cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advanced Characterization Techniques

This chapter first provides a brief introduction to some advanced microstructure characterization tools, such as three-dimensional (3D) atom probe tomography, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and neutron scattering. Applications of these techniques to characterize high-entropy alloys (HEAs) are illustrated in model alloys. Utilization of these advanced techniques can provide extremely useful structural and chemical information at the nanoscale. For example, the identification of nano-twins in the fracture-toughness crack region of an HEA may explain the anomalous increases in strength and ductility at cryogenic temperatures. Another striking feature of HEAs is the large local strain among neighboring atoms, which, in general, are arranged in a crystal structure with long-range order. Our understanding of these types of features, and their effect on material properties, will increase as the microstructural characterization techniques described here are further developed and applied to HEA research.
The Role of CBFβ in T Cell Development.

Abstract Core binding factor β (Cbfβ) is a transcription factor that heterodimerizes with Runx (Cbfα) family members, thereby stabilizing the interaction between the Runx proteins and DNA. Genetically manipulated mouse models of Runx and Cbfb genes have demonstrated their critical functions in hematopoiesis (Runx1, Runx3 and Cbfb), bone formation (Runx2, Cbfb), proliferation of gastrointestinal epithelia (Runx3) and differentiation of dorsal root ganglion cells (Runx3). Studies on T cell development showed that Runx1 and Runx3 repress CD4 expression at different stages of development. In addition, Runx 1 and Runx 3 are required for CD8 T cell development during thymopoiesis. No defects were found when Runx2 was inactivated, even though it is expressed throughout T cell development. We have previously generated a knock-in mouse model expressing the Cbfb-MYH11 fusion gene (which is created by inv(16)(p13; q22) in human AML M4Eo). Heterozygous knock-in mice had a phenotype identical to that of the Cbfb and Runx1 null mice (embryonic lethality), suggesting that the fusion gene Cbfb-MYH11 functions in a dominant-negative manner. In order to study the function of Cbfb gene in T cell development, we used a mouse line with floxed exons 5 and 6 of Cbfb inserted 5′ to the Cbfb-MYH11 fusion cassette, which produced pseudo-normal mice (loxKI). By crossing the loxKI mice with mice expressing the Cre gene under the control of the T cell-specific Lck promoter (LckCre), we generated LckCre-loxKI double positive mice, in which the floxed exon 5 and 6 were deleted and Cbfb-MYH11 re-expressed only in the thymus when Lck started to express. The LckCre-loxKI mice were viable. However, their thymic development was severely impaired: The size of the thymuses in the mutant mice was about half the normal size, and the total number of thymocytes in the mutant mice was 10–20-fold reduced. FACS analysis of thymocytes from 4 to 12 week old mice showed a developmental blockade at the CD4/CD8-double negative (DN) stage, which was characterized by lower percentage of double positive cells and higher percentage of double negative cells. In addition, the CD4: CD8 ratio was altered. Furthermore, the mature T cell population size in the spleen of the mutant mice was lower than that of the control mice. Our preliminary data suggested that Cbfb plays an important role in T cell development. The mechanism through which Cbfb affects the T cell development is currently under investigation. It is likely that the phenotype reflects the combined effect of missing all three Runx genes, since the phenotype described here is more severe than either Runx1 or Runx3 null alone.
Student Preferences for a Hybrid Course.

ABSTRACTHigher education institutions face demands to develop and deliver course content through alternate modes of delivery. A variety of course designs have emerged in recent years. One of these is the hybrid or blended course design model where face-to-face instruction is combined with online instruction. Researchers have found negligible differences in student performance between this model and traditional instruction. While performance outcomes are similar, this study shows a clear preference for the hybrid course design.
Parents’ perspectives on caring for children after solid organ transplant

Purpose To explore parents’ experiences of the transition from hospital to home and complex chronic illness management following their children's solid organ transplant (SOT). Design and Methods Qualitative component of a larger mixed methods longitudinal study. Parents of SOT recipients were interviewed three times following hospital discharge from five major pediatric transplant hospitals in the United States. Results Analysis of parent interviews (N = 48) resulted in three themes that characterized the phases of transition to home and complex chronic illness care. Three themes, corresponding to the three time periods of data collection, included “getting back to normal” at 3 weeks, “becoming routine” at 3 months, and “facing a future” at 6 months. Challenges families experienced over the course of their transition are also described. Practice Implications The transition from hospital to home and complex chronic condition care is challenging and changes over time. Nurses are called upon to prepare parents to become knowledgeable and confident to care for the child after hospital discharge. Nurses can best support families in transition after SOT by anticipating and understanding their dynamic challenging complex care needs.
A high throughput microfluidic platform for size-selective enrichment of cell populations in tissue and blood samples.

Numerous applications in biology and medicine require the efficient and reliable separation of cells for disease diagnosis, genetic analysis, drug screening, and therapeutics. In this work, we demonstrate a novel technology that integrates a passive and an active device to separate, enrich and release cells on-demand from a complex blood sample, or cancer cells derived from a tissue biopsy. We exploit the high throughput (>1 mL min−1), size-based sorting capability of the passive spiral inertial microfluidic (iMF) device to focus particles/cells towards an active lateral cavity acoustic transducer (LCAT) device for size-selective enrichment. We demonstrate that this platform is capable of efficiently (>90%) removing smaller cells, such as RBCs in a blood sample or smaller cancer cells in a heterogeneous cell line, and providing 44 000× enrichment from the remaining sample within 5 min of device operation. Finally, we use this platform for two applications: selective enrichment of the side-population of DU-145 cells from tissue biopsy and isolation of larger monocytes from blood. Our platform integrates the high throughput (processing rate) capacity of spiral iMF with the high selectivity of LCAT, thereby offering a unique route for highly-selective, label-free particle/cell sorting, with potential application in lab-on-chip platforms for liquid biopsy and diagnostics applications.
Topographical measures of functional connectivity as biomarkers for post-stroke motor recovery

Biomarkers derived from neural activity of the brain present a vital tool for the prediction and evaluation of post-stroke motor recovery, as well as for real-time biofeedback opportunities. In order to encapsulate recovery-related reorganization of brain networks into such biomarkers, we have utilized the generalized measure of association (GMA) and graph analyses, which include global and local efficiency, as well as hemispheric interdensity and intradensity. These methods were applied to electroencephalogram (EEG) data recorded during a study of 30 stroke survivors (21 male, mean age 57.9 years, mean stroke duration 22.4 months) undergoing 12 weeks of intensive therapeutic intervention. We observed that decreases of the intradensity of the unaffected hemisphere are correlated (r s =−0.46;p<0.05) with functional recovery, as measured by the upper-extremity portion of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMUE). In addition, high initial values of local efficiency predict greater improvement in FMUE (R 2=0.16;p<0.05). In a subset of 17 subjects possessing lesions of the cerebral cortex, reductions of global and local efficiency, as well as the intradensity of the unaffected hemisphere are found to be associated with functional improvement (r s =−0.60,−0.66,−0.75;p<0.05). Within the same subgroup, high initial values of global and local efficiency, are predictive of improved recovery (R 2=0.24,0.25;p<0.05). All significant findings were specific to the 12.5–25 Hz band. These topological measures show promise for prognosis and evaluation of therapeutic outcomes, as well as potential application to BCI-enabled biofeedback.
Effect of Particulate Matter Air Pollution on Cardiovascular Oxidative Stress Pathways.

Abstract Significance: Particulate matter (PM) air pollution is a leading cause of global cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Understanding the biological action of PM is of particular importance in improvement of public health. Recent Advances: Both fine (PM <2.5 μM) and ultrafine particles (<0.1 μM) are widely believed to mediate their effects through redox regulated pathways. A rather simplistic graded ramp model of redox stress has been replaced by a more sophisticated understanding of the role of oxidative stress in signaling, and the realization that many of the observed effects may involve disruption and/or enhancement of normal endogenous redox signaling and induction of a potent immune-mediated response, through entrainment of multiple reactive oxygen species (ROS). Critical Issues: The molecular events by which pulmonary oxidative stress in response to inhalational exposure to air pollution triggers inflammation, major ROS (e.g., superoxide, hydroxyl radical, nitric oxide, and peroxynitrite)...
Epigenetic modulation of intestinal Na+/H+ exchanger-3 expression

Our studies for the first time demonstrate that Na+/H+ exchanger-3 gene expression is regulated by an epigenetic mechanism involving DNA methylation.
Non-contact laser ultrasound for medical imaging

Ultrasound (US) is an ideal imaging modality used in medical practice: it is portable, has no known bio-effects and produces images with excellent resolution. Despite these advantages, MRI and CT are dominant modalities used for most medical imaging, while accepting much higher cost and health risks. US is acquired with hand held transducers dependent on operator applied pressure and angle plane selection with no fixed acquisition frame. This leads to inter-operator variability — significant image distortion with limited feature accuracy/confidence, especially upon repeat measurement and is the primary reason US is unable to compete with MRI and CT. For example, the standard criteria for determining tumor progression in cancer trials do not permit tumor measurements made with US.
Total Synthesis of (±)-Aspergilline A

The total synthesis of (±)-aspergilline A (1) is described. Key features of the synthesis include pyrrolinone formation via reaction of an intermediate propargyl amine with a methyl malonyl chloride derived ammonium enolate and a formal [3+2] cycloaddition between an imidate and cyclopropenone.
Enzymatic Profiles of Hepatic Disease

Current zonal electrophoretic techniques for the separation of alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes are unsatisfactory for “in depth” clinical use. A recently described isoelectric focusing technique using agarose gel containing both carrier ampholytes and separators over a pI range of 3.01 to 4.86, suggests at least twelve bands of ALP activity. Four of the most acidic bands appear in serum, with activity above reference range, in the presence of clinically confirmed hepatic disease. It is thought that each band represents ALP secreted by a distinct hepatic cellular architecture. Various hepatic diseases are illustrated by patient profiles, from which a pattern recognition developed. It is emphasized that the patterns are reflections of serum ALP activity, without pre-treatment.
Ion Distribution in Microphase-Separated Copolymers with Periodic Dielectric Permittivity

We examine the distribution of ionic species in charged, microphase-separated diblock copolymers by relying on coarse-grained simulations of the underlying materials. The model adopted here has been particularly useful in understanding the behavior of neutral block polymer systems. In this work, it is extended to describe charged molecules. A simulation methodology is proposed in which dielectric inhomogeneities within the phase-separated systems are taken into account by solving on-the-fly Poisson’s equation for spatially varying dielectric permittivity and calculating the corresponding electric fields. The Green’s function appropriate for a periodic and ionic system is explicitly calculated and used in simulations to arrive at phase diagrams as a function of salt concentration and copolymer composition. The systems considered here are representative of lithium salt-doped diblock copolymers, which could be of potential use for solid-electrolyte batteries.
Biotic regionalization and climatic controls in western North America

New methods of weather analysis accompanied by microhabitat ‘bioassays’ have been applied in several case studies to demonstrate effects of atmospheric processes on patterns of community composition and structure and potential species evolution. Average spatial and seasonal airmass dynamics which determine regional and elevational patterns of relative microhabitat favorability, were found to vary between a recent global warming trend (ca 1900 to 1940) and the subsequent global cooling trend (ca 1940 to 1970). These apparently systematic spatial and temporal shifts in weather were related to plant establishment patterns and community composition and structure. The proposed causal mechanisms function, in part, through regional shifts in microhabitat size. These effects are similar to larger scale, longer term shifts deduced from the late Quaternary fossil record. By modifying the spatial approach, month-to-month and year-to-year variability of weather has been examined for the last 130 years at individual points in southwestern North America. Three climatic regimes (the end of the Little Ice Age, the recent warming trend and the recent cooling trend) exhibited distinct year-to-year patterns of weather that can be related to the establishment of different kinds of plants (e.g., C4 grasses versus C3 shrubs). Oscillations between different temporal climatic regimes appear to promote the episodic establishment of different life forms, but not necessarily their local extinction. The two methods of weather analysis have been combined in a regional assessment of climatic controls of different biomes in space and time with a primary focus on the Chihuahuan desert. Natural ecotones between the Chihuahuan desert and neighboring biomes are clearly related to large scale airmass dynamics associated with seasonal oscillations in jetstream position. The weather patterns controlling ecotonal positions result from seasonal topographic influences on the general circulation of the atmosphere. The apparent stability of these patterns allows causal hypotheses of biogeographic dynamics and the evolution of physiological traits and life history characteristics.
Have we Underinvested in Education

Abstract This paper argues that there is no evidence that the economic return to schooling has been overestimated by attributing erroneously to education increased earning power caused, in fact, by ability. Moreover, there is considerable evidence that the economic return to education has been underestimated, and may be as much as 16 percent for each additional year of education. Finally, the paper urges an income-contingent loan program to support education investment, set up in much the same way as for mortgage loans.
The performance and scalability of SHMEM and MPI-2 one-sided routines on a SGI Origin 2000 and a Cray T3E-600: Performances

This paper compares the performance and scalability of SHMEM and MPI-2 one-sided routines on different communication patterns for a SGI Origin 2000 and a Cray T3E-600. The communication tests were chosen to represent commonly used communication patterns with low contention (accessing distant messages, a circular right shift, a binary tree broadcast) to communication patterns with high contention (a ‘naive’ broadcast and an all-to-all). For all the tests and for small message sizes, the SHMEM implementation significantly outperformed the MPI-2 implementation for both the SGI Origin 2000 and Cray T3E-600. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Application of Direct Analysis in Real Time–High Resolution Mass Spectrometry to Investigations of Induced Plant Chemical Defense Mechanisms—Revelation of Negative Feedback Inhibition of an Alliinase

Several plants of agricultural and medicinal importance utilize defense chemistry that involves deployment of highly labile, reactive, and lachrymatory organosulfur molecules. However, this chemistry is difficult to investigate because the compounds are often short-lived and prone to degradation under the conditions required for analysis by common analytical techniques. This issue has complicated efforts to study the defense chemistry of plants that exploit the use of sulfur in their defense arsenals. This work illustrates how direct analysis in real time-high resolution mass spectrometry (DART-HRMS) can be used to track organosulfur defense compound chemistry under mild conditions. Petiveria alliacea was used as a model plant that exploits the enzyme alliinase to generate induced organosulfur compounds in response to herbivory. Tracking of the organosulfur compounds it produces and quantifying them by DART-HRMS using isotopically labeled analogues revealed a feedback inhibition loop through which the activities of the alliinase are stymied shortly after their activation. The results show that the downstream thiosulfinate products petivericin (100 μM) and pyruvate (8.4 mM) inhibit alliinase activity by 60% and 29%, respectively, after 1 h, and a mixture of the two inhibited alliinase activity by 65%. By 2 h, alliinase activity in the presence of these alliinase-derived products had ceased completely. Because thiosulfinate, pyruvate, and lachrymatory sulfine compounds are produced via the same alliinase-derived sulfenic acid intermediate, the inhibition of alliinase activity by increasing concentrations of downstream products shows how production of these defense compounds is modulated in real time in response to a tissue breach. These findings provide a framework within which heretofore unexplained phenomena observed in the defense chemistry of P. alliacea, onion, garlic, and other plants can be explained, as well as an approach by which to track labile compounds and enzymatic activity by DART-HRMS.
Big Data fraud detection using multiple medicare data sources

In the United States, advances in technology and medical sciences continue to improve the general well-being of the population. With this continued progress, programs such as Medicare are needed to help manage the high costs associated with quality healthcare. Unfortunately, there are individuals who commit fraud for nefarious reasons and personal gain, limiting Medicare’s ability to effectively provide for the healthcare needs of the elderly and other qualifying people. To minimize fraudulent activities, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a number of “Big Data” datasets for different parts of the Medicare program. In this paper, we focus on the detection of Medicare fraud using the following CMS datasets: (1) Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data: Physician and Other Supplier (Part B), (2) Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data: Part D Prescriber (Part D), and (3) Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data: Referring Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS). Additionally, we create a fourth dataset which is a combination of the three primary datasets. We discuss data processing for all four datasets and the mapping of real-world provider fraud labels using the List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) from the Office of the Inspector General. Our exploratory analysis on Medicare fraud detection involves building and assessing three learners on each dataset. Based on the Area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve performance metric, our results show that the Combined dataset with the Logistic Regression (LR) learner yielded the best overall score at 0.816, closely followed by the Part B dataset with LR at 0.805. Overall, the Combined and Part B datasets produced the best fraud detection performance with no statistical difference between these datasets, over all the learners. Therefore, based on our results and the assumption that there is no way to know within which part of Medicare a physician will commit fraud, we suggest using the Combined dataset for detecting fraudulent behavior when a physician has submitted payments through any or all Medicare parts evaluated in our study.
A Two-Factor Authorization Approach for Increasing the Resiliency of IoT-Based Autonomous Consumer-Oriented Systems

We heighten the resiliency of a subset of Internet of Things (IoT) consumer-oriented autonomous systems that depend on cloud-based service providers for their operation and can adversely affect the operation of critical resources such as electricity providers. We accomplish such through introducing an operational authority (OA) to the current architecture, thus providing real-time two-factor authorization to requests that a service provider puts upon an IoT system allegedly on behalf of a ubiquitous user. In order to demonstrate the need of the new player, we utilize a control system model to illustrate the impacts that incidents could bring to the current architecture and resource providers. We further suggest a high-level general protocol in order to demonstrate the operation of the new architecture; we determine that the overhead introduced by the OA is minimal. Our main contribution, the establishment of the new entity, is based on three key assumptions. First, it is impossible to guarantee that service providers will always act in the best interest of the user. Second, there exist potential jurisdictional issues in allowing an entity in one jurisdiction be the sole controller of physical infrastructure of another jurisdiction. And third, the operation of IoT-based infrastructure seeks to be autonomous through minimizing frequent user intervention for its operations. The proposed architecture introduces various topics that cannot be duly dealt within a single article due to their depth and breadth. Thus, we suggest important subjects of research that are relevant at early stages of the IoT paradigm upon which current and future developments rest.
Perceptions of educational leaders regarding contemporary reform initiatives in Egypt

Many educational reform initiatives worldwide do not result in deep and sustainable change. Limited studies have looked at reform initiatives in countries like Egypt. The purpose of this mixed meth...
Older Adults' Lived Experience of Incarceration.

This qualitative analysis explores older adults’ lived experiences of incarceration. As part of a larger mixed-methods longitudinal study, 23 older adults were interviewed about their prison and re...
Prologue and Introduction to CTE and Aggression

The term Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) has recently gained a significant amount of public attention and media coverage, which is partially due to several high profile suicides of former professional athletes, multiple lawsuits filed against the National Football League (NFL), and a popular Hollywood film. Parents and caregivers all across the U.S. are re-evaluating the decision to allow their child to play American football and other contact sports for fear their child might develop neurological complications later in life.
Dietary Flavonoids for Immunoregulation and Cancer: Food Design for Targeting Disease

Flavonoids, one of the most abundant phytochemicals in a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, have been recognized as possessing anti-proliferative, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and estrogenic activities. Numerous cellular and animal-based studies show that flavonoids can function as antioxidants by preventing DNA damage and scavenging reactive oxygen radicals, inhibiting formation of DNA adducts, enhancing DNA repair, interfering with chemical damage by induction of Phase II enzymes, and modifying signaling pathways. Recent evidence also shows their ability to regulate the immune system. However, findings from clinical trials have been mixed with no clear consensus on dose, frequency, or type of flavonoids best suited to elicit many of the beneficial effects. Delivery of these bioactive compounds to their biological targets through “targeted designed” food processing strategies is critical to reach effective concentration in vivo. Thus, the identification of novel approaches that optimize flavonoid bioavailability is essential for their successful clinical application. In this review, we discuss the relevance of increasing flavonoid bioavailability, by agricultural engineering and “targeted food design” in the context of the immune system and cancer.
The blockchain and how it can influence conceptions of the self

Abstract Blockchain technologies are rapidly being developed and tested in a broad range of business and governmental settings. Their unique cryptographic characteristics and configurations enable users of these systems to transact directly and anonymously. The data these users generate are timestamped and immutable. In open blockhains, individual users take responsibility for managing and protecting their own data and for ensuring the reliability of the parties with whom they transact. The socio-material characteristics of these systems will influence user attitudes and behaviors in ways that are profound and difficult to predict. Outcomes have not yet been researched, and the academy has adopted a stance of technological determinism despite the fact that implicit assumptions about outcomes are literally coded in as these systems are developed. We envision potential impacts that may result from self-sovereign ownership of data including: commoditization of the self and relationships with others, the need to police personal data and reputation, and new perceptions of time and history that result from transaction sequentialization and permanence. Further research on the societal impacts of blockchain technologies is needed as these systems become ubiquitous.
Studying dialect: by Rob Penhallurick, London and New York, Red Globe Press (Macmillan Higher Education), 2018, xxxv + 370 pp., ₤25.99 / $35.99 (pbk), ISBN 978-0-23020-581-9

This book reviews the major threads of research in the dialectology of English, while also presenting an engaging history of the field. It appears in a textbook series for students of the English l...
Systems biology approaches in solid organ transplantation.

Purpose of review Organ transplantation research has led to the discovery of several interesting individual mechanistic pathways, molecules and potential drug targets but there are still no comprehensive studies that have addressed how these varied mechanisms work in unison to regulate the posttransplant immune response that drives kidney rejection and dysfunction. Recent findings Systems biology is a rapidly expanding field that aims to integrate existing knowledge of molecular concepts and large-scale genomic and clinical datasets into networks that can be used in cutting edge computational models to define disease mechanisms in a holistic manner. Systems biology approaches have brought a paradigm shift from a reductionist view of biology to a wider agnostic assessment of disease from several lines of evidence. Although the complex nature of the posttransplant immune response makes it difficult to pinpoint mechanisms, systems biology is enabling discovery of unknown biological interactions using the cumulative power of genomic data sets, clinical data and endpoints, and improved computational methods for the systematic deconvolution of this response. Summary An integrative systems biology approach that leverages genomic data from varied technologies, such as DNA sequencing, copy number variation, RNA sequencing, and methylation profiles along with long-term clinical follow-up data has the potential to define a framework that can be mined to provide novel insights for developing therapeutic interventions in organ transplantation.
Import restrictions by eco-certification: Quantity effects on tropical timber production

Abstract Eco-certification standards are increasingly used by industrial countries to restrict imports of foreign goods produced using unsustainable practices. Import restrictions on eco-certified goods limit the trade of goods to the home country, but also serve to segment global demand into separate regions for conventional goods and certified goods, altering market structure and equilibrium prices in a manner that can work against sustainability goals. In this paper, we examine the effect of recent import restrictions in the US, EU, Canada, and Japan that require tropical timber products produced in Central Africa to be eco-certified. Using panel data of timber production in Cameroon from 2003 to 2009, we show that conventional timber producers substantially increase harvest rates in response to eco-certification standards. Our findings suggest that import restrictions on tropical timber products shifted production to forests with higher extraction costs, exacerbating economic inefficiency and potentially raising marginal damages from timber extraction.
Retrospective monitoring of drug-drug interactions using a CPOE alerting knowledgebase.

INTRODUCTION A retrospective drug-drug interaction (DDI) monitoring report was generated from computerized physician order entry (CPOE) medication lists using an existing DDI CPOE alerting knowledgebase. METHODS All active medications ordered for elderly outpatients during the two years prior to February 27th, 2007 were retrieved. Every medication pair was processed using SQL through the DDI knowledgebase to generate a report containing all potential DDIs for each patient. RESULTS One out of four elderly patients (26.6%) has an existing DDI on their active medication list. There are substantially more DDIs at lower levels of severity (Moderate and Severe), but 70 patients had Level 1, "absolutely harmful" contraindications. CONCLUSION The majority of DDIs are of Moderate severity. These results have spurred clinical leadership to form a review committee to assess the clinical relevancy of current DDI knowledgebase content.
Designing the Curriculum for a Minor in Cyber Criminology

We are living in an age of growing cyber crime and the costs associated with it. With more and more people and devices being connected through the Internet, there are plenty of opportunities for new kinds of criminal activity as the Internet provides cyber criminals with anonymity and global reach. According to the FBI, in 2018 the Internet Crime Compliant Center (IC3) [1] received 351,936 complaints with total losses exceeding $2.7 billion. The threat of cyber crime is real and pertinent when the Internet is intertwined with our everyday lives. We must prepare today’s undergraduate students, tomorrow’s future workforce, to fight this growing threat of cyber crime. If we do not prepare today, we will be vulnerable tomorrow. This paper details our experiences in developing and implementing an interdisciplinary minor in Cyber Criminology. The minor is designed for students who are interested in learning about cyber crime from the dual perspectives of computer science and criminal justice.
Parent Engagement in Identifying and Serving Diverse Gifted Students: What Is the Role of Leadership?:

Parents play a vital role in identifying and cultivating talent for diverse gifted children but their experiences with schools and educational leaders are rarely studied. To examine parent perspect...
Early hemodynamic assessment using NICOM in patients at risk of developing Sepsis immediately after emergency department triage

One factor leading to the high mortality rate seen in sepsis is the subtle, dynamic nature of the disease, which can lead to delayed detection and under-resuscitation. This study investigated whether serial hemodynamic parameters obtained from a non-invasive cardiac output monitor (NICOM) predicts disease severity in patients at risk for sepsis. Prospective clinical trial of the NICOM device in a convenience sample of adult ED patients at risk for sepsis who did not have obvious organ dysfunction at the time of triage. Hemodynamic data were collected immediately following triage and 2 hours after initial measurement and compared in two outcome groupings: (1) admitted vs. dehydrated, febrile, hypovolemicdischarged patients; (2) infectious vs. non-infectious sources. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated to determine whether the NICOM values predict hospital admission better than a serum lactate. 50 patients were enrolled, 32 (64 %) were admitted to the hospital. Mean age was 49.5 (± 16.5) years and 62 % were female. There were no significant associations between changes in hemodynamic variables and patient disposition from the ED or diagnosis of infection. Lactate was significantly higher in admitted patients and those with infection (p = 0.01, p = 0.01 respectively). The area under the ROC [95 % Confidence Intervals] for lactate was 0.83 [0.64–0.92] compared to 0.59 [0.41–0.73] for cardiac output (CO), 0.68 [0.49–0.80] for cardiac index (CI), and 0.63 [0.36–0.80] for heart rate (HR) for predicting hospital admission. CO and CI, obtained at two separate time points, do not help with early disease severity differentiation of patients at risk for severe sepsis. Although mean HR was higher in those patients who were admitted, a serum lactate still served as a better predictor of patient admission from the ED.
Use of X-Rays for Characterizing Lightguide Materials

Several processes used by material scientists to make glasses for optical fibers yield as an intermediate product porous and opaque solids. Examples are processes based on sol-gel [1] and certain chemical vapor deposition techniques known in the trade by such acronyms as OVD (for outside vapor deposition) [2,3] and VAD (for vapor axial deposition) [4,5]. The porous bodies grown with these chemical vapor deposition techniques are usually referred to as “soot boules”.
Statins impair CD1d-mediated antigen presentation through the inhibition of prenylation

Statins are widely used as cholesterol-lowering agents that also decrease inflammation and target enzymes essential for prenylation, an important process in the activation and intracellular transport of proteins vital for a wide variety of cellular functions. Here, we report that statins impair a critical component of the innate immune response, CD1d-mediated Ag presentation. The addition of specific intermediates in the isoprenylation pathway reversed this effect, whereas specific targeting of enzymes responsible for prenylation mimicked the inhibitory effects of statins on Ag presentation by CD1d as well as MHC class II molecules. This study demonstrates the importance of isoprenylation in the regulation of Ag presentation and suggests a mechanism by which statins reduce inflammatory responses.
A modular timing system for megawatt gyrotrons

A new timing system has been designed to meet the requirements for the one megawatt test set (MWTS). This test set is a system of power supplies, support systems, controls, and monitors that will be used for the development of 1-MW gyrotrons. The purpose of the timing system is to provide timing signals for control of the gyrotron's cathode, anode, and heater power supplies as well as oscilloscope, digitizer, and other control or diagnostic triggers. Some unique timing requirements include four main operating modes: single pulse, repetitive pulse, continuous wave (CW), and CW cathode with repetitively pulsed anode. Timing adjustments can be made while the tube is running with no adverse effects. This modular, distributed timing system is implemented using two CAMAC modules: the master timing controller and the two channel timing generator. A single master timing controller provides real-time control and synchronization for all timing generators in the system. The timing generators provide triggers having adjustable delay and duration to the various system components. >
The IICC Project: Integration–Insight–Creativity–Character

In March 2009, the president of Ithaca College issued a challenge to faculty and staff to step outside of their disciplinary expertise to create means for students to make connections across academic fields. The design team directly addressed this challenge by proposing four one-credit mini-courses, based on a series of learning activities that revolved around systems thinking and design. Our project was accepted and serves as an example of a formal design inquiry with a systems approach at multiple levels. In this design case, we describe the project history, the course designs, the many issues we have faced, and how we have made design decisions.
Interaction of pesticides with aquatic microorganisms and plankton.

The interactions of pesticides 1 and soil microorganisms are heavily documented from the agricultural view. Many of the same soil particles, microorganisms, and pesticides are found in freshwater and estuarine ecosystems, and similar relationships may exist. It is the purpose of this paper, then, to review the interactions of pesticides and aquatic microorganisms, those microscopic plants and animals found in freshwater, estuarine, and marine environments.
Celebrating Technocratic Wisdom

Risk and Reason . Safety, Law, and the Environment. Cass R. Sunstein. Cambridge University Press, New York, 2002. 352 pp. $30, £25. ISBN 0-521-79199-5. Sunstein argues that considerations of risks to safety, health, and the environment often lead people to fear the wrong things and sometimes lead to actions that make the situation worse. Writing for a broad audience, he discusses the sources of such problems and explores approaches to avoiding them.
PEDIATRICIANS' ASSESSMENTS OF THE INTELLIGENCE OF TWO-YEAR-OLDS AND THEIR MENTAL TEST SCORES.

We have explored the agreement between pediatricians9 appraisals of intelligence and the mental test scores of a group of 681 two-year-olds born during a specified time period on the Island of Kauai. Only a modest agreement was found between the two types of appraisals but a detailed consideration of the later school performance of children assessed as below normal by either or both methods indicates that (a) the prognosis is poor for children assessed as below normal by both methods; (b) low test scores at two years are somewhat what predictive and should not be entirely discounted and (c) most important, the test scores would appear to be valuable to the pediatrician who does not want to err in the direction of giving a poor prognosis for a child who may later prove capable of adequate if not superior academic performance; (d) predictions for boys should be somewhat more guarded than for girls at this age period.
Effect of High-Dose Statin Therapy on Drug-Eluting Stent Strut Coverage

Objective—The influence of high-dose statin therapy on the serial stent healing process has not been fully investigated. Using optical coherence tomography, the effect of high-dose statin therapy on stent strut coverage was evaluated in drug-eluting stent–treated patients. Approach and Results—Sixty patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups according to the statin dose (atorvastatin 40 mg as high-dose statin therapy [n=29] versus pravastatin 20 mg as low-dose statin therapy [n=31]). Serial optical coherence tomographic evaluation post procedure and at the 3-month and 12-month follow-ups was performed in 50 patients with 54 stents (23 atorvastatin-treated patients versus 27 pravastatin-treated patients). The percentage of uncovered struts was defined as the ratio of uncovered struts/total struts. The primary end point was the percentage of uncovered struts at the 12-month follow-up. The secondary end point was the percentage of uncovered struts at the 3-month follow-up and the comparative percentage chan...
Heart Failure in Adult Congenital Heart Disease: Nonpharmacologic Treatment Strategies

In early stages, heart failure (HF) in adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) remains an elusive diagnosis. Many ACHD patients seem well-compensated owing to chronic physical and psychological adaptations. HF biomarkers and cardiopulmonary exercise tests are often markedly abnormal, although patients report stable health and good quality of life. Treatment differs from acquired HF. Evidence for effective drug therapy in ACHD-related HF is lacking. Residual ventricular, valvular, and vascular abnormalities contribute to HF pathophysiology, leading to an emphasis on nonpharmacologic treatment strategies. This article reviews emerging perspectives on nonpharmacologic treatment strategies, including catheter-based interventions, surgical correction, and palliative care.
Vasospasm in traumatic brain injury

Given the large societal burden from morbidity and mortality associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI), this disease entity has been the focus of extensive research over the past decades. Since primary injury in TBI is preventable whereas secondary injury is treatable, most of the research effort has been targeted at identifying factors that contribute to secondary injury and ways to minimize their deleterious effects. Whether post-traumatic vasospasm is one such factor is open for debate. Although radiological or anatomical vasospasm following head injury has been repeatedly demonstrated using various diagnostic techniques, its clinical significance is still under investigation. At the present time, no proven treatment regimen aimed specifically at decreasing the potential detrimental effects of post-traumatic vasospasm exists. Although calcium channel blockers have shown some promise in decreasing death or severe disability in those with traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage, whether their mechanism is by minimizing vasospasm is open to speculation. Therefore, currently, vigilant diagnostic surveillance, including serial head CT’s and the prevention of secondary brain damage due to hypotension, hypoxia, and intracranial hypertension, may be more cost effective than attempting to minimize post-traumatic vasospasm.
What's missing from this picture? An approach to alopecia in children.

H air loss carries with it a tremendous emotional and psychological burden for the patient. It can also be very daunting both diagnostically and therapeutically for the clinician. With entities ranging from Shokeir syndrome to citrullinaemia, the differential diagnosis of alopecia overwhelms at first blush. Fortunately, when we focus on children, especially otherwise healthy children with previously normal hair, the considerable number of possibilities falls precipitously and we are left with a not-so-daunting few. In this review, we will focus on four of the most common causes of alopecia in children: telogen effluvium, trichotillomania, tinea capitis and alopecia areata. Although perhaps seemingly straightforward, there are a number of pearls and perils in sorting out these entities and selecting treatment that I hope to explore.
A selective isolation technique for determining Chaetomium in soil

It was shown that Chaetomium was isolated from four types of soil; Cinebar, Ephrata, Milville, and quartz sand, more frequently when using alcohol agar as the growth medium than it (Chaetomium) was isolated from these soils when using either Czepak's-Dox agar or peptone-dextrose agar plus rose bengal and streptomycin. This isolation method proved to be one which permits identification of the Chaetomium species without further culturing.
A Feminized Church? The Campaign for Women's Suffrage in Alsace-Lorraine's Protestant Churches, 1907–1914

By 1850, a major shift in how Europeans participated in the Christian religion was well underway. On Sundays, most members of a church's or chapel's congregation were women. Women received communion more assiduously than their male counterparts. Catholic religious congregations for women were founded and joined at rates well above those for men. In Protestant lands, women became deaconesses. From Italy to Scotland, women contributed greatly to churches' social and charitable missions through their active involvement in voluntary associations and parish committees. Moreover, mothers now had the primary obligation to nourish religious sentiments in the home. Even the representation of angels had changed, the powerful, free masculine figure replaced by one who was restrained, domesticated, and feminine.
Fostering authentic relationships in the transformative classroom

Authentic relationships between teacher and student form a central process in transformative learning in the classroom. Based on research and theory, this chapter provides practical strategies for educators looking to foster authentic relationships.
Effect of surface charge distribution on protein transport through semipermeable ultrafiltration membranes

Abstract Although several previous studies have demonstrated the importance of electrostatic interactions on the transport of charged proteins through semipermeable ultrafiltration membranes, all of these analyses have implicitly assumed that the protein can be treated as a sphere with uniform surface charge. This is in contrast to the behavior seen in ion exchange chromatography where the presence of localized charge “patches” can significantly affect protein adsorption to the charged resin. The objective of this study was to examine the possible effects of surface charge distribution on the magnitude of the electrostatic interactions that occur during protein ultrafiltration. Data were obtained with cytochrome c and lysozyme, two proteins that have similar size and net charge but different amino acid composition and surface charge distribution. Ultrafiltration experiments were performed with cellulosic membranes, both as received and surface-modified by chemical attachment of a quaternary ammonium functionality to generate a positively charged membrane. Data were obtained over a range pH with the sieving results compared to the measured protein retention on a strong cation-exchange resin. Protein transmission during ultrafiltration through oppositely charged membranes was governed primarily by the net protein charge, with minimal contribution from the surface charge distribution.
Testing a model of message sidedness: Three replications

This experiment tested the results of a meta‐analysis of message sidedness (Jackson & Allen, 1987). The results are consistent with the prior meta‐analysis. Two‐sided refutational messages were more persuasive than one‐sided messages, which were in turn more persuasive than two‐sided nonrefutational messages. Testing the generalizability of this finding using 17 messages found consistent effects across the messages.
Self-Monitoring Abilities of Two Adults with Traumatic Brain Injury During Verbal Learning

Adult survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI) often display learning and executive function deficits. In this study, two adults with TBI and two control subjects were required to self-monitor their learning by making "judgment-of-learning" (JOL) predictions about future recall. Control subjects were highly accurate when predictions were delayed from the learning episode, but not as accurate when predictions were made immediately following learning. Delayed monitoring accuracy of subjects with TBI was the same as their immediate monitoring accuracy. One subject overpredicted his recall ability, whereas the other displayed poor relative predictive accuracy. Proportions of recall, predictions of recall, and correlations between recall and predictions were necessary in order to identify the different types of monitoring difficulty demonstrated by these subjects with TBI.