cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling and Optimization of Novel Actuators Produced by Solid Freeform Fabrication

The ability of Solid Freeform Fabrication (SFF) to produce complex piezoceramic architectures has enabled the development of novel designs for PZT actuators. Recently, it has been shown that through the intelligent application of actuator geometry, poling direction, piezoelectric material, and electric field direction, the force and displacement output of a piezoelectric actuator could be optimized. The current investigation examines several piezoceramic actuator geometries, including dome, spiral and a telescoping shaped actuators. Using finite element analysis (FEA), parametric studies are performed to identify some key issues in the optimization of actuator performance. Results of the dome study indicate that an actuator having a tangentially alternating poling direction and applied electric field exhibits a much larger displacement when compared to dome actuators having either a through-the-thickness or tangential poling direction. Analysis of spiral actuators indicates that the spiral geometry results in pronounced displacement amplification when compared to the displacement of an equivalent length piezoelectric strip. In summary, some remarks will be made on the optimal use of piezoelectric material properties and actuator geometry in actuator design.
Metabolism of efavirenz and 8-hydroxyefavirenz by P450 2B6 leads to inactivation by two distinct mechanisms

Efavirenz is a non-nucleoside human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitor used in combination therapy to treat HIV-1. Efavirenz metabolism is catalyzed primarily by the polymorphic enzyme P450 2B6. Metabolism of efavirenz by P450 2B6 and the naturally occurring P450 2B6.4 mutant led to the formation of 8-hydroxyefavirenz. Efavirenz inactivated the 7-ethoxy-4-(trifluoromethyl)coumarin activity of the wild-type P450 2B6 enzyme in a time-, concentration-, and NADPH-dependent manner. However, the P450 2B6.4 variant was not inactivated by efavirenz. The ability of efavirenz to inactivate both enzymes was investigated using cyclophosphamide and bupropion, two structurally unrelated substrates of P450 2B6, as probes. Preincubations with efavirenz decreased the ability of the wild-type enzyme to hydroxylate both substrates to similar extents but had no effect on the activities of the mutant enzyme. Interestingly, the inactivation of the wild-type enzyme was completely reversible after 24 h of dialysis as determined by heme, reduced CO spectra, and activity loss. In contrast, 8-hydroxyefavirenz, a metabolite of efavirenz, was able to inactivate both enzymes irreversibly. These data suggest that incubations of P450 2B6 and P450 2B6.4 with either the parent compound efavirenz or the metabolite 8-hydroxyefavirenz in the reconstituted system result in the formation of two different reactive intermediates that lead to losses in enzymatic activity by two different mechanisms, one reversible and one irreversible.
Regulation of mast cell number and function

Mast cells are complex, multifunctional cells that have unique phenotypes and growth requirements. Regulation in vitro of human mast cell growth and function differs from regulation of rodent mast cells. Human cell yields in vitro vary depending on tissue of origin, use of mononuclear or CD34+ progenitor cells, presence of cytokines, and serum-free versus serum-containing mediums. This article presents a summary of recent advances in the understanding of cytokine regulation of mast cell numbers and function in rodents and humans.
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate induces a functional zinc deficiency during pregnancy and teratogenesis that is independent of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a peroxisome proliferator whose administration to rodents induces a pleiotropic response mediated by the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPAR alpha). The mechanisms underlying DEHP-induced reproductive toxicity and teratogenicity are not well understood but could be the result of an alteration in gene expression by PPAR alpha. Additionally, phthalate exposure is known to impair fetal zinc (Zn) levels during pregnancy. In this work, we investigated whether the reproductive toxicity and teratogenicity of DEHP are mediated by PPAR alpha and whether the receptor influences maternal and/or embryonic Zn metabolism. Pregnant female mice, homozygous wild-type (+/+) or PPAR alpha -null (-/-), were intubated with either vehicle alone or 1,000 mg DEHP/kg body weight on gestation day (GD) 8 and 9. Pregnancy outcome was evaluated on GD10 and GD18 in two cohorts of animals. Compared to controls, DEHP administration resulted in maternal toxicity, embryo/ fetal toxicity, and teratogenicity in both (+/+) and (-/-) mice. Maternal liver mRNA for cytochrome P-450 4A1 (CYP4A1) was higher in DEHP-treated (+/+) mice but not in DEHP-treated (-/-) mice on GD10, consistent with their respective phenotype. Maternal liver MT and Zn levels were significantly higher than in controls on GD10. In addition, embryonic Zn content was significantly lower in both genotypes treated with DEHP compared to controls. Results from this work show that DEHP-induced reproductive toxicity, teratogenicity, and altered Zn metabolism are not mediated through PPAR alpha-dependent mechanisms. In addition, this work suggests that DEHP-induced alterations in Zn metabolism contribute to the mechanisms underlying DEHP-induced reproductive toxicity and teratogenicity.
Seasonal Variation in Mate Choice of Photinus ignitus Fireflies

Mate choice by either sex may vary with changes in the associated costs and benefits, determined by factors such as the availability of potential mates and variation in mate quality. We examined seasonal variation in operational sex ratio, courtship behavior, spermatophore mass, egg count, and the relationship between morphological traits and mating success in Photinus ignitus fireflies to determine if mate choice in either sex varied with the availability and relative reproductive investment of fertilizable females and sexually active males. Successfully mating males had larger lanterns than unsuccessful males when the operational sex ratio was male-biased. In addition, female responsiveness to male signals increased as the number of courting males decreased, and male spermatophore mass decreased with body size across the mating season. Successfully mating females had larger body mass than unsuccessful females. Female body mass predicted egg count and female rejection by males increased as the season progressed and female size decreased. These results suggest that both male and female P. ignitus exhibit mate choice, and that such choice is influenced by seasonal variation in the abundance and quality of potential mates.
Toll-like receptor-4 message is up-regulated in lipopolysaccharide-exposed rat lung pericytes.

Background Pericytes are multifunctional, polymorphic perivascular cells that lie within the microvessel basal lamina, are located on the abluminal side of endothelial cells, and are thought to play a regulatory role in capillary leak observed in sepsis. Toll-Like receptor 4 (TLR-4) has been implicated as the proximal transmembrane receptor for the LPS/CD 14 complex during the activation of lipopolysacharide (LPS)-induced sepsis. It is our hypothesis that TLR-4 is present on lung pericytes and is up-regulated in response to LPS. Methods Rat microvascular lung pericytes were isolated and cultured. Cells from passage 3–5 were used and treated with LPS (control, 10 ng/mL, and 100 ng/mL) for 18 h. Immunostaining and immunoblotting were performed to detect the presence of CD-14, TLR-2, and TLR-4. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze the presence and quantity of mRNA for CD-14, TLR-2, and TLR-4. Results Immunostaining and immunoblotting revealed the presence of CD-14, TLR-2, and TLR-4 in pericytes from each treatment group, and real-time polymerase chain reaction confirmed the presence of mRNA for CD-14, TLR-2, and TLR-4. An increase in the mRNA was observed in CD-14, TLR-2, and TLR-4 in the presence of increasing LPS 4 h after treatment. At 18 h after LPS treatment, a decrease in mRNA was noted. Conclusions The up-regulation of TLR-4 in the presence of increasing LPS suggests its importance in pericyte LPS-induced activation. Pericyte TLR-4 recognition of LPS could play a role in capillary leak seen in sepsis. These data also demonstrates that pericytes, once thought to be passive participants in the inflammatory cascade, may be active members.
Automatic segmentation of the left-ventricular cavity and atrium in 3D ultrasound using graph cuts and the radial symmetry transform

In this paper, we propose a graph-based method for fullyautomatic segmentation of the left ventricle and atrium in 3D ultrasound (3DUS) volumes. Our method requires no user input and can segment volumes with open and closed mitral valves. We utilize the radial symmetry transform to determine a central axis along which the 3D volume is warped into a cylindrical coordinate space. A graph is constructed for the volume in this space and a min-cut algorithm is applied to segment the left ventricle and atrium from the background. Since segmentation in the cylindrical coordinate space is defined as finding a boundary between the left (interior) and right (exterior) sides, we obviate the need for user specified seeds. The segmented results are transformed back to the Cartesian coordinate space. Experiments using intraoperative 3D ultrasound data show promising results.
Prejudice at the Nexus of Race and Gender: An Outgroup Male Target Hypothesis

Adopting an evolutionary approach to the psychology of race bias, we posit that intergroup conflict perpetrated by male aggressors throughout human evolutionary history has shaped the psychology of modern forms of intergroup bias and that this psychology reflects the unique adaptive problems that differ between men and women in coping with male aggressors from groups other than one’s own. Here we report results across 4 studies consistent with this perspective, showing that race bias is moderated by gender differences in traits relevant to threat responses that differ in their adaptive utility between the sexes—namely, aggression and dominance motives for men and fear of sexual coercion for women. These results are consistent with the notion that the psychology of intergroup bias is generated by different psychological systems for men and women, and the results underscore the importance of considering the gender of the outgroup target as well as the gender of the agent in psychological studies on prejudice and discrimination.
Auditory Thalamus and Auditory Cortex Are Equally Modulated by Context during Flexible Categorization of Sounds

In a dynamic world, animals must adapt rapidly to changes in the meaning of environmental cues. Such changes can influence the neural representation of sensory stimuli. Previous studies have shown that associating a stimulus with a reward or punishment can modulate neural activity in the auditory cortex (AC) and its thalamic input, the medial geniculate body (MGB). However, it is not known whether changes in stimulus-action associations alone can also modulate neural responses in these areas. We designed a categorization task for rats in which the boundary that separated low- from high-frequency sounds varied several times within a behavioral session, thus allowing us to manipulate the action associated with some sounds without changing the associated reward. We developed a computational model that accounted for the rats' performance and compared predictions from this model with sound-evoked responses from single neurons in AC and MGB in animals performing this task. We found that the responses of 15% of AC neurons and 16% of MGB neurons were modulated by changes in stimulus-action association and that the magnitude of the modulation was comparable between the two brain areas. Our results suggest that the AC and thalamus play only a limited role in mediating changes in associations between acoustic stimuli and behavioral responses.
Electric energy workforce demographics: An essay

The root-cause of the workforce demographics gap related to electric power and energy industry in tracked back in the early 50's. The problem got amplified due to the lack of foresight by the industry, electric utility deregulation and restructuring efforts. The impact cascaded into the talent supply pipeline and university power engineering programs. A window of opportunity exists for a collaborative effort between the energy industry, academia, and industry/trade society to address the immediate need. This paper addresses the big picture and suggests possible ramification.
Shortening of laser pulses at the focus of a chromatic lens

We show that a long self-modulated laser pulse can be shortened at the focus of a chromatic lens as the result of a destructive superposition of the field due to the radius-dependent group delay.
Analysis and modification of the infinite foursquare array

The foursquare antenna array is a tightly coupled array originating from Virginia Tech. Past work has provided minor variation of the foursquare design to improve bandwidth while developing broader electromagnetic modeling techniques. Observation of most tightly coupled array designs suggest the need for higher overall capacitance at lower frequencies, although the elements are already closely spaced. We present a concept for tuning the input impedance in such infinite arrays and a circularly polarized design for further design work as a finite array.
V. One‐Electron Density Functions and Many‐Centered Finite Multipole Expansions

The one-electron density function, ρ(r), (in principle deduced from elastically scattered X-ray intensities) is the probability distribution function of an electron, averaged over the positions of all other electrons. A partitioning of ρ(r) into constituent parts is an intellectual exercise that does not lend itself to unique measurement from elastic X-ray scattering experiments. It is shown that in the limit of perfect data and an infinite Ewald sphere, a least-squares fit with a many-centered finite multipole expansion of the charge density about the N nuclei will necessarily satisfy the q-centered multipoles of the molecule for q = 1, 2,…, N. This means that a large number of static-charge physical properties (averages over ρ(r)) are correctly given. Several expressions for averages of ρ(r) or over FH are given. It is shown that outer moments, such as atomic charges, dipole moments and quadrupole moments, always depend on a shape function. On the other hand, inner moments such as potentials, electric forces, and electric field gradients, may be represented by direct Fourier analysis of FH (obs) (suitably phased, of course). Nuclear vibrations have been neglected throughout the discussion.
Current Management Strategies for Acute Esophageal Variceal Hemorrhage

Acute esophageal variceal hemorrhage is one of the clinical events that define decompensated cirrhosis and is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Although recent treatment strategies have led to improved outcomes, variceal hemorrhage still carries a 6-week mortality rate of 15-20%. Current standards in its treatment include antibiotic prophylaxis, infusion of a vasoactive drug and endoscopic variceal ligation. The placement of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is considered for patients that have treatment failure or recurrent bleeding. Recurrent hemorrhage is prevented with the combination of a non-selective beta-blocker and endoscopic variceal ligation. These recommendations however assume that all patients with cirrhosis are equal. Based on a review of recent evidence, a strategy in which patients are stratified by Child class, the main predictor of outcomes, is proposed.
Sliding mode control synthesis using fuzzy logic

In variable structure control algorithms, sliding mode plays a crucial role in making the closed loop system insensitive to modeling uncertainties and external disturbances, and also in transforming the original system dynamics into prescribed reduced order dynamics restricted to a switching manifold on which desired system dynamic behavior is achieved. The control law used to realize the desired sliding mode dynamics is discontinuous on the switching manifold. However, due to imperfections in switching, such as time delays, the system trajectory chatters instead of sliding along the switching manifold. This chattering is undesirable because it may excite unmodeled high-frequency dynamics in the physical system. To overcome this drawback, in this paper, a new sliding mode control algorithm using concepts from fuzzy theory and fuzzy logic is developed. The eccentricity of the new sliding mode control algorithm resides in generalized form of switching manifold which allows for a smooth transition between the reaching mode and the sliding mode. To demonstrate its performance, the proposed control algorithm is applied to a one-degree of freedom robot arm.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Stimulation of Estradiol Production and Androgen Antagonism of Gonadotropin-Stimulated Responses in Cultured Human Granulosa-Luteal Cells

Baseline and gonadotropin-stimulated estradiolproduction were examined in long term cultures of human granulosa-luteal cells isolated from women undergoing in vitro fertilization. Estradiol production declined by 70% during the first 48 h in culture and was minimally stimulated by the addition of hCG to the culture medium. During subsequent culture from 48–120 h estradiol production was significantly increased over control levels by hCG concentrations greater than 0.1 IU/ml.Incubation with testosterone stimulated estradiol production 100-fold in the presence and absence of gonadotropin hCG(0.01–10 IU/ml) stimulated a 3- to 13-fold increase in progesterone production. However, at hCG concentrations greater than 1 IU/ml, coincubation with testosterone (10−7 M) significantly inhibited progesterone production. Dihydrotestosterone also inhibited progesterone production, but to a lesser extent than testosterone. Freshly isolated granulosa-luteal cells specifically bound small amounts of [125I]hCG (<l,000 cpm/10...
Nonlinear optics in silicon nitride waveguide device on silicon chip

Silicon nitride /silicon dioxide waveguide using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition is reported, which has the loss of ~4 dB/cm. A ring resonator using the waveguide gives the Q of 12,900 and its nonlinear response is studied.
A spatial zero-inflated poisson regression model for oak regeneration

Ecological counts data are often characterized by an excess of zeros and spatial dependence. Excess zeros can occur in regions outside the range of the dis- tribution of a given species. A zero-inflated Poisson regression model is developed, under which the species range is determined by a spatial probit model, including physical variables as covariates. Within that range, species counts are independently drawn from a Poisson distribution whose mean depends on biotic variables. Bayesian inference for this model is illustrated using data on oak seedling counts.
Aqueous solvation of charge at hydrophobic liquid surfaces

Abstract The solvation of charge at the interface between an aqueous phase and hydrophobic medium is a key question in the mechanism of a wide range of biomolecular processes. These studies report the direct measurement of the molecular properties of water surrounding an isolated charge at an oil/water interface, and show how the solvating water structure changes with progressive charge build-up. At trace charge concentrations, highly oriented solvating water molecules found in both the aqueous and hydrophobic rich phases have negligible interactions with other water molecules. Water molecules observed within the hydrophobic rich phase are highly oriented by charge–dipole interactions.
GABAergic inhibition of endogenous dopamine release measured in vivo with 11C-raclopride and positron emission tomography

Extensive neuroanatomical, neurophysiological, and behavioral evidence demonstrates that GABAergic neurons inhibit endogenous dopamine release in the mammalian corpus striatum. Positron emission tomography (PET) studies in adult female baboons, using the dopamine D2-specific radiotracer 11C-raclopride, were undertaken to assess the utility of this imaging technique for measuring these dynamic interactions in vivo. 11C-raclopride binding was imaged prior to and following the administration of either gamma-vinyl-GABA (GVG), a specific suicide inhibitor of the GABA-catabolizing enzyme GABA transaminase, or lorazepam, a clinically prescribed benzodiazepine agonist. Striatal 11C- raclopride binding increased following both GVG and lorazepam administration. This increase exceeded the test/retest variability of 11C-raclopride binding observed in the same animals. These findings confirm that changes in endogenous dopamine concentrations resulting from drug-induced potentiation of GABAergic transmission can be measured with PET and 11C-raclopride. Finally, this new strategy for noninvasively evaluating the functional integrity of neurophysiologically linked transmitter systems with PET supports its use as an approach for assessing the multiple mechanisms of drug action and their consequences in the human brain.
Association Between Olfactory Dysfunction and Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer Disease Dementia

Importance To increase the opportunity to delay or prevent mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia, markers of early detection are essential. Olfactory impairment may be an important clinical marker and predictor of these conditions and may help identify persons at increased risk. Objective To examine associations of impaired olfaction with incident MCI subtypes and progression from MCI subtypes to AD dementia. Design, Setting, and Participants Participants enrolled in the population-based, prospective Mayo Clinic Study of Aging between 2004 and 2010 were clinically evaluated at baseline and every 15 months through 2014. Participants (N = 1630) were classified as having normal cognition, MCI (amnestic MCI [aMCI] and nonamnestic MCI [naMCI]), and dementia. We administered the Brief Smell Identification Test (B-SIT) to assess olfactory function. Main Outcomes and Measures Mild cognitive impairment, AD dementia, and longitudinal change in cognitive performance measures. Results Of the 1630 participants who were cognitively normal at the time of the smell test, 33 died before follow-up and 167 were lost to follow-up. Among the 1430 cognitively normal participants included, the mean (SD) age was 79.5 (5.3) years, 49.4% were men, the mean duration of education was 14.3 years, and 25.4% were APOE e4 carriers. Over a mean 3.5 years of follow-up, there were 250 incident cases of MCI among 1430 cognitively normal participants. We observed an association between decreasing olfactory identification, as measured by a decrease in the number of correct responses in B-SIT score, and an increased risk of aMCI. Compared with the upper B-SIT quartile (quartile [Q] 4, best scores), hazard ratios (HRs) (95% CI) were 1.12 (0.65-1.92) for Q3 ( P = .68); 1.95 (1.25-3.03) for Q2 ( P = .003); and 2.18 (1.36-3.51) for Q1 ( P = .001) (worst scores; P for trend P = .04); 3.63 (1.19-11.10) for Q2 ( P = .02); and 5.20 (1.90-14.20) for Q1 ( P = .001). After adjusting for key predictors of MCI risk, B-SIT (as a continuous measure) remained a significant predictor of MCI (HR, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.04-1.16]; P Conclusions and Relevance Olfactory impairment is associated with incident aMCI and progression from aMCI to AD dementia. These findings are consistent with previous studies that have reported associations of olfactory impairment with cognitive impairment in late life and suggest that olfactory tests have potential utility for screening for MCI and MCI that is likely to progress.
Chemostratigraphic and U–Pb geochronologic constraints on carbon cycling across the Silurian–Devonian boundary

Abstract The Devonian Period hosts extraordinary changes to Earth's biosphere. Land plants began their rise to prominence, with early vascular vegetation beginning its colonization of near-shore environments in the latest Silurian. Across the Silurian–Devonian (Pridoli–Lochkovian) transition, carbon isotope analyses of bulk marine carbonates ( δ C carb 13 ) from Laurentian and Baltic successions reveal a positive δ C carb 13 shift. Known as the Klonk Event, values reach + 5.8 ‰ , making it one of the largest carbon isotope excursions in the Phanerozoic. Assigning rates and durations to these significant events requires a robust, precise Devonian time scale. Here we present 675 micritic matrix and 357 fossil-specific δ C carb 13 analyses from the lower Devonian Helderberg Group of New York and West Virginia that exhibit the very positive δ C carb 13 values observed in other Silurian–Devonian basins. This chemostratigraphic dataset is coupled with 66 ID-TIMS U–Pb dates on single zircons from six ash falls intercalated within Helderberg sediments, including dates on the stratigraphically lowest Devonian ashes yet developed. In this work, we (a) demonstrate that matrix and fossil-specific δ C carb 13 values track one another closely in the Helderberg Group, (b) estimate the Silurian–Devonian boundary age in New York to be 421.3 ± 1.2 Ma (2σ; including decay constant uncertainties), and (c) calculate the time required to evolve from baseline to peak δ C carb 13 values at the onset of the Klonk event to be 1.00 ± 0.25 Myr . Under these constraints, a steady-state perturbation to the global carbon cycle can explain the observed excursion with modern fluxes, as long as DIC concentration in the Devonian ocean remained below ∼2× the modern value. Therefore, potential drivers, such as enhanced burial of organic carbon, need not rely on anomalously high total fluxes of carbon to explain the Klonk Event.
Predicting Interesting Things in Text

While reading a document, a user may encounter concepts, entities, and topics that she is interested in exploring more. We propose models of “interestingness”, which aim to predict the level of interest a user has in the various text spans in a document. We obtain naturally occurring interest signals by observing user browsing behavior in clicks from one page to another. We cast the problem of predicting interestingness as a discriminative learning problem over this data. We leverage features from two principal sources: textual context features and topic features that assess the semantics of the document transition. We learn our topic features without supervision via probabilistic inference over a graphical model that captures the latent joint topic space of the documents in the transition. We train and test our models on millions of realworld transitions between Wikipedia documents as observed from web browser session logs. On the task of predicting which spans are of most interest to users, we show significant improvement over various baselines and highlight the value of our latent semantic model.
I Like the Way This Feels: Using Classroom Response System Technology to Enhance Tactile Learners' Introductory American Government Experience.

ABSTRACTDo individual-level student learning styles affect appreciation for and benefit from the use of classroom response system technology? This research investigates the benefit of in-class electronic classroom response systems (“classroom clickers”). With these systems, students answer questions posed to them in a PowerPoint presentation through the use of handheld remote control devices. Aggregate results can be immediately displayed and discussed. Although this technology is rapidly gaining use in university classrooms across the nation, most of the published academic research on the use of classroom response systems focuses on the “nuts and bolts” of using the system or on ways that such systems might be useful in particular types of classes. Little research assesses the ways in which individual-level student characteristics might influence the utility of this technology. I utilize original survey data collected from four introductory American Government courses (Fall 2009 and Fall 2010) to investi...
In situ sensing in glass fiber-reinforced polymer composites via embedded carbon nanotube thin films

Abstract The use of fiber-reinforced composite materials has drastically increased in the past several decades. Due to this, an increased interest in long-term structural performance and monitoring of these materials has led to several methods to perform in-service assessments. This chapter covers the recent research in the area of embedding carbon nanotube–based thin films into glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites. Significant detail is given on the manufacturing process and measurement strategies of the research that has been conducted in this field. Finally, typical results are described for the methods discussed pertaining to sensing strain and detecting damage in GFRP composites.
Haplotypes drop by drop

Short-read sequencing provides haplotype information when long DNA fragments are barcoded in microfluidic droplets.
Citizenship Talk: Bridging the Gap between Race and Immigration Perspectives

Recently, two branches of legal scholarship have generated particularly illuminating insights through analyses of citizenship-related issues: scholars of Critical Race Theory (CRT), with their focus on the failure of the United States to fulfill the promises of full equality made to its citizens of color, and mainstream immigration legal theorists, with their exploration of the shifting parameters of national citizenship in the context of globalization and massive migration. Oddly, however, these inquiries have largely proceeded separately, with very little overlap. This Article probes the complementary forms of taken-for-grantedness that exist on the part of CRT scholars and mainstream immigration scholars where matters of citizenship are concerned. In CRT, while race has been thoroughly deconstructed and interrogated, the notion of citizenship has rarely been examined with a critical eye. Meanwhile, in mainstream immigration legal scholarship, citizenship is subject to rigorous interrogation, but the concept of race is rarely raised and its social construction is infrequently challenged. The authors, an immigration scholar and a Critical Race scholar, argue that discussions of citizenship in legal theory will be far richer when these branches of inquiry are integrated. This brief Article maps the important citizenship-related contributions of the CRT and immigration fields; offers preliminary explanations for why they have often proceeded on separate tracks; and draws on recent events such as Hurricane Katrina and the immigrant marches of 2006 to emphasize that the workings of citizenship in contemporary American society cannot be fully understood unless race and immigration lenses are used together. Finally, the Article outlines a future collaborative project that bridges the gap by addressing issues of race, ethnicity, and immigration in the context of work and citizenship.
Laboratorians at Risk: The Threat of Exposure to Infectious Agents and the Role of the Biosafety Program

Daily, laboratory workers are exposed to microorganisms that cause infections. Today, the primary risks are associated with exposure to viruses present in blood and body fluids (eg, hepatitis viruses, human immunodeficiency virus) and the handling of infectious agents amplified in culture (eg, Mycobacterium tuberculosis ). These risks to employees have prompted regulatory agencies to draft mandatory, comprehensive biosafety programs for laboratories. The strategies for the prevention and management of laboratory-associated infections include assessing each laboratory task, containing infectious agents by physically separating them from the laboratory worker, educating employees, and providing access to an employee health program. Adherence to these biosafety guidelines will reduce but not totally eliminate the risk of occupational exposure to infectious agents in the workplace. Employees must be aware of these risks and use appropriate methods to reduce exposure to themselves and their coworkers.
0053 Translating research to practice to prevent intimate partner violence

Statement of purpose To identify, evaluate, and implement evidence-based and promising strategies to prevent severe and fatal intimate partner violence. Methods/Approach The OK Injury Program partnered with OU College of Nursing, Arizona State University, and Johns Hopkins University on a National Institute of Justice grant to evaluate the lethality assessment protocol (LAP) in OK. Police conducted a brief 11-item lethality screen at the domestic violence (DV) scene to identify victims at high risk for homicide and attempted to connect them with DV services and safety planning. A quasi-experimental design was used to collect data from high-risk victims referred by police during comparison and intervention phases. Baseline and follow-up telephone interviews were conducted to assess victims’ violence exposure and protective actions. Results The study was conducted from 2009–2013. Seven police and local collaborating DV services agencies were recruited to participate. A total of 689 (342 comparison and 347 intervention) high risk women completed a baseline interview at 4–7 days following the incident; 414 (212 comparison and 202 intervention) completed a follow-up interview approximately 6 months later. Nearly 90% of these women reported severe or near lethal violence. Upon follow-up, women in the intervention group reported less frequency and severity of violence and more protective actions than women in the comparison group. Conclusions While results of the study are not generalizable, the LAP was found to be an effective police strategy to reduce intimate partner violence in OK. The data supports the LAP as a promising practice to decrease violent victimisation and increase protective actions among women who experience severe or near lethal violence. Significance and contribution to the field In 2014, HB 2526 was passed by the OK legislature directing all Oklahoma police officers to ask the 11 questions from the LAP screen. Statewide training on the LAP is now coordinated by the OK Office of the Attorney General. An indirect result of the study, this legislation translates research to practice in the community.
The Characterization of Linear Polyethylene SRM's 1482, 1483, and 1484 III. Weight-Average Molecular Weights by Light Scattering.

Linear polyethylene Standard Reference Materials SRM 1482, 1483, and 1484 are certified for weight-average molecular weight Mw . In this paper the experimental procedures employed for the determination Mw for these materials by light scattering are described, and the techniques used to analyze the data and to estimate limits of systematic error are discussed.
MPTH-17CLINICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF LONG-TERM GLIOBLASTOMA SURVIVORS

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a challenging disease with ultimately fatal outcome in the majority of patients. Despite improved treatment modalities, median overall survival (OS) rates range between 15-18 months. However, some patients show remarkably longer OS, although the underlying factors associated with prolonged survival remain largely unknown. We here present the clinical and pathological characteristics of a cohort of patients considered long-term survivors. METHODS: Long-term survival (LTS) was defined as OS >3 years after initial diagnosis. Long-term survivors were retrospectively identified from a systematic departmental clinical database from a single institution, and both medical and pathology records were reviewed to identify demographic and clinical characteristics. Tumors were molecularly profiled using a standard clinical panel used for all glioma patients treated at our center. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate analysis was used to identify factors associated with LTS. RESULTS: We identified a total of 23 long-term survivors, including 14 cases with OS >5 years. Median age at initial diagnosis was 41 years (range 25-68). There was no difference in gender distribution. The majority of tumors were located in the frontal lobes (16/23, 69.5%). 13/23 (57%) of patients underwent gross-total resection. 9/23 tumors (39.1%) featured an oligodendroglial component in histopathological analysis. All patients received adjuvant concurrent radiation and temozolomide and subsequent chemotherapy (with regimens of either PCV, n = 2, gefitinib, n = 1, or temozolomide, n = 20). 9/23 patients showed MGMT-promoter methylation, 4 were non-methylated and 10 remained undetermined. The majority of patients (13/23, 56.6%) were TP53-wildtype. IDH1-mutation was present in 19/23 patients, 82.6% (17 R132H, 2 R132C). All IDH1-wildtype cases were both MGMT-promoter methylated and TP53-wildtype. CONCLUSIONS: IDH1-mutation, MGMT-promoter methylation, TP53-wildtype status, oligo-component, and frontal lobe location seem to be favorable prognostic factors for LTS. Interestingly, in our cohort gross-total surgical resection was not an absolute prerequisite for LTS and IDH1-wildtype status did not preclude long-term survival.
Organic farming and international exchange: participant perceptions of North–South transferability

ABSTRACTInstitutions of higher education and work–study abroad programmes have been instrumental in internationalizing sustainable agriculture education. Informal educational opportunities in the form of internships and apprenticeships have become relatively common features of the organic agriculture landscape in the USA. This research examines an international agricultural exchange programme that effectively combines these two emerging fields of study exploring how exchange participants perceive the transferability of their organic farming experience in the USA, to their home countries in Peru and Ecuador. Learning experiences and host farms vary considerably, with some participants being more optimistic than others about how well organic farming practices on their respective farms could be adopted to their home country contexts. While the cross-border/transnational nature of the exchange programme examined is not unique, the inverse flow of people in the exchange (from South to North) examined in this s...
Identifying the damage of stayed-cables based on the method of strain mode

Based on the method of strain mode, the damage identification of a stayed-cable is studied. In the paper, the capability to identify the damage of the stayed-cable by the numerical simulation of difference damage cases of the stayed-cable. The results show that the damage of the stayed-cable can be accurately identified by the curve difference of strain mode,and the peak values of strain mode increase with the element damage of the stayed-cable. Strain mode is an ideal damage identification signature to diagnose damage.
Characteristics,Application,Safety Evaluation and Safety Control of Natural Food Pigments

Natural food pigments have been widely used in the food industry due to their unique benefits such as high safety,low negative effects and multiple health benefits compared with synthetic food pigments.However,with development of natural food pigments,the safety of natural pigments used in foods has gained extensive attention.There are still many safety risks in natural food pigments during their development,processing and application.This article summarizes the classification,major characteristics,application and safety evaluation as well as safety control of natural food pigments,which will be benefit for reducing the immediate and cumulative safety risks of natural food pigments to the minimal level.A series of natural food pigment safety evaluation methods including toxicology test,toxic trace element test and hygiene test of natural food pigments in a more reliable and consistent manner have been discussed.
Rheostatic Regulation of the SERCA/Phospholamban Membrane Protein Complex Using Non-Coding RNA and Single-Stranded DNA oligonucleotides

The membrane protein complex between sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) and phospholamban (PLN) is a prime therapeutic target for reversing cardiac contractile dysfunctions caused by calcium mishandling. So far, however, efforts to develop drugs specific for this protein complex have failed. Here, we show that non-coding RNAs and single-stranded DNAs (ssDNAs) interact with and regulate the function of the SERCA/PLN complex in a tunable manner. Both in HEK cells expressing the SERCA/PLN complex, as well as in cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum preparations, these short oligonucleotides bind and reverse PLN’s inhibitory effects on SERCA, increasing the ATPase’s apparent Ca2+ affinity. Solid-state NMR experiments revealed that ssDNA interacts with PLN specifically, shifting the conformational equilibrium of the SERCA/PLN complex from an inhibitory to a non-inhibitory state. Importantly, we achieved rheostatic control of SERCA function by modulating the length of ssDNAs. Since restoration of Ca2+ flux to physiological levels represents a viable therapeutic avenue for cardiomyopathies, our results suggest that oligonucleotide-based drugs could be used to fine-tune SERCA function to counterbalance the extent of the pathological insults.
Data do not support new claims about bluefin tuna spawning or abundance.

Richardson et al. (1) assert, but do not adequately demonstrate, that western-stock Atlantic bluefin tuna spawn off the northeastern United States, the northeastern area is their main spawning area, and they spawn younger and are less vulnerable to fishing than believed. Further, their assertions lead logically to a conclusion about vulnerability that is opposite the authors’ conclusion.
Mathematics and Rheology

The topic I shall discuss is mathematics and rhelogy and I shall, of course, concentrate on those aspects of mathematical rheology in which I have been interested. Many of you will no doubt recall that Sir Geoffrey Taylor chose a similar topic as the subject for his Presidential Address to the International Conference on Rheology held at Oxford in 1953. In it he advanced what seemed to me a rather pessimistic appraisal of the role of mathematics in rheology. I shall try to be more optimistic. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the Oxford conference myself and merely read Sir Geoffrey’s talk in the proceedings of the conference. I conjecture from its pessimistic note that Sir Geoffrey must have been talking before dinner. I like to think that if he had been talking after dinner, he too would have been more optimistic. In his preprandial pessimism he took the view that the mathematician must at best have the rolo of a handmaiden to the experimental rheologist, solving—or more often failing to solve—particular little problems that are posed.
Indexical Representation and Deflationary Semantics

In the present chapter, I will argue that it is possible to extend deflationary semantic theories in such a way as to explain our use of truth-conditional semantic concepts in connection with indexical concepts and indexical thoughts. Indexical concepts include I, you, he, she, it, here, there, now, then, yesterday, two years ago, this rabbit , and the table on your left . They also include all tensed verbal concepts. Indexical thoughts include I love you, she is having a bad hair day , and I used to play tennis with that man . Roughly speaking, a concept counts as indexical if its reference or denotation depends, at least in part, on features of the context in which the concept is entertained. And a thought counts as indexical if it is necessary to take features of the context into account in determining whether the thought counts as true. On the other hand, a concept or a thought counts as eternal if its truth-conditional semantic properties are independent of contextual features. Indexical representations pose a variety of challenging problems for deflationary theories. As I see it, however, it holds quite generally that deflationary theories possess the resources to cope with these problems. That is to say, as I see it, where D is any reasonably powerful deflationary theory, it is possible to extend D to a theory that explains the basic features of our semantic thought and talk about indexical representations.
The place for humans in Louisiana coastal restoration

Louisiana (USA) faces a serious coastal land loss crisis and has embarked on an ambitious plan to restore its littoral landscape. Yet the very population that depend on this environmental setting for their traditional livelihoods will be the mose immediately impacted and they are not able to participate in the planning as they would like. This article will: (1) review the state’s historical approach to environmental policy in order to expose a pattern of neglecting public wishes; (2) trace past efforts to re-engineer the Mississippi River and their impacts to natural resource economies as a source of lingering contention between residents and government officials; (3) relate the recognition of the coastal crisis with ensuing engineering works and litigation that contributed to tensions between citizens and state agencies; and (4) consider how the recent planning efforts have neglected natural resource-based economies despite advice to the contrary. Together these related observations offer useful insights for incorporating a long-term, human-centered component into coastal restoration planning.
Optimality in the “Grammars” of Ancient Translations

This paper proposes a new methodology for describing, explaining, and tracking the linguistic and non-linguistic shifts that occurred in the ancient biblical translations. It first surveys the approach to Descriptive Translation Studies (DTS) taken by Gideon Toury, outlining pertinent theoretical points. Second, it summarizes the principles and methods of Optimality Theory (OT), arguing that this linguistic model may be harnessed in order to benefit the study of ancient translations. Third, this article applies the theory and methods developed here to a single sample verse, 2 Sam 11:1. Through this study, I demonstrate that the combined theoretical and methodological model provided by DTS and OT allows us to identify, describe, evaluate, and organize the norms constraining the translator of Tg. Jon. to Samuel—and, by extension, to the other ancient Versions. Finally, I argue that we may use OT's notational system to capture regularities and anomalies in ancient translations, outlining their respective “grammars.”
Aesthetic Video Filter Evolution in an Interactive Real-Time Framework

A data-flow network-based interactive evolutionary design framework is presented which will provide a testbed for the development and exploration of a diverse range of visual artistic design spaces. The domain of real-time layered video filters is focused on as the primary example. The system supports both real-time video streams and prerecorded video. Issues of stylistic signature, GA vs. GP-based approaches, rapid tuning of fitness distributions, and desirable traits of generic evolutionary design systems are discussed.