cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimating the importance of cyclic thermal loads in thermo-mechanical fatigue

A method for evaluating the effect of cyclic thermal loading on crack tip stress fields is developed. In its development, advantage is taken of the periodic nature of fatigue loading and only harmonic loadings are evaluated. Formulating the problem in this way permits the extraction of time as an explicit variable and replaces its role with a dependence on the frequency of the thermal loading. The means for evaluating the effect of periodic loadings on crack tip stress fields is the stress intensity factor which is calculated from numerically defined stress and displacement fields using a path independent integral. Results obtained indicate that stress intensity factors of cracked components exposed to thermal fatigue conditions have a significant dependence on the frequency of the thermal cycle and the crack geometry. Numerical estimates for mode I thermal stress intensity have been obtained using thermal fatigue test data for a titanium alloy and can be as high as 25 percent of the critical mode I mechanical stress intensity.
Bounded flux-at-a-point estimators for multigroup Monte Carlo computer codes

Two methods to improve the variance of statistical flux-at-a-point estimators over conventional unbounded estimators are developed that are readily implemented in multigroup Monte Carlo radiation transport computer codes. The theory behind the methods is developed, and the procedures for their application to Monte Carlo computer codes are outlined where necessary for clarity. Their application is demonstrated by the solution of a sample problem. These methods do not require a modification of the random walk, are easily implemented in multigroup Monte Carlo computer codes, and provide results that are comparable to other finite variance techniques.
Study of cationization of saccharides by laser mass spectrometry

Metal ions introduced in the +1 oxidation state are better for the cationization of saccharides than cations in other oxidation states. This effect is related to the ease of formation of singly charged adduct ions by reaction with singly charged metal ions. Sample preparation had little effect on the reproducibility of the spectra. Use of a nitrocellulose matrix can introduce competition between the matrix and saccharide for cations, leading to lower ion intensities. The concentration of the salt and saccharide had little effect on cationization signal intensity once a threshold concentration was exceed: 0.1 M metal ion and 0.5 M saccharide.
Biomaterials for the Treatment of Myocardial Infarction: A 5-Year Update

The first review on biomaterials for the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI) was written in 2006. In the last 5 years, the general approaches for biomaterial treatment of MI and subsequent left ventricular remodeling remain the same, namely, left ventricular restraints, epicardial patches, and injectable therapies. Nonetheless, there have been significant developments in this field, including advancement of biomaterial therapies to large animal pre-clinical studies and, more recently, to clinical trials. This review focuses on the progress made in the field of cardiac biomaterial treatments for MI over the last 5 years.
Optimal Selection of Subset of Images with Highest Intra-Class Similarity For 3D Scene Reconstruction

Finding the accurate location of a mobile device based on images it acquires usually requires applying structure from motion (SFM) for 3D camera position reconstruction. Since the convergence of SFM depends on effectively selecting among the multiple retrieved images, we propose an optimization framework to do make the selection using the criterion of the highest intra-class similarity among images returned from retrieval pipeline. The selection process should consider only images with distinct GPS-tags. The selected images along with the query can be used to reconstruct a 3D scene and obtain relative camera positions. Experimental results demonstrate our method achieves a higher convergence rate in the SFM processing.
Cocrystallization of C-Propyl Pyrogallol[4]arene and the Pharmaceutical Gabapentin

The single crystal X-ray diffraction structure for a new cocrystal of C-propyl pyrogallol[4]arene and the pharmaceutical gabapentin is discussed. Slight changes in solvent environment can lead to large changes in structure of the cocrystal. Variation of the parameters of cocrystallization of pyrogallolarenes with gabapentin leads to the novel structure presented herein [space group P-1, a = 11.7633(9) A, b = 15.6968(12) A, c = 17.8554(14) A, V = 2977.06 A3. α = 71.987(2)°, β = 82.735(3)°,γ = 71.812(3)°]. In this manuscript we present the solvent parameters that led to a new cocrystallization structure of C-propyl pyrogallol[4]arene and the pharmaceutical gabapentin.
THYROID DYSFUNCTION AS A PREDICTOR OF ADVERSE CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOMES IN HEART FAILURE: A META-ANALYSIS

Heart failure (HF) patients have worse clinical outcomes in the presence of thyroid dysfunction. We aimed to study the magnitude of the effect of multiple thyroid pathologies in cardiovascular endpoints. Pubmed, Embase and Scopus were searched for trials and cohorts in patients with HF and reported
Size effects on geometrical accuracy for additive manufacturing of Ti-6Al-4V ELI parts

A comprehensive investigation of the size and geometry dependency of the dimensional accuracy of direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) for Ti-6Al-4V ELI is presented. For features such as walls, squares, tubes, and rods with different sizes, the percent error significantly increases with decreasing the feature size. The polynomial function a t-b is suggested to describe this size dependency of the dimensional error where a and b are parameters depending on the geometry, material, and DMLS process parameters. This function is used to successfully predict the dimensional error in DMLS of two spinal cages. Therefore, these functions can be used to account for these errors in DMLS by design change or by adjusting DMLS scaling factors. Furthermore, the inconsistency of the DMLS-manufactured dimensions within the feature is shown to be in the same range of the dimensional inconsistency for features located at different positions on the build platform, implying that the location of the feature on the build platform has a negligible effect on the dimensional accuracy. Finally, it is shown that the error in the position accuracy of DMLS-manufactured features is negligible when the size dependency of the dimensional features is considered in the measurements.
Interorganizational Relationships and Hospital Adoption of Surgical Robots

The study investigates the relationship between interorganizational relationships (IORs) and hospital adoption of robotic surgery in the United States over a ten-year period. As a competitive strat...
Estimating Profitability of Alternative Cryptocurrencies (Short Paper)

Digital currencies have flourished in recent years, buoyed by the tremendous success of Bitcoin. These blockchain-based currencies, called altcoins, are associated with a few thousand to millions of dollars of market capitalization. Altcoins have attracted enthusiasts who enter the market by mining or buying them, but the risks and rewards could potentially be significant, especially when the market is volatile. In this work, we estimate the potential profitability of mining and speculating 18 altcoins using real-world blockchain and trade data. Using opportunity cost as a metric, we estimate the mining cost for an altcoin with respect to a more popular but stable coin. For every dollar invested in mining or buying a coin, we compute the potential returns under various conditions, such as time of market entry and hold positions. While some coins offer the potential for spectacular returns, many follow a simple bubble-and-crash scenario, which highlights the extreme risks—and potential gains—in altcoin markets.
Give or keep? A transactive memory approach to understanding knowledge hoarding on the organisational digital knowledge repository

The goal of this research is to apply and extend transactive memory systems (TMS) theory to investigate the individual and social network factors that influence organisational members' knowledge hoarding on the digital knowledge repository. Specifically, this study examines how key mechanisms in the organisational TMS development, including personal expertise, accuracy in expertise recognition, social network centralities and individual perceptions of other members' knowledge hoarding behaviours, could promote or demote knowledge hoarding on the digital knowledge repository. Survey data were collected from 110 employees working in nine consulting teams. Results showed that team members' knowledge hoarding on the digital knowledge repository was negatively influenced by one's expertise level, but positively influenced by one's betweenness centrality in the social network and one's perception of other team members' knowledge hoarding on the digital knowledge repository. This research offers theoretical and pragmatic implications for effective utilisation of digital knowledge repositories in organisational settings.
Vascular imaging of the spine in the US Medicare population: Catheter and MR angiography volumes from 2004 to 2016.

Aims The purpose of our study was to analyze utilization trends and physician specialty distribution in spinal catheter angiography and magnetic resonance angiography in the Medicare fee-for-service population. Methods Data from the CMS Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary Master Files for 2004 to 2016 were used for this study. The Current Procedural Terminology version 4 codes for spinal magnetic resonance angiography (72159) and spinal catheter angiography (75705) were used to analyze the volumes of these procedures. Using Medicare's 108 specialty code, we compared procedure volumes among physician specialties. Data analysis was performed using SAS version 9.3 for Windows. Results The volume of spinal catheter angiography performed was 4758 in 2004, peaked at 6869 in 2012, and dropped to 6656 in 2016. Overall, the volume of spinal catheter angiography increased by 40% from 2004 to 2016. Radiologists performed the majority of these procedures (3736 or 56.1%) in 2016, followed by neurosurgeons (2456 or 36.9%), and neurologists (346 or 5.2%). The spinal magnetic resonance angiography volume fluctuated between 0 and 1 from 2004 to 2009, then precipitously increased to 40 in 2010, peaked at 133 in 2011, and declined to 81 in 2016. The volume of spinal magnetic resonance angiography procedures increased by 8000% from 2004 to 2016, with radiologists performing the majority of them. Conclusion Our results show that spinal catheter angiography volumes continue to rise in the Medicare fee-for-service population, and are largely performed by radiologists, neurosurgeons, and neurologists. Although spinal magnetic resonance angiography volumes have started to increase, they comprise only a small fraction of studies performed for vascular evaluation of the spine.
Natural Disaster and Climate Change

This essay examines the relationship between international adaptation efforts with regard to climate change and disaster management policy. Reviewing the respective United Nations frameworks for both climate and natural disasters, we find many shared interests and opportunities for collaboration. To better unite these areas of law, we suggest focusing on two concepts relevant to both fields: global group responsibility and a focus on local action and socio-economic conditions. While these ideas may at first seem in conflict, we will show how each is critical to policy initiatives in both fields and can therefore serve as important points of intersection. We illustrate our claim by way of two very different case studies. The first examines the recent international negotiations over "loss and damage" under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which have now erupted into a major debate about the North's responsibility to the South. The second case study examines a relatively small climate resilience project, funded by a private foundation, in the Indian city of Surat, a global center for textile manufacturing and diamond polishing, which is also prone to enormous coastal floods. The relative success realized here suggests the promise of integrating local organizational methods into a global commitment to climate adaptation. The example suggests how wealthy actors (in this case a foundation) can guide and empower vulnerable communities by tapping into local values and existing networks. Our aim is to begin a conversation about the relationship between climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
Role of Social Networks and Social Norms in Future PrEP Use in a Racially Diverse Sample of At-Risk Women and Members of Their Social Networks.

Objective Despite the efficacy of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in reducing risk of HIV infection, uptake remains low among many who are most vulnerable to HIV, such as Black and Latinx women. Interventions that target social networks to encourage at-risk women to initiate PrEP are underutilized. Design This study employed an egocentric network design and sampled Black/African-American (BAA) and Latinx women at risk of HIV as well as people from their social networks (N=211) in a small, western city. Methods Multivariable Generalized Linear Mixed Effects Models (GLMM) regression models investigated individual-level and network-level characteristics associated with likely future PrEP use. Results PrEP awareness was low, but once informed, 36% considered themselves likely to take it in the future. Perceived risk of HIV, perceived barriers to HIV testing, and participation in a 12-step program increased odds of anticipated PrEP use. A higher proportion of friends in one's network decreased odds of future PrEP use, while a higher proportion of network members who tested regularly for HIV increased odds of future PrEP use. A marginally significant interaction was detected between proportion of friends in one's network and proportion of the network perceived to test for HIV regularly (i.e. testing norms). When HIV testing norms were low, a higher proportion of friends in the network decreased odds of likely PrEP use. However, this effect was reversed in contexts with strong testing norms. Conclusion Women who are interested in PrEP may be embedded within social and normative contexts that can foster or inhibit PrEP uptake.
Local variation in cannabis use patterns among young adults in the San Francisco Bay Area

Abstract This study evaluated whether neighborhood-level disorder, social cohesion, and perceived safety, were associated with days of cannabis use in the prior month in a representative sample of young adults in Alameda and San Francisco Counties in California (N = 1272). We used multiscale geographically weighted regression, modeled by county, to measure associations between cannabis use days and neighborhood attributes, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and self-rated health. Positive associations were found between number of cannabis use days and neighborhood disorder, and greater perceived safety. Higher levels of social cohesion predicted fewer cannabis use days. Racial/ethnic, sex and, socioeconomic compositions of participants residing in areas with significant neighborhood-level associations varied substantially, suggesting that risk factors for young adult cannabis use may be highly localized. Public health efforts in cannabis education and intervention should be tailored to fit the culture and composition of local neighborhoods.
Crack Detection and Location Estimation Using a Convolutional Neural Network.

In this paper, we present a CNN-based crack detection approach. Instead of classifying each pixel or an entire image patch, the proposed approach evaluates 48 predefined image stripes (in horizontal, vertical, and diagonal directions), and determine whether each area contains a part of crack or not. In the experiment, the CNN trained with about 1200 labeled images showed 75.9% of detection accuracy.
Evaluation of Four New Land Surface Temperature (LST) Products in the U.S. Corn Belt: ECOSTRESS, GOES-R, Landsat, and Sentinel-3

Asa critical indicator of crop water stress, land surface temperature (LST) has been widely used in agricultural applications for monitoring and quantifying crop stress and crop water use. Given the availability of several newly operational satellite LST products in recent years and an increasing demand for reliable LST for agricultural applications, a systematic and thorough study of evaluation of different satellite LST products for croplands is highly needed. This article, thus, evaluated both the new satellite LST products including ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer on the International Space Station (ECOSTRESS), GOES-R, Landsat Provisional and Sentinel-3, and several mainstream LST products including MODIS Land Surface Temperature/Emissivity product (MOD11A1 and MYD11A1), MODIS/Aqua Land Surface Temperature/3-Band Emissivity product (MYD21A1), and VIIRS/NPP Land Surface Temperature and Emissivity LST (VNP21A1), for agricultural landscapes in the U.S. Corn Belt. The evaluation was benchmarked on in situ measurements from 11 SURFRAD or eddy covariance sites in the growing seasons of 2018 and 2019. Results showed that the nighttime and daytime biases of all LST products on different sites were generally within ±2 °C and ±3 °C, respectively. Regarding the daytime LST, the highest agreement with ground observations was achieved by ECOSTRESS with an overall absolute bias MYD11A1 a MOD11A1 (0.37/day) > Sentinel-3 (0.26/day) > Landsat Provisional (0.12/day) > ECOSTRESS (0.07/day). Holistically considering factors of bias, RMSE, spatial resolution and cloud-free data availability of different LST products, MOD11A1, and MYD11A1 are relatively appropriate for agriculture-related applications.
Active/Passive Remote Sensing of a Mature Soybean Canopy at L-band

This paper reports on development of a scattering model of a soybean canopies at L-band. The scattering model will be used for active and passive remote sensing of soybean plants with an emphasis on mature soybeans where the presence of pods is important to the observed microwave signal. The active problem is treated using the Distorted Born Approximation (DBA) and the passive problem is analyzed using Peake's method. These results are compared with field measurements made in 2012 by the truck-mounted ComRAD system, which is a combined radar and radiometer instrument operating at L-band. Investigation of backscatter from the soybean canopy shows good agreement between the radar measurement data and modeling results. The results also indicate that the L-band radar backscatter can be used to monitor both the soil moisture and the growth of the soybean pods. Past passive modeling efforts have not considered soybeans late in the growing season when pods are important. A new passive radiation model of soybean canopy will be developed based on the backscatter model.
Analytical Five-Phase Bus Rapid Transit Traffic Flow Model

Bus rapid transit (BRT) systems are becoming increasingly popular in cities worldwide because of their (a) efficiency and reliability advantages over traditional bus service and (b) cost advantages over rail transit systems. As transportation decision makers consider the implementation and planning of BRT systems, it is important that they be able to analyze different operational components of these systems. This paper describes an analytical five-phase BRT traffic flow model that is able to model the movement of a bus throughout an entire BRT corridor and network. The five-phase model includes (a) a queuing model to determine the time a bus spends waiting for access to the loading area, (b) an access time model to determine the time that it takes a bus to access a loading area position from the queue when a loading position becomes available, (c) a nonlinear dwell time model to determine the time that a bus spends at a loading area position, and (d and e) a two-part model of the following behavior of bus...
Private Options to Use Public Goods: The Demand for Fishing Licenses and the Benefits of Recreational Fishing

This paper develops and applies a new method for estimating the economic benefits of an environmental amenity. The method fits within the household production framework and is based upon the notion of estimating the derived demand for a privately traded option to utilize a freely-available public good. In particular, the demand for state fishing licenses is used to infer the benefits of recreational fishing. Using panel data on state fishing license sales and prices for the continental United States over a fifteen-year period, combined with data on substitute prices and demographic variables, a license demand function is estimated with instrumental variable procedures to allow for the potential endogeneity of administered prices. The econometric results lead to estimates of the benefits of a fishing license and, subsequently, to the expected benefits of a recreational fishing day. These preliminary estimates are compared with results from previous studies using survey (contingent valuation) and travel cost approaches.
Climate Patterns in the Coastal Zone

CLIMATE PATTERNS IN THE COASTAL ZONE Douglas L. Inman Coastal Morphology Group Integrative Oceanography Division Scripps Institution of Oceanography dinman@ucsd.edu Scott A. Jenkins Coastal Morphology Group Integrative Oceanography Division Scripps Institution of Oceanography sjenkins@ucsd.edu 20 June 2003 Preprint from Encyclopedia of Coastal Science (M. Schwartz, editor), The Earth Sciences Encyclopedia Online , with permission from Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
Graphical CONOPS Prototype to Demonstrate Emerging Methods, Processes, and Tools at ARDEC

Abstract : This research has pursued a proof of concept prototype, named the CONOPS Navigator. The Navigator is intended to provide a 3D virtual guide through the development of a CONOPS, and also to integrate various tools and applications currently in use. This integration is a widely-sought capability, one which will enable current CONOPS developers and users the flexibility to import and export analysis parameters and results to and from various familiar and well-used tools. Legacy systems are a fact of life in operational concerns; this prototype is intended to demonstrate interconnectivity on a limited scale between specific simulation and mathematical modeling software packages, via a main operational environment. This environment was built using a game development environment. Although originally conceived as a standalone research task, the potential synergies from merging RT 31 with RT 23, and then combining development architecture and strategies with RT 30, became apparent once development had begun. Some already-developed external interfaces were seen as adjuncts to the activities performed in RT 30 and these interfaces would certainly be useful in the future. By far, the greater synergies in the development effort were in architecture and operational issues -- such issues are transparent to the user but vital to successful delivery. Further exploration would be toward an integrated data-set and application. The research includes approaches to implementing, managing, and addressing data impedance challenges between applications including Excel, @Risk, and MATLAB. OneSAF was investigated, and the determination is that further training in OneSAF operation is required in order to interface successfully with this tool.
Disclosure to the Rescue: A Conceptual Framework for Retained Asset Accounts

RAAs (Retained Asset Accounts) are a life insurance innovation that is likely of small value to most beneficiaries. In many cases, it will make the most financial sense for a beneficiary to write a check to himself for the entire policy proceeds and deposit those funds into an insured bank account. Some beneficiaries, however, may find the RAA device helpful. It is impossible to anticipate the myriad circumstances that beneficiaries may face at the time of an insured's death. As long as insurers provide full and clear disclosure (which ERISA fiduciary standards demand), consumers should remain free to choose an RAA as one of several options.
Effect of Insulin on Adenosine 3',5'-Monophosphate in the Rat Epididymal Fat Pad

Insulin rapidly lowered intracellular cyclic adenosine 3‘,5‘-monophosphate levels in adipose tissue incubated with epinephrine or epinephrine and caffeine. This effect was not due to increased escape of cyclic AMP to the medium. Since cyclic AMP has been implicated in the lipolytic action of epinephrine, these data suggest that the antilipolytic action of insulin is due at least in part to the suppression of cyclic AMP levels.
INEQUIDADES EN ENFERMEDADES CARDIOVASCULARES EN LATINOAMÉRICA

In high-income countries, social inequalities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk are well-documented. Although Latin America has a rich history of theory and conceptual discussion regarding social inequalities in health, empirical research has been more limited. In this commentary we summarize recent empirical work on social inequalities in CVD risk in Latin America, and highlight key research needs as well as implications for prevention. Although much remains unknown about the social patterning of CVD in Latin America, the limited studies to date indicate that inequalities in CVD risk vary across populations and markers of socioeconomic position, as well as disease risk marker. The strongest social inequalities are seen among women, and in urban areas, with regards to obesity, diabetes, and diet. Few studies, though, have been conducted in some parts of Latin America, including the countries of Central America and northern South America. Vital registration systems and nationally-representative risk factor surveys can be important sources of data, as long as information on socioeconomic indicators is collected. Longitudinal studies will also be important for investigating factors driving social inequalities. As policies and prevention strategies are put into place to reduce CVD in Latin America, they must also address factors generating social inequalities in CVD risk.
Assessment of [11C]-L-Methionine Transport into the Human Brain

Summary: Neutral amino acid transport into human brain was measured using a dual-probe positron detection system or positron emission tomography (PET). Rate constants (ml/min/cc) for brain accumulation of [11C]l-methionine measured with the dual detector ranged from 0.012 to 0.078 (average 0.031) under baseline conditions and from 0.010 to 0.017 (average 0.014) after administra-tion of nonradioactive l-phenylalanine (100 mg/kg). The net rate of brain accumulation of l-methionine ranged from 0.42 to 2.89 (average 1.28) nmol/min/cc, and de-creased by 27.5-91.2% (average 53.9%) after l-phenylal-anine. PET-estimated accumulation rates (ml/min/cc) of [11C]l-methionine ranged from 0.004 to 0.028 (average 0.016) baseline and from 0.010 to 0.021 (average 0.017) after l-phenylalanine. Initial volumes of distribution (ml/ cc) of [11C]l-methionine (dual detector) were 0.044-0.070 (average 0.058) baseline and 0.032-0.074 (average 0.051) after phenylalanine and (PET) 0.026-0.098 (average 0.051) baseline and 0.021-0.061 (average 0.042) after phenylalanine. PET permits more accurate measurement of tracer accumulation by brain, excluding noncerebral regions included in dual-detector measurements. The dual-detector system permits better temporal resolution, facilitating kinetic analysis, and requires only one-for-tieth the dose of tracer needed for PET. Multiple studies in the same patient are thus possible at low cost.
DNA Motions in the nucleosome core particle: A reanalysis

Transient photodichroism (TPD) data of Wang, Hogan and Austin [(1982) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA79, 5896–5900] for methylene blue intercalated in nucleosomal DNA are reanalyzed using correct expressions for the twisting correlation functions of short DNAs. The data are found to rule out several models, including one in which the helix axis is constrained to girdle the equator of the sphere (representing a core particle) but the DNA is everywhere able to undergo twisting deformations and/or spinning around its local helix axis. However, when the ends of the DNA are rigidly clamped (against twisting/spinning) to the sphere, the same model gives an excellent fit to the data with suitable choices of parameters. From these and other observations, it is concluded that nucleosomal DNA must be rigidly clamped to the core particle at one or more points, although it is free to twist at most sites of binding of the dye. Moreover, if the dye is actually bound between two clamped points, then the torsional rigidity of DNA in the nucleosome is at least 2.5 times smaller than that of an ordinary linear DNA.
Controllable Synthesis of Mesoporous TiO2 Hollow Shells: Toward an Efficient Photocatalyst

TiO2 hollow shells with well-controlled crystallinity, phase, and porosity are desirable in many applications. In photocatalysis in particular, they can provide high active surface area, reduced diffusion resistance, and improved accessibility to reactants. Here, the results from studies of the causes for the failure of a prior etching and calcination scheme to make such shells and on a newly-developed simple yet robust process for producing uniform mesoporous TiO2 shells with precisely controllable crystallinity and phase are reported. The key finding is that base etching of the SiO2@TiO2 core-shell particles leads to the formation of sodium titanate species, which, if not removed, promote substantial crystal growth during calcination and destroy the structural integrity of the TiO2 shells. A simple acid treatment of the base-etched samples may convert the sodium titanates into protonated titanates, which not only prevent the formation of the impurity phases, but also help to maintain the structural integrity of the shell and allow precise control of the TiO2 phase and crystallinity. This new development affords convenient optimization of the structure of the hollow TiO2 shells toward efficient photocatalysts, which outperform the commercial P25-TiO2 in the photocatalytic decomposition of organic dye molecules.
Effect of soluble ash components on the viscosity of lignite-water mixtures

The removal of multivalent cations from lignite-water mixtures (LWM) was shown to lower mixture apparent viscosity by a factor of about 40, for example, at 100 s−1 by reducing both the yield stress and plastic viscosity. The cations Ca++, Mg++, Al+++, K+, and Na+, among others, were found to be present in the aqueous phase of the LWM in concentrations ranging from 546 ppm to 8 ppm. The primary anions present were CI− and SO4=. The degree to which the cations affected viscosity were of order trivalent > divalent > monovalent. The nature of the anion was found to be relatively unimportant. A process utilizing ion-exchange resins for removing multivalent cations to produce low viscosity lignite-water or coal-water mixtures is described. On a montre que le retrait des cations multivalents des melanges lignite-eau (LWM) diminuait la viscosite apparente du melange par un facteur d'environ 40, par exemple, a 100s–1 en reduisant la contrainte du seuil et la viscosite plas-tique. On a mis en evidence entre autres la presence des cations Ca++, Mg++, Al++, K+ et Na+ dans la phase aqueuse du LWM a des concentrations comprises entre 546 et 8 ppm. Les anions primaires presents etaient Cl− et SO4=. Le degre auquel les cations affecte la viscosite est dans l'ordre: trivalent > divalent > monovalent. On a trouve que la nature de l'anion etait d'une importance relativement faible. On decrit un procede utilisant les resines echangeuses d'ions pour separer les cations multivalents afin de produire des melanges charbon—eau et lignite-eau de faible viscosite.
Electron paramagnetic resonance investigations of nitrosyl complex formation during endotoxin tolerance

Abstract The prior administration of low dose endotoxin induces a state of hyporesponsiveness or tolerance to the lethal effects of endotoxin. It is generally accepted that macrophages are main cellular components in the development of tolerance, hence, nitric oxide (∗NO) as one of the macrophage mediators may play a role in host defense mechanisms during tolerance. In this study, we utilized EPR spectroscopy to directly detect nitrosyl complexes as products of ∗NO in whole blood, livers and intestines of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-tolerant rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with a “low dose” LPS (0.5 mg/kg) 12–168 h prior to a “high dose” LPS (3 mg/kg), then sacrificed 6 h later. EPR signals of nitrosyl hemoprotein complexes were detected in specimens after high dose LPS. The post-LPS EPR signals of nitrosyl complexes from all samples were attenuated by a prior injection of low dose LPS. The signals of dinitrosyl-iron-dithiolate became apparent in samples from tolerant rats as signals of nitrosyl hemoprotein decreased. The maximal tolerance in terms of diminished ∗NO production was observed when low dose LPS was given 48–96 h prior to high dose LPS. Hemoglobin concentrations in the intestine used as biomarkers of hemorrhagic damage, were concomitantly attenuated in the jejunum of tolerant rats. These results together with our previous studies indicate that suppression of ∗NO production may contribute to the amelioration of hepatic and intestinal injury during endotoxin tolerance.
The nature of aryloxide and arylsulfide ligand bonding in dimethyltitanium complexes containing cyclopentadienyl ligation

A series of dimethyltitanium compounds [CpTi(EAr)Me2] (E = O, S) ligated by one cyclopentadienyl (Cp) and one aryloxide (OAr) or arylsulfide (SAr) have been structurally characterized in order to gain a better understanding of aryloxide and arylsulfide bonding in these systems. Experimental structures were compared to those predicted by density functional theory (DFT). Bonding in the arylsulfide systems was found to be significantly different from bonding in the aryloxide systems. The aryloxide ligands exhibited wide Ti–O–Ar angles (≥150°) with the Ar group oriented proximal to the Cp group. DFT computations revealed two conformers for the arylsulfide systems. Arylsulfides with the Ar group proximal to the Cp group had a predicted Ti–S–Ar angle of ∼120° while those with the Ar group distal to the Cp group had a measured and predicted Ti–S–Ar angle of ∼100°. Molecular and natural bond orbital (NBO) analyses were employed to explain the nature of ligand bonding in these systems.
Cornell Spectrum Imager: Open Source Spectrum Analysis with ImageJ

Here we present a free, open-source software tool for spectral analysis of electron energy loss (EELS), energy dispersive x-ray (EDX), or cathodoluminescence (CL) data the Cornell Spectrum Imager (CSI) (Fig. 1) [1]. Spectral imaging, whether via EELS, EDX or CL, is a powerful approach to analyzing materials in a wide array of fields [2]. Proper analysis of spectral data requires software for extracting the chemical signatures present in a spectrum. Basic analysis requires background extrapolation, background subtraction, and signal integration [3]. However, the commercial software available for spectrum analysis remains an expensive, complicated, and time-consuming black box. Worse, licensing terms generally restrict the software to a single computer tied to the dataacquisition microscope or a handful of machines. For user facilities, educational institutes, or any other setting where multiple users on a single tool can be expected, the limited availability of software becomes the bottleneck to data analysis, user training, and throughput. Faced with several hundred users logging over 10,000 hours on our instruments at Cornell, we decided to write a universal data analysis tool that could be freely distributed, would run on all computers, and in order to minimize training, would present the same user interface for imaging, EELS and EDX data analysis. Our goal was software that could be run with minimal instruction or training this meant ensuring all options needed for basic analysis were immediately visible to the user, and also limiting those options to avoid overwhelming a new user.
Bates power supply control and interface system for the South Hall Ring Project

The Bates South Hall Ring will require over 2000 power supplies, ranging from under 100 W for the steering coils to over 90 kW for the extraction line bending magnets. The authors describe all the elements used in the power supply control chain, including an in-house developed power supply controller, the local area computer (LAC) used to control groups of power supplies, and the general mechanism used by the South Hall Ring Control System to access them. These interface elements were designed to permit both remote access to the power supplies as high-level abstract objects (optical elements) and local control for diagnostics. The distributed nature of the power supply controllers facilitates the rapid hardware reconfiguration of the power supply grid, and the use of a central database server to store and retrieve the description of the power supply characteristics makes it very easy to add, subtract, or modify an element in the power supply system. >
A cadaveric model of the throwing shoulder: a possible etiology of superior labrum anterior-to-posterior lesions.

Background: It has been speculated that a shift of the throwing arc commonly develops in athletes who perform overhead activities, resulting in greater external rotation and decreased internal rotation caused by anterior capsular laxity and posterior capsular contracture, respectively. Osseous adapt
Fluorous receptor-facilitated solid phase microextraction.

Abstract Solid phase microextraction (SPME) is a widely accepted solvent-free extraction technique that usually uses a polymer sorbent as the extraction phase. In this work, we have developed receptor-doped fluorous films for solid phase microextraction. The hydrophobic and lipophobic properties of the fluorous films in principle reduce the polymer–water distribution coefficients of solutes other than those that can form noncovalent interactions with the fluorous receptor. This strategy should improve extraction selectivity. We found that the addition of a fluorous carboxylic acid (Krytox 157 FSH) to a fluorous film (Teflon AF 2400) increased the polymer–water distribution coefficients of quinoline, a nitrogen heterocycle. We studied the effects of receptor concentration and solute concentration on the distribution coefficients based on 96-well vessel SPME. We then coated this receptor doped fluorous polymer on a stainless steel fiber for SPME. Compared to a commonly used SPME fiber made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), it showed a preference for the nitrogen heterocyclic compound over a non-heterocyclic control, phenol. To our knowledge, this is the first reported receptor-doped fluorous SPME.
Extensions of the Multi-Period Facility Phase-Out Model: New Procedures and Application to a Phase-In/Phase-Out Problem

Abstract This paper extends the multi-period facility phase-out model of Roodman and Schwarz in two ways: First, the branch-and-bound procedure is improved by the incorporation of two new lower bounds, which are both easier to obtain and more powerful than those originally proposed, and the addition of two new simplifications. Second, the model itself is generalized to solve a phase-in/phase-out problem. The improved branch-and-bound procedure is directly applicable to the static facility location models of Efroymson and Ray and Khumawala, and has consistently solved sample static problems faster than the methods proposed by these authors.
Bipartite index coding

We analyze a generalized index coding problem that allows multiple users to request the same packet. For this problem we introduce a novel coding scheme called partition multicast. Our scheme can be seen as a natural generalization of clique cover for directed index coding problems. Further, partition multicast corresponds to an achievable scheme for the generalized bipartite index coding problem that we introduce in this paper. Our scheme partitions the nodes into groups and solves a multicasting problem within each group. We show that Partition Multicast is optimal for a few families of graphs and generalizes previous achievable schemes, namely directed cycle covers. We also show that finding the best partition is computationally intractable to compute in general.
Factors influencing left ventricular systolic function in nonhypertensive morbidly obese patients, and effect of weight loss induced by gastroplasty

Heart rate and blood pressure were measured, and echocardiography was performed in 39 patients whose actual body weight was greater than twice their ideal body weight to identify factors influencing left ventricular (LV) systolic function in morbidly obese patients and assess the effect of weight loss on LV systolic function. Patients were studied before and after weight loss induced by gastroplasty. The study cohort was 133 +/- 8% overweight before weight loss and 39 +/- 7% overweight at the nadir of weight loss. Before weight loss, LV fractional shortening varied inversely with LV internal dimension in diastole (an indirect index of preload), LV end-systolic wall stress and systolic blood pressure (indexes of afterload). The weight loss-induced change in LV fractional shortening varied directly with the pre-weight loss LV internal dimension in diastole, LV end-systolic wall stress and systolic blood pressure, and inversely with the pre-weight loss LV fractional shortening. The weight loss-induced change in LV fractional shortening varied inversely with the weight loss-induced changes in LV end-systolic stress and systolic blood pressure. In patients with reduced LV fractional shortening (n = 14), weight loss produced a significant increase in LV fractional shortening that was accompanied by a significant decrease in LV internal dimension in diastole, LV end-systolic stress and systolic blood pressure. The results suggest that LV loading conditions have an important role in determining LV systolic function in morbidly obese patients. Improvement in LV systolic function in these patients is closely related to weight loss-induced alterations in LV loading conditions.
Analysis of factors affecting willingness to produce switchgrass in the southeastern United States

Abstract The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 mandates that by 2022 at least 1.36 × 10 11 L of fuel ethanol be produced in the United States, with at least 6.06 × 10 10 L being derived from lignocellulosic biomass. However, the market for cellulosic biofuels is still developing and little is known about the willingness of agricultural producers to grow dedicated energy crops. While there have been some studies done on factors that determine farmers' willingness to produce switchgrass, these have been localized in nature and largely focused on factors other than price. This study analyzes the factors that influence interest among producers in the 12 southeastern U.S. states in growing switchgrass as a biomass feedstock and the share of farmland interested producers would be willing to devote to switchgrass production. The results suggest that about two-thirds of the producers in the region have some interest in growing switchgrass. Among those who are interested and willing to accept the hypothetical price, the predicted land conversion share is 35.8% or 56 ha per farm. At these rates, a commercial scale bio-refinery in the southeast might have to purchase switchgrass from as many as 567 different producers.
African green monkey kidney Vero cells require de novo protein synthesis for efficient herpes simplex virus 1-dependent apoptosis

Abstract During HSV-1 infection, IE gene expression triggers apoptosis, but subsequent synthesis of infected cell proteins blocks apoptotic death from ensuing. This “HSV-1-dependent” apoptosis was identified in HEp-2/HeLa cells infected with wild-type HSV-1 in the presence of an inhibitor of protein synthesis or a virus lacking ICP27 {HSV-1(vBSΔ27)}. Unlike HEp-2/HeLa cells, vBSΔ27-infected Vero cells fail to exhibit dramatic apoptotic morphologies at times prior to 24 hpi. Here, we examined the basis of these different apoptotic responses to HSV-1. We found that infected Vero cells take substantially longer than HEp-2/HeLa cells to display membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation, DNA laddering, and PARP cleavage. Vero, but not HEp-2/HeLa, cells required de novo protein synthesis to exhibit efficient HSV-1-dependent apoptosis, which included changes in mitochondrial membrane potential, and these factors were produced prior to 3 hpi. Vero cells infected with recombinant viruses devoid of the ICP27 and ICP4 proteins alone or both the ICP27 and ICP22 proteins were apoptotic. These results indicate a requirement for cellular or other viral protein synthesis in Vero cells and provide insight into cell type differences in HSV-1-dependent apoptosis.
Plastic behavior of aluminum-killed steel following plane-strain deformation

Aluminum-killed steel sheets have been subjected to plane-strain prestrain in three ways: two-pass rolling, multi-pass rolling, and inplane, plane-strain tension. Subsequent uniaxial tensile tests were performed to evaluate the residual work-hardening behavior. The subsequent hardening curves depended primarily on the relative direction between major strain axes in the two deformation stages and very little on the specific prestrain procedure. These curves showed high initial yield stresses followed by a region of low (or negative) work hardening rate. This behavior contrasted with earlier results for 70/30 brass sheet, and a model of subsequent tensile behavior based on a strain-induced stress transient emerged.
Superoxide-induced stimulation of protein kinase C via thiol modification and modulation of zinc content.

We investigated the effects of mild oxidation on protein kinase C (PKC) using the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system of generating superoxide. Exposure of various PKC preparations to superoxide stimulated the autonomous activity of PKC. Similarly, thiol oxidation increased autonomous PKC activity, consistent with the notion that superoxide stimulates PKC via thiol oxidation. The superoxide-induced stimulation of PKC activity was partially reversed by reducing agents, suggesting that disulfide bond formation contributed to the oxidative stimulation of PKC. In addition, superoxide increased the autonomous activity of the α, βII, e, and ζ PKC isoforms, all of which contain at least one cysteine-rich region. Taken together, our observations suggested that superoxide interacts with PKC at the cysteine-rich region, zinc finger motif of the enzyme. Therefore, we examined the effects of superoxide on this region by testing the hypothesis that superoxide stimulates PKC by promoting the release of zinc from PKC. We found that a zinc chelator stimulated the autonomous activity of PKC and that superoxide induced zinc release from an PKC-enriched enzyme preparation. In addition, oxidized PKC contained significantly less zinc than reduced PKC. Finally, we have isolated a persistent, autonomously active PKC by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography from hippocampal slices incubated with superoxide. Taken together, these data suggest that superoxide stimulates autonomous PKC activity via thiol oxidation and release of zinc from cysteine-rich region of PKC.
Biofilm growth has a threshold response to glucose in vitro.

Background Hyperglycemia is a risk factor for nosocomial infections with known host effects. Increased glucose levels also increase pathogenicity of infecting microbes through greater biofilm formation. The dose response of biofilm formation to glucose concentration is not known.