cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acetylcholinesterase in the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus: characterization and developmental expression in larvae.

Abstract Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the echinoid Lytechinus variegatus has been characterized. Kinetic parameters V max , K m , K ss , and b were 2594 ± 1048 nmol ATCh hydrolyzed/min/mg tissue wet weight, 185 ± 11 μM, 308 ± 100 mM, and 0.2, respectively for the substrate ATCh and 17.8 ± 6.87 nmol BTCh hydrolyzed/min/mg tissue wet weight, 654 ± 424 μM, 36 ± 31 mM, and 0.6, respectively for BTCh. Pharmacologic analyses were performed with four inhibitors of cholinesterases, physostigmine, BW284c51, ethopropazine, and iso-OMPA, and yielded IC 50 values of 106 ± 4 nM, 718 ± 118 nM, 2.57 ± 0.6 mM, and > 0.0300 M, respectively. Both kinetic and pharmacologic results confirmed the existence of AChE in larval L. variegatus . Dimeric and tetrameric globular forms (determined by velocity sedimentation on sucrose gradients) were present in L. variegatus larvae. Activity of AChE increased significantly as larvae progressed in development from embryos to eight-arm larvae. Acetylcholinesterase activity of F1 larvae derived from sea urchins collected from wild populations and of F1 larvae derived from sea urchins cultured in the laboratory and fed two different diets suggest that the nutritional and/or environmental history of the adult sea urchin affect the developmental progression of AChE activity in the F1 offspring.
The Corporate City: The American City as a Political Entity, 1800-1850

General Introduction Volume Introduction City Government Financing Urban Government Urban Politics Who Governed? The City and the Plan Intergovernmental Relations Urban Mercantilism Conclusion
Does warm weather climate affect eating disorder pathology

Objective The aim of this study was to examine whether residing in a year-round warm weather climate is related to eating disorder pathology. Method College females from a southeastern and a northeastern region of the United States were compared on body mass index, the Bulimia Test-Revised, the Body Shape Questionnaire, and the Body Image Avoidance Questionnaire. Results Females residing in the southeastern region were of significantly lower body weight, engaged in more frequent bulimic behaviors (e.g., bingeing and inappropriate compensatory behaviors), and displayed significantly greater concern regarding their body shape compared with the females residing in the northeastern region. Discussion Findings obtained in this study indicate that residing in a warm weather climate may produce a heightened risk for development of eating disorder pathology. © 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 32: 240–244, 2002.
Translational energy dependence of Ar++XY→ArX++Y (XY=H2,D2,HD) from thermal to 30 eV c.m.

Cross sections for the reactions of Ar+ with H2, D2, and HD to form ArH+ and ArD+ are measured using a new guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometer which affords an experimental energy range from 0.05 to 500 eV laboratory. The apparatus and experimental techniques are described in detail. Cross sections for H2 and D2 are found to be nearly identical over this entire energy range when compared at the same barycentric energy. The total HD cross section is the same as H2 and D2 at low energies, but differs significantly above 4 eV c.m., where product dissociation becomes important. The intramolecular isotope effect for reaction with HD exhibits a reversal at low energy, favoring the deuteride product below ∼0.14 eV c.m., and surprising nonmonotonic behavior at energies above 5 eV c.m. In all these systems, a new feature at higher energies is observed. This is interpreted as the onset of a product channel having an energy barrier of 8±1 eV. The room temperature rate constant derived from the data for the reac...
Evidence for MTBE in Heating Oil

“Contamination of heating oil with MTBE could result in increasing the environmental impact of subsurface heating oil releases.”
The Cold War Politics of Cultural Minorities: Jews and Sorbs in the German Democratic Republic, 1976–1989

This article compares cultural identity politics relating to Jews and Sorbs in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1976 to the collapse of communism in 1989. Drawing on state and party sources, oral histories, literature and documents from the Ministry for State Security (Stasi), it juxtaposes state constructions of minority identities with the views and actions of Jewish and Sorbian students, writers and intellectuals. In its first three decades, the East German Communist party (SED) generally treated Jewish culture with suspicion or indifference and often conflated Jewishness with the capitalist West. In contrast, the party celebrated a folkloric vision of Sorbian culture that linked Germany with the Slavic East. By the mid-1980s, the SED altered its posture towards Jews and Sorbs. In the GDR's final decade, SED officials attempted to cultivate Jewish culture while viewing Sorbs with increased suspicion. The main reason for this shift was that SED officials placed Cold War foreign policy concerns over Marxist-Leninist ideological consistency. Treatment of Sorbs worsened as Sorbs forged ties with dissidents in other Eastern Bloc nations. Meanwhile, celebrations of Jewish culture aimed to improve the GDR's ties with Western Europe by embracing Western Holocaust memory. The article also shows that SED efforts to cultivate minority cultural identities often backfired at the grassroots level. The minority cultural images promoted by the state often had little resonance outside leadership circles. Average GDR citizens frequently grew disenchanted with SED cultural minority policies, ultimately helping by the 1980s to destabilize the regime.
Malignant nonteratoid medulloepithelioma of the ciliary body in an adult

Abstract Background The authors describe a 62-year-old man with a malignant nonteratoid malignant medulloepithelioma of the ciliary body with extension into the anterior choroid and posterior chamber. He developed gradual loss of vision in his right eye, and a clinical diagnosis of malignant melanoma of the ciliary body and choroid was made. Results Histopathologic examination of the enucleated eye showed a malignant nonteratoid medulloepithelioma of the ciliary body with extension into the anterior choroid and posterior chamber. Conclusion This report provides clinicopathologic evidence that intraocular medulloepithelioma can occur rarely in an adult. The lesion clinically may mimic a malignant melanoma. The authors also summarize five previously reported cases of this unusual lesion.
Inhaled Aztreonam Lysine for Cystic Fibrosis

Objective:To review the mechanism of action, indication, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, safety and tolerability, dosing, availability, and place in therapy for aztreonam lysine in the chronic management of cystic fibrosis (CF).Data Sources:PubMed/MEDLINE (1966–December 2011) was searched to identify articles addressing aztreonam lysine use for CF using the terms aztreonam, cystic fibrosis, and inhaled antibiotics. Reference lists of review articles, guidelines, and unpublished data from the manufacturer were also utilized.Study Selection and Data Extraction:Limits were set for the English language and humans. Three placebo-controlled trials and 1 active-comparator trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of aztreonam lysine were reviewed for inclusion. Data were also extracted from review articles and the manufacturer's Web site.Data Synthesis:Pseudomonas aeruginosa is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in patients with CF; therefore, treatment is imperative. Current guidelines for ...
FACTOR STRUCTURE OF THE LANGUEDGE™ TEST ACROSS LANGUAGE GROUPS

This study assessed the factor structure of the LanguEdge™ test and the invariance of its factors across language groups. Confirmatory factor analyses of individual tasks and subsets of items in the four sections of the test, Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing, was carried out for Arabic-, Chinese-, and Spanish-speaking test takers. Two factors were identified, Speaking and a fusion of the other sections of the test. The number of factors, the factor loadings, and the factors' error variances were invariant in the three samples, although the correlations between the factors differed. The failure to find separate factors for each section of the LanguEdge test necessarily raises questions about the test's functioning that need to be resolved.
LvTbx2/3: a T-box family transcription factor involved in formation of the oral/aboral axis of the sea urchin embryo

T-box family transcription factors have been identified in many organisms and are frequently associated with patterning events during embryonic development. With an interest in the molecular basis of patterning in the sea urchin embryo, we identified several members of the T-box family in Lytechinus variegatus . Here, we report the cloning and characterization of an ortholog of the Tbx2/3 subfamily, LvTbx2/3 . To characterize the spatial distribution of LvTbx2/3 protein throughout sea urchin embryogenesis, a polyclonal antiserum was generated. Nuclear localization of LvTbx2/3 initiated at the mesenchyme blastula stage and protein was present into the pluteus stage. Localization was asymmetric throughout this period and costaining with marker genes indicated that asymmetry was about the oral/aboral (O/A) axis. Asymmetric distribution of LvTbx2/3 was observed in the aboral territories of all three germ layers. In the skeletogenic mesoderm lineage, LvTbx2/3 expression was dynamic because expression appeared initially in all skeletogenic mesenchyme cells (PMCs) but, subsequently, became refined solely to the aboral ones during skeletogenesis. To determine if the aboral expression of LvTbx2/3 is linked between germ layers, and to place LvTbx2/3 in the sequence of events that specifies the O/A axis, the effects of a series of perturbations to O/A polarity on LvTbx2/3 expression in each germ layer were examined. Preventing the nuclear localization of β-catenin, pharmacological disruption of the O/A axis with NiCl2, overexpression of BMP2/4 and disruption of the extracellular matrix all blocked LvTbx2/3 expression in all germ layers. This indicates that expression of LvTbx2/3 in the aboral territories of each germ layer is a common aspect of O/A specification, downstream of the molecular events that specify the axis. Furthermore, blocking the nuclear localization of β -catenin, overexpression of BMP2/4 and disruption of the extracellular matrix also prevented the oral (stomodael) expression of LvBrachyury (LvBrac) protein, indicating that the O/A axis is established by a complex series of events. Last, the function of LvTbx2/3 in the formation of the O/A axis was characterized by examining the phenotypic consequences of ectopic expression of LvTbx2/3 mRNA on embryonic development and the expression of marker genes that identify specific germ layers and tissues. Ectopic expression of LvTbx2/3 produced profound morphogenetic defects in derivatives of each germ layer with no apparent loss in specification events in those tissues. This indicates that LvTbx2/3 functions as a regulator of morphogenetic movements in the aboral compartments of the ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm.
The Young and the Restless? Age as a Moderator of the Association Between Sexual Desire and Sexual Distress in Women

The authors aimed to assess the degree to which age moderates the association between sexual desire and sexual distress in women. The authors combined 4 independent data sets that yielded a total sample of 771 women (M age = 27.76, SD age = 9.64) who had completed the Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women and the Female Sexual Function Index. Desire interacted with age quadratically in predicting personal and relational sexual distress such that desire was more strongly associated with distress for younger women as compared with middle-aged and older women. Age is an important moderator of the association between sexual functioning and sexual distress in women. Research and clinical implications are discussed.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Cremastrine and an Unnatural Analogue

In this Letter, we describe the first total synthesis of cremastrine, a pyrrolizidine alkaloid from Cremastra appendiculata, with anticholinergic activity as well as an unnatural analogue. The streamlined synthesis proceeds in nine steps, seven steps longest linear sequence, in 25.2% overall yield, and features novel methodology to construct the pyrrolizidine core. Biological evaluation of cremastrine and the unnatural analogue indicated that both are pan-mAChR functional antagonists.
The Use of Station Time Allotments by Fourth Year Medical Students in a Standardized Patient-Based Clinical Skills Examination

Introduction: We performed this study to assess medical student use of station time allotments in a standardized patient-based clinical skills assessment. Methods: Videotapes of student-SP encounters were reviewed. Total encounter time, and time spend in the physical examination, were recorded in seconds. The mean time use for each station was calculated. Cases were categorized by patient age, case content and acuity. Times were compared across cases. Results: On average, students spent most time in encounters requiring complex interviewing strategies or physical examination maneuvers. Students also spent more time on cases that involved content familiar to them from multiple clerkship disciplines. Discussion: Many factors are believed to influence the use of station time allotments in SP-based clinical skills assessment. Our findings have provided information helpful for case refinement, and may assist others when planning multi-station examinations.
Interdomain interactions within ryanodine receptors regulate Ca2+ spark frequency in skeletal muscle.

DP4 is a 36-residue synthetic peptide that corresponds to the Leu2442-Pro2477 region of RyR1 that contains the reported malignant hyperthermia (MH) mutation site. It has been proposed that DP4 disrupts the normal interdomain interactions that stabilize the closed state of the Ca2+ release channel (Yamamoto, T., R. El-Hayek, and N. Ikemoto. 2000. J. Biol. Chem . 275:11618–11625). We have investigated the effects of DP4 on local SR Ca2+ release events (Ca2+ sparks) in saponin-permeabilized frog skeletal muscle fibers using laser scanning confocal microscopy (line-scan mode, 2 ms/line), as well as the effects of DP4 on frog SR vesicles and frog single RyR Ca2+ release channels reconstituted in planar lipid bilayers. DP4 caused a significant increase in Ca2+ spark frequency in muscle fibers. However, the mean values of the amplitude, rise time, spatial half width, and temporal half duration of the Ca2+ sparks, as well as the distribution of these parameters, remained essentially unchanged in the presence of DP4. Thus, DP4 increased the opening rate, but not the open time of the RyR Ca2+ release channel(s) generating the sparks. DP4 also increased [3H]ryanodine binding to SR vesicles isolated from frog and mammalian skeletal muscle, and increased the open probability of frog RyR Ca2+ release channels reconstituted in bilayers, without changing the amplitude of the current through those channels. However, unlike in Ca2+ spark experiments, DP4 produced a pronounced increase in the open time of channels in bilayers. The same peptide with an Arg17 to Cys17 replacement (DP4mut), which corresponds to the Arg2458-to-Cys2458 mutation in MH, did not produce a significant effect on RyR activation in muscle fibers, bilayers, or SR vesicles. Mg2+ dependence experiments conducted with permeabilized muscle fibers indicate that DP4 preferentially binds to partially Mg2+-free RyR(s), thus promoting channel opening and production of Ca2+ sparks.
Pain and negative affect: evidence the inverse benzodiazepine agonist DMCM inhibits pain and learning in rats

Rationale: The anxiogenic DMCM, an inverse benzodiazepine agonist, was used to explore the relationship between negative affective states and pain. Past work suggests that the outcome obtained may depend on both the intensity of the affective state and the way in which pain is inferred. Objectives: The present study was designed to test the impact of relatively low doses of DMCM on multiple measures of pain reactivity and learning. Methods: In experiment 1, systemic injections of 0.00, 0.015, 0.06, and 0.25 mg/kg DMCM were administered before vocalization and tail movements were assessed in response to a gradually incremented shock and radiant heat stimulus. Experiment 2 tested the effects of DMCM on Pavlovian conditioning. DMCM-treated subjects experienced a context paired with an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US) and conditioned freezing was assessed the next day. Results: Experiment 1 showed that DMCM inhibits both a spinal nociceptive reflex (tail-flick to heat) and a supraspinal measure of pain (vocalization to shock). Because these inhibitory effects could reflect a disruption in motor function, experiment 2 employed a remote test based on Pavlovian conditioning. A moderate dose of DMCM undermined learning, implying that the drug decreased the affective impact of the aversive US. Conclusions: DMCM induces hypoalgesia on a wide range of assays. Furthermore, pharmacologically inducing a negative affective state blocks Pavlovian fear conditioning. It is suggested that DMCM induces a state of panic and that this state inhibits pain.
THE APPROACH TO GRAVITATIONAL COLLAPSEfn1

Evolutionary sequences of stellar models that began with helium burning have been followed into the hydrodynamic phase of neutronization and thermal disintegration of nuclei. The thermal history is calculated with some care, and the rate of electron capture (and of other processes that change lepton number) is numerically integrated. The helium star (M/sub ..cap alpha../ = 8 M/sub mass/ which perhaps corresponds to a total mass of M = 24 M/sub solar/), develops a neutron star core (neutron/proton ratio approximately 50) that is hot (T approximately 5 x 10/sup 100/K at a density rho/sub c/ approx. = 1.0 x 10/sup 12/ g/cm/sup 3/). At the end of the last calculated time step, about 1.1 M/sub solar/ had accreted into the neutron star core, and although the core velocities were subsonic, a shock front had developed outside the neutronization region. 9 references. (auth)
The interplay of friendship networks and social networking sites: longitudinal analysis of selection and influence effects on adolescent smoking and alcohol use.

Objectives. We examined the coevolution of adolescent friendships and peer influences with respect to their risk behaviors and social networking site use.Methods. Investigators of the Social Network Study collected longitudinal data during fall 2010 and spring 2011 from 10th-grade students in 5 Southern California high schools (n = 1434). We used meta-analyses of stochastic actor-based models to estimate changes in friendship ties and risk behaviors and the effects of Facebook and MySpace use.Results. Significant shifts in adolescent smoking and drinking occurred despite little change in overall prevalence rates. Students with higher levels of alcohol use were more likely to send and receive friendship nominations and become friends with other drinkers. They were also more likely to increase alcohol use if their friends drank more. Adolescents selected friends with similar Facebook and MySpace use habits. Exposure to friends’ risky online pictures increased smoking behaviors but had no significant effects...
Long-lasting potentiation of GABAergic synapses in dopamine neurons after a single in vivo ethanol exposure.

The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system originating in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is involved in many drug-related behaviors, including ethanol self-administration. In particular, VTA activity regulating ethanol consummatory behavior appears to be modulated through GABAA receptors. Previous exposure to ethanol enhances ethanol self-administration, but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are not well understood. In this study, we examined changes occurring at GABA synapses onto VTA DA neurons after a single in vivo exposure to ethanol. We observed that evoked GABAA IPSCs in DA neurons of ethanol-treated animals exhibited paired-pulse depression (PPD) compared with saline-treated animals, which exhibited paired-pulse facilitation (PPF). Furthermore, PPD was still present 1 week after the single exposure to ethanol. An increase in frequency of spontaneous miniature GABAA IPSCs (mIPSCs) was also observed in the ethanol-treated animals. Additionally, the GABAB receptor antagonist (3-aminopropyl)(diethoxymethyl) phosphinic acid shifted PPD to PPF, indicating that presynaptic GABAB receptor activation, likely attributable to GABA spillover, might play a role in mediating PPD in the ethanol-treated mice. The activation of adenylyl cyclase by forskolin increased the amplitude of GABAA IPSCs and the frequency of mIPSCs in the saline- but not in the ethanol-treated animals. Conversely, the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor N -[z-( p -bromocinnamylamino)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide significantly decreased both the frequency of spontaneous mIPSCs and the amplitude of GABAA IPSCs in the ethanol-treated mice but not in the saline controls. The present results indicate that potentiation of GABAergic synapses, via a PKA-dependent mechanism, occurs in the VTA after a single in vivo exposure to ethanol, and such potentiation might be a key synaptic modification underlying increased ethanol intake.
Salt tectonics driven by sediment progradation: Part I—Mechanics and kinematics

Using conceptual reasoning and results from physical models, we describe the mechanical and kinematic characteristics of sediment wedges spreading seaward above a viscous evaporitic layer. Spreading can occur if the distal sediment overburden is thin and weak, or if it comprises preexisting salt bodies. Spreading is accommodated by proximal extension and an associated rise of diapiric ridges, by midslope seaward translation, and by distal shortening. Rapid sediment progradation can lead to the reactivation of older distal folds by later extension. Either retrogradation or renewed sedimentation following a long depositional hiatus can reactivate older grabens and diapirs in shortening.
Why Be Fair When You Can Have Welfare

The Kaplow/Shavell thesis can be simply stated: If courts or legislatures pursue any value other than general public welfare, then welfare is to that extent diminished. Justice is one of those values that detract from welfare. But so too is injustice. Hence their entire thesis is a tautology.
A Class of Cross-Layer Optimization Algorithms for Performance and Complexity Trade-Offs in Wireless Networks

In this paper, we solve the problem of a joint optimal design of congestion control and wireless MAC-layer scheduling using a column generation approach with imperfect scheduling. We point out that the general subgradient algorithm has difficulty in recovering the time-share variables and experiences slower convergence. We first propose a two-timescale algorithm that can recover the optimal time-share values. Most existing algorithms have a component, called global scheduling, which is usually NP-hard. We apply imperfect scheduling and prove that if the imperfect scheduling achieves an approximation ratio rho, then our algorithm produces a suboptimum of the overall problem with the same approximation ratio. By combining the idea of column generation and the two-timescale algorithm, we derive a family of algorithms that allows us to reduce the number of times the global scheduling is needed.
Effects of finite pulse width on two-dimensional Fourier transform electron spin resonance

Abstract Two-dimensional (2D) Fourier transform ESR techniques, such as 2D-ELDOR, have considerably improved the resolution of ESR in studies of molecular dynamics in complex fluids such as liquid crystals and membrane vesicles and in spin labeled polymers and peptides. A well-developed theory based on the stochastic Liouville equation (SLE) has been successfully employed to analyze these experiments. However, one fundamental assumption has been utilized to simplify the complex analysis, viz. the pulses have been treated as ideal non-selective ones, which therefore provide uniform irradiation of the whole spectrum. In actual experiments, the pulses are of finite width causing deviations from the theoretical predictions, a problem that is exacerbated by experiments performed at higher frequencies. In the present paper we provide a method to deal with the full SLE including the explicit role of the molecular dynamics, the spin Hamiltonian and the radiation field during the pulse. The computations are rendered more manageable by utilizing the Trotter formula, which is adapted to handle this SLE in what we call a “Split Super-Operator” method. Examples are given for different motional regimes, which show how 2D-ELDOR spectra are affected by the finite pulse widths. The theory shows good agreement with 2D-ELDOR experiments performed as a function of pulse width.
Situating adaptation: how governance challenges and perceptions of uncertainty influence adaptation in the Rocky Mountains

Adaptation is situated within multiple, interacting social, political, and economic forces. Adaptation pathways envision adaptation as a continual pathway of change and response embedded within this broader sociopolitical context. Pathways emphasize that current decisions are both informed by past actions and shape the landscape of future options. This research examines how adaptation actors in Grand County, Colorado perceive adaptation in the context of environmental change and uncertainty. Grand County residents drew on experiences of past change to suggest they had a high capacity to respond to future change, in particular a significant outbreak of mountain pine beetle. While residents and land managers characterized adaptation as gradual and incremental, they also recognized the ways that powerful cross-scale processes related to federal land management and water diversions challenged local adaptation. Further, Grand County residents identified multiple uncertainties in addition to those associated with climate projections, suggesting that addressing uncertainty extends beyond developing strategies robust across different climate scenarios. The challenges of uncertainty and cross-scale governance require more than increased adaptive capacity; they demand that we understand how local and extra-local structures shape the adaptation envelope that enables and constrains local decisions and implementation. Within this envelope, local actors pursue particular adaptation pathways and exercise agency to influence the structures shaping their options. Drawing on empirical insights, we argue that the concepts of pathways and envelopes together provide theoretical space for understanding the dynamic interplay between structure and agency in the context of adaptation.
Power allocation, decoding order and spectral efficiency of successive interference cancellation based multirate DS-CDMA systems

The paper considers the analysis of successive interference cancellation (SIC) based multirate DS-CDMA systems. Power allocation in the context of various detection and decoding schemes, including SIC-MMSE and group SIC (GSIC), is discussed. Optimal decoding order for these schemes is analyzed. Spectral efficiency in both non-fading and frequency flat fading channels is discussed by obtaining explicit expressions for minimum energy per bit and spectral slope, and the results are compared with a multi-code scheme.
Nanoimpedance Microscopy and Spectroscopy

ABSTRACT One of the key limiting factors in current-based scanning probe microscopies (SPM) is the quality of tip-sample contact and stray capacitance in the probe-surface junction. We conduct impedance spectroscopy over a broad frequency range (40Hz~110MHz) through an AFM tip to quantify local electrical properties. Equivalent circuit for the tip-surface contact is constructed based on the impedance data and is used to study the mechanisms of relaxation in the near-tip region. Relative contributions of tip-surface contact and materials properties to the signal are discussed. This technique, referred to as Nanoimpedance Microscopy/Spectroscopy, is demonstrated in the imaging of an electronic ceramic: a ZnO varistor. Analysis of impedance spectra allows separation of tip-surface interactions and grain boundary behavior. INTRODUCTION The continuous miniaturization of integrated electrical devices and growing interest in submicron phenomena require reliable methods to characterize local electrical properties. Recently, many scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques based on contact mode AFM have been developed. They are implemented either by current or capacitance sensing via a nanoscale sharp AFM tip in contact with the sample surface [1-3]. One of the most significant factors affecting these SPM techniques is tip-surface contact. Here, we have applied impedance spectroscopy to the characterization of the contact between an AFM tip and a flat noble metal surface in order to determine electrical parameters of tip-surface junction, such as stray capacitance, contact resistance of different conductive coatings, inductance and the dc bias dependence of these parameters. The measurement of the frequency dependence of ceramic or semiconductor samples using a conductive tip is implemented and referred to as Nanoimpedance Microscopy/Spectroscopy (NIM). If contact resistance is small, the measured capacitance is due to relatively large microstructural elements, such as grain boundaries, etc, as demonstrated by impedance imaging and spectroscopy of a polycrystalline ZnO.
Beyond the Individualism–Collectivism Divide to Relationalism: Explicating Cultural Assumptions in the Concept of “Relationships”

While the basic concept of “relationship” is pivotal to research and theory across a spectrum of communication studies, cultural assumptions about this basic concept may vary significantly, and yet escape scholars' awareness. This study exposes assumptions buried in foundational U.S.-based Organization-Public Relationship (OPR) scholarship to illustrate how differing assumptions about “relationships” correspond to understandings of communication processes and goals. “Relationalism” is introduced as an analytical lens to provide insights beyond the dichotomous relational patterns of individualism-collectivism, explore global perspectives, and help explicate a graduated range of relational assumptions that challenge OPR theoretical premises. Relational assumptions identified in OPR scholarship have heuristic value for communication areas that have “relationships” as a pivotal concept.
Directing stem cell fate on hydrogel substrates by controlling cell geometry, matrix mechanics and adhesion ligand composition.

There is a dynamic relationship between physical and biochemical signals presented in the stem cell microenvironment to guide cell fate determination. Model systems that modulate cell geometry, substrate stiffness or matrix composition have proved useful in exploring how these signals influence stem cell fate. However, the interplay between these physical and biochemical cues during differentiation remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate a microengineering strategy to vary single cell geometry and the composition of adhesion ligands — on substrates that approximate the mechanical properties of soft tissues — to study adipogenesis and neurogenesis in adherent mesenchymal stem cells. Cells cultured in small circular islands show elevated expression of adipogenesis markers while cells that spread in anisotropic geometries tend to express elevated neurogenic markers. Arraying different combinations of matrix protein in a myriad of 2D and pseudo-3D geometries reveals optimal microenvironments for controlling the differentiation of stem cells to these “soft” lineages without the use of media supplements.
Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells for Electrical Power Generation On-Board Commercial Airplanes

Deployed on a commercial airplane, proton exchange membrane fuel cells may offer emissions reductions, thermal efficiency gains, and enable locating the power near the point of use. This work seeks to understand whether on-board fuel cell systems are technically feasible, and, if so, if they offer a performance advantage for the airplane as a whole. Through hardware analysis and thermodynamic and electrical simulation, we found that while adding a fuel cell system using today's technology for the PEM fuel cell and hydrogen storage is technically feasible, it will not likely give the airplane a performance benefit. However, when we re-did the analysis using DOE-target technology for the PEM fuel cell and hydrogen storage, we found that the fuel cell system would provide a performance benefit to the airplane (i.e., it can save the airplane some fuel), depending on the way it is configured.
Induction of IgE receptors on human lymphocytes.

A mouse myeloma IgE protein was cross-linked with dimethylsuberimidate to induce polymer ization and incubated with normal human peripheral blood T lymphocytes in tissue culture. After 24 hours at 37°C approximately 30% of the cells formed rosettes with IgE sensitized red cells as compared with much lower levels in the controls. A variety of controls established that the cellular receptors involved in rosette formation were specific for IgE. Monomeric mouse IgE failed to induce a response.
Abstract 617: Bisphenol A Inhibits GPR30-Mediated Dilation of Mesenteric Resistance Arteries

We previously showed that activation of the membrane estrogen receptor GPR30 decreases blood pressure in hypertensive ovariectomized mRen2.Lewis rats and acutely dilates mesenteric resistance arter...
On the Condition for a Single Bunch High Frequency Fast Blow-Up

We study the longitudinal stability of a single particle bunch in a storage ring using Vlasov equation. We show that the Vlasov equation has solutions corresponding to a fast, microwave instability if a condition on the beam current, qualitatively similar to the stability condition for a coasting beam, is satisfied. This condition can be used to define a threshold current, and to discuss its dependence on the longitudinal coupling impedance.
Evaluation Model for Meteorological Environment Influencing Anti-Terrorism Campaign

In August 2007,the armed forces of the SCO(Shanghai Collaborating Organization,SCO) member states held a world-renowned "Peace Mission-2007" joint anti-terrorism military drill.Taking this drill as an example,the influence of the meteorological environment conditions was analyzed on combat effectiveness of battle modes and weapons in the five stages of the joint anti-terrorism military exercises.Judgment matrixes of AHP(Analytic Hierarchy Process) were built using the Expert-Scoring Method and reasonable Scale Transformation Method.Furthermore,an efficiency evaluation model of meteorological environment influencing on the anti-terrorism campaign was established by using of AHP method.On the whole,the model assessment results are in accord with the objective facts.Consequently,as far as enlarging the anti-terrorism combat effectiveness and the predominance in battlefield weather conditions is concerned,the evaluation model is of great importance in decision-making support and it can bear great military and economic benefits.
Impacts of Distributed Generation on Distribution System Voltage Sags

According to the characteristic of distribution network with distributed generation(DG) connected,a voltage sag analysis model is built and by means of typical case study the simulation analysis of voltage sag in distribution network is conducted.Taking synchronous generator and inverter as connecting interface respectively,the ability of suppressing voltage sag by DG under different conditions is researched.Simulation results show that the type and control strategy of DG,network parameters and electrical distance between disturbance source and monitoring point have certain effect on voltage sag.
Risk factors and strategies of dental implants in the maxillary posterior without sufficient bone available

There are two ways to place dental implants in the maxillary posterior without sufficient bone available, one is the maxillary sinus floor bone augmentation technique, the other is to evade maxillary sinus. The maxillary sinus floor bone augmentation technique may result in a series of complication, and reduce obedience of patients for implant surgery. According to principles of the best bone utilization, the evaded maxillary sinus implant technique is more simple, more economic, more predictable, and more shortage of time, compared with the maxillary sinus floor bone augmentation technique, and has certain technological advantages in some special cases.
The development of a new cyberbullying attitude measure

Three studies were conducted to validate a new positive attitude towards cyberbullying measure. Our developed measure is a self-report assessment that consists of nine items. Study 1 (N=166) used exploratory factor analysis and found two distinct factors: Harmful Cyberbullying Attitudes (HCA; five items) and General Cyberbullying Characteristics (GCC; four items) that both had adequate reliability. The factor structure was replicated using confirmatory factor analysis in Study 2 (N=336). Additionally, our new measure correlated significantly with existing measures of cyberbullying attitudes and cyberbullying behaviors. Finally, Study 3 (N=159) further replicated the results of Study 2 and also showed that our HCA measure predicted cyberbullying perpetration above and beyond other cyberbullying attitude measures. Overall, our research suggests that our new cyberbullying attitude measure is reliable and valid. Developed a new cyberbullying attitude measure.Study 1 showed two factors with good reliability.Study 2 confirmed a two factor structure with good validity.Study 3 showed the new measure's incremental validity.
Moving Beyond the Debate Over Restricting Sugary Drinks in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

To address the dual problem of food insecurity and poor nutrition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has recently revised the nutrition standards for nearly all of its federal food programs to align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. One notable exception is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Policy proposals to restrict SNAP benefits based on nutrition quality (e.g., excluding sugary drinks) have generated controversy and have polarized previous research and advocacy allies. This essay presents many of the issues that have emerged, which include challenges about the feasibility, justification, and effectiveness of restricting benefits; the risk of a slippery slope; concerns about participant dignity; and finally, distrust about the motives behind promoting and opposing a policy change. The purpose of this review is to increase mutual understanding and respect of different perspectives. The conclusion is that the rationales behind both support and opposition to updating the policies regulating SNAP benefits based on nutrition are fundamentally the same—the belief that a fair and just society cares for and protects vulnerable citizens, which in this case are low-income Americans who need assistance affording healthy food. Recommendations include activities to restore trust between the public health and anti-hunger communities, authentic engagement of SNAP participants in the conversation, and an optional SNAP program that includes both incentives and restrictions.
Effect of Electric Energy Storage on the Performance of a Power Generation Unit-Organic Rankine Cycle System

Combined heat and power (CHP) systems simultaneously generate on-site electricity and provide useful heat by utilizing waste heat from a power generation unit (PGU). CHP systems can enhance energy production efficiency and energy sustainability by reducing grid dependency, often yielding cost savings in the process. Furthermore, CHP systems can provide savings over conventional systems in terms of operational cost, primary energy consumption (PEC), and carbon dioxide emissions (CDE). Typical CHP systems generate onsite power using a PGU, and the waste heat from the PGU is used to provide heating or hot water to the facility. Another variation for this system is to incorporate an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) to allow for increased potential reductions in operational cost, PEC, and CDE when compared to separate heat and power. This paper evaluates the effect of using electric energy storage on the performance of a PGU-ORC system. In the proposed system, the waste heat from a PGU is used to generate and to store electricity using an ORC coupled with electric energy storage (ES) (battery). Then, the electricity that is stored in the batteries could be used during the system operation at different times of the day so the PGU does not have to operate all the time. The PGU-ORC-ES system (with battery storage) is compared with a conventional system in terms of operational cost, PEC, and CDE. A restaurant building located in Chicago, IL is used to evaluate the potential of the proposed PGU-ORC-ES system. Results indicate that the addition of electric energy storage is beneficial to the proposed PGU-ORC system in terms of operational cost, PEC, and CDE. Furthermore, the effect of the size of the electric energy storage on the system performance is analyzed in this paper.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
The Influence of Network Branding on Audience Affinity for Network Television

ABSTRACT The ongoing proliferation of programming sources greatly diversifies network-viewing choice and may present a basis for viewer confusion in markets where stations switched affiliation. This study explores the influence of affiliate realignments on viewer attendance to and loyalty toward local stations. Perspectives on audience uses and gratifications are applied to viewership data collected from 836 viewers selected from four regions across the United States. The major theoretical assumption tested is whether viewing motivations, awareness levels, and viewing patterns will be interrelated. Results provide mixed support for our model, as prediction equations for audience affinity and awareness measures provide useful models that should help guide network promotions.
Association Between Hospitals’ Engagement in Value-Based Reforms and Readmission Reduction in the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program

Importance Medicare is experimenting with numerous concurrent reforms aimed at improving quality and value for hospitals. It is unclear if these myriad reforms are mutually reinforcing or in conflict with each other. Objective To evaluate whether hospital participation in voluntary value-based reforms was associated with greater improvement under Medicare’s Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP). Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective, longitudinal study using publicly available national data from Hospital Compare on hospital readmissions for 2837 hospitals from 2008 to 2015. We assessed hospital participation in 3 voluntary value-based reforms: Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records; the Bundled Payment for Care Initiative episode-based payment program (BPCI); and Medicare’s Pioneer and Shared Savings accountable care organization (ACO) programs. We used an interrupted time series design to test whether hospitals’ time-varying participation in these value-based reforms was associated with greater improvement in Medicare’s HRRP. Main Outcomes and Measures Thirty-day risk standardized readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure, and pneumonia. Results Among the 2837 hospitals in this study, participation in value-based reforms varied considerably over the study period. In 2010, no hospitals were participating in the meaningful use, ACO, or BPCI programs. By 2015, only 56 hospitals were not participating in at least 1 of these programs. Among hospitals that did not participate in any voluntary reforms, the association between the HRRP and 30-day readmission was −0.76 percentage points for AMI (95% CI, −0.93 to −0.60), −1.30 percentage points for heart failure (95% CI, −1.47 to −1.13), and −0.82 percentage points for pneumonia (95% CI, −0.97 to −0.67). Participation in the meaningful use program alone was associated with an additional change in 30-day readmissions of −0.78 percentage points for AMI (95% CI, −0.89 to −0.67), −0.97 percentage points for heart failure (95% CI, −1.08 to −0.86), and −0.56 percentage points for pneumonia (95% CI, −0.65 to −0.47). Participation in ACO programs alone was associated with an additional change in 30-day readmissions of −0.94 percentage points for AMI (95% CI, −1.29 to −0.59), −0.83 percentage points for heart failure (95% CI, −1.26 to −0.41), and −0.59 percentage points for pneumonia (95% CI, −1.00 to −0.18). Participation in multiple reforms led to greater improvement: participation in all 3 programs was associated with an additional change in 30-day readmissions of −1.27 percentage points for AMI (95% CI, −1.58 to −0.97), −1.64 percentage points for heart failure (95% CI, −2.02 to −1.26), and −1.05 percentage points for pneumonia (95% CI, −1.32 to −0.78). Conclusions and Relevance Hospital participation in voluntary value-based reforms was associated with greater reductions in readmissions. Our findings lend support for Medicare’s multipronged strategy to improve hospital quality and value.
The death of the corporate tax

This paper suggests that the proliferation of highly sophisticated corporate tax shelters has been a major reason for the decline of corporate income tax as a percentage of GDP and of total Federal receipts. Many of these shelters have extended beyond solid tax planning and into the realm of subversion. The controversy surrounding possible remedies for these abuses is just as lively as the debates surrounding the tax shelters themselves. This article explores the nature of a variety of tax shelters in an effort to illustrate the insidious nature of the corporate tax shelter problem and then discusses solutions, both legislative and nonlegislative, designed to curb these abuses.
Chapter 39 Public policy: Its many analytical dimensions

Publisher Summary Public policy in agriculture and natural resources has proved to be fertile ground for theoretical and empirical analysis. Public policy evaluated by agricultural economists is a complex set of interconnected interventions. These interventions are pervasive throughout developing and developed economies. As a result, it is not possible to investigate descriptive, explanatory, predictive or prescriptive models of agriculture and natural resource systems without accounting for the formation and impact of public policy. Given its complexity, it is understandable that economists have employed a number of analytical frameworks to evaluate the formation and impacts of agricultural policy. It has been represented that these analytical frameworks in terms of four dimensions: incidence, mechanism design, political economic and governance structures. These four analytical dimensions can be distinguished in accordance with their imposed maintained hypotheses, or assumptions, and the type of failures that arise. Much of the literature treats the four dimensions as separable investigative pursuits. From the perspective of communicating with professional colleagues, such separability is unsurprising. However, to fundamentally understand, explain or reform current policies, all four dimensions must be integrated. In the final analysis, the chapter illustrates that only by formally recognizing each of the four dimensions is it possible to design and implement public policies that are sustainable and robust to uncontrollable economic and political forces.