cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LDSS-P: an advanced algorithm to extract functional short motifs associated with coordinated gene expression

Identifying functional elements in promoter sequences is a major goal in computational and experimental genome biology. Here, we describe an algorithm, Local Distribution of Short Sequences for Prokaryotes (LDSS-P), to identify conserved short motifs located at specific positions in the promoters of co-expressed prokaryotic genes. As a test case, we applied this algorithm to a symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacterium, Sinorhizobium meliloti The LDSS-P profiles that overlap with the 5' section of the extracytoplasmic function RNA polymerase sigma factor RpoE2 consensus sequences displayed a sharp peak between -34 and -32 from TSS positions. The corresponding genes overlap significantly with RpoE2 targets identified from previous experiments. We further identified several groups of genes that are co-regulated with characterized marker genes. Our data indicate that in S. meliloti, and possibly in other Rhizobiaceae species, the master cell cycle regulator CtrA may recognize an expanded motif (AACCAT), which is positionally shifted from the previously reported CtrA consensus sequence in Caulobacter crescentus Bacterial one-hybrid experiments showed that base substitution in the expanded motif either increase or decrease the binding by CtrA. These results show the effectiveness of LDSS-P as a method to delineate functional promoter elements.
Mapping Protein–RNA Interactions by RCAP, RNA-Cross-Linking and Peptide Fingerprinting

RNA nanotechnology often feature protein RNA complexes. The interaction between proteins and large RNAs are difficult to study using traditional structure-based methods like NMR or X-ray crystallography. RCAP, an approach that uses reversible-cross-linking affinity purification method coupled with mass spectrometry, has been developed to map regions within proteins that contact RNA. This chapter details how RCAP is applied to map protein-RNA contacts within virions.
Unhealthy Alcohol Use

Unhealthy alcohol use is common and routine screening is essential to identify patients and initiate appropriate treatment. At-risk or hazardous drinking is best managed with brief interventions, which can be performed by any provider and are designed to enhance patients' motivations and promote behavioral change. Alcohol withdrawal can be managed, preferably with benzodiazepines, using a symptom-triggered approach. Twelve-step programs and provider-driven behavioral therapies have robust data supporting their effectiveness and patients with alcohol use disorder should be referred for these services. Research now support the use of several FDA-approved medications that aid in promoting abstinence and reducing heavy drinking.
Prevascularization of Decellularized Porcine Myocardial Slice for Cardiac Tissue Engineering.

Prevacularization strategies have been implemented in tissue engineering to generate microvasculature networks within a scaffold prior to implantation. Prevascularizing scaffolds will shorten the time of functional vascular perfusion with host upon implantation. In this study, we explored key variables affecting the interaction between decellularized porcine myocardium slices (dPMSs) and reseeded stem cells toward the fabrication of prevascularized cardiac tissue. Our results demonstrated that dPMS supports attachment of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and rat adipose derived stem cells (rASCs) with high viability. We found that cell seeding efficiency and proliferation are dPMS thickness dependent. Compared to lateral cell seeding, bilateral cell seeding strategy significantly enhanced seeding efficiency, infiltration, and growth in 600 μm dPMS. dPMS induced endothelial differentiation and maturation of hMSCs and rASCs after 1 and 5 days culture, respectively. These results indicate the potential of...
Energy efficiency limits in approximate computing: A fundamental physical perspective

Approximate computing offers pathways to increased energy efficiency in computational settings where perfect accuracy is not required. In this work, we explore fundamental links between approximation, information loss, and limiting energy efficiency of computation. We distinguish physical and semantic aspects of approximation in digital computation, and show how the physical aspects — whether of deterministic or non-deterministic origin — can be quantified at a fundamental physical level in physical-information-theoretic measures that directly link loss of input information to energy dissipation. We then present a fundamental energy efficiency bound that explicitly incorporates these measures, and illustrate its evaluation in simple examples involving approximate adders.
Dynamics of Decision Making in Cyber Defense: Using Multi-agent Cognitive Modeling to Understand CyberWar

Information technology is the center of gravity of everyday human activity. From the eyes of a citizen, a company, or a nation, successful every day activities need to be conducted while being aware of cyber security and protection, aiming to anticipate possible criminal activities that would damage our property (both physical and intellectual) and our privacy. Cyberwar has become an important threat to our national security, involving malicious activities across nation-wide organizations in offensive and defensive operations, and cyber-attacks are now part of everyday news.
Redefining Leadership: Lessons from an Early Education Leadership Development Initiative

This study examined how experienced early educators developed as change agents in the context of a leadership development program. Unlike in many other professions, experienced early educators lack opportunities to grow throughout their careers and access the supports they need to lead change in their classrooms, organizations, the profession, and beyond. This qualitative study brings a relational and entrepreneurial leadership theory lens to its analysis of the experiences of 43 early educators as they co-created pathways forward as leaders for change. The study defines leadership as a process of influencing change to improve early care and education, and not reserved just for those with a formal leadership position. Results show how educators came to see themselves as leaders and pursued different paths to making change and driving improvement. The study offers a new conceptual mapping of a leadership development ecosystem for supporting educators’ capacity to identify as leaders as well as lead improvement and innovation. The paper concludes with lessons learned and recommendations for strengthening the leadership infrastructure to support early educator leadership for change and innovation.
Mourning Halabja on Screen: Or Reading Kurdish Politics through Anfal Films

Towards the end of the decade long Iran–Iraq war, Saddam Hussein launched a deadly attack against the Kurds, known as the Anfal Campaign, killing more than a hundred thousand. One of the largest acts of genocide occurred on 18 March 1988 in the Kurdish city of Halabja. On that day, sweet-smelling poison gas was poured over the city, killing at least five thousand. Since 2001 Kurdish moviemakers have memorialized the tragedy of the Halabja massacre by producing cinematic dramas and narrative documentaries. These films are part of a discourse of authenticity and a politics of culture that permeate the Kurdish independence movement. This essay proposes that Halabja films can be divided into three stages: the era of consolidation, 2000 to 2009; the golden era, 2009 to early 2014; and the fall which followed the fall of Mosul to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Each era reveals new attitudes towards politics, society, and the massacre.
Doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity is suppressed by estrous-staged treatment and exogenous 17β-estradiol in female tumor-bearing spontaneously hypertensive rats

Doxorubicin (DOX), an anthracycline therapeutic, is widely used to treat a variety of cancer types and known to induce cardiomyopathy in a time and dose-dependent manner. Postmenopausal and hypertensive females are two high-risk groups for developing adverse effects following DOX treatment. This may suggest that endogenous reproductive hormones can in part suppress DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Here, we investigated if the endogenous fluctuations in 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) can in part suppress DOX-induced cardiomyopathy in SST-2 tumor-bearing spontaneously hypersensitive rats (SHRs) and evaluate if exogenous administration of E2 and P4 can suppress DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in tumor-bearing ovariectomized SHRs (ovaSHRs). Vaginal cytology was performed on all animals to identify the stage of the estrous cycle. Estrous-staged SHRs received a single injection of saline, DOX, dexrazoxane (DRZ), or DOX combined with DRZ. OvaSHRs were implanted with time-releasing pellets that contained a carrier matrix (control), E2, P4, Tamoxifen (Tam), and combinations of E2 with P4 and Tam. Hormone pellet-implanted ovaSHRs received a single injection of saline or DOX. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI), E2, and P4 serum concentrations were measured before and after treatment in all animals. Cardiac damage and function were further assessed by echocardiography and histopathology. Weight, tumor size, and uterine width were measured for all animals. In SHRs, estrous-staged DOX treatment altered acute estrous cycling that ultimately resulted in prolonged diestrus. Twelve days after DOX administration, all SHRs had comparable endogenous circulating E2. Thirteen days after DOX treatment, SHRs treated during proestrus had decreased cardiac output and increased cTnI as compared to animals treated during estrus and diestrus. DOX-induced tumor reduction was not affected by estrous-staged treatments. In ovaSHRs, exogenous administration of E2 suppressed DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, while P4-implanted ovaSHRs were partly resistant. However, ovaSHRs treated with E2 and P4 did not have cardioprotection against DOX-induced damage. This study demonstrates that estrous-staged treatments can alter the extent of cardiac damage caused by DOX in female SHRs. The study also supports that exogenous E2 can suppress DOX-induced myocardial damage in ovaSHRs.
OBJECTIVE EXPERIMENTAL STRESS ANALYSIS USING THE MOIRé METHOD

ABSTRACT This paper discusses research into the further development of the Moire method of experimental stress analysis. Particular emphasis is placed upon achieving complete objectivity in reducing the strain information from the Moire pattern. Objectivity, as applied, implies a method free of measurements made by the operator's sensory perceptors. The objective method is applied to several tests, one of which is reported. The application is to the thermal stress problem of a ring under an axisymmetric temperature distribution. The maximum temperature reported is 1120°F. The results indicate that new levels of sensitivity and accuracy are achieved even though coarse gratings are used. The theory of the process is discussed, and a photo-reading device is described. A computer program is developed to reduce the Moire data. Techniques for using the Moire method in thermal stress problems at moderately high temperatures are devised. The conclusions drawn from this research are: 1. That the Moire method of experimental stress analysis can be made completely objective. 2. That reconsideration should be given the photogrid method applied in an objective fashion as a means of improving accuracy.
The frequency of simultaneous disfluency and phonological errors in children: A preliminary investigation

The frequency of simultaneous disfluency and phonological errors was examined in seven young English-speaking children exhibiting coexisting stuttering and phonological disorders. Data were gathered during 30 minutes of mother-child conversation and analyzed in three parts: (1) stuttering, (2) phonological errors, and (3) stuttering and phonological error co-occurrence. Results indicated that stuttering did not occur more frequently on syllables with phonological errors than on syllables without phonological errors. However, the frequency of disfluency on word-initial consonant clusters with phonological errors was significantly higher than on word-initial consonant clusters without phonological errors. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.
Local response heterogeneity indexes experience-based neural differentiation in reading.

Abstract The ability to read requires learning letter-string representations whose neural codes would be expected to vary depending on the amount of experience that an individual has with reading them. Motivated by sparse coding theories (e.g., Rolls and Tovee, 1995; Olshausen and Field, 1996), recent work has demonstrated that better-learned relative to less well-learned neural representations are associated with more strongly differentiated, locally heterogeneous blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) responses (e.g., Jiang et al., 2013). Here we report a novel analysis method we call local heterogeneity regression (Local-Hreg) that quantifies the cross-voxel heterogeneity of BOLD responses, thereby providing a sensitive and methodologically flexible method for quantifying the local neural differentiation of neural representations. In a study of literate adults, we applied Local-Hreg to fMRI data obtained when participants read letter strings that varied in their frequency of occurrence in the written language. Consistent with previous research identifying the left ventral occipitotemporal cortex (vOTC) as a key site for orthographic representation in reading and spelling, we found that the cross-voxel heterogeneity of neural responses in this region varies according to the frequency with which the written letter strings have been experienced. This work provides a novel approach for examining the local differentiation of neural representations, and demonstrates that well-learned words have greater representational differentiation than less well-learned or unfamiliar words.
A Food Tourism Textbook Served in Four Courses

First paragraphs: I was packing my suitcase to fly to Italy for the 1st World Congress on Agritourism when a large brown envelope showed up in my mailbox. I rip­ped open the package to find Susan L. Slocum and Kynda R. Curtis’s new textbook, Food and Agricul­tural Tourism: Theory and Best Practice. Perfect reading for my flight to Europe! Flying over the Atlantic Ocean, I flipped through the book and was immediately drawn in by the colorful case studies of food tourism around the world. The study questions for students had me hooked: How would you define authentic food from your area? How does globalization lead to specialization in agricultural production? What does “rice for life” mean? How can the Rattlesnake Hills Wine Trail enhance the visitor experience? . . .
Use of a whole-cell ELISA to detect additional antibodies in setting of suspected heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Objectives Type II heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is mediated by formation of antibodies to platelet factor 4 (PF4)-heparin complexes. We evaluated anti-PF4-heparin-negative samples for the presence of additional anti-platelet and anti-red blood cell (RBC) antibodies using whole-cell platelet/ RBC ELISAs we developed. Methods Seventy-three samples tested for anti-PF4-heparin by ELISA were included: 62 tested negative, 9 tested positive, and 2 had equivocal results. Plasma specimens from healthy donors were used as controls. Results 100% (9/9) anti-PF4-positive samples had anti-platelet antibodies detected by whole-cell platelet ELISA. 42.2% (27/64) anti-PF4-heparin-negative samples were negative for anti-platelet and anti-RBC antibodies. 32.8% (21/64) negative samples showed reactivity to both platelets and RBC; 12.5% (8/64) negative samples were each reactive with either platelet or RBC ELISA, respectively. Additionally, two samples that tested equivocal by anti-PF4-heparin ELISA had antibodies to both platelets and RBC by whole-cell ELISA. Conclusions Our study suggests that patients with thrombocytopenia testing negative for anti-PF4-heparin may still harbor antibodies to platelets. However, additional research is needed to determine the significance of these antibodies. Nevertheless, these findings may encourage clinicians to further investigate patients with possible immune-mediated etiologies of thrombocytopenia and anemia.
Inspiring the Innovators Through Professional Development Initiatives

This chapter delves into critical components of the community building approach used by the EdTech team at Hostos Community College. These initiatives, such as iPads, lecture capture, ePortfolios together with the Bronx EdTech Showcase, are the focus of this chapter. The iPads initiative provided faculty with an opportunity to explore the true potential of mobile learning to improve the teaching and learning process in a classroom. The EdTech team also developed the lecture-capture system to help faculty use video recording as a tool to record the most difficult concepts of a lesson or the whole lesson and make them available to students. This chapter also covers the ePortfolios initiative, which aims to provide students with a venue to showcase the progress and achievements of their learning journey. Finally, this chapter explains the vision and goals behind the creation of the Bronx EdTech Showcase, a multi-campus collaboration that provides faculty with a space to share best practices, innovations in the classroom, and network and collaboration with other colleagues.
A false report of product tampering involving a rodent and soft drink can: light microscopy, image analysis and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray analysis.

The “Pepsi® Tamperings” of 1993 resulted in a large number of cases involving foreign objects reportedly found inside canned soft drinks. Although the majority of cases involved medical syringes and metallic objects, one case involved the report of a mouse found inside a can of Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi. Using light and polarized light microscopy and computer-assisted image analysis, trace evidence and tooth structure from the suspect mouse were matched to scratches and indentions on the suspect can. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis were used to compare and match particles of gnawed metal from the lid of the suspect can to other particles recovered from the muzzle and stomach of the suspect mouse. The forensic analyses in this case proved the mouse could not have been canned in the soft drink product and refuted the defendant's sworn statements.
Methods and rationale to assess the efficacy of a parenting intervention targeting diet improvement and substance use prevention among Latinx adolescents

Abstract Latinx adolescents are at higher risk for chronic diseases relative to adolescents of other ethnic groups, in part because of their lack of adherence to diet recommendations and their higher rates of substance use. Given the proximal influence of family factors during the developmental stage of adolescence, parenting interventions may be an effective way to promote healthy nutrition and substance use prevention simultaneously. This article describes the design and theoretical rationale of a study assessing the effects of Families Preparing the New Generation Plus (FPNG Plus), a 10-week culturally-tailored nutrition and substance use prevention parenting program, on diet and substance use outcomes among Latinx middle school students (6th–8th grade). The 3-arm cluster randomized controlled trial compares FPNG Plus (substance use prevention and healthy nutrition), FPNG (substance use prevention only), and a comparison condition (focusing on academic success) in 1494 parent-child dyads from 18 schools, randomized at the school level. Adolescents and parents will complete surveys pre- and post-intervention, and 16-weeks after program participation, regarding diet behaviors, substance use, and parenting practices. A random subsample of 126 dyads (42 from each program), will participate in additional data collection to assess the home food environment, detailed dietary intake (via two 24-h recalls), and provide biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk (blood pressure, total cholesterol and HbA1c). If successful, this study will provide evidence contributing to helping Latinx parents assist their adolescent children develop and maintain long-lasting positive lifestyle behaviors in order to prevent concurrent substance use and diet-related chronic diseases.
A Bound on the Actual Code Rate in 5G NR

In fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR), the transport block size (TBS) is determined by using a formula. There may be a large deviation between the actual code rate and the target code rate. As a result, the radio link quality should be aligned with the actual code rate instead of the target code rate. It is desirable to know the actual code rate for the given modulation and coding scheme (MCS). In this paper, we derive a bound on the actual code rate in 5G NR.
Inclusive Access and Open Educational Resource Programs: A System Perspective

Although many colleges and universities are developing institutional strategies to circumvent the high cost of textbooks, those colleges and university who are members of a university system must be mindful of the perspectives of their Chief Academic Officers before seeking approval for their new program proposal. This chapter reviews these perspectives as revealed in their responses to a survey sent to NASH (National Association of System Heads) members. NASH members were asked to respond to six questions which covered policy topics related to inclusive access and open educational resources. Their thoughts, ideas, and concerns are discussed.
EEGNet: a compact convolutional neural network for EEG-based brain–computer interfaces

Objective Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) enable direct communication with a computer, using neural activity as the control signal. This neural signal is generally chosen from a variety of well-studied electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. For a given BCI paradigm, feature extractors and classifiers are tailored to the distinct characteristics of its expected EEG control signal, limiting its application to that specific signal. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs), which have been used in computer vision and speech recognition to perform automatic feature extraction and classification, have successfully been applied to EEG-based BCIs; however, they have mainly been applied to single BCI paradigms and thus it remains unclear how these architectures generalize to other paradigms. Here, we ask if we can design a single CNN architecture to accurately classify EEG signals from different BCI paradigms, while simultaneously being as compact as possible. Approach In this work we introduce EEGNet, a compact convolutional neural network for EEG-based BCIs. We introduce the use of depthwise and separable convolutions to construct an EEG-specific model which encapsulates well-known EEG feature extraction concepts for BCI. We compare EEGNet, both for within-subject and cross-subject classification, to current state-of-the-art approaches across four BCI paradigms: P300 visual-evoked potentials, error-related negativity responses (ERN), movement-related cortical potentials (MRCP), and sensory motor rhythms (SMR). Main results We show that EEGNet generalizes across paradigms better than, and achieves comparably high performance to, the reference algorithms when only limited training data is available across all tested paradigms. In addition, we demonstrate three different approaches to visualize the contents of a trained EEGNet model to enable interpretation of the learned features. Significance Our results suggest that EEGNet is robust enough to learn a wide variety of interpretable features over a range of BCI tasks. Our models can be found at: https://github.com/vlawhern/arl-eegmodels.
Corporate Bond Purchases After COVID-19: Who Did the Fed Buy and How Did the Markets Respond?

The Federal Reserve Bank and the U.S. Treasury bought several individual corporate bonds in response to COVID-19. We show that the program purchased bonds that became highly information-sensitive due to the crisis, bonds used as collateral in the repo market by primary bond dealers, and bonds held by corporate bond funds. It did not target bonds issued by firms that were hit harder by the pandemic or firms with a large employee base. On policy announcement days, credit spreads on all corporate bonds came down significantly, but the effect was stronger for the bonds more likely to be purchased. We find no evidence that the announcements improved the equity valuations of firms with purchased bonds. Further, primary dealers from whom large amounts of bonds were bought experienced significantly higher equity returns around the policy announcement days. Overall, these findings suggest that the program relaxed the funding constraints of intermediaries and supported secondary market liquidity.
A Spatial Econometrics Approach to Integration of Behavioral Biases in Travel Demand Analysis

Random utility models customarily assume strict independence of individual decision-makers. Overwhelming evidence of crowding, peer pressure, herd behavior and other instances of spontaneous discrete choice coordination indicate that decision-makers interact and thus affect choices made by others. Socially influenced individual choices become biased toward either agreeing with or contradicting the choices made by peers. Presuming that many social interdependencies are spatial in nature, this paper presents a basic spatial discrete choice model obtained by extending random utility theory to discrete choices made by heterogeneous spatially dependent individuals. While interdependencies are unobserved, the model allows us to study behavioral biases arising from spatial interdependencies. The spatial discrete choice model is shown to address the effects of behavioral biases on conditional choice probabilities, the marginal effects of exogenous variables on revealed preferences, and the spatial patterns of discrete choices. A pseudo maximum likelihood (PML) estimator for the model is developed and closed-form expressions for conditional choice probability estimates are derived. The PML estimator is shown to be consistent and computationally feasible for large spatial datasets. The performance of the pseudo maximum likelihood estimator for the spatial discrete choice model is illustrated using simulated data.
Attitudes About Forgiveness and Leaving a Relationship: The Context of Relationship Aggression.

The present study examines participant attitudes regarding whether a victim of IPV should forgive an offending partner and whether they should stay or leave a violent relationship. A total of 562 p...
Currere at the Cross-Roads: The Deeply Theological in the Age of Covid-19

This paper is about the possibility of educating teachers to become more deeply theological. Here, the author draws upon literature in both theological studies and currculum studies. Moreover, the author draws upon on the ground experience as a trauma chaplain in a large hospital and experience as a university professor in a large university. There are many similarities between the work of the hospital chaplain and the work of the university professor. Although religious studies has been dealt with in the past in the field of curriculum studies, little or no work has been done on comparing chaplaincy to the work of teaching.
Microbial-Induced Desaturation in Stratified Soil Conditions

A feasibility study was performed to assess the potential of microbially induced desaturation and precipitation (MIDP) through denitrification to reduce the risk of earthquake-induced liquefaction and improve the resilience of embankments along the lower Fraser River in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. The denitrification process produces nitrogen gas, which gradually desaturates the soil, and dissolved inorganic carbon, which in presence of dissolved calcium results in precipitation of calcium carbonate minerals, cementing the soil particles. The trapped gas bubbles dampens pore pressure build-up during cyclic loading. Consequently, microbially induced desaturation (MID) the first phase of the MIDP process, has great potential as soil improvement technique, especially for liquefaction mitigation, independently from the precipitation phase of the process. Numerous studies have demonstrated the effect of biogenic gas formation on the mechanical response for treated sand samples at lab scale. However, there is still limited knowledge on the impact of partial desaturation on the hydraulic properties of the treated sediments and the durability of the entrapped gas phase, particularly in naturally stratified and heterogenous formations. This is important because changes in porosity and hydraulic conductivity may affect the injection flow patterns and distribution of substrates and products in the subsurface. The objective of this study was to develop a test procedure to evaluate the applicability and performance of the MID technique in stratified subsurface conditions. The study involved a two-dimensional model (2D) tank set-up, in which substrates were laterally injected and extracted. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of treatment and showed how gas formation, migration and entrapment and resulting degree of desaturation and hydraulic conductivity are affected by stratifications in a natural soil.
On the Origin of Frameshift-Robustness of the Standard Genetic Code.

The standard genetic code (SGC) has been extensively analyzed for the biological ramifications of its nonrandom structure. For instance, mismatch errors due to point mutation or mistranslation have an overall smaller effect on the amino acid polar requirement under the SGC than under random genetic codes (RGCs). A similar observation was recently made for frameshift errors, prompting the assertion that the SGC has been shaped by natural selection for frameshift-robustness-conservation of certain amino acid properties upon a frameshift mutation or translational frameshift. However, frameshift-robustness confers no benefit because frameshifts usually create premature stop codons that cause nonsense-mediated mRNA decay or production of nonfunctional truncated proteins. We here propose that the frameshift-robustness of the SGC is a byproduct of its mismatch-robustness. Of 564 amino acid properties considered, the SGC exhibits mismatch-robustness in 93-133 properties depending on the mismatch pattern and frameshift-robustness in 55 properties, respectively, and that the latter is largely a subset of the former. For each of the 564 real and 564 randomly constructed fake properties of amino acids, there is a positive correlation between mismatch-robustness and frameshift-robustness across one million RGCs; this correlation arises because most amino acid changes resulting from a frameshift are also achievable by a mismatch error. Importantly, the SGC does not show significantly higher frameshift-robustness in any of the 55 properties than RGCs of comparable mismatch-robustness. These findings support that the frameshift-robustness of the SGC need not originate through direct selection and can instead be a site effect of its mismatch-robustness.
Diffusion modeling reveals effects of multiple release sites and human activity on a recolonizing apex predator.

Reintroducing predators is a promising conservation tool to help remedy human-caused ecosystem changes. However, the growth and spread of a reintroduced population is a spatiotemporal process that is driven by a suite of factors, such as habitat change, human activity, and prey availability. Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are apex predators of nearshore marine ecosystems that had declined nearly to extinction across much of their range by the early 20th century. In Southeast Alaska, which is comprised of a diverse matrix of nearshore habitat and managed areas, reintroduction of 413 individuals in the late 1960s initiated the growth and spread of a population that now exceeds 25,000. Periodic aerial surveys in the region provide a time series of spatially-explicit data to investigate factors influencing this successful and ongoing recovery. We integrated an ecological diffusion model that accounted for spatially-variable motility and density-dependent population growth, as well as multiple population epicenters, into a Bayesian hierarchical framework to help understand the factors influencing the success of this recovery. Our results indicated that sea otters exhibited higher residence time as well as greater equilibrium abundance in Glacier Bay, a protected area, and in areas where there is limited or no commercial fishing. Asymptotic spread rates suggested sea otters colonized Southeast Alaska at rates of 1–8 km/yr with lower rates occurring in areas correlated with higher residence time, which primarily included areas near shore and closed to commercial fishing. Further, we found that the intrinsic growth rate of sea otters may be higher than previous estimates suggested. This study shows how predator recolonization can occur from multiple population epicenters. Additionally, our results suggest spatial heterogeneity in the physical environment as well as human activity and management can influence recolonization processes, both in terms of movement (or motility) and density dependence.
Modeling Conspicuous Collaboration for Preservice Teacher Candidates Enrolled in Higher Education Courses

Preservice and inservice teachers in higher education should have the opportunity to observe conspicuous collaboration in action. When collaborative efforts are overt and used as teachable moments, the possibilities are clearer and the results more impactful for all participants. In this program description, the authors share benefits, challenges, structures, and implementation techniques for modeling conspicuous collaboration in higher education teacher preparation. In order to provide models of conspicuous collaboration, the authors participated in a project to co-teach aspects of general and special education teacher preparation courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The instructors examined their own courses, analyzing the content for each class to design class activities and assignments that could successfully be accomplished by working together and completing meaningful learning activities in multiple ways. Each faculty member delivered their assigned course, adding special collaborative learning activities and assignments that allowed students to have interactive and collaborative experiences while seeing the impact of collaboration of the instructors. Opportunities to demonstrate collaboration became apparent to the authors as students questioned repeatedly how rural K-12 teachers work to best meet the needs of their students. Preservice and inservice teachers in higher education should have the opportunity to observe conspicuous collaboration in action. When collaborative efforts are overt and used as teachable moments, the possibilities are clearer and the results more impactful for all participants. In this program description, we share benefits, challenges, structures, and implementation techniques for modeling conspicuous collaboration in higher education teacher preparation. To provide models of conspicuous collaboration, we collaborated in a project to co-teach general and special education teacher preparation courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. We examined our own courses to design class activities and assignments that could be successfully co-taught. Each of us delivered our individual course, adding special collaborative learning activities and assignments that allowed students to experience interactive, collaborative learning while observing the purposeful collaboration of their instructors. Both of us—together with our preservice and inservice teachers—realized that optimal collaboration included clarifying roles and responsibilities, displaying respect toward the collaborative partner, holding one another accountable, setting aside time for planning and debriefing, and considering ways to combine classroom assignments and learning activities that met the requirements of both courses.
Are drought indices and climate data good indicators of ecologically relevant soil moisture dynamics in drylands

Abstract Droughts are disproportionately impacting global dryland regions where ecosystem health and function are tightly coupled to moisture availability. Drought severity is commonly estimated using algorithms such as the standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index (SPEI), which can estimate climatic water balance impacts at various hydrologic scales by varying computational length. However, the performance of these metrics as indicators of soil moisture dynamics at ecologically relevant scales, across soil depths, and in consideration of broader scale ecohydrological processes, requires more attention. In this study, we tested components of climatic water balance, including SPEI and SPEI computation lengths, to recreate multi-decadal and periodic soil-moisture patterns across soil profiles at 866 sites in the western United States. Modeling results show that SPEI calculated over the prior 12-months was the most predictive computation length and could recreate changes in moisture availability within the soil profile over longer periods of time and for annual recharge of deeper soil moisture stores. SPEI was slightly less successful with recreating spring surface-soil moisture availability, which is key to dryland ecosystems dominated by winter precipitation. Meteorological drought indices like SPEI are intended to be convenient and generalized indicators of meteorological water deficit. However, the inconsistent ability of SPEI to recreate ecologically relevant patterns of soil moisture at regional scales suggests that process-based models, and the larger data requirements they involve, remain an important tool for dryland ecohydrology
The effect of channel variations upon capacity

The capacity of wireless systems depends critically on the variations of the channels. The effect of the channel variations is twofold: it creates fading and it precludes exact measurement of the channel. We study the second effect. We establish bounds for the loss in mutual information due to not knowing the channel at the receiver for the single and multiple user case. We relate the Doppler spread and the time spread to the loss in capacity due to the inability to measure exactly a changing channel.
Characteristics of the ionospheric variability as a function of season, latitude, local time, and geomagnetic activity

[1] An ionospheric F2 critical frequency database has been assembled to determine the variability of the F region as a function of local time, latitude, season, and geomagnetic activity. The database comprises observations from 75 ionosonde stations covering a range of geomagnetic latitude and includes 43 storm intervals. The database was previously used to develop the Storm-Time Empirical Ionospheric Correction Model (STORM). The mean and standard deviation have been evaluated by sorting the data by local time, season (five intervals centered on equinox, solstice, and intermediate intervals), latitude (four regions each 20° wide in geomagnetic latitude), and up to eight levels of geomagnetic activity. The geomagnetic activity index was based on a weighted integral of the previous 33 hours of ap and is the same as that used by the STORM model. The database covers a full solar cycle, but insufficient information was available to sort by solar activity without compromising the estimates of variability on the other sorting parameters. About half the data were contained in the first level of geomagnetic activity, between 0 and 500 units of filtered ap corresponding to Kp ≤ 2, and half above that level. When local time dependence was included in the binning, sufficient data were available to sort into two levels of geomagnetic activity, quiet (Kp ≤ 2+) and disturbed (Kp > 3−). For all latitudes and levels of geomagnetic activity, the lowest variability was typically found in summer (10–15%), and the largest variability occurred in winter (15–40%), with equinox (10–30%) lying between the solstice extremes. The exception was low latitudes at equinox, which had surprising low variability (10%), possibly because of the weak interhemispheric flow at this time of year. At middle and low latitudes, the variability tended to increase with geomagnetic activity in winter and equinox but remained fairly constant in summer. At high latitudes, the surprising result was that in all seasons, and in winter in particular, the variability tended to decrease, probably because of the increased upwelling of neutral molecular species and stronger chemical control of the ionosphere. The data have also been used to build a table of estimated variability suitable for inclusion in the International Reference Ionosphere or any other climatological model. For periods where data were scarce or nonexistent, an estimated variability was provided on the basis of expectations of the consequences of physical processes. This was necessary to fill in the table of values in order to develop a module suitable for inclusion in the International Reference Ionosphere.
A Unifying Framework for Model Checking Labeled Kripke Structures, Modal Transition Systems and Interval Transition Systems

We build on the established work on modal transition systems and probabilistic specifications to sketch a framework in which system description, abstraction, and finite-state model checking all have a uniform presentation across various levels of qualitative and quantitative views together with mediating abstraction and concretization maps. We prove safety results for abstractions within and across such views for the entire modal mu-calculus and show that such abstractions allow for some compositional reasoning with respect to a uniform family of process algebras a la CCS.
Data Sharing, Privacy and Organizational History: DHS Fusion Centers

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under both the Bush and Obama administrations, has supported the creation of 'fusion centers' with a mandate to share data across government agencies as well as across public and private sectors. The stated goal of fusion centers is to 'blend relevant law enforcement and intelligence information analysis and coordinate security measures to reduce threats in their communities' (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2006). Concerns about privacy and surveillance have surfaced in response to these centers. As of December 2010, there were 72 state and local fusion centers. Some of these were created in response to terrorism concerns, while others emerged from existing law enforcement organizations (such as drug interdiction, crime control, or regional coordination). This research explores the question of what factors contribute to the data-sharing practices of fusion centers, with particular attention on the organizational history of the fusion center. Specifically, it is expected that there will be more data sharing with less oversight (i.e., mission creep) when: fusion centers take on responsibility for addressing 'all crimes' or 'all hazards' instead of addressing terrorist threats alone; state and local agencies seek out “dual purpose” functions that meet perceived local needs; multiple jurisdictions and actors with different policy orientations are involved; policies for data sharing or data management are unclear; oversight or enforcement of existing policies and laws is inadequate; and budgetary constraints under which fusion centers operate are great. Data for this NSF funded research will be drawn from government documents, reports of think tank and interest groups, and interviews with fusion center officials and civil society groups.
Different Drummers: International Perspectives on Multicultural Education

This study compares social studies textbooks used in elementary schools of Canada, China, Mexico, Taiwan, and the U.S. in terms of how multicultural education is integrated into the curriculum. Based on Banks’ framework of multicultural curriculum reform, the researchers examined the dimensions of content integration, knowledge construction, and prejudice reduction to assess the level of multicultural education represented in each textbook. The results were interpreted in the cultural, historical, and political contexts of each society.
Enhancing Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Skill Acquisition Through Experiential and Reflective Learning: A Commentary on Studies Examining the Impact of Self-Practice and Self-Reflection in CBT

Self-practice and self-reflection (SP/SR) is a targeted training tool that is intended to increase CBT competency in therapists. The four articles reviewed in this commentary examine the benefits of SP/SR with various types of therapists, and survey the significant obstacles faced in implementing this tool with clinicians. Collectively, these articles conclude that SP/SR is a valuable tool in improving CBT skill acquisition and preventing burnout, particularly with difficult patients, but that most therapists elect not to use it largely because of the time involved in engaging in it. In this commentary, I suggest that empirical studies with larger samples and controlled designs are needed to build on the wealth of qualitative data collected to date in order to assess the value added by SP/SR compared with other training methods, and in order to determine its impact on a range of therapeutic outcomes. I also suggest that future studies should examine the efficacy of required SP/SR engagement, isolate its critical ingredients, and assess if there are clients and therapists for whom SP/SR is comparably more effective.
Amino Acid Residues Required for Physical and Cooperative Transcriptional Interaction of STAT3 and AP-1 Proteins c-Jun and c-Fos

Cooperation between STAT3 and c-Jun in driving transcription during transfection of reporter constructs is well established, and both proteins are present on some interleukin-6 (IL-6) STAT3-dependent promoters on chromosomal loci. We report that small interfering RNA knockdown of c-Jun or c-Fos diminishes IL-6 induction of some but not all STAT3-dependent mRNAs. Specific contact sites in STAT3 responsible for interaction of a domain of STAT3 with c-Jun were known. Here we show that the B-zip domain of c-Jun interacts with STAT3 and that c-Jun mutation R261A or R261D near but not in the DNA binding domain blocks in vitro STAT3-c-Jun interaction and decreases costimulation of transcription in transfection assays. Cooperative binding to DNA of tyrosine-phosphorylated STAT3 and both wild-type and R261A mutant c-Jun was observed. Even c-Jun mutant R261D, which on its own did not bind DNA, bound DNA weakly in the presence of STAT3. We conclude that a functional interaction between STAT3 and c-Jun while bound to chromosomal DNA elements exists and is necessary for driving transcription on at least some STAT3 target genes. Identifying such required interactive protein interfaces should be a stimulus to search for compounds that could ultimately inhibit the activity of STAT3 in tumors dependent on persistently active STAT3.