cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TILL DEATH DO US PART

Though infrequent, the inclusion of marriage statements in Aztec histories reveals the political nature of matrimony for elite Nahua rulers in Late Postclassic-period central Mexico. The rules governing these elite marriages were so standardized that unconventional marriages particularly stand out as strong political declarations. This article focuses on four case studies—two marriages that violated already established political alliances and two marriages in which aggressions were taken out against the royal wives. These case studies reveal shifting alliances and political maneuvering that are not as clearly evident when looking strictly at Conquest history. Ultimately, these marriages illuminate increasing political tensions within the Aztec empire. Moreover, they reveal the potential, though largely hidden, role of noblewomen in Aztec politics. Clearly, the political stakes in these unconventional marriages were high; in the four cases studies presented here, each ends with the death of one of the spouses.
Are Digital Models Replacing Plaster Casts

Digital technology has vastly integrated into dental practice via recent advances in computer sciences. All the diagnostic information including patient history, photographs, radiographs, treatment plans and progress notes, as well as dental casts can now be stored electronically without the need for additional space in the office, thus reducing the costs involved. Aside from the advantage of accessing the data immediately, the ability to examine and analyze models digitally, and the facilitation of treatment planning presentations on today's high-definition computer screens is more appealing than plaster models. Furthermore, physical plaster models are also subject to degradation and breakage. But are we ready to completely replace plaster casts, which have been the standard of care in dentistry.
Distributed sequential computing using mobile code: Moving computation to data

Sequential computations can benefit from a distributed environment consisting of a network of workstations through the use of a mobile agent system. We found significant performance improvement when sequential algorithms for solving large industrial problems are implemented using mobile agents. This is because raw data is distributed so that the cost of disk paging is completely eliminated, and a principle of "code moving to data" is followed to achieve efficient communication through the network. We argue that mobile agent systems provide a new level of abstraction in which application programming is made easier because the sequential algorithms remain essentially unchanged in mobile agent code.
Molecular mechanisms of neurotransmitter and neuropeptide release

In synaptic transmission, calcium entry into the presynaptic nerve terminal causes docked synaptic vesicles to fuse with the plasma membrane and release their neurotransmitter contents across the synapse. A biochemical pathway for synaptic vesicle docking and fusion is currently being elucidated. The proteins implicated in this pathway are conserved between eukaryotes from yeast to mammals, and isoforms of these proteins mediate vesicle trafficking in a variety of constitutive and regulated transport steps. It is likely that the molecular mechanisms of synaptic vesicle exocytosis also apply to the release of neuropeptides from large dense-core vesicles. We have characterized n-sec1, a cytosolic protein of the nerve terminal that binds syntaxin. We have also identified three mammalian homologues of n-sec1 that may regulate vesicle trafficking between the Golgi apparatus and lysosomes.
Circadian clock regulates response to pesticides in Drosophila via conserved Pdp1 pathway.

Daily rhythms generated by the circadian clock regulate many life functions, including responses to xenobiotic compounds. In Drosophila melanogaster, the circadian clock consists of positive elements encoded by cycle (cyc) and Clock (Clk) and negative elements encoded by period (per) and timeless (tim) genes. The e-isoform of the PAR-domain protein 1 (Pdp1e) transcription factor is controlled by positive clock elements and regulates daily locomotor activity rhythms. Pdp1 target genes have not been identified, and its involvement in other clock output pathways is not known. Mammalian orthologs of Pdp1 have been implicated in the regulation of xenobiotic metabolism; therefore, we asked whether Pdp1 has a similar role in the fly. Using pesticides as model toxicants, we determined that disruption of Pdp1e increased pesticide-induced mortality in flies. Flies deficient for cyc also showed increased mortality, while disruption of per and tim had no effect. Day/night and Pdp1-dependent differences in the expression of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes Cyp6a2, Cyp6g1, and a-Esterase-7 were observed and likely contribute to impaired detoxification. DHR96, a homolog of constitutive androstane receptor and pregnane X receptor, is involved in pesticide response, and DHR96 expression decreased when Pdp1 was suppressed. Taken together, our data uncover a pathway from the positive arm of the circadian clock through Pdp1 to detoxification effector genes, demonstrating a conserved role of the circadian system in modulating xenobiotic toxicity.
Evolution of the Cohort Study

The occurrence of events over time unifies epidemiologic research. Regardless of the study hypothesis and design, the disease-causing actions of exposures and modifying factors are formulated as antecedent to the occurrence of the outcome. All study designs inherently acknowledge time and represent alternative approaches for sampling populations as exposed and nonexposed persons develop disease over time. The cohort design explicitly incorporates the passage of time. In cohort studies, participants are followed over an interval defined by the study's beginning and end, and observations are made on outcome measures of interest: death, incidence of disease, change in a biologic measure, or health status. The study's purpose may be focused—to test a specific (or general) hypothesis—to gather data for descriptive purposes or to facilitate the testing of multiple hypotheses concerning disease. During the follow-up experience of participants in a cohort study, the factors determining the health of the participants may be continually changing as the participants age and exposures to environmental agents start, stop, increase, or decrease (figure 1). The dynamic nature of many risk factors and their relations in time to disease occurrence can only be captured in the cohort design; this temporal interplay is inherently absent from crosssectional data and often investigated only with difficulty using the case-control design (1). Epidemiologists may be challenged in investigating the relation between multiple risk factors, some changing in time, and disease occurrence, as displayed schematically in figure 1. During the follow-up of a cohort, participants age, temporal trends may affect the participants, and exposures to risk factors of primary
Modeling and characterization for polarization hysteresis of ferroelectric polymers

We present a modeling and simulation based study for the polarization hysteresis of ferroelectric polymers. A 2-dimensional finite element device-level model was implemented using SILVACO's ATLAS device simulator to generate the polarization hysteresis characteristics for the recently reported experimental data on Au/Poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene)/Au metal-insulator-metal (MIM) device. The simulated polarization dependence characteristics in the P(VDF-TrFE) thin-film were predicted from the parameters coercive field, remnant polarization and spontaneous polarization which were extracted from fitting to the experimental characteristics. The mathematical model which is referred by SILVACO for ATLAS's ferroelectric model was implemented in MATLAB to generate the hysteresis curve. Landau-Devonshire expression for electric field in terms of polarization is also implemented in the MATLAB to produce the polarization hysteresis curve of mono-crystalline and polycrystalline ferroelectrics. The polarization hysteresis characteristics obtained from the ATLAS and MATLAB simulations were in good agreement with the reported experimental hysteresis characteristics.
Fault-tolerant parallel processing with real-time error detection and recovery

Presents a unique error recovery mechanism based on new cache states, verified and non-verified, to detect and recover errors produced by the processor or cache memory or both due to transient faults. The scheme remedies the insufficiency of the error-correcting code when faced with processor transient faults. This cache-based recovery method not only recovers errors in a local cache memory but also prevents the propagation of error to other caches. It is shown that this new error recovery scheme can be easily integrated with existing cache coherency protocols. >
The mature minor: some critical psychological reflections on the empirical bases

Moral and legal notions engaged in clinical ethics should not only possess analytic clarity but a sound basis in empirical findings. The latter condition brings into question the expansion of the mature minor exception. The mature minor exception in the healthcare law of the United States has served to enable those under the legal age to consent to medical treatment. Although originally developed primarily for minors in emergency or quasi-emergency need for health care, it was expanded especially from the 1970s in order to cover unemancipated minors older than 14 years. This expansion initially appeared plausible, given psychological data that showed the intellectual capacity of minors over 14 to recognize the causal connection between their choices and the consequences of their choices. However, subsequent psychological studies have shown that minors generally fail to have realistic affective and evaluative appreciations of the consequences of their decisions, because they tend to over-emphasize short-term benefits and underestimate long-term risks. Also, unlike most decisionmakers over 21, the decisions of minors are more often marked by the lack of adequate impulse control, all of which is reflected in the far higher involvement of adolescents in acts of violence, intentional injury, and serious automobile accidents. These effects are more evident in circumstances that elicit elevated affective responses. The advent of brain imaging has allowed the actual visualization of qualitative differences between how minors versus persons over the age of 21 generally assess risks and benefits and make decisions. In the case of most under the age of 21, subcortical systems fail adequately to be checked by the prefrontal systems that are involved in adult executive decisions. The neuroanatomical and psychological model developed by Casey, Jones, and Summerville offers an empirical insight into the qualitative differences in the neuroanatomical and neuropsychological bases of adolescent versus adult decision making. These and other data, as well as developing law bearing on the culpability of juvenile criminal offenders, argue for critically re-evaluating the expansion of the mature minor exception with regard to medical decision making, as well as in support of a rebuttable presumption in favor of treating minors as immature decisionmakers. The clinical ethics of adolescent medical decision making will need foundationally to be reconsidered.
Can behavioral decision theory explain risk-averse fire management decisions?

Organizations managing forest land often make fire management decisions that seem overly risk-averse in relation to their stated goals for ecosystem restoration, protection of sensitive species and habitats, and protection of water and timber resources. Research in behavioral decision theory has shown that people faced with difficult decisions under uncertainty and decisions with multiple and conflicting objectives adopt mental shortcuts that systematically bias decision-making. Fire management decisions exhibit exactly the characteristics that are likely to trigger such mental shortcuts. Cumulative and unwitting use of mental shortcuts can lead to fire management decisions that are excessively risk-averse, to the point of jeopardizing stated management goals. It can also cause retrospective analyses of fire decisions to focus inappropriately on placing blame for bad outcomes and fail to scrutinize the quality of the decision itself. Excessive risk aversion is evident in the behavior of individual land managers, land management organizations, regulatory agencies that review land management decisions, and the general public and its agents in the media, courts and legislature. Remedies to excessive risk aversion include: (1) wider use of structured decision processes designed to counteract the mental shortcuts that plague human decision-making, (2) structural and educational changes within and between organizations to change perverse incentives that reward risk aversion and discourage adaptive management, and (3) locally focused collaborations among land management agencies, regulatory agencies, and citizens to build trust and to enhance understanding of forest management goals and practices.
Endothermy in African Dung Beetles During Flight, Ball Making, and Ball Rolling

1.Body temperatures of diurnal and nocturnal ball-rolling and non ballrolling dung beetles (in particular the genera Scarabaeus, Kheper, Gymnopleurus and Heliocopris ) were studied in the field in Kenya. 2.The beetles were conspicuously endothermic during flight, ball making, and ball rolling. When at rest, their body temperatures did not differ significantly from that of their surroundings. They did not always generate high body temperatures while walking. However, they sometimes warmed up prior to walking and subsequently maintained a large difference between body and ambient temperatures. 3.The nocturnal species, S. laevistriatus , was conspicuously endothermic during ball making and ball rolling, often maintaining thoracic temperatures of 40 °C or more in an ambient temperature of 25–26 °C. In this species, the velocity of ball rolling increased linearly with body temperature from 5 cm/sec at 28 °C to 18 cm/sec at 40 °C. 4.The take-off temperatures of dung beetles increased with body mass up to 2.5g. In beetles larger than 2.5g metathoracic temperatures at take-off ranged from 40 to 44 °CC and were independent of mass. 5.Flight temperatures showed essentially the same pattern as take-off temperatures, increasing with mass up to about 42 °C at 2.5 g and being independent of mass thereafter. 6.Both flight and take-off temperatures increased with wing-loading up to about 35 N/m 2 , but were independent of wing loading from 35 to 65 N/m 2 . 7.In each of the species for which we had an adequate sample, wing loading increased linearly with body mass. Partial correlation analysis suggests that metathoracic temperature is more dependent on body mass than on wing-loading. 8.During periods of endothermy, metathoracic temperature exceeded prothoracic temperature, and abdominal temperature was lower than that of either the prothorax or metathorax. 9.Cooling rate was inversely related to body mass. The removal of elytra and wings caused the cooling rate to increase by about one-quarter. 10.Elevated body temperatures in dung beetles during terrestrial activity is probably selectively advantageous in competition for food. A high metathoracic temperature is a necessary condition for take-off and flight in the larger species. 11.Mechanisms of heat production and the evidence for thermoregulation are discussed.
X-ray induced electrostatic charging of helium films

It is well known that free electrons can be held onto the free surface of liquid helium through either their own image charges or through the effect of an externally applied electric field. The resultant electrostatic pressure causes films to thin. We have recently measured x-ray reflectivity from static films of isotopic mixtures of helium with an intense x-ray beam in the temperature range between 0.37 K and 1.3 K. Normally, no significant thickness variation with x-ray intensity is expected over a wide range of temperatures when the film is superfluid. We have found that even modest x-ray intensities affect the thickness of films containing only trace amounts of3He. We believe that the effect is due to x-ray produced photoelectrons, which thermalize in the vapor and then reside on the surface, attracted by both the film and a charged substrate. The temperature and concentration dependence is then due to the transport properties of the electrons at the surface. It may be possible to study the 2-D electron gas produced in this way by diffraction techniques.
A compartmental dispersion model for the analysis of mixing in tube networks

A compartmental dispersion model of longitudinal mixing in tube networks has been developed. The ability of this model to predict the impulse response of helium, benzene vapor, and sulfur hexafluride tracer gases in two and in five generation symmetric network models of the large airway system of the lung has been tested over an air flow range of 1 to 400 ml/s. The results imply that velocity profile distortion and secondary flows in branching regions have only a small effect upon the overall longitudinal mixing when flow is directed toward the higher-order generations. On the other hand, accurate prediction of the data requires adequate treatment of the finite rate of evolution of the Taylor dispersion occurring in these tube networks.
De Vos, George A

George Alfphonse De Vos (1922–2010) was Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and pioneer in cultural psychology and ethnic identity studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He earned international recognition for his groundbreaking research of cultures and personality studies, interpersonal and economic exploitation, psychological anthropology, and the cross-cultural application of psychological tests such as the Rorschach and the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). Keywords: anthropology; cultural psychology; motivation; race
Interactive effect of ractopamine and dietary fat source on pork quality characteristics of fresh pork chops during simulated retail display.

Crossbred pigs (n = 216) were used to test the interactive effect, if any, of ractopamine (RAC) and dietary fat source on the performance of finishing pigs, pork carcass characteristics, and quality of LM chops during 5 d of simulated retail display (2.6 degrees C and 1,600 lx warm-white fluorescent lighting). Pigs were blocked by BW and allotted randomly to pens (6 pigs/pen), and, after receiving a common diet devoid of RAC for 2 wk, pens within blocks were assigned randomly to 1 of 4 diets in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement, with 5% fat [beef tallow (BT) vs. soybean oil (SBO)] and RAC (0 vs. 10 mg/kg). Diets were formulated to contain 3.1 g of lysine/Mcal of ME and 3.48 Mcal/kg of ME. Across the entire 35-d trial, pigs fed RAC had greater (P or= 0.07) by dietary fat source. Carcass weight, LM depth, and lean muscle yield were increased (P or= 0.27) between fat sources. Feeding 10 mg/kg of RAC reduced (P <or= 0.04) the proportions of SFA and MUFA and increased (P < 0.01) the proportion of PUFA and the iodine value, in pork backfat. Conversely, backfat from carcasses of BT-fed pigs had greater (P < 0.01) percentages of SFA and MUFA, and lower (P < 0.01) percentages of PUFA, than backfat from SBO-fed pigs. Moreover, the PUFA:SFA and iodine value were considerably reduced (P < 0.01) by including BT in swine finishing diets. The LM from pigs fed RAC had greater pH values (P = 0.03) and received greater (P <or= 0.01) American and Japanese color scores during retail display. The LM from RAC-fed pigs had lower (P <or= 0.02) L*, a*, and b* values, whereas the LM of SBO-fed pigs received greater (P < 0.01) subjective color scores and b* values, as well as lower L* values, than the LM of BT-fed pigs. Across the 5-d display period, oxidative rancidity was not affected by dietary RAC (P = 0.58) or fat source (P = 0.47). Neither RAC nor fat source altered LM cooking losses and shear force values. Feeding 10 mg/kg of RAC will improve rate and efficiency of gain, carcass composition, and LM quality. And, even though fatty acid composition of backfat samples was altered by dietary fat source, performance and carcass composition, as well as quality during 5 d of retail display, were similar when pigs were fed diets formulated with BT or SBO.
The role of Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation in the global mean temperature variability

The global mean 1900–2015 warming simulated by 42 Coupled Models Inter-comparison Project, phase 5 (CMIP5) climate models varies between 0.58 and 1.70 °C. The observed warming according to the NASA GISS temperature analysis is 0.95 °C with a 1200 km smoothing radius, or 0.86 °C with a 250 km smoothing radius. The projection of the future 2015–2100 global warming under a moderate increase of anthropogenic radiative forcing (RCP4.5 scenario) by individual models is between 0.7 and 2.3 °C. The CMIP5 climate models agree that the future climate will be warmer; however, there is little consensus as to how large the warming will be (reflected by an uncertainty of over a factor of three). A parsimonious statistical regression model with just three explanatory variables [anthropogenic radiative forcing due to greenhouse gases and aerosols (GHGA), solar variability, and the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO) index] accounts for over 95 % of the observed 1900–2015 temperature variance. This statistical regression model reproduces very accurately the past warming (0.96 °C compared to the observed 0.95 °C) and projects the future 2015–2100 warming to be around 0.95 °C (with the IPCC 2013 suggested RCP4.5 radiative forcing and an assumed cyclic AMO behavior). The AMO contribution to the 1970–2005 warming was between 0.13 and 0.20 °C (depending on which AMO index is used) compared to the GHGA contribution of 0.49–0.58 °C. During the twenty-first century AMO cycle the AMO contribution is projected to remain the same (0.13–0.20 °C), while the GHGA contribution is expected to decrease to 0.21–0.25 °C due to the levelling off of the GHGA radiative forcing that is assumed according to the RCP4.5 scenario. Thus the anthropogenic contribution and natural variability are expected to contribute about equally to the anticipated global warming during the second half of the twenty-first century for the RCP4.5 trajectory.
Specification and discovery of web patterns

Finding useful information from the Web becomes increasingly difficult as the volume of Web data rapidly grows. To facilitate effective Web browsing, Web designers usually display the same type of information with a consistent layout (referred to as a Web pattern). Discovering Web patterns can benefit many applications, such as extracting structured data. This paper presents a generic framework for discovering Web patterns and recognizing their instances (i.e., structured data) based on graph grammars. In our framework, a Web pattern is visually yet formally specified as a graph grammar, which is automatically induced through a grammar induction engine. The grammar induction engine is featured by converting the problem of (2-dimensional) graph grammar induction to (1-dimensional) string induction. Based on the induced pattern, matching instances are recognized from Web pages through a graph parsing process. We have evaluated the framework on twenty-one e-commerce Web sites. The evaluation results are promising with a high F1-score.
Octahedral Rotation Preferences in Perovskite Iodides and Bromides

Phase transitions in ABX3 perovskites are often accompanied by rigid rotations of the corner-connected BX6 octahedral network. Although the mechanisms for the preferred rotation patterns of perovskite oxides are fairly well recognized, the same cannot be said of halide variants (i.e., X = Cl, Br, or I), several of which undergo an unusual displacive transition to a tetragonal phase exhibiting in-phase rotations about one axis (a0a0c+ in Glazer notation). To discern the chemical factors stabilizing this unique phase, we investigated a series of 12 perovskite bromides and iodides using density functional theory calculations and compared them with similar oxides. We find that in-phase tilting provides a better arrangement of the larger bromide and iodide anions, which minimizes the electrostatic interactions, improves the bond valence of the A-site cations, and enhances the covalency between the A-site metal and Br– or I– ions. The opposite effect is present in the oxides, with out-of-phase tilting maximizin...
Global War and the Study of History

have indicated in this paper our notion that time studies in themselves are inadequate and fail to explain the nature of the relationship between the two variables. Thus, we have presented brief outlines of three possible approaches to studying the relationship between war and mental disorder. First, we indicated the possibility of studying the influence of war in producing a differential mental disease rate within different population segments or categories. Secondly, it was suggested that the influence of war conditions might be studied in relation to different personality orientations and to those persons who display contrasting adjustments in a society at peace. Finally, the possibility was suggested that war be studied as a function of contrasting cultural motifs viewing its effects in. terms of the mental maladjustments of the persons in these different cultures. In view of the changing character of modern warfare and in view of the institution of warfare within many cultures, it does seem desirable that we should have some careful empirical studies which might to a limited extent gauge its social consequences to the individual members of a society. Such studies should, in the long time view, be more instrumental in undermining war, as a cultural agency for settling intergroup disputes than all of the existing controversy, providing of course, that certain effects of warfare can be demonstrated as more damaging to a given people than the waging of a war itself.
Placental lesions in congenital giant pigmented nevi.

A case of congenital giant pigmented nevi (neurocutaneous melanosis) in which clusters of nevus cells were found within the interstitium of the primary and tertiary villi of the placenta is described..
Cancer prevention and screening activities reported by African-American nurses.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To describe the cancer prevention and screening activities of African-American nurses prior to their participation in a national workshop on cancer prevention and screening. The hypothesis tested was that African-American nurses would describe few prevention and screening behaviors. DESIGN 18-month, longitudinal, descriptive study. SETTING National survey. SAMPLE 360 African-American nurses who applied for participation in a National Cancer Institute/Oncology Nursing Society workshop received study questionnaires. One hundred forty-six questionnaires were returned. The final sample was 64 nurses citing involvement in prevention/screening activities. METHODS Self-administered quantitative/qualitative questionnaire mailed to nurses two weeks prior to the workshop. Quantitative data analyzed using descriptive statistics; a clustering technique was used to categorize responses emerging from qualitative data. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLE Cancer prevention and screening activities of African-American nurses six months prior to the workshop. FINDINGS Respondents reported involvement in 11 categories (618 prevention/screening activities), predominantly in those of life-style (86%), education (77%), and clinical screening (58%). Respondents practiced 64% of the activities on a voluntary basis. Respondents provided prevention/screening education to more than 8,900 community members. CONCLUSION African-American nurses favorably influence cancer prevention and screening beliefs and practices of clients in their communities. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE A survey approach can describe cancer prevention/screening behaviors of African-American nurses. These nurses are an effective resource for community education.
Identification of Genes in Candida glabrata Conferring Altered Responses to Caspofungin, a Cell Wall Synthesis Inhibitor

Candida glabrata is an important human fungal pathogen whose incidence continues to rise. Because many clinical isolates are resistant to azole drugs, the drugs of choice to treat such infections are members of the echinocandin family, although there are increasing reports of resistance to these drugs as well. In efforts to better understand the genetic changes that lead to altered responses to echinocandins, we screened a transposon-insertion library of mutants for strains to identify genes that are important for cellular responses to caspofungin, a member of this drug family. We identified 16 genes that, when disrupted, caused increased tolerance, and 48 genes that, when disrupted, caused increased sensitivity compared to the wild-type parental strain. Four of the genes identified as causing sensitivity are orthologs of Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes encoding proteins important for the cell wall integrity (CWI) pathway. In addition, several other genes are orthologs of the high affinity Ca2+ uptake system (HACS) complex genes. We analyzed disruption mutants representing all 64 genes under 33 different conditions, including the presence of cell wall disrupting agents and other drugs, a variety of salts, increased temperature, and altered pH. Further, we generated knockout mutants in different genes within the CWI pathway and the HACS complex, and found that they too exhibited phenotypes consistent with defects in cell wall construction. Our results indicate that small molecules that inhibit the CWI pathway, or that the HACS complex, may be an important means of increasing the efficacy of caspofungin.
Case Studies in the Middle School Classroom

In this chapter, I present three qualitative case studies that I conducted at a middle school over the course of one semester. I start with the cases of Ms. Young and Mr. Brown, who are Reading/English Language Arts teachers. After discussing their instructional approaches and what I learned from observing these two educators, I conclude this chapter with the third case, Ms. Grant. Ms. Grant is the ESL teacher who works with the regular classroom teachers.
Imaging the Long Transport Lengths of Photo-generated Carriers in Oriented Perovskite Films.

Organometal halide perovskite has emerged as a promising material for solar cells and optoelectronics. Although the long diffusion length of photogenerated carriers is believed to be a critical factor responsible for the material’s high efficiency in solar cells, a direct study of carrier transport over long distances in organometal halide perovskites is still lacking. We fabricated highly oriented crystalline CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3) thin-film lateral transport devices with long channel length (∼120 μm). By performing spatially scanned photocurrent imaging measurements with local illumination, we directly show that the perovskite films prepared here have very long transport lengths for photogenerated carriers, with a minority carrier (electron) diffusion length on the order of 10 μm. Our approach of applying scanning photocurrent microscopy to organometal halide perovskites may be further used to elucidate the carrier transport processes and the vastly different carrier diffusion lengths (∼100 nm to 100 μm) i...
Bioethanol and Technological Innovation Systems. A comparative analysis between the U.S. and Brazil

This paper uses the functions of technological systems of innovation to compare the evolution of bioethanol for the transportation sector between the U.S. and Brazil. It argues that differences in how functions of innovation operate within each system can explain different performances of bioethanol development over time. Despite the economic crisis of the 1980s, Brazil's strong strategic guidance on research led the ethanol innovation system to reach a virtuous cycle of development. The weak strategic guidance in research towards biofuels in the U.S., especially during the 1980s broke the ongoing ethanol innovation cycle of development, preventing the country to become the world technological leader in the production of bioethanol.
Clinical Grade Isolation of Regulatory T Cells From G-CSF Mobilized PBSC Improves with Initial Depletion of Monocytes.

Abstract Abstract 1176 We have recently demonstrated that G-CSF mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ cells (Tregs) prevent anti-CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells T cell alloreactivity in-vitro and co-transplantation of CD34+ cells and Tregs does not affect human stem cell engraftment in NOD/SCID mice (Mahmud D et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant, 2010). Since only a small number of Tregs can be isolated from normal peripheral blood we examined whether PBSC can be a useful source of Tregs for future clinical trials. Five leukapheresis products from healthy donors who received rh G-CSF at 10 ug/kg daily for 5 days were processed using the CliniMACS instrument (Miltenyi Biotec, Auburn, CA). CliniMACS CD34 reagent was initially used to isolate CD34+ cells. To isolate Tregs a 2-step procedure was initially utilized. A cocktail of clinical grade CD14, CD8 and CD19 reagents was mixed with the CD34- cells and depletion of monocytes, cytotoxic T cells and B cells was obtained by using the Depletion 2.1 program. The CD4+ cells were then enriched in Tregs by positive selection of CD25+ cells using a clinical grade CD25 reagent (Miltenyi). Because PBSC contain large amount of myeloid cells, and particularly monocytes, this clinical scale 2-step strategy was compared with a 3-step method that included an initial negative selection of CD14+ monocytes, followed by negative selection of CD8+ and CD19+ cells and a positive selection of CD25+ cells. Prior to isolation, the average proportion of CD4+CD25+ cells in PBSC was 0.77±0.26% in 5 separate PBSC products. After the 2-step process the proportion of CD4+CD25+ cells was 35±33% (n=3) vs 72±1% after the 3-step process. Therefore, utilizing the 3-step approach a better yield of Tregs was observed (10 vs 60%). Intracellular expression of FoxP3 was on average 74% in CD4+CD25+ cells obtained with a 3-step process. Contamination of different cell subsets in the final products enriched in Tregs was largely superior following the 2-step as compared to 3-step isolation method. Contaminating monocytes were, on average, 43 vs 5.7%, and contaminating CD8 and CD19+ cells were 12 vs 1.7% and 0.9 vs 0.3%, respectively. In the two procedures using a 3-step approach the final absolute number of Tregs isolated from products containing on average 30 × 109 mononuclear cells, was 95 and 93 × 106, respectively. These findings obtained using clinically available reagents and device, suggest that depletion of monocytes may improve the purity of Treg cell population isolated from PBSC. PBSC may represent a valuable source of Tregs for future clinical trials. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Interactions between the microbiota, immune and nervous systems in health and disease

The diverse collection of microorganisms that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract, collectively called the gut microbiota, profoundly influences many aspects of host physiology, including nutrient metabolism, resistance to infection and immune system development. Studies investigating the gut-brain axis demonstrate a critical role for the gut microbiota in orchestrating brain development and behavior, and the immune system is emerging as an important regulator of these interactions. Intestinal microbes modulate the maturation and function of tissue-resident immune cells in the CNS. Microbes also influence the activation of peripheral immune cells, which regulate responses to neuroinflammation, brain injury, autoimmunity and neurogenesis. Accordingly, both the gut microbiota and immune system are implicated in the etiopathogenesis or manifestation of neurodevelopmental, psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, such as autism spectrum disorder, depression and Alzheimer's disease. In this review, we discuss the role of CNS-resident and peripheral immune pathways in microbiota-gut-brain communication during health and neurological disease.
Comparing intra-articular CTXII levels assessed via magnetic capture or lavage in a rat knee osteoarthritis model

Summary Objective Parallel measures of osteoarthritis (OA) across species can help evaluate OA models relative to humans. Toward this need, our group recently developed a magnetic nanoparticle-based technology, termed magnetic capture, to analyze biomarkers within a rat knee. The objectives of this study were to directly compare magnetic capture to lavage, and assess c-telopeptide of collagen type II (CTXII) in the rat medial meniscus transection (MMT) model of knee OA. Design MMT surgery was performed in 30 male Lewis rats (3 months, 250 g). Using lavage or magnetic capture, CTXII was assessed in the OA-affected and contralateral knee at 1 week ( n = 6 per group) or 4 weeks ( n = 8 per group) after surgery. Results While lavage detected elevated CTXII concentrations in the OA-affected knee at 1 week ( P = 0.002), magnetic capture detected elevated CTXII levels in the OA-affected knee at 4 weeks ( P = 0.016). While magnetic capture did not detect significant elevation of CTXII at week 1, five of six rats evaluated with magnetic capture had higher CTXII levels in the OA-affected joint relative to the contralateral limb. Moreover, with magnetic capture, CTXII levels increased from 1 week to 4 weeks, corresponding to histological damage. CTXII concentrations evaluated via lavage were relatively constant across time. Conclusions Magnetic capture and lavage evaluate CTXII in different ways: Magnetic capture measures total CTXII in the joint, while lavage measures concentration. Our data indicate magnetic capture may be advantageous at later time points, where CTXII can be diluted by effusions.
Exometabolomic Analysis of Cross-Feeding Metabolites

Microbial consortia have the potential to perform complex, industrially important tasks. The design of microbial consortia requires knowledge of the substrate preferences and metabolic outputs of each member, to allow understanding of potential interactions such as competition and beneficial metabolic exchange. Here, we used exometabolite profiling to follow the resource processing by a microbial co-culture of two biotechnologically relevant microbes, the bacterial cellulose degrader Cellulomonas fimi, and the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. We characterized the substrate preferences of the two strains on compounds typically found in lignocellulose hydrolysates. This allowed prediction that specific sugars resulting from hemicellulose polysaccharide degradation by C. fimi may serve as a cross-feeding metabolites to Y. lipolytica in co-culture. We also showed that products of ionic liquid-treated switchgrass lignocellulose degradation by C. fimi were channeled to Y. lipolytica in a co-culture. Additionally, we observed metabolites, such as shikimic acid accumulating in the co-culture supernatants, suggesting the potential for producing interesting co-products. Insights gained from characterizing the exometabolite profiles of individual and co-cultures of the two strains can help to refine this interaction, and guide strategies for making this an industrially viable co-culture to produce valuable products from lignocellulose material.
GaAs (110)+Sb,p(1x1): A Case Study of Adatom Adsorption on Compound Semiconductor Surfaces

The need for detailed knowledge of the physics of an adatom on a compound semiconductor surface is still a major problem. This study addresses that problem by studying a model system in depth with the various methods of synchrotron radiation photoemission. The model chosen is Sb on the cleaved GaAs(110) surface since an ordered p(1x1) overlayer is formed at room temperature, and relevant background studies have been reported; for example, LEED structural analysis,1 Auger analysis,2 photoemission studies,3 and electronic structure calculations.4,5 The proposed structure is one in which the Sb atoms are located approximately where the next layer of Ga and As atoms would be if the bulk crystal were continued (zig-zag model), such that there are two kinds of Sb atoms, one associated with As and the other with Ga. The results of the LEED analysis also place the uppermost GaAs atoms approximately in their bulk positions.1,3
Mercury Biomagnification Through a Coral Reef Ecosystem

Total mercury (Hg) and stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon were determined in the muscle tissue of 50 species of fishes and invertebrates collected at two sites along the Florida reef tract from April 2012 to December 2013. The objective was to test the hypothesis that high biodiversity in coral reefs leading to complex food webs with increased lateral links reduces biomagnification. However, Hg levels ranged as high 6.84 mg/kg. Interestingly, it was not highest in great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), considered the top predatory fish, but instead in small porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus), possibly due to their role as a cleaner fish. Trophic magnification slopes (TMS; from regression of log Hg on δ15N) as a measure of biomagnification did not differ between sites, ranging from 0.155 ± 0.04 (± 95% CI) to 0.201 ± 0.07. These TMS also were within the ranges of slopes reported for food webs in other ecosystems; thus, biomagnification of Hg in muscle tissue was not reduced in the system.
The Geometry of African Art III. The Smoking Pipes of Begho

It is not generally known among archeologists that there is a universal, cross-cultural classification scheme for the repeated patterns occurring in such diverse media as textiles, pottery, basketry, wall decoration, and the art of M. C. Escher. In this paper we introduce this scheme by means of a “flowchart” which reduces the analysis of any particular pattern to a sequence of simple questions (mostly answered “yes” or “no”). We then apply it to the analysis of the decorated pipes excavated from the K2 site of the Kramo quarter of Begho (Ghana) in January-March, 1979, under the direction of Professor Merrick Posnansky. In the sequel we refer to this site as Begho K2.
The Social and Institutional Meanings of Electronic Funds Transfer Systems

In their early years, new technologies such as EFT offer tremendous promises of increased quality of life for consumers. However, when high technologies are adopted on a large scale, they often lead to social problems as small problems magnify to scale. For example, cars were an optional novelty and recreational vehicle in the horse-and-buggy Los Angeles of 1900. Today they dominate the social architecture through freeways which link sprawling suburban tracts, regional shopping centers, and widely scattered workplaces.
PPARγ-Mediated p21 Induction in Aerodigestive Preneoplastic Cell Lines

Introduction Oral leukoplakia is defined as a mucous membrane disorder characterized by white patches that cannot be scraped off. Leukoplakia is the most frequent, potentially premalignant oral mucosa disorder and a good candidate for chemopreventive therapies. Pioglitazone activates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), which forms a complex with nuclear cofactors and regulates gene expression of a variety of cell-cycle proteins and is currently being tested preclinically and clinically in aerodigestive cancer prevention. Methods In the present study, we hypothesized that pioglitazone would decrease proliferation of human leukoplakia cells (MSK Leuk1) and transformed bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) through regulatory changes of G1 checkpoint protein regulators, p21 and cyclin-D1. MSK Leuk1 and BEAS-2B cells were treated with pioglitazone and assayed for cell proliferation and p21 transcriptional activity. Results We discovered pioglitazone significantly inhibited cell proliferation in a dose-dependent fashion. We also observed p21 protein induction after treatment with pioglitazone, which was preceded by measurable increases in p21 mRNA induction. Conclusions We conclude the PPARγ activator, pioglitazone, can activate p21, which is associated with decreased proliferation in 2 aerodigestive preneoplastic cell lines. In addition, the p21 gene may be a potential hypothesis-driven biomarker in translational studies of pioglitazone as a chemoprevention agent for aerodigestive cancer.
High-Impact Practices, Universal Design and Assessment Opportunities in Liberal Arts Seminars

This paper explains several teaching strategies derived from the Universal Design for Learning movement and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research in High-Impact Educational Practices, especially the work of George Kuh. Two broad themes unite the successful approaches: creating opportunities for intellectual practice through cycles of feedback and establishing relationships between student and instructors, as well as among student peers, throughout the course of a semester. Furthermore, assignments and learning outcomes are enhanced when expectations are made extremely clear through multiple means, including rubrics and labeling of taxonomies of learning. The author argues that employing these methods creates better learning outcomes for all students, not only those with official accommodations. The author uses practical examples from seminar courses in Asian studies and art history to demonstrate specific ways these strategies can be employed to improve student outcomes over the course of a semester.
Medical Care Costs Were Similar Across the Low-dose Computed Tomography and Chest X-Ray Arms of the National Lung Screening Trial Despite Different Rates of Significant Incidental Findings

BACKGROUND The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) reported lung cancer and all-cause mortality reductions for low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) versus chest x-ray (CXR) screening. Although LDCT lung screening has received a grade B from the United States Preventive Services Task Force and is a covered service under most health plans, concerns remain on the costs engendered by screening, and the impact of the high rate of significant incidental finding (SIF) detection on those costs. METHODS We linked American College of Radiology Imaging Network NLST and Medicare fee-for-service claims data for participants from 23 sites for 2002-2009. We performed participant-level analyses using generalized linear regression models to estimate the adjusted annual mean of the 3-year total medical costs per person in each study arm and within screen outcome categories (ever positive with abnormalities suspicious for lung cancer, always negative for abnormalities suspicious for lung cancer, but with SIFs, and always negative without SIFs). RESULTS The adjusted annual mean total per person costs were not significantly different between screening arms [LDCT, $11,029 (95% confidence interval, $10,107-$11,951); CXR, $10,905 (95% confidence interval, $10,059-$11,751)], despite higher proportions of individuals with SIFs in the LDCT versus the CXR arm (18% vs. 4%; P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS We found little difference in total annual per person costs between LDCT-screened and CXR-screened Medicare participants, despite the higher number of SIFs in the LDCT arm of the study.