cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spot size effects in asymmetric fabry-perot electroabsorption modulators

Simulations of an asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator reveal degradation of the contrast ratio as the incident spot size is decreased. The minimum practical spot size imposes constraints on the modulator dimensions and hence device capacitance.
Hiding in plain sight

Over millennia of coevolution, Mycobacterium tuberculosis has mastered the art of evading and manipulating the immune defenses of its human host. In the lungs, M. tuberculosis infects and replicates in antigen-presenting cells (APCs), key activators of the adaptive immune response. APCs are the beat cops of the immune system, constantly on patrol. They pick up random extracellular debris, breaking down the proteins into small pieces for cell-surface display and recognition as foreign by T cells. These activated T cells then trigger a cascade of immune responses specifically honed against the pathogen from which the foreign proteins are derived. M. tuberculosis has evolved complex mechanisms by which it can hide and reproduce in the same APCs whose job it is to kill it, chop it up, and display its parts, essentially by subverting those very processes from the inside. Nevertheless, M. tuberculosis -infected APCs can secrete antigens to be picked up and displayed by uninfected bystander APCs instead, seemingly finding a way around the many intracellular roadblocks that M. tuberculosis has put up to prevent their induction of a specific adaptive immune response. However, new research from Srivastava et al. suggests that even this apparent host victory benefits M. tuberculosis in the end. In infected APCs, the authors observed M. tuberculosis proteins in discrete cellular compartments called “antigen export vesicles” (AEVs), which were actively exported out of infected APCs. Surprisingly, they found that the uninfected bystander APCs that picked up and displayed the exported antigens were not as good at activating M. tuberculosis –specific T cells as were infected APCs, in which antigen export was prevented and thus, antigen display enhanced. Antigen transfer from infected to uninfected APCs seems like a host strategy to get around the impediments to antigen processing and display that M. tuberculosis sets up in infected cells; however, for M. tuberculosis , it may just be the lesser of two evils to have its immune-stimulating antigens shunted from a more host-beneficial pathway into a less effective one—essentially, by hiding in plain sight. It is not yet clear whether APCs normally produce AEVs or AEV formation is specifically induced by M. tuberculosis (and perhaps other pathogens) as a means of preventing its “home” APC from displaying antigens that might attract undue immune attention. Still, understanding more about the myriad ways in which M. tuberculosis evades and co-opts the human immune system will be critical in designing vaccines that can stimulate a protective response against this enduring and wily foe. S. Srivastava et al ., Antigen export reduces antigen presentation and limits T cell control of M. tuberculosis . Cell Host Microbe 19 , 44–54 (2016). [[PubMed]][1] [1]: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26764596%20
High-Fidelity Computational Simulation of the Interaction between Tandem Wind Turbines

Simulations of a two wind turbines operating in tandem at various tip-speed-ratios are carried out using Tenasi, a node-centered, finite volume unstructured flow solver. The model wind turbines were designed using the NREL S826 airfoils as cross sections and detailed experimental data is available for a variety of flow conditions. The simulations included the tunnel walls as the blockage (based on tower area and the swept area of the rotor) was 12%. The results presented here are for tip-speed-ratios of 2.5, 4, and 7 for the rear turbine while the front turbine was always operated at a tip speed ratio of 6, with 6 being the design point. All simulations were carried out at a freestream velocity of 10 m/s and the wind turbine RPM was varied to achieve the desired tip-speed-ratios. Results were obtained using both oneand two-equation turbulence models. Turbine performance as well as wake data at various locations is compared to experiment. The overall agreement between the computations and experiment is very good.
Studies of the Stiles-Crawford Effect of the First Kind in Myopic Conditions

Cone photoreceptor orientations were investigated in myopic eyes having varying dioptric errors in order to enhance our understanding of the implications and effects of retinal traction induced by elongation of axial length in myopic eyes.
Particle-Image Velocimetry Investigation of an Oscillating Turbulent Channel Flow

Particle-Image Velocimetry is used to study the cyclic modulation of the wall shear stress and turbulence properties of an oscillating channel flow. The PIV instrument employed here utilizes a dynamically adjusted delay between the laser pulses to accommodate the wide variations in velocity encountered in the oscillating flow. Both high- and low-magnification digital PIV recordings are obtained to reveal the near-wall boundary layer structure and wall shear stress, as well as the full-field turbulence throughout the channel. We present wall-shear-stress and global turbulence data for Stokes-thickness Reynolds numbers of Reδ = 1220, 2033, and 2875. The results reveal a fully developed turbulent state, relaminarization, and an explosive transition back to turbulence. The flow is examined in detail for the case at Reδ = 1220, where instantaneous PIV realizations at low magnification reveal the structure of the flow during relaminarization and transition back to turbulence. High-magnification PIV results are used to reveal the phase modulation of the mean velocity profiles in the viscous sublayer and logarithmic layers through the half cycle and quantitative profiles of in-plane Reynolds stresses and turbulence production are presented. To our knowledge, this is the first PIV investigation of this canonical unsteady turbulent channel flow and these results represent a needed contribution to the limited turbulence data which exists for unsteady wall flows.
A Squeeze Device for Detection of Larvae of the Sorghum Midge, Contarinia sorghicola (Coquillett)

A squeeze device for detection of larvae of the sorghum midge, Contarinia sorghicola (Coquillett), is illustrated, with description of parts and techniques employed in its use. This time-saving and economical device compared favorably with other methods used in surveys of this pest.
The Green Deal Goes Sour for the Clean Energy Sector in Great Britain

Individual European country taxes have recently been tailored towards a policy that incentivizes clean energy alternatives in order to curb CO2 and other harmful emissions that contribute to the continent’s carbon footprint. Cutting against this established tax policy, the European Court of Justice surprisingly held in European Commission v. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland that a national discount on Value-Added Tax (“VAT”) for energy-saving materials flouted European Union rules by misapplying two exemptions. This Case Commentary argues that the European Union has overstepped its boundaries as a supra-national entity when it sets the definition of “social policy” that is solely in the interpretive domain of a member state at the national level, which in this case is the United Kingdom.
Analysis of OPGW ice break reason

This paper analyzes the reasons of OPGW(Optical Power Ground Wire)ice break.It takes the opinion that ice causes the sag of OPGW increasing,which makes it located the same height or even lower than the lines.In this situation,when the wind induces the ice OPGW waving,the lines may discharge toward OPGW and yield high temperature arc,which fuses the outer part of the aluminum wire,when the other stranded could not withstand the remaining tension from OPGW,it finally causes the OPGW break.
Effects of training and immobilization on V̇O2 and DO2 in dog gastrocnemius muscle in situ

To investigate the effects of exercise training and immobilization on peak O2 uptake (VO2) and effective O2 diffusive conductance (DO2) in skeletal muscle, three groups of purpose-bred hounds [control (C), exercise trained (E), and immobilized (I)] were studied. Group E exercised on a treadmill 1 h/day, 5 days/wk for 8 wk, while groups C and I were cage confined for 8 wk, with group I undergoing left hindlimb immobilization for the last 3 wk. Thereafter, each dog's left gastrocnemius was surgically isolated, pump perfused, and electrically stimulated to elicit peak VO2 in situ at three levels of arterial oxygenation. O2 delivery [(arterial O2 concentration x muscle blood flow)/100 g muscle] was kept constant among the three groups at each level of arterial oxygenation. Compared with group C, peak VO2/100 g muscle was 38, 33, and 19% greater and DO2/100 g muscle was 71, 75, and 68% greater during normoxia, moderate hypoxia, and severe hypoxia, respectively, in group E (P < 0.02), whereas no differences from control were found in group I. We conclude that O2 delivery is not the unique determinant of peak VO2 and that exercise training improves the functional blood-tissue gas exchange properties of the muscle itself. Immobilization sufficient to reduce muscle weight by 31% and citrate synthase activity by 68% has no effect on peak VO2/100 g muscle or DO2/100 g muscle.
Evaluation of the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor-Associated Proteome at Baseline and Following Nicotine Exposure in Human and Mouse Cortex.

Abstract Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) support the initiation and maintenance of smoking, but the long-term changes occurring in the protein complex as a result of smoking and the nicotine in tobacco are not known. Human studies and animal models have also demonstrated that increasing cholinergic tone increases behaviors related to depression, suggesting that the nAChR-associated proteome could be altered in individuals with mood disorders. We therefore immunopurified nAChRs and associated proteins for quantitative proteomic assessment of changes in protein–protein interactions of high-affinity nAChRs containing the β2 subunit (β2*-nAChRs) from either cortex of mice treated with saline or nicotine, or postmortem human temporal cortex tissue from tobacco-exposed and nonexposed individuals, with a further comparison of diagnosed mood disorder to control subjects. We observed significant effects of nicotine exposure on the β2*-nAChR-associated proteome in human and mouse cortex, particularly in the abundance of the nAChR subunits themselves, as well as putative interacting proteins that make up core components of neuronal excitability (Na/K ATPase subunits), presynaptic neurotransmitter release (syntaxins, SNAP25, synaptotagmin), and a member of a known nAChR protein chaperone family (14-3-3ζ). These findings identify candidate-signaling proteins that could mediate changes in cholinergic signaling via nicotine or tobacco use. Further analysis of identified proteins will determine whether these interactions are essential for primary function of nAChRs at presynaptic terminals. The identification of differences in the nAChR-associated proteome and downstream signaling in subjects with various mood disorders may also identify novel etiological mechanisms and reveal new treatment targets.
The Effect of Antiemetics and Antihistamines on the QTc Interval in Emergent Dialysis Patients With Baseline QTc Prolongation.

Abstract Background Unfunded patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who do not have routinely scheduled hemodialysis often receive medications known to prolong the QTc interval for their uremic symptoms even though they may have pre-existing QTc prolongation. Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of these medications on the QTc interval in these patients. Methods Unfunded patients with ESRD presenting to the emergency department (ED) for emergent hemodialysis (HD) with QTc prolongation on their initial electrocardiogram (ECG) were recruited. Approximately 2 hours after receiving an antihistamine or antiemetic, a second ECG was ordered and the QTc was measured. The patients were followed-up 1 week later. Results Twenty-nine percent (44/152) of the unfunded patients with ESRD presenting for HD at a county hospital had QT prolongation and were included with 107 total ED visits during the 4-week study period. The mean QTc was 483.7 msec on presentation to the ED, and the mean QTc measured 2 hours after receiving an antihistamine or antiemetic was 483.8 msec. None of the patients were admitted for life-threatening dysrhythmias. Thirty-six percent (16/44) of the recruited patients had QTc intervals >500 msec with a combined total of 31 patient visits, of which only 25.8% (8/31) had an increase in the QTc interval after an antihistamine or antiemetic medication was given. None of these patients had adverse outcomes, such a dysrhythmia or death, at 1-week follow-up. Conclusion This study shows that medications known to cause QTc prolongation are safe to use in therapeutic doses in patients with ESRD who have pre-existing QT prolongation. Few patients in this cohort had significantly prolonged QTc intervals at baseline.
Review: Photographic Architecture in the Twentieth Century, by Claire Zimmerman

Claire Zimmerman Photographic Architecture in the Twentieth Century Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2014, 416 pp., 158 b/w illus. $35 (paper), ISBN 9780816683352 Architectural scholar Claire Zimmerman, author of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (2007) and coeditor of Neo-avant-garde and Postmodern: Postwar Architecture in Britain and Beyond (2010), has written another important book that extends her research on German and British modernism into the burgeoning field of visual media studies.1 An impressively researched book, Photographic Architecture in the Twentieth Century explores the complex reciprocal relationships between buildings and photographs before, between, and after the two world wars. Zimmerman uses the term photographic architecture to describe two types of interrelated cultural production: photographs of buildings for either commercial or avant-garde purposes, and buildings whose design and reception are informed by the logics and effects of photographs. She aims to “historicize those effects, and to make them relevant to the present and future” (5). Zimmerman constructs a compelling alternative history of modern rationalism by tracing a range of productive tensions between buildings and photographs. She begins with a discussion of German modernism before World War I, carefully surveying a series of little-known PhD dissertations written between 1910 and 1914 by Walter Curt Behrendt, Adolf Behne, Paul Frankl, Paul Zucker, Walter Muller-Wulckow, and Siegfried Kracauer.2 Zimmerman convincingly argues that these six early scholars were able to conduct pioneering research on different models of Bildarchitektur —image surfaces on or in buildings—because architectural structure and skin were beginning to technologically and conceptually delaminate. Just as building envelopes attained freedom from structure, photographs of buildings began to circulate rapidly. This was no innocent coincidence. One of Zimmerman's most intriguing observations is that this trajectory of early modern operative history celebrated surface before World War I, but it “died out after 1918” (31) and was replaced by theories of space . Subsequent sections analyze the “intermedial” relationships between buildings and photographs in the interwar architecture of the Bauhaus …
Outcomes of nighttime refusal of admission to the intensive care unit: The role of the intensivist in triage.

Abstract Purpose To compare outcomes of patients refused medical intensive care unit (MICU) admission overnight to those refused during the day and to examine the impact of the intensivist in triage. Materials and methods Retrospective, observational study of patients refused MICU admission at an urban university hospital. Results Of 294 patients, 186 (63.3%) were refused admission overnight compared to 108 (36.7%) refused during the day. Severity-of-illness by the Mortality Probability Model was similar between the two groups (P = .20). Daytime triage refusals were more likely to be staffed by an intensivist (P = .01). After risk-adjustment, daytime refusals had a lower odds of subsequent ICU admission (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.22–0.95, P = .04) than patients triaged at night. There was no evidence for interaction between time of triage and intensivist staffing of the patient (P = .99). Conclusions Patients refused MICU admission overnight are more likely to be later admitted to an ICU than patients refused during the day. However, the mechanism for this observation does not appear to depend on the intensivist's direct evaluation of the patient. Further investigation into the clinician-specific effects of ICU triage and identification of potentially modifiable hospital triage practices will help to improve both ICU utilization and patient safety.
Trumpcare or Transformation

The article discusses America's health insurance laws in relation to U.S. President Donald Trump's effort to repeal the nation's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and replace it with a Republican-branded form of health insurance. Several potential health insurance legal reform plans by Republican politicians such as Paul Ryan and Tom Price are examined, along with a pro-corporate political agenda and progressive politics in the U.S.
Approximations and complex multiplication according to Ramanujan

This talk revolves around two focuses: complex multiplications (for elliptic curves and Abelian varieties) in connection with algebraic period relations, and (diophantine) approximations to numbers related to these periods. Our starting point is Ramanujan’s works [1], [2] on approximations to π via the theory of modular and hypergeometric functions. We describe in chapter 1 Ramanujan’s original quadratic period—quasiperiod relations for elliptic curves with complex multiplication and their applications to representations of fractions of π and other logarithms in terms of rapidly convergent nearly integral (hypergeometric) series. These representations serve as a basis of our investigation of diophantine approximations to π and other related numbers. In Chapter 2 we look at period relations for arbitrary CM-varieties following Shimura and Deligne. Our main interest lies with modular (Shimura) curves arising from arithmetic Fuchsian groups acting on H. From these we choose arithmetic triangular groups, where period relations can be expressed in the form of hypergeometric function identities, particular attention is devoted to two (commensurable) triangle groups, (0,3;2,6,6) and (0,3;2,4,6), arising from the quaternion algebra over with the discriminant D = 2.3. We also touch upon the algebraic
The worker cooperative movement in South Korea: from radical autonomy to state-sanctioned accommodation

ABSTRACTThis article traces the historical evolution of worker cooperatives in South Korea from the years of Japanese colonialism to the current era. It argues that the evolution of the worker cooperative movement from radical agitation to state-sanctioned accommodation has been structured by the nature of state response to cooperative activity. Vigorously resisted by an authoritarian state from the colonial era until the late 1990s, the Korean worker cooperative movement before the 1997 economic crisis was ideologically radical, waging a class-based struggle to overcome poverty, resist the authoritarian state, and transform Korea’s economic foundations in socialist directions. Since democratization in 1987, and the Asian economic crisis in 1997, worker cooperative movements have gradually shifted their once transformational and politicized labor ontology to a deradicalized and more economically focused job-conscious ontology, partly as a result of the state-directed growth of civil society. The worker co...
Low-computation dynamic generation of distributed connectivity control for varying sized multi-agent systems

Dynamic communication topologies are an important yet challenging topic for autonomous communication. This paper proposes the use of a low-computational algorithm to generate and maintain connectivity with multi-agent systems wherein the number of agents can change over time. This methodology utilizes communication links described by a price criteria that is decided by what sensors are available to each agent to calculate the communication quality between each potential link. By using this pricing methodology the communication graph is generated in a distributed manner that allows for agents to leave and enter the communication flock. This method does not require complex calculation and can be used by each individual agent to create the communication graph with the fastest communication speed given the price of each communication link. This type of methodology is very promising for many applications where multi-agent systems need a communication protocol in a distributed way. Such applications can be seen in cooperative-UAS, ground based robotics, multi-agent tracking, and heterogeneous systems.
Maternal Responsiveness to Gestures in Children With Down Syndrome

Purpose This study compared gesture use in young children with Down syndrome (DS) and typical development (TD) as well as how mothers respond to child gestures based on child age and diagnosis. Met...
Embedding Prioritized Circumscription in Logic Programs

In this paper, we present a method for embedding prioritized circumscription of a clausal theory into general disjunctive logic programs (GDP) with negation as failure in the head. In recent works, Sakama and Inoue show that parallel circumscription can be embedded in GDP. They also show that prioritized circumscription of a clausal theory can be represented in the framework of GDP extended with priorities. In our method, the priorities of minimization in the circumscription policy are translated into the syntactical form of logic program rules, and the models of the circumscription are precisely captured by the stable models of the program. Thus we show that prioritized circumscription can be directly embedded in GDP without extending the GDP logic programming framework. This result further asserts the expressive power of the class of general disjunctive programs and supports its use for knowledge representation in Artificial Intelligence.
Dr. Joseph Lister: The founder of antiseptic surgery

Joseph Lister was an English surgeon and founder of modern antiseptic surgery. Using carbolic acid as the antiseptic agent, he developed techniques of applying it that, when combined with heat sterilization of instruments, brought about a dramatic decrease in postoperative mortality. His contributions to medicine also included the development of absorbable sutures and the drainage tube.
Commuting in Los Angeles: lung cancer health risks of roadway, light-rail and subway transit routes

Los Angeles workers are exposed to significant amounts of airborne particulate matter (PM) during their daily commutes, which often exceed 30-60 minutes each way. Carcinogenic components of PM associated with transit along these commuter routes, including Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), substantially increase respiratory health risks, including the risk of developing lung cancer. PM samples were collected and quantitatively speciated along five of LA9s major commuter routes, including the METRO red line (underground subway) and gold line (above-ground light rail), the I-110 and I-710 freeways, and high-density surface streets (Sunset and Wilshire Boulevards). Using measured concentrations of transition metals and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), along with cancer potency (CP) and Reference Dosage (RfD) factors published by the United States EPA and California9s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), cancer and non-cancer health risks were calculated. In contrast to previous research indicating that PAHs found in Los Angeles roadway PM (e.g. along the I-710 freeway) led to the greatest cancer risk, the current analysis reveals that exposure to carcinogenic transition metals, particularly hexavalent chromium, which are especially prevalent along the METRO red subway line, results in the greatest lung cancer and non-cancer respiratory health risks. We conclude that the best option for commuters is to use above-ground light-rail transportation, i.e. the METRO gold line in Los Angeles, as its greater ventilation allows for reduced exposure to traffic-generated PAHs as well as carcinogenic transition metals associated with railway exposures.
Cyberattacks at the Grass Roots: American Local Governments and the Need for High Levels of Cybersecurity

This article examines data from the first‐ever nationwide survey of cybersecurity among American local governments. The data show that these governments are under constant or near‐constant cyberattack, yet, on average, they practice cybersecurity poorly. While nearly half reported experiencing cyberattacks at least daily, one‐third said that they did not know whether they were under attack, and nearly two‐thirds said that they did not know whether their information systems had been breached. Serious barriers to their practice of cybersecurity include a lack of cybersecurity preparedness within these governments and a lack of adequate funding for it. The authors make recommendations to local governments to improve their cybersecurity practice and to scholars for additional research into local government cybersecurity, an area that, to date, has largely been neglected by researchers from the social sciences and computer science. link
Dallas Willard: Reviving Realism on the West Coast

This article examines the philosophical work of Dallas Willard (1935–2013), Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. After outlining his major translations, it explores four of Willard’s central theses: (1) that Husserl’s phenomenology of knowledge solved a fundamental puzzle about the objectivity of knowledge; (2) that the success of Husserlian phenomenology’s account of knowledge depended upon Husserl’s ontological insights; (3) that Husserl was already a phenomenologist when Frege was purportedly converting him from psychologism; and (4) that Husserl maintained his early account of knowledge—and thus his realism—throughout his career. Though Willard was instrumental in starting the “Early” or “Realist Phenomenology” movement in America, his philosophical contributions have yet to be fully explored. Therefore, the paper concludes with a guide to those who would like to understand and develop Willard’s work further.
Mixed convection boundary layer flow of a micropolar fluid on a horizontal plate with vectored mass transfer

A boundary layer analysis is presented to study the effects of vectored surface mass transfer and induced buoyancy streamwise pressure gradients on heat transfer to a horizontal plate placed in a micropolar fluid. Numerical solutions of the transformed boundary layer equations are obtained for different values of the mass transfer, buoyancy and material parameters. A discussion is provided for the effects of the vectored surface mass transfer and the buoyancy force on the friction factor and heat transfer rate.
REGULATION OF PROTEIN SYNTHESIS IN EMC VIRUS INFECTED CELLS

ABSTRACT. It has been previously shown that the addition of EMC RNA to a crude protein synthesizing system from MOPC 460 myeloma cells programmed with cellular mRNA suppresses the translation of the cellular mRNA. This suppression was apparently due to the ability of the viral RNA to outcompete cellular RNA for some element of the cell's protein synthetic machinery. Using a fractionated protein synthesizing system, it has now been possible to show that mRNA competition occurs during the initiation step. Studies on the enzymatic requirements for mRNA competition have also been initiated.
Telecytology Rapid On‐Site Evaluation: Diagnostic Challenges, Technical Issues and Lessons Learned

Introduction Rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) has been widely used to improve diagnostic adequacy and facilitate specimen triage. Telecytology ROSE has gained popularity recently and shown high concordance with traditional ROSE. However, telecytology involves multiple personnel and technical devices that could introduce additional errors. The aim of this paper is to share errors encountered and lessons learned since employing telecytology for ROSE at our institution. Methods The laboratory information system was searched for all documented telecytology ROSE errors from 2017 to 2019. These errors were subclassified as technical errors, cytotechnologist-related errors and pathologist-related errors. The following details were recorded for each reported event: type of error, reason for error, ROSE diagnosis, final diagnosis and actions taken to avoid future errors. Results Telecytology ROSE errors were documented in 46 (1.3%) sessions. Ten (22%) had technical errors, 13 (28%) were owing to cytotechnologist errors and 23 (50%) were attributed to pathologist interpretation errors. The majority of the technical (90%) and cytotechnologist errors (85%) occurred within the first year of implementation of telecytology. Common ROSE misinterpretation errors included missing microorganisms, misclassifying neuroendocrine tumours as other neoplasms and overcalling malignancy on gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures. Conclusions A variety of errors may occur during telecytology ROSE. While some errors are inevitable (eg, information technology downtime), certain telecytology errors can be reduced by increasing staff familiarity with the system, providing timely feedbacks and taking prompt corrective actions. We recommend establishing a mechanism to document and act upon recorded errors as part of a telecytology quality improvement programme.
Effect of deposited passivation materials and doping on recombination at III-V surfaces

Passivation of dangling bonds at surfaces and interfaces is an essential feature of high-efficiency solar cells. The high recombination activity of surface states in III-V semiconductors typically requires epitaxial growth of high-bandgap layers to suppress interface recombination. Surface recombination in III-Vs can be reduced by solution deposition of sulfides, however, the resulting passivation can degrade over time, and surface roughness caused by the passivation can degrade cell performance. In this work, the effects of different passivation materials and techniques, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), on GaAs and InP surfaces are analyzed by direct measurement of the minority-carrier lifetime by time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL). Recombination parameters due to passivation of surface states are characterized for Al 2 O 3 , amorphous silicon (a-Si) and sulfide interfaces on n-type, intrinsic, and p-type GaAs and InP substrates. Al 2 O 3 passivation of n-GaAs has shown 1.35 ns improvement in measured lifetime, while a-Si passivation shows a slight improvement in passivation for n-type GaAs and p-type InP.
What Do Program Directors Value in Personal Statements? A Qualitative Analysis

Background: All applicants to accredited training programs must write a personal statement as part of the application process. This may provoke anxiety on the part of the applicant and can result i...
Are Vascular Surgery Trainees Satisfied and are They Using the Right Factors to Choose a Training Program

Background Medical students and residents often evaluate training sites in vascular surgery with minimal exposure to those programs. We sought to identify factors associated with vascular surgery trainee satisfaction in relation to their current work environment and how they made their rank list. Methods All integrated residents and fellows currently in United States vascular training programs were queried using an anonymous electronic survey for variables of their current training environment, factors that influenced their rank order list, and satisfaction. Questions were graded on a Likert scale. Continuous, ordinal, and categorical variables were respectively analyzed using the two-sample t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test/Wilcoxon rank sum test, and Fisher's exact test. Results A total of 166 of 517 (32%) trainees completed the survey with equal distribution across postgraduate years. Respondents reported high rates of satisfaction with their training program overall (84%), including 88% (n = 83) of residents and 78% (n = 56) of fellows. Several work environment variables were associated with both resident and fellow satisfaction including program-funded trips for conferences and presentations (P = 0.027 for residents; P = 0.001 for fellows), diversity of operative cases (P = 0.024; P Conclusions Vascular surgery trainees report a high level of satisfaction with their training program. Fellow satisfaction was more dependent on the perception of their workplace peers than integrated residents. Satisfied integrated residents were more likely to have close relationships with their vascular cotrainees than fellows.
Using participatory design to create a user interface for analyzing pivotal response treatment video probes

Training caregivers in pivotal response treatment (PRT) has been shown to help improve communication skills in children with autism. PRT training programs are implemented by clinicians that provide instruction, modelling, and assessment. Assessments are based on video recordings of the caregivers interacting with their children. Multimodal processing technologies could alleviate the costs involved in analyzing videos and providing performance-based feedback.
Cumberlege review exposes stubborn and dangerous flaws in healthcare

With the recent advent of RNA-seq technology the proteomics community has begun to generate sample-specific protein databases for peptide and protein identification, an approach we call proteomics informed by transcriptomics (PIT). This approach has gained a lot of interest, particularly among researchers who work with nonmodel organisms or with particularly dynamic proteomes such as those observed in developmental biology and host-pathogen studies. PIT has been shown to improve coverage of known proteins, and to reveal potential novel gene products. However, many groups are impeded in their use of PIT by the complexity of the required data analysis. Necessarily, this analysis requires complex integration of a number of different software tools from at least two different communities, and because PIT has a range of biological applications a single software pipeline is not suitable for all use cases. To overcome these problems, we have created GIO, a software system that uses the well-established Galaxy platform to make PIT analysis available to the typical bench scientist via a simple web interface. Within GIO we provide workflows for four common use cases: a standard search against a reference proteome; PIT protein identification without a reference genome; PIT protein identification using a genome guide; and PIT genome annotation. These workflows comprise individual tools that can be reconfigured and rearranged within the web interface to create new workflows to support additional use cases.
Stigma reduction: an essential ingredient to ending AIDS by 2030

Ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 will require addressing stigma more systematically and at a larger scale than current efforts. Existing global evidence shows that stigma is a barrier to achieving each of the 90-90-90 targets; it undermines HIV testing, linkage to care, treatment adherence, and viral load suppression. However, findings from both research studies and programmatic experience have helped to inform the growing body of knowledge regarding how to reduce stigma, leading to key principles for HIV stigma reduction. These principles include immediately addressing actionable drivers of stigma, centring groups affected by stigma at the core of the response, and engaging opinion leaders and building partnerships between affected groups and opinion leaders. Although there is still room to strengthen research on stigma measurement and reduction, in particular for intersectional stigma, the proliferation of evidence over the past several decades on how to measure and address stigma provides a solid foundation for immediate and comprehensive action.
WINTERING HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS OF A DECLINING GRASSLAND BIRD, THE SPRAGUE'S PIPIT (ANTHUS SPRAGUEII)

The Sprague's pipit (Anthus spragueii) is a passerine of North American prairies, breeding in the northern United States and southern Canada, and overwintering in the grasslands and deserts of the southern United States and northern Mexico. In recent decades, pipit populations have declined in both breeding and wintering ranges because of degradation and loss of native prairie. Previous research on this species has focused primarily on its breeding habitat and provided limited information on its wintering habitat. To help fill in these data gaps, we assessed wintering density along the Texas Gulf Coast Plain, as well as characteristics of the associated habitat. We used a distance-based line-transect sampling technique to estimate pipit densities during the winters of 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 at seven conservation sites and found Sprague's pipits at all sites. The highest number of detections and the highest density estimates were at the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge. Habitat associated with pipits included open grasslands with mixed forbs and low vertical cover. Although wildlife biologists consider pipits to be native grassland specialists in their breeding range, our analyses did not identify proportion of native grasses as an important variable. Instead, the physical structure of the vegetation (short and sparse grass cover) was most important to pipit presence. Our results suggest that habitat management to benefit wintering populations of this species should focus on vegetation structure, though native grassland cover might be important at a larger scale.
In Vitro and In Vivo Investigation of S1PR1 Expression in the Central Nervous System Using [3H]CS1P1 and [11C]CS1P1

Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) is ubiquitously expressed among all tissues and plays key roles in many physiological and cellular processes. In the central nervous system (CNS), S1PR1 is expressed in different types of cells including neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocyte precursor cells. S1PR1 has been recognized as a novel therapeutic target in multiple sclerosis and other diseases. We previously reported a promising S1PR1-specific radioligand, [11C]CS1P1 (previously named [11C]TZ3321), which is under clinical investigation for human use. In the current study, we performed a detailed characterization of [3H]CS1P1 for its binding specificity to S1PR1 in CNS using autoradiography and immunohistochemistry in human and rat CNS tissues. Our data indicate that [3H]CS1P1 binds to S1PR1 in human frontal cortex tissue with a Kd of 3.98 nM and a Bmax of 172.5 nM. The distribution of [3H]CS1P1 in human and rat CNS tissues is consistent with the distribution of S1PR1 detected by immunohistochemistry studies. Our microPET studies of [11C]CS1P1 in a nonhuman primate (NHP) show a standardized uptake value of 2.4 in the NHP brain, with test-retest variability of 0.23% among six different NHPs. Radiometabolite analysis in the plasma samples of NHP and rat, as well as in rat brain samples, showed that [11C]CS1P1 was stable in vivo. Kinetic modeling studies using a two-compartment tissue model showed that the positron emission tomography (PET) data fit the model well. Overall, our study provides a detailed characterization of [3H]CS1P1 binding to S1PR1 in the CNS. Combined with our microPET studies in the NHP brain, our data suggest that [11C]CS1P1 is a promising radioligand for PET imaging of S1PR1 in the CNS.
Ring Size as an Independent Variable in Cyclooligomeric Depsipeptide Antiarrhythmic Activity

Hit-to-lead studies employ a variety of strategies to optimize binding to a target of interest. When a structure for the target is available, hypothesis-driven structure–activity relationships (SAR...
The effect of deoxygenation rate on the formation of irreversibly sickled cells

The effects of the deoxygenation rate on the formation of irreversibly sickled cells (ISCs) were investigated by using metabolically replete sickle cells (SS cells). We found that the formation of ISCs required Ca2� and that the amount formed depended on the rate of deoxygenation. When less dense SS discocytes were deoxygenated slowly by flushing with 95% N2 and 5% CO2 at a rate of 3 mI/mm, the percentage of ISCs increased from 5% to 26.5% after 24 hours. In contrast. upon rapid deoxygenation (10. 35 ml! mm) ISC formation was reduced significantly. The difference may be related to fact that more sickle-shaped cells were formed upon slow deoxygenation than upon the rapid deoxygenation that resulted in the formation of starshaped and granulated cells. So-called lSCs were formed more easily from sickle-shaped cells. To express the shape of sickled cells numerically. we calculated the mean maximum cell length (MCI) after cells were incubated under various deoxygenation conditions. The MCI of slowly
Promoting Effective Physical Education for Migrant and Military Youth

This article aims to outline the profiles of two unique populations impacted by residential mobility and provide recommendations for how we can help to meet their needs through physical education.
Applications to Mixed Boundary Value Problems

Mixed boundary value problems occur in physical sciences rather frequently and various mathematical techniques have been used to solve them. In this chapter, we present an integral-equation method applicable to most of these problems.
Nutritional potentials inZoanthus sociathus (Coelenterata, Anthozoa)

1. The tropical coral reef-dwelling coelenterateZoanthus sociatus (Ellis) lives in mutualistic symbiosis with dinoflagellates of the genusGymnodinium. These algae are intracellular. 2. Analysis of the photosynthetic contribution of these endosymbionts shows a direct transfer of photosynthate from algae to animal and utilization of such substances by the animal. Such transfer does not involve destruction of the algae. In vitro studies of the photosynthetic products of the algae show that they synthesize a wide range of metabolites, but selectively release only a few including glycerol, glucose and alanine. These data indicate that such organisms possess an autotrophic mode of nutrition. 3.Z. sociatus shows a well defined feeding behaviour when offered homogenates ofEchinometra eggs. A similar behaviour may be elicited with reduced glutathione. Proline and glycine produced “mouth opening” responses but not the complete feeding response. Alanine, glutamic acid and aspartic acid gave no response. 4. The ultrastructure of the mesenterial filaments shows that the tissue is well differentiated and possesses nematocysts (holotrichous isorhyzas). Several distinct cell types including mucus secreting and “zymogen” cells have been recognized. These cells probably play an important role in extracellular digestion. 5. The rate of digestion of exogenously supplied proteins byZ. sociatus compares favourably with that of sea anemones and corals. Digestion is both extracellular and intracellular, the latter process taking place after particle phagocytosis in the “digestive-excretory” cells of the mesenteries proximal to the filament. 6.Z. sociatus can absorb dissolved amino acids and sugars from very low concentrations (10−6–10−7M), and may incorporate such metabolites particularly into reproductive tissue. 7. The pycnotic zooxanthellae found in the cells of the “digestive-excretory” zone of the mesenteries are probably derived from other areas of the animal gastroderm. These algae appear to undergo senesence in this tissue, but are not digested by the animals. This is very likely a normal phenomenon, in which case the “digestive-excretory” zone of the filament could be regarded as a “grave yard” for old defunct members of the algal population. 8. The polytrophic habit of reef-dwelling invertebrates with photosynthetic endosymbionts is viewed as an important parameter of coral reef nutrition, lending a great deal of nutritional versatility to animals. Such plasticity is probably a reflection of microinstability within an overall stable ecosystem.
Quantum Annealing for Heisenberg Spin Chains

We suggest using the method of quantum annealing for computing the ground state of the Heisenberg spin chains. Our initial Hamiltonian describes a spin system in a highly non-uniform magnetic field. The initial Hamiltonian gradually transforms into the Heisenberg Hamiltonian, which describes the exchange interaction and the Zeeman interaction with the uniform magnetic field. We demonstrate quantum annealing for 2-, 3-, and 9-spin systems. In particular, we consider the alternate (ferro- and antiferromagnetic) exchange integral. By changing the sign of the exchange integrals we switch from the frustrated to the corresponding non-frustrated spin system. We discuss the similarity and difference between the frustrated and non-frustrated spin systems.
Kindergarten Classroom Quality, Behavioral Engagement, and Reading Achievement.

This study examined the extent to which kindergarteners' classroom behavioral engagement mediated the relation between global classroom quality and children's reading achievement. A structural equa...
Robotic Mitral Valve Repair for Simple and Complex Degenerative Disease: Midterm Clinical and Echocardiographic Quality Outcomes.

Background—Severe primary (degenerative) mitral regurgitation (MR) is repaired with durable results when simple single-scallop disease is addressed. The midterm quality outcomes of minimally invasi...
Nanoparticle facilitated inhalational delivery of erythropoietin receptor cDNA protects against hyperoxic lung injury

Abstract Our goals were to develop and establish nanoparticle (NP)-facilitated inhalational gene delivery, and to validate its biomedical application by testing the hypothesis that targeted upregulation of pulmonary erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) expression protects against lung injury. Poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) NPs encapsulating various tracers were characterized and nebulizated into rat lungs. Widespread NP uptake and distribution within alveolar cells were visualized by magnetic resonance imaging, and fluorescent and electron microscopy. Inhalation of nebulized NPs bearing EpoR cDNA upregulated pulmonary EpoR expression and downstream signal transduction (ERK1/2 and STAT5 phosphorylation) in rats for up to 21 days, and attenuated hyperoxia-induced damage in lung tissue based on apoptosis, oxidative damage of DNA, protein and lipid, tissue edema, and alveolar morphology compared to vector-treated control animals. These results establish the feasibility and therapeutic efficacy of NP-facilitated cDNA delivery to the lung, and demonstrate that targeted pulmonary EpoR upregulation mitigates acute oxidative lung damage. From the Clinical Editor Acute lung injury often results in significant morbidity and mortality, and current therapeutic modalities have proven to be ineffective. In this article, the authors developed nanocarrier based gene therapy in an attempt to upregulate the expression of pulmonary erythropoietin receptor in an animal model. Inhalation delivery resulted in reduction of lung damage.