cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
One Source Training: Iowa Community Colleges Leverage Resources Through Statewide Collaboration

Locally governed Iowa Community Colleges are very effective at meeting the needs of local constituencies. However, this focus on local needs can hinder collaborative efforts. The Iowa Associations ...
Toward a landscape ecological aesthetic methodologies for designers and planners

Abstract Landscape ecology involves the study of structure, function and change in landscape. Landscape, as defined in landscape ecology, consist of repeated groupings of interacting ecosystems which have a strong visual identity. In landscape ecology this sense of identity reaches beyond the concept of repeated visual structure to encompass units of cultural identity as well. The fact that biologists have entered into this new discipline with designers and planners means that an area of ecological concern, biodiversity, can be addressed by practicing professionals in a way which combines the science of ecology with the art of planning. From the perspective of landscape ecology, the issue of biodiversity should logically be extended to include consideration of human cultural diversity also. We refer to this integrated set of concerns collectively as issues in landscape ecological integrity. Given the interest of designers in this field, an opportunity exists to combine issues of landscape ecological integrity with issues of aesthetic appeal including appeals to the senses, to our emotions and feelings and finally to our sense of symbolic meaning invoked by perceptions of caring and stewardship. These considerations have led to the realization that traditional ecological planning has not evaluated the importance of spatial configuration and temporal sequencing in land use decisions. Because the heart of landscape ecology is the evaluation of spatial configuration and temporal sequencing as they affect landscape ecological integrity and aesthetic appeal, we believe it is the logical discipline within which to elaborate the union of these issues. We have called this union ‘the landscape ecological aesthetic’.
Interactive effects of cigarette smoke and ozone in the induction of lung injury

The article highlighted in this issue is "Short-Term Exposure to Aged and Diluted Sidestream Cigarette Smoke Enhances Ozone-Induced Lung Injury in B6C3F1 Mice" by Mang Yu, Kent E. Pinkerton, and Hanspeter Witschi (pp. 99-106).
Experimental error caused by sample displacement in time‐of‐flight neutron diffractometry

A significant error may occur in the measured lattice parameters when the sample is displaced from the diffractometer center. For time-of-flight neutron diffractometers, this error gives rise to different lattice parameters, not only for detectors at different 2θ but also for detectors at the same 2θ but on opposite sides of the incident beam. Tests made on GPPD at IPNS, Argonne National Laboratory, show that this error largely arises from a change in the diffraction constant, 1/Lsinθ, where L is the total flight path. Modeling of the experimental data indicates that in order to achieve a precision of 10−4, a typical requirement for strain measurements, for a wide angular range of detectors, the sample should be positioned to within ∼0.1 mm of the diffractometer center. Equations are given to relate the errors measured at different diffraction angles. For small sample displacement, the error may be corrected by introducing the displacements along and normal to the incident beam as refinable parameters in least-squares-based analysis programs.
Role of conserved Fα-helix residues in the native fold and stability of the kinase-inhibited oxy state of the oxygen-sensing FixL protein from Sinorhizobium meliloti

Abstract The oxygen-sensing FixL protein from Sinorhizobium meliloti is part of the heme-PAS family of gas sensors that regulate many important signal transduction pathways in a wide variety of organisms. We examined the role of the conserved F α -9 arginine 200 and several other conserved residues on the proximal F α -helix in the heme domain of Sm FixL* using site-directed mutagenesis in conjunction with UV–visible, EPR, and resonance Raman spectroscopy. The F α -helix variants R200A, E, Q, H, Y197A, and D195A were expressed at reasonable levels and purified to homogeneity. The R200I and Y201A variants did not express in observable quantities. Tyrosine 201 is crucial for forming the native protein fold of Sm FixL* while Y197 and R200 are important for stabilizing the kinase-inhibited oxy state. Our results show a clear correlation between H-bond donor ability of the F α -9 side chain and the rate of heme autoxidation. This trend in conjunction with crystal structures of liganded Bj FixL heme domains, show that H-bonding between the conserved F α -9 arginine and the heme-6-propionate group contributes to the kinetic stability of the kinase-inactivated, oxy state of Sm FixL*.
Predicting ready biodegradability of premanufacture notice chemicals.

Chemical substances other than pesticides, drugs, and food additives are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), but the United States does not require that new substances be tested automatically for such critical properties as biodegradability. The resulting lack of submitted data has fostered the development of estimation methods, and the BioWIN models for predicting biodegradability from chemical structure have played a prominent role in premanufacture notice (PMN) review. Until now, validation efforts have used only the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) test data and have not included all models. To assess BioWIN performance with PMN substances, we assembled a database of PMNs for which ready biodegradation data had been submitted over the period 1995 through 2001. The 305 PMN structures are highly varied and pose major challenges to chemical property estimation. Despite the variability of ready biodegradation tests, the use of at least six different test methods, and widely varying quality of submitted data, accuracy of four of six BioWIN models (MITI linear, MITI nonlinear, survey ultimate, survey primary) was in the 80+% range for predicting ready biodegradability. Greater accuracy (>90%) can be achieved by using model estimates only when the four models agree (true for 3/4 of the PMNs). The BioWIN linear and nonlinear probability models did not perform as well even when classification criteria were optimized. The results suggest that the MITI and survey BioWIN models are suitable for use in screening-level applications.
A Study of Factors Affecting Amylose Content of Sorghum Determined by an Automated Method

Several factors affecting the amylose content of sorghum, as determined by an automated iodine-blue complex method, were evaluated. Isolation of starch reduced the optimum solubilization time of the endosperm starch by 36 h. Amylose as % of isolated starch was significantly greater than amylose as % in the endosperm. However, amylose as % of starch in endosperm (“apparent” amylose content) was highly significantly correlated (r = 0.79) with amylose as % of isolated starch (“true” amylose content) that it could be used for screening sorghum in a breeding program. Pericarp and testa colors significantly affected the measurable amylose of unpearled sorghum flour. The environment of growth and maturation of the grain also affected the amylose content of sorghum. Eine Studie uber die den mittels einer automatischen Methode bestimmten Amylosegehalt von Sorghum beeinflussenden Faktoren. Verschiedene Faktoren. welche den mittels einer automatisierten Iod-Blau-Komplexmethode bestimmten Amylosegehalt von Sorghum beeinflussen, wurden bewertet. Die Isolierung der Starke verringerte die optimale Losungszeit der Endosperm-Starke um 36 h. Der Amylosegehalt, ausgedruckt in % der isolierten Starke, war signifikant groser als der Amylosegehalt, ausgedruckt als % im Endosperm. Die Amylose als % der Endospermstarke („scheinbarer” Amylosegehalt) korrelierte jedoch hoch signifikant (r = 0.79) mit der als % der isolierten Starke bestimmten Amylose („wahrer” Amylosegehalt), so das sie zur Auswahl von Sorghum in einem Zuchtungsprogramm geeignet ist. Die Pericarp- und Testafarbstoffe beeinflusten die bestimmbare Amylose von ungeperltem Sorghummehl. Die Umweltbedingungen bei Wachstum und Reifung des Korns beeinflusten ebenfalls den Amylosegehalt von Sorghum.
Tandem mass spectrometry for the detection of plant pathogenic fungi and the effects of database composition on protein inferences

LC-MS/MS has demonstrated potential for detecting plant pathogens. Unlike PCR or ELISA, LC-MS/MS does not require pathogen-specific reagents for the detection of pathogen-specific proteins and peptides. However, the MS/MS approach we and others have explored does require a protein sequence reference database and database-search software to interpret tandem mass spectra. To evaluate the limitations of database composition on pathogen identification, we analyzed proteins from cultured Ustilago maydis, Phytophthora sojae, Fusarium graminearum, and Rhizoctonia solani by LC-MS/MS. When the search database did not contain sequences for a target pathogen, or contained sequences to related pathogens, target pathogen spectra were reliably matched to protein sequences from nontarget organisms, giving an illusion that proteins from nontarget organisms were identified. Our analysis demonstrates that when database-search software is used as part of the identification process, a paradox exists whereby additional sequences needed to detect a wide variety of possible organisms may lead to more cross-species protein matches and misidentification of pathogens.
Use of Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Systems Analyses to Inform Dose Selection of Tedizolid Phosphate

In the Staphylococcus aureus neutropenic murine thigh-infection model, the ratio of the free area under the 24-hour concentration-time curve to the minimum inhibitory concentration (fAUC/MIC) was found to be the pharmacodynamic index most closely linked to bacterial effect, with a ratio of approximately 50 producing a static effect. Further work was undertaken in neutropenic versus non-neutropenic animals. The presence of granulocytes increased the activity of tedizolid considerably, 25-fold on average, and maximal effect was achieved at an exposure equivalent to approximately 200 mg tedizolid phosphate per day in humans (dosing regimen used in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials). The fAUC/MIC was also found to be the pharmacodynamically linked variable in the S. aureus neutropenic murine pneumonia model; the fAUC/MIC ratio required for a static effect was approximately 20. Pharmacokinetic (PK) data demonstrate that tedizolid penetrates well into the epithelial lining fluid (ELF) of the lung. Data from the pneumonia infection model and ELF penetration PK study support exploring its use in pneumonia.
Synthesis of metal sulfide nanomaterials via thermal decomposition of single-source precursors

In this report, we present a synthetic method for the formation of cuprous sulfide (Cu2S) and lead sulfide (PbS) nanomaterials directly on substrates from the thermolysis of single-source precursors. We find that the final morphology and arrangement of the nanomaterials may be controlled through the concentration of the dissolved precursors and choice of solvent. One-dimensional (1-D) morphologies may also be grown onto substrates with the addition of a metal catalyst layer through solution-liquid-solid (SLS) growth. These synthetic techniques may be expanded to other metal sulfide materials.
Theory of Adhesion, Mechanism of Bond Failure, and Mechanism for Bond Improvement

Abstract The various theories of adhesion are discussed, with mention of some aspects that are inconsistent with recent bonding developments. A mechanism for adhesive failure is proposed on the basis of thermodynamics and experimental phenomena. Surface treatments are described which significantly improve adhesion and which suggest that chemical bonds are necessary to achieve the ultimate in bond durability.
Modeling Grids in (Near) Real Time

A Grid is a family of technologies for dynamically and opportunistically provisioning computing power from a pool of resources. Some experts believe that Grids are the next stage in the evolution of distributed systems. Enterprise-level Grids are beginning to be deployed, and researchers are investigating a number of novel Grid applications and services in Grid testbeds. Production-grade commercial Grids are expected to be large and widely-distributed systems.
Residual Deformation from Lattice Defects

An element of crystalline material through which a net flux of dislocations has passed exhibits plastic shape change. Dislocation lines within the element, i.e., displacement discontinuities across the slip plane in the context of Volterra defects may also contribute to this plastic deformation. However, plastic deformation, according to traditional definitions, does not address additional changes in dimensions of the body resulting from residual elastic deformation associated with local stress fields induced by defects. Mura (1982) labels these local, self-equilibrated stresses (i.e., residual stresses) eigenstresses.
Order parameter re-mapping algorithm for 3D phase field model of grain growth using FEM

Abstract Phase field modeling (PFM) is a well-known technique for simulating microstructural evolution. To model grain growth using PFM, typically each grain is assigned a unique non-conserved order parameter and each order parameter field is evolved in time. Traditional approaches using a one-to-one mapping of grains to order parameters present a challenge when modeling large numbers of grains due to the computational expense of using many order parameters. This problem is exacerbated when using an implicit finite element method (FEM), as the global matrix size is proportional to the number of order parameters. While previous work has developed methods to reduce the number of required variables and thus computational complexity and run time, none of the existing approaches can be applied for an implicit FEM implementation of PFM. Here, we present a modular, dynamic, scalable reassignment algorithm suitable for use in such a system. Polycrystal modeling with grain growth and stress require careful tracking of each grain’s position and orientation which is lost when using a reduced order parameter set. The method presented in this paper maintains a unique ID for each grain even after reassignment, to allow the PFM to be tightly coupled to calculations of the stress throughout the polycrystal. Implementation details and comparative results of our approach are presented.
Ethnicity and Leadership Succession in Africa

This analysis uses cross-national data to test hypotheses from the literature on ethnicity in African politics. The first hypothesis is that, all else being equal, the larger the population share of the leader's ethnic group, the lower the probability that the leader loses power. We reject this hypothesis and show that leaders from larger ethnic groups run relatively greater risks of losing power than those from smaller ethnic groups. Nor do leaders from smaller ethnic groups resort more to nonconstitutional means of leadership change. We also show that African leaders are disproportionately likely to be replaced by leaders from their own ethnic group.
Columnar Lined Esophagus: What it is and what it tells us

BACKGROUND: The definition and significance of columnar lined esophagus has undergone many changes since it was first described in 1953. The changes are largely the result of varying definitions of the gastroesophageal junction which has placed the esophagus and stomach at different levels. The presently accepted definitions of the gastroesophageal junction are the proximal limit of rugal folds and the end of the tubular esophagus. Their placement results in cardiac mucosa being partly a metaplastic esophageal epithelium and partly a normal epithelium in the proximal stomach. METHODS: This review analyses the relevant literature relating to the gastroesophageal junction, columnar lined esophagus with an emphasis on histologic features. The aim of the study is to establish the true gastroesophageal junction. RESULTS: The true gastroesophageal junction is frequently distal to the end of the tubular esophagus and proximal limit of rugal folds, as shown by the presence of submucosal esophageal glands in this region. The submucosal glands coincide with surface cardiac mucosa with and without intestinal metaplasia and oxyntocardiac mucosa. Submucosal glands are never found under gastric oxyntic mucosa. This finding suggests that the true gastroesophageal junction is definable by histology as the proximal limit of gastric oxyntic mucosa. Cardiac mucosa with and without intestinal metaplasia and oxyntocardiac mucosa represent columnar lined esophagus. The most distal region of the reflux-damaged columnar lined esophagus is dilated and lined by rugated mucosa and is presently mistaken as proximal stomach. CONCLUSIONS: Correct definition of the true gastroesophageal junction permits the development of precise definitions for reflux disease (reflux carditis), assess the severity of reflux damage (length of columnar lined esophagus) and assess progression within the reflux-adenocarcinoma sequence. This is done with histologic criteria that are superior to the present clinical criteria for the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Demography and Movements of Apapane and IIWI in Hawaii

Density, annual survival, philopatry, and movements of two species of Hawaiian honeycreepers, the Apapane (Himatione sanguinea) and the Iiwi (Vestiaria coccinea), were studied at four sites on the island of Hawaii. Highest densities of both species occurred during the breeding season and were highly correlated with flowering by Metrosideros. Annual survival probability (the complement of which includes permanent emigration) was 0.13 ± 0.07 for hatching-year (HY) Apapane, 0.72 ± 0.11 for adult Apapane, 0.09 ± 0.05 for HY Iiwi, and 0.55 ± 0.12 for adult Iiwi. Survival of adult Iiwi was the lowest of six species of native Hawaiian forest birds and may be related to their high susceptibility to avian disease. Small resident populations of both species remained on our study sites throughout the year, but 78% of 1,361 Apapane and 82% of 891 Iiwi were never captured or seen after their initial capture. Widespread movements of Apapane and Iiwi in response to the seasonal and patchy availability of Metrosideros nectar have important implications for disease transmission since Apapane are the primary carrier of avian malaria and avian pox in Hawaii, and Iiwi appear to be highly susceptible to mortality from malaria.
Cyanide-selective electrode based on Zn(II) tetraphenylporphyrin as ionophore.

Receptors that exhibit high selectivity are essential for potentiometric cyanide sensors. Therefore, CN– binding to metallotetraphenylporphyrins with different metal centers (i.e., Co(II), Co(III), Zn(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Fe(III)) was investigated. All these metalloporphyrins were found to function as neutral ionophores. Co(III) and Fe(III) tetraphenylporphyrins with their positive charges seemed likely to bind up to two axial CN– ligands, but only the Co(III) porphyrin was found to strongly bind a second CN– ligand. The electrode membranes doped with Zn(II) tetraphenylporphyrin provided the highest selectivity over chloride (logKCN–,Cl–pot = −3.71, as opposed to −0.36 for an ionophore-free ISE) and were optimized by adjusting the site-to-ionophore ratio to achieve the highest CN– selectivity, with special consideration of interfering ions present in gold mining applications. The Zn(II) tetraphenylporphyrin-based CN–-selective electrodes exhibited the best discrimination of OH–; no pH effect was obser...
A Team-Based Practicum Bringing Together Students Across Educational Institutions and Health Professions

Objective. To assess student perceptions of teamwork during an interprofessional exercise and to evaluate if students could identify domestic violence through a standardized patient interview. Design. Medical, pharmacy, nursing, physical therapy, and social work students were assigned to teams to interview and examine a patient with a "cut on the hand" later revealed a result of domestic violence. They also practiced suturing technique and developed a patient care plan. A postexercise survey was administered. Assessment. From 70% to 94% of students surveyed agreed or strongly agreed, respectively, that their responsibilities were clear. All (100%) recognized the benefits of team-based care. Only 38% of the medical students reported team members providing insight into domestic violence, and 52% did not recognize team members as resources for these cases. Conclusion. Students gained perspective of knowledge and responsibilities of each team member. However, the results suggest further enhancements of curriculum related to domestic violence are needed.
A Preliminary Study on the Role of Campus Culture in the College Management

The role of campus culture on students makes the students move by unconsciously internal mental and feeling elements. It makes students obey college discipline consciously .Finally, they can set up proper word outlook on life and value. College limits students, behaviours by external rules and regulations. Campus culture is helpful to college management, discipline maintenance and to the rear service management of the college directly.
Application of Clinical Pathways in Hospital Management

This article takes the development of clinical pathways in one 3A hospital as an example and analyzes the existing problems and matters that need attention in the implementation of clinical pathways and puts forward strategies to guide the using of clinical pathways,providing experiences for modernized hospital management.
AGING AND HIGHER EDUCATION: PROSPECTS FOR INTERVENTION

Consistently low participation in higher education programs by older adults suggests the need for theory‐derived research efforts to uncover barriers to educational activity in later life. In the present paper it is argued that an understanding of adulthood educational participation be developed according to a criterion of environmental and situationally dependent factors rather than solely to one of inexorable and cross‐situational biophysical decline. Specific environmental and organismic factors that may relate to chronically low rates of educational participation by older learners are pinpointed and described and suggestions are made for examining and rearranging the ecological context of life‐span education in order to stimulate greater educational involvement in the later years. Changes in cross‐age attitudes and behaviors that may result from an influx of older adult learners into college and university classrooms are also considered in light of recent research evidence on inter‐generational contact.
Social media approaches to modeling wildfire smoke dispersion: spatiotemporal and social scientific investigations

ABSTRACTWildfires have significant effects on human populations, economically, environmentally, and in terms of their general well-being. Smoke pollution, in particular, from either prescribed burns or uncontrolled wildfires, can have significant health impacts. Some estimates suggest that smoke dispersion from fire events may affect the health of one in three residents in the United States, leading to an increased incidence of respiratory illnesses such as asthma and pulmonary disease. Scarcity in the measurements of particulate matter responsible for these public health issues makes addressing the problem of smoke dispersion challenging, especially when fires occur in remote regions. Crowdsourced data have become an essential component in addressing other societal problems (e.g., disaster relief, traffic congestion) but its utility in monitoring air quality impacts of wildfire events is unexplored. In this study, we assessed if user-generated social media content can be used as a complementary source of...
The Behavioral Avoidance Task with Anxious Youth: A Review of Procedures, Properties, and Criticisms

The measurement of avoidance behavior in youth with anxiety and related disorders is essential. Historically, the behavioral avoidance task (BAT) has been used as a measure of avoidance that can be tailored to a youth’s particular fear. Although in use for over 90 years, there has yet to be a systematic review of its use, properties, etc. Here we examine the use of the BAT with youth as a measure of avoidance over the past 30 years. Studies have used the BAT as a measure of treatment outcome, to explore theories related to avoidance, and provide evidence for the psychometric properties of phobia questionnaires. Specifically, we compare the results of these studies, the purposes of the BAT, and the types of data collected. Results indicated that the BAT might be particularly sensitive to treatment effects. Furthermore, youth with specific phobias can be expected to complete an average of 30% of the BAT at pre-treatment and 60% at post-treatment. These affects have generally been maintained at 6-month follow-ups. Measures of subjective units of distress (SUDS) proved more consistent than steps completed, but more resistant to treatment effects; researchers can expect a SUDS rating of approximately 55% at pre-treatment and 40% at post-treatment. We review the properties and procedures that are used within these studies and provide a critical review. Overall, the BAT is in need of a standardized procedure to allow for psychometric studies to provide evidence of the task’s reliability and validity.
Learning in Virtual Worlds: Research and Applications

Learning in Virtual Worlds: Research and Applications presents a rich set of empirical studies, alongside a few broader analytical pieces, on the question of how learning occurs in 3D virtual envir...
At what age should tetralogy of Fallot be corrected

Tetralogy of Fallot can be corrected with very low mortality at any age, even in neonates, but this does not necessarily mean that it should be corrected in the neonatal period. Although there are many advantages to early correction, a high proportion of these neonates have residual stenosis or pulmonary regurgitation that impairs ventricular function and may require further surgery or implantation of a pulmonary valve. Before we had the ability to correct this anomaly with low mortality in small children, a variety of palliative procedures had to be performed. Today, with better understanding of the anatomy of tetralogy of Fallot, we should consider what forms of palliation will increase growth of the right ventricular outflow tract in order to reduce the complications of very early surgery.
Board Composition and Innovation

Corporate boards make key economic and financial decisions. Diversity in the boardroom, on hand can lead to higher innovation by increasing interaction between heterogeneous agents; on the other hand it can lead to more conflict based on the predictions of social identity theory. In an examination of US firms from 1999 to 2006, this study finds that demographic diversity; directors’ individual characteristics and affiliation are associated with higher innovation in form of patents and quality of innovation in form of citations.
Growth requirements of SJL lymphomas in vitro: effect of BCGF II.

Reticulum cell sarcomas (RCS) arise spontaneously in > 90% of aging SJL mice1. The tumors are reported to arise in germinal centers of mesenteric lymph node (LN) and Peyer’s patches2. When injected intravenously into SJL recipients, labeled tumor cells localize in germinal centers of lymphoid tissue3. Thus these “RCS” may in fact represent some form of murine follicular center B cell lymphomas4.
A watershed scale spatially-distributed model for streambank erosion rate driven by channel curvature

Abstract Streambank erosion is a major source of fluvial sediment, but few large-scale, spatially distributed models exist to quantify streambank erosion rates. We introduce a spatially distributed model for streambank erosion applicable to sinuous, single-thread channels. We argue that such a model can adequately characterize streambank erosion rates, measured at the outsides of bends over a 2-year time period, throughout a large region. The model is based on the widely-used excess-velocity equation and comprised three components: a physics-based hydrodynamic model, a large-scale 1-dimensional model of average monthly discharge, and an empirical bank erodibility parameterization. The hydrodynamic submodel requires inputs of channel centerline, slope, width, depth, friction factor, and a scour factor A; the large-scale watershed submodel utilizes watershed-averaged monthly outputs of the Noah-2.8 land surface model; bank erodibility is based on tree cover and bank height as proxies for root density. The model was calibrated with erosion rates measured in sand-bed streams throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico coastal plain. The calibrated model outperforms a purely empirical model, as well as a model based only on excess velocity, illustrating the utility of combining a physics-based hydrodynamic model with an empirical bank erodibility relationship. The model could be improved by incorporating spatial variability in channel roughness and the hydrodynamic scour factor, which are here assumed constant. A reach-scale application of the model is illustrated on ∼1 km of a medium-sized, mixed forest-pasture stream, where the model identifies streambank erosion hotspots on forested and non-forested bends.
Inflammation targets specific organs for cancer in carriers of BRCA1/2 pathway mutations

Women who inherit a defective BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene have risks for breast/ovarian cancer that are so high and apparently so selective that many mutation carriers choose to have the most likely targets for cancer surgically removed. Recent research has focused on better methods of treating such seemingly unavoidable hereditary cancers. Prevention has received much less attention so a positive test result for a cancer gene leaves carriers with very limited options. In order to prevent BRCA1/2 related cancers, it may be important to understand why they seem to occur only in certain characteristic organs. Results here show that mutations in a pathway depending on BRCA1/2 gene products magnify cancer risks from chronic infection and inflammation, making them especially important in selecting the site where hereditary cancer develops. Controlling chronic infections and inflammation may be a helpful option to prevent or delay cancers in mutation carriers.
The (In)equity of Information Systems in Education

The primary mission of the U.S. National Institute of Education is to seek ways of providing equal opportunity for education of high quality to all persons, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or social class (National Institute of Education, 1978). Thus the achievement of equity in education has been deemed as important as the achievement of high quality in education. The purpose of this chapter is to review the problems, experiences, and prospects for achieving equity in the use of information, as implied by the current array of information delivery systems available in education. Because educational services—at the primary and secondary levels—impinge directly at the neighborhood level, this inquiry is another illustration of the policy-making problems in dealing with neighborhood life.
Pluripotent Stem Cells from the Postnatal Testis: Unlocking the Potential of Spermatogonial Stem Cells

While embryonic stem (ES) cells are well known to give rise to tissues comprising all three germ layers, only recently was it shown that cells from the postnatal testis could produce embryonic-like stem cells in culture. The latter, arising in vitro from spermatogonia, can undertake most, if not all, the functions of ES cells. This chapter explores the potential predisposing factors for postnatal germ cells to become pluripotent, including expression of pluripotency-associated genes and epigenetic factors. The major published studies describing the production of ES-like cells from mice and human tissues are reviewed. Finally, we assess the data demonstrating functionality of the differentiated derivatives of ES-like cells. The possible uses of testis-derived stem cells for the study of pluripotency and for regenerative applications is also discussed in comparison to other approaches using ES cells and induced pluripotent stem (ips) cells.
Optical Approaches to Study Metabolic Consequences of Spreading Depression In Vivo

Optical imaging methods have been widely used to investigate the function of complex brain tissue. Depending on the approach used, activity can be readily monitored with relatively high temporal resolution throughout large areas of the cortex, or alternatively from individual neurons or sub-cellular compartments. The aim of this chapter is to illustrate the application of optical approaches to provide information about changes in brain metabolism that follow coordinated neuronal firing. The phenomenon of spreading depression (SD) is used to illustrate some of the advantages and challenges of different approaches. SD involves a slowly-propagating coordinated depolarization of neurons and astrocytes and is thought to underlie migraine aura and contribute to enlargement of brain injuries. The stereotyped progression of this event across the cortical surface, coupled with the substantial increase in metabolic demand, has made this response particularly amenable to optical imaging. The discussion will emphasize signals due to changes in mitochondrial redox state, as assessed by changes in levels of NADH autofluorescence. Optical signals associated with changes in blood flow and oxygenation will also be described, since these can significantly impact autofluorescence studies and because the integration of hemodynamic and mitochondrial signals should be valuable for understanding metabolic deficits and neuronal injury that can accompany SD. It is expected that many of the principles discussed here will also apply to less severe metabolic disturbances that accompany reflex activation of discrete neuronal populations.
Acquired Valve Disease and Processes

Degenerative valve disease is now the most common form of valve disease in the Western world, and the burden of valve disorders will likely escalate due to the increasing age of the US population. Rheumatic heart disease remains the leading cause of valvular disease in developing nations. A thorough understanding of acquired valvular disorders will be necessary to guide therapy and provide optimal patient care. This chapter discusses aortic valvular heart disease, specifically its progression, physical findings, and diagnostic evaluation, as well as treatment.
Limiting Data Exposure in Monitoring Multi-domain Policy Conformance

In hybrid- or multi-cloud systems, security information and event management systems often work with abstract level information provided by the service providers. Privacy and confidentiality requirements discourage sharing of the raw data. With access to only the partial information, detecting anomalies and policy violations becomes much more difficult in those environments.
GEOCHRONOLOGY AND PALEOENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE OLDEST ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE (7800–7900 cal BP) IN THE WEST INDIES, BANWARI TRACE, TRINIDAD

Banwari Trace, a well-stratified shell midden located in southeastern Trinidad, provides the oldest known archaeological evidence of human settlement in the West Indies and has been crucial to our understanding of the initial peopling of the greater Caribbean region. Detailed excavation profile descriptions, soil and faunal analyses, accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating, and stable carbon isotope analyses provide an accurate chronology and paleoenvironmental framework for the natural and anthropogenic depositional history of this significant archaeological site. Our findings support the recognition of three Middle Holocene strata at Banwari Trace, which represent significant periods of midden deposition and environmental change at: ~7800–7900 cal BP (Level 3); ~6900–7400 cal BP (Level 2); and ~5500–6200 cal BP (Level 1). Stable carbon isotope analyses show the landscape was dominated by C3 vegetation throughout the Middle Holocene with a possible drying episode near the end of the Middle Holocene climatic optimum. Cedrosan potsherds discovered in the uppermost 25 cm (Level 0) suggest that a Late Holocene radiocarbon age of ~2770–2200 cal BP for charcoal from this stratum is valid and possibly contemporary with an apparently intrusive human burial recovered in 1971 at a depth of ~20 cm.
Osiris: a low-cost mechanism to enable restoration of secure non-volatile memories

With Non-Volatile Memories (NVMs) beginning to enter the mainstream computing market, it is time to consider how to secure NVM-equipped computing systems. Recent Melt-down and Spectre attacks are evidence that security must be intrinsic to computing systems and not added as an afterthought. Processor vendors are taking the first steps and are beginning to build security primitives into commodity processors. One security primitive that is associated with the use of emerging NVMs is memory encryption. Memory encryption, while necessary, is very challenging when used with NVMs because it exacerbates the write endurance problem. Secure architectures use cryptographic metadata that must be persisted and restored to allow secure recovery of data in the event of power-loss. Specifically, encryption counters must be persistent to enable secure and functional recovery of an interrupted system. However, the cost of ensuring and maintaining persistence for these counters can be significant. In this paper, we propose a novel scheme to maintain encryption counters without the need for frequent updates. Our new memory controller design, Osiris, repurposes memory Error-Correction Codes (ECCs) to enable fast restoration and recovery of encryption counters. To evaluate our design, we use Gem5 to run eight memory-intensive workloads selected from SPEC2006 and U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) proxy applications. Compared to a write-through counter-cache scheme, on average, Osiris can reduce 48.7% of the memory writes (increase lifetime by 1.95x), and reduce the performance overhead from 51.5% (for write-through) to only 5.8%. Furthermore, without the need for backup battery or extra power-supply hold-up time, Osiris performs better than a battery-backed write-back (5.8% vs. 6.6% overhead) and has less write-traffic (2.6% vs. 5.9% overhead).
Threshold Voltage Extraction Using Static NBTI Aging

A novel approach to extract the threshold voltage of a pMOS transistor in a tile of the integrated circuit is proposed. Low voltage is applied to the transistor for a predetermined time period and then its delay due to static negative bias temperature instability aging is measured. Experimental results in 45nm technology show that the proposed approach extracts the threshold voltage with very high resolution.
Adipocyte alterations in endometriosis: reduced numbers of stem cells and microRNA induced alterations in adipocyte metabolic gene expression

Endometriosis is an estrogen dependent, inflammatory disorder occurring in 5–10% of reproductive-aged women. Women with endometriosis have a lower body mass index (BMI) and decreased body fat compared to those without the disease, yet few studies have focused on the metabolic abnormalities in adipose tissue in women with endometriosis. Previously, we identified microRNAs that are differentially expressed in endometriosis and altered in the serum of women with the disease. Here we explore the effect of endometriosis on fat tissue and identified a role for endometriosis-related microRNAs in fat metabolism and a reduction in adipocyte stem cell number. Primary adipocyte cells cultured from 20 patients with and without endometriosis were transfected with mimics and inhibitors of microRNAs 342-3p or Let 7b-5p to model the status of these microRNAs in endometriosis. RNA was extracted for gene expression analysis by qRT-PCR. PCNA expression was used as a marker of adipocyte proliferation. Endometriosis was induced experimentally in 9-week old female C57BL/6 mice and after 10 months fat tissue was harvested from both the subcutaneous (inguinal) and visceral (mesenteric) tissue. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells in fat tissue were characterized in both endometriosis and non-endometriosis mice by FACS analysis. Gene expression analysis showed that endometriosis altered the expression of Cebpa, Cebpb, Ppar-γ, leptin, adiponectin, IL-6, and HSL, which are involved in driving brown adipocyte differentiation, appetite, insulin sensitivity and fat metabolism. Each gene was regulated by an alteration in microRNA expression known to occur in endometriosis. Analysis of the stem cell content of adipose tissue in a mouse model of endometriosis demonstrated a reduced number of adipocyte stem cells. We demonstrate that microRNAs Let-7b and miR-342-3p affected metabolic gene expression significantly in adipocytes of women with endometriosis. Similarly, there is a reduction in the adipose stem cell population in a mouse model of endometriosis. Taken together these data suggest that endometriosis alters BMI in part through an effect on adipocytes and fat metabolism.
What are Published X-ray lightcurves telling us about Young Supernova Expansion?

Massive stars lose mass in the form of stellar winds and outbursts. This material accumulates around the star. When the star explodes as a supernova (SN) the resulting shock wave expands within this circumstellar medium. The X-ray emission resulting from the interaction depends, among other parameters, on the density of this medium, and therefore the variation in the X-ray luminosity can be used to study the variation in the density structure of the medium. In this paper we explore the X-ray emission and lightcurves of all known SNe, in order to study the nature of the medium into which they are expanding. In particular we wish to investigate whether young SNe are expanding into a steady wind medium, as is most often assumed in the literature. We find that in the context of the theoretical arguments that have been generally used in the literature, many young SNe, and especially those of Type IIn, which are the brightest X-ray luminosity class, do not appear to be expanding into steady winds. Some IIns appear to have very steep X-ray luminosity declines, indicating density declines much steeper than r$^{-2}$. However, other IIns show a constant or even increasing X-ray luminosity over periods of months to years. Many other SNe do not appear to have declines consistent with expansion in a steady wind. SNe with lower X-ray luminosities appear to be more consistent with steady wind expansion, although the numbers are not large enough to make firm statistical comments. The numbers do indicate that the expansion and density structure of the circumstellar medium must be investigated before assumptions can be made of steady wind expansion. Unless a steady wind can be shown, mass-loss rates deduced using this assumption may need to be revised.
Continued Enteral Feeding Is Beneficial in Hypoglycemic Infants Admitted to Intensive Care for Parenteral Dextrose Therapy

There is variability in practice among care providers on feeding infants admitted with neonatal hypoglycemia (NH) for parenteral dextrose. We compared clinical outcomes in infants who were fed (NH-Fed) and hypoglycemic infants who were kept nothing per os (NPO) (NH-NPO) at the time of initiation of intravenous (IV) dextrose. We performed a retrospective review of all newborn infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit with NH for IV dextrose. Infants were grouped as per the feeding approach at initiation of IV dextrose: NH-Fed or NH-NPO infants. We found that infants in the NH-Fed group had lower maximum glucose infusion rate, less duration of glucose infusion therapy compared with the NH-NPO group, and significantly less number of days of hospital stay compared with the NH-NPO group (5.87 ± 1.4 days vs 4.9 ± 1.4 days, P < .006). In conclusion, feeding infants with hypoglycemia who require IV dextrose offers tangible benefits of shorter duration of parenteral dextrose and shorter length of hospitalization.
PI3Kβ links integrin activation and PI(3,4)P2 production during invadopodial maturation

The invasion of tumor cells from the primary tumor is mediated by invadopodia, actin-rich protrusive organelles that secrete matrix metalloproteases and degrade the extracellular matrix. This coupling between protrusive activity and matrix degradation facilitates tumor invasion. We previously reported that the PI3Kβ isoform of PI 3-kinase, which is regulated by both receptor tyrosine kinases and G protein-coupled receptors, is required for invasion and gelatin degradation in breast cancer cells. We have now defined the mechanism by which PI3Kβ regulates invadopodia. We find that PI3Kβ is specifically activated downstream from integrins, and is required for integrin-stimulated spreading and haptotaxis as well as integrin-stimulated invadopodia formation. Surprisingly, these integrin-stimulated and PI3Kβ-dependent responses require the production of PI(3,4)P2 by the phosphoinositide 5'-phosphatase SHIP2. Thus, integrin activation of PI3Kβ is coupled to the SHIP2-dependent production of PI(3,4)P2, which regulates the recruitment of PH domain-containing scaffolds such as lamellipodin to invadopodia. These findings provide novel mechanistic insight into the role of PI3Kβ in the regulation of invadopodia in breast cancer cells.
Implications for Hardware Acceleration of Malware Detection

Due to the limited number of performance counters, the selection of architectural features is a critical issue to provide high quality data for malware detection. To address the issue, we come up with a metric called Degree of Distribution (DoD) as one of the malware detection criteria. Our experimental results show that the DoD can differentiate malware applications from benign applications and provide highly accurate detection through the machine learning framework. As architectural implications, hardware acceleration as well as additional PMC registers are discussed for more accurate malware detection in real-time.
Stochastic Generalized Adversarial Label Learning

The usage of machine learning models has grown substantially and is spreading into several application domains. A common need in using machine learning models is collecting the data required to train these models. In some cases, labeling a massive dataset can be a crippling bottleneck, so there is need to develop models that work when training labels for large amounts of data are not easily obtained. A possible solution is weak supervision, which uses noisy labels that are easily obtained from multiple sources. The challenge is how best to combine these noisy labels and train a model to perform well given a task. In this paper, we propose stochastic generalized adversarial label learning (Stoch-GALL), a framework for training machine learning models that perform well when noisy and possibly correlated labels are provided. Our framework allows users to provide different weak labels and multiple constraints on these labels. Our model then attempts to learn parameters for the data by solving a non-zero sum game optimization. The game is between an adversary that chooses labels for the data and a model that minimizes the error made by the adversarial labels. We test our method on three datasets by training convolutional neural network models that learn to classify image objects with limited access to training labels. Our approach is able to learn even in settings where the weak supervision confounds state-of-the-art weakly supervised learning methods. The results of our experiments demonstrate the applicability of this approach to general classification tasks.
Introduction to app inventor

App inventor is a web-based drag-and-drop programming environment for Android applications. This tutorial will introduce App Inventor to the participants, demonstrate App Inventor's capabilities, and discuss ways App Inventor can be used with students.