cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chapter 5 – Ideal Flow Reactors

There is one important parameter used for flow reactors, τ, the reactor space time or its inverse, D, the dilution rate. The space time is the time needed to feed a reactor full of reaction mixture. There are two basic types of ideal flow reactors: PFR (plug flow reactor) and CSTR (continuous stirred tank reactor). PFR represents a one-dimensional flow reactor, like a piston. At steady state, the concentration of reactants as well as products changes along the direction of flow in a PFR. The concentrations of the reactants are the highest in a PFR presented to reaction. The analysis to a PFR is similar to that for a batch reactor, the only difference being the independent variable: the residence time or distance along the reactor flow direction, rather than the time for a batch reactor. CSTR represents a reactor that is well mixed such that no concentration gradient exits. CSTR is also termed chemostat. At steady state, only algebraic equations are involved in CSTR analysis. The concentrations of reactants in a CSTR are at their lowest level in a CSTR and thus least available to reaction. Graphical and analytical solution methods are demonstrated with examples for CSTR and PFR. In flow reactor design, our interest is not only in the reactor volume, but also the type of reactors. Usually, a whole bioprocess system optimization (economic analysis) is applied to determine whether CSTR or PFR is employed. In some cases, one can save time by knowingly selecting the right type of reactors. Selection of PFR or CSTR depends on the nature of the reaction mixture and type of reaction (kinetics). The reactor feed strategy greatly affects the product mixture. A reactor with optimum feed distribution and/or product separation can yield significantly more desired product. Methods of how these “complicated” flow reactors operate as well as simple flow reactors are demonstrated in the chapter.
examination in diagnosis and differential diagnosis of space-occupying lesions in saddle regions in children

Objective To explore the clinical application of MRI in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of space-occupying lesions in saddle regions in children and improve the clinical diagnosis accuracy. Methods 84 children with space-occupying lesions in saddle regions treated from at our hospital June, 2014 to June, 2017 were selected. The patients’ pathological examination data and imaging manifestations were reviewed by two senior physicians. Results According to the pathological examination results, there were 30 cases of craniopharyngioma, 10 pituitary adenoma, 10 epidermoid cyst, 6 germ-cell tumor, 12 Rathke cyst, 12 glioma, and 4 arachnoid cyst. The diagnosis accuracy and misdiagnosis rate based on CT scanning was 90.48% (76 cases) and 9.52%; after the pathological examination, 8 cases of craniopharyngioma were misdiagnosed as pituitary adenoma. The diagnosis accuracy and misdiagnosis rate based on MRI was 97.62% (82 cases) and 2.38%; after the pathological examination, 2 cases of glioma were misdiagnosed as pituitary adenoma. The diagnosis accuracy based on MRI was higher χ2=4.547,P<0.05). Conclusion Compared with CT scanning, MRI can better display the size, formation, scope, and adjacent relations of the lesions in saddle regions and provide important information in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of space-occupying lesions. However, there are still some misdiagnosed cases. Therefore, it is also necessary to take a comprehensive consideration on the patient’s medical history, clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, etc. Key words: Space-occupying lesions in saddle regions; MRI manifestation; Diagnosis; Dsifferential diagnosis
FREQUENT HYDRATE FORMATION IN THE NEWEST MODULE OF DE-ETHANIZER

Abstract As part of enhancing fractionation unit operations during the presence of high moisture in the C2+ feed, the ethane systems performance was assessed. It was found that hydrate formation occurs more frequently in the newest module than in older ones, leading to process interruption and equipment blockage. Hydrate forming temperature in the ethane systems was analyzed using a HYSYS simulation, to identify possible reasons for the higher hydrate formation events in one specific module, though all modules receive the same quality of feedstock.
Differential artery-vein analysis in quantitative retinal imaging: a review

Quantitative retinal imaging is essential for eye disease detection, staging classification, and treatment assessment. It is known that different eye diseases or severity stages can affect the artery and vein systems in different ways. Therefore, differential artery-vein (AV) analysis can improve the performance of quantitative retinal imaging. In this article, we provide a brief summary of technical rationales and clinical applications of differential AV analysis in fundus photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and OCT angiography (OCTA).
Bringing Digital in from the Cold: Collecting and Preserving Music Downloads

The rapid evolution of distribution models for recorded music has challenged libraries in a new way over the last decade. Music libraries in particular have struggled to collect, preserve, and lend...
The Moderating Role of Self-Disclosure Among Typically Developing Siblings of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Typically developing siblings (TDS) of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often have high caregiving responsibilities for parents (parent-focused parentification; PFP) or siblings (sibling-focused parentification; SFP). Prior research demonstrates that PFP is associated with TDS’ adjustment risk whereas SFP is associated with positive sibling relationships and social support moderates these associations. The purpose of the present study (N = 108) was to extended prior work by examining self-disclosure of worries about siblings with ASD to parents as a moderator between both parentification roles and TDS’ relational and adjustment outcomes. TDS college students ages 18 to 24 (M = 20.37, SD = 1.55) completed online surveys assessing parentification, disclosure, negative sibling interactions, depressive symptoms, well-being, and self-esteem. High disclosure to parents was protective against risk to well-being at high levels of PFP, which suggests a family pattern in which TDS’ caregiving is reciprocated by parents to underscore the importance of parents as a critical source of social support for TDS during the transition to adulthood. The impact of disclosure was more nuanced in the context of sibling-focused parentification; high disclosure to parents was associated with risk to sibling relationships at high levels of SFP and enhanced well-being at low levels of SFP, suggesting that the benefit of self-disclosure is not maintained when TDS’ responsibilities for siblings are too great.
First-order flux lattice melting and magnetization of YBa2Cu3O7−δ

We have calculated the flux lattice melting curve and magnetization of YBa2Cu3O7−δ in the lowest Landau level approximation, using a Monte Carlo technique which includes fluctuations in both the order parameter and the magnetic induction. There is a single first-order melting transition, at which long-range spatial order in theab plane and thec direction disappear simultaneously, in agreement with recent measurements of D. Lopezet al. The melting entropy is calculated to be about 0.034k B at a field of 5 T. The second temperature derivative of the magnetization is positive in the solid phase and negative in the liquid, in good agreement with experiment.
Geometric allocation approach to accelerating directed worm algorithm.

The worm algorithm is a versatile technique in the Markov chain Monte Carlo method for both classical and quantum systems. The algorithm substantially alleviates critical slowing down and reduces the dynamic critical exponents of various classical systems. It is crucial to improve the algorithm and push the boundary of the Monte Carlo method for physical systems. We here propose a directed worm algorithm that significantly improves computational efficiency. We use the geometric allocation approach to optimize the worm scattering process: worm backscattering is averted, and forward scattering is favored. Our approach successfully enhances the diffusivity of the worm head (kink), which is evident in the probability distribution of the relative position of the two kinks. Performance improvement is demonstrated for the Ising model at the critical temperature by measurement of exponential autocorrelation times and asymptotic variances. The present worm update is approximately 25 times as efficient as the conventional worm update for the simple cubic lattice model. Surprisingly, our algorithm is even more efficient than the Wolff cluster algorithm, which is one of the best update algorithms. We estimate the dynamic critical exponent of the simple cubic lattice Ising model to be $z\ensuremath{\approx}0.27$ in the worm update. The worm and the Wolff algorithms produce different exponents of the integrated autocorrelation time of the magnetic susceptibility estimator but the same exponent of the asymptotic variance. We also discuss how to quantify the computational efficiency of the Markov chain Monte Carlo method. Our approach can be applied to a wide range of physical systems, such as the ${|\ensuremath{\phi}|}^{4}$ model, the Potts model, the $\mathrm{O}(n)$ loop model, and lattice QCD.
Absent Laws and Missing Women: Can Domestic Violence Legislation Reduce Female Mortality?

This study contributes to the literature on legal institutions and determinants of adult mortality. The paper explores the relationship between the presence of domestic violence legislation and women-to-men adult mortality rates. Using panel data for about 95 economies between 1990 and 2012, the analysis finds that having domestic violence legislation leads to lower women-to-men adult mortality rates. According to conservative estimations, domestic violence legislation would have saved about 33 million women between 1990 and 2012. The negative relationship between domestic violence legislation and women-to-men adult mortality rates is robust to several checks and also confirmed using the instrumental variables approach.
Cognitive mechanisms of methylphenidate in ADHD: Do improvements in sustained attention mediate behavioral improvements in the natural environment?

The relation between sustained attention in the laboratory and behaviors exhibited in naturalistic settings among children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) remains unclear. Addi...
Your Professional Brand: Creating a Brand Essence Statement for Your Career

Although not all MBA students end up working in a marketing function and/or on a brand per se, all students will develop a professional brand, whether it is proactively built or created through happenstance. This exercise helps guide students through a process to think strategically about how to develop their professional brand at work. It is used in conjunction with a technical note that details how to build brands using a tool called the Brand Essence Statement. In this exercise, students are asked to use the tool to create their own Brand Essence Statement, focused primarily on the brand image that the students wish to achieve as a full-time employee. This exercise is appropriate in a general marketing, brand management, or strategic marketing course at the undergraduate or graduate levels during a module focused on branding. It should be used in conjunction with the technical tool and a discussion on Brand Essence Statements. Excerpt UVA-M-0887 Rev. Aug. 13, 2018 Your Professional Brand: Creating a Brand Essence Statement for Your Career It's this simple: You are a brand. You are in charge of your brand. There is no single path to success. And there is no one right way to create the brand called You. Except this: Start today. Or else. —Tom Peters . . .
Oncolytic Virus Immunotherapy: Showcasing Impressive Progress in Special Issue II.

Cancer immunotherapy has recently become the most promising strategy for hard-to-treat, advanced-stage malignancies [...]
From A Woman’s Right to Choose to ‘A Woman’s Right to Shoes’: The Commodification of Feminism and the Politics of Choice from Fear of Flying to Bridget Jones’ Diary

This essay looks at the transformation of the first-person fiction narratives from the feminist movement in the age of postfeminism. It explores the trajectory from feminism to postfeminism and the shift from a collective to a purely personal understanding of liberation as lifestyle politics, “power” feminism, and individualism gain ground. Central to this transformation is the commodification of the feminism itself as the politics of choice signal a broader shift to neoliberal ideology in which the rhetoric of choice is used to undermine radical demands for rights that emerged from the political movements of the 1960s and 70s. I argue that the triumph of postfeminism has its roots in the contradictions inherent in the personal politics which were dominant within the movement. To explore this trajectory, I look at feminist and post-feminist bestsellers from the 1970s and 1990s as emblematic of the politics of each period. Bridget Jones, in Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary (1996), is perhaps the post-feminist heroine par excellence. Nonetheless, Bridget Jones is a child of the protagonists of feminist fiction past. I analyse Fear of Flying by Erica Jong as an emblematic (and extremely popular) early feminist text that helped to pave the way from feminism to postfeminism.
The Spies Who Came into the Modernist FoldThe Covert Life in Hampstead’s Lawn Road Flats

The Spies Who Came into the Modernist Fold: The Covert Life in Hampstead’s Lawn Road Flats draws on the field of intelligence history to cast new light on the 1934 modernist landmark in London designed by architect Wells Coates for clients Jack and Molly Pritchard. With the gradual opening of intelligence archives in Britain and Russia since the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, it has come to light that between 1935 and 1942, four prominent Soviet spies made their home in the Flats. In this article, Jill Pearlman investigates why the spies chose the Flats as their place of residence. Based on extensive research in both intelligence and architectural archives, she argues that the design, program for modern living, and setting of the Flats offered the Soviet agents a residence that facilitated their espionage work.
A team teaching approach to inclusion of a security component in IS and CS curricula

Issues related to computer security and information assurance are important to everyone who uses information technology and these issues will have a substantial impact on the careers of students pursuing degrees in computer science and information systems. The onus, therefore, is on universities and colleges to include IT security in computer-related curricula. This presents a challenge especially for small departments where faculty members already have full teaching loads supporting service courses and other aspects of the degree programs. This paper describes a team teaching approach used to provide a course in computer security and information assurance for upper level undergraduate students majoring in computer science or information systems. The course format, lab environment, and lab exercises are described. A survey of students shows that students were very receptive to this approach. The team teaching approach allowed the workload required for preparation of the new course to be distributed among several faculty members and it allowed each faculty member to focus on aspects of the course most closely related to their areas of interest.
College to High School: Kentucky's Dual Enrollment Alternative

This chapter provides an overview of results from a recent qualitative study of two Middle College High Schools in Kentucky. The qualitative study utilized Rapid Assessment Process to identify essential elements needed to implement and maintain educational partnerships.
Parameter Estimation and Analysis of Actuators for the BACT Wind-Tunnel Model

This paper describes the development of transfer function models for the trailing edge and upper- and lower-spoiler actuators of the Benchmark Active Control Technology (BACT) wind-tunnel model for application to control system analysis and design. A simple nonlinear least squares parameter estimation approach is applied to determine transfer function parameters from frequency response data. Unconstrained quasi-Newton minimization of weighted frequency response error was employed to estimate the transfer function parameters. An analysis of the behavior of the actuators over time to assess the effects of wear and aerodynamic load using the transfer function models is also presented. The frequency responses indicate consistent actuator behavior throughout the wind-tunnel test and only slight degradation in effectiveness due to aerodynamic hinge loading. The resulting actuator models have been used in design, analysis, and simulation of controllers for the BACT. The resulting controllers have successfully suppressed flutter over a wide range of conditions.
Antifungal Agents and Antifungal Susceptibility Testing

1 Systemic Antifungal Drugs in Current Use 2 Future Antifungal Drugs 3 Antifungal Susceptibility Testing 4 Methods of Susceptibility Testing Keywords: antifungal agents and antifungal susceptibility testing; systemic antifungal drugs in current use; antifungal mechanisms of action; lipid vehicles for polyenes; unique mechanism of action-setting echinocandins apart from other antifungals; antifungal susceptibility testing; future antifungal drugs; testing of filamentous fungi
Pressure-driven occlusive flow of a confined red blood cell

When red blood cells (RBCs) move through narrow capillaries in the microcirculation, they deform as they flow. In pathophysiological processes such as sickle cell disease and malaria, RBC motion and flow are severely restricted. To understand this threshold of occlusion, we use a combination of experiment and theory to study the motion of a single swollen RBC through a narrow glass capillary of varying inner diameter. By tracking the movement of the squeezed cell as it is driven by a controlled pressure drop, we measure the RBC velocity as a function of the pressure gradient as well as the local capillary diameter, and find that the effective blood viscosity in this regime increases with both decreasing RBC velocity and tube radius by following a power-law that depends upon the length of the confined cell. Our observations are consistent with a simple elasto-hydrodynamic model and highlight the role of lateral confinement in the occluded pressure-driven slow flow of soft confined objects.
Artificial neural networks for 3D nonrigid motion analysis

A novel approach to 3D nonrigid motion analysis using artificial neural networks is presented. A set of neural networks is proposed to tackle the problem of nonrigidity in 3D motion estimation. Constraints are specified to ensure a stable and global consistent estimation of local deformations. The assignments of weights between two layers, the initial values of the outputs, and the connections between each network reflect the constraints defined. The objective of the proposed neural networks is to find the optimal deformation matrices that satisfy the constraints for all the points on the surface of the nonrigid object. Experimental results on synthetic and real data are provided. >
Market Spaces, Travel, and Artistic Livelihoods in Dakar

My paper will focus on the ramifications of market spaces for artists, their works and their professional livelihoods by considering the place of travel in structuring markets and the professional categories of artists. In particular, how do the linkages afforded by markets, networks, and mobilities both characterize and give shape to artistic practice in Dakar? The questions I pursue build on recognition that artists in Dakar have potential access to the many networks that market spaces bring together. Like the multiple points of entry enabled by Dakar’s art market, the many networks embedded therein allow for many points of exit to elsewhere. Because the art market may be conceptualized as a largely trans-urban phenomenon, artists have access to many art world sites by way of potential networks opened up by the continuous comings and goings of art professionals from Dakar and beyond. So much do artists in Dakar create, participate in, and navigate these networks proficiently that these undertakings appear as a crucial component of their professional work.
Hybridization as a Technique of Biological Evolution

The hybridization of two species represents a method of more importance in obtaining the understanding of the relationships of these species. The crosses in vitro avoid the operation of the mechanisms that are aislated, as the characteristics of the mating call and the size of the body. The results of these crosses provide an indication of the degree of affinity of the species. It is possible, naturally, that a singular gene can provide an obstacle for the crossing of two species, but the results of numerous crosses indicate that many genes involve themselves in the obstacles of crossing of the two species. Consequently, the results of the crosses permit the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of the groups. No method is of more importance with respect to this type of information than the hybridization method.
HOST CASTRATION AS A PARASITIC STRATEGY.

The "destruction or alteration of (the host's) gonad tissue by parasites" (Noble and Noble, 1971) is widely referred to as parasitic castration. It is often accompanied by a modification in the expression of the host's secondary sexual characteristics and may also have a variety of other physiological and behavioral effects. That its effects may have considerable influence upon the life-history of the parasite has been less appreciated. Parasitic castration has attracted scientific attention ever since it was first reported by Maln (1881) and studied by Giard (1886, 1887, 1889; Giard and Bonnier, 1887). The phenomenon has been reviewed for various groups of host organisms, e.g., Crustacea (Reinhard, 1956; Charniaux-Cotton, 1960), Insecta (Wiilker, 1964), and Mollusca (Koie, 1969; Cheng, 1971; Wright, 1971), as well as for groups of parasites, e.g., Nematoda (Welch, 1965) and Turbellaria (Jennings, 1971). Its importance has recently gained recognition in a number of parasitology textbooks (e.g., Caullery, 1952; Cheng, 1972; Noble and Noble, 1971). Several explanations of parasitic castration have been proposed. McClelland and Bourns (1969), for example, consider it to be primarily an adaptive response of the host, and they use a group-selection argument for their explanation:
High-rate dissolution of copper in cupric-sulfate electrolytes

The mass-transfer-limited dissolution of copper in acidic and binary cupric-sulfate solutions is investigated. The dissolution produces a dull surface with a coarse microtexture. This system has an unusually large limiting-current plateau, where a salt film precipitates. The film is characterized with steady polarization measurements as well as AC-impedance and flow-modulation spectroscopy. A low-field, film-conduction mechanism explains best the high-frequency region of the AC-impedance spectrum. The electrochemical behavior of the system is compared to other high-rate metal-dissolution systems. Shortcomings of present salt-film models are discussed.
Estimating a shear modulus of a transversely isotropic formation

We have developed a method that estimates a shear modulus (c66) of a transversely isotropic formation using the tube wave generated during acoustic logging. (The symmetry axis of the anisotropy is assumed to parallel the borehole.) The inversion, which is implemented in the frequency‐wavenumber domain, is based upon a cost function that has three terms: a measure of the misfit between the observed and predicted wavenumbers of the tube wave, a measure of the misfit between the current estimate for c66 and the most‐likely value for c66, and penalty functions that constrain the estimate to physically acceptable values. The largest contribution to the value of the cost function ordinarily comes from the first term, indicating that the estimate for c66 depends mostly on the data. Because the cost function only has one minimum, it can be found using standard optimization methods. The minimum is well defined indicating that the estimate for c66 is well resolved. Estimates for c66 from synthetic data are almost a...
Predicting Young's modulus of glass/ceramic sealant for solid oxide fuel cell considering the combined effects of aging, micro-voids and self-healing

Abstract We study the temperature dependent Young's modulus for the glass/ceramic seal material used in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). With longer heat treatment or aging time during operation, further devitrification may reduce the residual glass content in the seal material while boosting the ceramic crystalline content. In the meantime, micro-voids induced by the cooling process from the high operating temperature to room temperature can potentially degrade the mechanical properties of the glass/ceramic sealant. Upon reheating to the SOFC operating temperature, possible self-healing phenomenon may occur in the glass/ceramic sealant which can potentially restore some of its mechanical properties. A phenomenological model is developed to model the temperature dependent Young's modulus of glass/ceramic seal considering the combined effects of aging, micro-voids, and possible self-healing. An aging time-dependent crystalline content model is first developed to describe the increase of the crystalline content due to the continuing devitrification under high operating temperature. A continuum damage mechanics (CDM) model is then adapted to model the effects of both cooling induced micro-voids and reheating induced self-healing. This model is applied to model the glass–ceramic G18, a candidate SOFC seal material previously developed at PNNL. Experimentally determined temperature-dependent Young's modulus is used to validate the model predictions.
Larvicidal Activity to Flies of Manure from Chicks Administered Insecticide-Treated Feed

The toxicity to larvae of house flies, Musca domestica L.; Fannia pusio (Wiedemann); Chrysomya megacephala (F.); and Parasarcophaga argyrostoma (Robineau-Desvo-idy) of droppings from chicks administered feed containing 44 insecticides was determined. The insecticides in-duded 6 phosphates, 6 phosphorothionates, 2 phosphorothionates, 10 phosphorodithioates, 1 phosphorotrithioate, 3 phosphonothioates, 3 phosphonodithioates, 2 phosphonotrithioates, 9 carbamates, 1 carbonate, and 1 chlorinated hydrocarbon. P. argyrostoma was the most tolerant of the species to the insecticide-containing manure. Azodrin® (3-hydroxy- N -methyl- cis -crotonamide dimethyl phosphate), Compound 4072 (2-chloro-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl) vinyl diethyl phosphate), Dursban® ( O, O -diethyl O -3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridylphosphorothioate), Nemacide® ( O -(2,4-dichlorophenyl) O, O -diethyl phosphorothioate), G 30493 ( S -[[ (3,4-dichloro-phenyl) thio]methyl] O, O -dimethyl phosphorodithioate), v-e 3-668 ( O -methyl S, S -dipropyl phosphorotrithioate), Ray 37289 ( O -ethyl O -2,4,5-trichlorophenyl ethylphospho-nothioate), S 4087 ( O -p-cyanophenyl O -ethyl phenylphos-phonothioate), B 10046 ( S-p -chlorophenyl O -isopropyl (chloromethyl)phosphonodithioate), B 10119 ( O -isopropyl S-p -tolyl (chloromethyl) phosphonodithioate), and NIA 10242 (2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranyl methylcarbamate) were highly toxic to at least. 3 of the species after passage through the chick. Larval mortality was determined also in droppings inoculated directly with the insecticides. Relatively low levels of azinphosethyl, azinphosmethyl, B 10046, B 10119, Bay 37289, Compound 4072, Dursban, G. 28029 ( S -[[ (2,5-dichlorophenyl) thio]methyl] O, O -diethyl phosphorothioate), G 30493, G30494 (5-[[ (2,5-dichlorophenyl) thio[methyl[ O, O -dimethyl phosphorodithioate), Nemacide, NIA 10242, R 2371 ( S [bis ( p -chloro-phenyl) methyl O, O -diethyl phosphorodithioate), S 4084 ( O-p -cyanophenyl O, O -dimethyl phosphorothioate), S 4087, SD 7587 (1-[( p -chlorophenyl) thio vinyl] dimethyl phosphate), SD 8447 (2-chloro-1-(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl) vinyldimethyl phosphate), UC 8305 (3-chloro-3-thio-2,4-dioxa-3-phosphabicycIo[4.4.0]decane), V-C 3-668, V-C 9-104 O -ethyl S, S -dipropyl phosphorodithioate), and Zectran (4-dimethylamino-3,5-xylyl methyIcarbamate) were effective in controlling at least 3 species by this method of ad-ministration.
Banach function spaces and interpolation methods I. The abstract theory

Interpolation methods are introduced which have specific application in the function space setting. The methods are indexed by (ϱ; j) or (ϱ; k), where ϱ is a rearrangement-invariant norm and j and k are natural modifications of the J- and K-functionals of Peetre. Theorems of interpolation, equivalence, stability, and duality are established under simple restrictions on the indices of ϱ. Applications are given (in Part II) to the interpolation of weak-type operators and, in particular, to the Hilbert transform and the conjugate operator. In part III, the ϱ-methods are used to establish generalized Hausdorff-Young estimates for the Fourier transform.
A New Concept: ‘capital, My Museum’

Culture is the most representative element of any country, nation or city, and museums are one of the best mediums for its transmission. The Capital Museum exemplifies Beijing’s urban culture; its ...
DNA footprints of the two kinetically significant intermediates in formation of an RNA polymerase-promoter open complex: evidence that interactions with start site and downstream DNA induce sequential conformational changes in polymerase and DNA

Kinetic studies of formation and dissociation of open-promoter complexes (RPo) involving Eσ70 RNA polymerase (R) and the λPR promoter (P) demonstrate the existence of two kinetically significant intermediates, designated I1 and I2, and facilitate the choice of conditions under which each accumulates. For such conditions, we report the results of equilibrium and transient DNase I and KMnO4 footprinting studies which characterize I1 and I2. At 0°C, where extrapolation of equilibrium data indicates I1 is the dominant complex, DNA bases in the vicinity of the transcription start site (+1) do not react with KMnO4, indicating that this region is closed in I1. However, the DNA backbone in I1 is extensively protected from DNase I cleavage; the DNase I footprint extends ∼30 bases downstream and at least ∼40 bases upstream from the start site. I1 has a short lifetime (⩽15 seconds), based on its sensitivity to competition with heparin. Shortly after a temperature downshift from 37°C to 0°C, in the time-range where we conclude that the dominant, transiently accumulated complex is I2, DNase I and KMnO4 footprinting reveal a complex with a closed-start site and an extended DNase I footprint like that of I1. However, unlike I1, I2 is insensitive to heparin competition and has a much longer dissociation lifetime at 0°C. Based on footprinting, kinetic and thermodynamic studies, we conclude that in the short-lived intermediate I1 the promoter start site and downstream region are bound in a cleft defined by the open clamp-like jaws of Eσ70. We propose that binding of the start site and downstream DNA in this cleft triggers massive, relatively slow conformational changes which likely include RNA polymerase jaw closing with coupled folding. These proposed conformational changes occur prior to opening of the promoter start site region, and are responsible for the much longer lifetime of I2. Closing of the jaws of polymerase around the downstream region of promoter DNA appears to trigger opening of the start site region. From a quantitative analysis of the biphasic decay of KMnO4 reactivity of RPo at 0°C, we obtain the equilibrium constant K3 for the conversion of I2 to RPo and the rate constant k−2 for the conversion of I2 to I1 (i.e. jaw opening). These quantitative results were previously unavailable at any temperature, and are necessary for the dissection of dissociation kinetic data at higher temperatures.
A finite element approach for domain wall dynamics in ferroelectric materials

The field-induced domain evolution is investigated in a single-domain ferroelectric solid undergoing spontaneous polarization and polarization reorientation. Domain wall velocities have been correlated with the driving force acting on the domain interface. This boundary driving force, which depends on the local electromechanical fields and local changes of the material properties due to reorientation of the crystal structure, has been associated with Eshelby's energy momentum tensor. Finite element analysis that implements an efficient computation method for Eshelby's energy momentum tensor is developed. The domain boundary's geometry is elastically updated during the finite element computation to capture the characteristic of the domain evolution. An analytical solution for the domain interface driving force will be given by implementing Eshelby's solution for piezoelectric inclusion. The numerical results are compared to the analytical solutions to conclude the validity of this approach. Finally, the finite element computation program is used in two domain switch simulations.
Surgical and prosthodontic management of atrophied edentulous jaws. Part II. The surgical and prosthodontic treatment

Abstract Many edentulous patients who have unfavorable support for complete dentures can have the basal seats for the dentures improved by surgery. The cooperation of the oral surgeon and the prosthodontist is essential for the reshaping of the labial and buccal vestibules. Surgical splints are used to maintain the vestibules. Surgical splints are used to maintain the vestibular extensions made by the oral surgeon.
Registration of prone and supine colons in the presence of topological changes

CT colonography is a minimally-invasive screening technique for colorectal polyps in which X-ray CT images of the distended colon are acquired, usually in the prone and supine positions. Registration of segmented colons from both images will be useful for computer-assisted polyp detection. We have previously presented algorithms for registration of the prone and supine colon when both are well distended and there is a single connected lumen. However due to inadequate bowel preparation or peristalsis there may be collapsed segments in one or both of the colons resulting in a topological change in the images. Such changes make deformable registrations of the colons difficult, and at present there are no registration algorithms which can accommodate them. In this paper we present an algorithm which can perform volume registration of prone/supine colon images in the presence of a topological change.
Third-order bounds on the effective bulk and shear modulus of a dispersion of fully penetrable spheres

Abstract We evaluate the third-order Beran-Molyneux bounds on the effective bulk modulus K e and the third-order McCoy bounds on the effective shear modulus μ e of a model of a two-phase composite in which one of the phases consists of spherical inclusions (or voids), with bulk and shear moduli, K 2 and μ 2 , respectively, and volume fraction φ 2 , dispersed randomly throughout a matrix phase, with bulk and shear moduli, K 1 and μ 1 , respectively, and volume fraction φ 1 . We tabulate the two fundamental microstructural parameters I 1 and L 1 required to evaluate the bounds, which depend upon the three-point matrix probability function of the model, for the aforementioned fully-penetrablesphere model. We compare the third-order bounds on K e and μ e to the second-order bounds due to Hashin and Shtrikman and to Walpole. We find that the third-order bounds for our model are always more restrictive than the corresponding second-order bounds. When the moduli of the phases differ by an order of magnitude, the third-order bounds are sharp enough to provide quantitatively useful estimates of K e and μ e for all φ 2 . The third-order bounds are very restrictive at low φ 2 values (e.g., φ 2 = 0.1 ) where they remain useful for cases in which the moduli of the phases differ by two orders of magnitude. Experimental values of μ e measured by Corson for a tungstenlead composite are found to lie within the McCoy bounds for our model, with the lower bound giving a good estimate of the data.
Computed tomography of partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection in adults.

Objectives To systematically describe the imaging features and clinical correlates of a partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection diagnosed on computed tomography (CT) in adults. Methods Twenty-nine adults with a partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection on CT were retrospectively identified. There were 19 women and 10 men, with a mean age of 53 (range: 19-83) years. Four cases were identified by review of 1825 consecutive chest CT reports from July 2000-July 2001, and 25 cases were culled from chest radiology teaching files at 3 institutions. Inclusion criteria were availability of CT images and medical charts. Chest radiographs (25 of 29 cases) were reviewed for mediastinal contour abnormalities, heart size, and pulmonary vascular pattern. Chest CT scans were reviewed for location, size, and drainage site of the anomalous vein; presence or absence of a pulmonary vein in the normal location; cardiac size and configuration; and pulmonary vasculature. Charts were reviewed for evidence of pulmonary and cardiovascular disease, history of congenital heart disease, and results of other cardiac imaging. Results The prevalence of a partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection was 0.2% (4 of 1825 chest CT reports). Seventy-nine percent (23 of 29 patients) had an anomalous left upper lobe vein connecting to a persistent left vertical vein, only 5% (1 of 23 patients) of whom had a left upper lobe vein in the normal location. Seventeen percent (5 of 29 patients) had an anomalous right upper lobe vein draining into the superior vena cava, 60% (3 of 5 patients) of whom also had a right upper lobe pulmonary vein in the normal location. One patient (3%) had an anomalous right lower lobe vein draining into the suprahepatic inferior vena cava. Chest radiographic findings were abnormal left mediastinal contour in 64% (15 of 25 patients), abnormal right mediastinal contour in 8% (2 of 25 patients), and cardiomegaly in 24% (6 of 25 patients). Computed tomography findings were cardiomegaly in 48% (14 of 29 patients), right atrial enlargement in 31% (9 of 29 patients), right ventricular enlargement in 31% (9 of 29 patients), and pulmonary artery enlargement in 14% (4 of 29 patients). Pulmonary or cardiovascular symptoms were present in 69% (20 of 29 patients), 55% (11 of 20 patients) of whom had specific alternative diagnoses (excluding congestive heart failure and pulmonary hypertension) to explain the symptoms. Only 1 patient (3%) was diagnosed with a secundum atrial septal defect. Conclusions A partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection was seen in 0.2% of adults on CT. In contrast to previous series focusing on children, the anomalous vein in adults was most commonly from the left upper lobe, in women, and infrequently associated with atrial septal defects.
Toward a Fracture Mechanics–Based Design Approach for Unbonded Concrete Overlay Pavements

AbstractAn illustrative fracture mechanics–based design paradigm is proposed for unbonded concrete overlays (UBCOs), an increasingly popular pavement rehabilitation system, with the ultimate goal of establishing a more rational design procedure than those currently available. To illustrate the advantages of the fracture mechanics–based approach to design, specific attention is paid to one type of failure associated with pavement structures, reflection cracking. The design formulas derived from the results of a large number of crack propagation simulations of both the UBCO composite and a reference single-layer new pavement quantify the dependence of the required overlay thickness and load-carrying capacity on all relevant material and geometric parameters. Preliminary comparisons of the results with field observations suggest that the fracture mechanics paradigm offers a promising procedure for improved design of UBCOs.
Deriving the intermediate spectra and photocycle kinetics from time-resolved difference spectra of bacteriorhodopsin. The simpler case of the recombinant D96N protein

The bacteriorhodopsin photocycle contains more than five spectrally distinct intermediates, and the complexity of their interconversions has precluded a rigorous solution of the kinetics. A representation of the photocycle of mutated D96N bacteriorhodopsin near neutral pH was given earlier (Varo, G., and J. K. Lanyi. 1991. Biochemistry. 30:5008-5015) as BRhv-->K L M1-->M2--> BR. Here we have reduced a set of time-resolved difference spectra for this simpler system to three base spectra, each assumed to consist of an unknown mixture of the pure K, L, and M difference spectra represented by a 3 x 3 matrix of concentration values between 0 and 1. After generating all allowed sets of spectra for K, L, and M (i.e., M1 + M2) at a 1:50 resolution of the matrix elements, invalid solutions were eliminated progressively in a search based on what is expected, empirically and from the theory of polyene excited states, for rhodopsin spectra. Significantly, the average matrix values changed little after the first and simplest of the search criteria that disallowed negative absorptions and more than one maximum for the M intermediate. We conclude from the statistics that during the search the solutions strongly converged into a narrow region of the multidimensional space of the concentration matrix. The data at three temperatures between 5 and 25 degrees C yielded a single set of spectra for K, L, and M; their fits are consistent with the earlier derived photocycle model for the D96N protein.
Can an alternative backround-corrected [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) standard uptake value (SUV) be used for monitoring tumor local control following lung cancer stereotactic body radiosurgery?

Purpose: Although [ 18 F] FDG-positron emission tomography (PET) provides vital information in diagnosing lung malignancies, the inherent uncertainties of standard uptake value (SUV) compromises its confidence. People have attempted to reduce this uncertainty by comparing the normal tissues, such as liver and spleen. However, those common reference structures may be inappropriate in some cases when pathological conditions exist. Hence, using alternative reference structures becomes valuable in such practice. The purpose of this study is to explore an alternative reference-correction method to reduce the inherent variation of SUV in the tumor or irradiated region. Methods : 106 analyzable FDG-PET scans from 49 cases who received lung SBRT for non-small cell lung cancer were retrospectively analyzed. The follow-up time ranges from 14.5 weeks to 113.2 weeks. The maximal SUV (SUVmax) was measured within the lung lesion or its corresponding region in post-SBRT. SUVmax was then corrected (or divided) by a reference SUV, or the mean SUV of the adjacent aorta, and results in the new SUVcmax. Results: SUVcmax of the positive group are significant higher than that of locally controlled cases (5.82 ± 3.10 vs. 1.45 ± 0.55, p = 0.026), while inconsequential differences were identified between the groups (p = 0.086). Respectively 85.2% and 96.3% of locally controlled cases post SBRT showed decreased values in the latter PET using SUVmax and SUVcmax. PET taken 24 weeks or sooner post-SBRT yielded higher uncertainties. Conclusion : Comparing with the conventional SUVmax, the alternative regional background-corrected SUV indicator, SUVcmax of PTV suggests a stronger correlation between low (<2.5 - 3.0) values and the local tumor control post lung SBRT for NSCLC. However, FDG-PET images taken earlier than 24 weeks post-SBRT presents larger variations in SUV of the irradiated region due to underlying radiation induced inflammatory changes, and is not recommended for assessing local tumor control after lung SBRT. Cite this article as: Shang CY, Kasper ME, Kathriarachchi V, Benda RK, Kleinman JH, Cole J, Williams TR. Can an alternative backround-corrected [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) standard uptake value (SUV) be used for monitoring tumor local control following lung cancer stereotactic body radiosurgery? Int J Cancer Ther Oncol 2014; 2 (4):020317. DOI : 10.14319/ijcto.0203.17
Peltzman on regulation and politics

There is no question that self-interest matters, not only in private markets but in the political arena as well (see Goldberg, 1974, 1976, 1977). Peltzman's paper is an extremely clever effort to pose the political problem so that the tools and reasoning from the standard model could be extended to the new area with minimal modification. The approach directs attention to technical questions — e.g., the signs of second derivatives (Peltzman, 1976: 220–221) — of a familiar sort. However, the environment in the new area is so different from the more mundane environments in which the theory normally thrives that a major adaptive effort will be necessary for the theory to survive. If it does survive, it will be in a form that is almost unrecognizable.
Fragmentation or recombination at high pT

All hadronization processes, including fragmentation, are shown to proceed through recombination. The shower partons in a jet turn out to play an important role in describing the pT spectra of hadrons produced in heavy-ion collisions. Due to the recombination of the shower partons with the soft thermal partons, the structure of jets produced in AA collisions is not the same as that of jets produced in pp collisions.
Use of Benzoate to Establish Reactive Buffer Zones for Enhanced Attenuation of BTX Migration: Aquifer Column Experiments

Flow-through aquifer columns were used to evaluate the efficacy of using benzoate as a biostimulatory substrate to enhance the aerobic biodegradation of benzene, toluene, and o-xylene (BTX), fed continuously at low concentra tions (about 0.2 mg/L each). When used as a cosubstrate, benzoate addition (1 mg/L) enhanced BTX degradation kinetics and attenuated BTX breakthrough relative to acetate-amended (2 mg/L) or unamended control columns. The benzoate-amended column also experienced an increase in predominance of pseudomonad species capable of degrading BTX. The feasibility of injecting benzoate to enhance the growth of BTX degraders and establish a buffer zone downgradient of a BTX plume was also investigated. Using pristine aquifer material without previous exposure to BTX, aquifer columns were fed benzoate (2 mg/L), acetate (4 mg/L), or mineral medium without supplemental substrates during a 2-day acclimation stage. All columns were subsequently fed BTX alone, and their breakthrough was monitored. Previ...