cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of hindlimb unloading and ionizing radiation on skeletal muscle resistance artery vasodilation and its relation to cancellous bone in mice

Spaceflight has profound effects on vascular function as a result of weightlessness that may be further compounded by radiation exposure. The purpose of the present study was to assess the individual and combined effects of hindlimb unloading (HU) and radiation (Rad) on vasodilator responses in the skeletal muscle vasculature. Adult male C57BL/6J mice were randomized to one of four groups: control (Con), HU (tail suspension for 15 days), Rad (200 cGy of (137)Cs), and HU-Rad (15-day tail suspension and 200 cGy of (137)Cs). Endothelium-dependent vasodilation of gastrocnemius feed arteries was assessed in vitro using acetylcholine (ACh, 10(-9)-10(-4) M) and inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX). Endothelium-independent vasodilation was assessed using Dea-NONOate (10(-9)-10(-4) M). Endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilator responses were impaired relative to Con responses in all treatment groups; however, there was no further impairment from the combination of treatments (HU-Rad) relative to that in the HU and Rad groups. The NOS-mediated contribution to endothelium-dependent vasodilation was depressed with HU and Rad. This impairment in NOS signaling may have been partially compensated for by an enhancement of PGI2-mediated dilation. Changes in endothelium-dependent vasodilation were also associated with decrements in trabecular bone volume in the proximal tibia metaphysis. These data demonstrate that the simulated space environment (i.e., radiation exposure and unloading of muscle and bone) significantly impairs skeletal muscle artery vasodilation, mediated through endothelium-dependent reductions in NOS signaling and decrements in vascular smooth muscle cell responsiveness to NO.
Facial expression, size, and clutter: Inferences from movie structure to emotion judgments and back

The perception of facial expressions and objects at a distance are entrenched psychological research venues, but their intersection is not. We were motivated to study them together because of their joint importance in the physical composition of popular movies—shots that show a larger image of a face typically have shorter durations than those in which the face is smaller. For static images, we explore the time it takes viewers to categorize the valence of different facial expressions as a function of their visual size. In two studies, we find that smaller faces take longer to categorize than those that are larger, and this pattern interacts with local background clutter. More clutter creates crowding and impedes the interpretation of expressions for more distant faces but not proximal ones. Filmmakers at least tacitly know this. In two other studies, we show that contemporary movies lengthen shots that show smaller faces, and even more so with increased clutter.
Preliminary results of the initial human clinical trial of focused ultrasound to reposition kidney stones

Ultrasonic propulsion is a new technology we have developed which uses focused ultrasound to transcutaneously reposition kidney stones. Two applications are expelling small stones or fragments and dislodging obstructing stones. We report preliminary, investigative findings from the first use of this technology in humans.
Microsurgical Reconstruction of the Uterine Tube in Sterilized Patients

Increasing requests for reversal of sterilization prompt a re-evaluation of guidelines for sterilization and for methods of reconstruction. The method of nonmicroscopic (gross) reconstruction is examined, and its frequent failures are felt to be in consequence of surgically induced distortion and damage to physiologic function. Microsurgery minimizes these failings and results in a doubled pregnancy rate. Microsurgical procedures are described and illustrated, and criteria are given for selection of candidates.
Citation data for selected journals in reproductive biology.

Using Journal Citation Reports as the source of data the author presents a citation analysis of journals covering the same subject area as the journal Fertility and Sterility. The subject area includes obstetrics and gynecology andrology and reproductive biology. The relevant journals are listed by total citations by impact factors and by an immediacy index (ANNOTATION)
Metaphyseal Distal Tibia Fractures: A Cohort, Single-Surgeon Study Comparing Outcomes of Patients Treated With Minimally Invasive Plating Versus Intramedullary Nailing.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to compare clinical and functional outcomes of patients with distal tibia fractures treated with minimally invasive plating (MIPO) or intramedullary nailing (IMN). Design Cohort study. Setting Level II regional trauma center. Patients Overall, 86 patients with metaphyseal distal fractures (within 5 cm of joint) with simple or no articular involvement treated by a single, fellowship trained, orthopedic trauma surgeon from 2002 to 2013. Intervention Intramedullary nailing or minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis. Main outcome measures Clinical and radiographic results were evaluated at a minimum of 1-year follow-up. Limb-specific outcomes (American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgeons' ankle-hindfoot instrument) and whole-person measures [Short Form 36 (SF-36) instrument] were assessed at the final follow-up. Results We studied 86 patients with distal tibia fractures treated with MIPO (43 patients) and IMN (43 patients). Thirty-seven patients in the MIPO group and 27 in the IMN group met inclusion criteria. All patients ultimately healed, with the average time to union of 23 weeks in both the groups. Complications were similar between the 2 groups (MIPO vs. IMN, respectively), including nonunion (8% vs. 7%), malalignment (3.6% vs. 3%), wound complications (3.6% vs. 3%), and infection (0% vs. 3.6%). The need for secondary procedures for the removal of implants was 25.9% in the IMN group (distal locking screws only in 6/7) versus 8.3% in the MIPO group (P = 0.05). Additionally, the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgeons and all SF-36 version 2 domain scores were quantitatively higher for the IMN group, although only Role Emotional reached a level of statistical superiority between the groups. Conclusions Similar clinical results and marginally enhanced functional outcomes were seen when treating nonarticular or minimally articular metaphyseal distal tibia fractures with IMN compared with MIPO. However, patients treated with IMN required more frequent secondary surgeries for the removal of painful distal locking screws. Level of evidence Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
The Commercial Exhibit

ing marketing agency in which there is a periodic display of goods by competing sellers under one roof, or within close proximity, in order to promote the sale of goods to a concentration of buyers. There are two classes of commercial exhibits in the United States: the trade fair whose sole or primary purpose is to facilitate the completion of trade negotiations and the exposition whose sole or primary purpose is to facilitate the advertising of commodities. Expositions may be further sub-divided into those directed to the general public and those of a purely industrial nature. The commercial exhibit assists in the performance of three marketing functions: buying, selling, and the provision of market information. The report that follows seeks first to describe the commercial exhibit by showing some of its institutional aspects, the extent of the activity and its organization. Second, the nature and effectiveness of private and public controls are discussed. Finally, several economic implications are isolated and appraised.'
Cross-Sectional Transmission Electron Microscopy of Defects in Beta Silicon Carbide Thin Films

Techniques have been developed at NCSU for fabricating cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) foils from monocrystalline beta silicon carbide thin films grown by chemical vapor deposition. The results of the TEM observations are utilized to discern the efficacy of the various processing parameters in terms of film quality and defect structure as well as oxidation, ion implantation and annealing procedures.
Fluid Pressure, Fluid Flow in the Body, and Motion in Fluids

The basics of fluid pressure, volume, and flow and how they are interrelated are presented in this chapter to set the stage for the analysis of fluids in later chapters: that of blood in the circulatory system and air in the respiratory system. The concepts of fluid resistance and compliance are developed, along with those of drag and lift on objects flowing in fluids and diffusion in fluids. Motion of humans in fluids is also discussed.
Air monitoring results in public places of Gongzhuling City during 2006~2011

Objective:For the establishment of health supervision,monitoring and management of long-acting mechanisms and enhance the overall level of hygiene in public places to provide the basis.Methods:In accordance with the public health monitoring of technical specifications for the 2006~2011 years in Gongzhuling city public health surveillance data for meta-analysis.Results:In Gongzhuling city three years environments were monitored all kinds of public places 2006~2011,the qualified rate was 78.26%;upward trend in the qualification rate of all kinds of public places.Different types of public health surveillance,accommodation monitoring rate(85.22%) was higher than the other types(P0.05).Conclusion:Public health monitoring in Gongzhuling city pass rate has shown an increasing trend,but some parts of the country pass rate is still low,quality of public health should be further raised.
The Institution of Recognition of Governments

In international law, the term ‘recognition’ means acknowledgement of the existence of an entity or situation indicating that the full legal consequences of that existence will be respected. In public international law, states, governments, and belligerent or insurgent groups within states are the entities to which it is commonly applied; war, foreign military occupation, neutrality, and territorial or jurisdictional claims the most prominent of the situations. While the recognition of any entity or situation has significance, the recognition of new states and new governments in existing states has attracted the most attention and inspired the most effort to state and refine international rules.
Jewish Identity and Civil Rights in America: The Jewish Question in Civil Rights Enforcement

What happened in 2004 was that a Sikh man complained to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights’ (OCR’s) New York office that his son, a New Jersey junior high school student, had been beaten up and called “Osama.” The father said that his son had been beaten up because of his “faith.” Instead of simply dismissing the case, as they might earlier have done, the New York regional staff immediately forwarded the case to OCR’s national headquarters. They knew that I was concerned about mistreatment of religious minorities as well as other vulnerable groups. In this case, I instructed regional staff that the father’s statement of the nature of discrimination ( i.e ., that it was based on his son’s “faith”) should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, the legal categorization of the assault is a question for OCR to assess independently. Sikhism is one of the world’s great religions. For purposes of enjoying civil rights protection, however, I emphasized that Sikhs also shared numerous ethnic characteristics, such as distinctive dress, music, and culture and common geographic origins. While Sikhism is neither a race nor a national origin when those terms are defined narrowly, Sikhism’s adherents generally share the ethnic or ancestral characteristics that should suffice to bring them within the law’s broad protections. When the New Jersey child was taunted as “Osama,” it was not because his classmates disagreed with the tenets of the Sikh faith. Rather, the bullies were taunting him because of his (achial or perceived) ethnicity and geographic origins. To be sure, their taunts showed ethnic ignorance. This is neither unusual nor surprising in bias cases. Either the bullies confused Sikhs with Arabs, or they misunderstood Bin Laden’s ethnic heritage, or they did not care. Ethnic and racial ignorance is common, and such ignorance should not become a defense for the discriminator. “Go ahead and investigate,” I directed my enforcement staff. “This looks like a case of ethnic or racial harassment.”
Apparatuses of occupation: translocal social movements, states and the archipelagic spatialities of power

There has recently been an abundance of scholarly attention in geography to the assemblage-like nature of contemporary social movements. While assemblage theory has rightly emphasised the performative, translocal, discursive-material and affective aspects of social movements, less attention has been focused on the way these flexible assemblages territorialise power and attempt to order social activities in place. Through an analysis of contemporary anti-militarisation protests in Okinawa, this paper interrogates how translocal social movements use direct action tactics such as the occupation of land and sea spaces to not only resist state power, but to produce their own governance over places. Driven by different globally circulating normative perspectives on the value of national security versus personal security, these social movements have engaged in contests with states over the construction of military facilities and the practice of military activities in local environments. Analysing Foucauldian and Deleuzean perspectives on governing apparatuses, this paper investigates the spatial practices of both Okinawan social movements and the American and Japanese governments to demonstrate how occupation functions as a tactic of political praxis for both state and non-state actors.
Who am I if I am not like my group? Self-uncertainty and feeling peripheral in a group

Abstract Being a fringe-group (peripheral) member in one's group can cause individual pain (e.g., depression) and societal damage (e.g., violence). Whereas most research on feeling peripheral focuses on how the experience interrupts people's sense of belonging and increases ingroup bias, the present research explores why feeling different from the ingroup increases belonging needs. Building on uncertainty-identity theory, we propose that self-uncertainty results from not feeling prototypical and creates a motivational drive to increase ingroup behaviors. Three experiments support these hypotheses. Experiment 1 (N = 152) established that feeling peripheral elevates self-uncertainty. Experiment 2 (N = 77) demonstrated that feeling peripheral leads to increased group identification only for those who are self-uncertain and Experiment 3 (N = 319) showed that it leads to ingroup bias only for those who are self-uncertain. Overall, these findings demonstrate that feeling peripheral produces self-uncertainty, which leads people to engage in ingroup behaviors.
Rib Fracture Diagnosis in the Panscan Era.

Study objective With increased use of chest computed tomography (CT) in trauma evaluation, traditional teachings in regard to rib fracture morbidity and mortality may no longer be accurate. We seek to determine rates of rib fracture observed on chest CT only; admission and mortality of patients with isolated rib fractures, rib fractures observed on CT only, and first or second rib fractures; and first or second rib fracture–associated great vessel injury. Methods We conducted a planned secondary analysis of 2 prospectively enrolled cohorts of the National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study chest studies, which evaluated patients with blunt trauma who were older than 14 years and received chest imaging in the emergency department. We defined rib fractures and other thoracic injuries according to CT reports and followed patients through their hospital course to determine outcomes. Results Of 8,661 patients who had both chest radiograph and chest CT, 2,071 (23.9%) had rib fractures, and rib fractures were observed on chest CT only in 1,368 cases (66.1%). Rib fracture patients had higher admission rates (88.7% versus 45.8%; mean difference 42.9%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 41.4% to 44.4%) and mortality (5.6% versus 2.7%; mean difference 2.9%; 95% CI 1.8% to 4.0%) than patients without rib fracture. The mortality of patients with rib fracture observed on chest CT only was not statistically significantly different from that of patients with fractures also observed on chest radiograph (4.8% versus 5.7%; mean difference –0.9%; 95% CI –3.1% to 1.1%). Patients with first or second rib fractures had significantly higher mortality (7.4% versus 4.1%; mean difference 3.3%; 95% CI 0.2% to 7.1%) and prevalence of concomitant great vessel injury (2.8% versus 0.6%; mean difference 2.2%; 95% CI 0.6% to 4.9%) than patients with fractures of ribs 3 to 12, and the odds ratio of great vessel injury with first or second rib fracture was 4.4 (95% CI 1.8 to 10.4). Conclusion Under trauma imaging protocols that commonly incorporate chest CT, two thirds of rib fractures were observed on chest CT only. Patients with rib fractures had higher admission rates and mortality than those without rib fractures. First or second rib fractures were associated with significantly higher mortality and great vessel injury.
Substantial soil organic carbon retention along floodplains of mountain streams.

Small, snowmelt-dominated mountain streams have the potential to store substantial organic carbon in floodplain sediment because of high inputs of particulate organic matter, relatively lower temperatures compared with lowland regions, and potential for increased moisture conditions. This work (i) quantifies mean soil organic carbon (OC) content along 24 study reaches in the Colorado Rocky Mountains using 660 soil samples, (ii) identifies potential controls of OC content based on soil properties and spatial position with respect to the channel, and (iii) and examines soil properties and OC across various floodplain geomorphic features in the study area. Stepwise multiple linear regression (adjusted r2 = 0.48, p < 0.001) indicates that percentage of silt and clay, sample depth, percent sand, distance from the channel, and relative elevation from the channel are significant predictors of OC content in the study area. Principle component analysis indicates limited separation between geomorphic floodplain features based on predictors of OC content. A lack of significant differences among floodplain features suggests that the systematic random sampling employed in this study can capture the variability of OC across floodplains in the study area. Mean floodplain OC (6.3 ± 0.3%) is more variable but on average greater than values in uplands (1.5 ± 0.08% to 2.2 ± 0.14%) of the Colorado Front Range and higher than published values from floodplains in other regions, particularly those of larger rivers.
Designing Artificial Solid-Electrolyte Interphases for Single-Ion and High-Efficiency Transport in Batteries

Summary Substrates able to rectify transport of ions based on charge and/or size are ubiquitous in biological systems. Electrolytes and interphases that selectively transport electrochemically active ions are likewise of broad interest in all electrical energy storage technologies. In lithium-ion batteries, electrolytes with single- or near-single-ion conductivity reduce losses caused by ion polarization. In emergent lithium or sodium metal batteries, they maintain high conductivity at the anode and stabilize metal deposition by fundamental mechanisms. We report that 20- to 300-nm-thick, single-ion-conducting membranes deposited at the anode enable electrolytes with the highest combination of cation transference number, ionic conductivity, and electrochemical stability reported. By means of direct visualization we find that single-ion membranes also reduce dendritic deposition of Li in liquids. Galvanostatic measurements further show that the electrolytes facilitate long (3 mAh) recharge of full Li/LiNi 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 O 2 (NCA) cells with high cathode loadings (3 mAh cm −2 /19.9 mg cm −2 ) and at high current densities (3 mA cm −2 ).
Implementation of a Guideline to Decrease Use of Acid-Suppressing Medications in the NICU.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Acid-suppressing medications are used extensively in term and preterm newborns despite limited efficacy data and increasing evidence for potential harm. We sought to reduce nonindicated use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) in our level III/IV NICU by developing and implementing a guideline for their use. Our specific aim was to reduce prescriptions among infants METHODS: Our outcome measures were number of nonindicated PPI/H2RA prescriptions per month, total (indicated and nonindicated) prescriptions per month and percent of patient days with PPI/H2RA therapy. We also tracked potential complications associated with PPIs/H2RAs as secondary outcomes and gastrointestinal bleed as a balancing measure. Interventions and plan-do-study-act cycles included implementation of the initial guideline, guideline revision based on staff feedback, and staff education. By using statistical process control charts and interrupted time series analysis, we compared outcomes over an 8-month baseline period and 2 postimplementation periods spanning 19 months. RESULTS: Nonindicated prescription of PPIs/H2RAs decreased from mean 7.5 per month to 0 (P = .001). Concurrently, total PPI/H2RA prescriptions decreased from mean 11.5 per month to 2.5 (P = .002). Rates of the balancing measure and potentially related complications remained stable over time. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of an evidence-based guideline in our unit led to a significant decrease in nonindicated use of acid-suppressing medications and reduced the burden of exposure to PPIs/H2RAs. This intervention could feasibly be implemented in other similar inpatient settings.
Modified approach for pediatric external cricopharyngeal myotomy.

Abstract Pediatric cricopharyngeal achalasia is an uncommon but important cause of oropharyngeal dysphagia. Failure of upper esophageal sphincter relaxation is the currently understood pathophysiology. Therapies include balloon dilation, botulinum toxin injection, and endoscopic or open cricopharyngeal myotomy (CPM). Open CPM is usually performed at the posterior midline of the cricopharyngeus and can be a risky procedure given concern for esophageal perforation and damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Here, we present a novel modified technique for open CPM using a superficial anterolateral transection approach in the case of a young male with refractory cricopharyngeal achalasia.
Capitalism 101: Teaching First-Year Students How to View the Social World Through the Lens of Marxist Theory

Many students and even some instructors are hesitant to engage with Marxist theory because of the political implications associated with this school of thought as well as the perceived abstract nature of theory. However, over the course of nearly a decade teaching introductory-level sociology courses, I have found no better way to help students understand the social world than to use Marxist theoretical concepts in an explicit manner. The key to successfully integrating these concepts is to distill them down to fairly basic forms and, significantly, to engage students in discussions that allow them to apply the concepts using concrete examples. In this chapter, I highlight the usefulness of two concepts, alienation and reproduction, and describe how they can be integrated into discussions of work and gender inequality to demonstrate how these social phenomena are inextricably tied to the nature of capitalism.
Aligning Demographics and Resources: A Call to Support Spiritual-But-Not-Religious College Students

AbstractThis article discusses the rapidly growing population of spiritual-but-not-religious (SBNR) college students and describes the disparity in SBNR-dedicated resources for student support. This disparity is embedded in various tensions that cause low SBNR visibility in universities, including a lack of SBNR programming models in broader higher education, potential administrative bias, and a flawed perception of interchangeability with interfaith work. In addition to exploring the needs and shortcomings of non-religious student support, this article suggests potential barriers for SBNR momentum as well as examples of modified interventions that student affairs professionals may practice in the absence of formal resources.
Resonance Capture in a Three Degree-of-Freedom Mechanical System

We study the phenomena of resonance capture in a three degree-of-freedom dynamical system modeling the dynamics of an unbalanced rotor, subject to a small constant torque, supported by orthogonal, linearly elastic supports, which is constrained to move in the plane. In the physical system the resonance exists between translational motions of the frame and the angular velocity of the unbalanced rotor. These equations, valid in the neighborhood of the resonance, possess a small parameter e which is related to the imbalance. In the limit e → 0, the unperturbed system possesses a homoclinic orbit which separates bounded periodic motion corresponding to resonant solutions from unbounded motion which corresponds to solutions passing through the resonance. Using a generalized Melnikov integral, we characterize the splitting distance between the invariant manifolds which govern capture and escape from resonance for e ≠ 0. It is shown that as certain slowly varying parameters evolve, the separation distance alternates sign, indicating that both capture into, and escape from resonance occur. We find that although a measurable set of initial conditions enter into a sustained resonance, as the system further evolves the orientation of the manifolds reverses and many of these captured solutions will subsequently escape.
Securing Data in Power-Limited Sensor Networks Using Two-Channel Communications

Confidentiality and integrity of wireless data transmissions are vital for sensor networks used in critical infrastructure assets. While the challenges could be addressed using standard encryption techniques, the sensors are often power-limited, bandwidth-constrained or too rudimentary to accommodate the power and latency overhead of robust encryption and decryption implementations. To address this gap, this chapter proposes a novel methodology in which data is split between two distinct wireless channels to achieve acceptable levels of data confidentiality and/or integrity. Threat scenarios are discussed in which an attacker gains access to one of the two communications channels to either eavesdrop on or modify data in transit. Given these threats, five data splitting methods are presented that employ the two-channel communications concept to detect and adapt to the attacks, and provide varying levels of data security. Additionally, a simple proof-of-concept packet structure is introduced that facilitates data transmission over the two channels in accordance with the data-splitting methods.
On the Sensitivity of Spectral Initialization for Noisy Phase Retrieval

The spectral method is an important approach for signal estimation that is often used as an initialization to iterative methods as well as a stand-alone estimator, where the signal is estimated by the top eigenvector of certain carefully-constructed data matrix. A recent line of work has characterized the asymptotic behavior of such data matrices used in spectral methods, which reveals an interesting phase transition phenomenon: there exists a critical sampling threshold below which the estimate of the spectral method is uninformative. Furthermore, optimal preprocessing functions are developed to minimize this critical sampling threshold. In particular, most of the existing work is focused on the noiseless phase retrieval problem. In this paper, our goal is to examine the sensitivity of such optimal preprocessing functions in noisy phase retrieval, when there is a mismatch between the noise model used in deriving the optimal preprocessing function and the actual noise model in practice. Our results provide important insights into the choice of preprocessing functions in spectral methods.
Extra Device Capacitance in Three-level Converters and Loss Re-evaluation via Conventional DPT Data

In this paper, an extra junction capacitance and its associated switching commutation path are identified in three-level ac/dc converters, which were previously overlooked due to the off-state of the related device in half line cycle. The impact of this effect on power loss is analyzed, showing an underestimated switching loss in the traditional loss calculation of three-level converters. Through a proposed loss re-evaluation approach based on energy data of conventional double pulse tester (DPT), the corrected loss matches experimental results obtained from a 450kHz 650 V Gallium Nitride (GaN) based Vienna-type rectifier, showing 17.4% additional switching loss due to this effect. And the dominant extra switching loss is found to be $C_{oss}$ loss instead of overlap loss in WBG converters. Thefore, the effect is severe in high swtiching frequency high-speed wideband gap (WBG) based three-level converters.
Spin-flipping in Pt and at Co/Pt interfaces

Abstract There has been recent controversy about the magnitude of spin-flipping in the heavy metal Pt, characterized by the spin-diffusion length l s f Pt . We propose a resolution of this controversy, and also present evidence for the importance of a phenomenon neglected in prior studies of transport across sputtered Ferromagnet/Pt (F/Pt) interfaces, spin-flipping at the interface. The latter is characterized by an interface spin-flipping parameter, δCo/Pt, that specifies the probability P=[1−exp(−δ)] of a conduction electron flipping its spin direction as it traverses a Co/Pt interface. From studies of the Current-Perpendicular-to-Plane (CPP) Resistances and Magnetoresistances of sputtered ferromagnetically coupled Co/Pt multilayers by themselves, and embedded within Py-based Double Exchange-biased Spin-Valves, we derive values at 4.2 K of δCo/Pt= 0.9 − 0.2 + 0.5 , interface specific resistance, A R Co / Pt ⁎ =0.74±0.15 fΩ m2, and interface spin-scattering asymmetry, γCo/Pt=0.53±0.12. This value of δCo/Pt is much larger than ones previously found for five other interfaces involving Co but not Pt. To derive δ requires knowledge of l s f Pt for our sputtered Pt, which we obtain from separate measurements. Combining our results with those from others, we find that l s f Pt for Pt is approximately proportional to the inverse resistivity, 1/ρPt.
An introduction to the Rockets for Extended-source X-ray Spectroscopy

The Rockets for Extended-source X-ray Spectroscopy (tREXS) are a series of suborbital rocket payloads being developed at The Pennsylvania State University. The tREXS science instrument is a soft X-ray grating spectrometer that will provide a large field-of-view and unmatched spectral resolving power for extended sources. Each instrument channel consists of a passive, mechanical focusing optic and an array of reflection gratings. The focal plane consists of an array of CIS113 CMOS sensors. tREXS I is currently in the design phase and is being developed for a launch in 2021 to observe diffuse soft X-ray emission from the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant. An analysis of instrument optics, gratings, and focal plane camera is discussed.
Challenges and Promise of a Hepatitis C Virus Vaccine

An estimated 1.5-2 million new hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections occur globally each year. Critical to the World Health Organization's (WHO) HCV elimination strategy is an 80% reduction in incidence of HCV infections by 2030. However, even among high-income countries, few are on target to achieve the WHO's incident infection-reduction goal. A preventative vaccine could have a major impact in achieving incidence-reduction targets globally. However, barriers to HCV vaccine development are significant and include at-risk populations that are often marginalized: viral diversity, limited options for testing HCV vaccines, and an incomplete understanding of protective immune responses. In part because of those factors, testing of only one vaccine strategy has been completed in at-risk individuals as of 2019. Despite challenges, immunity against HCV protects against chronic infection in some repeated HCV exposures and an effective HCV vaccine could prevent transmission regardless of risk factors. Ultimately, prophylactic vaccines will likely be necessary to achieve global HCV elimination.
Progressive Social Evolution and Hunter-Gatherers

Hunter-gatherer theory is fundamentally comparative, materialist, and evolutionary, and these ideas have very ancient roots. Two distinct general models of hunter-gatherers are introduced: the developmental model, which historically emphasized progressive social evolution and saw hunter-gatherers as a basal or low point in progressive evolutionary schemes, and the ecological model, which emerged in the 1960s and saw hunter-gatherers as “lay ecologists” in harmony with the environment. Key elements of social evolutionary theory are explored in this chapter (the ecological model reviewed in Chap. 2). Three concepts were particularly influential: the idea of progress, the idea of environmental influence, and the idea of political economy. Spencer and Powell were important figures in early social evolutionary thought; theoretically, they shared the idea that natural selection acted on early (hunting and gathering) peoples but disagreed about social policy. The core of their disagreement, however, was not about theory per se, but rather the implications of theory for how contemporary social policy ought to be carried out: actively planned (Powell and Ward) or passively left to the environment (Spencer). British hunter-gatherer ethnography and archaeology was largely disinterested in hunter-gatherers, environmental relationships, and materialist accounts. Rather, British scholarship focused on more complex social settings and agricultural societies with the view that hunter-gatherers offered little in the way of understanding the contemporary social issues of the time.
ECG Feature Processing Performance Acceleration on SLURM Compute Systems

Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal features (e.g. Heart rate, intrapeak interval times) are data commonly used in physiological assessment. Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software solutions for ECG data processing are available, but are often developed for serialized data processing which scale poorly for large datasets. To address this issue, we’ve developed a Matlab code library for parallelized ECG feature generation. This library uses the pMatlab and MatMPI interfaces to distribute computing tasks over supercomputing clusters using the Simple Linux Utility for Resource Management (SLURM). To profile its performance as a function of parallelization scale, the ECG processing code was executed on a non-human primate dataset on the Lincoln Laboratory Supercomputing TXGreen cluster. Feature processing jobs were deployed over a range of processor counts and processor types to assess the overall reduction in job computation time. We show that individual process times decrease according to a 1/n relationship to the number of processors used, while total computation times accounting for deployment and data aggregation impose diminishing returns of time against processor count. A maximum mean reduction in overall file processing time of 99% is shown.
Dyadic analysis of criminal justice involvement and hiv risks among couples who inject drugs and their intimate partners in almaty, kazakhstan.

Abstract Background Incarceration increases HIV risk behaviors and strains intimate partnerships of couples of people who inject drugs (PWID) in Kazakhstan. Studies are yet to examine dyadic relationships between criminal justice involvement and injection drug and sexual HIV risk behaviors of couples who inject drugs in Kazakhstan. This study examined associations between individual and partner level criminal justice involvement and injection drug and sexual HIV risk behaviors among 216 intimate dyads (n = 432) of PWID in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Methods The Actor Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) using structural equation modeling examined individual (actor), partner and dyadic patterns (actor-partner) of associations between arrest, incarceration and drug crime conviction of dyads of male and female intimate partners of PWID using baseline data from Project Renaissance, a couples-focused HIV prevention intervention for PWID and their intimate partners. Results Results from the APIM identified significant associations between lifetime (β=0.10, CI95%=0.01.20, p=.021) and recent (β=0.12, CI95%=0.01.26, p=.045) arrest and increased risk of injection drug use with any partner for female partners. Partner-only effects were identified in which male PWID's recent arrest was associated with an increase in their study partners’ injection drug risk behaviors (β=0.10 CI95%=0.02, 0.20, p=.044). For female partners, prior incarceration was associated with increased engagement in injection drug risk behaviors (β=0.10 CI95% =0.02, 0.20, p=.035) with any partner. For male partners’ prior incarceration was associated with injection drug risk behaviors with their study partners (β=0.10 CI95%= 0.02, 0.20. p Conclusion Findings from this study identified differences in how criminal justice involvement impacts sexual and injection drug and sexual risk behaviors between male and female partners of PWID. Future research must investigate how structural interventions at the dyadic level could address the negative impact of criminal justice involvement on sexual and injection drug HIV risks within the contexts of couples who are PWID.
The Biology of Polymorphic Melanic Side-Spotting Patterns in Poeciliid Fishes

Melanin-based color patterns are an emerging model for studying molecular and evolutionary mechanisms driving phenotypic correlations. Extensive literature exists on color patterns and their correlated traits in the family Poeciliidae, indicating that these fishes are tractable models. We review the biology of polymorphic melanic side-spotting patterns characterized by macromelanophores forming irregular spotted patterns across fishes’ flanks. These patterns are present in the genera Gambusia, Limia, Phalloceros, Poecilia, and Xiphophorus. Their presence is controlled by dominant genes on autosomes or sex chromosomes. Variation in expression is under polygenic control; however, these genes’ identities are still largely unknown. In some Gambusia holbrooki and Poecilia latipinna, expression is dependent on low temperature exposure, but underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. Spotted fish develop melanoma in rare cases and are a well-developed model for melanoma research. Little is known about other physiological correlates except that spotted G. holbrooki males exhibit higher basal cortisol levels than unspotted males and that metabolic rate does not differ between morphs in some Xiphophorus species. Behavioral differences between morphs are widespread, but specific to population, species, and social context. Spotted G. holbrooki males appear to be more social and more dominant. Juvenile spotted G. holbrooki have lower behavioral flexibility, and spotted X. variatus exhibit greater stress resistance. Findings conflict on whether morphs differ in sexual behavior and in sexual selection by females. Melanic side-spotting patterns are uncommon (<30%) in populations, although extreme high-frequency populations exist. This low frequency is surprising for dominant genes, indicating that a variety of selective pressures influence both these patterns and their correlated traits. Little is known about reproductive life history traits. Spotted G. holbrooki are larger and have higher survival when uncommon, but underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Spotted morphs appear to have a strong selective advantage during predation. Predators prefer to attack and consume unspotted morphs; however, this preference disappears when spotted G. holbrooki males are common, indicating negative frequency-dependent selection. Spotted morphs are preferred socially under turbid conditions, but other environmental factors that shape phenotypic correlations and morph fitness have not been studied. Finally, we present questions for future studies on melanic side-spotting patterns.
Subtyping Meconium Protease Activities Which Degrade Lung Protective Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2 in Human Alveolar Epithelial Cells.

Background: Meconium pneumonitis occurs due to local lung injury and inflammation in newborns with meconium aspiration. The activation of the Renin Angiotensin System (RAS) plays a critical role in lung injury. Angiotensin converting enzyme- 2 (ACE 2) functions as a negative regulator of the angiotensin system. ACE-2 converts pro-apoptotic Angiotensin II to anti-apoptotic Angiotensin 1-7. Our previous study has shown that meconium causes degradation of lung protective ACE-2 by …
Nanopatterned graphene based long wavelength infrared detectors at room temperature

Due to the high cost and requirement for cryogenic cooling of Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT) detectors, there is a growing demand for cheap Long Wavelength Infrared (LWIR) detectors at room temperature. Graphene has shown great potential yet suffers from a low absorption ( 60%). This novel Graphene photodetector exhibits a remarkable responsivity of 2900 VW-1, detectivity of 1.1 x 109 Jones with a fast response of 100ns in 8-12 μm band at room temperature.
Dynamic Consequences of Specificity within the Cytidine Repressor DNA-Binding Domain

ABSTRACT The E. coli cytidine repressor (CytR) is a member of the LacR family of bacterial repressors that regulates nine operons with distinct spacing and orientations of recognition sites. Understanding the structural features of the CytR DNA-binding domain (DBD) when bound to DNA is critical to understanding differential mechanisms of gene regulation. We previously reported the structure of the CytR DBD monomer bound specifically to half-site DNA and found that the DBD exists as a three-helix bundle containing a canonical helix-turn-helix motif, similar to other proteins that interact with DNA [Moody, et al (2011), Biochemistry 50:6622-32]. We also studied the free state of the monomer and found that since NMR spectra show it populates up to four distinct conformations, the free state exists as an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP). Here, we present further analysis of the DBD structure and dynamics in the context of full-site operator or nonspecific DNA. DBDs bound to full-site DNA show one set of NMR signals, consistent with fast exchange between the two binding sites. When bound to full-length DNA, we observed only slight changes in structure compared to the monomer structure and no folding of the hinge helix. Notably, the CytR DBD behaves quite differently when bound to nonspecific DNA compared to LacR. A dearth of NOEs and complete lack of protection from hydrogen exchange are consistent with the protein populating a flexible, molten state when associated with DNA nonspecifically, similar to fuzzy complexes. The CytR DBD structure is significantly more stable when bound specifically to the udp half-site substrate. For CytR, the transition from nonspecific association to specific recognition results in substantial changes in protein mobility that are coupled to structural rearrangements. These effects are more pronounced in the CytR DBD compared to other LacR family members.
Aluminum Nitride 4-Beam Piezoelectric Nanoscale Ultrasound Transducer (pNUT)

In this work, we study thickness down-scaling as a technique to miniaturize piezoelectric ultrasound transducers while preserving a frequency of operation that falls in the 40–100 kHz range, where airborne ultrasound can propagate over several meters distances and attenuation is $100\,\,\mu \text{m}\,\,\times 100\,\,\mu \text{m}$ . We compare this performance to the sensitivities of ultrasound sensors recently published in literature, showing an increase in Rx sensitivity per unit area between 1 and 2 orders of magnitude. [2021-0094]
Exploring the Possibility of Achieving Partially Premixed Charge Compression Ignition Combustion of Biodiesel in Comparison to Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel on a High Compression Ratio Engine

The combustion characteristics of biodiesel operating in the Low Temperature Combustion (LTC) regime, via Partially Premixed Charge Compression Ignition Combustion (PPCI), is relatively unknown. Th...
Labeling of integrin alpha v beta 3 with 58Co(III). Evidence of metal ion coordination sphere involvement in ligand binding.

Integrin-mediated cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix is divalent metal ion-dependent; however, a demonstration of the interaction between native integrins and divalent metal ions is lacking. Here we provide direct evidence that the vitronectin receptor (VNR) is a metalloprotein. The unique electron shell of Co(II), an ion which we show supports ligand recognition by VNR, enables its oxidative conversion to inert Co(III). This property facilitated "affinity labeling" of VNR with 58Co(III) by oxidation of the metal ion in situ (i.e. in position). An average of 3.5 +/- 0.5 mol of cobalt were incorporated per mol of VNR. The ability of VNR to bind metal ions was independently confirmed by examining the interaction between VNR and Mn2+ under native conditions. The apparent high affinity between VNR and Mn2+ allowed us to observe the specific binding between 54Mn2+ and VNR by equilibrium gel filtration studies. Interestingly, the oxidative incorporation of Co(III) into VNR specifically blocked ligand binding, suggesting that the coordination sphere of metal ion bound to VNR is a critical determinant in integrin-ligand recognition. Furthermore, Mn2+ abolished the oxidative affinity labeling of VNR with Co(III) and consequently blocked the inactivation of VNR by in situ incorporation of Co(III). Thus, Mn2+ and Co2+ bind to the same or mutually exclusive sites on VNR. These observations provide the first demonstration that an integrin, specifically VNR, is a metalloprotein and demonstrate a functional link between the coordination sphere of the bound metal ion and ligand recognition by this receptor.
The cAMP responsive element and CREB partially mediate the response of the tyrosine hydroxylase gene to phorbol ester

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene promoter activity is increased in PC12 cells that are treated with the phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA). Mutagenesis of either the cAMP responsive element (CRE) or the activator protein-1 element (AP1) within the TH gene proximal promoter leads to a dramatic inhibition of the TPA response. The TH CRE and TH AP1 sites are also independently responsive to TPA in minimal promoter constructs. TPA treatment results in phosphorylation of cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB) and activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) in PC12 cells; hence, we tested whether CREB and/or PKA are essential for the TPA response. In CREB-deficient cells, the response of the full TH gene proximal promoter or the independent response of the TH CRE by itself to TPA is inhibited. The TPA-inducibility of TH mRNA is also blocked in CREB-deficient cells. Expression of the PKA inhibitor protein, PKI, also inhibits the independent response of the TH CRE to TPA. Our results support the hypothesis that TPA stimulates the TH gene promoter via signaling pathways that activate either the TH AP1 or TH CRE sites. Both signaling pathways are dependent on CREB and the TH CRE-mediated pathway is dependent on PKA.