cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A three-dimensional phase field model coupled with a lattice kinetics solver for modeling crystal growth in furnaces with accelerated crucible rotation and traveling magnetic field

In this study, we present a new three-dimensional numerical model for crystal growth in a vertical solidification system. This model accounts for buoyancy, accelerated crucible rotation technique (ACRT), and traveling magnetic field (TMF) induced convective flow and their effect on crystal growth and the chemical component’s transport process. The evolution of the crystal growth interface is simulated using the phase-field method. A semi-implicit lattice kinetics solver based on the Boltzmann equation is employed to model the unsteady incompressible flow. A one-way coupled concentration transport model is used to simulate the component fraction variation in both the liquid and solid phases, which can be used to check the quality of the crystal growth. Numerical results indicate that ACRT can slightly increase the quality of grown crystal, but the effect of TMF on quality of grown crystal depends on the temperature profile of the ampoule wall. Finally, excellent scalability of our developed parallel methods is demonstrated on the three-dimensional cases.
Cellular inflammatory defenses in Legionella pneumonia

Summary The inflammatory response in Legionella pneumonia includes important, if potentially contradictory, contributions from the alveolar macrophage and PMNL. Legionella resembles the facultative intracellular bacterial pathogens in its relationship to macrophages. The resident alveolar macrophage plays an important supportive role in the early hours after introduction of bacteria into the airspaces. A rapid recruitment of inflammatory cells—first PMNL and later mononuclear cells—occurs, although the mechanisms for recruitment of phagocytes are unknown. PMNL do not support the growth of Legionella. In fact, their appearance in the air spaces coincides with the first evidence of an effective host defense in experimental models. Monocytes and macrophages that have been activated by exposure to the supernatant of concanavalin A-treated lymphocytes can inhibit intracellular replication of the bacteria. A combination of immunologically and nonimmunologically directed host defenses may be required to control the infection definitively and eliminate Legionella from the lower respiratory tract.
Phylogenetic relationships of sugarcane rust fungi

The phylogenetic positions of Puccinia spp. infecting sugarcane (a complex hybrid of Saccharum spp.) were determined using 38 newly generated rust sequences and 26 sequences from GenBank. Rust specimens on sugarcane were collected from 164 locations in 23 countries and identified based on light microscopy. The morphology for all samples matched that of Puccinia kuehnii or P. melanocephala, the orange and brown rust pathogens of sugarcane, respectively. Nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences (rDNA) including portions of the 5.8S rDNA, the complete internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and 5′ region of the large subunit (nLSU) rDNA were obtained for each species along with 36 additional rust taxa. Despite a shared host, the two Puccinia spp. on sugarcane are not closely related within the Pucciniales. Phylogenetic analyses place P. melanocephala most closely to P. miscanthi, P. nakanishikii, and P. rufipes infecting Miscanthus sinensis, Cymbopogon citratus, and Imperata cylindrica, respectively. Puccinia kuehnii is basal to a clade of Poaceae-infecting rusts including P. agrophila, P. polysora, P. substriata, and Uromyces setariae-italicae infecting Schizachyrium spp., Zea mays, Digitaria spp., and Urochloa mosambicensis, respectively. Light and scanning electron microscopy images highlight morphological differences distinguishing the two sugarcane-infecting species. This study confirms the separation of rust species infecting Poaceae from Cyperaceae- and Juncaceae-infecting rusts and also provides support for the presence of an additional group that includes P. kuehnii and other grass-infecting relatives.
Isotopes of Carbon in a Karst Aquifer of the Cumberland Plateau of Kentucky, USA

In this study, the concentration and isotopic composition of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) are measured in the karst groundwater of the Otter Creek watershed of the Cumberland Plateau of Kentucky, USA. Comparisons among these data and with the geochemistry of carbonate and gypsum equilibrium reactions reveal that DOC concentration is inversely related to discharge, multiple reaction pathways provide DIC with isotopic enrichment that may be directly related to mineral saturation, and oxidation of reduced sulfur is possible for dissolution. DOC is derived from C3 vegetation with an average δ13CDOC of ‒27‰. DIC in groundwater is derived from both pedogenic CO2 and HCO3- from dissolved carbonate. At input sites to the karst aquifers DIC concentrations are expectedly low, less than 1 mmol/L, in waters that are undersaturated with respect to calcite. At the output of these karst aquifers DIC concentrations reach 3 mmol/L in waters that are at or above calcite saturation. Values of δ13CDIC range between ‒6.3 and ‒12.4‰ with CO2 degassing and calcite precipitation at some sites obfuscating a simple relationship between δ13CDIC, discharge, and mineral saturation. In addition, concentrations of DIC in sulfur seeps within the watershed range between 2–7 mmol/L with δ13CDIC values in some samples skewed more toward the anticipated value of carbonate bedrock than would be expected from reactions with carbonic acid alone. This suggests that the oxidation of reduced sulfur from shallow oilfield brines liberates bedrock DIC through reactions with sulfuric acid.Keywords: dissolved organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon, sulfur redox, ion geochemistry, saturation index. Keywords: dissolved organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon, sulfur redox, ion geochemistry, saturation index. DOI: 10.3986/ac.v42i2-3.668
Old before its time: age-related thymic dysfunction may preclude efficacy of gene therapy in older SCID-X1 patients

Comment on Thrasher et al, page [4255][1] Gene therapy can not be reserved as a “salvage therapy” in SCID-X1 patients failing bone marrow transplantation. Thrasher and colleagues report in this issue of Blood on the failure of gene therapy to correct immune function when attempted in 2
Prolonged Ca2+-dependent afterhyperpolarizations in hippocampal neurons of aged rats

The possibility that calcium is elevated in brain neurons during aging was examined by quantifying afterhyperpolarizations induced by spike bursts in CAl neurons of hippocampal slices from young and aged rats. The afterhyperpolarizations result from Ca2+-dependent K+ conductance increases and are blocked in medium low in Ca2+ and prolonged in medium high in Ca2+. The afterhyperpolarization and associated conductance increases were considerably prolonged in cells from aged rats, although inhibitory postsynaptic potentials did not differ with age. Since elevated intracellular Ca2+ can exert deleterious effects on neurons, the data suggest that altered Ca2+ homeostasis may play a significant role in normal brain aging.
Nonlinear control of ‘fast’ light by ‘slow’ light

The phenomena of slow and super-luminal propagation of electromagnetic waves are considered in the context of a magnetized plasma with undulator induced transparency (UIT). Without the magnetic undulator, the plasma is opaque to the right-hand circularly polarized radiation at the electron cyclotron frequency. Addition of a helical undulator results in the dramatic slowing down of wave propagation. Super-luminal propagation occurs due to the strong coupling between the right- and left-hand circularly polarized waves. We demonstrate that, depending on the detected wave polarization, super-luminal and slow radiation can be observed at the same frequency. Moreover, the super-luminal signal can be controlled by the intensity of the incident signal.
Recent developments on anodes for direct fuel utilization in SOFC

This paper reviews recent work on SOFC anode fabrication at the University of Pennsylvania. In this work, anode fabrication is based on the preparation of a porous YSZ matrix, into which electronic and catalytic components are added by impregnation of the appropriate metal salts. First, the methods used to prepare porous YSZ are described, along with a description of the structures that are obtained. Next, it is demonstrated that cell performance is strongly affected by the methods used to impregnate and pretreat ceria that is added to the porous YSZ. Third, the role of carbonaceous deposits within the anode is discussed. These deposits can lead to improved electronic conductivity that results in improved performance. Finally, the effect of precious-metal dopants, added to ceria to improve the catalytic properties of the anode, is discussed. Pd, Pt, and Rh are shown to give large increases in the performance of the cells, particularly in CH4.
Age and the risk of anaplasia in magnetic resonance-nonenhancing supratentorial cerebral tumors†

BACKGROUND It is often assumed that a cerebral lesion that is nonenhancing on a magnetic resonance imaging study with gadolinium contrast is a low grade tumor. Some physicians recommend observation rather than biopsy for such lesions. METHODS The authors prospectively evaluated the incidence of anaplastic tumor histology in a consecutive series of patients who presented to a neuro-oncology service with a nonenhancing mass of the cerebral hemisphere. RESULTS During a 5-month period, the authors evaluated 31 patients who had a nonenhancing lesion in the cerebral hemisphere on initial magnetic resonance images. Thirty patients underwent stereotactic biopsy (27%) or open resection (73%). The median patient age was 36 years (range, 6-63 years). There was no mortality or permanent neurologic morbidity from surgery. Twenty-eight patients had pathologic confirmation of diagnosis while their lesions were still nonenhancing. Of these patients, 9 (32%) had Grade 3 lesions (anaplastic astrocytoma or oligoastrocytoma), 13 (43%) had Grade 2 lesions (astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, or oligoastrocytoma), and 2 (7%) had Grade 1 lesions (dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors). Two additional patients (ages 33 and 59 years) who developed enhancement within their lesions during preoperative periods of observation had glioblastomas at surgery. Logistic regression was used to relate patient age to the risk of anaplasia in a nonenhancing cerebral mass lesion. Older age predicted a significantly higher risk of anaplasia (P = 0.025). The model predicted that nonenhancing cerebral masses in patients older than 44 years were more likely to be anaplastic tumors than low grade tumors. There was no "safe" age below which low grade histology could be confidently assumed. CONCLUSIONS Magnetic resonance-nonenhancing cerebral lesions may be histologically anaplastic, even in young patients. The risk of anaplasia in magnetic resonance-nonenhancing lesions increases significantly with patient age. Cancer 1997; 80:936-41. © 1997 American Cancer Society.
“Image Ethics” in and about Africa

The thoughts to follow are inspired by a num ber of recent works in art history and visual culture, most of which concern parts of the world other than Africa. The excellent essays of Photography's Other Histories (2003) edited by Christopher Pinney and Nicolas Peter son and the chapters of Raw Histories: Photo graphs, Anthropology and Museums (2001) by Elizabeth Edwards are particular sources for my ruminations. How might the insights of writers working in Aboriginal Australia, Papua New Guinea, or First-Nation America be applied to the various "image worlds" of Africa and its diasporas? This First Word is a call for discussion concerning locally appropri ate "image ethics" and "visual repatriation," as these phrases to be explained below are being articulated by activist scholars. Africans have long been subjects of pho tography by non-Africans, and as Salah Has san notes, "appropriation of Africa's visual world through the invention of the camera went hand in hand with the appropriation of Africa's wealth" (2007:8) during the colonial period and subsequently as well. Hassan raises an essential question in his introduction to the Fall 2007 special issue of Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art that is dedicated to photography and film: What happens when African and African diaspora artists "turn the camera on their own culture, or when they shift the focus to cultures other than their own?" (ibid). Such local, reflexive use of photography by and for Africans began by the mid-nineteenth century. For example, Augustus Washington (1820-1875), who was "born in the United States, the free son of a South Asian mother and an African-American father," became "the first daguerreotypist in West Africa." Washington "moved his business and fam ily to Liberia in 1853 to find a better life," and examples of his photography of Liberian nota bles have been preserved (Geary 2002:103; see also Schumard 1999a, 1999b). He went on to become an important sugar farmer in Liberia,
Behavior Safety Integration Management and Control System for Coal Enterprises

The coal enterprise behavior safety integrated management and control system is the integrated management and control information system which takes the behavior safety as the core and aims to guide safe behavior and realize coal safety supervision. In this article, we describe the theoretical base of the system design, i.e. the theoretical frame of the accident prevention and control for coal enterprises based the view of behavior safety, design the system structure and function structure of the system through taking the information support platform applying the main strategy of the theory as the guidance, analyze the concrete functional characters from the view of information circulation, and design the standardized relationships of various organization units and activity bodies in the system running and information circulation.
Ethnicity in a societal context

Abstract Two types of problems form the basic themes of this paper. One deals with the definition of ethnicity and the other with the societal context and how it influences the relation of ethnic groups to the nation. Key concepts in the definition of ethnicity are group, institution, role of the individual, and the relation of ethnic groups one to the other. Understanding the societal context is essential because the empirical character of ethnicity is dependent on the history and the present organization of the given society. Two general and polar types of relationships between ethnicity and national government are suggested. One is separate domains for ethnicity and politics, and the other direct ethnic control of government. In the separate domain approach ethnic groups and government have parallel rather than dominant or subordinate relations with each other. A brief treatment of cases of the above two types of relationships is made with the United States emphasizing the separate domain approach, and...
The chemical composition of white potatoes.

The percentage of starch in white potatoes has been shown to vary widely with the variety and many climatic and cultural conditions from as low as 9.6 in the Earlaine No. 2 variety, grown only to a slight extent, to 20.0 in Green Mountains. Some samples of commercial potatoes of the Bliss variety have tested as low as 8 per cent. The average starch content of all Maine seed and table stock potatoes is now about 12 per cent (1950 crop). This average can change rapidly because of changes in the per cent grown of relatively low and high starch potatoes. The present trend is apparently toward higher starch potatoes. Next to starch in order of quality is nitrogenous material as proteins, intermediate hydrolysis products of proteins, and amino acids. The nonstarch carbohydrates, as cellulose, pentozans, pectins, etc., then usually follow although they may exceed the nitrogenous compounds. Then come the mineral compounds, especially potassium phosphate. Last is the large number of compounds as the organic acids, enzymes, ether extractives as fat and oil, and enzymes, which are present in very small quantities, and vitamins, present in traces. The composition of white whole potatoes can be summarized approximately as follows, the analytical data having been collected from much new and old original data from the writer’s laboratory and from many published sources.
Visual rehabilitation and outcomes for ectasia after corneal refractive surgery.

Purpose To analyze the visual outcomes and method of final visual correction in eyes with corneal ectasia after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) or photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Setting Emory University Department of Ophthalmology and Emory Vision, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Methods This retrospective review comprised 74 eyes of 45 patients with corneal ectasia after LASIK (72 eyes) or PRK (2 eyes). Outcomes included postoperative uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and refraction; method of final visual correction; and time to rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lens failure. Results Corneal ectasia developed a mean of 19.2 months after surgery. Postoperatively, the mean UCVA was 20/400 and the mean BSCVA before ectasia management was 20/108. After ectasia management, the mean BCVA was 20/37 and the final BCVA was 20/40 or better in 78% of eyes. Final visual correction was achieved with RGP lenses in 77% of eyes, spectacles in 9%, collagen crosslinking in 3%, intracorneal ring segments in 1%, and penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) in 8%. Two eyes with intracorneal ring segments required segment explantation and subsequent PKP. One eye that had PKP had a graft-rejection episode; there were no graft failures. Two eyes (3%) did not require a visual device to improve visual acuity. The mean time for successful RGP lens wear was 24.8 months; 80% of cases initially managed with RGP lenses were successful with this form of treatment. Conclusions The majority of eyes developing postoperative corneal ectasia achieved functional visual acuity with RGP lens wear and did not require further intervention. Penetrating keratoplasty can usually be postponed or avoided by alternative methods of visual rehabilitation; however, PKP, when necessary, can provide good visual outcomes.
Effects of selected electron transport chain inhibitors on 24-h hydrogen production by Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Abstract One factor limiting biosolar hydrogen (H 2 ) production from cyanobacteria is electron availability to the hydrogenase enzyme. In order to optimize 24-h H 2 production this study used Response Surface Methodology and Q2, an optimization algorithm, to investigate the effects of five inhibitors of the photosynthetic and respiratory electron transport chains of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Over 3 days of diurnal light/dark cycling, with the optimized combination of 9.4 mM KCN (3.1 μmol 10 10 cells −1 ) and 1.5 mM malonate (0.5 μmol 10 10 cells −1 ) the H 2 production was 30-fold higher, in EHB-1 media previously optimized for nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), and carbon (C) concentrations ( Burrows et al., 2008 ). In addition, glycogen concentration was measured over 24 h with two light/dark cycling regimes in both standard BG-11 and EHB-1 media. The results suggest that electron flow as well as glycogen accumulation should be optimized in systems engineered for maximal H 2 output.
A variable forgetting factor RLS algorithm with application to fuzzy time-varying systems identification

A modified RLS-type adaptive algorithm with variable forgetting factor is introduced. The forgetting factor decreases or increases as the square of prediction error increases or decreases, and it converges to a constant less than one in the steady state, allowing the adaptive algorithm to track changes in the system automatically as well as produce a small steady-slate error. The convergence of the algorithm is analysed. Simulation results are provided to support the analysis and to compare the performance of the modified algorithm with the constant forgetting factor RLS algorithm of Salgado et al. (1988) and the original variable forgetting factor RLS algorithm of Fortescue et al. (1981). It is shown that the performance of the new algorithm compares favorably with these existing algorithms. Finally, the algorithm is applied to the identification of fuzzy time-varying systems, with satisfactory results
Arrhenius temperature dependence of in vitro tissue plasminogen activator thrombolysis

Stroke is a devastating disease and a leading cause of death and disability. Currently, the only FDA approved therapy for acute ischemic stroke is the intravenous administration of the thrombolytic medication, recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). However, this treatment has many contraindications and can have dangerous side effects such as intra-cerebral hemorrhage. These treatment limitations have led to much interest in potential adjunctive therapies, such as therapeutic hypothermia (T ≤ 35 °C) and ultrasound enhanced thrombolysis. Such interest may lead to combining these therapies with tPA to treat stroke, however little is known about the effects of temperature on the thrombolytic efficacy of tPA. In this work, we measure the temperature dependence of the fractional clot mass loss Δm(T) resulting from tPA exposure in an in vitro human clot model. We find that the temperature dependence is well described by an Arrhenius temperature dependence with an effective activation energy Eeff of 42.0 ± 0.9 kJ mole−1. Eeff approximates the activation energy of the plasminogen-to-plasmin reaction of 48.9 kJ mole−1. A model to explain this temperature dependence is proposed. These results will be useful in predicting the effects of temperature in future lytic therapies.
Ligand substitution in the tetrahedrane clusters RCCo2Mo(η5 -indenyl)(CO)8 with 4,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-4 -cyclopenten -1,3 -dione (bpcd) : Influence of the carbyne and indenyl ligands on the stability of the substitution products and X-ray diffraction structures of HCCo2Mo(η5 -indenyl)(cO)6(μ -bpcd) and CoMo (η5 -indenyl ) (μ -CPh ) (CO )2(μ -bpcd )Cl

The ligand substitution behavior of the tetrahedrane clusters RCCo 2 Mo(η 5 -indenyl)(CO) 8 [R = H ( 1 ); Ph ( 3 )] with the diphosphine ligand 4,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-4-cyclopenten-1,3-dione (bpcd) has been investigated. Thermolysis of cluster 1 with bpcd in CH 2 Cl 2 , 1,2-dichloroethane, or toluene affords the bpcd-bridged cluster HCCo 2 Mo(η 5 -indenyl)(CO) 6 (μ-bpcd) ( 2 ) as the initial product. Cluster 2 is unstable and undergoes decomposition upon prolonged heating. Unlike cluster 1 , heating the benzylidyne-capped cluster 3 with bpcd in either CH 2 Cl 2 or 1,2-dichloroethane furnishes the thermally unstable mixed-metal cluster Co 2 MoCp(η 5 -indenyl)(CO) 5 [μ 2 ,η 2 ,η 1 -C(Ph)C C(PPh 2 )C(O)CH 2 C(O)](μ-PPh 2 ) ( 4 ) and the carbyne-bridged dinuclear compound CoMo(η 5 -indenyl)(μ-CPh)(CO) 2 (μ-bpcd)Cl ( 5 ) as the principal reaction products. Thermolysis of 3 with added bpcd in toluene gives 4 as the sole observed product. Compounds 2 , 4 , and 5 have been fully characterized in solution, and the solid-state structures of 2 and 5 have been established by X-ray crystallography. The structure of 2 consists of a triangular Co 2 Mo core that is capped by the methylidyne group and that contains a bpcd ligand that bridges the two cobalt centers. The X-ray structure of 5 provides support for the partial fragmentation of the original cluster through the loss of a cobalt vertex and the abstraction of a chlorine atom from the chlorinated solvent. The presence of a bridging carbyne moiety that spans the Co–Mo vector and a bpcd ligand that is chelated to the cobalt center by the two phosphine groups and attached to the molybdenum center by the alkene π bond of the dione ring are confirmed. The reactivity differences exhibited by clusters 1 and 3 are discussed, and these data are briefly contrasted with that of the cyclopentadienyl counterpart PhCCo 2 Mo(η 5 -Cp)(CO) 8 .
Lagrangian multipliers in frozen core Hartree-Fock calculations☆

Abstract Lagrangian multipliers in frozen core Hartree-Fock calculations are given in terms of Slater integrals. The needed coefficients are tabulated.
Magellan: experiences from a science cloud

Cloud resources promise to be an avenue to address new categories of scientific applications including data-intensive science applications, on-demand/surge computing, and applications that require customized software environments. However, there is a limited understanding on how to operate and use clouds for scientific applications. Magellan, a project funded through the Department of Energy's (DOE) Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) program, is investigating the use of cloud computing for science at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF) and the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Facility (NERSC). In this paper, we detail the experiences to date at both sites and identify the gaps and open challenges from both a resource provider as well as application perspective.
Remote sensing of plasma injection and acceleration phenomena

Dynamics Explorer-1 High Altitude Plasma Instrument data have been used to investigate the injection of magnetosheath plasma into the polar cusp, the injection of auroral ion beams into the magnetosphere, and the acceleration of electrons transverse to the magnetic field direction, and the results are discussed. In the case of polar cusp plasmas, it is found that injection occurs at the high-latitude magnetopause, at geocentric distances near eight earth radii. In the case of auroral ion beams it is determined that ion bands are not produced by equatorial injection from the plasma sheet, but by the upward acceleration of ions from auroral acceleration regions. Finally, conical electron distributions are found to be consistent with transverse acceleration at altitudes of a thousand or more km, within or below the magnetic-field-aligned potential drops of the auroral acceleration regions.
Three-stage least squares with different instruments for different equations☆

Abstract The standard treatments of 3SLS assume that the same instrument set is valid for every equation. When this is not so, a generalized method-of-moments estimator proposed by Amemiya is available. This paper compares Amemiya's estimator to three estimators based on fitted values of the endogenous variables. Two of these estimators are inconsistent when the instrument set varies across equations. The third estimator, based on fitted values for the dependent variable as well as the endogenous explanatory variables, is consistent but inefficient relative to the generalized method-of-moments estimator.
HETEROGENEITY OF INTELLECTUAL PERFORMANCE BY DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN WITHIN A METROPOLITAN AREA

IQs from the Slosson Intelligence Test for 60 Head Start children drawn from three areas of metropolitan St. Louis showed the group to be heterogeneous with respect to intelligence, although there were no significant differences associated with sex or race. Consideration of this and other characteristics is needed in planning school programs.
Higher-order nuclear-polarizability corrections in atomic hydrogen

Nuclear-polarizability corrections that go beyond unretarded-dipole approximation are calculated analytically for hydrogenic (atomic) $S$ states. These retardation corrections are evaluated numerically for deuterium and contribute $\ensuremath{-}0.68$ kHz, for a total polarization correction of 18.58(7) kHz. Our results are in agreement with one previous numerical calculation, and the retardation corrections completely account for the difference between two previous calculations. The uncertainty in the deuterium polarizability correction is substantially reduced. At the level of 0.01 kHz for deuterium, only three primary nuclear observables contribute: the electric polarizability ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{E},$ the paramagnetic susceptibility ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{M},$ and the third Zemach moment $〈{r}^{3}{〉}_{(2)}.$ Cartesian multipole decomposition of the virtual Compton amplitude and its concomitant gauge sum rules are used in the analysis.
Price and seller concentration in cement: effective oligopoly or misspecified transportation cost?

Abstract A positive correlation between price and seller concentration in cement markets disappears if a different proxy for transportation costs, population density, is included in the specification.
Identification of Pyrococcus furiosus amylopullulanase catalytic residues.

Pyrococcus furiosus amylopullulanase (PfAPU) belongs to glycosyl hydrolase family 57. Using sequence alignments of the known family 57 enzymes and site-directed mutagenesis, E291, D394, and E396 were identified as PfAPU putative catalytic residues. The apparent catalytic efficiencies (kcat/Km) of PfAPU mutants E291Q and D394N on pullulan were 123.0 and 24.4 times lower, respectively, than that of PfAPU. The activity of mutant E396Q on pullulan was too low to allow reliable determination of its catalytic efficiency. The apparent specific activities of these enzymes on starch also decreased 91.0 times (E291Q), 11.7 times (D394N), and 37.2 times (E396Q). The hydrolytic patterns for pullulan and starch were the same, while the hydrolysis rates differed as reported. Based on sequence alignment and a previous report, E291 is proposed as the catalytic nucleophile.
Interferon and ribavirin cause significant side effects, but improve liver function in patients with recurrent hepatitis C following liver transplantation

Interferon and ribavirin cause significant side effects, but improve liver function in patients with recurrent hepatitis C following liver transplantation
Electrocatalytic activity of Pt nanoparticles on bamboo shaped carbon nanotubes for ethanol oxidation

Recently, bamboo shaped carbon nanotubes (BCNTs) have received increased attention for its bamboo shaped structure associated properties and its application in direct methanol/ethanol fuel cell. In this work, the potential to use BCNTs as the support material of high loaded Pt nanoparticles for improving the efficiency of ethanol/methanol fuel cell is explored. The structure and nature of the resulting Pt-BCNTS composite were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) spectrum, it was found that Pt nanoparticles were homogeneously dispersed on the BCNTs surfaces with 23.5% by weight. Cyclic voltammogram (CV) indicated that the Pt-BCNTs catalyst displayed excellent electrocatalytic activity and long-term stability toward ethanol oxidation. The excellent performance may be attributed to the high dispersion of nanoscale Pt catalysts and the unique nature of BCNTs. The results imply that doping N atom introduces some defective sites and active sites onto the surface of CNTs. In general, this paper demonstrates that BCNTs are promising support material for Pt-nanoparticles catalyst and can be used to enhance the efficiency of fuel cell.
Self-control as habit

Self-control has traditionally been explained in the terms of faculty psychology, as the exercise of free will or the use of reason in choosing between different individual acts. Rachlin explains self-control behavioristically, as the preference for habits over individual acts. His explanation resolves the paradoxes faced by the others and has the additional advantage of being verifiable.
Food for Thought: „Exotisches und Hausmannskost“ zum interkulturellen Lernen

How can we, in alignment with the ACTFL National Standards for Foreign Language Teaching (2006) or the goals set forward in the Common European Framework of References (2001), and in the context of the 2007 MLA report, advance beginning German learners' intercultural and symbolic competence and produce educated learners who operate with a “transcultural mentality” and social awareness in a multicultural society ? How can we provide opportunities for our students to situate themselves in a dialog with other cultures ? What are our criteria for selecting text with intercultural potential and for developing objectives, instructional goals, and learning activities that foster intercultural learning ? This article suggests some answers to these questions by first providing a summary of current discussions of interculturality and intercultural learning, and then using the short text “Exotisches und Hausmannskost” from Elke Heidenreich's Also column as a model for the application of theoretical considerations of interculturality and intercultural learning and for the selection and didactization of texts with intercultural potential.
Lattice distortion associated with isolated defects in semiconductors

Abstract A semi-empirical tight-binding (TB) method is used to investigate the lattice relaxation around isovalent impurities and its effect on the vibrational properties of semiconductors. In terms of the revised Hartree-Fock atomic-term values, this technique provides simple analytical expressions for the change in the impurity-host bond energy and suggests a computationally efficient and reasonable method to estimate the bond-length distortions. Numerical calculations for the symmetric lattice relaxations are reported for eighty cases of impurity-host systems in nineteen elemental and compound semiconductors. For GaAs: In, InAs: Ga, GaP:As, GaAs: P, ZnSe: Te and ZnTe: Se, the results are found to be in good agreement with the recent extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) data and, in other cases, the bond-length distortions are seen to be compatible with the theoretical values reported by Martins and Zunger (1984). In almost all the systems studied here the calculated relaxation parameter e l...
Phagocytized Neutrophil Fragments in the Bone Marrow: A Phenomenon Most Commonly Associated with Hodgkin Lymphoma

Bone marrow macrophages containing other cells, or large pieces of other cells, represent a distinctive feature of diseases such as Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and Rosai-Dorfman disease. We describe a distinct variation of phagocytic histiocyte morphology, featuring histiocytes containing predominantly fragments of neutrophil nuclei. We retrospectively reviewed initial bone marrow samples for Hodgkin lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, Ewing sarcoma, or evaluation for nonneoplastic conditions, scoring the presence or absence of the above-described histiocytes. We find that these histiocytes, which we term “fragmentophages,” are associated with staging marrow sampling for malignancy, especially Hodgkin lymphoma (Hodgkin lymphoma: 28/34 or 82.4%, Ewing sarcoma: 11/26 or 42.3%, Burkitt lymphoma: 4/13 or 30.8%). These cells are significantly less common in marrow samples for nonneoplastic conditions (4/21 or 19.0%). Fragmentophages are significantly associated with malignancy, especially Hodgkin lymphoma, and their recognition has the potential to provide a clue to an underlying malignancy.
Atmospheric14C changes resulting from fossil fuel CO2 release and cosmic ray flux variability

A high-precision tree-ring record of the atmospheric14C levels between 1820 and 1954 is presented. Good agreement is obtained between measured and model calculated 19th and 20th century atmospheric Δ14C levels when both fossil fuel CO2 release and predicted natural variations in14C production are taken into account. The best fit is obtained by using a ☐-diffusion model with an oceanic eddy diffusion coefficient of 3 cm2/s, a CO2 atmosphere-ocean gas exchange rate of 21 moles m−2 yr−1 and biospheric residence time of 60 years. For trees in the state of Washington the measured 1949–1951 atmospheric Δ14C level was20.0±1.2%. below the 1855–1864 level. Model calculations indicate that in 1950 industrial CO2 emissions are responsible for at least 85% of the Δ14C decline, whereas natural variability accounts for the remaining 15%.
The Ti-saturation surface for low-to-medium pressure metapelitic biotites: Implications for geothermometry and Ti-substitution mechanisms

The Ti content of biotite can serve as a geothermometer for graphitic, peraluminous metapelites that contain ilmenite or rutile and have equilibrated at roughly 4–6 kbar. The relationship between Ti-content, temperature, and Mg/(Mg + Fe) value was calibrated empirically using an extensive natural biotite data set (529 samples) from western Maine and south-central Massachusetts in combination with the petrogenetic grid of Spear et al. (1999). The calculated Ti-saturation surface is curved such that for a given Mg/(Mg + Fe) value, Ti concentration increases as a function of temperature in a nonlinear fashion, and for a given temperature Ti concentrations decrease with an increase in Mg/(Mg + Fe). The fit to the Ti-saturation surface can be reformulated as the geothermometric expression: T = {[ln(Ti) − a − c ( X Mg)3]/ b }0.333, in which T is temperature in degrees Celsius, Ti is the number of atoms per formula unit (apfu) normalized on the basis of 22 O atoms, X Mg is Mg/(Mg + Fe), a = −2.3594, b = 4.6482 × 10−9 and c = −1.7283. The calibration range for this expression is X Mg = 0.275–1.000, Ti = 0.04–0.60 apfu, and T = 480–800 °C. Precision of the Ti-in-biotite geothermometer is estimated to be ±24 °C at the lower temperature range and improves to ±12 °C at higher temperatures. Application of the Ti-in-biotite geothermometer to ilmenite- or rutile-bearing, graphitic, peraluminous metapelites equilibrated at 3–6 kbar is generally consistent with independent temperature determinations, but with some deviations that represent local reequilibration. Consequently, the Ti systematics in biotite can also serve as the basis of a very sensitive indicator of chemical equilibrium, or lack thereof. Application of the geothermometer to metapelites not containing the requisite mineral assemblages can lead to minor-to-significant errors in estimated temperatures. Biotite Ti-substitution mechanisms are controlled by several factors. Based on the biotite calibration data set, magnesian biotites ( X Mg > 0.65) incorporate Ti in accordance with the exchange vector TiAl2R−1Si−2, where R is the sum of the divalent cations Mg + Fe + Mn. This substitution mechanism is primarily a response to misfit of the octahedral and tetrahedral layers in magnesian biotites. Intermediate biotites ( X Mg <0.65), particularly at higher temperatures, exhibit enhanced Ti concentrations, most consistent with the Ti-deprotonation TiO2R−1(OH) −2 exchange vector. Dominance of Ti-deprotonation substitution is largely a function of reduction of H2O activity at higher metamorphic grades. Supplementary biotite data from metaluminous amphibolites and mafic granulites, metamorphosed isothermally with variable H2O activities, reveal that low-Al biotite incorporates significantly higher concentrations of Ti relative to peraluminous biotite as a result of a combination of the exchange vectors TiO2R−1(OH) −2 and RSiAl−2 substituting in roughly an 8:1 ratio.
Gender and Class Formation: Female Clerical Workers:

Marxist categories, emphasizing class relations, essentially ignore the ways in which gender relations shape class struggle and class formation of women workers. Accounts of class formation use indicators such as unionization and strike activity as a yardstick of class capacities, thus denying the particular conditions women workers face under a dual system of domination: capitalism and patriarchy. Women are a significant percent of the total work force and an increasing percent of the total unionized work force. Yet women work in occupations which have been regularly viewed as nontraditional arenas for unionization. Our analysis looks at the labor process and gender domination as mechanisms of control within the workplace. We argue that an understanding of the differential forms of women's struggles should consider how capital structure and labor markets affect organizational capacities of women workers, and how the degree of gender domination corresponding to technically and nontechnically controlled wo...
New indicator of quality of emergency obstetric and newborn care

Jill Replogle discusses contradicting developments surrounding the abortion law in Latin America. Similar conflicts are known from Europe and the USA. In European countries such as Germany in the early 1990s the abortion law was subject to professional wrangling. Doctors expertise and professional ethics were marginalised by repeated changes in law and jurisdiction. After furious debates the liberal solution was adopted that every woman is entitled to have a termination within the first 12 weeks after conception provided she has attended an independent counselling session at least 3 days before the procedure. The initial worry that the liberal law might result in a higher abortion rate has not become reality. In fact the opposite is true: according to the Federal Statistical Office the termination rate has fallen from 8.7 terminations per 1000 women of childbearing age (145 267 cases) in 1990 to 7.2 terminations per 1000 (119 710 cases) in 2006. Advice and help thus seem more effective than repression. (full text)
Approximation of viscoelastic flows with defective boundary conditions

Abstract We investigate numerical algorithms for viscoelastic fluid flows with defective boundary conditions, where only flow rates or mean pressures are prescribed on parts of the boundary. The defective boundary condition problem is formulated as a minimization problem, where we seek boundary conditions of the flow equations which yield an optimal functional value. Two different approaches are considered in developing computational algorithms for the constrained optimization problem, and results of numerical experiments are presented to compare performance of the algorithms.
Neuropsychological Disturbance in Schizophrenia: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study

Patients with schizophrenia and healthy control subjects underwent both neuropsychological evaluation and magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging, during which the cingulum bundle (CB) and the uncinate fasciculus (UF) were defined with fiber tractography and their integrity was quantified. On the basis of prior findings, it was hypothesized that neuropsychological disturbance in schizophrenia may be characterized, in part, by 2 dissociable functional neuroanatomical relationships: (a) executive functioning–CB integrity and (b) episodic memory–UF integrity. In support of the hypothesis, hierarchical regression results indicated that reduced white matter of the CB and the UF differentially and specifically predicted deficits in executive functioning and memory, respectively. Neuropsychological correlates of the CB also extended to lower generalized intelligence, as well as to reduced visual memory that may be related to failures of contextual monitoring of to-be-remembered scenes. Reduced white matter of the CB and the UF may each make distinct contributions to neuropsychological disturbance in schizophrenia.
The inhibitory effect of ATP on HMGCoA reductase.

Abstract The inhibitory effect of ATP on HMGCoA reductase activity from rat liver microsomes in the system described by Beg et al. was examined. The inhibition by magnesium ATP is confirmed but varies widely from zero to complete. A requirement for a cytosolic fraction to enhance the inhibition could not be established. ATP labeled uniformly with 14C in the adenine portion and 32P in the terminal phosphate was incubated with the enzyme in a situation where strong inhibition was observed. The enzyme protein was precipitated with trichloroacetic acid, or subjected to column fractionation. No evidence of labeling was found in the protein. Finally, the enzyme protein was specifically isolated by immunoprecipitation with a specific antibody to the HMGCoA reductase. In no instance could labeling of the enzyme protein be detected. These results show that the mechanism of the inhibition does not involve phosphorylation or adenylation of the enzyme protein.
A simple method for evaluating slow crack growth in brittle materials

A simple method for evaluating stress intensity factor, crack velocity (K, V) diagrams is described. The method enables K and V to be obtained from the load relaxation at constant displacement. There are no additional requirements for monitoring crack growth. The method is evaluated for the glass/water system and is shown to generate data that is entirely consistent with data obtained on the same system using other techniques. The method is applied to the alumina/water system and the K, V diagrams are used to predict times to failure (Ψ). The calculated Ψ are in excellent agreement with available data.
Effect of ceramic preform geometry on load partitioning in Al2O3–Al composites with three-dimensional periodic architecture

Abstract Interpenetrating Al 2 O 3 /Al composites were created by liquid-metal infiltration of 3D periodic ceramic preforms with face-centered-tetragonal symmetry produced by direct-write assembly. Volume-averaged lattice strains in the ceramic phase of the composite were measured by synchrotron X-ray diffraction for various levels of uniaxial compression stresses. Load transfer is found to occur from the metal phase to the ceramic phase, and the magnitude of the effect is in general agreement with simple rule-of-mixtures models. Spatially resolved diffraction measurements show variations in load transfer at two different positions within the composite for the elastic- and damage-deformation regimes, the latter being observed using phase-enhanced synchrotron imaging. The mechanical behavior of these interpenetrating Al 2 O 3 /Al composites with face-centered-tetragonal symmetry are compared with previous interpenetrating Al 2 O 3 /Al composites with simple-tetragonal symmetry.
Bleeding related to etonogestrel subdermal implant in a US population.

Abstract Background The etonogestrel subdermal implant received US Food and Drug Administration approval in 2006. Menstrual changes represent a common reason why recipients of this implant request early implant removal. Study Design Retrospective review of medical records of 155 patients with placement of this implant at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and medical literature review. Results In 151 patients (97.4%), this implant was placed for contraception. Sixty-four patients (41.3%) contacted a health care provider about implant-related issues after insertion, including 39 (25.2%) for abnormal bleeding. Mean body mass index (BMI) was 28.5, higher than prior studies of implant-related bleeding. Implant removal rate was 25.2% (mean interval, 9.8 months), with 14.8% requesting removal for bleeding changes. No insertion or postinsertion complications or contraceptive failures were found. Conclusions Age, race, BMI, parity, prior contraception method, and postpartum and breastfeeding status did not predict bleeding or removal for bleeding risk. Removal rates were higher for amenorrhea, occasional spotting or bleeding, and regular menses than for prolonged or continuous bleeding.
Technical Communication across Cultures Five Philosophical Questions

Technical communication, to be more effective in international business, must attempt to be culture free (without cultural impediments and irrelevancies) and culture fair (adjusted to meet local cu...