cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Severity of memory impairment in the elderly: Association with health care resource use and functional limitations in the United States

Abstract Introduction Dementia is a prevalent condition in older adults associated with decline in cognitive and functional abilities and substantial burden. This study assessed the prevalence and impact of subjective memory impairment in the United States. Methods The 2011 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a population-based, nationally representative survey, was analyzed. Data included medical examinations, self-reported cognitive and functional limitations, and health care utilization over 1 year. Participants were aged ≥65 years and completed both interview and medical examination components. Descriptive analyses of patient characteristics were performed, and complex survey regression models were used to test associations. Results Of 2431 survey participants included, 53.1% had no memory impairment, 40.1% had early-stage memory impairment, and 6.6% had late-stage memory impairment. In adjusted analyses, late-stage versus no impairment was associated with more functional limitations (odds ratio [OR] = 7.26, P P P = .001). Discussion Consistent with previous research, individuals with late-stage memory impairment had significantly greater functional limitations and higher health care utilization versus individuals with early-stage or no memory impairment.
On the structure of Specht modules in the principal block of FΣ3p

Abstract Let F be a field of characteristic p at least 5. We study the Loewy structures of Specht modules in the principal block of F Σ 3 p . We show that a Specht module in the block has Loewy length at most 4 and composition length at most 14. Furthermore, we classify which Specht modules have Loewy length 1, 2, 3, or 4, produce a Specht module having 14 composition factors, describe the second radical layer and the socle of the reducible Specht modules, and prove that if a Specht module corresponds to a partition that is p-regular and p-restricted then the head of the Specht module does not extend the socle.
Characterization of a 4Kx2K three side buttable CCD

Results are presented on the fabrication and characterization of a 4 K X 2 K three-side buttable CCD produced by Orbit Semiconductor. This first run of wafers was produced to test the ability of Orbit to produce high-quality scientific CCDs with the characteristics required for detectors to be used in optical instruments of the Keck Observatory. Also on the wafer are two 2 K X 2 K devices. Similar devices have been fabricated for us previously by Loral/Fairchild. Extensive characterization of the Loral devices has taken place over the past few years, so interest is high about the possibility that Orbit might become a second source for similar detectors. This paper presents the first results on the 4 K X 2 K CCDs, including measurements of charge transfer efficiency, low-temperature dark current, on-chip amplifier readout noise, localized charge traps, full well, and responsive quantum efficiency.
Abstract B45: An early treatment window to target FAK-dependent collective invasion in Lkb1-mutant lung adenocarcinoma

LKB1 is the 2rd most commonly mutated tumor suppressor gene in human lung adenocarcinoma, and a biomarker of aggressive disease in stage IV KRAS mutant lung cancer patients. We have previously published that LKB1 acts to limit focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activity in human lung cancer cells to restrict cell adhesion and migration. Based on our prior published data we hypothesize that FAK inhibition will suppress invasion and metastasis in LKB1 -mutant tumors in vivo , and represent a viable clinical strategy to target this high-risk patient population. To investigate our hypothesis, we have developed a novel lentiviral-Cre Kras G12D ; Lkb1 fl/fl Rosa-luciferase genetically engineered mouse model (GEMM) (KLL Lenti ) that develops 100% adenocarcinomas, and produces a bioluminescent output that correlates with tumor burden, tumor grade, and degree of metastatic colonization of the lymph node. We show that stage IV KLL Lenti primary tumors have elevated levels of active FAK in a subset of invasive cells that maintain collective contact via E-Cadherin. Importantly, treatment of KLL Lenti mice with a pharmacologic FAK inhibitor potently suppresses invasive progression of primary tumors. Moreover, KLL Lenti tumors treated at later stages progress to the same degree as vehicle-treated mice. This result suggests a ‘therapeutic window’ of opportunity, and argues that FAK inhibitors should be part of first-line therapy to treat LKB1 -mutant lung cancer patients. We further pursue mechanistic studies to investigate how Lkb1 -mutant tumor tissue gains a metastastic advantage in vivo , and using a combination of 3D tumor spheroid assays and multiphoton microscopy present results that Lkb1 -mutant tumors use a unique form of hybrid or transitional invasion that on depends on both FAK-based adhesion and collective migration and in doing so, are equipped to more efficiently invade into the collagen-dense microenvironment of the lung. Our studies suggest that when used early, FAK inhibitors may be a viable clinical strategy to prevent metastasis in the LKB1 -mutant patient population, and begin to define alternate escape pathways by which this highly invasive cell population may escape first-line therapy. Citation Format: Melissa Gilbert-Ross, Jessica Konen, John Shupe, Junghui Koo, Gabriel L. Sica, Suresh S. Ramalingam, Haian Fu, Fadlo R. Khuri, Wei Zhou, Adam I. Marcus. An early treatment window to target FAK-dependent collective invasion in Lkb1-mutant lung adenocarcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Metastasis; 2015 Nov 30-Dec 3; Austin, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(7 Suppl):Abstract nr B45.
The Takings Clause of Boyle Heights

Poor people and people of color are the authors of community legal thought. Today, that jurisprudence shapes the culture of Boyle Heights, an embattled, primarily Latinx neighborhood in Los Angeles. Boyle Heights is gentrifying, leading to tenants’ ousters and housing insecurity. Through interviews, inhabitants share their views on what belongs to them, and when that property is taken in violation of human dignity and legal principles. That is, they share their version of the Takings Clause. Though my work on limning a Boyle Heights Takings Clause remains unfinished, partial, and tentative, interviewees’ articulate insistences on takings protections proved sufficiently comprehensive that a first draft of such a Clause may here be essayed. Marshaling the work of popular constitutionalists and progressive property scholars, and drawing parallels between Supreme Court conceptions of takings and those of Boyle Heightsians, I argue that this fledgling draft of community property rights should be further studied and developed so that it may someday inform formal Takings analyses.
The gravity of an edge

We describe a methodology for characterizing the relative structural importance of an arbitrary network edge by exploiting the properties of a k-shortest path algorithm. We introduce the metric Edge Gravity, measuring how often an edge occurs in any possible network path, as well as k-Gravity, a lower bound based on paths enumerated while solving the k-shortest path problem. The methodology is demonstrated using Granovetter’s original strength of weak ties network examples as well as the well-known Florentine families of the Italian Renaissance and the Krebs 2001 terrorist networks. The relationship to edge betweenness is established. It is shown that important edges, i.e. ones with a high Edge Gravity, are not necessarily adjacent to nodes of importance as identified by standard centrality metrics, and that key nodes, i.e. ones with high centrality, often have their importance bolstered by being adjacent to bridges to nowhere–e.g. ones with low Edge Gravity. It is also demonstrated that Edge Gravity distinguishes critically important bridges or local bridges from those of lesser structural importance.
Field-Emission Microscopes

The two kinds of field-emission (point-projection) microscopes* were both invented by E. W. Muller(1) (Figure 14.1). The older device (1936) employs field-emission of electrons from the negatively charged tip of a very sharp needle in a vacuum by point-projection of the image onto a positively charged, fluorescent screen. The device is a specialized cathode-ray tube (Figure 14.2).(2) The newer device (1950) emits ions from an anode.
ADAPT: A Game Inspired Attack-Defense and Performance Metric Taxonomy

Game theory has been researched extensively in network security demonstrating an advantage of modeling the interactions between attackers and defenders. Game theoretic defense solutions have continuously evolved in most recent years. One of the pressing issues in composing a game theoretic defense system is the development of consistent quantifiable metrics to select the best game theoretic defense model. We survey existing game theoretic defense, information assurance, and risk assessment frameworks that provide metrics for information and network security and performance assessment. Coupling these frameworks, we propose a game theoretic approach to attack-defense and performance metric taxonomy (ADAPT). ADAPT uses three classifications of metrics: (i) Attacker, (ii) Defender (iii) Performance. We proffer ADAPT with an attempt to aid game theoretic performance metrics. We further propose a game decision system (GDS) that uses ADAPT to compare competing game models. We demonstrate our approach using a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack scenario.
On The Future Of Hybrid Human-Machine Systems

Our species is the only creative species, and it has only one creative instrument, the individual mind and spirit of a man Nothing was ever created by two men. There are no good collaborations, whether in music, in art, in poetry, in mathematics, in philosophy. Once the miracle of creation has taken place, the group can build and extend it, but the group never invents anything. The preciousness lies in the lonely mind of a man (Steinbeck, 1952).
Bicultural competence as a mediator and moderator of acculturative family distancing and psychological outcomes

The present study examined whether bicultural competence served as a mediator (i.e., an apparent causal mechanism) or a moderator (i.e., a variable that describes for whom or under what situation) for the relationship between Acculturative Family Distancing (AFD) and two psychological outcomes (i.e., depression and psychological wellbeing). A total of 258 Latino college students attending large, predominantly White public universities in the Midwest completed two online surveys in the fall 2012 and spring 2013 semesters. Data were analyzed using path analysis to test for mediation and hierarchical regression analyses to test for moderation. For mediation, results indicated that bicultural competence at Time 2 mediated the relations between AFD at Time 1 and depression at Time 2 and psychological wellbeing at Time 2 above and beyond the effects of depression, psychological wellbeing, acculturation, and enculturation at Time 1. Moreover, about 26% of the variance in bicultural competence at Time 2 was explained by AFD, enculturation, acculturation, and psychological wellbeing at Time 1; 23% of the variance in depression at Time 2 was explained by bicultural competence at Time 2, depression at Time 1, and psychological wellbeing at Time 1; and 32% of variance in psychological wellbeing at Time 2 was explained by bicultural competence at Time 2 and psychological wellbeing at Time 1. For moderation, results demonstrated a main effect of AFD on psychological wellbeing at Time 2 and a main effect of bicultural competence on both depression and psychological wellbeing at Time 2. The interaction of AFD and bicultural competence did not significantly predict depression at Time 2 or psychological wellbeing at Time 2 after the effects of depression, psychological wellbeing, acculturation, and enculturation at Time 1 were statistically controlled. Limitations, future research directions, and implications for counseling were discussed.
How FLOSS Participation Supports Lifelong Learning and Working: Apprenticeship Across Time and Spatialities

In this paper I draw on two case studies to examine participatory learning in Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS). I contribute to prior work on learning within FLOSS and also to the learning sciences by illustrating how FLOSS supports lifelong learning and working by providing an ecosystem that allows participants to grow their knowledge of both technical and nontechnical skills over time through their association with different projects and people. I trace the learning trajectories of two participants from high school until they enter the professional workforce and beyond. I argue that FLOSS participation represents an ideal networked form of learning as it provides both socio-cognitive support for short term activities and also socio-temporal support for long term participation and learning. It is a unique form of apprenticeship that exists concurrently with formal educational experiences but unlike traditional apprenticeship experiences it succeeds by spanning different spatialities - place/space and technology mix -and temporal scales.
Digital Connections: Student Experiences in Online Language Exchanges

Exciting advances in technology have provided foreign language teachers with opportunities to connect students to native speakers of target languages. Much of the research in this area focuses on changes in proficiency or cultural sensitivity. Although valuable, the research is lacking in understanding students’ experiences online, including positive and negative feelings, challenges, as well as students’ overall opinions of the exchanges’ usefulness for learning. The present study used a mixed methods approach to examine the experiences of third-semester university students participating in online language exchanges with native speakers. A third-semester Spanish class at a large university consisting of 18 students was selected as a sample. Students were required to speak online with native Spanish speakers in the target language for 20 minutes each week. Students completed weekly surveys and a final survey, and three students were selected for semi-structured interviews. The data reveal common struggles that students face during online exchanges, methods students use for coping with these difficulties, areas of perceived growth, and social factors that affect students’ experiences. The article concludes with recommendations for what foreign language educators can do to support students in similar online exchanges.
Silicon single crystals

Abstract Single crystal silicon is unique. It is both the foundation of the global microelectronics-based economy and a model material. Although the word “technology” today is associated with the internet, wireless devices, social media, software coding, and “apps,” all these are enabled by dislocation-free single crystal silicon. The reference to software companies as being a cultural part of “Silicon Valley” acknowledges this foundation. The single crystal growth methods, and resulting silicon structure, properties, and defects are extremely well studied and documented in the literature. However, single crystal silicon is still today an active subject of intensive study, and continues to be developed and improved for both optimized crystal performance in devices and reduced cost.
In Defense of the Conceit of Humanitarian Intervention

My thanks to Cecilia Jacob, Frank Ledwidge, Max Pensky, and Jennifer Walsh for appraising The Conceit of Humanitarian Intervention, and to Dirk Moses, who proposed this symposium. My interlocutors ...
A randomized controlled trial to compare aesthetic outcomes of immediately placed implants with and without immediate provisionalization.

Introduction There are mixed results regarding the aesthetic advantage of immediate provisionalization of dental implants. Therefore, this study aimed to compare facial mucosal level of single immediately placed implants with and without immediate provisionalization. Methods Single implants were immediately placed to replace a hopeless maxillary anterior or premolar tooth in 40 subjects. Each implant was randomly assigned to receive a non-occluding temporary crown or a healing abutment after implant placement. At 4 months, these implants were permanently restored and followed up for 12 months. Clinical and radiographic parameters were measured and compared. Results The implant survival rate at 12 months in the test and control group was 90% and 100%, respectively. Mid-facial mucosal marginal level and papilla height changes were minimal within groups, and no significant differences were found between the two groups. The amount of marginal bone remodelling was modest, with no significant difference between the two groups. Radiographic bone changes were not statistically different between the groups, except for the vertical crestal bone resorption. Conclusion Immediate implant placement with or without provisionalization can achieve stable vertical soft tissue level for 12 months as compared to pre-extraction level. However, immediate provisionalization was not able to improve the aesthetic outcome further.
Adequacy of Lymph Node Yield for Papillary Thyroid Cancer: An Analysis of 23,131 Patients.

Abstract Background Threshold numbers for defining adequacy of lymph node (LN) yield have been determined for evaluation of occult nodal disease during papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) surgery. This study assesses the prevalence of adequate LN yield and estimates its association with patient clinicopathologic characteristics. Materials and methods Adult patients with cN1 pT1b or pT2 and cN0 or cN1 pT3 M0 PTC ≥1 cm who received surgery with ≥1 LN resected were identified from the National Cancer Database, 2004-2015. Adequate yield was defined as removing ≥6, 9, and 18 LNs for pT1b, pT2, and pT3 stages, respectively, based on recently published literature. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to determine factors associated with adequate yield. Results A total of 23,131 patients were included; 7544 (32.6%) had adequate LN yield. Rate of adequate yield increased from 19.9% to 36.6% over time. After adjustment, patients at academic facilities were more likely to have adequate yield than those at community centers [OR 1.94 (95% CI 1.55-2.41), P Conclusions The rate of adequate LN yield has increased over time, but only a minority of lymphadenectomies performed for PTC can be defined as adequate. Disparities still exist based on patient and facility characteristics; patients with more advanced tumors appear less likely to have adequate LN yield.
Alfonso de Madrigal and Juan de Segovia: Some Conciliar Common (and Contested) Places

This article offers a preliminary comparison of the thoughts of Alfonso de Madrigal and Juan de Segovia, two important fifteenth-century Spanish academics and authors whom scholars have seen as ideological allies. It identifies several areas of interest common to both writers, and then focuses on their conciliarist views. It argues that while Madrigal and Segovia both asserted several conciliar “common places,” often in similar terms, their ecclesiological positions differed in significant ways. Madrigal’s “theoretical” conciliarism is contrasted with Segovia’s “engaged” conciliarism in order to illuminate the notable differences in their respective careers and influence. The article concludes with a call for closer comparative study of these two wide-ranging thinkers.
Big Waiver Under Statutory Sabotage

The Affordable Care Act’s State Innovation waiver allows federal agencies to suspend the most controversial parts of the statute for states to pursue alternative paths, while keeping the federal funding provided by the statute. This “big waiver” provision has the potential to enable states to pursue transformative health reforms, while preserving the affordability and universal coverage aims of the federal statute. Big waivers like this one carry theoretical promise, which largely depends on the strength of the federal statute’s baseline infrastructure. This Essay considers early implementation of the State Innovation waiver as a test for big waiver theory – and for cooperative federalism in health reform. The fragmentation of the Affordable Care Act through litigation, legislation, and executive challenge has complicated both the State Innovation waiver’s intended implementation, and the theoretical promises of big waiver. Most recently, the administering agency’s new guidance stretches the ACA’s already-sizeable waiver beyond its statutory guardrails, even changing its aspirational title from “State Innovation” to “State Relief and Empowerment.” The embrace of the ACA’s big waiver by an administration hostile to the enduring statute suggests that the threats of big waiver swallowing its housing statute are real, and that the waiver may be wielded not as an instrument of innovation, but one of further fragmentation.
La « sélection efficace » des immigrants : paradigme de la mobilité et légitimité de l’État québécois

En 2016, le Quebec a procede a la premiere refonte generale de sa loi sur l’immigration depuis 1968. Cet article presente une analyse exploratoire de l’etude du projet de loi 77, devenu par la suite la nouvelle Loi sur l’immigration de la province. En dialogue avec les travaux d’Helene Pellerin, cet article s’interesse a l’influence du paradigme migratoire de la mobilite sur les discours des elus a propos du projet de loi, ainsi qu’a ses consequences en matiere de legitimite de l’Etat. Cette analyse exploratoire montre la penetration des principes issus du paradigme migratoire au Quebec. En particulier, les debats sur le projet de loi montrent la montee en puissance de la solution que represente la « selection efficace » des immigrants comme source de legitimation pour les acteurs gouvernementaux.
A Review of Purdieanthus and Lehmaniella, two endemic Colombian Genera of Gentianaceae, and Biographical Notes on Purdie and Lehmann

The genus Lisianthus as construed by A. H. R. Grisebach in 1839 comprised five sections, as follows: Macrocarpaea, Choriophyllum, Chelonanthus, Helia, and Calolisianthus. The same sectional treatment of the inclusive genus Lisianthus was maintained in his contribution to De Candolle's Prodromus (1845). Of the five sections recognized by Grisebach Macrocarpaea is the best defined morphologically: it, as a genus, is the subject of a monographic revision soon to appear in the Contributions of the United States National herbarium. The disposition of the Peruvian Section Choriophyllum (monotypic) has not been determined, pending an examination of the type of Lisianthus loranthoides in England, but it is likely referable to Symbolanthus. Section Calolisianthus, when redefined in the light of present knowledge, has clear limits. Sections Helia and Chelonanthus have never been well defined. Almost completely transitional corolla forms exist among certain species of the two sections, yet there is a strong morphological divergence in the corolla type in this alliance, either toward an open ample tube, or a slender variously gibbous or constricted tube.
Cardiac Tissue Engineering

We hypothesized that clinically sized (1-5 mm thick),compact cardiac constructs containing physiologically high density of viable cells (10 8 cells/cm 3 ) can be engineered in vitro by using biomimetic culture systems capable of providing oxygen transport and electrical stimulation, designed to mimic those in native heart. This hypothesis was tested by culturing rat heart cells on polymer scaffolds, either with perfusion of culture medium (physiologic interstitial velocity, supplementation of perfluorocarbons), or with electrical stimulation (continuous application of biphasic pulses, 2 ms, 5 V, 1 Hz). Tissue constructs cultured without perfusion or electrical stimulation served as controls. Medium perfusion and addition of perfluorocarbons resulted in compact, thick constructs containing physiologic density of viable, electromechanically coupled cells, in contrast to control constructs which had only a 100 μm thick peripheral region with functionally connected cells. Electrical stimulation of cultured constructs resulted in markedly improved contractile properties, increased amounts of cardiac proteins, and remarkably well developed ultrastructure (similar to that of native heart) as compared to non-stimulated controls. We discuss here the state of the art of cardiac tissue engineering, in light of the biomimetic approach that reproduces in vitro some of the conditions present during normal tissue development.
Adoptive natural killer cell therapy: a human pluripotent stem cell perspective

In this review, we will discuss the current developments in the field of stem cell immuoengineering, with a focus on the studies of natural killer (NK) cells over the past 5 years. The key advances in stem cell immunoengineering include the generation of human NK cells from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), the genetic modification of hPSCs and hPSC-derived NK cells for improved cellular function, as well as the applications of cell culture platforms for stem cell manufacturing. We will also review the application of available genome editing tools to design and engineer hPSCs as universal donor cells to produce off-the-shelf NK cells applicable to any patient. Current challenges impeding the translation of NK cells and future directions to understand and address these challenges will also be discussed.
The effect of water activity and temperature on the inactivation of Enterococcus faecium in peanut butter during superheated steam sanitation treatment

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the inactivation kinetics of Enterococcus faecium in peanut butter under different water activities (aw) and superheated steam temperatures. Peanut butters were prepared at 4 different initial water activities (0.19, 0.40, 0.60, and 0.80) and E. faecium was inoculated into the peanut butter (7.4–8.7 log CFU/g). The inoculated peanut butter samples were exposed at 4 different superheated steam temperatures (125 °C, 175 °C, 225 °C, and 250 °C). Survivor data were modelled using Weibull and log-linear models to describe the inactivation kinetics of E. faecium. The decimal reduction times (D-value), temperature sensitivity (zT) and aw sensitivity (zaw) of the D-value were determined from a log-linear model, and inactivation parameters from the Weibull model were also evaluated. An increase in aw of peanut butter and superheated steam temperature decreased the D-value of E. faecium. The zaw-value and zT-value were determined to be 0.60 ± 0.09 and 194.66 ± 40.69 °C, respectively (R2 > 0.89). The inactivation kinetics of E. faecium on surfaces contaminated with peanut butter can provide comprehensive information to superheated steam sanitation treatment which may be applied to environmental surfaces for effective microbial inactivation without the introduction of water.
A Wheelchair Locomotion Interface in a VR Disability Simulation Reduces Implicit Bias.

This research investigates how experiencing virtual embodiment in a wheelchair affects implicit bias towards people who use wheelchairs. We also investigate how receiving information from a virtual instructor who uses a wheelchair affects implicit bias towards people who use wheelchairs. Implicit biases are actions or judgments of people towards various concepts or stereotypes (e.g., races). We hypothesized that experiencing a Disability Simulation (DS) through an avatar in a wheelchair and receiving information from an instructor with a disability will have a significant effect on participants' ability to recall disability-related information and will reduce implicit biases towards people who use wheelchairs. To investigate this hypothesis, a 2x2 between-subjects user study was conducted where participants experienced an immersive VR DS that presents information about Multiple Sclerosis (MS) with factors of instructor (i.e., instructor with a disability vs instructor without a disability) and locomotion interface (i.e., without a disability -- locomotion through in-place-walking, with a disability -- locomotion in a wheelchair). Participants took a disability-focused Implicit Association Test two times, once before and once after experiencing the DS. They also took a test of knowledge retention about MS. The primary result is: experiencing the DS through locomotion in a wheelchair was better for both the disability-related information recall task and reducing implicit bias towards people who use wheelchairs.
Dedicator of cytokinesis 2 (DOCK2) deficiency attenuates lung injury associated with chronic high-fat and high-fructose diet-induced obesity.

Obesity is a major risk factor for lung disease development. However, little is known about the impact of chronic high-fat and high-fructose (HFHF) diet-induced obesity on lung inflammation and subsequent pulmonary fibrosis. Herein we hypothesized that dedicator of cytokinesis 2 (DOCK2) promotes a proinflammatory phenotype of lung fibroblasts (LFs) to elicit lung injury and fibrosis in chronic HFHF diet-induced obesity. HFHF diet for 20 weeks induced lung inflammation and pro-fibrotic changes in wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice. CD68 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression were notably increased in the lungs of WT mice fed a HFHF diet. Further, HFHF diet increased lung DOCK2 expression that co-localized with fibroblast-specific protein 1, suggesting a potential role of DOCK2 in regulating proinflammatory phenotype of LFs. Importantly, DOCK2 knockout mice were protected from lung inflammation and fibrosis induced by chronic HFHF diet. In primary human LFs (HLFs), TNF-α and IL-1β induced DOCK2 expression concurrent with MCP-1, IL-6, and matrix metallopeptidase 2. DOCK2 knockdown suppressed TNF-α induced expression of these molecules. DOCK2 knockdown likewise attenuated TNF-α-induced activation of the PI3K/AKT and NF-κB signaling pathways, suggesting a mechanism of DOCK2 mediated proinflammatory and pro-fibrotic changes in HLFs. Taken together, these findings reveal a previously unrecognized role of DOCK2 in regulating proinflammatory phenotype of LFs, potentiation of lung inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis in chronic HFHF diet caused obesity.
Follow-Up of Environmental Technology Graduates

A follow-up study was conducted of four-year environmental engineering technology students from Western Kentucky University. The information gathered from 19 of the 20 graduates indicates that responsible positions are available in their field of study, their salaries averaging –14,500 after two years of experience. Eighty-five percent are in water resources and 70% work for state or local governments or for industrial firms. Approximately 40% have gone to environmental engineering graduate schools. The graduates felt that they received their strongest training at the undergraduate level in their specialty and in the basic sciences (biology, chemistry, and physics). They felt that increased emphasis should be given to mathematics and communications. Additional comments were that they should have had more training in computers, and that while the major strength of the program was in the problem-solving, practical approach, they could use more knowledge of theory and design.
UTILIZATION OF AROMATIC AMINO ACIDS BY HYDROGENOMONAS FACILIS.

DeCicco, B. T. (Rutgers, The State University, New Brunswick, N.J.), and W. W. Umbreit. Utilization of aromatic amino acids by Hydrogenomonas facilis. J. Bacteriol. 88:1590–1594. 1964.—An auxotrophic mutant of Hydrogenomonas facilis was isolated which requires tryptophan, phenylalanine, and p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) for growth. With glucose as the main carbon and energy source, the quantitative requirements for tryptophan and PABA were at normal microgram levels, but the requirement for phenylalanine was very large and approached substrate concentrations. The large phenylalanine requirement is due to a rapid oxidation and degradation of phenylalanine by the mutant. The utilization of both phenylalanine and glucose is adaptive, and the presence of phenylalanine partially inhibits the induction of the glucose-utilizing system. Wild-type H. facilis can utilize either phenylalanine or tyrosine for growth. Tracer studies indicated that during growth on phenylalanine, the aromatic ring is opened and degraded. Wild-type cells grown on either phenylalanine or tyrosine can oxidize phenylalanine, tyrosine, or phenylpyruvate without a lag. Another inducible pathway enables H. facilis to utilize either quinate or 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate for growth, and sequential adaptation studies revealed that quinate is converted to 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate during its degradation. Mutants may be obtained which can also utilize 2,5-dihydroxybenzoate for growth.
Quetelet, Lambert Adolphe Jacques

Adolphe Quetelet (1796–1874), a Belgian mathematician and astronomer whose studies of ‘social physics’ (physique sociale) broadened the use of statistics from error correction in astronomy to the social and life sciences. Keywords: statistics; population statistics; psychology; Herbert Spencer; obesity
Rapid Regulation of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor mRNA within Eye-Specific Circuits during Ocular Dominance Column Formation

The neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has emerged as a candidate retrograde signaling molecule for geniculocortical axons during the formation of ocular dominance columns. Here we examined whether neuronal activity can regulate BDNF mRNA in eye-specific circuits in the developing cat visual system. Dark-rearing throughout the critical period for ocular dominance column formation decreases levels of BDNF mRNA within primary visual cortex, whereas short-term (2 d) binocular blockade of retinal activity with tetrodotoxin (TTX) downregulates BDNF mRNA within the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and visual cortical areas. Brief (6 hr to 2 d) monocular TTX blockade during the critical period and also in adulthood causes downregulation in appropriate eye-specific laminae in the LGN and ocular dominance columns within primary visual cortex. Monocular TTX blockade at postnatal day 23 also downregulates BDNF mRNA in a periodic fashion, consistent with recent observations that ocular dominance columns can be detected at these early ages by physiological methods. In contrast, 10 d monocular TTX during the critical period does not cause a lasting decrease in BDNF mRNA expression in columns pertaining to the treated eye, consistent with the nearly complete shift in physiological response properties of cortical neurons in favor of the unmanipulated eye known to result from long-term monocular deprivation. These observations demonstrate that BDNF mRNA levels can provide an accurate "molecular readout" of the activity levels of cortical neurons and are consistent with a highly local action of BDNF in strengthening and maintaining active synapses during ocular dominance column formation.
On the maximum pressure rise rate in boosted HCCI operation

This paper explores the combined effects of boosting, intake air temperature, trapped residual gas fraction, and dilution on the Maximum Pressure Rise Rate (MPRR) in a boosted single cylinder gasoline HCCI engine with combustion controlled by negative valve overlap. Dilutions by both air and by cooled EGR were used. Because of the sensitivity of MPRR to boost, the MPRR constrained maximum load (as measured by the NIMEP) did not necessarily increase with boosting. At the same intake temperature and trapped residual gas fraction, dilution by recirculated burn gas was effective in reducing the MPRR, but dilution by air increased the value of MPRR. The dependence of MPRR on the operating condition was interpreted successfully by a simple thermodynamic analysis that related the MPRR value to the volumetric heat release rate.
Effects of fluid jet polishing on optical surfaces

A fluid jet apparatus for possible glass polishing application was constructed. The apparatus is capable of producing abrasive jets with a velocity of approximately 40 meters per second and has been used to test the effects of an abrasive slurry on a flat, glass surface. The slurry's exit velocity is controllable by changing the nozzle diameter. After testing multiple samples at each of three velocities used, each sample was analyzed and depth profiles were taken. From these profiles, characteristics such as maximum depth and diameter were used to calculate the material removal rate. Using these results, the effects of the differing velocities were compared. A strong increase in material removal rate with the average velocity was found. Analysis of the depth profiles showed that at the lowest velocity tested (27 m/s) the glass appeared to be deformed rather than removed. Much clearer fluid jet spots were produced at higher velocities. As expected, the highest velocity used in this test (produced by an 18 gage nozzle) removed the most material and yielded the clearest depth profiles, but also suffered from trouble with particle agglomeration due to the nozzle's small diameter
Heart Rate Variability in the Prediction of Risk for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

3. Raine A. Annotation: the role of prefrontal deficits, low autonomic arousal, and early health factors in the development of antisocial and aggressive behavior in children. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2002;43(4):417-434. 4. Portnoy J, Raine A, Chen FR, Pardini D, Loeber R, Jennings JR. Heart rate and antisocial behavior: the mediating role of impulsive sensation seeking. Criminology. 2014;52(2):292-311.
Highlights of MODIS products

A new collection of Earth science data is now publicly available for the understanding of the land, ocean, and atmospheric interactions and how they affect our climate system. Approximately 40 higher level science standard products are being produced from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) high resolution radiances. MODIS data starting November 1, 2000 to the present have been processed with an improved calibration algorithm (version-3) and data products are available to the public and science user community. Nearly all of these products have been evaluated and found useful for science and various applications. Radiometric calibrated and geolocated radiance data and all derived atmospheric, land and ocean products are available free from NASA's Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs).
Does chronic hyperinsulinemia cause hypertension

The aim of this study was to determine whether chronic hyperinsulinemia, comparable to that found in obesity-associated hypertension, causes sustained increases in mean arterial pressure (MAP) or potentiates the hypertensive effects of angiotensin II (ANG II). Insulin infusion (0.5 or 1.0 mU/kg/min, IV), with plasma glucose held constant by IV glucose infusion, for seven to 28 days raised plasma insulin by five- to ten-fold, but did not significantly change MAP in dogs with reduced kidney mass that were maintained on high sodium intake. In dogs infused with ANG II to cause mild hypertension, insulin for 28 days did not potentiate the hypertension. Insulin infusion did, however, cause modest sodium retention during the first few days of infusion. These findings suggest that additional factors besides hyperinsulinemia per se are responsible for obesity-associated hypertension.
Damage to sub-half-micron metal-oxide-silicon field-effect transistors from plasma processing of low- k polymer interlayer dielectrics

We report on the effects of via plasma etching of low-dielectric-constant (low-k ) polymers, used as interlayer dielectrics (ILDs), on the characteristics of sub-half-micron n-channel metal-oxide-silicon field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). The low-k polymers investigated are benzocylobutene and fluorinated poly-arylene-ether. The MOSFETs employed are made sensitive to via etching by incorporating an array of either 58 × 58 or 183 × 213 via holes to the gate electrode. We have found that the via etching of the polymer ILD damages the MOSFET as witnessed by the observed degradation in the transistor's parameter. The damage incurred by the MOSFET is of a charging type and is caused by plasma-induced stress current flowing into the gate oxide and oxide-Si interface through regions in the polymer ILD that are rendered leaky by the via etching plasma. We have observed that the inclusion of an insulating layer, such as Si3 N4 , can significantly inhibit the damaging effects of the via etch. Annealing at ~350 °C is found to eliminate the via-etch-induced damage and to improve the MOSFET's parameters.
Language ideologies and standard English language policy in Singapore: Responses of a 'designer immigrant' student

This article reports on year-long critical ethnographic study conducted in a Singapore school and examines how the standard English language educational policy is interpreted by a Secondary 3 (Grade 9) female student from China. She is a member of an exclusive group of academically able students who has been carefully recruited by the local authorities and awarded scholarships in order to pursue their education in Singapore. This study sheds light on the language learning experience of a so-called designer immigrant, that is, an immigrant who possesses high-level skills and global goals and interests (Simmons 1999). By focusing specifically on how this student managed the ideologies embedded in the standard English language educational policy, the present study also explicates how operations of power at a local level are realized. The data of the study, including interviews, classroom interaction data, and written artifacts, revealed that even in the face of overwhelming forces, the student was able to exercise her agency and to do so in ways complementary to prevailing ideologies which subsequently bolstered her learning. This study contributes to a better understanding of designer immigrant students in contemporary language policy research and more broadly to advance the sociolinguistics of globalization (Blommaert 2003).
Aortic root morphology in patients undergoing percutaneous aortic valve replacement: Evidence of aortic root remodeling

Objective Percutaneous aortic valve replacement is an emerging therapy for selected patients with severe aortic stenosis. Preoperative imaging of the aortic root facilitates sizing and deployment of the percutaneous aortic valve replacement device. We compared morphologic characteristics of the aortic root in patients with aortic stenosis versus elderly gender-matched controls using multidetector computed tomography. Methods Twenty-five consecutive subjects with severe calcific aortic stenosis referred for percutaneous aortic valve replacement and 25 elderly gender-matched controls were scanned on a Siemens Definition Dual Source (Siemens Medical, Forchheim, Germany) multidetector computed tomography scanner. Distances from the valve annulus to the coronary artery ostia and sinotubular junction, dimensions of the aortic root, and characteristics of the valve cusps were determined. Results Subjects with aortic stenosis had reduced distance from the aortic valve annulus to the inferior margins of the left and right coronary artery ostium and sinotubular junction compared with controls. There were no significant differences in cross-sectional dimensions of the aortic root. Conclusion The distance from the aortic valve annulus to the coronary artery ostia and sinotubular junction is reduced in patients with aortic stenosis compared with controls. This finding suggests that longitudinal remodeling of the aortic root occurs in calcific aortic stenosis and has implications for the design and deployment of percutaneous aortic valve replacement devices.
$QRTT$ : Stateful Round Trip Time Estimation for Wireless Embedded Systems Using $Q$ -Learning

Wireless embedded systems such as sensor nodes and smartphones highlight the importance of reliable data transmission in their advanced applications. Such reliable transmission frequently exhibits a performance below expectation due to inherent resource constraints of the systems. Accurate estimation of round trip time, an important parameter of reliable data transmission, has the potential to significantly improve the performance withstanding the resource constraints. However, contemporary round trip time estimation schemes cannot significantly improve the performance using their stateless estimation schemes as two different states of transmission, success and failure, are equally prominent over wireless mediums. To address this key fact, we propose a novel stateful round trip time estimation scheme for wireless embedded systems, incorporating a light-weight artificial intelligence method. We apply the proposed scheme in a retransmission timeout mechanism of TCP and compare the efficacy of the scheme against that of contemporary estimation schemes. Exhaustive simulation and a testbed experiment reveal that our scheme significantly improves network throughput and average energy per bit compared to other schemes.
Current Strontium-90 Level in Diet in United States

Measurements were made of the concentration of strontium-90 found in approximately 100 food samples collected throughout the United States. Samples of important calcium sources such as milk, vegetables, cereals, and tap water were includcd. From an analysis of the data it is concluded that the strontium- 90 conient in ihe dlet of an average United States citizen in 1957 was about 6.5 Sunshine Units. corresponding to an equilibrium base level of 1.5 Sunshine Units, since the discrimination factor belween diet and base appears to be about 4. If the diet concentration remains constant for a decade. the equilibrium bone level of 1.6 Sunshine Unit would be approached by young children. New-born children would have about half of this value on account of fetal discrimination, and adults would reach only 20 to 30 percent of the equillbrium level, because of the slow rate of exchange of calclum in bone. (C.H.)
Onset of Prinzmetal's angina two years following sudden death syndrome survival

A patient who was resuscitated after an episode of ventricular fibrillation without myocardial infarction outside the hospital developed angina for the first time two years later. Although the clinical pattern did not fulfill all of the criteria of Prinzmetal's variant angina and was found to correspond with episodes of ventricular tachycardia, we feel that Prinzmetal's angina can be implicated as the mechanism of previous ventricular fibrillation. During the patient's second hospitalization, angiography demonstrated a single, moderately stenotic, right coronary lesion which was bypassed. Immediately postoperatively, the patient developed ventricular fibrillation requiring more than two hours of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Six months after bypass surgery, she experienced an inferior wall myocardial infarction. She is presently asymptomatic with normal heart size.
Cell Membrane Tethers Generate Mechanical Force in Response to Electrical Stimulation

Living cells maintain a huge transmembrane electric field across their membranes. This electric field exerts a force on the membrane because the membrane surfaces are highly charged. We have measured electromechanical force generation by cell membranes using optically trapped beads to detach the plasma membrane from the cytoskeleton and form long thin cylinders (tethers). Hyperpolarizing potentials increased and depolarizing potentials decreased the force required to pull a tether. The membrane tether force in response to sinusoidal voltage signals was a function of holding potential, tether diameter, and tether length. Membrane electromechanical force production can occur at speeds exceeding those of ATP-based protein motors. By harnessing the energy in the transmembrane electric field, cell membranes may contribute to processes as diverse as outer hair cell electromotility, ion channel gating, and transport.