cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modification of the weak nitric acid digestion method for the quantification of black carbon in organic matrices.

Abstract The weak nitric acid digestion method (also known as KMD) is a method to quantify black carbon (BC) in mineral soil. Here we extended the use of this methodology from mineral samples to organic matrices. We tested this methodology on known mixtures of pyrolyzed pine wood and needles (at 300 °C and 550 °C) and non-pyrolyzed pine needles and measured: (1) the fraction of pyrolyzed material identified as BC by the methodology, (2) the fraction of non-pyrolyzed pine needles identified as BC, and (3) the precision of the method. We found that the fraction of pyrolyzed-C identified as BC ranges from 10% (needles at 300 °C) to 90% (wood at 550 °C), indicating that the weak nitric acid digestion method can be extended to measure BC in organic matrices and that the methodology can be used in studies aimed to quantify BC stocks in post-fire environments.
Microwave tomography and unconventional GPR measurement configurations: Review of the performance analysis and examples

In the last years, an increasing interest is addressed toward subsurface imaging carried out by means of innovative GPR systems, such as radar onboard flying platforms and forward looking devices. Here, innovation is mainly related to the adopted measurement configuration and entails an advancement in terms of imaging approaches. These should be, indeed, able to account for the variations, which arise in the scattering phenomenon underling GPR surveys. In this frame, the authors have previously proposed properly designed microwave tomographic approaches. Moreover, the achievable reconstruction capabilities have been investigated theoretically and assessed against numerical and experimental datasets. This paper aims at summarizing these previous research activities, by pointing out how imaging capabilities depend on the adopted measurement configuration.
Pubertal and adult windows of susceptibility to a high animal fat diet in Trp53-null mammary tumorigenesis.

// Yirong Zhu 1 , Mark D. Aupperlee 2 , Yong Zhao 2 , Ying Siow Tan 2 , Erin L. Kirk 4 , Xuezheng Sun 4 , Melissa A. Troester 4, 5, 6 , Richard C. Schwartz 3 , Sandra Z. Haslam 2 1 Cell and Molecular Biology Program and Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA 2 Department of Physiology and Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA 3 Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA 4 Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA 5 Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA 6 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA Correspondence to: Sandra Z. Haslam, email: shaslam@msu.edu Richard C. Schwartz, email: schwart9@msu.edu Keywords: dietary animal fat, breast cancer, puberty, adulthood, Trp53-null Received: July 22, 2016 Accepted: October 19, 2016 Published: November 04, 2016 ABSTRACT Premenopausal breast cancer is associated with increased animal fat consumption among normal weight, but not overweight women (Farvid et al., 2014). Our previous findings in obesity-resistant BALB/c mice similarly showed promotion of carcinogen-induced mammary tumorigenesis by a diet high in saturated animal fat (HFD). This effect was specific to pubertal versus adult HFD. This study identifies the effects of HFD during puberty versus adulthood in Trp53-null transplant BALB/c mice and investigates its mechanism of enhancing tumorigenesis. Either pubertal or adult HFD is sufficient to increase incidence of Trp53-null mammary tumors. Puberty-restricted HFD exposure promoted tumor cell proliferation, increased angiogenesis, and increased recruitment of total and M2 macrophages in epithelial tumors. Adult-restricted exposure to HFD similarly increased proliferation, angiogenesis, recruitment of total and M2 macrophages, and additionally reduced apoptosis. Adult HFD also increased incidence of spindle cell carcinomas resembling claudin-low breast cancer, and thus adult HFD in the Trp53-null transplantation system may be a useful model for human claudin low breast cancer. Importantly, these results on Trp53-null and our prior studies on DMBA-induced mammary tumorigenesis demonstrate a pubertal window of susceptibility to the promotional effects of HFD, indicating the potential of early life dietary intervention to reduce breast cancer risk.
Magnetic ordering in GdBa2(Cu0.94Fe0.06)3O9- delta below the superconducting transition temperature.

A coexistence of magnetic ordering and superconductivity has been found in $\mathrm{Gb}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}{({\mathrm{Cu}}_{0.94}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{0.06})}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{9\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$ at 4.2 K. The magnetic ordering is seen in the Fe moments using M\"ossbauer spectroscopy. The small Fe percentage was chosen to enable us to probe the crystalline and magnetic environment of an isolated Fe ion. Possible mechanisms responsible for the establishment of the magnetic order and its nature are discussed.
Success Breeds Success: Jacksonville State University’s Learning Services

Since 1977, Learning Services, formerly the Center for Individualized Instruction, at Jacksonville State University has combined developmental studies and advanced skills building courses in the Department of Learning Skills with academic support services to encourage all students to develop their academic skills. All learning strategies and instructional procedures are empirically evaluated and revised on the basis of student learning and performance. Strategies and procedures are based on individualized instruction, including Direct Instruction and Precision Teaching. Students are tracked in subsequent courses to determine their success. The Learning Services model is easily transferable to other colleges and universities.
"She's on her own": a thematic analysis of clinicians' comments on abortion referral.

Abstract Objective The objective was to understand the motivations around and practices of abortion referral among women's health providers. Methods We analyzed the written comments from a survey of Nebraska physicians and advanced-practice clinicians in family medicine and obstetrics-gynecology about their referral practices and opinions for a woman seeking an abortion. We analyzed clinician's responses to open-ended questions on abortion referral thematically. Results Of the 496 completed surveys, 431 had comments available for analysis. We found four approaches to abortion referral: (a) facilitating a transfer of care, (b) providing the abortion clinic name or phone number, (c) no referral and (4) misleading referrals to clinicians or facilities that do not provide abortion care. Clinicians described many motivations for their manner of referral, including a fiduciary obligation to refer, empathy for the patient, respect for patient autonomy and the lack of need for referral. We found that abortion stigma impacts referral as clinicians explained that patients often desire additional privacy and clinicians themselves seek to avoid tension among their staff. Other clinicians would not provide an abortion referral, citing moral or religious objections or stating they did not know where to refer women seeking abortion. Some respondents would refer women to other providers for additional evaluation or counseling before an abortion, while others sought to dissuade the woman from obtaining an abortion. Conclusions While practices and motivations varied, few clinicians facilitated referral for abortion beyond verbally naming a clinic if an abortion referral was made at all. Implications Interprofessional leadership, enhanced clinician training and public policy that addresses conscientious refusal of abortion referral are needed to reduce abortion stigma and ensure that women can access safe care.
Sleep, Caffeine, and Physical Activity in Older Adults

The health benefits of physical activity are clear. However, global rates of physical activity in older persons are low and on a downward trajectory, and the resulting public health-related consequences will continue to grow. Various potential causes of trends toward physical inactivity have been explored, with recent investigations into the “built environment,” metabolism, body composition, and sleep. Limited research has focused on the role of caffeine as a potential approach to improving body composition and levels of physical activity. This chapter summarizes recent findings that highlight the critical influence that sleep has on weight gain and obesity and related findings on the relationships between sleep and physical activity. Potential short-term stimulatory benefits of caffeine to increase physical activity and decrease weight gain in later life appear to be offset by caffeine's negative effects on sleep, energy balance, and the fatigue and physical inactivity that can result in this sensitive group.
Are Eminent Domain and Confiscation Vehicles for Wealth Redistribution? A Skeptical View

This article gives historical perspective to contemporary calls for a redistribution of economic resources in the United States. It notes that before 1900 constitutional doctrine was heavily concerned with curtailing state efforts to redistribute wealth. This view was gradually abandoned in the early twentieth century, and the New Deal Supreme Court largely punted the question of wealth redistribution to the political branches of government. Noting that there are redistributive aspects to current public policy, this article focuses on whether the exercise of eminent domain or occasional resort to outright confiscation of property have in fact operated to redistribute wealth in American history. It concludes that eminent domain has often been employed to serve the interests of individuals and institutions with political clout rather than the poor. Confiscation of property without compensation has occasionally been employed in or past, but without notable redistributive consequences. The most striking example of confiscation concerned Loyalist-owned property during the Revolutionary Era. Most of the confiscated property was purchased by existing landowners, and consequently the confiscation policy produced little change in wealth patterns. The Union was markedly reluctant to press confiscation of property owned by Confederates during the Civil War and Reconstruction, and seemingly rejected confiscation as an appropriate policy. State prohibition of alcoholic beverages in the nineteenth century entailed the destruction of previously lawful property, but had no redistributive impact. The article concludes by arguing that neither eminent domain nor confiscation have proven effective vehicles for wealth redistribution to the poor over the course of American history.
2-3 Cuckoo Filters for Faster Triangle Listing and Set Intersection

We introduce new dynamic set intersection data structures, which we call 2-3 cuckoo filters and hash tables. These structures differ from the standard cuckoo hash tables and cuckoo filters in that they choose two out of three locations to store each item, instead of one out of two, ensuring that any item in an intersection of two structures will have at least one common location in both structures. We demonstrate the utility of these structures by using them in improved algorithms for listing triangles and answering set intersection queries in internal or external memory. For a graph G of n vertices and m edges, our internal-memory triangle listing algorithm runs in O(m⌈(α(G)log w)/w⌉ + k) expected time, where α(G) is the arboricity of G, w is the number of bits in a machine word, and k is the number of output triangles. Our external-memory algorithm uses O(sort(n,α(G))+ sort(m⌈(α(G)log w)/w⌉) + sort(k)) expected number of I/Os.
Abstract 394: Multiple Cellular Mechanisms Underlie the Trafficking-deficient Phenotype for Kv11.1 (hERG) Mutations Linked to Long QT Syndrome

Type 2 Long QT syndrome (LQT2) is commonly caused by missense mutations that disrupt the trafficking of Kv11.1 channels. The goal of this study is to determine the cellular mechanisms that underlie the trafficking-deficient phenotype for LQT2-linked mutations located in different channel domains. We expressed the pore-domain mutation G601S and the cyclic nucleotide binding domain mutation F805C in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells or human inducible pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). HEK293 cells or hiPSC-CMs expressing G601S showed a diffuse intracellular anti-Kv11.1 staining pattern that colocalized with the transitional endoplasmic reticulum (ER) marker BAP31, but not markers for the rough ER (calnexin), ER-associated degradation compartment (derlin1), ER exit sites (Sec31), or the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC53). Culturing cells in the drug E-4031 (10 μM, 24 hrs), which corrects the G601s trafficking-deficient phenotype, decreased its colocalization with BAP31. Unlike G601S, the trafficking-deficient phenotype for F805C is not corrected by culturing cells in E-4031. Expressing F805C in HEK293 cells or hiPSC-CMs showed a very different anti-Kv11.1 staining pattern that consisted of several discrete aggregates. In hiPSC-CMs, the F805C aggregates partially overlapped with derlin1 staining and co-transfected green fluorescent protein (gfp) in the cytosol. Incubating cells in the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (10 μM, 4 hrs) dispersed the F805C aggregates to generate a diffuse intracellular staining pattern. We conclude that G601S and F805C localize to distinct ER subcompartments: G601S is sequestered in the transitional ER and F805C localizes to an ER associated degradation subcompartment that is sensitive to proteasome inhibition.
Familiarity Speeds Up Visual Short-term Memory Consolidation: Electrophysiological Evidence from Contralateral Delay Activities.

To test how preexisting long-term memory influences visual STM, this study takes advantage of individual differences in participants' prior familiarity with Pokemon characters and uses an ERP component, the contralateral delay activity (CDA), to assess whether observers' prior stimulus familiarity affects STM consolidation and storage capacity. In two change detection experiments, consolidation speed, as indexed by CDA fractional area latency and/or early-window (500-800 msec) amplitude, was significantly associated with individual differences in Pokemon familiarity. In contrast, the number of remembered Pokemon stimuli, as indexed by Cowan's K and late-window (1500-2000 msec) CDA amplitude, was significantly associated with individual differences in Pokemon familiarity when STM consolidation was incomplete because of a short presentation of Pokemon stimuli (500 msec, Experiment 2), but not when STM consolidation was allowed to complete given sufficient encoding time (1000 msec, Experiment 1). Similar findings were obtained in between-group analyses when participants were separated into high-familiarity and low-familiarity groups based on their Pokemon familiarity ratings. Together, these results suggest that stimulus familiarity, as a proxy for the strength of preexisting long-term memory, primarily speeds up STM consolidation, which may subsequently lead to an increase in the number of remembered stimuli if consolidation is incomplete. These findings thus highlight the importance of research assessing how effects on representations (e.g., STM capacity) are in general related to (or even caused by) effects on processes (e.g., STM consolidation) in cognition.
Darunavir for use in pregnant women with HIV.

INTRODUCTION Combination antiretroviral therapy is recommended during pregnancy to decrease the rate of HIV transmission to the baby and reduce morbidity in the mother. More than 50% of women are prescribed a protease inhibitor-based regimen during pregnancy. Darunavir was recently reclassified as a first-line protease inhibitor for use in pregnancy in the US Department of Health and Human Services Perinatal Guidelines. Areas covered: This is a brief review of the use of protease inhibitor therapy during pregnancy, and a discussion of darunavir's utility in this area. Clinical pharmacology and trial data are reviewed, and the safety, efficacy and dosing of darunavir during pregnancy is discussed. Expert commentary: Darunavir has become an important option in the management of HIV during pregnancy. Both once-daily dosing and twice-daily dosing regimens have shown efficacy in clinical studies. Although a significant reduction in total (protein bound and unbound) plasma concentrations of darunavir has been noted during pregnancy, antiviral activity appears to be maintained with standard dosing. This is likely due to diminished changes in unbound drug concentrations. Preterm delivery and low birth weight have been noted for pregnancies of women on darunavir-containg regimens, but a causal relationship has not yet been demonstrated.
Indicators of effective bank performance

The essence of the concepts "rate of return and profitability of the bank" is investigated. The analysis of rate of return and profitability indicators of Raiffeisen Bank Aval JSC is carried out. Recommendations are given on raising the income level of Raiffeisen Bank Aval JSC for the future. In this research: – the essence of the concepts " rate of return and profitability of the bank" are defined. – theoretical aspects of the bank's rate of return and profitability are grounded. – the peculiarities of forming the income of Raiffeisen Bank Aval JSC by 2016 are analyzed – the main profitability indicators of Raiffeisen Bank Aval JSC are evaluated. – areas for increasing Raiffeisen Bank Aval's income level for the future are identified. The profitability of the banking system of Ukraine is constantly under the control of the NBU, it requires improvement of the procedures for reorganization and liquidation of banks, so that these measures will not reduce the population's distrust of banks. The object of research is the analysis of rate of return and profitability indicators of Raiffeisen Bank Aval JSC. As a result of the research, such research methods as: analysis and synthesis, logical generalization, analogy and comparative comparison are used. Disclosure of the essence of the concepts of rate of return and profitability, as well as the definition of specific indicators allows both shareholders, investors and customers of the bank to orient themselves in the results of the bank's activities and its prospects, without conducting an in–depth analysis of the bank's activities in the areas. After all, the analysis of indicators in the dynamics indicates the effectiveness or not the effectiveness of management of the bank's resources. It is the analysis of these key indicators – indicators that allows to see trends and prospects in the bank's activities, and in time to receive a signal regarding further actions. Exceeding the critical values of rate of return and profitability indicators, the implementation of aggressive credit policy, the lack of formed reserves in the required volume in accordance with credit, interest, currency, investment and other risks, failure to comply with the requirements of banking legislation leads to a deterioration in the bank's financial stability, which can create a real threat of non–fulfillment its obligations to customers, and in the future may lead to bankruptcy. Among the promising areas for further research on the theoretical, practical and advisory aspects of justifying the features of profitability management of the bank is the implementation of the details of the components of the profitability calculation and determining the impact of changes in each of them on the change in the profitability of the banking institution as a whole.
Convergence Analysis of MCMC Algorithms for Bayesian Multivariate Linear Regression with Non‐Gaussian Errors

When Gaussian errors are inappropriate in a multivariate linear regression setting, it is often assumed that the errors are iid from a distribution that is a scale mixture of multivariate normals. Combining this robust regression model with a default prior on the unknown parameters results in a highly intractable posterior density. Fortunately, there is a simple data augmentation (DA) algorithm and a corresponding Haar PX‐DA algorithm that can be used to explore this posterior. This paper provides conditions (on the mixing density) for geometric ergodicity of the Markov chains underlying these Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms. Letting d denote the dimension of the response, the main result shows that the DA and Haar PX‐DA Markov chains are geometrically ergodic whenever the mixing density is generalized inverse Gaussian, log‐normal, inverted Gamma (with shape parameter larger than d/2) or Frechet (with shape parameter larger than d/2). The results also apply to certain subsets of the Gamma, F and Weibull families.
Exploring DNA variant segregation types in pooled genome sequencing enables effective mapping of weeping trait in Malus.

To unlock the power of next generation sequencing-based bulked segregant analysis in allele discovery in out-crossing woody species, and to understand the genetic control of the weeping trait, an F1 population from the cross 'Cheal's Weeping' × 'Evereste' was used to create two genomic DNA pools 'weeping' (17 progeny) and 'standard' (16 progeny). Illumina pair-end (2 × 151 bp) sequencing of the pools to a 27.1× (weeping) and a 30.4× (standard) genome (742.3 Mb) coverage allowed detection of 84562 DNA variants specific to 'weeping', 92148 specific to 'standard', and 173169 common to both pools. A detailed analysis of the DNA variant genotypes in the pools predicted three informative segregation types of variants: (type I) in weeping pool-specific variants, and (type II) and (type III) in variants common to both pools, where the first allele is assumed to be weeping linked and the allele shown in bold is a variant in relation to the reference genome. Conducting variant allele frequency and density-based mappings revealed four genomic regions with a significant association with weeping: a major locus, Weeping (W), on chromosome 13 and others on chromosomes 10 (W2), 16 (W3), and 5 (W4). The results from type I variants were noisier and less certain than those from type II and type III variants, demonstrating that although type I variants are often the first choice, type II and type III variants represent an important source of DNA variants that can be exploited for genetic mapping in out-crossing woody species. Confirmation of the mapping of W and W2, investigation into their genetic interactions, and identification of expressed genes in the W and W2 regions provided insight into the genetic control of weeping and its expressivity in Malus.
Chapter 7 – Planetary Magnetospheres

The physical interaction of a planetary object with the surrounding plasma varies according to the properties of both the object and the plasma flow in which it is embedded. A planets that has a substantial internal magnetic field is surrounded by a region within the external plasma—a magnetosphere—that extends the planet's influence beyond its surface or cloud tops. The seven planetary objects that presently have internally generated magnetic fields are Mercury, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and the satellite Ganymede. An object without a significant internal dynamo can interact with plasma flowing past through the effect of currents associated with local ionization or induced in an electrically conducting ionosphere or internal layer of water or other conducting material. Venus, Mars, Titan, Io, Enceladus, and Europa interact strongly with their surroundings. Planetary magnetospheres span a wide range of sizes, masses, and energies but their structure and dynamical responses involve similar basic principles and processes. This chapter addresses the topic of planetary magnetospheres by contrasting their properties with those familiar at Earth. The differences are related to key dimensionless parameters of the external plasma and to basic properties of the central bodies such as the strength and symmetry of the magnetic field at the planet's surface, the size and rotation period of the planet, the nature of its plasma sources, and the conductivity of its surface and subsurface layers.
This is our home: Initiating participatory action housing research with refugee and immigrant communities in a time of unwelcome:

Community Voices for Housing Equality is a participatory action research group made up of community leaders and social workers whose aim is to address inequality and unfairness in housing by center...
Outcomes in Medical Intensive Care Patients Housed in Geographically Distant Units.

Objective:The purpose of this study is to determine whether in patients admitted to a medical intensive care unit (ICU) service there are outcome differences between those in a medical ICU bed (“ho...
Hospital Resource Utilization Before and After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: The STS/ACC TVT Registry

Abstract Background Patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) have repeat hospitalizations for multiple conditions. Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) on hospitalizations in severe AS. Methods Using data from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology TVT (Transcatheter Valve Therapy) registry with linkage to Medicare claims, the authors examined rates of all-cause, cardiovascular, and noncardiovascular hospitalizations and hospital days, as well as inpatient costs in the year pre-TAVR and post-TAVR. Multivariable modeling was used to determine rate ratios of post-TAVR versus pre-TAVR hospitalizations and costs. Results Among 15,324 patients at 328 sites with Medicare linkage undergoing TAVR, the median age was 84 years, the median Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality score was 7.0, and 61.1% patients underwent TAVR via transfemoral access. Post-TAVR, heart failure hospitalization rates and hospitalized days were reduced compared with pre-TAVR (rate ratio: 0.87 and 0.95 respectively; p Conclusions Patients had lower costs and fewer heart failure hospitalizations but more all-cause, noncardiovascular, and bleeding hospitalizations post-TAVR. Reduction in hospitalizations varied by specific patient subgroups, and thus, payors and providers seeking to reduce resource use may consider strategies designed to improve processes of care among patients with increased resource utilization post-TAVR as compared with pre-TAVR.
Conclusion and Recommendations

This chapter concludes the book by recommending the path forward in the War on Terror. Specifically, based on the preceding account of the real sources of violent extremism, the chapter lays out a vision for the U.S. and the West to advance a more inclusive, reconciliatory narrative—the only way to resolve a war of narratives. Only cooperation and cultural understanding will allow for a resolution of U.S.–Muslim animosity and the War on Terror itself. The work of countering Islamophobia and winning hearts and minds go hand in hand. This chapter proposes practical strategies for the U.S. government, NGOs, the mass media, and educators to follow in reconciling Muslim and Western interests.
Cores, Cache, Content, and Characterization: IBM’s Second Generation 14-nm Product, z15

The IBM z15 system improves upon the prior-generation z14 design within the same chip footprint and technology node, while featuring the addition of two cores, 33%/100%/43% additional L2/L3/L4 cache, as well as additional core features and on-chip accelerators. The largest 5-drawer system configuration includes 20 central processor (CP) chips, five system controller (SC) chips, and 40 TB of memory. With ~200 cores across all CP chips operating with 99.99999% uptime at 5.2 GHz, z15 achieves a 25% increase in system capacity and a 14% single thread performance improvement over the z14 system. In this article, we describe the key design factors and system/characterization refinement that enabled these results, including the novel 2-Mb embedded dynamic random access memory (eDRAM) cell, a new voltage droop monitor, a more comprehensive power reduction infrastructure to reduce power-limited yield, results on reliability-limited versus power-limited yield, and a characterization effort for exploring even higher frequencies, with our first reported 6-GHz values achieved in the lab at customer temperatures and voltages.
Utilizing the AIM Curriculum to Improve Job Performance in an Educational Setting for Children With Autism and Related Disabilities

The current study evaluated the effect of brief, daily present moment awareness activities on the work performance of paraprofessionals working at a school for children with disabilities. A nonconcurrent multiple-baseline design across three participants evaluated changes in staff-initiated interactions with students and staff’s accuracy of data collection on student behavior. Relative to baseline, participants demonstrated an average increase in staff-initiated interactions and an increase in the average percentage accuracy of data collection. Participants averaged 10.02 (range 3.4–16.67) staff-initiated interactions during baseline and 15.38 (range 9.75–24.4) during the intervention phase. Relative to baseline, two of the three participants demonstrated an increase in their average accuracy of data collection on student behavior. Participants’ average data collection accuracy was 56.9% (range 40%–86.67%) during baseline and 91.98% (range 86.41%–100%) during intervention. The average percentage of nonoverlapping data was 61.67% (range 25%–100%) for staff-initiated interactions and 33.33% (range 0%–100%) for data collection accuracy. Implications and possibilities for future research related to acceptance and commitment training interventions in workplace environments are discussed.
High-resolution and compact serpentine integrated grating spectrometer

Integrated astrophotonic spectrometers are integrated variants of conventional free-space spectrometers that offer significantly reduced size, weight, and cost and immunity to alignment errors, and can be readily integrated with other astrophotonic instruments such as nulling interferometers. Current integrated dispersive astrophotonic spectrometers are one-dimensional devices such as arrayed waveguide gratings or planar echelle gratings. These devices have been limited to 104 resolving powers and <1000 spectral bins due to having limited total optical delay paths and 1D detector array pixel densities. In this paper, we propose and demonstrate a high-resolution and compact astrophotonic serpentine integrated grating (SIG) spectrometer design based on a 2D dispersive serpentine optical phased array. The SIG device combines a 5.2 cm long folded delay line with grating couplers to create a large optical delay path along two dimensions in a compact integrated device footprint. Analogous to free-space crossed-dispersion high-resolution spectrometers, the SIG spectrometer maps spectral content to a 2D wavelength-beam-steered folded-raster emission pattern focused onto a 2D detector array. We demonstrate a SIG spectrometer with ∼100k resolving power and ∼6750 spectral bins, which are approximately an order of magnitude higher than previous integrated photonic designs that operate over a wide bandwidth, in a 0.4mm2 footprint. We measure a Rayleigh resolution of 1.93±0.07GHz and an operational bandwidth from 1540 nm to 1650 nm. Finally, we discuss refinements of the SIG spectrometer that improve its resolution, bandwidth, and throughput. These results show that SIG spectrometer technology provides a path towards miniaturized, high-resolution spectrometers for applications in astronomy and beyond.
Reimagining Pharmacy Education through the Lens of a Choose Your Own Adventure Activity-A Qualitative Evaluation.

Background: Successful pharmacy curricula expose students to a variety of teaching and assessment methods to prepare students for clinical practice. However, development of clinical decision-making skills is often challenging for learners. To meet this need, the Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA) Patient Case Format was developed to enhance traditional paper patient cases by integrating problem-based and case-based learning to improve pharmacy student learning. The objectives of this evaluation were to qualitatively evaluate the CYOA case format. The qualitative assessment of the student pharmacist’s learning experience utilizing this novel patient case format was used to formulate a template for extrapolation to other disease states. Methods: Focus groups were conducted with second year Pharm.D. students enrolled at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Pharmacy. The focus groups were conducted in Fall 2020, beginning the week after they were exposed to the CYOA case format. The corpus of data was analyzed thematically to identify themes using inductive coding. To establish the validity of this evaluation, the team met to assess the consistency of the data reduction methods and guard against methodological issues that could influence and affect coding decisions. Results: Participants were recruited until thematic saturation was achieved. Out of 25 participants, 23 participants provided demographic information, with 74% identifying as female. Thematic analysis identified three themes: (1) “It was just fun!” (2) Empowering Pharmacy Students through Groupwork: “Collaboration [is] going to be vital” and (3) Meeting the Need for Real-Life Scenarios: “This is a real person.” Conclusions: The data highlight that there are numerous advantages of adopting the CYOA format for delivering applied pharmacotherapy content. The CYOA format presents students with a realistic scenario that is fun and engaging and challenges students to justify their decisions regarding patient care in a structured group environment.
Recherche de sources ténues ou transitoires dans les régions centrales de la Galaxie avec H. E. S. S. : application à l'étude de la région du vestige de supernova W49B

L'experience H. E. S. S. (High Energy Stereoscopic System) est un reseau de quatre telescopes dedie a l'astronomie gamma de tres haute energie et situe en Namibie. Ces telescopes utilisent la technique de l'imagerie Cherenkov atmospherique en mode stereoscopique pour detecter des rayons gamma entre 100 GeV et quelques dizaines de TeV. Les cameras de H. E. S. S. , dotees de 960 photomultiplicateurs et d'une electronique rapide, necessitent un etalonnage precis de la reponse de l'instrument au signal genere par les gerbes. Un couplage capacitif parasite entre les photomultiplicateurs et le systeme d'acquisition a ete revele et corrige au cours de cette these, resultant en un etalonnage de meilleure qualite. H. E. S. S. Beneficie d'une situation geographique optimale pour l'observation des regions centrales de la Galaxie. Le releve du plan Galactique a ainsi ete un des objectifs principaux de H. E. S. S. Des le debut des prises de donnees en 2004. Cette these presente la recherche de sources dans les regions centrales de la Galaxie en utilisant les methodes d'analyse par modele semi-analytique les plus sensibles disponibles actuellement. Une recherche de sources transitoires a egalement ete effectuee. Les methodes utilisees, caracterisees en detail au moyen de simulations, s'appuient sur les intervalles temporels entre les evenements et n'ont pas revelees de sources significativement variables. La detection d'emission gamma de tres haute energie en direction de la region W49 et du vestige de supernova W49B en particulier a ete mise en evidence durant cette these. L'etude de cette region et les implications de ce resultat sont presentees en details dans ce manuscrit.
The Contributions of George Irwin to Elastic-Plastic Fracture Mechanics Development

George Irwin, the father of fracture mechanics (FM), is well known for his contributions to linear elastic fracture mechanics, especially the development of the crack-tip field approach and the use of the crack tip stressintensity factor, K. During the early years of FM he was well aware that the limits on the use of K restricted its application to high-strength and low-toughness materials. He encouraged the development of new concepts that would be able to extend the use of FM to the more usual engineering materials, materials that might reach yield stress before fracture toughness on a typical structural component. Concern with that area of FM later led to the development of the technology called elastic-plastic fracture mechanics (EPFM). Besides the encouragement he gave, there are several areas where he contributed technical ideas that helped with the development of the EPFM technology. These ideas include use of crack tip field parameters, the energy and crack tip parameter equivalence, the R-curve approach to fracture toughness evaluation and the concern about constraint effects on fracture behavior. This paper takes a historical look at these developments in elastic-plastic fracture mechanics and the role that George Irwin played. An important observation that will be made is that the approach originally proposed by Irwin gave the correct direction in each case considered in this paper. The original ideas merely needed further development to become mature technical concepts in the EPFM approach.
Comparison of course completion and student performance through online and traditional courses

Enrollment in online courses has outpaced overall university enrollment for the past several years. The growth of online courses does not appear to be slowing. The purpose of this study was to compare course completion and student academic performance between online and traditional courses. Archival data from the host university student records system was collected using the Structured Query Language. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze student characteristics. Chi-square analysis was used to determine if statistically significant differences existed between students enrolled in online and traditional courses when comparing course completion and academic performance. Analysis found statistically significant differences existed in both course completion and academic performance for students enrolled in online versus traditional courses. Additional analysis indicated statistically significant differences existed in course completion by course discipline.
Influence of Cocaine on the JAK–STAT Pathway in the Mesolimbic Dopamine System

Chronic exposure to cocaine produces characteristic biochemical adaptations within the rat ventral tegmental area (VTA), a brain region rich in dopaminergic neurons implicated in the reinforcing and locomotor-activating properties of cocaine. Some of these changes are mimicked by chronic ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) infusions into the same brain area. We show in this study that chronic cocaine treatment regulates the signal transduction pathway used by CNTF specifically in the VTA. There is an increase in immunoreactivity of Janus kinase (JAK2), a CNTF-regulated protein tyrosine kinase, in the VTA after chronic but not acute cocaine administration. This increase is not seen in the nearby substantia nigra or several other brain regions studied. Furthermore, this increase in JAK2 is not seen after chronic administration of other psychotropic drugs and was not observed for JAK1. The increase in JAK2 levels is associated with an increased responsiveness of the system to acute CNTF infusion into the VTA, as measured by induction in this brain region of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) DNA binding activity and of Fos-like proteins, two known functional endpoints of JAK activation. Double-labeling immunohistochemical studies show that JAK2 immunoreactivity in the VTA is enriched in dopaminergic and nondopaminergic cells, both of which exhibit increased JAK2 immunoreactivity after chronic cocaine treatment. These findings suggest a scheme whereby some of the effects of chronic cocaine on VTA dopaminergic neurons are mediated directly by regulation of the JAK–STAT pathway in these cells, as well as perhaps indirectly by regulation of this pathway in nondopaminergic cells.
Abstract 2601: EphB4/EphrinB2 targeting increases the efficacy of cisplatin in triple negative breast cancer

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a heterogeneous group of breast cancers that do not respond to either HER2 or hormonally targeted therapy and for which, chemotherapy is the only proven therapeutic option. However, certain biological pathways are known to be activated to a greater extent in TNBC. The EphB4 receptor and its ligand EphrinB2 are expressed aberrantly in several types of cancer to promote angiogenesis and cell survival. In breast cancer, including TNBC, EphB4 expression is associated with a worse prognosis. An EphB4/Ephrin B2 inhibitor, sEphB4-HAS or SB4 (soluble protein EphB4 peptide stabilized with human serum albumin), developed at our institution, has shown inhibitory effects on cancer cell growth in both cell and animal models. Our goal here is to test the feasibility of EphB4 targeting in triple negative breast cancer cells, study the synergistic effects of SB4 and cisplatin, a common chemotherapy drug used for triple negative breast cancers, and to determine optimal combination doses of SB4 and cisplatin for eventual clinical trials. Using two representative triple negative breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and HCC 1937, we show that SB4 inhibits cell growth in a dose dependent manner (IC50: 216.5μg/ml and 207.1 μg/ml, respectively). When SB4 is used in combination with cisplatin, synergy is observed. HCC 1937 cells treated with 200 μg/ml of sEphB4-HSA or 50 nM cisplatin for 7days, viability is decreased by 57 % and 8 %, and by 71% when given in combination. Similar results are seen in MDA-MB-231 cells, at 55%, 11%, and 63 % viability reduction. Mouse MDA-MB-231 xenografts are inhibited by SB4 treatment, with 20% reduction compared to control. In addition, cell proliferation marker Ki67 assessed by immunohistochemical staining and pS6 (phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6) expression studied by immunoblotting demonstrate that SB4 in combination with cisplatin generates greater growth inhibitory effects on cell proliferation and pS6 expression than either alone. In conclusion, EphB4 signaling in TNBC provides a niche to apply targeted therapy in combination with chemotherapy. The growth inhibitory effect of SB4 on TNBC cells and mouse xenografts supports the feasibility of EphB4 targeting. The effects of SB4 and cisplatin using xenograft models will be analyzed for synergy to provide a rationale to combine SB4 and chemotherapy in the clinic. Citation Format: Gloria W. Yang-Kolodji, Ren Liu, Arjun Mehta, Parkash Gill, Debu Tripathy. EphB4/EphrinB2 targeting increases the efficacy of cisplatin in triple negative breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2601. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2601
Abstract 3511: Sustained adrenergic signaling promotes cervical cancer progression

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Objective: Chronic stress and sustained adrenergic signaling promote tumor progression. The underlying mechanisms behind this process are not well understood. We examined the effects of sustained adrenergic signaling on cervical cancer progression through increased expression of HPV oncogenes, E6 and E7. Methods: Beta-adrenergic receptor (ADRB) positive cervical cancer cell lines (CaSki and SiHa) were treated with norepinephrine (NE) or isoproterenol (ISO) to analyze intracellular responses. Migration, invasion and anoikis assays were performed to elucidate the resultant biological effect of NE and ISO. ADRB expression levels were examined from cervical cancer patient tumor samples. Results: ADRB expression was determined for cervical cell lines (CaSki, SiHa, and C33A) using qRT-PCR. CaSki and SiHa cells express ADRB1, ADRB2, and ABRB3. Cells exposed to NE for 30 min showed elevated cyclic AMP activity. After treatment with NE or ISO, mRNA levels from HPV oncogenes, E6 and E7, were significantly elevated in the SiHa and CaSki cells. NE exposure resulted in a significant increase in invasion and migration of cervical cancer cells, while E6 siRNA abrogated these effects. After 48 hours of NE or ISO exposure, CaSki cells showed a 30% reduction in anoikis. Among 166 tumor samples evaluated from cervical cancer patients, 85% had increased ADRB1 expression and 61% had increased ADRB2 expression. Tumor stage or grade was not related to ADRB expression. ADRB1 expression was not correlated with patient survival outcomes (p = 0.86); however, patients with high ADRB2 expressed had decreased overall survival (p=0.038). Conclusion: Increased adrenergic signaling promotes cervical cancer progression. Disruption of this pathway could provide a novel complement to current therapies. Citation Format: Nouara C. Sadaoui, Guillermo N. Armaiz-Pena, Archana S. Nagaraja, Rajesha Rupaimoole, Rebecca A. Previs, Heather J. Dalton, Mangala S. Lingegowda, Lois M. Ramondetta, Anil K. Sood, Susan K. Lutgendorf, Steve W. Cole. Sustained adrenergic signaling promotes cervical cancer progression. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3511. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3511
Rate kinematics of in-parallel manipulator systems

The following questions are addressed: how to determine the joint rates and constraints on the end-effector rates and how to know which joint rates are instantaneously inactive and which can be driven independently. The approach is based on the instantaneous properties of series chains as derived from the theory of screw systems. In this framework, those screws that correspond to the joint rates of the constituent series chains are identified. Once the correspondence is determined, the sought-after kinematic properties can be deduced from the vector space properties of these screws. >
Online Persuasion in Facebook and Mixi: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

Social networking sites persuade millions of users each day to adopt specific behaviors. To understand this phenomenon in the context of persuasive technology, we analyzed how persuasion takes place in leading social networking sites from two different countries: Facebook in the U.S. and Mixi in Japan. We compared the two services on four persuasion goals: creating profile pages, inviting friends, responding to content by friends, and returning to the site often. Our analysis reveals the differences and similarities in how Facebook and Mixi are designed to influence users toward the achievement of these four goals. In general, Facebook's persuasive design is more assertive and mechanistic, while Mixi's approach, by comparison, is subtle and indirect. These persuasion styles seem to map generally to cultural differences between the U.S. and Japan.
Wilson’s numerical renormalization group

The NRG transformation for the Kondo model has developed into a powerful tool for the study of quantum impurity models. It gives information on the many-body eigenvalues and eigenstates of such models on all energy scales and thereby allows the direct calculation of their thermodynamic, dynamic and transport properties.