cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlation of Annealing Temperature, Morphology, and Electro-Mechanical Properties of Electrospun Piezoelectric Nanofibers

Abstract Piezoelectric polymeric nanofibers, such as P(VDF-TrFE), are promising nanostructures for sensing/actuation applications where flexibility of the component is required, for example soft robotics, conformal sensors, and energy harvesting devices. A challenge in polymeric piezoelectric materials is that their electromechanical coupling efficiency must be improved to approach that of bulk piezo ceramics. The electromechanical coupling factor is proportional to Y d 2 (where Y is the elastic modulus, and d is the piezoelectric constant); therefore, the investigation of inter-dependence of these properties as function of thermal annealing is important. Although effect of thermal annealing on thin film of PVDF has been studied, however, detailed investigations of correlation of annealing temperature, morphology, and electro-mechanical properties of electrospun piezoelectric nanofibers have not been reported, in particular at single nanofiber level. We report on the effect of various annealing temperatures on mechanical and piezoelectric properties at the single nanofiber level using nanoindentation and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). FTIR, XRD, and WAXD spectroscopies were also employed to quantitatively and qualitatively explain the enhancement of these properties.
Staying True to Purpose: How Commercial Pressures Affect Mission Drift among Social Enterprises

Social enterprises attempt to address societal problems through commercial means, yet they are exposed to varying degrees of commercial pressure. Some scholars advocate increased commercialization ...
Implementing modulation schemes with three switching transients in a switching period on single DSP: Application to Z-source ultra-sparse matrix converter

Z-source networks have recently been employed with matrix converters (MCs) in order to address their limited voltage transfer ratio (VTR). In this paper, the space vector modulation of cascaded Z-source ultra-sparse matrix converter (ZSUSMC), where the Z-source network is inserted between the rectifier and inverter stages of an ultra-sparse matrix converter (USMC), is investigated. Digital implementation of the already existing space vector modulation (SVM) techniques for Z-source MCs is possible with a field programmable gate array (FPGA) employed along with a digital signal processor (DSP) due to occurrence of three switching transients in one control period. In this paper, an SVM scheme with an optimal switching pattern resulting in minimum number of changes in the switches states is developed. Furthermore, a novel approach for implementation of the developed modulation scheme on a single conventional DSP is proposed. Hardware-in-the-loop studies of the ZSUMC under the developed modulation scheme are carried out to verify the feasibility of the proposed implementation approach on a conventional DSP.
Fetch Quest: A Select Bibliography of Game Studies Journals

ABSTRACTThe academic study of video games has grown substantially since 2001, the year Game Studies published its first articles. Yet ludology remains a young field, and many of its journals have yet to attain widespread recognition. Moreover, these journals are unevenly indexed and therefore invisible to searchers accustomed to web-scale discovery and library databases. Here, then, is an annotated bibliography of the major journals publishing video game scholarship. The list is not comprehensive; doubtless there are startups and quasi-journals I have overlooked. But these are the leading venues in which game scholarship is published. Each entry includes the following categories: International Standard Serial Number; publisher; website; principal contact; publication frequency; date of first issue; subscription cost; peer review; indexing services; a journal-supplied abstract; intended audience; and notes, in which I describe anything else that might interest readers.
“They Were Going to Kill Me”: Resilience in Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors:

Unaccompanied and undocumented immigrant minors (UUIM) have become the focus of increased attention. Unfortunately, public discourse is often decontextualized, simplistic, and polarized. Empirical ...
Convergence of Sequences of Real Numbers

As we saw in the last chapter, when we graph several terms of a sequence, certain behavior may appear. We may become convinced, for whatever reason, that the sequence is unbounded. Or, we may believe that the sequence is bounded and we may even notice the sequence moving toward a particular horizontal line. But how do we check that what we believe is happening really is happening?
A knowledge elicitation study for collaborative dialogue strategies used to handle uncertainties in speech communication while using GIS

Existing speech enabled Geographical Information Systems (GIS) needs to have capabilities to handle uncertainties that are inherent in natural language communication. The system must have an appropriate knowledge base to hold such capabilities so that it can effectively handle various uncertainty problems in speech communication. The goal of this study is to collect knowledge about how humans use collaborative dialogues to solve various uncertainty problems while using GIS. This paper describes a knowledge elicitation study that we designed and conducted toward this goal. The knowledge collected can be used to develop the knowledge base of a speech enabled GIS or other speech based information systems.
Future Directions in LED Applications

This chapter describes possible future development directions of solid-state lighting from a high-level materials, devices, and system applications perspective. Since solid-state lighting is likely the highest volume future LED application and is a completely new form of lighting technology, advances in semiconductor and packaging materials, LED devices, and new lighting systems designs are convolved with the evolution of business models and new capabilities brought by new corporate entrants to the rapidly evolving global solid-state lighting business. Examining the development of future LED applications is, therefore, complicated, and it is helpful to briefly set the stage with a brief review of current and emerging LED technology trends and applications.
Scaling skin disorders

Scaling skin disorders have similar features. Careful inspection to determine the characteristics of the primary lesion, along with distribution patterns and performance of routine diagnostic tests, usually lead to a correct diagnosis. Potassium hydroxide examination should be performed on most scaling skin disorders. If a microscope is not readily available, skin scrapings should be sent to a microbiology laboratory, or a microscope should be purchased and training obtained. A binocular microscope is preferable to view fungal hyphae. KOH examination requires supervised experience to become proficient.
Photo-regulation of rod precursor cell proliferation.

Teleosts are unique in their ability to undergo persistent neurogenesis and to regenerate damaged and lost retinal neurons in adults. This contrasts with the human retina, which is incapable of replacing lost retinal neurons causing vision loss/blindness in the affected individuals. Two cell populations within the adult teleost retina generate new retinal neurons throughout life. Stem cells within the ciliary marginal zone give rise to all retinal cell types except for rod photoreceptors, which are produced by the resident Muller glia that are located within the inner nuclear layer of the entire retina. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate the generation of photoreceptors in the adult teleost retina may ultimately aid developing strategies to overcome vision loss in diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa. Here, we investigated whether photic deprivation alters the proliferative capacity of rod precursor cells, which are generated from Muller glia. In dark-adapted retinas, rod precursor cell proliferation increased, while the number of proliferating Muller glia and their derived olig2:EGFP-positive neuronal progenitor cells was not significantly changed. Cell death of rod photoreceptors was excluded as the inducer of rod precursor cell proliferation, as the number of TUNEL-positive cells and l-plastin-positive microglia in both the outer (ONL) and inner nuclear layer (INL) remained at a similar level throughout the dark-adaptation timecourse. Rod precursor cell proliferation in response to dark-adaptation was characterized by an increased number of EdU-positive cells, i.e. cells that were undergoing DNA replication. These proliferating rod precursor cells in dark-adapted zebrafish differentiated into rod photoreceptors at a comparable percentage and in a similar time frame as those maintained under standard light conditions suggesting that the cell cycle did not stall in dark-adapted retinas. Inhibition of IGF1-receptor signaling reduced the dark-adaptation-mediated proliferation response; however, caloric restriction which has been suggested to be integrated by the IGF1/growth hormone signaling axis did not influence rod precursor cell proliferation in dark-adapted retinas, as similar numbers were observed in starved and normal fed zebrafish. In summary, photic deprivation induces cell cycle entry of rod precursor cells via IGF1-receptor signaling independent of Muller glia proliferation.
Structural Analysis of Specific Environmental Traffic Assignment Problems

The goal of this article is to develop a framework for Environmental Traffic Assignment (E-TAP); that is a methodology for allocating traffic flows on a road network with the objective of minimizing objective functions related to energy such as fuel consumption or traffic pollutants. We investigate the underlying minimization problem in E-TAP which we characterize and study for uniqueness. This study is accomplished by exploiting convexity properties of the developed environmental objective functions and obtaining parameter sets for which the objective functions are strictly convex. The considered minimization problem is framed along the well-known Wardrop principles to develop two cases: 1) a User Equilibrium (UE) case that assumes selfish-routing of individuals and 2) a Social Optimal (SO) case that obtains the minimized solution for the entire system. In case of the UE we show uniqueness of solutions. In case of SO numerical studies indicate convexity and thus uniqueness, however a rigorous proof is not developed. We present a case study application of E-TAP for the greater Los Angeles area and compare these results with time-based traffic assignment.
Clinicopathological characterization of SMAD4-mutated intestinal adenocarcinomas: A case-control study.

The SMAD4 tumor suppressor gene product inhibits transforming growth factor-β-mediated signaling and is mutated in ~10% of colorectal carcinomas. The prognostic significance of SMAD4 mutations has been controversial. We studied the pathological and clinical characteristics of SMAD4-mutated intestinal adenocarcinomas using a retrospective case-control study design. Cases and controls were identified among 443 primary adenocarcinomas that had undergone next generation DNA sequencing (NGS) with the Ion AmpliSeq Cancer Hotspot Panel v2, which evaluates 50 cancer-related genes. Twenty-eight SMAD4-mutated (SMAD4m) patients were matched 1:2 with 56 consecutive SMAD4 wild-type (SMAD4wt) control patients from the same analysis stream. Compared with the SMAD4wt controls, the SMAD4m tumors were of higher stage (P = 0.026) and were more likely to feature mucinous differentiation (P = 0.0000), to occur in the setting of Crohn’s disease (P = 0.0041), and to harbor concurrent RAS mutations (P = 0.0178). Tumor mucin content was significantly correlated with mutations involving the MH2 domain of the SMAD4 protein (P = 0.0338). Correspondence between mutation sites and morphology was demonstrated directly in a mixed adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine tumor where SMAD4 mutations involving different protein domains were found in histologically disparate tumor regions despite both containing identical KRAS and TP53 mutations.
284 T cells produce interferon alpha in a model of lupus-like disease

Background Failure to properly dispose of self-DNA can inappropriately trigger anti-viral defense systems, leading to autoimmunity. Indeed, mutations in the DNA exonuclease TREX1 are causative for a spectrum of rare lupus-like autoimmune diseases in humans. These disorders involve triggering of the cytosolic dsDNA sensor cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase (cGAS) and the STimulator of INterferon Genes (STING), leading to chronic production of the anti-viral cytokine type I interferon (IFN-I) and the development of autoimmunity. Importantly, the exact cells in which the sensing of undegraded DNA and subsequent production of IFN-I occur remain unknown. Methods We generated a mouse expressing the catalytically inactive TREX1 D18N allele, which causes familial chilblain lupus in humans. We examined anti-viral gene expression and the phenotype of these mice to study the immunological effects of losing TREX1 activity. We performed bone marrow transplants to determine if autoimmune pathogenesis in this model was dependent on hematopoietic or non-hematopoietic cells. Finally, we measured expression of type I interferon is various purified cell populations to identify specific cellular producers contributing to autoimmune pathogenesis. Results In this study, we demonstrate that TREX1 catalytic inactivity induces IFN-I signaling and lupus-like autoimmunity in a mouse. Moreover, we show that TREX1 deficiency within bone marrow-derived cells causes IFN-I activation and the development of autoimmunity. We provide evidence of spontaneous IFN- production within both innate immune and T cells. T cell IFN-a expression was observed in all T cell populations, but was most enriched within naive T cells. We also demonstrate that D18N T cells express all components of the cGAS-STING pathways and generate IFN-I protein, both spontaneously and in response to small-molecule activation of STING. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that TREX1 enzymatic activity is crucial to prevent inappropriate DNA-sensing and IFN-I production. TREX1 inactivity within hematopoietic cells was both necessary and sufficient to induce lupus-like autoimmunity, indicating that TREX1 normally acts within immune cells to suppress inappropriate activation of anti-viral signaling. Both innate immune and T cells respond to TREX1 dysfunction by spontaneously synthesizing IFN-, a surprising result given that T cells are not canonically thought to be major IFN--producing cells. These results expand our understanding of the pathogenesis of lupus-like disease, and indicate that small molecule inhibition of TREX1 could represent an appealing strategy for anti-viral and cancer immune-therapies. Funding Source(s): NIH grant -- 5R01AI116725–03 NIH training grant -- 5T32AI007401–23
Comparison of wheelchair securement systems designed for use in large accessible transit vehicles (LATVs).

Design challenges in wheelchair securement for fixed-route, large accessible transit vehicles (LATVs) often create difficulties for passengers who use wheelchairs and operational inefficiencies for...
Identifying Defects Responsible For Leakage Currents in Thin Dielectric Films

Leakage currents in dielectric thin films are important reliability concerns. We show that two techniques are sensitive to and can probe structural information about the atomic scale defect centers that are responsible for leakage currents in technologically important thin films. We investigate leakage currents in a-SiN:H thin films with both electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR) and near-zero field magnetoresistance (NZFMR). In all measurements, the linewidth of the EDMR/NZFMR response is a function of the N/Si ratio of the film; the width provides information about the leakage defect structure. The NZFMR measurement provides the possibility of combining the sensitivity and at least some of the analytical power of EDMR with the simplicity of an apparatus that could potentially be implemented during fabrication of devices.
Germanium Selenophosphates: The Incommensurately Modulated 1∞ [Ge4-xPxSe124-] and the Molecular [Ge2P2Se14]6-.

The one-dimensional metastable compound (III) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c with Z = 1 (single crystal XRD).
DNS Flood Attack Mitigation Utilizing Hot-Lists and Stale Content Updates

Domain Name System (DNS) has become a target of the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. When a DNS is under a DDoS flood attack, all the domain information under that DNS becomes unreachable, eventually causing unavailability of those particular domain names. In this paper, we propose a method which includes periodic stale content update and maintains a list of most frequently queried domain names of different DNS servers. Our simulation results show that the our method can serve more than \(70\%\) of the total cache responses during a massive DNS Flood attack.
Interobserver Variability in the Recognition of Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury on Computed Tomography Soon After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.

Cerebral edema and loss of gray–white matter differentiation on head computed tomography (CT) after cardiac arrest generally portend a poor prognosis. The interobserver variability in physician recognition of hypoxic–ischemic brain injury (HIBI) on early CT after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest has not been studied. In this survey study, participating physicians and a neuroradiologist reviewed 20 randomly selected head CTs obtained within 2 h of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and decided if HIBI was present. All participants were blinded to clinical details. Interobserver agreement on the presence of HIBI (primary outcome) and pairwise agreement between participants and the neuroradiologist (secondary outcome) were determined using multi- and dual-rater kappa statistics with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Agreement among physicians regarding the presence of HIBI on head CT was fair (kappa 0.34; 95% CI 0.19–0.49). Individual physician agreement with the neuroradiologist varied from poor to moderate (kappa 0.0–0.48), with 8 of 10 physicians having no more than fair agreement. Regarding the perceived severity of HIBI on head CT, physician agreement was moderate (ICC = 0.56; 95% CI 0.38–0.77). Physicians, including radiologists, demonstrated substantial interobserver variability when identifying HIBI on head CT soon after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Extension Horses, Inc. experts act fast to create online resources to assist the horse industry during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting stay-at-home directives, adopted out of necessity to protect human health, introduced significant challenges for horse owners and small equine businesses. Restricted access, and in many cases closure of barns, resulted in a multitude of questions and concerns within the equine community which needed to be addressed rapidly. Extension Horses, Inc. (EH) coordinated the development and delivery of a variety of educational resources utilizing a combination of online formats and dissemination through social media and EH member contact lists. A series of infographics, webinars, and podcasts (three in each category) were created to provide guidance on essential care of horses, emergency preparedness, financial assistance, legal concerns, and biosecurity during the crucial, initial weeks of the pandemic (March to April 2020). Web conferencing technology (Zoom) was used to facilitate discussion and task delegation among EH members and to conduct and record webinars and podcasts. Podcasts were hosted on Buzzsprout and infographics were created using Adobe InDesign. Live webinar participants were invited to participate in several polls during the webinar and were sent a brief survey to complete at the end of the webinar series. Analytics for all educational resources combined demonstrated a 32-d total direct reach of 135,563. Most live webinar participants identified themselves as horse owners and small equine business owners (55%). The majority of live webinar participants indicated the information was useful (99%), and they would utilize the resources they had learned about (80%). Survey respondents reported that Facebook, email, and word of mouth were key ways in which they learned about the webinars. The same survey found that the web-platform was an effective method to receive information (85% high satisfaction) and respondents were highly likely to recommend future EH webinars to others (88%). The three infographics had a total Facebook reach of 131,765, the webinars had 3,522 total views, and the three podcasts had 276 total downloads. The rapid response of EH and quick turnaround of products allowed a large online audience to receive vital information for coping with COVID-19. Having the established EH network, already familiar with virtual education, was a big asset in this effort. This can serve as a model for cooperative extension to utilize in future collaborative responses to industry issues.
Psychiatric aspects of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine treatment in the wake of coronavirus disease-2019: Psychopharmacological interactions and neuropsychiatric sequelae

Background Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are among several experimental treatments being investigated in the urgent response to the coronavirus disease-2019. With increased use of these medications, physicians need to become knowledgeable of these drugs' neuropsychiatric side effects and interactions with psychiatric medications. Objective: Clarify evidence base regarding the psychiatric side effects and psychiatric drug interactions of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. Methods A literature review was performed in PubMed from 1950 to 2020 regarding psychiatric topics and targeted pharmacological properties of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. Results First, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine may mildly inhibit CYP2D6 metabolism of psychiatric medications, and psychiatric medications that interfere with CYP2D6 or CYP3A4 activity could alter chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine levels. Second, they may prolong the QT interval, warranting caution with concomitant prescription of other QT prolonging agents. Finally, neuropsychiatric side effects are very uncommon but possible and include a potentially prolonged phenomenon of “psychosis after chloroquine.” Hydroxychloroquine has less information available about its neuropsychiatric side effects than chloroquine, with psychosis literature limited to several case reports. Weak evidence suggests a possible association of hydroxychloroquine exposure and increased suicidal ideation. It is not clear whether patients with psychiatric illness are more vulnerable to neuropsychiatric sequela of these medications; however, overdose of these medications by suicidal patients has high risk of mortality. Conclusion The risk of neuropsychiatric side effects of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine when used for coronavirus disease-2019 treatment is not known. Best practice may include suicide risk assessment for patients treated with hydroxychloroquine. However, delirium is expected to be a more likely etiology of neuropsychiatric symptoms in critically ill patients treated for coronavirus disease-2019, and adjustment disorder is a much more likely etiology of anxiety and depression symptoms than the side effects of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine.
Just Sit Back and Watch: Large Disparities between Video and Face-to-face Interview Observers in Applicant Ratings

Video-mediated communication (VMC) tools such as Zoom are rapidly being adopted in distance education, telehealth, and for job-related purposes like meetings and interviews. However, how interactio...
Keynes Always Adhered to His Logical, Objective Probability Relation, Defined As P(a/H) Equals a Rational Degree of Belief, α: Logical Probability Always Remained the Guide to Life for J M Keynes

Keynes’s 1931 acknowledgement, that Ramsey’s theory of subjective degree of belief, based on numerically precise probability, was acceptable to him in the special case where w=1, has been constantly misinterpreted. This misinterpretation follows from the lack of understanding of Keynes's weight of the argument relation. This required that Keynes’s second logical relation of the A Treatise on Probability, the evidential weight of the argument, V(a/H)=w,0≤w≤1, where w=K/(K+I) and K defined the amount of relevant knowledge and I defined the amount of relevant ignorance, was defined and explicitly taken into account. It has been completely overlooked by all commentators that Keynes also stated in the same comment in 1931 that Ramsey’s theory did not deal with Keynes’s rational degrees of belief, P(a/h)=α,where 0≤α≤1. Only in the special case where w=1 does Keynes accept Ramsey’s approach because then the lower probability also equals the upper probability, which means that you now have additive, precise numerically definite probabilities. Keynes conceded to Ramsey what he had always agree about, that the purely mathematical laws of the probability calculus can be interpreted as coherence constraints requiring that the probabilities of rational decision makers must be consistent with the assumption of additivity if, and only if, w=1. The literature on Keynes’s logical probability relation, P, has failed to grasp Keynes’s very clear statements supporting it.
Exploring student perceptions of virtual simulation versus traditional clinical and manikin-based simulation

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic immediately changed the way nursing programs provide clinical experiences for pre-licensure nursing programs. Healthcare organizations closed access to clinical experiences for nursing students and universities immediately shifted to remote learning and online virtual simulation. Purpose This research examined students' perceptions of virtual simulation in meeting their learning needs when compared to traditional clinical experiences and manikin-based simulation environments. Methods A retrospective multi-site exploratory, descriptive design had 97 participants complete the Clinical Learning Environment Comparison Survey 2.0 after having experienced virtual simulation. A Kruskal-Wallis test was used to examine differences among participants when grouped by degree program and level/term within the nursing program. Results Traditional clinical experiences met students' perceived learning needs for all degree programs of study for subscale items of communication, nursing process, holism, critical thinking, and self-efficacy. When grouped by level/term, traditional clinical experiences met all students' perceived learning needs for every subscale item. Manikin-based simulation met students' perceived learning needs for subscale items of critical thinking and teaching-learning dyad while virtual simulation met perceived learning needs for subscale items of nursing process, critical thinking, self-efficacy, and teaching-learning dyad. Conclusion While traditional clinical learning experiences remains the “gold standard”, manikin-based and virtual simulation do meet specific important learning needs.
PLA/HA Multiscale Nano-/Micro-Hybrid 3D Scaffolds Provide Inductive Cues to Stems Cells to Differentiate into an Osteogenic Lineage

This study investigated the efficacy of combined 3D printing and electrospinning to form hybrid 3D scaffolds to provide inductive cues for stems cells to differentiate into an osteogenic lineage. Hybrid scaffolds mimicking the three-dimensional architecture and bioactivity of the extracellular matrix were fabricated by co-electrospinning poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and hydroxyapatite (HA) in varying percentages onto 3D-printed PLA. The 3D-printed scaffold provided a porous structure with the requisite mechanical properties for a bone tissue scaffold. Coating the PLA scaffold with electrospun nanofibers provided bioactivity. The nano-topology of the scaffold surface promoted cell attachment, and that affinity was increased by incorporating HA. It was also found that the HA provided inductive cues to stem cells to differentiate into an osteogenic lineage. The scaffolds promoted the bone mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) proliferation, induced cellular synthesis of extracellular matrix molecules as well as controlled the expression of osteogenic cell markers in BMSC.
The Effects of a Blue-Light Filtering Versus Clear Intraocular Implant on Color Appearance.

Purpose More than a dozen studies have investigated whether blue-light filtering (BLF) intraocular lens (IOL) implants influence color vision, generally finding they do not. These studies have not tested color vision per se; rather, they have measured color vision deficiencies or chromatic discrimination. Here, we used additive trichromatic colorimetry to assess color appearance in participants with BLF and clear IOL. Methods Seventy-six participants were recruited from two populations: older participants (n = 52) with BLF and clear IOL (n = 98 eyes; M = 67.33 ± 7.48 years; 58.8% female; 25.5% non-White), and young adult control participants (n = 24; M = 21.0 ± 5.13 years; 70.8% female; 41.5% non-White). Participants used a custom-built tricolorimeter to mix three primaries until a perceived perfect neutral white was achieved. Color appearance, expressed as chromaticity coordinates, was measured with a spectral radiometer (ILS950). Results Between subjects, the BLF IOL chromaticity coordinates (x = 0.34, y = 0.35, u' = 0.21, v' = 0.48) were not significantly different from the clear IOL (x = 0.34, y = 0.33, u' = 0.22, v' = 0.48). BLF and clear IOL were also not different within-contralateral subjects (n = 21; BLF x = 0.34, y = 0.33, u' = 0.22, v' = 0.47; clear x = 0.34, y = 0.33, u' = 0.21, v' = 0.48). Both IOL groups differed from young adults (v'[0.45; P = 0.001], x[0.31; P = 0.008], and y[ 0.30, P < 0.000], but not u'[0.21]). Conclusions One advantage of geometric representation of color space is the ability to specify the appearance (rather than spectral composition) of any light mixture by specific coordinates. Using this system, only minor differences in color appearance were found between a BLF, clear IOL, and young natural lens. Translational Relevance When color perception is directly measured, the BLF and clear IOL are not meaningfully different.
Intestinal Transgene Delivery with Native E. coli Chassis Allows Persistent Physiological Changes

Live bacterial therapeutics (LBT) could reverse disease by engrafting in the gut and providing persistent beneficial functions in the host. However, attempts to functionally manipulate the gut microbiome of conventionally-raised (CR) hosts have been unsuccessful, because engineered microbial organisms (i.e., chassis) cannot colonize the hostile luminal environment. In this proof-of-concept study, we use native bacteria as chassis for transgene delivery to impact CR host physiology. Native Escherichia coli isolated from stool cultures of CR mice were modified to express functional bacterial (bile salt hydrolase) and eukaryotic (Interleukin-10) genes. Reintroduction of these strains induces perpetual engraftment in the intestine. In addition, engineered native E. coli can induce functional changes that affect host physiology and reverse pathology in CR hosts months after administration. Thus, using native bacteria as chassis to knock-in specific functions allows mechanistic studies of specific microbial activities in the microbiome of CR hosts, and enables LBT with curative intent.
Educational Lessons from Evolutionary Properties of the Sexual Genome

The sexual genome (the full suite of genetic material within each cell of a sexual species) is an object of wonder for scientists and philosophers alike. By any criterion, it ranks among the most complex and sophisticated apparatuses known to humanity, yet it also performs like a Rube-Goldberg device that malfunctions routinely with oft-disastrous consequences for an organism’s wellbeing. To reconcile such seemingly contradictory perspectives on genomic operations, gene-centric reasoning that focuses on the concept of selfish DNA appears at present to be a fruitful scientific approach. The basic idea is that sequence proliferation via successful DNA replication is a key aspect of the evolutionary game especially when the best interests of genes versus organisms come into conflict, as they often do. From this neo-Darwinian insight flow biological predictions that reconcile otherwise enigmatic structural and functional properties of sexual genomes, including many recently uncovered features of nuclear DNA in Homo sapiens. Thus, we might suppose that molecular genetics and evolutionary genomics would be centerpieces of academic curricula in biology and medicine. The fact that they are not has historical and sociological roots that help to explain why the genomic revolution, now entering its second decade, has barely begun to reach its tremendous potential for illuminating the human condition.
Playing for Plot in the Lost and Portal Franchises

Normal.dotm 0 0 1 128 734 6 1 901 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} The rising prominence of transmedia storytelling in the digital era has helped to spur the intertwining of narrative and ludic media. In this presentation, I will discuss the way that gameplay and storytelling co-mingle in two very different franchises with both cult and mainstream appeal: the television series Lost and the game series Portal . While each privileges the typical form of their medium, with Lost emphasizing plot and Portal foregrounding play, looking at the cultural practices of each franchise’s “forensic fans” highlights how ludic and narrative pleasures are embedded within both media and their transmedia extensions. Contrasting the appeals encouraged by their transmedia extensions and the innovative practices embraced by fans highlights how both gameplay and storytelling can work together and potentially come into conflict within contemporary media environments.
A graded electron affinity field emission electron source

We report electron affinity measurements suggesting that Ga/sub 1-x/Al/sub x/N has the characteristics needed to create an improved field emitter. By grading the composition from low to high Al mole fraction within a thin layer at the surface of a field emitter, the uniformity, noise, and emission modulation characteristics may be improved.
Regulation of the Metabolism of Rabbit Liver Mitochondria by Long Chain Fatty Acids and Other Uncouplers of Oxidative Phosphorylation

Abstract 1. Oleate, 2,4-dinitrophenol, and other uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation have been compared with respect to their ability to stimulate the production of phosphoenolpyruvate from citric acid cycle intermediates and to alter the pathways of oxidation of pyruvate, glutamate, glutamine, and proline by rabbit liver mitochondria. 2. Oleate or 2,4-dinitrophenol stimulated the production of phosphoenolpyruvate from citrate or α-ketoglutarate even at concentrations of uncouplers which completely block respiratory chain-linked oxidative phosphorylation. 3. With malate or oxalacetate as substrate, uncouplers stimulated respiration and formation of phosphoenolpyruvate. In the presence of arsenite, production of phosphoenolpyruvate was blocked and pyruvate accumulated from these substrates. Added ATP restored phosphoenolpyruvate formation. 4. With pyruvate as substrate, low levels of uncouplers stimulated respiration, formation of citric acid cycle intermediates, and phosphoenolpyruvate. As the concentrations of uncouplers were increased, net formation of citrate, malate, and phosphoenolpyruvate was abolished, and pyruvate was diverted to acetoacetate. The level of added inorganic phosphate markedly influenced the rate of carboxylation of pyruvate. 5. With glutamate, glutamine, or proline as substrate, relatively low levels of oleate or 2,4-dinitrophenol gave optimal stimulation of respiration. However, at higher concentrations of uncouplers, formation of phosphoenolpyruvate was further increased without alteration of the respiratory rate. These effects may be explained by alterations in the relative rates of glutamic dehydrogenase and glutamicoxalacetic transaminase, the oxidation-reduction state of NAD(P), and the steady state level of oxalacetate. 6. The accumulated evidence supports the view that increased hepatic free fatty acids may facilitate gluconeogenesis in rabbit liver by uncoupling mitochondrial respiration.
Shock-induced neutrophil mediated priming for acute lung injury in mice: divergent effects of TLR-4 and TLR-4/FasL deficiency.

Acute lung injury (ALI) leading to respiratory distress is a common sequela of shock/trauma, however, modeling this process in mice with a single shock or septic event is inconsistent. One explanation is that hemorrhage is often just a “priming insult,” thus, secondary stimuli may be required to “trigger” ALI. To test this we carried out studies in which we assessed the capacity of hemorrhage alone or hemorrhage followed by septic challenge (CLP) to induce ALI. Lung edema, bronchoalveolar lavage interleukin (IL)-6, alveolar congestion, as well as lung IL-6, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were all increased in mice subjected to CLP at 24 but not 72 hours following hemorrhage. This was associated with a marked increase in the susceptibility of these mice to septic mortality. Peripheral blood neutrophils derived from 24 hours post-hemorrhage, but not Sham animals, exhibited an ex vivo decrease in apoptotic frequency and an increase in respiratory burst capacity, consistent with in vivo “priming.” Subsequently, we observed that adoptive transfer of neutrophils from hemorrhaged but not sham-hemorrhage animals to neutropenic recipients reproduce ALI when subsequently septically challenged, implying that this priming was mediated by neutrophils. We also found marked general increases in lung IL-6, MIP-2, and MPO in mice deficient for toll-like receptor (TLR-4) or the combined lack of TLR-4/FasL. However, the TLR-4 defect markedly attenuated neutrophil influx into the lung while not altering the change in local cytokine/chemokine expression. Alternatively, the combined loss of FasL and TLR-4 did not inhibit the increase in MPO and exacerbated lung IL-6/MIP-2 levels even further.
Nutritional Immunity: S100 Proteins at the Host-Pathogen Interface

The S100 family of EF-hand calcium (Ca2+)-binding proteins is essential for a wide range of cellular functions. During infection, certain S100 proteins act as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and interact with pattern recognition receptors to modulate inflammatory responses. In addition, these inflammatory S100 proteins have potent antimicrobial properties and are essential components of the immune response to invading pathogens. In this review, we focus on S100 proteins that exhibit antimicrobial properties through the process of metal limitation, termed nutritional immunity, and discuss several recent advances in our understanding of S100 protein-mediated metal sequestration at the site of infection.
Direct molecular simulation of nitrogen dissociation based on an ab initio potential energy surface

The direct molecular simulation (DMS) approach is used to predict the internal energy relaxation and dissociation dynamics of high-temperature nitrogen. An ab initio potential energy surface (PES) is used to calculate the dynamics of two interacting nitrogen molecules by providing forces between the four atoms. In the near-equilibrium limit, it is shown that DMS reproduces the results obtained from well-established quasiclassical trajectory (QCT) analysis, verifying the validity of the approach. DMS is used to predict the vibrational relaxation time constant for N2–N2 collisions and its temperature dependence, which are in close agreement with existing experiments and theory. Using both QCT and DMS with the same PES, we find that dissociation significantly depletes the upper vibrational energy levels. As a result, across a wide temperature range, the dissociation rate is found to be approximately 4–5 times lower compared to the rates computed using QCT with Boltzmann energy distributions. DMS calculations predict a quasi-steady-state distribution of rotational and vibrational energies in which the rate of depletion of high-energy states due to dissociation is balanced by their rate of repopulation due to collisional processes. The DMS approach simulates the evolution of internal energy distributions and their coupling to dissociation without the need to precompute rates or cross sections for all possible energy transitions. These benchmark results could be used to develop new computational fluid dynamics models for high-enthalpy flow applications.
High dynamic range linearized FM photonic link

We present our work on frequency and phase modulated microwave photonic links which achieve linear demodulation using planar lightwave circuits (PLC) optical filtering and balanced detection, showing improvement in spurious free dynamic-range and signal gain.
Flamenco: Passion, Politics and Popular Culture

Flamenco: Passion, Politics and Popular Culture. William Washabaugh. Oxford: Berg, 1996. xx. 209 pp., figures, notes, bibliography, Index.
Theory of Secondary Emission

The elementary theory of secondary electron emission developed by Salow, Bruining, Baroody, and others has been generalized and modified to incorporate recent measurements by Young of the range-energy relation and the dissipation of energy by slow electrons in solids. It is found that these modifications give considerably improved agreement between the theoretical and experimental "universal" reduced yield curves. However, for primary energies several times higher than that for which the yield has its maximum value, deviations occur; the reduced yield curve for metals appears to lie slightly above the theoretical curve, while that for MgO falls increasingly below. Similar results are found for Ge, but the agreement is better than for MgO.
Compressing light and sound through chirped-pulse stimulated Brillouin scattering

We show that stimulated Brillouin scattering with frequency-chirped “signal” and “write” pulses can create a spatially compressed, chirped hypersonic wave. This wave can scatter a light pulse of the opposite chirp to yield a temporally compressed pulse.
Recent Progress in Opto-Electronic Oscillator

The optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) is a unique device based on photonics techniques to generate highly spectrally pure microwave signals [1]. The development of the OEO was motivated by the need for high performance oscillators in the frequency range larger than 10 GHz, where conventional electronic oscillators have a number of limitations. These limitations typically stem from the product of fQ, where f is the oscillator frequency and Q is the quality factor of the resonator in the oscillator. In conventional resonators, whether electromagnetic or piezoelectric, this product is usually a constant. Thus, as the oscillator frequency is pushed higher, the quality factor degrades, resulting in degradation of the phase noise of the oscillator. An approach to mitigate the problem is to start with a very high quality signal in the 5 to 100 MHz range generated by a quartz oscillator and multiply the frequency to achieve the desired microwave signal. Here again, frequency multiplication also results in an increase of the phase noise by a factor of 2010gN, where N is the multiplication factor.
Steam Conditions in a Catalyzed D Reactor

The nature of the steam cycle and boiler design for a fusion power plant using a catalyzed D reaction is discussed. A preliminary appraisal indicates that with a superheated steam cycle the materials and technology of conventional fossil fueled steam generators may be directly applied. The severe metallurgical. stress, heat transfer and tritium breeding problems associated with D-T reactors are, to a great extent, avoided by the use of this scheme.
Modeling of a Mainframe Server Frame Subjected to Seismic Loadings

This paper describes the finite element modeling of a mainframe server frame. The frame consists of a server rack or frame with its add-on stiffening brackets. The frame is anchored directly to the floor with bolts at each of the four corners. The Telcordia Zone 4 earthquake test profile represents a severe dynamic load input and will be used herein to analyze the mainframe server frame. The main objective of this modeling is to validate the frame design prior to actual seismic testing, which ultimately ensures the structural integrity of a functional mainframe system during a seismic event. The server frame finite element (FE) model is derived from a three dimensional CAD model of a standard sheet metal frame weldment assembly which is then simplified and meshed with finite elements. This FE model represents the server frame, welded connections, and stiffening brackets, which are specifically designed to withstand seismic test profiles. To represent the components that populate the server frame, point masses are tied to the frame at the same attachment points that exist in the real assembly. The validation of the FE model involves the use of a horizontal shaker test to assess the server frame’s stiffness. The goal of this paper is to show a good correlation between FE model and test results using two separate FE solver technologies: implicit and explicit. For an implicit solver, linear material properties were used to obtain modal behavior that approximates the actual server frame’s behavior. Once these outputs were achieved, further response refinement was attempted by porting the model to an explicit dynamic solver. An explicit solver allowed non-linear material properties and body to body contact behavior to be included in the FE model while applying the seismic test profile to the server frame using a time domain input. The explicit dynamic model outputs used to correlate to actual test results were the modal dynamics, the displacement of the top of the server frame, and the maximum reaction force at the anchored corners. Finally, a functional system was subjected to the Telcordia Zone 4 seismic test profile. The system was functional during and after the seismic test with no significant structural damage having occurred.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Predicting high school students' cognitive engagement and achievement: Contributions of classroom perceptions and motivation

Path analysis was used to test predictions of a model explaining the impact of students' perceptions of classroom structures (tasks, autonomy support and mastery and evaluation) on their self-efficacy, perceptions of the instrumentality of class work, and their achievement goals in a particular classroom setting. Additionally, the impact of self-efficacy, instrumentality, and goals on students' cognitive engagement and achievement was tested. There were 220 high school students who completed a series of questionnaires over a three-month period in their English classes. Data strongly supported the model demonstrating that student perceptions of classroom structures are important for their motivation. Also supported was the importance of perceiving the current class work as being instrumental for future success. Implications were discussed.