cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“A Better Crop of Boys and Girls”: The School Gardening Movement, 1890–1920

In the 1890s progressive educators like John Dewey proposed expansive ideas about integrating school and society. Working to make the boundaries between classroom learning and pupils' natural environment more permeable, for example, Dewey urged teachers to connect intellectual and practical elements within their curricula. Highly visible and widespread examples of this integrative goal were the school gardens that flourished from the 1890s well into the twentieth century. Evidence of their presence is recorded in newspapers, national magazines, and annual school reports whose illustrations typically portrayed well-dressed children cultivating large gardens next to impressive urban school buildings. Whether in large cities or country settings, school gardens were expressions of modern and progressive education of the sort encouraged by Dewey. Gardens were encouraged in theory and in practice not only at the laboratory school affiliated with the University of Chicago but also in normal schools across the country (Figure 1).
Smart Pebble : Wireless sensors for structural health monitoring of bridge decks

SRI International is developing a wireless sensor for monitoring the level of chloride ingress into concrete bridge decks. We call this device a Smart Pebble since it has roughly the size and weight of a typical piece of the rock aggregate that is used in such structures. It is "smart" in that it contains a chloride sensor and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip that can be queried remotely both to identify it and to indicate chloride concentration levels. The Smart Pebble is also powered remotely, thus precluding the need for any lifetime-limiting batteries. It is designed to be inserted in the bridge deck either during the initial construction (or during refurbishment) or in a back-filled core hole. This paper will discuss the Smart Pebble design, operation, and status.
A Block Advanced PCA Fusion Algorithm Based on PET/CT

Medical image fusion is the important step after the registration, which is an integrative display method of two images, to make up for lacks of the anatomic and functional image respectively. Based on the original image fusion methods and principle components analysis (PCA) theory, this paper presents a new block enhanced algorithm for medical image fusion considering the imbalance of images. We have experimented on PET/CT data with the algorithm, the results indicate that the proposed method is better than the original fusion ones as higher contrasts and clearer outlines.
A Basketmaker II Massacre Revisited

Over 100 years ago, Richard Wetherill and other members of the Hyde Exploring Expedition discovered a massacre site of 96 Basketmakers in Southeastern Utah. A possible scenario is that the massacre...
Corticotropin-releasing hormone effects on luteinizing hormone and cortisol secretion in intact female rhesus macaques.

It is generally accepted that corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is the central mediator of stress-activated changes in the pituitary-adrenal axis because it results in the release of ACTH and ultimately increases the systemic levels of cortisol. And, because in some situations CRH also inhibits the hypothalamic release of GnRH, it has been presumed that it plays the central role in stress-related reduction in pituitary-gonadal function as well. We previously have shown that 6 h of restraint stress in intact female rhesus macaques suppresses plasma levels of LH in the follicular but not the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and that this effect lasts beyond the period of restraint. Since CRH inhibits both the GnRH pulse generator and LH release in ovariectomized macaques and is generally thought to be the central mediator of stress-induced inhibition of gonadotropin release, we investigated the influence of CRH administration on LH in undisturbed intact female rhesus macaques. Blood samples were collected at 15-min intervals for 15 h from a remote site from female macaques in both the follicular and luteal phase. During this time, each animal received a 4-h infusion of CRH (100-Lg bolus followed by 100 pg/h for 4 h) through an indwelling jugular catheter. Blood samples were collected for an additional 8 h after cessation of the CRH infusion. Cortisol levels were significantly elevated during and after the CRH infusion and were comparable to levels observed in animals that experienced restraint. However, CRH did not suppress LH levels in either the follicular or the luteal phase. These data suggest that CRH is not the only mediator of stress-induced inhibition of gonadotropin release in primates.
Laboratory Evaluation of Lactic Acid on Attraction of Culex spp. (Diptera: Culicidae)

The role of lactic acid was evaluated for attraction of Culex nigripalpus, Culex quinquefasciatus, Culex tarsalis, and Aedes aegypti in the laboratory using a dual-port olfactometer. When lactic acid was combined with chicken odor, attraction was increased for Cx. quinquefasciatus compared to chicken odor alone but not for Cx. nigripalpus, Cx. tarsalis, and Ae. aegypti. Lactic acid combined with hand odor did not change attraction of Cx. tarsalis and Ae. aegypti but decreased attraction of Cx. nigripalpus and Cx. quinquefasciatus. The addition of lactic acid to CO(2) increased attraction of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus but reduced attraction of Cx. nigripalpus and Cx. tarsalis. Use of commercial lactic acid baits with CO(2) resulted in a similar trend except for Cx. nigripalpus which showed no difference. A blend of lactic acid, acetone, and dimethyl disulfide was attractive to Ae. aegypti (63.4%) but elicited low responses by all Culex spp. (1.3-26.8%). Addition of the blend to CO(2) increased attraction of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus but reduced attraction of Cx. nigripalpus and Cx. tarsalis. The mixture of compounds plus CO(2) was as attractive as a hand for Cx. quinquefasciatus, Cx. tarsalis, and Ae. aegypti.
Nonlinear transient thermoelectric effect

Summary form only given. We describe new nonlinear transient thermoelectric effect that promise high conversion efficiency of infrared and/or visible radiation into electricity. This effect may be used for the utilization of the infrared part of solar irradiation spectra, which is longstanding problem in the solar power conversion technology.
High voltage characterization of high dielectric constant composites

Recent advances in the development of high energy storage composites at the University of Missouri-Columbia have resulted in the production of thick materials with a dielectric constant greater than 125 at frequencies on the order of 100s of kHz to at least 4.5 GHz. Since the composites were developed for high voltage devices, they were fabricated with a thickness on the order of millimeters. The highest priority in optimizing the composite properties was to maximize the dielectric constant. However, to ensure compatibility in repetitive pulsed applications, the dielectric losses were minimized, and the dielectric strength was maintained on the same order as conventional insulators. The high dielectric constant composites are characterized by five methods under low and high voltage conditions. The complex permittivity is measured from 100 kHz–30 MHz and 200 MHz–4.5 GHz using industry-standard methods and equipment at low voltage. Additionally, four custom high voltage diagnostics were designed and constructed for high voltage characterization. First, a high voltage pulser is implemented to determine the dielectric strength of the composites under pulsed conditions. Second, the electric field dependence of the composite polarization is measured with a modified Sawyer-Tower polarization test stand. Third, small high voltage capacitors constructed from the high dielectric constant material are characterized by examining the resonance of a high voltage underdamped discharged at a frequency of 10s to 100s of MHz. Lastly, the material is evaluated as a high voltage transmission line using time domain reflectometry techniques. The diagnostic methods used to characterize the dielectric materials are described with an emphasis on the high voltage techniques and data from selected diagnostic methods are presented.
Cell cycle arrest in node cells governs ciliogenesis at the node to break left-right symmetry

Cilia at the node generate a leftward fluid flow that breaks left-right symmetry. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate ciliogenesis at the node are largely unknown. Here, we show that the epiblast-specific deletion of the gene encoding the BMP type 1 receptor (Acvr1) compromised development of nodal cilia, which results in defects in leftward fluid flow and, thus, abnormalities in left-right patterning. Acvr1 deficiency in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) resulted in severe defects in their quiescence-induced primary cilia. Although the induction of quiescence in wild-type MEFs leads to an increase in the level of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27(Kip1) and to rapid p27(Kip1) phosphorylation on Ser(10), MEFs deficient in Acvr1 show a reduction in both p27(Kip1) protein levels and in p27(Kip1) Ser(10) phosphorylation. The observed defects in cilium development were rescued by the introduction of p27(Kip1) into Acvr1-deficient MEFs, implying that BMP signaling positively controls p27(Kip1) stability in the G0 phase via p27(Kip1) Ser(10) phosphorylation, which is a prerequisite for induction of primary cilia. Importantly, in control embryos, p27(Kip1) protein is clearly present and strongly phosphorylated on Ser(10) in cells on the quiescent ventral surface of the node. By contrast, the corresponding cells in the node of Acvr1 mutant embryos were proliferative and showed a dramatic attenuation in both p27(Kip1) protein levels and phosphorylation on Ser(10). Our data suggest that cell quiescence controlled by BMP signaling via ACVR1 is required for transient formation of nodal cilia, and provide insight into the fundamental question of how the node represents the mechanistic `node' that regulates the development of left-right symmetry in vertebrates.
Internet Calendaring and Scheduling Core Object Specification (iCALENDAR) Compatible Collaborative Calendar-Server (CCS) Web Services

There has been a clear need to have a common format for representing calendar data to solve the interoperability issues between different types of Calendaring and Scheduling applications. Internet Calendaring and Scheduling Core Object Specification (iCalendar) defines a common format for calendar data exchange to progress the level of interoperability possible between different calendaring and scheduling applications. In this paper, we describe our approach to resolve interoperability issues by providing implementations of a Collaborative Calendar-Server (CCS), a bridge module, and a Global Multimedia Collaboration System (GlobalMMCS) Client Module. The CCS is implemented based on the iCalendar specification as a collection of Web Services. The bridge module allows the CCS to communicate with different Calendaring and Scheduling applications, which are based on the iCalendar specification and use http methods for interactions. GlobalMMCS portal interacts with the CCS to schedule meetings, and to store and to retrieve calendar information through the GlobalMMCS Client Module.
Intelligent traffic management systems for work zones and incident management

The article deals with an intelligent portable traffic management system that consists of portable variable messages signs (PVMSs), vehicle detection systems (such as detectors, cameras and other surveillance equipment), a computer-based control centre and communication systems. With real-time traffic information provided by detectors, the system can automatically determine messages to be displayed on the PVMSs and may also disseminate the information through highway advisory radios and the internet. This study involved a comprehensive review performed on various intelligent portable traffic management systems for use in work zones and incident management and speed management technologies for use in work zones. By means of the review, those innovative technologies that have the potential to improve highway traffic operations are identified. Knowledge of work zone and incident management deployment initiatives and innovative technologies is acquired from interviews with representatives from departments of transportation in various states and private industries. Features, deployments and evaluation results of various systems are documented, and guidelines are developed for the effective application of portable traffic management systems in work zones and incident areas.
Importance of Nicotine Metabolism in Understanding the Human Biology of Nicotine

Consideration of pharmacokinetic and metabolic processes is essential to our understanding of the effects of nicotine and tobacco in people. Metabolic studies indicate rapid metabolism, which explains low oral bioavailability and physiological influence such as food on the rate of nicotine metabolism. Individual variability in rate of metabolism may explain in part individual differences in tobacco consumption and/or adverse effects of tobacco use. Some metabolites of nicotine, such as nicotine Δ-l′-(5′)-iminium ion, beta-nicotyrine, cotinine or nornicotine, may have pharmacologic activities that could contribute to the effects of nicotine. Studies of nicotine metabolism also provide a basis for biochemical assessment of nicotine exposure from tobacco or environmental tobacco smoke.
Soluble Receptor-Induced Retroviral Infection of Receptor-Deficient Cells

Current models of retroviral entry hypothesize that interactions between the host cell receptor(s) and viral envelope protein induce structural changes in the envelope protein that convert it to an active conformation, allowing it to mediate fusion with the membrane. Recent evidence supporting this hypothesis is the demonstration that Tva, the receptor for subgroup A avian sarcoma and leukosis virus (ASLV-A), induces conformational changes in the viral envelope protein. These changes include conversion of the envelope protein to an active, membrane-binding state likely representing a fusogenic conformation. To determine whether binding of the soluble Tva (sTva) receptor was sufficient to activate fully the fusogenic potential of the ASLV-A envelope protein, we have evaluated the ability of ASLV-A to infect receptor-deficient cell lines in the presence of sTva. Soluble receptor efficiently mediated infection of cells devoid of endogenous Tva in a dose-dependent manner, and this infection was dependent absolutely on the addition of sTva. The infectivity of the virus was enhanced dramatically in the presence of the polycationic polymer Polybrene or when centrifugal forces were applied during inoculation, resulting in viral titers comparable to those achieved on cells expressing endogenous receptor. sTva functioned to mediate infection at low concentrations, approaching the estimated binding constant of the receptor and viral envelope protein. These results demonstrate that receptor binding can activate the ASLV-A envelope protein and convert it to a fusogenic conformation competent to mediate the fusion of the viral and cellular membranes.
A Call to Arms: Radial Artery Access for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

In this issue, Ando and Capodanno report a meta-analysis of randomized trials comparing radial and femoral artery access in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). The editorialists comment o...
Intercessions among American architecture students and a Puerto Rican informal settlement

This paper presents the research and design experiences of American students of architecture working on a research project in the Puerto Rican informal settlement of LaPerla. This neighborhood is located adjacent to the historic city of San Juan, Puerto Rico, (aUNESCO World Heritage Site) and has been segregated from the rest of the city since the first settlers invaded a plot of land about 100 years ago. This paper presents part of the experience of faculty members and more than 180 architecture students from the continental UnitedStates, who have visited Puerto Rico in the last 6 years, as an attempt to incorporate studies of informal settlements in their academic curriculum (through 14 field trips overall). A large research project has been developed to individually study approximately 400 dwellings in this sector. This experience has allowed students to understand the reality of urban slums in a developing country not as spectators, but through designing real architectural and urban projects with the potential to benefit the community, as well as conduct research on disciplines which are relevant to their future profession. As a result, several architectural proposals have been designed by the students, and presented to the local authorities for consideration and further joint development under social programs that will complement the proposed design interventions.This study is part of a collaborative effort between Florida Atlantic University, the community of La Perla, and the local government of San Juan and has been partially financed through an ARCC grant. The work aims to integrate La Perla with the rest of San Juan and improve the quality of life through research and design.
From Modernization to Democratization: The Political Economy of the New International Law in Reframing International Law for the 21st Century

In this chapter, I seek to examine a key theme that has come to dominate the legal and political landscape of post-Cold War era: democratization. In particular, I am interested in examining and explaining certain questions such as: what are the social, political and economic forces that drive democratization and who are the most important actors? What is the relationship between the drive towards democratization and the drive towards marketization in the Third World, which has been the target of massive international interventions since the so-called end of the Cold War? What are the institutional consequences for international law of embracing democratization as an important goal? My argument in this chapter is that democratization has supplanted modernization as the discourse of social transformation in the Third World and therefore, as the driving ideology behind international law as the law that governs the relations between the West and the Third World, and provides a principal explanation for its expansion through institutionalization. If modernization theory was based on the idea of the economic backwardness of the Third World, democratization theory is based on its political backwardness, which it suggests, may contribute to its economic backwardness as well. I shall also argue that this turn towards democratization in international relations is not occurring in a vacuum, but as the distinct and concrete result of an attempt to contain and channel the mass resistance of social movements since the 1980s. Just as in the 1950s and 1960s, international institutions are experiencing an unprecedented growth and reach, due largely to an intense interaction with the democratic mass movements in the Third World. I offer a detailed examination of how this has occurred through a critical mapping of UN peace operations that have focused on promoting democracy, and more recent international development thinking that has begun to embrace democratization. I juxtapose these institutional developments against the mobilization of Third World social movements for democracy and against development. It is my argument in this chapter that the tremendous expansion in the domain of international law and institutions in the last two decades cannot be understood without a proper appreciation of its relationship to the resistance from Third World mass movements. This resistance-renewal dialectic, I suggest, is a core aspect of 'modern' international law.
Treasured possessions: indigenous interventions into cultural and intellecutual property

This book contributes to the ongoing debate on cultural ownerships and indigenous rights both at the community and global level, a debate that poses a crucial question: Who owns native culture? (Br...
The Tidewater Z-Degree and the INTRO Model for Sustaining OER Adoption

A growing body of research confirms the financial and academic benefits that accrue to students whose faculty adopt open educational resources, or OER. While there are no content licensing costs associated with using OER, there are several real costs that must be incurred by an institution that chooses to support its faculty in adopting OER. The Z-Degree initiative at Tidewater Community College utilizes only OER for the 21 courses, providing a pathway for students to earn an associate of science degree in business administration without ever buying a textbook. The authors introduce and illustrate the INTRO (INcreased Tuition Revenue through OER) model for sustaining the provision of OER adoption services. The adoption of OER as part of the Z-Degree decreases drop rates among Tidewater students, allowing the institution to retain tuition revenue it would otherwise have refunded. This retained revenue provides a renewable source of funds to sustainably support the adoption of OER.
Aquaculture in offshore zones.

The Editorial by Rosamond Naylor, “Offshore aquaculture legislation” (8 Sept., p. [1363][1]), suggests that the motivation for moving aquaculture into the open ocean is that “marine fish farming near the shore is limited by state regulations.” Although unworkable regulations may exist in a
Colloidal Quantum Dots for Photo-sensing and Neuron Stimulation

Colloidal quantum dots have high quantum efficiency, unique optical and chemical properties, which allow various new applications. We discuss their potential in high-sensitivity photodetection and facilitating efficient optical stimulation of neurons.
The Mechanosensory Lateral Line System Mediates Activation of Socially-Relevant Brain Regions during Territorial Interactions

Animals use multiple senses during social interactions and must integrate this information in the brain to make context-dependent behavioral decisions. For fishes, the largest group of vertebrates, the mechanosensory lateral line system provides crucial hydrodynamic information for survival behaviors, but little is known about its function in social communication. Our previous work using the African cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni, provided the first empirical evidence that fish use their lateral line system to detect water movements from conspecifics for mutual assessment and behavioral choices. It is unknown, however, where this socially-relevant mechanosensory information is processed in the brain to elicit adaptive behavioral responses. To examine for the first time in any fish species which brain regions receive contextual mechanosensory information, we quantified expression of the immediate early gene cfos as a proxy for neural activation in sensory and socially-relevant brain nuclei from lateral line-intact and -ablated fish following territorial interactions. Our in situ hybridization results indicate that in addition to known lateral line processing regions, socially-relevant mechanosensory information is processed in the ATn (ventromedial hypothalamus homolog), Dl (putative hippocampus homolog), and Vs (putative medial extended amygdala homolog). In addition, we identified a functional network within the conserved social decision-making network whose co-activity corresponds with mutual assessment and behavioral choice. Lateral line-intact and –ablated fight winners had different patterns of co-activity of these function networks and group identity could be determined solely by activation patterns, indicating the importance of mechanoreception to co-activity of the social decision-making network. These data show for the first time that the mechanosensory lateral line system provides relevant information to conserved decision-making centers of the brain during territorial interactions to mediate crucial behavioral choices such as whether or not to engage in a territorial fight. To our knowledge, this is also the first evidence of a subpallial nucleus receiving mechanosensory input, providing important information for elucidating homologies of decision-making circuits across vertebrates. These novel results highlight the importance of considering multimodal sensory input in mediating context-appropriate behaviors that will provide broad insights on the evolution of decision-making networks across all taxa.
The quest to establish the neural substrates of anxiety.

Recent developments in neuroanatomic, lesion, and stimulation and functional brain mapping studies offer great promise in the search for the neural substrates of anxiety. Animal studies have provided important clues about the neural pathways that underlie certain aspects of the evaluative and expressive components of anxiety. As a brain imaging technique that safely permits the study of the living human brain, positron emission tomography (PET) is likely to provide additional information about the neural structures that underlie the evaluation expression and experience of anxiety in each of its normal and pathologic forms.
Development and Evaluation of Classifiers

Diagnostic tests, medical tests, screening tests, biomarkers, and prediction rules are all types of classifiers. This chapter introduces methods for classifier development and evaluation. We first introduce measures of classification performance including sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. We then review some issues in the design of studies to assess and compare the performance of classifiers. Approaches for using the data to estimate and compare classifier accuracy are then introduced. Next, methods for combining multiple classifiers into a single classifier are presented. Lastly, we discuss other important aspects of classifier development and evaluation. The methods presented are illustrated with real data.
Screen printed passive components for flexible power electronics

Additive and low-temperature printing processes enable the integration of diverse electronic devices, both power-supplying and power-consuming, on flexible substrates at low cost. Production of a complete electronic system from these devices, however, often requires power electronics to convert between the various operating voltages of the devices. Passive components-inductors, capacitors, and resistors-perform functions such as filtering, short-term energy storage, and voltage measurement, which are vital in power electronics and many other applications. In this paper, we present screen-printed inductors, capacitors, resistors and an RLC circuit on flexible plastic substrates, and report on the design process for minimization of inductor series resistance that enables their use in power electronics. Printed inductors and resistors are then incorporated into a step-up voltage regulator circuit. Organic light-emitting diodes and a flexible lithium ion battery are fabricated and the voltage regulator is used to power the diodes from the battery, demonstrating the potential of printed passive components to replace conventional surface-mount components in a DC-DC converter application.
Gabaergic Mechanisms after Manipulation of Striatal Dopaminergic Neurons

Dopamine and GABA represent two important neurotransmitters in the mammalian basal ganglia (BG). From a neurochemical point of view, the nuclei of the BG appear to be linked together by a series of GABAergic neurons and their ultimate activity is profoundly influenced by a dopaminergic input from the midbrain. While destruction of the dopaminergic innervation of the striatum by DA-selective neurotoxins or prolonged blockade of striatal DA receptors by neuroleptic drugs is known to result in dopaminergic supersensitivity within the striatum, it has recently been suggested that these same manipulations can lead to GABAergic supersensitivity within the substantia nigra (SN) (Gale and Casu, 1981; Coward, 1982). Huffman and Ticku (1983) demonstrated that chronic haloperidol administration to rats leads to an increase in GABA binding within the SN that persists for at least 4 days following cessation of drug treatment. To determine if this increase in GABA binding represents an enhanced neuronal responsiveness to GABA, i.e. a GABAergic supersensitivity, we have utilized micro-electrode recording techniques, in conjunction with the microiontophoretic application of GABA, to evaluate the effect of chronic haloperidol administration to rats on the responsiveness of individual substantia nigra, pars reticulata (SNR) and globus pallidus (GP) neurons to GABA. In addition, Scatchard analysis of [3H]-muscimol binding was measured so that changes in neuronal responsiveness to GABA could be directly correlated with changes in GABA binding within these two structures. The effects of destruction of the dopaminergic innervation of the striatum on [3H]GABA binding was also assessed in primates treated with the dopaminergic neurotoxin N-methyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP).
The Macro and Meso Basis of the Micro Social Order

This chapter emphasizes the constraints that sociocultural formations in societies impose on face-to-face interaction, with the full recognition that such an emphasis is only one half of the story. Interpersonal processes are embedded in societies, institutional systems, stratification systems, corporate units revealing divisions of labor, categoric units marking differences, and finally encounters or episodes of interaction. Attached to these structures at every level are cultural systems, such as texts, technologies, values, ideologies, meta-ideologies, beliefs, norms, and expectations states. Thus, there are many layers of constraint from macro through meso to micro levels of reality by both social structures and their cultures. The goal of this chapter is to theorize the nature of these constraints. At the end of the paper, I address a more bottom up approach, emphasizing that emotional arousal in face-to-face encounters has large effects on the viability of micro, meso, and macro sociocultural formations.
A new model for thin oxide degradation from wafer charging in plasma etching

Plasma nonuniformity can lead to surface charging and damaging currents through thin oxides. In poly-Si etching, surface currents across the wafer prevent damage until just before endpoint when current collected in halo regions around the mask can lead to gate charging and excessive tunneling current through the oxide. During overetching, additional damage is minimal because of the small collection area. This model is supported by plasma measurements, SPICE simulations, and etching damage results. >
GaAs MESFET and Si CMOS cointegration and circuit techniques

The cointegration of GaAs MESFET and Si CMOS circuits on a single chip has recently been achieved using GaAs-on-Si epitaxial growth techniques. The authors discuss the device and circuit aspects of GaAs/Si cointegration and describe some circuit techniques for monolithically interfacing between GaAs MESFET and Si CMOS circuits. The cointegration was realized in a planar structure appropriate for IC (integrated circuit) processing, which allows interconnection of the two types of circuits by conventional metal interconnects. Specifically, the process was demonstrated by fabricating composite ring oscillators consisting of GaAs MESFET BFL (buffered FET logic) inverters and Si CMOS inverters connected in a ring. >
Transforming nanodevices to next generation nanosystems

The computing demands of future data-intensive applications far exceed the capabilities of today's electronics, and cannot be met by isolated improvements in transistor technologies or integrated circuit (IC) architectures alone. Rather, transformative nano-systems, which leverage the unique properties of emerging nanotechnologies to create new IC architectures, are required to deliver unprecedented performance and energy efficiency. For instance, monolithic three-dimensional integration enables revolutionary digital system architectures of computation finely immersed in memory. Such digital system architectures can achieve significant performance and energy efficiency benefits compared to today's designs. While such systems are challenging to realize with conventional silicon-based technologies, they are naturally enabled by emerging nanotechnologies that can be fabricated at low processing temperatures. We present an overview of our progress toward realizing monolithic 3D ICs, enabled by recent advances in emerging nanotechnologies such as carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNFETs) and emerging memory technologies such as Resistive RAM (RRAM).
A study to reduce readmissions after surgery in the Veterans Health Administration: design and methodology

Hospital readmissions are associated with higher resource utilization and worse patient outcomes. Causes of unplanned readmission to the hospital are multiple with some being better targets for intervention than others. To understand risk factors for surgical readmission and their incremental contribution to current Veterans Health Administration (VA) surgical quality assessment, the study, Improving Surgical Quality: Readmission (ISQ-R), is being conducted to develop a readmission risk prediction tool, explore predisposing and enabling factors, and identify and rank reasons for readmission in terms of salience and mutability. Harnessing the rich VA enterprise data, predictive readmission models are being developed in data from patients who underwent surgical procedures within the VA 2007–2012. Prospective assessment of psychosocial determinants of readmission including patient self-efficacy, cognitive, affective and caregiver status are being obtained from a cohort having colorectal, thoracic or vascular procedures at four VA hospitals in 2015–2017. Using these two data sources, ISQ-R will develop readmission categories and validate the readmission risk prediction model. A modified Delphi process will convene surgeons, non-surgeon clinicians and quality improvement nurses to rank proposed readmission categories vis-a-vis potential preventability. ISQ-R will identify promising avenues for interventions to facilitate improvements in surgical quality, informing specifications for surgical workflow managers seeking to improve care and reduce cost. ISQ-R will work with Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program (VASQIP) to recommend potential new elements VASQIP might collect to monitor surgical complications and readmissions which might be preventable and ultimately improve surgical care.
Langerhans cell: exciting developments in health and disease

Langerhans cells (LCs) have been the subject of much research since their discovery in 1868. LCs belong to the subset of leucocytes called dendritic cells. They are present in the epidermis and the pilosebaceous apparatus and monitor the cutaneous environment for changes in homeostasis. During embryogenesis, a wave of yolk sac macrophages seed the fetal skin. Then, fetal liver monocytes largely replace the yolk sac macrophages and comprise the majority of adult LCs. In the presence of skin irritation, LCs process antigen and travel to regional lymph nodes to present antigen to reactive T lymphocytes. Changes in LCs' surface markers during the journey occur under the influence of cytokines. The difference in expression of surface markers and the ability to resist radiation have allowed researchers to differentiate LCs from the murine Langerin-positive dermal dendritic cells. Exciting discoveries have been made recently regarding their role in inflammatory skin diseases, cancer and HIV. New research has shown that antibodies blocking CD1a appear to mitigate inflammation in contact hypersensitivity reactions and psoriasis. While it has been established that LCs have the potential to induce effector cells of the adaptive immune system to counter oncogenesis, recent studies have demonstrated that LCs coordinate with natural killer cells to impair development of squamous cell carcinoma caused by chemical carcinogens. However, LCs may also physiologically suppress T cells and permit keratinocyte transformation and tumorigenesis. Although long known to play a primary role in the progression of HIV infection, it is now understood that LCs also possess the ability to restrict the progression of the disease. There is a pressing need to discover more about how these cells affect various aspects of health and disease; new information gathered thus far seems promising and exciting.
The utility and feasibility of assessing sleep disruption in a men's health clinic using a mobile health platform device: A pilot study.

SummaryIntroduction Evidence linking sleep disruption and sexual dysfunction in men is mounting; yet the characterisation of sleep patterns and complaints utilising a clinically feasible method within this patient population remain largely under-reported. Aim A pilot study aiming to demonstrate a clinically feasible method to characterise the sleep patterns and complaints in a representative sample of patients treated in a men's health clinic. Methods Male patients (n = 48) completed a battery of validated sleep questionnaires using an mHealth mobile platform, MySleepScript, at the Johns Hopkins Men's Health and Vitality Center. Metrics related to clinical feasibility such as completion time, ease of use, preference of electronic format, and patient satisfaction were also collected. Main Outcome Measures Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Berlin Questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Primary Care PTSD Screen (PC-PTSD). Results Primary urological chief symptoms for this sample patient population were erectile dysfunction (ED; 80%), hypogonadism (40%), benign prostatic hyperplasia/lower urinary tract symptoms (BPH/LUTS; 40%) and Peyronie's disease (10%). Mean PSQI score was 7.8 [SD 4.2], with 67% of all patients falling within the “poor sleeper” range. At least mild symptoms of depression were noted in 40% and 43% were at risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on the Berlin Questionnaire. Conclusions This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility and potential utility of an mHealth platform to assist clinicians, within a men's health clinic, in detecting sleep disturbances. Disrupted sleep was revealed in well over half of this sample of patients. As a result of the growing evidence linking poor sleep and sleep disorders (eg, OSA) to the conditions relevant to men's health (eg, erectile dysfunction, hypogonadism and BPH), further efforts beyond this pilot study are necessary to identify the aetiological processes underlying the association between specific disrupted sleep disorders and urological conditions.
Attenuated Superoxide Dismutase 2 Activity Induces Atherosclerotic Plaque Instability During Aging in Hyperlipidemic Mice.

BackgroundAtherosclerosis progression during aging culminates in the development of vulnerable plaques, which may increase the risk of cardiovascular events. Increased generation and/or decreased s...
Deep roots for the Neanderthals.

Although much information exists about the Neanderthals of Europe who lived 130,000 years ago, their ancestors are still shrouded in mystery. A recent paper reports on the discovery of human fossils in the caves ofhe Sierra de Atapuerca in Spain. The fossils, which are 200,000-300,000 years old, bear some of the specialized anatomical hallmarks of the later Neanderthals, to whom the Atapuerca people may be related.
Biological Effects of Feed and Forage Saponins and Their Impacts on Animal Production

Saponins occur in numerous forages and crop plants used to provide feed for domestic animals. The objective of this paper is to review the significance of saponins to animal production, with particular emphasis on new findings. In some cases, saponins are being revisited after a period of many years of inactivity. This applies, for example, to the roles of saponins in bloat and photosensitization.
The Complete Visibility Problem for Fat Robots with Lights

We consider the distributed setting of N autonomous mobile robots that operate in Look-Compute-Move cycles and communicate with other robots using colored lights (the robots with lights model). We study the fundamental problem of repositioning N autonomous robots on a plane so that each robot is visible to all others (the Complete Visibility problem) on this model. We consider obstructed visibility under which a robot cannot see another robot if a third robot is positioned between then on the straight line connecting them. The literature solves this problem on the robots with lights model for point robots. In this paper, we study this problem, for the very first time, on the robots with lights model for fat robots, i.e., the robots which have physical extents. In particular, we present and analyze an algorithm for the fat robots of unit disc size extents that solves Complete Visibility in O(N) time using 9 colors in the fully synchronous setting avoiding robot collisions.
Electrospinning Technology for Filtering Membranes Fabrication

Filtration is simple, versatile, and economical means to recruit and confine sub-micrometric or nanometric particles and ions, that is, aerosol, water, and air pollutants—in order to provide a highly efficient process for air/water cleaning. Indeed, the growing amount of toxic particles with a large specific surface area, mainly related to increasing combustion emissions in the external environment, is drastically reducing population life quality, due to the ease of crossing human body barriers—through inhalation and absorption. In the last two decades, rapid improvements in nanotechnology are opening new perspectives for the development of innovative filters with permeability properties able to more efficaciously prevent the release of nanoparticles in the atmosphere, soil, or water environments. In particular, electrospinning is emerging as one of the most versatile and cost-effective technologies to design fibrous filtering devices, capable of removing sub-micrometric/nanometric-sized pollutants from gas streams, drastically improving the current efficiency of commercial filters (up to 90–99%). Herein, an overview of the current technological strategies based on electrospinning will be introduced in order to discuss future challenges and trends in the use of electrospun membranes as innovative nano-porous membranes for filtering applications.
Abstract 12762: Cardiac Hypertrophy is Associated With Discordant Protein Turnover in Metabolic Pathways

Introduction: Cardiac hypertrophy preceding heart failure is commonly associated with disrupted protein homeostasis. How alterations in protein temporal stability and turnover may contribute to disease phenotypes is poorly understood, due in part to difficulties in measuring protein half-life in the heart in vivo. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that disrupted proteostasis contributes to cardiac remodelling in part by altering the turnover rates of enzymes necessary to maintain cardiac functions. Method: We developed a technology platform combining stable isotope mass spectrometry, computational modelling and a systems genetics model to investigate the dynamics of proteome remodelling in cardiac hypertrophy over six inbred mouse strains. The mice (C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, CE/J, A/J, FVB/NJ, BALB/cJ) were selected from a panel of >100 strains for their contrasting responses to isoproterenol, which permits regression modelling of proteome dynamics over phenotypic responses. Results: We completed 1,404 LC-MS/MS experiments to quantify the turnover and abundance of 3,227 proteins from 127,648 data series. We performed weighted correlation network analysis to classify the protein data into 15 modules in an unsupervised manner. Strikingly, we found that protein interaction partners and functionally related proteins share synchronous turnover, and that coordinated turnover networks overlapped with metabolic pathways. Regression models show the turnover rate of glycolytic enzymes is a positive predictor of the severity of cardiac hypertrophy in the mouse strains (r: 0.58 - 0.80), whereas the turnover of fatty acid oxidation proteins (e.g., ACAT1, ACAD10, HADHA/B, DBT, ACAA2) is negatively correlated (r: -0.66 - -0.89). Conclusion: Our study provides the first clues on the association between cardiac remodelling and protein turnover networks, and uncovered potential disease drivers that evade steady-state gene expression analysis.
JOB OPENINGS FOR MORAL PHILOSOPHERS IN OREGON: PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE AND THE CULTURE OF ROMANTIC RESCUE

As popular discourse considers the issue of suicide in American culture, we see a range of responses, from the new Hallmark card (“I know that the Creator has already welcomed your loved one home”) to the formal consideration of the issue by legislatures and courts. Except in Oregon, the embrace of assisted suicide has not been entirely robust, but as ethicist Carl Elliott has noted: “while many physicians seem uncomfortable with the idea… academic moral philosophers have been prominent in those who… seem sympathetic to the idea of physician-assisted death” (Elliott, 1996). Hence, I will consider how to solve the many perplexing problems raised by the issue and in so doing reflect on the modest question: Why not philosopher-assisted suicide? In particular, why have only a few considered the obvious advantages of underemployed moral philosophers and bioethicists as the best suited to the job of dispatching the patient who wants not only to die, but to die with the assistance of a well-regarded (even priestly) professional presence? Oregon, the only state to have legalized physician-assisted suicide may want to employ them. In outlining this suggestion, I do not tangentially consider the secondary benefit of finding a solution to the tightening job market for academically trained moral philosophers with a specialization in medical ethics.
Delamination Depth Determinations in Composites Using Thermal Wave Imaging

We describe the use of temperature-time plots from selected regions of pulse-echo thermal wave images of composite structures to determine the depths of delaminations in such structures. Examples from fabricated defects in composites are shown, along with results on impact-damaged composites.
Acousto-optically modulated quantum cascade laser for high-temperature reacting systems thermometry.

We demonstrate time-resolved temperature measurements in shock-heated mixtures of carbon monoxide over a temperature range of 1000–1800 K for two pressure ranges, 2.0–2.9 atm and 7.6–10.7 atm, at rates up to 250 kHz using a single acousto-optically modulated quantum cascade laser with mid-infrared output spanning from 1975 to 2260 cm−1. Measured temperatures were in excellent agreement with values determined by ideal shock relations, and the temperature profile after the passage of the reflected shock wave was found to be well-modeled by an isentropic compression assumption. Temperature measurements made with this setup are largely immune to effects of emissions and beam steering, making the diagnostic system well-suited for studying high-temperature gas-phase reactions of energetic materials such as octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine.