cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Numerical weather prediction for GATE

The results of a few numerical weather prediction experiments that utilize GATE data are presented. Aside from some simple forecasts based on single-level models, experiments with a multilevel model examine the roles of some of the physical processes. They include the influences of diurnally varying radiative effects, effects of cloud feedback on shortwave and longwave radiation, the heat balance of land surfaces, and the influence of West African orography in the 3- to 4-day range of numerical weather prediction. Data sources for these experiments include surface and upper air observations from the World Weather Watch, GATE ships, upper winds from commercial aircraft, low- and high-level cloud winds from geostationary satellites, winds from GATE research aircraft, and special surface observations from a ship data collection. The data analysis is based on a successive correction method where a subjective interface is also incorporated. The initial data are further subjected to a static as well as a dynamic initialization process. The major results are that single-level forecasts are very promising with this data set if they are carried out at 700 mb. The multilevel adiabatic experiment produces very poor predictions due to lack of adequate vertical coupling between the lower and the upper troposphere and due to its inability to describe the broad-scale monsoons. The diurnally varying heat balance of the earth's surface and cloudiness in radiative calculations appear to be important in the 3- to 4-day range of prediction of African disturbances. In this paper we show some interesting vertical structure diagrams of African waves based on the results of numerical weather prediction, which exhibit a close similarity to the structures of composite GATE disturbances constructed by Professor R. J. Reed and his associates.
Binary Fraunhofer Holograms, Generated by Computer

When a hologram is desired from an object which does not exist physically but is known in mathematical terms, one can compute the hologram. An automatic plotter will make a drawing at a large scale which is then reduced photographically. Since the drawing can contain only black and white areas, we have developed a theory for binary holograms. They are equivalent in terms of image reconstruction with ordinary holograms. This has been proven theoretically and verified experimentally.
Rethinking Federal Housing Policy

Problem: Federal housing policy is made up of disparate programs that a) promote homeownership; b) assist low-income renters’ access to good-quality, affordable housing; and c) enforce the Fair Housing Act by combating residential discrimination. Some of these programs are ineffective, others have drifted from their initial purpose, and none are well coordinated with each other. Purpose: We examine the trends, summarize the research evaluating the performance of these programs, and suggest steps to make them more effective and connected to each other. Methods: We review the history of housing policy and programs and empirical studies of program effectiveness to identify a set of best principles and practices. Results and conclusions: In the area of homeownership, we recommend that the federal government help the nation's housing markets quickly find bottom, privatize aspects of the secondary mortgage market, and move to eliminate the mortgage interest deduction and replace it with a 10-year homeownership ...
Reduction in proximal femoral strength due to long-duration spaceflight.

Abstract Loss of bone mass is a well-known medical complication of long-duration spaceflight. However, we do not know how changes in bone density and geometry ultimately combine to affect the strength of the proximal femur as a whole. The goal of this study was to quantify the changes in proximal femoral strength that result from long-duration spaceflight. Pre-and post-flight CT scan-based patient-specific finite element models of the left proximal femur of 13 astronauts who spent 4.3 to 6.5 months on the International Space Station were generated. Loading conditions representing single-limb stance and a fall onto the posterolateral aspect of the greater trochanter were modeled, and proximal femoral strength (F FE ) was computed. Mean F FE decreased from 18.2 times body weight (BW) pre-flight to 15.6 BW post-flight for stance loading and from 3.5 BW pre-flight to 3.1 BW post-flight for fall loading. When normalized for flight duration, F FE under stance and fall loading decreased at mean rates of 2.6% (0.6% to 5.0%) per month and 2.0% (0.6% to 3.9%) per month, respectively. These values are notably greater than previously reported reductions in DXA total femoral bone mineral density (0.4 to 1.8% per month). In some subjects, the magnitudes of the reductions in proximal femoral strength were comparable to estimated lifetime losses associated with aging. Although average post-flight proximal femoral strength is greater than forces expected to occur due to falls or normal activities, some subjects have small margins of safety. If proximal femoral strength is not recovered, some crew members may be at increased risk for age-related hip fractures decades after their missions.
Polypeptides for controlled release applications: Synthesis and preliminary characterization and release studies

Abstract The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of synthesizing biodegradable polypeptide polymers of sufficient hydrophobicity so that release of solute is diffusion controlled. The benefit of such a diffusion-controlled, biodegradable polypeptide system is that the main advantages of biodegradable (avoiding the retrieval of the implanted device) and non-degradable polymers (greater structural integrity) are both exploited. In this study, one sequential polypeptide and two random co-polypeptides with different hydrophobicities were synthesized using active ester intermediates. The polymers were characterized with regard to their chemical composition, molecular weight and hydrophobicity. The in vitro release of a model steroid, 17 α -ethynylestradiol, from compressed disks of these polymers followed a square root of time dependence indicating a diffusion controlled release mechanism. The drug release rates could be varied over several orders of magnitude and covered the therapeutic range for an implantable device delivering the steroid drug on the order of 10 mg per day. The results of these studies indicate that polypeptide co-polymers can be made with sufficient hydrophobicity to provide release rates in the therapeutic range for parenteral drug delivery.
Hypertriglyceridemic Serum, Very Low Density Lipoprotein, And Iron Enhance Mycobacterium Avium Replication In Human Macrophages

The growth of Mycobacterium avium 7497, serovar 4, in cultured human macrophages is enhanced by Fe3+ and serum lipids over 7 days. Iron (1-80 micrograms/mL) added to macrophages cultured in normal serum resulted in 10-fold increases in growth. If iron-supplemented macrophages were cultured in serum from hypertriglyceridemic donors after infection, M. avium growth increased 10(3)- to 10(4)-fold. Without macrophages, differences in bacterial growth between sera were not seen. Removal of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) eliminated the differences between sera. Isolated VLDL from hyperlipidemic serum resulted in 10(5)-fold increases in growth over that seen with VLDL from normal sera. Accelerated M. avium growth in macrophages cultured with hyperlipidemic serum was partly inhibited by the addition of superoxide dismutase (1000 IU/mL). Results suggest that iron stimulates O2-induced oxidation of VLDL and its subsequent accumulation in macrophages. The resultant iron- and lipid-laden cells become excellent hosts for mycobacterial growth.
Aspects of flow of power-law fluids in porous media

Non-Newtonian fluid flow in porous media is encountered in a variety of applications. Aspects of single-phase flow of power-law fluids in porous media are examined. First, homogenization theory is used to derive a macroscopic law. It is shown that the single-capillary power law between flow rate and pressure gradient also applies at the macroscopic scale, provided that the Reynolds number is sufficiently small. Homogenization theory confirms the validity of the use of pore network models to describe flow of power-law fluids, although not necessarily of fluids of a more general rheology. Flow in pore networks is next used to explore various pore geometry effects. Numerical simulations show that approaches based on an effective medium or on the existence of a critical path, which carries most of the flow, are valid in narrow- or wide-pore-size distributions, respectively. The corresponding expressions agreed well with the numerical results in the respective ranges. An analysis presented for Bethe lattices leads to closed-form expressions in two limits: for an effective medium and near percolation. The behavior near percolation generalizes the results of Stinchcombe (1974) for the linear (Newtonian) case.
Early Intervention and the Assessment of Developmental Skills: Challenges and Directions:

With the advent of recent legislation (P.L. 99–457, amended by P.L. 101–476), practitioners must apply what is known regarding the amelioration of children's educational and psychological problems through early intervention. Early intervention holds considerable promise, but the benefits are far from guaranteed. There are many questions about the identification of children, their needs, and the qualities of appropriate services. Although the new legislation has provided a framework for the attainment of early intervention goals, practitioners must deal with fallible assessment techniques, difficult intervention decisions, and unknown outcomes for children. For many reasons, early intervention decisions are not well served by traditional developmental assessments. Following a critique of conceptual and technical problems for developmental assessment, we review promising approaches to educational planning for young children. The basics are founded on ecobehavioral analysis and principles of intervention design.
Highly Processible Maleimide and Nitrile Functionalized Benzoxazines for Advanced Composites Applications

Maleimide and 2-aminobenzonitrile (MIan)-based benzoxazine has been synthesized and characterized. MIan contains imide, oxazine, and nitrile functional groups that can react almost simultaneously, leading to complicated reaction mechanisms. For understanding the fundamental polymerization mechanism, the model benzoxazine compound is synthesized. The ortho-nitrile group in the model compound undergoes cyclization reaction, producing the thermally stable six-membered ring species resulting in the excellent thermal properties of the material. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Methadone Clinic Culture: The Everyday Realities of Female Methadone Clients

The purpose of this article is to explore the ways in which clinic practices create obstacles for women who seek drug treatment. On the basis of interviews and participant observation at a methadone clinic, this article uncovers issues that women negotiate with their status as methadone clients. Being a woman and being a methadone client, from a feminist perspective, interact in our society to provide various meanings for women. Accounts from female clients make visible the neglect that persists in treatment settings. Their experiences illustrate the dilemmas women face when entering a male-dominated organization. These stories comprise the everyday workings of the methadone clinic and are part of the production of subsequent clinic culture, which is embedded in the larger social world that is gendered.
Effects of plant diversity and time of colonization on an herbivore-plant interaction

Summary. Experimental field plantings showed that plant diversity strongly affected the population dynamics of a specialist herbivore, the striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittata (Fab.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Population densities over time were characterized by two peaks in numbers (from colonization and reproduction, respectively) and were consistently higher in cucumber monocultures (Cucumis sativus L.) than in polycultures of cucumbers, corn (Zea mays L.), and broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.). Greater abundances in monocultures appear to result from two factors: (1) per individual reproductive rates were greater in monocultures than in polycultures, and (2) mark-recapture studies confirmed that beetles stay in monocultures for a longer period of time than in polycultures. Differences in predation did not appear to contribute to the overall differences in herbivore abundances. The primary impact of A. vittata on its host plant, C. sativus, is the dissemination of bacterial wilt disease, Erwinia tracheiphila (E.F. Sm.). Greater numbers of beetles led to greater plant mortality in monocultures. It is suggested that factors other than numbers of beetles (e.g., shading, allelopathy, microclimate) are more important in influencing plant reproduction, since cucumber plants in monocultures had greater yields than did plants grown in polycultures. However, time of beetle colonization strongly affected plant parameters, indicating that the length of time during which herbivores are interacting with plants is of critical importance to plant survivorship, and thus reproduction.
Influence of Sense of Presence on Intention to Participate in a Virtual Community

This research addresses the question of the design of advanced interfaces (e.g., 3D) to encourage participation in virtual communities and support social interaction. While prior studies have examined diverse factors to affect members' intention to participate in virtual communities, they have relatively underestimated a technological influence on members' intention to participate. Considering current virtual communities have been armed with advanced interfaces, it is vital to investigate a technological influence on members' behavioral intention. This paper investigates members' intention to participate in virtual communities by testing a research model consisting of two types of presence (telepresence and social presence) and their antecedents. The research model was empirically tested with data from 207 members of Second Life which is an emerging virtual community equipped with an advanced 3D interface. The results showed our model can be a good framework in understanding members' intention to participate in virtual communities.
Schooling in Sphyrna lewini, a Species with Low Risk of Predation: a Non‐egalitarian State

The scalloped hammerhead, Sphyrna lewini, forms schools as highly polarized as those of the obligate schoolers, Atherinops affinis, Engraulis mordax, Scomber japonicus, and Trachurus symmetricus. On the other hand, schooling hammerheads do not maintain preferential elevations and bearings to their nearest-neighbors and remain at larger inter-individual distances than the facultative schoolers, Gadus morhua and Pollachius virens, and the obligate schooler, Clupea harengus. Members of hammerhead schools vary in size more than those of small bony fishes. Furthermore, aggression is very common in schools of hammerheads; most individuals are females which compete for a position at the center of the school. Larger females perform two approach-type behaviors, Hit and Cork-screw, within the schools and force smaller sharks to the edge as they perform two withdrawal-type behaviors, Acceleration and Head-shake. Males are rare and enter the schools, performing Torso-thrust. The differences between schools of hammerheads and those of small teleosts are consistent with schooling in hammerheads functioning not to confer protection from predation, but to permit conspecifics to interact socially during the resting phase of their diel cycle.
Alonzo Church's Contributions to Philosophy and Intensional Logic

§0. Alonzo Church's contributions to philosophy and to that most philosophical part of logic, intensional logic, are impressive indeed. He wrote relatively few papers actually devoted to specifically philosophical issues, as distinguished from related technical work in logic. Many of his contributions appear in reviews for The Journal of Symbolic Logic, and it can hardly be maintained that one finds there a “philosophical system”. But there occur a clearly articulated and powerful methodology, terse arguments, often of “crushing cogency”, and philosophical observations of the first importance. Many of the less formal philosophical contributions center around questions concerning meaning, but there are important clarifications and insights into matters of the epistemology and ontology of the sciences, especially the formal sciences. 1.1. The logistic method. Church's writings on philosophical matters exhibit an unwavering commitment to what he called the “logistic method”. The term did not catch on and now one would just speak of “formalization”. The use of these ideas is now so common and familiar among logicians and logically-oriented philosophers that they are simply taken for granted. But they deserve to be celebrated and re-emphasized, for there are (still) philosophers who seriously underestimate and even consciously reject these techniques.
Three Parallel Conducting Systems in the Stalk of a Hydroid

1. There are three, non-polarized conducting systems in the stalk of Tubularia . These are termed the distal opener system (DOS), the triggering system (TS), and the slow system (SS). 2. The DOS controls opening of the distal tentacles of the hydranth. Activation of the DOS produces a small electric pulse in the stalk which is conducted at about 15 cm./sec. At the base of the distal tentacles this pulse is followed by a slow potential. The slow potential but not the pulse shows antifacilitation and is quickly blocked by excess Mg 2+ , as are distal tentacle movements. This is taken to indicate that the pulse and slow potential are a result of nerve and muscle activity respectively. 3. The TS can trigger the potentials which normally appear spontaneously in the neck region of the hydranth. The TS conducts at about 17 cm./sec and has a lower threshold than the DOS. No electrical correlate of TS activity has been found. 4. Activation of the SS produces large (up to 1 mV.), slowly propagated (about 6 cm./sec.) potentials in the stalk. The SS is very labile. In a fresh animal the SS threshold is two to three times that of the DOS and the SS often fires repetitively to stimuli above its threshold. SS activity has apparently no effect on polyp behaviour or on spontaneous electrical activity in the hydranth.
Effects of estrogen on primary ovine pituitary cell cultures: stimulation of prolactin secretion, synthesis, and preprolactin messenger ribonucleic acid activity.

Estrogen regulation of PRL synthesis and secretion was studied in primary ovine pituitary cell cultures. Medium PRL, [3H]leucine incorporation into PRL, and pre-PRL messenger RNA (mRNA) activity were determined in cultures incubated in control or 17β-estradiol (E2)-containing medium. We consistently observed a significant increase in medium PRL after 2 days of E2 treatment. A maximal response of 150–200% of control was reached after 6–8 days of E2. The response increased with increasing doses of E2 in the physiological range (10-9-10-8 M) and was maximal at about 10-9 M E2. Sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis of the soluble proteins labeled by a 1-h incubation in radioactive leucine showed that the synthesis of only one major protein band which comigrated with authentic ovine PRL was stimulated. Immunoprecipitation of the labeled cell homogenates confirmed that PRL synthesis was increased. Five days of E2 increased medium PRL to 150% of controls, PRL synthesis to 183% of controls, and pre-PRL mRNA ...
SimCheck: An Expressive Type System for Simulink

MATLAB Simulink is a member of a class of visual languages that are used for modeling and simulating physical and cyber-physical systems. A Simulink model consists of blocks with input and output ports connected using links that carry signals. We extend the type system of Simulink with annotations and dimensions/units associated with ports and links. These types can capture invariants on signals as well as relations between signals. We define a type-checker that checks the wellformedness of Simulink blocks with respect to these type annotations. The type checker generates proof obligations that are solved by SRI's Yices solver for satisfiability modulo theories (SMT). This translation can be used to detect type errors, demonstrate counterexamples, generate test cases, or prove the absence of type errors. Our work is an initial step toward the symbolic analysis of MATLAB Simulink models.
'Bind Me More Tightly Still': Voluntary Restraint Against Gun Suicide

An individual ought to be able to protect himself or herself from gun suicide by making it more difficult to buy a gun. This Article examines the constitutionality of two robust, voluntary restraints on gun purchase that could save many lives. A person who selected the first option would be able to purchase a gun only after receiving judicial approval. Under the second option, the ban on purchase would be irrevocable. The Article concludes that neither option violates the Second Amendment, but that a contrary holding is possible with respect to the irrevocable purchase ban.
Molecular Imaging of Biomarkers in Breast Cancer

The success of breast cancer therapy is ultimately defined by clinical endpoints such as survival. It is valuable to have biomarkers that can predict the most efficacious therapies or measure response to therapy early in the course of treatment. Molecular imaging has a promising role in complementing and overcoming some of the limitations of traditional biomarkers by providing the ability to perform noninvasive, repeatable whole-body assessments. The potential advantages of imaging biomarkers are obvious and initial clinical studies have been promising, but proof of clinical utility still requires prospective multicenter clinical trials.
Property Arrangements and Soy Governance in the Brazilian State of Mato Grosso: Implications for Deforestation-Free Production

The production of soy is one of the most important economic activities in the Brazilian Amazon, though the expansion of this industry has come at the cost of huge swaths of forest. Since 2006, the private firms that buy and trade soybeans globally have assumed a key role in ensuring that soy producers comply with forest protection policies, including the Soy Moratorium and public policies banning the use of illegally deforested land. We used evidence from field interviews and a GIS of property boundaries and soy-production areas to describe the private sector governance process and to characterize the variety of property arrangements underlying soy production in Mato Grosso, the leading soy-producing state in the Brazilian Amazon. These increasingly complex property arrangements include ownership of multiple properties by a single producer, use of rental properties owned by others, and soy and cattle production on a single property. This complexity could create loopholes allowing soy associated with deforestation to enter the supply chain. Comprehensive soy-governance strategies that include more robust procedures for verifying the provenance of soy across all properties, that account for the entire property rather than only the area planted to soy, and that use more transparent verification systems could achieve greater reductions in deforestation.
Theoretical derivation of Darcy's law

Darcy's law for anisotropic porous media is derived from the Navier-Stokes equation by using a formal averaging procedure. Particular emphasis is placed upon the proof that the permeability tensor is symmetric. In addition, it is shown that there is a one-to-one relationship between the local and macroscopic velocity fields. This leads to the interesting phenomenological observation that the local velocity vector at any given point must always lie either on a fixed line or in a fixed plane. All of this holds true for an incompressible homogeneous Newtonian fluid moving slowly through a rigid porous medium with uniform porosity under isothermal and steady state conditions. The question whether Darcy's law is applicable under nonsteady or compressible flow conditions, or when the medium has nonuniform porosity, is also discussed. Finally, it is shown that the Hagen-Poiseuille equation, as well as the expression describing Couette flow between parallel plates, can be derived from the equations presented in this work and may thus be viewed as special cases of Darcy's law.
Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis in Black Children

We reviewed 74 black children with 97 slipped capital femoral epiphyses (SCFEs) with an average follow-up of 3.7 years. There were 24 bilateral, 22 right, and 27 left SCFEs. The average age at operation was 12 years 6 months. The average slip severity was 28 degrees with 61 mild, 21 moderate, and 14 severe slips. Group I slips (54) were treated with multiple pins, and group II slips (43) were treated with a single central screw. Satisfactory results were achieved in 74% of the group I and 91% of the group II slips, with only three cases of chondrolysis. We conclude that single central screw fixation of SCFE in black children can lead to excellent results with a low incidence of chondrolysis.
Effect of Larval Crowding on Pupal Parasitism in Alabama argillacea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

A cause and effect relationship was demonstrated between cotton leafworm, Alabama argillacea (Hubner), larval crowding, and increased parasitism by the pupal parasite Brachymeria ovata (Say). In overcrowded conditions the larvae exhibited a conspecific-destructive reaction by resorting to eating the leaf covering from the pupae of their own species, thus destroying needed protection from natural enemies. The minimum larval density required before larvae consumed pupal leaf covers and exposed the pupae was l8.4/m of row, with a larval density of 142.l/m of row resulting in almost complete defoliation and consumption of most pupal covers. Parasitism of covered pupae by B. ovata was 1.0 ± 0.6 to 4.9 ± 1.7%, whereas 30.3 ± 9.7 to 46.6 ± 6.2% of the exposed pupae produced under crowded conditions were parasitized. Intraspecific competition between the cotton leafworm larvae and pupae is unequal because the larvae have a marked effect on pupal survival, but there is no detectable, reciprocal effect on the larvae. In most cases of intraspecific competition, the relatively successful individuals are those that begin and complete development first. However, in the case of the cotton leafwonn, the opposite may be true.
Formation of glycosylated "proteolipid-like" materials during exogenous protein galactosylation by human body fluids.

Human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum transfer substantial amounts of galactose from UDP-galactose to appropriate exogenously-added proteins. With desialyzed, degalactosylated fetuin (DSG fetuin) as an acceptor,considerable transfer of galactose takes place to materials soluble in chloroform:methanol (2:1). In the case of serum, transfer of galactose occurs to an additional lipid fraction, viz. that soluble in chloroform:methanol:water (1:1:0. 3). When ovalbumin is used as the acceptor, no transfer occurs to the chloroform:methanol fractions with CSF as the enzyme source; with serum however, considerable transfer occurs to both the lipid fractions. In the absence of exogenous glycoprotein acceptor or Mn++, little or no transfer to the lipid fraction(s) is observed. When native, untreated fetuin is substituted for DSG-fetuin, no transfer to the lipoidal fraction is observed. The transfer activity also can be distinguished on the basis of the time course of the reactions. When serum is extracted with cold,organic solvents and then assayed for transfer activity, it was observed that the transfer of galactose to the lipid-soluble material is eliminated while transfer to protein is unaffected. When the lipid extract is added to the incubation mixtures, transfer activity is restored. The lipid fraction does not migrate in systems employed to separate glycosylated polyprenols. Mild acid hydrolysis in propanol fails to liberate the sugar completely from the lipid fraction. Several of the solubility properties of the lipid fraction were similar to those described for proteolipids. Uncharacteristic of the properties described for proteolipids was the observation that direct extraction of the lipoidal materials from the incubation mixture with chloroform:methanol proved unsuccessful. We feel that at present the galactosylated lipid material is best described as glycoproteolipid-like in nature and it is suggested that it is formed by the interaction between the body fluid lipids and galactosylated protein.
Nonlinear associations between plasma cholesterol levels and neuropsychological function.

OBJECTIVE Although both high and low levels of total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol have been associated with poor neuropsychological function, little research has examined nonlinear effects. We examined quadratic relations of cholesterol to performance on a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. METHOD Participants were 190 older adults (53% men, ages 54-83) free of major medical, neurologic, and psychiatric disease. Measures of fasting plasma total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were assayed, and LDL cholesterol was calculated. Participants completed neuropsychological measures of attention, executive function, memory, visuospatial judgment, and manual speed and dexterity. Multiple regression analyses examined cholesterol levels as quadratic predictors of each measure of cognitive performance, with age (dichotomized as <70 vs. 70+) as an effect modifier. RESULTS A significant quadratic effect of Total Cholesterol² × Age was identified for Logical Memory II (b = -.0013, p = .039), such that the 70+ group performed best at high and low levels of total cholesterol than at midrange total cholesterol (U-shaped) and the <70 group performed worse at high and low levels of total cholesterol than at midrange total cholesterol (inverted U shape). Similarly, significant U- and J-shaped effects of LDL Cholesterol² × Age were identified for Visual Reproduction II (b = -.0020, p = .026) and log of the Trail Making Test, Part B (b = .0001, p = .044). Quadratic associations between HDL cholesterol and cognitive performance were nonsignificant. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate differential associations between cholesterol and neuropsychological function across different ages and domains of function. High and low total and LDL cholesterol may confer both risk and benefit for suboptimal cognitive function at different ages. (PsycINFO Database Record
Penetrating Renal Trauma in The Neonate

AbstractFor years the management of blunt and penetrating renal trauma has been the source of controversy in the literature. The indications for a specific therapeutic program vary with each individual case and with the complicating factors involved. An unusual form of penetrating renal trauma in the neonate is presented and the rationale for therapy is discussed.
Origins of the Relative Stabilities of Anhydrous and Hydrated d-Mannitol Crystals

d-Mannitol, a common bulking agent used in the pharmaceutical and food industries, is known to crystallize in three anhydrous polymorphs (α, β, and δ) and a hemihydrate form. In this work, solid-state density functional theory simulations and experimental terahertz spectroscopy were used to evaluate the stabilities, thermodynamic relationships, and spectral signatures of these various solids. The thermodynamic analyses of the anhydrous polymorphs identified enantiotropic transitions for β–δ at approximately room temperature and α–δ near the α melting point, but showed α and β to be monotropically related. Computational refinement of the d-mannitol hemihydrate crystal structure and comparison of its Gibbs free energy to the anhydrous forms showed the hemihydrate to be stable only at low temperatures (<253 K), in agreement with experiment, and reveals its conversion to the δ polymorph upon dehydration. Quantification of the intramolecular and intermolecular energies within these solids highlights the compet...
Role of risk stratification and genetics in sudden cardiac death

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a major public health issue due to its increasing incidence in the general population and the difficulty in identifying high-risk individuals. Nearly 300 000 – 350 000 patients in the United States and 4–5 million patients in the world die annually from SCD. Coronary artery disease and advanced heart failure are the main etiology for SCD. Ischemia of any cause precipitates lethal arrhythmias, and ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation are the most common lethal arrhythmias precipitating SCD. Pulseless electrical activity, bradyarrhythmia, and electromechanical dissociation also result in SCD. Most SCDs occur outside of the hospital setting, so it is difficult to estimate the public burden, which results in overestimating the incidence of SCD. The insufficiency and limited predictive value of various indicators and criteria for SCD result in the increasing incidence. As a result, there is a need to develop better risk stratification criteria and find modifiable v...
Lecture 3: The Negro’s Position in North American Culture

Locke explores the current situation of Afrodescendant peoples in the national culture of the United States. This is the first part of Locke’s effort to give an accurate in-depth critical portrayal of African Americans in the United States. Locke goes to great lengths in discussing the various artistic achievements, innovations, and creations which African descendant people in the United States have contributed to that culture, and its reception by and within that larger national setting. Beyond artistic contributions in the areas of music, literature, dance, theater, and art, Locke is concerned to enumerate and contextualize the many developments in the realms of politics, economics, and civic organization which it has been the role of African Americans to contribute.
BISC decision support system (BISC-DSS)

A key component of any autonomous system is a decision module, which is capable of handling large volume of data at high speed and high reliability. This paper is focused, in the main, on the development of a decision module, which is capable of functioning in an environment of imprecision, uncertainty and imperfect reliability. There are two principal tasks: task A, which is aimed at the development of novel methods of analysis and design: and task B, which is focused on the development of a decision-support system for ranking of decision alternatives. Following is an outline of the principal issues, which is addressed in task A.
Multiaxial fatigue behavior of wrought and additive manufactured Ti-6Al-4V including surface finish effect

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM) technology has enabled efficient fabrication of parts with complex geometries and laser-based powder bed fusion (L-PBF) is one of the most commonly used AM fabrication process. In many applications, the loading condition of AM parts is multiaxial. Even under uniaxial loading conditions, due to the geometry complexity or interaction of residual stresses, the stress state may still be multiaxial. Therefore, an understanding of cyclic deformation and fatigue behaviors of AM materials under multiaxial stress states is critical to the expected performance of such parts. These behaviors were investigated in this study using thin-walled tubular specimens of Ti-6Al-4V alloy made of a common PBF process. To compare with the conventional material performance, wrought Ti-6Al-4V alloy was also investigated. The loadings considered included axial, torsion, in-phase axial-torsion, and 90° out-of-phase axial-torsion loads. The surface roughness effect was also studied by considering both the as-built and the machined and polished surface conditions of the AM specimens. The ductility of the AM material was found to be significantly lower than the wrought material due to the martensitic microstructure as well as the presence of defects. AM specimens had significantly shorter lives compared to the wrought specimens under all loading conditions and regardless of the surface finish. However, machining improved the fatigue performance of AM specimens. For all loading conditions brittle fracture of AM specimens was observed with cracking on maximum tensile plane, and ductile fracture of wrought specimens with shear cracking. Consequently, fatigue test results of the wrought material were correlated using a shear-based critical plane model, while the AM specimen test data were correlated based on the maximum principal stress criterion.
A Fractal’s Lacunarity, and how it can be Tuned and Measured

The main exhibit in this paper is a stack of Cantor dusts that have identical fractal dimensions but differ violently from each other. Some look clearly fractal, while others look to the unassisted eye as filled intervals (they are said to be of low lacunarity), and others seem to reduce to the end points of a hollowed interval (they are said to be of high lacunarity). One of several quantitative measures of lacunarity is put forward, and the impact of low lacunarity fractals on modeling of nature is discussed.
Exploring optimizations on shared-memory platforms for parallel triangle counting algorithms

The widespread use of graphs to model large scale real-world data brings with it the need for fast graph analytics. In this paper, we explore the problem of triangle counting, a fundamental graph-analytic operation, on shared-memory platforms. Existing triangle counting implementations do not effectively utilize the key characteristics of large sparse graphs for tuning their algorithms for performance. We explore such optimizations and develop faster serial and parallel variants of existing algorithms, which outperform the state-of-the-art on Intel manycore and multicore processors. Our algorithms achieve good strong scaling on many graphs with varying scale and degree distributions. Furthermore, we extend our optimizations to a well-known graph processing framework, GraphMat, and demonstrate their generality.
Institutional Researchers' Perceptions of Effectiveness

This article presents the results of a research study that investigated institutional researchers' perceptions regarding their effectiveness in influencing policy changes at their institution. Data were obtained from a mailed survey sent to 304 researchers in the Northeast; a response rate of 73 percent was achieved. Results revealed that those whose work is used in executive decision making, who include policy recommendations in reports, conduct follow-up studies on the impact of their work, have a doctorate, are part of a strong, professional network, and describe their positions as challenging perceive themselves as more effective. The discriminant function including these variables explained 48 percent of the variance and accurately predicted the perceived policy effectiveness for 84 percent of the participants.
Assessing Residential Exposure Risk from Spills of Flowback Water from Marcellus Shale Hydraulic Fracturing Activity.

Identifying sources of concern and risk from shale gas development, particularly from the hydraulic fracturing process, is an important step in better understanding sources of uncertainty within the industry. In this study, a risk assessment of residential exposure pathways to contaminated drinking water is carried out. In this model, it is assumed that a drinking water source is contaminated by a spill of flowback water; probability distributions of spill size and constituent concentrations are fit to historical datasets and Monte Carlo simulation was used to calculate a distribution of risk values for two scenarios: (1) use of a contaminated reservoir for residential drinking water supply and (2) swimming in a contaminated pond. The swimming scenario did not produce risks of concern from a single exposure of 1 h duration, but 11 such 1-h exposures did produce risks of 10−6 due to radionuclide exposure. The drinking water scenario over a 30-year exposure duration produced cancer risk values exceeding 10−6 for arsenic, benzene, benzo(a)pyrene, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, pentachlorophenol, and vinyl chloride. However, this extended exposure duration is probably not realistic for exposure by a spill event. Radionuclides produced risks in the residential drinking water scenario of 10−6 in just 8 h, a much more realistic timeline for continual exposure due to a spill event. In general, for contaminants for which inhalation exposure was applicable, this pathway produced the highest risks with exposure from ingestion posing the next greatest risk to human health followed by dermal absorption (or body emersion for radionuclides). Considering non-carcinogenic effects, only barium and thallium exceed target limits, where the ingestion pathway seems to be of greater concern than dermal exposure. Exposure to radionuclides in flowback water, particularly through the inhalation route, poses a greater threat to human health than other contaminants examined in this assessment and should be the focus of risk assessment and risk mitigation efforts.
Effects of Egg Consumption and Choline Supplementation on Plasma Choline and Trimethylamine-N-Oxide in a Young Population

ABSTRACTBackground: Plasma trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) concentrations have been associated with cardiovascular disease risk. Eggs are a rich source of choline, which is a precursor of TMAO.Objective: The effects of egg intake versus daily choline supplementation were evaluated on plasma choline and TMAO in a young, healthy population.Methods: Thirty participants (14 males, 16 females; 25.6 ± 2.3 years; body mass index = 24.3 ± 2.9 kg/m2) were enrolled in this 13-week crossover intervention. After a 2-week washout, participants were randomized to consume either 3 eggs/d or a choline bitartrate supplement (∼ 400 mg choline total in eggs or supplement) for 4 weeks. Following a 3-week washout, participants were switched to the alternate treatment. Dietary records were measured at the end of each period. Plasma TMAO and choline were measured at baseline and at the end of each dietary intervention. Gene expression of scavenger receptors associated with plasma TMAO were quantified at the end of each interventi...
Evolutionary Perspectives on Ethics

The reach of Darwin’s theory of evolution extends well beyond the biological sciences. In particular, evolutionary theory may help us better understand key aspects of human thought, behavior, and morality. One puzzle raised by evolutionary theory involves the reconciliation of altruistic and moral behavior with the process of natural selection. Since Darwin’s time, scientists have developed a fuller understanding of the mechanisms by which altruistic and moral behavior can evolve. Controversy remains, however, over the philosophical implications of evolution in relation to human morality. Some philosophers argue that evolution leaves morality untouched, others believe that evolution can ground normative ethical theory, while still others hold that an evolutionary account of morality undermines ethics as we know it. This article discusses all three positions, as well as the history and future of evolutionary approaches to ethics.
Sequential main-chain proton and carbon resonance assignments for wild-type yeast iso-1 ferrocytochrome c and identification of secondary structural elements.

Yeast iso-1 cytochrome c is a naturally occurring protein that possesses an unusually reactive Cysl02 that imbues iso-1 with a complicated solution chemistry which includes spontaneous dimerization and poorly characterized redox reactions. For this reason previous studies of this typical member of the c-type cytochromes have been relegated to variant proteins in which the 102 position has been mutated, with most common changes involving serine and threonine. However, we have determined sequential 1H resonance assignments for the wild-type native protein because it is the actual participant in yeast mitochondrial electron transfer processes and because the wild-type native protein should be the fundamental assignment basis. In addition to 1H resonance assignments for 97 of 106 amino acids, we have also provided an extensive database of long-range NOEs. Comparison of these NOEs and a chemical shift index based upon α-H resonances has lead to identification of solution secondary structural elements that are consistent with the solid-state crystal structure. Although there is currently no efficient expression system that would facilitate isotope labeling of iso-1 cytochrome c, we tried to assess the usefulness of future heteronuclear experiments by using natural-abundance 1H/13C HMQC experiments to unambiguously assign 35 α-C resonances.
Exploring the hearthstone deck space

A significant issue in game balancing is understanding the game itself. For simple games end-to-end optimization approaches can help explore the game's design space, but for more complex games it is necessary to isolate and explore its parts. Hearthstone, Blizzard's popular two-player turn-taking adversarial card game, has two distinct game-playing challenges: choosing when and how to play cards, and selecting which cards a player can access during the game (deckbuilding). Focusing on deckbuilding, four experiments are conducted to computationally explore the design of Hearthstone. They address the difficulty of constructing good decks, the specificity and generality of decks, and the transitivity of decks. Results suggest it is possible to find decks with an Evolution Strategy (ES) that convincingly beat other decks available in the game, but that they also exhibit some generality (i.e. they perform well against unknown decks). Interestingly, a second ES experiment is performed where decks are evolved against opponents playing the originally evolved decks. Since the originally evolved decks beat the starter decks, and the twice evolved decks beat the originally evolved decks, some degree of transitivity of the deck space is shown. While only a preliminary study with restrictive conditions, this paper paves the way for future work computationally identifying properties of cards important for different gameplay strategies and helping players build decks to fit their personal playstyles without the need for in-depth domain knowledge.
Genetic approaches to the treatment of inherited neuromuscular diseases

Inherited neuromuscular diseases are a heterogeneous group of developmental and degenerative disorders that affect motor unit function. Major challenges toward developing therapies for these diseases include heterogeneity with respect to clinical severity, age of onset and the primary cell type that is affected (e.g. motor neurons, skeletal muscle and Schwann cells). Here, we review recent progress toward the establishment of genetic therapies to treat inherited neuromuscular disorders that affect both children and adults with a focus on spinal muscular atrophy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. We discuss clinical features, causative mutations and emerging approaches that are undergoing testing in preclinical models and in patients or that have received recent approval for clinical use. Many of these efforts employ antisense oligonucleotides to alter pre-mRNA splicing or diminish target gene expression and use viral vectors to replace expression of mutant genes. Finally, we discuss remaining challenges for optimizing the delivery and effectiveness of these approaches. In sum, therapeutic strategies for neuromuscular diseases have shown encouraging results, raising hope that recent strides will translate into significant clinical benefits for patients with these disorders.