cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Oligocene rodent Ischyromys of the Great Plains; replacement mistaken for anagenesis

Ischyromys, the most abundant early Oligocene rodent from the Great Plains, has been considered by some workers to represent a single gradually evolving lineage comprising three or more chronospecies. Statistical investigation of large samples suggest instead that two closely related species coexisted, and the shift in mean size that was thought to represent anagenesis actually represents replacement. In Nebraska and eastern Wyoming both I. parvidens (small) and I. typus (large) were rare but of equal abundance in the Chadronian, I. parvidens was more prevalent in the early Orellan, and I. typus was more prevalent in the middle and late Orellan. In northeastern Colorado, northern South Dakota, and North Dakota I. typus is the only species of Ischyromys found in Orellan deposits, thus showing that the two species had differing geographic ranges. The mean size of I. typus does increase up section at all localities, but this change is minor and not deserving of chronospecies recognition. Much of this change occurred in the latest Orellan and earliest Whitneyan as I. typus approached extinction, and it was accomplished mostly by loss of small individuals rather than a shift of the entire distribution. Rate of evolutionary change in Ischyromys is found to be inversely correlated with population size, and no new species arose during the Orellan when Ischyromys was most abundant.
Control and Optimization of ${N}$ -Port DC–DC Converters

Multiport dc–dc converters offer an efficient approach for combining several energy sources under a centralized supervisory controller. In this brief, a systematic approach to the design and implementation of a centralized controller for ${N}$ -port dc–dc converters is presented. An optimization algorithm associated with such a controller is also proposed, which offers the flexibility to meet the desired control and energy optimization objectives. More specifically, the controller is a robust linear feedback controller (LFC) based on state-space design and the optimization algorithm is implemented using sequential quadratic programming (SQP). Newton’s algorithm is also introduced to obtain approximated solutions to the controlled inputs and to initialize the SQP algorithm. The implementation of the LFC and SQP algorithm is demonstrated, simulated for performance evaluation, and then validated using a hardware prototype for a four-port dc–dc converter. The optimization algorithm yields a 14% reduction in transformer winding losses.
Postmedieval fecopoet[h]ics

To understand the ethical aspect of paying attention to waste, this article is grounded in the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas, who argues that an openness to the ‘Other’ is a sign of the ethical. If we are complacent, we cannot act ethically. The horror, fear, shock and disgust we feel when confronted by waste jolts us out of our complacency. We recognize in waste not only the humanity of the other, but also the affinity the other has to us. Waste is everywhere and deserves, indeed insists on, moral attention. Ethically informed literary criticism may help us to understand how we theorize, manage and are implicated in waste. Only through that understanding might we change our hearts and hope for social action, justice and responsibility. An examination of the Old English poem Beowulf illustrates how we might read in this way.
Firearm Injury Encounters in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), 2010-2015

Introduction Firearm violence is an issue of public health concern leading to more than 30,000 deaths and 80,000 nonfatal injuries in the United States annually. 1 To date, firearm-related studies among Veterans have focused primarily on suicide and attempted suicide. 2-5 Herein, we examine firearm violence among VHA enrollees for all manners/ intents, including assault, unintentional, self-inflicted, undetermined and other firearm-related injury encounters in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Methods Inpatient and Outpatient encounters with one or more ICD- 9-CM firearm external-cause-of-injury codes (E-codes) from 1/1/2010-9/30/2015 were extracted from the VHA’s Praedico™ Public Health Surveillance System, including demographics, era of service/eligibility, encounter type, and deaths. Firearm E-codes were classified for manner/intent based on the CDC’s Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS™) matrix. 6 Outpatient/emergency department (ED) data were exclusively from VHA facilities (a single pediatric patient seen as a humanitarian emergency was excluded from the dataset). Inpatient data included VHA facilities and some records received from non-VHA facilities. VHA rate of hospitalization for firearm-related admissions was calculated using the total VHA acute-care admissions for the same time period as the denominator. Results During the time frame examined, 5,205 unique individuals were seen with a firearm E-code. Of these, 4,221 were seen in the outpatient/ ED setting only, 597 in the inpatient setting only, and the remaining 387 had encounters in both the outpatient/ED and inpatient settings. VHA firearm admission rate was 1.63 per 10,000 VHA admissions, compared to a national rate of 1.96 per 10,000 in 2010. 7 Table 1 shows the breakdown of encounters by manner/intent. Unintentional was the most common firearm injury manner/intent. Overall, the median age at initial encounter was 54 (range 19-100 years), and 96% were male. The highest percentage served in the Persian Gulf War Era (2,136, 41%), followed by Vietnam Era (1,816, 35%) and Post-Vietnam Era (716, 14%). The greatest number of patients with a firearm-coded encounter resided in Texas (453), California (349), Florida (326), Arizona (214) and Ohio (212). Conclusions Unintentional injuries were the most common form of firearm injury among VHA enrollees, representing over half of all outpatient/ED firearm encounters and more than twice the number of firearm hospitalizations compared with any other manner/intent. Limitations include that not all U.S. Veterans are VHA enrollees; miscoding and misclassification of firearm-related injuries may have occurred; and data from non-VHA outpatient/ED encounters and some non-VHA hospitalizations are not available to our surveillance system for analysis. Additional study is needed to further understand the epidemiology of firearm-related injuries among Veterans and inform VHA leadership and providers
Arqueología y sociedad. Una percepción acerca de los discursos sobre el pasado prehispánico y su divulgación pública

Besides protecting the archaeological legacy, Peruvian archaeologists have emphasized a strong positive discourse on Andean history. Through social channels such as media, museums, and schools, this discour­se has apparently been strengthened by a number of recent archaeological finds; sorne of which display a special singularity or material wealth. While the recent collective interest of such a luxurious and exotic past has provided new opportunities for professional development, as well as invigorating the national pri­de, we should ask ourselves to what extent these views rely thoroughly on scientific practices and how much it distorts the actual variety of the Peruvian historical legacy.
Thermal conductivity of a perovskite-type metal–organic framework crystal

We report for the first time the investigation of thermal conductivity for a perovskite-type MOF crystal. In situ single crystal X-ray diffraction technology was employed to track the phase transition of a newly synthesized perovskite MOF. The perovskite MOF crystal exhibits a low thermal conductivity of 1.3 W (K m)-1 in comparison to most of the bulk crystal materials at room temperature.
Relativistic Intertextuality: Einstein as a Figure

Albert Einstein is highlighted as an individual engaged in decision making about both his science and his friendships in Paul D’Andrea and Jon Klein’s The Einstein Project. The play moves variously from one scene to another, using memory, news reporting, and relativistic physics to produce a spatio-temporal field in which Einstein’s various decisions are interrogated together. The play’s judgment of Einstein proceeds on the basis of whether he has had time to understand how his science and his choices will affect those whom he loves. Ultimately, following the causal sequence of the play’s plot rather than reorganizing events into their historical order pulls apart cause and effect to undermine efforts to assign blame in the absence of adequate understanding.
History of US Presidential Assaults on Modern Environmental Health Protection

The Trump administration has undertaken an assault on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an agency critical to environmental health. This assault has precedents in the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. The early Reagan administration (1981–1983) launched an overt attack on the EPA, combining deregulation with budget and staff cuts, whereas the George W. Bush administration (2001–2008) adopted a subtler approach, undermining science-based policy. The current administration combines both these strategies and operates in a political context more favorable to its designs on the EPA. The Republican Party has shifted right and now controls the executive branch and both chambers of Congress. Wealthy donors, think tanks, and fossil fuel and chemical industries have become more influential in pushing deregulation. Among the public, political polarization has increased, the environment has become a partisan issue, and science and the mainstream media are distrusted. For these reasons, the...
An endogenous dAMP ligand in Bacillus subtilis class Ib RNR promotes assembly of a noncanonical dimer for regulation by dATP.

The high fidelity of DNA replication and repair is attributable, in part, to the allosteric regulation of ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) that maintains proper deoxynucleotide pool sizes and ratios in vivo. In class Ia RNRs, ATP (stimulatory) and dATP (inhibitory) regulate activity by binding to the ATP-cone domain at the N terminus of the large α subunit and altering the enzyme’s quaternary structure. Class Ib RNRs, in contrast, have a partial cone domain and have generally been found to be insensitive to dATP inhibition. An exception is the Bacillus subtilis Ib RNR, which we recently reported to be inhibited by physiological concentrations of dATP. Here, we demonstrate that the α subunit of this RNR contains tightly bound deoxyadenosine 5′-monophosphate (dAMP) in its N-terminal domain and that dATP inhibition of CDP reduction is enhanced by its presence. X-ray crystallography reveals a previously unobserved (noncanonical) α2 dimer with its entire interface composed of the partial N-terminal cone domains, each binding a dAMP molecule. Using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), we show that this noncanonical α2 dimer is the predominant form of the dAMP-bound α in solution and further show that addition of dATP leads to the formation of larger oligomers. Based on this information, we propose a model to describe the mechanism by which the noncanonical α2 inhibits the activity of the B. subtilis Ib RNR in a dATP- and dAMP-dependent manner.
Abstract 16515: Reperfusion Therapy With Sacubitril/Valsartan Attenuates Infarct Size and Preserves Left Ventricular Function in a Rabbit Model of Myocardial Infarction

Background: The combination drug sacubitril (neprilysin inhibitor)/valsartan (Ang-II receptor blocker) is FDA-approved for treatment of HFrEF patients and NYHA class II-IV symptoms. Whether SAC/VAL attenuates acute myocardial infarction (MI) and related adverse cardiac remodeling is unknown. Methods and Results: Dose-finding pharmacodynamic studies were performed in adult male NZW rabbits (~2.5 kg). After treatment with SAC/VAL or placebo (volume-matched water), blood pressure was monitored via ear artery for 6 hours. A subset of rabbits received a bolus of ANP 3h or 6h after treatment to determine cGMP plasma levels and optimal SAC/VAL dose. In the experimental MI group, the heart was exposed through a left thoracotomy for implantation of an inflatable balloon occluder on top of the left coronary artery secured on the LV wall. Seven days later, rabbits were sedated (4 mg/kg diazepam) and underwent conscious MI with 45 min of ischemia by balloon inflation followed by 72h of reperfusion. LV function and infarct size were assessed by echocardiography and TTC staining, respectively. Plasma cardiac troponin levels were measured 2h post MI. At the onset of reperfusion, rabbits were randomized to oral treatment with SAC/VAL (20 mg/kg), valsartan (VAL, 9.1 mg/kg) or placebo. The SAC/VAL dose was based on hemodynamic response and plasma cGMP at 3h (Fig. A). There was a significant drop in mean blood pressure with SAC/VAL at 1h and 2h after treatment at reperfusion, which returned to baseline by 4h (Fig. B). Compared to placebo, SAC/VAL and VAL significantly reduced infarct size (Fig. C) and plasma cardiac troponin (Fig. D), however, only SAC/VAL preserved LV function (Fig. E) at 72h post MI. Conclusion: Reperfusion therapy with SAC/VAL offers acute infarct-sparing benefits similar to VAL, however, LV function at 72h post MI is significantly preserved with SAC/VAL compared to VAL, which may indicate superior long-term benefits of SAC/VAL in prevention of MI-induced heart failure.
Characterization of resilin-like proteins with tunable mechanical properties.

Abstract Resilin is an elastomeric protein abundant in insect cuticle. Its exceptional properties, which include high resilience and efficient energy storage, motivate its potential use in tissue engineering and drug delivery applications. Our lab has previously developed recombinant proteins based on the resilin-like sequence derived from Anopheles gambiae and demonstrated their promise as a scaffold for cartilage and vascular engineering. In this work, we describe a more thorough investigation of the physical properties of crosslinked resilin-like hydrogels. The resilin-like proteins rapidly form crosslinked hydrogels in physiological conditions. We also show that the mechanical properties of these resilin-like hydrogels can be modulated simply by varying the protein concentration or the stoichiometric ratio of crosslinker to crosslinking sites. Crosslinked resilin-like hydrogels were hydrophilic and had a high water content when swollen. In addition, these hydrogels exhibited moderate resilience values, which were comparable to those of common synthetic rubbers. Cryo-scanning electron microscopy showed that the crosslinked resilin-like hydrogels at 16 wt% featured a honeycomb-like structure. These studies thus demonstrate the potential to use recombinant resilin-like proteins in a wide variety of applications such as tissue engineering and drug delivery due to their tunable physical properties.
Trends and safety of image-guided percutaneous pleural biopsies in cancer patients.

6608 Background: Image-guided percutaneous pleural needle biopsy (IGPPB) is an important tool in the diagnosis and management of cancer patients. Complications of IGPPB include pneumothorax and che...
Correction to: Racial disparities in surveillance mammography among older breast cancer survivors.

In the original publication of the article, under the Methods section, second paragraph, the sentence that reads as "We excluded 3047 patients … surgical treatment (see Fig. 1)" should read as "We excluded 3047 patients who did not identify as black or white, 5395 who were not initially diagnosed with stage 0-III cancer or were missing stage or residence data, 2573 patients who passed away within 18 months of diagnosis, and 4716 patients who did not undergo primary surgical treatment (see Fig. 1)".
A Multidisciplinary Survey and Framework for Design and Evaluation of Explainable AI Systems

The need for interpretable and accountable intelligent systems grows along with the prevalence of artificial intelligence applications used in everyday life. Explainable intelligent systems are designed to self-explain the reasoning behind system decisions and predictions, and researchers from different disciplines work together to define, design, and evaluate interpretable systems. However, scholars from different disciplines focus on different objectives and fairly independent topics of interpretable machine learning research, which poses challenges for identifying appropriate design and evaluation methodology and consolidating knowledge across efforts. To this end, this paper presents a survey and framework intended to share knowledge and experiences of XAI design and evaluation methods across multiple disciplines. Aiming to support diverse design goals and evaluation methods in XAI research, after a thorough review of XAI related papers in the fields of machine learning, visualization, and human-computer interaction, we present a categorization of interpretable machine learning design goals and evaluation methods to show a mapping between design goals for different XAI user groups and their evaluation methods. From our findings, we develop a framework with step-by-step design guidelines paired with evaluation methods to close the iterative design and evaluation cycles in multidisciplinary XAI teams. Further, we provide summarized ready-to-use tables of evaluation methods and recommendations for different goals in XAI research.
Presence and Perceptions of Menstrual Dysfunction Among High School Female Athletes

Background:Previous studies have reported a high prevalence of menstrual dysfunction (MD) among adolescent female athletes. Little is known about the characteristics of adolescent athletes with MD,...
AutoScale: Energy Efficiency Optimization for Stochastic Edge Inference Using Reinforcement Learning

Deep learning inference is increasingly run at the edge. As the programming and system stack support becomes mature, it enables acceleration opportunities in a mobile system, where the system performance envelope is scaled up with a plethora of programmable co-processors. Thus, intelligent services designed for mobile users can choose between running inference on the CPU or any of the co-processors in the mobile system, and exploiting connected systems such as the cloud or a nearby, locally connected mobile system. By doing so, these services can scale out the performance and increase the energy efficiency of edge mobile systems. This gives rise to a new challenge—deciding when inference should run where. Such execution scaling decision becomes more complicated with the stochastic nature of mobile-cloud execution environment, where signal strength variation in the wireless networks and resource interference can affect real-time inference performance and system energy efficiency. To enable energy efficient deep learning inference at the edge, this paper proposes AutoScale, an adaptive and lightweight execution scaling engine built on the custom-designed reinforcement learning algorithm. It continuously learns and selects the most energy efficient inference execution target by considering characteristics of neural networks and available systems in the collaborative cloud-edge execution environment while adapting to stochastic runtime variance. Real system implementation and evaluation, considering realistic execution scenarios, demonstrate an average of 9.8x and 1.6x energy efficiency improvement over the baseline mobile CPU and cloud offloading, respectively, while meeting the real-time performance and accuracy requirements.
Water-Based Safety Issues and Communication Opportunities

Safe and satisfactory recreation experiences are embedded in the mission of multiple land use management agencies that support 5.2 million recreation-related jobs in the United States. However, visitors are often unaware of potential risks and safety hazards associated with recreation and subsequently unprepared. With the advent of online information, opportunities exist to target communications and key messages. This research observed water-based visitors against recommended safety behaviors as well as online messaging related to safety among public, private and non-profit organizations in the recreation area. Results indicate significant safety issues and multiple opportunities to use and enhance online communications to increase safe recreation behaviors.Subscribe to JPRA
Increased viscosity of milk during infant feeding improves swallow safety through modifying sucking in an animal model.

Infants experiencing frequent aspiration, the entry of milk into the airway, are often prescribed thickened fluids to improve swallow safety. However, research on the outcomes of thickened milk on infant feeding have been limited to documenting rates of aspiration and the rheologic properties of milk following thickening. As a result, we have little insight into the physiologic and behavioral mechanisms driving differences in performance during feeding on high viscosity milk. Understanding the physiologic and behavioral mechanisms driving variation in performance at different viscosities is especially critical, because the structures involved in feeding respond differently to sensory stimulation. We used infant pigs, a validated animal model for infant feeding, to test how the tongue, soft palate, and hyoid respond to changes in viscosity during sucking and swallowing, in addition to measuring swallow safety and bolus size. We found that the tongue exhibited substantive changes in its movements associated with thickened fluids during sucking and swallowing, but that pharyngeal transit time as well as hyoid and soft palate movements during swallowing were unaffected. This work demonstrates the integrated nature of infant feeding and that behaviors associated with sucking are more sensitive to sensorimotor feedback associated with changes in milk viscosity than those associated with the pharyngeal swallow, likely due to its reflexive nature. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Terahertz Microscopy in Silicon Technology

This paper presents a terahertz microscope offering sub-wavelength resolution for imaging applications. The chip consists of a coupled terahertz Colpitts oscillators operating at 550GHz. It is implemented in a standard CMOS 65nm technology. A near-field sensing region between the oscillators is sensitive to external perturbation and results in a shift of the operating frequency. The far-field radiating frequency is extracted by an on-chip antenna and measured with an external harmonic mixer. The spatial resolution is verified with a micro-positioning stage.
Negotiating Status: Pro Bono Partners and Counsels in Large Law Firms

Pro bono work provided by large law firms has occupied a critical role in providing access to justice to those who otherwise cannot afford lawyers. Pro bono partners and counsels are at the forefront of that process; inequality in the role has the potential to create impediments to full pro bono participation by lawyers in large firms. This article explores how pro bono partners and counsels—who manage pro bono programs full-time in large law firms—negotiate their status as lawyers. Pro bono work in large law firms has received much attention by scholars of the legal profession. However, the lawyers that manage pro bono programs have been understudied. I use both demographic data and interviews to show how these lawyers navigate their ambiguous roles to be perceived as “real” lawyers, re-frame their roles as business generators, conform to the culture of billing time, establish a common identity, and negotiate their titles and office spaces. I also show how gender inequality shapes their experiences. The reproduction of both status and gender inequality in the role of pro bono partners and counsels has implications not only for the professionals, but also for the social justice goals of law firms and the legal profession.
The Challenges of Teaching Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory Online in the Time of COVID-19

In early spring 2020, New York's K-12 schools, colleges, and universities went into lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and faculty began converting face-to-face classes into distance learning classes Teachers and college faculty learned to use new technology to continue instruction for the remainder of the academic year Learning curves were steep for some, as using technology proved to be overwhelming Students who registered for in-person classes had to learn in an online environment Pre-Health Science majors who rely heavily on practical, hands-on courses to gain the necessary skills required for their career participated in virtual anatomy and physiology laboratories Clearly, face-to-face courses are not always possible;therefore, it is imperative to know the best practices of online teaching and learning
Analysis on the application, development, and future prospects of Gallium Nitride (GaN)

The paper uses secondary research to investigate various constructs and functional structures of GaN as a thirdgeneration semiconductor. A brief history of semiconductors is provided in terms of the generations that they occur. GaN was introduced in the 1990s, but its utility evolved until the 21st century. At the advent of its invention, Silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge) had been the most commonly used semiconductors. GaN presented unique advantages ranging from cost to size and utility. This was the frontier of new applications of semiconductors. The largest applications of GaN have been in LEDs, transducers, and transistors. GaN also has its limitations, which include its generally immobile energy band, and its substrate incompatibility. The future of GaN can be projected by factoring three main variables. These are cost, application/utility, and limitations.
Sudden Position Guide to Cataloging and Metadata: by Jeremy Myntti, Chicago, IL: Association for Library Collections and Technical Services, A Division of the American Library Association, 2019, 184pp., $30.50, ISBN 978-0-8389-4857-6

Sudden Position Guide to Cataloging and Metadata is the first book in the Sudden Position Series developed by the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services Publications Committee (AL...
Atypical osteochondroma of the lumbar spine associated with suprasellar pineal germinoma: A case report

Atypical osteochondroma of the lumbar spine associated with suprasellar pineal germinoma: A case report
Associations Between Knowledge of Others' Experiences and Patient Perceptions of Treatments for Localized Prostate Cancer.

Purpose/Objective(s) Men with localized prostate cancer (PCa) must select from multiple treatment options, without one clear best choice. Consequently, personal factors, such as knowing other men's experiences with treatment, may influence patient perceptions about a therapy and ultimately, treatment decision-making. However, associations between knowledge of others’ experiences and patient perceptions about PCa therapies have not been well characterized. Materials/Methods The North Carolina Prostate Cancer Comparative Effectiveness & Survivorship Study is a population-based cohort of localized PCa patients enrolled from 2011-2013 throughout North Carolina in collaboration with the North Carolina Central Cancer Registry. All patients were enrolled prior to treatment and followed prospectively. Patient knowledge of others’ experiences and their perceptions about treatments were collected through patient report. Multivariable analysis adjusted for age, race, risk group, insurance, physician recommendations for treatment, and patient-reported goals of care. Results Among 1,205 patients, 28%, 46%, and 59% reported knowing someone who received brachytherapy, external beam radiation (EBRT), or radical prostatectomy (RP), respectively. In multivariable analyses (Table), patients with (vs without) knowledge of someone who had received brachytherapy, EBRT or RP had significantly higher odds of believing the therapy was a good option for a man their age and would allow them to return to normal life quickly. Knowledge of someone who had received brachytherapy or EBRT was also associated with lower odds of reporting concern for being a burden to family and recovery time needed, and trended toward lower odds of concern for adverse effects (AEs). Conversely, patients with knowledge of someone who had received RP had higher odds of reporting concern for recovery time and AEs. Odds of reporting favorable perceptions about a treatment were greater among patients who knew someone who had a “good” experience with the therapy (data not shown due to character limits). Conclusion This is the first population-based study to directly demonstrate the influence of patient knowledge about others’ experiences on their perceptions of PCa therapies. Our data suggest that information about the benefits and risks of brachytherapy/EBRT vs RP may differ when provided by men with personal treatment experience as opposed to physicians. Table. Multivariable-adjusted analysis of associations between knowledge of someone who received and patient perceptions about brachytherapy, EBRT or RP. [Odds ratio (95% CI)]
Chapter 26: a history of seizures and epilepsies: from the falling disease to dysrhythmias of the brain.

Publisher Summary The history of seizure disorders might be roughly divided into three eras. The “early” period dates from antiquity to the medieval period and includes descriptions of seizures and their associated auras, as well as observations about the natural history of seizure disorders. This early period, during which convulsions were widely regarded as an attack or possession or “seizure” of human victims by a supernatural being, is briefly summarized. During the “classical” period of epileptology, from the Renaissance until the mid-19th century, there were many important developments in anatomy, physiology, and medicine, with a latent impact on the understanding of seizures and seizure disorders. During the early classical period, naturalistic explanations of brain function and cerebral disease coexisted with lay beliefs in supernatural possession. By the 18th and early 19th centuries, however, epileptology began to blossom with a dramatic expansion in the recognition of different types of seizures, refinements in the classification of seizures, delimitation of epilepsy from other neurological and psychiatric disorders, and greater attention to anatomical pathology. The “modern” era of epileptology can be traced to the 1860s, when a few critical studies initiated a remarkable transformation in the medical and physiological understanding of seizures.
Normal and Abnormal Memory: Aging and Alzheimer's Disease

This chapter reviews the changes in memory in healthy individuals across the age range and in those that appear to characterize the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) along with their neurobiological correlates. There is a considerable difference between the nature of the memory changes in aging and in AD and the underlying neurobiology responsible for those changes. It is found that the older individuals are not more rapidly forgetting what they learned but rather they are taking longer to learn the new information. It is suggested that the decrease in brain tissue observed is primarily the result of decreases in white matter with age. There is an age-related decrease in dopaminergic binding sites in the caudate nucleus and the substantia nigra, and a loss of neurons in the substantia nigra of about 6% per year. This loss of dopamine is thought to be responsible for many neurological symptoms that increase in frequency with age, such as decreased arm swing and increased rigidity. Changes in dopamine levels may also cause age-related changes in cognitive flexibility. It is suggested that there are alterations in a distributed brain network with multiple nodes that may underlie the earliest stages of AD.
Application of NMR Methods to Identify Detection Reagents for Use in Development of Robust Nanosensors

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful technique for studying bi-molecular interactions at the atomic scale. Our NMR lab is involved in the identification of small molecules, or ligands that bind to target protein receptors, such as tetanus (TeNT) and botulinum (BoNT) neurotoxins, anthrax proteins and HLA-DR10 receptors on non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer cells. Once low affinity binders are identified, they can be linked together to produce multidentate synthetic high affinity ligands (SHALs) that have very high specificity for their target protein receptors. An important nanotechnology application for SHALs is their use in the development of robust chemical sensors or biochips for the detection of pathogen proteins in environmental samples or body fluids. Here, we describe a recently developed NMR competition assay based on transferred nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (trNOESY) that enables the identification of sets of ligands that bind to the same site, or a different site, on the surface of TeNT fragment C (TetC) than a known ''marker'' ligand, doxorubicin. Using this assay, we can identify the optimal pairs of ligands to be linked together for creating detection reagents, as well as estimate the relative binding constants for ligands competing for the same site.
Monitoring and Manipulating Mammalian Unfolded Protein Response

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a conserved, intracellular signaling pathway activated by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. In mammalian cells, the UPR is controlled by three ER-resident transmembrane proteins: inositol-requiring enyzme-1 (IRE1), PKR-like ER kinase (PERK), and activating transcription factor-6 (ATF6), by which cytoprotective mechanisms are initiated to restore ER functions. However, if cellular homeostasis is not restored by the UPR's initial events, UPR signaling triggers apoptotic cell death, which correlates with the pathogenesis of a wide range of human diseases. The intrinsic function of the UPR in regulating cell survival and death suggests its importance as a mechanistic link between ER stress and disease pathogenesis. Understanding UPR regulatory molecules or signaling pathways involved in disease pathogenesis is critical to establishing therapeutic strategies. For this purpose, several experimental tools have been developed to evaluate individual UPR components. In this chapter, we present methods to monitor and quantify activation of individual UPR signaling pathways in mammalian cells and tissues, and we review strategies to artificially and selectively activate individual UPR signaling pathways using chemical-genetic approaches.
On interval estimation for the number of signals

We propose a multi-step procedure for constructing a confidence interval for the number of signals present. The proposed procedure uses the ratios of a sample eigenvalue and the sum of different sample eigenvalues sequentially to determine the upper and lower limits for the confidence interval. A preference zone in the parameter space of the population eigenvalues is defined to separate the signals and the noise. We derive the probability of a correct estimation, P(CE), and the least favorable configuration (LFC) asymptotically under the preference zone. Some important procedure properties are shown. Under the asymptotic LFC, the P(CE) attains its minimum over the preference zone in the parameter space of all eigenvalues. Therefore a minimum sample size can be determined in order to implement our procedure with a guaranteed probability requirement.
Elastic postbuckling response of axially-loaded cylindrical shells with seeded geometric imperfection design

Abstract Elastic instabilities (such as buckling) have been recognized as a promising phenomenon to design smart materials and mechanical systems. Thin-walled cylindrical shells under axial compression can attain multiple bifurcation points in their postbuckling regime due to the natural transverse deformation restraint provided by their geometry; but harnessing such behavior for smart purposes is lacking extensive study due to its notoriously high imperfection sensitivity. In this paper, the concept of seeded geometric imperfection (SGI) design is proposed to modify and control the elastic postbuckling behavior of cylindrical shells. Eigenvalue-based mode shapes were used as basic geometric forms to generate a seeded imperfection. Prototyped SGI cylindrical shells were fabricated through 3D printing and tested under loading–unloading cycles. Numerical and experimental results suggest that the SGI cylindrical shells are less sensitive to initial imperfections and load variation than uniform ones. Cylindrical shells with seeded geometry can be potentially used in the design of smart devices and mechanical systems such as energy harvesters and self-powered sensors.
Learning probabilistic models for state tracking of mobile robots

We propose a learning algorithm for acquiring a stochastic model of the behavior of a mobile robot, which allows the robot to localize itself along the outer boundary of its environment while traversing it. Compared to previously suggested solutions based on learning self-organizing neural nets, our approach achieves much higher spatial resolution which is limited only by the control time-step of the robot. We demonstrate the successful work of the algorithm on a small robot with only three infrared range sensors and a digital compass, and suggest how this algorithm can be extended to learn probabilistic models for full decision-theoretic reasoning and planning.
Judicial Discretion and Sentencing Behavior: Did the Feeney Amendment Rein in District Judges?

This research studies the impact of changes to judicial discretion on criminal sentencing outcomes. The 2003 Feeney Amendment restricted federal judges' ability to impose sentences outside of the Sentencing Guidelines and required appellate courts to review downward departures. Using data on all federal sentences between 1999 and 2004, we show that the amendment reduced downward departures by 5 percent. Controlling for characteristics of the crime and the offender, we find that the Amendment increased average prison sentences by about two months. There is no evidence that judges adjusted offense levels or criminal history in order to circumvent the Amendment.
Education as a Human Right: A Comparison of Two Early College Approaches to University Access for Racial/Ethnic Minority Students in Costa Rica and the United States

In line with the United Nations perspective of Education being a human right for all world citizens, access to higher education by students representing traditionally marginalized racial and ethnic minority groups continues to be a challenge in many nations. In Costa Rica and the United States, early college high school programs represent one approach to facilitating college going and retention rates of racial and ethnic minority students by enhancing college readiness skills and dispositions. An overview of the educational systems and philosophies of each country are given, as well as comparisons of racial and ethnic demographics. Examples of early college high school approaches applied in both Costa Rica and the United States then are presented, followed by a discussion of implications for practice. In comparing early college systems, several questions for further inquiry emerged particularly around the demographic reporting and power mobility of Afro Costa Ricans.
Civic Engagement and Patriotism

Objectives Recent research has shown a link between patriotism and civic participation. This research assumes that the causal arrow flows from patriotism to civic participation, but a counterperspective in the social capital literature assumes that causation runs in the opposite direction, from civic participation to patriotism. I seek to untangle these relationships by positing a bicausal relationship between these beliefs and actions. Methods I use a structural equation model of survey data from the 2004 American National Election Studies. Results The findings show that constructive patriotism promotes civic participation, and that civic participation separately increases constructive patriotism. Conversely, I also find that blind patriotism lowers civic participation, and that civic participation lowers blind feelings. Conclusions This research provides a fuller picture of the relationship of patriotism with civic participation than has been provided previously in political theory or political psychology. These results are then tied to a current debate about the benefits of civic education and service learning.
Resonant cavity based time-domain multiplexing techniques for coherently combined fiber laser systems

This paper describes novel time-domain multiplexing techniques that use various resonant cavity configurations for increasing pulse energy extraction per each parallel amplification channel of a coherently combined array. Two different techniques are presented: a so-called N2 coherent array combining technique, applicable to a periodic pulse train, and a coherent pulse stacking amplification (CPSA) technique, applicable to a pulse burst. The first technique is a coherent combining technique, which achieves simultaneous beam combining and time-domain pulse multiplexing/down-counting using traveling-wave Fabry-Perot type resonators. The second technique is purely a time-domain pulse multiplexing technique, used with either a single amplifier or an amplifier array, which uses traveling-wave Gires-Tourmois type resonators. The importance of these techniques is that they can enable stacking of very large number of pulses, thus increasing effective amplified-pulse duration potentially by 102 to 103 times, and reducing fiber array size by the corresponding factor. This could lead to very compact coherently combined arrays even for generating very high pulse energies in the range of 1 to 100 J.
SSeCKS/Gravin/AKAP12 attenuates expression of proliferative and angiogenic genes during suppression of v-Src-induced oncogenesis

SSeCKS is a major protein kinase C substrate with kinase scaffolding and metastasis-suppressor activity whose expression is severely downregulated in Src- and Ras-transformed fibroblast and epithelial cells and in human prostate, breast, and gastric cancers. We previously used NIH3T3 cells with tetracycline-regulated SSeCKS expression plus a temperature-sensitive v-Src allele to show that SSeCKS re-expression inhibited parameters of v-Src-induced oncogenic growth without attenuating in vivo Src kinase activity. We use cDNA microarrays and semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis to identify changes in gene expression correlating with i) SSeCKS expression in the absence of v-Src activity, ii) activation of v-Src activity alone, and iii) SSeCKS re-expression in the presence of active v-Src. SSeCKS re-expression resulted in the attenuation of critical Src-induced proliferative and pro-angiogenic gene expression including Afp, Hif-1α, Cdc20a and Pdgfr-β, and conversely, SSeCKS induced several cell cycle regulatory genes such as Ptpn11, Gadd45a, Ptplad1, Cdkn2d (p19), and Rbbp7. Our data provide further evidence that SSeCKS can suppress Src-induced oncogenesis by modulating gene expression downstream of Src kinase activity.
Early course and grade predictors of persistence in undergraduate engineering majors

A comprehensive examination of the mathematics courses undergraduate engineering majors take in their first two years, and their success in those courses was conducted to determine the impact of course level and grade on student persistence in engineering. Six hundred fifty five, full-time freshmen enrolled as engineering majors at a major university in the Southwest United States participated in the study. Data was gathered from the 2007 freshman cohort. Students' grades for each of their first University mathematics courses were tracked, and used to gauge probabilities of subsequently persisting as an enrolled Engineering major. Participants were grouped into 9 categories representing 3 levels of course grade (A or B; C; and D, F, or W), crossed with 3 levels of course (Below Calculus I, Calculus I, and Above Calculus I). Student enrollment and graduation rates for each of these groups were examined for the next 5 years. A binary logistic regression with two main effects (Course and Grade) and one interaction was performed. Results show that if a student's first course was above Calculus I, they were 2.3 times more likely to be retained in Engineering than a student who took Calculus I. If a student took Pre-calculus or another course below Calculus I they were less than half as likely to persist in Engineering than those who took Calculus I (p<.001). Likewise, if a student received an A or B for their first mathematics course regardless of which course they took, they were 6.5 times more likely to persist than someone who received a D, F, or W in their first mathematics course (p< 0.001). The special role of Calculus as a gatekeeper, preventing engineering-intending students from obtaining an engineering degree, is discussed.
Chronic immune-mediated demyelinating polyneuropathy in the setting of cetuximab treatment

Cetuximab, a chimeric mouse/human monoclonal antibody directed against the epidermal growth factor receptor, is commonly used in colorectal and head and neck cancer. We describe an acquired neuropathy associated with cetuximab treatment in a patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. Our patient was treated with cetuximab from May to July 2008. In December 2008, he first noticed numbness in his feet. He progressed over the next 5 months to develop weakness in both legs, a lack of sensation up to his knees, pain in the dorsum of his feet with a burning sensation, and difficulty ambulating to the point of requiring a walker. He also had numbness in his fingertips and was unable to use his hands for fine movements. Electrodiagnostic studies demonstrated prolonged distal latencies, conduction block, and prolonged F-wave latencies, consistent with a diagnosis of definite CIDP according to EFNS/PNS criteria. Low amplitude potentials were noted in nerves of the lower extremities, indicative of secondary axonal loss. Extensive workup for an alternative cause was negative. He improved clinically after IVIG and corticosteroid treatment. We cannot strongly establish a causal relationship in this case, as 5 months elapsed between cetuximab treatment and the onset of neuropathic symptoms. Nonetheless, clinical vigilance is recommended when evaluating patients for neuropathy who have received cetuximab.
Metabolic alterations in muscle of thermally injured rabbits, measured by positron emission tomography.

The hypermetabolic inflammatory state that occurs after major trauma has been extensively studied at the whole body level, however, there is only limited information on metabolic changes in individual tissues. In this study, the effect of thermal injury on metabolic function of uninjured hind limb muscle of rabbits was measured noninvasively by positron emission tomography (PET). Rabbits were subjected to full thickness burn on 25% of their body surface area. Two to three weeks after injury, PET and arterial blood sampling was performed during inhalation of 15O2, C15O2 and 11CO and after injection of 18FDG. The tissue and blood data were analyzed by standard kinetic models for blood flow, oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), oxygen utilization and glucose metabolism. A total of seven injured and five sham animals were studied. Total body oxygen consumption was measured by indirect calorimetry and plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin and IGF-1 were measured with standard assays. Compared to sham rabbits, blood flow to muscle of injured animals was unchanged. However, OEF, oxygen utilization and glucose metabolism were significantly reduced (p < 0.01) in uninjured muscle of burned rabbits. These data demonstrate that thermal injury is associated with alterations in muscle metabolism, which are not related to change in blood flow.