cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Engineering of strained III–V heterostructures for high hole mobility

Strain and confinement leads to reduction in m* to numbers comparable with electron mass in III–V's. Room temperature mobility of 960/860cm2/Vs for In 0.41 Ga 0.59 Sb/GaSb channels (NS=1x1012/cm2) are the highest reported for these materials. μh is ≫ 3X compared to uniaxially strained Si. Further enhancement should be possible using uniaxial strain (Fig. 3). High μh Sb-based channels along with their already reported excellent n-channel performance [1] make them promising candidates to meet ITRS requirements for future nodes.
High-speed optical modulator for application in instrumentation

The design and characterization of the first integrated optic modulator for a commercial instrument application are described. Alternative forms of modulation, including direct laser current modulation and optical heterodyne techniques, are reviewed for the application, which requires modulation to 20 GHz. The advantages of an integrated optic modulator fabricated using titanium in-diffused lithium niobate are discussed. Performance tradeoffs between x-cut and z-cut LiNbO/sub 3/ including bandwidth, modulation efficiency, bias point stability, and acoustic resonances are detailed. The x-cut device is found to give the best overall performance for this instrument application. Device reliability and testing, including temperature cycling, humidity, electrostatic discharge, mechanical shock, and vibration are described for complete packaged and pigtailed devices. >
The mental health of children affected by armed conflict: Protective processes and pathways to resilience

This paper examines the concept of resilience in the context of children affected by armed conflict. Resilience has been frequently viewed as a unique quality of certain 'invulnerable' children. In contrast, this paper argues that a number of protective processes contribute to resilient mental health outcomes in children when considered through the lens of the child's social ecology. While available research has made important contributions to understanding risk factors for negative mental health consequences of war-related violence and loss, the focus on trauma alone has resulted in inadequate attention to factors associated with resilient mental health outcomes. This paper presents key studies in the literature that address the interplay between risk and protective processes in the mental health of war-affected children from an ecological, developmental perspective. It suggests that further research on war-affected children should pay particular attention to coping and meaning making at the individual level; the role of attachment relationships, caregiver health, resources and connection in the family, and social support available in peer and extended social networks. Cultural and community influences such as attitudes towards mental health and healing as well as the meaning given to the experience of war itself are also important aspects of the larger social ecology.
Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis of aromatic effector specificity in NtrC-like transcriptional activators from aromatic oxidizing bacteria

A quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) approach was taken to provide mechanistic insights into the interaction between the chemical structure of inducing compounds and the transcriptional activation of aromatic monooxygenase operons among the XylR/DmpR subclass of bacterial NtrC-like transcriptional regulators. Compared to XylR and DmpR, a broader spectrum of effector compounds was observed for the TbuT system from Ralstonia pickettii PKO1. The results of QSAR analysis for TbuT suggested that a steric effect, rather than hydrophobic or electronic effects, may be the predominant factor in determining aromatic effector specificity, and the active site of the regulator may positively interact not only with the methyl moiety but also with the most electron-rich aryl side of an aromatic effector.
COMPUTATIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL EXAMINATION OF THE EFFECT OF INORGANIC SALTS ON CHYMOTRYPTIC ENANTIOSELECTIVITY IN WATER

Enantioselectivity (E) of α-chymotrypsin in the hydrolysis of tropic (3-hydroxy-2-phenylpro-pionic) acid methyl ester in water was found to be 31 in favor of the R enantiomer. Addition of 1.5 M ammonium or sodium sulfate resulted in a nearly 3-fold drop in the E value. In contrast, thermodynamic calculations predict a 30-40% increase in E. Importantly, these calculations are based on the assumption that the solvent-dependent differences in the desolvation energetics of substrate enantiomers upon formation of their enzyme-bound transition states is the dominant factor by which the solvent affects enzymatic enantioselectivity. Therefore this assumption, validated previously for enzymatic transesterifications in organic solvents and herein for enzymatic hydrolysis in water, does not apply to concentrated aqueous salt solutions. It is hypothesized instead that the sulfate salts may alter the conformation of chymotrypsin. However, the fluorescence and UV absorbance spectra of the enzyme in water and in 1.5 M a...
Physician attitudes toward health information exchange: results of a statewide survey.

Objective To assess physicians' attitudes toward health information exchange (HIE) and physicians' willingness to pay to participate in HIE. Design We conducted a cross-sectional mail survey of 1296 licensed physicians (77% response rate) in Massachusetts in 2007. Measurements Perceptions of the potential effects of HIE on healthcare costs, quality of care, clinicians' time, patients' privacy concerns, and willingness to pay for HIE. Results After excluding 253 physicians who did not see any outpatients, we analyzed 1043 responses. Overall, 70% indicated that HIE would reduce costs, while 86% said it would improve quality and 76% believed that it would save time. On the other hand, 16% reported being very concerned about HIE's effect on privacy, while 55.0% were somewhat concerned and 29% not at all concerned. Slightly more than half of the physicians (54%) said they would be willing to pay an unspecified monthly fee to participate in HIE, but only 37% said they would be willing to pay $150 per month for it. Primary care physicians and those in larger practices tended to have more positive attitudes toward HIE. Conclusions Physicians perceive that HIE will have generally positive effects, though a considerable fraction harbor concerns about privacy. While physicians may be willing to participate in HIE, they are not consistently willing to pay to participate. HIE business models that require substantial physician subscription fees may face significant challenges.
Face Recognition in the Thermal Infrared Spectrum

We present a two-stage face recognition method based on infrared imaging and statistical modeling. In the first stage we reduce the search space by finding highly likely candidates before arriving at a singular conclusion during the second stage. Previous work has shown that Bessel forms model accurately the marginal densities of filtered components and can be used to find likely matches but not a unique solution. We present an enhancement to this approach by applying Bessel modeling on the facial region only rather than the entire image and by pipelining a classification algorithm to produce a unique solution. The detailed steps of our method are as follows: First, the faces are separated from the background using adaptive fuzzy connectedness segmentation. Second, Gabor filtering is used as a spectral analysis tool. Third, the derivative filtered images are modeled using two-parameter Bessel forms. Fourth, high probability subjects are short-listed by applying the L^2 -norm on the Bessel models. Finally, the resulting set of highly likely matches is fed to a Bayesian classifier to find the exact match. We show experimentally that segmentation of the facial regions results in better hypothesis pruning and classification performance. We also present comparative experimental results with an eigenface approach to highlight the potential of our method.
Xen Worlds: Creating a virtual laboratory environment for use in education

The Xen Worlds project uses the Xen hypervisor to create a virtual lab environment, providing students with personal networks of fully functional virtual machines (VMs) called a Xen World. The Xen Worlds environment can be provided using minimal hardware, and uses open source software, making it a low-cost option for education. The current hardware, consisting of five modest servers is capable of providing 470 VMs. Since each Xen World can be isolated from each other, and from the Internet, students can be provided root access to their VMs without the security and privacy issues that would be present in a normal shared lab. In addition, to support off-campus students, Xen Worlds has several features that ensure the system is equally accessible and easy to use, even if the student has limited access to computing or network resources. To rate the usability and effectiveness of the Xen Worlds environment, student feedback was collected through the use of surveys. The results indicate students feel the environment is an enjoyable and effective teaching method, with comments indicating a desire for a greater number of assignments to be provided.
Hybrid Russe Procedure for Scaphoid Waist Fracture Nonunion With Deformity.

Purpose To assess the results of a hybrid Russe procedure using a corticocancellous strut, cancellous autologous nonvascularized bone graft, and cannulated headless compression screw to reduce the deformity reliably from a collapsed scaphoid nonunion, provide osteoinductive stimulus, and stabilize the fracture for predictable union. Methods A hybrid Russe procedure was performed for scaphoid waist fracture nonunions with humpback deformity and no evidence of avascular necrosis. A volar distal radius autologous bone graft was harvested and a strut of cortical bone was fashioned and placed into the nonunion site to restore length and alignment. We packed cancellous bone graft in the remainder of the nonunion site and fixed the scaphoid was with a headless compression screw. Union was determined by radiographs or computed tomography, and intrascaphoid, scapholunate, and radiolunate angles were calculated on final radiographs. We recorded wrist range of motion, grip strength, pinch strength, pain, and complications. Results Fourteen male and 3 female patients (average age, 32 years; range, 16–78 years), with a mean follow-up of 32 months, were examined clinically and radiographically. All 17 scaphoids united with a mean time for union of 3.6 months. The mean postoperative intrascaphoid angle was significantly reduced from 65° preoperatively to 35° postoperatively. The mean radiolunate angle was significantly improved from 20° from neutral (lunate tilted dorsally) preoperatively to 0° postoperatively. The scapholunate angle also demonstrated significant improvement from 70° preoperatively to 56° postoperatively. Grip strength improved from 70% of the contralateral hand to 89% after the procedure. All patients were satisfied with the functional outcome and no donor site morbidity or hardware issues were identified. Conclusions This straightforward hybrid Russe technique predictably restored radiolunate, scapholunate, and intrascaphoid angles with a 100% union incidence. The technique provides excellent functional results in patients with a challenging clinical problem, and we recommend it for scaphoid fracture waist nonunions with dorsal intercalated segment instability deformity. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.
The Strategy of Occupational Choice: Recruitment to Dentistry

Self-recruitment to dentistry provides an excellent case of the purposive or negotiated nature of occupational choice, especially of the skilled and professional occupations. Choices were made as compromises between reward preferences and expectancies of access to specific occupations; both of these career perspectives were developed with reference to familial occupational history, especially the occupational status of the father. Evidence is presented which indicates that dentistry was chosen because it combined high rewards with a reasonable degree of access; i.e., a minimax strategy was employed. Medicine, although possessing greater rewards, was rejected because of difficult access; while law, university teaching and accountancy, etc., were rejected because of perceived lower rewards. T nhe investigation described here developed from a longitudinal study of the evolution of the professional in dentistry which is concerned with the recruitment, socialization and initial careers of dental students. As a first phase of this research, the process of self-recruitment or the development of a commitment to study dentistry was studied with a sample of predental students. The present paper describes the development of an occupational choice; i.e., the decision to study dentistry.1 In this study two opposing approaches to occupational choice were considered. As an example of the first approach, Katz and Martin conceive of occupational choice as essentially adven-titio,us in nature.2 This approach characterizes occupational choice as nonrational, spontaneous and based upon situational pressures. Con-tingencies and influences external to the occupational world are seen as bringing about a fortuitous choice of one's life work. In their study of career choice among student nurses, Katz and Martin advance the thesis that ". the decisions which underlie embarkation on a nursing career for at least somte persons revolve around limited, situational contilngencies-in which the matter of nursing-as-career enters only tangentially or not at all. Thus, rational coInsiderations play a mlinlor or absenIt role. Examples of these contingencies are also given
Implications of a result on observer design for stochastic parameter systems

An earlier result on observer design for stochastic parameter systems is utilized to show that optimal one-step predictors for such systems are mean square stable and to propose a new class of stable estimation schemes.
Complete all-optical processing polarization-based binary logic gates and optical processors*

We present a complete all-optical-processing polarization-based binary-logic system, by which any logic gate or processor can be implemented. Following the new polarization-based logic presented in [Opt. Express 14, 7253 (2006)], we develop a new parallel processing technique that allows for the creation of all-optical-processing gates that produce a unique output either logic 1 or 0 only once in a truth table, and those that do not. This representation allows for the implementation of simple unforced OR, AND, XOR, XNOR, inverter, and more importantly NAND and NOR gates that can be used independently to represent any Boolean expression or function. In addition, the concept of a generalized gate is presented which opens the door for reconfigurable optical processors and programmable optical logic gates. Furthermore, the new design is completely compatible with the old one presented in [Opt. Express 14, 7253 (2006)], and with current semiconductor based devices. The gates can be cascaded, where the information is always on the laser beam. The polarization of the beam, and not its intensity, carries the information. The new methodology allows for the creation of multiple-input-multiple-output processors that implement, by itself, any Boolean function, such as specialized or non-specialized microprocessors. Three all-optical architectures are presented: orthoparallel optical logic architecture for all known and unknown binary gates, singlebranch architecture for only XOR and XNOR gates, and the railroad (RR) architecture for polarization optical processors (POP). All the control inputs are applied simultaneously leading to a single time lag which leads to a very-fast and glitch-immune POP. A simple and easy-to-follow step-by-step algorithm is provided for the POP, and design reduction methodologies are briefly discussed. The algorithm lends itself systematically to software programming and computer-assisted design. As examples, designs of all binary gates, multiple-input gates, and sequential and non-sequential Boolean expressions are presented and discussed. The operation of each design is simply understood by a bullet train traveling at the speed of light on a railroad system preconditioned by the crossover states predetermined by the control inputs. The presented designs allow for optical processing of the information eliminating the need to convert it, back and forth, to an electronic signal for processing purposes. All gates with a truth table, including for example Fredkin, Toffoli, testable reversible logic, and threshold logic gates, can be designed and implemented using the railroad architecture. That includes any future gates not known today. Those designs and the quantum gates are not discussed in this paper.
Comparative phylogenomics of the CBL-CIPK calcium-decoding network in the moss Physcomitrella, Arabidopsis, and other green lineages

Land plants have evolved a host of anatomical and molecular adaptations for terrestrial growth. Many of these adaptations are believed to be elaborations of features that were present in their algal-like progenitors. In the model plant Arabidopsis, 10 Calcineurin B-Like proteins (CBLs) function as calcium sensors and modulate the activity of 26 CBL-Interacting Protein Kinases (CIPKs). The CBL-CIPK network coordinates environmental responses and helps maintain proper ion balances, especially during abiotic stress. We identified and analyzed CBL and CIPK homologs in green lineages, including CBLs and CIPKs from charophyte green algae, the closest living relatives of land plants. Phylogenomic evidence suggests that the network expanded from a small module, likely a single CBL-CIPK pair, present in the ancestor of modern plants and algae. Extreme conservation of the NAF motif, which mediates CBL-CIPK physical interactions, among all identified CIPKs supports the interpretation of CBL and CIPK homologs in green algae and early diverging land plants as functionally linked network components. We identified the full complement of CBL and CIPK loci in the genome of Physcomitrella, a model moss. These analyses demonstrate the strong effects of a recent moss whole genome duplication: CBL and CIPK loci appear in cognate pairs, some of which appear to be pseudogenes, with high sequence similarity. We cloned all full-length transcripts from these loci and performed yeast two-hybrid analyses to demonstrate CBL-CIPK interactions and identify specific connections within the network. Using phylogenomics, we have identified three ancient types of CBLs that are discernible by N-terminal localization motifs and a “green algal-type” clade of CIPKs with members from Physcomitrella and Arabidopsis.
Analysis of decision making skills for large scale disaster response

A large scale disaster such as the detonation of an improvised nuclear device (IND) in a U.S. city would pose significant response challenges for all levels of government, private organizations, and the general public. Public officials and emergency managers would face difficult and high impact choices throughout the response effort, and they must prepare to make timely and key decisions throughout the effort. Decision making preparation may involve more than technical training and resources. It may extend to emergency managers being cognitively and emotionally prepared for the situations they may face. This paper presents the first step toward the larger goal of developing alternative disaster preparedness training methods that teach effective decision making. The project team interviewed highly experienced, disaster response professionals and analyzed decisions they emphasized as being both important and difficult during an IND response. The respondents also identified the critical skills needed to make those decisions effectively. This paper reports on the findings and analysis of specific decisions and skills required for an IND response.
Effect of solidified slag on magnetohydrodynamic flow and heat transfer in electroslag remelting process

A transient three-dimensional (3D) model has been developed to investigate the impact of the solidified slag on the heat transfer and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow during the electroslag remelting process. The solution of the mass, momentum, and energy conservation equations are simultaneously implemented by the finite volume method with full coupling of the Joule heating and Lorentz force through solving the Maxwell’s equations. The solidification is modeled by an enthalpy-based technique. A reasonable agreement is obtained between the experiment and simulation. The results definitely highlight that the solidified slag skin does not behave as a perfect electrical insulator during the process. The electrical insulation hypothesis of the solidified slag makes a significant influence on physical fields which must be used with extreme care.
Public Policy and the Corporate Social Responsibility of Value Chain Management of Environmental Research and Development

This paper places environmental research and development (R&D) in the context of the literatures about corporate social responsibility and value chain management. The paper then explains how public policies aimed at improving environmental performance create opportunities for socially responsible corporate investments in environmental R&D. The lesson for sustainable value-chain management is that a company’s managers will find profitable opportunities for environmental R&D when public policy focuses on the environmental performance of the activities in the company’s value chain. Although public policy creates opportunities for profitable R&D, any general expectation that such socially responsible investments that support environmental sustainability will create sustainable competitive advantage for the firm is unwarranted because the investments may be necessary for the firm’s survival (but without such advantage) in the post-policy environment. The paper describes actual corporate behaviour toward environmental R&D and uses the behaviour to corroborate the validity of the theoretical lesson as a guide to socially responsible corporate behaviour.
Single-catheter approach to pulmonary vein reisolation in selected patients : Data from a prospective registry.

In addition to different types of single-tip ablation catheters for pulmonary vein (PV) reisolation, a newly developed circular mapping and ablation catheter (nMARQ®) has been available since 2013 and is currently used only in initial PV isolation procedures. In this prospective registry we present feasibility and efficacy data for PV reisolation procedures with a single-catheter approach (nMARQ®) compared with a standard approach using a single-tip ablation catheter and a circular mapping catheter. We included 35 carefully selected patients in this prospective registry and assigned them in a 2:1 ratio to undergo either PV reisolation with a single-tip ablation catheter together with a steerable circular mapping catheter (group 1) or with the nMARQ®catheter only (group 2). The recurrence rate was calculated for atrial tachyarrhythmias with a duration of > 30 s during a mean follow-up of 12.7 months. Reisolation of all PVs was achieved in all patients of both groups. In group 2, all gaps could be correctly identified with the nMARQ® catheter. PV isolation was clearly visible on the nMARQ® catheter in all targeted veins. With the nMARQ® catheter the ablation time decreased significantly (6.3 ± 3.0 vs. 18.6 ± 13.9 min, p < 0.05). The recurrence rate of atrial fibrillation did not differ significantly between the two groups (37.5 vs. 45.5 %, p = 0.66). In selected patients, a complete PV reisolation procedure is feasible with a singular circular mapping and ablation catheter. The 12-months success rate is comparable to a classic approach with a combination of a single-tip ablation catheter and a circular mapping catheter.
Change in Occupied Wolf Habitat in the Northern Great Lakes Region

The concept of w olf habitat and relative suitability has changed significantly over the past several decades. In large part, this occurred because of insights gained during expansion of the wolf population in the northern Great Lakes states (Mech 1970 ; Erb and DonCarlos, this volume; Beyer et al., this volume; Wydeven et al., this volume). Protection from intentional killing of wolves since 1974, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, began the process of wolf population growth and expansion in northeastern Minnesota, with eventual recolonization of northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan (Beyer et al., this volume; Wydeven et al., this volume). In 1955, W isconsin game manager John Keener wrote about wolves, “This animal is a symbol of the true wilderness. He cannot tolerate the advancing civilization of his wild home” (Keener 1955 : 22). As late as the 1980s it was still generally believed that wolves required wilderness to survive, though research was beginning to show otherwise (Mech et al. 1988 ; Mech 1989) . This concept lasted for so long in part because wolves had persisted only in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and adjacent areas of the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota (Erb and DonCarlos, this volume), as well as Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior (Vucetich and Peterson, this volume). Gradually, it became clearer that the role of wilderness was largely one of protection for wolves from killing through reduced human accessibility, rather than any innate requirements of wolves and their behavior (Mech 1995) . With protection, wolves colonized areas with greater human presence. At the same time, remoteness clearly has a positive effect on wolf survival because of reduced conflict with humans, reduced accidental killing of wolves (such as by vehicles), and perhaps less disease, as well as less intentional illegal killing. Remoteness provides one relative factor in defining degrees of habitat suitability for wolves. The other important factor is prey abundance. Ironically, in today’s human-dominated landscape, these factors are often in conflict. Human-dominated landscapes, both forests subject to harvesting and re-growth and agricultural lands, support high levels of prey (white-tailed deer,
'Ad Diction Ary' of drug users' terms.

Physicians obtain information by verbally communicating with patients. But communication is frequently impaired for varied reasons. Often, physicians and patients speak different languages, even when both use English as their vernacular. Intravenous drug users have their own way of referring to their lifestyle and habits. Without understanding the terms they use, the physician will have difficulty appreciating the course of events leading up to a disease. Terms unique to the drug culture, or terms that have a different meaning to drug users than they do to the general public are defined herein. This special lexicon is the culmination of the author's 5-year file-card collection of terms.
Aspects of Interaction Between Plant Genotypes and Biological Control

Although the combined effectiveness of resistant cultivars and biological control has been studied in a few instances, the interactions between plant resistance and arthropod predators and parasites remain poorly known. Most investigations of plant resistance to insects have focused on the pest-plant interaction; however, as resistant cultivars become more widely used in pest management their compatibility with biological control agents will become an important consideration.
Probing the unique dehydration-induced structural modifications in cancer cell DNA using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Conformation-induced formation of a series of unique Raman marker bands in cancer cell DNA, upon dehydration, have been probed for the first time with the use of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). These bands are capable of distinguishing cancer cell DNA from healthy cell DNA. For this simple and label-free DNA detection approach, we used conventional spherical silver nanoparticles, at a high concentration, without any aggregating agents, which gave highly reproducible SERS spectra of DNA separated from various human cells irrespective of their highly complex compositions and sequences. The observed phenomenon is attributed to the change in the chemical environment due to the presence of nucleobase lesions in cancer cell DNA and subsequent variation in the nearby electronic cloud during the dehydration-driven conformational changes. Detailed analysis of the SERS spectra gave important insight about the lesion-induced structural modifications upon dehydration in the cancer cell DNA. These results ...
Epidermal growth factor and aging: A signaling molecule reveals a new eye opening function

Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) is known for its role in promoting cell division and cellular differentiation in developing animals, but we know surprising little about what EGF does in vivo in mature adult animals. Here I review EGF signaling, emphasizing several recent studies that uncovered an unexpected role for EGF in promoting longevity and healthspan in mature adult C. elegans. EGF, acting through phospholipase Cγ and the IP3 receptor signaling, maintains pharyngeal and body wall muscle function in aging adults, and delays the accumulation of lipofuscin-enriched aging pigments within intestinal cells. EGF also acts through the Ras/ERK pathway to regulate protein homeostasis by promoting the expression of antioxidant genes, stimulating the activity of the Ubiquitin Proteasome System (UPS), and repressing the expression of small heat shock protein chaperones. The effects of EGF signaling on lifespan are largely independent of Insulin/IGF-like Signaling (IIS), as the effects of EGF signaling mutants on lifespan and heathspan are not affected by mutations in the DAF-2 insulin receptor or the DAF-16 FOXO transcription factor. Nevertheless, these two signal pathways have multiple points of overlap, coordination, and cross regulation. I propose that the IIS and EGF signaling pathways respond to environment and to developmental timing, respectively, so as to coordinate the appropriate physiological strategy that cells use to maintain protein homeostasis.
Does aging with a cortical lesion increase fall-risk: Examining effect of age versus stroke on intensity modulation of reactive balance responses from slip-like perturbations

We examined whether aging with and without a cerebral lesion such as stroke affects modulation of reactive balance response for recovery from increasing intensity of sudden slip-like stance perturbations. Ten young adults, older age-match adults and older chronic stroke survivors were exposed to three different levels of slip-like perturbations, level 1 (7.75m/s(2)), Level II (12.00m/s(2)) and level III (16.75m/s(2)) in stance. The center of mass (COM) state stability was computed as the shortest distance of the instantaneous COM position and velocity relative to base of support (BOS) from a theoretical threshold for backward loss of balance (BLOB). The COM position (XCOM/BOS) and velocity (ẊCOM/BOS) relative to BOS at compensatory step touchdown, compensatory step length and trunk angle at touchdown were also recorded. At liftoff, stability reduced with increasing perturbation intensity across all groups (main effect of intensity p<0.05). At touchdown, while the young group showed a linear improvement in stability with increasing perturbation intensity, such a trend was absent in other groups (intensity×group interaction, p<0.05). Between-group differences in stability at touchdown were thus observed at levels II and III. Further, greater stability at touchdown positively correlated with anterior XCOM/BOS however not with ẊCOM/BOS. Young adults maintained anterior XCOM/BOS by increasing compensatory step length and preventing greater trunk extension at higher perturbation intensities. The age-match group attempted to increase step length from intensity I to II to maintain stability however could not further increase step length at intensity III, resulting in lower stability on this level compared with the young group. Stroke group on the other hand was unable to modulate compensatory step length or control trunk extension at higher perturbation intensities resulting in reduced stability on levels II and III compared with the other groups. The findings reflect impaired modulation of recovery response with increasing intensity of sudden perturbations among stroke survivors compared with their healthy counter parts. Thus, aging superimposed with a cortical lesion could further impair reactive balance control, potentially contributing toward a higher fall risk in older stroke survivors.
ARMING THE REVOLUTIONARY UNITED FRONT

On 7 July 1999, the government of Sierra Leone and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) signed the Lome Peace Agreement to end the civil war. A central component of this agreement called for the RUF to disarm. A year later, the RUF leader, Foday Sankoh, was in custody and the future of the peace accord in grave doubt. Far from disarming, all parties have been rearming at an alarming rate, in contravention of a 1997 UN arms embargo and despite a regional moratorium on the production, procurement and sale of small arms and light weapons. The political and security situation remains extremely fragile. This article explores the ease with which small arms and light weapons can be obtained, and questions the efficacy of existing armament and disarmament policies. Given the availability of arms, the weakness of the current government, the relative strength of the RUF, and the fluidity of alliances among the country's armed groups, the likelihood of continued conflict in Sierra Leone is great.
2016 Victor A. McKusick Leadership Award Introduction: Stanley Gartler.

It is my privilege to introduce you to Dr. Stan Gartler, the winner of the 2016 McKusick Leadership Award of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG). Stan Gartler was born in 1923. I will spare you the math: he is 93 years old.
A comparative study of ionospheric irregularity drift velocity derived from a GNSS receiver array and Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar measurements during high-latitude ionospheric scintillation

The conventional ionospheric scintillation-based, spaced-receiver technique uses Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signal intensity measurements. It is not suitable, however, for high-latitude regions where phase scintillations occur much more often than amplitude scintillations. This paper demonstrates that GNSS signal carrier phase scintillations observed from a spaced-receiver array can be used to infer horizontal ionospheric drift velocities via time domain correlation. Drift velocities measured by the colocated Poker Flat incoherent scatter radar are cross compared against the estimated results from the GNSS receiver array. A comparative study is conducted based on two case studies on 20 and 31 December 2015, both accompanied by intense geomagnetic storms. Overall, the comparison results show statistical agreement between the GNSS receiver array estimation and incoherent scatter radar measurements.
A prospective evaluation of hippocampal radiation dose volume effects and memory deficits following cranial irradiation.

Abstract Background and purpose To prospectively evaluate hippocampal radiation dose volume effects and memory decline following cranial irradiation. Material and methods Effects of hippocampal radiation over a wide range of doses were investigated by combining data from three prospective studies. In one, adults with small cell lung cancer received hippocampal-avoidance prophylactic cranial irradiation. In the other two, adults with glioblastoma multiforme received neural progenitor cell sparing radiation or no sparing with extra dose delivered to subventricular zone. Memory was measured by the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised Delayed Recall (HVLT-R DR) at 6 months after radiation. Dose–volume histograms were generated and dose–response data were fitted to a nonlinear model. Results Of 60 patients enrolled, 30 were analyzable based on HVLT-R DR testing completion status, baseline HVLT-R DR and intracranial metastasis/recurrence or prior hippocampal resection status. We observed a dose–response of radiation to the hippocampus with regard to decline in HVLT-R DR. D50% of the bilateral hippocampi of 22.1 Gy is associated with 20% risk of decline. Conclusions This prospective study demonstrates an association between hippocampal dose volume effects and memory decline measured by HVLT-R DR over a wide dose range. These data support a potential benefit of hippocampal sparing and encourage continued trial enrollment.
Clinical Research in International Settings: Opportunities, Challenges, and Recommendations

Abstract The conduct of clinical research in international settings has been necessitated by globalization, recurring epidemics, and widening health disparities between developed and resource-limited countries. This reality calls for understanding the challenges, such as inadequate human resources, deficient research infrastructures, inefficient health-care systems, low-quality data collection and management, substandard institutional review boards, and poor regulatory oversight that can impede progress and impact outcomes in vulnerable populations. To accelerate progress in tackling global health challenges, it is critical to commit resources to the training and mentoring of research personnel, increase support for research administration, leverage local partners, strengthen existing infrastructures, and deploy innovative technologies to perform transformational clinical research. This is a moral imperative in the era of “precision medicine.” In promoting robust clinical research in regions of the world where research productivity has historically been low, the global research enterprise can ultimately foster discoveries necessary to disseminate evidence-based interventions to improve health equity and close the widening gap in health outcomes.
The Koan of the Market

Nelson challenges the reader to consider the question “What is a market?” as a koan—an invitation for investigation. Many advocates for social justice, including many followers of wisdom traditions, call for an economy that is defined in opposition to what is assumed to be the essence of our current economic system. Believing that current economies are based on competition and globalization, for example, critics claim that the alternative must be defined by cooperation and local initiatives. But are these beliefs correct? Opening up to a recognition of the interdependent co-arising of economic relations reveals new avenues for advocating social justice.
Glucocorticoid receptor binding in porcine preadipocytes during development.

Previous studies have shown that the responsiveness of porcine preadipocytes to glucocorticoids increases progressively with fetal age. In the current study, the development of fetal glucocorticoid receptors in porcine preadipocytes was examined in primary cultures derived from 50-, 75-, and 105-d fetal and 7-d postnatal porcine adipose tissue. Three dams were used for each fetal age group and three young pigs were used for the postnatal studies. Using [3H]dexamethasone as the radioligand, cytosolic glucocorticoid receptors were measured in preadipocytes. There was an age-related increase in the number of glucocorticoid receptors during fetal development. The number of glucocorticoid receptors was very low in 50-d fetal porcine preadipocytes (1.350 +/- .178 fmol/mg of protein) and increased progressively to a peak at 105 d (8.990 +/- .741 fmol/mg of protein). This represents an approximate sixfold increase in receptor number between these two ages (P < .05). After birth, the glucocorticoid receptor number significantly decreased compared with that of 105-d fetuses (2.766 +/- .218 fmol/mg of protein, P < .05). Furthermore, the dissociation constant (Kd) of the glucocorticoid receptor in 105-d fetal preadipocytes was numerically smaller than the Kd of receptors derived from other age groups, although only significantly lower than that of the 75-d group (P < .05). Insulin markedly increased the number and binding affinity of glucocorticoid receptors in preadipocytes, indicating its potential involvement in regulation of glucocorticoid receptors. The effect of glucocorticoids on differentiation in preadipocytes is, at least in part, mediated by the number of glucocorticoid receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Bone allografts: past, present and future.

Bone allograft transplantation has been performed in humans for more than one hundred and twenty years. During the first one hundred years (1880–1980), the major problem in bone allograft transplantation was availability. Most of the bone grafts used during this time were autografts. Allografts were not available due to a lack of legislation protecting procurers and processers. In addition, surgical procedures requiring allografts were not being performed. During the next twenty years (1980–2000), as allografis began to be used, the major issue was safety. Diseases transmitted during this period included AIDS and hepatitis. Avoidance of disease transmission became paramount. Sensitive blood tests and extensive efforts by bone banks to develop ways to clean. bone and clear it of infectious agents helped provide safe transplants. With concerns of availability and safety receding, the major issue in the future (2000–? ) will be the efficacy of the transplant. How allograft bone remodels in the host, how it incorporates and heals to host bone and how it integrates with the host skeleton will be the most important concerns of bone bankers and tissue transplant surgeons. Future research efforts will be applied to bone allograft transplantation to ensure that bone transplants heal quickly and sufficiently to be able to function as part of the weight-bearing skeletal system.
Type-1 interferon induced cross-regulation of IL-10 function: a novel mechanism in type 1 diabetes development

Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is caused by T cell-mediated destruction of insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. The “fertile field” hypothesis of T1D proposes that in a genetically predisposed individual, an inflamed environment prompts the organ towards autoimmunity. In this study, we tested whether chronic and localized accumulation of type I interferons (TI-IFNs) creates a “fertile field” that releases diabetogenic T cells from immuneregulation. In vitro incubation of mouse T cells with IFN-beta renders memory and regulatory T cells with a dramatic defect in the production of phospho-STAT3 in response to the regulatory cytokine IL-10 (but not to IL-6). This resulted in prevention of upregulation of IL-10 induced genes. Altered signaling was NOT caused by reduction of IL-10 receptor expression, nor induction of Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS) 1 or 3. Instead, microarray analysis suggested a novel role for the transcription factor STAT1 in dampening IL-10 signaling. IFNbeta induces STAT1 expression causing a reversal of the intracellular STAT1/STAT3 protein ratio that favors a competitive role of STAT1. In agreement, STAT1-KO T cells exposed to IFN-beta did not show any defect in IL-10 signaling. In diabetes-prone NOD mice we discovered a persistent reduction of IL-10 signaling in Tmem and Treg restricted to pancreatic and mesenteric lymph nodes (correlating with the reported local accumulation of TI-IFNs). Treatment of these mice with an IFNRA blocking antibody (that delays the onset and reduces the incidence of T1D) showed a clear restoration of IL-10 signaling. Overall, these data reveal a novel immune defect that, if properly targeted could enhance the efficacy of immunomodulatory strategies to control T1D.
Application of a sum rule to the study of interatomic forces

The trace of the dynamical matrix D ( q ) contains no explicitly q -dependent contributions which arise either (1) from interactions between unlike atoms (because such terms appear only in off-diagonal elements of D ) or (2) from coulomb, dipole, … or any order multipole interaction between any atoms (because, although such terms may appear in individual diagonal elements, their sum vanishes in the trace since electrostatic potentials obey Laplace's equation). But an elementary matrix theorem implies that the sum S ( q ) = ( q ) taken at any point q over the i = 1, 2, …, 3 n squared normal frequencies ω i ( q ) in a crystal with n -atoms per unit cell is equal to Trace ( D ) at that point q ; it follows that S ( q ) = constant (independent of q ) unless there are forces present in the crystal which satisfy neither of these two criteria (i.e. forces that are not electrostatic in nature and act between unlike atoms). This sum rule is a useful tool for the study of such forces once all the w i 's have been found experimentally for more than one point in q -space. Analysis along these lines of dispersion data for a number of crystals is presented.
A Nature-Inspired Framework for Optimal Mining of Attribute-Based Access Control Policies

Even though attribute-based access control (ABAC) has been applied to address authorization in areas such as cloud and internet of things, implementing ABAC policies can become complex due to the high expressiveness of ABAC specifications. In order to semi-automate this process, several policy mining approaches have been proposed that mostly derive ABAC policies from access request logs. These approaches, however, do not take into account the existing ABAC policies and attempt to define all policies from scratch, which is not acceptable for an enterprise that already has an implemented ABAC system. Given basic assumptions on how access control configurations are generated, we first provide a formal definition of ABAC policy mining with minimal perturbation that fulfills the requirements that enterprises typically have. We then present an effective and efficient methodology based on particle swarm optimization algorithm for addressing the ABAC policy mining and ABAC policy mining with minimal perturbation problems. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed methodology is able to generate much less complex policies than previous works using the same realistic case studies. Furthermore, we perform experiments on how to find an ABAC state as similar as possible to both the existing state and the optimal state.