cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pure-mode network analyzer for on-wafer measurements of mixed-mode S-parameters of differential circuits

A practical measurement system is introduced for measurement of combined differential and common-mode (mixed-mode) scattering parameters, and its operation is discussed. A pure-mode system measures network parameters of a differential circuit in the fundamental modes of operation, and has improved accuracy over a traditional network analyzer for the measurement of such circuits. The system is suitable for on-wafer measurements of differential circuits. The transformation between standard S-parameters and mixed-mode S-parameters is developed. Example microwave differential structures are measured with the pure-mode vector-network analyzer (PMVNA), and the corrected data is presented. These structures are simulated, and the simulated mixed-mode S-parameters correlate well with the measured data.
Nuclear Receptor Coactivator Function in Reproductive Physiology and Behavior

Gonadal steroid hormones act throughout the body to elicit changes in gene expression that result in profound effects on reproductive physiology and behavior. Steroid hormones exert many of these effects by binding to their respective intracellular receptors, which are members of a nuclear receptor superfamily of transcriptional activators. A variety of in vitro studies indicate that nuclear receptor coactivators are required for efficient transcriptional activity of steroid receptors. Many of these coactivators are found in a variety of steroid hormone-responsive reproductive tissues, including the reproductive tract, mammary gland, and brain. While many nuclear receptor coactivators have been investigated in vitro, we are only now beginning to understand their function in reproductive physiology and behavior. In this review, we discuss the general mechanisms of action of nuclear receptor coactivators in steroid-dependent gene transcription. We then review some recent and exciting findings on the function of nuclear receptor coactivators in steroid-dependent brain development and reproductive physiology and behavior.
Signal subspace fusion of uncalibrated sensors with application in SAR and diagnostic medicine

Addresses the problem of fusing the information content of two uncalibrated sensors. This problem arises in registering images of a scene when it is viewed via two different sensory systems, or detecting change in a scene when it is viewed at two different time points by a sensory system, or via two different sensory systems or observation channels. We are concerned with sensory systems which have not only a relative shift, scaling and rotational calibration error, but also an unknown point spread function (that is time varying for a single sensor, or different for two sensors). By modeling one image in terms of an unknown linear combination of the other image, its powers and their spatially transformed (shift, rotation and scaling) versions, a signal subspace processing is developed for fusing uncalibrated sensors. The proposed method is shown to be applicable in moving target detection (MTD) using monopulse synthetic aperture radar (SAR) with uncalibrated radars. Results are shown for video, magnetic resonance images of a human brain, moving target detector monopulse SAR, and registration of SAR images of a target obtained via two different radars or at different coordinates by the same radar for automatic target recognition (ATR).
Finite state machine decomposition by transition pairing

The authors develop a method based on the premise that optimal state assignment corresponds to finding an optimal general decomposition of a finite state mechanism (FSM). They discuss the use of this approach for encoding state transition graphs extracted from logic-level descriptions. The notion of transition pairing is used to decompose a given FSM into several submachines such that the state assignment problem for the submachines is simpler than the original problem, attempting to avoid compromising the optimality of the solution. A novel decomposition algorithm that can decompose a FSM into an arbitrary number of submachines and a novel constraint satisfaction algorithm to encode the different submachines are given. Experimental results validate the use of decomposition-based techniques to solve the encoding problem. >
Experience with evaluating human-assisted recovery processes

We describe an approach to quantitatively evaluating human-assisted failure-recovery tools and processes in the environment of modern Internetand enterprise-class server systems. Our approach can quantify the dependability impact of a single recovery system, and also enables comparisons between different recovery approaches. The approach combines aspects of dependability benchmarking with human user studies, incorporating human participants in the system evaluations yet still producing typical dependability-related metrics as results. We illustrate our methodology via a case study of a system-wide undo/redo recovery tool for e-mail services; our approach is able to expose the dependability benefits of the tool as well as point out areas where its behavior could use improvement.
Effect of Ozonation Products on Phospholipase A2 Hydrolytic Activity: Use of Bis (1-Hydroxyheptyl)peroxide as a Precursor of the Ozonation Product 1-Hydroxy-1-hydroperoxyheptane

Bis(1-hydroxyheptyl)peroxide (BisC7) upon spontaneous hydrolysis affords the difficult-to-isolate ozonation product 1-hydroxy-1-hydroperoxyheptane along with heptanal. PLA2 hydrolytic activity is enhanced when the BisC7 hydrolysis products are incorporated in the membrane of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine liposomes, suggesting they cause a pronounced alteration in the bilayer packing order. Conversely, inhibition is observed when PLA2 is incubated with BisC7 hydrolytic products prior to incubation with the liposomes, suggesting that these products are capable of reacting with and modifying the enzyme when present in solution.
Linking ozone pollution and climate change: The case for controlling methane

[1] Methane (CH4) emission controls are found to be a powerful lever for reducing both global warming and air pollution via decreases in background tropospheric ozone (O3). Reducing anthropogenic CH4 emissions by 50% nearly halves the incidence of U.S. high-O3 events and lowers global radiative forcing by 0.37 W m−2 (0.30 W m−2 from CH4, 0.07 W m−2 from O3) in a 3-D model of tropospheric chemistry. A 2030 simulation based upon IPCC A1 emissions projections shows a longer and more intense U.S. O3 pollution season despite domestic emission reductions, indicating that intercontinental transport and a rising O3 background should be considered when setting air quality goals.
Stratigraphic modeling of foreland basins: Interpreting thrust deformation and lithosphere rheology

The authors incorporate the processes of erosion and deposition in a numerical model to predict the stratal geometries and facies patterns produced during episodic thrusting in a nonmarine foreland basin. The resultant stratigraphic record is characterized by a stairstepped facies package in which each retrogradation of facies (toward the thrust) marks the onset of a thrusting event. The retrogradation of facies coincides with the migration of the forebulge toward the thrust and the generation of an erosional unconformity. In the past, changes in basin wavelength during basin evolution have been interpreted to record viscoelastic relaxation of the lithosphere. This model suggests that changes in basin wavelength are a natural consequence of the interplay between thrust and sediment loading on an elastic lithosphere.
A case of inherited erythromelalgia

Background A 15-year-old boy presented with recurrent episodes of erythema and burning pain in the distal extremities, which he had experienced since early childhood. The episodes were triggered by heat or exertion. His medical history revealed an extensive six-generation family history of similar symptoms. Investigations Neurological examination, MRI brain scan, electromyography, skin biopsy, laboratory blood testing, and DNA analysis. Diagnosis Juvenile onset primary erythromelalgia. Management Genetic counseling, and symptomatic management of neuropathic pain.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH SEOUL VIRUS INFECTION AMONG URBAN POPULATIONS OF NORWAY RATS

This study examined environmental and physiological mediators of responses to hantavirus in wild-caught Norway rats. Rats were trapped in Baltimore, Maryland from 1996 to 2000, and prevalence of Seoul virus in target tissues, antibody responses against Seoul virus, concentrations of steroid hormones, and masses of reproductive organs were measured. Approximately 50% of live-trapped rats were infected with Seoul virus. No seasonal or photoperiodic changes in prevalence of Seoul virus infection or in antibody responses against Seoul virus were observed. Animals trapped during low temperatures had higher antibody responses than animals trapped during mild temperatures. Adults were more likely to have Seoul virus in kidneys and lungs and have higher antibody responses than juveniles. Older adult rats also were more likely to be infected and have higher antibody responses than younger adults. Rates of Seoul virus infection were similar between sexes; females, however, had higher anti–Seoul virus IgG responses than males. Although age- and season-related changes in concentrations of steroid hormones were observed, concentrations were not related to variation in infection by Seoul virus. Finally, the masses of reproductive organs increased with age, were responsive to environmental changes, and may be related to variation in Seoul virus infection. Thus, physiological and behavioral changes associated with sexual maturation may be the best predictors of Seoul virus infection in Norway rats, suggesting that metabolic trade-offs among growth, reproduction, and immune function occur at the onset of puberty.
Predictors of depression recovery in HIV-infected individuals managed through measurement-based care in infectious disease clinics.

Background Treatment of comorbid chronic disease, such as depression, in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) increasingly falls to HIV treatment providers. Guidance in who will best respond to depression treatment and which patient-centered symptoms are best to target is limited.
Microbial Communities on Seafloor Basalts at Dorado Outcrop Reflect Level of Alteration and Highlight Global Lithic Clades

Areas of exposed basalt along mid-ocean ridges and at seafloor outcrops serve as conduits of fluid flux into and out of a subsurface ocean, and microbe-mineral interactions can influence alteration reactions at the rock-water interface. Located on the eastern flank of the East Pacific Rise, Dorado Outcrop is a site of low-temperature (<20°C) hydrothermal venting and represents a new end-member in the current survey of seafloor basalt biomes. Consistent with prior studies, a survey of 16S rRNA gene sequence diversity using universal primers targeting the V4 hypervariable region revealed much greater richness and diversity on seafloor rocks than in surrounding seawater. Overall, Gamma-, Alpha-, and Deltaproteobacteria, and Thaumarchaeota dominated the sequenced communities, together making up over half of the observed diversity, though bacterial sequences were more abundant than archaeal in all samples. The most abundant bacterial reads were closely related to the obligate chemolithoautotrophic, sulfur-oxidizing Thioprofundum lithotrophicum, suggesting carbon and sulfur cycling as dominant metabolic pathways in this system. Representatives of Thaumarchaeota were detected in relatively high abundance on the basalts in comparison to bottom water, possibly indicating ammonia oxidation. In comparison to other sequence datasets from globally distributed seafloor basalts, this study reveals many overlapping and cosmopolitan phylogenetic groups and also suggests that substrate age correlates with community structure.
A conceptual model for knowledge integration in interdisciplinary teams: orchestrating individual learning and group processes

A well-known barrier to successful interdisciplinary work is the difficulty of integrating knowledge across disciplines. Integrated conceptualizations must leverage the combined knowledge of team members in productive ways for a given problem. The process of knowledge integration has been investigated from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, including organizational science, team psychology, social science, and the learning sciences. These various perspectives are converging on a few key processes that mediate successful knowledge integration: ability to learn each other’s perspectives, participatory processes, and flexible, adaptive problem formulation. This article summarizes key findings from the research literature on knowledge integration and presents a new conceptual model for developing interdisciplinary conceptualizations that links individual, group, and system factors. The model provides clarity regarding the interactions between individual learning and group processes and the challenges these present, identifies strategies for overcoming those challenges, and frames the problem as one of developing a new distributed cognitive system.
Dis Continuities in Evaporated Aluminum Interconnections

Minute cracks have been observed in semiconductor device metallization at the edges of contact windows. The cracks are formed during deposition of the aluminum and not during subsequent processing, although subsequent processing can aggravate the effect. The cracking is shown to be caused by shadowing, aggravated in some instances by angle-of-incidence effects, and can be expected to occur with many different evaporation source geometries. The problem can be avoided by correct shaping of oxide steps or by reducing the height of the oxide step. The effectiveness of heating the substrate during evaporation in eliminating certain types of cracks is discussed.
Interaction between the Spliceosomal Pre-mRNA Branch Site and U2 snRNP Protein p14

We have probed the molecular basis of recognition between human spliceosomal U2 snRNP protein p14 and RNA targets representing the intron branch site region. Interaction of an RNA duplex representing the branch site helix perturbed at least 10 nuclear magnetic resonance cross-peaks of (15)N-labeled p14. However, similar chemical shift changes were observed upon interaction with a duplex without the bulged branch site residue, suggesting that binding of p14 to RNA is nonspecific and does not recognize the branch site. We propose that the p14-RNA interaction screens charges on the backbone of the branch site during spliceosome assembly.
Impact of trisomy 8 on treatment response and survival of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia in era of tyrosine kinase inhibitors

S32 unrelated to therapy, or (5) clonal evolution with ACAs. Blast phase (BP) is defined as 30% or more blasts in peripheral blood or bone marrow, or extramedullary blast proliferation. For the purpose of this study, we designated the emergence phase of ACAs based on the presence or absence of other AP features. In detail, we defined that ACAs emerged in CP when no other AP features were present, and ACAs emerged in AP when ACAs were accompanied with other AP features. 401 Clinical and prognostic significance of 3q26 rearrangements and other chromosome 3 abnormalities in chronic myelogenous leukemia in era of tyrosine kinase inhibitors Wei Wang, Jorge Cortes, Pei Lin, Michael Beaty, Di Ai, Hesham Amin, Timothy McDonnell, Hagop Kantarjian, L Jeffrey Medeiros, Shimin Hu MD Anderson Cancer Center; Wake Forest Baptist Health Purpose: Chromosome 3q26 abnormalities in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), including inv(3)/t(3;3) and t(3;21), have been Table 1 Clinical characteristics of CML patients with chromosome Parameter A. inv(3)/t(3;3) (n[30) B. t(3;21) (n[20) Sex Male 14 (47%) 15 (75%) Female 16 (53%) 5 (25%) Age (y) Median 54 52 Range 31-80 22-67 Emergence Phase CP 13 (43%) 4 (20%) AP 2 (7%) 4 (20%) BP 15 (50%) 12 (60%) Cytogenetics Sole 14 (47%) 7 (35%) With others 16 (53%) 13 (65%) TKI response 26 15 CCyR 0 (0%) 1 (7%) MMR 0 (0%) 1 (7%) Transplant after ACAs 10 (33%) 8 (40%) F/U(m) Median 13.3 13.6 Range 1.8-88 2.9-131.9 Status at last F/U Dead 24 19 Persistent 4 1
Basic Mechanisms of Urinary Acidification

This article has examined the process of urinary acidification from the perspective of events occurring at the cellular and single nephron level. Accordingly, the reabsorption of filtered HCO3- and the titration of urine buffers can be ascribed to the fundamental process of H+ secretion. The precise mechanism of H+ secretion by the tubule cells, the rate by which this occurs, and the factors regulating transport differ between nephron segments. Despite these differences, the cellular process of urinary acidification can be viewed as the extrusion of H+ against an electrochemical gradient across the luminal cell membrane and the movement of an HCO3- equivalent across the basolateral cell membrane. In the proximal tubule (convoluted and straight portions) approximately 90 per cent of the filtered load of HCO3- is reabsorbed. This occurs without the development of large lumen-to-blood pH gradients. The secretion of H+ across the luminal membrane occurs primarily via an electrically neutral Na-H exchange mechanism. Since it is the lumen-to-cell Na+ gradient which provides the energy, the secretion of H+ is a "secondary active" process dependent on the function of the Na-K-ATPase located in the basolateral cell membrane. During the elaboration of an acid urine, the distal nephron (distal convoluted tubule and collecting duct) reabsorbs that portion of the filtered HCO3- escaping proximal reabsorption, titrates luminal buffers, and lowers urine pH. The secretion of H+ occurs by a "primary active" mechanism, which involves the extrusion of H+ across the luminal cell membrane by an electrogenic H+ pump driven by the hydrolysis of ATP. The rate at which H+ is secreted depends on the electrochemical gradient for H+ across the luminal membrane. Thus, changes in both lumen pH and potential will effect H+ secretion, with low lumen pH inhibiting transport and large lumen-negative potentials stimulating transport. In some animals, depending on their homeostatic needs, secretion of HCO3- by the distal nephron can also occur. This process is localized to the distal convoluted tubule and the cortical collecting duct and appears to represent a transport system distinct from that responsible for H+ secretion.
A Novel Design of an Exo-solar planet Imager

To obtain high resolution imaging of exo-solar planet, a novel design for a space-borne system is developed. It consists of a constellation of 24 light collection units located near the Earth-Sun L2 libration point. Optimal formation strategy is selected as two Golay 12 static arrays by simulating the imaging performance of several strategies. Each light collector is a truss-mounted Bracewell interferometer for starlight nulling, the output of which is recorded by a photodetector. Digitized photodetector data from all light collection units is then transmitted and processed to compute the image using the Intensity Correlation Imaging (ICI) approach. A target of our design is “super-Earths” in the habitable zones of M-class stars. This stellar class is the most abundant and the contrast ratio in mid infrared for habitable zone super-Earth is most favorable. Our goal is to create images having 20 pixels across the diameter of planets within 10 parsecs of Earth. To meet the requirement for unblurred images, the total imaging time need to be less than 1/20 th the planet rotation period.
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation and Learning in Schizophrenia

Conceptually, motivation can be separated into two types, intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation involves goal-directed behaviors that meet internal psychological needs, while extrinsic motivation involves behaviors executed to obtain external reward or avoid punishment. Both these types of motivation are diminished in psychosis and are linked to amotivation and anhedonia, two of the negative symptoms seen in schizophrenia. In the last several years, the field of motivation research has advanced by (a) developing better instruments to quantify intrinsic motivation, (b) studying the role of effort in evaluating the importance of rewards, (c) examining the neurobiological and behavioral correlates of deficits in learning from feedback, and (d) honing neurophysiologic and behavioral interventions to directly target motivation impairments. In this review, we examine each of the above topics and comment on how our current understanding of motivation may inform the development and testing of new interventions to optimize psychiatric recovery.
Low Reynolds Number Flow Dynamics of a Thin Airfoil with an Actuated Leading Edge

Use of oscillatory actuation of the leading edge of a thin, flat, rigid airfoil, as a potential mechanism for control or improved performance of a micro-air vehicle (MAV), was investigated by performing direct numerical simulations at low Reynolds numbers. The leading edge of the airfoil is hinged at one-third chord length allowing dynamic variations in the effective angle of attack through specified oscillations (flapping). This leading edge actuation results in transient variations in the effective camber and angle of attack that can be used to alleviate the strength of the leading edge vortex at high angles of attack. A fictitious-domain based finite volume approach [Apte et al., JCP 2009] was used to compute the moving boundary problem on a fixed background mesh. The flow solver is three-dimensional, parallel, secondorder accurate, capable of using structured or arbitrarily shaped unstructured meshes and has been validated for a range of canonical test cases including flow over cylinder and sphere at different Reynolds numbers, and flow-induced by inline oscillation of a cylinder. Flow over a plunging SD7003 airfoil at two Reynolds numbers (1000 and 10,000) was computed and results compared with those obtained using AFRL’s high-fidelity solver [Visbal, AIAA J. (2009)] to show good predictive capability. To assess the effect of an actuated leading edge on the flow field and aerodynamic loads, two-dimensional parametric studies were performed on a thin, flat airfoil at 20 degrees angle of attack and Reynolds number of 14,700 (based on the chord length) with sinusoidal actuation of the leading edge over a range of reduced frequencies (k=0.57-11.4) and actuation amplitudes. It was found that high-frequency, low-amplitude actuation of the leading edge significantly alters the leading edge boundary-layer and vortex shedding and increases the mean lift-to-drag ratio. This study indicates that the concept of an actuated leading-edge has potential for development of control techniques to stabilize and maneuver MAVs in response to unsteady perturbations at low Reynolds numbers. The summer research at AFRL’s computational sciences division has resulted in several opportunities for future collaborations with AFRL scientists and researchers. At Oregon State, new projects for senior students are initiated to build and modify the existing physical setup and measure lift and drag coefficients.
Diet and blood pressure: differences among whites, blacks and Hispanics in New York City 2010.

Objectives : Our study examined: 1) racial/ ethnic differences in sodium and potassium intake; and 2) racial/ethnic differences in the relationship between dietary intake and blood pressure. Design & Methods : Data were collected in New York City in 2010, and included a telephone health survey, a 24-hour urine collection and an in-home clinical exam. Linear regression was used to examine the association of sodium and potassium intakes with blood pressure separately by race/ethnicity, age and sex among 1568 participants. Results : The results indicate large differences by population subgroup in: 1) nutrient intake, and 2) the relationship between sodium and potassium intake and blood pressure. Black and Hispanic males aged < 50 consume considerably more sodium and less potassium than their White counterparts. The regression results indicate a strong association between diet and blood pressure among Blacks and Hispanics only. Conclusions : Based on our assessment of the association of sodium and potassium intakes and blood pressure measurements, we find that young Black and Hispanic males aged < 50 years have the poorest diet quality and may be the most at risk for developing diet-related hypertension. ( Ethn Dis . 2014; 24[2]:175–181)
THE TECHNOLOGY OF NEW COMPOSITE MATERIAL MADE BY 4J29(KOVAR) AND OXYGEN-FREE COPPER(OFNC)

A new type of composite material made by 4J29 (Kovar) alloyand oxygen-free copper (OFHC) has been studied.The external part of thismaterial is 4J29 alloy and the internal core is UT1(OFHC).This materialwas mad by thermal pressing technology and afterwards,the material wassubjected to cold working and diffusional annealing process.The outer diam-eter of this composite is 1.5mm and the core diameter is 0.6mm.The interf-acial region between the two metals in this composite is solid solution withsufficient strength.The mean coefficient of linear expension along the axialdirection is α_(20—400℃)=(4.9—5.5)×10~(-6)/℃ The electrical resistivity ρ=8.3×10~(-8)Ωm.The rate of gas leakage at the interface is less than6.67×10~(-8)Pa·L/s.
Registration of remote sensing images of large regions using lake center points as ground control points

Image registration is used to detect changes in lakes by using large volumes of remotely sensed images. Alaska is c overed by ice,snow,and lakes all year,which make it difficult to find valid Ground Control Points( GCPs) using remotely sensed images. This adds to the difficulty of image registration used in lake change detection and analysis. Based on lake change regulation,we propose that the deepest point of a lake is the most stable point during changes in the shape of that lake,and that this point can be used as a GCP in image registration. The center point of a polygon has been applied to many fields. Compared with the centroid of a polygon,the center point of the Largest Inner Circle( LIC) of a polygon is always in the interior of the polygon,and the distance from this point to all the edges of the polygon remains the furthest,which meets the requirements of numerous applications. The center point of a polygon can be computed using the Voronoi diagram of the polygon. After analyzing the Voronoi d iagram computing procedure for a simple polygon,this paper presents the Voronoi method of generating a complex polygon,and then analyzes the algorithm complexity. We use the proposed algorithm to seek the LIC of many lakes in Alaska. Results show that the proposed algorithm can compute the center points of all the LICs of the lakes with high efficiency and achieve perfect registration effect based on these points.
Owen, Hilary, and Anna M. Klobucka, eds. Gender, Empire, and Postcolony: Luso-Afro-Brazilian Intersections . New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. Print.

This carefully edited volume brings together a collection of original essays that through diverse approaches to a broad scope of materials explores cultural and literary representations of the Portuguese expansion and former empire, and postcolonialism in the Portuguese-speaking world. The volume functions as a whole because of the carefully constructed interconnections of gender, race, politics, class and imperialism, among other themes, that are woven throughout the studies, and that are enriched by varying positionalities that include different Portuguese-speaking geographic regions and theoretical points of reference.
Control of Mechanical Stability of Hollow Silica Particles, and Its Measurement by Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry

Hollow silica particles (HSPs) have become the focus of interest in many laboratories recently, because of their versatility, stemming from the ability to control their size and shape, as well as surface functionalization. Determining the mechanical stability of hollow particles is essential for their use, both in applications in which they need to retain their structure, as well as those in which they need to break down. We have synthesized a series of HSPs (inner diameter of 231 nm) with increasing wall thickness (7–25 nm), using a template approach. Their mechanical stability was measured using mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), which represents the novel application of the technique for these materials. The samples with complete shells break at progressively higher pressures, and samples with wall thickness ≥21 nm remain stable to the highest pressure applied (414 MPa). Other characterization methods, namely microscopy, gas adsorption, and small-angle X-ray scattering, shed light on the size paramet...
PCB95 and PCB153 change dopamine levels and turn-over in PC12 cells.

Abstract Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) exposure at low chronic levels is a significant public health concern. Animal and epidemiological studies indicate that low PCB body burden may cause neurotoxicity and be a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. In the current study, we measured the ability of two non-dioxin like PCBs, 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB153) and 2,2′3,5′,6-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB95), to alter dopamine (DA) levels and metabolism using the dopaminergic PC12 cell line. Our hypothesis is that treatment of PC12 cells with non-toxic concentrations of PCB153 or PCB95 for 12 and 24 h will have different effects due to different congener structures. Levels of DA and of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPAL), 3, 4-dihyroxylphenylethanol (DOPET), and 3,4-dihyroxylphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) metabolite, gene expression of the dopamine synthesis enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2), and gene expression of the anti-oxidant enzymes Cu/Zn and Mn superoxide oxidase (Cu/ZnSOD, MnSOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase were determined. PCB153 decreased intracellular and extracellular levels of DA after 12 h exposure and this was consistent with an increase in DA metabolites. After 24 h, the level of DA in medium increased compared to the control. In contrast, PCB95 exposure increased the intracellular DA level and decreased DA in medium consistent with a down-regulation of VMAT2 expression at 12 h. After 24 h exposure, PCB95 increased DA levels in media. Expression of TH mRNA increased slightly following 12 h but not at 24 h exposure. MnSOD mRNA increased up to 6–7 fold and Cu/ZnSOD increased less than two-fold after treatment with both congeners. Catalase expression was up-regulated following 24 h exposure to PCB153 and PCB95, but GPx expression was down-regulated after 12 h exposure to PCB95 only. These results suggest that PCB153 and PCB95 are neurotoxic and affect DA turnover with structure-dependent differences between these two congeners.
The Professional Master's Program

(2008). The Professional Master's Program. Math Horizons: Vol. 16, Voting and Decisions, pp. 24-25.
Validating empirically identified risk factors

Fama and French (J Financ, 33, 3–56. 1992); Fama and French (J Financ, 47, 427–465. 1993) provide discipline altering studies which ended the dominance of Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and supplanted it with the Fama and French three factor model. The CAPM identified the market factor as the only systematic risk factor; the three factor model added size and value as systematic risk factors. The latter study validated the size and value risk factors by showing a correlation between portfolio and factor time-series returns. This model has been widely accepted but has proved “open-ended” as researchers have mimicked this effort to identify a large number of additional factors. Harvey et al. (Rev Financ Stud, 29, 5–68. 2016) note that researchers have empirically identified 316 factors tested as systematic risk factors and argue that the discipline needs to identify the few relevant risk factors. Motivated by this seemingly futile effort to find the correct set of risk factors, we contribute by suggesting necessary conditions to validate empirically identified risk factors. We apply these conditions to the factors of the original Fama-French model. Based on our analysis we argue that neither the size nor value mimicking factors should be considered systematic risk factors.
Fundamentals of the Sintering of Ceramics

Although sintering in some form is among the oldest of the technologies known to man, the level of understanding that he has of the problem is still in its infancy. Many interrelated and interacting phenomena occur as a compact of powder particles undergoes the morphological changes that are called sintering. The lack of understanding of sintering is manifested in the diversity of opinions as to the mechanisms of the process, and the inability to predict the sintering behavior of materials. The possible exception to this is in the case of simple glasses, for which the sintering mechanism is viscous flow.
A Battery Pack Reconfiguration Scheme for Improved Charge Balancing

Charge balancing is an important consideration for Lithium-ion battery management systems in protecting cell health and maximizing performance. Many existing balancing systems employ passive balancing during charging cycles by resistive dissipation, or use active balancing with switched-capacitor schemes or DC-DC converters to drive balancing between cells. Methods for active balancing are generally more efficient than those for passive balancing and can be used more frequently, but are more complex and costlier. Through laboratory experimentation, this article investigates an innovative idea for pack reconfiguration to improve cell balancing that has the simplicity of passive balancing with the efficiency characteristic of active balancing schemes. The idea is centered around a grid configuration pack, reconfigured through a simple switching network to a parallel configuration. During periods of charging in the parallel configuration, post-charge results show improvement in terms of pack balance as compared to charging in the full grid configuration. Self-balancing with no measurable energy loss was shown to achieve a small imbalance over the course of a resting period when starting with an imbalanced pack.
Impact of an individual plan of care for frequent and high utilizers in a large healthcare system.

Abstract Introduction “Frequent or High Utilizers” are significant stressors to Emergency Departments (EDs) and Inpatient Units across the United States (US). These patients incur higher healthcare costs with ED visits and inpatient admissions. Our aims were to determine whether implementation of individualized care plans (ICPs) could 1) reduce costs, 2) reduce inpatient length of stay (LOS), and 3) reduce ED encounters throughout a large healthcare system. Methods 13 EDs were included including academic, community, Free-standing and pediatric EDs. Data was collected from January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2017. ICPs were created for high ED utilizers, as recommended by staff input through multidisciplinary care committees at each site. The ICP consisted of 1) specific symptom-related information with approaches in management, 2) recent assessment from specialists, 3) social work summary, and 4) psychiatry summary. A Best Practice Alert was placed in the electronic medical record that could be seen at all hospitals within the system. ICP's were updated annually. Results 626 ICPs were written; 452 initial ICPs and 174 updates. The 452 ICP patients accounted for 23,705 encounters during the four-year period; on average, an ICP patient visited the ED 52 times (14.75 encounters/year). Overall indirect and direct costs decreased 42% over first 6 months, inpatient LOS improved from 1.9 to 0.97 days/month, and ED encounters decreased from 1.96 to 1.14. All cost and LOS data significantly improved at 24 months post-ICP inception. Conclusion Implementation of individualized care plan can reduce cost, inpatient LOS, and ED encounters for high utilizers.
Mapping the Dark Matter through the Cosmic Microwave Background Damping Tail

The lensing of cosmic microwave background (CMB) photons by intervening large-scale structure leaves a characteristic imprint on its arcminute-scale anisotropy that can be used to map the dark matter distribution in projection on degree scales or ~100 h-1 Mpc comoving. We introduce a new algorithm for mass reconstruction that optimally utilizes information from the weak lensing of CMB anisotropies in the damping tail. Individual degree-scale mass structures can be recovered with a high signal-to-noise ratio from a foreground-free CMB map of arcminute-scale resolution, specifically with an FWHM beam less than 5' and a noise level less than 15 (10-6 arcmin) or 41 (μK arcmin).
The Hedgehog Signaling Pathway: A Viable Target in Breast Cancer?

The hedgehog (Hh) pathway plays a key role in embryonic development and stem cell programs. Deregulation of the Hh pathway is a key driver of basal cell carcinoma, and therapeutic targeting led to approval of Hh inhibitor, vismodegib, in the management of this cancer. The Hh pathway is implicated in other malignancies including hormone receptor (HR+) positive and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Hh signaling, which is activated in human mammary stem cells, results in activation of glioma-associated oncogene (GLI) transcription factors. High GLI1 expression correlates with worse outcomes in breast cancer. Non-canonical GLI1 activation is one mechanism by which estrogen exposure promotes breast cancer stem cell proliferation and epithelial–mesenchymal transition. Tamoxifen resistant cell lines show aberrant activation of Hh signaling, and knockdown of Hh pathway inhibited growth of tamoxifen resistant cells. As in other cancers Hh signaling is activated by the PI3K/AKT pathway in these endocrine resistant cell lines. Hh pathway activation has also been reported to mediate chemotherapy resistance in TNBC via various mechanisms including paracrine signaling to tumor micro-environment and selective proliferation of cancer stem cells. Co-activation of Hh and Wnt signaling pathways is a poor prognostic marker in TNBC. Early phase clinical trials are evaluating the combination of smoothened (SMO) inhibitors and chemotherapy in TNBC. In addition to SMO inhibitors like vismodegib and sonidegib, which are in clinical use for basal cell carcinoma, GLI1 inhibitors like GANT58 and GANT61 are in preclinical drug development and might be an effective mechanism to overcome drug resistance in breast cancer. Gene signatures predictive of Hh pathway activation could enrich for patients likely to respond to these agents.
Customer Satisfaction with Consumption Systems

Purpose: This research examines how satisfaction toward a product and its associated services offered together by a single provider jointly affects behavioral intentions toward the provider.Design/...
An analysis of methodologic quality in survey research reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

6616 Background: Survey research (SR) has been increasing as a percentage of published manuscripts in medical journals. SR plays an important role in studies of quality of life and patient preferen...
The proximity of ideas: An analysis of patent text using machine learning.

This paper introduces a measure of the proximity in ideas using unsupervised machine learning. Knowledge transfers are considered a key driving force of innovation and regional economic growth. I explore knowledge relationships by deriving vector space representations of a patent’s abstract text using Document Vectors (Doc2Vec), and using cosine similarity to measure their proximity in ideas space. I illustrate the potential uses of this method with an application to geographic localization in knowledge spillovers. For patents in the same technology field, their normalized text similarity is 0.02-0.05 S.D.s higher if they are located within the same city, compared to patents from other cities. This effect is much smaller than when knowledge transfers are measured using normalized patent citations: local patents receive about 0.23-0.30 S.D.s more local citations than compared to non-local control patents. These findings suggest that the effect of geography on knowledge transfers may be much smaller than the previous literature using citations suggests.
Firm size effects on stock returns in mergers and acquisitions in Asian emerging markets

This study finds that firm size effects can be captured at every step during the process of estimating abnormal returns. Our small firm portfolio has higher averages with respect to alpha, total risk, firm-specific risk, expected return, actual return and abnormal return. However, this small firm portfolio has a smaller beta average, which contradicts most prior findings which suggest that small firms tend to have higher betas. The observed higher alpha coefficient (not beta coefficient) makes a major contribution to the observed higher expected return for small acquiring firms. Small acquiring firms still gain higher abnormal returns than large acquiring firms even when the higher expected returns of the small firms are incorporated in the process of the abnormal return estimation.
Family Ministry: Past, Present, Future

Within the family ministry movement, various philosophies, curriculum, conferences, and ministry models have been historically developed for the Christian discipleship of families. These resources ...
Correction to: At the US Epicenter of the COVID-19 Pandemic, an Orthopedic Residency Program Reorganizes.

The published article contained four sentences with incorrect reference citations. Here, those sentences and the reference list are corrected.
Ridge Regression: A Historical Context

Two classical articles on Ridge Regression by Arthur Hoerl and Robert Kennard were published in Technometrics in 1970, making 2020 their 50th anniversary. The theory and practice of Ridge Regressio...
Quebracho tannins aid in the control of Eimeria spp. and gastrointestinal nematodes in lambs and goat kids.

The objective was to examine the effects of supplementary quebracho on control of coccidiosis and gastrointestinal nematodes in lambs and kids. In Exp. 1, naturally infected lambs weaned (87.8 ± 0.4 days of age; day 0) in January (winter) were blocked by sex and randomly assigned (n = 10/treatment) to receive supplement with or without 100 g/lamb of quebracho for 28 days. In Exp. 2, single or twin rearing ewes were randomly assigned into two groups, and naturally infected lambs were fed control (n = 28) or quebracho (100 g/lamb of quebracho tannins in feed; n = 27) between -28 and 21 days (weaning = day 0; 70.8 ± 0.1 days of age). In Exp. 3, weaned doe kids (57.6 ± 2.0 days of age) were randomly assigned to receive alfalfa (Medicago sativa) supplement with (n = 9) or without (n = 8) 50 g/kid quebracho or sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) with quebracho (n = 8) for 21 days. Fecal oocyst count (FOC), nematode egg counts (FEC), fecal score, dag score (soiling around rear quarters), and blood packed cell volume (PCV) were determined every 7 days. Data were analyzed as repeated measures using mixed models. In Exp. 1, FOC decreased in quebracho-fed lambs (diet × time, P 0.10). Quebracho was effective in reducing FOC but not clinical signs of coccidiosis in both lambs and kids, and may not be highly digestible in lambs as it caused loose stools.
Bird abundance is highly dynamic across succession in early seral tree plantations

Abstract Tree plantations are integral for meeting society’s demand for wood products and are increasing in total area worldwide. It is therefore critical to understand how plantations affect native biodiversity. Our aim was to examine the degree to which plantations affect biodiversity by 1) quantifying songbird abundance across a gradient in forest stand age (stand initiation through canopy closure), 2) estimating the duration of early seral habitat, and 3) testing if forest structural and compositional elements prolong habitat availability. This approach is equivalent to the modeling of wood ‘yield curves’ common in forest management but applied to a biodiversity indicator. We used a chronosequence sampling design to survey songbirds and vegetation in 283 plantations aged 0–30 years in the Oregon Coast Range, USA. Stands were randomly selected within age strata and surveys were temporally replicated in order to use N-mixture models to estimate abundance after accounting for imperfect detection. The Coast Range is considered one of the most productive forest regions in the world and plantations occur on over 50% of the forested land base. Our chronosequence encompasses the assumed age of canopy closure, which we anticipated to be the point at which early seral biodiversity declines. We detected 5074 birds of 71 species during the 2018 and 2019 breeding seasons. Canopy closure occurred approximately 12 years following clearcut harvest and replanting. We found that bird abundance changed dynamically during this short early seral stage. Twenty species peaked in abundance either very early in stand development or with the approximate timing of canopy closure, and then subsequently declined to low levels by the end of the 30-year chronosequence. The estimated abundance of 3 species increased following canopy closure. We also found, contrary to our hypothesis, that the amount of broadleaf cover increased habitat longevity for only one species – Wilson’s warbler. To our knowledge, our study provides the first quantitative estimates for how bird species abundances change throughout the entire early seral stage in tree plantations in western North America – information that can be used to assess tradeoffs between timber production and biodiversity. We found that the duration of early seral habitat in plantations is short and generally cannot be ameliorated by managing for higher levels of broadleaf cover. This finding has important implications for early seral species in the rapidly shifting mosaic of tree plantation landscapes.
Density Functional Theory Driven Analysis of the Interplay among Structure, Composition, and Oxidation State of Titanium in Hibonite, Spinel, and Perovskite

Hibonite (CaAl12O19), spinel (MgAl2O4), and perovskite (CaTiO3) represent oxides that occur in primitive meteorites and are among some of the first phases to have condensed from the early solar neb...
Evaluation of Different Types of Face Masks To Limit The Spread of SARS-CoV-2 – A Modeling Study

We updated a published mathematical model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission with laboratory-derived source and wearer protection efficacy estimates for a variety of face masks to estimate their impact on COVID-19 incidence and related mortality in the United States. When used at already-observed population rates of 80% for those [≥]65 years and 60% for those <65 years, face masks are associated with 69% (cloth) to 78% (medical procedure mask) reductions in cumulative COVID-19 infections and 82% (cloth) to 87% (medical procedure mask) reductions in related deaths over a 6-month timeline in the model. If cloth or medical procedure masks source control and wearer protection efficacies are boosted about 30% each to 84% and 60% by cloth over medical procedure masking, fitters, or braces, the COVID-19 basic reproductive number of 2.5 could decrease to an effective reproductive number [≤] 1.0, and from 4.0 to {approx} 1.6 for the B.1.1.7 variant. Article Summary LineAdapting a published SARS-CoV-2 transmission model together with updated, laboratory-derived source control and wearer protection efficacy estimates for a variety of face coverings as well as N95 respirators, we demonstrate that community masking as currently practiced has likely reduced cases and deaths and that this benefit can be increased with wider adoption of better performing masks.