cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhancement of the second-order Judd-Ofelt transition rates for high-lying (4f)n states

Abstract The Judd-Ofelt approximation to the forced electric dipole transition strengths has been used with considerable success to model the sharp intra-configurational (4f) n -(4f) n spectra of rare earth ions in solids. However, discrepancies are observed when the model is applied to the highest lying (4f) n states. We describe here a modification of the standard second order Judd-Ofelt theory which allows us to calculate the enhanced transition rates in cases where one state is close to the perturbing band. When mixing with one configuration dominates, our theory requires no new adjustable parameters; both the enhanced even parameters and a new set of odd parameters can be calculated from the three even Judd-Ofelt parameters determined by fitting the transition rates between the low-lying states. Our theory is able to account for the transition rates we observe from the (4f) 2 1 S 0 state of Pr 3+ : LaF 3 (just below the 4f5d band), without resort to third or fourth order configurational interaction terms.
Accidents and Accessibility: Measuring Influences of Demographic and Land Use Variables in Honolulu, Hawaii:

The current study examined the interplay between demographic, land use, and roadway accessibility variables and types of accidents in Honolulu, Hawaii. A uniform 0.1-mi2 grid was used as the basis for analysis and was combined with binomial logistic regression. Eight models were constructed to consider the relationship between total accidents, injury, fatality, pedestrian, bicycle, moped, motorcycle, and motor vehicle to motor vehicle crashes as a function of population, land use, and accessibility measures such as road length, bus stops, length of bus route, number of intersections, and dead ends. The results indicate that demographic variables such as job count and number of people living below the poverty level are significantly associated with injury crashes and pedestrian and bike crashes. Business and commercial areas are strongly associated with increased total as well as injury and fatal crashes. Accessibility measures such as the number of bus stops and the number of intersections are associated ...
Epigenetics and Cognitive Aging

Cognitive decline, especially in memory capacity, is a normal part of aging ( 1 ). Indeed, the painful reality is that aging-related cognitive decline likely begins when one is in their late 40s. This deterioration is particularly pronounced in declarative memory—the ability to recall facts and experiences—and has been associated with aberrant changes in gene expression in the brain's hippocampus and frontal lobe. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these changes in gene regulation are not currently known ( 2 , 3 ). On page 753 of this issue, Peleg et al. ( 4 ) bolster an emerging hypothesis that changes in the epigenetic modification of chromatin in the adult central nervous system drive cognitive decline.
New insight into the causes of immunodeficiency disorders

The ability to define subpopulations of immunologically competent lymphocytes has permitted an enhanced understanding of the interaction between functionally distinct components of the immune system. T cells can provide help in antibody formation or they may suppress antibody production. Abnormal immunoregulatory mechanisms have been demonstrated in the hyperimmunoglobulin E-recurrent infection syndrome. This disorder is associated with a marked elevation of IgE and specific elevations of IgE antibodies directed toward staphylococcal antigens. Abnormal T cell regulation of immune responses has been demonstrated. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurs in an immunodeficient patient who has received an infusion of immunocompetent cells. The diagnosis of graft-versus-host (GVH) reaction may be complicated by the protean manifestations of the disorder. The acute form, consisting of a maculopapular rash, fever, and diarrhea, may be confused with acute infection or drug reaction. Chronic GVHD has been incorrectly diagnosed as histiocytosis X, acrodermatitis enteropathica, or scleroderma. Utilizing chromosome markers and/or identification of histocompatibility antigens, the presence of circulating lymphocytes from donor immunocompetent cells (blood transfusion, maternal source) can be documented. The development of sensitive technics for identifying cells can establish a precise diagnosis. Certain immunodeficiency disorders can be identified by biochemical means. Biotin-dependent multiple carboxylase enzyme deficiency is associated with a chronic dermatitis, alopecia, ataxia, and secondary infection of the skin with Candida. The disorder responds promptly to the administration of biotin with correction of dermatologic, neurologic, and immunologic abnormalities.
The perceived importance of physical activity: associations with psychosocial and health-related outcomes.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which participation in a 12-month exercise program changed the degree of importance that older adults attached to physical activity. In addition, associations among changes in physical activity importance and health-related and psychosocial outcomes were examined. Methods: Community-dwelling older adults (N = 179) were recruited to participate in a 12-month exercise trial examining the association between changes in physical activity and fitness with changes in brain structure and psychological health. Participants were randomly assigned to a walking condition or a flexibility, toning, and balance condition. Physical, psychological, and cognitive assessments were taken at months 0, 6, and 12. Results: Involvement in a 12-month exercise program increased the importance that participants placed on physical activity; this positive change was similar across exercise condition and sex. Changes in importance, however, were only associated with ch...
lbtA and lbtB Are Required for Production of the Legionella pneumophila Siderophore Legiobactin

Under iron stress, Legionella pneumophila secretes legiobactin, a nonclassical siderophore that is reactive in the chrome azurol S (CAS) assay. Here, we have optimized conditions for legiobactin expression, shown its biological activity, and identified two genes, lbtA and lbtB, which are involved in legiobactin production. lbtA appears to be iron repressed and encodes a protein that has significant homology with siderophore synthetases, and FrgA, a previously described iron-regulated protein of L. pneumophila. lbtB encodes a protein homologous with members of the major facilitator superfamily of multidrug efflux pumps. Mutants lacking lbtA or lbtB were defective for legiobactin, producing 40 to 70% less CAS reactivity in deferrated chemically defined medium (CDM). In bioassays, mutant CDM culture supernatants, unlike those of the wild type, did not support growth of iron-limited wild-type bacteria in 2′,2′-dipyridyl-containing buffered charcoal yeast extract (BCYE) agar and a ferrous iron transport mutant on BCYE agar without added iron. The lbtA mutant was modestly defective for growth in deferrated CDM containing the iron chelator citrate, indicating that legiobactin is required in conditions of severe iron limitation. Complementation of the lbt mutants restored both siderophore expression, as measured by the CAS assay and bioassays, and bacterial growth in deferrated, citrate-containing media. The lbtA mutant replicated as the wild type did in macrophages, amoebae, and the lungs of mice. However, L. pneumophila expresses lbtA in the macrophage, suggesting that legiobactin, though not required, may play a dispensable role in intracellular growth. The discovery of lbtAB represents the first identification of genes required for L. pneumophila siderophore expression.
ES1: Student research preview

The Student Research Preview (SRP) will highlight selected student research projects in progress. The SRP consists of 24 one-minute presentations followed by a Poster Session, by graduate students from around the world, which have been selected on the basis of a short submission concerning their on-going research. Selection is based on the technical quality and innovation of the work. This year, the SRP will be presented in three theme sections: Analog and Mixed Signal; Imagers, Biomedical Circuits and Advanced Digital Systems; Communications and Power.
Magnitude of Limb Lengthening After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty

Patients will often perceive a change in lower limb length after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). From this observed finding, we asked how frequently does a change in limb length occur after TKA. Preoperative and postoperative full-length standing radiographs were obtained for 102 knees in 98 patients who underwent TKA. Digital radiography software was used to measure the mechanical axis and limb length of the operative and nonoperative legs. Overall, 83% of the knees measured showed an increase in limb length after TKA. Preoperative varus alignment was associated with an average lengthening of 5.2 mm. Preoperative valgus alignment was associated with an average lengthening of 8.4 mm. Patients with a valgus deformity greater than 10° demonstrated the greatest average lengthening. It is the conclusion of this study that limb lengthening occurs frequently after TKA, back to a length similar to the nonoperative limb.
Male advancement in prenatal hand development.

Male advancement in the developing hand was evidenced by 66 grossly and microscopically normal embryos in the 15–75 mm crown-rump range. Male advancement was particularly pronounced in the younger (15–30 mm) embryos, both in the proximal hand region including the round bones of the wrist and in the distal hand region, comprising the metacarpals and phalanges. Thirty-four additional embryos, abnormal in implantation or development or representing spontaneous abortion similarly evidenced male advancement in the early hand skeleton.
Protein Stability in Artemia Embryos During Prolonged Anoxia

Encysted embryos (cysts) of the brine shrimp, Artemia franciscana, are arguably the most stress-resistant of all animal life-history stages. One of their many adapta- tions is the ability to tolerate anoxia for periods of years, while fully hydrated and at physiological temperatures. Pre- vious work indicated that the overall metabolism of anoxic embryos is brought to a reversible standstill, including the transduction of free energy and the turnover of macromol- ecules. But the issue of protein stability at the level of tertiary and quaternary structure was not examined. Here I provide evidence that the great majority of proteins do not irreversibly lose their native conformation during years of anoxia, despite the absence of detectable protein turnover. Although a modest degree of protein denaturation and ag- gregation occurs, that is quickly reversed by a brief post- anoxic aerobic incubation. I consider how such extraordi- nary stability is achieved and suggest that at least part of the answer involves massive amounts of a small heat shock protein (p26) that acts as a molecular chaperone, the func- tion of which does not appear to require ribonucleoside di- or tri-phosphates.
Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction Study of Arsenic Incorporation in Metalorganic Molecular Beam Epitaxy of GaAs

Metalorganic molecular beam epitaxy (MOMBE) of GaAs using triethylgallium (TEGa) and As4 has been studied by reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). The effect of varying the group-Ill flow rates and group-V beam flux on the growth rate has been investigated over a wide range of substrate temperatures. For a given arsenic flux, the GaAs growth rate first increases linearly as the TEGa flow rate increases. This linear relation extends up to a certain TEGa flow rate, where the growth rate reaches its maximum value. When the TEGa flow rate is increased above this critical value, the growth rate decreases and reaches a stabilized value. From a study of both group-Ill and group-V induced RHEED intensity oscillations, we find that the V/Ill incorporation ratio is unity at the transition point. Compared to conventional molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), MOMBE behaves differently when the V/Ill incorporation ratio is less than unity. The transition region between V/III>I and V/III<1 is gradual and no excess gallium accumulates on the surface during growth. The arseniccontrolled growth rate obtained from conventional group-V induced oscillations where excess Ga atoms are present is greater than the growth rate in the stabilization region where V/IIl<1.
Some Remarks on Branching Rules and Tensor Products for Algebraic Groups

Let F be an algebraically closed field of characteristic p > 0. In [BK1, BK2], we have revealed and exploited various relations between the branching rules from GLn(F) to its Levi subgroups on one hand, and decompositions of tensor products over GLn(F) itself on the other. For example, if L is some irreducible rational GLn(F)-module and V is the natural GLn(F)-module, there is a close relationship between the highest weight vectors (relative to GLn−1(F)) in the restriction L ↓GLn−1(F) and the highest weight vectors (relative to GLn(F)) in the tensor product L⊗ V ∗. In this paper we obtain more results in this direction, some of which are valid for an arbitrary type. To describe our main results, we adopt standard Lie theoretic notation. Let G be a (connected) reductive algebraic group over F. As in [J], R denotes the root system of G with respect to a fixed maximal torus T , R+ ⊂ R denotes the set of positive roots determined by a choice of Borel subgroup B+ containing T , and {α1, . . . , α`} ⊂ R+ is the corresponding base for R. Denote the highest (long) root of R by α0 and the longest element of the Weyl group W = NG(T )/T by w0. We write X(T ) for the character group Hom(T,F×), Y (T ) for the cocharacter group Hom(F×, T ) and let 〈·, ·〉 be the natural pairing X(T ) × Y (T ) → Z. For α ∈ R, α∨ denotes the corresponding coroot in Y (T ), and X+(T ) denotes the set {λ ∈ X(T ) | 〈λ, α∨ i 〉 ≥ 0, i = 1, . . . , `} of dominant weights. All G-modules are assumed to be rational. For λ ∈ X+(T ), we have the G-modules L(λ), ∆(λ) and ∇(λ), which are the irreducible, the standard (or Weyl), and the costandard Gmodules with highest weight λ. Let Dist(G) be the algebra of distributions of G as in [J, I.7], which is generated by Dist(T ) and the ‘divided power’ root generators X α , Y (n) α for α ∈ R+, n ≥ 1. Write X i = X (n) αi , Yi = Y (n) αi for i = 1, . . . , `. If G is semisimple and simply connected (which we may assume for the proofs), Dist(G) coincides with the hyperalgebra of G arising from the Chevalley construction. We note that any G-module is a Dist(G)-module in a natural way; see [J, I.7.11, II.1.20]. Given a weight ν ∈ X(T ) and a G-module M , Mν will denote the ν-weight space of M . If in addition μ ∈ X+(T ) is a dominant weight, we define
LACK, SKUTCH, AND MOREAU: THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF LIFE-HISTORY THINKING

Abstract Papers by Reginald Moreau, David Lack, and Alexander Skutch published during the 1940s set the stage for the development of thinking about life histories over the following decades. Lack was concerned about the fundamental issue of individual vs. group selection and turned life-history evolution into a battleground for this debate. His monolithic focus on nesting success as a measure of fitness and on food availability as the principal determinant of nesting success obscured the rich empirical background brought to the debate by Skutch and the diverse evolutionary forces envisioned by Moreau. Lack's strong convictions, single-mindedness, and eloquence forced biologists to confront several important problems but also held back the full development of life-history theory until the mid-1960s. Retrospective consideration of these early life-history studies shows how science can progress through a balance of conviction and reflection.
The Dynamics of Experimentally Induced Criterion Shifts.

Investigations of decision making have typically assumed stationarity, even though commonly observed “context effects” are dynamic by definition. Mirror effects are an important class of context effects that can be explained by changes in participants’ decision criteria. When easy and difficult conditions are blocked alternately and a mirror effect is observed, participants must repeatedly change their decision criteria. The authors investigated the time course of these criterion changes and observed the buildup of mirror effects on a trial-by-trial basis. The data are consistent with slow, systematic changes in decision criteria that lag behind stimulus changes. The length of this lag is considerable: analysis of a simple dynamic signal-detection model suggests participants take an average of around 14 trials to adjust to new decision environments. This trial-level measurement of experimentally induced changes has implications for traditional blockwise analyses of data and for models of decision making.
Phase Equilibria in the System CaO-MgO-Iron Oxide at 1500°C

Phase relations in the system CaO-MgO-iron oxide were determined at 1500°C at two levels of oxygen pressure, 10–9 atm and 0.2 atm (air). Particular attention was directed toward de termining the maximum amount of iron oxide which may be tolerated in CaO-MgO-iron oxide bodies before a liquid phase forms under equilib rium conditions at the two chosen oxygen pres sures. Inferences are made regarding the possible bearing of the results on the perform ance of tar-bonded dolomite brick used in steel making furnaces.
CD40–CD40 Ligand Interaction Activates Proinflammatory Pathways in Pancreatic Islets

Pancreatic islet transplantation is becoming an alternative to insulin therapy in patients suffering from brittle type 1 diabetes. A major obstacle to the procedure is the early graft loss caused by nonspecific inflammation at the site of implantation. We recently discovered that CD40, a member of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family, is expressed in pancreatic beta-cells. CD40 expression in nonhematopoietic cells is generally associated with inflammation. Therefore, we investigated the potential proinflammatory role of CD40 in human and nonhuman primate islets. Islet beta-cells responded to CD40L interaction by secreting interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1beta, the latter a chemokine first reported to be produced by islets. Induction of IL-8 and MIP-1beta was confirmed at the transcriptional level by quantitative RT-PCR. MIP-1beta expression in beta-cells was verified by double-immunofluorescence staining. CD40-CD40L interaction activates extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and nuclear factor-kappaB pathways in insulinoma NIT-1 cells, and inhibitors of either pathway suppress cytokine/chemokine production in islets. Moreover, ligation of CD40 receptor upregulates intercellular adhesion molecule-1, associated with inflammation, at both transcriptional and translational levels. Our results in vitro indicate that the CD40 receptor expressed by beta-cells could be activated in vivo, inducing proinflammatory responses contributing to early islet graft loss after transplantation.
Characteristics and Radiative Effects of Diamond Dust over the Western Arctic Ocean Region

Atmospheric observations from active remote sensors and surface observers, obtained in the western Arctic Ocean between November 1997 and May 1998, were analyzed to determine the physical characteristics and to assess the surface radiative contribution of diamond dust. The observations showed that diamond dust contributed only a negligible radiative effect to the sea ice surface. Surface radiative fluxes and radiative forcing values during diamond dust events were similar in magnitude when compared to observed clear-sky periods. Combined information from lidar, radar, and surface observers showed that diamond dust occurred ;13% of the time between November and mid-May over the Arctic Ocean and was not observed between mid-May and October. Diamond dust vertical depths, derived from lidar measurements, varied between 100 and 1000 m but were most often observed to be about 250 m. Lidar and radar measurements were analyzed to assess if precipitation from boundary layer clouds was present during times when surface observers reported diamond dust. This analysis revealed that surface observers had incorrectly coded diamond dust events ;45% of the time. The miscoded events occurred almost exclusively under conditions with limited or no illumination (December‐March). In 95% of the miscoded reports, lidar measurements revealed the presence of thin liquid water clouds precipitating ice crystals down to the surface.
Gecko‐Inspired Dry Adhesive for Robotic Applications

Most geckos can rapidly attach and detach from almost any kind of surface. This ability is attributed to the hierarchical structure of their feet (involving toe pads, setal arrays, and spatulae), and how they are moved (articulated) to generate strong adhesion and friction forces on gripping that rapidly relax on releasing. Inspired by the gecko's bioadhesive system, various structured surfaces have been fabricated suitable for robotic applications. In this study, x–y–z asymmetric, micrometer-sized rectangular flaps composed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) were fabricated using massively parallel micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) techniques with the intention of creating directionally responsive, high-to-low frictional-adhesion toe pads exhibiting properties similar to those found in geckos. Using a surface forces apparatus (SFA), the friction and adhesion forces of both vertical (symmetric) and angled/tilted (x–y–z asymmetric) microflaps under various loading, unloading and shearing conditIons were investigated. It was found that the anisotropic structure of tilted microflaps gives very different adhesion and tribological forces when articulated along different x–y–z directions: high friction and adhesion forces when articulated in the y–z plane along the tilt (+y) direction, which is also the direction of motion, and weak friction and adhesion forces when articulated against the tilt (–y) direction. These results demonstrate that asymmetric angled structures, as occur in geckos, are required to enable the gecko to optimize the requirements of high friction and adhesion on gripping, and low frictional-adhesion on releasing. These properties are intimately coupled to a (also optimum) articulation mechanism. We discuss how both of these features can be simultaneously optimized in the design of robotic systems that can mimic the gecko adhesive system.
The Corporate Co-author, The GhostWriter, and The Medical Society: An Object Lesson (June, 2005 issue)

To the Editor:—“The Corporate Co-author” (June, 2005 issue)1 brought national attention2 to what the JGIM editors accurately describe as “an egregious case of unethical behavior” by the pharmaceutical industry “in order to enhance corporate profits.” However, the article also raises concerns about ties between industry and medical societies that publish medical journals. One might reasonably ask, would an organization more dependent on industry funding have published the piece?
Pharmacist Involvement in Improving Asthma Outcomes in Various Healthcare Settings: 1997 to Present

OBJECTIVETo evaluate pharmacists’ impact on asthma management outcomes in various healthcare settings on the basis of updated guidelines set by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).DATA SOURCESA search of MEDLINE (1997–April 2008) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1997–April 2008) was conducted using the MeSH terms asthma, community pharmacy services, pharmacists, pharmacies, clinic, hospital, disease state management, medication therapy management, emergency department, and community.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTIONArticles were included if pharmacists participated in the intervention and the report measured outcomes of asthma as defined by symptoms, pulmonary function, asthma severity, quality of life (QOL), or healthcare utilization.DATA SYNTHESISSince January 1997, a substantial number of studies have been published examining pharmacists’ impact on asthma clinical outcomes. Twenty-five studies were included in this review: 15 were conducted in community pharmacies, 5 in a...
Effects of Wolf Mortality on Livestock Depredations

Predator control and sport hunting are often used to reduce predator populations and livestock depredations, – but the efficacy of lethal control has rarely been tested. We assessed the effects of wolf mortality on reducing livestock depredations in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming from 1987–2012 using a 25 year time series. The number of livestock depredated, livestock populations, wolf population estimates, number of breeding pairs, and wolves killed were calculated for the wolf-occupied area of each state for each year. The data were then analyzed using a negative binomial generalized linear model to test for the expected negative relationship between the number of livestock depredated in the current year and the number of wolves controlled the previous year. We found that the number of livestock depredated was positively associated with the number of livestock and the number of breeding pairs. However, we also found that the number of livestock depredated the following year was positively, not negatively, associated with the number of wolves killed the previous year. The odds of livestock depredations increased 4% for sheep and 5–6% for cattle with increased wolf control - up until wolf mortality exceeded the mean intrinsic growth rate of wolves at 25%. Possible reasons for the increased livestock depredations at #25% mortality may be compensatory increased breeding pairs and numbers of wolves following increased mortality. After mortality exceeded 25%, the total number of breeding pairs, wolves, and livestock depredations declined. However, mortality rates exceeding 25% are unsustainable over the long term. Lethal control of individual depredating wolves may sometimes necessary to stop depredations in the near-term, but we recommend that non-lethal alternatives also be considered.
Credibility and Flexibility: Political Institutions, Governance, and Foreign Direct Investment

This article argues that the relationship between political institutions and foreign direct investment is both nonlinear and conditional upon status quo policies. The empirical analysis demonstrates an inverted U-shaped relationship between political institutions and foreign direct investment in developing countries, with four veto players being the most attractive institutional arrangement. Countries with too few or too many veto players are not favored because of either high policy uncertainty or high policy rigidity. In addition, the benefits and costs of credibility and flexibility vary in good times and hard times. The benefits of maintaining status quo tend to outweigh the costs in countries with good initial regulatory environment. The costs of maintaining status quo tend to outweigh the benefits when countries are more vulnerable to exogenous shocks.
Towards the issues in architectural support for protection of software execution

Recently, there is a growing interest in the research community to employ tamper-resistant processors for software protection. Many of these proposed systems rely on a specially tailored secure processor to prevent 1) illegal software duplication, 2) unauthorized software modification, and 3) unauthorized software reverse engineering. Most of these works primarily focus on the feasibility demonstration and design details rather than trying to elucidate many fundamental issues that are either "elusive" or "confusing" to the architecture researchers. Furthermore, many proposed systems have been built on assumptions whose security implications have not been well studied or understood. Instead of proposing yet another new secure architecture model, in this paper, we will try to answer some of these fundamental questions with respect to using hardware-based cryptography for protecting software execution. Those issues include, 1) Is hardware cryptography necessary? 2) Is per-process single cryptography key enough to provide the flexibility, inter-operability, and compatibility required by today's complex software system? 3) Is OTP (one-time-pad) in combination with "lazy" authentication secure enough to protect software confidentiality? 4) Is there way to protect software integrity using less hardware resource? Finally, the paper defines the difference between off-line and on-line attacks and presents a very low overhead security enhancement technique that can improve protection on software integrity over on-line attacks by several magnitudes.
Escape from harm: linking affective vision and motor responses during active avoidance

When organisms confront unpleasant objects in their natural environments, they engage in behaviors that allow them to avoid aversive outcomes. Here, we linked visual processing of threat to its behavioral consequences by including a motor response that terminated exposure to an aversive event. Dense-array steady-state visual evoked potentials were recorded in response to conditioned threat and safety signals viewed in active or passive behavioral contexts. The amplitude of neuronal responses in visual cortex increased additively, as a function of emotional value and action relevance. The gain in local cortical population activity for threat relative to safety cues persisted when aversive reinforcement was behaviorally terminated, suggesting a lingering emotionally based response amplification within the visual system. Distinct patterns of long-range neural synchrony emerged between the visual cortex and extravisual regions. Increased coupling between visual and higher-order structures was observed specifically during active perception of threat, consistent with a reorganization of neuronal populations involved in linking sensory processing to action preparation.
FtsZ Directs a Second Mode of Peptidoglycan Synthesis in Escherichia coli

Certain penicillin binding protein mutants of Escherichia coli grow with spirillum-like morphologies when the FtsZ protein is inhibited, suggesting that FtsZ might govern aspects of cell wall growth other than those strictly associated with septation. While investigating the mechanism of spiral cell formation, we discovered conditions for visualizing this second function of FtsZ. Normally, inhibiting the cytoskeleton protein MreB forces E. coli cells to grow as smoothly enlarging spheres from which the poles disappear, yielding coccoid or lemon-shaped forms. However, when FtsZ and MreB were inhibited simultaneously in a strain lacking PBP 5 and PBP 7, the resulting cells ballooned outward but retained conspicuous rod-shaped extensions at sites representing the original poles. This visual phenotype was paralleled by the biochemistry of sacculus growth. Muropeptides are usually inserted homogeneously into the lateral cell walls, but when FtsZ polymerization was inhibited, the incorporation of new material occurred mainly in the central regions of cells and was significantly lower in those portions of side walls abutting a pole. Thus, reduced precursor incorporation into side walls near the poles explained why these regions retained their rod-like morphology while the rest of the cell grew spherically. Also, inhibiting FtsZ increased the amount of pentapeptides in sacculi by about one-third. Finally, the MreB protein directed the helical or diagonal incorporation of new peptidoglycan into the wall, but the location of that incorporation depended on whether FtsZ was active. In sum, the results indicate that in addition to nucleating cell septation in E. coli, FtsZ can direct the insertion of new peptidoglycan into portions of the lateral wall.
Single Angle Geometric Axis Flexural Compactness Criteria: Horizontal Leg Tension

Currently, designers experience difficulty when trying to gauge the flexural ductility of a given single angle member due to the lack of single angle flexural compactness criteria in the American steel building specification. In fact, many designers may believe that single angle beams are incapable of developing their full cross-sectional plastic capacity due to this omission in the specification. As a result, few engineers are willing to exploit the advantages associated with employing plastic analysis and design methodologies to proportion single angle members. The research reported herein applies experimentally verified, nonlinear finite-element modeling techniques to the study of geometric axis flexural ductility for the flexural sense, where the horizontal leg of the angle cross section is in tension. It is shown that compactness criteria must be given in terms of both cross-sectional plate slenderness as well as beam slenderness. It is further observed that the grade of steel plays an important role in affecting compactness. Based on the results of the present study, a design equation is proposed as a means for predicting equal leg, single angle compactness for this flexural orientation. The equation has been developed so as to lend itself to everyday use by the designer.
Optimal Product Line Pricing: The Influence of Elasticities and Cross-Elasticities:

The authors focus on the determination of optimal prices for products in a product line. Most firms offer more than a single brand, and ultimately are concerned with the overall results of the enti...
Studying Ancient Political Thought Through Ancient Philosophers: The Case of Aristotle and Natural Slavery

This paper examines Aristotle’s view that there are natural slaves, able-bodied people who lack the capacity to deliberate about the good and bad in life, who are ideally suited to be ‘tools of action’ for practically intelligent masters. After reconstructing Aristotle’s reasoning for the view that there are natural slaves in Politics I, and proposing a philosophical motivation for his interest in natural slavery, the paper reflects on what this case suggests about scholarly engagement with the political views of ancient philosophers when these are so contrary to our own.
Downregulation of the renin-angiotensin system in streptozotocin-diabetic rats.

To determine if insulin has the ability to regulate components of the renin-angiotensin system, renin and angiotensinogen mRNA and plasma concentrations were determined in 4-wk streptozotocin (STZ)...
Influence of instream habitat and water chemistry on amphibians in channelized agricultural headwater streams

Abstract The widespread use of stream channelization and subsurface tile drainage for removing water from agricultural fields has led to the development of numerous channelized agricultural headwater streams within agricultural watersheds of the Midwestern United States, Canada, and Europe. Channelized agricultural headwater streams have been documented to serve as habitat for amphibians, but information on amphibian habitat relationships within these streams is lacking and needed for developing effective conservation strategies. We quantified instream habitat, water chemistry, and sampled amphibians from seven sites in three channelized streams in Cedar Creek, Indiana in 2008 and 2009 and five sites in five channelized streams in Upper Big Walnut Creek, Ohio in 2009. We conducted an indirect gradient analysis involving the use of principal component analysis and generalized linear mixed effect model analysis to determine which variables had the greatest influence on amphibian community and population structure. Overall, amphibian community and population structure was most strongly correlated with water chemistry rather than instream habitat within channelized agricultural headwater streams in Indiana and Ohio. Eleven of 12 amphibian response variables were most strongly correlated with either a water chemistry gradient of nitrate + nitrite and acetochlor, a gradient of total nitrogen and ammonia, or a gradient of simazine and total phosphorus. Only one amphibian response variable was most strongly correlated with an instream habitat gradient of dissolved oxygen and water depth. Our results suggest that conservation strategies that target reductions of nutrients and herbicides will provide the greatest benefits for amphibians within channelized agricultural headwater streams.
The Need to Improve the Appropriate Use of Coronary Revascularization: Challenges and Opportunities

We stand at the precipice of extraordinary changes in medicine. Prior generations of physicians sought to apply any and all treatments available to preserve the health and functioning of patients, despite incomplete knowledge of disease processes and the evidence base to know the efficacy of
Ageism Against Older U.S. College Students: A View from Social Closure Theory

This paper examines ageism among older students in U.S. higher education. Ageism involves any uncalled-for reaction to any age and does not require racism and sexism to exist. Social closure theory is the research framework used in this analysis. The theory posits that specific parties (i.e., in-groups) gain benefits by closing off favorable circumstances to others (i.e., out-groups). Adult undergraduates have encountered a vast amount of neglect in terms of their learning interests and styles. Universities attempt to fulfill the needs of adult learners, but a certain number of them “close off” those adult students when it comes to public policies and objectives, making them more invisible. An important conclusion of this analysis is that drug policies and social restrictions can represent a burden for certain groups, like African American male ex-prisoners, who want to go to college. This is why it is vital for college staff to find and create more options for effectively engaging older students in the college environment.
Environmentally Sustainable Processes

Environmental sustainability has become a focus for not only academics and scientists, but it is now at the forefront for most global corporations. In this chapter we present two exemplars of that corporate thinking. Baxter International has been working for some years in reducing is environmental footprint, with great success. Coca Cola, whose products are produced and sold worldwide, is an enormous user of clean water for its many beverage products, and it has recently embarked on a series of projects aimed at water conservation. Both of these companies are good examples of what forward-thinking companies can do without losing money. But we begin this chapter with another narrative, the story of Albina Ruiz, a Peruvian who saw a need for trash collection in the capital city of Peru, Lima, a need that was not being addressed by the city. Her story illustrates what one person can do to clean up the environment and provide jobs, even in a large city such as Lima.
Preoperative Liver Recipient Evaluation and Preparation

Liver transplantation is an established mode of treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease and acute liver failure. Initial challenges in liver transplantation included perfection in surgical techniques, organ procurement, and management of immunosuppression post liver transplantation. Currently one of the biggest challenges is shortage of donor organs creating a wait list of patients with unique complications of end-stage liver disease. These patients need meticulous care which results in significant burden on the health care system. The goal of this chapter is to describe indications and contraindications for liver transplantation, discuss medical management of patients on the liver transplant waitlist, and outline the pre liver transplant evaluation process.
Extravascular Clotting Factor Activity within Joint Tissues Protects Against Progression of Hemophilic Arthropathy.

Abstract Hemophilic arthropathy is the major morbidity of congenital factor VIII and IX deficiency. Therapies localized to hemophilic joints could provide adjunctive protection, in addition to that provided by systemic factor replacement. However, the ability of extravascular clotting factors to contribute to hemostatic protection within joint tissue is unknown. We hypothesized that replacing deficient factor VIII or IX within the injured joint capsule of mice with hemophilia A (FVIII −/ −) or hemophilia B (FIX −/ −), respectively, would decrease the progression of synovitis. We developed a bleeding model consisting of a unilateral knee joint capsule needle puncture to induce hemorrhage in hemophilic mice. Pathology of the joint at two weeks after the injury is graded 0 to 10 using a murine hemophilic synovitis grading system (Valentino, Hakobyan. Haemophilia, 2006). Hemostatically normal mice do not develop synovitis following this injury, but > 95% of FIX −/ − mice develop bleeding and synovitis with a mean grade of 3–4 or greater. Coincident with needle puncture, recombinant human coagulation factor doses ranging from 0 to 20 IU/kg body weight of factor IX or 0 to 25 IU/kg of factor VIII were instilled intraarticularly (I.A.). Comparison groups received the same injury and intravenous (I.V.) factor IX or VIII doses of 25 IU/kg to 100 IU/kg (n= 4–7 mice per study group). Joint bleeding phenotype of the two strains of mice was similar. Mice receiving only saline injection at the time of needle puncture developed mean synovitis scores of 5 ±0.5 in the FVIII −/ − mice and 6 ±0.5 in the FIX −/ − mice. Protection by human clotting factor in the mouse coagulation system was incomplete; mice receiving 100 IU/kg I.V. of factor VIII or factor IX developed synovitis scores of 2.6 ± 1.7 and 2.1 ± 0.2, respectively. In contrast, pathology grade of FVIII −/ − mice dosed with 25 IU/kg I.A. was 0.67 ± 0.3 (p = 0.05 for comparison of 25 IU/kg I.A. with 100 IU/kg IV); FIX−/ − mice receiving 20 IU/kg I.A. had synovitis scores of 0.45 ± 0.58 (p
Wavefront-Aberration Correction Using Binary Amplitude and Polarization Modulation

We investigate a simple method to correct aberrations using binary-amplitude and binary-polarization pupil masks. A Cr-on-quartz mask and liquid crystal device experimentally lead to a significant Strehl ratio improvement for an aberrated laser beam.
Abstract IA2: Developing therapeutics using the zebrafish

The zebrafish is a wonderful disease model, and it is now possible to develop new therapies to treat human disease. A screen for blood stem cells in the developing aorta led to the discovery of PGE2 as a regulator of stem cell engraftment. After studies with mouse and human hematopoietic cells, a clinical trial proceeded to test PGE2 in cord blood transplantation. In 12 leukemic patients receiving 2 cord blood units, one treated with dmPGE2, 10 patients engrafted with the treated cord blood. The neutrophils and platelets recovered more quickly than the untreated cord blood. Another chemical, leflunomide, was found in zebrafish to block neural crest development. Leflunomide also suppressed neural crest gene transcription in human melanomas, and reduced the rate of human tumor formation in mouse xenografts. The effect was stronger in combination with a BRAF inhibitor known to block cell proliferation. This has led to a clinical trial in which 43 patients will be treated for metastaic melanoma. To date, three patients have been treated. In another example, a chemical suppressor screen was done on the rps29 mutant that resembles Diamond Blackfan anemia. Calmodulin antagonists rescue the defect in hematopoiesis. These antagonists also rescue the hematopoietic block found in human CD34 cells treated with an shRNA to rps19. This suggests that calmodulin antagonists could be used to treat patient with Diamond Blackfan anemia. The zebrafish offers an excellent opportunity to find new therapeutics. Citation Format: Leonard I. Zon. Developing therapeutics using the zebrafish. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: The Translational Impact of Model Organisms in Cancer; Nov 5-8, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2014;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr IA2.
Enterprise Implementation of Digital Pathology: Feasibility, Challenges, and Opportunities

Digital pathology is becoming technically possible to implement for routine pathology work. At our institution, we have been using digital pathology for second opinion intraoperative consultations for over 10 years. Herein, we describe our experience in converting to a digital pathology platform for primary pathology diagnosis. We implemented an incremental rollout for digital pathology on subspecialty benches, beginning with cases that contained small amounts of tissue (biopsy specimens). We successfully scanned over 40,000 slides through our digital pathology system. Several lessons (both challenges and opportunities) were learned through this implementation. A successful conversion to digital pathology requires pre-imaging adjustments, integrated software and post-imaging evaluations.
Reorganizing a Library Department: A Case Study in Transformational Leadership

Identifying opportunities for professional advancement can be difficult to navigate for library employees. Clear paths for moving up in an organization are not always evident. Sometimes you have to make your own path. Considering the needs of those you currently lead while motivating and supporting them in order to acclimate them to change is essential. A literature review of Transformational Leadership and a case study of a reorganization proposed and adopted at Binghamton University Libraries will be used to demonstrate how to achieve success by leveraging talent to better meet the needs of an organization.
Path cost analysis for side channel detection

Side-channels have been increasingly demonstrated as a practical threat to the confidentiality of private user information. Being able to statically detect these kinds of vulnerabilites is a key challenge in current computer security research. We introduce a new technique, path-cost analysis (PCA), for the detection of side-channels. Given a cost model for a type of side-channel, path-cost analysis assigns a symbolic cost expression to every node and every back edge of a method's control flow graph that gives an over-approximation for all possible observable values at that node or after traversing that cycle. Queries to a satisfiability solver on the maximum distance between specific pairs of nodes allow us to detect the presence of imbalanced paths through the control flow graph. When combined with taint analysis, we are able to answer the following question: does there exist a pair of paths in the method's control flow graph, differing only on branch conditions influenced by the secret, that differs in observable value by more than some given threshold? In fact, we are able to answer the specifically state what sets of secret-sensitive conditional statements introduce a side-channel detectable given some noise parameter. We extend this approach to an interprocedural analysis, resulting in a over-approximation of the number of true side-channels in the program according to the given cost model. Greater precision can be obtained by combining our method with predicate abstraction or symbolic execution to eliminate a subset of the infeasible paths through the control flow graph. We propose evaluating our method on a set of sizeable Java server-client applications.
Liquid Crystal Elastomers (LCEs) Dynamics in Response to Visible Light Illumination

Liquid crystal elastomers are elastic materials that deform by illumination. The LCE film dynamics under different visible light frequencies is simulated. The results illustrate rapid deformations at higher frequencies with greater resultant forces.