cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Establishment of trophectoderm and inner cell mass lineages in the mouse embryo.

The first cell lineage specification in mouse embryo development is the formation of trophectoderm (TE) and inner cell mass (ICM) of the blastocyst. This article is to review and discuss the current knowledge on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of this particular event. Several transcription factors have been identified as the critical regulators of the formation or maintenance of the two cell lineages. The establishment of TE manifests as the formation of epithelium, and is dependent on many structural and regulatory components that are commonly found and that function in many epithelial tissues. Distinct epithelial features start to emerge at the late 8-cell stage, but the fates of blastomeres are not fixed as TE or ICM until around 32-cell stage. The location of blastomeres at this stage, i.e., external or internal of the embryo, in effect defines the commitment towards the TE or ICM lineage, respectively. Some studies implicate the presence of a developmental bias among blastomeres at 2- or 4-cell stage, although it is unlikely to play a decisive role in the establishment of TE and ICM. The unique mode of cell lineage specification in the mouse embryo is further discussed in comparison with the formation of initial cell lineages, namely the three germ layers, in non-mammalian embryos.
The neuraminidase of measles virus

The agent of measles (rubeola) has been assumed to be a paramyxovirus on the basis of its electron microscopic appearance, its size, its sensitivity to ether and detergents, and the presence of hemagglutinin in the viral envelope. Thus far, however, the one attribute common to myxoviruses, namely neuraminidase, has not been described for measles virus. We have demonstrated that specific neuraminidase activity is associated with measles viral hemagglutinin. The evidence suggests strongly that the enzyme is part of the viral envelope.
Developmental milestones in abused children, and their improvement with a family-oriented approach to the treatment of child abuse

Few objective measures of the efficacy of intervention programs in the treatment of child abuse exist. One such measure may be improvement in the developmental delays often seen in abused children. Using the Learning Assessment Profile, we tested 53 abused children, ages 2.5-5 years, just before and after involvement in our Family Development Center Program (FDC). The FDC emphasizes therapy-group-interaction for parents, where alternative ways of expressing anger are explored. Children attend daily preschool classes, and take occasional outside field trips. Of the 53 children tested 42 (79%) showed greater than expected developmental skills gains. Six children demonstrated no improvement in developmental skills, four of whom had severe developmental delays in one or two areas. Fine motor and language skills were significantly delayed for the group as a whole; these areas showed the greatest improvement after FDC. There did not appear to be an overall association between increased improvement in developmental skills and length of time in the FDC program, although certain subgroups of children appeared to improve with time while others appeared to lose ground. A five-year follow-up study of these children is presently underway. We conclude that a program which involves both parent and child, and focuses on their interaction, appears to be effective in dealing with abusive families; monitoring developmental levels in the abused children is one means of assessing their progress in such a program. Further controlled prospective trials are needed in this area.
Innovative delivery of newborn anticipatory guidance: a randomized, controlled trial incorporating media-based learning into primary care.

Abstract Objective Recent initiatives seek to incorporate efficient, evidence-based practices into primary care. This study tested the feasibility, impact, and acceptance of incorporating a DVD of newborn anticipatory guidance into routine well-child care. Methods This randomized trial tested a 15-minute educational DVD intervention versus control condition with paper handouts on newborn anticipatory guidance. We recruited parents of newborns ≤1 month old presenting for their first visit. Blinded research assistants conducted telephone follow-up 2 weeks later and medical chart reviews 2 months after enrollment. Clinic staff and providers completed semistructured surveys to rate the intervention. Primary outcomes included parent knowledge of infant development, self-efficacy with infant care skills, and problem-solving competence. Results We enrolled 137 subjects (response rate 82%). Scores on knowledge, self-efficacy, and problem solving were high at baseline for both groups and did not significantly change. More parents in the DVD group reported feeling prepared to care for their baby after the visit (94% vs 81%, P = .03), feeling high confidence bathing their baby (93% vs 78%, P = .01), and recognizing congestion (70% vs 52%, P = .03) compared to the control group. Those in the DVD group also had fewer additional office visits between birth and 2 months ( P = .01). Staff and providers agreed the DVD was useful for patients (88%) and did not disrupt patient flow (93%). Conclusions A DVD of newborn anticipatory guidance was feasible, well accepted, and had a positive impact in a pediatric practice. Video and other technologies represent an efficient, innovative way to reach parents as part of the office encounter.
Imaging at Soft X-ray Wavelengths with High-Gain Microchannel Plate Detector Systems

Multianode microchannel array (MAMA) detector systems with formats of 256 x 1024 pixels and active areas of 6 x 26 mm are now under evaluation at visible, UV and soft X-ray wavelengths. Very-large-format versions of the MAMA detectors with formats of 2048 x 2048 pixels and active areas of 52 x 52 mm are under development for use in the NASA Goddard Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). Open-structure versions of these detectors with Cs I photocathodes can provide a high-resolution imaging capability at EUV and soft X-ray wavelengths and can deliver a maximum count rate from each array in excess of 10 to the 6th counts/s. In addition, these detector systems have the unique capability to determine the arrival time of a detected photon to an accuracy of 100 ns or better. The construction, mode of operation, and performance characteristics of the MAMA detectors are described, and the program for the development of the very-large-format detectors is outlined.
First Questions for Designing Higher Education Learning Spaces.

Abstract We often start the design of learning spaces with service and operational considerations rather than with questions about the character of the learning we want to happen in the space. To correct this practice, six questions are here proposed that colleges and universities should ask first and persistently throughout the construction or renovation of learning spaces. Much of this discussion draws on the National Survey of Student Engagement; for another essay that draws substantially on NSSE, see the author's “Designing for Uncertainty: Three Approaches” in the March 2007 issue of the Journal of Academic Librarianship.
Dissolution in a field.

We study the dissolution of a solid by continuous injection of reactive ``acid'' particles at a single point, with the reactive particles undergoing biased diffusion in the dissolved region. When acid encounters the substrate material, both an acid particle and a unit of the material disappear. We find that the lengths of the dissolved cavity parallel and perpendicular to the bias grow as ${t}^{2/(d+1)}$ and ${t}^{1/(d+1)},$ respectively, in d dimensions, while the number of reactive particles within the cavity grows as ${t}^{2/(d+1)}.$ We also obtain the exact density profile of the reactive particles and the relation between this profile and the motion of the dissolution boundary. The extension to variable acid strength is also discussed.
Elevation of chemotactic factor inactivator in alcoholic liver disease.

Defective regulation of neutrophil chemotaxis occurs in patients with alcoholic liver disease. One potent mediator of neutrophil chemotaxis is the complement-derived neutrophil chemoattractant, C5a, which can be inhibited by a serum protein, chemotactic factor inactivator. We hypothesized that chemotactic factor inactivator elevation might, in part, explain the defective neutrophil chemotaxis seen in patients with alcoholic hepatitis. To test this hypothesis, sera were collected from 22 patients with alcoholic hepatitis and 9 normal controls, and evaluated for the antigenic presence of chemotactic factor inactivator using an ELISA test. Chemotactic factor inactivator levels were found to be markedly elevated in patients with alcoholic hepatitis (162 ± 24 μg per ml) compared to normals (60 ± 3 μg per ml, p 5 mg per dl) did not differ significantly from controls (71 ± 11 μg/ml, p < 0.2). Importantly, the inhibition of C5a-induced chemotactic activity by partially purified chemotactic factor inactivator correlated with antigenic amounts of chemotactic factor inactivator in serum (r = 0.63, p < 0.05). The C5a inhibitory activity in sera obtained from patients with alcoholic hepatitis coprecipitated with chemotactic factor inactivator when serum was precipitated by ammonium sulfate precipitation (45 to 64% saturation). Depleting chemotactic factor inactivator by affinity chromatography resulted in a major loss of the ability of this partially purified chemotactic factor inactivator to inhibit C5a-induced chemotaxis (50 vs. 26% inhibition, p < 0.001), suggesting that chemotactic factor inactivator is a major inhibitor of C5a in these patients. These data suggest that elevations in chemotactic factor inactivator may explain impaired neutrophil chemotaxis in patients with alcoholic hepatitis.
Patterns and variability of groundwater flow and radium activity at the coast: A case study from Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts

Abstract Radium is widely used as a natural tracer of groundwater discharge to the ocean. To better understand how radium activities vary within the groundwater systems that contribute this discharge to coastal waters, we characterized the spatial patterns of porewater activities of the four radium isotopes in the context of the groundwater flow system of Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts. Radium activities were highly heterogeneous across locations, though qualitatively consistent with inferred groundwater flowpaths and simple models of radium evolution. A comparison of radium activity measurements in discharging groundwater, porewater, and baywater indicates that saline submarine groundwater discharge is likely a mixture of water with long and short subsurface residence times. Flow is driven by forcing mechanisms acting on a range of timescales, from waves, to tides, to seasons and longer. Estimates of radium flux along transects extending offshore are disproportionate to groundwater discharge, and individual isotopes have distinct patterns with peak activity occurring at different locations. Modeled sensitivity of porewater radium activities to production rates and sorptive properties of the subsurface indicates that variability in radium activity is caused by aquifer property heterogeneity, variations in groundwater flowpaths, and hydrologic transience. These results suggest that, in many cases, the complexity of coastal groundwater flow and its influence on radium activity present a challenge for using radium activity measured in seawater to quantify groundwater inputs. However, characterization of the spatial pattern of radium activities within the groundwater system may provide valuable qualitative understanding of the subsurface flow processes that drive groundwater discharge.
Gene Expression Profiles Characterize Early Graft Response in Living Donor Small Bowel Transplantation: A Case Report

Background. The cellular and histological events that occur during the regeneration process in invertebrates have been studied in the field of visceral regeneration. We would like to explore the molecular aspects of the regeneration process in the small intestine. The aim of this study was to characterize the gene expression profiles of the intestinal graft to identify which genes may have a role in regeneration of graft tissue posttransplant. Methods. In a patient undergoing living related small bowel transplantation (LRSBTx) in our institution, mucosal biopsies were obtained from the recipient intestine and donor graft at the time of transplant and at weeks 1, 2, 3, and 6 posttransplant. Total RNA was isolated from sample biopsies followed by gene expression profiles determined from the replicate samples (n = 3) for each biopsy using the Aflymetrix U133 Plus 2.0 Human GeneChip set. Results. Two profiles were obtained from the data. One profile showed rapid increase of 45 genes immediately after transplant by week 1 with significant changes (P <.05) greater than threefold including the chemokine CXC9 and glutathione-related stress factors, GPX2 and GSTA4. The second profile identified 133 genes that were significantly decreased by threefold or greater immediately after transplant week 1, including UCC1, the human homolog of the Ependymin gene. Conclusion. We have identified two gene expression profiles representing early graft responses to small bowel transplantation. These profiles will serve to identify and study those genes whose products may play a role in accelerating tissue regeneration following segmental LRSBTx.
Chemical (VX) Terrorist Threat: Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Responses

This article reports the results of a study of people's perceptions and reactions to a hypothetical terrorist attack involving a chemical agent (specifically, the nerve agent VX). Thirteen focus groups composed of 8 to 12 participants each were conducted using trained moderators. To achieve a broad representation of perspectives, the groups were conducted in several regions and included urban and rural locations. In addition, a variety of population groups, such as African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Asians, and people with English as a second language, were included in the study. Findings demonstrated fear, fatalism, and unfulfilled information needs related to the threat agent. To better prepare the public for VX threats or threats from other highly toxic chemical agents, it will be important to emphasize that VX exposure can be avoided or reduced, that VX effects can be treated, and that VX can be survived if appropriate protective measures are taken. Related findings from the focus groups are that participants preferred television, radio, and the Emergency Alert System for emergency messages and that people prefer to hear information about a chemical attack from a well-known, well-respected public figure or from a content expert on chemical attacks, protective actions, and health. In addition, local television meteorologists were identified as a category of trusted conveyers of important information in relation to chemical terrorist attacks.
Comparison of xylo-oligosaccharides production by autohydrolysis of fibers separated from ground corn flour and DDGS

Abstract Xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) are known to have beneficial health properties, and are considered to be functional food ingredients. The objective of this study is to compare corn fibers separated from ground corn flour and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) for XOS yield and optimum autohydrolysis conditions. Based on the initial xylan content, the fiber separated from ground corn flour (FC) resulted in higher XOS yield (71.5%) than the fiber separated from DDGS (FD) (54.6%) at the maximum XOS production conditions. XOS produced were mainly xylobiose and xylotriose. Based on total initial material also, FC resulted in higher XOS yield (8.9%) than FD (8.0%), based on total original masses. Thus, fiber separated from ground corn flour would be a better feedstock for production of XOS than fiber separated from DDGS. The conditions for maximum XOS production from FD and FC were 180 °C with 20 min hold-time and 190 °C with 10 min hold-time, respectively.
Stochastic mode-locking theory for external-cavity semiconductor lasers

A stochastic mode-locking model is developed to study the effect of intrinsic spontaneous emission noise and carrier shot noise on the process of active mode locking in external-cavity semiconductor lasers. The model includes the nonlinear carrier dynamics, the population pulsation, and the gain saturation and is sufficiently flexible to account for coupling of multiple harmonic field components. Through numerical simulation, the model can generate statistical fluctuations in the mode-locked output and provide a basis for investigating the fundamental constraints on the pulse-to-pulse stability of a mode-locked semiconductor laser device.
Theory of layered Ising models: Thermodynamics

We consider a two-dimensional Ising model whose vertical interaction energies ${E}_{2}(j)$ between row $j$ and row $j+1$ are allowed to be arbitrary for $1\ensuremath{\le}j\ensuremath{\le}n$. This set of bonds is then repeated indefinitely to make up an infinite lattice. For any set of the $n$ energies ${E}_{2}(j)$ we show that the specific heat has a logarithmic divergence as $T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{T}_{c}$ and we derive an explicit formula for the amplitude of $\mathrm{ln}|1\ensuremath{-}\frac{T}{{T}_{c}}$. From this result we demonstrate that if the ${E}_{2}(j)$ are considered to be independent random variables with a distribution function $P({E}_{2})$ which is not a $\ensuremath{\delta}$ function, then, for almost all lattices constructed from $P({E}_{2})$ the amplitude of the logarithmic singularity vanishes as $n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$.
Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of liver microsomal proteins from rats treated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin 3-methylcholanthrene, and phenobarbital

Abstract Male rat liver microsomal proteins were examined by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and found to differ according to the xenobiotic treatment. The distinguishable spot patterns may provide specific markers of exposure as well as starting points for biochemical investigation.
Increasing educational attainment in Egypt: The impact of early childhood care and education

Abstract This paper investigates the impact of early childhood care and education on subsequent educational attainment in Egypt. Comparisons between siblings are used to control for selection and duration analysis methods are used to account for the presence of current students in the data. These methods are compared to OLS to demonstrate the importance of accounting for both observed and unobserved heterogeneity and for students who have not yet completed their schooling. Early childhood care and education significantly reduces the probability of dropping out, specifically during basic education. The change in educational attainment from early childhood care and education is approximately one additional year of schooling. Key pathways for this effect include improved school performance, such as increases in test scores and decreases in repetition, during basic education. Results indicate expanding early childhood care and education would be an important and effective policy for improving educational outcomes.
Statistics as Fetishes The Case of Financial Performance Measures and Executive Compensation

Research into compensation management continues to draw attention from scholars in many organizational disciplines ranging from accounting and finance to human resources and strategic management. Scholars search for empirical links between various compensation strategies and improved performance. A prime example is the institutionalization of executive compensation contracts that theoretically, at least, should reward executives on the basis of their firms' financial performance. Yet scholars are finding inconsistent evidence of any links. The authors suggest that an ethnostatistical analysis of these studies will yield one consistent finding: obsession with the value of rational data as the “truth” about organizational practices. This reliance on quantitative measures has become an organizational fetish. In this article, the authors explain how compensation strategies have become fetishes and then use semiotics and ethnostatistics to explore the fetish nature of compensation contracts that award annual s...
Pacing for patients with congestive heart failure and dilated cardiomyopathy.

With the development of interventions that improve survival in selected patients with left ventricular dysfunction (e.g., the implantable cardioverter defibrillator in patients with malignant ventricular arrhythmias, coronary artery bypass surgery in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease), congestive heart failure (CHF) is a problem being seen with increased frequency by the practicing cardiologist. It is estimated that there are currently more than 2 million people with heart failure owing to left ventricular systolic dysfunction in the United States. 49 The number is growing by approximately 400,000 new cases each year and will undoubtedly increase further with a population that is gradually aging. Despite the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, beta-adrenergic blockers and other medications that have been shown to decrease morbidity and improve survival, the potential cost of treatment and hospitalization is staggering. In addition, mortality in the setting of heart failure has remained disappointingly high, with many of these deaths being sudden and presumed arrhythmic. The application of relatively new and innovative pacing strategies to the heart failure population has the potential to produce substantial benefit. In this article, pacing techniques that are currently available or are being developed for patients with CHF are reviewed, and the possible mechanisms underlying their beneficial effects are explored.
Daily sodium intake as a function of time of measurement and formalin injection volume and concentration

The effects of alternate-day injections of.25,.75, or 1.0 ml of either 1.5% or.5% formalin subcutaneously upon saline consumption of a.33-M solution were investigated over 8 days. Generally, percentage formalin differences produced the same saline intake, except when measured 8 rather than 24 h after injection when the slower recruitment of sodium need with a.5% solution was evident. The 1.0-ml dosage produced significantly greater saline ingestion across other experimental conditions, while the two lesser formalin volumes did not produce a significant difference in intake. The main effects of formalin injection were on Day 1, with some less impressive effects occurring after Injections 2 and 3.
NMDI: A normalized multi-band drought index for monitoring soil and vegetation moisture with satellite remote sensing

[1] A new index, the Normalized Multi-band Drought Index (NMDI), is proposed for monitoring soil and vegetation moisture from space. NMDI is defined as , where R represents the apparent reflectance observed by a satellite sensor. Similar to the Normalized Difference Water Index, NMDI uses the 860 nm channel as the reference; instead of using a single liquid water absorption channel, however, it uses the difference between two liquid water absorption channels centered at 1640 nm and 2130 nm as the soil and vegetation moisture sensitive band. Analysis revealed that by combining information from multiple near infrared, and short wave infrared channels, NMDI has enhanced the sensitivity to drought severity, and is well suited to estimate both soil and vegetation moisture. Typical soil reflectance spectra and satellite-acquired reflectances, are used to validate the usefulness of NMDI. Its application to areas with moderate vegetation coverage, however, needs further investigation.
Liberation of neurosurgical patients from mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy in neurocritical care

Neurosurgical patients commonly require mechanical ventilation and monitoring in a neurocritical care unit. There are only few studies that specifically address the process of liberation from mechanical ventilation in this population. Patients who remain ventilator or artificial airway dependent receive a tracheostomy. The appropriate timing for the procedure is not well defined and may be different among an inhomogeneous population of critically ill patients. In this article, we review the general principles of liberation and the current literature as it pertains to neurosurgical patients with primary brain injury. The criteria for "readiness of extubation" include a combination of neurologic assessment, hemodynamic, and respiratory parameters. Future studies are required to better assess indicators for extubation readiness, evaluate the predictors of extubation failure in brain-injured patients, and define the most appropriate timing for a tracheostomy.
Extended Hamilton’s Principle for Fluid-Structure Interaction

The problem of vortex-shedding from bluff bodies has been examined for over a century, as reflected by the extensive literature on the subject. The focus of these foregoing researches can be split into two broad categories: investigations into the flow characteristics around a body in a flow, and studies of the response of a bluff body to the forces from the flow.
A Principal Components Model Of Simulation Structure

It is often appropriate to analyze the output of a simulation study by looking at more than one measurement. In a traditional queuing model, it might be appropriate to look at three outputs:1. the average time through the system for a customer,2. the average number of balks per hour,3. the average utilization of the servers.These outputs measure different quantities which are usually related in their movements. Some pairs will be positively related, in that one variable will increase as the other variable increases. Likewise some will be negative related. The relationship can also be more complicated. For example, a recent simulation of a mining operation (Villanueva, 1989) measured, among other quantities, the amount of traffic in a mine tunnel leading to an ore shaft and the number of loads of ore removed through that shaft per hour. Initially, as the traffic increased, more loads of ore were removed. But as the tunnel became more and more crowded, the number of loads began to drop because of the traffic congestion.
Luther's Small and Large Catechisms: Defining and Confessing Christian Faith From the Centre in a Religiously Plural World

: In this article, the author argues that in his Small and Large Catechisms, which were both written in 1529, Martin Luther centres the Christian faith in a way that others can recognise as authentic and faithful to the Gospel vis-a-vis the relativism that is posited as the appropriate Christian articulation of the Gospel in a world of religious diversity. Luther's non-negotiable centring on God for us in Jesus Christ, through whom God is uniquely and decisively revealed, speaks to the contemporary intra-Christian and inter-religious questions. The author finds evangelical and persuasive resonance in Lesslie Newbigin's call to indwell the Christian story and George Lindbeck's argument to attend to the grammar of the faith.
A WASp Homolog Powers Actin Polymerization-Dependent Motility of Endosomes In Vivo

Abstract Background: WASp/SCAR proteins activate the Arp2/3 complex to nucleate actin filament assembly and are thought to have important roles in endocytosis. WASp is required for efficient endocytosis of antigen receptors, N-WASp promotes actin polymerization-dependent movement of endomembrane vesicles, and Las17 (a yeast WASp homolog) is required for endocytic internalization. However, it is unknown whether movement of endosomes or other organelles requires activation of the Arp2/3 complex by members of the WASp/SCAR family. Results: Fluorescence video microscopy of yeast cells expressing a GFP-tagged G protein-coupled receptor (Ste2-GFP) as an endocytic marker revealed that endosomes and the lysosome-like vacuole are highly motile. Endosome/vacuole motility required actin polymerization, as indicated by sensitivity to latrunculin A, whereas microtubules were uninvolved. Endosome/vacuole motility did not require actin cables or myosin V (a MYO2 gene product), which moves secretory vesicles and the Golgi apparatus and mediates vacuole segregation. However, endosome motility required Las17, a WASp homolog. In contrast to other processes involving Las17, endosome/vacuole motility required the WCA domain of Las17, which is necessary and sufficient to activate the Arp2/3 complex. Conclusions: Endosome/vacuole motility in vivo requires actin polymerization stimulated by the WASp homolog Las17. WASp/SCAR family members in mammalian cells may have similar functions. Defects in endosome/lysosome motility may contribute to deficits in lymphocyte or macrophage function observed in human patients lacking WASp or developmental defects in N-WASp-deficient mice.
Twelve tips for addressing medical student and resident physician lapses in professionalism

Medical educators have gained significant ground in the practical and scholarly approach to professionalism. When a lapse occurs, thoughtful remediation to address the underlying issue can have a positive impact on medical students and resident physicians, while failure to address lapses, or to do so ineffectively, can have long-term consequences for learners and potentially patients. Despite these high stakes, educators are often hesitant to address lapses in professionalism, possibly due to a lack of time and familiarity with the process. Attention must be paid to generalizable, hands-on recommendations for daily use so that clinicians and administrators feel well equipped to tackle this often difficult yet valuable task. This article reviews the literature related to addressing unprofessional behavior among trainees in medicine and connects it to the shared experience of medical educators at one institution. The framework presented aims to provide practical guidance and empowerment for educators responsible for addressing medical student and resident physician lapses in professionalism.
Write saturation current as a function of tape magnetization

The determination of an appropriate value for write saturation current is addressed. A model is developed for write saturation using assumptions about the magnetization and standard calculation of read-back voltage. An empirical relationship specifying the dependence of read-back voltage on write current is found. An appropriate expression for magnetization of the tape is obtained. This magnetization function is substituted into an expression for read-back voltage, which is manipulated to obtain an expression for magnetization in terms of depth inside the tape. The recorded magnetization is then related to write saturation current. Experimental results for saturation current are presented and compared with the results of the model. The determination of an appropriate value for write saturation current. >
Embedded passivated-electrode insulator-based dielectrophoresis (EπDEP)

Here, we introduce a new technique called embedded passivated-electrode insulator-based dielectrophoresis (EπDEP) for preconcentration, separation, or enrichment of bioparticles, including living cells. This new method combines traditional electrode-based DEP and insulator-based DEP with the objective of enhancing the electric field strength and capture efficiency within the microfluidic channel while alleviating direct contact between the electrode and the fluid. The EπDEP chip contains embedded electrodes within the microfluidic channel covered by a thin passivation layer of only 4 μm. The channel was designed with two nonaligned vertical columns of insulated microposts (200 μm diameter, 50 μm spacing) located between the electrodes (600 μm wide, 600 μm horizontal spacing) to generate nonuniform electric field lines to concentrate cells while maintaining steady flow in the channel. The performance of the chip was demonstrated using Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacterial pathogens in aqueous media. Trapping efficiencies of 100% were obtained for both pathogens at an applied AC voltage of 50 V peak-to-peak and flow rates as high as 10 μl/min.
Conducting an Introductory Biology Course in an Active Learning Classroom: A Case Study of an Experienced Faculty Member

A case study is described that examines the beliefs and practices of a university instructor who teaches regularly in an active learning classroom. His perspective provides insights into the pedagogical practices that drive his success in these learning spaces.
Droplet number uncertainties associated with CCN: an assessment using observations and a global model adjoint

Abstract. We use the Global Modelling Initiative (GMI) chemical transport model with a cloud droplet parameterisation adjoint to quantify the sensitivity of cloud droplet number concentration to uncertainties in predicting CCN concentrations. Published CCN closure uncertainties for six different sets of simplifying compositional and mixing state assumptions are used as proxies for modelled CCN uncertainty arising from application of those scenarios. It is found that cloud droplet number concentrations ( N d ) are fairly insensitive to the number concentration ( N a ) of aerosol which act as CCN over the continents (∂ln N d /∂ln N a ~10–30%), but the sensitivities exceed 70% in pristine regions such as the Alaskan Arctic and remote oceans. This means that CCN concentration uncertainties of 4–71% translate into only 1–23% uncertainty in cloud droplet number, on average. Since most of the anthropogenic indirect forcing is concentrated over the continents, this work shows that the application of Kohler theory and attendant simplifying assumptions in models is not a major source of uncertainty in predicting cloud droplet number or anthropogenic aerosol indirect forcing for the liquid, stratiform clouds simulated in these models. However, it does highlight the sensitivity of some remote areas to pollution brought into the region via long-range transport (e.g., biomass burning) or from seasonal biogenic sources (e.g., phytoplankton as a source of dimethylsulfide in the southern oceans). Since these transient processes are not captured well by the climatological emissions inventories employed by current large-scale models, the uncertainties in aerosol-cloud interactions during these events could be much larger than those uncovered here. This finding motivates additional measurements in these pristine regions, for which few observations exist, to quantify the impact (and associated uncertainty) of transient aerosol processes on cloud properties.
Relationships among Lightning, Precipitation, and Hydrometeor Characteristics over the North Pacific Ocean*

Abstract Lightning data from the Pacific Lightning Detection Network (PacNet) and Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite were compared with TRMM precipitation radar products and latent heating and hydrometeor data. Three years of data over the central North Pacific Ocean were analyzed. The data were divided into winter (October–April) and summer (June–September) seasons. During the winter, the thunderstorms were typically embedded in cold fronts associated with eastward-propagating extratropical cyclones. Summer thunderstorms were triggered by cold upper-level lows associated with the tropical upper-tropospheric trough (TUTT). Concurrent lightning and satellite data associated with the storms were averaged over 0.5° × 0.5° grid cells and a detection efficiency correction model was applied to quantify the lightning rates. The results of the data analysis show a consistent logarithmic increase in convective rainfall rate with increasing lightning rates. Mo...
Evolutionary origins and diversification of proteobacterial mutualists

Mutualistic bacteria infect most eukaryotic species in nearly every biome. Nonetheless, two dilemmas remain unresolved about bacterial–eukaryote mutualisms: how do mutualist phenotypes originate in bacterial lineages and to what degree do mutualists traits drive or hinder bacterial diversification? Here, we reconstructed the phylogeny of the hyperdiverse phylum Proteobacteria to investigate the origins and evolutionary diversification of mutualistic bacterial phenotypes. Our ancestral state reconstructions (ASRs) inferred a range of 34–39 independent origins of mutualist phenotypes in Proteobacteria, revealing the surprising frequency with which host-beneficial traits have evolved in this phylum. We found proteobacterial mutualists to be more often derived from parasitic than from free-living ancestors, consistent with the untested paradigm that bacterial mutualists most often evolve from pathogens. Strikingly, we inferred that mutualists exhibit a negative net diversification rate (speciation minus extinction), which suggests that mutualism evolves primarily via transitions from other states rather than diversification within mutualist taxa. Moreover, our ASRs infer that proteobacterial mutualist lineages exhibit a paucity of reversals to parasitism or to free-living status. This evolutionary conservatism of mutualism is contrary to long-standing theory, which predicts that selection should often favour mutants in microbial mutualist populations that exploit or abandon more slowly evolving eukaryotic hosts.
Acoustic radiation force elasticity imaging in diagnostic ultrasound

The development of ultrasound-based elasticity imaging methods has been the focus of intense research activity since the mid-1990s. In characterizing the mechanical properties of soft tissues, these techniques image an entirely new subset of tissue properties that cannot be derived with conventional ultrasound techniques. Clinically, tissue elasticity is known to be associated with pathological condition and with the ability to image these features in vivo; elasticity imaging methods may prove to be invaluable tools for the diagnosis and/or monitoring of disease. This review focuses on ultrasound-based elasticity imaging methods that generate an acoustic radiation force to induce tissue displacements. These methods can be performed noninvasively during routine exams to provide either qualitative or quantitative metrics of tissue elasticity. A brief overview of soft tissue mechanics relevant to elasticity imaging is provided, including a derivation of acoustic radiation force, and an overview of the various acoustic radiation force elasticity imaging methods.
Diane Ravitch, Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013).

In Reign of Error, education historian Diane Ravitch explains her dramatic reversal on urban educational policies, from promoting expanded choice and test-based accountability to expressing staunch...
Something in the water: scholarly communications in a rapidly changing information economy

Based on paper presented at the 31st UKSG Conference, Torquay, April 2008 The Internet is causing scholarly communication to lose its long-standing stability, and the players in this process – libraries, publishers, and others – are increasingly challenged to demonstrate their relevance in the digital world.This paper draws examples from another information industry that has also lost its stability: newspaper publishing. The objective is not to suggest that scholarly communications face exactly the same challenges that newspapers do. Rather, the purpose is to use the comparisons to provoke creative reflection for those who serve the academic enterprise. Both scholarly communications and the newspaper industry have historically been protected from significant external disruptive com- petition but are now seeing insulators stripped away in the networked environment. Going forward, both the scholarly communication community and newspapers must identify sustaining sources of competitive advantage and capitalize on them in order to survive and remain relevant in the modern digital world.
In vivo Imaging of Protease Activity and Drug Screening

Proteases represent a large and varied class of biomolecules that presently are under investigation as targets for therapeutic intervention in diseases. Knowing protease activity after treatment is crucial to drug design. However, most existing technologies are based on in vitro analysis and are limited in their ability to offer molecular information. We have recently developed biocompatible molecular probes for the in vivo detection of specific protease activity, particularly for those proteases that play key roles in different aspects of cancer growth, metastases formation and angiogenesis [1–4]. Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) is one of many tumor-associated proteases. In this report we present a near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) contrast agent, which was highly activatable by MMP-2. Using this probe, we were able to detect tumors, distinct tumors, and monitor inhibition effect of protease inhibitor treatment in vivo [5].
Damming Watters: Channeling the Power of Federal Preemption of State Consumer Banking Laws

In Watters v. Wachovia, 127 S. Ct. 1559 (2007), the Supreme Court reversed two presumptions about federal preemption of state law that historically have guided the delicate balance between state and federal authority over consumer protection in banking services - the presumption that issues involving consumer protection are quintessentially matters of state rather than federal prerogative and the presumption that national banks are subject to nondiscriminatory laws of the states where they are located, except where federal law expressly preempts such law. This article analyzes the dramatic impact of Watters' reversal on two different areas - consumer protection in banking services and the continued vitality of the uniquely American dual banking system. The first part of the article traces the evolution of consumer protection law in the banking industry through three stages. The first was the gradual expansion of the preemptive effect of a particular federal usury statute for national banks through a combination of action by federal banking agencies and case law. The second stage was the assertion by federal banking regulators of a broad theoretical framework for federal preemption of state banking law based not on any particular federal statute, but rather on a theory of congressional intent to permit national banks to provide consistent banking services nationwide. The third stage was the validation of that broad conflict preemption theory by the Supreme Court in Watters. The article demonstrates how the reversal of the historic presumption has recently played itself out in the preemption of state laws governing bank-issued gift cards, culminating in the first citation of Watters in SPGGC, LLC v. Ayotte, 488 F.3d 525 (2nd Cir. 2007). While challenging the proposition reflected in most recent scholarship in this area that federalization of consumer protection law necessarily entails deregulation, in this article I nevertheless conclude that Watters will have a significant adverse effect on the continued vitality of the dual banking system. Arguments for preserving the "dual banking system" arise out of our nation's fundamentally federalist sensibilities. From that perspective, a recent shift in the tenor of arguments for the preserving the dual banking system from the benefits of competition (states as laboratories of reform) to arguments based on the principle of subsidiarity (states as more responsive units of government where democratic ideals are more fully realized) can be observed. I argue that the subsidiarity arguments are likely to be more persuasive in convincing Congress to intervene to address the imbalance between the state and national banking system exacerbated by the Watters decision. I conclude by proposing that Congress partially reverse Watters by validating a recent proposal by the primary federal regulator of state banks to extend preemption authority to state banks, thus preserving to states the authority to offer a meaningful alternative to the national banking system on the level of consumer protection.
Rapid Resolution of Donor-Derived Glomerular Fibrin Thrombi After Deceased Donor Kidney Transplantation.

The aim of this study was to determine the clinical and histologic outcomes related to transplanting kidneys from deceased donors with glomerular fibrin thrombi (GFT). We included all cases transplanted between October 2003 and October 2014 that had either a preimplantation biopsy or an immediate postreperfusion biopsy showing GFT. The study cohort included 61 recipients (9.9%) with GFT and 557 in the control group without GFT. Delayed graft function occurred in 49% of the GFT group and 39% in the control group (p = 0.14). Serum creatinine at 1, 4, and 12 months and estimated GFR at 12 months were similar in the two groups. Estimated 1-year graft survival was 93.2% in the GFT group and 95.1% in the control group (p = 0.22 by log-rank). Fifty-two of the 61 patients in the GFT group (85%) had a 1-month protocol biopsy, and only two biopsies (4%) showed residual focal glomerular thrombi. At the 1-year protocol biopsy, the prevalence of moderate to severe interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy was 24% in the GFT group and 30% in the control group (p = 0.42). We concluded that GFT resolves rapidly after transplantation and that transplanting selected kidneys from deceased donors with GFT is a safe practice.
Fundamentals of Randomization in Clinical Trial

The randomized control trial (RCTs) is widely accepted to be the best design for evaluating the efficacy of new therapies, and thus it is accepted as the gold standard to evaluate treatment effects. Random assignment of patients to the treatment ensures the internal validity of the comparison of new treatment with a control group. Unfortunately, the randomization process in most research studies is not implemented properly. The purpose of this review is to provide researchers and scholarly clinicians with a better understanding of different options to achieve proper randomization. The information presented in this article will also help to better design and interpret the results of clinical trials. Therefore, a brief definition of randomization plus its concise benefits in clinical trials, and the processes of an accurate randomization procedure, generation of unpredictable random allocation sequence and allocation concealment are considered. Recommendations are made to select the suitable techniques of generation of random allocation and allocation concealment. Finally, the authors describe how the appropriate implementation of these two procedures reduces the potential for biases throughout the study and improves the power of the study.
Electron Transport Phenomena in NiS2−xSex Single Crystals

Structural studies, electrical resistivity, and Seebeck coefficient measurements are reported in the range 4.2 − 300 K for single crystals of NiS2−xSex (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.71) grown from a Te melt. Over the entire temperature and composition ranges there are no large scale structural changes concomitant to a variety of magnetic ordering phenomena, and to a changeover from insulating to metallic characteristics as x increases. Thus, the evolution in transport characteristics with x can be studied without interference from the lattice; moreover, the electron count is unaffected by substitution of Se for S. The existence of anomalous peaks in resistivity as a function of temperature is attributed to significant electron correlation phenomena which allow the entropy of charge carrier to play a dominant role. The complex temperature dependence of the Seebeck coefficient is attributed to the participation of both electrons and holes in charge transport.
Discovering colloid-interface interactions with digital holographic microscopy

We use digital holographic microscopy to track colloidal microspheres near and at an oil-water interface with 2nm precision in three dimensions. The behavior of a particle as it breaches an oil-water interface is explored.