cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synucleins Antagonize Endoplasmic Reticulum Function to Modulate Dopamine Transporter Trafficking

Synaptic re-uptake of dopamine is dependent on the dopamine transporter (DAT), which is regulated by its distribution to the cell surface. DAT trafficking is modulated by the Parkinson's disease-linked protein alpha-synuclein, but the contribution of synuclein family members beta-synuclein and gamma-synuclein to DAT trafficking is not known. Here we use SH-SY5Y cells as a model of DAT trafficking to demonstrate that all three synucleins negatively regulate cell surface distribution of DAT. Under these conditions the synucleins limit export of DAT from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by impairment of the ER-Golgi transition, leading to accumulation of DAT in this compartment. This mechanism for regulating DAT export indirectly through effects on ER and Golgi function represents a previously unappreciated role for the extended synuclein family that is likely applicable to trafficking of the many proteins that rely on the secretory pathway.
Preadjudicatory Detention in a Large Metropolitan Juvenile Court

While the use, and possible abuse, of detention by the juvenile court has been the subject of heated controversy in recent years, this issue has received very little systematic empirical attention. A few studies of detention have been conducted, but they have produced “mixed” findings, which may be a result of the different locations and time periods considered, and the different methodologies employed. To shed additional light on this important question, we examine in this investigation the effect of a variety of legal, extralegal, and other case characteristics on the preadjudicatory detention practices of a large metropolitan juvenile court. Over 60,000 cases disposed of by the court during a seven-year period (1969–1975) were considered in a detailed multivariate analysis of detention outcomes (detained/not detained). The analysis produced no evidence that the court operates on a double standard—discriminates—along sexual, racial, or socioeconomic lines in the use of detention. Both additive and interaction statistical models considering the extralegal variables showed a youth's sex, race, and social class to be largely independent of detention decisions. In contrast, a legal factor—a youth's previous court experience—was found to be an important predictor of detention. This factor better accounts for detention outcomes than any, or all, of the other legal, extralegal, and other case history variables considered in the analysis.
Upper body gestures in lecture videos: indexing and correlating to pedagogical significance

The growth of digitally recorded educational lectures has led to a problem of information overload. Semantic video browsers present one solution whereby content-based features are used to highlight points of interest. We focus on the domain of single-instructor lecture videos. We hypothesize that arm and upper body gestures made by the instructor can yield significant pedagogic information regarding the content being discussed such as importance and difficulty. Furthermore, these gestures may be classified, automatically detected and correlated to pedagogic significance (e.g., highlighting a subtopic which may be a focal point of a lecture). This information may be used as cues for a semantic video browser. We propose a fully automatic system which, given a lecture video as input, will segment the video into gestures and then identify each gesture according to a refined taxonomy. These gestures will then be correlated to a vocabulary of significance. We also plan to extract other features of gestures such as speed and size and examine their correlation to pedagogic significance. We propose to develop body part recognition and temporal segmentation techniques to aid natural gesture recognition. Finally, we plan to test and verify the efficacy of this hypothesis and system on a corpus of lecture videos by integrating the points of pedagogic significance as indicated by the gestural information into a semantic video browser and performing user studies. The user studies will measure the accuracy of the correlation as well as the usefulness of the integrated browser.
Particle Pushing during Solidification of Metals and Alloys

During the solidification of a liquid containing dispersed second phase particles, particles are either rejected or engulfed by the advancing solid-liquid interface. Theories have been proposed on the mechanisms on particle pushing by a freezing front. However, the critical growth velocities predicted are much smaller than actually found experimentally. This article evaluates mechanisms on particle pushing. A specially selected alloy system, an Al-Ti-B master alloy, was chosen to evaluate particle pushing under various solidification conditions. The final distribution of the particles in ingots was examined. It is concluded that most of the particles are pushed by the dendritic solid liquid interface under cooling conditions varying a few orders of magnitude. Mechanical disturbance, such as fluid flow in the remaining liquid of the mushy zone, promotes particle pushing by the growing solid. Keywords: Particle pushing, solidification, Aluminum alloys, and metal-matrix composites
Effects of Amino Acid Feedings in Schizophrenic Patients Treated with Iproniazid

Large oral doses of individual amino acids were given three or four times daily for periods of 1 week to schizophrenic patients, some of whom were maintained on iproniazid. Marked alterations in behavior in some patients were associated with the administration of l-methionine and of l-tryptophan.
Sensing the Urgency: Envisioning a Black Humanist Vision of Care in Teacher Education.

This article builds on the growing body of research on preparing African‐American pre‐service teachers for culturally diverse urban environments. I specifically focus on a two year qualitative case study of Amy, an African‐American pre‐service teacher, to highlight five themes of a Black humanist vision of care. These themes emphasize the following: (1) culturally affirming practices of multiple cultures; (2) the ‘fortitude’ to persevere in the midst of adversity; (3) both the ability to recognize and the willingness to address difference and inequities; (4) the importance of the whole child; and (5) the ability to see oneself as a teacher engaging as part of a collective in challenging inequities. Amy's narrative underscores how these themes emerged within, between, and among her family experiences, K‐12 schooling experiences and experiences in the teacher education program. I conclude with implications of a Black humanist vision of care in within teacher education programs.
An arrayed high-content chemotaxis assay for patient diagnosis

Chemotaxis assays are essential tools for the study of gradient sensing and directed cell migration, and have the potential to aid in the diagnosis and characterization of patients with immune disorders. Current methods are limited in their ability to meet the more demanding requirements for clinical applications. Because patient samples have a short lifespan and sometimes a limited volume (e.g. pediatrics), the operational requirements for an efficient chemotaxis assay are increased in the clinical setting. Here we describe a microscale assay platform for gradient generation that overcomes these limitations. Passive fluidic methods are leveraged to provide a reliable microfluidic gradient generation device, operable in only three pipetting steps. In addition, arrayed imaging and advanced cell tracking algorithms enabled a 50-fold increase in throughput over current methods. These methods were employed to aid in the diagnostic evaluation of an infant who presented with severe, recurrent bacterial infections. Analysis of the infant’s neutrophils revealed impaired cell polarization and chemotaxis in a gradient of the chemoattractant fMLP. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with an inhibitory mutation in the Rho GTPase, Rac2. The approach also enabled a microenvironmental screen of human primary neutrophil chemotaxis on fibronectin, fibrinogen and laminin with results suggesting that fibronectin, athough commonly used, may not be the most appropriate matrix protein for chemotaxis assays. Together, these findings demonstrate the use of arrayed micro-devices to aid in the diagnosis of a primary immunodeficiency disorder, and illustrate the capability for increased throughput microenvironmental studies and screening targeted to specific human diseases.
Characterization of autoantibodies to vasoactive intestinal peptide in asthma

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a potent relaxant of the airway smooth muscle. In this study, VIP-binding autoantibodies were observed in the plasma of 18% asthma patients and 16% healthy subjects. Immunoprecipitation studies and chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and immobilized protein G indicated that the plasma VIP-binding activity was largely due to IgG antibodies. Saturation analysis of VIP binding by the plasmas suggested the presence of one or two classes of autoantibodies, distinguished by their apparent equilibrium affinity constants (Ka). The autoantibodies from asthma patients exhibited a larger VIP-binding affinity compared to those from healthy subjects (Ka 7.8 x 10(9) M-1 and 0.13 x 10(9) M-1, respectively; P less than 0.005). The antibodies were specific for VIP, judged by their poor reaction with peptides bearing partial sequence homology with VIP (peptide histidine isoleucine, growth hormone releasing factor and secretin). IgG prepared from the plasma of an antibody-positive asthma patient inhibited the saturable binding of 125I-VIP by receptors in guinea pig lung membranes (by 39-59%; P less than 0.001). These observations are consistent with a role for the VIP autoantibodies in the airway hyperresponsiveness of asthma.
Bronchiectasis in Pediatric AIDS

Objectives There are several reports of the pulmonary findings in children with HIV disease; however, the occurrence of bronchiectasis rarely has been noted. We evaluated occurrence of bronchiectasis in a large group of children referred to us with AIDS pneumopathy. Methods From January 1984 to April 1996, 203 children with AIDS and respiratory problems were referred to the pediatric pulmonary division at Children's Medical Center of Brooklyn. Medical records for 164 of these children were available and retrospectively reviewed. Results Uncomplicated pneumonia was present in 75, 24 had recurrent pneumonia, and 18 had unresolved pneumonia; lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis (LIP) was diagnosed in 47 patients, worsening with time in all patients. Bronchiectasis was observed in 26 patients (26/164, 15.8%;), diagnosed by chest radiograph in 26 (26/26, 100%;), confirmed by CT scan of chest in 10 (10/26, 38.4%;), and by histology in three (3/26, 11.5%;). Median age at time of diagnosis of bronchiectasis was 7.5 years (range, 1 to 16 years). Sixteen children with LIP developed bronchiectasis (16/47, 34.0%;). Three patients with recurrent pneumonia (3/24, 12.5%;) developed bronchiectasis. Five patients with unresolved pneumonia (5/18, 27.7%;) developed bronchiectasis. One infant developed bronchiectasis after Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia; another child developed bronchiectasis after P carinii and Mycobacterium tuberculosis pneumonia. The CD4+ T-cell counts measured within 6 months of diagnosis of bronchiectasis were available in 23/26 patients and, all were Conclusion We conclude, from our experience, that there is a significant occurrence of bronchiectasis in children with AIDS and pulmonary disease, especially in children developing LIP, recurrent pneumonia and unresolved pneumonia, and CD4+ T-cell counts
Review of gender differences in core symptomatology in autism spectrum disorders

A preponderance of males with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been evident since the initial writings on the topic. This male predominance has consistently emerged in all ASD research to date in epidemiological as well as clinical populations. Despite this long recognized gender disparity in ASD, surprisingly there is a paucity of research addressing gender as it relates to core ASD symptom presentation. Gender differences may manifest with regard to symptom domains, severity, breadth, and so forth. The present review will discuss background (e.g., history, prevalence), assessment issues, gender differences in typically developing individuals in domains relevant to ASD, an in depth review of the literature base on the nature and etiology of gender differences in ASD, as well as future research directions and implications.
Families at a Disadvantage: class, culture and literacies

Abstract This paper addresses the issue of diverse literacies, and the problems of privileging a dominant form of literacy at the expense of those from non‐mainstream cultures. It uses data from a family literacy project to illustrate how the actual literacy practices of working‐class families and communities can be incorporated into learning programmes. It argues that whilst familiarity with the dominant forms of spoken and written language is a vital ingredient in adults’ and children's communicative functioning, it should not be the unchallenged objective of education. Instead opportunities to legitimate the vernacular literacies of the home and community should be sought. In so doing deficit views of families at a disadvantage can be replaced by views that positively value the home culture to the benefit of both the home and the school.
Cognitive functions in low-grade gliomas: disease and treatment effects

Background The role of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the treatment of low-grade gliomas (LGG) is controversial regarding their effect on survival and the development of neurotoxicity. The few published studies examining adverse treatment effects on cognition revealed conflicting results.
The turning point in 1985. The history of appraisal and disposal of records in Iceland

The article sets off with a brief summary of the history of appraisal and disposal of records as processed at the National Archives of Iceland (NAI) since its establishment in 1882 to present times. Rules on appraisal and disposal of records introduced in 1900, 1911, and 1916 were ignored and all records were kept. Status quo remained until 1985 when a new National Archives Act was passed. The appraisal and disposal process adopted then is described and explained. It included the publication of instructions on records management as well as forms relating to records management. The influence of acts of law on the appraisal and disposal process is explained. Finally the experience with the arrangement of organised appraisal in Iceland is described.
Electron-hole-pair damping of an excited state of a molecule absorbed on a metal surface

We present a theory of the lifetime of a vibrational excited state of a molecule absorbed on a metal surface due to creation of electron-hole pairs at the surface. Our formulation treats the dynamical response of the electron gas at the surface exactly in the random-phase approximation. The Lang-Kohn electron density profile at the surface is used. The molecule is modeled as a two-level system whose dynamic dipole moment is enhanced relative to its gas-phase value by the adsorption process. Explicit results are given for the C---O stretch vibration for CO adsorbed on Cu(100). The calculated value of the lifetime accounts for the order of magnitude of the experimental lifetime. A comparison is made with previous theoretical work. We consider the dependence of the transition rate on the diffusivity of the electron density profile at the surface by comparing the transition rates obtained with use of the Lang-Kohn and infinite-barrier-model profiles.
Navigation of the Deep Space 1 spacecraft at Borrelly

The navigation challenges posed by Deep Space 1's flyby of comet Borrelly were considerable due to the uncertainty in the knowledge of the comet's ephemeris, as well as difficulty in determining the spacecraft's ephemeris caused by relatively large non-gravitational forces acting on the comet. The challenges were met by using a combination of radio, optical, and interferometric data types to obtain a final fly by accuracy of less than 10 km.
On the drag experienced by a spheroidal, small particle in gravitational and electrostatic fields☆

Abstract The drag on a spheroidal particle that moves in a creeping motion and performs simultaneously random rotations is calculated by a new method of averaging for cases of both gravitational and electrostatic fields. Appropriate expressions are written for the mobilities, which are computed subsequently for a range of spheroid sizes, axial ratios, and electrostatic field intensities.
Modular Access to Complex Prodiginines: Total Synthesis of (+)-Roseophilin via its 2-Azafulvene Prototropisomer

Ansa-bridged prodiginines are bioactive pigments produced by bacteria. Certain of these structures are reported to be antagonists of protein-protein interactions involved in apoptosis. We describe a new entry to alkaloids of this type, demonstrated with a concise asymmetric synthesis of (+)-roseophilin (3). Our route constructs the pyrrolophane motif via phosphoryl transfer-terminated macroaldolization and passes through a previously unexplored prototropic form of the natural product.
Combined Random Swell and Transient Long Waves: Dissipation Characteristics

The dissipation characteristics of combined short swell and transient long waves are investigated. A methodology for deducing the instantaneous dissipation from each breaking wave is employed to determine the overall dissipation and the ensuing dissipation rate in each set of experiments. It is determined that the bulk characteristics of dissipation of the combined short-long wave signals are different than those seen in each individual signal, but that the frequency dependencies of dissipation rates seen in the combined short-long wave signals are quite similar to those of the swell waves in isolation.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
miR-146a is a significant brake on autoimmunity, myeloproliferation, and cancer in mice

Excessive or inappropriate activation of the immune system can be deleterious to the organism, warranting multiple molecular mechanisms to control and properly terminate immune responses. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), ∼22-nt-long noncoding RNAs, have recently emerged as key posttranscriptional regulators, controlling diverse biological processes, including responses to non-self. In this study, we examine the biological role of miR-146a using genetically engineered mice and show that targeted deletion of this gene, whose expression is strongly up-regulated after immune cell maturation and/or activation, results in several immune defects. Collectively, our findings suggest that miR-146a plays a key role as a molecular brake on inflammation, myeloid cell proliferation, and oncogenic transformation.
The trophic ecology of castes in harvester ant colonies

Summary 1. The castes of social insects can vary dramatically in physiology, morphology and behaviour, and are a model of phenotypic plasticity. Dietary variation has been implicated in the evolution of castes and is involved in developmental differentiation. This study uses the elemental and isotopic composition of castes to infer the diets they consumed during larval development, when caste was determined. 2. We analysed the elemental (C : N) and isotopic (δ13C and δ15N) composition of individuals of all castes in colonies of Pogonomyrmex badius, the Florida seed harvester ant, at each of two sites. Sampled herbivores and insectivores were used to calibrate measures of colony trophic position. The proportions of insects and seeds foraged by colonies correlated with inferred trophic position, strengthening the inference of diet from isotopic composition. 3. Pupae of each of the four castes (male, reproductive female or gyne, major worker and minor worker) are distinguishable based on their composition and inferred diet during the larval phase. 4. Within colonies, larval diet inferred from δ15N suggests that the largest individuals assimilated more insect/protein relative to seeds. This result was consistent across colonies despite high variation in a colony’s relative trophic position. 5. Carbon to nitrogen ratio (C : N) of each caste was also different, and differences were consistent across colonies and sites. While females increase in N content with increasing size, the pattern is reversed in males. This result may reflect basic life history differences (e.g. life span) between males and females. Since female reproductive potential correlates with female size in this species, the decrease in N content with increasing female caste size supports that reproductive development is N-limited, and that workers are trophically castrated due to N deprivation during larval development.
Don't cares and multi-valued logic network minimization

We address optimizing multi-valued (MV) logic functions in a multi-level combinational logic network. Each node in the network, called an MV-node, has multi-valued inputs and single multi-valued output. The notion of don't cares used in binary logic is generalized to multi-valued logic. It contains two types of flexibility: incomplete specification and non-determinism. We generalize the computation of observability don't cares for a multi-valued function node. Methods are given to compute (a) the maximum set of observability don't cares, and (b) the compatible set of observability don't cares for each MV-node. We give a recursive image computation to transform the don't cares into the space of local inputs of the node to be minimized. The methods are applied to some experimental multi-valued networks, and demonstrate reduction in the size of the tables that represent multi-valued logic functions.
A Microdevice for the Mixing of a Highly Viscous Biosample With Water/Membrane Protein Solution Using Microchannel and Centrifugation

A mechanism for controlling the mixing of highly viscous biosamples at the microliter scale is presented. Existing methods for mixing biosamples using microstirrers or shaking microwells are only effective for non-highly viscous materials. The proposed mechanism mixes monoolein, a highly viscous biosample, with water/membrane protein solution in a microdevice called microcapsule using a microchannel and centrifugation. To achieve effective mixing, the design of the microcapsule along with the microchannel is presented and so is the hydrodynamic model describing the flow of viscous materials in the microchannel. The mixing process is analyzed according to the Reynolds number of the biosamples using computer simulation, which is observed during the experiment using digital images for further analysis. Finally, the new approach is verified by X-ray diffraction experiments with water and the Rh membrane protein solution, which are used to evaluate the effectiveness of mixing. Experimental results not only validate the proposed method but also determine the flow oscillation time in the microchannel to achieve effective and efficient mixing.
Structural Insights into Activation and Allosteric Modulation of G Protein-Coupled Receptors

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are cell-surface receptors that regulate neurotransmission, cardiovascular function, metabolic homeostasis, and many other physiological processes. Due to their central role in human physiology, these receptors are among the most important targets of therapeutic drugs, and are they among the most extensively studied integral membrane proteins. To better understand GPCR signaling at a molecular level, we have undertaken structural studies of a prototypical GPCR family, the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. These studies have led to crystal structures of muscarinic receptors in both inactive and active conformations, as well as the first structure of a GPCR in complex with a drug-like allosteric modulator. In addition, we have recently developed new approaches in combinatorial biology to create protein modulators of GPCR signaling. These studies shed light on the function of muscarinic receptors, and offer insights into the molecular basis for the regulation of GPCR signaling and activation in general.
Manipulating, Reacting, and Constructing Single Molecules with a Scanning Tunneling Microscope Tip

The fascinating advances in atom and molecule manipulation with the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) tip allow scientists to fabricate artificial atomic scale structures, to study local quantum phenomena, or to probe physical and chemical properties of single atoms and molecules on surfaces. Recent achievements in individual synthesis of single molecules with the STM tip further open up an entirely new opportunities in nanoscience and technology. The STM manipulation techniques useful in the molecular construction are reviewed and prospects for future opportunities of single molecule chemical engineering and their possible implications to nano-scale science and technology are discussed.
Thyroid hormone controls myocardial substrate metabolism through nuclear receptor-mediated and rapid posttranscriptional mechanisms.

Thyroid hormone regulates metabolism through transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms. The integration of these mechanisms in heart is poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated contro...
Prime Time Island: Television Program and Format Importation into the United States

There is long-standing debate over the flow of television across national borders. The rise of production centers around the world and the increase in contra-flows fueled claims that television had entered a new era, one with unfettered circulation of programs in all directions. The United States is central to such discussions, both as an exporter of products and as a proponent of free trade, but such contra-flows have not reached American soil. The debut fall schedules for the mainstream broadcast networks over six seasons, 2004—5 through 2009—10, reveal a total absence of finished programs from outside the United States. There were imported program formats, including fictional dramas and comedies, but no finished programs. The analysis also shows the market dominance of six media conglomerates, with an ownership interest in between 85.9 and 94.7 percent of the attributable programs on the debut schedules of the networks.
Eruptive neurofibromas in pregnancy.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is one of the most common autosomal dominant genetic disorders, affecting approximately 1 in 3000 live births.1 Although numerous studies suggest an increased incidence of pregnancy complications in patients with NF1,2 relatively fewer reports describe the effect of pregnancy on cutaneous manifestations of NF1.3 Here we report on a patient who had multiple neurofibromas beginning in the third month of her first pregnancy leading to a diagnosis of NF1.
The Cabal in Kabul: Great-Power Interaction in Afghanistan

The July 17, 1973 coup serves as a case study of the nature and extent of great-power interest and involvement in Afghanistan. The dynamics of American, Soviet, and Chinese interaction are multifaceted and volatile, and imply that no one great power had outright control. Thus, this treatment concerns influence rather than control, and multilateral interaction rather than unilateral or bilateral action. The differing interests of the great powers in Afghanistan are outlined. Next, the possibility of great-power involvement in the coup is examined. Finally, the impact of the coup upon Afghanistan's relations with the three great powers is considered. Available material suggests that neither the United States nor the People's Republic of China had sufficient interest or influence to instigate the coup. Nor is there any concrete evidence that the Soviet Union played a significant role, although it did have the opportunity, influence, and interests to do so.
Mechanism of Photoinduced Bending and Twisting in Crystalline Microneedles and Microribbons Composed of 9-Methylanthracene

The solid-state photodimerization of 9-methylanthracene is used as a model system to investigate how crystal morphology and reaction dynamics affect photomechanical deformations of single microcrystals. By varying the crystallization conditions, two different crystal shapes, microneedles and microribbons, are grown on a clean water surface. The microribbons twist under irradiation, while the microneedles bend. In both shapes, the maximum deformation occurs at roughly the midpoint of the reaction, while further dimerization causes the crystals return to their original shapes. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns establish that the needles and ribbons have the same crystal orientation and that the photoreaction proceeds in a crystal-to-crystal manner. NMR spin–lattice relaxation measurements are consistent with the rapid formation of large (>100 nm) dimer crystal domains. Simultaneous measurement of the needle bending and monomer fluorescence signal allows us to correlate the bending with the reaction progress...
Ten-Year Recovery Outcomes for Clients With Co-Occurring Schizophrenia and Substance Use Disorders

The long-term courses of people with schizophrenia and of those with substance use disorder have been studied separately and extensively. The long-term course of clients with co-occurring schizophrenic and substance use disorders has, however, not been examined. This article reports 10-year outcomes for 130 clients with co-occurring schizophrenic and substance use disorders in the New Hampshire Dual Diagnosis Study. In addition, we report on 6 "recovery outcomes," identified by dual diagnosis clients, as examples of positive coping behaviors. Longitudinal data were modeled using generalized estimating equation (GEE) methods. Participants improved steadily over 10 years in the outcome domains of symptoms, substance abuse, institutionalization, functional status, and quality of life. Further, at the 10-year follow-up, substantial proportions were above cutoffs selected by dual diagnosis clients as indicators of recovery: 62.7% were controlling symptoms of schizophrenia; 62.5% were actively attaining remissions from substance abuse; 56.8% were in independent living situations; 41.4% were competitively employed; 48.9% had regular social contacts with non-substance abusers; and 58.3% expressed overall life satisfaction. These 6 outcomes were only weakly interrelated over time, suggesting that recovery, as defined by clients, is a multidimensional concept. Overall, the 10-year findings on recovery outcomes provide a hopeful long-term perspective for dual diagnosis clients.
ALGORITHMS FOR TACTICAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND STRATEGIC CONFLICT PROBABILITY REDUCTION

Numerical algorithms are presented for de- termining the dynamic speed and heading maneu- vers required to resolve air traffic conflicts in the horizontal plane. Speed changes are modeled as pe- riods of constant along-track acceleration or decel- eration, and heading changes are modeled as steady turns of constant rate and radius. These simplified dynamic models improve on the accuracy that re- sults from modeling speed and heading changes as instantaneous, but they yield much simpler solutions than point-mass dynamic models. A method is also presented for choosing the turn direction that mini- mizes pathlength. Contrary to what is claimed or implied in the previous literature, the smaller of the two possible turn angles does not necessarily yield the most efficient maneuver in terms of path- length, and in some cases it is grossly inefficient. A method is also outlined for determining the true op- timal combination of speed and heading changes to resolve conflicts. With minor adaptation, the algo- rithms presented in this paper can make use of an existing conflict probability estimation algorithm to determine maneuvers for strategic conflict probabil- ity reduction.
Composition-Mediated Order-Disorder Transformation in FePt Nanoparticles

Thumbnail image of graphical abstract Heat-treated alloy FePt nanoparticles transform into L10 FePt and mixed L10/L12 FePt3 intermetallic phases. Enrichment in Pt in some nanoparticles, rather than intrinsic thermodynamic effects, drives phase segregation. FePt nanoparticles of uniform, equimolar composition are expected to transform into phase-pure, highly ordered L10 FePt nanoparticles.
Analysing the nutrition-disease nexus: the case of malaria

Motivated by the observation that children suffering from undernutrition are more likely to experience disease and are more likely to die if they do contract a disease, mathematical modelling is used to explore the ramifications of targeting preventive disease measures to undernutritioned children. A malaria model is constructed with superinfection and heterogeneous susceptibility, where a portion of this susceptibility is due to undernutrition (as measured by weight-for-age z scores); so as to isolate the impact of supplementary food on malaria from the influence of confounding factors, the portion of the total susceptibility that is due to undernutrition is estimated from a large randomized trial of supplementary feeding. Logistic regression is used to estimate mortality given malaria infection as a function of weight-for-age z scores. The clinical malaria morbidity and malaria mortality are analytically computed for a variety of policies involving supplementary food and insecticide-treated bed nets. The portion of heterogeneity in susceptibility that is due to undernutrition is estimated to be 90.3 %. Targeting insecticide-treated bed nets to undernutritioned children leads to fewer malaria deaths than the random distribution of bed nets in the hypoendemic and mesoendemic settings. When baseline bed net coverage for children is 20 %, supplementary food given to underweight children is estimated to reduce malaria mortality by 7.2–22.9 % as the entomological inoculation rate ranges from 500 to 1.0. In the hyperendemic setting, supplementary food has a bigger impact than bed nets, particularly when baseline bed net coverage is high. Although the results are speculative (e.g., they are based on parameter estimates that do not possess the traditional statistical significance level), the biological plausibility of the modelling assumptions and the high price-sensitivity of demand for bed nets suggest that free bed net distribution targeted to undernutritioned children in areas suffering from both undernutrition and malaria (e.g., sub-Saharan Africa) should be the subject of a randomized trial in a hypoendemic or mesoendemic setting.
Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP) in patients receiving neoadjuvant and adjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy for breast cancer: incidence and risk factors

Opportunistic infection with Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP) has not been recognized as a significant complication of early-stage breast cancer treatment. However, we have observed an increase in PCP incidence among patients receiving chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer. Herein we identify risk factors for and calculate incidence of PCP in this population. We identified all cases of PCP at Dana–Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women’s Hospital (DFCI/BWH) from 1/1/2000 to 12/31/2013 in patients with stage I–III breast cancer treated with an adriamycin/cyclophosphamide (AC)-containing regimen. Nineteen cases of PCP in non-metastatic breast cancer patients were identified. All patients with PCP were diagnosed after receipt of either three or four cycles of AC chemotherapy on a dose-dense schedule. Patients who developed PCP were treated with median 16.4 mg prednisone equivalents/day as nausea prophylaxis for a median 64 days. The overall incidence of PCP among 2057 patients treated with neoadjuvant or adjuvant dose-dense AC for three or more cycles was 0.6 % (95 % confidence interval 0.3–1.0 %). No PCP was diagnosed in 1001 patients treated with non-dose-dense AC. There was one death from PCP. Women receiving dose-dense AC chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer are at risk for PCP. Administering the same chemotherapy and corticosteroid dose over an 8-week versus 12-week non-dose-dense schedule appears to have created a novel infectious vulnerability. Replacing dexamethasone with alternative anti-emetics may mitigate this risk.
Medicine, rationality, and experience: Semiotics and the study of medical reality

Throughout his work, Cassirer asserted that symbolic forms are “organs of reality,” that they are formative of what we apprehend as real and available to human knowing and acting. In Language and Myth (1946: 8), he wrote: … the special symbolic forms are not imitations, but organs of reality, since it is solely by their agency that anything real becomes an object for intellectual apprehension and as such is made visible to us. The question as to what reality is apart from these forms, and what are its independent attributes, becomes irrelevant here. In this chapter I continue my reflection on medicine as a symbolic form through a discussion of medical semiotics. The argument that human biology or disease is “very much within culture” and best understood as a symbolic form is strongly counter-intuitive, unless we interpret this as a rather trivial recognition that all consciousness and therefore knowledge is symbolic or meaningful. Cassirer made a much stronger claim, however, when he argued that science, aesthetics, and religion are each distinctive forms of knowledge, and that mythology, for example, is a special form of reality (rather than a psychological or symbolic distortion) and a mode of apprehending the world (1955b). Cassirer's philosophical position is closely akin to the historicist theory of culture that emerged in the Boasian tradition, sharing a concern for how historically evolving cultural forms mediate experience and knowledge.
Mental Health Service Needs in the Prison Boom: The Case of Children of Incarcerated Mothers:

This study identifies the factors related to mental health service use among children of incarcerated mothers. Data on 700 children collected from a diverse sample of mothers in Arizona are used, and a two-stage probit model with sample selection is estimated to assess the various child, mother, and caregiver characteristics associated with children’s use of mental health services. Results indicate that children involved in child protective services (CPS) and children cared for by grandparents are more likely to receive mental health services, whereas children of Native American mothers and children who have been exposed to violence are less likely to receive services for their mental health needs. These findings have important implications for correctional policy regarding the intake screening of female inmates and suggest that criminal justice agencies communicate more closely with CPS and community-based services to ensure children’s mental health needs are addressed while their mothers are in prison.
Development of Streamlined Methods for Integration into Multiplexed Colorimetric Solid Phase Extraction (MC-SPE) Analysis of Spacecraft Water

The need to preserve crew health during space missions, combined with the level of demand on both crew time and cargo space, dictates the development of fast, facile methods capable of monitoring trace quantities of several analytes in spacecraft water. This presentation describes our efforts to address this need by using Multiplexed Colorimetric Solid Phase Extraction (MC-SPE). MC-SPE is a sorption-spectrophotometric platform based upon the extraction of analytes onto membranes impregnated with selective colorimetric agents. Quantification is accomplished using Kubelka-Munk values calculated from the diffuse reflectance spectrum of the complex on the surface of the membrane and calibration curves. In traditional C-SPE, concentration factors of up to 1000 can be realized for a single analysis, yielding low detection limits (ppb - ppm range) with a total analysis time of 75-90 s. Herein, we describe the performance and continued refinement of the MC-SPE platform. MC-SPE involves the parallel sample preparation and extraction of analytes on an addressed membrane, followed by the serial readout of each address. This strategy is designed to optimize the detection of high priority analytes in spacecraft water, while maintaining the low detection limits of C-SPE and reducing the overall analysis time. The status of our development and testing of this strategy using aqueous standards will be discussed.
Part 2.5: Interests, Self-Interest and Autonomy

Part II. Section 5. Interests, Self-Interest and Autonomy: Two questions drive this chapter: 1) What kinds of things can be objects of autonomous choices? and 2) How are these related to an individual's authentic self? If self-interest is construed as securing a set of basic goods for oneself, personal autonomy and self-interest can collide. Still, Meyers holds that autonomy based on exercising autonomy competency is compatible with the dominance principle, which counsels opting for a course of action that satisfies at least one more authentic desire than other available possibilities.
Effects of test modality: computer-based versus paper-and-pencil -- on nonnatives' English results

Computer-based assessment is a critical part of any Web-based as well as many more traditional educational programs. While some research studies have established equivalence between Computer-Based Tests (CBTs) and traditional Paper-and-Pencil (PNP) tests, most have not considered language as a variable. It is essential to evaluate Computer-Based Tests (CBTs), especially for populations such as those from other countries, cultures, or language groups. Such populations may not have the same exposure to or level of familiarity with computers and computer-based training and assessment. The current empirical study seeks to determine whether test modalities are equivalent for nonnative speakers of English taking an English proficiency examination. This study tested 57 university students taking English as a Second Language. Half were given an English proficiency test in a Web-based format in a computer lab and the other half were given the same test in pencil-and-paper format in a standard classroom. The study confirmed equivalence between CBT and traditional PNP versions of the test for the sample.
Information findability: An informal study to explore options for improving information findability for the systems analysis group

A Systems Analysis Group has existed at Sandia National Laboratories since at least the mid-1950s. Much of the group’s work output (reports, briefing documents, and other materials) has been retained, along with large numbers of related documents. Over time the collection has grown to hundreds of thousands of unstructured documents in many formats contained in one or more of several different shared drives or SharePoint sites, with perhaps five percent of the collection still existing in print format. This presents a challenge. How can the group effectively find, manage, and build on information contained somewhere within such a large set of unstructured documents? In response, a project was initiated to identify tools that would be able to meet this challenge. This report documents the results found and recommendations made as of August 2013.
The Circulation of Foreign News and the Construction of Imperial Ideals: The Spanish Translators of Aḥmad al-Manṣūr

During the reign of Aḥmad al-Manṣūr (1578-1603), a good deal of news and information about European political and religious affairs circulated in Morocco and was used in official discourses generated in the Moroccan court. This information was transmitted in part by a range of European agents from Spain, Portugal, England, France, and the Netherlands, but the key figure in its reception and use in the Moroccan court was the Spanish translator, who worked alongside al-Manṣūr’s secretaries and other chancellery officials. Foreign news, as relayed by the Spanish translator, was adapted into different royal discourses and was used along with other strategies of representation to reinforce al-Manṣūr’s claims to sovereign and imperial legitimacy before Muslim and Christian audiences
Genome-Wide Search for Signatures of Natural Selection in African Americans

The several genomic regions showing excess of African or European ancestry could be the footprints of natural selection in the post-admixture era. In order to detect the natural selection since the African or European ancestry left for the New World, we reconstructed an artificial African population using the inferred African ancestral chromosomal segments and compared it with indigenous African populations. Interestingly, many selection-candidate genes identified by the later approach were associated with African American specific high-risk diseases such as prostate cancer and hypertension, suggesting these disease-related genes might have played an important role in African Americans adapting to the new environment. CD36 and HBB, whose mutations confer a degree of protection against malaria, were also located in those highly differentiated regions between the artificial African population and indigenous African population. Further analysis showed frequencies of alleles protecting against malaria were lower in artificial African population than in indigenous African population, which consists with the relaxed selection pressure of malaria in U.S.
High-K gate dielectric depletion-mode and enhancement-mode GaN MOS-HEMTs for improved OFF-state leakage and DIBL for power electronics and RF applications

The characteristics of high-k gate dielectric depletion-mode and enhancement-mode GaN MOS-HEMTs is reviewed. High-k gate dielectric depletion-mode GaN MOS-HEMT with thin AlInN polarization layer of 2.5nm in the gate stack is shown to exhibit "negative" capacitance and steep SS<40mV/dec [31], which may have implications for low-power electronics. Enhancement-mode operation is achieved by removing the AlInN polarization layer from the gate stack [31-36]. Excellent DIBL, low IOFF, low gate leakage, and low Ron are achieved due to the scaled Toxe=23A using high-k gate dielectric and N+ regrown InGaN source/drain [32]. The DIBL and IOFF-RON characteristics of the high-k enhancement-mode GaN MOS-HEMT [32] are the best reported for a GaN transistor. These characteristics make the high-k gate dielectric depletion-mode and enhancement-mode GaN MOS-HEMT attractive for power electronics and RF applications.
Comet Siding Spring, up close and personal

On 19 October 2014, a comet from the very edge of our solar system flew extremely closely by our sister planet Mars. Using an international fleet of modern spacecraft orbiting above and roving on the surface of the planet, scientists found that the comet consists of a kilometer-sized dirty iceball emitting gas and dust from numerous jets. The comet survived its extremely close passage by Mars without much change. It did, however, dump appreciable amounts of material into the martian atmosphere, and the effects from this material lingered for days. These observations of a comet from the surface and sky of another planet herald an era of solar system study based on multiple observations from stations throughout the solar system.
Diamantbewehrte Laufschicht für Kompressionsringe

In dem Mase, in dem der Kraftstoffverbrauch und die Schadstoffemission neuer Dieselmotoren sinken, steigt die thermisch-mechanische Belastung der Komponenten. Besonders trifft dies fur das tribologische System aus Kolbenring und Zylinderwand zu. Fur Ringe in der ersten Nut hat Federal-Mogul deshalb eine mit Diamantpartikeln bewehrte Chromlaufschicht entwickelt, die zusatzliche Leistungsreserven fur hochste motorische Belastungen bietet.