cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High stability near-broken gap junction for multijunction photovoltaics

High performance tunnel junctions were made from sputtered and annealed p-type CuAlO2 and n-type ZnSnO3 with suitable band alignment for both low resistance and alignment to typical inorganic materials needed for a tandem solar cell. The devices not only exhibit low resistance, they are also thermally stable, capable of sustaining postdeposition temperatures up to 600 °C. This is a key requirement for many high performance multijunction thin film inorganic solar cells. The CuAlO2 top-layer remains amorphous, providing a diffusion barrier for top cell stack processing. The materials’ stack gives a negligible voltage drop, and the visible-spectrum transparency is near 100%. XPS measurements show that unannealed Cu in the Cu-Al-O films is in the +2 oxidation state, while in the films annealed at 500 °C and above, Cu is in the +1 oxidation state. This suggests that annealing is necessary to form CuAlO2. A near-broken gap alignment provides a low resistance contact with band alignment that is nearly ideal for a tandem device.High performance tunnel junctions were made from sputtered and annealed p-type CuAlO2 and n-type ZnSnO3 with suitable band alignment for both low resistance and alignment to typical inorganic materials needed for a tandem solar cell. The devices not only exhibit low resistance, they are also thermally stable, capable of sustaining postdeposition temperatures up to 600 °C. This is a key requirement for many high performance multijunction thin film inorganic solar cells. The CuAlO2 top-layer remains amorphous, providing a diffusion barrier for top cell stack processing. The materials’ stack gives a negligible voltage drop, and the visible-spectrum transparency is near 100%. XPS measurements show that unannealed Cu in the Cu-Al-O films is in the +2 oxidation state, while in the films annealed at 500 °C and above, Cu is in the +1 oxidation state. This suggests that annealing is necessary to form CuAlO2. A near-broken gap alignment provides a low resistance contact with band alignment that is nearly ideal for ...
Helicopter air ambulance services.

Purpose of reviewHelicopter air ambulances are an integral component of modern trauma care, and are able to transport patients to facilities with greater capabilities, extract injured patients from hostile terrain, and speed transport to a trauma center.Recent findingsHAA transport does not reduce t
Mundos alternativos sin voces femeninas: Las Violetas son flores del deseo de Ana Clavel y Lusus naturae de Teresa P. Mira de Echeverría

espanolEste articulo examina la contrastiva variedad de direcciones y perspectivas de dos escritoras hispanoamericanas que han implementado, en sus novelas, motivos y visiones del mundo afines con la narrativa distopica. Por un lado, el diseno y la comercializacion de munecas prepuberes, en un ambiente de deseos clandestinos y sociedades secretas, segun lo explora la escritora mexicana Ana Clavel en Las Violetas son flores del deseo (2007); por otro, la futil busqueda de un ser humano original, en la extrapolacion futurista Lusus naturae (2016), de la novelista argentina Teresa P. Mira de Echeverria. El factor que integra estas visiones contradictorias es la conspicua ausencia de voz, agencia o facultad transformadora por parte de personajes femeninos en ambos relatos. EnglishThis paper explores the contrasting variety of directions and approaches of two Hispanic American writers who have used motifs and worldviews related to dystopian narrative in their novels. On one hand, the design and commercialization of prepubertal dolls, in an environment of clandestine desires and secret societies, as explored by the Mexican writer 108 Mundos alternativos sin voces femeninas: Las Violetas son flores del deseo de Ana Clavel y Lusus naturae de Teresa P. Mira de Echeverria Luis C. Cano Ana Clavel in Las Violetas son flores del deseo (2007). On the other hand, the futile search for an original human being in the futuris- tic extrapolation Lusus naturae (2016), by Argentine novelist Teresa P. Mira de Echeverria. The factor integrating these disparate views is the conspicuous absence of voice, agency or transformative faculty on the part of female characters in both stories.
Synthesis of Homoallylic Alcohols with Acyclic Quaternary Centers through Co III -Catalyzed Three-Component C-H Bond Addition to Internally Substituted Dienes and Carbonyls.

An efficient CoIII -catalyzed three-component strategy to prepare homoallylic alcohols containing acyclic quaternary centers is disclosed. This transformation enables the introduction of two C-C σ bonds through C-H bond activation and sequential addition to internally substituted dienes and a wide range of aldehydes and activated ketones. Isoprene and other internally monosubstituted dienes are effective inputs, with the reaction proceeding with high diastereoselectivity for those substrate combinations that result in more than one stereogenic center. Moreover, the opposite relative stereochemistry can be achieved by employing 1,2-disubstituted dienes. A mechanism for the transformation is proposed based upon the relative stereochemistry of the products and studies with isotopically labeled starting materials.
Officers’ memory and stress in virtual lethal force scenarios: Implications for policy and training

ABSTRACTSworn law enforcement officers (N = 151) were exposed to two different simulated lethal force encounters, a motorcycle-traffic-stop (MTS) and a workplace violence incident. Workplace violen...
Recovery of heat-stressed Listeria monocytogenes from experimentally and naturally contaminated shrimp.

A method was developed to enhance recovery of thermally stressed Listeria monocytogenes from internally contaminated shrimp. Shrimp tail meat was inoculated with 105 L. monocytogenes cells/g and boiled for 1-5 min. Thermally stressed L. monocytogenes cells were recovered following cold enrichment for 3 d without broth. Methods of the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for isolating L. monocytogenes permitted recovery of the organism from shrimp boiled for 1 min: however, with the new method, L. monocytogenes cells were recovered from shrimp boiled up to 5 min. No Listeria spp. were recovered from naturally contaminated, frozen, imported shrimp after 1 min of boiling.
Carbon nanotubes affect early growth, flowering time and phytohormones in tomato

Abstract Carbon nanotube (CNT) applications are increasing in consumer products, including agriculture devices, making them an important contaminant to study in the field of plant nanotoxicology. Several studies have observed the uptake and effects of CNTs in plants. However, in other studies differing results were observed on growth and physiology depending on the plant species and type of CNT. This study focused on the effects of CNTs on plant phenotype with growth, time to flowering, fruiting time as endpoints, and physiology, through amino acid and phytohormone content, in tomato after exposure to multiple types of CNTs. Plants grown in CNT-contaminated soil exhibited a delay in early growth and flowering (especially in treatments of 1 mg/kg multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs), 10 mg/kg MWNTs, and 1 mg/kg MWNTs-COOH). However, CNTs did not affect plant growth or height later in the life cycle. No significant differences in abscisic acid (ABA) and citrulline content were observed between the treated and control plants. However, single-walled nanotube (SWNT) exposure significantly increased salicylic acid (SA) content in tomato. These results suggest that SWNTs may elicit a stress response in tomatoes. Results from this study offer more insight into how plants respond and acclimate to CNTs. These results will lead to a better understanding of CNT impact on plant phenotype and physiology.
Phylogenetic Distribution of DMV-D10, an Endogenous Strain of Dahlia Mosaic Virus, in Members of Asteraceae

DMV-D10 is a strain of Dahlia mosaic virus (DMV) that is classified as an endogenous virus and does not induce any visible symptoms in the host plant. Endogenous viruses have the ability to integrate their viral sequences into the host plant genome, which can be transmitted to offspring. No studies have examined the host range of DMV-D10 outside of the Dahlia genus. Because DMV-D10 has only been observed in Dahlia, the objective for this study was to determine if presence of DMV-D10 follows an evolutionary relationship among species closely related to Dahlia. An addition objective of this study was to determine if species infected with DMV-D10 may also be infected with Dahlia common mosaic virus (DCMV) because these plant viruses are closely related. It was hypothesized species in the same tribe (Coreopsideae) as Dahlia were more likely to be infected with DMV-D10 compared to species in other Asteraceae tribes. Ten tribes consisting of thirty-five species were collected, and DNA was extracted to determine DMV-D10 infection. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results for a movement protein gene indicate DMV-D10 is widely spread across Asteraceae. Specifically, gel electrophoresis results suggest presence of DMV-D10 in thirteen species across seven tribes. Additionally, DCMV was detected in six species across five tribes of Asteraceae. Although, phylogenetic relationship of host plants does not necessarily determine DMV-D10 infection. This leads to questions of how this virus can move to species in other Asteraceae tribes. Some potential hypotheses include pollen transmission or possible plant-virus coevolution.
ReaxFF-based molecular dynamics study of bio-derived polycyclic alkanes as potential alternative jet fuels

Abstract This work investigates the initial stages of the pyrolysis of HtH-1 (C18H32; 2,2,7,7,8a,8b-hexamethyl-dodecahydrobiphenylene) and HtH-2 (C18H34; 1,1′,3,3,3′,3′-hexamethyl-1,1′-bi(cyclohexane)), which are bio-derived polycyclic alkanes and potential jet fuels, using ReaxFF force field based molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Global Arrhenius parameters, such as activation energies and pre-exponential factors, are calculated and used to analyze the overall decomposition kinetics of the fuels. HtH-1 decomposes faster than HtH-2 at the same temperature and density conditions, and they have a faster decomposition rate compared to some existing jet-fuels, such as JP-10. A systematic reaction analysis framework developed in this work is applied to determine a temperature-dependent decomposition mechanism. At lower temperature, the central C–C bond connecting the two cyclohexane rings is dominantly broken in both HtH-1 and HtH-2. However, C-CH3 bond breaking becomes dominant with increasing temperature due to the large increase in entropy during this reaction. Major products from HtH-1 are C5H8 and C4H8, and those from HtH-2 are C4H8 and C2H4. The major products predict that HtH-1 has a higher sooting tendency than HtH-2, which is consistent with measurements. The impact of HtH-2 on the pyrolysis of HtH-1 is also investigated in their binary mixtures. HtH-1 and HtH-2 decompose by unimolecular reactions, and they rarely interact with each other during the pyrolysis of the mixtures. This work demonstrates that ReaxFF can be used to investigate pyrolysis and combustion chemistry of existing or future fuels and to contribute to the development of their chemical kinetic models without any a priori input and chemical intuition.
Temperature-Dependent Phase Transitions of Aqueous Aerosol Droplet Systems in Microfluidic Traps

Well-mixed atmospheric aqueous aerosol droplets containing multiple chemical species can undergo processes such as liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) and crystallization depending on the ambient temperature and relative humidity (RH). So far, only a handful of single droplet studies have examined the effect of temperature in conjunction with the organic to inorganic ratio (OIR) on the separation RH for LLPS. In this work, we present a temperature-controlled microfluidic static trap approach to study the LLPS and efflorescence phenomenon in multiple ternary systems in a quasi-equilibrium manner. Ammonium sulfate or sodium chloride is used as the inorganic phase and 3-methylglutaric acid (3-MGA), poly­(ethylene glycol), poly­(propylene glycol), or poly­(ethylene glycol) diacrylate is used as the organic phase. Results show a clear trend in droplets containing 3-MGA with either salt of the initial LLPS and efflorescence events occurring at higher RH at lower temperatures, while this trend is less obvious for the other organics. The organic to inorganic ratio (OIR) of the system also affected the type of first phase transition, which can be either LLPS or efflorescence. Finally, the rate of RH change also had an impact on the temperature dependence of the formation of either anhydrous or dihydrous crystals of sodium chloride upon efflorescence. These results help inform the effects of temperature, OIR, and rate of RH change on the phase state of aqueous aerosol droplets containing multiple species.
Perceived Low Value of HR’s Work to Senior Leaders (and How HR Can Fix This)

Based on the underlying research, this chapter will discuss the perceptions of HR practitioners about how senior leaders perceive their role, and whether or not they feel appreciated for doing it based on the evidence. Takeaways for Practitioners Clarity about how senior leaders view their organizational role based on recent research conducted by this author Insights about the way others feel appreciated or de-valued as a result of the inherent tensions that exist within the HR role
Change in Donor Characteristics and Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Donated Blood in the US, June-August 2020.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has challenged the adequacy of the blood supply. To attract new donors and support the collection of convalescent plasma,1 many blood collection organizations have implemented and publicized routine testing of donations for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies. We examined whether testing of donations for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was associated with changes in donor characteristics and reactivity of donated blood.
Beverage Advertisement Receptivity Associated With Sugary Drink Intake and Harm Perceptions Among California Adolescents.

Purpose:Evaluate associations of adolescents’ beverage marketing receptivity with sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) perceived harm and intake.Design:School-based cross-sectional health behavior survey...
Is Korea Prepared for an Alzheimer's Disease-Modifying Therapy? Assessing the Korean Healthcare System Infrastructure and the Effect of Blood-Based Biomarker Tests.

Background With the rapid demographic change in Korea, Alzheimer's disease has become a primary concern. Recent developments in disease-modifying therapies provide hope that therapy may become available soon. The high disease prevalence and complex evaluation process will create challenges for the healthcare system already burdened by the current pandemic. This study examined the preparedness of the South Korean healthcare system to identify and treat patients when such a therapy becomes available. Methods We used a Markov model to simulate a stylized patient's journey. Based on national data and expert input, we presented projections of the diagnosis and treatment wait times and respective queues of patients under treatment and no-treatment scenarios and further simulated the possible option of adopting a blood-based biomarker test. Results Under the current system, we estimated a peak waiting time of 14 months when a treatment became available, largely because of the limited number of dementia specialists. Adopting a blood-based biomarker test dramatically reduced the initial wait times by more than half. A disease-modifying therapy was estimated to avert 575,000 incident cases in the first 10 years after the treatment entered the market, and a blood-based test further avoided 86,000 additional cases. Conclusion South Korea's healthcare infrastructure requires more preparation for the introduction of a disease-modifying therapy, with the primary capacity limitation being the low number of dementia specialists. The utilization of a blood-based test for Alzheimer's disease biomarkers may be an effective solution.
Writing History, Uncovering Truths

This year-2021-marks the hundredth anniversary of the 1921 race massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Will it take another hundred years before our nation has full and complete clarity about what happened?
Hypertension and hypertension severity in Hispanics/Latinx with MS:

Background:Vascular comorbidities (VCs) including hypertension (HTN) are associated with worse multiple sclerosis (MS) outcomes. HTN is common in Latinx, but the prevalence and relationship with di...
The Structure of Legal Administration in the Moses Story

Although Exodus 18:13–26 is set in the period of desert wandering, scholars have generally understood the text as reflecting the social world of the monarchic period. 1 Some locate it more specifically in the time of Jehoshaphat, who, according to 2 Chronicles 19:4–11, appointed local judges and established a high court in Jerusalem. According to this view, Exodus 18:13–26 was composed as an etiology for the system of royal judges attested in 2 Chronicles 19:4–11. I propose that the structure of the legal world envisioned by Exodus 18:13–26 is much more closely paralleled by that assumed in Ezra 7:12–26, where the Persian king Artaxerxes instructs Ezra to appoint judges who know the Mosaic law. As such, and in light of literary-historical considerations, Exodus 18:13–26 is best understood as a postexilic expansion of Exodus 18. The expanded Chapter 18 now serves as a major bridge in the book of Exodus by summarizing the deliverance from Egypt and anticipating the revelation at Sinai.
Determination of Thermal Conductivity of Gases from Heat Transfer Measurements in the Temperature-Jump Regime

The thermal conductivity values are computed for helium and neon in the temperature range 500–2500K from heat transfer data taken in the temperature-jump regime employing a hot-wire type column instrument. These apparent pressure dependent conductivity values are corrected for the temperature-jump effect according to kinetic theory in conjunction with experimentally determined thermal accommodation coefficients. These corrected conductivity values are pressure independent and are in good agreement with the values calculated from heat transfer data in the continuum regime. This is regarded as sufficient evidence validating the kinetic theory model for heat transfer in the temperature-jump region and for the experimentally determined thermal accommodation coefficients.
A Concise History of Russia: The Pinnacle of Autocracy

The first acts of the new reign were the capture, investigation, and trials of the Decembrists, as they were known immediately and for ever after. Several hundred officers and men of the rebel regiments, as well as a few civilians, were immediately arrested. Tsar Nicholas appointed a court of numerous officials and high officers, the most distinguished being Michael Speranskii, who had returned from exile and was now again in favor. The investigation was long and detailed, conducted in secret, and eventually ended in the execution of five of the rebels, including Pestel’ and the poet Ryleev, for the crime of plotting against the life of the tsar. Thirty-one others were sentenced to death as well for the same crime, but Nicholas decided to ignore their obvious guilt and commuted the sentences to labor and exile in Siberia. All together one hundred twenty-one of the rebels made the long journey east. Another four hundred fifty were either released without punishment or demoted and transferred to line regiments in the Caucasus. In Russian history the punishment of the Decembrists became a classic example of official cruelty, but the most striking aspect of their treatment was its lenience. The number of death sentences was about the same as in the reprisals for the Italian constitutionalist revolts of 1820–21 and far less than for similar actions in Spain. Nicholas chose to hold back, perhaps because he still held a very old-fashioned conception of the tsar as the stern father of his people. In any case the Decembrists in Siberia had various fates. Eight of the most “guilty” actually worked in an open-pit silver mine for several months, while others had lighter tasks. The labor sentences were lightened by the 1830s. A number of the Decembrists’ wives were allowed to join them, and as the years passed the labor sentences were entirely commuted to simple prison and eventually exile (outside of prison). Many of the former rebels were given positions in the local administration. In Siberian towns the Decembrists and their wives provided the first glimpse of European culture, for they set up schools and orphanages, put on amateur theatricals, and became the centers of local society. What they were not allowed to do is publish anything or even to return to European Russia. A blanket of silence descended around them, to remain until the death of Nicholas thirty years later.
The synthesis of the D-manno analogue of muramic acid, 2-amino-3-O-(D-1-carboxyethyl)-2-deoxy-d-mannose.

Abstract The synthesis of the d-manno analogue of muramic acid, 2-amino-3-O-(d-1-carboxyethyl)-2-deoxy-d-mannose, was started from methyl 2-acetamido-4,6-O-benzylidene-3-O-(methylsulfonyl)-α-d-altropyranoside, which was transformed into methyl 2-acetamido-4,6-O-benzylidene-2-deoxy-α-d-mannopyranoside. After condensation with l-2-chloropropionic acid and removal of the protective benzylidene group, hydrolysis gave the title compound in amorphous form. The N-acetyl derivative, also amorphous, could be easily identified from the d-gluco and d-galacto analogues by gas-liquid chromatography of the per(trimethylsilyl) derivatives of the N-acetyl derivatives. Separation of the d-gluco and d-manno analogues was also accomplished on the per-(trimethylsilyl) derivatives of the methyl N-acetyl-α-d-glycoside, methyl esters, and amides.
Blood cell abnormalities complicating the hypophosphatemia of hyperalimentation: erythrocyte and platelet ATP deficiency associated with hemolytic anemia and bleeding in hyperalimented dogs.

Abstract Hemolytic anemia and bleeding diathesis may occur in starved dogs infused with solutions of amino acids and hypertonic glucose ("hyperalimentation"). Dogs, as well as patients, develop profound hypophosphatemia within 24 hours of infusion. Paralleling the decrease in serum P, red cell and platelet ATP levels fall. Red cells become spheroidal, dehydrated, poorly filterable, and entrapped by the spleen; concomitantly, their survival is shortened. These abnormalities are prevented or reversed if cellular ATP is maintained by supplementation of animals with phosphate in vivo or by brief incubation of depleted red cells with adenosine and phosphate in vitro. Associated with ATP depletion in platelets, clot retraction becomes faulty; thrombocytopenia also occurs, which results from a 5- to 10-fold decrease in platelet survival. Maintenance of serum P levels by phosphate supplementation of infusion solutions prevents these platelet abnormalities and the hemorrhagic diathesis. We conclude that hypophosphatemia in hyperalimented dogs critically affects red cell and platelet function and survival through depletion of cellular ATP. By extrapolation to humans, we suggest that serum P levels should be monitored and carefully maintained in hyperalimented individuals so as to preclude these complications.
Robust wavelet domain array processing

A new iterative procedure for estimating the direction of arrival of plane waves in the presence of noise with an unknown correlation structure can also be used to separate line spectra from a wide class of smooth spectra. It exploits the differences between the correlation structures of the generalized wavelet coefficients of the noise and signal processes. For simplicity of exposition, the procedure is explained in the context of the problem of localizing narrowband signal sources located in the far-field of a uniformly spaced linear sensor array. It can be applied as well to non-linear or non-uniform arrays and wideband signals. >
Determining dominant frequency with data-adaptive windows

Measurement of activation rates in cardiac electrograms is commonly done though estimating the frequency of the sinusoid with the greatest power. This frequency, commonly referred to as Dominant Frequency, is generally estimated using the short-time Fourier Transform with a window of fixed size. In this work a new short-time Fourier transform method with a data-adaptive window is introduced. Experiments are conducted with both synthetic and real data. Results for the former case are compared with current state-of-the-art methods. Given the difficulty in identifying activation points in electrograms, experiments reported in the literature have so far used only synthetic data. The new method is tested by application to real data, with true activation rates determined manually. Substantial improvement is observed. An error analysis is provided.
Diurnal Characteristics of Lightning Flashes Detected Over the São Paulo Lightning Mapping Array

This study examines diurnal variations of lightning flash characteristics observed by the Lightning Mapping Array in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The diurnal flash counts exhibit the typical afternoon convective maximum. The mean source altitude demonstrates a discrete increase that is temporally coincident with the local sunrise. The mean horizontal and vertical flash extents each attain a maximum (minimum) around local sunrise (afternoon, i.e., 13:00–17:00 local solar time). In addition, joint histograms of flash horizontal and vertical extents show that the majority of the flashes occurring during the afternoon convection are shorter and more comparable in size, and the differences between the horizontal and vertical extents are reduced. Conversely, flashes preceding and following the peak in afternoon convection are less symmetric, with larger horizontal than vertical extents. We discuss whether these observations could be partially explained by the diurnal variations in the convectively induced mixing regimes that control thundercloud charge regions and associated charge separation distances. The documented diurnal flash characteristics closely match recently published findings on the diurnal variation of the peak currents of cloud-to-ground flashes. Possible physical mechanisms for these observations are discussed.
Direct inhibition of interleukin‐2 receptor α‐mediated signaling pathway induces G1 arrest and apoptosis in human head‐and‐neck cancer cells

Overexpression of the interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) alpha chain in tumor cells is associated with tumor progression and a poor patient prognosis. IL-2Ralpha is responsible for the high affinity binding of the receptor to IL-2, leading to activation of several proliferative and anti-apoptotic intracellular signaling pathways. We have previously shown that human squamous cell carcinoma of a head-and-neck line (PCI-13) genetically engineered to overexpress IL-2Ralpha exhibit increased transforming activity, proliferation, and drug resistance, compared to the vector control cells (J Cell Biochem 2003;89:824-836). In this study, we report that IL-2Ralpha(+) cells express high levels of total and phosphorylated Jak3 protein and are more resistant to apoptosis induced by a Jak3 inhibitor than the control LacZ cells. Furthermore, we used daclizumab, a monoclonal antibody specific to IL-2Ralpha, and determined the effects of IL-2Ralpha inhibition on cell cycle and apoptosis as well as the involvement of potential cell cycle and apoptosis regulatory proteins. We found that daclizumab induces G(1) arrest, associated with down-regulation of cyclin A protein, preferentially in IL-2Ralpha(+) cells, but not in LacZ cells. In addition, daclizumab activates apoptotic death program via Bcl-2 down-regulation preferentially in IL-2Ralpha(+) cells. Finally, daclizumab also sensitizes IL-2Ralpha(+) cells to other apoptotic stimuli, although the effect is moderate. These results indicate that daclizumab inhibits the proliferative potential of IL-2Ralpha(+) cells via inhibition of cell cycle progression and induction of apoptosis.
Clouds, Clocks, and the study of Politics

In its eagerness to become scientific, political science has in recent decades tended to lose contact with its ontological base. It has tended to treat political events and phenomena as natural events lending themselves to the same explanatory logic as is found in physics and the other hard sciences. This tendency may be understood in part as a phase in the scientific revolution, as a diffusion, in two steps, of ontological and methodological assumptions from the strikingly successful hard sciences: first to psychology and economics, and then from these bellwether human sciences to sociology, anthropology, political science, and even history. In adopting the agenda of hard science, the social sciences, and political science in particular, were encouraged by the neopositivist school of the philosophy of science which legitimated this assumption of ontological and meta-methodological homogeneity. More recently, some philosophers of science and some psychologists and economists have had second thoughts about the applicability to human subject matters of strategy used in hard science.
Multi-Objective Configuration Optimization With Vehicle Dynamics Applied to Midsize Truck Design

Recent improvements in vehicle propulsion systems, such as hybrid electric and fuel cells, demand new configuration solutions that may be totally different from conventional designs. Packaging of vehicle components is still a new area of research. This paper describes a configuration optimization method based on a multiple objective genetic algorithm. The method is applied to configuration optimization of a mid-size truck, in which two objectives are considered: ground clearance and dynamic behavior. A vehicle packaging model was developed using the commercial CAD software, ACIS, to analyze interference among vehicle components. An eight-degree of freedom model was used to analyze the dynamic behavior of a given configuration for the J-turn maneuver. Parallel computation technology was also incorporated to accelerate the optimization process. The applicability of this method is discussed and exemplified with the design of a mid-size truck for two propulsion systems: conventional diesel and hybrid diesel electric. A set of Pareto solutions is generated in which tradeoff decisions can be made to select a final design.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Specific Binding of the Nucleocapsid Protein Transforms the Folding Landscape of the HIV-1 TAR RNA Hairpin

Retroviral nucleocapsid (NC) proteins are nucleic acid chaperones that play a key role in the viral life cycle. During reverse transcription, HIV-1 NC destabilizes nucleic acids, including the transactivation response (TAR) hairpin to facilitate their structural re-arrangement into the lowest free energy conformations. By combining single molecule optical tweezers measurements with mfold-based free energy calculations of the unfolding landscape, we determine the equilibrium TAR stability and characterize the unfolding transition state in both the presence and absence of NC. Our results show that protein binding occurs specifically at guanines that border structural defects in the upper part of TAR hairpin. This results in preferential destabilization by NC of this part of TAR, thereby shifting the transition state closer to the bottom of the TAR stem, leading to a shorter critical unfolding length. Thus, NC facilitates TAR RNA annealing to its complementary DNA hairpin while having little effect on the stability of the final annealed duplexes. These results provide the first direct measurement of alterations in an RNA folding landscape that are induced by protein-RNA interactions, and are a novel case study of the effect of a protein that specifically destabilizes particular elements of the nucleic acid secondary structure.
Cationic cure kinetics of a polyoxometalate loaded epoxy nanocomposite

The reaction cure kinetics of a novel polyoxometalate (POM) loaded epoxy nanocomposite is described. The POM is dispersed in the epoxy resin up to volume fractions of 0.1. Differential scanning calorimetry measurements show the cure of the epoxy resin to be sensitive to the POM loading. A kinetics study of the cure exotherm confirms that POM acts as a catalyst promoting cationic homopolymerization of the epoxy resin. The cure reaction is shown to propagate through two cure regimes. A fast cure at short time is shown to be propagation by the activated chain end (ACE) mechanism. A slow cure at long time is shown to be propagation by the activated monomer (AM) mechanism. The activation energies for the fast and slow cure regimes agree well with other epoxy based systems that have been confirmed to propagate by the ACE and AM mechanisms.
A Modification of Murray's Law for Shear-Thinning Rheology

This study reformulates Murray's well-known principle of minimum work as applied to the cardiovascular system to include the effects of the shear-thinning rheology of blood. The viscous behavior is described using the extended modified power law (EMPL), which is a time-independent, but shear-thinning rheological constitutive equation. The resulting minimization problem is solved numerically for typical parameter ranges. The non-Newtonian analysis still predicts the classical cubic diameter dependence of the volume flow rate and the cubic branching law. The current analysis also predicts a constant wall shear stress throughout the vascular tree, albeit with a numerical value about 15-25% higher than the Newtonian analysis. Thus, experimentally observed deviations from the cubic branching law or the predicted constant wall shear stress in the vasculature cannot likely be attributed to blood's shear-thinning behavior. Further differences between the predictions of the non-Newtonian and the Newtonian analyses are highlighted, and the limitations of the Newtonian analysis are discussed. Finally, the range and limits of applicability of the current results as applied to the human arterial tree are also discussed.
Multi-Component Treatment for Academic Underachievers

This study evaluates the differential effectiveness of order of presentation of several multi-component treatment components in a program for academic underachievers compared to a no-treatment control. No differences in outcome were due to order of presentation of treatment components, and both treatment groups gained significantly in follow-up Grade Point Average compared to the no-treatment group. Examination of four additional outcome measures suggest that gains in GPA were due to treatment.
Inorganic ion exchange membranes

Abstract A new class of ion exchange membranes has been developed for possible use in conversion of brackish water to fresh water. These membranes are based primarily on inorganic ion exchangers and have small quantities of extremely stable high temperature resistant organic polymers as binders. The best cation exchange membranes to date utilize zirconium phosphate as the exchange material and Teflon or Kynar as the binder. The optimum anion exchange membranes have hydrous thorium oxide as the exchange material and the same organic binders. The membranes are still in an early state of development but can be expected to show certain advantages over organic membranes. These include stability to high temperatures and to wetting-drying cycles. Resistance values and transference numbers of the membranes have not yet reached those of the organic ion exchange membranes but are in the process of improvement.
Investing in evidence-based care for the severely mentally ill.

When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is fully implemented in 2019, it will have extended health insurance to nearly 4 million previously uninsured people with severe mental disorders.1 This expansion in health insurance, the largest in a generation, is arriving at a time when the nation's capacity to deliver mental health care is already under considerable strain; the number of individuals with unmet mental health service needs nearly doubled between 1997 and 2010.2 Implementation of the ACA will compound demands on the mental health management skills of primary care physicians and force more sparing and efficient use of mental health specialists. To meet the mental health care needs of newly insured individuals, health policy makers and clinicians need to leverage opportunities within the ACA to increase availability of well-established, but currently underutilized, evidence-based treatments for serious mental illnesses. Opportunities exist to extend the use of evidence-based interventions across a range of psychiatric disorders from the management of depression and anxiety disorders by primary care physicians to the care of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia by mental health specialists.
High-throughput UHPLC-MS/MS method for the detection, quantification and identification of fifty-five anabolic and androgenic steroids in equine plasma.

Anabolic and androgenic steroids (AASs) are synthetic substances related to the primary male sex hormone, testosterone. AASs can be abused in both human and equine sports and, thus, are banned by the International Olympic Committee and the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI). Enforcement of the ban on the use of AASs in racehorses during competition requires a defensible and robust method of analysis. To address this requirement, a high-throughput ultra high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometric (UHPLC–MS) method was developed for the detection, quantification and confirmation of 55 AASs in equine plasma. AASs were recovered from equine plasma samples by liquid–liquid extraction with methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). Analytes were chromatographically separated on a sub-2 µm particle size C18 column with a mobile phase gradient elution and detected by selected-reaction monitoring (SRM) on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. AASs with isobaric precursor ions were either chromatographically resolved or mass spectrometrically differentiated by unique precursor-to-product ion transitions. A few of them that could not be resolved by both approaches were differentiated by intensity ratios of three major product ions. All the epimer pairs, testosterone and epitestosterone, boldenone and epiboldenone, nandrolone and epinandrolone, were chromatographically base-line separated. The limit of detection and that of quantification was 50 pg/ml for most of the AASs, and the limit of confirmation was 100–500 pg/ml. Full product ion spectra of AASs at concentrations as low as 100–500 pg/ml in equine plasma were obtained using the triple quadrupole instrument, to provide complementary evidentiary data for confirmation. The method is sensitive and selective for the detection, quantification and confirmation of multiple AASs in a single analysis and will be useful in the fight against doping of racehorses with AASs. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Knowledge and the Sequential Processes of Negotiation: A Markov Chain Analysis of Response-in-Kind

Abstract The impact of tactical knowledge on integrative and distributive response-in-kind behavior sequences and the ability to shift from distributive to integrative behaviors were examined using data from a prior study. Ninety dyads engaged in a multi-issue joint venture negotiation. Forty-five dyads were provided tactical knowledge and the other 45 were not. Markov chain analysis was used to test the hypotheses. A second-order chain best fit the data. Results showed that negotiators responded-in-kind to both distributive and integrative tactical behavior regardless of tactical knowledge. In line with Weick's (1969) “double interact” proposition of interlocked behaviors, negotiators with tactical knowledge were more likely to respond-in-kind to integrative behavior than were those without such knowledge, but only after their previous integrative behavior had been reciprocated. In addition, negotiators with tactical knowledge engaged in longer chains of integrative behavior (regardless of the behavior of the other party) than did negotiators without tactical knowledge; however, this only occurred after two integrative behaviors had occurred previously.
Peripheral plasma determinations of prostaglandin E in asthmatics

Abstract Prostaglandins, unsaturated fatty acid derivatives with diversified pharmacologic activity, have recently been implicated in the pathophysiology of reversible airway disease. This study attempted to elucidate baseline prostaglandin E (PGE) plasma levels in asthmatics and the change in these levels after stimulation by a β-adrenergic agent. Fourteen stable, ambulant patients with reversible airway disease and 28 nonatopic control subjects were studied. All had baseline PGE levels performed. The asthmatics were asked to abstain from all medication for 10 hr prior to evaluation. After baseline evaluation consisting of plasma PGE determination, pulmonary function test, blood pressure, and heart rate, 375 μg of aerosolized terbutaline sulfate was administered to 8 of the asthmatics plus 4 of the nonatopic control subjects; the above measurements were repeated at 15, 30, and 60 min after administration. There was a statistically significant difference in baseline plasma PGE levels between the asthmatics (PGE = 432 ± 81) and the nonatopic control subjects (PGE = 89 ± 9) (p
Dynamical susceptibility of spin glasses in the fractal cluster model.

We study the dynamical susceptibility $\ensuremath{\chi}$ of spin glasses above the critical temperature using a fractal cluster model. We derive scaling relations for the zero-field limit of the real and imaginary parts of $\ensuremath{\chi}$ which are general since they do not depend on a particular relaxation model. Comparison to data on ${\mathrm{Eu}}_{0.4}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{0.6}$S yields critical exponents in good agreement with independent determinations. We discuss the different criteria which have been used to extract the critical relaxation time ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\ensuremath{\xi}}$ from experimental $\ensuremath{\chi}'\mathrm{s}$. The smallness of the ratio $\frac{\ensuremath{\beta}}{\ensuremath{\nu}z}$ between critical exponents in the spin-glass problem justifies the approximations used to interpret and relate experimental data, for example, with the equation ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{\ensuremath{'}\ensuremath{'}}=\ensuremath{-}\frac{\ensuremath{\pi}d{\ensuremath{\chi}}^{\ensuremath{'}}}{2d\mathrm{ln}\ensuremath{\omega}}$.
Corrigendum to “Diffusion and home range parameters for rodents: Peromyscus maniculatus in New Mexico” [Ecol. Complexity 3 (2006) 64–70]

G. Abramson , L. Giuggioli , V. M. Kenkre , J. W. Dragoo , R. R. Parmenter , C. A. Parmenter , T. L. Yates c Consortium of the Americas for Interdisciplinary Science, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA. Centro Atomico Bariloche, CONICET and Instituto Balseiro, 8400 San Carlos de Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina. Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA.
Do worker absences affect productivity? The case of teachers

. This article studies the impact of teacher absences on education. Using data spanning three academic years about 285 teachers and 8,631 predominantly economically disadvantaged students from a United States urban school district, it tests assumptions that a substantial portion of teachers' absences is discretionary and that these absences reduce productivity – students' mathematics scores. Since absent teachers are typically replaced by less qualified substitutes, instructional intensity and consistency may decline: ten days of teacher absence reduce students' achievement score by about 3.3 per cent of a standard deviation – enough to lower some students' designation in the state proficiency system and, thus, their motivation to succeed.
KISS Active Galactic Nuclei in the Soft X-Ray Band: Correlation with the ROSAT All-Sky Survey

We present a study of the X-ray properties of a volume-limited sample of optically selected emission-line galaxies. The sample is derived from a correlation between the KPNO International Spectroscopic Survey (KISS), an Hα-selected objective-prism survey of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and starbursting galaxies, and the ROSAT All-Sky Survey (RASS). After elimination of all spurious matches, we identify 18 ROSAT-detected X-ray sources within the KISS sample in the 0.1–2.4 keV band. Because of soft X-ray selection effects, the majority of the ROSAT sources are Seyfert 1 galaxies. The majority (54%) of the ROSAT-KISS Seyfert galaxies are classified as narrow-line Seyfert 1 objects, a relatively high percentage compared with previous objective-prism–selected Seyfert galaxy samples. We estimate the X-ray luminosities of the ROSAT-detected KISS objects and derive volume emissivities of 6.63 × 1038 and 1.45 × 1038 ergs s-1 Mpc-3 for the 30° and 43° survey strips, respectively. For those KISS AGNs not detected by the RASS, we use the median LX/LHα ratio derived from a previous study to estimate LX. The total 0.5–2 keV volume emissivity we predict for the overall KISS AGN sample is sufficient to account for 22.1% ± 8.9% of the soft X-ray background, averaged over both survey strips. The KISS AGN sample is made up predominantly of intermediate-luminosity Seyfert 2's and LINERs, which tend to be weak sources of soft X-rays. They may, however, represent a much more significant contribution to the hard X-ray background.
Elevated high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in endurance athletes is related to enhanced plasma triglyceride clearance

We compared the clearance rate (K2) of plasma triglycerides (TG) following the intravenous (IV) infusion of a fat emulsion in 13 male endurance athletes (age 33 +/- 5.6 years, mean +/- SD) and 12 sedentary men (33 +/- 5.6 years). The athletes had lower fasting triglycerides (TG) (75 +/- 30.4 mg/dL v 125 +/- 52.5 mg/dL) and higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentrations (64 +/- 16.2 mg/dL v 42 +/- 9.4 mg/dL) than the sedentary subjects (P less than .01 for all). The higher HDL concentrations were due to increases in both the HDL2 and HDL3 subfractions. K2 in the athletes was 92% higher than that in the sedentary men (4.8 +/- 2.3%/min v 2.5 +/- 0.7%/min, P less than .01), but there was no difference in postheparin lipoprotein lipase activity (LPLA) between the groups (P greater than .05). K2 was positively correlated with LPLA (r = .51) and inversely related to fasting TG concentrations (r = -.73, P less than .01 for both). Furthermore, K2 was directly related to HDL (r = .75), HDL2 (r = .72), and HDL3 (r = .60) cholesterol concentrations (P less than .01 for all). These data suggest that the low TG levels in endurance athletes result at least in part from increased TG removal and that the elevated HDL concentrations of endurance athletes are related to enhanced fat clearance.