cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low Temperature Processed Metal-Semiconductor-Metal Phtodetectors on ZnSe/SI-GaAs (100)

Low temperature (LT) processed ZnSe MSM photodetectors can be used for detecting Gamma rays or X-rays using scintillation crystals in many space and medical applications. Metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetectors were fabricated on undoped ZnSe grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on semi-insulating (100) GaAs substrates. The MSM photodetectors consist of interdigitated metal fingers with 2 \gmm, 3 \gmm, and 4 \gmm spacing on one chip. Probimide and SiO2 thin films were deposited to aid the LT lift-off process before the pattern generation. An interdigitated structure was achieved by photolithography and reactive ion etching. Pd Schottky metal was deposited at a substrate temperature near 77 K using a lift-off technique. The LT metallization provides an improved interface between metal and semiconductor interface. Continuous wave signal to noise ratio (SNR) of 1.57×104 was obtained for 2 \gmm interdigitated photodetectors, operated under 180 nW optical power at a wavelength of 400 nm. The detectors showed good DC saturation characteristics indicating a low surface recombination. Saturation current without illumination remained at around less than 1 pA for a \+-10 V biasing. Detectors exhibited linearity with light intensity and DC bias voltage suggesting no gain mechanism involved, and showed a high spectral responsivity (0.6 (A/W)) at a wavelength of 450 nm at 5V applied bias.
Arthralgia and rubella immunization

Excerpt To the editor: In a paper on our 1969 clinical trial of HPV-77:DE-5 live attenuated rubella virus vaccine in adolescent girls and young women (1), we described in detail a 17-year-old vacci...
Evaluation of the hydrolytic activity of a long-acting mutant bacterial cocaine in the presence of commonly co-administered drugs.

Background Cocaine toxicity is a prevalent problem in the Unites States for which there is currently no FDA-approved pharmacotherapy. We have developed a bacterial cocaine esterase (CocE) towards this indication. A thermostabilized mutant of CocE (DM-CocE) retains the hydrolytic activity of the wild-type esterase, rapidly hydrolyzing cocaine into the inactive metabolites ecgonine methyl ester and benzoic acid, and can prevent cocaine toxicities in rodent and non-human primate models. To advance DM-CocE towards clinical use, we examine here how the hydrolytic activity of DM-CocE is altered by some drugs commonly co-administered with cocaine.
Tests of gravity

Theory and Experiment in Gravitational Physics. By Clifford M. Will. ISBN 0-521-23237-6. (Cambridge University Press: 1982.) £37.50, $75.
Surface characterization of intermediate modulus graphite fibers via surface free energy measurement and esca

Abstract Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), combined with surface derivatization and contact-angle measurements on single fibers, is used to characterize the surface of intermediate modulus (280 GPa tensile modulus) graphite fibers. Selective surface derivatization of the —COH, —COOH and —C = O functional groups with fluorine-enriched tag molecules is used to obtain a quantitative measure of their surface abundance. Quantitative information on the abundance of these functional groups is then correlated with the total and the acid-base free energy data obtained from contact-angle measurements. The three techniques provide complementary information, more completely characterizing the surface acidity of the fiber than any one of the techniques alone.
Crystal structure of the novel PaiA N‐acetyltransferase from Thermoplasma acidophilum involved in the negative control of sporulation and degradative enzyme production

GCN5-related N-acetyltransferases (GNATs) are the most widely distributed acetyltransferase systems among all three domains of life. GNATs appear to be involved in several key processes, including microbial antibiotic resistance, compacting eukaryotic DNA, controlling gene expression, and protein synthesis. Here, we report the crystal structure of a putative GNAT Ta0374 from Thermoplasma acidophilum, a hyperacidophilic bacterium, that has been determined in an apo-form, in complex with its natural ligand (acetyl coenzyme A), and in complex with a product of reaction (coenzyme A) obtained by cocrystallization with spermidine. Sequence and structural analysis reveals that Ta0374 belongs to a novel protein family, PaiA, involved in the negative control of sporulation and degradative enzyme production. The crystal structure of Ta0374 confirms that it binds acetyl coenzyme A in a way similar to other GNATs and is capable of acetylating spermidine. Based on structural and docking analysis, it is expected that Glu53 and Tyr93 are key residues for recognizing spermidine. Additionally, we find that the purification His-Tag in the apo-form structure of Ta0374 prevents binding of acetyl coenzyme A in the crystal, though not in solution, and affects a chain-flip rotation of “motif A” which is the most conserved sequence among canonical acetyltransferases. Proteins 2011; © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Raphides in palm embryos and their systematic distribution.

d Background and Aims Raphides are ubiquitous in the palms (Arecaceae), where they are found in roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits. Their occasional presence in embryos, first noticed over 100 years ago, has gone largely unexamined. d Methods Embryos from 148 taxa of palms, the largest survey of palm embryos to date, were examined using light microscopy of squashed preparations under non-polarized and crossed polarized light. d Key Results Raphides were found in embryos of species from the three subfamilies Coryphoideae, Ceroxyloideae and Arecoideae. Raphides were not observed in the embryos of species of Calamoideae or Phytelephantoideae. The remaining subfamily, the monospecific Nypoideae, was not available for study. d Conclusions Within the Coryphoideae and Ceroxyloideae, embryos with raphides were rare, but within the Arecoideae, they were a common feature of the tribes Areceae and Caryoteae. a 2004 Annals of Botany Company
Semiotic resources in the development of early probabilistic thinking when teaching mathematics as storytelling

This article deals with the question of the development of probabilistic thinking in young students when teaching mathematics as storytelling. In this study, our research is framed by the theory of learning as an objectification process (Radford, 2008) that is accomplished by the interaction of material and ideational elements such as, mathematical objects, signs, speech, gestures, forms of imagination, action with signs. Results from this study reveal some patterns of probabilistic reasoning used by young students.
IONIC, pH, AND TEMPERATURE EFFECTS ON THE BINDING ABILITY OF MYOSIN

The peak force required to separate pieces of meat at a binding junction was measured with the Instron Universal Testing Machine. These measurements were used to study the effects of salt, phosphate, pH, cooking temperature and. protein concentration on the ability of crude myosin to bind meat pieces. Results showed salt and phosphate to linearly increase the ability of myosin to bind meat pieces primarily by solubilizing the protein. Temperature and the level of protein had increasing effects on binding ability in the range 45-80°C and 0-8%, respectively. Scanning electron micrographs of the ultrastructure of gels formed by myosin showed a three dimensional network of overlapping fibers in the presence of salt and phosphate and a sponge-like network in their absence. Since the ultrastructure of the gel formed by myosin heavy chains was comparable to that of myosin, it was concluded that the heavy chain core of the myosin molecule plays an important role in the heat-induced gelation of myosin. The relationship between the formation of a three dimensional network of fibers by the heavy chains of myosin and the mechanism of binding meat pieces was discussed.
Measuring Case Salience in State Courts of Last Resort

Scholars recognize that both citizens and elites may alter their behavior in response to salient stimuli. Epstein and Segal’s (2000) measure of salience for the United States Supreme Court provided...
A logic for strategy updates

While people play games, they observe, learn, recollect and update their strategies during the game as well as adopting deontological strategies and goals before the game. In this paper, we focus on what we call move updates where some moves become unavailable during the game, and present a formal framework for extending strategy logic which was introduced by Ramanujam and Simon [2].
Transmediated Magic: Sociality in Wizard Rock

As people adopt and adapt new technologies, it is increasingly important to understand the ways in which people create and maintain social relationships through new media. Popular, and sometimes academic, discourses tend to speak of the transformative power the Internet has had over the ways we socialize. An emerging form of sociality in which interaction takes place across several types of media can be called "transmediated sociality." This paper borrows theories of convergence and transmedia from media and fan studies to explore one such transmediated community, wizard rock. It argues that participants in wizard rock interact across multiple types of media, thus demonstrating transmediated sociality, and that through their design of these interactions wizard rockers are not passive consumers of technology but rather are active agents who manipulate technologies for their own social purposes.
Tibial shaft fractures in skiing

A prospective study of all tibial shaft fractures produced during a single ski season in a Northern Vermont area is presented. Very little previous work concerning skiing-induced tibial fractures was present in the literature. Younger, lighter, and less skilled skiers are more frequently so injured. Spiral fractures account for 41.9% and boot top fractures for 37.9% of the total. Spiral fractures occurred by an internal rotation mechanism just as frequently as by external rotation, and were observed more frequently in slower moving skiers who were using shorter skis and lower, softer boots. Associated fibular fractures were commonly not observed in children. Tibial fractures occurring in skiing are the result of relatively low energy trauma. The level and type of fracture had little effect on healing time. With rare exceptions these fractures heal satisfactorily with nonsurgical techniques.
Simultaneous determination of in- and over-tube heat transfer correlations in heat exchangers by global regression

We propose a method of data reduction that improves the predictions of correlations obtained from heat exchanger measurements. If we define an ideal heat exchanger on the basis of commonly made assumptions, the two heat transfer correlations corresponding to both sides of the heat transfer surface can be simultaneously determined. A local regression analysis, however, gives a multiplicity of possible correlations corresponding to the given data. The best correlations are obtained from this set by using a global regression procedure. Three methods are evaluated for this purpose: genetic algorithms, simulated annealing and interval analysis. All three perform well, with some differences in accuracy and CPU time. The predictions are further improved by correlating the error that is introduced by the assumptions of the ideal heat exchanger. The heat rate predictions are then improved considerably, giving a good idea of the extent to which these assumptions degrade them.
Infections in Travelers

Travel medicine continues to grow as international tourism and patient medical complexity increases. This article reflects the state of the current field, but new recommendations on immunizations, resistance patterns, and treatment modalities constantly change. The US Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization maintain helpful Web sites for both patient and physician. With thoughtful preparation and prevention, risks can be minimized and travel can continue as safely as possible.
DBD-Hunter: a knowledge-based method for the prediction of DNA–protein interactions

The structures of DNA–protein complexes have illuminated the diversity of DNA–protein binding mechanisms shown by different protein families. This lack of generality could pose a great challenge for predicting DNA–protein interactions. To address this issue, we have developed a knowledge-based method, DNA-binding Domain Hunter (DBD-Hunter), for identifying DNA-binding proteins and associated binding sites. The method combines structural comparison and the evaluation of a statistical potential, which we derive to describe interactions between DNA base pairs and protein residues. We demonstrate that DBD-Hunter is an accurate method for predicting DNA-binding function of proteins, and that DNA-binding protein residues can be reliably inferred from the corresponding templates if identified. In benchmark tests on ∼4000 proteins, our method achieved an accuracy of 98% and a precision of 84%, which significantly outperforms three previous methods. We further validate the method on DNA-binding protein structures determined in DNA-free (apo) state. We show that the accuracy of our method is only slightly affected on apo-structures compared to the performance on holo-structures cocrystallized with DNA. Finally, we apply the method to ∼1700 structural genomics targets and predict that 37 targets with previously unknown function are likely to be DNA-binding proteins. DBD-Hunter is freely available at http://cssb.biology.gatech.edu/skolnick/webservice/DBD-Hunter/.
Judgments about cooperators and freeriders on a Shuar work team: An evolutionary psychological perspective

Evolutionary biological theories of group cooperation predict that (1) group members will tend to judge cooperative co-members favorably, and freeriding co-members negatively and (2) members who themselves cooperate more frequently will be especially likely to make these social judgments. An experiment tested these predictions among Shuar hunter-horticulturalists. Subjects viewed depictions of pairs of workers who varied in the extent to which they had contributed to, and beneWted from, a team project. Subjects were then asked to judge which worker deserved more respect, and which deserved more punishment. When judging between unequalcontributors, all subjects tended to favor more cooperative (i.e., higher-contributing) workers. However, when judging between equal-contributors/unequal-beneWters, male subjects who themselves often engaged in team cooperation tended to favor more cooperative (i.e., lower-beneWting) workers, while subjects who were female and who therefore rarely engaged in team cooperation tended to favor less cooperative (i.e., higher-beneWting) workers.
Rhetoric as Character-Fashioning: The Implications of Delivery's “Places” in the British Renaissance Paideia

Abstract: Pronuntiatio teaches charaeter creation and analysis. Because the rhetorical curriculum in the British Renaissance considers pronuntiatio essential, retains the educational goal of facilitas , treats every “text” as a declamation, and depicts inventio, dispositio, elocutio , and memoria in behavioral metaphors with rules mirroring those of pronuntiatio , Renaissance rhetoric is in practice an art of behavior centrally concerned with decorum. This connection between Renaissance rhetoric and ethics suggests a defense for the claim that the good orator is the good man and expands the domain of rhetoric from an art of expression, composition, or persuasion to an art of character-fashioning.
Synthesis and bioevaluation of 125I-labeled gold nanorods

A novel technique is described for monitoring the in vivo behavior of gold nanorods (GNRs) using γ-imaging. GNRs were radiolabeled using [¹²⁵I] sodium iodide in a simple and fast manner with high yield and without disturbing their optical properties. Radiolabeled GNRs were successfully visualized by radioisotope tagging, allowing longitudinal in vivo studies to be performed repeatedly in the same animal. The preliminary biodistribution study showed that PEGylated GNRs have much longer blood circulation times and clear out faster, while bare GNRs accumulate quickly in the liver after systematic administration. The highly efficient method reported here provides an extensively useful tool for guidance of the design and development of new gold nanoparticles as target-specific agents for both diagnostics and photothermal therapy.
Undertreatment of menopausal symptoms and novel options for comprehensive management

There is currently a gap in treatment options for menopausal symptoms and a need for comprehensive therapies that are safe and effective for postmenopausal women. This review discusses challenges i...
Owner objectives and competitive balance.

A growing literature on leagues composed of owners maximizing winning percentage shows that particular league rules have different impacts compared with leagues composed of profit-maximizing owners. But the underlying question of how to distinguish between the two types of leagues has received no treatment. In this article, we show that the two types of leagues can be distinguished in the talent market. A league of winning-percentage-maximizing owners will have higher talent costs and greater demand for talent. But, and perhaps more important, the level of competitive balance between the two types of leagues is indeterminate. In addition, a new policy instrument is suggested, namely, nudging owners toward one or the other objective, depending upon the particular locations of the demand for talent if owners pursue profits or winning percentage.
Specific Heat of He 3 Under Pressure

The heat capacity of a mixture of He3 and powdered cesium magnesium nitrate at 0.02 to 0.1 deg K and at 0.12, greater than that of the minimum in the melting curve, P/sub min/, at external pressures of 30.7, 32.8, and 34.8 atm, was measured. The specific heat seemed to be linear at T below 0.03 deg K at the lowest pressures only. Assumihg Fermi liquid behavior at 0.03 deg K, a greater ratio of specific heat at zero pressure and a lower limit for the isobaric expansion than those formerly obtained were deduce. A transition temperature increasing with pressure was found. Liquid He/sup 3/ at pressures above P/sub min/ and at low temperatures was found to have a smaller specific heat and reduced thermal boundary resistance relative to that at lower pressures. (L.N.N.)
Neutron spectrum of an Am241-Be(α, n) source

Abstract The neutron energy spectrum of an alloyed Am 241 -Be( α , n) source has been determined with a proton recoil spectrometer. The spectrum shows fairly broad maxima at 3.5 and 5 MeV and extends up to 11.5 MeV. This is similar to the published spectra of Po 210 -Be( α , n) sources. The partial neutron spectrum from the production of the 4.43 MeV state of C 12 was studied separately by a time-of-flight method; it is in fair agreement with calculated spectra. Absolute emission rate measurements on the source determine the fraction of neutrons below 1.5 MeV where direct observation with the spectrometer is limited. This fraction is found to be 17% of the total neutrons emitted. The average neutron energy of the source spectrum is calculated to be 4.4 MeV.
Repeal the Estate Tax? Bad Move: The Transfer Tax System Paradigm

The largest transfer of wealth the world has ever seen will take place during the next four decades. The result of this wealth transfer should be an astronomical increase in estate tax revenues. However, Congress's attempts to repeal the tax, coupled with the courts' willingness to limit its effectiveness, will result in trillions of dollars escaping the grasp of the estate tax. This report focuses attention on the purpose of the estate tax and the barriers that inhibit its efficiency.
Storage of Honeybee Spermatozoa at −196°C

SummaryA method for storing honeybee spermatozoa in liquid nitrogen is described. A hydraulic syringe attached to a meter accurately measures collection, dilution, and delivery of semen, and a thermocouple inserted into the semen records the rates of freezing and thawing. From collection to insemination the storage process lost only 7% of the semen mixture.A mixture of 60% semen, 10% dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) and 30% saline was the most successful for storage. Glycerol gave some protection as a cryoprotectant, but was inferior to DMSO. After semen was stored with 10% DMSO and 30% water, more spermatozoa moved to the spermatheca than after storage with 10% DMSO and 10% or 20% water.
Design of Wood Columns for Flexural and Axial Loading

Present design practice of wood columns is reviewed. The derivation of the design expression adopted by National Design Specifications for wood structures is given and its limitations and range of applications are analyzed. Two methods of design are given: (1) Hand calculations, which is based on successive approximations; (2) a general computer program, for which the coding is also given. The latter renders all possible solutions in stress graded lumber of laminated wood for a given case. The sections are listed in ascending order of cost, least weight sections being listed first. The design of braced and unbraced columns with various end restraints is examined using the concept of effective length to determine actual slenderness. Present design practice renders conservative results for braced columns. However, in the case of unbraced columns, unless the actual slenderness is used, unsafe sections may result. Therefore, adoption of design provisions calling for use of actual slenderness and a minimum eccentricity of the load about both axes of bending are strongly recommended.
Hierarchical multiscale modeling of Polyvinyl Alcohol/Montmorillonite nanocomposites

Abstract The mechanical responses of low volume fraction Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA)/Montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites were modeled using a hierarchical multiscale modeling method. Nanoscale Molecular Dynamics (MD) and mesoscale Finite Element Analysis (FEA) were used to bridge information regarding deformation mechanics within Polymer/Clay Nanocomposites (PCNs). MD computations of PVA/MMT interfaces were employed to calibrate a Traction-Separation (T-S) relation, which was then upscaled into a cohesive zone model (CZM) to model interfaces between PVA and MMT in a mesomechanical finite element framework. Virtual Composite Structure Generation (VCSG) was used to generate a quasi-realistic Representative Volume Element (RVE), and explicit FEA was performed on the RVE to demonstrate delamination in the PCNs. The FEA featured an elasto-viscoelastic-viscoplastic Internal State Variable (ISV) model for the polymer host (PVA) and a CZM for the interfaces between MMT and PVA. The hierarchical length scale bridging methodology employed here for a polymer based composite has applications for many other material systems.
Interleukin-6 receptor-alpha signaling drives anti-RBC alloantibody production and T-follicular helper cell differentiation in a murine model of red blood cell alloimmunization.

Despite the significant clinical consequences of red blood cell (RBC) alloimmunization, our understanding of the fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating anti-RBC antibody generation is limited. Relative to infectious stimuli,[1][1] transfused RBCs induce a less robust antibody
Signal Transduction in Ischemic Preconditioning

Ischemic preconditioning is a phenomenon in which exposure of the heart to a brief period of ischemia causes it to quickly adapt itself to become resistant to infarction from a subsequent ischemic insult. The mechanism is not fully understood but, at least in the rabbit, it is known to be triggered by occupation of adenosine receptors, opioid receptors, bradykinin receptors and the generation of free radicals during the preconditioning ischemia. All of these are thought to converge on and activate protein kinase C (PKC), which in turn activates a tyrosine kinase. This kinase cascade eventually terminates on some unknown effector, possibly a potassium channel or a cytoskeletal protein, which makes the cells resistant to infarction. If this process can be understood, it should be possible to devise a method for conferring this protection to patients with acute myocardial infarction.
Strange Bedfellows: Meditations on the Indispensable Virtues of Confusion, Mindfulness and Humor in the Neuroscientific and Cognitive Study of Esoteric and Contemplative Traditions1

Several recent publications in the study of esoteric traditions have drawn together insights from scholars of religions and philosophy, contemplative communities, metaphor and conceptual blend theories, cognitive sciences, neurosciences, and physical anthropology. These interdisciplinary explorations revolve around contemplative practices (meditation, mindfulness, ritual traditions, etc.). This includes both ethnographic and textual expressions of these traditions. This paper is a response to the questions and insights of some recent articles, books, and two 2015 conference papers, with the specific purpose of contributing to what Glen Hayes (2014) called “the need to develop and ‘new vocabulary’ for this interdisciplinary study” of contemplative and esoteric traditions (Hayes’ call was specifically in reference to Hindu Tantra). To do this, I have referred to some other scientific approaches to which the scholars of esoteric and contemplative communities have not made much mention, and then to offer a form of reflection and meditation on what this new vocabulary and these research projects call us to do: their concepts, logic, and meaning. To this end, I have given some careful attention to the concepts of confusion, mindfulness, humor, and dispassionate vulnerability to help us better understand what we are doing, and where we should go from here.
Hibernation in the Extreme: Burrow and Body Temperatures, Metabolism, and Limits to Torpor Bout Length in Arctic Ground Squirrels

Arctic ground squirrels overwinter in hibernacula with average temperatures of -8°C and minimum temperatures to -26°C, conditions that are extremely cold compared to those reported for other hibernators. During torpor, metabolic rate of arctic ground squirrels rises proportionally with decreases in ambient temperature (Ta) below 0°C while core body temperature (Tb) remains constant. At Ta > 0°C, metabolic rate remains minimal and relatively constant while Tb increases to > 12°C, implying temperature-independent inhibition of metabolism. Maximum torpor bout length is greatest at Ta near 0°C and shortens as Ta is either decreased or increased, giving support to both metabolic rate- and body temperature-linked hypotheses of what constrains torpor duration in mammals. Brain temperature, if it increases as Ta decreases below 0°C, may ultimately influence torpor duration in arctic ground squirrels.
Ecosystem resilience is evident 17 years after fire in Wyoming big sagebrush ecosystems

Recent policy has focused on prevention of wildfire in the sagebrush steppe in an effort to protect habitat for the greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Historically, fire return intervals in Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) ecosystems were 50–100 yr or more, but invasive species, climate change, and a legacy of intensive grazing practices have led to degraded rangeland condition, altered fire regimes and fire effects, and declines in sagebrush cover. Little is known about the long-term impacts of fire in this ecosystem in areas where grazing pressure has been removed, few invasive species exist, and fire return intervals are maintained. In this study, we quantified vegetation composition prior to prescribed burning, 1 year following fire, and 17 years after fire in a native-dominated Wyoming big sagebrush ecosystem at Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, Oregon, United States. Seventeen years following fire, the ecosystem was dominated by native herbaceous vegetation, with 8.3% cover of broad-leaved forbs and bunchgrasses in the understory, compared to just 3.8% cover of native herbaceous vegetation in unburned controls. Invasive annual grass cover ranged from 0.2% to 8.4% across all treatments and years (P = 0.56). One year following fire, the distance from a randomly located point and the nearest mature sagebrush was 16.6 m, but by 17 years after the fire, that distance had decreased to 2.5 m. Seventeen years after fires, shrub cover was 0.4–4% in burned plots compared to 13–24% in unburned controls. Collectively, these data demonstrate that good condition ungrazed Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities exhibited resilience following fire and maintained a native-dominated mosaic of shrubs, bunchgrasses, and forbs. Further, unburned control plots were dominated by woody vegetation and exhibited losses in herbaceous understory, possibly indicating that they are outside of their natural fire return interval. Our results illustrate that management of all habitat components, including natural disturbance and a mosaic of successional stages, is important for persistent resilience and that suppression of all fires in the sagebrush steppe may create long-term losses of heterogeneity in good condition Wyoming big sagebrush ecosystems.
Acute Rejection and Antibody-Mediated Rejection in Lung Transplantation

Despite advances in immunosuppression over the past 25 years, acute cellular rejection remains a common complication early after lung transplantation. Although acute cellular rejection has often not resulted in clinical signs or symptoms of allograft dysfunction, it has been widely recognized as a strong independent risk factor for the development of chronic rejection, emphasizing its clinical significance. In recent years, the role of humoral immunity in lung rejection has been increasingly appreciated, and antibody-mediated rejection is now recognized as a form of rejection that may result in allograft failure.
Impact of Asian aerosol forcing on tropical Pacific circulation and the relationship to global temperature trends

The recent slowdown in the warming of global surface temperatures has been linked to the enhancement of trade winds in the central equatorial Pacific. The possible role of Asian aerosol emissions in forcing these wind anomalies is investigated through a series of idealized model simulations. Circulation patterns in response to localized negative radiative perturbations, indicative of aerosol effects, are investigated for both a slab and an active ocean models. The results suggest that Asian aerosols cannot explain the recent intensification of trade wind anomalies in the equatorial Pacific.
Dynamic origins of fermionic D -terms

The $D$-term is defined through matrix elements of the energy-momentum tensor, similarly to mass and spin, yet this important particle property is experimentally not known any fermion. In this work we show that the $D$-term of a spin $\frac{1}{2}$ fermion is of dynamical origin: it vanishes for a free fermion. This is in pronounced contrast to the bosonic case where already a free spin-0 boson has a non-zero intrinsic $D$-term. We illustrate in two simple models how interactions generate the $D$-term of a fermion with an internal structure, the nucleon. All known matter is composed of elementary fermions. This indicates the importance to study this interesting particle property in more detail, which will provide novel insights especially on the structure of the nucleon.
Ghost writer in the machine: the politics of determining the machinic/expressive functions of software

ABSTRACTThe 1978 Report of the Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works laid groundwork for three contemporary struggles over the politics of digital technologies: copying software, modifying software, and End User License Agreements. I critically analyze the document, situating it within a genealogy of digital media, computational history, and communication philosophy. Beginning with the question of whether software is communication, the report articulates theoretical concerns relevant today, including: post/cyborg-humanism; materiality; form and content; inscription and legibility; and function vs. expression. I conclude that the unarticulated, animating question was to identify what counts, ethically and politically, as a creative body.
Synthesizing Precompressed Beams As Bistable Compliant Mechanisms

Bistable mechanisms provide two stable positions. Input power is not needed to maintain any of the two stable positions. To switch from one stable position to another, input power is required. Bistable mechanisms have many applications including valves, closures, switches and various other devices. Unlike conventional rigid-body bistable mechanisms that rely on relative motions of kinematic joints, bistable compliant mechanisms take advantage of elastic deformations of flexible members to achieve two stable positions. There are two symmetric buckled shapes in a precompressed beam that has one fixed end and one pinned end. The two buckled shapes match the two stable equilibrium positions of bistable compliant mechanisms. The precompressed beam can be rotationally actuated at the pinned end to snap from one buckled shape to another. Synthesizing precompressed beams as bistable mechanisms is challenging because of buckling instability and integrated force and deflection characteristics. In this paper, the buckled shape is derived for a precompressed beam with fixed and pinned ends. The input torque at the pinned end is analyzed for a precompressed beam to snap between its two symmetric buckled shapes. Precompressed beams are synthesized as bistable compliant mechanisms through axial compression and beam thickness in this paper.Copyright © 2017 by ASME
Predictive Performance of Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Models in Predicting Drug–Drug Interactions Involving Enzyme Modulation

Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling in predicting metabolic drug–drug interactions (mDDIs) is routinely used in drug development. Currently, the US FDA endorses the use of PBPK to potentially support dosing recommendations for investigational drugs as enzyme substrates of mDDIs, and to inform a lack of mDDIs for investigational drugs as enzyme modulators. We systematically evaluated the performance of PBPK modeling in predicting mDDIs published in the literature. Models developed to assess both investigational drugs as enzyme substrates (Groups 1 and 2, as being inhibited and induced, respectively) or enzyme modulators (Groups 3 and 4, as inhibitors and inducers, respectively) were evaluated. Predicted ratios of the area under the curve (AUCRs) and/or maximum plasma concentration (CmaxRs) with and without comedication were compared with the observed ratios. For Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, 62, 50, 44, and 43% of model-predicted AUCRs, respectively, were within a predefined threshold of 1.25-fold of observed values (0.8–1.25x). When the threshold was widened to twofold, the values increased to 100, 80, 81, and 86% (0.5–2.0x). For Groups 3 and 4, prediction for mDDI liability (the existence or lack of mDDIs) using PBPK appears to be satisfactory. Our analysis supports the FDA’s current recommendations on the use of PBPK to predict mDDIs.
Transnational Utopias, Space Exploration and the Association of Space Explorers, 1972–85

Focusing on manned spaceflight in Europe during the ‘long’ 1970s – from the Ostpolitik and detente of the 1970s to its demise in the first half of the1980s – this chapter explores tensions between the national and military goals of space exploration and visions of spaceflight as a way to build peaceful transnational communities. It traces the intellectual roots of collaboration in spaceflight, including the increasing linkage between spaceflight and environmentalism in the 1970s. The discussion then turns to an examination of three collaborative moments: the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the Soviet Union’s Interkosmos program and the creation of the Association of Space Explorers in the 1980s.
COMPLEX LEAD SULFIDE CONCENTRATE LEACHING BY MICROORGANISMS

Recent bacterial leaching studies indicate that zinc, copper, and cadmium values can selectively be removed from off-grade lead sulfide concentrates without producing any air pollution. The bacterial leaching technique is based on the difference in the solubility of the metal sulfates which are resulted in this process. The leach residue is an up-graded lead sulfide concentrate which is partially oxidized to sulfate and can be used directly in the classical smelting process for recovery of lead. The preliminary economic assessment presented in this study is encouraging to warrant further consideration.
A short random walk through polymer material behavior

Photographic film (or rather the base of a film) is made of transparent polymeric material. In this chapter we consider material properties of such film. Suppose a flat photographic film shown in Figure 16.1(a) is bent around a cylinder, as depicted in Figure 16.1(b), is held in this state for some time t w , and is then released. If the film were purely elastic then it will instantaneously recover its original flat shape.
Black Males in the College Classroom: A Quantitative Analysis of Student Athlete-Faculty Interactions

Few scholars have examined the social and academic environmental influence on college student-athletes. This study explored the relationship between Black male student-athletes and faculty and the impact of specific forms of student athlete-faculty interaction on academic achievement. Data are drawn from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program’s 2000 Freshman Survey and 2004 Follow-Up Survey. The sample includes 739 Black football and basketball players attending predominantly White institutions. The findings provided evidence that the impact of the contact is to some extent contingent upon the specific nature of the interaction for Black male student-athletes. For example, faculty who provided encouragement for graduate school had a significant influence on Black student-athletes’ college GPA whereas all other faculty interaction measures were not significant in this study. The implications of these findings are discussed among faculty, student affairs leaders, and others who are committed to improving male Black male student athlete-faculty communication, as well as enrich their overall college experience.
Exotic lepidopteran leafminers in North American apple orchards: rise to prominence, management, and future threats.

The European tentiform leafminers, Phyllonorycter blancardella (Fabricius) and P. mespilella (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), have infested apple, Malus domestica Borkhausen, in North America for at least 60–70 years. Unreliable taxonomic methods and lack of voucher specimens, however, have contributed to poor understanding of precisely when, where, and how these leafminers were introduced. Tentiform leafminers developed into significant foliar pests at about the time when adult resistance to broad-spectrum insecticides was detected in the 1970s and 1980s. At present, growers manage leafminers with insecticides and, to a lesser extent, with biological control. Most management programs for orchard pests rely on insecticides that are highly toxic to parasitic wasps, which hampers biological control. New techniques promoted in the context of integrated pest management (IPM) may improve biological control by reducing insecticidal use, but their adoption will depend on cost, labor, need to control other pests, and demands of the marketplace. Management programs must be flexible enough to accommodate changes in the species composition of leafminers and their parasitoids. Procedures to exclude pests may slow the rate of new introductions of leafminers and other pests, but they will not entirely protect the North American apple industry. Once new apple pests reach North America, they face few obstacles to further dispersal. The abundance of potential host plants, the lack of rigorous inspections, and new retail practices may facilitate the dispersal of exotic pests.
Comparison of AJCC Anatomic and Clinical Prognostic Stage Groups in Breast Cancer: Analysis of 3322 Cases From a Single Institution

Abstract Background The American Joint Committee on Cancer anatomic stage/prognostic group template arguably is the most powerful in predicting breast cancer outcomes because it considers the primary tumor, regional lymph node involvement, and presence of distant metastasis. However, other tumor and host characteristics have also been proved to be of prognostic value, including histologic grade and estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status. Thus, the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer consolidated these factors into clinical prognostic stage groups. Materials and Methods We validated the clinical prognostic stage groups compared with the anatomic stage groups in a cohort of 3322 breast cancer patients. Results Compared with the anatomic stage, application of the clinical prognostic stage assigned 27.7% and 24.7% of cases to higher and lower stage groups, respectively. In 14% and 2.8% of cases, the assignment of clinical prognostic stage varied by 2 and 3 anatomic stages up or down, respectively. The Cox proportional hazard model demonstrated superior discriminatory power for clinical prognostic stage (overall χ2, 464.5; P Conclusion The new clinical prognostic stage provides a more powerful, yet imperfect, tool for predicting breast cancer outcomes. Further refinement of this system might be necessary in the pursuit of precision medicine.
Exploring the psychometric properties of the empathy quotient for farsi speakers

Although researchers have studied empathy among many populations, there are few studies in which researchers have focused on empathy among Farsi speakers. We explore the psychometric properties of a Farsi translation of the Empathy Quotient (EQ), and compare the degree to which the items function in a comparable way to the English version of the items. We used Rasch measurement theory to examine the psychometric properties of the EQ in terms of item ordering, item fit, and differences between Farsi-speakers and English speakers related to the overall locations of participants within the two language subgroups and the consistency of item ordering between the two subgroups. Overall, the results suggested that the Farsi translation of the EQ demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties for measuring empathy among Farsi speakers. However, several items appeared to function differently across the two translations. We discuss our findings in terms of their implications for research and practice.
The Association of Glasgow Coma Scale Score With Clinically Important Traumatic Brain Injuries in Children.

Objective An accurate understanding of the incidence of clinically important traumatic brain injuries (ciTBIs) based on presenting Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores in pediatric patients is required to formulate a pretest probability of disease to guide testing and treatment. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of ciTBI and neurosurgical intervention for each GCS score (range 3-15) in children presenting after blunt head trauma. Methods This was a secondary analysis of prospectively collected observational data from 25 pediatric emergency departments in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. Patients younger than 18 years with nontrivial blunt head injury were included. Results A total of 43,379 children with complete GCS scores were included in the analysis. Seven hundred sixty-three children had ciTBIs (1.8%) and 200 underwent neurosurgery (0.5%). Children with GCS scores of 4 had the highest incidence of ciTBI (21/22, 95.5%) and neurosurgical intervention (16/22, 72.2%). A nearly linear decrease in the prevalence of ciTBI from a GCS score of 4 to a score of 15 was observed (R = 0.92). Of 1341 children, 107 (8.0%) presenting with GCS scores of 14 were found to have ciTBIs and 17 (1.3%) underwent neurosurgical intervention. Conclusions A nearly linear relationship exists between the initial GCS score and ciTBI in children with blunt head trauma. The highest prevalence of ciTBI and neurosurgical intervention occurred in children with GCS scores of 4. Children presenting with GCS scores of 14 had a nonnegligible prevalence of ciTBI. These findings are critical to providers caring for children with blunt head trauma to accurately formulate pretest probabilities of ciTBI.
Valence: variable length calling context encoding

Many applications, including program optimizations, debugging tools, and event loggers, rely on calling context to gain additional insight about how a program behaves during execution. One common strategy for determining calling contexts is to use compiler instrumentation at each function call site and return sites to encode the call paths and store them in a designated area of memory. While recent works have shown that this approach can generate precise calling context encodings with low overhead, the encodings can grow to hundreds or even thousands of bytes to encode a long call path, for some applications. Such lengthy encodings increase the costs associated with storing, detecting, and decoding call path contexts, and can limit the effectiveness of this approach for many usage scenarios. This work introduces a new compiler-based strategy that significantly reduces the length of calling context encoding with little or no impact on instrumentation costs for many applications. Rather than update or store an entire word at each function call and return, our approach leverages static analysis and variable length instrumentation to record each piece of the calling context using only a small number of bits, in most cases. We implemented our approach as an LLVM compiler pass, and compared it directly to the state-of-the-art calling context encoding strategy (PCCE) using a standard set of C/C++ applications from SPEC CPU 2017. Overall, our approach reduces the length of calling context encoding from 4.3 words to 1.6 words on average (> 60% reduction), thereby improving the efficiency of applications that frequently store or query calling contexts.
Synthesis and PKC inhibitory activities of balanol analogs with a cyclopentane substructure

Abstract Compounds 4–7 , analogs of the potent protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor balanol (−)- 1 , were synthesized and their potency against PKC was compared with racemic balanol and other related analogs. These cyclopentane-based analogs were found to be, in general, more potent PKC inhibitors than balanol.
Crystal Growth and Characterization of High Performance KSr2BrxI5-x:Eu Scintillators

Abstract In this work we investigated the effects of replacing some of the matrix iodine atoms in KSr2I5:Eu with bromine, forming new solid solutions of KSr2BrxI(5−x):Eu (where 0.05 ≤ x ≤ 1). Transparent 15 and 22 mm diameter single crystals of KSr2BrxI(5−x):Eu were grown via the vertical Bridgman technique using a two-zone transparent furnace. The scintillation properties of the mixed compounds were investigated and compared to the non-mixed parent compound, KSr2I5:Eu. The addition of bromine blue-shifted the x-ray excited emission from 450 to 446 nm, increased the light yield by ~11% and decreased the scintillation decay time by suppressing its secondary component (≥3 µs), while maintaining energy resolutions comparable to the reference crystal. Thermoluminescence glow curves showed that the addition of bromine modified the shallow traps located between 25 and 55 K, suggesting that these traps are responsible for lengthening KSI’s decay time. In large sizes (10.3 cm3), KSr2Br0.10I4.90:Eu 2% had light yields up to 79,000 ph/MeV and energy resolutions as low as 3.2% at 662 keV.
On the eighth day, God laughed: “Jewing” humour and self-deprecation in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and the Gospel of Mark

When situating the Gospel of Mark within a Jewish context, incongruities concerning both Jesus’s character and the collective character of Jesus’s disciples become apparent. The Markan Christ, for ...