cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Crack evolution and rapid life assessment for lead free solder joints

This paper reports on the crack behavior and microstructure evolution of lead free solder joints during thermal and isothermal fatigue testing. Daisy chained Ball Grid Array (BGA) assemblies were subjected to either accelerated thermal cycling or cyclic bending at room temperature. In the case of thermal cycling effects of strain range were assessed by comparing assemblies with different distances to neutral point. Crack areas were measured by dye and pry and recrystallization detected by optical microscopy with crossed polarizers. The stochastic nature of the fatigue crack growth associated with variations in Sn grain orientation was addressed by using pattern recognition with Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Different statistics were calculated for the different crack curves at specific life percentages to address the change in crack growth distributions at these different live intervals. Results suggested that the number of cycles to failure could be predicted by the measurement of crack lengths after less than 10% of a typical thermal cycling test. Preliminary results suggest that this may also be true for isothermal cycling, but trends appear to be less easily generalized.
How are Models and Explanations Related

Within the modeling literature, there is often an implicit assumption about the relationship between a given model and a scientific explanation. The goal of this article is to provide a unified framework with which to analyze the myriad relationships between a model and an explanation. Our framework distinguishes two fundamental kinds of relationships. The first is metaphysical, where the model is identified as an explanation or as a partial explanation. The second is epistemological, where the model produces understanding that is related to the explanation of interest. Our analysis reveals that the epistemological relationships are not always dependent on the metaphysical relationships, contrary to what has been assumed by many philosophers of science. Moreover, we identify several importantly different ways that scientific models instantiate these relationships. We argue that our framework provides novel insights concerning the nature of models, explanation, idealization, and understanding.
Otherwise than Need: The Welfare Poor and the Politics of Poverty

This essay examines democratic politics and citizenship through an analysis of the figure of the "welfare poor" in U.S. politics. Much has been said about how this figure has been turned into a hyper-visible object of social control. This is not inaccurate, but also not the whole story. Through an engagement with Ranciare and a study of the welfare rights movement, I discover a different sort of visibility. The depictions of the welfare poor - as "damaged," as objects of solidarity or of pity, as those who threaten social order altogether - can be understood as an ongoing processing of a political dispute over who counts as a party to a political dispute. Like most defenders of existing orders, those who develop these images hold that the current symbolic order functions just as it should: everyone is counted in the precise way that they deserve to be. In response, the welfare poor do more than just counter false images with more accurate ones, nor do they only engage in resistance that says "no" to the state. They also deploy strategies of parody and mimicry to challenge the existing order that casts them as those who are not part of logos. They make themselves visible, but only as those who are not visible in the existing symbolic order; they declare themselves to be counted, but only as those who are of no account. And in so doing, they provide a valuable reminder of some of the features of democratic politics and a way to re-think the meaning of political solidarity.
Fountain of youth: The impact of nostalgia on youthfulness and implications for health

AbstractThe present research explored the impact of nostalgia on feelings of youthfulness, as well as the health benefits of nostalgia-induced youthfulness. Previous research indicates that feeling younger than one’s current age has positive implications for health. We predicted that, relative to ordinary autobiographical memories, nostalgic memories would make people feel more youthful. Further, we predicted that feelings of youthfulness would in turn lead to more positive attitudes about health and physical ability. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrated that, as people get older, nostalgic reverie relative to a control makes them feel more youthful. In Study 3, adults 40 and older who recalled a nostalgic memory from high school reported feeling more youthful than those who recalled an ordinary high school memory. Nostalgia-induced youthfulness in turn predicted the extent to which participants felt healthy, confident about their physical abilities, and optimistic about their future health. These findings sugges...
Contraception for women with congenital heart disease.

Women with congenital heart disease must consider the potential complications of various methods of contraception in order to balance efficacy and risk. The main risk of barrier methods is that they are less effective than other methods. Oral contraceptives (OCs) are highly effective but the risk of thromboembolism poses a significant danger to women with congenital heart disease even with the lower levels of estrogen now being used. Other risks associated with OCs include a mild hypertensive response fluid and water retention altered lipid metabolism and elevated levels of triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol as well as a reduction in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Progestin-only OCs may be less effective and may cause amenorrhea and elevated blood pressure. Long-acting progestins which are injected or implanted cause side effects such as headaches in some users. Women at risk of endocarditis should receive a prophylactic antibiotic at the time of implant insertion or for a month after IUD insertion. IUDs are also associated with increased bleeding and should not be used by women who require anticoagulant therapy. Sterilization should be considered for women in whom pregnancy is contraindicated. For women with bicuspid aortic valve progestin implants or injections may be the best choice. For women with unrepaired atrial septal defect an IUD may be best. After repair an IUD oral contraceptives or long-acting progestin may be suitable. IUDs are contraindicated in patients with unrepaired ventricular septal defect or unrepaired patent ductus arteriosus. Women with residual pulmonary hypertension after repair of Fallots tetralogy should consider long-acting progestins as should women with unrepaired coarctation of the aorta. Women with Marfans syndrome and significant aortic dilatation should not undergo pregnancy. In other patients with Marfans syndrome long-acting progestins may be the safest choice.
Selective C–C and C–H Bond Activation/Cleavage of Pinene Derivatives: Synthesis of Enantiopure Cyclohexenone Scaffolds and Mechanistic Insights

The continued development of transition-metal-mediated C–C bond activation/cleavage methods would provide even more opportunities to implement novel synthetic strategies. We have explored the Rh(I)-catalyzed C–C activation of cyclobutanols resident in hydroxylated derivatives of pinene, which proceed in a complementary manner to the C–C bond cleavage that we have observed with many traditional electrophilic reagents. Mechanistic and computational studies have provided insight into the role of C–H bond activation in the stereochemical outcome of the Rh-catalyzed C–C bond activation process. Using this new approach, functionalized cyclohexenones that form the cores of natural products, including the spiroindicumides and phomactin A, have been accessed.
Dehydrocoupling of Organosilanes with a Dinuclear Nickel Hydride Catalyst and Isolation of a Nickel Silyl Complex

The dehydrocoupling of organosilanes is an efficient method for producing polysilanes. Although this is traditionally done with group 4 metallocene catalysts, there are a few examples of nickel catalysts that are effective for this reaction. We report the dehydrocoupling of phenylsilane and phenylmethylsilane with [(dippe)Ni(μ-H)]2 (1) (dippe = 1,2-bis(diisopropylphosphino)ethane). As expected from thermodynamic and steric evidence, the primary silane is more active toward dehydrocoupling than the secondary silane. This catalyst compares favorably in required reaction conditions, molecular weight of polysilane product, and selectivity for linear oligomers. Possible mechanisms for the dehydrocoupling of silane are discussed. The hypothesized intermediate is a hydrido silyl nickel complex. We report the isolation and single-crystal X-ray structure of a stable analogue of the proposed catalytic intermediate, (dippe)Ni(SiCl3)Cl (2).
Migration/Transport of the Green Cloverworm, Plathypena scabra (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), into Iowa as Determined by Synoptic-scale Weather Patterns

A three-dimensional trajectory forecast model was used to correlate synopticscale weather patterns with the first spring appearance of the green cloverworm (GCW), Plathypena scabra (F.), moth in central Iowa. The feasibility of wind-aided migration was studied, and a comparison of outbreak and endemic years was made. The first appearance of the GCW, as determined by catches in blacklight traps and larval surveys in each year studied (1976–85), occurred during periods of sustained southerly wind flow from the suspected overwintering region. Outbreak years had more days suitable for migration than endemic years. GCW migratory behavior and atmospheric transport are proposed as the mechanism by which the GCW reaches Iowa.
Surface characteristics of Aspergillus conidia.

The surface structures of conidia from 10 species of Aspergillus were studied and compared using freeze-etching procedures. The conidia of all species were shown to have characteristic “rodlet” pat...
Synthesis of Zirconium Complexes That Contain the Diamidophosphine Ligands [(Me3SiNCH2CH2)2PPh]2- or [(RNSiMe2CH2)2PPh]2- (R = t-Bu or 2,6-Me2C6H3)

A new synthesis of PhP(CH2CH2NH3Cl)2 is reported that involves the addition of 2 equiv of butyllithium to a mixture of PhPH2 and 2 equiv of ClCH2CH2(cyclo-NSiMe2CH2CH2SiMe2). The reaction between PhP(CH2CH2NH3Cl)2 and 4 equiv of butyllithium followed by 2 equiv of Me3SiCl then yielded (Me3SiNHCH2CH2)2PPh (H2[N2P]) quantitatively. Addition of H2[N2P] to Zr(NMe2)4 in pentane gave intermediate [N2P]Zr(NMe2)2 that was converted without purification to white, crystalline [N2P]ZrCl2 in 80% yield overall upon treatment with 2 equiv of Me3SiCl. The alkyl complexes that were prepared include [N2P]Zr(THF)MeCl, [N2P]Zr(i-Bu)Cl, [N2P]ZrMe2, [N2P]Zr(CH2Ph)2, and [N2P]Zr(CH3)(CH2Ph). An X-ray diffraction study showed that the basic structure of [N2P]Zr(CH3)(CH2Ph) is a distorted trigonal bipyramid in which the methyl group is in the apical position trans to phosphorus and the η2-benzyl group is cis to phosphorus. Compounds of the type PhP(CH2SiMe2NHR)2 (R = t-Bu or 2,6-Me2C6H3; H2[R2NPN]) were prepared by treating ClCH...
Swelling of the lips.

A man presented with localized swelling of the upper and lower lips, but no other significant findings. He did not have swelling elsewhere on the body.
German Fiscal Doctrine: The Organic View

The roots of this doctrine can be traced directly to the eighteenth-century German cameral science, Kamemiwissenschaft, which entailed the preparation of the royal fiscal account and the management of royal properties and monopolies by specially trained functionaries. In the larger sense, usually expressed in the plural, Kameralwissenschaften denoted the theory and practice of the entire economic and administrative activity of the State. In 1727, the first professorships in Kameralwissenschaften were established by Friedrich Wilhelm I at the universities of Halle and Frankfurt/Oder with the express purpose of training public administrators in economics, statistics, finance, and public law.1 Kameralwissenschaften encompassed three closely interrelated specialties, Wirtschaft, Polizeiwissenschaft, and Hausevaterschaft, which dealt, respectively, with problems that pertained to the public economy, public policy and administration, and commercial, industrial, and agricultural management.
M. Bartlett (1949), N.T. Bailey (1950, 1953) and P. Whittle (1955): Pioneers of stochastic transmission models

This chapter is devoted to four related papers, treating the transmission of infectious diseases stochastically, a less common approach to infectious disease dynamics than the deterministic one. First, a paper by Norman T.J. Baley, published in 1950, is examined. He used Laplace transforms of the probability-generating function to derive a recursive formula for the final size distribution of a simple epidemic. The discussion of Bailey's paper is briefly interrupted with an examination of Bartlett's paper that presents systems of partial differential equations of the probability-generating function. Bailey also presents some calculations regarding household outbreaks. The last paper discussed is by P. Whittle and directly refers to Bailey's analysis. He proposed a simplified formula of Bailey's household outbreak analysis that is only singly, rather than doubly, recursive. The reader is carefully guided through all relevant derivations and calculations.
Report from the EMA workshop on qualification and reporting of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling and simulation

On Nov 21, 2016, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) hosted a workshop to discuss its draft guideline on qualification and reporting of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) analysis.1 Published on July 21, 2016, the draft PBPK guideline is currently under the period of public comments.
AN ESTIMATION OF TURBULENT SECONDARY FLOW RESISTANCE IN RECTANGULAR DUCTS FROM A FLOW MODEL

Incompressible fluid flow in smooth rectangular ducts at working streamwise velocities is turbulent because of resistance of the four side-walls. A second feature of such flows is generation of secondary currents, though weak, in transverse cross sections. These secondary currents cause additional flow resistance, resulting in pressure drop in the direction of the primary flow. A number of experimental studies have been reported on the turbulence structure and consequent geometrical structures of the flow. In particular, the two diagonals and the pair of bisectors of the side walls divide a cross section into eight cells, in each of which vortical patches of motion take place. In this paper, it is shown that the vortical motion in a cell is kinematically analogous to the torsion problem of a prismatic isotropic elastic beam. Based on experimental results, the patch vortex in a cell is modeled to have elliptic shape with the major axis thrust toward a corner of the duct, giving a mathematical model of the flow field. Using the expressions for the transverse velocity components in the total momentum equation, with 1/pth power law where p ≈ 7 for the streamwise velocity, an equation is obtained between the side-wall resistance due to the secondary flow and the vorticity in each cell of division of the duct. Two particular cases are considered in numerical detail when the duct is square and when the height of the duct is one-half of the base length. For experimental validation of the side-wall resiatance formulae, additional experimental research is needed.
A general formalism of two-dimensional lattice potential on beam transverse plane for studying channeling radiation

Abstract To study channeling radiation produced by an ultra-relativistic electron beam channeling through a single crystal, a lattice potential of the crystal is required for solving the transverse motion of beam electrons under the influence of the crystal lattice. In this paper, we present a general formalism for this two-dimensional lattice potential of a crystal with a Lorentz contraction in the beam channeling direction. With this formalism, the lattice potential can be calculated from any given model of electron-ion interaction for an ultra-relativistic beam channeling in any crystal direction. This calculation of the lattice potential does not involve any additional approximation other than those originally in the electron-ion interaction model. The formalism presented should be the standard recipe of the lattice potential for studying the channeling radiation.
A wearable sensor based multi-criteria-decision-system for real-time seizure detection

This paper presents a wireless, low power and low cost two part wearable for real-time epileptic seizure detection. Using parameters of Electro-cardiograph (ECG), Electro-dermal Activity (EDA), body motion and breathing rate (BR), a novel multi-criteria-decision-system (MCDS) is proposed that reduces false alarms and true negatives. The combination of a chest and hand worn wearable continuously senses these parameters transmitting the data to a smart phone application via BLE 4.0 where long-short-term-memory (LSTM) based anomaly detection algorithms and logistic classifiers decide on the occurrence of the seizure in real time. A 96% precision and 90% recall is achieved through testing on synthetic data.
A Single Session of Attentional Bias Modification Reduces Alcohol Craving and Implicit Measures of Alcohol Bias in Young Adult Drinkers.

Background Attentional bias modification (ABM) techniques for reducing problematic alcohol consumption hold promise as highly-accessible and cost-effective treatment approaches. A growing body of literature has examined ABM as a potentially efficacious intervention for reducing drinking and drinking-related cognitions in alcohol-dependent individuals as well as those at-risk of developing problem drinking habits. Methods The present study tested the effectiveness of a single session of visual probe-based ABM training in a cohort of 60 non-treatment-seeking young adult drinkers, with a focus on examining mechanisms underlying training efficacy. Participants were randomly assigned to a single session of active ABM training or a sham training condition in a laboratory setting. Measures of implicit drinking-related cognitions (alcohol Stroop and an Implicit Association Test) and attentional bias (alcohol visual probe) were administered, and subjective alcohol craving was reported in response to in-vivo alcohol cues. Results Results showed that active ABM training, relative to sham, resulted in significant differences in measures of implicit alcohol-related cognition, alcohol-related attentional bias, and self-reports of alcohol craving. Mediation analysis showed that reductions in craving were fully mediated by ABM-related reductions in alcohol-Stroop interference scores, suggesting a previously undocumented relationship between the two measures. Conclusion Results document the efficacy of brief ABM to reduce both implicit and explicit processes related to drinking, and highlight the potential intervention-relevance of alcohol-related implicit cognitions in social drinkers. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Precisely and Scalably Vetting JavaScript Bridge in Android Hybrid Apps

In this paper, we propose a novel system, named BridgeScope, for precise and scalable vetting of JavaScript Bridge security issues in Android hybrid apps. BridgeScope is flexible and can be leveraged to analyze a diverse set of WebView implementations, such as Android’s default WebView, and Mozilla’s Rhino-based WebView. Furthermore, BridgeScope can automatically generate test exploit code to further confirm any discovered JavaScript Bridge vulnerability.
Structure of the Bacillus anthracis dTDP-L-rhamnose-biosynthetic enzyme glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase (RfbA).

l-Rhamnose is a ubiquitous bacterial cell-wall component. The biosynthetic pathway for its precursor dTDP-l-rhamnose is not present in humans, which makes the enzymes of the pathway potential drug targets. In this study, the three-dimensional structure of the first protein of this pathway, glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase (RfbA), from Bacillus anthracis was determined. In other organisms this enzyme is referred to as RmlA. RfbA was co-crystallized with the products of the enzymatic reaction, dTDP-α-d-glucose and pyrophosphate, and its structure was determined at 2.3 A resolution. This is the first reported thymidylyltransferase structure from a Gram-positive bacterium. RfbA shares overall structural characteristics with known RmlA homologs. However, RfbA exhibits a shorter sequence at its C-terminus, which results in the absence of three α-helices involved in allosteric site formation. Consequently, RfbA was observed to exhibit a quaternary structure that is unique among currently reported glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase bacterial homologs. These structural analyses suggest that RfbA may not be allosterically regulated in some organisms and is structurally distinct from other RmlA homologs.
Metamaterial-based bessel beam launcher

A coaxially fed device that generates Bessel beams over a broad bandwidth is presented. The concept of quasi-conformal transformation optics is employed to engineer an inhomogeneous, isotropic dielectric region that bends the waves emitted by an electrically small monopole into a paraxial Bessel beam. The axicon angle remains relatively constant over a large frequency range. As a result, non-diffracting, highly localized pulses (X waves) can be emitted under a pulse excitation. The design methodology and the metamaterial implementation of the launcher are discussed. The device is currently being fabricated.
Prescription Medication Use Among Community-Based U.S. Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Cross-Sectional Population Based Study

Abstract Many classes of medications have been evaluated in chronic low back pain (cLBP), however their utilization in the community remains unclear. We examined patterns of prescription medication use among Americans with cLBP in a nationally representative, community-based sample. The Back Pain Survey was administered to a representative sample of U.S. adults aged 20 to 69 years (N = 5,103) during the 2009 to 2010 cycle of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. cLBP was defined as self-reported pain in the area between the lower posterior margin of the ribcage and the horizontal gluteal fold on most days for at least 3 months (N = 700). Home-based interviews with pill bottle verification were used to capture commonly prescribed medications for chronic pain. Among the sample of U.S. adults with cLBP aged 20 to 69 years, 36.9% took at least 1 prescription pain medication in the past 30 days; of them, 18.8% used opioids, 9.7% nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, 8.5% muscle relaxants, and 6.9% gabapentin or pregabalin. Nonpain antidepressants and hypnotics were used by 17.8% and 4.7%, respectively. Opioids were used long-term in 76.9% of cases (median = 2 years) and were frequently coadministered with antidepressants, benzodiazepines, or hypnotics. Ninety-four percent of prescription opioids in the cLBP population were used by individuals with less than a college education. Opioids were the most widely used prescription analgesic class in community-based U.S. adults with cLBP and were often coadministered with other central nervous system-active medications. Opioid use was highly prevalent among less educated Americans with cLBP. Perspective Because prescription opioid use is an issue of national concern, we examined pain-related prescription medication use in community-dwelling U.S. adults with cLBP. Opioids were the most common prescription pain medication, typically used long-term, in combination with other central nervous system-active agents, and disproportionately among individuals with less than a college education.
Anharmonicities in phonon combinations and overtones in bilayered graphene: A temperature-dependent approach

This paper studies phonon anharmonicities related to the phonon combination ${\mathrm{LOZO}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ and phonon overtone 2ZO in a $AB$-stacked bilayer graphene (2LG). The results explain in detail the rule of the ${\mathrm{ZO}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ layer breathing mode in the 2LG electron and phonon relaxations, especially at temperatures above 543 K, where anomalous behaviors are observed for the ${\mathrm{LOZO}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ frequencies, linewidths (and therefore, lifetimes), and integrated areas. Surprisingly, the 2ZO frequencies and linewidths do not show any dependence with temperature (ZO is the out-of-phase vibration of the layers). This result is explained via nonsymmetric lattice distortions and via the almost null $\mathrm{Gr}\stackrel{\ifmmode \ddot{}\else \&#34;{}\fi{}}{\text{u}}\mathrm{neisen}$ parameter associated to the ZO mode. Recently, the correct assignments for the phonon combination and overtone modes studied here have been put in debate once again in a theoretical work by Popov [Carbon 91, 436 (2015)]. This work shows how temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy is used to propose a solution for these recent assignment problems. Finally, although 2LG is the system used here, the measurements and discussions to approach electron and phonon relaxations have the potential to be extended to any other multilayered structure that presents ${\mathrm{ZO}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$- and ZO-like phonon modes.
Localization of 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl-Coenzyme A Reductase in Rat Liver Peroxisomes

HMG-CoA reductase, a key regulatory enzyme involved in cholesterol biosynthesis, has recently been reported to be present in rat liver peroxisomes. This present study was designed to determine what percentage of the total liver HMG-CoA reductase activity is attributable to the peroxisomal enzyme and to determine if the peroxisomal and the endoplasmic reticulum enzymes are dependently or independently regulated. It was determined that between 20–30% of the total reductase activity was located in the peroxisomes of cholestyramine treated animals. Less than 5% of total HMG-CoA reductase activity was found in peroxisomes from normal rat livers. Cholestyramine treatment produced a 6–7 fold increase in the specific activity of peroxisomal HMG-CoA reductase whereas the microsomal HMG-CoA reductase specific activity increased by 2 fold. Quantitation of the immunoelectron microscopic data was in excellent agreement with the biochemical results. Following cholestyramine treatment there was an 8 fold increase in the density of gold particles per peroxiscme and about a 3 fold increase in the labeling of the ER. M.W. determination of peroxisomal HMG-CoA reductase indicated 97 kD and 55 kD polypeptides. We also have data that suggests the peroxisomal HMG-CoA reductase activity can be regulated by a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation mechanism, similar to that mediated by HMG-CoA reductase-kinase in the microsomes.
Current Status Of Breeding Tomatoes For Salt And Drought Tolerance

Salinity and drought are among the most challenging environmental constraints to crop productivity worldwide. The cultivated tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Mill., is moderately sensitive to both of these stresses throughout its ontogeny, including during seed germination, seedling emergence, vegetative growth and reproduction. Limited variation exists within the cultivated tomato for abiotic stress tolerance, however, the related wild species of tomato is a rich source of genetic variation which can be used for crop improvement. During the past several decades this variation has been utilized for characterization of physiological and genetic bases of tolerance to different abiotic stresses, including salinity and drought. Abiotic stress tolerance is a complex phenomenon, controlled by more than one gene and influenced by uncontrollable environmental factors. Furthermore, tomato stress tolerance is a developmentally-regulated state-specific phenomenon, such that tolerance at one stage of plant development is independent of tolerance at other stages. This has been demonstrated by analysis of response and correlated response to selection as well as identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) conferring tolerance at different stages. Transgenic approaches also have been employed to gain a better understanding of the genetic and physiological bases of salt and, to a lesser degree, drought tolerance in tomato, and to develop transgenic plants with improved stress tolerance. However, despite considerable traditional genetics and physiological research as well as contemporary molecular marker and transgenic studies in tomato, there is yet no report of any commercial cultivar of tomato with salt or drought tolerance. To achieve this goal, cooperation among plant geneticists, physiologists, molecular biologists and breeders engaged in tomato stress tolerance is imperative. In this chapter, I review the recent progresses in genetics and breeding of salt and drought tolerance in tomato and discuss the prospects for developing commercial cultivars with stress tolerance
Laser-Tissue Interactions in the Nanosecond, Picosecond and Femtosecond Time Domains

The use of high peak power laser pulses in the short and ultrashort time domains has opened a variety of novel laser-tissue interactions with potential for application in clinical medicine. Photodisruption (optical breakdown) of nominally transparent tissues within the eye, excimer laser tissue ablation, and femtosecond laser tissue ablation are three examples of such tissue effects. Laser tissue interactions in these time domains will be reviewed and selected techniques for investigation of the time scale and damage mechanisms of these interactions will be presented.
Global Biomass Burning: A Case Study of the Gaseous and Particulate Emissions Released to the Atmosphere During the 1997 Fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra, Indonesia

The roles of biomass burning as a global phenomenon and as a contributor to the global budgets of atmospheric gases and particulates are reviewed. To assess the environmental and health impacts of forest fires, knowledge of the gaseous and particulate emissions produced in the fire and released into the atmosphere is required. Extensive and widespread tropical forest and peat fires swept throughout Kalimantan and Sumatra, Indonesia, in 1997. The fires resulted from burning for land clearing and landuse change. However, the severe drought conditions resulting from El Nino caused small land-clearing fires to become large uncontrolled wildfires. It has been estimated that a total of 45,600 km2 burned between August and December 1997. The gaseous and particulate emissions resulting from these fires are estimated. The emissions of CO2, CO, CH4, NOx, and particulates from the 1997 Kalimantan and Sumatra fires exceeded the emissions of these species from the Kuwait oil fires of 1991.
REVIEW: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Combination Hepatitis Vaccines for Immunoprophylaxis: An Update

Since the publication of the last extensive review of hepatitis vaccines, use of inactivated hepatitis A vaccines has been extended to high-risk regions of the United States and specific patient groups, such as those with chronic liver disease, and use of the recombinant hepatitis B vaccines has been recommended for older adolescents. A combination hepatitis A and B vaccine, recently approved for licensure by the US Food and Drug Administration, should increase convenience and compliance, reduce the costs of vaccination, and provide prolonged and dual protection for those at risk for hepatitis. Although commercially available vaccines for hepatitis C, D, and E remain a distant goal, advances in vaccine and adjuvant technology, including immunization with DNA-based vaccines, hold promise for the future.
Introduction: The Displaced Mirror

More than a decade earlier, in my study of twentieth-century Chinese-Western intercultural theatre, I offered my critique—in the form of “the poetics of difference and displacement”—of the theories and practices of twentieth-century intercultural theatre. This introduction is a further elaboration, in the history of Western thought and, in particular, the history of modern Western theatre, of my theory as it is applied to my current study of the use of Asian theatre by the founding fathers of modern Western theatre. The intercultural act or process of hyphenating a text necessitates displacement; the matrix and dynamics of displacement render impossible any syncretic, sublational, transformational, or transcendental approach to such acts or processes. This is exactly the underlying condition for twentieth- and twenty-first-century Western (or non-Western)-dominated intercultural theatre and the twenty-first-century emplacements of the “new” aesthetics of intercultural performance and of the variants of “new” interculturalisms in theatre.
Agents of change—together: Using agent-based models to inspire social capital building for resilient communities

Increasingly, civic leaders and community developers are harnessing the power of computational technologies to foster more resilient and equitable communities. This article examines how one such te...
Barriers to Technology Integration: A Time-Series Survey Study.

Barriers to technology integration continue to make it difficult for teachers to use educational technologies in the classroom. This 3-year time-series survey study conducted in K-12 public schools...
Tunnel-tube and Fourier methods for measuring three-dimensional medium reaction force in burrowing animals

ABSTRACT Subterranean digging behaviors provide opportunities for protection, access to prey, and predator avoidance for a diverse array of vertebrates, yet studies of the biomechanics of burrowing have been limited by the technical challenges of measuring kinetics and kinematics of animals moving within a medium. We describe a new system for measuring 3D reaction forces during burrowing, called a ‘tunnel-tube’, which is composed of two, separately instrumented plastic tubes: an ‘entry tube’ with no medium, in series with a ‘digging tube’ filled with medium. Mean reaction forces are measured for a digging bout and Fourier analysis is used to quantify the amplitude of oscillatory digging force as a function of frequency. In sample data from pocket gophers digging in artificial and natural media, the mean ground reaction force is constant, whereas Fourier analysis resolves a reduced amplitude of oscillatory force in the artificial medium with lower compaction strength.
The Offertory as Anamnesis toward Ethical Action: Common Worship as a Case Study:

Liturgical scholarship identifies the memorial section of the Eucharistic Prayer as the anamnesis. However, Eucharistic liturgies can contain multiple anamneses. For example, Alexander Schmemann sp...
Building the Professional Firm: McKinsey & Co.: 1939-1968

This case history analyzes how the founders of McKinsey & Co. built one of the world's leading management consulting firms by developing a “system” of professional norms, approach to serving clients, personnel policies, organization, governance, and ownership. The history also shows that while McKinsey’s founders resorted to considerable trial and error, it was not ad hoc: they intended to discover the best means to further a long-term vision and strategy. Moreover, their vision and strategy derived more from a priori faith and personal values than from scientific evidence or financial calculation.
The protective effect of celecoxib, a cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, on aberrant crypt formation in rats administered 3,2’-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl

3165 Colorectal cancer is among the most common malignancies worldwide. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is overexpressed in colorectal adenomas and colorectal cancer. Celecoxib, a COX-2 inhibitor, has been approved for the treatment of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. Aromatic amines are very prevalent environmental carcinogens and also are potent colorectal carcinogens in rodents and possibly humans. Aromatic amines are activated by COX-2. In this study, aberrant crypt foci (ACF), the preneoplastic lesions in colorectal carcinogenesis, were used as biomarkers to test the effect of celecoxib in aromatic amine-induced colorectal carcinogenesis. Male weanling F344 inbred rats were fed the modified AIN-76A (control) diet for one week. At five weeks of age, rats were fed the control or experimental diets containing 320 ppm sulindac or 500, 1000, or 1500 ppm celecoxib. At 7 weeks of age, rats received a subcutaneous injection of vehicle (peanut oil) or 3,2’-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl (DMABP), an aromatic amine colon carcinogen, once weekly for two weeks. At 17 weeks of age, all rats were euthanized and colorectums were removed, opened longitudinally, and fixed in 70% ethanol. ACF were analyzed under a dissecting microscope after 0.1% methylene blue staining. No ACF were identified in vehicle treated rats. In DMABP-treated rats, ACF frequencies decreased significantly (p 0.05) before DMABP administration at 4 and 7 weeks of age, but they were significantly higher (p
Settler colonialism and/in (urban) Brazil: black and indigenous resistances to the logic of elimination

How does elimination work in Brazil? After a brief history of miscegenation as assimilation/elimination, this article addresses this question through the experiences of one urban indigenous group (...
Alcohol Binge Drinking Selectively Stimulates Protein S-Glutathionylation in Aorta and Liver of ApoE-/- Mice.

Background Binge drinking has become the most common and deadly pattern of excessive alcohol use in the United States, especially among younger adults. It is closely related to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Oxidative stress as a result of ethanol metabolism is the primary pathogenic factor for alcohol-induced end organ injury, but the role of protein S-glutathionylation—a reversible oxidative modification of protein cysteine thiol groups that mediates cellular actions by oxidants—in binge drinking-associated cardiovascular disease has not been explored. The present study sought to define the effect of binge drinking on the formation of protein S-glutathionylation in cardiovascular system of mouse model of atherosclerosis. Methods and Results To mimic the weekend binge drinking pattern in humans, ApoE deficient (ApoE−/−) mice on the Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet received ethanol or isocaloric maltose (as a control) gavages (5 g/kg/day, 2 consecutive days/week) for a total of 6 weeks. The primary alcohol-target organs (liver, brain), and cardiovascular system (heart, aorta, lung) of these two groups of mice were assayed for the protein S-glutathionylation levels and its regulatory enzyme system [Glutaredoxin1(Grx1), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione -S-transferase Pi (GST- π)], as well as aortic endothelial function and liver lipid accumulation. We found that binge drinking selectively stimulated protein S-glutathionylation in aorta, liver, and brain, which coincided with altered glutathionylation regulatory enzyme system that is downregulated Grx1 and upregulated GST-π in aorta, massive upregulation of GST- π in liver, and no changes in Grx1 and GST-π in brain. Functionally, binge drinking induced fatty liver and damaged aortic endothelial cell function were reflected by increased permeability and reduced flow-mediated vasodilation. Conclusions This study is the first to provide in vivo evidence for differential effect of binge drinking on formation of protein S-glutathionylation and its enzymatic regulation system in major alcohol-target organs and cardiovascular system. The selective induction of protein S-glutathionylation in aorta and liver is associated with aortic endothelial dysfunction and fatty liver, which may be a potential redox mechanism for the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in binge-drinkers.
An Improved Wide-Range Adjustable-Speed Drive [includes discussion]

An adjustable-speed drive using a d-c series generator supplying a d-c series motor is described. This drive operates well at speeds under 10 rpm as well as at speeds limited only by mechanical considerations. The ratio of maximum to minimum speed, Fig. 4, is in the order of 100 to 1. The drive has the high starting-torque characteristic of the series motor, and it requires no elaborate control equipment. The speed is essentially constant between no load and full load for each setting of a control-field rheostat.
The Development of Information Theory

The Summer of 1948 witnessed the publication of what in our (admittedly biased and narrow) view must rank as one of the foremost contemporary scientific contributions, the two-part paper by Claude E. Shannon: 1948 Shannon, BSTJ, Mathematical theory of communication.
Declarative goals in reactive plans

Abstract Classical planning started with goals and produced plans. To do something similar in a reactive framework, it is necessary to treat the achievement or maintenance of a goal as specifying a default behavior, while at the same time being able to deploy tools to generate more complex plans. These tools rely on representing the relations between goals and plan patterns that achieve them. An important component of the representation is a set of fast, local methods for making probabilistic estimations of the quality of proposed plans, including their robustness, completeness, and efficiency.
Report of MDA muscle disease symposium on newborn screening for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

This report summarizes the progress made in newborn screening for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). This subject was discussed fully at a symposium held on September 11-12, 2012, in Bethesda, Maryland, by a group of experts from multiple disciplines. The meeting was triggered by the simultaneous combination of improvements in methods for newborn screening for DMD and greater potential for treatment. On the screening side, a two-tier system of newborn screening was introduced that enabled creatine kinase levels and DMD gene analysis to be done on the same dried blood spots obtained at birth. Treatment improvements included promising results from exon skipping as well as multiple studies showing long-term benefits of glucocorticoids and data indicating that early intervention of both forms of therapy was the most beneficial. Conclusions from this symposium with supportive data could have a significant impact on propelling efforts for approval of newborn screening for DMD.
Oxidation and site-directed mutagenesis of the sulfhydryl groups of a truncated gamma catalytic subunit of phosphorylase kinase. Functional and structural effects.

A truncated form of the gamma subunit of phosphorylase kinase is inactivated by Cu2+ with the formation of two intra-molecular disulfide bonds. The formation of a disulfide bond between Cys-36 and Cys-172 (semioxidized form) results in approximately 50% loss of specific activity because the Km for MgATP is about 10-fold higher. The second disulfide bond is between Cys-184 and Cys-197 and causes further loss of activity. Eight Cys mutants, i.e. C36S, C36A, C42S, C138S, C172S, C184S, C184A, and C197S, were expressed and purified. Kinetic studies suggest that Cys-36 is important for interaction at the nucleotide site because of its hydrophobicity. With Cys-184 mutants, C184S and C184A, tyrosyl phosphorylation of angiotensin II is affected much more than serine kinase activity. The loss of tyrosine kinase activity is related to a lowered activity with Mn2+. With Mn2+, angiotensin II is a competitive inhibitor with respect to seryl kinase activity of C184S. With Mg2+, however, angiotensin II is a noncompetitive inhibitor. We suggest that metal ions influence the conformation of truncated gamma and that the protein substrate binding region containing Cys-184 is important for the dual specificity of this kinase.
The Effects of Tool Type and Barrier on Time Required for a Remove and Replace Task

The Air Force's CREW CHIEF is a computer-graphics model of the physical characteristics of a maintenance technician. It is used to evaluate the ability of maintenance personnel to work in areas wit...
Ikaros Regulates Notch Target Gene Expression in Developing Thymocytes

Both Ikaros and Notch are essential for normal T cell development. Collaborative mutations causing a reduction in Ikaros activity and an increase in Notch activation promote T cell leukemogenesis. Although the molecular mechanisms of this cooperation have been studied, its consequences in thymocyte development remain unexplored. In this study, we show that Ikaros regulates expression of a subset of Notch target genes, including Hes1, Deltex1, pTa, Gata3, and Runx1, in both Ikaros null T cell leukemia lines and Ikaros null primary thymocytes. In Ikaros null leukemia cells, Notch deregulation occurs at both the level of Notch receptor cleavage and expression of Notch target genes, because re-expression of Ikaros in these cells down-regulates Notch target gene expression without affecting levels of intracellular cleaved Notch. In addition, abnormal expression of Notch target genes is observed in Ikaros null double-positive thymocytes, in the absence of detectable intracellular cleaved Notch. Finally, we show that this role of Ikaros is specific to double-positive and single-positive thymocytes because derepression of Notch target gene expression is not observed in Ikaros null double-negative thymocytes or lineage-depleted bone marrow. Thus, in this study, we provide evidence that Ikaros and Notch play opposing roles in regulation of a subset of Notch target genes and that this role is restricted to developing thymocytes where Ikaros is required to appropriately regulate the Notch program as they progress through T cell development.
Step-arrest mutants of FLP recombinase: implications for the catalytic mechanism of DNA recombination.

Abstract The site-specific recombinase (FLP) encoded by the yeast plasmid 2 micron circle belongs to the integrase (of phage lambda) family of recombinases. The sparse homology within the members of this family contrasts with the invariance of three residues, His-396, Arg-399, and Tyr-433 (the numbers correspond to the family alignment positions), among them. We report here results on substrate recognition and catalysis by FLP proteins altered at these residues. Mutations of the conserved His and Tyr that aborted the reaction at specific steps of catalysis permitted genetic dissection of the possible biochemical steps of recombination. We provide indirect evidence that recombination by FLP proceeds through a Holliday junction intermediate.
Exercise 201thallium myocardial scans in patients with disease limited to the secondary branches of the left coronary system.

Coronary disease (greater than or equal to 50% narrowing) confined to only the diagonal branch of the left anterior descending artery or to the marginal branch of the left circumflex artery, or both, is uncommon. Only 19 patients with disease as defined above were identified in a group of 1000 consecutive patients with an angiographic diagnosis of coronary heart disease. All 19 patients were studied because of angina pectoris and all underwent stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy with /sup 201/Tl (/sup 201/thallium) during maximal treadmill exercise testing (exercise electrocardiogram: E/ECG). Ten patients (52%) had positive E/ECG's; seven patients (36%) had positive /sup 201/Tl and 13 patients (68%) had one or both tests positive. In 12 patients, the diseased branch was small, i.e. it supplied a comparatively small portion of myocardium, and in seven patients it was determined to be large. The /sup 201/Tl test results were positive in four out of seven patients (57%) with large diseased branches, as compared with three out of 12 (25%) with small diseased branches (p: NS). Also, three out of seven patients (42%) with large diseased branches had positive E/ECG's as compared with seven out of 12 patients (58%) with small diseased branches (p: NS).more » Patients with branch disease may present with typical angina pectoris, however, they are rare and thus not likely to account for the majority of false-negative /sup 201/Tl test results among symptomatic patients with CHD. Approximately one-third of the patients with branch disease have positive /sup 201/Tl test results, one-half have positive E/ECG's, and in two-thirds, one or both tests are positive.« less