cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of trace metal deposition history and potential element mobility in selected cores from peat and wetland ecosystems

Abstract Peat and wetland ecosystems serve as repositories for atmospheric chemicals from anthropogenic input and may complement the current studies of the deposition history using lake sediments. Using natural atmospheric tracers, studies of the mechanisms of chemical-matrix interactions and mathematical simulation models have been conducted to guide our evaluations of bog and wetland ecosystems. The deposition histories of Pb and other elements have been determined in 210 Pb-dated cores from bogs and wetlands located in Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York. Two marshlands in the Hudson River, New York — Tivoli Bays and Stockport marsh — show the regional contaminant history of Pb emissions from coal burning, heavy industries and gasoline consumption from 1850 to the present. Accumulations increase from a background of 2 and 8 μg cm −2 year −1 to the present of about 12 and 25 μg cm −2 year −1 , respectively. For comparison, at a bog near Oneonta, New York, Pb values prior to 1780 were 0.1 μg cm −2 year −1 and have increased to 3.3 μg cm −2 year −1 . In a forest bog east of the industrial and coal mining region of Pittsburgh, PA, the Pb has increased from 4 μg cm −2 year −1 before 1820 to a maximum of 17 μg cm −2 year −1 in 1978. Similar increases in Pb deposition values over time of 10–20 times have been measured in eastern, midwestern and western U.S.A. lake core samples. After deposition on a bog or wetland, hydrological, chemical, and biological parameters can influence the migration of specific elements. Cesium-137 has limited mobility in organic-rich bogs, but is much less mobile in more minerotrophic bogs. An advective/dispersive transport code has been developed that explains the 137 Cs mobility and may be used to predict other element mobilities.
Hydroxylapatite alveolar ridge reconstruction: Clinical experiences, complications, and technical modifications

Results of the reconstruction of 228 deficient alveolar ridges (208 patients) using hydroxylapatite with or without autogenous cancellous bone over a six-year period are reported. Complications included erosion, mental nerve neuropathy, migration and displacement of particles, overfill, and loose material. Modified techniques are presented that minimize the occurrence of these complications in Class III and IV ridge-deficient patients.
Coping and Mood in HIV-Positive Women

To date, little empirical research on the association of coping style with mood in HIV-positive women has been carried out. The extant literature on HIV-positive men suggests that active coping is related to diminished distress while avoidant coping is associated with elevated distress. Previous research with HIV-positive women has not consistently confirmed these relationships. To add to this literature, scores from a sample of 145 HIV-positive women who completed the Ways of Coping Questionnaire and the Mental Health Inventory were analyzed. Correlations indicated that an escape-avoidance strategy was associated with more negative emotions. Other strategies related to negative emotions included accepting responsibility and a self-controlling approach. These findings are consistent with those previously reported for HIV-positive men, suggesting that similar kinds of coping strategies may be associated with positive and negative moods among HIV-positive men and women.
An analysis of the indentation test to determine the interface toughness in a weakly bonded thin film coating-substrate system

Abstract A study of the mechanics of indentation induced interface delamination is described for systems consisting of a ductile film on an elastic substrate. Special attention is paid to the properties of the interface between coating and substrate. The interface is modeled by the use of a cohesive zone model within the finite element method. Two cases are distinguished, weak interface case and strong interface case. For weak interfaces, buckling of the coating occurs. Existing methods for interface toughness evaluation are evaluated and an alternative method for the determination the interface toughness from indentation delamination experiments is proposed.
The biochemical severity of primary hyperparathyroidism correlates with the localization accuracy of sestamibi and surgeon-performed ultrasound.

Background Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism is dependent on preoperative localization, commonly with ultrasound and sestamibi imaging. This study sought to determine if preoperative serum calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels correlate with localization sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV). Study Design This is a retrospective analysis of a prospective database of 1,910 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism from 2002 to 2013, who had surgeon-performed ultrasound and/or sestamibi for preoperative localization. The sensitivity and PPV of ultrasound and sestamibi were analyzed by degree of preoperative serum calcium and parathyroid hormone level perturbation. Results In 1,910 parathyroidectomy patients, ultrasound was localizing in 1,411 of 1,644 (86%) and sestamibi in 802 of 1,165 (69%) (p When patients were divided into quartiles of preoperative serum calcium and PTH levels, localization rates and PPV of both ultrasound and sestamibi increased with higher calcium and PTH levels. Surgeon-performed ultrasound had higher localization rates than sestamibi, with lower calcium and PTH values. Sestamibi demonstrated higher PPV values across all quartiles. Conclusions Surgeon-performed ultrasound and sestamibi have higher localization rates and PPV, with increasing preoperative serum calcium and PTH levels. Surgeon-performed ultrasound may be a better initial test for patients with lower calcium (
Trees, congruences and varieties of finite semigroups

A classification scheme for regular languages or finite semigroups was proposed by Pin through tree hierarchies, a scheme related to the concatenation product, an operation on languages, and to the Schutzenberger product, an operation on semigroups. Starting with a variety of finite semigroups (or pseudovariety of semigroups) V , a pseudovariety of semigroups &#x25CA u ( V ) is associated to each tree u. In this paper, starting with the congruence &#x03B3 A generating a locally finite pseudovariety of semigroups V for the finite alphabet A , we construct a congruence &#x2261 u ( &#x03B3 A ) in such a way to generate &#x25CA u ( V ) for A . We give partial results on the problem of comparing the congruences &#x2261 u ( &#x03B3 A ) or the pseudovarieties &#x25CA u ( V ). We also propose case studies of associating trees to semidirect or two-sided semidirect products of locally finite pseudovarieties.
A STUDY OF HYDROMETRA LINEATA

Among the reeds and rushes that border quiet streams and ponds lives Hydrometra lineata, one of the least known of our North American Hemiptera. This insect is comparatively rare in collections, but common enough in nature, though owing to its small size and inconspicuous appearance it escapes all but the sharpest-eyed collectors. Its elongate body is borne on hairlike legs and resembles a bit of twig or grass more than a living insect. After the eye becomes accustomed to the odd shape, they are most easily distinguished, especially when they move about over the surface of the water. During the past summer I took over five hundred specimens of this insect without any special effort, finding them common through New York State, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
Improving I/O throughput of scientific applications using transparent parallel compression

Increasing number of cores in parallel computer systems are allowing scientific simulations to be executed with increasing spatial and temporal granularity. However, this also implies that increasing larger-sized datasets need to be output, stored, managed, and then visualized and/or analyzed using a variety of methods. In examining the possibility of using compression to accelerate all of these steps, we focus on two important questions: "Can compression help save time when data is output from, or input into, a parallel program?", and "How can a scientist's effort in using compression with a parallel program be minimized?". We focus on PnetCDF, and show how transparent compression can be supported, thus allowing an existing simulation program to start outputting and storing data in a compressed fashion, and similarly, allow a data analysis application to read compressed data. We address challenges in supporting compression when parallel writes are being performed.In our experiments, we first analyze the effects of using compression with microbenchmarks, and then, continue our evaluation using a scientific simulation application, and two data analysis applications. While we obtain up to a factor of 2 improvement in performance for microbenchmarks, the execution time of simulation application is improved up to 22%, and the maximum speedup of data analysis applications is 1.83 (with an average speedup of 1.36).
Experimental heating reveals nest temperature affects nestling condition in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor).

Investment in one life-history stage can have delayed effects on subsequent life-history stages within a single reproductive bout. We experimentally heated tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nests ...
Research Note—A New Method for Mapping Population and Understanding the Spatial Dynamics of Disease in Urban Areas: Asthma in the Bronx, New York

Determining an accurate depiction of population distribution for urban areas in order to develop an improved "denominator" is important for the calculation of higher-precision rates in GIS analyses, particularly when exploring the spatial dynamics of disease. Rather than using data aggregated by arbitrary administrative boundaries such as census tracts, we developed the Cadastral-Based Expert Dasymetric System (CEDS), an interpolation method using ancillary information to delineate areas of homogeneous values. This method uses cadastral data, land-use filters, modeling by expert system routines, and validation against various census enumeration units and other data. The CEDS method is presented through a case study of asthma hospitalizations in the borough of the Bronx in New York City, in relation to proximity buffers constructed around major sources of air pollution. The analysis using CEDS shows that asthma hospitalization risk due to proximity to pollution sources is greater than previously calculated...
FABRICATION OF GaAs/ AlGaAs QUANTUM WELL LASERS WITH MeV OXYGEN ION IMPLANTATION*

MeV oxygen ion implantation in GaAs/ AlGaAs has been shown to provide a simple and very promising technique for quantum well laser fabrication. A 10μm stripe single quantum well (SQW) graded-index separation confinement heterostructure (GRINSCH) laser made in this way has achieved high performance with high quantum differential efficiency, low threshold current and good electrical isolation characteristics. MeV oxygen ion implantation with optimum thermal annealing produces a deep buried electrical isolation layer in n-type GaAs and reduces optical absorption in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well structures. Ion implantation stimulated compositional disordering as well as implanted oxygen-related deep level traps may be considered as important effects for electrical and optical modification of interfaces in GaAs and AlGaAs.
Adapting Semantic Sensor Networks for Smart Building Diagnosis

The Internet of Things is one of the next big changes in which devices, objects, and sensors are getting linked to the semantic web. However, the increasing availability of generated data leads to new integration problems. In this paper we present an architecture and approach that illustrates how semantic sensor networks, semantic web technologies, and reasoning can help in real-world applications to automatically derive complex models for analytics tasks such as prediction and diagnostics. We demonstrate our approach for buildings and their numerous connected sensors and show how our semantic framework allows us to detect and diagnose abnormal building behavior. This can lead to not only an increase of occupant well-being but also to a reduction of energy use. Given that buildings consume 40% of the world's energy use we therefore also make a contribution towards global sustainability. The experimental evaluation shows the benefits of our approach for buildings at IBM's Technology Campus in Dublin.
Photoacoustic imaging endoscope

We currently present a design concept for a photoacoustic imaging endoscope as well as some preliminary experimental results. The device is based on the generation of acoustic waves in tissue by short laser pulses and the sensing of these waves with a thin, optical Fabry-Perot etalon. The entire device is designed to be mounted on the tip of a needle to deliver high-resolution photoacoustic imaging for minimally-invasive clinical applications such as diagnosing kidney disease and guiding laparoscopic surgery.
Strategy through the Option Lens: An Integrated View of Resource Investments and the Incremental-Choice Process

This article develops an option-theoretic perspective for organizational strategic management. Grounded in the basic intuition that people seek to “keep options open” in situations that involve an unforeseeable future, and supported by theory in financial economics, this view is a recent development in strategy. The theory integrates resource allocation, sense making, organizational learning, and strategic positioning in a unified framework, and it provides a new explanation for some counterintuitive empirical findings.
pH Dependence of the Stress Regulator DksA

DksA controls transcription of genes associated with diverse stress responses, such as amino acid and carbon starvation, oxidative stress, and iron starvation. DksA binds within the secondary channel of RNA polymerase, extending its long coiled-coil domain towards the active site. The cellular expression of DksA remains constant due to a negative feedback autoregulation, raising the question of whether DksA activity is directly modulated during stress. Here, we show that Escherichia coli DksA is essential for survival in acidic conditions and that, while its cellular levels do not change significantly, DksA activity and binding to RNA polymerase are increased at lower pH, with a concomitant decrease in its stability. NMR data reveal pH-dependent structural changes centered at the interface of the N and C-terminal regions of DksA. Consistently, we show that a partial deletion of the N-terminal region and substitutions of a histidine 39 residue at the domain interface abolish pH sensitivity in vitro. Together, these data suggest that DksA responds to changes in pH by shifting between alternate conformations, in which competing interactions between the N- and C-terminal regions modify the protein activity.
A Cultural Perspective on Communication and Governance

Cultural and symbolic processes-that is, communication-quite frequently play as important a role as structural issues in enabling effective governance.
A Methodology for Quantifying the Perceived Environmental Friendliness of Vehicle Silhouettes in Engineering Design

Methods from psychology and engineering are used to quantify subjective, or perceptual, design attributes of artifacts. A modeling framework of perceptual attributes suitable for inclusion in design optimization is presented. The framework includes stimuli development based on design of experiments, survey design, and statistical analysis of data. The proposed modeling method is demonstrated on a subjective attribute we call ‘perceived environmental friendliness’ using vehicle silhouettes as a case study.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
A daughter's journey promoting geriatric self-care: promoting positive health care interactions.

Abstract Download : Download full-size image The author and her parents, rehearsing for their next health care interaction. Photo courtesy of John Gorell. Love for my parents leads me to promoting geriatric self-care. Methods of empowerment, identification of barriers and methods of overcoming them, and tools for the health care provider in promoting positive health care interactions is the focus of this article. When the older adult and the health care provider work together, the barrier of knowledge regarding chronic conditions is more likely to be overcome, allowing for the best alternatives in assessment, medication, treatment, and referral. Beginning with the material available from the National Institute of Aging (NIA) Web site, both the older adult and health care provider can promote positive health care interactions. Care and concern for the older adult is needed by all in the health care field. We are the older adults of tomorrow.
Why Do Columbian Ground Squirrels Copulate Underground

Abstract Columbian ground squirrels (Spermophilus columbianus) usually copulate underground in a burrow. Underground copulations might be associated with 2 nonexclusive benefits: reducing probability of predation during copulation and reducing interference by conspecific males. We tested whether either of these benefits was involved in determining if the copulation site was underground or aboveground. In 2006 and 2007, we obtained detailed information on the copulatory behavior and social interactions of free-ranging individuals in southwestern Alberta, Canada. During the 3-week annual breeding period, we also recorded the activity of predators of Columbian ground squirrels such as ravens, foxes, and hawks. Squirrels that lived on the periphery of the population were more susceptible to predation than squirrels in the center. Despite this risk, aboveground copulations usually occurred on peripheral territories. In addition, aboveground copulations were not further removed in time from predator attacks or ...
Regulation of CYP3A9 gene expression by estrogen and catalytic studies using cytochrome P450 3A9 expressed in Escherichia coli.

Sexual dimorphism in the expression ofCYP3A9,a novel form ofCYP3Afrom rat brain, is shown for the first time in rat brain as well as in rat liver.CYP3A9expression is female specific in rat liver as judged by its 10-fold higher expression in females than in males.CYP3A9gene expression was inducible by estrogen treatment both in male and in female rats. Ovariectomy of adult female rats elicited a drastic reduction on the mRNA level ofCYP3A9which could be fully restored by estrogen replacement. These results suggest that estrogen may play an important role in the female-specific expression of theCYP3A9gene. P450 3A9 recombinant protein was expressed inEscherichia coliby means of the pCWOri+ expression vector and the MALLLAVF amino terminal sequence modification. This construct gave a high level of expression (130 nmol P450 3A9/liter culture) and the recombinant protein of the modified P450 3A9 was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity with a specific content of 10.1 nmol P450/mg protein from solubilized fractions through two chromatographic steps. The purified P450 3A9 protein was active in the metabolism of imipramine, erythromycin, benzphetamine, and ethylmorphine as well as 17β-estradiol in a reconstituted system containing lipid and rat NADPH-P450 reductase. Of special interest is the finding that P450 3A9 can catalyze the formation of desipramine with a turnover number of 4.9 nmol/min/nmol P450, suggesting the possible involvement of this isoform in the metabolism of imipramine in brain. Optimal reconstitution conditions for P450 3A9 activities required a lipid mixture (1:1:1 mixture ofl-α-dilauroyl phosphatidylcholine,l-α-dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylserine) and GSH.
Providing Immediate Feedback to Co-Teachers Through Bug-in-Ear Technology: An Effective Method of Peer Coaching in Inclusion Classrooms

More children with special needs are educated in general education classrooms than ever before. Ideally, special education and general education teachers work together in these settings as instructional teams, but a “one teaching, one assisting” model is often in place with the special education teacher assuming a subordinate role. As such, the authors conducted research to determine whether changes can be made in teacher instruction so that both teachers in a collaborative team are highly engaged in the instructional process during the lesson. The authors used a multiple-baseline, across-participants design to assess the effects of peer coaches’ giving immediate corrective feedback via bug-in-ear technology on a specific teaching behavior during instruction. Three dyads of co-teachers participated (five women, one man). Each teacher met criterion (three consecutive sessions at 90% or higher) in just three sessions, maintained the behavior at high levels postintervention, and generalized the behavior to a...
AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistor model including thermal effects

A new AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistor (HFET) model, in the framework of the gradual channel approximation and based on Monte Carlo simulations of the electron transport properties, is presented. The effects on the dc HFET output characteristics arising from contact resistances, from the ungated access channels between the gate and the source and between the gate and the drain, and from self-heating are analyzed. By examining the channel potential, the ungated regions are shown to have nonlinear characteristics. The solution method uses implicit analytical relationships for the current in the gated and ungated segments of the channel that are connected by matching boundary conditions. Thermal effects on the transport parameters associated with self-heating are included self-consistently. The model results are in very good agreement with experimental data from AlGaN/GaN HFETs fabricated on sapphire substrates. The model also identifies several device design parameters that need to be adjusted to obtain optimized performance in terms of output current and transconductance.
Temperature-Sensitive Variants of NICOTIANA TABACUM Isolated from Somatic Cell Culture.

Temperature-sensitive variants of Nicotiana tabacum were isolated from a liquid suspension culture of somatic cells by a negative selection procedure, using bromodeoxyuridine and light. A total of nine such variants have been recovered, with an estimated rate of 2 x 10-7 per cell division. The appearance of the variants at the permissive temperature varied from nearly wild type, white and friable, to brown, compact and slow growing. Two of the variants adapted from growth on solid medium to growth in a liquid suspension culture; these were further characterized for chromosome number, growth rate, cell death rate at the restrictive temperature, growth on nutritionally modified media, and RNA and protein synthesis. The variants have been placed on regeneration media, and one of them has produced plantlets. Leaves from a plantlet have been placed on callus-inducing media, and the resulting callus displayed the temperature-sensitive phenotype.
Approaches to the Evolution of Language: Social and Cognitive Bases

Approaches to the Evolution of Language: Social and Cognitive Bases. James R. Burford. Michael Studdert-Kennedy. and Chris Knight. eds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. 442 pp.
The Special Education Process: From Identification to the Delivery of Services

As noted in chapter 1, exceptional students are those whose educational needs are not being met by “regular” educational programs so that some type of “special” education program is necessary. There are several questions, however, that must be addressed regarding the process in which students are identified as being exceptional and how their special education program will be planned and implemented. In this section, these and other issues will be explored. For the sake of clarity, we will discuss three separate components of the special education process: referral, identification and eligibility, and determination of educational program.
A Possible Role of Bacterial Antigens in the Pathogenesis of Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

This discussion concerns the possible relationship between bacterial antigens and the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), with emphasis on the human pathogen Yersinia enterocolitica (Y.e.) and on Graves 1 disease. It is divided into three parts: a description of the fascinating background information that prompted us to investigate this topic; a brief description of our findings to date; and a consideration of their possible significance with respect to the pathogenesis of AITD.
Use of a Computerized Reading and Writing Teaching Program for Families of Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Family can be an important educational agent if it has the tools to teach its members. This study investigated the effectiveness of a computerized reading and writing teaching program applied with students with intellectual disabilities in their own residences, having their family members as monitors. The program included positive teaching techniques, such as ongoing feedback and gradual progression according to the student’s performance. The teaching tasks included matching dictated with printed words and pictures and also constructing printed words from constituent letters and syllables. All students began the program with less than 20 % correct responses in naming words on pretest trials. The posttest results showed an average of 89.3 % of correct responses for teaching words and 52 % correct responses for generalization words. These results indicate that in-home implementation of this program by families can be a promising teaching approach for students with intellectual disabilities.
Privatization, the Role of Enterprises and the Implementation of Social and Economic Rights: A Comparison of Rights-Based and Administrative Approaches in India and China

From the middle of the last century, socio-economic rights have been bound up in the ideology of the state within national legal orders and through the construction of an important edifice of public international law and institutions. Globalization may be changing both the focus and locus of socio-economic rights, adding a private sector dimension to what had been an almost purely public institution project. The state and public international organizations have been making room for the multinational corporation and global civil society. In lieu of a hierarchically arranged global system of public power managing socio-economic rights, governance fracture and polycentricism have complicated the regulatory landscape, making it sometimes harder to see where public law ends and private affairs begin. This study examines the ways in which the development of socio-economic rights has moved beyond the state in two of the most important emerging free market economies — China and India. After introducing the current formal division of human rights between political and civil rights (a focus of the Global North discourse) and social and economic rights (a focus of Global South discourse), Part II of this Article briefly focuses on the way in which social and economic rights are understood within India and China. Part III then considers two case studies as a means of structuring discussion; the first from India, involving two large multinational enterprises and the rights-based approach; the second from China, involving the development of complex administrative and rules-based private corporate social responsibility (CSR) codes of conduct. Part IV concludes with some general observations about globalization, privatization, and the advancement of human rights regimes. In China, privatization is grounded in state obligation, administrative approaches, and private rule systems. In India, privatization is grounded in individual rights-based and civil and political rights-based judicial approaches. Though both incorporate international norms, they achieve this incorporation in substantially different ways. These examples will serve to suggest the ways in which both privatization and corporate actors now play an increasingly important role in realizing socio-economic rights, and the way approaches to economic and social rights are fracturing at the private as well as the public law level. Indeed, within the forms of privatized frameworks for the development of economic and social rights, India and China evidence the ways in which political division has now also been privatized and replicated — providing an additional space within which the tensions, already quite evident in the state system’s difficulties with human rights, may be replayed.
Expect the Unexpected: Simulation Games as a Teaching Strategy

Abstract Background The clinical environment is intimidating for novice nurses. Educational games promote learning and enhance collaboration among nursing students. This pilot teaching strategy consisting of three simulation games was implemented in the first and fourth semester of an undergraduate baccalaureate nursing program. Traditionally, students learn in relatively stable environments such as laboratory settings. However, students' clinical experiences may include patients with high acuities and complex health issues. Nursing students express fear regarding attending clinical experiences. Methods These gamified simulation scenarios were designed to have students experience the unexpected, to face their fears in a controlled environment. This unique design combined game elements with a simulation experience. Students' assessment was based on their knowledge of patient safety and the environment of care as reflected in our program outcomes based on Quality and Safety Education for Nurses competencies. The aim of this project, gamified simulations, was designed as an innovative teaching strategy to engage students and encourage reflective self-assessment of skills. Results One hundred percent of the participants expressed that the learning experience was beneficial, engaging, and decreased their fears of the unexpected. All students expressed increased readiness for the clinical setting based on this experience. Conclusions The gamification of patient safety simulation scenarios was found to be a creative innovation to increase student enthusiasm for learning and self-reflection. Developing gamified simulations provides faculty with a more complex picture of students' abilities.
Nitrogen Balance of the Turkey Female Prior to and Following Onset of Oviposition

Abstract INTRODUCTION The phenomenon of a body weight decrease in turkey breeder hens following onset of egg production has been observed by several researchers. Harper (1950) weighed turkeys at two week intervals and found that Broad Breasted Bronze females gained weight until the onset of egg production; however, after egg production commenced body weight generally decreased. That weight losses occur in turkeys shortly after egg laying begins has also been shown by Asmundson et al. (1946). Similar data on Bourbon Red turkeys are available in the Annual Report of the Indiana Agricultural Experiment Station (1934). Research by Wolford et al. (1963a) has shown that daily feed consumption and body weight generally increase until egg production begins. After the onset of egg production, body weight and feed consumption decreased. It was also demonstrated that when feed intake increased during the reproductive period, body weight loss subsided and generally increased. The present study…
Instability and Breakup of Model Tear Films

Purpose An experimental platform to replicate the human tear film on a contact lens is presented. The influence of interfacial viscoelasticity in stabilizing in vitro model tear films against breakup and dewetting is investigated using this instrument. Methods Model tear films consisting of bovine meibomian lipids (meibum) spread on either PBS or artificial tear solution (ATS) are created. The interfacial shear rheology of these films is measured as a function of temperature. The dewetting dynamics of these films is then investigated using the Interfacial Dewetting and Drainage Optical Platform (i-DDrOP) on top of silicone hydrogel (SiHy) contact lenses at 23 and 35°C. The film breakup times are evaluated using two parameters: onset of film breakup, Tonset for thick films (∼100 μm), and tear breakup times, TBU for thin films (∼1 μm). Thin film thinning rates as a result of evaporation are also calculated. Results The ATS/meibum films have the largest surface rheology and correspondingly show the largest Tonset times at both 23 and 35°C. The parameter TBU is also significantly larger for ATS/meibum (TBU ∼ 40 seconds) compared with that of ATS and PBS/meibum films (TBU ∼ 30 seconds) at room temperature. However, at 35°C, all three model tear films exhibit similar TBU ∼ 17 seconds and average rate of thinning of -4 μm/minute. Conclusions Tear film stability is influenced by both surface rheology and evaporation. The in vitro tear breakup times and thinning rates of model tear films at 35°C are in good agreement with in vivo measurements previously reported, highlighting the utility of the i-DDrOP for in vitro tear film breakup research.
The Analysis of the Benign Cycle of Eco-economic System after the Implementation of the "Converting of Farmlands Back to Forests and Grasslands" Project

According to the basic guidelines of "converting of farmlands back to forests (or grasslands), sealing mountain passes for afforestation, and substituting relief with grains by individual contract," with the fundamentals of eco-economy and study of eco-restoration, this paper summed up the accomplishments of the "converting of farmlands back to forests or grasslands" project during the past five days. It also expounded the significance of converting of farmlands back to forests or grasslands to improving ecological environment, developing national economy, and increasing farmers' income on their way to a well-off society. With the analysis of evolution laws of economic system in western regions, preliminary explorations were made about the dynamic state of the benign cycle of eco-economic system after implementing the "converting of farmlands back to forests or grasslands" project.
Toddlers Learn with Facilitated Play, Not Free Play.

Can children of all age groups engage in self-directed learning? While active learning has been widely advocated in education, it remains unclear whether its benefits apply to children at all developmental levels. In the present study, we demonstrate that 19-month-old toddlers acquire higher-order generalizations in the causal domain only when their play is facilitated by an adult experimenter or a parent, and not when they are provided with full instruction or complete free play. These findings stand in contrast with earlier findings that 36month-old children can learn effectively from data they generate by themselves under conditions of complete free play. This difference suggests that the ability to engage in self-directed learning may develop over early childhood.
Observation of retromodulation/conjugation using a self-pumped atomic sodium PCM

We report on the observation of retromodulation/conjugation using a self-pumped conjugator employing atomic sodium as the nonlinear medi- um. Previous observations of retromodulation/ conjugation employed a crystal of BaTiO3 as the nonlinear medium.1 Although the latter approach is simple in its configuration and high temporal data rates are possible, photorefractive materials possess a relatively limited response time to spatial changes of the incoming wavefront. In the present set of experiments, we demonstrated a retromodulator which potentially has several desirable features Including (1) high spatial bandwidth, (2) fast response time to wavefront changes (projected gigahertz bandwidth), (3) high temporal data rates possible (projected gigahertz bandwidth), (4) low threshold powers required (50 mW demonstated), and (5) rapid buildup time. These features indicate that such classes of retromodulators may be useful in low power level free space and guided-wave communication links as well as in novel optical resonators and gyroscopes.
A Rare Recurrent 4q25 Proximal Deletion Not Involving the PITX2 Gene: A Genomic Disorder Distinct from Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome

Haploinsufficient microdeletions within chromosome 4q25 are often associated with Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome. A de novo 4q25 deletion, 675 kb proximal to PITX2, has previously been reported once in an adult patient. The patient did not have Axenfeld-Rieger anomaly, but instead had intellectual disability and a complex behavioral phenotype with withdrawn, stereotypic, and ritualistic behavior. Array comparative genome hybridization demonstrated a smaller, overlapping 4q25 deletion in a 2-year-old patient and his mother, both having significant phenotypic overlap with the initially reported patient. All 3 patients have distinct facial features (including mild hypotelorism and subtle mandibular asymmetry), developmental delay, and complex behavioral difficulties. A genotype-phenotype correlation narrows the shared phenotype to a common COL25A1 gene aberration and proposes that the concurrent EGF gene loss has a significant impact on the phenotypic severity. Overall, our patients provide data to support the existence of a novel 4q25 proximal deletion syndrome.
Calcium Signaling Required for the Fast Polyspermy Block in Xenopus Laevis

Preventing polyspermy is essential for the normal embryonic development of most animals. Polyspermy, or the fertilization of an egg by more than one sperm, causes severe chromosomal defects and embryonic mortality. The eggs of nearly all externally fertilizing species employ a fast block to polyspermy in the form of a fertilization signaled depolarization. In the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, the fast block requires an increase in intracellular calcium that activates a Ca2+-activated Cl- channel; an efflux of chloride from the egg then depolarizes the membrane. Although increased Ca2+ is crucial for the fast block, the source of this Ca2+ remains unknown. Here we tested the hypothesis that Ca2+ enters the egg to signal the fast block in X. laevis using whole cell recordings on eggs inseminated in the nominal absence of Ca2+or in the presence of 10 μM Gd3+. We recorded normal depolarizations, as well as normal embryonic development, from eggs fertilized in both treatments thereby suggesting that Ca2+ is not entering from the extracellular environment. To test the importance Ca2+ released from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in the fast block, the membrane potential was recorded from eggs that had inhibited inositol trisphophate (IP3) synthesis or IP3 receptor binding. Our data show that inseminated eggs under both of these conditions failed to depolarize. Taken together, these data suggest that the primary source of calcium needed for the fast block to polyspermy is the ER.
Selenium in HIV/AIDS

Selenium (Se) supplementation in people living with HIV (PLWH) has demonstrated benefits in terms of HIV disease progression, morbidity, and mortality. The HIV pandemic continues to be a major health priority worldwide, and the life span of PLWH increases due to the life-prolonging effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Subsequently, nutritional interventions become critical as adjuvant therapies. Nutritional interventions assist in the recuperation of the immune system, preventing nutritional deficiencies, and limiting oxidative stress damage, especially in an aging population on chronic ART. Se status influences HIV disease progression through its role in modulating cytokine signaling for the activation of the immune system and through its antioxidant activity. In addition, this chapter reviews other aspects of the relationship between HIV/AIDS and Se status and Se supplementation, such as associations with vaginal HIV shedding, mitochondrial damage, and HIV transmission.
Open-End Winding Induction Motor Driven With Matrix Converter For Common-Mode Elimination

In this article a novel scheme using matrix converter is proposed for control of three phase machines. The analysis shows that the scheme has several benefits. By eliminating the common mode voltage from the three phases of the machine the motor bearing current is entirely removed. The maximum insulation stress in the motor winding is limited to the peak value of input phase voltage. The power factor at the utility end is controllable. By using matrix converters for power conversion bulky capacitors are eliminated from the drive.
Abstract 816: Persistent effects of radiation on intestinal stem cells: implications for colorectal carcinogenesis

Adult stem cells, similar to somatic cells, are also subject to a similar array of insults and are therefore presumed to accrue radiation damage. Unlike somatic cells, however, lesions arising in the stem cell compartment are propagated both to daughter stem cells and to downstream lineages through the processes of self-renewal and differentiation. The impact of damage accrued in individual stem cells can thus have major ramifications for all levels of the developmental hierarchy leading to cancer initiation and promotion in human as well as in animal models of human colorectal cancer (CRC) such as in APCMin/+. Differentiation of intestinal stem cell (ISC) and ordered migration of differentiated cells along crypt-villus axis is essential for maintenance of intestinal homeostasis and provides a model system to study stem cell alterations after radiation. Furthermore, considering that tumors in animal models of CRC almost exclusively develop in the small intestine and increased intestinal tumor frequency was radiation quality dependent, we investigated persistent effects of radiation quality on ISC as well as on differentiated intestinal epithelial cells in mice. Mice (6 to 8 week; C57BL/6J) were exposed to γ (0.5 and 2 Gy) and 56-Fe (0.5 and 1.6 Gy) radiation, samples were collected 7 d and 2 m after radiation exposure, and carcinogenic precursor events such as persistent oxidative stress and DNA damage were assessed. Higher persistently increased oxidative stress and oxidative DNA damage was observed after 56-Fe relative to γ radiation. However, increased oxidative stress did not increase cell death implying that the oxidative stress was sub-lethal. Autophagy, a self-cannibalistic process of cell involved in removing damaged cell and cell constituents, was consistently downregulated in a radiation quality dependent manner even 2 m after exposure suggesting persistence of damage-bearing cells. We believe radiation-induced autophagy downregulation and sub-lethal oxidative stress is working in tandem to trigger proliferative signaling such as PI3K/Akt and mTOR in intestinal cells. Taken together our results provide insight into radiation quality dependent persistent cancer-related molecular events, which could have altered phenotypic behavior of ISC such as proliferation, differentiation, and migration. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Kamal Datta, Shubhankar Suman, Santosh Kumar, Albert J. Fornace. Persistent effects of radiation on intestinal stem cells: implications for colorectal carcinogenesis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 816. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-816
Vaginal Salpingectomy Techniques in the Presence of Ovarian Conservation.

Abstract Study Objective To demonstrate vaginal salpingectomy techniques in the presence of ovarian conservation. Design Technical video demonstrating 2 methods of Fallopian tube removal with illustrations (Canadian Task Force classification III). Setting The prevalence of salpingectomy at the time of hysterectomy has increased significantly since 1998 [1] . One reason for the increased rate of salpingectomy is the relationship of serous ovarian carcinomas to fimbrial serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas [2] . A Swedish population-based study reported that salpingectomy is an effective measure to reduce ovarian cancer risk in the general population [3] . Prophylactic salpingectomy and delayed oophorectomy may be an acceptable alternative in some BRCA mutation carriers [4] . A retrospective cohort study of 425 vaginal hysterectomies showed that 88% of patients were able to successfully undergo concomitant salpingectomy [5] . Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board approval was not required for this video article. Intervention Two methods of salpingectomy are demonstrated differing in the final disposition of the proximal Fallopian tube (segment). The 2 different methods are shown to increase clarity and understanding of the technique. Conclusion Salpingectomy without concomitant removal of the ovaries at vaginal hysterectomy is a feasible and beneficial procedure.
Hemoadsorption corrects hyperresistinemia and restores anti-bacterial neutrophil function.

Mounting evidence suggests that sepsis-induced morbidity and mortality are due to both immune activation and immunosuppression. Resistin is an inflammatory cytokine and uremic toxin. Septic hyperresistinemia (plasma resistin >20 ng/ml) has been associated with greater disease severity and worse outcomes, and it is further exacerbated by concomitant acute kidney injury (AKI). Septic hyperresistinemia disturbs actin polymerization in neutrophils leading to impaired neutrophil migration, a crucial first-line mechanism in host defense to bacterial infection. Our experimental objective was to study the effects of hyperresistinemia on other F-actin-dependent neutrophil defense mechanisms, in particular intracellular bacterial clearance and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We also sought to examine the effects of hemoadsorption on hyperresistinemia and neutrophil dysfunction. Thirteen patients with septic shock and six control patients were analyzed for serum resistin levels and their effects on neutrophil migration. In vitro, following incubation with resistin-spiked serum samples, Pseudomonas aeruginosa clearance and ROS generation in neutrophils were measured. Phosphorylation of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDPK1) was assessed using flow cytometry. In vitro hemoadsorption with both Amberchrome™ columns (AC) and CytoSorb® cartridges (CC) were used to test correction of hyperresistinemia. We further tested AC for their effect on cell migration and ROS generation and CC for their effect on bacterial clearance. Patients with septic shock had higher serum resistin levels than control ICU patients and showed a strong, negative correlation between hyperresistinemia and neutrophil transwell migration (ρ= − 0.915, p < 0.001). In vitro, neutrophils exposed to hyperresistinemia exhibited twofold lower intracellular bacterial clearance rates compared to controls. Resistin impaired intracellular signaling and ROS production in a dose-dependent manner. Hemoadsorption with AC reduced serum concentrations of resistin and restored neutrophil migration and generation of ROS to normal levels. Hemoadsorption with CC also corrected hyperresistinemia and reconstituted normal intracellular bacterial clearance. Septic hyperresistinemia strongly correlates with inhibition of neutrophil migration in vitro. Hyperresistinemia itself reversibly impairs neutrophil intracellular bacterial clearance and ROS generation. Hemoadsorption therapy with a clinically approved device corrects hyperresistinemia and neutrophil dysfunction. It may therefore provide a therapeutic option to improve neutrophil function during septic hyperresistinemia and ultimately alleviate immunosuppression in this disease state.
Pultruded Textile Reinforced Concrete Structural Shapes

The prospect of TRC as a legitimate alternative to common construction materials shows promise of many advantages including cost reduction, sustainability, and structural longevity. An automated TRC manufacturing process based on the standard industrial techniques was developed and used to produce and test full scale TRC composite structural sections including plate, L, hat, T, and C sections. These sections were tested in direct tension and compression at a length of up to 1.2 m to study the mechanical response of these full-scale sections. Results were compared to the coupon responses to determine reduction in strength due to changes in geometry and connection types.