cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Judicial Capacity Building in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Understanding Legal Reform Beyond the Completion Strategy of the ICTY

This article examines how international institutions serve to diffuse human rights norms and create judicial capacity building in post-conflict societies. Specifically, we examine how the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the Office of the High Representative have influenced the reform of domestic courts in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). We place these reforms within the broader debate over restructuring the complex system of government in BiH. Since 2005, domestic courts in BiH have had jurisdiction over the following: (1) Cases which were initially under the jurisdiction of the domestic courts but remanded to the ICTY and recently returned to BiH. (2) Cases which originated at the ICTY and have been transferred to the State Court, and (3) new cases which originated and remained in the domestic court system. We find that while human rights norms have been incorporated into the new legal code, the diffusion of these human rights norms has been inadequate because of the lack of judicial capacity building. While some courts in the capital enjoy significant resources, the vast majority of cases will be tried at provincial courts which are under-funded and unable to prosecute the significant number of cases. Moreover, the government structure of BiH has had a decidedly negative impact on the prosecution of these cases. Ultimately, the rule of law requires consistency of approach and funding to protect human rights throughout the state.
Considering Personal Organization: Metadata Practices of Scientists

The integration of data sets into repositories is considered a key issue for library and information scientists. This article reports findings from an ethnographically inspired exploratory study examining how scientists in the field of evolutionary biology organize their research data and the impact this organization could have on the information science community. Specific areas of research and analysis reported include metadata usage, perceptions of the importance of organization, and what types of personal organizational schemes are used in scientific environments. Results indicate that, contrary to assumptions that organization is completely individual and unique, there are trends in the way evolutionary biologists organize their research data.
Otx1 and Otx2 activities are required for the normal development of the mouse inner ear

The Otx1 and Otx2 genes are two murine orthologues of the Orthodenticle (Otd) gene in Drosophila. In the developing mouse embryo, both Otx genes are expressed in the rostral head region and in certain sense organs such as the inner ear. Previous studies have shown that mice lacking Otx1 display abnormal patterning of the brain, whereas embryos lacking Otx2 develop without heads. In this study, we examined, at different developmental stages, the inner ears of mice lacking both Otx1 and Otx2 genes. In wild-type inner ears, Otx1, but not Otx2, was expressed in the lateral canal and ampulla, as well as part of the utricle. Ventral to the mid-level of the presumptive utricle, Otx1 and Otx2 were co-expressed, in regions such as the saccule and cochlea. Paint-filled membranous labyrinths of Otx1−/− mutants showed an absence of the lateral semicircular canal, lateral ampulla, utriculosaccular duct and cochleosaccular duct, and a poorly defined hook (the proximal part) of the cochlea. Defects in the shape of the saccule and cochlea were variable in Otx1−/− mice and were much more severe in an Otx1−/−;Otx2(+/)- background. Histological and in situ hybridization experiments of both Otx1−/− and Otx1−/−;Otx2(+/)- mutants revealed that the lateral crista was absent. In addition, the maculae of the utricle and saccule were partially fused. In mutant mice in which both copies of the Otx1 gene were replaced with a human Otx2 cDNA (hOtx2(1)/ hOtx2(1)), most of the defects associated with Otx1−/− mutants were rescued. However, within the inner ear, hOtx2 expression failed to rescue the lateral canal and ampulla phenotypes, and only variable rescues were observed in regions where both Otx1 and Otx2 are normally expressed. These results suggest that both Otx genes play important and differing roles in the morphogenesis of the mouse inner ear and the development of its sensory organs.
Education in the Interventional Radiology Department to Sustain Improvement in Intra-Arterial Treatment Times for Acute Stroke

Endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke requires complex care coordination where clinical outcomes are dependent on timely intervention. For every 30-minute delay in therapy, a good patient outcome decreases by 10%. At a large, academic medical center, this time interval was greater than desirable. Purpose: The purpose of the quality improvement (QI) initiative is to decrease the presentation to intra-arterial (IA) groin puncture time for strokes. This presentation describes the educational interventions implemented for interventional radiology (IR) staff, which contributed to a decreased time interval.
Characterization of the Translocation of Protein Kinase C (PKC) by 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA/Ecstasy) in Synaptosomes:: Evidence for a Presynaptic Localization Involving the Serotonin Transporter (SERT)

3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or Ecstasy) is a substituted amphetamine whose acute and long-term effects on the serotonin system are dependent on an interaction with the 5-HT uptake transporter (SERT). Although much of the work dedicated to the study of this compound has focused on its ability to release monoamines, this drug has many important metabolic consequences on neurons and glial cells. The identification of these physiological responses will help to bridge the gap that exists in the information between the acute and neurotoxic effects of amphetamines. Substituted amphetamines have the ability to produce a long-term translocation of protein kinase C (PKC) in vivo, and this action may be crucial to the development of serotonergic neurotoxicity. Our earlier results suggested that PKC activation occurred through pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms. Because the primary site of action of these drugs is the 5-HT transporter, we now expand on our previous results and attempt to characterize MDMA's ability to translocate PKC within cortical 5-HT nerve terminals. In synaptosomes, MDMA produced a concentration-dependent increase in membrane-bound PKC (as measured by 3H-phorbol 12, 13 dibutyrate, 3H-PDBu) bindings sites. This response was abolished by cotreatment with the specific serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), fluoxetine, but not by the 5-HT2A/2C antagonist, ketanserin. In contrast, full agonists to 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 receptors did not produce significant PKC translocation. MDMA-mediated PKC translocation also requires the presence of extracellular calcium ions. Using assay conditions where extracellular calcium was absent prevented the in vitro activation of PKC by MDMA. Prolonged PKC translocation has been hypothesized to contribute to the calcium-dependent neurotoxicity produced by substituted amphetamines. In addition, many physiological processes within 5-HT nerve terminals, including 5-HT reuptake and vesicular serotonin release, are susceptible to modification by PKC-dependent protein phosphorylation. Our results suggest that prolonged activation of PKC within the 5-HT nerve terminal may contribute to lasting changes in the homeostatic function of 5-HT neurons, leading to the degeneration of specific cellular elements after repeated MDMA exposure.
Helicobacter pylori Containing Only Cytoplasmic Urease Is Susceptible to Acid

Helicobacter pylori, an important etiologic agent in a variety of gastroduodenal diseases, produces large amounts of urease as an essential colonization factor. We have demonstrated previously that urease is located within the cytoplasm and on the surface of H. pylori both in vivo and in stationary-phase culture. The purpose of the present study was to assess the relative contributions of cytoplasmic and surface-localized urease to the ability of H. pylori to survive exposure to acid in the presence of urea. Toward this end, we compared the acid resistance in vitro of H. pylori cells which possessed only cytoplasmic urease to that of bacteria which possessed both cytoplasmic and surface-localized or extracellular urease. Bacteria with only cytoplasmic urease activity were generated by using freshly subcultured bacteria or by treating repeatedly subcultured H. pylori with flurofamide (1 μM), a potent, but poorly diffusible urease inhibitor. H. pylori with cytoplasmic and surface-located urease activity survived in an acid environment when 5 mM urea was present. In contrast, H. pylori with only cytoplasmic urease shows significantly reduced survival when exposed to acid in the presence of 5 mM urea. Similarly, Escherichia coli SE5000 expressing H. pylori urease and the Ni2+ transport protein NixA, which expresses cytoplasmic urease activity at levels similar to those in wild-type H. pylori, survived minimally when exposed to acid in the presence of 5 to 50 mM urea. We conclude that cytoplasmic urease activity alone is not sufficient (although cytoplasmic urease activity is likely to be necessary) to allow survival of H. pylori in acid; the activity of surface-localized urease is essential for resistance of H. pylori to acid under the assay conditions used. Therefore, the mechanism whereby urease becomes associated with the surface of H. pylori, which involves release of the enzyme from bacteria due to autolysis followed by adsorption of the enzyme to the surface of intact bacteria (“altruistic autolysis”), is essential for survival of H. pylori in an acid environment. The ability of H. pylori to survive exposure to low pH is likely to depend on a combination of both cytoplasmic and surface-associated urease activities.
Circle ligation of in vitro assembled chromatin indicates a highly flexible structure.

Evidence is provided that some condensed linker histone-containing chromatin structures are highly flexible in solutions containing 2 mM Mg 2+ . Chromatin assembled in vitro 6 histone H5 on a 6.3 kb linear DNA fragment in 90 mM NaCl using the polyglutamic acid method sedimented fairly homogeneously. The H5-containing sample had s20, w values that were 58‐69% greater than the sample lacking H5. Chromatin assembled on linear pUC19 plasmid DNA was treated with T4 DNA ligase in solutions containing 2 mM Mg 2+ over a range of DNA concentrations. It was found that the intramolecular DNA ends of the chromatin could be joined together more efficiently than the intramolecular ends of the naked DNA at the higher DNA concentrations. This result could not be attributed to the effective reduction in DNA length by nucleosome formation. The chromatin structures formed did not have naked DNA tails extending from the ends as assessed by exonuclease III digestion. Chromatin assembled on DNA shortened by up to 420 bp gave very similar results, suggesting that the structure was a flexible one, rather than a rigid one having DNA ends that were fortuitously juxtaposed.
Absolute and convective instabilities in free shear layers

The absolute or convective character of inviscid instabilities in parallel shear flows can be determined by examining the branch-point singularities of the dispersion relation for complex frequencies and wavenumbers. According to a criterion developed in the study of plasma instabilities, a flow is convectively unstable when the branch-point singularities are in the lower half complex-frequency plane. These concepts are applied to a family of free shear layers with varying velocity ratio their average velocity. It is demonstrated that spatially growing waves can only be observed if the mixing layer is convectively unstable, i.e. when the velocity ratio is smaller than Rt = 1.315. When the velocity ratio is larger than Rt, the instability develops temporally. Finally, the implications of these concepts are discussed also for wakes and hot jets.
The Reversal of the Monday Effect: New Evidence from US Equity Markets

This article re-examines the Monday effect in the US stock market from 1964–1999 using daily returns from three large-cap indexes and two small-cap indexes. In the period before 1987, Monday returns are significantly negative in all five US stock indexes, confirming previous empirical findings. In the post-1987 period, we uncover a significant reversal of the Monday effect in the large-cap indexes (NYSE, S&38;P500 and DJCOMP), since Monday returns are significantly positive. Furthermore, significant differences in the persistence and reversal of the Monday effect are found between large-cap and small-cap stock indexes.
Landscapes: The Social Construction of Nature and the Environment

Abstract A theoretical framework is provided to understand a cultural group's definition of and relationship with nature and the environment. The framework draws on a social constructionist perspective that includes aspects of phenomenology and symbolic interactionism to define “landscape” as the symbolic environment created by a human act of conferring meaning on nature and the environment. This landscape reflects the selfdefinitions of the people within a particular cultural context. Attention is directed to transformation of the physical environment into landscapes that reflect people's definitions of themselves and on how these landscapes are reconstructed in response to people's changing definitions of themselves. Case studies from sociology and anthropology illustrate the social construction of nature and the environment. A discussion of the applied implications of the theoretical framework in social impact assessment and the global implications in the shifting power struggle over competing landscapes concludes the paper.
Defending against search-based physical attacks in sensor networks

In this paper we study the defense of sensor networks against search-based physical attacks. We define search-based physical attacks as those, where an attacker detects sensors using signal detecting equipment and then physically destroys the detected sensors. In this paper, we propose a sacrificial node-assisted approach to defend against search-based physical attacks. The core principle of our defense is to trade short term local coverage for long term global coverage through the sacrificial node-assisted attack notification and states switching of sensors. The performance metric we use is accumulative coverage (AC), which effectively captures coverage and lifetime of the sensor networks to measure sensor network performance. Our simulation results clearly demonstrate that our defense approach can significantly decrease losses in AC even under intense search-based physical attacks
A Multi-Model Approach to Identification of Biosynthetic Pathways

We present an identification framework for biochemical systems that allows multiple candidate models to be compared. This framework is designed to select a model that fits the data while maintaining model simplicity. The model identification task is divided into a parameter estimation stage and a model comparison stage. Model selection is based on calculating Akaike's information criterion, which is a systematic method for determining the model that best represents a set of experimental data. Two case studies are presented: a simulated transcriptional control circuit and a system of oscillators that has been built and characterized in vitro. In both examples the multi-model framework is able to discriminate between model candidates to select the one that best describes the data.
SREPT: a tool for Software Reliability Estimation and Prediction

Although several tools have been developed for the estimation of software reliability, they are highly specialized in the approaches they implement and the particular phase of the software life-cycle in which they are applicable. Also the conventional techniques for software reliability evaluation, which treat the software as a monolithic entity are inadequate to assess the reliability of heterogeneous systems. We present a tool called Software Reliability Estimation and Prediction Tool (SREPT) that seeks to address these limitations.
Developmental regulation of P-glycoprotein activity within thymocytes results in increased anti-HIV protease inhibitor activity

The thymus harbors HIV-1 and supports its replication. Treatment with PI-containing ART restores thymic out- put of naive T cells. This study demonstrates that CXCR4-using WT viruses are more sensitive to PI in fe- tal thymcocytes than mature T cells with average IC50 values for two PIs, RTV and IDV, of 1.5 nM (RTV) and 4.4 nM (IDV) in thymocytes versus 309.4 nM (RTV) and 27.3 nM (IDV) in mature T cells. P-gp activity, as mea- sured using Rh123 efflux and quantitation of P-gp mRNA, increased with thymocyte maturation into CD4 and CD8 lineage T cells. P-gp activity is developmen- tally regulated in the thymus. Thymocytes developed increased levels of P-gp activity as maturation from DP to SP CD4 or CD8 T cells occurred, although CD4 T cells acquired activity more rapidly. Reduced P-gp ac- tivity in thymocytes is one mechanism for effectiveness of PI therapy in suppressing viral replication in the thy- mus and in reconstitution of naive T cells, particularly among children receiving PI-containing ART. J. Leukoc. Biol. 90: 653-660; 2011.
Why Is North Tropical Atlantic SST Variability Stronger in Boreal Spring

It is suggested that the seasonal dependence of interannual variability displayed by observed sea surface temperature (SST) over the north tropical Atlantic primarily reflects the seasonality of the remote forcing associated with the North Atlantic and Southern Oscillations and is controlled by the mean damping time scale of SST anomaly. A stochastic model including a seasonally dependent forcing is used to test this hypothesis against observations.
What Can the U.S. Learn from National Health Accounting Elsewhere

The United States is typically seen as an outlier in health spending when compared with other advanced nations. Recent improvements in health accounting in lower- and middle-income countries suggest some common features with the high and pluralistic spending in the United States. The author discusses recent developments and findings in health accounting outside the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and their relevance for the United States. He argues that we should expect more fruitful exchanges in the future.
Hemin enhances the in vitro growth of primitive erythroid progenitor cells.

Since exogenous hemin has been shown to exert a variety of stimulatory effects on erythroid cells, including the augmentation of hemoglobin synthesis, we determined its effect on early stages of erythroid development by employing clonal cells assays. The addition of hemin at a concentration of 2 X 10(-4) M to cultures of normal murine marrow substantially increased the observed number of primitive BFU-E, which was in contrast to its lack of an effect on more mature erythroid colony-forming cells. This cell-specific enhancement of primitive BFU-E resulted in marrow frequencies equivalent to or exceeding those reported in the presence of “burst-promoting activity.” In the presence of hemin, the number of BFU-E was also observed to be linearly related to the number of cells plated at very low plating densities, and the cell titration curve was observed to extrapolate to the origin. The evidence suggests that hemin may be a primary growth regulator of early developmental stages of erythroid progenitor cells.
Sexual Ethics in College Textbooks: A Suggestion

This paper responds to a survey of 10 sexuality textbooks that revealed pervasive uncertainty about the nature of sexual ethics and inconsistency about the role of social scientists vis-a-vis ethics. To help bring more consistency to the textbook offerings and to argue the legitimacy of including scientifically based ethical judgments in sexuality textbooks, this paper invokes the long-standing Western tradition of natural law theory, which holds that adherence to, or violations of, the inherent requirements of healthy and wholesome collective human functioning are the essential meaning of right and wrong, good and evil. Proposing an empirically grounded tripartite model of the human (organism, psyche, and spirit), this approach clarifies the nature of human sexuality and specifies the interpersonal as the determinative consideration. The overall suggestion is that, on such a philosophical basis and in cases where research findings approach a consensus, not only can sexologists qua sexologists responsibly...
Insights into Microscopic Diffusion Processes at a Solid/Fluid Interface under Supercritical Conditions: A Study of the Aqueous Calcite (101̅4) Surface

The diffusion of adsorbed molecules at a solid/fluid interface is a phenomenon of great fundamental interest and technological importance. We use molecular dynamics and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the diffusion processes at an aqueous calcite (1014) interface under various geologically relevant supercritical conditions [101.3 MPa (1000 atm), 300–800 K]. Between 600 and 700 K, the adsorption configuration changes from an outer- to inner-sphere surface complex, and the desorption free energy barrier, ΔGd, increases greatly. The ratio ΔGd/kBT takes a minimum value at 600 K, making it the temperature with the greatest desorption tendency. Consequently, the temperature dependence of the mean lateral diffusivity of a finite bulk system reverses at 600 K. More interestingly, the system exhibits typical characteristics of bulk fluid-mediated surface diffusion. For example, the mean-squared displacement shows different scaling properties with changes in temperature or bulk thickness. The optimi...
A Qualitative Study of Leader Transition and Polarities

The ProblemLeaders frequently transition from one organization into another. Leader transitions can be fraught with challenges as new leaders try to adapt to a new culture, team, and work processes. At no time during their career are leaders more vulnerable to failure as when they are in transition.The SolutionThe purpose of this qualitative study was to explore leader transition and polarity. The researchers identified whether polarities existed during a leader’s transition from one leadership role into another and identified strategies leaders use to manage such polarities. Five polarities were identified: (a) Drive Change/Maintain Status Quo, (b) Work/Family, (c) Tradition/Innovation, (d) Action/Reflection, and (e) Task/Relationships. Furthermore, five strategies were used to manage polarities: (a) Collaborating, (b) Learning, (c) Developing Talent, (d) Reflecting (on Self), and (e) Decision-Making. By understanding the concepts and ramifications of polarities, it is hoped that newly transitioning lead...
Morphine suppresses plasma catecholamine responses to laparotomy but not to 2-deoxyglucose

The increase of plasma catecholamines that occurs during surgery can be reduced by administration of morphine. To test the hypothesis that morphine specifically blocks nociceptive stimulation during surgery, we compared the effects of morphine administration on the plasma catecholamine response to a laparotomy in pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs with the effect of morphine on the plasma catecholamine response to the neuroglucopenic agent, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG, 300 mg/kg iv). In control dogs, plasma epinephrine (Epi) and plasma norepinephrine (NE) both increased progressively with time following a midline laparotomy (delta Epi by 50 min, +133 +/- 42 pg/ml, P less than 0.01 and delta NE by 50 min, +108 +/- 38 pg/ml, P less than 0.01, mean +/- SE, n = 12). 2-Deoxy-D-glucose produced a similar increase of both plasma NE and Epi. In dogs that received the anesthesia alone, plasma catecholamines did not increase from base line during the experiment. The analgesic morphine (15 mg iv), given 15 min after the completion of laparotomy, not only prevented the progressive rise of plasma catecholamines after laparotomy, but also caused a small but significant decline (P less than 0.05). Naloxone (0.4 mg iv) totally reversed the suppressive effects of morphine, restoring both catecholamines to the levels of their time-related control. In marked contrast, neither morphine nor naloxone affected the plasma NE and Epi increases following the administration of 2DG. These data suggest that morphine suppression of plasma catecholamines during surgery is not due to a generalized attenuation of sympathetic outflow, but rather to a specific interaction with an opiate receptor that either mediates analgesia or lies within the neural pathway stimulated by laparotomy but not by 2DG.
MEF, a novel transcription factor with an Elf-1 like DNA binding domain but distinct transcriptional activating properties.

To isolate novel ETS genes expressed in hematopoietic cells we used a nested, degenerate oligonucleotide PCR based technique to obtain a cDNA fragment that encodes an ETS domain from a human megakaryocytic cell line. This fragment was used to isolate a full length, 4.2 kb cDNA that encodes a 663 amino acid protein which we call MEF (myeloid elf-1-like factor). MEF contains a central ETS domain and is expressed in a variety of myeloid leukemia cell lines and in normal adult hematopoietic tissue such as spleen, thymus and peripheral blood, as well as non-hematopoietic tissue such as ovary, placenta and colon. Using an oligonucleotide binding selection assay, and bacterially expressed MEF, we demonstrated that MEF recognizes a consensus DNA binding sequence nearly identical to elf-1 (..WGGA..) and then showed that MEF specifically bound to known elf-1 binding sites in the human GM-CSF and IL-3 promoters. To characterize the functional effect of MEF on transcription, we performed co-transfection experiments in myeloid cells, and T cells, and demonstrated transactivation of both promoters by MEF, but not by elf-1. MEF is a new member of the elf-1/E74 family of ETS proteins, that has DNA binding properties similar to elf-1 but distinct transcriptional activating effects in several hematopoietic cell lineages.
The stability of learning prior to an anticipated change in the target inflation rate

I examine the stability of least-squares learning in a flexible-price endowment economy when there is an anticipated change in the inflation target. Monetary policy follows a Taylor rule and a change in the target is announced several periods in advance. I show that highly plausible parameter values may lead to short-run instability and that the conditions for the stability of learning are more demanding soon after the policy change is announced. Also, the farther in advance the change is announced the narrower is the range of policy parameters that generate stability. This is because with a long transition, any estimation error is projected farther into the future and its effects are therefore magnified. These results suggest that advance communication of a change in the inflation target may destabilise inflation in the short run; when the central bank changes its inflation target, a brief transition may be preferable.
The process of empathetic bonding with Berniece Charles.

v Introduction 1 Charles Family Lineage 4 Play Synopsis 5 Themes in The Piano Lesson 10 CHAPTER 1: CHARACTER ANALYSIS IN PURSUIT OF EMPATHY 26 CHAPTER 2: EMPATHETICALLY BONDING TO THE MUSICALITY OF BERNIECE’S LANGUAGE 49 CHAPTER 3: COMBINING RESEARCH WITH TECHNIQUE 60 Conclusion 68 References 72 Curriculum Vitae 75
Abstract C45: Effects of low-fat and low-carbohydrate dietary patterns combined with physical activity on serum adipokine concentrations among premenopausal women: A randomized trial

Background: There is an ongoing debate regarding what dietary pattern is the most effective for breast cancer prevention. Several studies have examined hypocaloric diets with an emphasis on various macronutrient compositions, yielding inconclusive data regarding their effects on weight loss and breast cancer risk reduction. This study examined the effects of a 1-year intervention of 2 calorie-restricted diets (low-fat or low-carbohydrate [LFD and LCD, respectively]), in combination with increased physical activity (PA), on circulating adipokine concentrations among premenopausal women at increased risk of developing breast cancer. Methods: Seventy nine overweight/obese premenopausal women were randomized to a LFD or LCD with PA for 52 weeks. Serum adiponectin, leptin and the adiponectin to leptin ratio (A/L) were measured at baseline, and weeks 25 and 52. Linear mixed models, which included fixed effects of treatment arm, time, and a treatment-by-time interaction, were used to assess intervention effects on serum adipokine concentrations. Results: Compared to baseline, at week 25, adiponectin decreased 4.1% and 2.3%, leptin decreased 30.0% and 35.3%, and the A/L ratio increased 10.5% and 19.4%, among LFD and LCD participants, respectively. Compared to baseline, at week 52, adiponectin decreased 8.5% and 5.0%, leptin decreased 23.0% and 19.7%, and the A/L ratio increased 23.7% and 44.4%, among LFD and LCD participants, respectively. No differences in adipokine changes by diet were observed. Notably, we observed favorable improvement of adipokine concentrations (adiponectin increased 4.4% and 9.5%, leptin decreased 13.0% and 30.1%, and the A/L ratio increased 21.0% and 52.6%, at weeks 25 and 52, respectively) among women who were adherent to the LCD. Conclusion: These findings suggest that long-term caloric-restriction with increased PA can effectively modify the obesity-related adipokines and thus, may prove useful as cancer preventive strategies for premenopausal women. Future studies of larger samples are required to confirm the beneficial effects of these interventions among high-risk women. Citation Format: Adana A.M. Llanos, Jessica L. Krok, Juan Peng, Michael L. Pennell, Susan E. Olivo-Marston, Mara Z. Vitolins, Cecilia R. Degraffinreid, Electra D. Paskett. Effects of low-fat and low-carbohydrate dietary patterns combined with physical activity on serum adipokine concentrations among premenopausal women: A randomized trial. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2013 Oct 27-30; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2013;6(11 Suppl): Abstract nr C45.
Luneburg lens created from distributed water cylinders

In this work, a Luneburg lens operating at 15 GHz is created from water cylinders. The approach uses effective media of water and an iterative dielectric distribution method to achieve the Luneburg lens electromagnetic profile. From the approach, the focusing of energy using the proposed Luneburg lens is shown numerically. While the approach is successfully creates a luneburg lens, the losses due to the water significant.
Effects of Aicardi-Goutières syndrome mutations predicted from ADAR-RNA structures

Adenosine (A) to inosine (I) RNA editing is important for life in metazoan organisms. Dysregulation or mutations that compromise the efficacy of A to I editing results in neurological disorders and a shorten life span. These reactions are catalyzed by adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs), which hydrolytically deaminate adenosines in regions of duplex RNA. Because inosine mimics guanosine in hydrogen bonding, this prolific RNA editing alters the sequence and structural information in the RNA landscape. Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome (AGS) is a severe childhood autoimmune disease that is one of a broader set of inherited disorders characterized by constitutive upregulation of type I interferon (IFN) referred to as type I interferonopathies. AGS is caused by mutations in multiple genes whose protein products, including ADAR1, are all involved in nucleic acid metabolism or sensing. The recent crystal structures of human ADAR2 deaminase domain complexed with duplex RNA substrates enabled modeling of how AGS causing mutations may influence RNA binding and catalysis. The mutations can be broadly characterized into three groups; mutations on RNA-binding loops that directly affect RNA binding, "second-layer" mutations that can alter the disposition of RNA-binding loops, and mutations that can alter the position of an α-helix bearing an essential catalytic residue.
Understanding Loan Aversion in Education: Evidence from High School Seniors, Community College Students, and Adults

Although prior research has suggested that some students may be averse to taking out loans to finance their college education, there is little empirical evidence showing the extent to which loan aversion exists or how it affects different populations of students. This study provides the first large-scale quantitative evidence of levels of loan aversion in the United States. Using survey data collected on more than 6,000 individuals, we examine the frequency of loan aversion in three distinct populations. Depending on the measure, between 20 and 40% of high school seniors exhibit loan aversion with lower rates among community college students and adults not in college. Women are less likely to express loan-averse attitudes than men, and Hispanic respondents are more likely to be loan averse than White respondents.
Platelet Dysfunction in Glycogen Storage Disease Type I

A hemorrhagic tendency has been observed in patients with glycogen storage disease Type I (GSD-I). We have studied the hemostatic mechanism in six patients with GSD-I who have mild to severe bleeding tendencies. All exhibited abnormalities of platelet function (decreased prothrombin consumption, abnormal aggregation reactions, prolonged bleeding time, and low platelet adhesiveness). The degree of dysfunction correlated with the patients’ general clinical condition: when patients were acidotic and severely lipemic, platelet function was strikingly impaired. Two patients received a course of continuous intravenous alimentation. As their general metabolic state approached normal, abnormal platelet function was corrected. We found normal platelets to contain no glucose-6-phosphatase. There was no consistent increase in platelet glycogen levels in patients with GSD-I. These data indicate that the bleeding disorder in GSD-I is an acquired defect rather than a primary platelet abnormality.
Influence of submicron tiny gel rubber particles on the estimation of grafting and rubber efficiency in high-impact polystyrene:

The structure property correlation of different commercial grades of high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) with varying polybutadiene rubber (PBR) content has been investigated. The average molecular weights of polystyrene, rubber content, gel content, swelling index, degree of grafting, morphology of rubber, and rubber particle size distribution were characterized and correlated with the mechanical properties of HIPS. The dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy techniques were employed to characterize the loss of submicron tiny PBR gel particles. The obtained results reveal the fact that submicron tiny PBR gel particles that are lost during gel estimation by ultracentrifugation process lower the gel content and rubber efficiency, which significantly contribute to the overall impact performance evaluation of the final HIPS product.
Saliva samples for genomic testing for preventive oncology: Improving the yield.

e12555 Background: Germline DNA procurement is an integral step in cancer genomic studies. Saliva collection has numerous benefits over blood draws, including lower cost, easier storage, less risk ...
MICAL redox enzymes and actin remodeling: New links to classical tumorigenic and cancer pathways.

MICAL Redox enzymes have recently emerged as direct regulators of cell shape and motility – working through specific reversible post-translational oxidation of actin to disassemble and remodel the cytoskeleton. Links are also now emerging between MICALs and cancer, including our recent results that regulation of MICAL sensitizes cancer cells to the cancer drug Gleevec. Targeting this new actin regulatory enzyme system may thus provide new therapeutic options for cancer treatment.
The Spermatogonial Stem Cell and the Environment

In the span of a single generation, we have witnessed a revolution in the treatment of human infertility. The first baby conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) was born in 1978, and the nearly four decades since have produced an ever-increasing variety of treatment options available to men and women with impaired fertility. The development of treatments for patients with complete gametogenic failure represents the next frontier in the treatment of infertility, and recent technical advances in induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology and in vitro culture suggest that this is within our grasp. Our understanding, however, of the environmental cues that shape the development of normal gametes and embryos remains woefully inadequate. In developing treatments for male infertility, an understanding of the normal testicular environment and how perturbations to it affect the programming of the spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) and its descendants is essential. This knowledge will drive the development of in vitro systems both for the culture of SSCs and the support of spermatogenesis ex vivo, and is essential in assessing the risk to male reproductive health posed by exposure to common environmental pollutants. In this chapter, we review current knowledge of naturally occurring environmental influences, focusing on the stages of male germ cell development they affect. Using this context, we summarize the best-characterized effects of exogenous exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on the male germline and questions currently driving the field.
High efficiency wireless power transfer for EV charging and other applications

• Located in San Diego, California, near the Mexico Boarder • Ranked the best city in the world in terms of climate and best place to live • Full time equivalent students 30,000, enrollment∼ 68,000 • Joint Ph.D program with UC San Diego • Ranked 146 in the US News Report and 60 among all public schools • Highest student/faculty ratio in all research universities in the US • Some programs ranked top 20 in the country • ECE department has 4 IEEE Fellows.
Don’t close the gates

It seems obvious that restricting travel should help prevent the surge of epidemics. But a new mathematical analysis now demonstrates that mobility often reduces the heterogeneity in population distributions, thereby lowering the epidemic risk.
Dynamics of an industrial power amplifier for evaluating PHIL testing accuracy: An experimental approach via linear system identification methods

In power-hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) digital simulation testing, a power device, also known as device-under-test (DUT), is virtually exchanging power with a power amplifier governed by the reference signals coming from the point of interface (POI) in the power system implemented on a digital real-time simulation platform. Indeed, the power amplifier (also known as grid simulator) is the integral of any PHIL testing, and its dynamics are greatly impacting the accuracy of the PHIL testing. The dynamics of an industrial power amplifier is certainly not an ideal transfer function, i.e., unity. In fact, it is going to degrade the accuracy of the testing especially when the interested frequency range of the power system studies is within the frequency response of the power amplifier's dynamics. Consequently, having an industrial power amplifier's dynamics is very helpful in order to judge the accuracy of the PHIL testing. In this paper, experimental results of an industrial power amplifier have been used, and mathematical linear discrete-time models of the industrial power amplifier have been extracted using different linear system identification methods. Designing input signals, pre-processing data, estimating time delay, estimating model order and parameters, calculating confidence intervals, representing frequency-domain of models, and validating different models are shown in this paper. ARX, ARMAX, BJ, and OE estimated models, which benefit from prediction error method (PEM), are employed in this paper.
Quantum-Mechanical Molecular Dynamics of Charge Transfer

Computational studies of biological macromolecules are challenging due to large size of biomolecules, their conformational flexibility, and the need in explicit water solvation in order to simulate conditions close to experiment. Under these circumstances studying molecular systems via quantum-mechanical calculations becomes exceedingly difficult. Natural is the attempt to reduce the complex quantum-mechanical picture to a more tractable one by accommodating classical-mechanical principles. However, the simplified models may overlook important physics details of atomic interactions. To avoid such potential pitfalls higher level of theory methods should be available to conduct validation studies. Using semiempirical linear scaling quantum-mechanical LocalSCF method we performed molecular dynamics simulation of ubiquitin in explicit water. The simulation revealed various deviations from the classical mechanics picture. The average charge on amino acids varied depending on their environment. We observed charge transfer channels transmitting electric charge between amino acids in sync with protein motion. We also noticed that the excess charge transferred from protein to water creates a charge cloud around the protein. The observed global dynamic effects of charge transfer represent a new previously unaccounted degree of freedom of biomolecules which requires QM treatment in order to obtain more accurate dynamics of biomolecules at atomic resolution.
“Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri” Affects Behavior of Cacopsylla pyricola (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)1

Abstract Pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Forster) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), is a key pest of pear and is a vector of “Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri”, the pathogen associated with pear decline disease. Although commercial pear trees are grafted to Phytoplasma-resistant rootstock, a recent report indicated that many C. pyricola in Washington and Oregon harbor this bacterium. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization, we confirmed that Phytoplasma invades internal tissues of C. pyricola, suggesting the pathogen is persistently transmitted. Because many persistently transmitted plant pathogens alter the flight behavior of their insect vectors, we examined the effects of Phytoplasma infection on dispersal of C. pyricola. Flight behavior was investigated using greenhouse bioassays, which demonstrated that Phytoplasma-infected psylla were less likely than uninfected psylla to emigrate from trees and become captured on yellow traps. Pear psylla occurs as two seasonal morphotypes—summerform and winterform—and the ef...
Using Classified and Unclassified Land Cover Data to Estimate the Footprint of Human Settlement

Accurate, up-to-date maps of and georeferenced data about human population distribution are essential for meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals progress measures, for supporting real-time crisis mapping and response efforts, and for performing many demographic and economic analyses. In December 2014, Esri published the initial version of the World Population Estimate (WPE) image service to ArcGIS Online. The service represents a dasymetric footprint of human settlement at 250-meter resolution. It is global and contains an estimate of the 2013 population for each populated cell. In 2016 Esri published an additional image service representing the earth’s population in 2015 at 162-meter resolution. Esri’s WPE is produced by combining classified land cover data indicating predominantly built-up or agricultural locations with Landsat8 Panchromatic imagery, road intersections, and known populated places. The model detects where settlement is likely to exist beyond the areas classified as predominantly built up. The result is a global dasymetric raster surface of the footprint of settlement with a score of the likelihood of human settlement for each cell of the footprint. Population data are apportioned to this settlement likelihood surface by overlaying population counts in polygons representing census enumeration units or political units representing population surveys. This paper presents the method developed at Esri for producing the estimate of settlement likelihood.
18 Brief Psychotherapies

Brief therapy is by far the most frequently employed kind of therapy in the United States, with fewer than 10% of clients receiving more than 20 sessions. Brief and effective therapy typically relies on six features or techniques of practice: (1) client selection, (2) formulation of an individualized clinical focus, (3) a deliberate time limit (or sensitivity to time) that sets in motion therapist and patient expectancies as to when change will occur, (4) active techniques, (5) attention to the termination stage, and (6) goal setting that requires setting priorities so that time is used efficiently. This chapter describes six brief therapies, each stemming from a different theoretical tradition: psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, couple/family systems, experiential, strategic, and integrative. The models are described under the following headings: Historical Introduction, Selection Criteria (including diagnosis, problems treated, and focus), Techniques of the Therapy, Theory of Change, Supporting Research, and Current Trends and Future Directions. In general, there is good empirical support for several of the therapies covered. One current prominent trend in the field of brief therapy, as in the field of psychotherapy in general, is the integration of techniques drawn from one therapy and assimilated into another. Keywords: brief therapy; short-term therapy; time-limited therapy; focus; goal-oriented
Smart contracts meet quantum cryptography

We put forward the idea that classical blockchains and smart contracts are potentially useful primitives not only for classical cryptography, but for quantum cryptography as well. Abstractly, a smart contract is a functionality that allows parties to deposit funds, and release them upon fulfillment of algorithmically checkable conditions, and can thus be employed as a formal tool to enforce monetary incentives. In this work, we give the first example of the use of smart contracts in a quantum setting. We describe a simple hybrid classical-quantum payment system whose main ingredients are a classical blockchain capable of handling stateful smart contracts, and quantum lightning, a strengthening of public-key quantum money introduced by Zhandry [Eurocrypt 2019]. Our hybrid payment system uses quantum states as banknotes and a classical blockchain to settle disputes and to keep track of the valid serial numbers. It has several desirable properties: it is decentralized, requiring no trust in any single entity; payments are as quick as quantum communication, regardless of the total number of users; when a quantum banknote is damaged or lost, the rightful owner can recover the lost value.
Conjugation of an α-Helical Peptide to the Surface of Gold Nanoparticles

We are interested in functionalizing gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with proteins using a biomimetic approach in which an intermediate peptide "glue" directs the orientation of a protein relative to the AuNP surface. The first step toward this goal is described in the present article. Specifically, we show that ∼5 nm AuNPs can be functionalized with a mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM) consisting of oligo(ethylene glycol) alkanethiols terminated with either hydroxyl or azide groups, and that the resulting materials are stable and soluble in water. The azide groups on the surface of the AuNPs can be subsequently linked to alkyne-functionalized peptides via a copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (click) reaction. Analysis of the resulting material by Fourier transform infrared and circular dichroism spectroscopy demonstrates that the peptide is covalently linked to the SAM and that it exists in an α-helical conformation. In addition to our intended purpose of using these highly structured, biomimetic materials to orient proteins, they may also be useful for applications involving interactions between nanoparticles and cells.