cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Objective and Perceptual Properties of Legal Punishment and The Deterrence Doctrine

While most previous deterrence investigations examine the relation between the objective probability of arrest or imprisonment and the official crime rate among states or counties, the present research examined the same relation among ten types of crimes in the same jurisdiction–Tucson, Arizona. We also consider the public perception of the certainty of arrest for eacy type of crime, and the public disapproval of each type of crime is introduced as a control variable. Consistent with two basic premises of the deterrence doctrine, the crime rate varies inversely with both the objective certainty of arrest and the perceived certainty. However, none of the relations are more than moderately close. Contrary to the premises of the deterrence doctrine, the findings indicate that the objective certainty of punishment is not related to the crime rate through perceived certainty. No less important, when the social condemnation of crime is controlled, there is no significant relation between the perceived certainty of punishment and the crime rate.
Contingent Faculty and Student Learning: Welcome to the Strativersity.

If we deconstruct the university—and set aside the trendy rhetoric of a multiversity—are we not actually approaching a “strativersity,” a hierarchy of teaching that imposes a hierarchy of learning?
The Mammalian Diving Response: An Enigmatic Reflex to Preserve Life?

The mammalian diving response is a remarkable behavior that overrides basic homeostatic reflexes. It is most studied in large aquatic mammals but is seen in all vertebrates. Pelagic mammals have developed several physiological adaptations to conserve intrinsic oxygen stores, but the apnea, bradycardia, and vasoconstriction is shared with those terrestrial and is neurally mediated. The adaptations of aquatic mammals are reviewed here as well as the neural control of cardiorespiratory physiology during diving in rodents.
On the use & application of precursor waveforms

The use and application of precursor waveforms in dispersive attenuative media is presented, with particular attention given to ultrawideband (UWB) and impulse radar.
Diasporicity and Its Discontents: Generation and Fragmented Historicity in the Liberian Transnational Field

In this article I draw on a long history of successive transatlantic "dis- placements" and "returns" that have shaped and reshaped Liberian diasporan identities. Proposing that diasporicity is above all an iden- tity discourse, the first part of this article documents and compares dramatic differences in that discourse across historical generations while also examining arguments about this form of identity and social differences in subscription to it within specific generations. This history has been one of successive and often mutually contradic- tory recastings of where "origin" is located, which have been subject to social argumentation. A comparison of these identity discourses across different historical generations suggests the need to investigate diasporicity as more than merely an affirmation of belonging but rather also a powerful critique of exclusion. Finally, I hone in on the variations of diasporicity that have emerged within the Liberian transnational field during a single historical period (the present) to demonstrate how diasporicity as a particular form of identity emerges under—and inherently references—conditions of experiential frag- mentation that are largely unforeseen and fundamentally problematic for current analytical concepts of generation. Describing some of the multiple diasporicities within the current Liberian transnational field, I argue that any concept of diasporic generation must be one that empirically ascertains the boundaries of shared historicity rather than assuming that temporal and social boundaries coincide.
Creating more effective antidepressants: clues from the clinic

Antidepressant medications have eased the suffering of millions of people. In addition to treating depression, antidepressant drugs also treat several anxiety disorders. Unfortunately, there are problematic limitations with antidepressant agents, including a delayed therapeutic response and insufficient efficacy. Emerging evidence shows that atypical antipsychotic agents can be used as augmentation therapy in patients with poor responses to antidepressants. Future drugs combining key features of antidepressant and atypical antipsychotic agents could offer new promise for patients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and depression.
Addition of alarm pheromone components improves the effectiveness of desiccant dusts against Cimex lectularius.

ABSTRACT We demonstrate that the addition of bed bug, Cimex lectularius,, alarm pheromone to desiccant formulations greatly enhances their effectiveness during short-term exposure. Two desiccant formulations, diatomaceous earth (DE) and Dri-die (silica gel), were applied at the label rate with and without bed bug alarm pheromone components, (E)-2-hexenal, (E)-2-octenal, and a (E)-2-hexenal: (E)-2-octenal blend. First-instar nymphs and adult females were subjected to 10-min exposures, and water loss rates were used to evaluate the response. Optimal effectiveness was achieved with a pheromone concentration of 0.01 M. With Dri-die alone, the water loss was 21% higher than in untreated controls, and water loss increased nearly two times with (E)-2-hexenal and (E)-2-octenal and three times with the (E)-2-hexenal: (E)-2-octenal blend. This shortened survival of first-instar nymphs from 4 to 1 d, with a similar reduction noted in adult females. DE was effective only if supplemented with pheromone, resulting in a...
Adverse Effects of Ropinirole-Treated Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) During Smoking Cessation

The impact of nicotine on drug metabolism should be carefully considered, including its impact on ropinirole. The author presents a case in which a patient with RLS effectively treated with ropinirole (Requip) experienced profound side effects from ropinirole when she stopped smoking. Citation: Juergens TM. Adverse effects of ropinirole-treated restless leg syndrome (RLS) during smoking cessation. J Clin Sleep Med 2008;4(4):371–372.
Dialogic Pedagogy for Youth Participatory Action Research: Facilitation of an Intergroup Empowerment Program

ABSTRACTThis article describes the pedagogical and facilitation approach of a yearlong youth empowerment program that engaged a group of adolescents who were racially and socioeconomically diverse in participatory action research. Nine adolescents from inner-city neighborhoods and suburban communities across the metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, region completed a Photovoice project. As part of the project, the youth documented racial segregation to inform community-based advocacy efforts. Pedagogical principles from intergroup dialogues were used to help facilitate participants’ understanding of differences across race and socioeconomic status. The article outlines the four-stage curricular design used to organize group activities. Those stages are (1) group formation, (2) exploration of differences and commonalities, (3) discussion of controversial issues, and (4) action planning. This article illustrates how facilitation of a diverse group in participatory action research may require a dialogic approach ...
Anisotropy Correction of Two Dimensional Finite Difference Schemes for Computational Aeroacoustics

Because the spatial differencing schemes are analyzed and optimized for one-dimensional test cases, in multidimensional problems they may not have isotropic behavior. In this work, a new class of finite difference schemes for two-dimensional Computational Aeroacoustics are derived which are designed to have improved isotropy compared to existing schemes. The derivation is performed based on both Taylor series expansion and Fourier analysis. Thus far, various explicit centered finite difference schemes and the associated boundary stencils have been derived and analyzed. The isotropy corrector factor, a parameter of the schemes, can be determined in two ways: by minimizing the integrated error between the phase or group velocities, or by simply equalizing them. The order of accuracy of the optimized schemes is the same as that of the classical schemes. The design of the new schemes at the boundaries may provoke problems; special care must be taken at the corners. The schemes are restricted to equally-spaced Cartesian grids, so the generalized curvilinear transformation method and Cartesian grid methods are good candidates.
Ouabain effect on bovine spermatozoan motility and testosterone binding.

SummarySpermatozoan motility of whole bull semen incubated aerobically at 37° in 0.9% NaCl saline was inhibited by 10-3 to 10-7M ouabain, an effect opposite to that observed for testosterone. Preincubation for 30 to 45 min with ouabain blocked the effect of testosterone, while preincubation with testosterone only partly blocked the effect of ouabain. When equimolar ouabain and testosterone were incubated together motility of spermatozoa initially tended to be intermediate between the individual effects of ouabain and testosterone. However, by the second hour of incubation ouabain inhibition was similar to that observed in ouabain treatment alone. Ouabain showed a synergistic effect when testosterone was added at only one-third the molar concentration of ouabain.The ability of ouabain and testosterone to block the action of each other suggests that their mechanisms are interrelated. However, they do not appear to have common binding sites because pretreatment of spermatozoa with ouabain (which is irreversi...
Antisense Oligonucletide Mediated Depletion of Factor VII Provides Protection from Ferric Chloride Induced Thrombosis without Increased Bleeding Risk in Mice

The Tissue Factor-Factor VIIa complex is the initiating protease in the extrinsic pathway of the coagulation cascade. Knockout of Factor VII in mice results in embryonic lethality. However, only humans with severe Factor VII deficiency exhibit any coagulopathy. In order to determine the potential of Factor VII as an anticoagulant target and the utility of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) as Factor VII inhibitors, ASOs were designed to promote RNaseH mediated degradation of Factor VII RNA and evaluated in mice. Factor VII is predominantly produced in the liver, a tissue that is tractable for antisense mediated target depletion. Following three weeks of treatment, the Factor VII ASO was well tolerated and supported significant reduction of Factor VII RNA and protein in mouse liver (ED50 of 3.5 mg/kg for RNA and 2.8 mg/kg for protein). Greater than 95% reduction in Factor VII RNA levels was observed at a dose of 25 mg/kg, administered twice weekly. Following three weeks exposure to 100 mg/kg/wk, prothrombin times (PT) from platelet poor mouse plasma was more than doubled, compared to untreated animals, while activated partial thromboplastin times (aPTT) was only increased 16%. Antithrombotic activity of Factor VII ASO was determined following ferric chloride injury to the inferior vena cava. ED50 for inhibition of thrombosis was 24 mg/kg/wk. The effects of Factor VII depletion on hemostatic control were also determined using a mouse tail nick model. No increase in blood loss was detected, compared to untreated animals, up to a weekly exposure of 80 mg/kg, the highest dose utilized in the study. Compared to warfarin, ASO mediated depletion of Factor VII promoted equivalent protection from thrombosis following ferric chloride injury while maintaining better hemostatic control. These findings support the development of an ASO drug targeting Factor VII as an anticoagulant.
Transcending the Youngstown Triptych: A Multidimensional Reappraisal of Separation of Powers Doctrine

The time is ripe for a reappraisal of the separation of powers. The two-dimensional landscape famously described in Justice Robert H. Jackson’s concurring opinion in Youngstown has dominated discourse about the interaction of the three federal branches. Charting presidential conduct on the vertical axis of a map whose horizontal axis measures Congress’s position ranging from approval to disapproval gave Justice Jackson an elegantly simple and memorable way to classify presidential actions from the most strongly defensible to the most constitutionally vulnerable.The resulting classification scheme became a convenient triptych describing the geography of a “flatland” constitutional universe — one constructed in a two-dimensional space, carved into three simple zones. Missing from that triptych has been an analytical guide for navigating a multidimensional universe of relevant constitutional values and relationships. This Essay proposes an approach to developing such a guide: by considering two additional dimensions relevant to the separation of powers — respect for federalism and concern for individual rights — courts can better discern the lawful shape of presidential power.
Thyroglobulin Antibodies and Their Measurement

Thyroglobulin antibodies are commonly found in persons who have thyroid cancer. The major significance of these antibodies clinically is in their interference in the measurement of thyroglobulin using the widely employed sandwich (immunometric) assays, causing falsely low (often undetectable) results. Although a standard has been developed in an attempt to provide similar results when using different assays, actual numerical results are quite different using kits from different manufacturers. Assays for thyroglobulin antibodies also differ significantly in their ability to detect the presence of antibodies that cause such falsely low results. Despite these limitations, measurement of thyroglobulin antibodies has several potential benefits in monitoring patients with differentiated thyroid cancer. Patients with detectable antibodies when first tested after surgery have a significantly higher likelihood of having residual or metastatic thyroid tissue. A decline in antibody titers over time is a good prognostic marker in those who were originally antibody positive, while stable or rising levels indicate high likelihood of residual thyroid cancer. It is recommended that, in the majority of patients in whom thyroglobulin levels will be used to monitor patients with thyroid cancer, thyroglobulin antibodies should be routinely tested at the same time as initial measurement of thyroglobulin and subsequently at all measurements if initially positive.
Bariatric surgery insurance requirements independently predict surgery dropout

Abstract Background Many insurance companies have considerable prebariatric surgery requirements despite a lack of evidence for improved clinical outcomes. The hypothesis of this study is that insurance-specific requirements will be associated with a decreased progression to surgery and increased delay in time to surgery. Methods Retrospective data collection was performed for patients undergoing bariatric surgery evaluation from 2010–2015. Patients who underwent surgery (SGY; n=827; mean body mass index [BMI] 49.1) were compared with those who did not (no-SGY; n=648; mean BMI: 49.4). Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to identify specific co-morbidity and insurance specific predictors of surgical dropout and time to surgery. Results A total of 1475 patients using 12 major insurance payors were included. Univariate analysis found insurance requirements associated with surgical drop out included longer median diet duration (no-SGY = 6 mo; SGY=3 mo; P P P = .019); and evaluation by cardiology ( P P P = .0003). Using logistic regression to control for co-morbidities, longer diet requirement (odds ratio [OR] .88, P P P = .038), and advanced laboratory testing (OR 5.75, P = .019) independently predicted surgery dropout. Additionally, surgical patients had an average interval between initial visit and surgery of 5.8±4.6 months with significant weight gain (2.1 kg, P Conclusion Many prebariatric surgery insurance requirements were associated with lack of patient progression to surgery in this study. In addition, delays in surgery were associated with preoperative weight gain. Although prospective and multicenter studies are needed, these findings have major policy implications suggesting insurance requirements may need to be reconsidered to improve medical care.
The dbGaP data browser: a new tool for browsing dbGaP controlled-access genomic data

The database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP) Data Browser (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gap/ddb/) was developed in response to requests from the scientific community for a resource that enable view-only access to summary-level information and individual-level genotype and sequence data associated with phenotypic features maintained in the controlled-access tier of dbGaP. Until now, the dbGaP controlled-access environment required investigators to submit a data access request, wait for Data Access Committee review, download each data set and locally examine them for potentially relevant information. Existing unrestricted-access genomic data browsing resources (e.g. http://evs.gs.washington.edu/EVS/, http://exac.broadinstitute.org/) provide only summary statistics or aggregate allele frequencies. The dbGaP Data Browser serves as a third solution, providing researchers with view-only access to a compilation of individual-level data from general research use (GRU) studies through a simplified controlled-access process. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will continue to improve the Browser in response to user feedback and believes that this tool may decrease unnecessary download requests, while still facilitating responsible genomic data-sharing.
Economic Policy Options

With an eye on the future, this chapter examines the implications of the book’s findings, and how they link to the concerns about growth raised by Gordon and by Summers, and to the warnings about the high levels of government debt raised by Rogoff. The chapter explores how all these issues will play out in the near future, resulting in several policy change recommendations, designed to reduce exposure to risk; these include the development of long-term policy frameworks and eliminating the double taxation of dividends (offsetting it with a tax increase on households with higher income levels). It also briefly discusses cybersecurity concerns.
Should Taxes be Visible or Hidden

A tax can be either visible or hidden. The two possibilities seem to be diametrically opposed to each other. Which possibility is better? That depends on the goals of the individual making the determination. If the goal is to raise as much revenue as possible with a minimum of protest, then a hidden tax is to be preferred to a visible tax. If the goal is to restrain the amount of tax the government takes, or to let taxpayers know exactly what they have to pay for government services, then a visible tax is more likely to help achieve that goal. The real question is whether hiding taxes from those who pay them is ethical.
Streamline Based Simulation of CO2 Injection in Saline Aquifers

Design and implementation of CO2 sequestration projects in saline aquifers require, in part, a solid understanding of the key physics that determine distribution of the injected CO2 within the target aquifer. This understanding then forms the basis for model formulation and development of simulation techniques appropriate for resolving the essential physics. In addition, a significant level of uncertainty exists as to the spatial distribution of rock properties. This, in turn, calls for development of simulation tools that are accurate and sufficiently efficient to be included in uncertainty estimation frameworks. In this paper we propose compositional streamline simulation as a viable method of predicting the movement of CO2 in aquifers during the injection period. We demonstrate how to handle the compositional effects (solubility of CO2 in brine) in a very efficient manner based on look-up tables and explicit calculation of phase distributions, phase compositions and transport properties. The compositional streamline approach is compared to traditional finite difference/volume simulation techniques based on explicit, adaptive implicit and fully implicit formulations. The comparison includes compositional and equivalent “black oil” formulations to assess the efficiency and accuracy of existing technology relative to compositional streamline simulation. We demonstrate the proposed formulation to be significantly less CPU intensive than existing methods for most flow settings. For larger scale problems with more than 500K active grid cells, the run times for the proposed formulation are more than an order of magnitude lower than those for conventional numerical approaches. We conclude by discussing the limitations of the streamline method for post- injection time scales, where gravity-driven flows, diffusion of dissolved CO2, residual trapping of CO2 due to flow reversal and CO2 saturation reduction as a result of additional dissolution, and geochemistry become important mechanisms determining the long term fate of injected CO2. Computational methods other than the streamline approach are more appropriate for the post-injection period.
Silence Is Not Golden

A case developed for courses in leadership education—particularly for those centered in social justice and ethical leadership—is described. Students test their own assumptions about “difference” and are called on to make leadership responses that are grounded in ethical frameworks. This case highlights tensions that surround lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students in increasingly diverse school settings. The story is revealed through the eyes of a principal who must turn a negative response to a Gay—Straight Alliance event to one that fosters school and community discussion on inclusiveness and demonstrates the power of advocacy.
A Multilevel Domain Decomposition Methodology for Solving Coupled Problems in Fluid-Structure-Thermal Interaction

Engineering analysis is constantly changing to develop novel techniques to solve coupled processes that arise in multi-disciplinary applications. Efficient solutions to complex coupled processes involving fluid-structure-thermal applications are still a challenging problem in computational sciences and engineering. Currently there exist numerous public-domain and commercial codes available for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Computational Structural Dynamics (CTD) and Computational Thermo- Dynamics (CTD). Different groups specializing in modeling individual process such as CSD, CFD, CTD often come together to solve a complex coupled application. The coupling of these solvers provide an insight for predictive capability for simulating complex nonlinear interactions that arise in several applications such as, hypersonic flight, where the structural deformation due to the aerodynamics and thermal loads leads to a significant flow field variation; MAVs (Micro Air Vehicles) where the geometry changes possibly due to thermal effects may lead to a transient phase in which the structure and the flow field interact in a highly non-linear fashion.
Interventional Therapies for Heart Failure in Older Adults

Heart failure (HF) remains the leading cause of hospitalization in older adults and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality despite the use of guideline-directed medical therapy. There has been tremendous progress in the development of novel transcatheter and interventional therapies for HF over the past decade. The evolution of structural heart disease interventions and interventional HF has led to a multidisciplinary heart team approach in the management of HF patients. Careful selection of the appropriate patient population and end points in future randomized controlled trials will be crucial to demonstrate the potential efficacy of the novel interventional HF therapies.
Everyday Mobility: Encountering Difference

Shortell takes stock of the dynamic quality of urban life noting that everyday mobility has always been an essential part of cities, and that walking remains the most important form because its pace is slow enough to allow a multisensory experience, and because it permits communication and interaction in public spaces. Our experience of the city, he notes, occurs in the context of group dynamics. Based on ethnographic observations in Brooklyn, London and Paris, he describes some of the ways that urban dwellers encounter difference in their everyday routines walking and using public transportation. He argues that even if everyday civility in these spaces does not have a large impact on evaluations of groups, cosmopolitan canopies play an important role in the production of toleration. This, Shortell concludes, may serve as the basis for more inclusive urban places.
Simulation of Isovalent Impurities in Magnesium Oxide Using Hartree-Fock Clusters

An unrestricted Hartree-Fock (UHF) approach has been developed by Kunz and his coworkers1,2,3 to study the optical excitation properties of atomic, molecular, and solid-state systems and the results have been sufficiently satisfactory4. In the present study, three computational models are used to simulate the sulphur-doped magnesium oxide (MgO). The first model is the seven-ion cluster (S-6Mg): one sulphur ion at the center with six nearest magnesium ions. The second one is the same cluster plus some surrounding ions considered as point charges at the sites of the nuclei. The third is the one used in “Ionic Crystal with Electronic Cluster, Automatic Program” (ICECAP)5. In this model, the (S-6Mg) cluster is embedded in a shell-model lattice. The ions in this lattice are taken as dipole polarizable point charges coupled harmonically to uniformly charged massless spherical shells. The interactions among the ions are in terms of the Coulomb and short-range potentials. In fact, ICECAP is developed especially for determining the defect properties of crystalline materials arising from excess electrons, holes, or impurities in the crystal. A detailed description of this program package will be given by A.B. Kunz at this conference.
Vaccination Patterns in Children After Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis and in Their Younger Siblings.

Importance In recent years, rates of vaccination have been declining. Whether this phenomenon disproportionately affects children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or their younger siblings is unknown. Objectives To investigate if children after receiving an ASD diagnosis obtain their remaining scheduled vaccines according to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations and to compare the vaccination patterns of younger siblings of children with ASD with the vaccination patterns of younger siblings of children without ASD. Design, Setting, and Participants This investigation was a retrospective matched cohort study. The setting was 6 integrated health care delivery systems across the United States within the Vaccine Safety Datalink. Participants were children born between January 1, 1995, and September 30, 2010, and their younger siblings born between January 1, 1997, and September 30, 2014. The end of follow-up was September 30, 2015. Exposures Recommended childhood vaccines between ages 1 month and 12 years. Main Outcome and Measure The proportion of children who received all of their vaccine doses according to ACIP recommendations. Results The study included 3729 children with ASD (676 [18.1%] female), 592 907 children without ASD, and their respective younger siblings. Among children without ASD, 250 193 (42.2%) were female. For vaccines recommended between ages 4 and 6 years, children with ASD were significantly less likely to be fully vaccinated compared with children without ASD (adjusted rate ratio, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.85-0.88). Within each age category, vaccination rates were significantly lower among younger siblings of children with ASD compared with younger siblings of children without ASD. The adjusted rate ratios varied from 0.86 for siblings younger than 1 year to 0.96 for those 11 to 12 years old. Parents who had a child with ASD were more likely to refuse at least 1 recommended vaccine for that child’s younger sibling and to limit the number of vaccines administered during the younger sibling’s first year of life. Conclusions and Relevance Children with ASD and their younger siblings were undervaccinated compared with the general population. The results of this study suggest that children with ASD and their younger siblings are at increased risk of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Performance Evaluation of SARDA: An Individual Aircraft-Based Advisory Concept for Surface Management

Surface operations at airports in the US are based on tactical operations, where departure aircraft primarily queue up and wait at the departure runways. NASAs Spot And Runway Departure Advisor (SARDA) tool was developed to address these inefficiencies through Air Traffic Control Tower advisories. The SARDA system is being updated to include collaborative gate hold, either tactically or strategically. This paper presents the results of the human-in-the-loop evaluation of the tactical gate hold version of SARDA in a 360 degree simulated tower setting. The simulations were conducted for the east side of the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. The new system provides gate hold, ground controller and local controller advisories based on a single scheduler. Simulations were conducted with SARDA on and off, the off case reflecting current day operations with no gate hold. Scenarios based on medium (1.2x current levels) and heavy (1.5x current levels) traffic were explored. Data collected from the simulation was analyzed for runway usage, delay for departures and arrivals, and fuel consumption. Further, Traffic Management Initiatives were introduced for a subset of the aircraft. Results indicated that runway usage did not change with the use of SARDA, i.e., there was no loss in runway throughput as compared to baseline. Taxiing delay was significantly reduced with the use of advisory by 45 in medium scenarios and 60 in heavy. Arrival delay was unaffected by the use of advisory. Total fuel consumption was also reduced by 23 in medium traffic and 33 in heavy. TMI compliance appeared unaffected by the advisory.
Family-Centered Decision Making in Assistive Technology.

Throughout the country, school teams increasingly are adopting culturally sensitive family-centered practices in planning for assistive technology (AT) for children with disabilities. Over the past...
Comparison of Pre- and Post-translational Expressions of COXIV-1 and MT-ATPase 6 Genes in Colorectal Adenoma-Carcinoma Tissues.

Objective Colorectal cancer (CRC) develops from precancerous adenomatous polyps to malignant lesions of adenocarcinoma. Elucidating inhibition mechanisms for this route in patients with a risk of developing CRC is highly important for a potential diagnostic or prognostic marker. Differential expression of nuclear-encoded cytochrome c oxidase subunit 4 (COXIV) seems to contribute to a more unregulated respiration due to loss of ATP inhibition. Majority of energy for tumor transformations are mitochondrial origin. Differences in mitochondrial efficiency may be reflected in the progression of colorectal adenomatous polyps to adenocarcinomas. Here, we evaluate expression levels of COXIV isoform 1 (COXIV-1) and Mitochondrial (MT)-ATP synthase Subunit 6 (ATPase6) in adenomas of tubular, tubulovillous and villous tissues as compared to adenocarcinoma tissues. Method Both RT-qPCR and western blot techniques were used to assess COXIV-1 and ATPase6 expression levels in 42 pairs of patients' tissue samples. Protein carbonyl assay was performed to determine levels of oxidized proteins, as a measurement of ROS productions, in the tissue samples. Results Differential RNA expression levels of COXIV-1 and ATPase6 from whole tissues were observed. Interestingly, RNA expression levels obtained from mitochondrial for COXIV-1 were significantly decreased in tubulovillous, villous adenomas and adenocarcinoma, but not in the tubular-polyps. Moreover, mitochondrial ATPase6 RNA expression levels decreased progressively from adenopolyps to adenocarcinoma. In mitochondrial protein, expression levels of both genes progressively decreased with a three folds from adenomatous polyps to adenocarcinoma. Whilst the ATPase6 protein expression significantly decreased in adenocarcinoma compared to villous, conversely, the levels of oxidized carbonyl proteins were considerably increased from adenomatous polyps to adenocarcinoma. Conclusion Our findings provide evidence that decreased mitochondrial protein expression of COXIV-1 and ATPase6 correlates with increased ROS production during colorectal adenomatous polyps' progression, suggesting the pivotal role of COXIV-1 in energy metabolism of colorectal cells as they progress from polyps to carcinoma.
Synthesis and antiproliferative activities of doxorubicin thiol conjugates and doxorubicin-SS-cyclic peptide.

Abstract Myocardial toxicity and drug resistance caused by drug efflux are major limitations of doxorubicin (Dox)-based chemotherapy. Dox structure modification could be used to develop conjugates with an improved biological profile, such as antiproliferative activity and higher cellular retention. Thus, Dox thiol conjugates, Dox thiol (Dox-SH), thiol-reactive Dox-SS-pyridine (SS = disulfide), and a Dox-SS-cell-penetrating cyclic peptide, Dox-SS-[C(WR)4K], were synthesized. Dox was reacted with Traut's reagent to generate Dox-SH. The thiol group was activated by the reaction with dithiodipyridine to afford the corresponding Dox-SS-Pyridine (Dox-SS-Pyr). A cyclic cell-penetrating peptide containing a cysteine residue [C(WR)4K] was prepared using Fmoc solid-phase strategy. Dox-SS-Py was reacted with the free sulfhydryl of cysteine in [C(WR)4K] to generate Dox-SS-[C(WR)4K] as a Dox-cyclic peptide conjugate. Cytotoxicity of the compounds was examined in human embryonic kidney (HEK-293), human ovarian cancer (SKOV-3), human fibrosarcoma (HT-1080), and human leukemia (CCRF-CEM) cells. Dox-SH and Dox-SS-pyridine were found to have significantly higher or comparable cytotoxicity when compared to Dox in HEK-293, HT-1080, and CCRF-CEM cells after 24 h and 72 incubation, presumably because of higher activity and retention of the compounds in these cells. Furthermore, Dox-SS-[C(WR)4K] showed significantly higher cytotoxic activity in HEK-293, HT-1080, and SKOV-3 cells when compared with Dox after 72 h incubation. Dox-SS-Pyr exhibited higher cellular uptake than Dox-SS-[C(WR)4K] in HT-1080 and HEK-293 cells as shown by flow cytometry. Fluorescence microscopy exhibited that Dox-SS-Pyr, Dox-SH, and Dox-SS-[C(WR)4K] localized in the nucleus as shown in four cell lines, HT-1080, SKOV-3, MDA-MB-468, and MCF-7. Of note, Dox-SS-[C(WR)4K] was significantly less toxic in mouse myoblast cells compared to Dox at the same concentration. Further mechanistic study demonstrated that the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in myoblast cells exposed to Dox-SS-[C(WR)4K] was reduced in comparison of Dox when co-treated with FeCl2. These data indicate that Dox-SH, Dox-SS-Pyr, and Dox-SS-[C(WR)4K] have the potential to be further examined as Dox alternatives and anticancer agents.
Making judgments

Reasoning-based problem solving deals with discrete entities and manipulates these to derive new entities or produce branching behavior in order to discover a solution. This paradigm has some basic difficulties when applied to certain types of problems. Properly constructed arithmetic functions, such as those using our SNAC principles, can do such problems very well. SNAC constructions have considerable generality and robustness, and thus tend to outperform hand coded case statements as domains get larger. We show how a SNAC function can avoid getting stuck on a sub-optimal hill while hill-climbing. A clever move made by our backgammon program in defeating the World Champion is analyzed to show some aspects of the method.
Particle acceleration and particle-induced breakdown in high power laser optics (Conference Presentation)

Environmental particles are ubiquitous in all but the cleanest laboratory environments. Whether these particles are suspended in air or deposited on surfaces, they can greatly degrade the performance of practical laser systems. However, they also create radically different physical situations than what are reported in traditional laser damage testing, which uses ultra-short pulse lasers focused to microscopic spots on pristine dielectric surfaces. When a surface contaminated with absorbing particles is exposed to a high power laser, the particles heat to their vaporization temperatures, many migrate over the surface, some evaporate away, and some coalesce over time periods on the order of a millisecond. During this time, the particles act as both a conductive heat source and an absorption point for the optical material underneath. If sufficient heat energy is transferred to the optic, then free carriers will be thermally generated across bandgap, and catastrophic breakdown will result if a critical concentration is reached. Thus there is a strong bandgap dependence to contamination-induced breakdown, and despite the common misconceptions about “random failures”, resistance to dirt can be built into an optical system at the design stage. Particles in air can also nucleate breakdown. The details of this process are still obscure but it appears to have much in common with particles on surfaces. One major difference is the process of laser acceleration of absorbing particles. When the particle is laser-heated to extreme temperature, it begins to evaporate, and each evaporated atom contributes a small amount of momentum to the parent particle. There is a small temperature gradient across the particle due to the directionality of laser heating; therefore one side of the particle evaporates faster than the other. The sum of all of the evaporation events gives the particle a substantial velocity. Interestingly, the heat transfer within the particle cannot be explained by conduction, convection, or radiation, but rather appears to be driven by photon diffusion, a process normally dominant in the photospheres of stars.
Escape the Traditional Classroom: Using Live-Action Games to Engage Students and Strengthen Concept Retention:

A constant challenge for faculty is to gain and to hold student interest so that substantive learning can occur. One way to achieve this is through the use of games. This article describes an escap...
Distribution and relative abundance of three protist genera within the Zootermopsis nevadensis nuttingi hindgut

The termite Zootermopsis nevadensis nuttingi, which inhabits coastal forests of the western United States, plays an important ecological role in the breakdown and digestion of wood. Vital to this role are symbiotic protists residing in the termite’s hindgut. Five protist genera of varying size and morphology make up this gut community, but very little is known about their spatial organization within the hindgut or the number of protist cells per host. To resolve this issue, we used light microscopy and a hemocytometer to determine the distribution of the larger protist genera across hindgut segments. We found that Streblomastix were the most abundant cells in all three segments, but especially in the anterior hindgut. Trichomitopsis cells were significantly more abundant in the posterior hindgut. Trichonympha were the least abundant overall, often reaching their highest abundance in the middle segment but with a more variable distribution. Understanding the distribution of different protists within the hindgut may improve our understanding of the ecological relationships among protists, as well as their individual roles in lignocellulose digestion, contributing to a better understanding of the symbiotic system as a whole.
Wargaming: Applications of Human Performance Models to System Design and Military Training

There is increasing recognition of a need — a need that can be met with the help of the community represented by the participants at this workshop. The need is for valid, databased, computer-aided, adaptive, human-performance models that can be inserted into wargaming simulations. The need is to increase the validity and utility of such simulations, especially if the current and future technological capabilities are to be exploited to provide realistic battle-management aiding and training for military leaders, their staffs, and those they command.
Analysis of the DPRK’s Nuclear Weapons Capabilities by Estimating Its Highly Enriched Uranium Stockpile and Natural Uranium Reserves

There is a shortage of reliable information on the highly enriched uranium (HEU) stockpile, production capabilities, and natural uranium reserves of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea). It is, however, possible to estimate DPRK’s nuclear material reserves using the data in the open literature and considering various scenarios. Based on our literature survey and analysis we are projecting DPRK’s natural uranium reserves and their production capabilities of weapons-grade HEU. We also report the uncertainties associated with DPRK’s uranium enrichment capabilities due to the differences in estimates provided in the literature. Our analysis shows that given the range of the estimates of DPRK’s natural uranium ore reserves, its nuclear weapons program is unlikely to be constrained by uranium resources, provided they have the required mining and milling capacities.
Hfs OF THE 5 $sup 2$P$sub 1$2/ STATE OF In$sup 115$ AND In$sup 113$: Hfs ANOMALIES IN THE STABLE ISOTOPES OF INDIUM

The hfs splittings of the $5^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ states of ${\mathrm{In}}^{115}$ and ${\mathrm{In}}^{113}$ have been measured by the atomic-beam magnetic-resonance method. We find: $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\nu}({\mathrm{In}}^{115})=[11409.7506\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}(20)]\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{6} invsec,$ $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\nu}({\mathrm{In}}^{113})=[11385.4300\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}(20)]\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{6} invsec.$ A comparison of the ratio of the dipole coupling constants of the two isotopes in the ${P}_{\frac{1}{2}}$ state and in the ${P}_{\frac{3}{2}}$ state with the ratio of the nuclear ${g}_{I}$ factors yields the following hfs anomalies: ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{\frac{1}{2}}=(7.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}, {\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{\frac{3}{2}}=\ensuremath{-}(23.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}.$ The fractional change in the nuclear radius between ${\mathrm{In}}^{113}$ and ${\mathrm{In}}^{115}$, $\frac{\ensuremath{\delta}R}{R}$, is found to be 3.66\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ as compared to 5.85\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ calculated on the assumption of an incompressible nucleus.
The Davidic and Sinaitic Covenants

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph. "Although the books contained in the Old Testament are extensive and diverse, it remains difficult to argue that the covenants created between God and Moses and God and David are central pieces upon which the subsequent writings in their entirety are based. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church defines the term covenant as ―[a] bond entered into voluntarily by two parties by which each pledges himself to do something for the other."1 This basic definition did not derive theological connotations until it was utilized by Old Testament writers to signify a commitment between Yahweh and the Israelites whom God chose as God‘s people.2 In the book of Exodus, God initiates a covenant with Moses that is repeatedly violated by the newly formed nation of Israel. The covenant evolves during the time of David when God reaffirms God‘s commitment to the people of Israel despite their rebellious nature. These two covenants and their implications will be discussed in greater detail during the remainder of this work." This original essay is available in Verbum: http://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/verbum/vol8/iss1/2
Pall Xpansion® Bioreactor Supports Progenitor Cell Growth to >1 Million cells/cm2 and Proper Cell Differentiation

Background & Aim With the recent increase in early phase cell therapy clinical trials, there is a need for a manufacturing platform which can be implemented in research labs and easily scaled up to expedite process development studies, pre-clinical testing, and large-scale expansion of adherent human cells. Although various platforms such as traditional flatware and stirred tank bioreactors with microcarriers exist and have been well characterized, traditional flatware often does not allow for tight control of the cellular environment and is not scalable. Pall's Xpansion single-use bioreactor offers a tightly-controlled, scalable manufacturing platform for cell therapy applications, allowing for expedited process development, pre-clinical testing and large scale, high-density expansion of progenitor cells while maintaining their differentiation capacity. Methods, Results & Conclusion We have previously demonstrated efficient expansion of both epithelial cells (Vero, HEK293), human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (hMSC), and progenitor cells in the Xpansion single-use bioreactor. Here we extend the progenitor cell findings by successfully expanding a proprietary progenitor cell to extremely high cell densities (> 1 million cells/cm2) reproducibly for 8 batches. In summary, all batches resulted in 1) cell expansion to > 1 million cells/cm2 and equivalent cell densities to the traditional flatware process control; 2) equivalent differentiation to a more mature cell fate as indicated by expression of key cell surface markers; and 3) self-assembly into characteristic three-dimensional structures.
HDO production from [ 2 H 7 ]glucose Quantitatively Identifies Warburg Metabolism

Increased glucose uptake and aerobic glycolysis are striking features of many cancers. These features have led to many techniques for screening and diagnosis, but many are expensive, less feasible or have harmful side-effects. Here, we report a sensitive 1H/2H NMR method to measure the kinetics of lactate isotopomer and HDO production using a deuterated tracer. To test this hypothesis, HUH-7 hepatocellular carcinoma and AML12 normal hepatocytes were incubated with [2H7]glucose. 1H/2H NMR data were recorded for cell media as a function of incubation time. The efflux rate of lactate-CH3, lactate-CH2D and lactate-CHD2 was calculated as 0.0033, 0.0071, and 0.0.012 µmol/106cells/min respectively. Differential production of lactate isotopomers was due to deuterium loss during glycolysis. Glucose uptake and HDO production by HUH-7 cells showed a strong correlation, indicating that monitoring the HDO production could be a diagnostic feature in cancers. Deuterium mass balance of [2H7]glucose uptake to 2H-lactate and HDO production is quantitatively matched, suggesting increasing HDO signal could be used to diagnose Warburg (cancer) metabolism. Measuring the kinetics of lactate isotopomer and HDO production by 1H and 2H MR respectively are highly sensitive. Increased T1 of 2H-lactate isotopomers indicates inversion/saturation recovery methods may be a simple means of generating metabolism-based contrast.
Effect of Flow Parameters and Injection Flow Area on Non-Premixed Methane/Oxygen Diffusion Flame Stability

The focus of this research was the design, fabrication, and testing of an experimental non-premixed flame burner to determine the effect of gaseous flow parameters and flow geometry on the stabilit...
The Health of Health Care Professionals

Health care professionals represent a population at high risk for poor health. Although this may be counterintuitive given their expertise in health, the high stress and long hours of many medical work environments present challenges for health care professionals to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors. This is extremely problematic for the health and well-being of both health care professionals and the patients they treat. Medical settings are encouraged to implement interventions that intervene at both the enviornmental and personal level to help faciliate behavior change among health care providers.