cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Morphology of Planetary Nebulae: Simulations with Time-evolving Winds

We have carried out simulations of planetary nebulae (PNs) within the general framework of the interacting stellar winds models, wherein the fast wind from a central star sweeps up the slow wind emitted in a previous epoch. Our two-dimensional simulations take into account the evolution of the velocity and mass-loss rate of the fast wind. This leads to considerably more structure on smaller scales than was seen in those nebulae where the fast wind velocity is held constant. The nebula evolves through an initial momentum-conserving phase before entering the more commonly encountered energy-conserving stage. Both stages are prone to instabilities, which may be the precursor of knots, filaments, and other microstructures that are now commonly seen in Hubble Space Telescope images of PNs. In particular, we note the occurrence of the nonlinear thin shell instability in the early stages, and the formation of Rayleigh-Taylor filaments in the energy-conserving stage. The growth of small-scale structure in the momentum-conserving stage is sensitive to the ratio of the initial wind momenta; the lifetime of the nebula in this stage depends also on the evolution of the wind properties. The overall size scale of the system is determined mainly by the evolution of the fast wind properties. If the evolution is not taken into account when computing kinematic ages, then the ages may be underestimated.
Trehalose is a versatile and long-lived chaperone for desiccation tolerance.

Summary Background Diverse organisms across taxa are desiccation tolerant, capable of surviving extreme water loss. Remarkably, desiccation tolerant organisms can survive years without water. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this rare trait are poorly understood. Results Here, using Saccharomyces cerevisiae , we show that intracellular trehalose is essential for survival to long-term desiccation. The time frame for maintaining long-term desiccation tolerance consists of a balance of trehalose stockpiled prior to desiccation and trehalose degradation by trehalases in desiccated cells. The activity of trehalases in desiccated cell reveals the stunning ability of cells to retain enzymatic activity while desiccated. Interestingly, the protein chaperone Hsp104 compensates for loss of trehalose during short-term, but not long-term, desiccation. We show that desiccation induces protein misfolding/aggregation of cytoplasmic and membrane proteins using luciferase and prion reporters. We demonstrate that trehalose, but not Hsp104, mitigates the aggregation of both cytoplasmic and membrane prions. We propose that desiccated cells initially accumulate both protein and chemical chaperones, like Hsp104 and trehalose, respectively. As desiccation extends, the activities of the protein chaperones are lost because of their complexity and requirement for energy, leaving trehalose as the major protector against the aggregation of cytoplasmic and membrane proteins. Conclusions Our results suggest that trehalose is both a more stable and more versatile protectant than protein chaperones, explaining its important role in desiccation tolerance and emphasizing the translational potential of small chemical chaperones as stress effectors.
A Practical Approach to Using Multiple-Race Response Data: A Bridging Method for Public-Use Microdata

Revised federal policies require that multiple-race responses be allowed in all federal data collection efforts, but many researchers find the multitude of race categories and variables very difficult to use. Important comparability issues also interfere with using multiple-race data in analyses of multiple data sets and/or several points in time. These difficulties have, in effect, discouraged the use of the new data on race. We present a practical method for incorporating multiple-race respondents into analyses that use public-use microdata. Our method is a modification of the regression method developed by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), which uses multiple-race respondents' specific combination of races, as well as other individual-level and contextual characteristics, to predict the respondents 'preferred single race. In this paper we (1) apply the NCHS-generated regression coefficients to public-use microdata with limited geographic information; and (2) provide a downloadable computer program with which researchers can apply this practical and preferable method for including multiple-race respondents in a wide variety of analyses.
Peer Educators in Classroom Settings: Effective Academic Partners.

The author explores the pedagogical benefits and challenges of using peer educators in the classroom, suggests appropriate supports for peer educators in academic environments, and examines innovative uses of peer undergraduate teaching assistants at diverse institutions across the country.
Electric charge of carbon particles in flames

The electric charge of carbon particles sampled downstream of the reaction zone in a premixed propane-oxygen flame was measured using mobility analysis and electron microscopy. The carbon occurred in chain-like agglomerates having 10 to 10 4 spherical particles and 200 to 14,000 positive charges. The average particle diameter within different agglomerates ranged from 170 to 350 , while the number of charges per particle ranged from 1 to 40 with an average of 2. The charge/particle ratio and the average particle size decrease with the number of particles per agglomerate. The average charge/particle ratio and the variation of charge with particle size are close to predicted equilibrium values. However, the charge of many small agglomerates far exceeds the equilibrium value and approaches the theoretical value for breaking particles from the agglomerates by electrostatic tension. The calculated energy barrier to collision between particles having the observed charge far exceeds the particles' kinetic energy. It is tentatively concluded that agglomeration under the conditions here studied occurs along with particle growth before the observed degree of charging is attained, and that small, highly charged agglomerates may be fragments broken from peripheral regions of large agglomerates.
Systematic Trends in Short-Range Coulomb Effects among Nearly One-Dimensional Organic Conductors

A resolution to the controversy over the magnitude of the effective short-range Coulomb interaction in molecular conductors is proposed by showing that it depends very strongly on band filling because of intermolecular correlations.
Cholesterol Content of Beef Bone Marrow and Mechanically Deboned Meat

Marrow from cervical, lumbar and femur bones of 5 steers and 5 cows fed only on native range (grass fed) and 5 steers and 5 cows fed a finishing ration (grain fed) was analyzed for cholesterol content. The cholesterol content of the marrow was significantly different when diet or anatomical locations were compared. Bovine marrow from grass-fed animals averaged 119.6 mg/100g and marrow from grain-fed animals averaged 150.6 mg/100g marrow. The cholesterol content of marrow from the cervical, lumbar, and femur was 190.1, 124.1, and 91.0 mg/100g marrow, respectively. Mechanically deboned meat (MDM) and beef lean had a mean cholesterol content of 153.3 and 50.9 mg/100g tissue. Spinal cord material in MDM can account for the increased concentration of cholesterol in some MDM samples over the values for lean and marrow.
Fcγ receptor II stimulated formation of inositol phosphates in human platelets is blocked by tyrosine kinase inhibitors and associated with tyrosine phosphorylation of the receptor

We report that activation of phospholipase C (PLC) by cross-linking of the platelet low-affinity Fcγ receptor II (Fcγ RII) is inhibited by two structurally distinct tyrosine kinase inhibitors, staurosporine and ST271. This contrasts with PLC activation induced by thrombin and U46619, a thromboxane mimetic, whose receptors have seven transmembrane domains characteristic of G-protein coupled receptors. Several proteins undergo phosphorylation on tyrosine on FcγRII cross-linking upstream of protein kinase C (PKC), Ca2+ and aggregation, including the FcγRII itself. The role of FcγRII phosphorylation in the regulation of PLC is discussed.
Pattern of ziprasidone exposures reported to Texas poison centers, 2001-2005.

Information on potentially adverse exposures to the atypical antipsychotic drug ziprasidone is limited. This study described the pattern of exposures involving only ziprasidone (isolated exposures) reported to Texas poison control centers during 2001–2005. The mean dose was 666 mg. The patient age distribution was ≤5 years (11%), 6–19 years (30%), and ≥20 years (60%). The exposures were intentional in 53% of the cases. Seventy-five percent of the exposures were managed at health care facilities. The final medical outcome was classified as no effect for 39% of the cases and minor effects for 40% of the cases. Adverse clinical effects were listed for 53% of the patients; the most frequently reported being neurological (42%), cardiovascular (13%), and gastrointestinal (5%). The most frequently listed treatment was decontamination by charcoal (34%) or cathartic (28%). Potentially adverse ziprasidone exposures reported to poison control centers are likely to involve management at a health care facility and inv...
Cytotoxicity of Murine B Lymphocytes Induced by Human VH4-34 (VH4.21) Gene-Encoded Monoclonal Antibodies

We have previously described specific binding and cytotoxicity of human B lymphocytes by VH4-34 gene-derived anti-i cold agglutinin (CA) mAbs. Here we demonstrate that the carbohydrate ligand recognized by human VH4-34 anti-i CA mAbs is also expressed on murine B lymphocytes. Similar to human B cells, binding of murine B lymphocytes by VH4-34-derived anti-i CA mAbs leads to rapid cytotoxicity of target cells as tested both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the mechanism leading to murine B cell death is also similar to human B cells, since morphologically identical membrane pores were detected within 15 min of mAb exposure by scanning electron microscopy. The conservation of the carbohydrate ligand across species provides an ideal system to study the function of human VH4-34 gene derived Abs in immune regulation.
Parental experience learning to feed their preterm infants.

PURPOSE:Although extensive research has been conducted on preterm infant oral feeding, few investigations have examined parents' experiences learning to feed orally their preterm infant while in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). As such, the aim of this study was to explore parental learning
Dynamic genome organization and gene evolution by positive selection in geminivirus (Geminiviridae).

Geminiviruses (Geminiviridae) are a diverse group of plant viruses differing from other known plant viruses in possessing circular, single-stranded DNA. Current classification divides the family into three subgroups, defined in part by genome organization, insect vector, and plant host range. Previous phylogenetic assessments of geminiviruses have used DNA and/or amino acid sequences from the replication-associated and coat protein genes and have relied predominantly on distance analyses. We used amino acid and DNA sequence data from the replication-associated and coat protein genes from 22 geminivirus types in distance and parsimony analyses. Although the results of our analyses largely agree with those reported previously, we could not always predict viral relationships based on genome organization, plant host, or insect vector. Loss of correlation of these traits with phylogeny is likely due to improved sampling of geminivirus types. Unrooted parsimony trees suggest multiple independent origins for the monopartite genome. Genome organization is therefore a dynamic character. Estimates of nonsynonymous and synonymous nucleotide substitutions for extant and inferred ancestral sequences were used to evaluate hypotheses that the replication-associated and coat protein sequences evolve to accommodate plant host and insect vector specificities, respectively. Results suggest that plant host specificity does not solely direct replication-associated protein evolution but that coat protein sequence does evolve in response to insect vector specificity. Genome organization and, possibly, plant host specificity are not reliable taxonomic characters.
Constraining de Sitter Space in String Theory

We argue that the heterotic string does not have classical vacua corresponding to de Sitter space-times of dimension four or higher. The same conclusion applies to type II vacua in the absence of Ramond-Ramond fluxes. Our argument extends prior supergravity no-go results to regimes of high curvature. We discuss the interpretation of the heterotic result from the perspective of dual type II orientifold constructions. Our result suggests that the genericity arguments used in string landscape discussions should be viewed with caution.
Enhancement of major histocompatibility class I protein synthesis by DNA damage in cultured human fibroblasts and keratinocytes

Exposure of primary human fibroblasts or simian virus 40-transformed human keratinocytes to several different classes of DNA damage, including UV light C (254 nm), resulted in a rapid increase in the expression of human major histocompatibility class I (MHC-I) proteins. MHC-I induction was also detected after exposure to low doses of the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide, suggesting that MHC-I induction by DNA damage may be a component in a derepressible cellular SOS pathway.
Convex-Programming Design of Linear and Nonlinear Phase Wideband Blocking Filters

Blocking filters are commonly used in array processing to excise targets from data when suitable target-free training data is not available. A drawback is the reduction of the effective size of the array by the order of the filter, motivating a search for the smallest filter that meets the design specifications. Common linear-phase approaches lead to convex optimization and efficient global solutions, but can be inefficient when the phase of the blocking filter is unimportant. Although direct magnitude-response optimization is nonconvex in general, for narrowband linear arrays optimal-magnitude blocking filters can be found using constrained optimization followed by spectral factorization. This approach cannot be directly applied to wideband arrays, as finite-support spectral factors do not generally exist in higher dimensions. Instead, a procedure is presented in which an approximate multidimensional spectral factor of an optimized spectral density is used as a target response in a second optimization stage. Linear and nonlinear-phase solutions are found and compared for both narrowband and wideband notch filters, with the nonlinear phase outperforming the linear phase in both notch width and passband error. The various optimizations are performed using second-order cone programming, an efficient class of convex optimization.
Electromagnetic compatibility of CMOS on-chip antennas

Radio frequency (RF) wireless interconnects are considered as a viable alternative for the distribution of global signals in semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs). The increased system complexity, density and die size of a typical IC, coupled with the reduction in the cross-sectional area of metal interconnects have increased the parasitic effects associated with the interconnects. Hence, the global interconnect lines are now considered a bottleneck to the increase in speed as the delay due to the interconnects is higher than the delay in the devices themselves [1].
WDM filter modules in compact, low-cost plastic packages for byte-wide multimode fibre ribbon cable data links

WDM filter modules are presented for multimode fibre ribbon cables which employ a simple package and provide low crosstalk and sharp passband edges, suitable for 10 nm channel spacing. These devices exhibit low insertion loss (1.6 dB average) and good wavelength uniformity (/spl plusmn/0.8 nm).
Service Learning: Bringing the Business Classroom to Life.

While service-learning may be easily incorporated into medical or legal fields, this type of active learning generally has not been historically integrated into any discipline within the business curriculum. This is unfortunate, as the utilization of business students in not-for-profit environments can provide a triple-win scenario: the students receive an enriched learning experience, as they likely will confront opportunities at the entry level that are not generally experienced until the middle-management level; the administrators at the not-for-profit have access to business students with skills that are necessary but typically expensive to acquire; and the constituents served by the organization are enriched by having improved delivery or efficiency of service. Within this paper, we will discuss the service-learning environment and will then detail a project we have worked on in a service-learning-oriented class, with the hope that others may use our experience to facilitate their own service-learning projects as students or within the context of a class.
An accurate equivalent circuit model of flip chip interconnects

In this paper, a general and accurate circuit model of the flip chip interconnect has been investigated and presented. In this circuit model, statistical analysis is used to compute the value of the circuit elements. Also, losses in the flip chip package are represented by a simple function vs frequency. These losses include substrate loss of the chip and the mother board due to excitation of surface wave and radiation loss due to the bump. Good agreement has been obtained between the s-parameters of the FD-TD model and the equivalent circuit model over a wide frequency band of up to 50 GHz. This equivalent circuit can be used in commercial circuit simulators to predict MMIC performance including the package.
Stripe boundary codes for real-time structured-light range scanning of moving objects

We present a novel approach to real-time structured light range scanning. After an analysis of the underlying assumptions of existing structured light techniques, we derive a new set of illumination patterns based on coding the boundaries between projected stripes. These stripe boundary codes allow range scanning of moving objects, with only modest assumptions about scene continuity and reflectance. We describe an implementation that integrates these new codes with real-time algorithms for tracking stripe boundaries and determining depths. Our system uses a standard video camera and DLP projector, and produces dense range images at 60 Hz with 100 /spl mu/m accuracy over a 10 cm working volume. As an application, we demonstrate the creation of complete models of rigid objects: the objects are rotated in front of the scanner by hand, and successive range images are automatically aligned.
Effect of tubular inhomogeneities on filter properties of thick ascending limb of Henle’s loop

We used a simple mathematical model of rat thick ascending limb (TAL) of the loop of Henle to predict the impact of spatially inhomogeneous NaCl permeability, spatially inhomogeneous NaCl active transport, and spatially inhomogeneous tubular radius on luminal NaCl concentration when sustained, sinusoidal perturbations were superimposed on steady-state TAL flow. A mathematical model previously devised by us that used homogeneous TAL transport and fixed TAL radius predicted that such perturbations result in TAL luminal fluid NaCl concentration profiles that are standing waves. That study also predicted that nodes in NaCl concentration occur at the end of the TAL when the tubular fluid transit time equals the period of a periodic perturbation, and that, for non-nodal periods, sinusoidal perturbations generate non-sinusoidal oscillations (and thus a series of harmonics) in NaCl concentration at the TAL end. In the present study we find that the inhomogeneities transform the standing waves and their associated nodes into approximate standing waves and approximate nodes. The impact of inhomogeneous NaCl permeability is small. However, for inhomogeneous active transport or inhomogeneous radius, the oscillations for non-nodal periods tend to be less sinusoidal and more distorted than in the homogeneous case and to thus have stronger harmonics. Both the homogeneous and non-homogeneous cases predict that the TAL, in its transduction of flow oscillations into concentration oscillations, acts as a low-pass filter, but the inhomogeneities result in a less effective filter that has accentuated non-linearities.
Indirect exchange in semiconductors

Abstract Indirect exchange of the Ruderman-Kittel type is discussed for donor and conduction electrons in a semiconductor. It is found that the indirect exchange no longer shows the spatial oscillations characteristic of a metal, and is increased in magnitude, though limited spatially to the size of the wavefunction, when the electrons are localized on nonoverlapping donors. The indirect exchange is much too small in magnitude to lead to ferromagnetism in either extrinsic or intrinsic semi-conductors.
Thioarsenides: a case for long-range Lewis acid–base-directed van der Waals interactions

Electron density distributions, bond paths, Laplacian and local-energy density properties have been calculated for a number of As4S n (n = 3, 4 and 5) thioarsenide molecular crystals. On the basis of the distributions, the intramolecular As–S and As–As interactions classify as shared bonded interactions, and the intermolecular As–S, As–As and S–S interactions classify as closed-shell van der Waals (vdW) bonded interactions. The bulk of the intermolecular As–S bond paths link regions of locally concentrated electron density (Lewis-base regions) with aligned regions of locally depleted electron density (Lewis-acid regions) on adjacent molecules. The paths are comparable with intermolecular paths reported for several other molecular crystals that link aligned Lewis base and acid regions in a key–lock fashion, interactions that classified as long-range Lewis acid–base-directed vdW interactions. As the bulk of the intermolecular As–S bond paths (~70%) link Lewis acid–base regions on adjacent molecules, it appears that molecules adopt an arrangement that maximizes the number of As–S Lewis acid–base intermolecular bonded interactions. The maximization of the number of Lewis acid–base interactions appears to be connected with the close-packed array adopted by molecules: distorted cubic close-packed arrays are adopted for alacranite, pararealgar, uzonite, realgar and β-AsS and the distorted hexagonal close-packed arrays adopted by α- and β-dimorphite. A growth mechanism is proposed for thioarsenide molecular crystals from aqueous species that maximizes the number of long-range Lewis acid–base vdW As–S bonded interactions with the resulting directed bond paths structuralizing the molecules as a molecular crystal.
The ray theory of ship waves and the class of streamlined ships

A new theory is given for calculating the wave pattern and wave resistance of a ship moving at low Froude number F . It applies to ships of any width, either full-bodied or slender. In this theory, the waves travel along rays which start at source points, such as the bow and stern, on the water-line. They propagate with the speed of waves in deep water, but are also advected by the double body flow. This is the flow about the ship and its image in the undisturbed free surface. The phase of a wave at any point on a ray is the optical length of the ray from the source to that point. The amplitude is determined by an excitation coefficient, which determines its initial value, and by an integral along the ray. The total wave height at any point is the sum of the heights on all the rays through the point. The theory is incomplete because the excitation coefficients are known only for thin ships. As an illustration, the theory is applied to the thin ship case, and the results then agree with Michell's thin ship solution evaluated for F small. A new class of ships, which we call streamlined ships, is introduced next. The usual linear free surface condition applies to the waves they produce. The ray theory is developed for these waves at low F , and it involves straight rays produced at all points on the rear half of the water-line. In addition, as an alternative to the ray theory, another method is presented for obtaining the waves at low F . It involves a Schrodinger-like equation in which distance along the ship's centre-line is the time-like co-ordinate.
Acute quetiapine poisoning.

Quetiapine (Seroquel) is a member of a new class of antipsychotic agents used in the treatment of schizophrenia. Its pharmacologic effect is primarily mediated via antagonistic binding to serotonergic (5HT2) and dopaminergic (D2) receptors. Presented is a case of acute quetiapine overdose in a patient with associated tachycardia, hypotension, prolonged QTc, and rapid progression to coma. Management included activated charcoal, i.v. saline, and intubation for airway protection. The patient's mental status rapidly improved within several hours of the ingestion, and the prolonged QTc and tachycardia resolved by the second and third days of hospitalization, respectively, without further intervention. This case illustrates the potential for hemodynamic instability and sudden deterioration in level of consciousness, warranting close monitoring and early intubation for airway protection. All patients with acute quetiapine overdose requiring hospitalization should be admitted to an intensive care unit setting.
Soft-computing approach to the design of current mirror circuits

This paper describes a method for the layout design of current mirror circuits. The method utilizes the soft computing approach. Specifically, a genetic algorithm (GA) performs placement and routing of the current mirrors. Crossover deals with the spread out of best routing strategies over the population, while mutation deals with better placement and improvement of routing strategies. Each run of the GA produces new routing strategies expressed in terms of fuzzy IF-THEN rules. Rules are tuned so that search procedure becomes less and less random. As a result, better tractability of the searching problem is achieved.
HIV-Mediated Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Serine–Threonine Kinase Activation in APCs Leads to Programmed Death-1 Ligand Upregulation and Suppression of HIV-Specific CD8 T Cells

Recent evidence demonstrates that HIV-1 infection leads to the attenuation of cellular immune responses, which has been correlated with the increased expression of programmed death (PD)-1 on virus-specific CD8(+) T cells. PD-1 is induced upon T cell activation, and its prolonged expression facilitates CD8(+) T cell inhibitory signals when bound to its B7 family ligands, PD-ligand (L)1/2, which are expressed on APCs. Importantly, early reports demonstrated that blockade of the PD-1/PD-L interaction by Abs may help to counter the development of immune exhaustion driven by HIV viral persistence. To better understand the regulation of the PD-1 pathway during HIV infection, we examined the ability of the virus to induce PD-L expression on macrophages and dendritic cells. We found a direct relationship between the infection of APCs and the expression of PD-L1 in which virus-mediated upregulation induced a state of nonresponsiveness in uninfected HIV-specific T cells. Furthermore, this exhaustion phenotype was revitalized by the blockade of PD-L1, after which T cells regained their capacity for proliferation and the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-12 upon restimulation. In addition, we identify a critical role for the PI3K/serine-threonine kinase signaling pathway in PD-L1 upregulation of APCs by HIV, because inhibition of these intracellular signal transducer enzymes significantly reduced PD-L1 induction by infection. These data identify a novel mechanism by which HIV exploits the immunosuppressive PD-1 pathway and suggest a new role for virus-infected cells in the local corruption of immune responses required for viral suppression.
Lower-Level Stimulus Features Strongly Influence Responses in the Fusiform Face Area

An intriguing region of human visual cortex (the fusiform face area; FFA) responds selectively to faces as a general higher-order stimulus category. However, the potential role of lower-order stimulus properties in FFA remains incompletely understood. To clarify those lower-level influences, we measured FFA responses to independent variation in 4 lower-level stimulus dimensions using standardized face stimuli and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). These dimensions were size, position, contrast, and rotation in depth (viewpoint). We found that FFA responses were strongly influenced by variations in each of these image dimensions; that is, FFA responses were not “invariant” to any of them. Moreover, all FFA response functions were highly correlated with V1 responses (r = 0.95–0.99). As in V1, FFA responses could be accurately modeled as a combination of responses to 1) local contrast plus 2) the cortical magnification factor. In some measurements (e.g., face size or a combinations of multiple cues), the lower-level variations dominated the range of FFA responses. Manipulation of lower-level stimulus parameters could even change the category preference of FFA from “face selective” to “object selective.” Altogether, these results emphasize that a significant portion of the FFA response reflects lower-level visual responses.
Unicycle Coverage Control Via Hybrid Modeling

This technical note presents gradient-descent coverage algorithms for a group of nonholonomic vehicles. Similarly to previous approaches, the deployment strategy relies on Locational Optimization techniques and algorithms are distributed in the sense of the Delaunay graph. In order to deal with unicycle dynamics and guarantee performance, we introduce several vehicle modes and integrate them in a hybrid system. We then analyze the algorithms with a recently introduced invariance principle for hybrid systems.
Stabilization of Softwood-Derived Pyrolysis Oils for Continuous Bio-oil Hydroprocessing

The use of fast pyrolysis oil as a potential renewable liquid transportation fuel alternative to crude oil depends on successful catalytic upgrading to produce a refinery-ready product with oxygen content and qualities (i.e., specific functional group or compound content) compatible with the product’s proposed refinery insertion point. Similar to crude oil hydrotreating, catalytic upgrading of bio-oil requires high temperature and pressure. However, processing thermally unstable pyrolysis oil is not straightforward. For years, a two-temperature, downflow trickle bed reactor using sulfided catalysts was the state-of-the art for continuous operation. However, pressure excursion due to plug formation still occurred, typically at the high-temperature transition zone, and led to a process shutdown within 140 h. A plug typically consists of polymerized bio-oil and inorganic constituents that bind catalysts at specific portions preventing liquid and gas flow through the bed, resulting to a potential pressure incursion. Recently, two factors were found to enable continuous operation by preventing reactor shutdown due to plug formation: (1) a bio-oil pretreatment process prior to the two-temperature reactor, and (2) a robust commercial catalyst for the high temperature zone reactor. Here, we report the use and characterization of bio-oil that was pre-treated at 413 K and 8.4 MPa under flowing H2 (500 L H2/L bio-oil, 0.5 L bio-oil/L catalyst bed) to enable the long-term (cumulative 1440-h) bio-oil hydroprocessing.
Gender, Mobility, and Escape in the Tanzanian Tourism Industry

This paper considers discourses of mobility and escape among young women studying at tourism institutes in the tourism hub of Arusha, Tanzania. Based on ethnographic, interview, and newspaper data, I discuss young womens seemingly paradoxical strategies for escaping poverty, male control, and even their homeland for a more independent and prosperous life. On the one hand, these students describe their dream in terms of self-empowerment, striving to be independent career women within the male-dominated Tanzanian tourism industry. On the other hand, the same women reveal romantic fantasies of being whisked away to the West by male tourists, whom they would meet on-the-job in their professional capacities as a hotel desk clerk or restaurant server. Yet even well-trained women are often relegated to invisible positions in housekeeping and the kitchen and hence find themselves unable to achieve either goal for a better life. Gender here structures both the reality and fantasy of mobility. At the same time, the seemingly dichotomous goals of womens independence from (African) men and dependence on (Western) men reflects their awareness of the disparities between opportunities for men and women in Tanzania, as well as a deeply felt sense that ultimate opportunity lies beyond their nations borders.
Ceramic coatings for a corrosion-resistant nuclear waste container evaluated in simulated ground water at 90 °C

Ceramic materials provide an innovative opportunity for corrosion-resistant coatings for nuclear waste containers. Their suitability can be derived from the fully oxidized state for selected metal oxides. Ceramic coatings applied to plain carbon steel substrates by several thermal spray techniques have been exposed to 90 °C simulated ground water (at 10 times typical concentration) for nearly 6 years. Thermal spray processes examined in this work included plasma spray, high-velocity oxy fuel (HVOF), and detonation gun. Some thermal spray coatings have demonstrated superior corrosion protection for the plain carbon steel substrate. In particular, the HVOF and detonation gun thermal spray processes produced coatings with low connected porosity, which limited the growth rate of corrosion products. It was also demonstrated that these coatings resisted spallation of the coating even when an intentional flaw (which allowed for corrosion of the carbon steel substrate underneath the ceramic coating) was placed in the coating. An approach for a theoretical basis for prediction of the corrosion protection provided by ceramic coatings is also presented. The theoretical development includes the effect of the morphology and amount of the porosity within the thermal spray coating and provides a prediction of the exposure time needed to produce a crack in the ceramic coating.
Long-Pulse Laser-Plasma Interactions at 10 12 - 10 15 W/ cm 2

Laser-plasma interaction physics including absorption, plasma formation, heating, plasma expansion, and energy transport, are examined for 3-nsec Nd-laser irradiances between ${10}^{12}$ and ${10}^{15}$ W/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. Efficient energy deposition and conditions favorable to ablative acceleration are found at ${10}^{12}$-${10}^{13}$ W/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$, whereas reduced absorption, hot electrons, and fast ions are seen at 7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{14}$ W/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. Suitability of the observed physics to pellet fusion is discussed.
Beyond MVAC: New and Improved Chemotherapeutics

With the introduction of cisplatin based combination chemotherapy, survival for patients with advanced bladder cancer has doubled from approximately 3–6 months with supportive care alone to over one year. The lack of curative potential coupled with significant potential toxicity fueled the search for more efficacious and less toxic regimens. Although median survivals have marginally improved since the original reports on MVAC, this likely is a result of stage migration and better supportive care. However, several alternative regimens have shown promising activity with less toxicity and applicability to a broader population of patients. Significant steps have also been made in the last several years in understanding the pathobiology of bladder cancer. These advances have led to trials investigating a variety of cytotoxic agents and biologically targeted agents as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy in hopes of increasing response rate and overall survival.
A Method of Measuring “Heat Embrittlement” of GR-S and Hevea Rubber Compounds

Abstract This paper is a description of some studies of the phenomenon variously described in the literature as heat embrittlement, heat tenderness, heat shortening, etc. For purposes of discussion the term heat embrittlement will be employed in a general sense to denote the change in breaking elongation resulting from a change in test conditions, i.e., test temperature, cure, or aging. Inasmuch as the expression heat embrittlement is purely qualitative, no definite experimental procedure for its determination is implied, such as is implied, for instance, in the term ultimate tensile strength. Such lack of definiteness in terminology often leads to considerable confusion and the development of widely different test techniques for measuring the same phenomenon. Illustrative of the latter point are two heat embrittlement tests, one introduced by W. B. Wiegand and the other by R. B. Hobson. The first method is based on a measurement of the length of time which a stretched T-50 strip will withstand contact wi...
Synthesis, Characterization, and Cure Chemistry of Renewable Bis(cyanate) Esters Derived from 2-Methoxy-4-Methylphenol

A series of renewable bis(cyanate) esters have been prepared from bisphenols synthesized by condensation of 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol (creosol) with formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and propionaldehyde. The cyanate esters have been fully characterized by infrared spectroscopy, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. These compounds melt from 88 to 143 °C, while cured resins have glass transition temperatures from 219 to 248 °C, water uptake (96 h, 85 °C immersion) in the range of 2.05–3.21%, and wet glass transition temperatures from 174 to 193 °C. These properties suggest that creosol-derived cyanate esters may be useful for a wide variety of military and commercial applications. The cure chemistry of the cyanate esters has been studied with FTIR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The results show that cyanate esters with more sterically demanding bridging groups cure more slowly, but also more completely than those with a bridging methylene group. In addition to the...
Hypothalamic neurosecretory activity in relation to the reproductive cycle in the common striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis nigra; order carnivora).

The histological appearance of certain cell groups in the anterior hypothalamus was studied during various phases of the reproductive cycle of the common striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis nigra), a carnivore having a very restricted period of sexual activity. Pronounced changes occur in the amount of stainable neurosecretory material in cells of the supraoptic, paraventricular and anterior hypothalamic nuclei. Material staining with aldehyde fuchsin is stored (or inhibited from being released) in these cells during the sexually quiescent period in both the female and male skunk. The time of approaching sexual activity is characterized by the first signs of release of neurosecretory material from these hypothalamic cells and the peak of estrus and rut coincides with a minimal content of the material.
On the Orthocentric Quadrilateral

(1920). On the Orthocentric Quadrilateral. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 27, No. 5, pp. 199-202.
Four Successive Years of Trauma-Based Objective Structured Clinical Evaluations: What Have We Learned?

Objective We studied 4 years of data from our objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) to determine whether residents improved skills in the trauma physical examination (PE). Our hypothesis was that residents would improve with each year of training, and that resident scores would also improve over time, with each year of OSCE testing. Design We developed 2 polytrauma scenarios and alternated yearly. Residents were graded on PE, history taking, and professionalism. Scenarios simulated trauma cases residents could encounter during training. We compared each year for any significant (p Setting The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Participants Orthopedic faculty and residents. Results Across years 2010 to 2013, we saw no significant improvement in PE skills. History-taking skills trended upwards, but this was not significant, and communication skills significantly improved. Conclusions We expected after instituting a trauma OSCE that we would see an improvement in residents’ PE skills, which we did not. We observed an overall improvement in ability to interact and communicate with patients and ask appropriate questions.
The Dosimetric Significance of Using 10 MV Photons for Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy for Post-Prostatectomy Irradiation of the Prostate Bed

Background: The purpose of the study was to analyze the dosimetric differences when using 10 MV instead of 6 MV for VMAT treatment plans for post-prostatectomy irradiation of the prostate bed. Methods and Materials: Ten post-prostatectomy prostate bed irradiation cases previously treated using 6 MV with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) were re-planned using 10 MV with VMAT. Prescription dose was 66.6 Gy with 1.8 Gy per fraction for 37 daily fractions. The same structure set, number of arcs, field sizes, and minimum dose to the Planning Target Volume (PTV) were used for both 6 MV and 10 MV plans. Results were collected for dose to Organs at Risk (OAR) constraints, dose to the target structures, number of monitor units for each arc, Body V 5 , Conformity Index, and Integral Dose. The mean values were used to compare the 6 MV and 10 MV results. To determine the statistical significance of the results, a paired Student t test and power analysis was performed. Results: Statistically significant lower mean values were observed for the OAR dose constraints for the rectum, bladder-CTV, left femoral head, and right femoral head. Also, statistically significant lower mean values were observed for the BodyV 5 , Conformity Index, and Integral Dose. Conclusions: Several dosimetric benefits were observed when using 10 MV instead of 6 MV for VMAT based treatment plans. Benefits include sparing more dose from the OAR while still maintaining the same dose coverage to the PTV. Other benefits include lower Body V 5, Conformity Index, and Integral Dose.
Surface oxidized mesoporous carbons derived from porous silicon as dual polysulfide confinement and anchoring cathodes in lithium sulfur batteries

Abstract Despite widespread focus on porous carbons for lithium-sulfur battery cathode materials, electrode design to preserve mass-specific performance and sustained extended cycling stability remains a challenge. Here, we demonstrate electrochemically etched porous silicon as a sacrificial template to produce a new class of functional mesoporous carbons optimized for dual chemical and physical confinement of soluble polysulfides in lithium-sulfur battery cathodes. Melt infiltration loading of sulfur at 60 wt% enables initial discharge capacity of 1350 mAh/gsulfur at rates of 0.1 C - approaching theoretical capacity of 1675 mAh/gsulfur. Cycling performance measured at 0.2 C indicates 81% capacity retention measured over 100 cycles with 830 mAh/gsulfur capacity. Unlike other carbons, this template combines structural properties necessary for sulfur containment and polysulfide confinement to achieve high specific capacity, but also boasts surface-bound oxygen-containing functional groups that are able to chemically anchor the soluble Li2Sn species on the interior of the mesoporous carbon to sustain cycling performance. In turn, this elucidates a scalable and competitive material framework that is capable, without the addition of additional membranes or inactive anchoring materials, of providing the simultaneous anchoring and confinement effects necessary to overcome performance limitations in lithium sulfur batteries.
Alternative Destination Transport? The Role of Paramedics in Optimal Use of the Emergency Department.

Introduction Alternative destination transportation by emergency medical services (EMS) is a subject of hot debate between those favoring all patients being evaluated by an emergency physician (EP) and those recognizing the need to reduce emergency department (ED) crowding. This study aimed to determine whether paramedics could accurately assess a patient's acuity level to determine the need to transport to an ED. Methods We performed a prospective double-blinded analysis of responses recorded by paramedics and EPs of arriving patients' acuity level in a large Level II trauma center between April 2015 and November 2015. Under-triage was defined as lower acuity assessed by paramedics but higher acuity by EPs. Over-triage was defined as higher acuity assessed by paramedics but lower acuity by EPs. The degree of agreement between the paramedics and EPs' evaluations of patient's acuity level was compared using Chi-square test. Results We included a total of 503 patients in the final analysis. For paramedics, 2 51 (49.9%) patients were assessed to be emergent, 178 (35.4%) assessed as urgent, and 74 (14.7%) assessed as non-emergent/non-urgent. In comparison, the EPs assessed 296 (58.9%) patients as emergent, 148 (29.4%) assessed as urgent, and 59 (11.7%) assessed as non-emergent/non-urgent. Paramedics agreed with EPs regarding the acuity level assessment on 71.8% of the cases. The overall under- and over-triage were 19.3% and 8.9%, respectively. A moderate Kappa=0.5174 indicated moderate inter-rater agreement between paramedics' and EPs' assessment on the same cohort of patients. Conclusion There is a significant difference in paramedic and physician assessment of patients into emergent, urgent, or non-emergent/non-urgent categories. The field triage of a patient to an alternative destination by paramedics under their current scope of practice and training cannot be supported.
NormSim: An agent-based model of norm change

This paper describes a computational approach to theory testing. The paper uses Agent-Based Modeling to develop a viable constructivist theory of norm change. The goal is to generate metastable norms without violating critical theoretical assumptions about norm emergence.
Multilevel coarse-to-fine-grained prioritization for GUI and web applications

This work demonstrates that the use of one criterion for test suite prioritization may lead to high variability of fault detection rates due to random tie-breaking. The paper provides motivational examples of how a single fine-grained or coarse criterion may lead to poor code coverage or fault finding efficiency. We use a multilevel coarse-to-fine-grained two-way prioritization method to address the issues and evaluate the technique in an empirical study by comparing fault finding effectiveness and its variability to single-criterion methods. The results indicate that the proposed method decreases tie-breaking instability of the fault detection rate and often increases the overall performance of test suite prioritization methods.
About Liberal Democracy and Extremism

This chapter gives a concise overview of the key concepts and theories in the study of political extremism, laying out a typology of democratic and extremist actors and ideologies. It also discusses some of the main democratic responses to non-democratic challenges.