cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Birth weight-for-gestational age is associated with DNA methylation at birth and in childhood

Both higher and lower fetal growth are associated with cardio-metabolic health later in life, suggesting that prenatal developmental programming determines long-term cardiovascular disease risk. Epigenetic mechanisms, which orchestrate fetal growth and development, may offer insight on the early programming of health and disease. We investigated whether birth weight-for-gestational is associated with DNA methylation at birth and mid-childhood, measured via the Infinium 450K array. Participants were from Project Viva, a pre-birth cohort of pregnant women and their children in Eastern Massachusetts. After exclusion of participants with maternal type 1 or 2 diabetes and gestational age <34 weeks, we used DNA methylation assays from 476 venous umbilical cord blood samples and a subset of 235 who additionally had peripheral blood samples available in mid-childhood (age 7–10 years). Among 392,918 CpG sites analyzed, birth weight-for-gestational age z-score was associated with cord blood DNA methylation at 34 CpGs (false discovery rate P < 0.05), after adjusting for maternal age, race/ethnicity, education, smoking, parity, delivery mode, pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational diabetes status, child sex, and estimated cord blood cell proportions based on a cord blood reference panel. Two of these CpGs were previously reported in epigenome-wide analyses of birth weight, and several other CpGs map to genes relevant to fetal growth and development. Namely, higher birth weight-for-gestational age was associated with higher methylation at four CpGs at the PBX1 locus (e.g., β (95% CI) for lead signal at cg06750897 = 1.9 (1.2, 2.6)), which encodes a transcription factor that regulates embryonic development. Birth weight-for-gestational age was also associated with mid-childhood blood DNA methylation at four of the 34 CpGs identified in cord blood analyses, including sites at the PBX1 locus described. We identified CpG sites where birth weight-for-gestational age was associated with DNA methylation at birth, and for a subset of these sites, birth weight-for-gestational age was also associated with DNA methylation at mid-childhood.
Study of polarization dependence of NLA in bulk SiO 2 by fs two-color pump probe spectroscopy

We show single-shot nonlinear absorption is enhanced by 5% when pump and probe pulses have parallel polarization. At very large pump energy, we observe a new and fast decay component of self-trapped excitons ∼0.5ps.
Passage of Chromium-Mordanted and Rare Earth-Labeled Fiber: Time of Dosing Kinetics

Coastal bermudagrass hay was labeled with Cr by the Cr-mordant procedure and with 177Lu applied to the same fiber. Neutral detergent fiber prepared from the same Coastal bermudagrass hay was labeled with Yb, 169Yb, Tb and 160Tb by soaking overnight following by thorough washing and drying. Wood chips were similarly labeled with Sm or La, and Solka Floc was labeled with 147Nd and 141Ce. The carriers, labels and times of administration to cattle were: bermudagrass fiber with both Cr and 177Lu, bermudagrass fiber with 169Yb and Solka Floc labeled with 147Nd at 0 h; bermudagrass fiber with Yb, Solka Floc with 141Ce and wood chips with Sm at 24 h; wood chips with La at 48 h; and bermudagrass fiber labeled with 160Tb at the beginning and labeled with Tb at the end of a meal. Fecal collection followed and passage characteristics were determined with a two-compartment, age-dependent model. Markers labeling the different fiber sources had different (P less than .01) passage rates (Solka Floc greater than Coastal bermudagrass greater than wood chips), but there was no difference within fiber source for rare earth passage. There also was no difference between the passage characteristics of Cr-mordant and 177Lu. However, passage rate of particles administered at the beginning of the meal (160Tb) was 42% higher than for particles at the end of the meal (Tb).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Improved Attacks for Characteristic-2 Parameters of the Cubic ABC Simple Matrix Encryption Scheme

In the last few years multivariate public key cryptography has experienced an infusion of new ideas for encryption. Among these new strategies is the ABC Simple Matrix family of encryption schemes which utilize the structure of a large matrix algebra to construct effectively invertible systems of nonlinear equations hidden by an isomorphism of polynomials. One promising approach to cryptanalyzing these schemes has been structural cryptanalysis, based on applying a strategy similar to MinRank attacks to the discrete differential. These attacks however have been significantly more expensive when applied to parameters using fields of characteristic 2, which have been the most common choice for published parameters. This disparity is especially great for the cubic version of the Simple Matrix Encryption Scheme.
The Geriatric Patient: Ethical Issues in Care and Treatment

In any discussion about medical ethics, it is always fair to ask whether the ethical issues that arise in a particular setting, or regarding a particular patient population, are unique to that setting or population or whether the same ethical concerns mark the care of patients in other facilities or from other special groups. It would be an easy, if not rather boring exercise if we could simply transfer the moral problems and any proposed solutions to them from one setting, or one patient population, to another. Yet it would be surprising if no common ethical problems existed from one area of medical practice to another. After all, medical treatment and research, nursing services, administration of health care facilities. and other activities in the sphere of medical and health care all focus on those occupying the role of patient: ill, ailing, or injured people. With regard to geriatric patients, these questions need reply: Are there special ethical problems that arise in caring for elderly patients, problems that never or rarely occur in general medicine or with other special populations? Are there special ethical problems that arise in caring for such patients in an extended care facility, problems that never or rarely exist in the context of ambulatory care or shortterm medical facilities?
Reflections on a year-long student and pharmacist paired mentorship program.

Abstract Background and purpose Mentorship programs can play a significant role in the professional development of a variety of individuals, including student pharmacists and practitioners. Many mentorship programs have been described in the literature, but the literature pertaining to mentorship programs for student pharmacists specifically is varied. Educational activity and setting A leadership society at one school of pharmacy established a formal mentorship program to aid the professional development of student pharmacists. This year-long program matched third-year student pharmacists with practicing pharmacists. This paper describes the development of the program, along with perceived benefits and challenges associated with implementation. Findings The mentor (n=8) and mentee (n=17) respondents provided positive feedback (100% and 94%, respectively) regarding the mentorship program. Most mentors and mentees noted they enjoyed having the opportunity to network and gained different perspectives on issues related to pharmacy. The challenges most noted by both the mentors and mentees were time limitations and scheduling conflicts. More consistent communication between mentors and mentees was noted as an area of improvement for future programs. Discussion The described program may create avenues to achieve professional development elements of the 2016 Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Standards and 2013 Center for Advancement of Pharmacy Education (CAPE) Outcomes. Continued, regular evaluation is important to help with process improvement, address challenges, and ensure the program is meeting desired objectives. Adjustments may be needed based on participant feedback, available resources, and student interest. Summary Overall, the program was successful, helping participants grow personally and professionally. With modifications, other institutions may utilize this data to develop similar programs.
Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium (Pyrethrum): In Vitro Culture and the Production of Pyrethrins and Other Secondary Metabolites

Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium (Trev) Boccone is a member of the family Compositae. The genus Chrysanthemum includes over 200 species and is classified as a member of the Anthemidea tribe in the Tubiflorae subdivision of the family Lawrence 1951. Economically, the Compositae family is of considerable importance, containing members important as sources of food, ornamentals and the contact insecticide pyrethrum. The term “pyrethrum flower” often refers to the perennial Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium (Trev) Bocc., and occasionally to C. coccineum Willd. (garden pyrethrum) and C. marshalli Aschers Lawrence 1951; Staba and Zito 1985.
A new Fourier azimuthal amplitude variation fracture characterization method: Case study in the Haynesville Shale

We describe a novel fracture characterization technique utilizing azimuthal amplitude variations (AVAz) present in 3D seismic data and implement it using both synthetic and real seismic data targeting the Haynesville Shale. The method we present here overcomes many common AVAz limitations and differs from standard AVAz approaches in the following ways: 1) It is explicitly designed to model vertically fractured transverse isotropic (VFTI) media; 2) It can correctly resolve the fracture strike azimuth without a 90 degree ambiguity and uses a new magnitude-based method that is invariant to the sign of seismic reflectivity (Rpp); and 3) It utilizes advanced inversion techniques to estimate a novel fracture density proxy that responds linearly to crack density. We present our method using a detailed derivation that relates seismic reflectivity directly to rock/fracture properties in VFTI media. We validate our proposed method through rigorous testing on over 400 synthetic seismic datasets. These synthetic test...
Modified inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etch process for high aspect ratio etching of fused silica, borosilicate and aluminosilicate glass substrates

Abstract We report on the etching of glass substrates of various compositions in a modified inductively coupled plasma – reactive ion etch (ICP-RIE) tool using SF6 as the plasma source gas and NF3 and H2O gases introduced downstream near the surface of the wafer through a diffuser gas inlet. Using this modified system, we have been able to achieve etch rates as high as 1.06 μm/min, 1.04 μm/min, and 0.45 μm/min with surface smoothness of ∼2 A, ∼67 A, ∼4 A for fused silica, borosilicate glass, and aluminosilicate glass respectively after 5 min etches. We examine the role of ion flux and fluorine radicals and molecules on the etch rate and the etch smoothness. We analyze the results obtained on 41 etches through multivariate statistical analysis and use the Pearson coefficient and P-value to determine the importance of these parameters for each of the glass substrate compositions. Overall for all three glass compositions, etch rate is critically influenced by ion flux. Fluorine based radicals and molecular fragments influence both the etch rate and surface smoothness of fused silica whereas they primarily influence the surface smoothness for borosilicate glass. The large fraction of impurity atoms of Ca and Al in aluminosilicate glass form non-volatile fluorides in the etched areas and therefore the etch rate and surface smoothness of aluminosilicate glass is primarily influenced ion flux and very little by the fluorine chemistry. We also examine the role of the layout of the metal mask layer on how it influences the charging of glass substrates during etching and therefore the etch rate.
Women's Coalitions as a Strategy at the Intersection of Economic and Political Change in Venezuela

This essay presents an overview of women's coalitions during economic and political crises. Evidence suggests that success can be explained by opportunities opened by crises, international funding and agendas, and threats to previously won rights. The paper considers the decline of women's organizing in the late 1980s and early 1990s; the shift from civil society initiatives to greater involvement by politicians and femocrats; the emergence of short-term, more focused coalitions; and a rhetoric that became more clearly feminist throughout the 1990s and into the new millennium.
The evolution of predator-prey systems

Ecological systems per se do not evolve; their constituent species’ populations evolve. The effects of evolution upon the dynamics of predatory systems must, therefore, be sought in the selective forces operating separately upon the predator and prey. Books have been written about little else but evolutionary adaptations for and against predation. Protective morphology, coloration and behavior provide a substantial fraction of the stories with which ecologists regularly amaze one another. Much of the systematic work on predators employs teeth, jaws, raptorial appendages, and other adaptations for pursuit and capture.
Distance Properties of Convolutional Codes and Encoders

Definitions and representations of convolutional codes and encoders were discussed in Chapter 2. Our objective in this chapter is to study their distance structure. The distance properties of a code or an encoder determine its error-correcting and detecting capabilities and are useful in analyzing the performance of various decoding techniques. Many of the distance parameters discussed in this chapter are also useful in selecting good encoders.
Thinking toward improved treatments of systemic lupus erythematosus

In 2012, recommended therapies for SLE include antimalarials, glucocorticoids, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil (or myfortic acid), cyclophosphamide, and other immunosuppressants. Belimumab has been added recently. Most are targeted toward adaptive immune responses. We now suspect that several pathways in innate immunity are also critical to driving SLE, including dendritic cells (major source of IFNα), and monocyte/macrophages that appear central in the damage that occurs to renal tissue in lupus nephritis. Abnormalities in neutrophils may also drive IFNα production and damage to endothelial cells. Therefore, treatments that modify these innate immune cells are of great interest. Antimalarials primarily suppress antigen-presenting cells (APC), including TLR activation; clinically they suppress disease activity and damage, but not strongly. Glucocorticoids suppress DC, monocytes and lymphocytes, with reduction of trafficking of proinflammatory cells to target tissues, but they are quite toxic. Belimumab is directed primarily at prevention of B-cell maturation and has clinical benefits that are not large when added to standard therapies. Among the potential new therapies that influence APC is Laquinimod, a quinoline derivative administered orally, which has recently been shown to reduce the number of new MRI lesions and disability in patients with multiple sclerosis. A recent study in murine EAE shows that Laquinimod suppresses activity of DC, and prevents monocyte/macrophages from accessing the CNS. The suppressed APC functions result in reduced number of effector T cells (Th1, Th17) in target tissue. In addition, Laquinimod induces regulatory T cells and myeloid regulatory CD16+LyC6+ cells that on adoptive transfer suppress clinical disease. We have recent data, submitted for the 2012 ACR meeting, showing similar immune alterations in a murine model of lupus nephritis, including dramatic benefits on protection of young mice from clinical disease, and regression of disease in mice started on treatment after developing heavy proteinuria. Renal damage is minimal. Downregulation of innate immune cells to minimize their activation of adaptive immunity, and their ability to invade and initiate damage target tissues should result in not only less active acute disease but also less future damage. This approach might be discussed at the Whistler meeting.
Transition to Hover for a Flying Wing with Electric Propulsion

We revisit a 1950s era wind tunnel test of a wing-propeller combination and present an approximate analytic model of the lift and drag forces generated by a wing completely immersed in the slipstream of the propellers for a range of angles of attack from 0-90°. We compare the analytic model to the experimental results by recreating the experiment in simulation. We then use the aerodynamic model along with an appropriate propeller thrust model to demonstrate how the Projection Operator Newton method for Trajectory Optimization, PRONTO, can be used to map curves specified on the equilibrium manifold to the space of trajectories of a flying wing model.
Rubella immunity and serum perfluoroalkyl substances: Sex and analytic strategy

Background Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been associated with decreased immunity to childhood tetanus and diphtheria immunizations. If these vaccinations are vulnerable to influence from PFASs, questions arise about associations with other common inoculations. Objective To examine whether serum PFASs were associated with reduced immunity to rubella immunization, and whether interactions with sex or ethnicity warranted analytic stratification. Usually, toxicology analyses are calculated controlling for race and sex. However, sex differences in immune function have been reported and a reduction of immunity to rubella in women could pose risks such miscarriage. Methods We analyzed a nationally representative sample of individuals ≥ 12 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for years 1999-2000 and 2003-2004 for whom PFAS measures were available. Our analytic strategy was to start with separate analyses for youth and adults controlling for several covariates including ethnicity and sex, as well as the interaction of these terms with PFASs. If there was a main effect of PFASs and an interaction term, we would stratify analyses of effect size. The outcome variable was Rubella IgG titers by quartile of perfluoroalkyl substances. Results After exclusion for missing data, the analyzed sample contained 581 adult women, 621 adult men, and 1012 youth. There was no significant effect of PFASs on immunity in youths but a significant effect of both PFOA and PFOS in adults, as well as a significant interaction of PFOA x sex and a borderline significant interaction of PFOS x sex. When effect size analyses were stratified by sex, a significant association between rubella titres and PFOA was found in men but not women and PFOS was not significant in either sex. Conclusions These results support our earlier studies showing sex specific responses to PFASs and indicate the importance of thinking carefully about analytic strategies in population based toxicology research.
Maneuvering towards adaptive co-management in a coral reef fishery

Abstract Tropical coral reef ecosystems in the Pacific region are degrading rapidly as ocean temperatures rise and local anthropogenic stressors increase. In this context of rapid change, effective site-based management of coral reef fisheries necessitates flexible environmental governance that is closely attuned to the needs of multiple stakeholders who depend on the fishery for income, food, and cultural identity. As such, many practitioners and scholars call for adaptive co-management of coral reef fisheries where local resource users play a primary role in environmental governance with the support of flexible institutions that operate across organizational scales. This article describes the history and evaluates the current status of marine governance in Moorea, French Polynesia. Established in 2004, the management framework is under revision because it has failed to meet its ecological objectives and has generated discontent among many stakeholders. Drawing on household surveys, interviews, and archival information, the challenges to as well as the factors that may enable a more successful transition of the current governance arrangement towards co-management are detailed. It is argued that recent social mobilization, subsistence and cultural links to the fishery, the presence of geographically and socially relevant traditional governance boundaries, and the implementation of co-management in other parts of French Polynesia are positive factors. However, lack of trust between stakeholders, social heterogeneity, disruption of traditional cultural institutions and practices, minimal institutional support, and an uncertain legal framework suggest that there are significant headwinds for maneuvering towards successful co-management in Moorea.
Novel T9 loop conformation of filamenting temperature-sensitive mutant Z from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

As of 2017, tuberculosis had infected 1.7 billion people (23% of the population of the world) and caused ten million deaths. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is quickly evolving, and new strains are classified as multidrug resistant. Thus, the identification of novel druggable targets is essential to combat the proliferation of these drug-resistant strains. Filamenting temperature-sensitive mutant Z (FtsZ) is a key protein involved in cytokinesis, an important process for Mtb proliferation and viability. FtsZ is required for bacterial cell division because it polymerizes into a structure called the Z-ring, which recruits accessory division proteins to the septum. Here, the crystal structure of the MtbFtsZ protein has been determined to 3.46 A resolution and is described as a dimer of trimers, with an inter-subunit interface between protomers AB and DE. In this work, a novel conformation of MtbFtsZ is revealed involving the T9 loop and the nucleotide-binding pocket of protomers BC and EF.
Dosimetric comparison of TMR10 and convolution dose calculation algorithms in GammaPlan treatment planning system

Aims:In this article, our goal is to compare the TMR10 and convolution dose calculation algorithm in GammaPlan used in stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatments with Gamma Knife and to assess if the algorithms produce clinically significant differences.Materials and methods:Treatment plans were analysed from ten patients who have undergone Gamma Knife SRS treatments. Patient plans were retrospectively recalculated using Lesksell GammaPlan 10 treatment software utilising the TMR10 and convolution dose calculation algorithms in order to create a paired dataset for comparison. Evaluation was based on the dose volume histogram (parameters of minimum, mean, maximum and integral doses.Results:The ratios of average integral doses calculated by the convolution dose calculation algorithm to the average integral doses calculated by the TMR10 algorithm are 0·997 for the target (p=0·028), 1·048 (p=0·48) for the skull and 1·005 (p=0·68) for the brainstem.Conclusions:Although doses calculated with the convolution algorithm resulted in slightly higher mean integral doses for the brainstem and skull critical structures when compared to that of TMR10 doses, these results were not statistically or clinically significant. Thus we continue to use the TMR10 algorithm at our clinic.
Experiences of empowerment in a community cognitive enhancement therapy program: an exploratory qualitative study

ABSTRACTObjective: Empowerment is an important component of many recovery-oriented treatments for people diagnosed with psychosis. Cognitive Enhancement Therapy (CET) is an efficacious rehabilitati...
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Dysbiosis — Predictable Risks

The term “dysbiosis” usually refers to a change in the human microbiome from a healthy pattern toward a pattern associated with disease. Although the term is increasingly being used, the definition...
Elastrographic assessment of micromotion-induced strain in tissue adjacent to intracortical implants in rat

Intracortical electrodes are important components of neural interfaces, but are limited in clinical applications due to high rates of device failure. This is in part due to a chronic neuroinflammatory response, which may be a result of mechanical mismatch between stiff implanted devices and the surrounding tissue. In this study, we used ultrasound (US)-based elastography to measure strain maps in vivo around intracortical devices. Experiments were performed by implanting shape memory polymer (soft) and silicon (stiff) devices in rat cortex. The results indicate higher strains in regions-of-interest containing stiff devices, indicating the possible effects of mechanical mismatch on micromotion-induced tissue strain.
A numerical study on the combined effect of dispersed nanoparticles and embedded heat pipes on melting and solidification of a shell and tube latent heat thermal energy storage system

Abstract The thermal analysis of melting and solidification processes of Rubitherm 55 in a vertical shell and tube based latent heat thermal storage unit is presented in this study. To resolve the low heat transfer rate issue within the phase change material due to its low thermal conductivity, hybrid enhancement methods are considered. Heat pipes are placed horizontally to act as a bridge between the heat transfer fluid and the phase changed material stored in the shell. In addition, nanoparticles with high thermal conductivity are added to the phase change material. Aluminum oxide, silver, copper and copper oxide are the nanoparticles used for this study. The effects of various parameters, such as the heat pipes quantity, nanoparticles type, and concentration are studied on the overall performance of the system. It was concluded that embedding heat pipes significantly decreases the melting and solidification times. It was also shown that increasing the nanoparticles concentration decreases the melting or solidification time as well as the stored or released energy per unit of mass. However, the significance of the effect of type of nanoparticles was dependent upon the quantity of the heat pipes in the storage unit.
Pink Filter: Gender Effects in Meaningful and Meaningless Product Differentiation

A simple Google search of the term “Pink Tax” pulls up thousands of results regarding “the cost of being a female consumer.” There is a belief that women’s products are priced more highly than men’s products to reap the benefits of women preferring female-targeted products. We sought to determine the prevalence of these beliefs and the efficacy of such marketing practices. We consider the impact of both meaningful (e.g., different product features) and meaningless (e.g., labelling) differentiation on consumers’ attitudes towards products. We propose that women have become skeptical towards meaningless product differentiation directed towards them. Whereas they respond favorably to products that target women through different ingredients and functionality, they respond more negatively to products that target women purely through packaging. We specifically looked at response to three products: sunscreen, razors, and protein bars and manipulated each product to isolate the effects of product features vs. the product advertising. Results were then measured to determine if different types of gender marketing affected women more strongly than they affected men. The results of this research have implications for product marketing campaigns and for public policy.
Clinical Experience with COVID-19 at a Specialty Orthopedic Hospital Converted to a Pandemic Overflow Field Hospital.

BackgroundCOVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has sickened millions and killed hundreds of thousands as of June 2020. New York City was affected gravely. Our hospital...
Industrial Hip Hop against the Hip Hop Industry: The Critical Noise of XXX

Since its humble beginnings about three decades ago, South Korea’s national hip hop scene (gukhip) has grown to a formidable industry that runs the gamut from cutting-edge underground artists to mainstream K-pop idol rappers. In recent years, the cable TV audition programme Show Me the Money (SMTM) has become the gukhip industry’s ultimate gatekeeper as many aspiring hip hop artists increasingly depend on making it on the show to advance their careers. In this article, we focus on XXX, an underground hip hop duo who bucks this commercial trend of gukhip in both sound and message. Their noise-filled beats and shifting grooves echo the avant garde aesthetics and confrontational attitudes of industrial music, and their words are harshly critical of the money-driven gukhip culture as represented by SMTM. We provide a musicological analysis of XXX’s own version of industrial hip hop and examine what makes their “outsider” status sustainable vis-a-vis the gukhip industry.
Hadamard and Fejér type inequalities for p-convex functions via Caputo fractional derivatives

Here our aim is to prove the Hermite-Hadamard and Fejer inequalities for p-convex functions via Caputo fractional derivatives. We also establish some useful identities in order to find further Hadamard’s and Fejer type inequalities which are generalizations of the results given in the literature cited here.
Fully On-Chip MAC at 14 nm Enabled by Accurate Row-Wise Programming of PCM-Based Weights and Parallel Vector-Transport in Duration-Format

Hardware acceleration of deep learning using analog non-volatile memory (NVM) requires large arrays with high device yield, high accuracy Multiply-ACcumulate (MAC) operations, and routing frameworks for implementing arbitrary deep neural network (DNN) topologies. In this article, we present a 14-nm test-chip for Analog AI inference--it contains multiple arrays of phase change memory (PCM)-devices, each array capable of storing 512 x 512 unique DNN weights and executing massively parallel MAC operations at the location of the data. DNN excitations are transported across the chip using a duration representation on a parallel and reconfigurable 2-D mesh. To accurately transfer inference models to the chip, we describe a closed-loop tuning (CLT) algorithm that programs the four PCM conductances in each weight, achieving <3% average weight-error. A row-wise programming scheme and associated circuitry allow us to execute CLT on up to 512 weights concurrently. We show that the test chip can achieve near-software-equivalent accuracy on two different DNNs. We demonstrate tile-to-tile transport with a fully-on-chip two-layer network for MNIST (accuracy degradation ~0.6%) and show resilience to error propagation across long sequences (up to 10,000 characters) with a recurrent long short-term memory (LSTM) network, implementing off-chip activation and vector-vector operations to generate recurrent inputs used in the next on-chip MAC.
TRAFFIC ANALYSIS FOR LARGE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

The paper presents various characteristics of commuter-traffic generated during the construction of Hartsville Nuclear Plant in a rural area in Tennessee, and a procedure for estimating such traffic for similar projects. The variations in daily traffic volumes and peaking characteristics are examined for locations nearby the construction site. For the commuter traffic generated by the site, automobile occupancy rates and the use of vans and buses are examined. The study includes the spatial distribution of commuters and it is found that the relative distribution of employees among surrounding counties can be predicted with a simple formulation of gravity model. A step by step procedure for predicting the traffic generated by large construction sites is presented.
Nonlinear Optical Materials

Nonlinear optical materials are the building blocks of the emerging technologies of optoelectronics and photonics (photonics uses light to acquire, process, transmit, and store information). These materials perform functions such as modulation, switching, rectification, frequency generation, limiting, and amplification, all of which are typically performed by semiconductors in electronic technology. Nonlinear optical materials and phenomena can be classified as second or third-order, reflecting the order of electric field interactions involved. Second-order phenomena are typically observed only for noncentrosymmetric materials. Such phenomena include electrooptic modulation, spatial light modulation, and second harmonic generation. Electrooptic modulation may play a critical role in electric-to-optical signal transduction and in switching in local area networks and can be used for specialized applications as diverse as phased array radar and optical gyroscopes. Third-order phenomena include the dynamic Kerr effect, degenerate four-wave mixing, third harmonic generation, saturable absorption, reverse saturable absorption, etc. The dynamic Kerr effect can be exploited for all-optical switching and also for beam focusing, such as in mode-locking of the Ti:sapphire laser. Reverse saturable absorption can be exploited for sensor protection. Both organic and inorganic materials have been observed to exhibit relatively large optical nonlinearities. Material morphologies ranging from crystalline to polymeric to photonic bandgap have been considered for nonlinear optical applications; examples of materials are given. An important event in the past decade has been the development of silicon photonics and silicon-organic hybrid photonics. Keywords: nonlinear optics; electrooptics; photonics; nonlinear materials; NLO
A mathematical and lumped-element model for multiple cascaded lossy transmission lines with arbitrary impedances and discontinuities

In this paper a mathematical and lumped-element model for multiple cascaded lossy transmission lines with arbitrary impedances and discontinuities is presented. The mathematical model is developed using the ABCD matrix representation of a two-port network. The lumped element model uses pole-zero approximations to cable transfer functions.
A Review of: “Max Mehlman. 2003.Wondergenes: Genetic Enhancement and the Future of Society.”

“Democracy is a thing of the past. Society succumbs to tyranny or chaos as the genobility struggles to maintain its hegemony and the unenhanced strive to overthrow their rulers.” Mehlman's vision o...
Programming with linear fractional functionals

Charnes and Cooper [1] showed that a linear programming problem with a linear fractional objective function could be solved by solving at most two ordinary linear programming problems. In addition, they showed that where it is known a priori that the denominator of the objective function has a unique sign in the feasible region, only one problem need be solved. In the present note it is shown that if a finite solution to the problem exists, only one linear programming problem must be solved. This is because the denominator cannot have two different signs in the feasible region, except in ways which are not of practical importance.
Efficient sampling techniques for uncertainty quantification in history matching using nonlinear error models and ensemble level upscaling techniques

[1] The Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) is a rigorous sampling method to quantify uncertainty in subsurface characterization. However, the MCMC usually requires many flow and transport simulations in evaluating the posterior distribution and can be computationally expensive for fine-scale geological models. We propose a methodology that combines coarse- and fine-scale information to improve the efficiency of MCMC methods. The proposed method employs off-line computations for modeling the relation between coarse- and fine-scale error responses. This relation is modeled using nonlinear functions with prescribed error precisions which are used in efficient sampling within the MCMC framework. We propose a two-stage MCMC where inexpensive coarse-scale simulations are performed to determine whether or not to run the fine-scale (resolved) simulations. The latter is determined on the basis of a statistical model developed off line. The proposed method is an extension of the approaches considered earlier where linear relations are used for modeling the response between coarse-scale and fine-scale models. The approach considered here does not rely on the proximity of approximate and resolved models and can employ much coarser and more inexpensive models to guide the fine-scale simulations. Numerical results for three-phase flow and transport demonstrate the advantages, efficiency, and utility of the method for uncertainty assessment in the history matching.
Reduced Apoptosis by Ethanol and Its Association with PKC-δ and Akt Signaling in Ischemic Stroke.

Along with thrombolytic therapy, which has a number of limitations, stroke outcome may be improved with neuroprotective therapies that disrupt ischemic cell death. Recent research has shown a neuroprotective role of ethanol administration during ischemic stroke, such as its ability to reduce infarct volume and neurologic deficit. In order to investigate this further, we assessed the hypothesis that ethanol’s neuroprotective effect is through reduction of apoptosis and the modulation of the important apoptotic PKC-δ and Akt signaling pathway. Ethanol (1.5 g/kg) was given by intraperitoneal injections to 54 Sprague-Dawley rats after 2 hours of middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion, followed by 3 or 24 hours of reperfusion. We measured apoptotic cell death, PKC-δ, and Akt mRNA and protein expressions in each of ischemic groups with or without ethanol treatment using ELISA, real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. Our results showed that cell death was significantly increased in rats following 2 hour MCA occlusion and 24 hour reperfusion. Subsequently, cell death was significantly reduced by an administration of ethanol. We further found that ethanol administration, prior to either 3 or 24 hours of reperfusion, significantly decreased the expression of PKC-δ while simultaneously increasing the expression Akt at both mRNA and protein levels at the two points. In conclusion, our study suggests that ethanol administration following ischemic stroke modulates the gene and protein profile in such a way that it increased expression of anti-apoptotic Akt and decreased the pro-apoptotic PKC-δ. This ultimately results in a decrease in neuronal apoptosis, thus conferring neuroprotection.
Branched Chain α-Keto Acid Metabolism I. ISOLATION, PURIFICATION, AND PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF BOVINE LIVER α-KETOISOCAPROIC:α-KETO-β-METHYLVALERIC ACID DEHYDROGENASE

Abstract A soluble enzyme complex, capable of catalyzing the oxidative decarboxylation of both α-ketoisocaproic and α-keto-β-methylvaleric acids, has been obtained from bovine liver. The purified activity (approximately 70-fold) has a pH optimum of about 7.6 for both substrates and exhibits Km values of 3.5 x 10-3 m and 2.5 x 10-3 m for α-ketoisocaproic and α-keto-β-methylvaleric acids, respectively. The enzyme preparation is highly substrate-specific, being most notably inactive with α-ketoisovalerate. Evidence is given for the separation of enzymes active with the latter acid from α-ketoisocaproate dehydrogenase, and the significance of this phenomenon relative to the genetic disease, branched chain ketoaciduria, is discussed.
MASS FLOW STABILIZATION OF PLASMA CONFINED BY HELICAL MAGNETIC FIELDS

The magnetohydrodynamic stability of plasma confined by helical magnetic fields is considered from two points of view. First by a straightforward normal mode analysis and second by the method of seeking minimum free energy solutions for magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium by applying the principle of least constraint. It is demonstrated that for plasmas of thermonuclear interest the energy extremum must be found subject to the constraints. The latter constraint corresponds to a generalized gauge symmetry that is never violated for plasmas with low viscosity. Its inclusion in the set means that there will be mass flow parallel to the magnetic field. Both the variational calculation and the normal mode analysis predict that the unstable modes of magnetic equilibria are always stabilized by plasma mass flow.
A computational model for a rocket mass heater

Abstract A simple one dimensional pseudo-steady computational model of a rocket mass heater is presented. A rocket mass heater is a space heating device that utilizes an insulated “J-tube” to promote complete combustion of burning wood, a steel barrel to act as a heat radiator, and a thermal mass usually shaped into a bench that stores heat from the exhaust before the combustion gases are released to the atmosphere. The gas model is based on fundamental relationships for steady compressible flow through one-dimensional geometry and is coupled to an unsteady finite difference model for two dimensional heat conduction in the thermal mass, which is modeled as a hollow cylinder. The model accounts for detailed heat transfer effects and fluid frictional losses, and is able to predict efficiency, flow rate, and spatial variations in temperature and pressure as functions of key parameters such as burn rate, thermal mass volume and length, duct routing details, and chimney height. Key results demonstrate how insufficient chimney height and narrow barrel clearances can threaten heater performance, how a system damper and increasing duct length can improve heater efficiency, and that axial temperature variation in the mass is small compared to radial gradients.
The life of the undead: Biopower, Latino anxiety and the epidemiological paradox

This article studies the dense interconnections between biopower, psychoanalysis, psychology and theories of Latino/a health and disease in the context of the ubiquitous claim heard nowadays regarding the so-called inevitable early twenty-first-century Latinization of the United States. How do we, the author asks, understand the theories of Latino/a health, disease, normality and pathology emerging out of epidemiological research on Latino/as and out of the professional psychotherapeutic literature on Latino/as within the broader interpretive horizon of US biopolitical practices that both manage and incite life? This paper explores this question by paying specific attention to the diagnosis of “anxiety” in the psychotherapeutic literature on Latino/as and to the conundrum in epidemiological research on Latino/a health referred to as the “epidemiological paradox.”
SOCIAL VALIDITY ASSESSMENTS: IS CURRENT PRACTICE STATE OF THE ART?

The use of evaluative feedback from consumers to guide program planning and evaluation is often referred to as the assessment of social validity. Differing views of its role and value in applied behavior analysis have emerged, and increasingly stereotyped assessments of social validity are becoming commonplace. This paper argues that current applications of social validity assessments are straying from the point originally proposed for them. Thus, several suggestions for improving current social validity assessment are proposed, including (a) expanding the definition of consumers to acknowledge the variety of community members able and likely to affect a program's survival, (b) increasing the psychometric rigor of social validity assessments, (c) extending assessment to heretofore underrepresented populations, (d) implementing widespread application of well-designed social validity assessments, (e) increasing meaningful consumer involvement in the planning and evaluation of behavioral programs, and (f) educating consumers to make better informed programming decisions.
Approach to asymptotic analysis of the ozone-decomposition flame

Abstract For the ozone-decomposition flame an asymptotic analysis based on detailed conservation and diffusion equations and on a detailed reaction scheme is presented. To test the efficiency of the asymptotic approach comparisons are made with the numerical results reported by Heimerl and Coffee [ Combust. Flame 39:301–315 (1980)]. To guarantee comparability between the asymptotic calculations presented herein and the previous numerical results, the reaction-rate data, thermodynamical data, and transport coefficients of Heimerl and Coffee have been employed. The two cases of low and medium-to-high initial ozone mole fraction (IOMF) are examined. For low IOMFs the asymptotic analysis has been carried to second order in the reciprocal of the Zel'dovich number β 1 , which is associated with the elementary reaction O 3 + M → O 2 + O + M . In this case it is found that a steady-state solution for O-atoms results at both orders. For values of the IOMF low enough to satisfy this steady-state approximation the burning velocities obtained from the asymptotic analysis are in excellent agreement with the numerical results of Heimerl and Coffee. For medium-to-high values of the IOMF the analysis has been carried to the leading order in β 1 −1 . The burning velocities obtained from this analysis agree within a β 1 −1 -tolerance with the numerical results.
The effect of using different scale lengths on the production rates of Comet 46P/Wirtanen

Abstract The variations in production rates for Comet 46P/Wirtanen for the species H 2 O and the parents of C 2 and CN are examined from the point of view of a variety of commonly used scale lengths. The calculations are carried out as a function of heliocentric distance. It is shown that, by using a common set of scale lengths, the results of various investigators can be brought into acceptable accord. The resulting production rates of H 2 O and the parents of C 2 and CN versus heliocentric distance are recalculated and plotted versus the heliocentric distance r H . The curves show reasonable agreement with a slope of ∼ r H −4 . The water production rate near perihelion of 46P/Wirtanen is close to 2×10 28 mol s −1 .
Socioeconomic Status and Lung Cancer: Unraveling the Contribution of Genetic Admixture

Objectives. We examined the relationship between genetic ancestry, socioeconomic status (SES), and lung cancer among African Americans and Latinos.Methods. We evaluated SES and genetic ancestry in a Northern California lung cancer case–control study (1998–2003) of African Americans and Latinos. Lung cancer case and control participants were frequency matched on age, gender, and race/ethnicity. We assessed case–control differences in individual admixture proportions using the 2-sample t test and analysis of covariance. Logistic regression models examined associations among genetic ancestry, socioeconomic characteristics, and lung cancer.Results. Decreased Amerindian ancestry was associated with higher education among Latino control participants and greater African ancestry was associated with decreased education among African lung cancer case participants. Education was associated with lung cancer among both Latinos and African Americans, independent of smoking, ancestry, age, and gender. Genetic ancestry ...
Characteristics of low pressure sulfur discharges

Summary form only given, as follows. Sulfur (S) and S-Ar discharges have been studied over a wide range of operating conditions. Both DC positive column discharges and inductively coupled 13.56 MHz discharges have been studied. Even though the partial pressure of S/sub 2/ is low in the 50 C-200 C temperature range investigated here, the primary radiating molecule in these discharges is S/sub 2/. The majority of the spectral emission occurs in the 2800 /spl Aring/-3500 /spl Aring/ range. The spectrum observed from the 13.56 MHz discharge corresponds nicely to that obtained from DC discharges at much higher temperatures. The radiation output has been studied as a function of input power, discharge temperature, buffer gas pressure, discharge radius, and cold spot temperature. The absolute efficiency of the discharge in generating near ultraviolet radiation has been investigated and results are presented for many areas of the multidimensional parameter space.