cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of cytoplasmic microtubules and flagellar roots in the zoospores of Allomyces macrogynus

Cytoskeletal and flagellar microtubules in the zoospores of the aquatic fungusAllomyces macrogynus are resistant to microtubule depolymerizing drugs. Consequently, we have analyzed the partial composition and organization of microtubules (Mts) in the cytoplasm and flagellar apparatus in the zoospores ofA. macrogynus. Evidence from two-dimensional gel electrophoresis demonstrated the presence of two α-tubulin isoforms in axonemal and cytoplasmic Mts. In addition, a monoclonal antibody specific for acetylated α-tubulin was used on one-dimensional protein blots to show that acetylated α-tubulins are present in isolated zoospore cell bodies and axonemes. Immunofluorescence microscopy observations using this monoclonal antibody demonstrated that flagellar, kinetosomal, and cytoplasmic Mts were labeled. The nature of Mts in the flagellar apparatus was studied ultrastructurally. InA. macrogynus, the flagellar apparatus consists of the kinetosome, rhizopolast (striated flagellar rootlet), axoneme, and 9 sets of triplet Mts which radiate anteriorly from the proximal end of the kinetosome (microtubular rootlet), Analysis of the rhizoplast indicated that this structure does not contain Mts. The rhizoplast, which connects the functional kinetosome with a single, large basal mitochrondrion, consists of four electron-opaque bands. Serial-sectioning indicated that the rhizoplast is always adjacent to kinetosome triplets 1, 2, and 9, and thus lies perpendicular to the plane of flagellar beat. These results suggest that the primary function of the rhizoplast is to organize the kinetosome and mitochondrion with respect to one another and to bias flagellar beat in the appropriate orientation for cell motility.
Environmental DNA particle size distribution from Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling has become a widespread approach for detecting aquatic animals with high potential for improving conservation biology. However, little research has been done to determine the size of particles targeted by eDNA surveys. In this study, we conduct particle distribution analysis of eDNA from a captive Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in a flow-through mesocosm. Our data suggest that 1.2–10-μm particles are the most common size of eDNA from Brook Trout, which is consistent with our hypotheses that eDNA in the environment is comprised of loosely aggregated smaller particles, resulting in high inter-sample heterogeneity. These findings are similar to those of a study on Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) in lentic systems.
Photoelectron quantum yields and photoelectron microscopy of chlorophyll and chlorophyllin.

— The absolute PE quantum yield curves of chls a and b,.chin, and phytol were examined over the wavelength range 500-180 nm. In the long wavelength region (500-240 nm) quantum yields are below 5 × 10-6 electrons per incident photon. Below 240 nm the quantum yields rise sharply. The chls and chin exhibit similar yield curves; measured yields were of order 5 × 10-6 electrons per incident photon at 240 nm, 1 × 10-4 at 220 nm, and 1 × 10-3 at 180 nm. These yields are at least 2 orders of magnitude greater than those of the amino acids and more than three orders of magnitude greater than that of phytol over this wavelength region. Photoemission observed in chl thin films is due to the porphyrin moiety of the molecule. High contrast is obtained in PE micrographs of chin deposited on substrates of bovine serum albumin, dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine, or starch. Chl is expected to be the dominant photoemissive component of thylakoid membranes and accounts for the image contrast observed previously in PE micrographs of spinach chloroplasts.
A Simple Method for Estimating the Prevalence of Undiagnosed HIV Infection in an Emergency Department

Objectives Estimating the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV in emergency departments (EDs) is not straightforward. Regional epidemiologic data are unlikely to translate directly to a single ED setting, and the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV likely differs between EDs within a region. We propose a simple method for estimating the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV in individual EDs. Methods First, incident cases are grouped by zip codes and combined with census data to calculate zip code–specific case rates. Second, the proportion of ED patients living in each zip code is determined. Third, the prevalence of undiagnosed disease is estimated as the mean zip code case rate, weighted by the proportion of ED patients living in each zip code, multiplied by the estimated time from infection to diagnosis. We applied this method to 3 EDs in a metropolitan region with an annual HIV/AIDS case rate of 6.2 per 100,000. Results From 1999 through 2003, the annual HIV case rate was estimated to range from 6.4 to 12.7 at an urban academic ED, 5.9 to 10.2 at an urban community ED, and 2.1 to 4.9 at a suburban community ED. The estimated prevalence of undiagnosed disease was 0.05% (urban academic), 0.04% (urban community), and 0.02% (suburban community). Conclusion Publicly reported regional AIDS or HIV statistics do not reflect ED-specific HIV epidemiology, but ED-specific case rates can be crudely estimated from readily available data. This method promises to be a valuable aid for translating HIV screening to ED settings.
Heterogeneity in Mantel-Haenszel-type models

SUMMARY The Mantel-Haenszel problem involves inferences about a common odds ratio in a set of 2 x 2 tables. Although it is a fairly standard practice to test whether the odds ratios are indeed constant, there is remarkably little methodology available for proceeding when there is evidence of some heterogeneity. Our interest is in models where the log odds ratios Ok, for tables k = 1, 2, .. ., K, are thought of as a sample from a population with mean 0 and standard deviation a, and inferences are desired regarding the parameters (0, a). By Mantel-Haenszel-type models we mean to include the generalization involving pairs of Poisson observations rather than 2 x 2 tables, where the Ok are logarithms of ratios of the Poisson means within pairs. Direct computation of the likelihood function for (0, a) in these settings involves numerical integration, and the main point here is a simple approximation to this likelihood. The approximation is based on Laplace's method, and is very accurate for practical applications. Inference regarding the parameter 0 of primary interest may be made from the profile likelihood function. An alternative approach to likelihood methods, based on approximations to the marginal means and variances, is also considered. The methods explored here can be readily generalized to settings where the parameters Ok depend on covariables as well.
Mass spectrometric characterization of the neuropeptidome of the ghost crab Ocypode ceratophthalma (Brachyura, Ocypodidae)

The horn-eyed ghost crab Ocypode ceratophthalma is a terrestrial brachyuran native to the Indo-Pacific region, including the islands of Hawaii. Here, multiple mass spectrometric platforms, including matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF MS) and nanoflow liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC-ESI-Q-TOF MS/MS), were used to characterize the neuropeptidome of this species. In total, 156 peptide paracrines/hormones, representing 15 peptide families, were identified from the O. ceratophthalma supraesophageal ganglion (brain), eyestalk ganglia, pericardial organ and/or sinus gland, including 59 neuropeptides de novo sequenced here for the first time. Among the de novo sequenced peptides were isoforms of A-type allatostatin, B-type allatostatin, FMRFamide-like peptide (FLP), orcokinin, orcomyotropin and RYamide. Of particular note, were several novel FLPs including DVRAPALRLRFamide, an isoform of short neuropeptide F, and NRSNLRFamide, the orcokinins NFDEIDRSGYGFV and DFDEIDRSSFGFH, which exhibit novel Y for F and D for N substitutions at positions 10 and 1, respectively, and FDAYTTGFGHS, a member of the orcomyotropin family exhibiting a novel Y for F substitution at position 4. Taken collectively, the set of peptides described here represents the largest number of neuropeptides thus far characterized via mass spectrometry from any single crustacean, and provides a framework for future investigations of the physiological roles played by these molecules in this species.
Dynamo and hydromagnetic liquid metal experiments

Magnetic dynamo experiments are being performed in many laboratories throughout the world. The most successful have been at Karlsruhe and Riga, where liquid sodium has been forced in constrained flows and has produced the predicted positive dynamo gain. The unconstrained flows are being investigated at Wisconsin, Cadarache, and Maryland. These experiments have not reached the critical values of the magnetic Reynolds number, Rm , necessary for dynamo gain, despite the positive predictions of laminar flow theory. Experiments in understanding the relationship of turbulence to MHD are being performed in addition to these at Perm, Princeton, and Swarthmore. A naturally constrained dynamo, using angular momentum gradient, Couette flow, to suppress turbulence is being attempted at New Mexico Tech. Flow constrained by ridged walls is likely to have less turbulence than unconstrained flow where the criterion of constraint is the degree of suppression of the Helmholtz shear flow instability. The study of MHD in conjunction with fluid turbulence has become of major importance in dynamo experiments as well as to future dynamo theory. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Complementary Deoxyribonucleic Acid Cloning of a Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Encoding Transforming Growth Factor β 4 from Chicken Embryo Chondrocytes

Using a human transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta) cDNA probe, we have detected an RNA species migrating at about 1.7 kilobases in cultured primary chicken embryo chondrocytes that is distinct from chicken TGF beta 1. The cloning and sequencing of cDNAs corresponding to this chondrocyte RNA demonstrate that it represents a new member of the TGF beta family, which we have named TGF beta 4. Unlike previously described TGF beta which are 390 to 414 amino acids long, the predicted precursor protein of TGF beta 4 is only 304 amino acids and does not appear to contain a signal peptide. Also unique to this new TGF beta is an insertion of two amino acids near the N-terminus of the processed peptide which would result in a 114 amino acid mature protein after cleavage from the precursor at a tetrabasic arg-arg-arg-arg site. The nine cysteine residues characteristic of all TGF beta are conserved. TGF beta 4 shows 82%, 64%, and 71% identity with the amino acid sequences of processed TGF beta 1, 2, and 3, respectively.
LES of a Non-Premixed Flame Using an Extended Flamelet/Progress Variable Model

In previous a priori studies we have examined the flamelet/progress variable model proposed by Pierce and Moin and identified the most important areas for model improvements. The flamelet/progress variable approach is a conserved scalar based model for non-premixed combustion and uses a reactive scalar as an additional parameter in a table lookup. One of the main assumptions in this model is the use of a delta function as a presumed probability density function (PDF) for this reactive scalar. We have previously shown that the use of the beta function provides some improvement. Here, the statistically most-likely distribution is proposed as a presumed PDF for the flamelet parameter. This provides two advantages. First of all, the function depends on a chemical time-scale, and in addition, an arbitrary number of moments can be enforced. The model is applied to flames D and E of the Sandia piloted turbulent jet flame series and results are compared with experimental data.
Conducting medication safety research projects in a primary care physician practice-based research network

Objective To describe a roadmap for developing a practice-based research network (PBRN) through the experience of conducting medication safety research projects in a primary care physician PBRN. Setting Southern Primary-care Urban Research Network (SPUR-Net) in Houston, Tex., from 2000 to 2007. Practice Description SPUR-Net is a partnership of six health care organizations in Houston and includes 32 clinics with 313 primary care clinicians (50% family physicians, 25% general internists, and 25% pediatricians) who provide care for approximately 1 million patient encounters annually. Practice Innovation The pharmacist principal investigator collaborates with physicians and researchers in primary care clinics to investigate medication safety practice in SPUR-Net. Main Outcome Measures (1) A roadmap for PBRN research and (2) initiation of a research program focusing on medication safety through the PBRN. Results A roadmap with 10 steps for conducting practice-based research is recommended: (1) form collaborative partnership, (2) develop research infrastructure, (3) formulate research questions, (4) design study methods, (5) obtain funding support, (6) develop study instruments, (7) implement the study, (8) manage and analyze data, (9) disseminate results, and (10) translate research into practice. Four research projects focusing on medication safety were conducted in SPUR-Net from 2002 to 2007. Medication outcomes include improved medication use, increased awareness for medication counseling, decreased medication errors, and identification of best practices for medication reconciliation. Conclusion Practice-based research conducted in primary care settings identifies, studies, and evaluates common problems encountered in busy clinic practice. With feedback from stakeholders, best practices and improved practice can be identified and "translated" back to practice. Grant funding for research projects helps sustain PBRNs. The implementation of medication safety research projects has helped primary care clinics, clinicians, and patients increase appropriate medication use and explore ways to further improve medication safety.
Learning patterns in the dynamics of biological networks

Our dynamic graph-based relational mining approach has been developed to learn structural patterns in biological networks as they change over time. The analysis of dynamic networks is important not only to understand life at the system-level, but also to discover novel patterns in other structural data. Most current graph-based data mining approaches overlook dynamic features of biological networks, because they are focused on only static graphs. Our approach analyzes a sequence of graphs and discovers rules that capture the changes that occur between pairs of graphs in the sequence. These rules represent the graph rewrite rules that the first graph must go through to be isomorphic to the second graph. Then, our approach feeds the graph rewrite rules into a machine learning system that learns general transformation rules describing the types of changes that occur for a class of dynamic biological networks. The discovered graph-rewriting rules show how biological networks change over time, and the transformation rules show the repeated patterns in the structural changes. In this paper, we apply our approach to biological networks to evaluate our approach and to understand how the biosystems change over time. We evaluate our results using coverage and prediction metrics, and compare to biological literature.
Processing and properties of SiC/vinyl ester nanocomposites

The feasibility of improving polymer composites was investigated using 30 nm SiC nanoparticles in a vinyl ester resin. Even when the particle loading was less than 4% by weight, the viscosity of the nanoparticle suspension was found to increase much higher than that of microparticle suspension. This phenomenon may be the result of association between nanoparticles and polymer molecules, effectively making the nanoparticles larger. The resulting reduction in the mobility of polymer molecules also led to delayed curing. Ultrasonic mixing did not fully disperse the particles. As a result, the composite strength did not improve although the modulus increased. The use of a dispersant, methacryloxy propyl trimethoxy silane (MPS), improved the dispersion quality and hence the composite strength. The paper discusses the issues involved with processing, characterization and properties of SiC/vinyl ester nanocomposites. Methods of improving the nanocomposite quality are proposed in the paper as well.
Acute Canine Cerebral lschemia: A Preliminary Model to Evaluate Microvascular Mammary-Carotid Anastomosis

Although the dog remains the standard surgical laboratory animal, its extensive collateral circulation makes complete interruption of cerebral blood flow quite difficult. A simple yet reliable canine model for the study of cerebrovascular insufficiency would seem desirable. We have found that complete division of the left subclavian and right brachiocephalic arteries and their major branches can be rapidly performed through a small left thoracotomy. This interruption of blood supply is incompatible with resumption of normal respiratory function, consciousness, or survival, and can be used to evaluate extra-anatomic grafts or anastomoses.
Cardiac CT in Emergency Department Patients with Acute Chest Pain

Current strategies for the triage of patients who have chest pain but normal initial cardiac enzyme levels and nondiagnostic electrocardiograms do not permit efficient risk stratification. The potentially fatal consequences and high malpractice costs of missed acute coronary syndromes lead every year to the unnecessary hospital admission of about 2.8 million patients who present with acute chest pain in emergency departments in the United States. Most of these patients are at very low risk for an acute coronary syndrome. However, the standard clinical work-up does not provide information about the presence and extent of coronary artery disease. In most patients (80%-94%) with an acute coronary syndrome, a significant coronary artery stenosis can be detected with selective coronary angiography. High levels of diagnostic accuracy also have been established for the detection of significant coronary artery stenosis with the use of 16- and 64-section multidetector computed tomography (CT) in patients with stable angina. Preliminary data indicate that multidetector CT also can help quantify and characterize coronary atherosclerotic plaque and that the CT findings are in good agreement with those at intravascular ultrasonography. Although multidetector CT provides accurate information about the presence of coronary artery disease, large blinded observational studies are warranted to identify CT characteristics with high accuracy for diagnosis of acute coronary syndromes. Such information would enable the conduct of randomized controlled trials to determine whether the detection of coronary stenosis and plaque with multidetector CT improves triage and reduces the costs or increases the cost-effectiveness of management of acute chest pain.
Robust design of slow-light tapers in periodic waveguides

This article concerns the design of tapers for coupling power between uniform and slow-light periodic waveguides. New optimization methods are described for designing robust tapers, which not only perform well under nominal conditions, but also over a given set of parameter variations. When the set of parameter variations models the inevitable variations typical in the manufacture or operation of the coupler, a robust design is one that will have a high yield, despite these parameter variations. The ideas of successive refinement, and robust optimization based on multi-scenario optimization with iterative sampling of uncertain parameters, using a fast method for approximately evaluating the reflection coefficient, are introduced. Robust design results are compared to a linear taper, and to optimized tapers that do not take parameter variation into account. Finally, robust performance of the resulting designs is verified using an accurate, but much more expensive, method for evaluating the reflection coeff...
Pre-college electrical engineering instruction: do abstract or contextualized representations promote better learning?

Pre-college students were randomly assigned to learn about electrical circuit analysis with an instructional program that included two problem solving practice conditions. In the first condition, students learned to solve parallel circuit problems that were contextualized around real electrical devices and represented with realistic diagrams. In the second condition, students learned to solve the same problems except that they were de-contextualized and represented with abstract diagrams. To measure learning, students were given near and far transfer problem solving tests. In addition, students' learning perceptions were measured using a program-rating survey that included three subscales: overall program usefulness, problem representation usefulness, and perceived cognitive load. Students who learned with abstract problems produced higher scores on the near transfer test and made better problem representations during problem solving than those who learned with contextualized problems. The contextualized group gave marginally higher ratings for the program representation usefulness. The findings suggest that abstract electrical circuit representations promote better learning because they facilitate thinking about a variety of problem contexts.
Pros and cons of public domain VLSIC design suites

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools play an essential role in modern microelectronics. A comparison between two of the available CAD tool suites, OCTTOOLS and OASIS, is presented along with detailed description of their features and advantages. These tools utilize full-custom or the standard cells semi-custom approaches. This paper is intended to facilitate proper choice of the tools for best VLSIC designs. At the Microelectronics System Design Lab (MSDL), Oakland University, several VLSIC chips have been designed and implemented based on: the ease of transfer among the various hierarchical design levels of the OCTTOOLS and the efficient compaction available in OASIS. An example of a six-bit multiplier is presented to illustrate the design and implementation. The pros and limitations of each tool address: specification language, logic and switch level simulations, placement and routing, design verification and testability, as well as compaction.
Setpoint scheduling for autonomous vehicle controllers

This paper considers the problem of controlling an autonomous vehicle to arrive at a specific position on a road at a given time and velocity. This ability is particularly useful for a recently introduced autonomous intersection management protocol, called AIM, which has been shown to lead to lower delays than traffic signals and stop signs. Specifically, we introduce a setpoint scheduling algorithm for generating setpoints for the PID controllers for the brake and throttle actuators of an autonomous vehicle. The algorithm constructs a feasible setpoint schedule such that the vehicle arrives at the position at the correct time and velocity. Our experimental results show that the algorithm outperforms a heuristic-based setpoint scheduler that does not provide any guarantee about the arrival time and velocity.
Large Group Bargaining in a Characteristic Function Game

This paper presents the results of an n-person characteristic function game played by between seven and and twelve players, one of whom was a monopolist. A factorial design allowed for analysis of the effects of group size, the availability of information, and communication opportunities for a series of seven trials. The data were compared to the game theoretic concepts of the core and Shapley value, (Shapley, 1953, Roth, 1977a), and to the predictions of the Weighted Probability model (Komorita, 1974). The findings indicated that the monopolist held a great deal of power, especially when communication among the players was not allowed. His payoffs increased over trials and approached the core in all of the conditions except when communicaion was available in seven and eight-person groups. The overall results were very close to the Shapley value and the predictions of the Weighted Probability model. The results were compared to an earlier study on a similar three-person game; increasing the group size see...
Committees and Supermajority Voting: Balancing Commitment and Flexibility ∗

When optimal policymaking is time-inconsistent (Kydland and Prescott, 1977), but the economy is hit by shocks, there is a trade-off between the need to commit to a policy and the need to retain discretion so as to respond to shocks. Rogoff (1985) shows that a way to strike the right balance between commitment and flexibility in monetary policy is to appoint a conservative central banker. I show that a rationale for using a committee to make decisions through voting is that a commitment device can be created out of it, without totally renouncing flexibility to respond to unexpected contingencies. Appropriate voting procedures and a well chosen supermajority rule can make a randomly sampled committee behave like Rogoff’s optimally conservative central banker. Supermajority rules can mitigate time-inconsistency by introducing a status quo bias. The optimal bias will depend on the volatility of the environment and on how heterogeneous preferences are. When voting institutions (i.e. the committee’s constitution) are endogenously chosen by simple majority voting, the emerging majority rule is the supermajority yielding the mix of commitment and flexibility preferred by the median voter. A corollary to this is that constitutional reform should require
Extended analysis of the in vitro tropism of porcine endogenous retrovirus.

We previously reported that mitogenic activation of porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells resulted in production of porcine endogenous retrovirus(es) (PERV[s]) capable of productively infecting human cells (C. Wilson et al., J. Virol. 72:3082–3087, 1998). We now extend that analysis to show that additional passage of isolated virus, named here PERV-NIH, through a human cell line yielded a viral population with a higher titer of infectious virus on human cells than the initial isolate. We show that in a single additional passage on a human cell line, the increase in infectivity for human cells is accounted for by selection against variants carrying pig-tropic envelope sequences (PERV-C) as well as by enrichment for replication-competent genomes. Sequence analysis of the envelope cDNA present in virions demonstrated that the envelope sequence of PERV-NIH is related to but distinct from previously reported PERV envelopes. The in vitro host range of PERV was studied in human primary cells and cell lines, as well as in cell lines from nonhuman primate and other species. This analysis reveals three patterns of susceptibility to infection among these host cells: (i) cells are resistant to infection in our assay; (ii) cells are infected by virus, as viral RNA is detected in the supernatant by reverse transcription-PCR, but the cells are not permissive to productive replication and spread; and (iii) cells are permissive to low-level productive replication. Certain cell lines were permissive for efficient productive infection and spread. These results may prove useful in designing appropriate animal models to assess the in vivo infectivity properties of PERV.
Comments on intrinsic viscosity–weight‐average molecular weight relationships for polyethylene

Relationships, as reported in the literature, between intrinsic viscosity and weight-average molecular weight for high-density polyethylene are in poor agreement. Experimental work in this laboratory, aimed at resolving similarly conflicting data, suggests that likely causes for these discrepancies are: polydispersity, incorrect dissymmetry correction, and inadequate solution clarification. These factors are discussed in some detail, and results on both fractionated and unfractionated samples support these conclusions. It is apparent that fairly narrow fractions must be studied to obtain a valid intrinsic viscosity-weight-average molecular weight relationship.
The current status of mapping karst areas and availability of public sinkhole-risk resources in karst terrains of the United States

Subsidence from sinkhole collapse is a common occurrence in areas underlain by water-soluble rocks such as carbonate and evaporite rocks, typical of karst terrain. Almost all 50 States within the United States (excluding Delaware and Rhode Island) have karst areas, with sinkhole damage highest in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. A conservative estimate of losses to all types of ground subsidence was $125 million per year in 1997. This estimate may now be low, as review of cost reports from the last 15 years indicates that the cost of karst collapses in the United States averages more than $300 million per year. Knowing when a catastrophic event will occur is not possible; however, understanding where such occurrences are likely is possible. The US Geological Survey has developed and maintains national-scale maps of karst areas and areas prone to sinkhole formation. Several States provide additional resources for their citizens; Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania maintain databases of sinkholes or karst features, with Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, and Ohio providing sinkhole reporting mechanisms for the public.
Regenerator Performance Analysis

Cryogenic refrigerators (cryocoolers) represent a natural application for regenerators. The periodic behavior, small size, and high thermal efficiency of a regenerator have contributed greatly to the development of efficient and reliable cryocoolers. It is doubtful that this development could have occurred with a conventional counterflow heat exchanger. The application of a regenerator in two generic types of cryocooler configurations is shown schematically in Fig. 3.1. The two schematics define the components common in all cryocoolers and the interconnection of these components. The cryocoolers each consist of a compression section, a regenerator, and an expansion section, but differ in the use of valves to separate the compression and expansion sections. Gifford–McMahon and Solvay cycle refrigerators are valved cryocoolers, whereas Stirling, pulse tube, and Vuilleumier (pronounced Viamay) cycle refrigerators are nonvalved—or constant-volume—cryocoolers.
Technology, Communication, Power, Society, and Change

Many people in the modern and postmodern worlds are involved with technology in one way or the other. Some love it and can’t wait to use the latest gadgets; others profess to hate technology and strive to live their lives free of it, while most simply take the increasingly ubiquitous nature of evermore sophisticated technology as somehow given, inevitable, unproblematic, and natural. Moreover, there is a vast and growing cache of academic literature about the interrelationship between technologies, individuals, societies and environments.
Health Reform, Medicaid Expansions, and Women's Cancer Screening.

Abstract Background Health reform, including Medicaid expansion, is increasing insurance coverage and financial access to breast and cervical cancer screening for low-income women, although services for low-income uninsured women are still needed. Methods American Community Survey and administrative data about Medicaid and health insurance enrollment are used to estimate the number of low-income women who will be uninsured in 2017, focusing on the age ranges 21 to 64, 40 to 64, and 50 to 64. Results Assuming that 29 states expand Medicaid (as of June 2015), the national percentage of low-income women 21 to 64 who are uninsured will fall from 32.2% in 2013 to 14.6% by 2017. Among Medicaid-expanding states, the percentage of uninsured will decrease from 28.7% to 8.0%, whereas in non-expanding states, the level will decrease from 36.9% to 23.3%. About 5.7 million women 21 to 64 and 2.6 million women 40 to 64 will remain uninsured in 2017. The size of the uninsured low-income population will remain much larger than the 659,000 women who have previously received Pap tests and 548,000 obtaining mammograms under the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program in 2013. Discussion Even before 2014, women living in states that are not expanding Medicaid were less likely to get mammograms and Pap tests than women in expanding states. Affordable Care Act–related insurance expansions will lower financial barriers to screening and should boost overall screening rates. But disparities in insurance coverage and cancer screening across Medicaid-expanding and non-expanding states could widen. Conclusions Programs to support cancer screening for low-income uninsured women will still be needed.
Diabetes in Remission: Insulin Secretory Dynamics

Insulin secretory capacity and sensitivity to exogenous insulin were examined in eight nonobese, ketosis-prone young diabetics at the time of a clinical remission during which they could be managed without any insulin therapy. The insulin secretory capacity of these patients was assessed with oral glucose, intravenous glucose and an oral mixed meal test. The insulin responses were variable and relatively subnormal compared to those in normal controls, but definite and substantial responses were found in the majority of the patients to all the stimuli. When small amounts of crystalline insulin were administered intravenously to produce peripheral venous insulin levels in the physiologic range, these patients responded with a normal decrease in blood glucose and plasma free fatty acid levels suggesting maintenance of in vivo insulin sensitivity. Since ketosis-prone, insulin-dependent diabetics are generally characterized by nearly complete failure of beta-cell function, the present finding supports the concept that clinical remission of diabetes is dependent on a functional recovery of the beta cell. Furthermore, it seems likely that no significant “insulin resistance” that often accompanies severe diabetes is present in this remission state.
Call for Papers: Special Issue: Response to Intervention

Karen Wixson, Guest Editor Response to Intervention (RTI) is an alternative to the discrepancy approach used for the identification of students with specific learning disabilities that was written into law in the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The RTI approach to identifying learning disabilities rests heavily on the ability of general educators to prevent serious learning difficulties by meeting the needs of the overwhelming majority of their students. Although RTI is commonly considered a general education initiative, the bulk of what has been written about it is both by and for school psychologists and special educators. As a result, there is a lack of information that is more directly relevant to the needs and concerns of general educators. This themed issue is designed to address this need by publishing papers written from a variety of perspectives on RTI-related theory and research. We are particularly interested in promoting professional dialogue about the value and challenges of using RTI approaches to address students’ needs in the areas of reading and mathematics in general education contexts. The special issue might include papers on a range of topics, such as comparisons among different approaches to RTI in different contexts, school-wide initiatives and collaborations, approaches to differentiated core instruction, instructionally meaningful assessment and progress monitoring, methods to address the needs of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, educative professional development for in-service teachers, and the role of school and district administrators. We are particularly interested in evidence-
Identification of the two-phase mechanism of arachidonic acid regulating inflammatory prostaglandin E2 biosynthesis by targeting COX-2 and mPGES-1.

Abstract Through linking inducible cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 with microsomal prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthase-1 (mPGES-1), a Single-Chain Enzyme Complex (SCEC, COX-2-10aa-mPGES-1) was engineered to mimic a specific inflammatory PGE2 biosynthesis from omega-6 fatty acid, arachidonic acid (AA), by eliminating involvements of non-inducible COX-1 and other PGE2 synthases. Using the SCEC, we characterized coupling reactions between COX-2 and mPGES-1 at 1:1 ratio of inflammatory PGE2 production. AA demonstrated two phase activities to regulate inflammatory PGE2 production. In the first phase (
A Study of the Writing Background and Cultural Implications of the Miao Folk Song "Railway was Built to Miao Village"

The Miao folk song "Railway was Built to Miao Village",with its lively rhythm and strong ethnic characteristics,has been popular for more than half century since 1960s.The song accurately reflects the change of the Miao people,bearing cultural value of history and aesthetic value of art.This paper tries to explore the cultural development and social changes of Miao people through the cultural significance implied in this song.
Protective effects of a natural product, curcumin, against amyloid β induced mitochondrial and synaptic toxicities in Alzheimer's disease

The purpose of our study was to investigate the protective effects of a natural product-'curcumin'- in Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like neurons. Although much research has been done in AD, very little has been reported on the effects of curcumin on mitochondrial biogenesis, dynamics, function and synaptic activities. Therefore, the present study investigated the protective effects against amyloid β (Aβ) induced mitochondrial and synaptic toxicities. Using human neuroblastoma (SHSY5Y) cells, curcumin and Aβ, we studied the protective effects of curcumin against Aβ. Further, we also studied preventive (curcumin+Aβ) and intervention (Aβ+curcumin) effects of curcumin against Aβ in SHSY5Y cells. Using real time RT-PCR, immunoblotting and immunofluorescence analysis, we measured mRNA and protein levels of mitochondrial dynamics, mitochondrial biogenesis and synaptic genes. We also assessed mitochondrial function by measuring hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation, cytochrome oxidase activity and mitochondrial ATP. Cell viability was studied using the MTT assay. Aβ was found to impair mitochondrial dynamics, reduce mitochondrial biogenesis and decrease synaptic activity and mitochondrial function. In contrast, curcumin enhanced mitochondrial fusion activity and reduced fission machinery, and increased biogenesis and synaptic proteins. Mitochondrial function and cell viability were elevated in curcumin treated cells. Interestingly, curcumin pre- and post-treated cells incubated with Aβ showed reduced mitochondrial dysfunction, and maintained cell viability and mitochondrial dynamics, mitochondrial biogenesis and synaptic activity. Further, the protective effects of curcumin were stronger in pretreated SHSY5Y cells than in post-treated cells, indicating that curcumin works better in prevention than treatment in AD-like neurons. Our findings suggest that curcumin is a promising drug molecule to treat AD patients.
Direct Conversion of Nitriles into Alkene “Isonitriles”

The sequenced addition of RLi to nitriles, trapping with isopropylformate, and dehydration with phosphoryl chloride provides an efficient, direct synthesis of alkene isocyanides. The one-pot sequence involves a series of carefully orchestrated steps: addition, formylation, tautomerization, and dehydration, with CuCN catalyzing a key equilibration of a formyl imine to an N-formyl enamine. The resulting aromatic alkeneisocyanides, that are otherwise challenging to synthesize, engage in an unusual [4+2]-type cycloaddition/1,3-H shift/decyanation sequence to afford substituted naphthalenes.
System Effects of Widespread Use of Fully Automated Vehicles—Three Scenarios

As a promising technology close to entering the market, fully automated vehicles (AVs) have been widely analyzed from many angles. In spite of many discussions and articles published on the subject, there has been little structured analysis of the broader system-level effects of full adoption of AVs, and therefore a lack of consideration of the potential effects of multiple simultaneous causal relationships and feedback loops. This paper utilizes an existing system dynamics model that conceptually illustrates many important dynamics in surface transportation systems. It builds on this model, incorporating changes that are likely to occur under three different scenarios of AV adoption.
Investigation of Microscale Cryocoolers

With the advent of micro electrical mechanical system (MEMS) technologies and other advanced manufacturing techniques comes the opportunity to fabricate devices on a smaller scale. One area of current interest to the microscale community is thermal systems. Many components of thermal systems have been constructed including motors, valves, pumps, nozzles, combustors, and heat exchangers. Although the pieces are in place, they have not been combined to form complete thermal systems.
Performance Assessments of a Novel Well Design for Reducing Exposure to Bedrock‐Derived Arsenic

Arsenic in groundwater is a serious problem in New England, particularly for domestic well owners drawing water from bedrock aquifers. The overlying glacial aquifer generally has waters with low arsenic concentrations but is less used because of frequent loss of well water during dry periods and the vulnerability to surface-sourced bacterial contamination. An alternative, novel design for shallow wells in glacial aquifers is intended to draw water primarily from unconsolidated glacial deposits, while being resistant to drought conditions and surface contamination. Its use could greatly reduce exposure to arsenic through drinking water for domestic use. Hypothetical numerical models were used to investigate the potential hydraulic performance of the new well design in reducing arsenic exposure. The aquifer system was divided into two parts, an upper section representing the glacial sediments and a lower section representing the bedrock. The location of the well, recharge conditions, and hydraulic properties were systematically varied in a series of simulations and the potential for arsenic contamination was quantified by analyzing groundwater flow paths to the well. The greatest risk of arsenic contamination occurred when the hydraulic conductivity of the bedrock aquifer was high, or where there was upward flow from the bedrock aquifer because of the position of the well in the flow system.
Imaging of polarized target in underwater environment

Imaging of underwater targets is challenging because of the significant attenuation of the propagating light field due to the absorption and scattering by water and suspended/dissolved matter. Some living and manmade objects in water have surfaces which partially polarize the light, whose properties can be used to camouflage or, conversely, to detect such objects. The attenuation of light by the intervening water (so-called veiling light) changes both the intensity and polarization characteristics at each pixel of the image, but does not contain any information about the target and contributes to image degradation and blurring. Its properties need to be understood in order to isolate the true optical signature of the target. The main goal of this study is to retrieve the polarization characteristics of the target from the image in different water environmental and illumination conditions by taking into account coincidentally measured inherent water optical properties (IOPs) during recent field campaigns outside the Chesapeake Bay and in New York Bight. Data, in the form of images and videos, were acquired using a green-band full-Stokes polarimetric video camera. Analysis of the acquired images show reasonable agreement in Stokes vector components with the measurements by the underwater polarimeter and modeled polarized signals. In addition, Stokes vector components of the veiling light were also estimated and compared with the models. Finally, retrieval of the attenuation coefficient for the light from the target is attempted from the measurements and compared with the results of the independent measurements of IOPs.
Beyond Dose: Using Pretherapy Biomarkers to Improve Dose Prediction of Outcomes for Radioimmunotherapy of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Abstract Introduction: Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma patients respond differently to therapy according to inherent biological variations. Pretherapy biomarkers may improve dose-response prediction. Materials and Methods: Hybrid single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) three-dimensional imaging at multiple time points plus follow-up positron emission tomography (PET)/CT or CT at 2 and 6 months post therapy were used to fit tumor response to combined biological effect and cell clearance models from which three biological effect response parameters (radiosensitivity, cold effect sensitivity, and proliferation potential) were determined per patient. A correlation of biological effect parameters and pretherapy biomarker data (ki67, p53, and phospho-histone H3) allowed a dose-based equivalent biological effect (EBE) to be calculated for each patient. Results: Significant correlations were found between biological effect parameters and pretherapy biomarkers. Optimum correlations were fo...
Efficiency evaluation of treatments against rising damp by scale models and test in situ

Abstract The presence of water in masonries is one of the most relevant cause of decay in historic buildings. If water is present, particularly rising damp, degradation processes such as biological growth, powdering due to salt crystallization cycles may arise and be intensified. Treatment against rising damp is therefore generally advised for the protection and preventive conservation of historic buildings. Within this framework, the JPICH Project “Effectiveness of methods against rising damp in buildings: European practice and perspective – EMERISDA” (2014–2017) aimed at a scientifically based evaluation of the effectiveness of different methods against rising damp and at decision support tool definition for a conscious choice use of these methods in the practice of conservation. During the present paper the methodology adopted on site for the evaluation of the efficiency of methods aiming at stopping/limiting rising damp on masonries is described. Specifically, results concerning the treatments on masonries with chemical injections (solvent and water based) and with plasters application on scale models and the case study of Agora in Ferrara (Italy) are presented.
Using Independent Studies to Enhance Usability Assessment Skills in a Generalist Program

This experience report describes how two technical communication professors from Mercer University use focused, independent-study courses to help students advance beyond the general coverage of the technical communication curriculum to gain additional expertise in specific areas of technical communication. Specifically, we focus on the usability curriculum and how it is enhanced with such independent studies. We describe our experience with several substantive projects including work with the US Department of Homeland Security in the basic course and independent studies with Go Baby Go, visual-acuity simulations, and the development of a patient-information console. Each of these projects has provided undergraduate research opportunities and enhanced usability experiences for our students.