cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PCPH expression in human prostate carcinoma cells confers resistance to cisplatin-induced apoptosis through a mechanism that involves PKCα and Bcl-2.

C80 Prostate cancer is one of the malignant tumor types that frequently exhibit resistance to anticancer drugs, a phenomenon that typically results, at least in part, from enhanced antiapoptotic response mechanisms developed by the cancer cells. Understanding drug resistance mechanisms should, therefore, facilitate the design of optimized chemotherapy protocols against prostate cancer. Recently, we described that the PCPH protein is highly expressed in human specimens of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and prostate cancer (PCa), and that PCPH enhanced protein kinase C (PKCδ) expression, which up-regulated type I collagen production and, consequently, contributed to increase the invasiveness of human PCa cell lines. We now report that PCPH expression confers resistance to cisplatin-induced apoptosis. LNCaP cells expressing a specific shRNA against PCPH were about 70% more sensitive to cisplatin-induced apoptosis than LNCaP expressing a non-specific, scrambled shRNA control. Furthermore, PC-3 cells expressing a truncated, oncogenic PCPH variant protein (mt-PCPH) were found to be significantly more resistant to cisplatin-induced apoptosis when compared to PC-3 cells expressing the normal PCPH protein or to cells transfected with DNA of the corresponding empty vector as control. Additional experiments showed that PCPH expression resulted in elevated levels of phosphorylated PKCα and, simultaneously, enhanced the expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. Moreover, inhibition of PKCα expression, but not that of PKCδ or PKCβ, sensitized prostate cell lines to cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Consistently, shRNA-mediated Bcl-2 knockdown increased the sensitivity of LNCaP and PC-3 cells to cisplatin treatment and, more importantly, resulted in the reversion of the sensitivity to cisplatin of PC-3 cells expressing the mt-PCPH oncoprotein to the level characteristic of untransfected cells. Re-expression of Bcl-2 in LNCaP cells in which PCPH had been previously knocked down by stable expression of a specific shRNA reversed the sensitivity to cisplatin-induced apoptosis produced by PCPH knockdown. Taken together results from this study suggest that targeting PCPH expression in combination with chemotherapeutic treatment may improve the outcome of protocols currently used for prostate cancer treatment.
Application of heuristic optimization to groundwater management

Subsurface flow and contaminant transport models are often used in solving groundwater management problems. Automated optimization involving such models is becoming commonplace, and researchers are increasingly encountering problems for which standard gradient-based search algorithms are inadequate. Such cases have motivated an interest in the use of more robust, but computationally expensive, heuristic algorithms. The research reported in this dissertation advances the state-of-practice of heuristic optimization in groundwater management by applying a variety of heuristic methods to three groundwater management problems: (1) optimization of pump-and-treat containment systems, (2) optimization of multi-layered sorptive barrier systems, and (3) calibration of reactive transport models involving nitrate contamination. These studies were facilitated by the development of a new open source software package for model-independent multi-algorithm optimization, which includes special tools for calibration and model ranking and selection. Overall, the optimization studies make several important research contributions by (1) suggesting methods and guidelines for the effective selection and use of heuristic algorithms, (2) investigating techniques for reducing the computational demand associated with heuristic algorithms, (3) providing general insight into the behavior of the selected problems, (4) utilizing modeling techniques, remediation constraints, and/or parameter representations not previously applied to the selected problems, and (5) introducing a novel optimization software package to the research community.
Teaching Students with Behavioral Disorders to Use a Negotiation Procedure: Impact on Classroom Behavior and Conflict Resolution Strategy.

The impact of the instruction of a six-step problem solving negotiation procedure on the conflict resolution strategies and classroom behavior of six elementary students with challenging behaviors was examined. Moderately positive effects were found for the following negotiation strategies used by students: independent problem solving, problem solving requiring a teacher prompt, and avoiding. However, there were limited effects of the negotiation instruction on the students’ use of the negotiation strategy of forcing; and a negligible, negative effect was found on student problem solving negotiation requiring a prompt by a crisis interventionist. Similarly, there were limited effects of the instruction on students’ use of verbal and physical aggression. Findings indicated that the students with the most severe challenging behaviors benefited more from the instruction. All students were able to learn the problem solving negotiation procedure, though sometimes visual and verbal prompts were needed. Overall student and teacher attitudes toward the problem solving negotiation instruction were positive. These findings suggest that giving direct instruction of problem solving negotiation to students with challenging behaviors provides some pro-social benefits.
Composition and Evolution of Frozen Chloride Brines under the Surface Conditions of Europa

Chloride salts have been proposed to exist on the surface of Europa based on some geochemical predictions of the ocean composition as well as some interpretations of data from the Galileo spacecraft. To help elucidate our understanding of Europa’s surface composition, we have conducted a study of frozen chloride salt brines prepared under simulated Europa surface conditions (vacuum and temperature) using both near-infrared (NIR) and Raman spectroscopies. The latter was used to determine the hydration states of various chloride salts as a function of the temperature, while NIR spectroscopy of identically prepared samples was used to provide reference reflectance spectra of the identified hydrated salts. We further investigated the stability of the formed hydrated salts under vacuum and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Our results indicate that, at temperatures ranging from 80 to 233 K, (i) NaCl·2H2O is formed from the freezing of NaCl brines, (ii) freezing of KCl solutions does not form KCl hydrates, (iii) fr...
How does religion benefit health and well-being? Are positive emotions active ingredients?

on the general effects of religion on the average person seems disappointing in that such small relationships were found. Thus, we need more longitudinal research in which particular psychological processes are tracked over time in relationship to religious practices and beliefs. One clear caution from these data is that researchers should not draw firm conclusions about religiosity and SWB from single, relatively small samples. Because of the size of these samples, substantial correlations were less likely to appear by chance. Thus, findings about the effects of religion, especially when they come from relatively small samples of convenience, should be replicated before they are taken seriously. Thus, conclusions such as that a certain type of religiosity correlates more strongly with SWB or that the correlations are stronger for a certain group ought to be replicated in large samples and across diverse cultures before firm conclusions are drawn. The findings that correlations differ between communist and noncommunist nations indicate that the benefits of religion might differ depending on the cultural context. It appears that religiosity is not a strong predictor of life satisfaction across broad samples; we need to now understand when and why it might be beneficial for certain individuals in certain circumstances and in certain cultures.
Enhancement of Surface Wettability by Incorporating Polar Initiator Fragments at Chain Ends of Low-Molecular-Weight Polymers.

Simple methods for enhancing hydrophilicity of hydrocarbon polymers are of broad scientific and technological interest. Polystyrene was synthesized via free radical polymerization with initiator fragments incorporated at chain ends. Compared with high molecular weight polystyrene or chains with nonpolar ends, the dynamic receding water contact angle is reduced by as much as ∼30° in ∼4 kg/mol polystyrene with −COOH and nitrile chain ends. This remarkable enhancement results in surface hydrophilicity that is higher than that of poly(methyl methacrylate). This effective methodology incorporating polar moieties at chain ends of nonpolar polymers can be adapted to existing formulations for enhanced surface properties.
Let Me Tell You a Little Bit about Myself: Biographical Appeals in Congressional General Election Campaign Advertising

Political campaigns discuss the personal dimensions of their candidates with great frequency, but scholars of campaign message strategy have not addressed why and how campaigns do so. This project focuses on the use of biographical appeals in campaign advertisements. Employing a dataset of candidate-sponsored campaign advertisements in the 2004 House and Senate general election, we argue that campaigns use these appeals in an effort to develop and enhance the credibility and likeability of their candidate in the face of voter skepticism about politicians and political messages. We find that campaigns employ more appeals on biography than on any substantive issue and highlight certain aspects of their biographies, like family values, more than others. We also find that challenging campaigns are more likely to discuss their candidate's biography, but, surprisingly, that open seat campaigns are not. Our results demonstrate the importance of personal-based appeals to campaign strategy and that campaigns balance these personal and substantive concerns in developing their appeals to voters. Related Articles McKenzie, Mark J., Cynthia R. Rugeley, and Michael A. Unger. 2015. “Testing Voter Responses to New Style Judicial Campaign Appeals: What Works—Policy Promotion or Experience?” Politics & Policy 43 (4): 562-585. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12123/abstract Craig, Stephen C., and Paulina S. Rippere. 2014. “Political Trust and Negative Campaigns: Two Tests of the Figure-Ground Hypothesis.” Politics & Policy 42 (5): 693-743. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12091/abstract Kaid, Lynda Lee, and Gary Noggle. 1998. “Televised Political Advertising in the 1992 and 1996 Elections: Using Technology to Manipulate Voters.” Politics & Policy 26 (4): 889-906. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.1998.tb00514.x/abstract Related Media Rollcall.com. 2016. “Best Congressional Campaign Ads of 2016.” http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/best-congressional-campaign-ads-2016 Robforpres. 2007. “Beshear/Mongiardo for Kentucky – Fast.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v = DCH_bJcAorg
The Stress of Parenting Children with Developmental Disabilities

Parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) generally report high levels of parenting stress, although research indicates that the degree of stress parents experience varies by type of stress and child disability. Numerous studies have examined predictors of parenting stress among families of children with IDD, and child behavior problems appear to be the most robust predictor of stress among these parents. Research indicates that the relationship between parenting stress and child behavior problems in transactional, and, therefore, parenting stress may exacerbate child behavior problems over time. Thus, designing effective evidenced-based interventions to address parental stress among families of children with IDD with critical in promoting positive outcomes for both parents and children with IDD.
The Effects of Stimulus Duration, Time Interval Between Stimuli, and Disparity Upon Stereoscopic Depth Perception

6 Os estimated stereoscopic depth as a function of the duration of the half-images, the temporal interval between presentations of the half-images, and the magnitude and direction of the disparity carried by the target. The results indicate that all Os reported qualitative and quantitative depth estimates for identical experimental conditions and that the magnitude of the depth effect varied directly with disparity.
A Pilot Study of Immune Activation and Rifampin Absorption in HIV-Infected Patients without Tuberculosis Infection: A Short Report.

Background. Rifampin malabsorption is frequently observed in tuberculosis patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but cannot be predicted by patient factors such as CD4+ T cell count or HIV viral load. Methods. We sought to describe the relationship between HIV-associated immune activation, measures of gut absorptive capacity and permeability, and rifampin pharmacokinetic parameters in a pilot study of 6 HIV-infected, tuberculosis-uninfected patients who were naive to antiretroviral therapy. Results. The median rifampin area under the concentration-versus-time curve during the 8-hour observation period was 42.8 mg·hr/L (range: 21.2 to 57.6), with a median peak concentration of 10.1 mg/L (range: 5.3 to 12.5). We observed delayed rifampin absorption, with a time to maximum concentration greater than 2 hours, in 2 of 6 participants. There was a trend towards increased plasma concentrations of sCD14, a marker of monocyte activation in response to bacterial translocation, among participants with delayed rifampin absorption compared to participants with rapid absorption ( ). Conclusions. Delayed rifampin absorption may be associated with elevated markers of bacterial translocation among HIV-infected individuals naive to antiretroviral therapy. This trial is registered with NCT01845298 .
Counseling Issues: Addressing Behavioral and Emotional Considerations in the Treatment of Communication Disorders

Purpose Counseling is an important fundamental professional activity and an established component of the speech-language pathology/audiology scope of practice as documented by the American Speech-L...
Pure Experience and Disorders of Consciousness

The presence or absence of consciousness is the linchpin of taxonomy for disorders of consciousness (DOCs), as well as a focal point for end-of-life decision making for patients with DOCs. Focus on...
Preparation and characterization of calcium phosphate-poly(vinyl phosphonic acid) composites.

Composites of calcium phosphates and the calcium salt of a biomedical polymer were prepared in situ by hot-pressing particulate mixtures of poly (vinyl phosphonic acid) (PVPA) and tetracalcium phosphate Ca4(PO4)2O, or TetCP) at different temperatures, pressures, and time periods. The objective was to establish whether PVPA could react with TetCP (Ca/P ratio of 2.0) to form a calcium salt, and thereby decrease the available Ca/P ratio 1.67 to facilitate hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 or HAp) formation. The effects of varying the bulk composition, temperature (to 300 °C), pressure (to 690 MPa) and time (to 60 min) on the reaction between TetCP and PVPA were studied using X-ray diffraction, infra-red spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques. Results showed that the conversion of TetCP into HAp increased with compaction time as temperature and/or pressure were increased. Formation of anhydrous dicalcium phosphate (CaHPO4, or DCPA) was also observed. Complete conversion of TetCP to HAp was achieved in composites pressed at 250 °C and 415 MPa for 30 min. © 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers
A microbiological assay of penicillin in animal feeds.

The universal acceptance of the animal growth-promoting properties of some antibiotics and their wide usage in formulated commercial feeds requires that simple, rapid and reliable analytical methods be available for control purposes. Of the several antibiotics used in poultry rations, penicillin exerts its growth-promoting properties at levels considerably lower than other antibiotics (2 grams penicillin per ton), and thus, the analytical problems are accentuated. For penicillincontaining feeds, two problems are presented (a) a method of preparing stable extract from feed samples and (b) a method of measuring quantitatively the small amount of penicillin in the extract. From the voluminous information available on the properties of penicillin, it is well known that the antibiotic is incompatible with many solvents. In this report, only two salts of penicillin are considered, procaine and dibenzyl ethylene diamine (DBED), since these are the only forms currently employed in commercial feeds.
Osmosis in Poisoned Plant Cells.

In recent years much has been written about the teaching of diffusion and osmosis, two concepts that are vital to explaining molecular transport at the cellular level. Studies have documented student misunderstandings (Freidler et al. 1987; Johnstone & Mahmoud 1980; Odom 1995; Zuckerman 1994), educator misunderstandings (Vogel 1994), and textbook author misunderstandings (Vogel 1987) of these concepts. Using a diagnostic test, Odom (1995) identified numerous misconceptions retained by high school and college students after having been exposed recently to laboratory exercises and discussions dealing with diffusion and osmosis. One of the test questions frequently answered incorrectly dealt with whether osmosis would continue in a poisoned plant cell. Only 36.2% of the high school students, 35.8% of the college nonbiology majors, and 55.6% of the college biology majors selected the correct response (i.e. that it would). Although much has been done to identify the problem and to offer activities to address it (Allard & Granberry 1992; Fox et al. 1993; McLaughin et al. 1994; Snow 1991; Suzuki 1993; Tatina 1989), more needs to be done to foster concept development regarding diffusion and osmo-
Genomic profile of gastric cancer in the United States versus East Asia.

45Background: Gastric cancer is the fourth most common cancer type and is the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Much heterogenicity exists in gastric cancer including geographic varia...
Cold-water immersion blunts and delays increases in circulating testosterone and cytokines post-resistance exercise

Cold-water immersion (CWI) is often used to promote recovery by reducing exercise-induced muscle damage, soreness, and inflammation. However, recent reports have cautioned that CWI may attenuate the adaptive response to resistance training. To determine the effect of post resistance-exercise CWI on circulating free testosterone (T) and cytokine (IL-6 and TNF-α) response. Using a randomized and counterbalanced repeated-measures design, 11 resistance-trained men completed two workouts (6 sets of 10 repetitions of back squats at 80% of maximum load) a week apart after which they took part in either 15 min of CWI (15 °C) or passive recovery. T, IL-6, and TNFα were measured in blood samples taken before (PRE) and 5 (5POST), 15 (15POST), 30 (30POST), and 60 (60POST) min post-exercise and compared between treatments and over time. For T, a significant interaction effect of condition over time (p = 0.030) as well as greater relative concentrations of T in CON (Δ9.2%) than CWI (Δ-0.5%, p = 0.049) at 30POST were observed. In addition, at 60POST, T dropped below PRE values in CWI (Δ-10.4%, p = 0.028) but not in CON (Δ-1.6%, p = 0.850). A suppressed cytokine response was observed after CWI in IL-6 at 30POST (CWI: Δ4.9%, CON: Δ47.5%, p = 0.041) and TNFα at 15POST (CWI: Δ5.3%, CON: Δ17.0%, p = 0.022). CWI blunted the T and cytokine response after a bout of resistance exercise. These results indicate that CWI results in an altered anabolic response and may help to explain the previous observation of attenuated hypertrophy when CWI is used after resistance exercise.
All is quiet on the Russian front: ceasefires and the pursuit of legitimacy by self-proclaimed “republics” in Ukraine

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the pursuit of legitimacy by the self-proclaimed “republics” in Ukraine. While these “republics” are illegal, questions of their legitimacy are commonly discussed almost...
Case 5-2020: A 32-Day-Old Male Infant with a Fall

An Infant with a Fall A 32-day-old male infant was evaluated for suspected abusive head trauma. The patient’s mother called emergency medical services and reported that the patient had fallen off a...
Teaching Accessibility to Software Engineering Students

This paper describes the development process of a graduate course on accessibility that is offered as an elective for software engineering students. The paper reports on the three iterations of the course evolution as topics and pedagogy are updated from one iteration to the next. The main motivation of the course updates was to cover the educational needs of software engineering students, which are not the same as HCI or design students. Software engineering students learned better and became more engaged with the topic of accessibility when it was tied to programming and development- based activities. The final form of the course was evaluated using a survey, and the results showed that students found the course beneficial to their education and relevant to their career. We discuss the challenges of creating, teaching, and maintaining a course on accessibility, and we offer insights on what research is needed in this area to support accessibility educators.
3.318 – Molecular Imaging

Molecular imaging is the immensely cooperative effort across a spectrum of disciplines to construct images that contain not just spatial detail but also information regarding specific cellular and molecular function. Obtaining such images generally requires the use of molecular imaging ‘probes’ that link the imaging signal (e.g., electromagnetic radiation) elicited by a contrast agent with a molecular event (e.g., the binding of a receptor). Since a range of imaging modalities (nuclear, X-ray, magnetic resonance, optical, ultrasound, etc.) are available for detecting molecular imaging probes, the contrast agent must be engineered to possess properties appropriate for their application. Thus, the field of materials science is one of the main pillars of molecular imaging. This chapter describes several of the materials commonly used to construct molecular imaging probes (quantum dots, gold nanomaterials, superparamagnetic iron oxide, lipid and polymer vesicles, and dendrimers). Particular attention is paid to the material properties crucial for generating contrast on medical imaging systems and the interactions between these materials and biological systems. The discussion is supplemented with illustrative examples from the literature.
How Spectral Shapes of Magnetic Energy and Magnetic Helicity Influence their Respective Decay Time Scales

It is shown that in magnetohydrodynamics, the shapes of the magnetic energy and magnetic helicity spectra can influence whether the magnetic helicity resistive dissipation time scale is longer, equal to, or shorter than that of magnetic energy. The calculations highlight that magnetic helicity need not always dissipate significantly more slowly than magnetic energy. While this may be implicitly understood in detailed studies of magnetic helicity in plasma devices, it is not sufficiently emphasized in elementary discussions comparing magnetic helicity vs. magnetic energy evolution. Measuring magnetic energy and helicity decay times may provide a posteriori insight into the initial spectra.
Learning Dynamics In Monetary Policy: The Robustness of an Aggressive Inflation Stabilizing Policy

Abstract This paper investigates the effect of an aggressive inflation stabilizing monetary policy on the ability of agents to reach a rational expectations equilibrium for inflation and output. Using an adaptive learning framework, we develop a model that combines a real wage contracting rigidity with an interest rate rule. We show that an AR(1) equilibrium requires more aggressive monetary policy to achieve both determinacy and learnability. This model and policy findings contrast with Bullard and Mitra’s [Determinacy, learnability and monetary policy inertia (2001); Journal of Monetary Economics 49 (2002) 1105] model (no inflation persistence) and policy findings (less aggressive policy). These results suggest that aggressive policy is robust in different model specifications.
Electrically tunable conducting oxide metasurfaces for high-power applications

Active metasurfaces represent a new class of flat optical elements, which can dynamically control the wavefront of the reflected or transmitted light at a subwavelength scale. Here, we theoretically investigate thermal performance of gate-tunable conducting oxide metasurfaces, which are illuminated with high-power laser beams (~kW/cm2). We develop strategies to mitigate and limit temperature increase of our active metasurfaces. To anchor our approach, we experimentally investigate the short pulse laser-induced damage of thin gold, indium tin oxide, and titanium nitride films. Our analysis reveals that our metasurfaces can support irradiances necessary for free space optical communication or light detection and ranging applications.
The 2200 Å bump and the interstellar extinction curve

The 2200 A bump is a major figure of interstellar extinction. However, extinction curves with no bump exist and are, with no exception, linear from the near-infrared down to 2500 A at least, often over all the visible-UV spectrum. The duality linear versus bump-like extinction curves can be used to re-investigate the relationship between the bump and the continuum of interstellar extinction, and answer questions as why do we observe two different kinds of extinction (linear or with a bump) in interstellar clouds? How are they related? How does the existence of two different extinction laws fits with the requirement that extinction curves depend exclusively on the reddening E (B – V) and on a single additional parameter? What is this free parameter? It will be found that (1) interstellar dust models, which suppose the existence of three different types of particles, each contributing to the extinction in a specific wavelength range, fail to account for the observations; (2) the 2200 A bump is very unlikely to be absorption by some yet unidentified molecule; (3) the true law of interstellar extinction must be linear from the visible to the far-UV, and is the same for all directions including other galaxies (as the Magellanic Clouds). In extinction curves with a bump the excess of starlight (or the lack of extinction) observed at wavelengths less than λ = 4000 A arises from a large contribution of light scattered by hydrogen on the line of sight. Although counter-intuitive this contribution is predicted by theory. The free parameter of interstellar extinction is related to distances between the observer, the cloud on the line of sight, and the star behind it (the parameter is likely to be the ratio of the distances from the cloud to the star and to the observer). The continuum of the extinction curve and the bump contain no information on the chemical composition of interstellar clouds. (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO GAME THEORY AND ITS POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ECONOMICS OF ORTHOTICS & PROSTHETICS

The economic viability of Orthotics & Prosthetics (O&P) service provision is an important concern for policy makers, patients, and practitioners. Against the background of limited funds that can be distributed for healthcare expenses overall, it is critical to identify the most cost-effective treatment options within and across disciplines, including surgical and pharmacological interventions. When those decisions are being negotiated, whether in the context of an individual case in the clinic or of general payer policies that allocate spending budgets, the O&P discipline is often perceived to be at a disadvantage due to its relatively young age, underdeveloped evidence base, and small economic clout as compared to other fields. Such asymmetrical negotiations have been the subject of economic theories and mathematical models, such as the “Game theory”, work on which has been awarded with several Nobel Prizes and other recognitions across the years. In this paper, we are introducing core concepts of this theory and discuss how they may be applied in negotiations on treatment approaches and reimbursement schedules with the goal to improve outcomes for the O&P profession. Article PDF Link: https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/cpoj/article/view/36661/28347 How To Cite: Fiedler G, Schikorra A. A brief introduction to game theory and its potential implications for the economics of orthotics & prosthetics. Canadian Prosthetics & Orthotics Journal. 2021; Volume 4, Issue 2, No.18. https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v4i2.36661 Corresponding Author: Dr. Goeran Fiedler, PhDDepartment of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15206, USA.E-Mail: gfiedler@pitt.eduORCID number: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1532-1248
A Single-MOSFET Analog High Resolution-Targeted (SMART) Multiplier for Machine Learning Classification

Mixed-signal machine-learning classification has recently been demonstrated as an efficient alternative for classification with power expensive digital circuits. In this paper, a single-MOSFET analog multiplier is proposed for classifying high-dimensional input data into multi-class output space with less power and higher accuracy than state-of-the-art mixed-signal linear classifiers. A high-resolution (i.e., multi-bit) multiplication is facilitated within a single-MOSFET by feeding the features and feature weights into, respectively, the body and gate inputs. High-resolution classifier that considers the decisions of the individual predictors is designed at 180nm technology node and operates at 100MHz in near/subthreshold region. To evaluate the performance of the classifier, a reduced MNIST dataset is generated by downsampling the MNIST digit images from 784 features to 48 features. The system is simulated across a wide range of PVT variations, exhibiting average accuracy of 92% (2% improvement over state-of-the-art), energy consumption of 67.3 pJ per classification (over 8 times lower than state-of-the-art classifiers), area of 27,570 μm2 per binary classifier, and a stable response under PVT variations. Finally, to provide ground for future work on ultra-low-power deep and convolutional networks, scalability and robustness of the proposed multiplier is evaluated with a convolutional neural network on CIFAR-10. Similar classification accuracy with digital and SMART hardware has been observed. All the code and simulation files are available at an online public GitHub repository, https://github.com/faridken/SMART-Multiplier-for-ML.
“White-Savior Industrial Complex” in leisure studies: A response to Anderson, Knee, & Mowatt

This commentary is in reference to the article titled “Leisure and the ‘White-Savior Industrial Complex’” included in this issue of the Journal of Leisure Research (Anderson et al., 2021). The prim...
The Effects of Diminished Reality on the Detection of and Response to Notifications

Many environments contain visual and auditory distractions. Cognitive aids help limit these distractions, support attention, and improve task performance. One way this is done is by adding informat...
Viscosity Dependence of Iodine Recombination

Iodine photodissociation provided one of the original examples of the cage effect in liquids. Since then, the concept of a cage has become of central importance to chemists in guiding and understanding their choice of solvents for particular chemical reactions. Recently, HOFFMAN, et al. [1] applied picosecond techniques to study the dissociation and subsequent recombination of I in CCl4 and hexadecane. They showed that the recombination occurs in two time scales, a very short (around 100 nsec) and a much longer one (greater than l nsec.). This was interpreted as a direct demonstration of the cage effect. The short time decay is the recombination of caged radicals (geminate) and the long time decay is due to recombination of randomly diffusing I atoms (nongeminate). This experiment provides a good opportunity to test various diffusion theories, brownian motion theories, and molecular dynamics descriptions of translational motion in liquids. Thus, we have extended these experiments to study the recombination as a function of solvent viscosity and structure.
Spatial Aspects of HIV Infection

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is one of the most and intensely studied viral pathogens in the history of science. However, despite the huge scientific effort, many aspects of HIV infection dynamics and disease pathogenesis within a host are still not understood. Mathematical modeling has helped to improve our understanding of the infection as well as the dynamics of the immune response. Fitting models to clinical data has provided estimates for the turnover rate of target cells [82, 83,111], the lifetime of infected cells and viral particles [104, 109], as well as for the rate of viral production by infected cells [21, 44]. Most mathematical models applied to experimental data on viral infections have been formulated as systems of ordinary differential equations (ODE) [91, 101, 104].
Power consumption and throughput in mobile ad hoc networks using directional antennas

We present medium access control (MAC) protocols for mobile ad hoc networks that utilize directional antennas. The use of directional antennas in place of traditional omnidirectional antennas reduces interference and thereby improves the throughput performance of the network. An additional advantage of using directional antennas is due to its higher gain from its directivity, which can be utilized to reduce the transmission power during a directional transmission. In order to maximally utilize the savings in the average power consumption in the network, we propose a power control scheme that maintains a minimum transmission power level for effective transmission of packets using directional antennas. We present simulation results showing the throughput advantage and the savings in the average consumed power in the network using the proposed protocol. We also present results showing the maximum possible savings in power consumption in the same network when an ideal power control scheme is applied.
Diffusion of HNO3 in ice

We designed a series of experiments to verify the value of the diffusion coefficient of HNO 3 in ice at -15° C using a serial sectioning technique. Our first series of experiments with diffusion times of 70 to 100 h gave an average value of about 1.7 × 10 -11 cm 2 s -1 (StD 0.8 × 10 -11 ) and a second set of experiments at 1000 h resulted in an apparent diffusion coefficient of 10 -12 cm 2 s -1 . Our conclusion is that the observed gradients of HNO 3 in ice were spurious and the result of serial contamination of the surfaces during sectioning of the ice. We call the diffusion coefficients apparent because in the present experiment we could not distinguish between an undetectable diffusion coefficient and undetectable solubility. In either case, the validity of the previously published results is questionable.
Ciudad neoliberal y los devenires de la homosexualidad en las crónicas urbanas de Pedro Lemebel

En este ensayo se analizan las cronicas urbanas de Pedro Lemebel dentro de los contextos culturales de la ciudad, como espacio polisemico de tensiones, y de la homosexualidad en los ambitos represivos de la Historia y la escritura. Si en el nivel oficial de la Nacion, la ciudad y su diseno geometrico constituye una estructura alegorica del centro y la autoridad, en el discurso de Lemebel, la figura de un Yo deseante en un permanente devenir socava tanto los iconos y emblemas nacionales como los parametros mismos del falogocentrismo. In this essay, the urban chronicles written by Pedro Lemebel are analyzed within the cultural contexts of the city as a space prolific in meanings and social tension and of homosexuality in the repressive realms of History and writing. Whereas at the o fficial level of the Nation, the city and its geometrical design is an allegorical structure of authority and its centers, in Lemebel 's discourse, the figure of the homosexual as a Desiring Self wandering along its margins in a constant oscillation forcefully undermines the national icons as well as the basic parameters of phalogocentrism.
Revealing Hegemony, Again

Global Energy Security and American Hegemony. By Doug Stokes, Sam Raphael . Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010. 280 pp., $30.00 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-0801894978). The thesis of this book is that US “imperial grand strategy” (p. 12) since the end of World War II has involved constructing a “profoundly hierarchical” world order for the benefit of American national interests and transnational capitalism (pp. 2, 15). Because this is a grand strategy, the use of military force is an integral component, and because oil is critical to any country's national wealth, global energy security is a primary objective. The authors argue that although this is a hegemonic order, the entire world is not subjugated: The core capitalist powers benefit greatly from and thus consent to American hegemony. However, for the global South—specifically the oil-producing states—this strategy means persistent and unabated US military intervention through the use of and support for counterinsurgency activities which in turn result in the militarization of global South societies and an overall lack of basic human security. The introduction and the first chapter of this book expand on the thesis. The second chapter discusses how counterinsurgency has been the preferred method for stabilizing the global South and forcefully integrating oil zones into the capitalist international order. The third chapter discusses how the Persian Gulf has been the primary focus and how this area has become less attractive to the United States given the failure of US power in Iraq (p. 105) and the region's overall instability. Chapter 4 explores the US hegemonic strategy in regard to the Caspian Basin, while chapter 5 looks at stabilizing the Gulf of Guinea and West African energy supplies. Chapter 6 is the last substantive chapter, focusing on the Andean region of Latin America with a brief swing north through Mexico. Much of the introductory chapter and chapter 1 are devoted to stressing how the US-constructed world …
Structure-Activity Relationships (SAR) of Melanocortin and Agouti-Related (AGRP) Peptides

Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies are a key feature of peptide and peptidomimetic research to improve the biological properties of native peptides and convert them into more drug-like compounds. Peptide SAR studies involve the systematic modification of a lead peptide to provide insight into the molecular determinants of the ligand-receptor interactions that result in either receptor stimulation or inhibition. This chapter will discuss structure-activity relationships of the endogenous and synthetic agonists and the antagonists of the melanocortin system.
Proteins of pathogenic bacteria.

Publisher Summary An understanding of the factors and mechanisms determining the virulence of pathogenic organisms, the nature of the toxins and antigens that they produce, and the nature of the immune response are increasingly dependent on developments in the field of protein chemistry. The usefulness of quantitative immunochemical methods as an aid in solving problems in protein chemistry is also recognized. This chapter reviews certain proteins elaborated by pathogenic bacteria and focuses on some of the problems and solutions that can increase the knowledge of the chemistry of proteins as well as of infectious disease processes. It discusses spontaneous conversion on the standing of bacterial toxins to toxoids, without loss in antigenicity. Toxicity is considered a sensitive and convenient method for detecting a change that is analogous to the one brought about by formaldehyde and other chemical agents and is common to many native proteins of nonbacterial origin. Isolation in a pure state and the chemical characterization of the various proteins, toxins, and enzymes elaborated by pathogenic microorganisms is generally considered the first step toward understanding the mechanism of their action.
Four goals for the design of organizational information support systems

The authors identify important variations in the nature of organizational work groups. They argue that the diversity of groups and tasks in most organizations requires a multifaceted approach to the design of information systems. This idea is embodied in the concept of an information systems toolkit. Such a toolkit would contain multiple technologies that, together, would meet the complex array of communication and problem-solving requirements generated by the diversity of groups and tasks described. The authors recommend four goals for designers to use in creating the contents of such a toolkit. They are: applicability to diverse problems; capacity for coordination and feedback; access to approximate experiences; and communication with multiple organizational constituencies. >
Indirect adsorption detection: An alternative pulsed electrochemical detection waveform

Abstract Dissolved oxygen can be reduced on platinum and gold electrodes, although the presence of adsorbing species can attenuate the amount of cathodic current observed. By monitoring the degree that the current is suppressed, one can indirectly monitor the concentration of the adsorbate. This type of quantitative procedure can be done on both metals, with platinum giving a larger residual reduction signal and greater sensitivity to the presence of adsorbate. Amines, halides, and sulfur compounds were all demonstrated to be detectable in this manner. This indirect detection was incorporated into a Pulsed Electrochemical Detection (PED) waveform that was named the Indirect Adsorption Detection (IAD) waveform. IAD was utilized successfully following flow injection analysis and HPLC, yielding similar detection limits to those seen with other forms of PED. Application of IAD was hampered by inconsistent performance resulting from gas evolution at the negative potentials necessary for sensitive detection.
Real time, in-situ ellipsometry solutions using artificial neural network pre-processing

Development of real time, in-situ monitoring and control of thin film depositions using ellipsometry requires both rapid data acquisition and rapid processing. We recently developed a numerical solving method fast enough to keep pace with data acquisition. Briefly, the method uses a very fast artificial neural network (ANN) to provide initial estimates to a slower, more accurate variably damped least squares (VDLS) algorithm. The work here addresses a key question raised in the prior work: how the solution workload should best be shared between the ANN and VDLS for fast, accurate solutions. For Ni deposited on BK7 (borosilicate crown glass) substrates. ANN accuracy of 10% in d1, 0.1 in n1 and 0.1 in k1 resulted in solutions generally under 10 iterations. Training of a network using 2000 data over 2000 presentations was sufficient to achieve this accuracy. Iteration contour plots of VDLS performance combined with ANN target plots provided the necessary information to determine the accuracy values required for proper operation with Ni on BK7 data.
Ultrasonic determination of the phase diagram in CsNiCl3

Abstract The phase diagram of CsNiCl 3 has been determined ultrasonically. There is a quadratic increase in the Neel temperature with increasing magnetic field. A possible spin-flop transition has been detected at approximately 22 kG.
Regulatory properties of histidase from Pseudomonas putida

Summary Histidase from Pseudomonas putida was inhibited by a variety of nucleotides and nucleosides. Guanine, xanthine and cytosine derivatives were the most potent inhibitors, with adenine, hypoxanthine and uracil derivatives considerably less inhibitory; the extent of phosphorylation was relatively unimportant. Kinetically, the actions of ATP, GTP and GMP were similar. Each exhibited an apparent non-competitive inhibition towards histidine with multiple binding sites. It was concluded that histidase activity could be controlled by variations in the total intracellular nucleotide concentration, thereby regulating C 1 unit production for purine biosynthesis.
Managing cognitive load in educational multi-user virtual environments: reflection on design practice

In this paper, we explore how the application of multimedia design principles may inform the development of educational multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs). We look at design principles that have been shown to help learners manage cognitive load within multimedia environments and conduct a conjectural analysis of the extent to which such principles can help manage cognitive load in the highly immersive “beyond multimedia” environments that 3-D educational MUVEs represent. We frame our discussion as a design practice analysis of the River City MUVE, a science inquiry environment that has middle school students collaborating to develop and test hypotheses regarding illnesses sweeping a virtual town. We analyze the current River City interface design using a framework describing cognitive overload scenarios and associated approaches to manage cognitive load. We also discuss the potential difficulties that may be seen as multimedia principles are applied to 3-D MUVEs. Our discussion describes a blueprint for research implementations that we are undertaking to systematically investigate the effect of an educational MUVE interface design based on multimedia principles—implementations that we hope will provide an action framework for other MUVE researchers to use in their own studies.
A Potential New Role for Muscle in Blood Glucose Homeostasis

The breakdown of tissue glycogen into glucose is critical for blood glucose homeostasis between meals. In the final steps of glycogenolysis, intracellular glucose 6-phosphate (Glc-6-P) is transported into the endoplasmic reticulum where it is hydrolyzed to glucose by glucose-6-phosphatase (Glc-6-Pase). Although the majority of body glycogen is stored in the muscle, the current dogma holds that Glc-6-Pase (now named Glc-6-Pase-α) is expressed only in the liver, kidney, and intestine, implying that muscle glycogen cannot contribute to interprandial blood glucose homeostasis. Recently we reported a second Glc-6-P hydrolase, Glc-6-Pase-β. Glc-6-Pase-β shares kinetic and structural similarities to Glc-6-Pase-α and couples with the Glc-6-P transporter to form an active Glc-6-Pase complex (Shieh, J.-J., Pan, C.-J., Mansfield, B. C., and Chou, J. Y. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 47098–47103). Here we demonstrate that muscle expresses both Glc-6-Pase-β and Glc-6-P transporter and that they can couple to form an active Glc-6-Pase complex. Our data suggest that muscle may have a previously unrecognized role in interprandial glucose homeostasis.