cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward a general viscosity equation for natural anhydrous and hydrous silicate melts

A new and empirical viscosity equation for anhydrous and hydrous natural silicate melts has been developed using the following formulation: logη=A+BT+expC+DT, where η is the viscosity, T is the temperature in K, and A, B, C, and D are linear functions of mole fractions of oxide components except for H2O. The formulation is applied successfully to fit the temperature and compositional dependence of viscosity for some binary systems. Furthermore, our model with eight parameters fits the compositional and temperature dependence of the viscosity data of anhydrous natural silicate melts better than 10-parameter model in literature. The main purpose of this work is to fit the entire high- and low-temperature viscosity database (1451 data points) of all “natural” silicate melts using this empirical formulation. The general viscosity equation has 37 parameters and is as follows: logη=[-6.83XSiO2-170.79XTiO2-14.71XAl2O3ex-18.01XMgO-19.76XCaO+34.31X(Na,K)2Oex-140.38Z+159.26XH2O-8.43X(Na,K)AlO2]+[18.14XSiO2+248.93XTiO2+32.61XAl2O3ex+25.96XMgO+22.64XCaO-68.29X(Na,K)2Oex+38.84Z-48.55XH2O+16.12X(Na,K)AlO2]1000/T+exp{[21.73XAl2O3ex-61.98X(Fe, Mn)O-105.53XMgO-69.92XCaO-85.67X(Na,K)2Oex+332.01Z-432.22XH2O-3.16X(Na,K)AlO2]+[2.16XSiO2-143.05XTiO2-22.10XAl2O3ex+38.56X(Fe, Mn)O+110.83XMgO+67.12XCaO+58.01X(Na,K)2Oex+384.77XP2O5-404.97Z+513.75XH2O]1000/T},logη=[-6.83XSiO2-170.79XTiO2-14.71XAl2O3ex-18.01XMgO-19.76XCaO+34.31X(Na,K)2Oex-140.38Z+159.26XH2O-8.43X(Na,K)AlO2]+[18.14XSiO2+248.93XTiO2+32.61XAl2O3ex+25.96XMgO+22.64XCaO-68.29X(Na,K)2Oex+38.84Z-48.55XH2O+16.12X(Na,K)AlO2]1000/T+exp{[21.73XAl2O3ex-61.98X(Fe, Mn)O-105.53XMgO-69.92XCaO-85.67X(Na,K)2Oex+332.01Z-432.22XH2O-3.16X(Na,K)AlO2]+[2.16XSiO2-143.05XTiO2-22.10XAl2O3ex+38.56X(Fe, Mn)O+110.83XMgO+67.12XCaO+58.01X(Na,K)2Oex+384.77XP2O5-404.97Z+513.75XH2O]1000/T}, where η is the viscosity in Pa s, T is the temperature in K, Xi means mole fraction of oxide component i , and Z=(XH2O)1/[1+(185.797/T)]Z=(XH2O)1/[1+(185.797/T)]. Al2O3exAl2O3ex or (Na,K)2Oex mean excess oxides after forming (Na,K)AlO2. The 2σ deviation of the fit is 0.61 log η units. This general model is recommended for viscosity calculations in modeling magma chamber processes and volcanic eruptions.
Radiative transport limit for the random Schrödinger equation with long-range correlations

Abstract In this paper we study the asymptotic phase space energy distribution of solution of the Schrodinger equation with a time-dependent random potential. The random potential is assumed to have slowly decaying correlations. We show that the Wigner transform of a solution of the random Schrodinger equation converges in probability to the solution of a radiative transfer equation. Moreover, we show that this radiative transfer equation with long-range coupling has a regularizing effect on its solutions. Finally, we give an approximation of this equation in term of a fractional Laplacian. The derivations of these results are based on an asymptotic analysis using perturbed-test-functions, martingale techniques, and probabilistic representations.
Source localization and beamforming

Distributed sensor networks have been proposed for a wide range of applications. The main purpose of a sensor network is to monitor an area, including detecting, identifying, localizing, and tracking one or more objects of interest. These networks may be used by the military in surveillance, reconnaissance, and combat scenarios or around the perimeter of a manufacturing plant for intrusion detection. In other applications such as hearing aids and multimedia, microphone networks are capable of enhancing audio signals under noisy conditions for improved intelligibility, recognition, and cuing for camera aiming. Previous developments in integrated circuit technology have allowed the construction of low-cost miniature sensor nodes with signal processing and wireless communication capabilities. These technological advances not only open up many possibilities but also introduce challenging issues for the collaborative processing of wideband acoustic and seismic signals for source localization and beamforming in an energy-constrained distributed sensor network. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of these issues.
The relationship of family dynamics/social support to patient functioning in IDDM patients on intensive insulin therapy

A 6 month pilot study was conducted to examine the relationship between family dynamics/social support and patient functioning in diabetic patients on intensive insulin therapy. Intensified therapy was associated with improvements in the DUHP symptom score, MHI psychological well-being score, and in the DUHP social functioning score. In diabetic patients, regardless of therapy, extreme family dynamics were correlated with higher DUHP symptom scores and lower MHI psychological well-being scores at the initial measurement time. However, over the 6 month study period, extreme family dynamics were predictive of improvements in the DUHP symptoms score and in the quality of friendships in diabetic patients on intensive insuline therapy. In diabetic patients, regardless of therapy, higher levels of social support correlated with higher levels of psychological and social functioning at the initial measurement time, and with improvements in quality of family life over the 6 month measurement time. Higher social support was also associated with improvements in quantity of friends and the DUHP social functioning score in diabetic patients on intensive insulin therapy. The study also generated empiric support for co-evolutionary models of disease states/family dynamics/treatment systems by showing that 6 month changes in family dynamics were predicted by the initial FACES adaptability measure and the initial mean monthly glucose value. Intensified therapy predicted lower family cohesion and more family rigidity over the 6 month study period. These findings also suggest, when combined with the result that diabetic patients from more cohesive families experienced a rise in monthly mean glucose values, that some diabetic patients may become trapped in a vicious cycle which perpetuates poor glucose control and extreme family dynamics.
Gender-associated genes in filarial nematodes are important for reproduction and potential intervention targets.

Lymphatic filariasis is a neglected tropical disease that is caused by thread-like parasitic worms that live and reproduce in lymphatic vessels of the human host. There are no vaccines to prevent filariasis, and available drugs are not effective against all stages of the parasite. In addition, recent reports suggest that the filarial nematodes may be developing resistance to key medications. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify new drug targets in filarial worms. The purpose of this study was to perform a genome-wide analysis of gender-associated gene transcription to improve understanding of key reproductive processes in filarial nematodes. Our results indicate that thousands of genes are differentially expressed in male and female adult worms. Many of those genes are involved in specific reproductive processes such as embryogenesis and spermatogenesis. In addition, expression of some of those genes is suppressed by tetracycline, a drug that leads to sterilization of adult female worms in many filarial species. Thus, gender-associated genes represent priority targets for design of vaccines and drugs that interfere with reproduction of filarial nematodes. Additional work with this type of integrated systems biology approach should lead to important new tools for controlling filarial diseases.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS AND THE PREDICTION OF STOCK RETURNS

Abstract This paper performs a financial statement analysis that combines a large set of financial statement items into one summary measure which indicates the direction of one-year-ahead earnings changes. Positions are taken in stocks on the basis of this measure during the period 1973–1983, which involve canceling long and short positions with zero net investment. The two-year holding-period return to the long and short positions is in the order of 12.5%. After adjustment for ‘size effects’ the return is about 7.0%. These returns cannot be explained by nominated firm risk characteristics.
Vision-Based Lane Analysis: Exploration of Issues and Approaches for Embedded Realization

Lane feature extraction is one of the key computational steps in lane analysis systems. In this paper, we propose a lane feature extraction method, which enables different configurations of embedded solutions that address both accuracy and embedded systems' constraints. The proposed lane feature extraction process is evaluated in detail using real world lane data, to explore its effectiveness for embedded realization and adaptability to varying contextual information like lane types and environmental conditions.
Multi-Source Transfer of Delexicalized Dependency Parsers

We present a simple method for transferring dependency parsers from source languages with labeled training data to target languages without labeled training data. We first demonstrate that delexicalized parsers can be directly transferred between languages, producing significantly higher accuracies than unsupervised parsers. We then use a constraint driven learning algorithm where constraints are drawn from parallel corpora to project the final parser. Unlike previous work on projecting syntactic resources, we show that simple methods for introducing multiple source languages can significantly improve the overall quality of the resulting parsers. The projected parsers from our system result in state-of-the-art performance when compared to previously studied unsupervised and projected parsing systems across eight different languages.
Global-local finite element optimization study to minimize BGA damage under thermal cycling

One of the most critical failure modes in a BGA package is the solder interconnect failure (2 nd level). Conventionally, the solder damage is due to the mismatch of coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between the various package components and the PCB. It is absolutely critical to identify and minimize the BGA damage under thermal cycling to improve the package reliability. In the past, the critical design parameters have been investigated and ANSYS APDL code has been leveraged with a built in optimization tool for design optimization, thereby improving the solder joint fatigue life [1]. In this work, a multi-level FE model (sub-modeling approach) is implemented in ANSYS Workbench. Multi-variable-design-optimization (MVDO) is performed to minimize BGA fatigue damage. Damage in the BGA is quantified through strain energy density (SED) in the solder joints. The critical material/design parameters that significantly affect the solder joint strain energy density are identified and subsequently optimized to minimize the damage. For enhanced accuracy of the results and to have efficient computational time, sub-modeling technique is leveraged. The analysis is conducted in two steps- 1) “Global model” (coarse) is solved with the full BGA array and the critical joint is identified, 2) the critical joint (detailed far corner joint with fine mesh) is analyzed using sub-modeling.
Intraoperative parasympathetic nerve stimulation with tumescence monitoring during total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer.

Abstract Background Unilateral or bilateral division of the parasympathetic nerves during resection of rectal cancer may result in sexual erectile dysfunction. The purposes of this project were twofold: to determine the ability to demonstrate penile tumescence in response to parasympathetic nerve stimulation after rectal cancer resection and to correlate the nerve stimulation response with clinical sexual function 6 months after operation. Study design In 21 consecutive male patients with normal erectile function undergoing total mesorectal excision, cavernous nerve identification and integrity before and after pelvic dissection were assessed intraoperatively, both visually by an experienced surgeon and by using the CaverMap nerve stimulator. The minimal effective current necessary to produce a 2% increase in penile tumescence was recorded for both the left- and right-sided nerves, primarily the largest nerve trunk, S3. Postclearance stimulation data were then correlated with sexual function outcomes, specifically erection and orgasm at 6 months after surgery. Results The operating surgeon's visual assessment of the pelvic autonomic nerve's integrity after pelvic dissection was deemed intact in 20 of the 21 patients (95.2%). Of the 20 patients who were evaluated with CaverMap after completion of total mesorectal excision, 17 (85%) had tumescence response after nerve stimulation on either side, and 3 patients (15%) had unilateral response only. Of the 19 patients evaluated for sexual function 6 months after surgery, 18 (94.7%) had normal function, including the 3 patients with only unilateral nerve stimulation tumescence response. Conclusions Intraoperative mapping of the parasympathetic nerve trunks with the CaverMap nerve stimulator may be a valuable aid to less experienced pelvic surgeons and may help in autonomic nerve preservation during total mesorectal excision clearance.
k-Eulerian Posets

A poset P is called k-Eulerian if every interval of rank k is Eulerian. The class of k-Eulerian posets interpolates between graded posets and Eulerian posets. It is a straightforward observation that a 2k-Eulerian poset is also (2k+1)-Eulerian. We prove that the ab-index of a (2k+1)-Eulerian poset can be expressed in terms of c=a+b, d=ab+ba and e 2k+1=(a−b)2k+1. The proof relies upon the algebraic approaches of Billera-Liu and Ehrenborg-Readdy. We extend the Billera-Liu flag algebra to a Newtonian coalgebra. This flag Newtonian coalgebra forms a Laplace pairing with the Newtonian coalgebra k〈a,b〉 studied by Ehrenborg-Readdy. The ideal of flag operators that vanish on (2k+1)-Eulerian posets is also a coideal. Hence, the Laplace pairing implies that the dual of the coideal is the desired subalgebra of k〈a,b〉. As a corollary we obtain a proof of the existence of the cd-index which does not use induction.
Heme oxygenase-1 plays a pro-life role in experimental brain stem death via nitric oxide synthase I/protein kinase G signaling at rostral ventrolateral medulla

Background Despite its clinical importance, a dearth of information exists on the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underpin brain stem death. A suitable neural substrate for mechanistic delineation on brain stem death resides in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) because it is the origin of a life-and-death signal that sequentially increases (pro-life) and decreases (pro-death) to reflect the advancing central cardiovascular regulatory dysfunction during the progression towards brain stem death in critically ill patients. The present study evaluated the hypothesis that heme oxygnase-1 (HO-1) may play a pro-life role as an interposing signal between hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and nitric oxide synthase I (NOS I)/protein kinase G (PKG) cascade in RVLM, which sustains central cardiovascular regulatory functions during brain stem death.
Are departments obsolete? (education)

The authors note that so much of the work they are presently engaged in at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) is interdisciplinary that they are asking themselves whether the 'major' as it has evolved over the past few decades is really the best way to package undergraduate engineering education. Based on recent experiences, they have begun to conclude that specialization may be better pursued at the graduate rather than the undergraduate level and that undergraduate engineering students may do just as well, if not better, with a broad-based general degree than with a specialized one. If this is true, the typical engineering departmental structure may be obsolete. It is pointed out that a number of institutions, engineering schools, and individual departments are already recognizing the kinds of problems with which the authors are concerned and are developing innovative solutions. The authors discuss various models at the institutional, departmental, and programmatic levels which support their contention that the existing departmental structure is obsolete. >
An evaluation of rapid methods for assessing the ecological condition of wetlands

We analyzed 40 existing wetland rapid assessment methods that were developed for a variety of purposes, including informing regulatory decisions and local land use planning, and reviewed them for their potential to assess ecological integrity or condition. Four evaluation criteria were used. We determined if the method 1) can be used to measure condition, 2) is truly rapid, 3) includes a site visit, and 4) can be verified. This resulted in six methods being selected for evaluation relative to a conceptual model describing the core elements of a wetland assessment method, including universal indicators of soil, hydrology, and biotic communities, as well as regional indicators. An additional nine methods were kept for ideas on indicators, scoring, or regionalization. From this review, we identified five general areas that need to be addressed when adapting existing methods or developing new methods to assess condition: 1) definition of the assessment area, 2) treatment of wetland type, 3) approaches to scoring, 4) consideration of highly valued wetland types or features, and 5) procedures for validation with comprehensive ecological data. With scoring in particular, we present the advantages of a method that produces a single integrative score. Development of a rapid assessment method can assist those interested in incorporating condition assessment into their programs because they require less time in the field and less taxonomic expertise than more quantitative methods, which can lead to significant cost savings and increased sample sizes.
Kanakomyrtus (Myrtaceae): A New Endemic Genus from New Caledonia with Linear Stigma Lobes and Baccate Fruits

Abstract Kanakomyrtus (Myrtaceae) is a newly described genus endemic to New Caledonia. Kanakomyrtus myrtopsidoides, the generic type, is transferred from Eugenia. Five new species are described: K. mcphersonii, K. revoluta, K. dawsoniana, K. prominens, and K. longtpetiolata. The genus occurs in forests at elevations between 500–1,600 m on the relatively mesic windward side of the Grande Terre. It is distinct from other baccate genera of Myrtaceae by a combination of linear stylar lobes, densely glandular stamens and stigmas, and a short but densely hoary indumentum that is brownish when dry. The thinly membranous partitions that partially extend between the seeds of some species suggest a close relationship to Archirhodomyrtus and some species traditionally placed in Rhodomyrtus. and Octamyrtus. Four of the six species have unisexual flowers, but much additional field work is needed to assess the reproductive biology of the genus. Following IUCN guidelines, four species are proposed as either Endangered o...
Matching Networks, Attenuators, and Phase Shifters

This chapter contains sections titled: Matching Networks Finding the Optimum Susceptance When the Load Conductance Is Given [3] Simple Matching Networks for Matching between Two Values of Resistance Kuroda's Identities De-Embedding Procedures Compensation for Transmission Line Pads Symmetrical Attenuators Lumped-Constant Phase Shifters This chapter contains sections titled: Exercises
The Role of Hope for Adolescents with a Chronic Illness: An Integrative Review

Background Hope is a human strength essential for adolescents' enduring and coping with chronic illness however, the role of hope is not well understood in this population. Objectives This integrative review describes what is currently known about the role of hope in adolescents with a chronic illness. Method A methodological review using an integrative approach by R. Whittemore and K. Knafl (2005) was performed. Databases: MEDLINE via Pubmed; CINAHL; PyscINFO and Google scholar were searched for articles published in peer-reviewed journals from 1995 to 2015, using search terms ‘hope and chronic illness’ with age limiters for all except Google scholar (title search of “hope and adolescents”). Results Of the 197 studies initially retrieved: a total of 27 quantitative studies, 8 qualitative studies and 19 theoretical works were selected for review. Seven themes emerged including that hope: (i) promotes health (ii) facilitates coping and adjustment, (iii) enhances quality of life, (iv) is essential in purpose in life and illness (v) improves self-esteem, (vi) is an important factor in resilience and (vii) affects maturation. Persons reporting higher levels of hope find multiple routes to goals, view setbacks as challenges, and better manage psychological symptoms. Discussion Although theory and a limited body of empirical research to date suggest a link between hopeful thinking and physical health, the specific mechanisms remain unclear. As hope is linked to resilience, further research should explore whether adolescents with higher hope return to baseline faster than their lower hope counterparts.
SELF-MONITORING OF BLOOD GLUCOSE IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS: USE OF AN AUTOMATED SELF-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.: 84

Purpose Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) requires that a patient assume volitional control of a biologic process that is normally regulated automatically in the healthy individual (ie, serum glucose). Regular self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) provides an objective feedback measure of glycemic control and a way to assess the effectiveness of self-management behaviors (medication dosing, diet, exercise). Patients must be shifted away from invalid, subjective cues to objective readings as indicators of disease control to maintain a valid behavioral control system. For older adults with T2DM, the high prevalence of cognitive impairment, depression, and other chronic illnesses that cause somatic symptoms makes this process even more challenging. We report the results of a clinical trial of an automated self-management system (ASMM) intended to assist in patient-centered management of T2DM by reminding older diabetic individuals to focus on SMBG as the primary indicator of glycemic control. Methods The study was a randomized trial with “delayed intervention controls,” with half of participants randomized to immediate use of the ASMM and half to a delayed group, which continued usual care for 6 months before and then using an ASMM. The ASMM provided audio reminders to perform SMBG and take medication and user-friendly feedback about the pattern of glycemic control on a “real-time” basis. Participants were recruited from low-income senior housing and retirement communities in Milwaukee. Home visits were made every 3 months to measure HbA1c and collect other study measures. Results Forty-four diabetic men and women completed the 12-month trial. Sixty percent were Caucasian, 32% African American, and 8% Hispanic, and the mean age was 70 years. Mean baseline A1c was 8.1% ± 1.0, and baseline cognition was 85 ± 2.5 on the 3MSE-R. A1c dropped to 7.3 ± 1.0 by 9 months (F = 3.56, p Conclusion Our results indicate that providing older diabetic individuals with audio reminders and feedback led to significant improvement in glycemic control over a 12-month trial period. This effect was independent of baseline cognitive status and mood.
Occupational Hazard Analysis and Control Strategy in Electroplating Industry of Changshu City in 2009

[Objective]To conduct health surveillance on electroplating workers,and protect their health. [Methods]In accordance with " Occupational Health Surveillance technical specifications" ,symptom inquiring,physical examination,laboratory and other tests were performed on 802 electroplating workers with occupational exposure; 756 people,who received simultaneous health examination,were selected as control group.[Results]Of 802 electroplating workers with chromium exposure,70 ( 8. 7% ) were detected with self-conscious symptom,nasal damage,and changes in the blood system and other Occupational injury related symptoms. The incidence of nasal injury was 3. 99% ( 32 /802) ,that of control group was 1. 19% ( 9 /756) ,the difference was significant ( χ2 = 11. 90,P 0. 001) .
Study on Online Monitoring System for DC Biasing of Transformer Based on GPRS

The flow of geomagnetically induced current(GIC) and HVDC ground electrode current into power grid will cause DC biasing harm to transformers in the grid and impact their safe and stable operation.Accordingly,an online system for monitoring the DC biasing of transformer has been designed based on general packet radio service(GPRS) network,and a special device for the said purpose developed.Because the transmission of overvoltage and other disturbances in circuit are shut off completely,the monitoring device can work steadily and reliably.
Inhibition of eicosanoid production by BW755C does not attenuate sepsis-induced alterations in glucose kinetics.

Previous studies have indicated that various arachidonic acid metabolites are involved in the cardiovascular dysfunction seen during endotoxemia and sepsis. However, the possible role of these metabolites in mediating the metabolic alterations under similar conditions remains to be elucidated. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to determine if cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase blockade could prevent the elevated rates of glucose appearance (Ra), glucose recycling, and hyperlactacidemia seen during hypermetabolic sepsis. Sepsis was induced in chronically catheterized conscious rats by multiple injections of live Escherichia coli via a subcutaneous catheter. Septic animals received intravenous (i.v.) injections of BW755C every 6-8 h to block both the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways. Glucose kinetics were assessed in 24-h fasted rats by using a constant i.v. infusion of [6-3H] and [U-14C]-glucose. Treatment with BW755C prevented the 1-2 degrees C increase in body temperature induced by sepsis in the vehicle-treated animals. Septic rats receiving saline instead of BW755C exhibited an elevated plasma lactate concentration and increased rates of glucose appearance, recycling, and metabolic clearance. The sepsis-induced alterations in these variables were not attenuated by BW755C. These results suggest that neither arachidonic acid metabolites nor elevated body temperature are responsible for increasing glucose production and utilization in hypermetabolic septic rats.
Towards the development of highly active copper catalysts for atom transfer radical addition (ATRA) and polymerization (ATRP)

Fundamentals of copper catalyzed atom transfer radical addition (ATRA) and mechanistically similar polymerization (ATRP) were discussed. Special emphasis was placed on structural characterization and electrochemical properties of copper complexes. Recent advances in the development of highly active copper complexes for both processes were also reviewed. It was found that electron-donating groups (methoxy and methyl in the 4 and 3,5 positions, respectively) of the pyridine rings in tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (TPMA) ligand, significantly increase the catalytic activity in copper mediated ATRA/ATRP.
Nested wreath groups and their applications to phylogeny in biology and Cayley trees in chemistry and physics

Nested wreath product groups arise from looped or recursive structures that contain repeated copies of the same structure one within the other. Phylogeny trees in biology, Cayley trees, Bethe lattices, NMR graphs of non-rigid molecules, ammoniated ammonium ions are all examples of structures that exhibit such nested wreath product automorphism groups. We show that the conjugacy classes, irreducible representations and character tables of these nested group structures can be generated using multinomial generating functions cast in terms of matrix types that can be simplified into generalized cycle type polynomials. The nested wreath product groups rapidly increase in orders, for example, a simple wreath product group $$\hbox {S}_{7}[\hbox {S}_{7}]$$ consists of $$(7!)^{8}$$ or $$4.1633\times 10^{23}$$ operations, 481,890 conjugacy classes, spanning a 481,891 $$\times $$ 481,891 character table that would occupy 232,217,972 pages. We have obtained powerful recursive relations for the conjugacy classes, character tables and the orders of various conjugacy cases of any nested wreath product $$\{[\hbox {S}_{\mathrm{n}}]\}^{\mathrm{m}}$$ or $$\hbox {S}_{\mathrm{n}}[\hbox {S}_{\mathrm{n}}[\hbox {S}_{\mathrm{n}}{\ldots }.[\hbox {S}_{\mathrm{n}}]]{\ldots }.]$$ with order $$\left( {n!}\right) ^{a_m},\,\hbox {a}_{\mathrm{m}}=(\hbox {n}^{\mathrm{m}}-1)/(\hbox {n}-1)$$ . We have obtained the character tables of phylogenetic trees of any order, character tables of Cayley trees of degrees 3 and 4 and for Cayley trees of larger degrees, we have derived exact analytical expressions for the conjugacy classes and IRs for up to $$\{[\hbox {S}_{7}]\}^{\mathrm{m}}$$ with order $$(7!)^{137257}$$ for $$\hbox {m}=7$$ . Applications to colorings of phylogenic trees in biology are considered.
Inlets for Airbreathing Engines

Inlet operation, particularly inlet mass flow and pressure performance, is described. Subsonic inlet characteristics are discussed and simple normal shock inlets in for low supersonic flight are analyzed. Improved performance possible with internal compression inlets and the details of internal compression inlet operation is presented. Additive drag due to off-design operation of inlets is covered. The operation of external compression inlets which provide improved performance at higher supersonic Mach numbers is discussed. Mixed compression inlets, which combine the benefits of purely internal compression or external compression inlets, are introduced. An evaluation of combined friction and shock wave losses is presented and hypersonic flight considerations are discussed.
Delivery of Small Interfering RNA to Inhibit Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Zebrafish Using Natural Brain Endothelia Cell-Secreted Exosome Nanovesicles for the Treatment of Brain Cancer

Although small interfering RNA (siRNA) holds great therapeutic promise, its delivery to the disease site remains a paramount obstacle. In this study, we tested whether brain endothelial cell-derived exosomes could deliver siRNA across the blood–brain barrier (BBB) in zebrafish. Natural exosomes were isolated from brain endothelial bEND.3 cell culture media and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) siRNA was loaded in exosomes with the assistance of a transfection reagent. While fluorescence-activated cell flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry staining studies indicated that wild-type exosomes significantly increased the uptake of fluorescence-labeled siRNA in the autologous brain endothelial cells, decreased fluorescence intensity was observed in the cells treated with the tetraspanin CD63 antibody-blocked exosome-delivered formulation (p < 0.05). In the transport study, exosomes also enhanced the permeability of rhodamine 123 in a co-cultured monolayer of brain endothelial bEND.3 cell and astrocyte. Inhibition at the expression of VEGF RNA and protein levels was observed in glioblastoma-astrocytoma U-87 MG cells treated with exosome-delivered siRNAs. Imaging results showed that exosome delivered more siRNAs across the BBB in Tg(fli1:GFP) zebrafish. In a xenotransplanted brain tumor model, exosome-delivered VEGF siRNAs decreased the fluorescence intensity of labeled cancer cells in the brain of zebrafish. Brain endothelial cell-derived exosomes could be potentially used as a natural carrier for the brain delivery of exogenous siRNA.
Analysis of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) Glycosylation and its Role in Angiogenesis

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels, is required for tumor growth and metastasis. Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) is one of the most i...
A nonparametric belief solution to the Bayes tree

We relax parametric inference to a nonparametric representation towards more general solutions on factor graphs. We use the Bayes tree factorization to maximally exploit structure in the joint posterior thereby minimizing computation. We use kernel density estimation to represent a wider class of constraint beliefs, which naturally encapsulates multi-hypothesis and non-Gaussian inference. A variety of new uncertainty models can now be directly applied in the factor graph, and have the solver recover a potentially multi-modal posterior. For example, data association for loop closure proposals can be incorporated at inference time without further modifications to the factor graph. Our implementation of the presented algorithm is written entirely in the Julia language, exploiting high performance parallel computing. We show a larger scale use case with the well known Victoria park mapping and localization data set inferring over uncertain loop closures.
Revealing Anisotropic Spinel Formation on Pristine Li- and Mn-Rich Layered Oxide Surface and Its Impact on Cathode Performance

Surface properties of cathode particles play important roles in the transport of ions and electrons and they may ultimately dominate cathode's performance and stability in lithium-ion batteries. Through the use of carefully prepared Li1.2Ni0.13Mn0.54Co0.13O2 crystal samples with six distinct morphologies, surface transition-metal redox activities and crystal structural transformation are investigated as a function of surface area and surface crystalline orientation. Complementary depth-profiled core-level spectroscopy, namely, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, are applied in the study, presenting a fine example of combining advanced diagnostic techniques with a well-defined model system of battery materials. The present study reports the following findings: (1) a thin layer of defective spinel with reduced transition metals, similar to what is reported on cycled conventional secondary particles in the literature, is found on pristine oxide surface even before cycling, and (2) surface crystal structure and chemical composition of both pristine and cycled particles are facet dependent. Oxide structural and cycling stabilities improve with maximum expression of surface facets stable against transition-metal reduction. The intricate relationships among morphology, surface reactivity and structural transformation, electrochemical performance, and stability of the cathode materials are revealed.
Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), previously known as primary biliary cirrhosis, is the most common autoimmune liver disease. PBC is characterized as a chronic inflammatory autoimmune cholestatic liver disease where immune-mediated injury to biliary epithelial cells leads to cholestasis and fibrosis, and if left untreated, PBC will progress to end-stage liver disease. The disease affects predominantly middle-aged women, with data suggesting 1 in 1000 women over the age of 40 live with PBC. Importantly, clinical presentation ranges from being completely asymptomatic to significantly affecting the patient’s quality of life via pruritus, fatigue, abdominal pain, and sicca symptoms (dry mouth, dry eyes) in addition to liver-related complications. In this chapter, we describe the classic presentation of an asymptomatic patient with a cholestatic pattern of liver injury. We discuss the initial work-up and differential diagnosis for this pattern, the diagnostic criteria for PBC, and specific treatment, with an emphasis on early referral to a liver specialist to ensure the proper management of this progressive liver disease.
Energy conserving Galerkin approximation of two dimensional wave equations with random coefficients

Abstract Wave propagation problems for heterogeneous media are known to have many applications in physics and engineering. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in stochastic effects due to the uncertainty, which may arise from impurities of the media. This work considers a two-dimensional wave equation with random coefficients which may be discontinuous in space. Generalized polynomial chaos method is used in conjunction with stochastic Galerkin approximation, and local discontinuous Galerkin method is used for spatial discretization. Our method is shown to be energy preserving in semi-discrete form as well as in fully discrete form, when leap-frog time discretization is used. Its convergence rate is proved to be optimal and the error grows linearly in time. The theoretical properties of the proposed scheme are validated by numerical tests.
Self Help Organized Through Mutual Assistance in Helping Communities

Self-help organizations facilitate mutual assistance in helping communities. They offer a vehicle for people with a common problem to gain support and recognition, obtain information on, advocate on behalf of, address issues associated with, and take control of the circumstances that bring about, perpetuate, and provide solutions to their shared concern. Self-help organizations may be small informal groups, confined to interactive support for their members, commonly called self-help groups, or differentiated and structured multiservice agencies, mutual assistance organizations referred to as self-help agencies. Such agencies are generally directed and staffed by “self-helpers” and distinct from professionally-led organizations. In these agencies, self-helpers are well-represented as board members with the right to hire and fire professionals in the organization Self-help groups and agencies empower members through shared example and modeled success. Of late, community-based professionally-led organizations have attempted to integrate self-help principles into their support service offerings, reflecting ongoing financial and ideological dynamics in systems of care. This effort has led to the development of peer professional helpers, known as peer support specialists, whose contribution to the helping professions are defined by their lived experience. Spread throughout the world, self-help groups, agencies and integrated peer support specialists are considered a major community resource for enabling people to help themselves. This chapter looks at the development, the content, and the effectiveness of self-help organizations and peer support specialists within professionally-led community-based systems of care.
Acting together in determining value: A professional ethical responsibility of evaluators:

What ethics means in the field of evaluation is largely confined to matters of face-to-face interaction of professionals with those with whom professionals work; what is commonly referred to as pro...
Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton production in Alaskan Arctic foothill lakes

We used 54 enrichment bioassays to assess nutrient limitation (N, P) of 14C uptake by natural phytoplankton assemblages in 39 lakes and ponds in the Arctic Foothills region of Alaska. Our purpose was to categorize phytoplankton nutrient status in this under-represented region of North America and to improve our ability to predict the response of primary production to anticipated anthropogenically mediated increases in nutrient loading. Experiments were performed across several watersheds and included assays on terminal lakes and lakes occupying various positions in chains (lakes in series within a watershed and connected by streams). In total, 89% (48 of 54) of the bioassays showed significant stimulation of 14C primary production by some form of nutrient addition relative to unamended controls. A significant response was observed following enrichment with N and P, N alone and P alone in 83, 35 and 22% of the bioassays, respectively. In experiments where N and P proved stimulatory, the influence of N alone was significantly greater than the influence of P alone. Overall, the data point to a greater importance for N than P in regulating phytoplankton production in this region. The degree of response to N and P enrichment declined as the summer progressed and showed no relationship to irradiance or water temperature, suggesting secondary limitation by some micronutrient such as iron as the summer advanced. Phytoplankton nutrient status was often consistent across lakes within a watershed, suggesting that watershed characteristics influence nutrient availability. Lakes in this region will clearly show increased phytoplankton production in response to anthropogenic activities and anticipated changes in climate that will increase nutrient loading.
Innovation, M&AS and International Competition with an Application to Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology

Multinational corporations carry out a substantial and increasing share of business research and development (R&D). For instance, the amount of R&D conducted by the top 20 multinationals is greater than the combined R&D spending of France and Great Britain. As a result, multinationals have become increasingly important as innovators. During the eighties, multinationals accounted for 75% of all patents granted in the United States. Foreign companies comprised 50% of the total.
Metachronous infections in patients who have had more than one total joint arthroplasty.

Sixty-eight patients who had had 159 replacement arthroplasties of more than one major joint between 1975 and 1984 and who had had an infection after at least one of these procedures were identified in a retrospective review. Subsequent infection in another total joint replacement was documented in ten of these patients. The risk of development of an infection about another total joint replacement after an infection had occurred about one total joint replacement in a patient who had had more than one arthroplasty was 18 per cent, according to the survivorship-analysis method of Kaplan and Meier. Many variables that were previously thought to increase the risk of infection, such as rheumatoid arthritis, older age of the patient, previous operations, and the use of corticosteroids or immunosuppressive agents, or both, were not found to increase the risk of a subsequent infection in patients who had had more than one arthroplasty with infection of one of the arthroplasties. The recent occurrence of a major systemic infection did increase the risk of infection about the other total joint replacements. Eight of the ten subsequent joint infections were due to the same causative organism as the index infection about a total joint replacement and occurred within the first year after the index infection. The initial treatment of the index infection included specific parenteral antimicrobial therapy combined with debridement and excisional arthroplasty in forty patients, removal of the components and arthrodesis in three patients, and debridement with retention of the prosthesis in twenty-five patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
An Adjuvant That Increases Protective Antibody Responses to Polysaccharide Antigens and Enables Recall Responses

Protection against encapsulated bacteria can be elicited using polysaccharide vaccines. These antigens often behave as T-cell-independent type 2 antigens (TI-2 Ags). However, TI-2 Ags, including pneumococcal polysaccharides, often elicit weak immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses and are refractive to boosting. Conjugate vaccines have not completely overcome this challenge and hence, alternative strategies are required to enhance polysaccharide vaccine responses. Herein, we describe an adjuvant consisting of a Toll-like receptor and C-type lectin receptor agonist pairing that significantly increases primary immunoglobulin M and IgG responses to TI-2 Ags as well as enables significant boosting when coadministered with polysaccharide vaccines. Consistent with this, the adjuvant significantly increased the generation of both TI-2 memory B cells and long-lived antibody secreting cells. Adjuvant effects were highly dependent on B-cell-intrinsic MyD88, but not Trif expression. Importantly, coadministration of the adjuvant with the Pneumovax vaccine significantly increased the protective efficacy of vaccination in a lethal challenge mouse model of pneumococcal respiratory infection. Collectively, these data provide evidence that B-cell-directed adjuvants have promise in significantly improving the quality and quantity of serologic and B-cell memory responses to clinically relevant polysaccharide vaccines.
A reconceptualization of open oak and pine ecosystems of eastern North America using a forest structure spectrum

We present a reconceptualization of forests in eastern North America by differentiating the ecological characteristics of open oak (Quercus) and pine (Pinus) forests from closed successional and oldgrowth forests. Despite historical abundance of savannas and woodlands, the fundamental ecology of open forest ecosystems remains ill-defined when compared to either closed forests or grasslands. Open forests were characterized by simple internal stand structure consisting of a single stratum of variably spaced, often very old overstory trees and limited midstory, maintained by understory disturbance that controlled tree regeneration and allowed instead a taxonomically rich herbaceous groundlayer. In contrast, closed forests have dense woody growth throughout the vertical profile, limiting herbaceous plants. To provide further clarity about these ecosystems, we developed a canopy closure spectrum model dependent on the interactions between prevailing disturbance regimes of the historical and current eras, which affect either the tree understory (regeneration) or overstory, and tree traits of fire and shade tolerance. Recognition of different stand structures, disturbance regimes, and their interrelationships should expand understanding of open forests and limit ecological misunderstandings and restoration misapplications, thereby improving management of these once historically extensive ecosystems.
Force–conductance spectroscopy of a single-molecule reaction

We demonstrate how simultaneous measurements of conductance and force can be used to monitor the step-by-step progress of a mechanically-activated cis-to-trans isomerization single-molecule reaction, including events that cannot be distinguished using force or conductance alone. To do so, we simulated the force–conductance profile of cyclopropane oligomers connected to graphene nanoribbon electrodes that undergo a cis-to-trans isomerization during mechanical elongation. This was done using a combination of classical molecular dynamics simulation of the pulling using a reactive force field, and Landauer transport computations of the conductance with nonequilibrium Green's function methods. The isomerization events can be distinguished in both force and conductance profiles. However, the conductance profile during the mechanical elongation distinguishes between reaction intermediates that cannot be resolved using force. In turn, the force signals non-reactive deformations in the molecular backbone which are not visible in the conductance profile. These observations are shown to be robust to the choice of electrode and Hamiltonian model. The computations exemplify the potential of the integration of covalent mechanochemistry with molecular conductance to investigate chemical reactivity at the single-entity limit.
Toward Plasma Wakefield Simulations at Exascale

Turning the current experimental plasma accelerator state-of-the-art from a promising technology into mainstream scientific tools depends critically on high-performance, high-fidelity modeling of complex processes that develop over a wide range of space and time scales. As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Exascale Computing Project, a team composed of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, SLAC Accelerator National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers is developing a new open-source plasma accelerator simulation tool. The new software will harness the power of future exascale supercomputers for the exploration of outstanding questions in the physics of acceleration and transport of particle beams in chains of plasma channels. This will benefit the ultimate goal of compact and affordable high-energy physics colliders, and many spinoff applications of plasma accelerators along the way. We give an update on some of the code latest developments and discuss future plans.