cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using Molecular Models To Show Steric Clash in Peptides: An Illustration of Two Disallowed Regions in the Ramachandran Diagram

In this activity, students manipulate three-dimensional molecular models of the Ala-Ala-Ala tripeptide, where Ala is alanine. They rotate bonds to show that the pairs of dihedral angles = 0°, ψ = 180°, and = 0°, ψ = 0° lead to unfavorable interactions among the main chain atoms of the tripeptide. This activity allows the student to visualize in three dimensions why these two pairs of dihedral angles fall within the disallowed region of the Ramachandran diagram, a fundamental tool in the understanding and teaching of protein structure. The advanced activity introduces biochemistry students to unfavorable interactions of the β carbon of the side chain.
How effective are our marriage ministries? A critical survey

Since the introduction of marriage and family counseling into some seminary curricula thirty years ago, the majority of clergy have developed premarital counseling as a part of their marriage ministries, and educational committees have established marriage and family courses in church school programs. Two questionnaires, used in three clergy conferences, provide data for a critical survey of representative clergy involved in ministry to marriage. Analysis of the data and interviews with a continuing education director and a marriage counseling trainer provide reasons why clergy may not be fully qualified and, therefore, may be only partially effective as marriage counselors. The kinds of educational experience necessary for ministers to become more effective in marriage ministry are examined. Finally, the minister's role in marriage in a secular society is interpreted as undergoing a shift for which many clergy are unprepared.
An algorithm for determining identity of nearest-neighbor and potential function decision rules

Abstract The nearest-neighbor and potential function decision rules are nonparametric techniques that partition the feature space based on a set of labelled sample points. Determining whether the partitions of the two rules are identical for a given set of points is an interesting problem in computational geometry. Here, a relationship between the two methods in terms of subclasses and composite classes is developed. Considering an exponential potential function, necessary and sufficient conditions for identity of their decision surfaces are obtained. Based on conditions of symmetry, weighting, and the Voronoi region of a point, an algorithm for establishing identity in IRd is introduced.
Decays of the Weinberg-Salam Higgs particle in models with two Higgs doublets

In a class of extended Higgs structures containing two Higgs doublets, the decays of the Weinberg-Salam Higgs particle might be significantly different from those in the standard model because it has large branching ratios to decay into light Higgs bosons. We discuss the decays of the Weinberg-Salam Higgs particle with mass range from 7 GeV up to 1 TeV.
Synthesis and Hydrodesulfurization Properties of Noble Metal Phosphides: Ruthenium and Palladium

Silica-supported ruthenium and palladium phosphide catalysts (Ru2P, RuP, Pd3P, Pd5P2) were investigated for the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT). The Ru and Pd phosphide catalysts were prepared by temperature-programmed reduction of hypophosphite-based precursors consisting of uncalcined or calcined Ru/SiO2 or Pd/SiO2 impregnated with ammonium hyposphosphite (NH4H2PO2). The Ru2P/SiO2 and RuP/SiO2 catalysts prepared from uncalcined precursors had smaller average crystallite sizes, higher CO chemisorption capacities, and higher HDS activities than the catalysts prepared from the calcined precursors, while the effect of preparation method on catalytic properties was less clear for the Pd3P/SiO2 and Pd5P2/SiO2 catalysts. Following HDS testing at 673 K, X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the Pd5P2/SiO2 catalysts decomposed to give Pd3P on the silica support, while the other phosphides exhibited good stability during the testing period. At temperatures at which high DBT conversion was observed (>598 K), the Ru and Pd phosphide catalysts were less active than sulfided Ru/SiO2 and Pd/SiO2 catalysts prepared from the uncalcined metal precursors.
Obesity Bias Among Dietitians Using the Fat People-Thin People Implicit Association Test

Text: The purpose of this study was to determine if Registered Dietitians (RDs), whose careers focus on the clinical management of obesity, display a negative bias toward obese persons. The subjects (n 175) comprised of a convenience sample of RDs from professional listservs, resulting in 128 (73%) completed surveys. The researchers utilized the Fat People-Thin People Implicit Association Test (IAT), found on the website www.implicit.harvard.edu (designed to measure social knowledge). The IAT reports findings that demonstrate pervasive implicit preferences and stereotypes that exist across a sample. Bivariate associations were tabulated and an F-test was performed to find association among variables. Across all categories RDs (76%; n 98) had a strong to moderate preference (p .05) for thin people compared to fat people, which proved to exceed the IAT results taken from the general population (52%; n 2.5 million). Age breakdown denotes that 86.8% (n 33) age 20-29, 80% (n 28) age30-39 and 67.3% (n 37) over 40 years have a strong to moderate preference for thin people compared to fat people. Also, 85.2% (n 52) of participants with a BS, 67.2% (n 41) with a MS and 75% (n 3) with a Doctorate displayed a strong to moderate preference for thin people compared to fat people. We expected RDs to be more tolerant than the general population, but found this to be untrue. Pervasive education pertaining to working with patients who are obese are recommended.
A CATEGORIFICATION FOR THE PENROSE POLYNOMIAL

Given a graph, we construct homology groups whose Euler characteristic is the Penrose polynomial of the graph, evaluated at an integer. This work is motivated by Khovanov's work on the categorification of the Jones polynomial for knots, and the subsequent categorifications of the chromatic and Tutte polynomials for graphs.
Fast frictional dynamics for rigid bodies

We describe an efficient algorithm for the simulation of large sets of non-convex rigid bodies. The algorithm finds a simultaneous solution for a multi-body system that is linear in the total number of contacts detected in each iteration. We employ a novel contact model that uses mass, location, and velocity information from all contacts, at the moment of maximum compression, to constrain rigid body velocities. We also develop a new friction model in the configuration space of rigid bodies. These models are used to compute the feasible velocity and the frictional response of each body. Implementation is simple and leads to a fast rigid body simulator that computes steps on the order of seconds for simulations involving over one thousand non-convex objects in high contact configurations.
Less Than Ideal: Trends in Cardiovascular Health Metrics among US Stroke Survivors, NHANES 1988-2010 (S12.006)

BACKGROUND: American Heart Association defines ideal cardiovascular health as the achievement of medical and behavioral goals that impact health (Life’s Simple 7): not smoking, physical activity, maintaining normal weight, blood pressure, glucose, and total cholesterol levels, and eating healthy diet. However, the prevalence and patterns of ideal cardiovascular health among US stroke survivors have not been previously studied. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence, pattern, and predictors of ideal cardiovascular health among stroke survivors in the United States. DESIGN/METHODS : We analyzed time trends in stroke survivors meeting Life’s Simple 7 in a nationally representative sample of 1,293 US adults (蠅18 years), who participated in NHANES 1988-1994, 1999-2004, and 2005-2010. We also assessed odds of low health metrics scores (0-1) according to sex, race, poverty income ratio (PIR), and education level, before and after adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: Few participants ( 80% decreased from 22% to 13% (all p CONCLUSIONS: Fewer than 1% of US stroke survivors display ideal cardiovascular health. Although BP and lipid control improved over the last 2 decades, rates of obesity, diabetes, and poor diet increased. Stroke survivors who are Black, socioeconomically disadvantaged, or relatively less educated, appear to be at significantly greater odds of having poor cardiovascular health, highlighting the need for targeted interventions. Disclosure: Dr. Lin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Markovic has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ovbiagele has nothing to disclose. Dr. Towfighi has nothing to disclose.
Diaspora in the Reading of Jewish History, Identity, and Difference

In recent years, classical historians have sought to explore the interplay of a wide variety of peoples and civilizations in the ancient Mediterranean. This method seeks not to erase the power exer...
Breast Conservation in the Setting of Contemporary Multimodality Treatment Provides Excellent Outcomes for Patients with Occult Primary Breast Cancer

To evaluate recurrence and survival for patients with occult (T0N+) breast cancer who underwent contemporary treatment, assessing outcomes for breast conservation and mastectomy. We performed a single-institution review of women with occult breast cancer presenting with axillary metastasis without identifiable breast tumor or distant metastasis. We excluded patients with tumors in the axillary tail or mastectomy specimen, patients with additional nonbreast cancer diagnoses, and patients with a history of breast cancer. Breast conservation was defined as axillary node dissection with radiation therapy, without breast surgery. We evaluated patient, tumor, treatment, and outcome variables. Patients were assessed for local, regional, and distant recurrences. Overall survival was calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Thirty-six patients met criteria for occult breast cancer. Most of these patients (77.8 %) had N1 disease. Fifty percent of cancers (n = 18) were estrogen receptor–positive; 12 (33.3 %) were triple-negative. All patients were evaluated with mammography. Thirty-five patients had breast ultrasound (97.2 %) and 33 (91.7 %) had an MRI. Thirty-four patients (94.4 %) were treated with chemotherapy and 33 (91.7 %) with radiotherapy. Twenty-seven patients (75.0 %) were treated with breast conservation. The median follow-up was 64 months. There were no local or regional failures. One distant recurrence occurred >5 years after diagnosis, resulting in a 5-years overall survival rate of 100 %. There were no significant survival differences between patients receiving breast conservation versus mastectomy (p = 0.7). Breast conservation—performed with contemporary imaging and multimodality treatment—provides excellent local control and survival for women with T0N+ breast cancer and can be safely offered instead of mastectomy.
Density-dependent age at first reproduction in the eastern kingbird

Theory predicts that maximal fitness is obtained by individuals who begin to breed immediately upon reaching sexual maturity. However, delayed breeding occurs regularly in some taxa, and in birds and mammals is most often associated with long lifespan and/or limited access to suitable habitats. Delayed breeding is not expected among relatively short-lived species such as migratory passerine birds, but this assumption remains untested in many species. Here we quantify age at first reproduction in an eastern kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus population breeding in an ecological island, and through both observational and experimental approaches, investigate the potential causes for the high frequency of delayed breeding that occurs in this population. Nearly half of the fledged nestlings that returned to the breeding grounds did not breed in their first potential breeding season. Some non-breeders occupied territories, for at least some period, but most remained as non-territorial 'floaters'. Parentage analysis failed to show any reproductive success for female floaters, and only limited success for male floaters, indicating that floating was not a successful reproductive tactic. On the other hand, a strong negative relationship existed between population size and the proportion of young birds that bred in their first year, and non-territorial birds of both sexes quickly filled territory vacancies created by experimental adult removals. Limited breeding habitat and territorial behavior of older birds thus appear to be the main causes of delayed breeding in kingbirds. The frequency of delayed breeding in most species is unknown but of potential significance because failure to incorporate accurate estimates of age at first reproduction in population models may lead to flawed population projections.
Use of differential scanning fluorimetry as a high-throughput assay to identify nuclear receptor ligands

Identification of ligands that interact with nuclear receptors is both a major biological problem and an important initial step in drug discovery. Several in vitro and in vivo techniques are commonly used to screen ligand candidates against nuclear receptors; however, none of the current assays allow screening without modification of either the protein and/or the ligand in a high-throughput fashion. Differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) allows unmodified potential ligands to be screened as 10µL reactions in 96-well format against partially purified protein, revealing specific interactors. As a proof of principle, we used a commercially-available nuclear receptor ligand candidate chemical library to identify interactors of the human estrogen receptor α ligand binding domain (ERα LBD). Compounds that interact specifically with ERα LBD stabilize the protein and result in an elevation of the thermal denaturation point, as monitored by the environmentally-sensitive dye SYPRO orange. We successfully identified all three compounds in the library that have previously been identified to interact with ERα, with no false positive results.
Turbo processing for an OFDM-based MIMO system

We consider improving the overall system performance of an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing-based multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless local area network system. We use a combined iterative detection/decoding and channel updating method, referred to herein as turbo processing, to improve performance. First, we improve a recently proposed list sphere decoder-based iterative MIMO soft-detector by constraining the value of the a priori information from a soft-in soft-out channel decoder. Second, we propose a channel updating scheme using the decoded packet data to improve the channel estimation accuracy. Simulation results show that turbo processing can be used to significantly improve the performance of the system considered.
Living within the Sacred Tension: Kierkegaard's Climacean Works as a Guide for Christian Existence

In this paper, I offer a reading of Soren Kierkegaard's Climacean works (Fragments and Postscript) in which I focus on their specific dissimilarities, but also on the important dialectical relationship between them. My central claim is that when we consider Kierkegaard's larger project in his authorship to encourage believers to practice a Christian existence characterized by tension, we begin to see the crucial shared role these works play for Kierkegaard's purposes. To begin, I outline the theological and polemical background to Kierkegaard's account of Christian existence by focusing on one of the central existential dualities in his thought, namely that of grace and works. In order to avoid falling into one extreme or the other, Kierkegaard argues for an account of faith as restlessness, which I identify as crucial to the Christian life. With this framework, I turn to Fragments and Postscript to draw out their respective emphases on gift and task, and I follow this with a discussion of how the dialectical relation between these emphases fulfills and upholds the account of tension that we have developed.
An intelligent system for integrating process planning and design

The authors present an intelligent manufacturing system that combines design with process planning. For the design stage they have implemented an experimental package that combines boundary representation, CSG, and models of manufacturing features in a simple graphics environment. This package, named XTWIN, was combined with an intelligent process planning system TOLTEC which uses cases of previous process plans stored as dynamic memory structures. This knowledge organization allows TOLTEC to rearrange its memory, thus learning from experience, and to also apply its experience to new cases. >
Inhibition of Interleukin-4-induced Class Switch Recombination by a Human Immunoglobulin Fcγ-Fcϵ Chimeric Protein

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is important in mediating human allergic diseases. We tested the hypothesis that a human Ig Fcγ-Fcϵ bifunctional chimeric protein, GE2, would inhibit IgE class switch recombination (CSR) by co-aggregating B-cell CD32 and CD23. Indeed, GE2 directly inhibited ϵ germ-line transcription, subsequent CSR to ϵ and IgE protein production. This CSR inhibition was dependent on CD23 binding and the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK), and it was mediated via suppression of interleukin-4-induced STAT6 phosphorylation. Treatment with PD98059, a specific inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MAPKK1 (MEK1)) and MEK2 reversed the ability of GE2 to decrease CSR and STAT6 phosphorylation. GE2 stimulation induced ERK phosphorylation, whereas it did not alter the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase or p38 MAPK. The ability of GE2 to block human isotype switching to ϵ, in addition to its already demonstrated ability to inhibit mast cell and basophil function, suggests that it will provide an important novel benefit in the treatment of IgE-mediated diseases.
The structure of a tangential discontinuity: Application to the cometary ionopause

The kinetic structure of a tangential discontinuity interface separating an outflowing unmagnetized plasma from an inflowing, magnetized plasma is studied using 1-D hybrid simulations (particle ions and fluid electrons). By including the effects of an ion-neutral collisional force and plasma loss due to recombination, we conclude that two scale lengths control the structure of the cometary ionopause. The first is related to the ion Larmor radius of the outflowing ions which encounter the magnetic barrier, and the second is related to the balance between the ion-neutral collisional force and the electromagnetic J × B force.
Dealing with the ill-conditioned equations of motion for articulated figures

Realistic motion simulation for articulated figures has relied on the solution of linear systems of equations. Sometimes the solution of these equations presents a great deal of numerical difficulty, resulting in unrealistic or spurious motion for the figure or in excessive computation because of small integration intervals. The cause of the difficulty is shown to be related to the physical structure of the figure, not the mathematical formulation. It is shown how to determine the severity of ill conditioning and how to obtain physically meaningful solutions without excessive computations, even when dealing with extremely ill-conditioned configurations. >
The flow caused by the differential rotation of a right circular cylindrical depression in one of two rapidly rotating parallel planes.

The flow induced by the differential rotation of a cylindrical depression of radius a in one of two parallel rigid planes rapidly rotating about their common normal at speed Q is studied. A Taylor column bounded by the usual Stewartson layers arises, but the shear-layer structure is rather different from any previously studied. The Ei-layers (E = v/ωa 2 ) smooth the discontinuity in the geostrophic flow, but the way in which this is accomplished is related to the possible singu-larities of the E1/3-layer solutions. The fact that the 1/4-layer is partially free and partially attached to a vertical boundary accounts for the new joining conditions for the 1/4-layer. The drag on a right circular cylindrical bump in uniform flow is given in addition to some general comments on the applicability of these joining conditions to the motion of an axisymmetric object of quite general shape.
OpenSoC Fabric: On-Chip Network Generator: Using Chisel to Generate a Parameterizable On-Chip Interconnect Fabric

Recent advancements in technology scaling have sparked a trend towards greater integration with large-scale chips containing thousands of processors connected to memories and other I/O devices using non-trivial network topologies. Software simulation suffers from long execution times or reduced accuracy in such complex systems, whereas hardware RTL development is too time-consuming. We present OpenSoC Fabric, a parameterizable and powerful on-chip network generator for evaluating future large-scape chip multiprocessors and SoCs. OpenSoC Fabric leverages a new hardware DSL, Chisel, which contains powerful abstractions provided by its base language, Scala, and generates both software (C++) and hardware (Verilog) models from a single code base. This is in contrast to other tools readily available which typically provide either software or hardware models, but not both. The OpenSoC Fabric infrastructure is modeled after existing state-of-the-art simulators, offers large and powerful collections of configuration options, is open-source, and uses object-oriented design and functional programming to make functionality extension as easy as possible.
Cellular automata urban growth model calibration with genetic algorithms

Last few decades witness a dramatic increase in city population worldwide associated with excessive urbanization rates. This raises the necessity to understand the dynamics of urban growth process for sustainable distribution of available resources. Cellular automata, an artificial intelligence technique composed of pixels, states, neighborhood and transition rules, is being widely implemented to model the urban growth process due to its ability to fit such complex spatial nature using simple and effective rules. The main objective of our work is to use genetic algorithms to effectively calibrate, i.e., identify transition rule values, a cellular automata urban growth model that is designed as a function of multitemporal satellite imagery and population density. Transition rules in our model identify the required neighborhood urbanization level for a test pixel to develop. Calibration is performed spatially to find best rule values per township. Genetic algorithms calibration model, through proper design of their parameters, including objective function, initial population, selection, crossover and mutation, is prepared to fit the cellular automata model. Genetic algorithms start processing the initial solution space, through sequential implementation of the parameters, to identify the best rule values using a predefined criterion over the maximum number of iterations. Minimum objective function, representing the total modeling errors, is used to identify the optimal rule values. Each rule set is evaluated in term of urban level and pattern match with reality. Calibration with genetic algorithms proves to be effective in producing the optimal rule values in a time effective manner at an early generation. Proposed calibration algorithm is implemented to model the historical urban growth of Indianapolis-IN, USA. Urban growth results show a close match for both urban count and pattern with reality.
Comments on "Energy Considerations for Attitude Stability of Dual-Spin Spacecraft"

N a recent Note,1 Prof. Fang obtains criteria for stability of an equilibrium motion of a dual-spin spacecraft by determining whether the equilibrium motion corresponds to the minimum energy state of permissible motions. The equations he employs to determine the minimum energy state treat the dual-spin spacecraft as consisting of a rigid symmetric rotor, body S, which rotates relative to a rigid asymmetric body, body A, in a force-free field. The axis of relative rotation between the two bodies corresponds to the axis of symmetry of the rotor and to a principal axis of body A. It is assumed that no net torque is exerted about this axis between the two bodies. Although admittedly not modeled in his equations, he states that the analysis is made with the assumption that "the bodies A and S possess some degree of flexibility and some internal dissipative mechanism," and leaves the reader with the incorrect impression that his results are generally valid for this case (possibly excepting "highly flexible spacecraft"). In fact, it is possible to make conclusive statements about the stability of the equilibrium solution only for the particular equations being examined regardless of the method of analysis. Extending results for this case to the same equilibrium solution for other, more complex, equations (multibody or flexible body equations) is at best an intuitive and heuristic procedure and can be only approximate. Even though this type of analysis is not rigorous, the stability criteria gained thereby are still useful as a "rule of thumb" to guide more exact analyses or spacecraft design choices. Similar forms of this type of analysis have been performed by lorillo 2 and Likins3 for dual-spin spacecraft. Fang references the Likins' paper and employs his spacecraft model and, to a large extent, notation. His results, however, differ from those of Likins (and lorillo, whom Likins has followed). Fang's results are those that would be obtained for energy dissipation on body A only, and agree with those of Likins for this special case only. The stability of the equilibrium solution coi = 0, co2 = 0, cos5 = const, co3A = const (1) is examined. The stability criterion is given by Likins as (PA/XA) + (Pa/X fl) < 0
Psychological Perspectives on Pathways Linking Socioeconomic Status and Physical Health

Low socioeconomic status (SES) is a reliable correlate of poor physical health. Rather than treat SES as a covariate, health psychology has increasingly focused on the psychobiological pathways that inform understanding why SES is related to physical health. This review assesses the status of research that has examined stress and its associated distress, and social and personal resources as pathways. It highlights work on biomarkers and biological pathways related to SES that can serve as intermediate outcomes in future studies. Recent emphasis on the accumulation of psychobiological risks across the life course is summarized and represents an important direction for future research. Studies that test pathways from SES to candidate psychosocial pathways to health outcomes are few in number but promising. Future research should test integrated models rather than taking piecemeal approaches to evidence. Much work remains to be done, but the questions are of great health significance.
Reduction of Microflora of Whole Pickling Cucumbers by Blanching

There is increasing interest in developing methods to control the presence of pathogenic and spoilage micreorganisms on fresh fruits and vegetables. Blanching whole pickling cucumbers for 15 s at 80 °C reduced microbial cell counts by 2 to 3 log cycles from an initial population of typically 10 % CFU/g. Vegetative microorganisms survived this blanching process (10-fold greater in number than the spore count), presumably because they were located beneath the surface of the cucumber. The sensitivity to heat of selected populations was measured by determining D values for pooled microorganisms (termed D g values) isolated from fresh cucumbers. The Enterobacteriacene population and the total aerobic microllora had similar D g valoes to each other and to the D value for a selected lactic acid bacterium.
Experiments on mixing due to chaotic advection in a cavity

Chaotic mixing of fluids in slow flows is ubiquitous but incompletely understood. However, relatively simple experiments provide a wealth of information regarding mixing mechanisms and indicate the need for complementary theoretical developments in dynamical systems. In this work we presnt a versatile cavity flow apparatus, capable of producing a variety of two-dimensional velocity fields, and use it to conduct a detailed experimental study of mixing in low-Reynolds-number flows. Since the goal is detailed understanding, only two time-periodic co-rotating flows induced by wall motions are considered: one continuous and the other discontinuous. Both types of flows produce exponential growth of intermaterial area, as expected from chaotic flows, and a mixture of islands and chaotic regions. A procedure for identifying periodic points and determining their movements is presented as well as how to make meaningful comparisons between periodic flows. We observe that periodic points move very much as a planetary system; planets (hyperbolic points) have moons (elliptic points) with twice the period of the planets; furthermore the spatial arrangement of periodic points becomes symmetric at regular time intervals. Detailed analyses reveal complex behaviour: birth, bifurcation, and collapse of islands; formation and periodic motion of coherent structures, such as islands and large-scale folds. However, the richness and complexity of the results obtained indicate that these two-dimensional time-periodic systems are far from completely understood and that other wall motions might deserve a similar level of scrutiny.
Drag law for monodisperse gas–solid systems using particle-resolved direct numerical simulation of flow past fixed assemblies of spheres

Abstract Gas–solid momentum transfer is a fundamental problem that is characterized by the dependence of normalized average fluid–particle force F on solid volume fraction ϕ and the Reynolds number based on the mean slip velocity Rem. In this work we report particle-resolved direct numerical simulation (DNS) results of interphase momentum transfer in flow past fixed random assemblies of monodisperse spheres with finite fluid inertia using a continuum Navier–Stokes solver. This solver is based on a new formulation we refer to as the Particle-resolved Uncontaminated-fluid Reconcilable Immersed Boundary Method (PUReIBM). The principal advantage of this formulation is that the fluid stress at the particle surface is calculated directly from the flow solution (velocity and pressure fields), which when integrated over the surfaces of all particles yields the average fluid–particle force. We demonstrate that PUReIBM is a consistent numerical method to study gas–solid flow because it results in a force density on particle surfaces that is reconcilable with the averaged two-fluid theory. The numerical convergence and accuracy of PUReIBM are established through a comprehensive suite of validation tests. The normalized average fluid–particle force F is obtained as a function of solid volume fraction ϕ (0.1 ⩽ ϕ ⩽ 0.5) and mean flow Reynolds number Rem (0.01 ⩽ Rem ⩽ 300) for random assemblies of monodisperse spheres. These results extend previously reported results of Hill et al., 2001a , Hill et al., 2001b to a wider range of ϕ, Rem, and are more accurate than those reported by Beetstra et al. (2007) . Differences between the drag values obtained from PUReIBM and the drag correlation of Beetstra et al. (2007) are as high as 30% for Rem in the range 100–300. We take advantage of PUReIBM’s ability to directly calculate the relative contributions of pressure and viscous stress to the total fluid–particle force, which is useful in developing drag correlations. Using a scaling argument, Hill et al. (2001b) proposed that the viscous contribution is independent of Rem but the pressure contribution is linear in Rem (for Rem > 50). However, from PUReIBM simulations we find that the viscous contribution is not independent of the mean flow Reynolds number, although the pressure contribution does indeed vary linearly with Rem in accord with the analysis of Hill et al. (2001b) . An improved correlation for F in terms of ϕ and Rem is proposed that corrects the existing correlations in Rem range 100–300. Since this drag correlation has been inferred from simulations of fixed particle assemblies, it does not include the effect of mobility of the particles. However, the fixed-bed simulation approach is a good approximation for high Stokes number particles, which are encountered in most gas–solid flows. This improved drag correlation can be used in CFD simulations of fluidized beds that solve the average two-fluid equations where the accuracy of the drag law affects the prediction of overall flow behavior.
Whitetracks Design, Inc.:

Whitetracks Design, Inc. is one of the leading U.S. manufacturers of snowshoes. The business is owned by three individuals who are contemplating whether it should be sold now or continue to be oper...
Effect of BAY y 5959 on myocardial function and metabolism in normal and failing hearts

BAY y 5959 is a dihydropyridine derivative with positive inotropic actions mediated by a direct increase in intracellular calcium. We characterized the direct myocardial actions of this new agent in hearts isolated from seven normal dogs and from five dogs with repeated coronary microembolization-induced heart failure. Inotropic actions of BAY y 5959 were accompanied by little effect on duration of contraction and by prolongation of the monophasic action potential (MAP); in contrast, isoproterenol decreased contraction and MAP durations. Whereas inotropic responsiveness to isoproterenol was blunted in embolized hearts, these actions of BAY y 5959 were relatively preserved in the heart failure state. Isoproterenol increased heart rate, whereas BAY y 5959 had little effect. Changes in coronary vascular resistance also decreased similarly for isoproterenol and BAY y 5959. Finally, for comparable inotropy, increases in myocardial oxygen consumption were similar for isoproterenol and for BAY y 5959. In summary, preserved inotropic responsiveness and lack of positive chronotropic actions are two clinically favorable features of this type of inotropic agents compared with a typical β-adrenergic agonist.
Simulation of feedback-driven PCR assays on a 2D electrowetting array using a domain-specific high-level biological programming language

The motivation of our work is to demonstrate that scientists can describe biochemical assays using a high-level domain-specific programming language and can execute them automatically on a two-dimensional electrowetting array featuring integrated sensors that provide feedback in real-time to the host PC that controls the integrated system. The fundamental research problem that this paper addresses is how to express, at a high level of abstraction, the acquisition of sensory information from the device, and the computation on that data, which is required to perform real-time decision making in response. The approach that we have taken is first, to create a new version of BioCoder, a programming language for automated biology, which we have specialized for electrowetting arrays featuring integrated sensors, and second, to use this language to specify two feedback-driven Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assays at the desired level of abstraction. Our methodology is to evaluate the performance of these assays using a custom-build runtime system to control the execution of feedback-driven assays on a cycle-accurate software simulator that accurately characterizes the behavior of the electrowetting platform during assay execution. The result of this experiment is successful simulation of these non-trivial feedback-driven assays, starting from a high-level specification, which allows us to conclude that high-level programming language design and implementation targeting electrowetting (or other competing laboratory-on-a-chip technologies) is feasible. Display Omitted Biochemical reactions described using a high-level programming languageReactions compiled onto a "digital microfluidic" electrowetting chipControl software performs real-time decision-making based on sensory feedback.Software simulation of execution of two feedback-driven PCR assays
Family Complexity, Childbearing, and Parenting Stress: A Comparison of Mothers’ and Fathers’ Experiences

Theories of family functioning suggest that childbearing with multiple partners may increase parenting stress due to changes in social and economic resources and the challenges associated with parenting across multiple households. These family processes may not be equally stressful for mothers and fathers, because they face different parental constraints and responsibilities. I use four waves of data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine whether multi-partnered fertility increases parenting stress for mothers and fathers. Using lagged regression models and longitudinal repeated reports of parenting stress, I find that both mothers and fathers report increases in parenting stress following the birth of a child with a new romantic partner, relative to parents who experience no additional childbearing. However, increases in parenting stress following multi-partnered fertility are similar to increases in parenting stress following same-partner fertility. I also find that transitions to new romantic partnerships are associated with increases in parenting stress for mothers and fathers only when new romantic partners have children from previous relationships. Increases in parenting stress following all fertility transitions are stronger for less-educated parents than for more-educated parents.
A comparison of the effects of cocaine in arterial and venous smooth muscle responses to vasoactive stimuli.

SummaryCocaine (2.3 × 10~6-M) enhanced the contractile responses of super-fused mesenteric arteries, and cutaneous arteries and veins to norepinephrine. This effect was probably related to inhibition of the neuronal catecholamine reuptake mechanism and not to nonspecific supersensitivity since the contractile responses to tyramine were significantly reduced but the contractile responses to barium and potassium chlorides essentially unchanged. The adrenergic nerves of these blood vessels were confined to a dense innervation in the region of the adventitial medial border with some nerves apparently present in the outer portion of the media (dorsal metatarsal vein). In contrast to these findings, the anterior mesenteric veins responded only with a small response to tyramine, which was inhibited by cocaine. However, the contractile responses to norepinephrine were not enhanced 30 min after the addition of cocaine to the superfusate. The anterior mesenteric vein displayed a sparse and diffuse adrenergic innerv...
Mo1617 Utility of Urgent Colonoscopy in Acute Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding: a Single Center Experience

Background. The role of urgent colonoscopy in lower gastro-intestinal bleeding (LGIB) remains controversial. Over the last two decades, a number of studies have indicated that urgent colonoscopy may facilitate the identification and treatment of bleeding lesions; however, studies comparing this approach to elective colonoscopy for LGIB are limited. Aims. To determine the utility and assess the outcome of urgent colonoscopy as the initial test for patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with acute LGIB. Methods. Consecutive patients who underwent colonoscopy at our institution for the initial evaluation of acute LGIB between January 2011 and January 2012 were analysed retrospectively. Patients were grouped into urgent vs. elective colonoscopy, depending on the timing of colonoscopy after admission to the ICU. Urgent colonoscopy was defined as being performed within 24 hours of admission and those performed later than 24 hours were considered elective. Outcomes included length of hospital stay, early re-bleeding rates, and the need for additional diagnostic or therapeutic interventions. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with increased transfusion requirements. Results. Fifty-seven patients underwent colonoscopy for the evaluation of suspected LGIB, 24 of which were urgent. There was no significant difference in patient demographics, co-morbidities, or medications between the two groups. Patients who underwent urgent colonoscopy were more likely to present with hemodynamic instability ( P= 0.019) and require blood transfusions ( P= 0.003). No significant differences in length of hospital stay, re-bleeding rates, or the need for additional diagnostic or therapeutic interventions were found. Patients requiring blood transfusions ( n= 27) were more likely to be female ( P= 0.016) and diabetics ( P= 0.015). Fourteen patients re-bled at a median of 2 days after index colonoscopy. Those with hemodynamic instability were more likely to re-bleed [HR 3.8 (CI 1.06–13.7)], undergo angiography [HR 9.8 (CI 1.8–54.1)], require surgery [HR 13.5 (CI 3.2–56.5)], and had an increased length of hospital stay [HR 1.1 (1.05–1.2)]. Conclusion: The use of urgent colonoscopy, as an initial approach to investigate acute LGIB, did not result in significant differences in length of ICU stay, re-bleeding rates, the need for additional diagnostic or therapeutic interventions, or 30day mortality compared with elective colonoscopy. In a pre-specified subgroup analysis, patients with hemodynamic instability were more likely to re-bleed after index colonoscopy, to require additional interventions (angiography or surgery) and had increased length of hospital stay.
Sensing Cyclic Load, Damage Extent and Location in Carbon Nanotube-Epoxy Composite via Electrical Conductivity

Carbon nanotube epoxy resin composite coupons were subjected to either cyclic tensile loading or crack-like damage while their electrical resistivity was monitored. The main objective of the study was to utilize piezoresistivity of the composite as means of strain and/or damage detection. Volume resistivity was obtained using Kelvin in-line four-probe resistance measurement technique. The technique minimizes contact resistance between electrodes and the composite, which could be orders of magnitude larger than the material resistance being measured. In the cyclic tensile loading study an MTS machine was employed to load the sample to 15 MPa tensile stress and then cycle it between 5 to 15 MPa with a period of 100 seconds. In damage detection part of the study, a CNC mill was used to insert two different types of damages to the sample. The first was a cut along the 25-mm width of the sample, with depth variation of 0.25 to 2.0 mm. The second damage was through thickness cuts that started from one side of the sample and its length changed from 1 to 12 mm. The results of cyclic load tests showed a strong correlation between applied stress and the resistivity changes. The obtained data indicate that resistivity changes may be used as a possible replacement for strain gauges. The damage detection results provide the capability of determining location and quantification of significant damages. Application of these techniques can be useful tools for real time structural health monitoring of composites.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Design of Controllers for a Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Spherical Wheel Motor

This paper presents the control system design for a particular form of variable-reluctance spherical motors, referred to here as a spherical wheel motor (SWM). Unlike most of the existing spherical motors where focuses have been on the control of the three-DOF angular displacement, the SWM offers a means to control the orientation of a continuously rotating shaft. Specifically, we demonstrate an effective method to decouple the open-loop (OL) control of the spin rate from that of the inclination, leading to a practical OL system combining a switching (spin-rate) controller and a model-based inclination controller. The OL system presented here provides the fundamental control structure for the SWM. To account for unmodeled external torques, we extend the design to allow feedback with a PD controller and a high-gain observer. The effectiveness of the controllers has been investigated by comparing their performance numerically under the influence of an unknown external torque.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Evaluation of the Influence of Hydrogen on the Mechanical Characteristics of Complexly Alloyed Nickel Alloys

We study the influence of hydrogen under a pressure of up to 30 MPa with contents of up to 20 wppm on the strength, plasticity, low-cycle fatigue, and short- and long-term crack-growth resistances of five modifications of Ni56Cr17Mo6Nb4 alloy (KhN56MBYuD) (EK-62), which differ by the methods of metallurgical remelting, chemical compositions, and modes of heat treatment. It is shown that the fracture toughness in air and in hydrogen decrease as the grain size decreases and the yield strength and HRC hardness increase, which enables us to predict the changes in the crack resistance according to the data of hardness measurements of the surfaces of workpieces operating in hydrogen. The optimal combination of high strength, plasticity, and short- and long-term crack-growth resistances in air and in hydrogen is attained for the modification alloyed with boron (0.005 wt.%) and zirconium (0.044 wt.%). In the tests for long-term crack-growth-resistance carried out for 100 h, we established the invariant characteristics of crack-growth resistance, namely the threshold values of K IHST varying from 15 to 35 MPa∙m1/2 for different modifications of the alloy.
Anti-VEGF therapy in ophthalmology: a qualitative analysis of transformative drug development

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors have revolutionized the care of vasoproliferative ophthalmologic disease and their history can provide insights into transformative drug development. Experts involved in the basic science through clinical development of VEGF inhibitors were interviewed and interviews were analyzed to synthesize key themes. Extensive basic science investigations by a multidisciplinary network of scientists and clinicians, most affiliated with Harvard Medical School, over the course of decades enabled a deep understanding of VEGF. Crucial to this process were scientific champions who fostered academic collaboration. The case of VEGF inhibitors supports the growing evidence that robust basic science and academic collaboration drive transformative drug development, whereas competitive forces in the marketplace drive subsequent private investment.
Man and pain: eternal partners.

Morris (1991) divides pain into two categories--physical and mental; he calls it the "Myth of Two Pains." He rationalizes that it is difficult to separate the pain of mind and body and that they are interdependent, e.g. one mind and body. However, this paper will limit itself to the history, philosophy, and psychology of physical pain (both acute and chronic) from ancient days to the twentieth century. It will not discuss mental or psychosomatic pain; nor will it include the anatomical, biochemical, pharmacological, and physiological aspects of modern methods of chronic pain control, e.g. psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, biofeedback, etc.
A local factor nonparametric test for trend synchronism in multiple time series

The problem of identifying joint trend dynamics in multiple time series, i.e., testing whether two or more observed processes follow the same common trend, is essential in a wide spectrum of applications, from economics and finance to climate and environmental studies. However, most of the available tests for comparing multiple mean functions either deal with independent errors or are applicable only to a case of two time series, which constitutes a substantial limitation in many modern, typically high-dimensional, studies. In this paper we propose a new nonparametric test for synchronism of trends exhibited by multiple linear time series where the number of time series N can be large but fixed. The core idea of our new approach is based on employing the local regression test statistic, which allows to detect possibly non-monotonic nonlinear trends. The finite sample performance of the new synchronism test statistic is enhanced by a nonparametric hybrid bootstrap approach. The proposed methodology is illustrated by simulations and a case study on insurance claims due to extreme weather.