cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of the Raman polarizability anisotropy for the v = 1 pure rotational Raman transition in H 2 by rotational Raman spectroscopy

A combination of stimulated Raman pumping and rotational Raman spectroscopy is used to accomplish the first measurement of the polarizability anisotropy γ11,13 (355 nm) for the S11 (1) transition in molecular hydrogen H2. Saturation of the Q01(1) transition connecting the |X1 Σ+ g, v = 0, J = 1 > state to the |X1 Σ+ g, v = 1, J = 1 > state in H2 by stimulated Raman pumping is the critical element in this experiment. The observed intensities of the rotational Raman lines for these states allow an estimate of γ11,13 (355 nm) as 0.358 ± 0.004 A3. A comparison of this value to that obtained from fundamental ab initio calculations in H2 also is possible for the first time.
The Irony of Securities Arbitration Today: Why Do Brokerage Firms Need Judicial Protection?

In 1987 the securities industry achieved a major victory. Until then, because of the Supreme Court's 1953 holding in Wilko v. Swan that agreements to arbitrate federal securities claims contained in customer agreements were unenforceable, customers could sue brokerage firms and their salespersons in court, frequently before juries amenable to sizable verdicts, including punitive damages.Illustrating a classic example of “be careful what you wish for,” brokerage firms no longer find arbitration entirely to their liking. Increasingly they turn to the courts to resist arbitration, to interfere with ongoing arbitration, or to undo the results of arbitration.Unfortunately, both federal and state courts are becoming increasingly involved in the securities arbitration process to the detriment of investors. This Article argues that increased judicial involvement in the securities arbitration process is unwarranted. Although there are legitimate concerns about the use of arbitration to resolve consumer and employment disputes in lieu of litigation, the arbitration process fares well when measured by the components identified as necessary for a fair arbitration. To the extent there are issues about the fairness of the arbitration forums, it is the investor, not the brokerage firm or brokers, who has reason to be concerned.
Dendrimer photoantenna supermolecules: Energetic funnels, exciton hopping and correlated excimer formation

Abstract A novel set of purely hydrocarbon dendrimer supermolecules has been studied, providing direct evidence of unusual photophysical and photochemical characteristics. The molecular structure gives rise to discrete exciton localization, allowing the formation of a highly photoactive antenna with a discrete energetic funnel. Steady state and fluorescence lifetime measurements have shown rapid and efficient exciton trapping at the molecular locus. Unique geometric and energetic attributes are observed which provide a means of protection from photobleaching, enhancing the longevity of these molecules. In addition, unexpected wavelength-dependent excimer formations are seen, suggesting unusual excitation-induced intermolecular interactions and dimer formations in more than one single excited state.
Application of the one- and two-dimensional Ising models to studies of cooperativity between ion channels

The Ising model of statistical physics provides a framework for studying systems of protomers in which nearest neighbors interact with each other. In this article, the Ising model is applied to the study of cooperative phenomena between ligand-gated ion channels. Expressions for the mean open channel probability, rho o, and the variance, sigma 2, are derived from the grand partition function. In the one-dimensional Ising model, interactions between neighboring open channels give rise to a sigmoidal rho o versus concentration curve and a nonquadratic relationship between sigma 2 and rho o. Positive cooperativity increases the slope at the midpoint of the rho o versus concentration curve, shifts the apparent binding affinity to lower concentrations, and increases the variance for a given rho o. Negative cooperativity has the opposite effects. Strong negative cooperativity results in a bimodal sigma 2 versus rho o curve. The slope of the rho o versus concentration curve increases linearly with the number of binding sites on a protomer, but the sigma 2 versus rho o relationship is independent of the number of ligand binding sites. Thus, the sigma 2 versus rho o curve provides unambiguous information about channel interactions. In the two-dimensional Ising model, rho o and sigma 2 are calculated numerically from a series expansion of the grand partition function appropriate for weak interactions. Virtually all of the features exhibited by the one-dimensional model are qualitatively present in the two-dimensional model. These models are also applicable to voltage-gated ion channels.
Reflections on Community College Research

Focused researchers have filled the important role of documenting the evolution of community colleges, which have changing missions and diverse programs, designed around their communities. This article reflects on key works of Council for the Study of Community College (CSCC) members in thematic areas of access, student success, faculty development, and leadership competencies. The authors also recognize important roles of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the Community College Journal of Research and Practice (CCJRP) in advancing and documenting community college research.
L2 ACQUISITION AND OBLIGATORY HEAD MOVEMENT: English-Speaking Learners of German and the Local Impairment Hypothesis

This paper presents results of a response-latency (RL) experiment with English-speaking learners of German that investigated to what extent—if any—two different groups of second language (L2) learners permit raising of the thematic verb. The framework under which the study was conducted involves varying theoretical predictions derived from the native-language (NL) transfer view of Schwartz and Sprouse (1994, 1996), the gradual-development view of Vainikka and Young-Scholten (1994, 1996), the underspecification view of Eubank (1993/1994), and a local-impairment view that presents a more parsimonious solution to the L2 developmental problem than standard “no access” views. The L2 results reported here show that learners respond in different ways to stimulus sentences with raised and unraised verbs depending on the subjects' level of development. Surprisingly, it is the less advanced learners who exhibit an RL preference for apparently raised-verb experimental stimuli; the more advanced learners do not differentiate between raised-verb and unraised-verb stimuli. Analysis of these findings reveals that the less advanced group may only project VPs, consistent with the gradual-development view of Vainikka and Young-Scholten. Crucially, however, the Local Impairment Hypothesis is the only view that is consistent with the results from the more advanced learners, especially when they are seen in developmental context.
A novel isoform of human Golgi complex-localized glycoprotein-1 (also known as E-selectin ligand-1, MG-160 and cysteine-rich fibroblast growth factor receptor) targets differential subcellular localization

The initial step in trafficking of leukocytes through the vascular endothelium is mediated by an adhesive interaction between molecules of the selectin family and their cognate receptors. Previously, a putative murine E-selectin ligand-1 (ESL-1) was identified and found to be identical to Golgi complex-localized glycoprotein-1 (GLG1), also known as MG-160, and to a previously identified basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-binding protein known as cysteine-rich FGF receptor (CFR). We report here a novel variant of the human GLG1 gene product that we call GLG2, cloned from a human monocyte cDNA library. GLG2 encodes a polypeptide identical to GLG1 except with a unique 24-amino-acid extension at the C-terminus of its cytoplasmic domain. Transfection of chimeric constructs into human embryonic kidney epithelial 293 cells revealed that the cytoplasmic domains of GLG1 and GLG2 targeted the expression of each chimeric protein differentially, GLG1 to the cell surface and GLG2 to the Golgi. Genetic analysis suggests that GLG1 and GLG2 are the products of a single gene, the mRNA of which can be processed by alternative splicing to generate two different transcripts encoding either GLG1 or GLG2. Northern blot analysis showed that the relative amounts of the mRNAs for either isoform differ in a cell- and species-specific manner. These data suggest that alternative splicing of the GLG1 gene transcript might regulate the function of its product.
Some Mechanical Properties of the Avian Shell Gland

Abstract INTRODUCTION THE shell gland of the avian oviduct during egg formation is the site of water transfer and shell deposition. At such times, the organ becomes greatly distended, and the luminal contents are subjected to pressure from the elastic and contractile elements of the shell gland wall. In this regard, the shell gland is similar to other hollow organs (e.g. blood vessels, intestine, urinary bladder), and a general description of the mechanical properties of such organs is available (Remington, 1957). It has been proposed that the mechanical stimulation of the shell gland may be important in regulating the secretion of shell mineral (Pearl and Surface, 1909). However, distention of the shell gland to varying degrees, by catheterization, did not produce a proportional response in the secretion of fluid (Hoover and Smith, 1958). In the present study the pressure-volume relationships of the shell gland, and the effect of distension on the …
Electrogastrography: a document prepared by the gastric section of the American Motility Society Clinical GI Motility Testing Task Force.

The objective of this document is to present the consensus opinion of the American Motility Soci- ety Clinical GI Motility Testing Task Force on the performance and clinical utility of electrogastrography (EGG). EGG is a non-invasive means of recording human gastric myoelectrical activity or slow waves from cutaneous leads placed over the stomach. In healthy volunteers, EGG tracings exhibit sinusoidal waveforms with a predominant frequency of 3 cycles per minute (cpm). Clinical studies have shown good correlation of these cutaneous recordings with those acquired from serosally implanted electrodes. The amplitude of the EGG waveform increases with ingestion of caloric or non-caloric meals. Some patients with nausea, vomiting, or other dyspeptic symptoms exhibit EGG rhythm disturbances or blunting of meal-evoked EGG signal amplitude increases. These abnormalities correlate to some degree with delayed gastric emptying of solids. In selected patients, EGG may be complementary to gastric emptying testing. To date, no therapies have convincingly demonstrated in controlled studies that correcting abnormalities detected by EGG improves upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Proposed clinical indications for performance of EGG in patients with unexplained nausea, vomiting and dyspeptic symp- toms must be validated by prospective controlled investigations.
Life in the Lizard Slow Lane: Gila Monsters Have Low Rates of Energy Use and Water Flux

Field metabolic rates (FMR) and water influx rates (WIR) were measured in Gila Monsters (Heloderma suspectum) in the Mojave Desert of southern Nevada. Gila Monsters had rates of energy use that were less than half of those expected for lizards of their size, including species that live in arid habitats. Free-living Gila Monsters also had comparatively low water flux rates. The annual energy requirements of adult Gila Monsters averaged approximately 3,766 kJ, with two-thirds of the total (2,533 kJ) allocated to activity while above ground, and one-third to resting metabolism (1,233 kJ; mostly while below ground). Unusually low rates of resting metabolism caused relative costs of activity to be high: compared to other lizards, Gila Monsters have among the highest proportional use of energy for activity, relative to total energy use. The average annual water expenditure of adults was approximately 775 mL, and lizards achieved positive mass balance by drinking rain water during the late summer monsoon season....
Relationship between the concentration and rate of change of calcium and serum intact parathyroid hormone levels in normal humans.

We employed variable rates of infusion of EDTA or calcium gluconate to examine the relationships between the concentration and rate of change of serum total and plasma ionized calcium and serum immunoreactive intact PTH concentrations in normal subjects. Use of a sensitive immunoradiometric assay specific for PTH-(1-84) made it possible to determine the full range of PTH responses to perturbations in the extracellular calcium concentration. By progressively increasing the rate of administration of calcium gluconate or EDTA during rapid or slow infusions, linear rates of change in the serum calcium concentration were achieved in eight men. The slopes were 2-fold greater during the rapid infusions. Both the calcium infusions decreased serum PTH-(1–84) levels from a mean of 23.2 ± 2.0 (±se) to 6.4 ± 1.0 and 5.6 ± 1.0 ng/L for the rapid and slow infusions, respectively, with no obvious rate dependence. The rapid or slow EDTA infusions increased serum PTH levels to the same maximal extent (95.0 ± 20.2 and 99.9...
Enabling flexible queries with guarantees in P2P systems

The Squid peer-to-peer information discovery system supports flexible queries using partial keywords, wildcards, and ranges. It is built on a structured overlay and uses data lookup protocols to guarantee that all existing data elements that match a query are found efficiently. Its main innovation is a dimension-reducing indexing scheme that effectively maps multidimensional information space to physical peers.
3D integration of CMOS and MEMS using mechanically flexible interconnects (MFI) and through silicon vias (TSV)

A 3D integration scheme for integrating a state-of-the-art CMOS IC with an arbitrary MEMS/sensor chip is reported. The integration scheme consists of a CMOS IC and a MEMS chip stacked on top of each other with the electrical interconnections between the chips being made using mechanically flexible interconnects (MFIs). In order to expose the MEMS/sensor device to the environment for sensing, the back side of the MEMS chip is assembled to the top side of the CMOS IC, with through silicon vias (TSVs) used to route the electrical signals from the MEMS devices on top side of the chip to the back side of the chip. Mechanically flexible interconnects are wafer-level batch fabricated interconnect structures that have high compliances in both in-plane and out-of-plane directions. The tapered interconnect design and curved beam profile allows the beam to use the 100% of the 20µm stand-off height without being damaged or undergoing a significant yielding. MFIs can be assembled using a flip-chip bonder and a key to successful bonding is the polymer ring technology that confines the solder to the tip of the MFIs during the reflow process. The second essential component in this integration scheme is the Through Silicon Via (TSV) technology that can be fabricated in wafers that already has sensitive MEMS devices (i.e., for post-MEMS TSV fabrication); the fabrication process does not require the use of a Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) process on the device side of the wafer, and the use of “mesh” membrane allows efficient seed layer formation in relatively thick MEMS wafers. In this paper, the design, the fabrication, the mechanical simulation, mechanical characterization and assembly results for MFIs are reported. Fabrication result for the TSV technology is also reported.
SHORT SELLING AND MISPRICINGS WHEN FUNDAMENTALS ARE KNOWN: EVIDENCE FROM NYSE‐TRADED CLOSED‐END FUNDS

The larger a closed-end fund's premium over its portfolio value, the more intensely it is sold short. This behavior should reduce mispricings. However, short selling affects neither the observed rate at which premia revert to fundamental values nor the rate of return on a fund's shares. This apparent contradiction can be explained as follows: short selling does reduce prices, but the effect is impounded into prices by the time short positions are tabulated by the NYSE each month. Consequently, the monthly short selling data do not predict future price movements.
Prevention research in eating disorders: theory and new directions.

Background. Over the past two decades, scores of articles and several books have been published calling for more attention to the prevention of eating disorders, but less than two dozen prevention intervention studies have been conducted to date.Methods. This paper reports the results of a systematic review of 20 empirical intervention studies on eating disorders prevention, discussing the data accumulated on what has and has not been effective. Beyond a description of study design and findings, this paper devotes special attention to the theoretical orientations of the studies and their implied assumptions about preventive strategies.Results. Though there has been a compelling interest in social, political and economic factors influencing the incidence of disordered eating, little of this interest has been carried over into the prevention end of eating disorders research. Most studies reported thus far have been designed to target and measure change principally on the individual level, to the exclusion of considering leverage points for intervention in the larger social environment.Conclusions. This paper concludes with a recommendation for new attention to a model of proactive primary prevention targeted at environmental change and cross-disciplinary collaboration to achieve a reduction in the incidence of eating disorders.
An improved quasi-cyclic low-density parity-check code for memory channels

This paper presents an improved construction of circulant sub-matrices based quasi-cyclic low density parity check codes (QC-LDPC) under fading channels. The proposed construction yields a performance gain of about 2 to 5 dB at a 10/sup -4/ bit error rate (BER). This paper also proposes a decoding method to reduce the implementation complexity in the belief propagation algorithm. Furthermore, this paper studies the performance of circulant sub-matrices based QC-LDPC codes at higher rates under AWGN and fading channels.
Sexual differentiation of the mechanism controlling pulsatile secretion of luteinizing hormone contributes to sexual differences in the timing of puberty in sheep.

Sexual differences in the regulation of tonic luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion were examined in immature female and male sheep (eight each, including six pairs of female/ male twins). After gonadectomy of lambs at 2 weeks of age, Silastic capsules filled with estradiol, a primary central feedback steroid in both females and males, were implanted every 3 weeks for 3 days, and then removed, so that the pattern of LH secretion could be repeatedly determined in the same individuals both with and without steroid feedback. Implanted capsules yielded circulating steroid levels of 2–5 pg/ml. Circulating LH concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay in blood samples collected at 12-min intervals for 4 h immediately before estradiol was implanted, and again, immediately before it was removed 3 days later. In male lambs, a decrease in responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis to inhibition by estradiol began at 8–11 weeks, as evidenced by the progressive increase in mean LH concentrations and frequ...
Electrocardiogram in the Normal Rat and Its Alteration with Experimental Coronary Occlusion

A reliable and reprodueible method of recording rat electrocardiograms is described, including the use of precordial electrodes This system was utilized in studying 44 nor mal animals and in recording the electrical abnormalities associated with the ligation of the left coronary artery in 10 rats. The char acteristics of the normal electrocardiogram of the rat arc described. Following apical and anterior infarction, Q waves in associatioii with transitory R-wavc augmentation ap peared, with prolongation of the Q-T interval, electrical axis deviation, and inversion of the T wave. No abnormal conduction patterns were noted. The pathological lesions are described, and attention is called to the absence of mural intraventrienlar thrombosis despite transmnral infarction.
Multiscale Simulations of Quantum Structures

Recent advances in theoretical methods and parallel supercomputing allow for reliable ab initio simulations of the properties of complex materials. We describe two current applications: (i) negative differential resistance (NDR) in self-assembled monolayers of ferrocenyl-alkanethiolate on a gold surface, and (ii) interface bonding in polymer/ceramic nanocomposites. Our non-equilibrium Green?s function calculations show that electron transport through ferrocenyl-alkanethiolate exhibits strong NDR features at both positive and negative biases, in good agreement with the experimental data. The results suggest that the ferrocenyl group acts like a quantum dot and that the NDR features are due to resonant coupling between the HOMO and the density of states of gold leads. Tuning of the ?strength? of the NDR and its implication for the design of molecular devices are also discussed. For polymer/ceramic nanocomposites, we show that direct attachment of alkane chains to ceramic surfaces is not energetically favorable, while silanated chains attach through a bridging OH group with an energy gain.
Inputs, Resources and Research Collaboration

Here we examine resources and inputs into collaboration as they interact with the institutional settings for collaboration, including teams, research centers, and firms, among others. We examine (1) people (researchers and research support) with their respective “caches” of human capital, (2) materiel both physical and intangible, and (3) social structures and norms.
How Does It Feel to Be a Problem

(New York City, September 25, 2001)Thankfully, I was spared any personal loss. Like so many others in the city which I love, I have spent much of the past two weeks reeling from the devastation. Mostly this has meant getting back in touch with friends, frantically calling them on the phone, rushing around the city to meet with them to give them a consoling hug, but knowing that really it was me looking for the hug. I dash off simple one-line emails, "let me know you're okay, okay?"
Retargeting Oncolytic Vesicular Stomatitis Virus to Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type 1-Associated Adult T-Cell Leukemia.

Adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is an aggressive cancer of CD4/CD25+ T lymphocytes, the etiological agent of which is human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). ATL is highly refractory to current therapies, making the development of new treatments a high priority. Oncolytic viruses such as vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) are being considered as anticancer agents since they readily infect transformed cells compared to normal cells, the former appearing to exhibit defective innate immune responses. Here, we have evaluated the efficacy and safety of a recombinant VSV that has been retargeted to specifically infect and replicate in transformed CD4+ cells. This was achieved by replacing the single VSV glycoprotein (G) with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp160 to create a hybrid fusion protein, gp160G. The resultant virus, VSV-gp160G, was found to only target cells expressing CD4 and retained robust oncolytic activity against HTLV-1 actuated ATL cells. VSV-gp160G was further noted to be highly attenuated and did not replicate efficiently in or induce significant cell death of primary CD4+ T cells. Accordingly, VSV-gp160G did not elicit any evidence of neurotoxicity even in severely immunocompromised animals such as NOD/Shi-scid, IL-2Rγ-c-null (NSG) mice. Importantly, VSV-gp160G effectively exerted potent oncolytic activity in patient-derived ATL transplanted into NSG mice and facilitated a significant survival benefit. Our data indicate that VSV-gp160G exerts potent oncolytic efficacy against CD4+ malignant cells and either alone or in conjunction with established therapies may provide an effective treatment in patients displaying ATL. IMPORTANCE Adult T cell leukemia (ATL) is a serious form of cancer with a high mortality rate. HTLV-1 infection is the etiological agent of ATL and, unfortunately, most patients succumb to the disease within a few years. Current treatment options have failed to significantly improve survival rate. In this study, we developed a recombinant strain of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) that specifically targets transformed CD4+ T cells through replacement of the G protein of VSV with a hybrid fusion protein, combining domains from gp160 of HIV-1 and VSV-G. This modification eliminated the normally broad tropism of VSV and restricted infection to primarily the transformed CD4+ cell population. This effect greatly reduced neurotoxic risk associated with VSV infection while still allowing VSV to effectively target ATL cells.
Mechanism of chloride uptake in rabbit corneal epithelium.

The mechanism of chloride uptake at the basal membrane (stromal side) of rabbit corneal epithelium was examined by observing the effects of ion transport inhibitors and ion concentrations on the st...
Probabilistic bearing serviceability of drilled shafts in randomly stratified rock using a geostatistical perturbation method

Abstract The bearing stiffness (i.e., the slope of load-displacement curve at the tip) of drilled shaft foundations is an important serviceability-design parameter, especially for rock-socketed application of shallow embedment depths. Numerical solution techniques, such as finite element analysis (FEA) models, provide useful tools for investigating the bearing (tip) stiffness under various boundary conditions both homogeneous and heterogeneous. However, for uncertain and spatially heterogeneous mechanical input parameters, computational costs are high when meaningful statistical parameters of tip stiffness are to be obtained from full Monte Carlo FEA simulations. In the present work, an analytical expression for a one-dimensional, linear load-displacement relationship is derived by making use of perturbation analysis on randomly-stratified rock layers and their effects in the development of the tip stiffness using two-dimensional axisymmetric FEA. Numerical results show that spatial variability in both elastic modulus and undrained shear strength (cohesion) of supporting rock layers affect tip stiffness. However, the influence of cohesion on expectation and uncertainty of tip stiffness may be safely neglected for serviceability design. The tip stiffness of a drilled-shaft foundation is found to be highly proportional to the harmonic average of elastic moduli with averaging weights decreasing exponentially from the shaft tip downward. Exponentially-weighted harmonic averaging of elastic moduli is then incorporated in Winkler models to reasonably predict the results of full Monte Carlo FEA for cases where (1) a depth profile of elastic modulus is available at the footprint of a shaft, and (2) only geostatistical characteristics (i.e., expectation, variance, correlation length) of elasticity of rock are known a priori at a construction site. The presented closed-form solution is in good agreement with predictions of Monte Carlo FEA, and thus, may offer a practical alternative tool for the serviceability design.
Integrating eating disorder-specific risk factors into the acquired preparedness model of dysregulated eating: A moderated mediation analysis

Tests of the acquired preparedness model demonstrate that the personality trait of negative urgency (i.e., the tendency to act impulsively when distressed) predicts the expectation that eating alleviates negative affect, and this eating expectancy subsequently predicts dysregulated eating. Although recent data indicate that eating disorder-specific risk factors (i.e., appearance pressures, thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint) strengthen negative urgency-dysregulated eating associations, it is unclear whether these risk factors impact associations directly or indirectly (i.e., through eating expectancies). The current study used latent moderated structural equation modeling to test moderated mediation hypotheses in a sample of 313 female college students. Eating expectancies mediated the association between negative urgency and dysregulated eating, and the indirect effect of negative urgency on dysregulated eating through eating expectancies was conditional on level of each eating disorder risk factor. Appearance pressures, thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, and dietary restraint significantly moderated the association between eating expectancies and dysregulated eating, while only dietary restraint moderated the direct effect of negative urgency on dysregulated eating. Findings suggest that the development of high-risk eating expectancies among individuals with negative urgency, combined with sociocultural pressures for thinness and their consequences, is associated with the greatest risk for dysregulated eating.
An OpenCL framework for distributed apps on a multidimensional network of FPGAs

In an effort to offset the rapidly increasing data volume processed by large data centers today, their architects have increasingly been exploring unconventional architectures like FPGAs. Large-scale RC systems like Novo-G# show promise for both big-data processing and HPC, but are limited by a lengthy and difficult design process. In this paper we present a mixed MPI/OpenCL framework that enables rapid and simple multi-FPGA app development on Novo-G# with support for multidimensional inter-FPGA communication. The framework encapsulates inter-FPGA links into Altera OpenCL channels, abstracting away many of the complexities of inter-FPGA communication, and achieves an aggregate data rate of 288 Gbps per FPGA over six input and six output links. We use case studies and analysis to showcase a methodology for efficient design of multi-FPGA OpenCL apps on Novo-G# with our framework, and demonstrate its use to create various multi-FPGA applications.
Flow field and bed topography in river meanders

A mathematical model is developed for the calculation of flow field and bed topography in curved channels with an erodible bed. A small perturbation approach is used to linearize the governing equations, which retain the full coupling between the flow field, the bedload transport, and the bed topography. This coupling is shown to increase significantly the lateral bed slope in the upstream part of a channel bend, even beyond the value for fully developed bend flow which is approached in the downstream part of a channel bend. This coupling is also shown to give rise to resonant behavior for certain combinations of input variables; the common origin of the two phenomena is explained.
Knudsen transition effects on the thermophoretic properties of fractal-like aggregates: Implications for thermophoretic sampling of high-pressure flames

ABSTRACTAggregated particles nucleated and grown by Brownian encounters in atmospheric pressure gaseous flames, usually have primary particles (of radius R1) smaller than the prevailing gas molecule mean-free-path, lg. This simplifies their drift behavior in a strong temperature gradient, i.e., thermophoresis (TP), as has been exploited in the popular technique of TP/TEM soot sampling. Indeed, thermophoretic sampling has become the effective “calibration standard” because it also provides unambiguous aggregate morphology information and is independent of optical properties needed to interpret alternate “non-invasive” methods. However, we show here that at pressures of current engineering interest (e.g., 30–50 bar) the Knudsen number (Kn1 lg/R1) is O(1) and the sensitivity of aggregate TP-behavior to pressure, morphology and, especially, aggregate size is altered considerably. While the recent gas kinetic theory results of Young reveal that the thermal force on each spherule should diminish as one leaves t...
Examining the Influence of Tidal Stage on Salt Marsh Mapping Using High-Spatial-Resolution Satellite Remote Sensing and Topobathymetric LiDAR

Salt marsh vegetation extent and zonation are often controlled by bottom up factors determined in part by the frequency and duration of tidal inundation. Tidal inundation during remote-sensing mapping of salt marsh resources can alter the resulting image classification. The degree of this impact on mapping with very high resolution (VHR) imagery has yet to be determined. This paper utilizes topobathymetric light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data and bathtub models of a tidal stage at 5 cm intervals from mean low water (MLW) to mean high water (MHW) and determines the impact of tidal variation in salt marsh mapping within Jamaica Bay, NY, USA. Tidal inundation models were compared with the Worldview-2 and Quickbird-2 imageries acquired at a range of tidal stages. The modeled inundation of normalized difference vegetation index and smooth cordgrass (S. alterniflora) maps was compared from MLW to MHW. This paper finds that at 0.6 m above MLW, only 3.5% of S. alterniflora is inundated. This paper demonstrates a modeling approach integrating VHR satellite remote-sensing data and topobathymetric LiDAR data to address tidal variation in salt marsh mapping. The incremental modeling of the tidal stage is important for understanding areas most at risk from sea level rise and informs management decisions in accordance with this.
Higher vitamin D intake could improve sleep and cognitive outcomes in older adults with heart failure

Commentary on: Song EK and Wu JR. Associations of vitamin D intake and sleep quality with cognitive dysfunction in older adults with heart failure. J Cardiovasc Nurs 2018. doi: 10.1097/JCN.0000000000000469. [Epub ahead of print 29 Mar 2018] Substantial evidence in recent years has linked both vitamin D deficiency and poor sleep to cognitive dysfunctions in the older adult population.1 A handful of studies have also associated vitamin D deficiency with sleep disturbances in older adults.2 It is likely that sleep plays an important role in the association …
Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) and Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)

Computed tomography (CT)-based planning utilizing conformal techniques is the standard of care for NSCLC and SCLC. Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) both involve the utilization of a number of beam angles and the generation of a dosevolume histogram.
β-Cell Dysfunction and Chronic Hyperglycaemia

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a complex illness with both genetic and environmental pathogenic elements. Disturbed insulin secretion(s-cell dysfunction)and tissue insulin insensitivity(insulin resistance)are jointly found, and there is controversy as to which comes first, and how they interact to lead to diabetes mellitus. Studies in high risk populations for type 2 diabetes have delineated the natural history of type 2 diabetes mellitus (Figure 1): yet undefined genetic mutation(s) combine with metabolic and lifestyle factors to cause the diabetes phenotype. Insulin resistance and 0-cell dysfunction are shown at the bottom of Figure 1: they are present to some degree before glucose intolerance is detectable. The environmental factors aggravate insulin resistance (obesity, inactivity, aging, and pregnancy) or the 13-cell dysfunction (electrolyte abnormalities, several drugs, and malnutrition). However, the insulin resistance typically worsens little during the early stages of the disease, when glucose intolerance progresses to overt fasting hyperglycaemia. Instead, the factor determining whether diabetes occurs is 0-cell function. As long as 0-cells compensate for the insulin resistance through increased insulin secretion, glycaemia can be controlled. Frank diabetes is seen when the 0-cell compensation is lost — i.e.s-cell failure(1-3).
Gravitational collision efficiency of post hypothetical core disruptive accident Liquid-Metal Fast Breeder Reactor aerosols: spherical particles

Sensitivity analyses have shown that the gravitational collision efficiency influences post hypothetical core disruptive accident aerosol behavior in liquid-metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) conta...
Oral Hygiene and Prevention for CSHCN

Children with special healthcare needs are at increased risk for dental caries. It is therefore important for clinicians to work closely with caregivers to establish an individualized plan for home oral hygiene. Three primary objectives that will be tailored to each individual child’s age and condition are daily exposure to fluoride, balancing the child’s unique nutritional needs with a diet conducive to oral health, and adequate plaque removal. Children with special healthcare needs may require oral hygiene aids specifically adapted to their needs, and there may be unique considerations for positioning during toothbrushing. Physical and cognitive conditions can present challenges to performing oral care activities. An understanding of these aspects of the child will allow the clinician and caregiver to work together in developing straightforward oral hygiene goals, overcoming barriers, and identifying strategies to incorporate these essential life habits in the child’s daily routine.
Soft Agarose Colony Formation Assay for Human Renalcell Carcinoma: Comparison of Optical Colony Countingversus Tritiated Thymidine Incorporation

AbstractUse of the Hamburger-Salmon soft agar assay method for in vitro chemotherapy sensitivity testing of samples of renal cell carcinoma has been somewhat limited by a relatively low proliferation/evaluability rate for this tumor type (∼50%). The tritiated thymidine ([3H]-TdR) incorporation assay method of Tanigawa et al. (Cancer Res., 42: 2159, 1982) was compared to a standard optical colony counting assay technique. Fifty-seven different primary and five metastatic fresh samples of human renal cell carcinoma were studied. Evaluability rate by the [3H]-TdR assay was 90% (≥300 cpm control). In comparison, evaluability rate by optical colony counting was 43% for this group of tumors. [3H]-TdR incorporation increased with increasing tumor grade and increasing stage. Spindle cell tumors showed significantly higher cpm than other cell types. Twenty-three primary tumors were evaluable by both [3H]-TdR and colony counting methods. The correlation coefficient (“r”) for regression lines for drug sensitivity da...
Changed Worlds? American Studies, Trauma Studies, and September 11, 2001

This chapter confronts the notion of a post-September 11, 2001 “changed world” according to theoretical and methodological trajectories within both American Studies and Trauma Studies. First, I delineate these trajectories’ primary concerns with politics and representation at the time of the September 11 attacks as the conventional frameworks within which knowledge of that day and its aftermath came to be understood in the ensuing decade. I then use a popular culture approach common to these frameworks, but branch away from Freudian-based views of traumatization as an individualized experience with pathological connotations to attend to cultural trauma as an intersubjective phenomenon rooted manifestly in historical causation. Drawing on psychologist Ronnie Janoff-Bulman’s cognitive model of psychological trauma, I define cultural trauma as a radical disruption of fundamental, culturally-generated and structured beliefs about what comprises a community’s shared worldview. In doing so, I focus on how the horrifying and widely-witnessed hijackings shattered assumptions crucial to mainstream American understandings of daily life by confounding the dominant values of optimism, self-determination, and faith in a just world. Viewing culture as a site for struggles of power, I argue that popular culture in the twenty-first century’s first decade—specifically, film and television—narratively engages with the vulnerability showcased by that day’s public deaths, primarily through a preoccupation with no-win scenarios.
Switchable Lensed Linear Micro Axicon in Plasmonic Structures for All Optical Light Processing

We propose a simple route to build up Fresnel bi-mirror microaxicons based on the localized absorption of an astigmatic pump laser beam by a plasmonic metal foil. The corresponding local overheating produces two main effects: the thermal swelling of the glass and the local increase of its refractive index. As a result, a two-mirrors axicon-like element coupled to a gradient index microlens is produced. We modelled the optothermal formation of this microelement by Finite Element Modeling and tested the predicted temperature raise by Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM). We calculated and measured the far field distribution of an impinging probe beam that passes through the lensed microaxicon, finding in both cases a noticeable change in the far field pattern when the pumping light is ON evidencing at the same time the good modulation capability of this opto-thermal element. A similar, even if smaller, effect was also found when the probe light impinges from the air side, where no gradient index region is present. This configuration allowed us to measure and confirm the theoretically expected angular deflection and, indirectly, the high value of the vertical thermomechanical deformation induced by the tight astigmatic focusing of the pump beam.
97P The Role of Id Proteins in the Induction of Tumor-Initiating Cells During Pulmonary Colonization of Metastatic Breast Cancer

ABSTRACT Breast cancer studies have revealed distinct subpopulations of tumor cells with a high capacity for de novo tumor growth initiation. Tumor-initiating cells (TICs) constitute a small percentage of the bulk tumor and may be responsible for breast cancer relapse in patients. Recently, it has been shown that induction of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) can trigger reprogramming of cells to a TIC-like phenotype, suggesting a direct relationship between EMT and TIC. Our studies demonstrate that the transcriptional regulator Id1, which has been shown to be important in maintaining the self-renewal and stem cell properties in a variety of normal cell lineages, can induce TIC properties in breast cancer cells independently from EMT. Importantly, factors such as Snail, Twist and TGF-b, which induce EMT and TIC potential, also induce Id expression and we show Id is required for the maintenance of TIC properties. In various mouse models of breast cancer, sporadic Id expression is localized to the invasive edge of the primary tumor, while it is more widely expressed in lung metastatic sites. It has been previously shown that the Id proteins Id1 and Id3 are required for the re-initiation of pulmonary metastatic lesions, which fits well with our discovery of the induction of TICs by Id1 over-expression. But in addition to re-initiation, in order to colonize the metastatic site cells also undergo a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET). Over-expression of Id1 may also fulfill this need as we show that Id1 over-expression is correlated with a more epithelial phenotype. Furthermore, breast cancer cells that have undergone EMT due to Twist over-expression revert to an epithelial phenotype upon Id1 over-expression while maintaining their TIC properties. As a possible mechanism of Id1 induction, we have observed that TGF-b induces Id1 expression in Snail and Twist over-expressing cells. Therefore we propose that TGF-b up-regulation of Id1 in cells undergoing EMT (i.e. at the primary site) is sufficient to maintain the TIC character of these cells even when factors maintaining an EMT state are no longer present (i.e. during MET at the metastatic site). Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Random circuit block-encoded matrix and a proposal of quantum LINPACK benchmark

The LINPACK benchmark reports the performance of a computer for solving a system of linear equations with dense random matrices. Although this task was not designed with a real application directly in mind, the LINPACK benchmark has been used to define the list of TOP500 supercomputers since the debut of the list in 1993. We propose that a similar benchmark, called the quantum LINPACK benchmark, could be used to measure the whole machine performance of quantum computers. The success of the quantum LINPACK benchmark should be viewed as the minimal requirement for a quantum computer to perform a useful task of solving linear algebra problems, such as linear systems of equations. We propose an input model called the Random Circuit Block-Encoded Matrix (RACBEM), which is a proper generalization of a dense random matrix in the quantum setting. The RACBEM model is efficient to be implemented on a quantum computer and can be designed to optimally adapt to any given quantum architecture, with relying on a black-box quantum compiler. Besides solving linear systems, the RACBEM model can be used to perform a variety of linear algebra tasks relevant to many physical applications, such as computing spectral measures, time series generated by a Hamiltonian simulation, and thermal averages of the energy. We implement these linear algebra operations on IBM Q quantum devices as well as quantum virtual machines, and demonstrate their performance in solving scientific computing problems.
Characterizing Safety: Minimal Control Barrier Functions From Scalar Comparison Systems

Verifying set invariance has classical solutions stemming from the seminal work by Nagumo, and defining sets via a smooth barrier function constraint inequality results in computable flow conditions for guaranteeing set invariance. While a majority of these historic results on set invariance consider flow conditions on the boundary, this letter fully characterizes set invariance through minimal barrier functions by directly appealing to a comparison result to define a flow condition over the entire domain of the system. A considerable benefit of this approach is the removal of regularity assumptions of the barrier function. This letter also outlines necessary and sufficient conditions for a valid differential inequality condition, giving the minimum conditions for this type of approach. We also show when minimal barrier functions are necessary and sufficient for set invariance.
Time allocation across the Senate election cycle

This paper evaluates a long-standing question about how senators allocate their time to the task of governance across their lengthy, six-year term. I construct a new individual-level dataset that t...
“Surgical Gps” Proof of Concept for Scoliosis Surgery

Scoliotic deformities may be addressed with either anterior or posterior approaches for scoliosis correction procedures. While typically quite invasive, the impact of these operations may be reduced through the use of computer-assisted surgery. A combination of physician-designated anatomical landmarks and surgical ontologies allows for real-time intraoperative guidance during computer-assisted surgical interventions. Predetermined landmarks are labeled on an identical patient model, which seeks to encompass vertebrae, intervertebral disks, ligaments, and other soft tissues. The inclusion of this anatomy permits the consideration of hypothetical forces that are previously not well characterized in a patient-specific manner. Updated ontologies then suggest procedural directions throughout the surgical corridor, observing the positioning of both the physician and the anatomical landmarks of interest at the present moment. Merging patient-specific models, physician-designated landmarks, and ontologies to produce real-time recommendations magnifies the successful outcome of scoliosis correction through enhanced pre-surgical planning, reduced invasiveness, and shorted recovery time.
Speed impacts joint power and work while walking in high heeled shoes

High heel shoes remain a common footwear choice despite many negative side effects. Although preferred walking speeds are typically slower in heels some social and occupational settings may require...