cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chemistry in the Public Library: A Long-Standing, Valuable Community Partnership

“Chemistry in the Public Library” is an outreach event that has fostered a continuing, long-standing partnership between The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington (a public, liberal arts college), the Olympia Timberland Regional Library (the local public library), and the community. It started as a National Chemistry Week event 15 years ago with the goal of providing equitable access to hands-on chemistry activities to schoolchildren and their families and has continued since then. The events were free of charge and registration was not required. Six to eight different hands-on science activities were prepared and presented at each event. Copies of publications, particularly those of the American Chemical Society, such as Celebrating Chemistry and the ChemMatters magazines were made available at no cost to the participants. They were popular, especially with parents of homeschooled children, who were keen to find resources that enhance their children’s exposure to the sciences. On average about 60 participants attended the event each year with the number increasing to about one hundred in some years. Undergraduate science students from The Evergreen State College served as volunteers for this event. They were trained to help participants conduct the activities and to explain the science behind each activity at a level that was accessible to the participants. Among other benefits described in the article, the volunteers developed leadership skills and built comradery, which carried over to their classrooms and personal college experiences. The advertisement of the Chemistry in the Public Library event, funding sources, the mostly commonly conducted activities, selection of activities to fit a particular theme each year, and the constraints when planning the activities are discussed in detail in the article. The impact of Chemistry in the Public Library event on all stakeholders that included participants, volunteers, The Evergreen State College, and the Olympia Timberland Regional library are also presented. The importance of bringing science to the community at a location that is easily accessible to them (the public library), which has shown to provide equitable and inclusive access to science for the community, is highlighted.
Using the job demands-resources model to understand and address employee well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

Telecommuting during COVID-19 and the JD-R model Previous research has demonstrated that telecommuting can positively affect employee well-being when it provides employees with greater flexibility, reduces the stress and time costs of commuting, increases employee productivity, and allows employees to better balance their home and work lives (for a review of the benefits of telecommuting, see Mann & Holdsworth, 2003). Job demands refer to the physical, social, or organizational characteristics of the work itself (e.g., role overload, ambiguity, time pressure) that require prolonged physical and/or mental effort by employees and are subsequently associated with significant decrements in employee health and performance over time. Both role ambiguity, defined as a lack of information or unclear information about a given worker’s job or expectations, and role conflict, defined as an individual’s experience of incompatible demands from the different roles they have (e.g., employee and parent), have been consistently associated with decreased job satisfaction and commitment, as well as increased mental health issues (e.g., depression, anxiety;Fisher & Gitelson, 1983;Tubre & Collins, 2000). [...]it is important for managers to be as transparent and clear as possible when communicating with their teams about how project timelines, priorities, and tasks may be affected during this time.
9PM: A Novel Interactive 9-Peg Board for Cognitive and Physical Assessment

Cognitive assessments are a crucial part of rehabilitation in persons with a neurological disorder and vocational rehabilitation, where people need to be trained to improve their cognitive abilities. While human action involves using several cognitive skills and physical skills, most assessment systems focus on detecting or assessing either the cognitive ability or just physical ability. There is a need for a system that bridges the gap between real-world activity, which involves physical activity and cognition, and clinical tests that are tailored for a specific use. To address this need, we propose a novel interactive 9-Hole Pegboard called the 9-Peg Move (9PM) capable of performing both cognitive and physical assessments in the same system. The system incorporates wearable sensors to collect data for objective evaluation. Preliminary machine learning results indicate that the data collected using our system can reliably recognize cognitive factors like perceived mental effort, perceived task difficulty, and perceived interest in a task. These results are the first step toward building an automated immersive assessment system.
Vibronic mean-field and perturbation theory for Jahn-Teller and pseudo-Jahn-Teller molecules

A generalisation of vibrational mean-field theory is developed for non-adiabatic Jahn-Teller and pseudo-Jahn-Teller molecules with coupled vibrational and electronic degrees of freedom treated with...
Good Girls, Good Food, Good Fun: The Story of USO Hostesses during World War II

This title covers the gender roles and sexual codes of the 'greatest generation'. Throughout World War II, when Saturday nights came around, servicemen and hostesses happily forgot the war for a little while as they danced together in USO clubs, which served as havens of stability in a time of social, moral, and geographic upheaval. Meghan Winchell demonstrates that in addition to boosting soldier morale, the USO acted as an architect of the gender roles and sexual codes that shaped the 'greatest generation.'Combining archival research with extensive firsthand accounts from among the hundreds of thousands of female USO volunteers, Winchell shows how the organization both reflected and shaped 1940s American society at large. The USO had hoped that respectable feminine companionship would limit venereal disease rates in the military. To that end, Winchell explains, USO recruitment practices characterized white middle-class women as sexually respectable, thus implying that the sexual behavior of working-class women and women of color was suspicious. In response, women of color sought to redefine the USO's definition of beauty and respectability, challenging the USO's vision of a home front that was free of racial, gender, and sexual conflict.Despite clashes over class and racial ideologies of sex and respectability, Winchell finds that most hostesses benefited from the USO's chaste image. In exploring the USO's treatment of female volunteers, Winchell not only brings the hostesses' stories to light but also supplies a crucial missing piece for understanding the complex ways in which the war both destabilized and restored certain versions of social order.
ICOS regulates ILC2s in asthma.

Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the airways leading to airway hyperreactivity and bronchoconstriction in response to allergens as well as unspecific stimuli such as cold air [1]. Classically, the key player cells in the pathogenesis of asthma are known to be T helper cells subsets including Th2, Th9 and Th17 as well as iNK T cells and dendritic cells [1–3]. An important aspect of the classical model of the pathogenesis of asthma is the requirement for T cells and antigen specificity. Discovery of type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) has substantially changed our understanding of the pathogenesis of asthma. ILC2s are a newly identified immune cells distinct from all known immune cells including T and B cells, dendritic cells, macrophages and granulocytes [4]. These new players in the pathogenesis of asthma can rapidly react to stimuli such as IL-25, IL-33 and TSLP and produce large amounts of Th2 cytokines, IL-5, IL-13 and the Th9 cytokine, IL-9 causing airway inflammation and hyperreactivity in non-antigen specific manner and independent of adaptive immunity [5]. In the T cell-mediated response, T cell receptor provides the antigen specific signal whereas costimulatory molecules provide the secondary signal to T cells resulting in an efficient T cell response. Unlike T cells, ILC2s lack any specific antigen receptor and receive activation signal mainly through cytokine stimuli, thus the expression of costimulatory molecules by ILC2s seems to be unnecessary. However, one of the hallmarks of ILC2 definition has been the expression of Inducible T cell COStimulator (ICOS) and the importance of ICOS is to the extent that it has been used as a means to specifically identify and deplete ILC2s in mice [6].
Physiological cholinergic functions in the CNS.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the physiological cholinergic functions in the central nervous system (CNS). The seventh meeting of the Informal International Cholinergic Club (IICC) is reviewed. The important aspects of the central cholinergic function are discussed in the chapter. The example illustrates the precocity of cholinergic studies as it shows that central cholinergic effects were known and studied long before there was any notion of acetylcholine (ACh) as a neurotransmitter. The methodology concerning chemical determination of ACh and choline are discussed in the chapter. The matter of the dynamics of the ACh in the nerve terminal, and of the control of its central release is also focused in the chapter. The dynamics of the cholinergic vesicles and of vesicular and cytoplasmic ACh of the nerve terminals; similarly, the matter of the auto- and hetero-control of the release of Ach-initiated are also described. The cholinergic receptors, such as the stereochemical structure, and the possibility of the subdivision of the nicotinic and muscarinic receptors are discussed in the chapter.
High Field Properties of NbN Ribbon Conductors

In this paper we report the first high field measurements on ribbon conductors composed of NbN and Cu deposited onto Hastelloy ribbons. These ribbons are 5 to 8 cm long, 1/8″ wide, and have several microns of NbN, covered with several microns of Cu, deposited onto one side. Such samples have a Tc ~ 1.4.5 K, Hc2 (2.0 K) ~ 26 T in the parallel direction and Jc (20 T, 2.0 K) up to 3 × 104 A/cm2.
Revisiting the Lyons Den: Summers v. Earth Island Institute's Misuse of Lyons's Realistic Threat of Harm Standing Test

In Summers v. Earth Island Institute, 129 S. Ct. 1142 (2009), the majority and dissenting opinions disagreed about how to apply the “realistic threat” test set forth in Los Angeles v. Lyons, 461 U.S. 95, 107 (1983)). According to Justice Scalia’s majority opinion in Summers, the plaintiff organizations did not have standing to obtain injunctive relief because they failed to prove that their members were likely in the near future to hike on government land on which the Forest Service conducted allegedly illegal sales of timber without public notice and comment and that the facts alleged by the plaintiffs were weaker than the “conjecture” rejected as insufficient for standing in Lyons. By contrast, Justice Breyer’s dissenting opinion in Summers argued that there was a “realistic threat” of future harm to the plaintiffs under the Lyons test. This Article re-examines Lyons. The Article also discusses Supreme Court and lower court decisions that have applied the Lyons test or distinguished that case. The Article concludes that there was a realistic threat of harm justifying injunctive relief in Summers if Lyons and its progeny are correctly understood.
Aspirin resistance: a review of diagnostic methodology, mechanisms, and clinical utility.

1. Abstract Ingestion of a daily aspirin in patients with coronary artery disease decreases the rate of occlusive atherosclerotic events by about 25 percent [1]. Some patients whose platelets are minimally inhibited by aspirin are categorized as aspirin resistant. Three reports document an increased risk for future vascular events in aspirin resistant patients [2–4]. Aspirin's platelet inhibitory effect is measured using a variety of techniques. The demarcation between minimal and expected aspirin inhibition of platelets is arbitrarily determined by each investigator which leads to confusion in translating these reports to patient care. The focus of this report is the relative merits of the different techniques and their utility for defining patients with minimal aspirin induced platelet inhibition. The clinically useful mechanisms underlying decreased aspirin induced platelet inhibition include failure of a patient to take their daily aspirin, poor compliance, and nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) interference with aspirin's ability to get to its binding site on the cyclooxygenase enzyme‐1 (COX‐1) [5, 6]. Compliance is best assessed by comparing the results obtained with arachidonic acid (AA) stimulated light aggregation at two time points. The first time point is while the patient is supposedly taking their usual daily aspirin and the second time point is 2 hours after the patient is observed to ingest 325 mg of aspirin. After observed ingestion of aspirin, those patients with minimal aspirin inhibition of platelets are best detected using light aggregation stimulated by a new platelet agonist platelet prostaglandin agonist (PPA) [7]. In order for the results of a particular technique to be clinically meaningful it must be shown that those patients with minimal aspirin inhibition of platelets have an increased risk for a future vascular event that is independent from known major cardiovascular risk factors.
Ocean Wind Fields from Satellite Active Microwave Sensors

"In the Earth’s atmosphere, the planetary boundary layer is the air layer near the ground affected by diurnal heat, moisture or momentum transfer to or from the surface". This definition, obtained from 1, may introduce the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer (MABL) as the planetary boundary layer over the sea surface. In this layer, important exchanges of sensible and latent heat and momentum take place over a large spectrum of time and spatial scales, driving the sea waves, the drift ocean currents and the storage of CO2 by the sea due to the wind and the breaking waves. In this context, the leading quantity is the wind vector U. Its assessment is of paramount importance in the evaluation of the wind stress τ = Cd(Ta, Ts, Td) · |U| 2, (the drag coefficient Cd is a function depending, in a first approximation, on the air Ta, the sea Ts and the dew Td temperatures), and of the gas transfer velocity k = 2.8310−2 · |U|3 (Monahan, 2002), for instance. One of the major problems in understanding the dynamics of the wind in the surface layer, the bottom layer inside the MABL where the turbulent fluxes exhibit a variability smaller than 10%, is the difficulty to get experimental data at spatial scales from few meters to few kilometers. The satellite sensors discussed in this chapter measure the backscatter from the sea surface, providing maps directly related to the characteristics of the surface layer and to the wind blowing inside this layer. Satellite active microwave sensors are the only instruments able to provide information about the spatial structure of the wind in the marine surface layer over large areas.
Physics of the Piano

Presented on October 1, 2012 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm in Room 144 of the Clough Undergraduate Learning commons Building.
Hunting for Paper Moldmates Among Rembrandt's Prints: Chain-line pattern matching

Early paper manufacturing used sieve-like molds through which paper pulp was drained. Two pieces of paper are called moldmates if they were made using the same mold. When a large body of one artist?s work on paper exists, the identification of moldmates can help in establishing chronology, suggest paper preferences, and indicate periods of intense activity of the artist. Rembrandt is an especially good example. With several thousand prints in existence today, the study of Rembrandt?s prints has occupied scholars for over two centuries, and the study of his printing papers occupies a prominent place within this scholarship [1]. This article examines the feasibility of moldmate identification via chain-line pattern matching and conducts a series of experiments that demonstrate how accurately the measurements can be made, how straight and parallel the lines may be, and provides a rule of thumb for the number of chain lines required for accurate moldmate identification using a simplified model. The problem of identifying moldmates among Rembrandt?s prints is presented as a pair of image/signal processing tasks; our strategy is to provide basic solutions to these tasks and to then reveal the shortcomings of these solutions in the hopes of encouraging future work in the signal processing community. With the support of the Morgan Library & Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, both of which are in New York, we have made high-resolution data available [2] to facilitate this quest.
Thermal evolution of permeability and microstructure in sea ice

[1] The fluid permeability k of sea ice constrains a broad range of processes, such as the growth and decay of seasonal ice, the evolution of summer ice albedo, and biomass build-up. Such processes are critical to how sea ice and associated ecosystems respond to climate change. However, studies of k and its dependence on brine porosity ϕ and microstructure are sparse. Here we present a multifaceted theory for k(ϕ) which closely captures laboratory and field data. X-ray computed tomography provides an unprecedented look at the brine phase and its connectivity. We find that sea ice displays universal transport properties remarkably similar to crustal rocks, yet over a much narrower temperature range. Our results yield simple parameterizations for fluid transport in terms of temperature and salinity, and permit more realistic representations of sea ice in global climate and biological models.
An innovative software application for surveying education

We present an innovative educational computer application for undergraduate students enrolled in a Construction Surveying Fundamentals course. The application includes an Interactive Virtual Environment for learning surveying concepts and practices, and an e-assessment tool that measures the individual student's cognitive and practical abilities. Results of a pilot study with 31 undergraduate students and 2 faculties showed that the software was perceived as easy to use, useful, and effective at measuring the individual student's performance. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 22:551–562, 2014; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cae; DOI 10.1002/cae.10.1002/cae.20580
Assembling global maps of cellular function through integrative analysis of physical and genetic networks

To take full advantage of high-throughput genetic and physical interaction mapping projects, the raw interactions must first be assembled into models of cell structure and function. PanGIA (for physical and genetic interaction alignment) is a plug-in for the bioinformatics platform Cytoscape, designed to integrate physical and genetic interactions into hierarchical module maps. PanGIA identifies 'modules' as sets of proteins whose physical and genetic interaction data matches that of known protein complexes. Higher-order functional cooperativity and redundancy is identified by enrichment for genetic interactions across modules. This protocol begins with importing interaction networks into Cytoscape, followed by filtering and basic network visualization. Next, PanGIA is used to infer a set of modules and their functional inter-relationships. This module map is visualized in a number of intuitive ways, and modules are tested for functional enrichment and overlap with known complexes. The full protocol can be completed between 10 and 30 min, depending on the size of the data set being analyzed.
On the curvature/buoyancy analogy for turbulent shear flows

Similarity in the near wall region of turbulent curved shear flows is examined. It is found that the normalized mean velocity is a function only of the dimensionless distance ζ c =z/L c whereL c is a corresponding Monin-Oboukhov length for curved shear flows. Again, the universal function is found to obey the log-linear law. Therefore, this result and the earlier derivation of So affirm that there is a very close analogy between the effects of streamline curvature and buoyancy for turbulent shear flows.
Revalidation and rationale for high pKa values of unconjugated bilirubin

Our prior solvent partition analysis, published in 1992, yielded pKa values for unconjugated bilirubin of about 8.1 and 8.4, but these results have been challenged and studies by other methods have suggested pKa values below 5.0. We repeated our published solvent partition studies, using 14C-unconjugated bilirubin highly purified by extraction of residual labeled impurities from CHCl3 into an aqueous buffer, pH 7.0. Partition ratios at six pH values from 5.0 to 9.0 were determined by radioassay and compared with our prior values obtained by diazo assay. At pH values ranging from 4.8 to 9.2, stable aqueous/chloroform 14C-partition ratios did not differ significantly from our published partition ratios based on diazo assay. These results support the high pKa values of unconjugated bilirubin, above 8.0, derived from our earlier solvent partition study. In both studies, our measurements were based on the rapid analysis of clearly under-saturated solutions of highly-purified bilirubin over a wide pH range, using properly purified and preserved solvents. No previous direct estimate of the aqueous pKa values of unconjugated bilirubin meets all these preconditions. Three theoretical factors acting in combination, each related to the unique, extensive internal H-bonding of the -COOH groups, are proposed to support high pKa values of unconjugated bilirubin in water: a) donation of an H-bond from the -OH moiety of the -COOH group, which is broken on ionization; b) hindered solvation of the -COO- group after ionization; and c) restricted rotation of the -COO- and -COOH groups. Our findings and rationale rebut methodological and theoretical criticisms leveled against our prior work. High pKa values for unconjugated bilirubin dictate that: a) bilirubin diacid, which readily diffuses across membranes and can cause neurotoxicity, is the dominant unbound bilirubin species of unconjugated bilirubin in plasma at physiological pH; b) at the near-neutral pH range of gallbladder bile, the monoanion is the major unconjugated bilirubin anion present, concordant with the finding that the calcium bilirubinate precipitated in gallstones is the monoanion salt. Our conclusions are thus relevant to understanding bilirubin-induced neurological disease in severely jaundiced neonates and the precipitation of calcium bilirubinate salts in gallstones.
Occurrence and binding affinity of prolactin receptors in amphibian tissues

The binding of [125I]oPRL to particulate fractions of kidney, bladder, gut, and liver homogenates from representatives of 12 amphibian species was examined. The general pattern of the degree of binding (from highest to lowest) was kidney (range 0–20.5%), bladder (2–15%), gut (0–3.7%), and liver (0–4.8%). Prolactin binding to kidney fractions was generally high except for the more aquatic and larval-like species, Siren lacertina, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, Necturus maculosus, and Xenopus laevis. Renal receptors from 6 species showed high affinity (Kd = 2–6 × 10−10 M) and low capacity (less than 300 fmol/mg protein) for the ovine ligand. Prolactin binding to bladder was readily detectable in all of the 6 species examined. Prolactin binding to gut and liver fractions was generally low or nondetectable (less than 0.5%). The physiological implications of these binding data are discussed, particularly in the context of a role for prolactin in osmoregulation in amphibians.
Increased risk of peripheral arterial disease in polymyalgia rheumatica: a population-based cohort study.

Introduction The present study was conducted to determine whether patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) are at an increased risk of peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
Sedimentation of charged fibers from a circular duct flow

Abstract Using the method of limiting trajectory, the deposition efficiency of a conducting charged fibrous aerosol under gravity from laminar flows in a horizontal cylindrical duct was obtained by solving simultaneously three equations for translation and two equations for rotation. It was shown that the electric charge on the fiber increased the deposition efficiency, but the increase was significant only when a threshold charge number was exceeded. Empirical expressions were derived for the threshold charge at different velocity profiles.
Modular regulatory principles of large non-coding RNAs

It is clear that RNA has a diverse set of functions and is more than just a messenger between gene and protein. The mammalian genome is extensively transcribed, giving rise to thousands of non-coding transcripts. Whether all of these transcripts are functional is debated, but it is evident that there are many functional large non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Recent studies have begun to explore the functional diversity and mechanistic role of these large ncRNAs. Here we synthesize these studies to provide an emerging model whereby large ncRNAs might achieve regulatory specificity through modularity, assembling diverse combinations of proteins and possibly RNA and DNA interactions.
“Damn'd . . . & beat at rehearsal”: The character James Quin's stage management

Quin deserves recognition as a stage manager in Londons patent theatres between 1725 and 1751 because he compensated for John Rich's indifference to legitimate plays and for Charles Fleetwood's gentlemanly incompetence. As in his acting, Quin was adamantly dedicated to maintaining the established Augustan ideal.
Performance of a fault detector artificial neural network using different paradigms

Fault detection and diagnosis are important issues in engineering. With proper fault detection and diagnosis schemes, factors such as safety, efficiency, and cost of system operations can be significantly improved. This paper presents the use of two popular artificial neural network paradigms, namely feedforward networks and Kohonen nets (trained by Learning Vector Quantization algorithm), to perform fault detection. For illustration purposes, the fault detection of single-phase squirrel-cage induction motors is discussed. Comparisons of the preliminary results obtained from the feedforward net and Kohonen net to perform single- phase induction motor fault detection, in terms of factors such as classification accuracy and training time, are presented and discussed.
A note on segmentation of computer programs

It has been shown that the cycle picture of the directed graph of a computer program can be used to solve the segmentation problem. A simple algorithm for finding the cycle picture is given.
The Hickman catheter: a new hemodialysis access device for infants and small children.

Abstract Hemodialysis (HD) is now integral to the management of many children with renal failure [1–5]. However, vascular access continues to be a major limitation in the application of HD to the small patient [2, 6].
A New Approach to Spatial Covariance Modeling of Functional Brain Imaging Data: Ordinal Trend Analysis

In neuroimaging studies of human cognitive abilities, brain activation patterns that include regions that are strongly interactive in response to experimental task demands are of particular interest. Among the existing network analyses, partial least squares (PLS; McIntosh, 1999; McIntosh, Bookstein, Haxby, & Grady, 1996) has been highly successful, particularly in identifying group differences in regional functional connectivity, including differences as diverse as those associated with states of awareness and normal aging. However, we address the need for a within-group model that identifies patterns of regional functional connectivity that exhibit sustained activity across graduated changes in task parameters. For example, predictions of sustained connectivity are commonplace in studies of cognition that involve a series of tasks over which task difficulty increases (Baddeley, 2003). We designed ordinal trend analysis (OrT) to identify activation patterns that increase monotonically in their expression as the experimental task parameter increases, while the correlative relationships between brain regions remain constant. Of specific interest are patterns that express positive ordinal trends on a subject-by-subject basis. A unique feature of OrT is that it recovers information about functional connectivity based solely on experimental design variables. In particular, there is no requirement by OrT to provide either a quantitative model of the uncertain relationship between functional brain circuitry and subject variables (e.g., task performance and IQ) or partial information about the regions that are functionally connected. In this letter, we provide a step-by-step recipe of the computations performed in the new OrT analysis, including a description of the inferential statistical methods applied. Second, we describe applications of OrT to an event-related fMRI study of verbal working memory and H215O-PET study of visuo-motor learning. In sum, OrT has potential applications to not only studies of young adults and their cognitive abilities, but also studies of normal aging and neurological and psychiatric disease.
PDK1 nucleates T cell receptor-induced signaling complex for NF-κB activation

Activation of the transcription factor NF-κB after engagement of the T cell receptor (TCR) is important for T cell proliferation and activation during the adaptive immune response. Recent reports have elucidated a signaling pathway that involves the protein kinase C θ (PKCθ), the scaffold protein CARD11 (also called CARMA-1), the caspase recruitment domain (CARD)–containing protein Bcl10, and the paracaspase (protease related to caspases) MALT1 as critical intermediates linking the TCR to the IκB kinase (IKK) complex. However, the events proximal to the TCR that initiate the activation of this signaling pathway remain poorly defined. We demonstrate that 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1) has an essential role in this pathway by regulating the activation of PKCθ and through signal-dependent recruiting of both PKCθ and CARD11 to lipid rafts. PDK1-associated PKCθ recruits the IKK complex, whereas PDK1-associated CARD11 recruits the Bcl10-MALT1 complex, thereby allowing activation of the IKK complex through Bcl10-MALT1–dependent ubiquitination of the IKK complex subunit known as NEMO (NF-κB essential modifier). Hence, PDK1 plays a critical role by nucleating the TCR-induced NF-κB activation pathway in T cells.
Seal Leakage Effects on the Electrical Performance of an SOFC Button Cell

This paper reports a new study where leakages through a seal in an SOFC button cell is investigated in details. A 2D model is used to determine different flow characteristics of the leakages and its effects on the cell performance. The leakage effects on the performance are studied at different seal porosities and other parameters are also investigated. The results of this investigation indicate that a seal leakage can affect the cell performance significantly if the leak comes from outside the test rig. That is, an air leak must be present through the seal and must flow into the anode chamber where then it affects negatively the cell performance.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Recoil corrections in highly charged ions

A recently introduced Bethe-Salpeter formalism is applied to the calculation of recoil corrections to the energy levels of all n=1, 2, and 3 states of hydrogenic ions. Finite basis set techniques are shown to allow the accurate evaluation of expressions that sum all orders of Z{alpha}, which are rederived in the formalism using combinatoric techniques. A comparison of the all-order results with one-loop calculations and known terms of the perturbation expansion in Z{alpha} is made. Good agreement of the results of the present work with previous calculations is shown, and a discussion of issues that will have to be treated for the many-electron case, where highly accurate experiments have been carried out, is given.
Work in progress - activities that capstone teams use to create innovative design in bioengineering

Engineering design is a social and a cognitive process: an opportunity resolved though a question-driven, divergent progression that builds upon knowledge about clients and users, needs and specifications, technology and market assessments, and other constraints. In order to educate engineers with the ability to be innovative designers, we need to better understand the complicated processes engineering students utilize when developing innovative designs. In this research we are evaluating how engineering students navigate the process of design from initial conception to product and determine the extent that resultant innovative designs traverse the entire process. To do this, we are employing on-line reflective journals via an exhaustive list of design process elements that span the five primary stages typically found in product development. Specifically, we are studying nine (four person teams) biomedical engineering design capstone projects at the University of Pittsburgh; hence we are able to study student design processes ldquoin action.rdquo Qualitative pattern analysis is being conducted on the reflective journals coupled with the quantitative analyses of the periodic questionnaires. In this work-in-progress, we investigate the differences in the student groups with regards to their first term progress and the various strategies/activities they employed.
Ion transport systems in membrane vesicles isolated from crustacean tissues

Studies with membrane vesicles isolated from crustacean gill have offered evidence for three major transport systems believed to play central roles in ion transport across the gill epithelium. First, ATP-dependent sodium/potassium and sodium/ammonium exchanges have been demonstrated in Na+ + K+ -ATPase-rich membrane preparations, supporting the concept that ammonium ion can serve as an effective counterion for sodium transport from cytosol to blood. Second, an amiloride-sensitive Na+ /H+ antiporter, demonstrated using a pH-sensitive fluorescent dye, has been shown to be electrogenic, apparently exchanging 2 sodium ions for 1 hydrogen ion. These two transport systems, the first in the basolateral membrane and the second likely in the apical membrane, can achieve net transport of sodium ions from water to blood. Third, a Cl−/HCO3− exchanger has been demonstrated in membrane vesicles from crab gill, most likely playing a central role in the sodium-independent transfer of chloride across the epithelium. Finally, although no direct studies of calcium transport in crab gill have been reported, indirect evidence from other tissues suggests that part of the calcium flux across the gill may be mediated by Ca2+ /H+ exchange. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in drinking water samples by solid-phase nanoextraction and high-performance liquid chromatography.

A novel alternative is presented for the extraction and preconcentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from water samples. The new approach—which we have named solid-phase nanoextraction (SPNE)—takes advantage of the strong affinity that exists between PAH and gold nanoparticles. Carefully optimization of experimental parameters has led to a high-performance liquid chromatography method with excellent analytical figures of merit. Its most striking feature correlates to the small volume of water sample (500 μL) for complete PAH analyses. The limits of detection ranged from 0.9 (anthracene) to 58 ng·L−1 (fluorene). The relative standard deviations at medium calibration concentrations vary from 3.2 (acenaphthene) to 9.1% (naphthalene). The analytical recoveries from tap water samples of the six regulated PAH varied from 83.3 ± 2.4 (benzo[k]fluoranthene) to 95.7 ± 4.1% (benzo[g,h,i]perylene). The entire extraction procedure consumes less than 100 μL of organic solvents per sample, which makes it e...
Assessment of coral reefs using herbivory/nutrient assays and indicator groups of benthic primary producers: a critical synthesis, proposed protocols, and critique of management strategies

1. Rapid assessment protocols for determining and monitoring the status of any given coral reef are provided and include measuring: (a) standing stocks of functional indicator groups, (b) herbivore populations, (c) water-column nutrient levels, (d) tissue C:N:P ratios, (e) algal physiological-response assays, and (f) herbivory assays. These measurements can reveal quantitative tipping-point levels beyond which resilience to undesirable phase shifts begins to become critically reduced. Universal tipping-point approximations are reviewed for inorganic nutrients, and posited for the first time for herbivory. 2. The relative roles of top-down and bottom-up controls in determining benthic community structure and the health of coral reefs are especially important management concerns. This paper specifically addresses the top-down effects of herbivory and bottom-up effects of nutrient enrichment on critical indicator groups, i.e. reef-building corals, crustose coralline algae, dense turf algae and frondose macroalgae. 3. A predominance of (a) massive corals and calcareous coralline algae relative to frondose macroalgae and algal turfs indicates a healthy spatially heterogeneous condition reflecting low nutrients and high herbivory. An abundance of (b) frondose macroalgae illustrates the least desirable condition of elevated nutrient levels and reduced herbivory, possibly reflecting pollution in concert with destructive herbivore fishing practices. High coverage of (c) coralline algae suggests healthy high herbivory levels, but problems with elevated nutrients that are inhibitory to some corals. Domination by (d) dense turf algae indicates desirably low nutrient levels, but an inadequate herbivory component. 4. The fast growth and turnover rates of fleshy algae compared to other reef organisms highlight their value as early warning indicators of reef degradation. 5. From a management perspective, levels of herbivory and nutrients rank among the most useful quantitative indicators of coral reef resilience; whereas, the degree of degradation and mortality are inferred from the above functional indicator groups of benthic primary producers. Published in 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Correction to "Performance of phase-locked loops in the presence of fading communication channels"

In the above-named paper (ibid., vol. COM-24, pp. 487- 499, May 1976) the 'Acknowledgment' section was inadvertently omitted. It appears herein.
Correlation of bony ingrowth to the distribution of stress and strain parameters surrounding a porous-coated implant.

The ability of shear strains to inhibit bony ingrowth was investigated by use of a transcortical porous-coated cylindrical plug implant in a functionally isolated turkey ulna model in which the mechanical loading environment could be accurately controlled and rigorously defined. The distribution of ingrowth at the bone-implant interface was quantified following 8 weeks of in vivo loading consisting of 100 seconds per day of a 20 Hz sinusoidal stimulus sufficient to cause a local peak strain of approximately 100 microstrain in the cortex at the bone-implant interface in four turkeys. A nonuniform but repeatable pattern of bony ingrowth, from 33 +/- 6 to 72 +/- 6% (mean +/- SE), was observed. The mechanical environment in the vicinity of the bone-implant interface was calculated using a three-dimensional elastic orthotropic finite element model. The general stress-strain state of the bone as predicted by the finite element model was validated in two additional turkeys using four three-element rosette strain gauges, while high resolution moire interferometry was used to determine the mechanical state of the region immediately adjacent to the implant itself. Shear strains and stresses were evaluated at the interface and correlated to the pattern of bony ingrowth circumscribing the implant interface. Linear regressions between ingrowth and both shear strain and shear stress were negative, with the values of R = -0.75 and R = -0.78 (p < 0.001), respectively, indicating significant inhibition of ingrowth where shear components were maximal. These results suggest that the minimization of shear stress and strain components is a major determinant in achieving successful ingrowth of bone into a prosthesis.
Strategic planning as if ethics mattered

Ethics and the moral obligations of management were an accepted component in the planning process during the early development of Corporate Strategy as a field of study. It is proposed that ethics must be brought back into that planning process in order to build trust on the part of all of the stake-holders of the firm. Trust generates commitment. Commitment ensures effort, and effort that is cooperative, innovative and strategically directed is essential for success in a competitive global economy. Ethics should be central, not peripheral, to the overall management of the firm.
Federalist Party Unity and the War of 1812

There is no comprehensive study of Federalist opposition to the War of 1812. The fragmentary studies that exist suggest a party divided between New England extremists on the one hand and moderates in the Middle and Southern States on the other. In this interpretative framework, Federalists to the south and west are invariably portrayed as “good” Federalists, that is, as patriots who consciously and decisively rejected New England's leadership in order to support the war or at least maintain a discreet neutrality. A closer examination of the subject, however, suggests that this view is largely false.
The waterpipe: time for action.

The waterpipe, known in many cultures under different shapes and names (e.g. hookah, shisha, narghile), is a centuries-old tobacco use method that is witnessing a world-wide surge in popularity. This popularity is most noticeable among youths, and is surpassing cigarette smoking among this group in some societies. Many factors may have contributed to the recent waterpipe spread, including the introduction of sweetened/flavored waterpipe tobacco (known as Maassel), its reduced-harm perception, the thriving cafe culture, mass media and the internet. The passage of smoke through water on its way to the smoker underlies much of the common misperception that waterpipe use is less harmful than cigarettes. The health/addictive profile of waterpipe compared to cigarettes is largely unresearched and is likely to be influenced by the properties of smoke, duration and frequency of use, type of tobacco used, volume of smoke inhaled and the contribution of charcoal. However, the accumulation of evidence about the harmful and addictive potential of waterpipe use is outpacing the public health response to this health risk. A timely public health and policy action is needed in order to curb the emerging waterpipe smoking epidemic.
Joseph Henry, Pioneer in Space Communication

Joseph Henry, while a teacher at the Albany Academy, brought the electromagnet to its present form and distinguished two types, the "quantity" magnet and the "intensity" magnet. He used the intensity magnet in a circuit containing a mile of wire and rang a bell by sending a current through the circuit. His inventions and discoveries cover the essential features of the electromagnetic telegraph. In the period Henry spentin Albany, he probably observed the induced current, at a date set by his daughter, Miss Mary A. Henry, as early as 1830, but he postponed publication and before the larger magnet and coil which he was building were ready for use he learned that Faraday had anticipated him in this most important discovery. Henry came to Princeton in 1832, and there constructed a great magnet for the college, and set up a telegraph line between his laboratory and his house. He also resumed his study of the current of self-induction, which he had noticed in Albany. After spending a year's leave of absence in Europe, he settled to a definite field in which he made his most important discoveries. He thought that most of the work on electromagnetic induction had been concerned with the relations between the current and the magnetic field, and that no one had properly developed what he called "the purely electrical part of Dr. Faraday's admirable discovery.
Comparative Study Of High Pressure Liquid Chromatography/Fourier Transform Infrared (HPLC/FTIR) Techniques

The FT-IR spectra of liquid chromatographic fractions obtained using a flow-through liquid cell and an apparatus involving solvent-elimination and diffuse reflectance are compared. When working with complex mobile phase systems necessary for producing good LC separation, the diffuse reflectance method is capable of much higher sensitivity than the flow-cell technique. Examples of the sensitivity levels achievable with the diffuse reflectance method are presented.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Pathophysiologic and pharmacologic rationales for clinical management of chronic heart failure with beta-blocking agents

Abstract An understanding of the important role of neurohormonal compensatory mechanisms in heart failure has been translated into therapeutic options that can improve cardiac function, after disease progression, and improve survival. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors are of proven benefit in this regard, and β-adrenergic receptor antagonists are potentially another such class of agents. By inhibiting the myocardial effects of chronic adrenergic activation, β blocking agents may improve left ventricular function or delay its deterioration in patients with heart failure. Aside from blocking β-adrenergic receptors, other ancillary properties inherent in third-generation β-blocking agents (such as vasodilation) may exert additional favorable effects. Clinical data generated in subjects with heart failure indicate that β-antagonist therapy exerts its physiologic and clinical effects through neurohormonal antagonism, generally analogous to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, virtually all controlled long-term studies show that β-blocking agents improve cardiac function and hemodynamics in patients with chronic heart failure, but largescale trials are needed to ascertain a favorable effect on the natural history of heart failure.
The coastal module of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS): an assessment of current capabilities to detect change

Abstract Two related topics are addressed in this paper. The first is the challenging and difficult task of producing scientifically credible quantitative assessments of the status, condition or health of coastal marine and estuarine ecosystems on regional to global scales. The second is the current capacity to provide the data required to produce such assessments in a routine and repeatable fashion, a purpose of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). It is concluded that there is an immediate need to develop a coastal module of GOOS that will enable periodic ecosystem assessments and significantly improve the ability of participating nations to achieve the goals of international agreements and conventions for environmental protection, sustainable resources, healthy marine and estuarine ecosystems, and safe and efficient marine operations.