cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving Seventh Grade Students' Learning of Ratio and Proportion: The Role of Schema-Based Instruction.

Abstract The present study evaluated the effectiveness of an instructional intervention (schema-based instruction, SBI) that was designed to meet the diverse needs of middle school students by addressing the research literatures from both special education and mathematics education. Specifically, SBI emphasizes the role of the mathematical structure of problems and also provides students with a heuristic to aid and self-monitor problem solving. Further, SBI addresses well-articulated problem solving strategies and supports flexible use of the strategies based on the problem situation. One hundred forty eight seventh-grade students and their teachers participated in a 10-day intervention on learning to solve ratio and proportion word problems, with classrooms randomly assigned to SBI or a control condition. Results suggested that students in SBI treatment classes outperformed students in control classes on a problem solving measure, both at posttest and on a delayed posttest administered 4 months later. However, the two groups’ performance was comparable on a state standardized mathematics achievement test.
Use of hydration and dissociation chemistries with the electrolyte–NRTL model

Sound theoretical understanding and accurate mathematical representation of electrolyte solution nonideality were the subject of extensive research efforts for decades. It is demonstrated that these goals can be achieved by incorporation of hydration and partial dissociation chemistries with the semi-empirical electrolyte NRTL model. The resulting model provides a comprehensive thermodynamic framework for accurate correlation and reliable extrapolation of electrolyte solution nonideality over the entire concentration range.
ASYMMETRIC ADAPTABILITY: DYNAMIC TEAM STRUCTURES AS ONE-WAY STREETS

This study tested whether teams working on a command and control simulation adapted to structural change in the manner implied by contingency theories. Teams shifting from a functional to a divisional structure showed better performance than teams making a divisional-to-functional shift. Team levels of coordination mediated this difference, and team levels of cognitive ability moderated it. We argue that the static logic behind many contingency theories should be complemented with a dynamic logic challenging the assumption of symmetrical adaptation.
Induction of P4504A Activity Improves Pressure-Natriuresis in Dahl S Rats

Clofibrate has been reported to prevent the development of hypertension in Dahl S rats, but its mechanism of action remains to be determined. The present study examined the effects of clofibrate on renal P4504A activity and the pressure natriuresis relationship in Dahl S rats. Dahl S and R rats fed a low-salt diet (0.4% NaCl) were given either clofibrate (240 mg/kg/d) or vehicle (20 mmol/L Na2CO3) in their drinking water for 1 week and then switched to a high salt diet (8% NaCl) while continuing drug treatment. After 3 weeks, mean arterial pressure in ketamine-Inactin anesthetized rats averaged 121+/-2 (n=8) in Dahl R, 173+/-8 (n=6) in Dahl S, and 139+/-4 mm Hg (n=7) in clofibrate-treated Dahl S rats. Increasing renal perfusion pressure (RPP) from 100 to 150 mm Hg in Dahl R rats increased sodium excretion (U(Na)V) from 2.9+/-0.7 to 9.7+/-3.2 micromol/min/g kwt. In contrast, the pressure natriuresis relation was blunted in Dahl S rats and U(Na)V only increased from 2.7+/-0.9 to 6.1+/-1.3 micromol/min/g kwt. The pressure natriuresis relation was improved in clofibrate-treated Dahl S rats and U(Na)V increased from 5.1+/-1.3 to 16.7+/-2.6 micromol/min/g kwt. At similar levels of RPP, the fractional excretion of sodium tended to be higher in clofibrate-treated than in vehicle-treated Dahl S rats, but not significantly. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was 40% higher in clofibrate- compared to vehicle-treated Dahl S rats (0.9+/-0.2 versus 0.6+/-0.2 mL/min/g kwt), and was not significantly different from the values seen in Dahl R rats (0.9+/-0.1 mL/min/g kwt). Clofibrate induced the expression of P4504A protein in the renal cortex and outer medulla of Dahl S rats. These data suggest that induction of renal P4504A activity with clofibrate improves the pressure natriuresis relation in Dahl S rats by primarily increasing GFR.
The Drosophila Prosecretory Transcription Factor dimmed Is Dynamically Regulated in Adult Enteroendocrine Cells and Protects Against Gram-Negative Infection.

The endocrine system employs peptide hormone signals to translate environmental changes into physiological responses. The diffuse endocrine system embedded in the gastrointestinal barrier epithelium is one of the largest and most diverse endocrine tissues. Furthermore, it is the only endocrine tissue in direct physical contact with the microbial environment of the gut lumen. However, it remains unclear how this sensory epithelium responds to specific pathogenic challenges in a dynamic and regulated manner. We demonstrate that the enteroendocrine cells of the adult Drosophila melanogaster midgut display a transient, sensitive, and systemic induction of the prosecretory factor dimmed (dimm) in response to the Gram-negative pathogen Pseudomonas entomophila (Pe). In enteroendocrine cells, dimm controls the levels of the targets Phm, dcat-4, and the peptide hormone, Allatostatin A. Finally, we identify dimm as a host factor that protects against Pe infection and controls the expression of antimicrobial peptides. We propose that dimm provides “gain” in enteroendocrine output during the adaptive response to episodic pathogen exposure.
Composition dependence of ionic conductivity

Abstract A critical discussion of conductivity isotherms is presented. It is shown that an analysis that takes into account the influence of residual aliovalent impurities on the conductivity of nominally undoped materials is of particular value. A re-analysis of published conductivity data on nominally pure and doped PbBr2 and β-AgI leads to a more satisfactory explanation of the results, and to values of the mobility of silver ion vacancies in β-AgI, as well as its temperature dependence over the range 285–360 K.
The identification and origin of N-H overtone and combination bands in the near-infrared spectra of simple primary and secondary amides

Abstract Previously unreported or unconfirmed overtone and combination bands assignable to amide group vibrational modes in the near-infrared spectra of several simple primary and secondary amides have been elucidated. Three bands in the 7000-6700 cm −1 region of three primary amides examined are attributed to 2 v a , v a + v s , and 2 v s modes, respectively, of the -NH 2 group, while bands involving combinations of v a and v s each with amide II and amide III are identified in the region 5100-4700 cm −1 . The identification of the 2 v NH overtone band and of the ( v NH + amide II) and ( v NH + amide III) combination bands in the near-infrared spectra of five secondary amides are also corroborated. Establishment of assignments was aided by deuteration and solvent studies. In this way, a (2 v CO + amide III) combination band for the primary amides was deduced and was confirmed for the secondary amides, thus accounting for all of the absorptions observed in the 7000-4550 cm −1 region of the spectra. Anharmonicity constants for the N-H stretching modes were found to be of the same magnitude as those for primary and secondary amines. Based on Beer's law studies, the near-infrared bands appear to be potentially useful for quantitating the amides.
Toll-Like Receptor Signaling Alters the Expression of Regulator of G Protein Signaling Proteins in Dendritic Cells: Implications for G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling

Conserved structural motifs on pathogens trigger pattern recognition receptors present on APCs such as dendritic cells (DCs). An important class of such receptors is the Toll-like receptors (TLRs). TLR signaling triggers a cascade of events in DCs that includes modified chemokine and cytokine production, altered chemokine receptor expression, and changes in signaling through G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). One mechanism by which TLR signaling could modify GPCR signaling is by altering the expression of regulator of G protein signaling ( RGS ) proteins. In this study, we show that human monocyte-derived DCs constitutively express significant amounts of RGS2 , RGS10 , RGS14 , RGS18 , and RGS19 , and much lower levels of RGS3 and RGS13 . Engagement of TLR3 or TLR4 on monocyte-derived DCs induces RGS16 and RGS20 , markedly increases RGS1 expression, and potently down-regulates RGS18 and RGS14 without modifying other RGS proteins. A similar pattern of Rgs protein expression occurred in immature bone marrow-derived mouse DCs stimulated to mature via TLR4 signaling. The changes in RGS18 and RGS1 expression are likely important for DC function, because both proteins inhibit Gα i - and Gα q -mediated signaling and can reduce CXC chemokine ligand (CXCL)12-, CC chemokine ligand (CCL)19-, or CCL21-induced cell migration. Providing additional evidence, bone marrow-derived DCs from Rgs1 −/− mice have a heightened migratory response to both CXCL12 and CCL19 when compared with similar DCs prepared from wild-type mice. These results indicate that the level and functional status of RGS proteins in DCs significantly impact their response to GPCR ligands such as chemokines.
Relations between Affect and Personality: Support for the Affect-Level and Affective-Reactivity Views

A consensus has emerged that neuroticism is associated with negative affect and extraversion is associated with positive affect. However, it is unclear whether these personality traits are associated with magnitude of affective reactions (Affective-Reactivity view), with levels of tonic affect (Affect-Level view), or with both. To assess these views, affective state was manipulated using film clips, measured at multiple time points and related to measures of neuroticism and extraversion (H. J. Esyenck) and dispositional negative affect and positive affect (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen). Results supported both Affective-Reactivity and Affect-Level views, and this support was more robust for neuroticism and extraversion than for dispositional negative affect and positive affect.
A Validation Study of the Missouri Alliance for Home Care Fall Risk Assessment Tool

A retrospective review (n = 2,247) was conducted from July 1st to October 1st 2010 to determine validity of the Missouri Alliance for Home Care Fall Risk Assessment Tool (MAHC-10). Fall risk was identified by a MAHC-10 score ≥ 4. Two sample t test, chi-square, logistic regression, and ROC curve analyses were performed. Fallers (6.35 ± 1.7, n = 195) and nonfallers (5.70 ± 1.9, n = 2,052) had significantly different (p = .011) MAHC-10 scores. The MAHC-10 cutoff score of 4 demonstrated 96.9% sensitivity and 13.3% specificity; however, ROC curve analyses revealed a cutoff score of 6 maximized combined sensitivity and specificity. The MAHC-10 is valid for fall risk screening in the home health setting; however, a cutoff score of 6 may more accurately predict fall risk.
Endocrine resistance in breast cancer: molecular pathways and rational development of targeted therapies

Endocrine resistance presents a major challenge in the management of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer and is an area under intense investigation. Although the underlying mechanism is still poorly understood, many studies point towards the 'cross-talk' between ER and growth factor receptor signaling pathways as the key in the development of estrogen-independent growth in breast cancer. This review aims to provide the reader our current understanding of various molecular pathways that mediate endocrine resistance and that are being evaluated as therapeutic targets for ER-positive breast cancer. While most of the agents that target these pathways have only been tested in Phase I or small Phase II trials, some have shown encouraging results. A critical issue that remains is the development of research strategies and clinical trials that take into account the molecular heterogeneity of ER-positive breast cancer.
Overexpression of leptin in transgenic mice leads to decreased basal lipolysis, PKA activity, and perilipin levels.

Transgenic mice overexpressing leptin (LepTg) exhibit substantial reductions in adipose mass. Since the binding of leptin to its receptor activates the sympathetic nervous system, we reasoned that the lean state of the LepTg mice could be caused by chronic lipolysis. Instead, the LepTg mice exhibited a low basal lipolysis state and their lean phenotype was not dependent on the presence of β3-adrenergic receptors. In their white adipose tissue, protein levels of protein kinase A, hormone-sensitive lipase, and ADRP were not impaired. However, compared to normal mice, perilipin, perilipin mRNA, and cAMP-stimulated PKA activity were significantly attenuated. Overall, we demonstrate that the lean phenotype of the LepTg mice does not result in a chronically elevated lipolytic state, but instead in a low basal lipolysis state characterized by a decrease in perilipin and PKA activity in white fat.
Some Challenges to a Contrastive Treatment of Grounding

Jonathan Schaffer has provided three putative counterexamples to the transitivity of grounding, and has argued that a contrastive treatment of grounding is able to provide a resolution to them, which in turn provides some motivation for accepting such a treatment. In this article, I argue that one of these cases can easily be turned into a putative counterexample to a principle which Schaffer calls differential transitivity. Since Schaffer's proposed resolution rests on this principle, this presents a dilemma for the contrastivist: either he dismisses the third case, which weakens the motivation for accepting his treatment of grounding, or else he accepts it, in which case he is faced with a counterexample to a principle that his proposed resolution to the original cases depends on. In the remainder of the article, I argue that the prima facie most promising strategy the contrastivist could take, which is to place some restriction on which contrastive facts are admissible so as to rule out the purported counterexample to differential transitivity, faces some important difficulties. Although these difficulties are not insurmountable, they do pose a substantial challenge for the contrastivist.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs attenuate epidermal growth factor-induced proliferation independent of prostaglandin synthesis inhibition.

Abstract Background. The mechanism(s) whereby nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) attenuate colorectal tumor growth remains poorly understood. This study determined if NSAIDs decreased epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced proliferation in human colonic tumor (Caco-2) cells and whether this process involved the inhibition of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis. Methods. Caco-2 cells were serum-starved (48 h) and subsequently treated (48 h) with either serum-free media or EGF (10 ng/ml) ± physiologic and noninjurious (as determined by LDH release) concentrations of aspirin, indomethacin, and ibuprofen. PG synthesis was measured by EIA. Proliferation was quantitated with two assays: cellular protein and nucleic acid content. Results. NSAID treatment did not inhibit growth in cells treated with only serum-free media. Cells exposed to EGF demonstrated a significant increase in PGE2, protein, and nucleic acid. Levels of other eicosanoids (PGI2, TXA2) were minimal both before and after EGF treatment. Despite varying degrees of PGE2 inhibition, each NSAID group equally attenuated EGF-induced protein and nucleic acid synthesis. The correlation between PGE2 levels and protein (R2 = 0.56) or nucleic acid (R2 = 0.54) was poor. Finally, the addition of a physiologically appropriate concentration of exogenous PGE2 failed to reverse NSAID-induced growth inhibition. Conclusion. These data suggest that NSAIDs, independent of PG synthesis inhibition, attenuate EGF-induced proliferation in Caco-2 cells. This may provide one explanation for how NSAIDs limit colonic neoplasia.
On the applicability of relativistic dispersion to auroral zone electron distributions

An examination is made to identify appropriate times to include weakly relativistic wave dispersion in calculations of auroral zone electron distributions. Two dispersion relations are examined. First, solutions are found for a ring distribution of particles around a cold ambient plasma. The solutions are found only for modes near the electron gyrofrequency. A trapped mode which is decoupled from the freely propagating R-X mode of cold plasmas is found to be the most unstable mode. Wave dispersion is examined with a spherically symmetric Dory-Guest-Harris (DGH) distribution, which describes a shell distribution that has a peak momentum larger than the thermal spread. The trapped mode is again found to be the most unstable. The analysis indicates it is beneficial to include relativistic effects whenever calculating auroral plasma distributions, and that a simple model will have sufficient accuracy.
Analysis and average-value modeling of dual line-commutated converter-6-phase synchronous machine systems

Analytical relationships are established which can be used to predict the average value characteristics of a dual line-commutated power converter/6-phase synchronous machine system. In particular, basic relationships are established in which the average DC power converter voltages and the average q- and d-axis stator currents are related to the power converter firing delay angles. These relationships should be useful in the design and average value simulation of dual line-commutated power converter/6-phase synchronous machine systems. >
Should we elect the US supreme court

Extensive political science research reveals that the decisions of the US Supreme Court are deeply political. And both advocates and critics of judicial elections concede that partisan elections are a democratic method of judicial selection. Does the value of democratic representation mean that US Supreme Court Justices should be selected through partisan elections? I argue not. Partisan judicial elections are actually far poorer institutional mechanisms for capturing the judgment of the people on legal matters than has been recognized. The role of parties in structuring a campaign distorts the deliberative environment surrounding judicial elections, creating significant barriers to voters expressing a judgment on matters of legal meaning. The kind of distortion is best understood through reference to a processual criterion of deliberative democracy, which provides a fitting normative template to ground theoretical inquiry into the reason-giving possibilities of existing democratic institutions and practices. Hence, answering why the US Supreme Court should not be elected on democratic grounds also reveals new insights about the role of parties in sustaining (or subverting) deliberative democratic ideals.
Effects of atomicity and internal polarization on the electronic and optical properties of GaN/AlN quantum dots: Multimillion-atom coupled VFF MM-sp 3 d 5 s ∗ tight-binding simulations

Single-particle electronic structure and optical transition rates between the HOMO and LUMO states of a self-organized wurtzite GaN/AlN single quantum dot grown along the [0001] axis are calculated within an atomistic 20-band sp3 d5 s∗ tight-binding framework. The GaN/AlN quantum dot used in this computational study is realistically-sized (containing ∼9 million atoms) and of truncated pyramid shape having height and base length of 4.5 nm and 23 nm, respectively. These reduced-dimensionality III-N structures are subject to competing effects of size-quantization and long-range internal fields that originate from: a) fundamental crystal atomicity and the interface discontinuity between two dissimilar materials; b) atomistically strained active region; c) strain-induced piezoelectricity; and d) spontaneous polarization (pyroelectricity). The mechano-electrical internal fields in the structure have been modeled using a combination of an atomistic valence force-field molecular mechanics (VFF MM) approach and a three-dimensional Poisson solver, and have found to strongly modulate the intrinsic single-particle electronic and optical properties of the quantum dots. In particular, in contrast to the well-studied InN/GaN systems, the effects of piezoelectric and pyroelectric fields add up (peak pyroelectric potential being larger than the piezoelectric counterpart) and result in a large redshift in the electronic bandgap near the Brillouin zone center (known as quantum confined stark effect), pronounced non-degeneracy in the excited states, strongly suppressed optical transition (increased recombination time), and anisotropic emission spectra.
Simulation of flow between concentric rotating spheres. Part 2. Transitions

We examine the transitions among the steady-state axisymmetric spherical Couette flows with zero, one, and two vortices per hemisphere. The steady flows are reflection symmetric with respect to the equator, but some of the transitions that we find break this symmetry. This is the fist study to reproduce numerically the transitions to the one-vortex flow from the zero- and two-vortex flows. In our study, we use a numerical initial-value code to: (i) compute the bifurcation diagrams of the steady (stable and unstable) states, (ii) solve for the most unstable or least stable linear eigenmode and eigenvalue of a steady state, (iii) calculate the velocity field as a function of time during both the linear and nonlinear stages of the transitions, and (iv) determine the energy transfer mechanism into and out of the antireflectionsymmetric components of the flow during the transitions. Our study provides the explanation of the laboratory observation that some transitions occur only when the inner sphere of the Couette-flow apparatus is accelerated or decelerated quickly, whereas other transitions occur only when the acceleration is slow.
Reducing Procrastination through Required Course Involvement

Two courses using a personalized system of instruction required daily quizzing or self-initiated quizzing. Students in the daily quizzing section completed course work more rapidly and earned higher grades than did students in the completely self-paced course. The daily testing procedure used with the personalized course appears to be effective in reducing student procrastination without disregarding individual differences in student learning rate. The results suggest that required quizzing may assist students in managing their time in personalized instruction courses.
Lost in transition: the dark side of emerging adulthood

Christian Smith, Kari Christoffersen, Hilary Davison and Patricia Snell Herzog, 2011 New York, Oxford University Press $27.95 (hbk), 296 pp. ISBN 978-0-19-982802-9 Is there a clear threshold betwee...
Radiation-related myocardial injury. Management of two cases.

Pericardial effusion and trifascicular block developed 5 years following mediastinal irradiation for Hodgkin's disease in a 19-year-old patient. Another 24-year-old patient had an acute myocardial infarction followed by severe angina pectoris 5 years following mediastinal irradiation for the same disease. A pericardial window and a permanent demand pacemaker were used in the first case; an aorto-coronary vein grafting was utilized in the second patient. Both patients responded to treatment and are well. Five other previously reported cases of myocardial injury that occurred 2 months to 8 years following mediastinal irradiation in young patients were reviewed. To our knowledge, successful surgical treatment of this disease entity has not been reported before. Close, long-term follow-up of patients who have received mediastinal irradiation should be helpful in the early recognition and successful management of these serious cardiac complications. The systematic clinical and radiographic surveillance of these patients should be supplemented by a routine 12-lead electrocardiogram.
Random access cooperative communication

User cooperation has been studied extensively in the literature. This mechanism achieves many of the same gains that can be had by using multi-antenna (MIMO) communications in applications where the size or computational resources of a node are limited. However, existing analysis assumes that the system is scheduled; both the relay and the destination know to listen when a packet is being sent. We present analysis of a class of random access cooperative systems and show that the same performance as the scheduled systems can be achieved as long as certain requirements are met in the packet detection scheme of the relay. In particular, we find that cooperative networks with a static decision threshold on energy detection perform asymptotically no better than simple point-to-point non-cooperative links. However, a decision threshold that dynamically shifts with average SNR allows the system to achieve full spatial diversity.
Crystallization Atmosphere and Substrate Effects on the Phase and Texture of Chemical Solution Deposited Strontium Niobate Thin Films

Strontium niobate (Sr:Nb = 1:1) thin films were prepared via chemical solution deposition on (001)-oriented SrTiO3, (001)p-oriented LaAlO3, (0001)-oriented sapphire, and polycrystalline alumina substrates. Crystallization in oxygen at 1000°C yielded Sr2Nb2O7 films on all substrates with strong (010) orientation. Films on LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 single-crystal substrates possessed a small amount of preferred in-plane orientation, whereas films prepared on sapphire and polycrystalline alumina substrates were fiber textured. Films crystallized at 900°C in a low oxygen atmosphere (~10−21 atm pO2) formed a randomly oriented polycrystalline perovskite, SrNbO3−δ on all substrates. A similar set of films crystallized at 900°C at a slightly higher oxygen partial pressure (~10−15 atm pO2) was comprised of Sr2Nb2O7 and SrNbO3−δ phases, exposing the dependence of phase formation on oxygen partial pressure. When subjected to a high-temperature anneal in oxygen, the SrNbO3−δ phase is shown to transform into Sr2Nb2O7, however, Sr2Nb2O7 did not significantly reverse transform into SrNbO3−δ after annealing in low oxygen partial pressure atmospheres.
Naturally Occurring Carcinogens

Some toxic chemicals, especially those produced by microbes and plant cells, exhibit carcinogenic activity. Even though some of these compounds are integral components of foods relatively common in the diet of humans, many of these carcinogens have also been found in unusual food sources or in foods contaminated by microorganisms or unwanted plant materials. Sometimes the potential hazards to human health by these components or contaminants of foods range from small to very large. Very low levels of exposure to chemicals with weak carcinogenic activity in laboratory animals may be of little risk to human populations. However, the presence of aflatoxin B1 in foods is a matter of considerable concern, because aflatoxin B1 is a potent carcinogen for a number of species, and epidemiological data suggest that this carcinogen may play a role in the development of cancer in humans living in some parts of Africa and the Far East.1,2
Iron S Involvement in the Molecular Mechanisms and Pathogenesis of Alzheimers Disease

The subject of iron and iron regulation in the body has recently come under scrutiny as neurobiologists attempt to find underlying causes for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and Huntington s and syndromes such as Hallervorden-Spatz. Each of these disorders includes iron accumulation in affected regions of the brain as a part of their pathogenic profile. Although it has long been known that iron is essential for life, what is not clear is how iron levels are maintained in a healthy nervous system and how these levels can become altered in disease states. The chapter will begin by addressing the normal role of iron in the body, because attempts for therapeutic intervention may begin at the level of iron absorption in the gut. In addition, understanding iron absorption by the gut may help to elucidate the mechanism by which iron is transported across the blood-brain-barrier (BBB). The remainder of the chapter will focus on the proposed role iron may play in Alzheimer s disease (AD) pathogenesis. The chapter will conclude with theories as to how known pathological mechanisms involved in AD may be controlled or at least influenced by a loss of iron regulation in the brain.
169: IL-19, a novel SASP factor, is upregulated during senescence and in response to DSBs

ATR is a serine/threonine kinase that activates cell cycle checkpoints in response to stalled replication forks and resected double strand breaks (DSBs). Deletion of ATR causes DSBs to be generated during S phase due to replication fork collapse. Notably, when ATR is deleted in a mosaic manner in p53 −/− mice, the ATR-deleted cells persist in the tissues despite high levels of DSBs, and result in widespread inflammation and defects in tissue regeneration. These results suggest that highly-damaged ATR-deleted cells generate extrinsic factors. To characterize the factors involved in this response, we performed a gene expression microarray on p53 −/− and p53 −/− ATR[Δ/−] skin epithelial cells and identified several cytokines and growth factors that were selectively upregulated upon ATR deletion. These factors included a few factors previously identified as members of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), but more prominently included IL-19, which has not previously been identified as a SASP factor. IL-19 is a member of a distinct grouping of cytokines known as the IL-10 family. In cultured cells, IL-19 is upregulated in response to DSBs or after passage- or oncogene-induced senescence. These treatments also lead in parallel to the induction of classic SASP factors, such as IL-1 and IL-6. Importantly, the degree of induction of IL-19 is far greater than that of IL-6 or IL-8, and in fact IL-19 is required for ionizing radiation-induced SASP factor upregulation. Thus, the mechanism governing the regulation of IL-19 expression and its effects on the regulation of other cytokines will be discussed.
A Rough Set Approach to Incomplete Data

This paper presents main directions of research on a rough set approach to incomplete data. First, three different types of lower and upper approximations, based on the characteristic relation, are defined. Then an idea of the probabilistic approximation, an extension of lower and upper approximations, is presented. Local probabilistic approximations are also discussed. Finally, some special topics such as consistency of incomplete data and a problem of increasing data set incompleteness to improve rule set quality, in terms of an error rate, are discussed.
Contracting United States Government Work: Organizational and Constitutional Models

Much of the basic work of the U.S. federal government is performed by private contractors. This reliance on contractors is not new. It is the product of bipartisan reform that dates to the mid-20th century. The reform has yielded major successes, but has left a legacy of unaddressed questions, including the ability of the official workforce to account for the government's work. This article recounts the history of the ongoing reform from two viewpoints. First, it reviews organizational models that serve as building blocks for the relationships between organizations and contractors. Second, it focuses on the constitutional models within which the organizational models operate. The underlying argument is that the early reformers identified questions of constitutional significance that have yet to be resolved, and at least three models for their possible resolution concurrently exist.
Enhanced spin Seebeck effect signal due to spin-momentum locked topological surface states

Spin-momentum locking in protected surface states enables efficient electrical detection of magnon decay at a magnetic-insulator/topological-insulator heterojunction. Here we demonstrate this property using the spin Seebeck effect (SSE), that is, measuring the transverse thermoelectric response to a temperature gradient across a thin film of yttrium iron garnet, an insulating ferrimagnet, and forming a heterojunction with (BixSb1-x)2Te3, a topological insulator. The non-equilibrium magnon population established at the interface can decay in part by interactions of magnons with electrons near the Fermi energy of the topological insulator. When this decay channel is made active by tuning (BixSb1-x)2Te3 into a bulk insulator, a large electromotive force emerges in the direction perpendicular to the in-plane magnetization of yttrium iron garnet. The enhanced, tunable SSE which occurs when the Fermi level lies in the bulk gap offers unique advantages over the usual SSE in metals and therefore opens up exciting possibilities in spintronics.
Cyber-Physical Platform Development for Multivariable Artificial Pancreas Systems

This paper describes a distributed sensor platform for a new breed of artificial pancreas devices. In recent work, a multi-variable adaptive algorithm has been proposed which incorporates physical activity of the patients for accurate prediction and control of glucose levels. In order to facilitate this algorithm, the authors integrate a smartphone and multiple sensors including activity trackers and a glucose monitor into a distributed system. The proposed sensor platform provides real-time data access for the artificial pancreas control algorithm hosted on a remote device.
LIPID METABOLISM IN PIGEON AORTA DURING ATHEROGENESIS.

The development of atherosclerosis has been studied in White Carneau and Show Racer pigeons. The results of analytical studies indicate that the disease process is characterized by the accumulation of various lipids, and especially of sterol esters and free sterols. By perfusion of arteries with blood serum or with tissue culture medium containing (C14-labeled acetate, significant synthesis of labeled fatty acids has been shown to occur. As the aorta becomes relatively more diseased, the synthesis of fatty acids is enhanced, and the atherosclerotic plaque itself appears to be the site of most of the synthesis. Likewise, as the aorta becomes more diseased, relatively more of the newly synthesized fatty acid becomes esterified to cholesterol. The cholesterol to which the fatty acid is esterified appears to be that which is contained within the arterial wall, and the artery appears to have the necessary enzyme systems for carrying out the esterification.
Optimal myocardial preservation with an acalcemic crystalloid cardioplegic solution.

The effect of the calcium and oxygen contents of a hyperkalemic glucose-containing cardioplegic solution on myocardial preservation was examined in the isolated working rat heart. The cardioplegic solution was delivered at 4° C every 15 minutes during 2 hours of arrest, maintaining a myocardial temperature of 8° ± 2° C. Hearts were reperfused in the Langendorff mode for 15 minutes and then resumed the working mode for a further 30 minutes. Groups of hearts were given the oxygenated cardioplegic solution containing an ionized calcium concentration of 0, 0.25, 0.75, or 1.25 mmol/L or the same solution nitrogenated to reduce the oxygen content and containing 0 or 0.75 mmol ionized calcium per liter. The myocardial adenosine triphosphate concentrations at the end of arrest in these six groups of hearts were 15.6 ± 1.2, 9.5 ± 0.5, 8.2 ± 1.1, 4.9 ± 1.8, 10.1 ± 2.0, and 1.6 ± 0.4 nmol/mg dry weight, respectively. At 5 minutes of working reperfusion, the percentages of prearrest aortic flow were 80 ± 2, 62 ± 4, 33 ± 6, 37 ± 5, 48 ± 7 and 46 ± 8, respectively. The differences among the groups in adenosine triphosphate concentrations and in functional recovery diminished during reperfusion. In hearts given the hypoxic calcium-containing solution, there was a marked increase in coronary vascular resistance during the administration of successive doses of cardioplegic solution, which was rapidly reversible upon reperfusion. These data indicate that hearts given the acalcemic oxygenated solution had better adenosine triphosphate preservation during arrest and better functional recovery than hearts in any other group. Addition of calcium to the oxygenated cardioplegic solution decreased adenosine triphosphate preservation and functional recovery. Oxygenation of the acalcemic solution increased adenosine triphosphate preservation and functional recovery. The lowest adenosine triphosphate levels at end arrest were observed in hearts given the hypoxic calcium-containing solution. In the setting of hypothermia and multidose administration, the addition of calcium to a cardioplegic solution resulted in increased energy depletion during arrest and depressed recovery.
Lifestyle treatments in cystic fibrosis: The NHS should not pay

Summary Lifestyle treatments can be defined as those which may have in impact on quality of life but do not affect health outcomes. Particular treatment options may be preferred by patients because they are for example, easier to use, take up less time or taste better. The impact on adherence needs to be considered. Treatment options that promote greater adherence to therapy are likely to be more efficacious and so are not, by definition, lifestyle treatments. The NHS is facing unprecedented financial pressure and resources are limited. When lifestyle treatments are more expensive than standard therapy, they should not be funded by the NHS.
Common Skeletal Deformities

The disorders discussed here reflect localized disturbances of the endochondral growth plate development or localized disturbances of bone maturation. In the first category are dysplasia epiphysealis hemimelica, hereditary multiple exostoses and its variant Langer–Giedion syndrome, and enchondromatosis and its variants Maffucci syndrome and metachondromatosis. They are due to asymmetrical, displaced, or aberrant growth of endochondral cartilage tissues that interferes with normal skeletal development and which may occur as an isolated finding or in concert with other disease manifestations. Some conditions are inherited, but others occur sporadically. The second category comprises fibrous dysplasia of bone, which can be monostotic or polyostotic as an element of McCune–Albright syndrome, and cherubism. Fibrous dysplasia results from somatic activating mutations of GNAS1, which produce McCune–Albright syndrome if they occur early in development or isolated bone lesions if they occur later. Cherubism, which is characterized by painless symmetrical swelling of the jaws during childhood, results from heterozygous mutations of the adaptor protein SH3BP2.
Baseline Ability Makes a Larger Contribution to Race Performance in High School Sprinters Than Race Experience or Training Exposure.

Purpose:There has long been a debate regarding the importance of talent versus training in athletic performance. In this study we sought to quantify their relative contributions to the race performance of high-school sprinters.Methods:Using race results from the athletic.net website, we identified high-school athletes who participated in at least one race in both 9th and 12th grade in the 100 m, 200 m or 400 m. Athletes with a record of racing before high school were excluded from the analyses. Using separate linear regression models for each event and gender, we analyzed the effect of baseline ability, race experience and training exposure on race time in the 12th grade.Results:35,909 athletes, running a total of 1,627,652 races, contributed to the final analyses. The proportion of variance (R2) in 12th grade race times accounted for by baseline ability ranged from 40% to 51% depending on the event, and was consistently higher for females than males. Race experience explained 3.6–4.4% of the variance and...
Surface kinetics study of metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy of GaAs 1-y Bi y on offcut and mesa-patterned GaAs substrates

Abstract The influence of the surface step termination on the metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy of GaAs 1−y Bi y was explored by examining the epitaxial layer growth rate, composition, and morphology characteristics on the offcut and mesa-patterned (001) GaAs substrates. Vicinal surfaces offcut to (111)B with a high density of As-terminated steps (‘B-steps’) increased the GaAs 1−y Bi y layer growth rate as well as possessed the fastest lateral growth rate on mesa-patterned substrates at a growth temperature of 420 °C, indicating that B-steps enhanced the Ga incorporation. With Bi accumulation on the surface, the Ga incorporation rate was reduced by the Bi preferential presence at B-steps blocking the Ga incorporation. Vicinal surfaces offcut to (111)A, which generated Ga-terminated steps (‘A-steps’) enhanced the Bi incorporation rate during growth at 380 °C. This work reveals that the surface step termination plays an important role in the growth of the metastable alloy. Appropriate choices of both the substrate surface-step structure and other growth parameters could lead to an enhanced Bi incorporation.
Entre Alto Cedro y Marcané: Breve semblanza de Danilo Orozco (Santiago de Cuba, 17 de julio, 1944; La Habana, Cuba, 26 de marzo, 2013)

espanolEn 2013 muere en La Habana el musicologo cubano Danilo Orozco. De solida formacion cientifica y manifiesta vocacion social, no solo fue autor y responsable de un sinnumero de estudios que lo situan entre los mas destacados musicologos del siglo XX, sino que ademas acometio y gesto una prolifica labor en la promocion y valoracion del acervo musical de su Cuba natal, especialmente de los musicos campesinos y olvidados con quienes mantuvo contacto y relacion permanente a lo largo de su trabajo de campo. Lejos de percibir el estudio de la musica en campos disciplinarios segmentados, practico una musicologia integrativa, en la que la musica se explica por sus procesos musicales y no segun su situacion historica, cultural o social. Aunque para muchos su mas resonado logro habria sido la tesis doctoral que defendio en 1987 en la Universidad Humboldt de Alemania, sin duda que su mayor legado ha sido la magna labor que desarrollo con los musicos del Oriente cubano. Hoy esta pendiente la divulgacion masiva de su trabajo intelectual el que, sin dudas, fue apoteosico. EnglishThe Cuban musicologist Danilo Orozco died in 2013 in Havana, Cuba. He was able to combine a solid scientific background with a deep commitment to social work. As the writer of or the responsible for numerous musicological studies, he stands among the most important scholars of the twentieth century. He undertook and handled a multifarious effort to further and value the musical heritage of his native Cuba, showing a special care for peasant musicians many of whom had been by then forgotten. He kept in permanent contact and had a close relationship with them as part of his musicological fieldwork. For him music could not be studied from the standpoint of isolated disciplinary fields. Far from that, he practised a widely encompassing musicology considering music on the basis of the musical processes themselves, rather than from the historical, cultural or social situation. For many his most outstanding achievement was his doctoral dissertation submitted in 1987 at the Humboldt University in Germany. However his most enduring legacy has to do with the monumental work that he carried out with musicians of the Oriente province in Cuba. Doubtless his intelectual endeavor was truly gigantic. However it has yet to be made widely known.
Trends in racial/ethnic disparities of new AIDS diagnoses in the United States, 1984–2013

Abstract Purpose In the United States, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) disproportionately impacts racial/ethnic minorities. We describe and evaluate trends in the Black-White and Hispanic-White disparities of new AIDS diagnoses from 1984 to 2013 in the United States. Methods AIDS diagnosis rates by race/ethnicity for people ≥13 years were calculated using national HIV surveillance and Census data. Black-White and Hispanic-White disparities were measured as rate ratios. Joinpoint Regression was used to identify time periods across which to estimate rate-ratio trends. We calculated the estimated annual percent change in disparities for each time period using log-normal linear regression modeling. Results Black-White disparity increased from 1984 to 1990, followed by a large increase from 1991 to 1996, and a smaller increase from 1997 to 2001. Black-White disparity moderated from 2002 to 2005 and rose again from 2006 to 2013. Hispanic-White disparity increased from 1984 to 1997 but declined after 1998. Black-White and Hispanic-White disparities increased for men who have sex with men during 2008 to 2013. Conclusions Recent increases in racial/ethnic disparities of AIDS diagnoses were observed and may be due in part to care continuum inequalities. We suggest assessing disparities in AIDS diagnoses as a high-level measure to capture changes at multiple stages of the care continuum collectively. Future research should examine determinants of racial/ethnic differences at each step of the continuum to better identify characteristics driving disparities.
Design and application of far infrared laser mesh couplers

For most applications of Far Infrared (FIR) lasers, sufficient output power on as many lines as possible is as important as good beam quality. In order to provide optimum coupling to the EH 11 intracavity mode and thus to achieve optimum power and a Gaussian beam profile, hybrid metal mesh couplers are prefered over most other coupling techniques, since no aperture diffraction occurs. Application of our mesh-couplers to FIR lasers yields output powers of tens of milliwatts on many lines, even when pumped with moderate powers in the 10-60 Watt range. Gaussian beam profiles with low divergence angles were achieved in all cases.
1.3μm Ill-nitride nanowire monolithic diode lasers and photonic integrated circuits on (001) silicon

There has been a great deal of attention paid recently to GaN-based nanowires and nanowire heterostructures for their unique materials properties and the potential to realize unique and useful devices with them. They can be epitaxially grown on a variety of substrates, including the technologically important (001)Si [1]. Most importantly, the polarization field and density of extended defects in the nanowires are smaller than those in planar heterostructures. The density of surface states on the nanowire walls is also small and ∼103cm−2. The area density of the nanowire arrays can be varied in the range of 109-1011cm−2. These nanowires have therefore presented a new III-nitride based technology which allows the realization of light sources emitting in the ‘green gap’ and beyond. The active light-emitting region in the nanowires are usually InGaN disks, whose composition can be varied to tune the emission wavelength. Detailed studies have revealed that a single quantum dot is formed in the InGaN disk region [2].
Google and suicides: what can we learn about the use of internet to prevent suicides?

Abstract Objectives This article studies the statistical relationship between the search propensity of suicide-related terms on Google and the number of suicides. Study design Suicide mortality data from all American states from January 2006 to November 2014 (n = 5372) and data on Google search intensity for the same period was collected. Methods Regression analysis with dynamic components was performed to determine the relationship between search intensity and the number of suicides. Results First, this article finds a positive simultaneous correlation between search intensity and the number of suicides. The magnitude of this relationship has grown from 2006 to 2014 suggesting an increased reliance on the internet for suicide-related information. Second, search propensity is a significant predictor for the number of suicides for youth and for males. Conclusions Suicide prevention websites should therefore be designed knowing that at-risk individuals in both groups are probably more prone to look for suicide-related information online.