cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Silicon Photoluminescence and Photoconductive Decay for Material Quality Characterization

Minority-carrier lifetime in silicon directly relates to defect- and impurity-related recombination, and thus gives a measure of material quality. Lifetime measurements are useful in research laboratories and commercial production environments as an indicator for process development and quality control. While photoconductivity (PCD) techniques for measuring lifetime are commercially available, there has recently been interest in using photoluminescence (PL) to characterize lifetime in silicon because of the measurement speed to image an entire wafer and higher mapping resolution. The intensity of band-to-band PL is theoretically proportional to the effective bulk lifetime in low-injection conditions if carrier diffusion and reabsorption are neglected, surface recombination is small, and silicon properties, such as carrier concentration and the radiative recombination coefficient, are constant. We show data that compare lifetimes from PCD techniques to PL intensity for varying-resistivity, single-crystal silicon. Surface conditions are also varied (native oxide, thermal oxide, and HF etch/methyl-iodine solution), and the measured lifetimes are compared to corresponding PL intensity.
Divergences, surrogate loss functions and experimental design

In this paper, we provide a general theorem that establishes a correspondence between surrogate loss functions in classification and the family of f-divergences. Moreover, we provide constructive procedures for determining the f-divergence induced by a given surrogate loss, and conversely for finding all surrogate loss functions that realize a given f-divergence. Next we introduce the notion of universal equivalence among loss functions and corresponding f-divergences, and provide necessary and sufficient conditions for universal equivalence to hold. These ideas have applications to classification problems that also involve a component of experiment design; in particular, we leverage our results to prove consistency of a procedure for learning a classifier under decentralization requirements.
Emerging standardization in pharmacoeconomics

In this study, we reviewed pharmacoeconomic guidelines from the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Australia, Canada, and the United States to determine areas of emerging standardization. We examined the published literature, publication guidelines of major health journals, and published and unpublished recommendations from various task forces and conferences on related topics. The review revealed several general principles for which there was consensus across guidelines. These common features included the importance of using and reporting transparent methods so that readers can easily understand what calculations are being performed on which data elements, minimizing bias, and providing justification for the methods and assumptions used. Differences were detected across guidelines on the following topics: type of pharmacoeconomic assessment, perspective, comparators and data sources, data analysis, cost analysis, future cost analysis, outcomes assessment, modeling, time horizon, discounting, disclosure, and generalizability. Evolution of economic guidelines hinges on whether the primary goal is to increase the consistency or increase the validity of economic assessments. Some balance between these two objectives is desirable.
Unusual Inclusions Occurring in the Blasts of Four Patients With Acute Leukemia and Down’s Syndrome

The blast cells from four patients with acute leukemia and Down’s syndrome were found to contain unusual inclusions which manifested similar morphologic and cytochemical characteristics. Ultrastructure studies of the blasts from one of these patients revealed the inclusions to be single membrane-bound structures containing electron-dense amorphous debris, membranous substance, and virus-like particles.
A problem-based, survey introduction to computer science for majors and non-majors

This paper describes a new course in our computer science curriculum that uses an interdisciplinary problem and survey-based approach to introduce the computer science discipline to both majors and non-majors.
Dormancy and Recurrence of Cancer Stem Cells in Bone: Role of Bone Morphogenetic Proteins

Metastatic disease is the leading cause of death in cancer patients. Despite significant advancement in understanding the pathological process at cellular and molecular level, there is no effective cure to this devastating disease till date. Dissemination of cancer cell into the blood is considered to occur even at an early stage in cancer progression that eventually leads to formation of secondary tumor or metastasis after remaining dormant for a long or short period of time. This variation in time period can be attributed to the properties of both disseminated tumor cells and the new homing microenvironment at the metastatic sites. Increasing line of evidences indicate that the disseminated cells possess cancer stem cell like properties that render them with the ability to disseminate from primary tumor and remain dormant in the new microenvironment at the distant organs. However, it is not clear about how and when these cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) are able to switch into proliferative state to manifest as recurrent disease. CSCs must adopt different genetic and epigenetic changes to potentiate themselves with proliferative phenotype leading to recurred tumor. On the other hand, immediate microenvironment of CSCs exerts restrictive barrier for growth of these cells or even induce cell death. To evade from the inhibitory signaling from the microenvironment, these disseminated CSCs switch to dormant phenotype. It has been recently found that bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) released by microenvironmental cells plays a critical role in inducing dormancy and deprivation of BMPs leads to reversal of dormancy and increase in proliferation of dormant cells. Role of BMPs in the dormancy-recurrence axis may offer a therapeutic approach to retain the disseminated CSCs in perpetual dormant state. Therefore, comprehensive understanding of the role of BMPs in various microenvironment of disseminated tumor cell is considered to open a new avenue for the treatment of cancer metastasis.
Serologic studies of Theiler's mouse encephalomyelitis virus.

SummarySatisfactory antisera to various Theiler strains were prepared in hamsters. Using Theiler-free suckling mice in neutralization tests, reciprocal cross reactions between GD VII and TO strains were demonstrated. Serologic differences within the TO group were also noted, the titer of a serum being in each case higher for the homologous than the heterologous strains.
Zur Ätiologie ischämischer Herzmuskelnekrosen bei Epileptikern

Es sollte untersucht werden, wie haufig generalisierte Krampfanfalle bei unverandertem Coronarsystem zu ischamischen Herzmuskelnekrosen fuhren.
Analysis of intermediary scan-lens and tube-lens mechanisms for optical coherence tomography.

Combining an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanner with other techniques such as optogenetic neurostimulation or fluorescence imaging requires integrating auxiliary components into the optical path of the setup. Due to the short scanning distance of most OCT objectives, adding scan and tube lenses in the device is essential to open space between the back-focal-plane of the objective and center of mass of the mirrors in the galvanometer. The effect of the scan and tube lenses on the focal spot size of the scanner using off-the-shelf components are theoretically explored for three different designs in this paper. Two lens mechanisms were implemented and tested in a custom-built OCT scanner to experimentally measure point-spread functions. Based on our analysis, proper form of a four-element semi-Plossl lens provides a superior performance compared with an achromatic doublet when used as a scan/tube lens. The former lens design provides close to diffraction-limited resolution for scan angles up to 6.4°; however, due to aberrations in an achromatic doublet, the later design offers diffraction-limited resolution confined to 2° scan angles.
Subducted and Melanotic Cells in Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration Are Derived From Retinal Pigment Epithelium

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a prevalent disease of the photoreceptor support system,1 exhibits prominent pathology in the RPE and underlying Bruch's membrane (BrM). The RPE is a monolayer of cuboidal epithelial cells of neuroectodermal origin, dually tasked with maintaining retina apically and choroid basally.2–4 As stated,5 we hypothesize that the RPE exhibits stereotypic stress responses and death pathways, which if defined, quantified, and followed, provide windows into molecular pathology and points of therapeutic entry. We seek to systematize morphologies of RPE and RPE-derived cells in advanced AMD. The first of two companion reports focused on RPE cells, which contain melanosomes, lipofuscin, and melanolipofuscin and are associated with a basement membrane or with basal laminar deposits (BLamD).5 Our major findings were the numerous RPE cells surviving at end-stage disease, specifically ‘Dissociated’ (a broken up RPE layer within the atrophic area) and ‘Entombed’ (cells within fibrovascular and fibrocellular scars). We also solidified and extended our previous studies6,7 that proposed two major pathways of cell transdifferentiation and death, represented by the ‘Sloughed’/‘Intraretinal’ and ‘Shedding’ morphologies, respectively. In this second of two companion reports, we describe, illustrate, and quantify RPE-derived cells, which are plausibly derived from RPE, yet are outside the RPE layer and not attached to a basal lamina or BLamD. Transdifferentiation is the direct transformation of one differentiated cell type to another.8 An example of transdifferentiation is the epithelium-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), essential to embryology, in which polarized epithelial cells convert into motile mesenchymal cells, activated by contextual microenvironmental signals and governed by a network of transcription factors, epigenetic regulators, and signaling pathways.9 Central to cancer, wound healing, and organ fibrosis, transdifferentiation by EMT may also contribute to RPE behavior in proliferative vitreoretinopathy and advanced AMD.10–12 In this article, we focus on two types of RPE-derived cells: ‘Subducted’ and ‘Melanotic.’ We provide evidence that these distinctive morphologies arise directly from the ‘Dissociated’ and ‘Entombed’ RPE phenotypes, respectively, as defined in our companion article,5 reinforcing that RPE transdifferentiation may be important in AMD pathogenesis.10–12
Chemical and Sr isotopic characterization of North America uranium ores: Nuclear forensic applications

Abstract This study reports major, minor, and trace element data and Sr isotope ratios for 11 uranium ore (uraninite, UO 2+x ) samples and one processed uranium ore concentrate (UOC) from various U.S. deposits. The uraninite investigated represent ores formed via different modes of mineralization (e.g., high- and low-temperature) and within various geological contexts, which include magmatic pegmatites, metamorphic rocks, sandstone-hosted, and roll front deposits. In situ trace element data obtained by laser ablation-ICP-MS and bulk sample Sr isotopic ratios for uraninite samples investigated here indicate distinct signatures that are highly dependent on the mode of mineralization and host rock geology. Relative to their high-temperature counterparts, low-temperature uranium ores record high U/Th ratios (>1000), low total rare earth element (REE) abundances ( 300 ppm) of first row transition metals (Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni), and radiogenic 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios (>0.7200). Comparison of chondrite normalized REE patterns between uraninite and corresponding processed UOC from the same locality indicates identical patterns at different absolute concentrations. This result ultimately confirms the importance of establishing geochemical signatures of raw, uranium ore materials for attribution purposes in the forensic analysis of intercepted nuclear materials.
Modeling and Analysis of Indian Carnatic Music Using Category Theory

This paper presents a category theoretic ontology of Carnatic music. Our goals here are twofold. First, we will demonstrate the power and flexibility of conceptual modeling techniques based on a branch of mathematics called category theory (CT), using the structure of Carnatic music as an example. Second, we describe a platform for collaboration and research sharing in this area. The construction of this platform uses formal methods of CT (colimits) to merge our Carnatic ontology with a generic model of music information retrieval tasks. The latter model allows us to integrate multiple analytical methods, such as hidden Markov models, machine learning algorithms, and other data mining techniques like clustering, bagging, etc., in the analysis of a variety of different musical features. Furthermore, the framework facilitates the storage of musical performances based on the proposed ontology, making them available for additional analysis and integration. The proposed framework is extensible, allowing future work in the area of rāga recognition to build on our results, thereby facilitating collaborative research. Generally speaking, the methods presented here are intended as an exemplar for designing collaborative frameworks supporting reproducibility of computational analysis and simulation.
Conceptual change in natural resource management students’ ecological literacy*

Conceptual change in undergraduate capstone courses provides unique opportunities to examine how students draw from multiple courses and experiences to resolve conceptual confusion. We examined how...
Assessing and Exploring the Oral Proficiency of Young Mandarin Immersion Learners

This article presents original empirical research carried out in the early total Mandarin language immersion context. The study involves K–5 learners from three early total Mandarin immersion programs whose home language is English. We examined students’ second language (L2) oral proficiency in Mandarin in two ways: (a) a statistical comparative analysis of cross-sectional assessment data for kindergarten, Grade 2, and Grade 5 students and (b) a detailed linguistic complexity analysis comparing immersion students’ speech samples (one per grade level) produced during the assessment interview. Results indicate significant differences in median scores between kindergarten and Grade 2 in all domains; however, no median score differences were found between Grades 2 and 5. An exploratory complexity analysis of three speech samples revealed increasingly higher levels of grammatical complexity across grades. Measures of lexical complexity for the Grade 5 sample, while higher than those in kindergarten, were lower than those of Grade 2. Study findings question the efficacy of existing proficiency assessments at capturing the multidimensionality of oral proficiency in the intermediate and pre-advanced range. They also highlight the important role finely grained complexity measures can play in informing curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices.
Impact of Pharmacist Intervention on Selection and Timing of Appropriate Antimicrobial Therapy in Septic Shock

Background:Current guidelines for septic shock management recommend administration of appropriate, broad-spectrum antimicrobials within 1 hour of recognition.Objective:To evaluate the interventions...
ALK is a critical regulator of the MYC-signaling axis in ALK positive lung cancer

// Amanda B. Pilling 1,2 , Jihye Kim 1 , Adriana Estrada-Bernal 1 , Qiong Zhou 1 , Anh T. Le 1 , Katherine R. Singleton 1 , Lynn E. Heasley 1 , Aik Choon Tan 1 , James DeGregori 1 and Robert C. Doebele 1 1 University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, CO, USA 2 Henry Ford Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI, USA Correspondence to: Robert C. Doebele, email: // Keywords : ALK; ROS1; NSCLC; MYC; synthetic lethality Received : July 28, 2017 Accepted : January 09, 2018 Published : January 16, 2018 Abstract A subset of lung cancers is dependent on the anaplastic lymphoma kinase ( ALK ) oncogene for survival, a mechanism that is exploited by the use of the ALK inhibitor crizotinib. Despite exceptional initial tumor responses to ALK inhibition by crizotinib, durable clinical response is limited and the emergence of drug resistance occurs. Furthermore, intrinsic resistance is frequently observed, where patients fail to respond initially to ALK-inhibitor therapy. These events demonstrate the underlying complexity of a molecularly-defined oncogene-driven cancer and highlights the need to identify compensating survival pathways. Using a loss-of-function whole genome short-hairpin (shRNA) screen, we identified MYCBP as a determinant of response to crizotinib, implicating the MYC signaling axis in resistance to crizotinib-treated ALK+ NSCLC. Further analysis reveals that ALK regulates transcriptional expression of MYC and activates c-MYC transactivation of c-MYC target genes. Inhibition of MYC by RNAi or small molecules sensitizes ALK+ cells to crizotinib. Taken together, our findings demonstrate a dual oncogene mechanism, where ALK positively regulates the MYC signaling axis, providing an additional oncogene target whose inhibition may prevent or overcome resistance.
Representation When Constituent Opinion and District Conditions Collide

When constituent opinion and district conditions point in two different directions, which factor is most influential for representatives who face important legislative roll calls? To address this q...
Providing no-cost transport to patients in an underserved area: Impact on access to physical therapy.

Background: Barriers to accessing outpatient health care services are common and contribute to poor health outcomes. We describe the efforts of a private practice physical therapy (PT) clinic to reduce these barriers by offering a door-to-door van service at no cost to patients. Methods: Clinic records and national census databases were retrospectively reviewed to explore the impact of offering no-cost van rides to patients attending outpatient PT appointments. We used descriptive statistics and linear regression to describe volume of utilization of the van service over a 40-month period. Paired t-tests compared PT clinic attendance rates (percentage of scheduled visits that were attended) before and after implementation of the van service. Results: Use of the van service increased significantly over time, from a mean of 83 riders per month in 2010 to 205 riders per month in 2013 (p < 0.001). Overall clinic attendance rate increased from 80.1% to 84.1% after implementation of the service (p = 0.002). Following introduction of the van service, 48% of patients using the van, compared to 25% of clinic patients overall, were uninsured or insured by Medicaid. Conclusion: Use of the van service increased over time, and availability of no-cost van transportation was associated with increased visit attendance for patients at an outpatient PT clinic.
A Serendipitous Journey Leading to My Love of Dendritic Patterns and Chemistry.

As the oldest of four Midwestern boys who were offsprings of an accountant and a housewife, each with less than a formal high school degree, we were blessed to have such parents.[...]
Hearing Protector Attenuation and Noise Exposure Among Metal Manufacturing Workers.

OBJECTIVES This study utilized personal noise measurements and fit-testing to evaluate the association between noise exposures and personal attenuation rating (PAR) values among participating workers, and second, to compare the attenuated exposure levels received by the workers and the British Standards Institute's recommended noise exposure range of 70 to 80 dBA. DESIGN We measured hearing protection device (HPD) attenuation among a sample of 91 workers at 2 US metal manufacturing facilities, through performance of personal noise dosimetry measurements and HPD fit-testing over multiple work shifts. We compared this testing with participant questionnaires and annual audiometric hearing threshold results. RESULTS The average 8-hr time-weighted average noise exposures for study participants was 79.8 dBA (SD = 7.0 dBA), and the average PAR from fit-testing was 20.1 dB (±6.7 dB). While differences existed between sites, 84% of the 251 PAR measurements resulted in effective protection levels below the recommended 70 dBA (indicating overprotection), while workers were underprotected (i.e., effective exposures >80 dBA) during <1% of monitored shifts. Our results also demonstrated a significant positive relationship between measured noise exposure and PAR among non-custom-molded plug users (p = 0.04). Non-custom-molded plug wearers also showed a significant increase in PAR by sequential fit-test interaction (p = 0.01), where on average, subsequent fit-testing resulted in increasingly higher HPD attenuation. Workers at site 1 showed higher PARs. PARs were significantly related to race, even when adjusting for site location. While age, hearing threshold level, task, and self-reported tinnitus showed no significant effect on individual PAR in an unadjusted model, site, race, and sand- or water-blasting activities were significant predictors in adjusted models. Within-worker variability in time-weighted averages and PARs across repeated measurements was substantially lower than variability between workers. CONCLUSIONS Careful selection of HPDs is necessary to minimize instances of overprotection to workers in low and moderate occupational noise environments. The use of fit-testing in hearing conservation programs to evaluate PAR is recommended to avoid overprotection from noise exposure while also minimizing instances of under-attenuation.
On Classroom Observations

As STEM education matures, the field will profit from tools that support teacher growth and that support rich instruction. A central design issue concerns domain specificity. Can generic classroom observation tools suffice, or will the field need tools tailored to STEM content and processes? If the latter, how much will specifics matter? This article begins by proposing desiderata for frameworks and rubrics used for observations of classroom practice. It then addresses questions of domain specificity by focusing on the similarities, differences, and affordances of three observational frameworks widely used in mathematics classrooms: Framework for Teaching, Mathematical Quality of Instruction, and Teaching for Robust Understanding. It describes the ways that each framework assesses selected instances of mathematics instruction, documenting the ways in which the three frameworks agree and differ. Specifically, these widely used frameworks disagree on what counts as high quality instruction: questions of whether a framework valorizes orderly classrooms or the messiness that often accompanies inquiry, and which aspects of disciplinary thinking are credited, are consequential. This observation has significant implications for tool choice, given that these and other observation tools are widely used for professional development and for teacher evaluations.
Should Out-of-Office Monitoring Be Performed for Detecting White Coat Hypertension?

Cohen and colleagues' systematic review and meta-analysis examined the associations between white coat hypertension and cardiovascular events and mortality. The editorialist discusses the findings,...
Effect of Mentoring on Match Rank of Integrated Vascular Surgery Residents.

Background Mentoring relationships have been encouraged for medical students interested in surgical specialties. We investigated the role of mentoring relationships of integrated vascular surgery residents, while in medical school. We hypothesized that mentoring relationships between medical students and vascular surgeons would have a positive effect on match outcome in the integrated vascular surgery residency match. Methods We used an online survey that respondents completed on a smartphone, tablet, or computer. This was created with Qualtrics Software. The survey was circulated to all North American Integrated Vascular Surgery residents, with the support of the Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery Recruitment Committee and the Society for Vascular Surgery Resident/Student Outreach Committee. Questions were posed either as Likert Scale or as multiple choice. Data were analyzed in Stata. Results Response rate (67 total responses of 241 polled residents) was 28%. Earlier postgraduate year residents were more likely to have had vascular surgeon mentors (P = 0.033). There was no association between having a mentor and match rank; however, those with vascular surgeon mentors matched higher on their rank list (P = 0.022). 50% of respondents indicated that mentoring was influential in the choice of integrated residency. Respondents with nonvascular surgeon mentors were more likely to answer negatively regarding their mentor's knowledge about other integrated (P Conclusions Integrated vascular surgery residents were generally positive about their medical school mentors. Our data indicate that surgical mentorship in medical school is effective, both in influencing medical students to choose the vascular surgery specialty and in improving match rank—vascular surgeons were more knowledgeable and mentees with vascular surgeon mentors tended to be more successful in the match.
The Importance of How the Pieces Fit Together: The Microwave Spectrum and Molecular Structure of 2-Chloro-1,1-Difluoroethylene-Acetylene.

Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy is used to obtain the rotational spectrum of the gas-phase heterodimer formed between 2-chloro-1,1-difluoroethylene and acetylene between 5.1 and 20.0 GHz. ...
Peter Reddaway, The Dissidents: A Memoir of Working with the Resistance in Russia, 1960-1990. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution, 2020. ISBN: 9780815737735. Hardcover, 338 pp., $29.99

The author, professor emeritus of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, has written his fourth book about recent Soviet Russian history. However, unlike the previous three, he approaches this work from a personal perspective. The objective of the current book is to relay his experience with the dissident movement in the aforementioned nation and to assess the reasons why reforms have been largely stymied. Reddaway’s examination of the topic coincides with contemporary events both domestic and worldwide.
Quantification of microglial contact and engulfment of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells in the rodent brain.

Summary Microglia have emerged as essential regulators of neurodevelopment by phagocytosing synapses. Recently, we showed that microglia engulf viable oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) during development to facilitate myelination. Here, we describe a protocol to quantify microglial engulfment of whole cells using 3D confocal microscopy to differentiate microglial contact. This protocol can be applied to assess whole-cell engulfment in a variety of contexts and cell types. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Nemes-Baran et al. (2020) .
On the Scaling Law for Broadband Shock Noise Intensity in Supersonic Jets

A theoretical model for the scaling of broadband shock noise intensity in supersonic jets was formulated on the basis of linear shock-shear wave interaction. An hypothesis has been postulated that the peak angle of incidence (closer to the critical angle) for the shear wave primarily governs the generation of sound in the interaction process rather than the noise generation contribution from off-peak incident angles. The proposed theory satisfactorily explains the well-known scaling law for the broadband shock -associated noise in supersonic jets.
The Effect of the Musca domestica Salivary Gland Hypertrophy Virus on Food Consumption in Its Adult Host, the Common House Fly (Diptera: Muscidae)

The Musca domestica salivary gland hypertrophy virus (MdSGHV) substantially enlarges the house fly's salivary glands and prevents or delays ovarian development in its adult host, but the effect that MdSGHV has on the house fly's food consumption is currently unknown. Using house flies from a laboratory-reared colony, we evaluated the effect of MdSGHV infection on food consumption over a 7-d period. Both treatment (virus-infected) and control (saline-injected) flies were provided with a choice of 8% sucrose solution and 4% powdered milk solution to determine food preferences. Quantities of each solution consumed were measured every 24 h for each fly to measure food consumptions. Infected house flies were shown to consume less overall of both solutions than house flies injected with saline. The largest consumption discrepancy was seen between female house flies. Healthy female flies with developing ovaries continued to consume a sugar and protein diet, whereas infected female flies fed predominantly on a sugar diet. Additionally, infected male and female flies consumed significantly lower quantities of protein and sucrose than control flies. This suggests that MdSGHV has a negative consumption effect (e.g., hunger, starvation) on its host. Thus, differences in food consumption of infected and control flies probably represent differences in the nutritional requirements of flies resulting from viral infection.
The 8-Point Sermon: How Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount defines us, empowers us, and fulfills God’s Ten Commandments

The first argument of this book is that the Sermon on the Mount is an eight point sermon with an almost perfectly chiastic structure. Each beatitude is one of the eight points, and the remainder of the sermon elaborates on those eight points. This book’s second argument is that the Sermon on the Mount fulfills six of the Ten Commandments. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus says he came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. Jesus was not exaggerating. His Sermon reveals the true intention of six of the Ten Commandments. In points three through seven, Jesus issues pairs of negative and positive commands that help us avoid breaking the Ten Commandments. The third and final argument is that Jesus calls us to practice and teach the commands in his Sermon. Other New Testament writers mentioned the same eight points, often in the same order as Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. The eight points underpinned their teaching and guidance to the church. The writers were intimately familiar with these eight points, naturally weaving them into their writing. We would be wise to know Jesus’ eight point sermon equally well.
Teaching Engineering Design with Digital Fabrication: Imagining, Creating, and Refining Ideas

Digital fabrication uses next-generation computer-controlled manufacturing systems to translate electronic designs into 2D and 3D physical objects. Advances in technology are making educational applications and classroom use of digital fabrication increasingly feasible. The combination of digital fabrication with engineering design integrates mathematics, science, and engineering concepts into a highly motivating context. Students can use digital fabricators to quickly prototype ideas and create sophisticated designs that satisfy mathematics- and science-based criteria and constraints, encouraging students to imagine, invent, collaborate, and construct solutions to complex and authentic problems.
Leaf wax composition and carbon isotopes vary among major conifer groups

Abstract Leaf waxes (e.g. n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids) and their carbon isotopes (δ13C) are commonly used to track past changes in the carbon cycle, water availability, and plant ecophysiology. Previous studies indicated that conifers have lower n-alkane concentrations than angiosperms and that 13C fractionation during n-alkane synthesis (en-alkane) is smaller than in angiosperms. These prior studies, however, sampled a limited phylogenetic and geographic subset of conifers, leaving out many important subtropical and Southern Hemisphere groups that were once widespread and common components of fossil assemblages. To expand on previous work, we collected 43 conifer species (and Ginkgo biloba) from the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley, sampling all extant conifer families and almost two-thirds of extant genera. We find that Pinaceae, including many North American species used in previous studies, have very low or no n-alkanes. However, other conifer groups have significant concentrations of n-alkanes, especially Southern Hemisphere Araucariaceae and Podocarpaceae (monkey puzzles, Norfolk Island pines, and yellowwoods), and many species of Cupressaceae (junipers and relatives). Within the Cupressaceae, we find total n-alkane concentrations are high in subfamilies Cupressoideae and Callitroideae, but significantly lower in the early diverging taxodioid lineages (including bald cypress and redwood). Individual n-alkane chain lengths have a weak phylogenetic signal, except for n-C29 alkane, but when combined using average chain length (ACL), a strong phylogenetic signal emerges. The strong phylogenetic signal in ACL, observed in the context of a common growth environment for all plants we sampled, suggests that ACL is strongly influenced by factors other than climate. An analysis of en-alkane indicates a strong phylogenetic signal in which the smallest biosynthetic fractionation occurs in Pinaceae and the largest in Taxaceae (yews and relatives). The relationship between phylogeny and en-alkane may be related to differences in carbon metabolism among conifer clades. These results have important implications for interpreting n-alkane δ13C values in sedimentary archives, especially outside of North America.
Rethinking transnationalism : the meso-link of organisations

1 Transnational Societal Spaces: Which Units of Analysis, Reference, and Measurement? 2 Constructing Transnational Studies 3 Beyond Methodological Ethnicity and Towards City Scale 4 Transstate Spaces and Development: Some Critical Remarks 5 Transnational Humanitarian NGOs? A Progress Report 6 Glocalizing Gender Justice 7 Transnational Organisations in Education 8 European Works Councils as Transnational Interest Organisations?
A Tool to Improve Accuracy of Parental Measurements of Preschool Child Height

Background. Parent-reported measurement of child height is common in public health research but may be inaccurate, especially for preschoolers. A standardized protocol and tools to improve measurement accuracy are needed. The purpose of this study was to develop and test materials to improve parents’ accuracy when measuring their preschooler’s height. Methods. In Phase A, 24 parents were observed measuring child height using written instructions and an easy-to-read tape measure; after each of 3 testing rounds, instructions were refined based on observed errors and parent versus researcher measurements. In Phase B, a video replaced written instructions and was refined over 4 rounds with 37 parents. Results. The height kit with written instructions, tape measure, plumb line, and explanatory video helped parents accurately measure child height. Compared to written instructions alone, parents rated the video as having significantly greater clarity and likelihood of improving measurements. Although no significant differences in accuracy were found between paper and video instructions, observations indicated written instructions were more difficult for parents with less education to use with fidelity. Conclusions. The kit may improve parent measurement of preschooler height, thereby improving accuracy of body mass index calculations, tracking of obesity prevalence, and obesity prevention and treatment.
Artificial Substrates in Squalene and Sterol Biosynthesis

Abstract Trans-[1-3H2]3-methylpent-2-enyl pyrophosphate and [1-14C]isopentenyl pyrophosphate were incubated with 10,000 xg supernatants of rat liver homogenates. Analyses of the unsaponifiable material extracted from the incubations by gas-liquid radiochromatography and mass spectrometry revealed the synthesis not only of [14C]squalene but also of [3H, 14C]1-methylsqualene and of [3H,14C]1,24-dimethylsqualene. The sterol fraction of the unsaponifiable extracts contained two components labelled with 3H and 14C, the 3H:14C ratios of which were identical with the isotope ratios of the 1-methylsqualenes and which had retention volumes in gas-liquid chromatography expected of 27-methylcholesterol and of 27-methyllanosterol. The sterol fractions did not contain components that might have been derived from the cyclization of 1,24-dimethylsqualene. It is suggested that 1-methylsqualene is epoxidized enzymically only at its isopropylidene end, but not at its isobutylidene end.
Does rapid tryptophan depletion induce depressive relapse

Does Rapid Tryptophan Depletion Induce Depressive Relapse? ⋆ Refers to PII S0893-133X(00)00161-5
Virtual driving simulator project

A driving simulator requires that it should be as close to the actual experience as possible as well as maintain decent performance. As an assistant, I focused on rendering multiple camera views from the perspective of one camera view for the purpose of accurately modeling mirrors for use in the driving simulator. To complete this task, I helped to investigate and implement a mirroring system for the simulator that would be accurate and efficient.
Type-1 hybrid-ARQ using MTCM spatio-temporal vector coding for MIMO systems

A system that combines MTCM modified for type-I hybrid-ARQ error control with Spatio-Temporal Vector Coding (STVC) for use over a slowly varying MIMO channel is presented. An idealistic retransmission protocol is defined that maximizes the channel utilization is described and analyzed. Numerical examples, based on a set of simple 8-state trellis codes providing a granularity of 0.5 bit per 2-dimensional symbol, demonstrate that this simple type-I hybrid-ARQ system can reduce the code gap by the same amount as an FEC system based on a set of 64-state trellis codes. This shows that type-I hybrid-ARQ STVC can close the code gap (the SNR gap between actual performance and channel capacity) without an increase in the code complexity or a decrease in performance. We also demonstrate the limitations of this approach: as the bit error rate increases and the probability of retransmission increases, the channel utilization drops. As a consequence, the code gap does not decrease or even increases.
Nature of N-Nitrosodimethylamine Demethylase and Its Inhibitors

The present study was undertaken to examine the nature of the low K m ( K m I ) form of rat liver microsomal N -nitrosodimethylamine demethylase (NDMAd) and its inhibition by organic compounds which are commonly present in the assay mixture. Using radiometric and colorimetric assay methods with an NADPH-generating system consisting of 0.4 mm NADP, 10 mm glucose-6-phosphate, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (0.4 units/ml), K m values of 40–50 µm were obtained. These K m values were lower than the values of 60–80 µm reported previously. This decrease was due to the elimination of inhibitors such as glycerol in the assay mixture. Glycerol was a competitive inhibitor, and this observation explained in part why purified P-450ac (acetone-inducible form of P-450), displayed a higher K m value in a reconstituted NDMAd system, which contained glycerol, than in microsomes. Semicarbazide which had been used in many previous assays of NDMAd was also found to be a competitive inhibitor of this enzyme. Other inhibitors studied include the commonly used solvents dimethylsulfoxide, acetone, ethylene glycol, dimethylformamide, ethyl acetate, benzene, and hexane as well as thiol compounds dithiothreitol and mercaptoethanol. Although very low K m values (10–20 µm) for N -nitrosodimethylamine metabolism were reported in studies with perfused liver, liver slices, and isolated liver cells, we believe that the K m I form of liver NDMAd is responsible for the metabolism and activation of N -nitrosodimethylamine in the rat liver.
COMPARAÇÃO DAS HABILIDADES MOTORAS FUNDAMENTAIS DE LOCOMOÇÃO DE CRIANÇAS ENTRE 6 E 8 ANOS PRATICANTES E NÃO PRATICANTES DE BALLET

O objetivo do estudo foi comparar as habilidades motoras fundamentais de locomocao (caminhada, deslocamento lateral, galope, salto em altura e salto em distância) de criancas entre 6 e 8 anos praticantes de Educacao Fisica escolar e aulas de Ballet extraclasse (Grupo Ballet, n = 20) com praticantes de Educacao Fisica escolar apenas (Grupo Escola, n = 9). As filmagens das habilidades foram analisadas qualitativamente a fim de identificar os estagios do desenvolvimento motor (estagios inicial, elementar ou maduro). Os resultados encontrados nao indicaram diferencas estatisticamente significativas (p>0,05) para nenhuma das habilidades motoras fundamentais observadas. Ficou evidenciado ue a maioria das criancas de ambos os grupos encontrava-se no estagio elementar.
Solid-Phase Radioimmunossay for Rapid Detection and Identification of Western Equine Encephalomyelitis Virus

A solid-phase radioimmunoassay technique was adapted for the rapid detection and identification of western equine encephalomyelitis virus in clinical specimens.
Never too old: beneficial neurobehavioural effects of continuous positive airway pressure in the elderly

Clinicians should be no less aggressive in treating OSA in the elderly compared with middle-aged and younger groups http://ow.ly/MGC4n
Inductive definitions over finite structures

Inductive definitions have played a central role in the foundations of mathematics for over a century. They were used in the 1970s as the backbone of one major generalization of Recursive Function Theory (Moschovakis, 1974; Aczel, 1977). In recent years the relevance of inductive definitions (in particular over finite structures) to Database Theory, to Descriptive Computational Complexity, and to Logics of programs has been recognized. A seminal paper on inductive definitions in Database Theory is Chandra and Hare1 (1982), where they define a hierarchy of queries over finite structures, within which minor steps (successor ordinals) correspond to first-order quantifier alternations, and major steps (limit ordinals) correspond to uses of lixpoints. They left open the question of whether the hierarchy remains strict above the first major step (level w). This problem was answered in the negative by Immerman (1986). Since the collection of first-order lixpoint queries over finite structures is closed under composition and first-order operations other than negation (Moschovakis, 1974), the main component of Immerman’s solution was
High temperature ultrasonic transducers for in-service inspection of liquid metal fast reactors

In-service inspection of liquid metal (sodium) fast reactors requires the use of ultrasonic transducers capable of operating at high temperatures (>200°C), high gamma radiation fields, and the chemically reactive liquid sodium environment. In the early- to mid-1970s, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission supported development of high-temperature, submersible single-element transducers, used for scanning and under-sodium imaging in the Fast Flux Test Facility and the Clinch River Breeder Reactor. Current work is building on this technology to develop the next generation of high-temperature linear ultrasonic transducer arrays for under-sodium viewing and in-service inspections.
The Metabolism of Vitamin D3 and 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 in Normal and Anephric Humans

ABSTRACT To clarify in human beings the further metabolism of 25-OH-D3, the principal circulating form of vitamin D, the fates of 26,27-3H-25-OH-D3 or 1,2-3H-4-14C-D3 were compared in 6 normal subjects and 10 anephric patients on chronic hemodialysis. Normal subjects and 6 of 10 anephrics formed 24,25-(OH)2-D3 suggesting that the kidney may not be the only tissue capable of 24-hydroxylation. Normal subjects also produced metabolites co-migrating with authentic 1,25-(OH)2-D3 and 1,24-25-(OH)3-D3. Anephrics did not produce metabolites co-migrating with 1,25-(OH)2-D3 but their serum did contain small amounts of metabolites co-migrating with authentic 1,24,25-(OH)3-D3. Estimated plasma 25-OH-D3 pools were indistinguishable in the two groups averaging 91 ± 9 μg in normals and 96 ± 8 μg in anephrics. However, the estimated turnover rate of 25-OH-D3 in anephrics was only 1.6 ± 0.1 μg/day as compared to 2.8 ± 0.3 μg/day in normals (p < 0.005) confirming the importance of the human kidney in the further metabolism...
Inhibitory effects of serum and stimulatory effects of estrogen on prolactin mRNA levels in GH3 rat pituitary tumor cells

Abstract We investigated the effects of serum and estrogen on prolactin (PRL) mRNA accumulation in GH 3 cells under different cell culture conditions. Hybridization analysis of GH 3 cellular RNA indicated that PRL mRNA levels decreased more than 20-fold in cells cultured for 1 week in medium containing dextran-charcoal-treated serum (stripped serum). No effects on actin mRNA levels were observed under these conditions. Furthermore, this inhibition of PRL mRNA accumulation depended on the concentration of stripped serum in the medium. Although incubation in stripped-serum medium inhibited cell growth, these culture conditions did not appear to irreversibly affect the GH 3 cell population. These data indicate that a potent inhibitor of PRL mRNA accumulation is present in stripped serum. GH 3 cells grown in stripped-serum medium were shown to be responsive to estrogen. Treatment of these cells with 10 −9 M estradiol resulted in a 6.6-fold stimulation of PRL gene expression. However, estrogen had no effect on cell growth under these conditions, suggesting that estrogen stimulates PRL gene expression and cell proliferation by independent mechanisms.
Long term reduction of male agonistic behavior in mice following early exposure to ethanol.

A system was developed to study the ability of early (pre- and neonatal) ethanol input to induce long lasting neural and behavioral changes. Ethanol was administered to C57B1/10Bg and DBA/1 Bg offspring through their parents who received 10% ethanol as their only liquid supply either before and during pregnancy, or from delivery until 14 days post partum, or during both periods. Thus the offspring received ethanol transplacentally and/or through the mother's milk. The present paper is concerned with the male agonistic behavior at age 50 days of the treated offspring as compared with their pair fed controls. Early ethanol input resulted in a 23% increase in latency to attack in C57 mice and 58% in DBA, as well as a 49% (C57) and 38% (DBA) decrease in time spent fighting. The sensitive period to ethanol effect was apparently postnatal. Prenatal administration had no effect on agonistic behavior. DBA offspring were more aggressive than C57 and the scores of C57 offspring were more variable, thus indicating a lower phenotypic buffering in this strain.
Socialization and Volunteer Work: The Role of Parents and College Volunteering:

This study investigated the role of socialization in volunteer work participation following college graduation. The sample consisted of 424 baccalaureate graduates of a large midwestern university. The dependent variable was whether the respond ent had participated in volunteer work during the past year. Multiple regression results showed that socialization for volunteer work occurs both in the family and in volunteer work itself Parents' volunteering is "two-edged" with the father's par ticipation a positive influence on respondent's volunteer work participation and the mother's participation a negative influence. Implications for changing sex roles in volunteer work are discussed.