cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Water-Energy Nexus: The Role of Hydraulic Fracturing

This chapter considers some challenges attendant on optimising water-energy trade-offs in hydraulic fracturing, focusing on the interplays between constantly evolving technologies (e.g. use of treated effluent, brackish water or even waterless methods) and regulatory systems, using the Eagle Ford shale play in Texas as a case study. Regulators and higher level policy-makers often have conflicting preferences associated with the specific trade-offs (environmental, economic and social) that come within their purview. Therefore, it is very important to understand the basic trade-offs of the water-energy nexus when addressing nexus issues such as energy resources mining and production, water production, treatment and allocation, power plant construction and environmental impacts.
Evaluating the Environmental Impacts of Connected and Automated Vehicles: Potential Shortcomings of a Binned-Based Emissions Model

In addition to providing safety and mobility benefits, Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) have the potential to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. As new CAV applications are developed, it is valuable to estimate these potential environmental benefits, typically using vehicle activity data and emissions models. To date, most researchers in the U.S. have used the MOVES vehicle emissions model, developed and maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, because MOVES uses a binning approach, it is likely underestimating the true energy and emissions savings that occur when CAV applications smooth traffic flow. To illustrate this problem, we measure and model the fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions for a real-world CAV application: Eco-Approach and Departure (EAD) at signalized intersections. Real-world measurements are compared to a MOVES-based estimate, as well as to an estimate provided by the physical-based Comprehensive Modal Emissions Model (CMEM). Results show that MOVES consistently underestimates the energy and emissions benefits of the CAV application, primarily since the bin sizes in MOVES are too large to catch the nuances of traffic smoothing. On the other hand, CMEM provided a more accurate energy and emissions estimate, primarily since it uses analytical functions to model emissions and does not suffer from the same binning problem.
How Genes Move: Spatial Repositioning of Activated Genes Is Driven by Nuclear Actin-Based Pathway.

Spatial repositioning of genes in nuclear space has been extensively linked to regulation of gene expression, but the mechanisms behind this directed movement have remained uncertain. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Wang et al. (2020) describe a nuclear actin-myosin-based pathway driving the movement of activated genes to the nuclear periphery.
Exploring the Childcare-Conference Conundrum in Academic Librarianship

The baby penalty is a phenomenon in which having children negatively affects women’s (but not men’s) academic careers. While the baby penalty has been studied considerably in the academe, scant res...
Treatment Utility of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children: Effects of Matching Instruction and Student Processing Strength

The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) provides a measure of intellectual functioning that was developed and marketed with an explicit purpose of planning instructional programs for ch...
Information Choice in Auctions

Bidders are uncertain about their valuation for an object and choose about which component to learn. Their valuation consists of a common value component (which matters to all bidders) and a private value component (which is relevant only to individual bidders). Learning about a private component yields independent estimates, whereas learning about a common component leads to correlated information between bidders. I analyze the incentives of bidders to choose information about components in the second-price, the first-price and the all-pay auction. I identify conditions for the second-price auction, such that bidders only learn about their private component: an independent private value framework and an efficient outcome arise endogenously. In a first-price auction, every robust equilibrium is inefficient under certain conditions.
A multivariate spatio-temporal model of the opioid epidemic in Ohio: A factor model approach.

Opioid misuse is a significant public health issue and a national epidemic with a high prevalence of associated morbidity and mortality. The epidemic is particularly severe in Ohio which has some of the highest overdose rates in the country. It is important to understand spatial and temporal trends of the opioid epidemic to learn more about areas that are most affected and to inform potential community interventions and resource allocation. We propose a multivariate spatio-temporal model to leverage existing surveillance measures, opioid-associated deaths and treatment admissions, to learn about the underlying epidemic for counties in Ohio. We do this using a temporally varying spatial factor that synthesizes information from both counts to estimate common underlying risk which we interpret as the burden of the epidemic. We demonstrate the use of this model with county-level data from 2007 to 2018 in Ohio. Through our model estimates, we identify counties with above and below average burden and examine how those regions have shifted over time given overall statewide trends. Specifically, we highlight the sustained above average burden of the opioid epidemic on southern Ohio throughout the 12 years examined.
Net-Negative Emissions through Molten Sorbents and Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) offers a unique opportunity to realize net-negative emissions, such that the system actively removes CO2 from the atmosphere, while also producing ...
MicroLED chromatic confocal microscope

In this Letter, a microLED-based chromatic confocal microscope with a virtual confocal slit is proposed and demonstrated for three-dimensional (3D) profiling without any mechanical scanning or external light source. In the proposed method, a micro-scale light-emitting diode (microLED) panel works as a point source array to achieve lateral scanning. Axial scanning is realized through the chromatic aberration of an aspherical objective. A virtual pinhole technique is utilized to improve the contrast and precision of depth reconstruction. The system performance has been demonstrated with a diamond-turned copper sample and onion epidermis. The experimental results show that the microLED panel could be a potential solution for portable 3D confocal microscopy. Several considerations and prospects are proposed for future microLED requirements in confocal imaging.
Identification of cell cycle and apoptosis related gene expression by curcumin in an in vitro model for ductal carcinoma in situ

4279 The amplification and/or over-expression of oncogene HER-2/neu is reported in up to 30% of Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) lesions of breast cancer. Despite intensive management, post-operative survival and remission are challenged by dose limiting side effects of current therapies. Natural phytochemicals are known to reduce the risk of tumorignesis in a variety of solid tumors. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) the biologically active component of the spice Turmeric (Curcuma longa Linn) possesses anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-tumorigenic properties and has been studied vigorously as a chemopreventive agent in several cancer models. Previous work from our lab showed preventive efficacy of curcumin, due to cytostatic arrest of growth (S:G2/M phase of cell cycle), and induction of apoptosis in a murine model for breast cancer. Our aim is to determine the modification of gene expression by curcumin in a preclinical in vitro model for human DCIS using cDNA microarray technology. Immortalized normal breast epithelial cells, 184-B5, established from reduction mammoplasty lack anchorage-independent growth and are non-tumorigenic. The preclinical epithelial cell culture model for DCIS represented by transformed 184-B5/HER cells exhibits hyperproliferation, shorter population doubling time, higher saturation density, high anchorage independent growth and tumorigenicity. Normal or transformed cells were treated for 24 hours with 0 uM or 20 uM curcumin. cDNA libraries were constructed using 5ug of total RNA from cells of each group. Biotin-labeled RNA was transcribed from the cDNA libraries and hybridized to Human Genome U133A (Affymetrix) microarrays. Genesifter software was used to identify changes in gene expression of greater than five fold using a Z-score cut-off of 2. Comparison of genes expressed in transformed cells with normal cells exhibited upregulated EGFR, p53 and several MAPK related genes. In addition, increased expression in cell cycle related genes including BUB1, CDC2, 6, 20, 25C, 45L, cyclins A and B, cyclin dependent kinase 2, PLK1 and RB1 was observed. These results positively correlate with aberrant hyperproliferation of 184B5/HER cells. Exposure of curcumin to 184B5 cells showed no change in the expression of genes related with cell cycle or apoptosis indicating a non-responsive effect. On the contrary, curcumin treated 184-B5/HER showed upregulation of the apoptosis-related genes BAX and TRAF1. The downregulated genes included cyclins A and B, CDC 2, 20 and 25C and BUB1. These results indicate curcumin exerts its anti-proliferative activity by reduction of cell cycle progression in S:G2/M and by induction of apoptosis through BAX and TRAF1 related mechanisms. These effects were not observed under identical conditions in normal cells and indicate that the therapeutic potential of curcumin in breast cancer is worthy of further investigation.
Shortening time for access to alcohol drives up front-loading behavior, bringing consumption in male rats to the level of females.

Background Incentives to promote drinking ("happy hour") can encourage faster rates of alcohol consumption, especially in women. Sex differences in drinking dynamics may underlie differential health vulnerabilities relating to alcohol in women versus men. Herein, we used operant procedures to model the happy hour effect and gain insight into the alcohol drinking dynamics of male and female rats. Methods Adult male and female Wistar rats underwent operant training to promote voluntary drinking of 10% (w/v) alcohol (8 rats/sex). We tested how drinking patterns changed after manipulating the effort required for alcohol (fixed ratio, FR), as well as the length of time in which rats had access to alcohol (self-administration session length). Rats were tested twice within the 12 h of the dark cycle, first at 2 h (early phase of the dark cycle, "early sessions") and then again at 10 h into the dark cycle (late phase of the dark cycle, "late sessions") with an 8-h break between the two sessions in the home cage. Results Adult females consumed significantly more alcohol (g/kg) than males in the 30-min sessions with the FR1 schedule of reinforcement when tested late in the dark cycle. Front-loading of alcohol was the primary factor driving higher consumption in females. Changing the schedule of reinforcement from FR1 to FR3 reduced total consumption. Notably, this manipulation had minimal effect on front-loading behavior in females, whereas front-loading behavior was significantly reduced in males when more effort was required to access alcohol. Compressing drinking access to 15 min to model a happy hour drove up front-loading behavior, generating alcohol drinking patterns in males that were similar to patterns in females (faster drinking and higher intake). Conclusions This strategy could be useful for exploring sex differences in the neural mechanisms underlying alcohol drinking and related health vulnerabilities. Our findings also highlight the importance of the time of testing for detecting sex differences in drinking behavior.
Islamic Finance: Law, Economics, and Practice

1. Introduction 2. Jurisprudence and arbitrage 3. Two major prohibitions: Riba and Gharar 4. Sale-based Islamic finance 5. Derivative-like sales: Salam, Istisma' and 'Urbun 6. Leasing, securitization and Sukuk 7. Partnerships and equity investment 8. Islamic financial institutions 9. Governance and regulatory solutions in mutuality 10. Beyond Shari'a arbitrage Conclusion.
Current Trend of Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and cardioplegic arrest has been performed safely over several decades. Cardiac surgery under cardiac arrest provides a bloodless stable operative field, that can facilitate anastomosis. In last decade, CABG without CPB, off-pump CABG (OPCAB) has become more common with advances in surgical instruments and technique. This chapter summarizes the surgical technique, risks and benefits of OPCAB.
Modification of galvannealed steel through aluminum addition

Aluminum is believed to modify and to some extent control the coating characteristics of commercially produced galvanneal sheet steel. These include mechanical, chemical, and aesthetic properties. Whereas the aluminum added to the molten zinc bath is known to form intermetallics before the steel is annealed, our research is primarily concerned with the effect aluminum has on suppression or enhancement of the particular iron--zinc alloy phases in the coating during galvannealing. The microstructure of four commercially important iron--zinc intermetallic phases containing varying aluminum content between 0--1.5 weight percent has been studied. It is also believed that an iron--aluminum alloy, known as the inhibition layer, forms on the steel surface following hot dipping and prior to annealing. Transmission and scattering Mossbauer spectroscopy as well as X-ray diffraction have been used to identify iron--zinc and iron--aluminum alloys present in the coatings. Discussion will be presented on the effect aluminum has on phase suppression for Fe--Zn alloys prepared in commercially produced galvanneal.
Establishing Recommended Practices for Commercial Human Space Flight Occupant Safety

Abstract In 2013, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released Established Practices for Human Space Flight Occupant Safety, a draft guidance document for the rapidly developing commercial human space flight industry. The initial draft document was intended to facilitate a discussion with stakeholders, with the hope of gaining a consensus among government, industry, and academia on practices related to human space flight occupant safety. In September 2014, the FAA released an updated version entitled Recommended Practices for Human Space Flight Occupant Safety. The document provides a framework for industry to use in developing industry consensus standards. It can also serve as a starting point, should there be a need for the government to issue regulations at some point in the future. One of the main challenges in preparing the practices was to accommodate the diverse system designs and potential future plans of U.S. industry. Some U.S. companies are focused on carrying people and experiments ...
Volume rendering by wavefront architecture

To achieve real time processing for volume rendering, it is necessary to employ parallel processing techniques. Therefore, a ray casting wavefront architecture is proposed. The architecture offers the following advantages. By a special memory organization, the processor array can perform fast rotation along x, y, z axes without incurring costly memory transformation. The projection phase and post-projection phase are assigned to different processors and a significant time-saving can be achieved by the pipelining technique. In the proposed architecture, the projection processors can "skip" the transparent region and step computation when further computation does not affect pixel values any more, e.g., the rays reach opaque surface. Finally, according to the VHDL simulation result, the speedup of the wavefront architecture over several SIMD designs (including CM2 and the Princeton Engine) is about 200% under normal condition. >
Role of the thrombin receptor in development and evidence for a second receptor

Thrombin, a coagulation protease generated at sites of vascular injury, activates platelets, endothelial cells, leukocytes and mesenchymal cells. A G-protein-coupled receptor that is proteolytically activated by thrombin is a target for drug development aimed at blocking thrombosis, inflammation and proliferation. Here we show that although disruption of the thrombin receptor (tr) gene in mice causes about half of the tr-/- embryos to die at embryonic day 9-10, half survive to become grossly normal adult mice with no bleeding diathesis. Strikingly, tr-/- platelets respond strongly to thrombin, whereas tr-/- fibroblasts lose their ability to respond to thrombin. We conclude that the thrombin receptor plays an unexpected role in embryonic development, suggesting a possible new function for the 'coagulation' proteases themselves. Moreover, a second platelet thrombin receptor exists, and different thrombin receptors have tissue-specific roles. This may allow development of therapeutics that will selectively block thrombin's different cellular actions.
Multivariable state feedback for output tracking MRAC for piecewise linear systems

This paper studies the adaptive control problem of multi-input, multi-output (MIMO) piecewise linear systems, a class of linear systems with switched parameters. A direct state feedback model reference adaptive control (MRAC) scheme is developed based on the LDS decomposition of high frequency gain matrices of such systems to achieve closed-loop signal boundedness and asymptotic output tracking performance. Simulation results on linearized NASA GTM models are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Measurement trends in family research

Summary.-Examination of techruques of family measurement described in the research literature showed various trends for the total number of instruments constructed over the past 60 years as well as their type, area of content, and measurement targets. Growth in family research over the past several decades (Touliatos & Czaplewski, 1992) has been accompanied by the development of measures of family phenomena (Touliatos, Perlmutter, & Straus, 1990). The present purpose was to describe trends in family measurement technology across the 60year period from 1929 through 1988. A total of 946 instruments were identified using the Family Measurement Project database, which was derived from a literature search of more than 50 journals in family studies, psychology, psychiatry, and allied fields. Instruments were classified by type, primary area of content, and primary measurement target. Type included paper-and-pencil measures such as questionnaires, checklists, and rating scales; observational systems; interviews; projective techniques; Q-sorts; and games. Primary area of content included parenting; family interaction; roles; marital relations; love; power; communication; family functioning; family values; pregnancy, childbearing, and transition to parenthood; divorce, separation, and remarriage; lifestyle; kinship and social networks; personal and interpersonal perceptions; and stress. Primary targets of measurement included husband-wife, parent-child, nuclear family, extended family, siblings, others outside the family, and intrapsychic processes. The years from 1929 through 1988 were divided into 12 five-year intervals. Only those measures constituting at least five percent of the 946 instruments identified were considered for further analysis. Based on this criterion, paper-and-pencil measures (708), observational systems (1041, and interviews (76) were selected from type; parenting (283), family interaction (147), roles (94), marital relations (74), love (56), and power (52) were selected from area of content; and ~arent-child (330), husband-wife (275), and nuclear family (219) were selected from targets of measurement. 'The Family Measurement Project was funded b a grant from the TCU Research Fund awarded to the second author. Special thanks are extenLd to B. F. Perlmutter for assisting the second author in classifying the instruments. 'Reprints may be obtained from Byron W. Lindholm, Department of Family and Child Development, Auburn University, Auburn University, AL 36849. Tables resenting number of instruments appearing during five-year intervals over che 60-year periocfand reporting trend analyses for number, type, area of content, and measurement target are also available from the first author.
Investigation of multi-modal high-salt binding ion-exchange chromatography using quantitative structure-property relationship modeling.

A quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) modeling approach was employed to correlate the physicochemical properties and structural components of multi-modal ion-exchange ligands with their ability to bind proteins under high-salt conditions. These ion-exchange ligands contain various substructures, which may contribute to secondary interactions that promote protein binding. A set of molecular descriptors was calculated based on the structures of these cation-exchange ligands. The molecular descriptors used to generate the QSPR models were used to characterize the ligand molecules and QSPR models were generated for predicting the elution conductivity of three test set proteins. The resulting models were able to predict the performance of test ligands not included in the generation of the models and the interpretation of the selected descriptors provided insight into the important physicochemical properties and structural characteristics required for protein binding under high-salt conditions. The results indicate that while the aromatic ring plays an important role in promoting protein binding under high-salt conditions, moieties associated with intermediate hydrophobicity (e.g. aliphatic side chain) or the presence of hydrogen bond donors (e.g. NH and OH) tended to suppress the binding. Further, regions of the ligands with negative partial charge also tended to promote protein binding at high-salt conditions in these multi-modal cation-exchange systems. This work demonstrates that ligand-based QSPR models may have utility for the a priori design of mixed mode chromatographic systems for protein separations.
Detecting marine mammals with an adaptive sub-sampling recorder in the Bering Sea

Abstract Adaptive sub-sampling overcomes the hardware and power limitations of continuous recorders by reducing the amount of data acquired and yet maintains a high probability of detection and classification of targeted signals. This enables data collection for a full year at a high sampling rate from a small, relatively lightweight recorder. The Passive Aquatic Listener (PAL) collects short, high temporal resolution (100 kHz) time series, called “sound bites” at intervals on the order of minutes. Power spectra are stored and provide a description of the background physical environment with a temporal resolution of minutes. Sound bites are only saved if they contain targeted signals of interest, e.g. marine mammals, and can be used to provide an audio confirmation for these sound sources. The estimated probability of detecting a particular marine mammal species depends on, among other physical propagation characteristics, (1) vocalization characteristics for a particular species or activity, (2) an estimate of the percentage of time that active sound is produced, and (3) an estimate of the duration of a typical calling bout. A PAL deployment in the Bering Sea demonstrates the detection of marine mammal signals within a dynamic background sound field. In addition to the automatic detections, post-processing of the sound bites revealed secondary marine mammal detections. These secondary detections demonstrate the wealth of information that can be obtained from short sound clips. Species with high vocalization rates and long calling bouts (fin whales, bowhead whales, and bearded seals) were more likely to be recorded incidentally compared to species with low vocalization rates and short calling bouts (right whales). Acknowledging that physical propagation characteristics associated with detectability must also be addressed, this work illustrates how the combination of spectral data and short sound clips obtained with small, low duty cycle recorders can provide the information needed to address questions of species richness, temporal presence of animals, and response to changes in the environment without the large volume of data obtained by continuous recorders.
Effect of Cross-Linker Reactivity on Experimental Gel Points during ATRcP of Monomer and Cross-Linker

A systematic study of the effect of cross-linker reactivity on experimental gel points was conducted using the atom transfer radical copolymerization (ATRcP) of methyl acrylate (MA) with different types and amounts of divinyl cross-linkers, including ethylene glycol diacrylate (EGDA), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), and an asymmetric cross-linker EGAMA containing one acrylate group and one methacrylate group. The variations of experimental gel points based on the monomer conversions were determined and compared with each other. Compared to the equivalent reactivity of the acrylate groups in MA and EGDA, the methacrylate groups from EGDMA had higher reactivity and led to faster incorporation of cross-linker unit into polymers and quicker generation of branching points (acceleration effect). However, the branched polymers containing the gradient distribution of pendant vinyl groups and branching points resembled a starlike structure, in which the pendant vinyl groups, located in the more densely cro...
Analysis of Activities of Daily Living Performance in Patients Recovering from Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) on the ability to perform activities of daily living. Patients who had recently undergone CABG surgery (n = 40) participated in this study. They completed the Functional Status Index, a self-report instrument, at two weeks and two months postsurgery. We calculated the response frequency for each item of the Functional Status Index and used chi-square for data analysis. A significant loss of function occurs immediately following surgery. The number of patients who experienced limitations or difficulty with opening containers, dressing, and rising from a chair increased two weeks after CABG surgery. Depressed physical function immediately following surgery may be related to surgeon-determined activity restrictions, fear of activity, and/or exacerbation of symptoms.
Effect of proteins on the response of anion‐selective electrodes based on vitamin B12 derivatives

The potentiometric response of several polymer membrane based ion-selective electrodes prepared with hydrophobic vitamin B12 derivatives is described. The effect of different proteins on the properties of these electrodes is discussed. It is suggested that the observed changes in potential upon addition of proteins are due mainly to nonspecific interactions between the proteins and the polymer membrane. Reduction of the nonspecific binding effect is possible by using a polymer matrix that contains free hydroxyl groups. The observed results agree with a theoretical model, which predicts that the nonspecific binding effect is more evident when membranes loaded with relatively small amounts of ionophore are used. The implications of these observations for the development of biosensors are discussed.
Superconductivity of macrometals

Abstract Excitonic superconductors require crystal structures with unit cells of large size. It is suggested that such structures could be synthesized using tightly bound metal clusters as “atomic” building blocks, these blocks being arranged in the crystal with the same symmetry as the atoms in the analogous metal. It is argued that such a “macrometal” having a unit cell one or two orders of magnitude larger than the analogous metal would have similar properties to the metal.
Rodlike Molecules and Singlet Energy Transfer1,2

In continuing our investigations on rodlike molecules composed of bicyclo[2.2.2]octane units, we studied the effect of interposing a single aromatic ring in the rod. Thus, two [3]-rods were synthesized with the two outer units being bicyclooctyls, the central unit being benzenoid, and with one terminal unit bearing an α-naphthyl moiety and the other terminus bearing an acetyl or benzoyl group. Excitation of the α-naphthyl group led to fluorescence emission by both the naphthyl and the acetyl units. However, compared to the [1]- and [2]-rods previously studied, transmission of singlet excitation proved to be less efficient as determined by the fluorescence emission and also by the singlet lifetimes obtained from single photon counting measurement. Transmission to the benzoyl group proved more rapid than to the acetyl moiety. In assessing the factors controlling energy transmission, Δ-density determinations were employed to describe the distribution of electronic excitation in such systems. It was observed ...
Role and productivity of nurse practitioners in one urban emergency department

Data gathered from this one institution, although not necessarily generalizable, proved helpful in retaining the NP role in our emergency department. Other facilities may benefit from a similar analysis of like information.
Characterization, prophylaxis, and treatment of infectious complications in craniomaxillofacial and upper extremity allotransplantation: a multicenter perspective

Background Vascularized composite allotransplants consist of heterogeneous tissues from different germ layers, which include skin, muscle, bone, fat, nerves, and lymph nodes. The antigenic diversity of these tissues, particularly of the highly immunogenic skin component, necessitates potent immunosuppressive regimens similar to that of some solid organ transplants. Indeed, the lifelong, high-dose, multidrug immunosuppressive protocols expose vascularized composite allotransplant recipients to considerable risk of infectious, metabolic, and neoplastic sequelae. In this article, the authors review the infectious risk to patients after vascularized composite allotransplantation, with special attention to the somewhat limited experience with the prophylaxis and treatment of infections after this innovative reconstructive surgery. Methods A review of the literature was undertaken to elucidate the characterization, prophylaxis, and treatment of all documented infectious complications. Results Infections in face and hand vascularized composite allotransplants follow a course similar to that of solid organ transplants. Several differences exist, including the unique flora of craniomaxillofacial transplants, the increased risk of donor-derived infections, and the alteration of the risk-to-benefit ratio for cytomegalovirus infections. Conclusions The patient with a face or limb transplant has many of the same infectious risks as a lung transplant recipient, which include bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. Because of the anatomy, mucosal exposure, and differing donor flora, however, the face or limb transplant is susceptible to invasive diseases from a variety of microbes.
State farmland preservation programs within the upper Mississippi river basin: A comparison

Abstract In the United States, significant agricultural land conversion to non-agricultural uses has prompted many states to enact farmland preservation programs. We compare the state farmland preservation programs in the agriculturally important area of the Upper Mississippi River Basin, notably Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. Within the last 8 years, this 4-state region has enacted 10 new laws which strengthen and expand protection efforts, thus revealing an increased awareness of farmland losses and the need to curtail them by state governments. We found that the northern states of Minnesota and Wisconsin have taken stronger regulatory approaches in maintaining their agricultural bases than illinois and Iowa. Minnesota has also enacted a detailed, comprehensive preservation plan dealing with the rapidly urbanizing 7-county region surrounding the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Iowa is the only state of the four utilizing land-use inventories in their planning schemes, while illinois is the sole state in the region implementing the comprehensive Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) System to judge compatibility of proposed actions by various state agencies.
Ambient Noise Levels in University Classrooms: Detrimental to Teaching and Learning?:

Ambient noise levels in 28 of 30 university classrooms exceeded the level of 35 dBA as recommended by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Such noise levels may interfere with both teaching and learning.
Validation of relative feature importance using natural data

Feature analysis for classification is based on the discriminatory power of features. In previous research, we have presented a metric called relative feature importance (RFI) for measuring the non-parametric discriminatory power (NPDP) of features. RFI has been shown to correctly rank features for a variety of artificial data sets. In this work, we validate RFI on natural data, using several natural data sets.
Laboratory simulation of geochemical changes of heavy crude oils during thermal oil recovery

Abstract During thermal oil recovery the elevated reservoir temperature and pressure in combination with rock matrix could cause significant changes in oil composition and its physical properties, especially the viscosity. This paper presents the results of static laboratory experiments on the thermal alteration of two heavy crude oils of different chemical compositions (one rich in resin content, the other one rich in asphaltenes) as a function of temperature, pressure and admixture of water and/rock matrix. Especially the effects of heating time and temperature were studied. Thermal cracking at temperatures up to 380 °C led to the formation of a gas phase consisting mainly of methane. The generation of CO 2 , H 2 S and the hydrocarbon gases depended on oil composition. The production of CO 2 was enhanced in the presence of water. During a 24 h test, the resin rich crude oil yielded significant amounts of insoluble organic material (pyrobitumen) at temperatures above 340 °C. For the asphaltene rich crude oil this occurred above 360 °C. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses of the products formed during the thermal degradation show their dependence on the chemical composition of the crude oils.
The effect of gravel size fraction on the distribution coefficients of selected radionuclides.

Abstract This manuscript addresses the consequences of the common practice of assuming that the gravel fraction of sediments does not participate in sorption reactions and thus sorption quantified by the distribution coefficient ( K d ) construct can be estimated from laboratory tests on sediments less than 2 mm size fraction. However, this common assumption can lead to inaccurate estimates of the mobility and sorption affinity of many radionuclides (e.g., Tc, U, and Np) on gravel dominated sediments at the Hanford Site and other locations. Laboratory batch sorption experiments showed that the distribution coefficients measured using only sediment less than 2 mm size fraction and correcting for inert gravel fraction were not in agreement with those obtained from the bulk sediments including gravel (larger than 2 mm size fraction), depending on the radionuclide. The least reactive radionuclide, Tc had K d values for bulk sediment with negligible deviations from the inert gravel corrected K d values measured on less than 2 mm size fraction. However, differences between measured K d values using sediment less than 2 mm size fraction and the K d values on the bulk sediment were significant for intermediately and strongly reactive radionuclides such as U and Np, especially on the sediment with gravel fractions that contained highly reactive sites. Highly reactive sites in the gravel fraction were attributed to the presence of Fe oxide coatings and/or reactive fracture faces on the gravel surfaces. Gravel correction factors that use the sum of the K d , and K d , > 2 mm values to estimate the K d for the bulk sediment were found to best describe K d values for radionuclides on the bulk sediment. Gravel correction factors should not be neglected to predict precisely the sorption capacity of the bulk sediments that contain more than 30% gravel. In addition, more detailed characterization of gravel surfaces should be conducted to identify whether higher reactive sorbents are present in the gravels.
Interference with growth of certain Escherichia coli mutants by galactose.

Abstract The addition of galactose retards the growth of galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase-less mutant of E. coli grown in a synthetic medium with glucose as carbon source. It was found that the cells accumulate galactose-1-phosphate. The possible role of galactose-1-phosphate as an inhibitor for the growth of the E. coli mutant was discussed.
An SOA Compass for Next Generation Networks

Next Generation Networks (NGNs) are faced with a perennial problem of adding newer services at a very short time period, and with very high levels of quality, and this has really made them think of innovative solutions to quickly adapt to the situation. It is imperative that the NGN service providers consider and use Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and its principles to achieve business goals and optimize longterm capital investment without compromising customer experience. We have studied the current problems faced by NGN Service Providers, and arrived at an innovative solution based on mathematical model to assist the Next Generation Network (NGN) service providers to use quantitative metrics to reach higher levels of service orientation. In addition, this methodology can be used to measure and optimize every investment made towards SOA alignment. Also, this methodology can be used to perform "what-if" analysis, in order to assess the impact of the business decisions without actually implementing those decisions.
Effects of Concreteness and Task Context on Recall of Prose Among Bilingual and Monolingual Speakers

Abstract The presence of concreteness effects on recall of prose paragraphs was shown to depend on the language experience of the subjects, the nature of the task, and whether subjects were given both concrete and abstract passages. In Experiment 1, monolingual and bilingual subjects recalled both abstract and concrete English paragraphs following comprehension instructions. Although no overall difference in recall was found, monolinguals showed a large concreteness effect but bilinguals showed only a marginal one. In Experiment 2, the concreteness effect for monolinguals was eliminated by presenting only abstract or concrete paragraphs to a given subject. In Experiment 3, after rating the imageability of individual sentences within abstract and concrete paragraphs, both language groups showed a large concreteness effect in recall. Concreteness effects can thus be obtained in recall of prose, tied not to differences in how abstract and concrete words are represented, but to how the prose is both encoded and retrieved. It is suggested that for bilinguals, the language of prose can act as a context specifier.
Hydroxylamine blocks adenosine A1 receptor-mediated inhibition of synaptic transmission in rat hippocampus.

The nitric oxide donor hydroxylamine (NH2OH) induced a transient depression of the evoked synaptic potential recorded in the rat hippocampal CA1 region. This depression was abolished with an adenosine A1 antagonist, 8-cyclopentyltheophylline. In addition, hydroxylamine reversed adenosine A1 receptor-mediated inhibition of the evoked population spike, the fEPSP and the intracellularly recorded EPSP. The inhibitory modulation of adenosine A1 receptor activation by hydroxylamine suggests the presence of a potent endogenous regulatory site.
Probing Weakly-Bound Species with Nonresonant Light: Dissociation of He2Induced by Rotational Hybridization

A field-dependent value of angular momentum can be imparted to a 4 He 2 cluster by the interaction of its anisotropic polarizability with a nonresonant laser field. In this way a centrifugal term is introduced that can be tuned to a critical value sufficient to overcome the potential that binds the dimer. Due to its dependence on the internuclear distance and laser intensity, the critical angular momentum for dissociation is attained at different internuclear separations for different pulsed-laser intensities. As a result, the dependence of the dissociation probability on the laser intensity offers a means to map the potential and/or the polarizability anisotropy. A comparison with experiment thus could provide a test of either. The technique is applicable to other molecules in bound states close to the dissociation limit.
Unraveling Allostery with Simulations of Rhodopsin Photocycle Intermediates

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a biomedically important class of membrane proteins, accounting for about one third of all FDA approved drugs. They act as molecular transducers, allosterically passing signals across the cell membrane. This allosteric modulation of GPCR signal is vital to their pertinence as drug targets, but the details of the mechanism are not fully understood. Two prominent hypotheses exist to describe how ligands affect changes in signaling. In the induced fit mechanism, the ligand is predicted to drive the protein to a new conformation. Here, the ligand takes an active role, triggering the conformational changes. By contrast, the conformational equilibrium model of allostery states that multiple functional states of the protein are in equilibrium. In this mechanism, the role of the ligand is subtler; it stabilizes a particular protein conformation by preferential binding. We are using unbiased all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of the GPCR rhodopsin to test the relevancy of these hypotheses. Rhodopsin, the visual photoreceptor, is a unique test case; both the active and inactive protein bind the same ligand, retinal. However, retinal adopts different conformations between the states, and the apo-protein, opsin, is outside the normal functional cycle. using simulations of four systems (apo- and holo-protein in the active and inactive states) we will evaluate the applicability of these allosteric models as well as describe how conserved regions of the protein are involved in activation.
Integral equation approaches to structure and thermodynamics of aqueous salt solutions.

Abstract Results for free energy, entropy, enthalpy and internal energy of salvation for monovalent ions in water have been studied by comparing DRISM theory results to those of RISM and ARISM theories. The greatly improved dielectric behavior in the DRISM case enabled the examination of realistically modeled salts at finite concentrations. The link between solvent structure and the entropy of solvent co-spheres was examined. Finally comparison with the Born free energy equation shows its virtues and flaws due to ignoring cavity formation and asymmetric salvation terms which together always contribute significantly to the free energy of hydration of ions.
Comparison of Gastrulation in Frogs and Fish

SYNOPSIS. Comparative embryological studies of frogs and fish provide valuable information about the mechanisms and evolution of vertebrate development. First, by mapping developmental data from a range of species onto a cladogram, one can distinguish general features of a ground plan from variation within it. Two studies illustrate this: comparison of gastrulation mechanisms in sturgeon and Xenopus , and morphogenesis of the dorsal mesoderm in five species of anurans. Second, phylogenetic analysis of developmental data makes it possible to identify radical departures from the ground plan among related groups. Teleost gastrulation is a highly derived process that appears to have little in common with the ancestral version. However, teleost gastrulation may have evolved as a result of two specific developmental changes: loss of bottle cells in the surface layer, and changes in the yolk. The phylogenetic distribution of developmental characters forms the basis for mechanistic hypotheses about the origins of major evolutionary changes in development
Home blood pressure monitoring and hypertension status among US adults: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2009-2010.

BACKGROUND: Currently, no national prevalence is available on home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM). METHODS: This report is based on national-level, cross-sectional data for noninstitutionalized US adults aged ≥18 years (n = 6,001 participants) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2009-2010. RESULTS: Overall, 21.7% of the population reported HBPM in the past year. Using 2010 Census data as a reference, approximately 33 million (14.5%) individuals engaged in monthly or more frequent HBPM. The frequency of HBPM increased with higher age, higher body mass index, higher family income-to-poverty ratio, and a higher number of health-care visits (all, P < 0.05). Adults with health-care coverage engaged in monthly or more frequent HBPM than adults without coverage (16.1% vs. 8.4%; P < 0.05). Among people with hypertension (blood pressure ≥140/90mm Hg or currently taking medication), 36.6% engaged in monthly or more frequent HBPM. Of those with hypertension whom were aware, treated, and controlled, 41.9%, 43.5%, and 42.1%, respectively, engaged in monthly or more frequent HBPM. Adjusting for covariables, those who were aware of, treated for, and controlled their hypertension were more likely to have a higher frequency of HBPM than the reference: unaware, untreated, and uncontrolled (odds ratio (OR) = 3.59; OR = 3.96; and OR = 1.50, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 14.5% of adults engaged in monthly or more frequent HBPM. Being aware of hypertension, being pharmacologically treated, and being controlled were associated with an increased frequency of HBPM. Even among these categories of people with hypertension, <50% were using HBPM.
Generality of interference by tonal stimuli in recognition memory for pitch

An investigation was made into the disruptive effects on pitch recognition produced by tones taken from beyond the octave from which the standard (S) and comparison (C) tones were taken. Pitch recognition was required after a retention interval during which eight other tones were played. Errors were compared for sequences in which the interpolated tones were taken from the same octave as were the S and C tones; in which they were taken from the octave above; in which they were taken from the octave below; and in which half of the intervening tones were taken from the octave above and the other half from the octave below, the order of choice of octave within the sequence being random. Large disruptive effects were produced by interpolated tones drawn from the higher and lower octaves, though these effects were slightly less than those produced by tones drawn from the same octave. The greatest disruptive effect occurred when the intervening tones in any one sequence were drawn from both the higher and the l...