cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Atmospheric Sources, Transport and Deposition of Mercury in Michigan: Two Years of Event Precipitation

To assess the sources, transport and deposition of atmospheric mercury (Hg) in Michigan, a multi-site network was implemented in which Hg concentrations in event precipitation and ambient samples (vapor and particulate phases) were determined. Results from the analysis of 2 years of event precipitation samples for Hg are reported here. The volume-weighted average Hg concentration in precipitation was 7.9, 10.8 and 10.2 ng/L for the Pellston, South Haven and Dexter sites, respectively. Yearly wet deposition of Hg for 1992–93 and 1993–94 was 5:8 and 5.5 µg/m2 at Pellston, 9.5 and 12.7 µg/m2 at South Haven and 8.7 and 9.1 µg/m2 at Dexter. A spatial gradient in both the Hg concentration and wet deposition was observed. Northern Michigan received almost half the deposition of Hg recorded at the southern Michigan sites. The concentration of Hg in precipitation exhibited a strong seasonal behavior with low values of 1.0 to 2.0 ng/L in winter and maximum values greater than 40 ng/L in summer. The spring, summer and autumn precipitation accounted for 89 to 91% of the total yearly Hg deposition. Mixed-layer back trajectories were calculated for each precipitation event to investigate the meteorological history and transport from potential Hg source regions. Elevated Hg concentrations were observed with air mass transport from the west, southwest, south, and southeast At each of the sites precipitation events for which the Hg concentration was in the 90th and 10th percentile were analyzed for trace elements by ICP-MS to investigate source impacts.
Outcome of Urethral Reconstructive Surgery in a Series of 74 Women

ABSTRACTPurpose: We evaluated the results of vaginal flap reconstructive surgery of the female urethra.Materials and Methods: A series of 74 consecutive women who presented with urethral pathology requiring surgical reconstruction were assessed for anatomical and functional outcome. Followup was 1 to 15 years (median 1.5). Outcome assessment included success or failure of the anatomical repair based on physical examination as well as voiding habits and continence assessed by voiding diary, questionnaire and patient self-assessment.Results: A total of 74 procedures were performed, including 72 vaginal flap repairs (56 with a concomitant pubovaginal sling). Five vaginal flap repairs were performed with a concomitant modified Pereyra procedure and 1 was done with Kelly plication. A patient in whom vaginal flap repair was planned underwent a Tanagho anterior bladder flap procedure, 1 underwent extensive lysis of urethral and periurethral scarring with primary urethral repair and 12 underwent vaginal flap repa...
A project-centered approach to teaching teamwork and effective communication

Universities preparing students for technical careers have to ensure that their graduates have the skills necessary for their professions; these skills include teamwork and communication. A case study of a program that helps students to develop these skills by working on a real-world project as members of an interdisciplinary team is presented. The author identifies the key elements that are needed to make such a project-centered approach work, and outlines some of the rewards that result from such an approach. >
Trends in methamphetamine use in young injection drug users in San Francisco from 1998 to 2004: the UFO Study

Aims. To describe temporal trends in methamphetamine use among young injection drug users (IDU) in San Francisco. Design and Methods. Secondary analysis of cross-sectional baseline data collected for a longitudinal study of young IDU from 1998 to 2004. Participants were 1445 young IDU (<30 years old) who reported injection in the previous month, English-speaking, and recruited by street outreach methods. We examined trends for: lifetime (ever) and recent (30-day) methamphetamine use, including injected and non-injected, and by age group and sexual risk behaviour [men who have sex with men injecting drug users (MSM-IDU), male IDU (non-MSM) and female IDU]. Results. In 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004 we interviewed 237, 276, 431, 310, 147 and 44 participants, respectively. Overall, median age was 22 years [interquartile range (IQR) 20 – 25], 30.3% were women and median duration of injecting was 4.4 years (IQR 2 – 7). Prevalence of methamphetamine use was high, with 50.1% reporting recent injection, bu...
Sources of mercury to San Francisco Bay surface sediment as revealed by mercury stable isotopes

Abstract Mercury (Hg) concentrations and isotopic compositions were examined in shallow-water surface sediment (0–2 cm) from San Francisco (SF) Bay to determine the extent to which historic Hg mining contributes to current Hg contamination in SF Bay, and to assess the use of Hg isotopes to trace sources of contamination in estuaries. Inter-tidal and wetland sediment had total Hg (HgT) concentrations ranging from 161 to 1529 ng/g with no simple gradients of spatial variation. In contrast, inter-tidal and wetland sediment displayed a geographic gradient of δ202Hg values, ranging from −0.30‰ in the southern-most part of SF Bay (draining the New Almaden Hg District) to −0.99‰ in the northern-most part of SF Bay near the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. Similar to SF Bay inter-tidal sediment, surface sediment from the Alviso Slough channel draining into South SF Bay had a δ202Hg value of −0.29‰, while surface sediment from the Cosumnes River and Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta draining into north SF Bay had lower average δ202Hg values of −0.90‰ and −0.75‰, respectively. This isotopic trend suggests that Hg-contaminated sediment from the New Almaden Hg District mixes with Hg-contaminated sediment from a low δ202Hg source north of SF Bay. Tailings and thermally decomposed ore (calcine) from the New Idria Hg mine in the California Coast Range had average δ202Hg values of −0.37 and +0.03‰, respectively, showing that Hg calcination fractionates Hg isotopes resulting in Hg contamination from Hg(II) mine waste products with higher δ202Hg values than metallic Hg(0) produced from Hg mines. Thus, there is evidence for at least two distinct isotopic signals for Hg contamination in SF Bay: Hg associated with calcine waste materials at Hg mines in the Coast Range, such as New Almaden and New Idria; and Hg(0) produced from these mines and used in placer gold mines and/or in other industrial processes in the Sierra Nevada region and SF Bay area.
Heat transfer to a cathode of a rotating arc

In gas heaters and other plasma devices that use tubular electrodes, the arc is rotated in order to spread the heat load to the electrodes and to reduce their erosion. A method to calculate spatiotemporal temperature development along the surface of these electrodes is suggested. The important feature of the method is that it takes into account the heat prehistory of the electrode: the temperature field created by the previous arc rotations. The result of these calculations shows that the average temperature created by these previous rotations could be very high. In the considered cases, it reaches almost 30% of the peak temperature (the Peclet number Pe = 25) and 50% of the peak temperature at the high arc velocity of rotation (Pe = 250). In particular, the method allows one to predict the number of rotations necessary to reach the steady-state heat transfer. These results clearly demonstrate that calculations that do not take into account the heat transfer history are not capable of providing correct results.
In the Service of Technocratic Managerialism? History in UK Universities.

This article discusses the conceptualization, organization and philosophical orientation of academic history culture in UK higher education. It problematizes the extent to which a dominant history culture in UK universities implies and uncritically reproduces normative understandings about the subject; about its epistemological standing, socio-political functions, and the presumed cultural value of the discipline practices that students learn to perform. We suggest that current conceptions of history degree curricula are overly thin and organised around a dominant managerialist discourse of skills, personal development and learning outcomes. In a historicised world in which history-focused behaviour has a crucial, ideological, affirmatory role, and in which historical narratives have a privileged cognitive function, we argue that it is critical for university history students to be able to deconstruct the processes by which history legitimises itself, and reinforces matrices of power in our societies. The positioning of history in higher education as a form of technocratic managerialism closes down spaces in which students can explore the potential of historical practices as a means of engaging with issues of current socio-political and ethical concern. We ask in this article, is this what we want an academic history culture to do?
An Application of Industrial Engineering to Library Carrel Utilization

Abstract Industrial engineering techniques have not been widely used to address resource allocation problems of educational facilities, in spite of the obvious need for better utilization of these resources. The successful application of two fundamental industrial engineering tools, work sampling and ABC analysis, to a study of library carrel utilization is reported herein, along with some observations on the implementation process.
Spatial Velocity Correlations and Near Field Pressure Measurements From a Heated Transonic Axisymmetric Jet

Turbulence properties and the near field pressure of a Mach 0.85 jet at two different static temperature ratios (0.87 and 2.4) are studied. The turbulence properties were studied using PIV measurements which were performed with the light sheet aligned in the radial and the streamwise directions at locations between 3.3 and 8.2 jet diameters downstream from the nozzle exit. Measurements of the near field pressure fluctuations were acquired using a linear array of 6 pressure transducers evenly spaced from 3.45 to 8.45 jet exit diameters. From the PIV measurements it was observed that the heated jet is narrower than the unheated jet and has a higher peak normalized TKE. The highly correlated area of the 2 point spatial velocity correlations is larger for the unheated jet than the heated jet. The measurements from the pressure transducers reveals that the relative amplitude of the mean fluctuating pressure is slightly higher for the heated jet after the end of the potential core. The convection speed of the waves propagating along the pressure sensor array was calculated to be larger for the heated jet.© 2006 ASME
Drug Abuse Caseload Management

The purpose of this paper is to show a systematic approach to total caseload management from a social/causal base, a human needs coping system, a social work practice intervention, and a management practice base for accountability.
Macrophage migration inhibitory factor deficiency enhances immune response to Nippostrongylus brasiliensis

Infections with helminth parasites are endemic in the developing world and are a target for intervention with new therapies. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a cytokine with pleiotropic effects in inflammation and immune responses. We investigated the role of MIF in a naturally cleared model of helminth infection in rodents, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. At day 7 postinfection, MIF-deficient (MIF-/-) mice had reduced parasite burden and mounted an enhanced type 2 immune response (Th2), including increased Gata3 expression and interleukin-13 (IL-13) production in the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs). Bone marrow reconstitution demonstrated that MIF produced from hematopoietic cells was crucial and Rag1-/- reconstitution provided direct evidence that MIF-/- CD4+ T cells were responsible for the augmented parasite clearance. MIF-/- CD4+ T cells produced less IL-6 postinfection, which correlated with enhanced Th2 responses. MIF-/- CD4+ T cells exhibited lower nuclear factor-κB activation, potentially explaining the reduction in IL-6. Finally, we demonstrated enhanced clearance of the parasite and Th2 response in wild-type mice treated with the MIF tautomerase inhibitor, sulforaphane, a compound found naturally found in cruciferous vegetables. These results are the first to describe the importance of the tautomerase enzyme activity in MIF function in N. brasiliensis infection.
Inheritance of carotenoid differences in the tomato

The effects of five genes which affect carotenoid differences in the fruits ofLycopersicon are discussed. Green and orange-fruited species contain a gene which, when introduced intoesculentum can cause production of β-carotene, as shown first withhirsutum hybrids byLincoln &Porter at Purdue. A gene, ghost, gives rise to a form of albinism, and phytoene accumulation is observed. The interpretation of the data in terms of a biochemical sequence involving phytoene, lycopene and β-carotene is by no means self-evident and at this juncture, explanations must be considered only as working hypotheses.
Students’ perceptions of real engagement in active problem solving

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to explore 42 elementary students’ perceptions of their experiences while they were engaging in a class in which the Real Engagement in Active Problem Solving (REAPS) model was used. A qualitative study was conducted to analyze their responses. Individual interviews and artifacts were collected and analyzed. Themes were identified in students’ perceptions across interview questions: topic, process, activity, collaboration, support, intrapersonal skills, and emotions. Researchers recommend integrating REAPS in different contexts and collecting adequate background information as a way to understand the effectiveness of REAPS. Differentiation principles applied in REAPS were beneficial to students’ engagement, thereby helping them to achieve long-lasting learning.
Extraretinal Inputs to Neurons in the Rostral Superior Colliculus of the Monkey During Smooth-Pursuit Eye Movements

The intermediate and deep layers of the monkey superior colliculus (SC) are known to be important for the generation of saccadic eye movements. Recent studies have also provided evidence that the r...
Thoughts on the Concept and Application of Statistical Models

Freedman’s arguments about the misuse of statistical models are sound, but I would go further. The mathematical statistician’s models are too often taken to be models for substantive theory rather than justifications for examining data in specific ways. Foundational problems relating to the validity of models of theory are the responsibility of the scientists who adopt them and cannot be resolved by statisticians independently of subject matter considerations.
Fixed Structures in Transition: The Changing Demand for Office and Industrial Infrastructure

This chapter examines some aspects of change in the demand for infrastructure in the U.S. space economy, relating this to “flexible accumulation,” a label given in recent years to the evolving capitalist system. Derivatives of the flexible accumulation label such as flexible specialization and flexible production have subsequently been coined to describe changes in industrial organization accompanying capitalism’s evolution. While the labels were first applied to manufacturing reorganization, their perceived relevance for describing reorganization trends among the service sector has been increasing.
Spinal BDNF-induced phrenic motor facilitation requires PKCθ activity.

We demonstrate that BDNF-induced pMF requires downstream signaling via PKCθ but not MEK/ERK or PI3K/Akt signaling. These data are essential to understand the sequence of the cellular cascade leadin...
Study of effect of binders and loading pressures on the performance of the time delay pyrotechnic compositions

An experimental investigation was carried out to determine the effect of binders and loading pressures on burning performance of B/BaCrO4 and Si/PbO/Pb3O4 delay compositions. The consolidated densi...
Bias Amplification in Epidemiologic Analysis of Exposure to Mixtures.

Background: The analysis of health effects of exposure to mixtures is a critically important issue in human epidemiology, and increasing effort is being devoted to developing methods for this probl...
Hysteroscopic treatment of partial and complete uterine septum.

Objective To review the experience with hysteroscopic treatment of uterine septa, particularly those involving the cervix. Methods One hundred twenty-four patients with septate uterus were treated hysteroscopically. Seven of these women had a uterine septum involving the uterus and cervix. All patients but nine who were infertile had demonstrated repetitive pregnancy losses with nothing to explain the reproductive failure but the uterine septation. The preoperative reproductive performance included 299 pregnancies, of which 258 were spontaneous abortions (86.6%) and 28 preterm pregnancies (9.6%) that resulted in viable infants. Results Following treatment, 101 patients achieved pregnancy (81.4%). There were 84 term pregnancies (83.1%) and 7 preterm viable pregnancies (6.9%). There were 12 spontaneous abortions, all in the first trimester (11.8%); 23 patients had not become pregnant as yet (18.5%). Of the seven patients with complete uterine septum, including the cervix, six had delivered an infant at term, one by cesarean section at 41 weeks because of breech presentation, and the other five by vaginal delivery at 38, 37 1/2, 39, 40 and 39 weeks. Conclusion Hysteroscopic treatment of the septate uterus can be extended to practically all types of uterine septa, including those involving the cervix.
Early Interventions for Families with Chronically Ill Children

The initial response of the family to the diagnosis of a chronic disease is the focus of this presentation because the origins of many of the long term psychosocial problems associated with chronic disease can be traced to this early phase. For the same reason, early interventions designed to deal with these problems at their inception are critically important.
INHIBITION OF MAGNESIUM TRANSPORT BY β-ADRENERGIC AGONISTS IS NOT MEDIATED BY CYCLIC AMP

ABSTRACT Magnesium but not calcium accumulation is inhibited by β-adrenergic and prostaglandin E1 stimulation in S49 lymphoma cells. Mutants of this cell line with specific defects in the receptor-cyclase complex do not show this inhibition of transport, while an S49 variant lacking cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase does exhibit β-adrenergic inhibition of Mg transport. Cell incubation with 8-Br-cyclic AMP or cyclase activation with cholera toxin also fails to inhibit Mg transport. We suggest that hormone-induced inhibition of Mg transport is mediated by activation of the receptor-cyclase complex itself or by a closely-linked, cyclic AMP-independent system.
Proteomic profiling of salt-induced changes in protein expression in PPARα null mice

PPARs are ligand-activated nuclear transcription factors that regulate βoxidation of fatty acids in various tissues including the kidney. PPARα is a putative target in the regulation of cardiovascu...
The effect of cities upon horizontal and vertical temperature gradients

For three California cities of various sizes, two-meter-level temperature patterns were determined by intensive traverses with automobile-mounted thermistors, and vertical temperature gradients in the lowest 1000 feet were measured by wiresonde simultaneously at urban centers and peripheral open areas. In 35 evening surveys under varying weather conditions, a characteristic horizontal temperature pattern existed for each city. Temperatures increased from peripheral open lands to built-up center in direct proportion to structure density. Characteristics of the urban gradients have been analyzed in relation to city size and to meteorological parameters. Vertical temperature data showed that built-up areas frequently caused instability up to about 3 times roof height in otherwise stable air and that a “crossover” point sometimes existed above which the air over the urban center was cooler than that over surrounding country.
Contemporary Management of Aortic Arch Aneurysm

The management of the aortic arch aneurysm is becoming increasingly complex and multidisciplinary. It has evolved since the first successful repair by DeBakey et al in 1957. After these initial repairs, the improvement in open surgical techniques, cardiopulmonary bypass, anesthesia, and perioperative care were the primary drivers of the decrease in morbidity and mortality associated with repair. The development of endovascular technology has spurred another revolution in the management of aortic arch aneurysms. In this review, we present a current appraisal and description of open surgical, hybrid, and endovascular techniques based on the literature. These techniques are varied and have different advantages and disadvantages, depending on patient anatomy and perioperative surgical risk. We provide an overview of the attributes of each technique and how they may be applied to individual cases. While each technique could not be discussed in detail in this report, it is clear that institutions must be able to proficiently offer the full spectrum of open, hybrid, and endovascular surgical techniques to treat this diverse condition. For low and intermediate risk patients, open surgery remains the gold standard. However, just as improvements in technique, monitoring and perioperative care led to progress in open repair, similar advancements in endograft technology, anatomical customization, and embolic protection will expand the use of endovascular repair. As the management of the condition becomes increasingly nuanced and multidisciplinary, centers must be equipped to offer a variety of techniques with high fidelity and adaptability to each unique patient.
Evaluation of Sequential-SBSE and TF-SPME Extraction Techniques Prior to GC-TOFMS for the Analysis of Flavor Volatiles in Beer

Sequential-Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction (Seq-SBSE) was investigated as a technique for the extraction and concentration of volatiles in beer prior to gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrom...
A Novel Acetaminophen Soft-Chew Formulation Produced via Hot-Melt Extrusion with In-line Near-Infrared Monitoring as a Process Analytical Technology Tool

Patients who suffer from dysphagia have difficulty in swallowing hard tablets and capsules; hence, gelatin-based soft-chew dosages are used as an alternative and novel drug delivery approach to overcome this problem. However, the conventional method of producing gelatin-based soft-chew dosages has many potential issues. The objective of this study was to use glycerol and the hot-melt extrusion technique to address potential issues and optimize the formulation. Gelatin, acetaminophen, saccharin, xylitol, and sodium chloride and six different ratios of water and glycerol were used in the seven formulations. Extrusion process temperature of formulations 1–6 and formulation 7 were 90°C and 140°C, respectively. Near-infrared spectra were collected during extrusion to monitor quality consistency. Scanning electron microscopic images of the cross-section of the soft-chew dosages were recorded. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to characterize the crystal states of each formulation. Texture profile analysis was used to evaluate the physical properties of the tablets. In vitro drug release characteristics were studied. A 45-day stability study was carried out to evaluate the stability of each formulation. Near-infrared spectra showed that formulations 1–6 were uniform while formulation 7 was not. From the DSC results, formulations 1 and 2 showed crystallinity of acetaminophen. Formulation 5 displayed the desired physical and chemical stability in texture profile analysis and in the in vitro drug release studies. By using glycerol and hot-melt extrusion, the potential issues of conventional methods were successfully addressed.
Homology: a personal view on some of the problems

There are many problems relating to defining the terminology used to describe various biological relationships and getting agreement on which definitions are best. Here, I examine 15 terminological problems, all of which are current, and all of which relate to the usage of homology and its associated terms. I suggest a set of definitions that are intended to be totally consistent among themselves and also as consistent as possible with most current usage.
Gestational Trophoblastic Disease

Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) ranges from premalignant hydatidiform mole through malignant invasive mole and choriocarcinoma, as well as more rare lesions of intermediate trophoblastic origin. The most common form of GTD, hydatidiform mole, represents aberrant development of a pregnancy due to specific genetic alterations and is the greatest predisposing risk factor for the development of persistent GTD. While pathologists classify the entities predominantly by histology, the clinical management of persistent GTD is more often dictated by parameters such as the serum β-hCG level.
COVID-19 as a Harbinger of Transforming Infrastructure Resilience

The COVID-19 pandemic has shocked infrastructure systems in unanticipated ways Seemingly in the course of weeks, our demands for many basic and critical services have radically shifted With expected long-term effects (i e , years), COVID-19 is going to have profound impacts on every facet of infrastructure systems, and will shock these systems very differently than the hazards that we often focus on, such as extreme events, disrepair, and terrorist attacks At the beginning of this pandemic, infrastructure managers are scrambling to respond to changes in demand, and to understand what the long-term effects are for how they operate and maintain their systems We contend that COVID-19 is revealing several important limitations to how we approach and manage our infrastructure, that must be acknowledged and addressed as the pandemic persists, and in a future increasingly characterized by accelerating and increasingly uncertain conditions These limitations are how (i) we prepare for concurrent hazards, (ii) frame criticality based on traditional infrastructure sectors and not human capabilities, (iii) we emphasize efficiency at a cost to resilience, and (iv) leadership is largely focused on stable conditions Each of these challenges represents a call for major rethinking for how we approach infrastructure, and COVID-19 presents a window of opportunity for change © Copyright © 2020 Carvalhaes, Markolf, Helmrich, Kim, Li, Natarajan, Bondank, Ahmad and Chester
Risk Factors and Effectiveness of Implemented Academic Interventions on Student Retention at a Hispanic-Serving Institution:

We examined three large freshman cohorts from Texas State University, a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), to identify risk factors that might affect academic retention. Risk factors supported by ...
Radiomic texture analysis for the assessment of osteoporosis on low-dose thoracic CT scans

In recent years, the assessment of non-cancerous diseases on low-dose CT scans for lung cancer screening has gained significant attention. Osteoporosis shares many risk factors with lung cancer and the thoracic and upper lumbar vertebrae can be visualized within the screening scan range, making diagnosis of osteoporosis viable. However, manual assessments can be time-consuming and inconsistent. This study investigates the application of radiomic texture analysis (RTA) for the automatic detection of osteoporosis. In this retrospective analysis of 613 CT screening scans acquired from the I-ELCAP database, quantitative features, including those based on intensity, texture, and frequency, were extracted from ROIs manually placed within the central body of the T6 and L1 vertebrae on axial images. The top 4 individually performing features were selected to train an SVM classifier for the classification between osteoporotic, abnormal, and normal vertebrae. Performance was evaluated through ROC analysis, with areas under the ROC curve of 0.925 +/- 0.054 for the T6 vertebra and 0.847 +/- 0.092 for L1. Further, RTA was compared to a radiologist’s visual diagnosis and a previously published automatic bone mineral density calculation approach. The RTA technique correlated well with the automatic BMD calculation, with Pearson linear correlation coefficients of - 0.752 and -0.653 for the T6 and L1 vertebrae, respectively, and qualitative comparison to the visual assessment was favorable. Based on the ROC results and the correlation with previously established methods, RTA demonstrated significant potential in quantifying vertebral bodies in axial CT screening scans and characterizing the vertebral disease state.
The evolving role of solar-based lighting solutions in rural India: Global lessons for distributed renewables

Abstract From solar lanterns to home systems and minigrids, distributed renewable energy (DRE) has become increasingly competitive as an alternative to grid extension in household electrification across many parts of the emerging world. We explore how DRE use in Indian households has evolved against the backdrop of massive public investment in grid extension. Using two rounds of the 2015–2018 ACCESS household data from six Indian states, we estimate the impact of household electrification via grid extension on DRE ownership and use. We find that demand for solar microgrids and minigrids has all but disappeared, whereas demand for solar home systems and lanterns as backup solutions to intermittent grid electricity supply continues to grow. Most notably, while grid electrification has increased from 66% to 85%, solar lantern ownership has grown from 1.2% to 5%. The use of DRE as a backup solution to government electrification schemes seems driven by changes in quality of electricity supply. These analyses confirm that intermittent grid electricity supply is key to understanding the solar lantern's continued popularity. The results show that where population density, household income, and government commitment all favor grid extension, the most affordable DRE technologies can still play an important role. These lessons offer insights into the development of solar-based lighting markets in other regions, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, where grid extension continues but grid electricity remains intermittent in supply.
High-speed Digital Imaging and Computational Modeling of Hybrid Metal-Composite Plates Subjected to Water-based Impulsive Loading

The response of hybrid metal/composite plates subjected to water-based impulsive loads is analyzed using experiments and computations. The analysis focuses on the effect of varying material properties on load-carrying capacity, deflection, impulse transmission, energy dissipation and damage. The three structural designs studied are unmodified monolithic aluminum plates, unmodified monolithic composite plates and hybrid metal/composite laminates. The plates are circumferentially clamped and subjected to transverse, out-of-plane impulses of varying intensities. The experiments are supported by fully dynamic numerical simulations using a Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian (CEL) framework which accounts for fluid–structure interactions and damage and failure in the constituent materials. Results show that load intensity determines the deformation and failure modes. The monolithic composite plates exhibit large-scale in-ply cracking, delamination and shear rupture near the clamped edges, while the aluminum plates undergo plastic deformation and petalling. The hybrid metal/composite structures show superior blast-resistance than both types of monolithic plates in terms of failure loads and energy dissipation, with the stacking sequence of the composite and metal layers significantly influencing the behavior.
Arrival Flight Scheduling Through Departure Delays and Reroutes

This paper presents a linear integer programming model for assigning departure delays and pre-departure reroutes to flights under airspace capacity restrictions. Experiments are performed in which ...
Do Vacuoles Obscure the Evidence for Auxin Homeostasis

The plant hormone auxin (indole-3-aectic acid [IAA]) has a role in nearly every aspect of plant growth and development. The last two decades have seen rapid progress in the identification of gene families involved in auxin transport and signaling. However, the complex interaction of these two processes poses a continuing challenge. Auxin is perceived by the TRANSPORT INHIBITOR RESPONSE 1/AUXIN SIGNALING F-BOX (TIR1/AFB) family of receptors, which are located in the nucleus (Mockaitis and Estelle, 2008).
Research Centrifuge Accommodations on Space Station Freedom

Life sciences research using plants and animals on the Space Station Freedom requires the ability to maintain live subjects in a safe and low stress environment for long durations at microgravity and at one g. The need for a centrifuge to achieve these accelerations is evident. Programmatic, technical, and cost considerations currently favor a 2.5 meter diameter centrifuge located either in the end cone of a Space Station Freedom node or in a separate module. A centrifuge facility could support a mix of rodent, plant, and small primate habitats. An automated cage extractor could be used to remove modular habitats in pairs without stopping the main rotor, minimizing the disruption to experiment protocols. The accommodation of such a centrifuge facility on the Space Station represents a significant demand on the crew time, power, data, volume, and logistics capability. It will contribute to a better understanding of the effects of space flight on humans, an understanding of plant growth in space for the eventual production of food, and an understanding of the role of gravity in biological processes.
Effects of Merging and Diverging on Freeway Traffic Oscillations: Theory and Observation

Continuum theory is used to explain why stop-and-go oscillations in congested freeway traffic change their amplitudes when they encounter the vehicular merging and diverging maneuvers that take place near ramps. The theory describes how oscillations diminish in amplitude when they propagate past a queued (and unmetered) on-ramp and how they grow when they propagate past an off-ramp. The premise is that merging (diverging) flows change in response to freeway oscillations and that these changes in flow dampen (amplify) oscillations. The theory's descriptions are simple and rational; all its inputs and outputs are directly observable; and its predictions are shown to match real data. The theory is tested against real data collected over multiple days from congested merge and diverge sites with videos and inductive loop detectors. For merges, predictions are found to agree with observation to within 10%, and for diverges, to within 12%. The paper thus resolves in a simple way a puzzling traffic feature report...
OligoSpawn: a software tool for the design of overgo probes from large unigene datasets

Background Expressed sequence tag (EST) datasets represent perhaps the largest collection of genetic information. ESTs can be exploited in a variety of biological experiments and analysis. Here we are interested in the design of overlapping oligonucleotide (overgo) probes from large unigene (EST-contigs) datasets.
Is it equivalent? Evaluation of the clinical activity of single agent Lipodox® compared to single agent Doxil® in ovarian cancer treatment.

BackgroundIn response to the critical shortage of liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil®) in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved temporary importation of doxorubicin hydrochloride liposome (Lipodox®). The objective was to compare toxicity and clinical activity of Lipodox® with Doxil®.MethodsRecurrent ovarian cancer patients who received Lipodox® were compared 3:1 to matched control Doxil® patients who had received Doxil®. Patients were matched based on age, stage, dose, platinum sensitivity, and prior treatments from an existing de-identified database. Patients receiving combination regimens were excluded.ResultsThe data from 40 Lipodox® patients was compared to 120 matched control Doxil® patients. In this study, 17 (42.5%) of the Lipodox® patients were switched to Doxil®. The overall response rate Lipodox® was 4.3% (1/23) compared to 18% (20/111) in matched control Doxil® patients. In the platinum-sensitive patients, 100% progressed in the Lipodox® group compared to 78.4% in matched...
The psalms and threat in sixteenth-century English court culture

The psalms are routinely considered to be sources of comfort and occasions of thanksgiving. In this essay I present a different, and opposite function for the psalms: that of expressing an intense state of isolation, threat, hatred and self-annihilation. So far from supplying what sixteenth-century readers called ‘comfortable words’, the psalm translations discussed here inflame authorial pain. They actively deprive authors of any consolation. They deprive authors even of the consolations of expressing the desire for vengeance, despite the frequency with which these texts call vengeance down upon the heads of enemies. Just as the psalms were imagined to have been written originally in a threatening courtly environment, so too are they used by early Tudor courtiers to express the predicament of court life. I focus on psalm paraphrases of the following writers: Sir Thomas Wyatt; George Blage; Henry Howard Earl of Surrey; and Sir Thomas Smith.
Electrical and mechanical changes during anoxic contractions of the isolated canine basilar artery

Summary: Isometric tension and membrane potential were measured to determine the electrophysiological events occurring during anoxia in the isolated canine basilar artery. Anoxia induced transient contractions which were inhibited by the Ca2 +-channel inhibitor, diltiazem, and were abolished in Ca2+-free solution. Anoxic contractions were accompanied by membrane depolarizations, which were resistant to diltiazem. When matched contractions were obtained with anoxia and high K+, the level of membrane depolarization was smaller during anoxic contractions. These results support the importance of voltage-dependent Ca2 + influx in the generation of anoxic contractions in the canine basilar artery. However, membrane depolarization does not fully account for these anoxic contractions.
Evidence of lipoplex dissociation in liquid formulations.

Aggregation is typically cited as the root cause of lipoplex transfection efficacy loss in liquid formulations. Typically, this conclusion is based on observed increases in lipoplex hydrodynamic size. A more detailed physical characterization of the lipoplex transfection efficacy diminution has previously never been conducted. As a result, most research has focused on either methods of forming more stable lipoplex formulations or preservation methods such as lyophilization. These studies typically consider the use of stabilizing additives, such as polymer and sugar molecules, to enhance the efficacy of lipoplex dispersions. This report details a recent multiangle laser light scattering study of the temporal evolution of lipoplex geometric size (i.e., radius of gyration) and molar mass in liquid-based formulations over several months. The results indicate that for the lipoplex systems considered, the primary factor underlying the long-term loss of lipoplex transfection efficiency is actually lipoplex dissociation caused by a decrease in the observed molar mass of some lipoplex formulations. The increasing geometric sizes observed are actually the result of lipoplex dissociation combined with an increase in volume. That is, the lipoplexes lose mass and expand in volume, leading to a less dense lipoplex structure over time.
Configuration caching vs data caching for striped FPGAs

Striped FPGA [1], or pipeline-recon gurable FPGA provides hardware virtualization by supporting fast run-time recon guration. In this paper we show that the performance of striped FPGA depends on the recon guration pattern, the run time scheduling of con gurations through the FPGA. We study two main con guration scheduling approachesCon guration Caching and Data Caching. We present the quantitative analysis of these scheduling techniques to compute their total execution cycles taking into account the overhead caused by the IO with the external memory. Based on the analysis we can determine which scheduling technique works better for the given application and for the given hardware parameters.
Conformational Selection and Substrate Binding Regulate the Monomer/Dimer Equilibrium of the C-terminal domain of Escherichia coli Enzyme I

The bacterial phosphotransferase system (PTS) is a signal transduction pathway that couples phosphoryl transfer to active sugar transport across the cell membrane. The PTS is initiated by the binding of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to the C-terminal domain (EIC) of enzyme I (EI), a highly conserved protein that is common to all sugar branches of the PTS. EIC exists in a dynamic monomer/dimer equilibrium that is modulated by ligand binding and is thought to regulate the overall PTS. Isolation of EIC has proven challenging, and conformational dynamics within the EIC domain during the catalytic cycle are still largely unknown. Here, we present a robust protocol for expression and purification of recombinant EIC from Escherichia coli and show that isolated EIC is capable of hydrolyzing PEP. NMR analysis and residual dipolar coupling measurements indicate that the isolated EIC domain in solution adopts a stable tertiary fold and quaternary structure that is consistent with previously reported crystallographic data. NMR relaxation dispersion measurements indicate that residues around the PEP binding site and in the β3α3 turn (residues 333–366), which is located at the dimer interface, undergo a rapid transition on the sub-millisecond time scale (with an exchange rate constant of ∼1500 s−1) between major open (∼97%) and minor closed (∼3%) conformations. Upon PEP binding, the β3α3 turn is effectively locked in the closed state by the formation of salt bridges between the phosphate group of PEP and the side chains of Lys340 and Arg358, thereby stabilizing the dimer.
What Influences City Council Adoption and Support for Reinventing Government? Environmental or Institutional Factors?

What infl uences the degree to which city councils support reinventing government (REGO)? Controlling for environmental factors that are likely to shape council policy adoption as well as the tenure of the chief administrator, the fi ndings of this study underscore that the type of representation system is most consistently related to opposition to REGO. In addition, the economic health of the city and the tenure of the chief administrator are positively associated with council support. Overall, institutional factors aff ect council policy adoption more than either environmental factors or an administrator’s seniority, at least in this policy area.
State-transition machines, revisited

History and context are given regarding the development of the WNF-machine, the first example of a Krivine machine.
Time-varying feedback gains for power circuits with active waveshaping

This paper presents a line interfaced inverter that employs a dc-dc converter to actively shape its ac current waveform. The duty cycle applied to this converter to control the current is determined in a closed loop fashion. The incremental dynamic response of the power circuit is found to be highly dependent on the ac voltage and current waveforms and therefore varies on a 60 Hz basis. With fixed feedback gains this variance would give closed loop poles that moved during the cycle. To avoid the problems that a time-varying system response would cause, a novel control scheme is proposed. This scheme uses periodically varying feedback gains to counteract the power circuit's time dependent response in a way that gives closed loop poles that do not move. Results of a Parity Simulation are included to verify the validity of this approach.
Chronic active liver disease occurring in adolescents who use drugs: A study of possible etiologies

Of 16,800 presumably well teenagers, 3181 were found to be drug abusters. Routine livr function tests in these latter patients revealed abnormalities in 1306, with SGPT elevation the most frequently noted. Forty patients, abnormal for 3 months, had a precutaneous liver biopsy. All specimens exhibited infiltration of the portal area and 75% showed hepatocyte necrosis. One half of the biopsies showed portal fibrosis. This degree of chronicity suggests that the usual course of viral hepatitis may be altered by the abuse of drugs. Alternatively, the drugs themselves may be directly responsible. Guinea pig liver explants were grown in culture medium and shown to be metabolically active for 96 hours. Transaminase activity was assayed in the culture medium before addition of the explant and serially thereafter. Changes in enzyme activity were followed after the addition of substances commonly abused by teenagers, as well as CCl4. The pattern of transaminase elevation at 24 hours by CCl4 provided the model fro acute toxicity. Other drugs tested showed no evidence of acute toxicity, nor did the addition of heroin to this system result int he transaminase elevation associated with acute toxicity. This study suggests that heroin is not acutely hepatotoxic. The abnormalities of the liver noted in the heroin-using adolescents may be the result of a modifying effect on the usual course of viral hepatitis.
Optimal spectral region for real-time monitoring of sub-ppm levels of water in phosphine by cavity ring-down spectroscopy

We have utilized cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) to characterize the pressure and carrier gas effects on the shape of a water absorption line. The half-width at half-maximum pressure-broadening coefficient for the water line at 10687.36 cm -1 was measured to be 58 ± 6 MHz kPa (0.20 ± 0.02 cm -1 atm -1 ) for water in phosphine (PH 3 ). This value is twice as large as the pressure-broadening coefficient for the same absorption transition in the case of water in air. Strong interference from neighboring PH 3 lines limits the sensitivity of the system in the region of this absorption line. We have also characterized the spectral neighborhood of several other water absorption transitions for the water-PH 3 system; these additional water-PH 3 CRDS spectra are presented. We have identified the spectral region around the water line at 10667.76 cm -1 as optimal for CRDS measurements of the water-PH 3 system. Minimal interference from adjacent PH 3 absorption transitions in this region enables high-sensitivity, real-time measurements of trace water in bulk PH 3 . Utilizing this water line, our CRDS apparatus has an estimated detection limit of 50 nmol mol -1 H 2 O in PH 3 .