cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement and multilayer model of cooling of gold nanoparticles: Transient thermoreflectance experiments and multilayer analytical modeling

We derive an analytical model of diffusive thermal transport in multilayer structures of spherical symmetry and apply it to transient thermoreflectance measurements of gold nanoparticles embedded in a polymer matrix. This multilayer approach significantly improves the quantitative measurement of material thermal properties, in comparison with single-layer methods. The model adapts the typical planar transfer matrix model to a spherical geometry, and we apply it to transient thermoreflectance (TTR) experiments on gold nanoparticles embedded in a polymer matrix, to published TTR data for aqueous platinum nanoparticles, and also to example systems of aqueous gold and platinum nanoparticles. We measure a thermal boundary conductance value of 410MW/m2K at the nanoparticle gold/polymer interface. The sensitivity of the TTR signal to system thermal properties is predicted as a function of the particle/matrix thermal boundary resistance (TBR), and we discuss the differentiation of TBR and capping layer effects on a TTR signal.We derive an analytical model of diffusive thermal transport in multilayer structures of spherical symmetry and apply it to transient thermoreflectance measurements of gold nanoparticles embedded in a polymer matrix. This multilayer approach significantly improves the quantitative measurement of material thermal properties, in comparison with single-layer methods. The model adapts the typical planar transfer matrix model to a spherical geometry, and we apply it to transient thermoreflectance (TTR) experiments on gold nanoparticles embedded in a polymer matrix, to published TTR data for aqueous platinum nanoparticles, and also to example systems of aqueous gold and platinum nanoparticles. We measure a thermal boundary conductance value of 410MW/m2K at the nanoparticle gold/polymer interface. The sensitivity of the TTR signal to system thermal properties is predicted as a function of the particle/matrix thermal boundary resistance (TBR), and we discuss the differentiation of TBR and capping layer effects o...
Approaches for the utilization of multiple criteria to select a working correlation structure for use within generalized estimating equations

Generalized estimating equations (GEE) incorporate a working correlation structure that is important because the more accurately this structure reflects the true structure, the more efficiently reg...
Abstract 137: Progesterone Induced Blocking Factor Improves Clinical Characteristics of Preeclampsia in Rupp Rats

Preeclampsia (PE) is characterized by new onset hypertension in association with elevated natural killer (NK) cells and inflammatory cytokines which are likely culprits for decreased fetal weight d...
A Singing Dance from Bulgaria.

Folkloric music and dance in Bulgaria are performed as has been for generations, but also present are innovative hybrids in text, form, and instrumentation. Historically, traditional musical activi...
Compound period grating coupler for double beams generation and steering

We propose a compound period grating coupler by combining two component periods together to generate two outcoupling beams simultaneously. The two beams both response to the wavelength tuning, and thus approximately double the steering range. © 2019 The Author(s)
Comparison of full-waveform, single-photon sensitive, and discrete analog LIDAR data

ABSTRACT Full-waveform LiDAR data from an AHAB Chiroptera I system with 515 nm and 1032 nm lasers (  10 pts/m 2 ),single-photon sensitive data from the Sigma Space HRQLS system with a 532 nm laser (  19 pts/m 2 ), and discreteanalog data from an Optech Orion C200 system (  88 pts/m 2 ) were collected from aerial platforms over Monterey,CA, USA in fall 2012 and fall 2013. The study area contains residential neighborhoods, forested regions, inlandlakes, and the Paci c Ocean near-shore environment. Signi cant ground truth in the form of GPS measurementsand terrestrial LiDAR scans enable the LiDAR data to be compared in terms of measurement precision anddegree of tree canopy penetration, as well as comparisons of derived raster products.Keywords: LiDAR, full-waveform, single-photon sensitive, discrete analog 1. INTRODUCTION The motivation of this work was to understand if, and to what extent, di erent modalities of collecting LiDARdata result in data with di erent characteristics, if these data require di erent processing strategies, and if thereare di erences in derived products. Three datasets were collected with di erent LiDAR systems, including asingle-photon sensitive system, a full-waveform system, and a discrete analog system. The datasets were allcollected over the same region of the Monterey Bay Peninsula in Monterey, CA, at similar times of year in 2012and 2013.
Corporate Moral Agency at the Convenience of Ethics and Law

The construct of corporate moral agency in both ethics and law is far too often regarded as little more than a means to an end, reduced to subtle semantics, attenuated fictions, and poor analogies. Much scholarship on corporate moral agency is used instrumentally to reach certain ideological ends in business ethics. In this article, we also bemoan the criminal law’s perennial search over personhood and agency — a search that takes a host of theoretical casualties and, ultimately, a reluctance to employ formal social controls in response to serious corporate wrongdoing. Jurists, legal theorists, business ethicists, and philosophers are all too eager to avoid any serious engagement with question of CMA.
Disability, ICT and eLearning Platforms: Faculty-Facing Embedded Work Tools in Learning Management Systems

This paper contributes to the current discussion in the field of human-computer interaction design (HCI) on the accessibility and design of eLearning tools embedded in the online platforms for higher education. Presenting the preliminary results of a longitudinal study of the accessibility of the faculty-facing pages of Canvas learning management system, it aims at drawing the attention of designers, developers, and manufacturers to the barriers erected by the ableist LMS designs for disabled faculty. The paper asks for improvements in design processes by embracing participatory design methods and by paying attention to the recommendations included in this paper.
Sailing the Backyard Beagle

Charles Darwin returned home from his five-year voyage around the world aboard HMS Beagle in October 1836. As transformative as the experience was for him, the voyage he embarked upon in the coming months and years was even more so: by turns Darwin became convinced of species change, or transmutation, discovered its mechanism in the form of natural selection, became a respected member of several London scientific societies (and elected Secretary of one), published his first accounts of the Beagle voyage and a plethora of scientific papers, and became a devoted husband and father of two — all in the space of the five years following his return home.
Embedded WAIS-IV Detection Strategies and Feigned Cognitive Impairment: An Investigation of Malingered ADHD

Malingered attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be strongly motivated on college campuses by recreational use of ADHD medications and to obtain unwarranted academic accommodations. Rather than rely on face-valid (easily faked) ADHD checklists, the study focused on the more complex Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth edition (WAIS-IV; Wechsler, 2008). However, the current literature has not yet investigated well-defined detection strategies for feigned WAIS-IV presentations. Using aprioristic standards, four different detection strategies from the feigning literature were adapted to certain WAIS-IV subscales. For example, significantly below-chance performance was applied to visual puzzles. Using a between-subjects simulation design, 74 undergraduate simulators were compared with archival data on 73 outpatients diagnosed with ADHD at a university psychology clinic. Very large effect sizes (Cohen's ds from 1.66 to 1.90) differentiated between genuine and feigned ADHD. Two strategies (significantly below-chance performance and floor effect) showed strong promise if cross-validated for other feigning presentations. The study concluded with clinical considerations and future avenues for research.
Behavioral implications of temporal lobe epilepsy on social contingency.

Abstract Objective Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a chronic condition classically characterized by recurrent unprovoked episodes of involuntary violent motion and behavior whose degree and nature often overshadow the more subtle interictal neuropsychiatric symptoms. The purpose of this research was to investigate further the nature of cognitive impairment seen in social interaction within the population with TLE. Methods We recorded the dynamics of real-time sensorimotor interaction in 10 pairs of control participants and ten pairs of participants with drug-resistantTLE using a minimalistic human-computer interface paradigm known as “perceptual crossing.” We investigated whether TLE is associated with impaired detection of social contingency, i.e.,reduced sensitivity to their teammate's responsiveness to their behavior. Results Our analysis reveals that using a simplified, computer-mediated, embodied form of social interaction, people with TLE demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in identification accuracy ratio (p-value is 0.00084,p Discussion We found that coregulated interactions differed significantly between subjects with drug-resistantTLE and age–gender-matched controls consistent with prior meta-analysis observations regarding social cognition impairment in TLE. This is the first study to demonstrate social contingency impairment through dyadic interaction in the population with TLE.
Nonlinear Control of Constrained Dynamic Systems

Linear system theory has reached an impressive maturity, with elegant solutions to a wide range of problems, and associated design procedures. Recent research in nonlinear system theory has seen the emergence of important techniques such as feedback linearization and backstepping, as well as interesting extensions of H ∞ theory to nonlinear systems. These impressive advances underline our relative inability to deal with hard constraints. In this paper we examine design of controllers for linear systems subject to constraints on states and controls. A major motivation is the presence of hard constraints in most applications; efficient handling of these constraints requires nonlinear controllers even if the system being controlled is linear.
Vagrants in Volvos: Ending Pretextual Traffic Stops and Consent Searches of Vehicles in Illinois

Vagrancy laws provided a way of controlling the movement of former slaves in the South after the Civil War. The traffic code is the new way of controlling the movements of minorities in America. Aided by U.S. Supreme Court decisions in Whren, Atwater, and Caballes, police have almost unlimited discretion to stop any driver. But the use of traffic stops on minority drivers - for the purpose of obtaining consent to search the car without any probable cause or reasonable suspicion - is particularly pernicious. This article suggests ways to curb this police practice.
mSphere of Influence: Surface Sensing in Biofilm Formation.

ABSTRACT Kara B. De Leόn works in the field of microbial ecology, environmental biofilms, and microbial genetics. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how the paper “Multigenerational memory and adaptive adhesion in early bacterial biofilm communities” by C. K. Lee et al. (C. K. Lee, J. de Anda, A. E. Baker, R. R. Bennett, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 115:4471–4476, 2018, https://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1720071115) made an impact on her by changing the way she thinks about initial cell attachment to a surface in an environment.
The cardiac autonomic nervous system: an introduction.

In recent decades, numerous anatomical and physiological studies of the cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) have investigated the complex relationships between the brain and the heart. Autonomic activation not only alters heart rate, conduction, and hemodynamics, but also cellular and subcellular properties of individual myocytes. Moreover, the cardiac ANS plays an essential role in cardiac arrhythmogenesis. There is mounting evidence that neural modulation either by ablation or stimulation can effectively control a wide spectrum of cardiac arrhythmias. This article discusses anatomic aspects of the cardiac ANS, focusing on how autonomic activities influence cardiac electrophysiology. Specific autonomic triggers of various cardiac arrhythmias, in particular atrial fibrillation (AF) and ventricular arrhythmias, are also briefly discussed. Studies with heart-rate variability analysis indicate that, rather than being triggered by either vagal or sympathetic activity, the onset of AF can be associated with simultaneous discharge of both limbs, leading to an imbalance between these two arms of the cardiac ANS. At the same time, sudden cardiac death resulting from ventricular arrhythmias continues to be a significant health and societal burden. These nerve activities of the cardiac ANS can be targeted for the treatment for cardiac arrhythmias, in particular AF and ventricular tachyarrhythmias.
Measurements of Argon-39 from locations near historic underground nuclear explosions.

Abstract Measurement of radioactive gas seepage from an underground nuclear explosion is one of the primary methods to confirm whether an event was nuclear in nature. Radioactive noble gas indicators that are commonly targeted by such measurements (e.g. 133Xe, 37Ar) have half-lives of 35 days or less. Argon-39, an activation product similar to 37Ar, is produced by the interaction between neutrons and potassium in the surrounding geology and has a half-life of 269 years. Measurements taken at three sites near three historic underground nuclear test locations at the Nevada National Security Site have all shown highly elevated levels of 39Ar in soil gas decades after the test events. Elevated levels of 39Ar were also detected in atmospheric air collected near two of these sites, and outside the entrance of the one tunnel site. These measurements demonstrate that 39Ar has the potential to be a long-term signature of an underground nuclear event which can be reliably detected at the surface or in the shallow subsurface. This radionuclide detection of an underground nuclear event decades after the event takes place is in contrast to the commonly held assumption that detecting underground nuclear events via radionuclides at the surface needs to be done in a matter of months. Depending upon what further studies show about the robustness of this signature in a variety of geological settings, it may in fact be easy to detect underground nuclear events at the surface for a very long time post-detonation.
Studies on the Defect in SAP-1 (Sulfatide/GM1 Activator)-Deficient Patients

The catabolism of sulfatide, GM1 ganglioside and ceramide trihexoside require a heat stable activator protein in addition to their specific lysosomal enzyme.1-3 This so-called sphingolipid activator protein (SAP-1 in our nomenclature4) acts by binding to the sphingolipid and presenting it to the lysosomal enzyme. Studies in this and other laboratories have demonstrated its relatively small subunit molecular weight (about 8000 daltons in the mature, fully processed form),5 its synthesis from a comparatively large precursor about 70,000 daltons when glycosylated),6 the presence of SAP-1 in tissues from those patients with genetic disorders that result in storage of specific lipids that bind to SAP-1,7 the lack of detectable cross reacting material (CRM) in cultured skin fibroblasts and leukocytes from the patients with a variant form of metachromoatic leukodystrophy,8-9 the lysosomal localization of SAP-1 in human liver and colon,10 and the location of the structural gene on the long arm of human chromosome 10.11 Human patients having a neurological disorder caused by a deficiency of SAP-1 were previously described by Shapiro, Kihara, Fluharty, and coworkers12-13 and Hahn et al.14 Those initial stuides provided suggestive evidence for a defect in the sulfatide activator protein because arylsulfatase A activity was near normal, yet a defect in sulfatide metabolism could be demonstrated. Studies in this laboratory demonstrated a lack of both precursor and mature SAP-1 in cultured skin fibroblasts from these patients.6
Theology and the Invitation of the Stranger

Who do we encounter as a stranger? And what is the role or significance of the stranger in moral experience? Many different answers to these questions have emerged within the disciplines of philosophy, psychology, sociology and anthropology. This essay will survey several theological accounts of the stranger’s significance for the moral life. For the sake of brevity it will focus upon themes drawn from Christian theology, both biblical and contemporary. The accounts described here offer widely varied models for understanding the moral import of our encounters with strangers. I will suggest, however, that they also share a common thematic element — namely, that the stranger always stands before us as an invitation.
Flexible Scoping of Authorization Constraints on Business Processes with Loops and Parallelism

Real-life business process specifications include situations where work may be repeated due to exceptions such as the lack of resources or failed approvals. However, most authorization constraint models for business processes describe them as partially ordered sets of tasks. This abstraction simplifies the analysis of constraints greatly but prevents their use in real systems because control flows with loops are not supported. To overcome this limitation, we scope authorization constraints to task instances using the concept of release, which removes associations between users and their previously executed tasks. We define a model applying releases to cardinality and interval constraints, such as Separation of Duty (SoD). The latter is based on the notion of intervals defined by pairs of tasks and imposing conditions on the users executing them. We extend BPMN to visualize our constraints, bridging the gap between IT and business people as well as to auditors.
A Critical Assessment of the United States Implementation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

As Western corporations continue to expand internationally in search of natural resources and greater economies of scale, they increasingly and themselves operating amidst the political unrest and social conoict that afoicts many developing nations. In such contexts, multinational enterprises often turn a blind eye to human rights abuses, and in the worst cases, become active participants. As a result, many have called for a global system of corporate governance. This Note focuses on the OECD’s framework for inouencing corporate behavior internationally: the “OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.” After explaining the mechanics of the Guidelines, this Note provides a critical analysis of the United States’ implementation by comparing U.S. methods with those of two other adherent states—the Netherlands and France. Ultimately, the Note concludes that U.S. practices leave much room for improvement and offers suggestions for a more robust implementation of the Guidelines.
Integration and mapping of Bacillus megaterium genes which code for small, acid-soluble spore proteins and their protease.

Abstract Four genes (ssp genes) coding for small, acid-soluble spore proteins of Bacillus megaterium and the gene for the protease that cleaves them during germination were cloned in the integratable plasmid pJH101. Each plasmid was integrated into the B. megaterium chromosome by a Campbell-type mechanism, allowing mapping of all five genes. The gene for the small, acid-soluble spore protein-specific protease (gpr) mapped near rib, and the sspA gene mapped between argA and hisA. The three other genes of the spp gene family (sspB, -D, and -F) all mapped near metC/D, with the order: sspF-sspD-metC/D-hemA-argO-sspB. While neither gpr nor sspF has been mapped in B. subtilis, the positions of the sspA, -B, and -D loci are similar in B. megaterium and B. subtilis, suggesting that the members of this multigene family have not recently undergone significant movement on the chromosome. It appears that more gene rearrangement has occurred in the flanking genes than has occurred in the ssp family of genes producing the small, acid-soluble spore proteins.
Uridine Diphosphate Glucose Pyrophosphorylase III. CATALYTIC MECHANISM

Abstract Uridine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase, upon incubation with uridine diphosphate glucose or uridine triphosphate, forms a complex which is stable to Sephadex chromatography. Both the uridine portion of uridine triphosphate or uridine diphosphate glucose and the inorganic pyrophosphate or glucose portion of each molecule migrate with the enzyme and cannot be separated by Sephadex chromatography. The amount of substrate bound to the enzyme appears to be dependent upon the stage of aggregation of the protein and has varied experimentally from 5.5 to 10.7 moles per mole of enzyme. Since there are 8 subunits per mole of enzyme, it is likely that 1 mole of substrate is bound per subunit. Uridine monophosphate, inorganic pyrophosphate, and glucose 1-phosphate do not migrate with the enzyme under the same conditions. Glucose 1-phosphate and inorganic pyrophosphate will, however, react with the uridine triphosphate or uridine diphosphate glucose complex and migrate with the enzyme on Sephadex, suggesting the formation of a complex by an exchange reaction. Thus, a compulsory order of substrate binding appears likely. Calf liver pyrophosphorylase has been shown to exist in solution as a complex-polymerizing system of protomers. The environmental factors which control the state of aggregation of the enzyme have not been well defined, but important parameters seem to be specific ions, ionic strength, pH, and concentration of protein. An improved procedure for the purification and crystallization of uridine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase is presented.
Manifest Destiny? The Union Pacific-Southern Pacific Merger

The merger of the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific Railroads was proposed in August 1995 and received regulatory approval in July 1996. From its proposal onward, the merger has sparked considerable controversy. This paper reviews the background to the merger, the arguments that were set forth by the merger?s proponents and opponents, the eventual decision by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, and the difficulties that have beset the merged firm since 1996.
A New Paradigm for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease: Targeting Vascular Activation

Abstract No disease-modifying therapies are currently available for Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than 36 million people worldwide. Although cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes are increasingly implicated as contributing to the development of AD, the mechanisms whereby these factors influence pathological processes in the AD brain have not been defined. Here we propose, for the first time, vascular activation as a relevant mechanism in AD pathogenesis. We explore this hypothesis in two transgenic AD animal models: AD2576APPSwe (AD2576) and LaFerla 3xTg (3xTgAD) mice using the vascular activation inhibitor sunitinib. Our data show that in both AD animal models, the cerebrovasculature is activated and overexpresses amyloid beta, thrombin, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, and matrix metalloproteinase 9. Oral administration of sunitinib significantly reduces vascular expression of these proteins. Furthermore, sunitinib improves cognitive function, as assessed by several behavioral paradigms, in both AD animal models. Finally, oxidant injury of brain endothelial cells in culture, resulting in expression of inflammatory proteins, is mitigated by sunitinib. The current data, as well as published studies showing cerebrovascular activation in human AD, support further exploration of vascular-based mechanisms in AD pathogenesis. New thinking about AD pathogenesis and novel, effective treatments are urgently needed. Identification of "vascular activation" as a heretofore unexplored target could stimulate translational investigations in this newly defined area, leading to innovative therapeutic approaches for the treatment of this devastating disease.
Winners and Losers in the Globalization of Legal Services: Offshoring the Market for Foreign Lawyers

This article takes an empirical approach to the issue of how the U.S. legal services market is responding to globalization. It begins by considering the ways in which the domestic legal services market has internationalized by focusing on changes in legal education and examines the disconnection between U.S. legal education and practice opportunities in the U.S. The article proceeds to consider the ways in which U.S. law firms have become global organizations by offshoring their international identities, through the staffing of their non-U.S. offices with non-U.S. lawyers. Based on a database of more than 5,000 lawyers working in the offshore offices of 60 U.S.-based law firms, this article reveals this globalization strategy. Internationalization has been accomplished at local levels by most U.S. law firms. One consequence of this method of internationalization through offshoring is that the need for dual trained lawyers is minimal. While U.S. law schools attract increasing numbers of foreign lawyer students, U.S. law firms remain disinterested in hiring and training them. U.S. law firms have succeeded in going global by going local. As a result, the traditional power dynamics of most U.S. law firms, favoring domestic lawyers to the exclusion of those with foreign expertise and experience, has been preserved.
Nossa and Nuestra América: Inter-American Dialogues

Robert Patrick Newcomb, Nossa and Nuestra America: Inter-American Dialogues . West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press, 2012. 264 pp. Paperback and ebook. ISBN 978-1-55753-603-7 Reviewed by Paulo Moreira, Yale University
Purely cutaneous rosai-dorfman disease with immunohistochemistry.

Background: The cutaneous form of Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare entity that manifests solely with skin papules or nodules and does not present with the usual myriad of symptoms of classical RDD. Aims: To analyze the most recent publications regarding cutaneous RDD to point out updated, relevant aspects regarding future directions for clinical recognition and management. To identify histopathologic and immunohistochemical findings in skin lesions that permit diagnosis. Materials and Methods: We present a case of a gentleman with a history of multiple lipomas with a new solitary nodule on physical exam; microscopic examination shows the typical findings of RDD with the associated diagnostic immunohistochemical profile, as well as the expected finding of histiocytes engulfing other intact inflammatory cells. Results: Our patient was managed with surgical excision of the entire lesion, one of the several available treatment options. Long-term follow-up 2 years later did not reveal any complications, recurrences, or new lesions. Conclusion: The diagnosis of cutaneous RDD is differentiated from other histiocytic conditions by the combination of clinical findings accompanied by histopathologic and immunohistochemical confirmation.
A New Methodology for the Evaluation of the Maneuvering Characteristics of Surface Ship Models

An Arc Second Indoor Global Positioning System (IGPS) has been applied in the evaluation of the maneuvering characteristics of surface ships. The system consists of a series of laser transmitters located around the Maneuvering and Seakeeping (MASK) Basin at the David Taylor Model Basin (DTMB) in West Bethesda, Maryland. Receivers for the location of the model within the MASK are installed on a free-running surface ship model. Since the system provides position of the model within the basin as a function of time, velocity is also computed from finite differences of position and time. The system has been effective in providing velocity calibration data versus propeller shaft speed in straight-line runs. The characteristics of circle maneuvers have also been determined from the system such as the steady turn radius as a function of approach velocity and rudder angle, velocity in a turn, and the drift angle. Quantitative results are provided for a surface ship model in circle maneuvers and velocity calibration from straight-line runs. The typical Froude number range for a test is typically 0.1 < Fr < 0.4 with an uncertainty of ±0.0048 at the 95% confidence level.© 2008 ASME
Aristotle on the Starting-Point of Motion in the Soul

Abstract In Eudemian Ethics 8.2, Aristotle posits god as the starting-point of non-rational desire (particularly for the naturally fortunate), thought, and deliberation. The questions that dominate the literature are: To what does ‘god’ refer? Is it some divine-like entity in the soul that produces thoughts and desires or is it Aristotle’s prime mover? And how does god operate as the starting-point of these activities? By providing a careful reconstruction of the context in which god is evoked, I argue against the popular deflationary reading of ‘god’, showing why Aristotle’s prime mover must be the end of these natural activities, and how it serves as a final cause for the rational and desirative parts of the soul. I contend that EE 8.2 provides evidence against the traditional notion that god operates as a final cause by drawing natural potentialities to their completion, and suggests instead that it serves as a final cause by entering into the explanation of natures and natural activities as their ultimate end.
Interlaminar dynamic crack propagation

Abstract Effective computational procedures are established and used to characterize dynamic crack propagation along material interfaces between isotropic and orthotropic materials. We first simulate a dynamic fracture experiment in which crack propagation occurs along an interface between PMMA and steel in a dynamically loaded bend specimen. In the analysis, the dynamic energy release rate and mixed-mode stress intensity factors are extracted from finite element field solutions using suitably formulated conservation integrals. These variables form the basis for defining an interface fracture criterion under dynamic conditions. In order to propagate the crack according to such a criterion, an iterative procedure is utilized to determine the correct crack tip velocity history. An important computed result, which is consistent with experimental observation, is that the energy release rate decreases as the crack propagation accelerates. The physical interpretation of this result is that less energy is absorbed by the moving crack as its velocity increases. In the second part of our study, the computational procedures are modified for the dynamic fracture analysis of a thin composite panel consisting of differently oriented orthotropic laminae. Here we investigate the interplay between delamination and buckling of the more complex structure. It is assumed that the panel contains an initial finite interlaminar crack and is subjected to a uniaxial compressive load. Without any crack extension, two buckling modes are observed under quasistatic conditions. One is characterized by an overall panel buckling and the other is dominated by a local ligament buckling near the crack. Coupling of the two modes produces not only a lower critical buckling load but also an unstable post-buckling behavior. Therefore, an embedded delamination is seen to create imperfection sensitivity, leading to limit load type behavior. Such a condition is potentially troublesome for compression loaded thin composite panels. In addition, the large compressive load may also trigger a dynamic propagation of the embedded delamination. We have simulated this unstable dynamic crack growth using the iterative method and a simplified delamination criterion. In the simulation, the energy release rate, the mixed-mode stress intensity factors and the resulting crack tip speed are obtained. These results predict that an existing embedded delamination can weaken and significantly alter the post-buckling behavior of composite panel.
Effect of the Premalignant and Tumor Microenvironment on Immune Cell Cytokine Production in Head and Neck Cancer

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is marked by immunosuppression, a state in which the established tumor escapes immune attack. However, the impact of the premalignant and tumor microenvironments on immune reactivity has yet to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was to determine how soluble mediators from cells established from carcinogen-induced oral premalignant lesions and HNSCC modulate immune cell cytokine production. It was found that premalignant cells secrete significantly increased levels of G-CSF, RANTES, MCP-1, and PGE2 compared to HNSCC cells. Splenocytes incubated with premalignant supernatant secreted significantly increased levels of Th1-, Th2-, and Th17-associated cytokines compared to splenocytes incubated with HNSCC supernatant. These studies demonstrate that whereas the premalignant microenvironment elicits proinflammatory cytokine production, the tumor microenvironment is significantly less immune stimulatory and may contribute to immunosuppression in established HNSCC.
Observations on Levitt's "new theory of transport".

Abstract Levitt (1974) (Biochim. Biophys. Acta 373, 115–131) has recently developed a “New Theory of Transport for Cell Membrane Pores” based on the supposition that equivalent pores in the red cell membrane are so small that water and small solute molecules such as urea can not pass each other. Levitt's concept is based on the implicit assumption that urea and water are spherical molecules. We have shown, using a scale model, that Levitt's supposition is not in agreement with the actual molecular shapes. Levitt has further asserted that there is a serious methodological error in measurements reported fifteen years ago by Goldstein and Solomon (1960) (J. Gen. Physiol. 44, 1–17). We have shown that the supposed “methodological error” lies in the fact that Levitt made his mathematical analysis of the appropriate equations under conditions significantly different from those employed by Goldstein and Solomon. A computer solution of the equations under the actual conditions used shows that Levitt's assertion is not justified.
Lateral hypothalamic syndrome: Its modification by obesity and leanness

Abstract Lesions of the lateral hypothalamus in female rats made experimentally obese or lean were followed by a lengthening or shortening of the aphagic period. The results obtained confirm previous experimental findings and extend the observations to both sexes. Furthermore, our results contradict the theory of a downward shift in body weight set-point following lateral hypothalamic lesions.
Revisiting the empirical fundamental relationship

Abstract This paper develops a new methodology for deriving an empirical fundamental relationship from vehicle detector data. The new methodology seeks to address several sources of noise present in conventional measures of the traffic state that arise from the data aggregation process, e.g., averaging across all vehicles over a fixed time period. In the new methodology vehicles are no longer taken successively in the order in which they arrived and there is no requirement to seek out stationary traffic conditions; rather, the traffic state is measured over the headway for each individual vehicle passage and the vehicles are grouped by similar lengths and speeds before aggregation. Care is also taken to exclude measurements that might be corrupted by detector errors. The result is a homogeneous set of vehicles and speeds in each bin. While conventional fixed time averages may have fewer than 10 vehicles in a sample, the new binning process ensures a large number of vehicles in each bin before aggregation. We calculate the median flow and median occupancy for each combined length and speed bin. Then we connect these median points across all of the speed bins for a given vehicle length to derive the empirical fundamental relationship for that length. This use of the median is also important; unlike conventional aggregation techniques that find the average, the median is far less sensitive to outliers arising from uncommon driver behavior or occasional detector errors. The work is applied to real data from a dual loop detector station and it yields consistent results across 18 independent days, 4 independent lanes, and 7 independent length bins. These empirical results from non-stationary traffic are also shown to be consistent with hypothetical results generated with homogeneous vehicles under stationary traffic conditions.
Purification and characterization of pentobarbital-induced cytochrome P-450BM-1 from Bacillus megaterium ATCC 14581.

Abstract When Bacillus megaterium ATCC 14581 is grown in the presence of barbiturates, a cytochrome P-450-dependent fatty acid monooxygenase (Mr 120 000) is induced (Kim, B.-H. and Fulco, A.J. (1983) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 116, 843–850). Gel filtration chromatography of a crude monooxygenase preparation from pentobarbital-induced B. megaterium indicated that not all of the induced cytochrome P-450 present in the extract was accounted for by this high-molecular-weight component. Further purification revealed the presence of two additional but smaller cytochrome P-450 species. The minor component, designated cytochrome P-450BM-2, had a molecular mass of about 46 kDa, but has not yet been completely purified or further characterized. The major component, designated cytochrome P-450BM-1, was obtained in pure form, exhibited fatty acid monooxygenase activity in the presence of iodosylbenzenediacetate, and has been extensively characterized. Its Mr of 38 000 makes it the smallest cytochrome P-450 yet purified to homogeneity. Although it is a soluble protein, a complete amino acid analysis indicated that it contains 42% hydrophobic residues. By the dansyl chloride procedure the NH2-terminal amino acid is proline; the penultimate NH2-terminal residue is alanine. The absolute absorption spectra of cytochrome P-450BM-1 show maxima in the same general regions as do P-450 cytochromes from mammalian or other bacterial sources, but they differ in detail. The oxidized form of P-450BM-1 has absorption maxima at 414, 533 and 567 nm, while the reduced form has peaks at 410 and 540 nm. The absorption maxima for the CO-reduced form of P-450BM-1 are found at 415, 448 and 550 nm. Antisera from rabbits immunized with pure P-450BM-1 strongly reacted with and precipitated this P-450, but showed no detectable affinity for either the 46 kDa P-450 or the 120 kDa fatty acid monooxygenase.
Bimetallic Fe–Ni Oxygen Carriers for Chemical Looping Combustion

The relative abundance, low cost, and low toxicity of iron make Fe-based oxygen carriers of great interest for chemical looping combustion (CLC), an emerging technology for clean and efficient combustion of fossil and renewable fuels. However, Fe also shows much lower reactivity than other metals (such as Ni and Cu). Here, we demonstrate strong improvement of Fe-based carriers by alloying the metal phase with Ni. Through a combination of carrier synthesis and characterization with thermogravimetric and fixed-bed reactor studies, we demonstrate that the addition of Ni results in a significant enhancement in activity as well as an increase in selectivity for total oxidation. Furthermore, comparing alumina and ceria as support materials highlights the fact that reducible supports can result in a strong increase in oxygen carrier utilization.
Highly stereocontrolled reduction of α′-alkoxyenones to give either the threo or eryhtro allylic 1,2-diol. Assignment of the threo configuration to the C-15, C-16 diol of pumiliotoxin B.1

Abstract Model studies indicate that the allylic diol of pumiliotoxin B has the threo configuration, and that this functionality can be prepared with excellent stereocontrol by reduction of an α′-butyldiphenylsilyloxyenone.
The effect of heat release on various statistical properties of a reacting shear layer

Abstract Three-dimensional direct numerical simulations were used to study the effect of heat release from a binary, single-step chemical reaction on the statistical properties of a temporally developing turbulent mixing layer. Various statistical moments, probability density functions, power spectral densities, and autocorrelations of a conserved scalar, and the velocity field are presented. Scalar-velocity and pressure-velocity correlations, and joint probability density functions, which are extremely difficult to measure experimentally, were also calculated from the simulations. Many features of the calculated statistics compare qualitatively well with results reported from related experimental studies. Significant changes in the vortex structure occur with moderate heat release, resulting in more diffuse vortices than in the isothermal simulation. Consequently, slower rotation rates of the coherent structures occur with moderate heat release. This effect has previously been shown to be caused by the baroclinic torques and thermal expansion in the mixing layer. The statistics in this study reflect these changes in the vortex structure due to moderate heat release.
Identifying risk factors for postoperative cardiovascular and respiratory complications after major oral cancer surgery

Background Surgical resection of oral cancer can be associated with significant postoperative cardiovascular and respiratory complications that require more sensitive predictors. Methods All patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma treated from July 2005 to April 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. The Goldman Revised Cardiac Risk Index (GRCRI) was used to predict cardiovascular complications. Other evidence-based a priori predictors were applied in an h-fold cross-validation model. Results Operating room (OR) time was an independent predictor of cardiovascular complications (odds ratio = 1.54, p = .002, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18–2.02) and respiratory complications (odds ratio = 1.3, p = .06, 95% CI = 0.99–1.64) after multivariate adjustment. OR time and estimated blood loss predicted cardiovascular complications with 73% sensitivity. The GRCRI achieved 37% sensitivity. OR time and tracheostomy predicted respiratory complications with 75% sensitivity. Conclusions The GRCRI was not prognostic for cardiovascular complications in patients with oral cancer. The most sensitive predictors for cardiovascular complications were OR time and estimated blood loss; for respiratory complications they were OR time and tracheostomy. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2011
Common and Idiosyncratic Components in Real OutputFurther International Evidence

This paper uses the classical (level) definition of business cycles to analyze the characteristics duration, amplitude, steepness, and cumulative output movementsof the real GDP series of France, Germany, Italy, the rest of the euro area, and the United States. An index of concordance and its test statistic suggest a great deal of comovement/synchronization between output cycles. Following that result, a dynamic factor model is estimated. Output fluctuations are mostly explained by a global common component and an euro area common component. However, idiosyncratic components also matter, especially for France, the rest of the euro area, and the United States.
Polymerase chain reaction analysis of aqueous and vitreous specimens in the diagnosis of posterior segment infectious uveitis.

Purpose To assess polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of intraocular fluid as a test for infectious uveitis of the posterior segment in a representative patient population. Design Retrospective, interventional case series. Methods One hundred and thirty-three patients with possible infectious chorioretinitis underwent PCR testing of aqueous or vitreous in a university setting. Baseline characteristics predictive of test positivity were identified. Positive and negative predictive values were calculated. Results Four hundred and thirty-three PCR tests of 105 aqueous and 38 vitreous specimens (mean, 3.3 tests per patient) identified 77 of the 95 patients with a final clinical diagnosis of infectious uveitis (81%). Herpes simplex virus, varicella zoster virus, and cytomegalovirus PCR analysis were performed in almost all cases, with fewer tests for toxoplasmosis or Epstein-Barr virus. Clinical features associated with positive PCR results were retinal vascular inflammation ( P P = .008), immunocompromised state ( P = .039), and extensive retinitis ( P = .002). Cases sampled within one week of presentation were more likely to have positive PCR results than those sampled later ( P = .071). The predictive value of positive and negative tests was 98.7% and 67.9%, respectively, in this patient group. Alteration in treatment based on PCR and syphilis serologic results led to resolution in 25 of 26 patients after treatment was changed. Conclusions PCR testing is a useful adjunct in the diagnosis of infectious causes of posterior uveitis. Cases with vascular or optic nerve inflammation, extensive retinitis, or immunocompromise are more likely to have positive PCR results and may benefit from PCR testing of aqueous humor.
Birds that Eat Nonnative Buckthorn Fruit (Rhamnus cathartica and Frangula alnus, Rhamnaceae) in Eastern North America

ABSTRACT: The buckthorns Rhamnus cathartica and Frangula alnus are nonnative invasive species in North America whose seeds are primarily dispersed by birds. This paper presents the first major compilation of the bird species that eat R. cathartica and F. alnus in eastern North America, where these buckthorns are most invasive and have few common congeners. Using fecal samples, observations, and an extensive literature search, I document 46 bird species that consume R. cathartica and F. alnus, and discuss which are the most competent dispersers of the seeds. I also correct a frequently repeated belief that “blackbirds” are efficient dispersers of R. cathartica and F. alnus.
Evaluation of metallothionein formation as a proxy for zinc absorption in an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell culture model.

Caco-2 cell metallothionein (MT) formation was studied to determine if MT could be used as a proxy for zinc (Zn) absorption in a cell culture model. The MT intracellular concentration was determined using a cadmium/hemoglobin affinity assay. The cellular Zn uptake was determined by acid digests (5% HNO3) using inductively-coupled argon-plasma emission spectroscopy. The effect of phytic acid (PA) on cellular Zn and MT concentrations was also studied. Cells were treated with a media containing 0, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 75 μmol L−1 Zn (ZnCl2). The effect of varying the Zn : PA molar ratios (1 : 0, 1 : 1, 1 : 5, 1 : 10, 1 : 20) on the Zn uptake and MT formation was determined. The results showed a positive linear correlation between Zn-media concentrations and cellular Zn uptake, and MT formation was observed. Zn and MT concentrations in the cells treated with increasing levels of Zn (>25 μmol L−1 Zn) were elevated. The Zn and MT concentrations in the cells incubated with Zn (when 1 : 5, cellular MT concentrations were no different to untreated cells. When a combined in vitro digestion/cell model was used, the cellular MT concentrations in white or red beans and fish samples were no different to the cell baseline. This study suggests that measurements of cellular Zn and MT concentrations have some limitations (<10 μmol L−1 Zn). PA was observed to be a potent inhibitor of Zn uptake. Under the conditions of this in vitro model, Caco-2 cell monolayers are not useful for evaluating the Zn availability from foods.