days of Bill Hayden’s Labor leadership, when an accord between the Labor Party and the trade unions (through the ACTU) was drafted, Keynesian beliefs were still discernible to some extent. At least, this was the case within the ALP. Gone was any sense of cross-party consensus on the efficacy of Keynesian macro-economic management, let alone the feasibility of Keynesian full employment. For this reason, the focus of discussion of this chapter will be on the Australian Labor Party.
Amylase (α-1,4-glucan-4-glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.1)

The amylases of Drosophila have been the subject of rather thorough and careful genetic, biochemical, and developmental studies. The outcome of this work is a well-characterized gene-enzyme system that has already yielded some very interesting results, and promises to provide some important insights into the regulation of gene function in eukaryotes. The work on this system could well serve as a model for much work on other gene-enzyme systems. Much of the work on amylase has been summarized elsewhere (Doane, 1969b).
Metrics on Partially Ranked Data: The Case Where Each Judge Lists His k Favorite Items Out of n

An illustration of this type of partially ranked data, with n = 5 and k = 3, is obtained by modifying the example of Section II.C: there are still five flavors of ice cream, but now each judge specifies only his first, second, and third choices. In this chapter, the six metrics of Section II.B are extended to metrics on this type of partially ranked data. Furthermore, the extensions preserve the necessary property of right-invariance, discussed in Section II.C.
Conformational Dynamics of Mechanically Compliant DNA Nanostructures from Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Structural DNA nanotechnology, the assembly of rigid 3D structures of complex yet precise geometries, has recently been used to design dynamic, mechanically compliant nanostructures with tunable equilibrium conformations and conformational distributions. Here we use coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to provide insights into the conformational dynamics of a set of mechanically compliant DNA nanostructures—DNA hinges that use single-stranded DNA “springs” to tune the equilibrium conformation of a layered double-stranded DNA “joint” connecting two stiff “arms” constructed from DNA helix bundles. The simulations reproduce the experimentally measured equilibrium angles between hinge arms for a range of hinge designs. The hinges are found to be structurally stable, except for some fraying of the open ends of the DNA helices comprising the hinge arms and some loss of base-pairing interactions in the joint regions coinciding with the crossover junctions, especially in hinges designed to exhibit a smal...
A Novel Approach to Reduce Breast Radiation Exposure with Coronary CTA: Angled Axial Image Acquisition

Rationale and Objectives To determine whether angled gantry acquisition might be used to image the heart with a shorter scan length and reduced breast exposure during coronary computed tomography angiography. Materials and Methods One hundred consecutive coronary computed tomography angiography examinations of female patients were retrospectively evaluated to define the angle between the long axis of the left heart and the axial imaging plane. The scan length required to image the entire left ventricle along with the coronary arteries was measured for an axial scan plane as well as for a scan plane parallel to the long axis of the left heart. The overlap between these imaging volumes and the lower portion of the breast was measured. Results The long axis of the left heart varied from 7° to 54° off the axial plane (mean 32° ± 7°). The required scan length to include the entire left ventricle and coronary arteries ranged from 8.2 to 12.4 cm (mean, 10.0 ± 0.9 cm) for the axial scan plane and 5.6–10.1 cm (mean, 7.5 ± 0.8 cm) for a scan plane parallel to the long axis of the heart ( P P Conclusions Using an angled gantry approach, the coronary arteries can be fully imaged in a plane along the long axis of the left heart with a single 10-cm acquisition and with substantial reduction in amount of breast tissue within the irradiated field.
Precision Interfaces for Different Modalities

Building interactive tools to support data analysis is hard because it is not always clear what to build and how to build it. To address this problem, we present Precision Interfaces, a semi-automatic system to generate task-specific data analytics interfaces. Precision Interface can turn a log of executed programs into an interface, by identifying micro-variations between the programs and mapping them to interface components. This paper focuses on SQL query logs, but we can generalize the approach to other languages. Our system operates in two steps: it first builds an interaction graph, which describes how the queries can be transformed into each other. Then, it finds a set of UI components that covers a maximal number of transformations. To restrict the domain of changes to be detected, our system uses a domain-specific language, PILang. We describe each of Precision Interface's components, showcase an early prototype on real program logs, and discuss future research opportunities. This demonstration highlights the potential for data-driven interactive interface mining from query logs. We will first walk participants through the process that Precision Interfaces goes through to generate interactive analysis interfaces from query logs. We will then show the versatility of Precision Interfaces by letting participants choose from multiple different interface modalities, interaction designs, and query logs to generate 2D point-and-click, gestural, and even natural language analysis interfaces for commonly performed analyses.
Evaluation of native and transfer students' success in a computer science course

This study is motivated by a practical question faced by a computer science curriculum committee at a major research university. And that question is, are students who transfer credits for the first two courses into the computer science program at a disadvantage in their likelihood for success in the third course compared to students who took all three courses locally at the university? A retrospective longitudinal study using data from 2012 to 2016 revealed that transfer students succeeded in the third course in just about the same way as native students. The study also suggests interesting ideas for future exploration and avenues for further inquiries on broader topics.
Interior Decoration of Stable Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a diverse class of hybrid organic/inorganic crystalline materials composed of metal-containing nodes held in place by organic linkers. Through a discerning selection of these components, many properties such as the internal surface area, cavity size and shape, catalytic properties, thermal properties, and mechanical properties may be manipulated. Because of this high level of tunability, MOFs have been heralded as ideal platforms for various applications including gas storage, separation, catalysis, and chemical sensing.(1−8) Regrettably, these theoretical possibilities are limited by the reality of constraining conditions for solvothermal synthesis, which typically include high temperatures (usually over 100 °C), the use of specific solvents, and necessary exposure to acidic or basic conditions. In order to incorporate more delicate functionalities, postsynthesis decoration methods were developed. This feature article focuses on developed interior decoration methods fo...
An Increasing Public Concern

The judicious use of modern pesticides is an important adjunct to modern agriculture and public health. None of us is eager to return to the standards of the Middle Ages when life had its full share of wormy apples and weevily biscuits, virtually everyone was lousy, and fleas and bedbugs were constant bedtime companions. The discovery of DDT, BHC and 2,4-D during the Second World War gave promise for greatly enhanced agricultural productivity, of banishing such villains as the house fly, the cockroach, the bedbug, and the louse, and of eradicating the scourges of malaria, typhus, and yellow fever.
Exploring Mathematics Teacher Educator Questioning as a Relational Practice: Acknowledging Imbalances

The desire to understand our questioning practices as relational led us to use collaborative self-study to construct images of our questioning practice within our mathematics teacher education prac...
Comparison of Online and Face-to-Face Parent Education for Children with Autism and Sleep Problems.

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have sleep disorders. Face-to-face (F2F) sessions have empowered parents to help their child sleep. Our goal was whether online technologies could provide similar improvements in children’s sleep while also improving parents’ quality of life. Identical programs were taught in two sessions to F2F and online parents. Measurements were compared from baseline to 4 and 8 weeks post teaching sessions. Twenty-three participants completed the program. Parent quality of life improved for both groups. Parent fatigue scores were improved and sustained for the online group. The total sleep score improved for both groups, while the online group had sustained decreases in night wakings. Online methods can conveniently help improve sleep for children with ASD.
Statistical Modeling of Short-Tandem Repeat Capillary Electrophoresis Profiles

Objective: Interrogating multiple polymorphic Short Tandem Repeat (STR) locations by way of PCR and capillary electrophoresis (CE) is the chief technique by which laboratories determine whether an individual contributed their DNA to biological material retrieved from the environment. There is, theoretically, a substantial level of information contained within the CE signal, regarding the length and number of DNA fragments amplified. However, environmental samples are challenging to interpret because little is known regarding the quantity or quality of the DNA and the allele signal component is often obfuscated by PCR artifacts, known as stutter, and noise. Thus, developing a signal model that can effectively model the components of STR signal and does not rely on a priori knowledge of the quantity or quality of DNA, is warranted. Results: As such, we first develop a strategy wherein we quantity the quality of the profile by examining the degree to which the signal changes with amplicon size. Second, for different components of the signal, we develop models for each component, i.e., allele, the artifact stutter and noise, of the signal. By examining the out-of-sample prediction error we identify a model that can be effectively utilized for downstream interpretation. Significance: The model is selected using a large, diverse collection of profiles obtained using 144 distinct laboratory conditions and a large range of DNA template masses, which extend from a single copy of DNA to hundreds of copies. As a Gaussian mixture model, it can be readily applied to analyze complex DNA samples.
Adjusting Marriage Tradition: Greeks to Greek-Americans

Adjustment of marriage tradition is one approach toward understanding processes of ethnicity. In this paper, the marriage tradition within the Greek-American community of Tucson, Arizona, is examin...
Muscle synergies for predicting non-isometric complex hand function for commanding FES neuroprosthetic hand systems.

alt;iagt;Objectivealt;/iagt;. Myoelectric controlled neuroprostheses can restore hand function to mid-cervical level (C5/C6) paralyzed individuals through voluntary control. However restored functionality is limited due to the small number of available voluntary electromyographic (EMG) signals after paralysis. The purpose of this study was to determine whether dynamic hand function could be reduced to as few as three degrees of freedom using the time-invariant muscle synergy model thereby showing the feasibility of synergy-based neuroprosthetic control. alt;iagt;Approachalt;/iagt;. Task cross-validated time-invariant synergies were derived from static hand postures and from dynamic functional task data collected from five able-bodied participants. The time-invariant synergies were extracted from EMG data in task cross-validation using non-negative matrix factorization.alt;iagt; Main Resultsalt;/iagt;. Three functional synergies yielded significantly higher performance than chance (p alt;0.01) with 66.0 ± 4.9% variance accounted for (VAF) compared to 42.5 ± 4.4% VAF. alt;iagt;Significancealt;/iagt;. The results of this study, along with other studies showing continuous three-dimensional EMG control, show the feasibility of a possible synergy-based controller for hand neuroprostheses.
Population-based toxicity screening in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

The potential for cardiotoxicity is carefully evaluated for pharmaceuticals, as it is a major safety liability. However, environmental chemicals are seldom tested for their cardiotoxic potential. Moreover, there is a large variability in both baseline and drug-induced cardiovascular risk in humans, but data are lacking on the degree to which susceptibility to chemically-induced cardiotoxicity may also vary. Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes have become an important in vitro model for drug screening. Thus, we hypothesized that a population-based model of iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes from a diverse set of individuals can be used to assess potential hazard and inter-individual variability in chemical effects on these cells. We conducted concentration-response screening of 134 chemicals (pharmaceuticals, industrial and environmental chemicals and food constituents) in iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes from 43 individuals, comprising both sexes and diverse ancestry. We measured kinetic calcium flux and conducted high-content imaging following chemical exposure, and utilized a panel of functional and cytotoxicity parameters in concentration-response for each chemical and donor. We show reproducible inter-individual variability in both baseline and chemical-induced effects on iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. Further, chemical-specific variability in potency and degree of population variability were quantified. This study shows the feasibility of using an organotypic population-based human in vitro model to quantitatively assess chemicals for which little cardiotoxicity information is available. Ultimately, these results advance in vitro toxicity testing methodologies by providing an innovative tool for population-based cardiotoxicity screening, contributing to the paradigm shift from traditional animal models of toxicity to in vitro toxicity testing methods.
VS38 Identifies Myeloma Cells With Dim CD38 Expression and Plasma Cells Following Daratumumab Therapy, Which Interferes With CD38 Detection for 4 to 6 Months.

Objectives We report our institutional experience using VS38 to evaluate plasma cells by flow cytometry. Methods Flow cytometry data were reanalyzed to compare plasma cell percentages between the standard panel and VS38 panel. Natural killer (NK) and plasma cell CD38 median fluorescence intensity (MFI) values were calculated. Results Our cohort included 63 specimens from 38 patients. Twenty-six had received daratumumab (monoclonal anti-CD38 therapy) between less than 1 month and 17 months prior. For NK and plasma cells, CD38 MFI values were suppressed for 0 to 4 months and started to increase 4 to 6 months after last exposure. There was no significant difference in clonal plasma cell percentage calculated by the VS38 and standard panels; however, identification and quantification using the VS38 panel were easier. Conclusions VS38 is a viable alternative to bright CD38 to identify plasma cells and particularly helpful in myeloma cases with dim CD38 and after daratumumab. Daratumumab interference with CD38 identification persists 4 to 6 months after the last exposure.
Three-Dimensional (3D) and Drug-Eluting Nanofiber Coating for Prosthetic Implants

Failure of osseointegration and implant infection are the two main causes of implant failure and loosening. There is an urgent need for orthopedic implants that promote rapid osseointegration and prevent infection, particularly when placed in bone compromised by disease or physiology of the patients. This chapter reviews current and potential future use of biologic and drug-eluting coatings for orthopedic implants to facilitate osseointegration and prevent implant infection. The potential application of porous and drug-eluting coaxial nanofiber as a means of alternative implant surface coating was discussed.
Introduction: Flann O'Brien and the Archive

Guest-editor Jennika Baines introduces The Parish Review 1.2 (Winter 2013) and reflects on its organising theme of 'Flann O'Brien and the Archive.'To read the article, click Download or View PDF.
Timing and order of exposure to two echinostome species affect patterns of infection in larval amphibians

The study of priority effects with respect to coinfections is still in its infancy. Moreover, existing coinfection studies typically focus on infection outcomes associated with exposure to distinct sets of parasite species, despite that functionally and morphologically similar parasite species commonly coexist in nature. Therefore, it is important to understand how interactions between similar parasites influence infection outcomes. Surveys at seven ponds in northwest Pennsylvania found that multiple species of echinostomes commonly co-occur. Using a larval anuran host (Rana pipiens) and the two most commonly identified echinostome species from our field surveys (Echinostoma trivolvis and Echinoparyphium lineage 3), we examined how species composition and timing of exposure affect patterns of infection. When tadpoles were exposed to both parasites simultaneously, infection loads were higher than when exposed to Echinoparyphium alone but similar to being exposed to Echinostoma alone. When tadpoles were sequentially exposed to the parasite species, tadpoles first exposed to Echinoparyphium had 23% lower infection loads than tadpoles first exposed to Echinostoma. These findings demonstrate that exposure timing and order, even with similar parasites, can influence coinfection outcomes, and emphasize the importance of using molecular methods to identify parasites for ecological studies.
Does somatosensory acuity influence the extent of internal model recalibration in young and older adults

The ability to adjust movements to changes in the environment declines with aging. This age-related decline is caused by the decline of explicit adjustments. However, automatic adjustment of movement, or internal model recalibration, remains intact and might even be increased with aging. Since somatosensory information appears to be required for internal model recalibration, it might well be that an age-related decline in somatosensory acuity is linked to the increase of internal model recalibration. One possible explanation for an increased internal model recalibration is that age-related somatosensory deficits could lead to altered sensory integration with an increased weighting of the visual sensory-prediction error. Another possibility is that reduced somatosensory acuity results in an increased reliance on predicted sensory feedback. Both these explanations led to our preregistered hypothesis: we expect a relation between the decline of somatosensation and the increased internal model recalibration with aging. However, we failed to support this hypothesis. Our results question the existence of reliability-based integration of visual and somatosensory signals during motor adaptation.
An Assessment of the Benefits of Off-Season Training Among Teenage Basketball Players

The purpose of this research study was to establish the benefits of off-season training among teenage basketball players. The goal of every school basketball team is to achieve the best outcomes possible among its athletes; hence, the study intends to investigate the possible outcomes of off-season training on a junior level basketball team setting. In this regard, 40 youth participants aged between 14 and 18 years were selected from their respective school basketball teams to voluntarily take part in the off-season training program. For the sample, anthropometric measures such as weight or height were not taken into account. A quantitative research design was used in which 20 participants were assigned to the control group and 20 remaining participants were assigned to the test group. The focus was to establish the development of athletes’ rebounding, passing, scoring, and dribbling skills at the end of the off-season training. The descriptive statistics of the study entailing the mean, standard deviation, sample variance, skewness, and confidence interval indicated a significant improvement in the dribbling, scoring, passing, and rebounding skills in the test group, whereas there was a significant drop in the same skills observed in the control group. The correlation analysis in the pretest assessment had values of (r = 0.17), (r = 0.5), (r = -0.5), and (r = 0.28) and posttest assessment had values of (r = -0.76), (r = -0.58), (r = -0.47), and (r = -0.99) in dribbling, scoring, passing, and rebounding, respectively. Thus, this indicates that off-season training is a positive predictor of better performance among teenage basketball players.Subscribe to TPE
Modeling long-term delta dynamics reveals persistent geometric river avulsion locations

Abstract River deltas grow through repeated stacking of sedimentary lobes, the location and size of which are determined by channel avulsions (relatively sudden changes in river course). We use a model coupling fluvial and coastal processes to explore avulsion dynamics under a range of wave energies and sea-level-rise rates and find that the primary control on avulsion location and delta lobe size in our model is the critical superelevation ratio (SER), the amount of channel aggradation relative to the surrounding floodplain that is required to trigger an avulsion. The preferred avulsion location arises because of geometric constraints – a preferential avulsion node occurs at the break in floodplain slope that develops as the river progrades and/or sea level rises. This concavity develops in our model because the river profile aggrades and erodes via linear diffusion, whereas the diffusion of the floodplain topography is limited to episodic crevasse splays. These results are in contrast to recent modeling work, which was motivated by laboratory experiments and assumes a union between river channel and floodplain aggradation rates, and where avulsion nodes are driven by backwater hydrodynamics. The preferred avulsion length in our model scales well with laboratory, field, and model results without including hydrodynamic backwater effects. This work suggests an alternative mechanism to explain avulsion locations on deltas where floodplain topography aggrades and/or diffuses more slowly than the river channel profile, and it points to the need to elucidate river channel and floodplain connectivity over large space and time scales, and how the connectivity varies from one type of delta to another.
Apoceruloplasmin: Abundance, Detection, Formation, and Metabolism

Ceruloplasmin, the main copper-binding protein in blood and some other fluids, is well known for its copper-dependent enzymatic functions and as a source of copper for cells. What is generally unknown or ignored is that, at least in the case of blood plasma and serum, about half of ceruloplasmin is in the apo (copper-free) form. This has led to some misconceptions about the amounts and variations of other copper-binding proteins and so-called "free copper" in the blood that might be indicators of disease states. What is known about the levels, sources, and metabolism of apo versus holo ceruloplasmin and the problems associated with measurements of the two forms is reviewed here.
NADK is Activated by Oncogenic KRAS Signaling to Sustain Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Metabolic adaptations and the signaling events that control them have been implicated in the adaptation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) to survive stresses associated with nutrient and oxygen deprivation at the tumor site. Recently, rewiring of NADPH production has been shown to play a key role in this process. NADPH is recycled through reduction of NADP+ by several enzymatic systems in cells. However, de novo NADP+ is only synthesized through one known enzymatic reaction, catalyzed by NAD+ kinase (NADK). In this study, we show that oncogenic KRAS promotes PKC-mediated NADK phosphorylation and consequently leads to its hyperactivation, a phenomenon that is essential for sustaining NADPH levels and redox balance in PDAC cells. Together, our data show that increased NADK activity is an essential adaptation driven by oncogenic KRAS signaling. Our finding indicates that NADK could serve as a new and much-needed therapeutic target for PDAC.
A Novel Current-Source-Based Gate Driver With Active Voltage Balancing Control for Series-Connected GaN HEMTs

The voltage rating of the commercial Gallium Nitride (GaN) power devices are limited to 600/650 V due to the lateral structure. Stacking the low-voltage rating devices is a straightforward approach to block higher dc link voltage. However, the unbalanced voltage sharing can occur due to the discrepancies in the gate driving loops, the device parameter tolerance and the device-to-ground displacement currents for the series-connected devices in the stack. The voltage imbalance may cause the over-voltage breakdown, in particular for GaN devices, which do not have the avalanche breakdown mechanism. In this article, a novel controllable current source gate driver is proposed, which addresses the voltage imbalance issue of series-connected GaN HEMTs for both hard switching and soft switching scenarios. The proposed current source gate driver controls the device switching timing and the dv/dt with fine accuracy by directly regulating the device gate current. Without the employment of the lossy snubber circuit or the external Miller capacitor, the switching energy and the switching speed are almost not compromised for each individual device. Meanwhile, the current mirror circuits are utilized as the discontinuous pulsed current sources, which produce negligible additional gate driving loss. A series-connected GaN-based multiple pulse tester is built to validate the proposed current source gate driver and the voltage balancing strategies. It is demonstrated that the drain-to-source voltage difference of the series-connected GaN devices is below 10% for different load current and different switching speed (dv/dt) conditions. Moreover, it is found that the series-connected GaN solution can save 33.6% switching energy compared with the benchmark SiC solution under the same operating condition.
Past, Present, and Future: Research on the Influence of International Competition and Collaboration Relationship between US and China

‘America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests’, by Henry Kissinger. US and China have become the usual pattern of new international trade as the top two economic entities since 2010. After former President Trump took over the chair, the trade conflict between the US and other countries, especially China, has been sharpened to increase domestic employment. A new era of international competition on the economy has grown invincibly in a brutal way. This paper states and analyzes the economic development and historical interactions between China and the US, standing from China’s perspective. Four-time periods are introduced in the paper for China’s progressing procedure: 1949-1978 pre-opening, 1979-2000 post-opening, 2001-2016 WTO period and focusing on the 2017-2021 deterioration. The methodology starting from industrial structure, trade deficit, monetary and fiscal policy. The key questions include; why China has faster growth, why the US tries to restrict China’s development, and its effective influence. The paper’s conclusion lies in the comprehensive prediction of the future economic relationship between China and the United States in the ongoing 50 years, yields to the world trade habits and potential international economic system revolution, demonstrated from three sectors: economic structure change and technical restrictions.
Management of Chronic Rhinosinusitis Prior to Otolaryngology Referral: An Opportunity for Quality Improvement:

ObjectiveThe management of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) by a nonotolaryngologist prior to otolaryngology referral is an important component of the patient care pathway. The purpose of this study is...
Transborder pedagogies of the home in contexts of forced repatriation

Drawing from an ethnographic study with families who relocated from the United States to Mexico, I explore what I call parents’ transborder pedagogies of the home, or the home-based educational pra...
Integration of Satellite-Derived Products

The processing and applications of remotely sensed data from satellites have undergone many advances during the past 30 years. The evolutionary development of the meteorological satellite from the early TIROS experimental satellites to the current global network of geostationary and polar-orbiting operational satellites best exemplifies these changes from the viewpoint of integrating the satellite derived product with available conventional observations and products for both research and operational use. Quantitative information derived from the satellite remotely sensed data are now exchanged internationally and assimilated with other types of observations in numerical weather prediction models. Validation and verification of satellite data and derived products depends heavily on suitable conventional information to assure that the satellite-derived information maintains compatibility for integration with the other data sets available.
Recent near-surface wind directions inferred from mapping sand ripples on Martian dunes

Abstract The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) provides the capability to obtain orbital images of Mars that are of sufficient resolution to record wind ripple patterns on the surfaces of sand dunes. Ripple patterns provide valuable insights into aeolian erosion and deposition on Earth and Mars. In this study, we develop a systematic mapping procedure to examine sand ripple orientations and create surface process maps to evaluate the recent wind flow over the dunes, as well as the interplay of wind and dune shape. By carefully examining the morphology of the dunes and the location of grainflow and grainfall on dune slipfaces, the recent near-surface wind direction (short-term wind) can be identified. Results from the analysis of three dune fields on the floors of craters west of Hellas Basin show regional N, NW, SE, and ESE wind directions. In the three adjacent dune fields, surface process and flow maps suggest a complex wind pattern. The comparison of short-term wind with dune-constructing wind (long-term wind) shows NE and ESE winds may be persistent at least for the past thousands of years. The results also show that the orientation of inferred wind direction on linear dunes is correlated with the crestlines, which suggest that form–flow interaction may take place. The results of local wind flow documentation should improve Martian surface wind modeling and advance our understanding of sand transport, as well as the rates of sand mobility on both Mars and Earth.
The Ets transcription factor ESE-1 mediates induction of the COX-2 gene by LPS in monocytes

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a key enzyme in the production of prostaglandins that are major inflammatory agents. COX-2 production is triggered by exposure to various cytokines and to bacterial endotoxins. We present here a novel role for the Ets transcription factor ESE-1 in regulating the COX-2 gene in response to endotoxin and other pro-inflammatory stimuli. We report that the induction of COX-2 expression by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and pro-inflammatory cytokines correlates with ESE-1 induction in monocyte/macrophages. ESE-1, in turn, binds to several E26 transformation specific (Ets) sites on the COX-2 promoter. In vitro analysis demonstrates that ESE-1 binds to and activates the COX-2 promoter to levels comparable to LPS-mediated induction. Moreover, we provide results showing that the induction of COX-2 by LPS may require ESE-1, as the mutation of the Ets sites in the COX-2 promoter or overexpression of a dominant-negative form of ESE-1 inhibits LPS-mediated COX-2 induction. The effect of ESE-1 on the COX-2 promoter is further enhanced by cooperation with other transcription factors such as nuclear factor-κB and nuclear factor of activated T cells. Neutralization of COX-2 is the goal of many anti-inflammatory drugs. As an activator of COX-2 induction, ESE-1 may become a target for such therapeutics as well. Together with our previous reports of the role of ESE-1 as an inducer of nitric oxide synthase in endothelial cells and as a mediator of pro-inflammatory cytokines in vascular and connective tissue cells, these results establish ESE-1 as an important player in the regulation of inflammation.
Influence of health insurance coverage on breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening in rural primary care settings.

BACKGROUND: The current study was performed to determine, in rural settings, the relation between the type and status of insurance coverage and being up-to-date for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening. METHODS: Four primary care practices in 2 rural Oregon communities participated. Medical chart reviews that were conducted between October 2008 and August 2009 assessed insurance coverage and up-to-date status for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening. Inclusion criteria involved having at least 1 health care visit within the past 5 years and being aged ≥ 55 years. RESULTS: The majority of patients were women aged 55 years to 70 years, employed or retired, and who had private health insurance and an average of 2.5 comorbid conditions. The overall percentage of eligible women who were up-to-date for cervical cancer screening was 30%; approximately 27% of women were up-to-date for clinical breast examination, 37% were up-to-date for mammography, and 19% were up-to-date for both mammography and clinical breast examination. Approximately 38% of men and 35% of women were up-to-date for colorectal cancer screening using any test at appropriate screening intervals. In general, having any insurance versus being uninsured was associated with undergoing cancer screening. For each type of screening, patients who had at least 1 health maintenance visit were significantly more likely to be up-to-date compared with those with no health maintenance visits. A significant interaction was found between having health maintenance visits, having any health insurance, and being up-to-date for cancer screening tests. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the percentage of patients who were up-to-date for any cancer screening, especially cervical cancer screening, was found to be very low in rural Oregon. Patients with some form of health insurance were more likely to have had a health maintenance visit within the previous 2 years and to be up-to-date for breast, cervical, and/or colorectal cancer screening. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Environmental Justice, Environmentalism, and Environmental History in Twentieth‐Century Latin America

Environmental histories of Latin America have reached a critical mass. The breadth, depth, and sophistication of this new literature merit comparisons to less conventionally environmental topics, such as labor and politics, and new strands of environmental research, such as environmental justice. While the field of Latin American environmental history for the twentieth century is far from complete or comprehensive, one of its strengths is the simultaneous consideration of social relationships (including struggles for justice) and the natural world. Rather than a need to catch up with other historiographies that have bifurcated environmental history and environmental justice, this integrated model of investigation places recent scholarship in a strategic place to make history more policy relevant. Going forward, scholars should continue to find and fuse environmental history and environmental justice studies and refrain from letting distinctions among subfields conceal rich thematic harmony.
What makes the brain's tickers tock

The first brain waves to be observed were measured at a frequency of ten cycles per second — that is, 10 Hz. Since then, waves have been detected at frequencies of 5, 40 and 200 Hz. But what do they do? One group has found that the 40-Hz waves are involved in a feedback-inhibition mechanism for coding 'events' (such as memories) in the brain. Another group has studied the 200-Hz waves, and they conclude that synchronization of neuron firing, which causes these waves, is due to gap junctions between nearby axons.
Effects of narrator gender on conceptual learning

Audiovisual materials for nursing students typically show a female nurse demon-strating activities as they are described (and sometimes directed) by a male narrator. Of obvious concern is the effect of such sex stereotyping on female students. Further, do students (male and female) learn as well from instructional video-tapes narrated by an equally competent female narrator? The investigator sought to control all variables but gender of narrator in this study of conceptual learning from videotapes.
Wavelet packet and local cosine bases

Wavelet packets were introduced by Coifman, Meyer and Wickerhauser by generalizing the link between multiresolution approximations and wavelets. Different types of time-frequency structures are encountered in complex signals, such as speech recordings. This motivates the design of bases whose time-frequency properties may be adapted. Wavelet bases are one particular family of bases that represent piecewise smooth signals effectively. Other bases are constructed to approximate different types of signals such as highly oscillatory waveforms. Orthonormal wavelet packet bases use conjugate mirror filters to divide the frequency axis in separate intervals of various sizes. If the signal properties change over time, it is preferable to isolate different time intervals with translated windows. Local cosine bases are constructed by multiplying these windows with cosine functions. Wavelet packet and local cosine bases are dual families of bases. Wavelet packets segment the frequency axis and are uniformly translated in time. Whereas, local cosine bases divide the time axis and are uniformly translated in frequency.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) therapy alters activity of plasminogen activators, matrix metalloproteinases, and their inhibitors in rat models for adhesion formation and endometriosis: potential GnRH-a-regulated mechanisms reducing adhesion formation.

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the effects of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) on plasminogen activator (PA), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) and matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor (MMPI) activities in peritoneal fluid relative to GnRH-a–induced reduction of adhesion formation. Design: Continuation of prospective randomized study using surgical models for adhesion formation. Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology research laboratory at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. Patient(s): Forty reproductively cycling female Sprague-Dawley rats. Intervention(s): Female rats were injected with depot GnRH-a or diluent and randomly assigned to adhesion and endometriosis surgeries. Peritoneal fluid was collected prior to (time 1) and 7 weeks from (time 2) initial surgery. Main Outcome Measure(s): Peritoneal fluid was analyzed for PA, PAI, MMP, and MMPI activities. Result(s): At time 1, MMP and MMPI activities were similar in all rats; however, PA and PAI activities were less in rats pretreated with GnRH-a than with diluent. Between time 1 and time 2, GnRH-a–treated rats showed an increase in PAI and MMPI activities without significant changes in PA or MMP activities, whereas rats receiving diluent showed a significant increase in PAI and MMP activities but no significant changes in PA or MMPI activities. At time 2, rats receiving GnRH-a had less PA and MMP activities than those receiving diluent. Adhesion scores showed a positive correlation with MMP activity. Conclusion(s): In the absence of GnRH-a therapy, surgical tissue manipulation increased peritoneal fluid MMP and PAI activity. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy decreased PA and MMP activities and also increased PAI and MMPI activities. This GnRH-a–induced shift to a less invasive phenotype may alter fibrinolysis and extracellular matrix remodeling and thereby play a role in the mechanism of GnRH-a–induced reduction in adhesion formation.
A COMPARISON OF THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE HIGHLY HOMOLOGOUS MAIZE ANTIOXIDANT CU/ZN SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE GENES, SOD4 AND SOD4A

Two highly similar cytosolic Cu/Zn Sod (Sod4 and Sod4A) genes have been isolated from maize. Sod4A contains eight exons and seven introns. The Sod4 partial sequence contains five introns. The introns in both genes are located in the same position and have highly homologous sequences in several regions. The largest intron (>1200 bp) interrupts the 5' leader sequence. The presence of different regulatory motifs in the promoter region of each gene may indicate distinct responses to various conditions. Zymogram and RNA blot analyses show that Sod4 and Sod4A are expressed in all tissues of the maize plant. The developmental profiles of Sod4 and Sod4A mRNA accumulation differ in scutella during sporophytic development. RNA blot analysis of the respective Sod mRNAs indicates a differential, tissue-specific response of each gene to certain stressors. RNA isolated from stem tissue of ethephon-treated seedlings shows an increase in the Sod4 but not the Sod4A transcript while there is no change in transcripts of either gene in leaves or roots. There is differential mRNA accumulation between the two genes in leaf and stem tissue of paraquat-treated seedlings. Other agents that can cause oxidative stress were also tested for differential expression of the genes.
Combined ultrasound and NIR imager

A combined ultrasound and near infrared (NIR) diffusive light imager capable of simultaneous three-dimensional (3-D) volumetric imaging and co-registration is constructed. The ultrasound imaging system consists of a 64-element 2-D array and 64 parallel transmission and reception channels. The NIR imaging system consists of a array of 12 dual-wavelength (780nm and 830nm) laser diode sources and 8 photomultiplier (PMT) detectors as well as associated electronics. The combined imager can provide near real-time ultrasound and optical images suitable for clinical experiments.