cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cylindrical Shells of Bimodulus Composite Materials

Certain fiber-reinforced materials, especially those with slightly curved fibers in very soft matrices, exhibit considerably smaller stiffnesses when loaded in compression than when loaded in tension. Examples are tire cord-rubber, wire-reinforced solid propellants, and certain soft biological tissues. For purposes of analysis and design, such materials can be modeled as a bimodulus material, i.e., one having one set of stiffnesses when the fiber direction strain is tensile and another set when this strain is compressive. Using the fiber-governed bimodulus-material model introduced several years ago and verified for cord-rubber composites, the previous work is extended on the deflection of single-layer and cross-ply laminated rectangular plates to circular cylindrical shells of the same construction. A closed-form solution is presented for the case of a simply supported cylindrical panel under sinusoidally distributed loading. Numerical results are presented to show the effect of shell curvature on the neutral-surface position and deflection.
City emergency medical services system issues

The City of Houston is continuously improving its preparedness for disasters and terrorism. This preparation requires strong and clear leadership. This includes a designated individual to lead the region’s preparation in the health and medical arena. An effective leader requires an effective command and control center. Real-time information on the situation is imperative.
A study of oxygen effects on nonflaming transient gasification of PMMA and PE during thermal irradiation

The effects of gas phase oxygen on the rate of gasification and surface temperature of PMMA and low density PE samples (4 X 4 cm) were investigated under transient, nonflam­ ing heating by thermal radiation. Five different ambient gas mixtures, 100% nitrogen, 5% 02/95% N2, 10% 0';90% N2, 20% 0';80% N2, and 40% O2/60% N2, were used. The ver­ tically oriented samples were subjected to two different radiant fluxes, 1. 7 and 4.0 W /cm2. For PMMA, large bubbles are formed in the hottest, near-surface layer in a nitrogen en­ vironment; these bubbles are smaller and more frequent in oxygen-containing environments. It appears that the molten surface layer of PMMA becomes less viscous in an oxygen-con­ taining environment and this enhances bubbling mass transfer of in-depth-decomposition products to the surface; the bubbles in turn affect the depth to which oxygen alters the decomposition process. The surface of PE turns brown in oxygen-containing environments, increasing the local absorption coefficient and hence increasing the rate of heating. An in­ crease in gas phase oxygen concentration increases the gasification rate of PMMA and PE substantially. With PMMA, when the rate of gasification becomes substantial, the effect of oxygen on the gasification process is reduced; the counterflow of gases from the surface apparently serves to reduce the oxygen supply rate to the condensed phase. An increase in oxygen concentration significantly decreases the surface temperature of PMMA and even more significantly increases that of PE. Neither polymer gasifies like a liquid in the sense of having constant surface temperature and mass flux proportional to energy input.
Monoclonal Antibodies That Bind to Domain III of Dengue Virus E Glycoprotein Are the Most Efficient Blockers of Virus Adsorption to Vero Cells

The specific mechanisms by which antibodies neutralize flavivirus infectivity are not completely understood. To study these mechanisms in more detail, we analyzed the ability of a well-defined set of anti-dengue (DEN) virus E-glycoprotein-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to block virus adsorption to Vero cells. In contrast to previous studies, the binding sites of these MAbs were localized to one of three structural domains (I, II, and III) in the E glycoprotein. The results indicate that most MAbs that neutralize virus infectivity do so, at least in part, by the blocking of virus adsorption. However, MAbs specific for domain III were the strongest blockers of virus adsorption. These results extend our understanding of the structure-function relationships in the E glycoprotein of DEN virus and provide the first direct evidence that domain III encodes the primary flavivirus receptor-binding motif.
Extratemporal facial nerve injury

Isolated traumatic facial nerve injury, frequently seen in wartime combat, may also be encountered among civilians. The clinical picture occurring as a result of such injury may be confusing because partial, or incomplete, damage to the peripheral nerve may mimic impairment of the central facial motor mechanism. In treating the patient with facial injury, life-threatening aspects of the injury must be assessed and stabilized first. Then, attention may be focused on the injured facial nerve, for which prompt surgical repair is the treatment of choice. Prior to surgery, the assessment of taste and hearing, as well as mastoid and skull x-ray films and electrodiagnostic tests are helpful in localizing the facial nerve injury.
Extended Long-Term Culture of MSC-Laden Agarose Constructs Does Not Produce Functional Tissue Comparable to Primary Chondrocytes

Articular cartilage lines the surfaces of joints and transmits the forces arising from locomotion. The poor ability of cartilage to self-repair has motivated efforts to engineer replacements that recapitulate this load-bearing function. While chondrocyte-laden constructs have been generated with near-native mechanical properties, limitations in chondrocyte availability may preclude their clinical use. Therefore, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which can undergo chondrogenesis in 3D culture, have emerged as a promising alternative [1]. However, although MSCs deposit a cartilaginous matrix, mechanical and biochemical properties are lower than those achieved with chondrocytes [1, 2]. Using microarray analysis, we recently showed that limitations in functional MSC chondrogenesis may stem from incomplete or incorrect molecular induction; molecular differences were observed between donor-matched differentiated chondrocytes and newly differentiated MSCs over 8 weeks of culture [2]. While some genes remained consistently low in MSCs compared to chondrocytes, others gradually increased with time, approaching chondrocyte levels by 8 weeks. As these molecules may underlie the functional disparity between chondrocytes and MSCs, we hypothesized that longer culture durations may improve MSC-seeded construct properties and chondrogenesis. To test this hypothesis, we characterized the evolution of functional properties of MSC- and chondrocyte-seeded constructs over 4 months of in vitro culture in pro-chondrogenic medium.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Examination of Cobalt “Picket Fence” Porphyrin and Its Complex with 1-Methylimidazole as Catalysts for the Electroreduction of Dioxygen

The electrochemical behavior of cobalt 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(α,α,α,α-2-pivalamidophenyl)porphyrin (Co^(II)TpivPP) was examined in benzonitrile solutions. The electrochemical responses were changed significantly by the addition of 1-methylimidazole which coordinates once to the Co(II) and twice to the Co(III) porphyrin. The corresponding equilibrium binding constants were estimated as 2.9 × 10^3 M^(-1) and 1.7 × 10^(20) M^(-2). The cyclic voltammetric responses were affected by the rates of the ligand association/dissociation reactions. Formation of the O_2 adduct of the Co(II) porphyrin resulted in only small changes in the cyclic voltammetric pattern. Comparison between Co^(II)TpivPP and cobalt tetraphenylporphyrin (Co^(II)TPP) as catalysts for the electroreduction of O_2 showed the latter to be the superior catalyst both when adsorbed on graphite electrodes and when dissolved in thin layers of acidified benzonitrile where Co^(II)TpivPP exhibited unimpressive catalytic activity compared with Co^(II)TPP, which appeared to catalyze the reduction of O_2 by significantly more than 2 electrons per molecule.
Calculation of dissociative ionization cross sections of diatomic molecules

A model for calculating the dissociative ionization cross sections of diatomic molecules is developed. The activated state for dissociative ionizations is modeled to occur via the ejection of a bound electron and an excitation of another bound electron. This process is described by successive two-electron scattering in the first Born and the binary-encounter approximations. Comparison of calculated cross sections with available experimental data for five diatomic molecules (H$sub 2$, CO, N$sub 2$, NO, and O$sub 2$) shows good agreement with incident-electron energies above 200 eV. (AIP)
Polymerase chain reaction in the detection of micrometastases and circulating tumor cells

BACKGROUND The sensitive detection of circulating tumor cells and micrometastases may have important therapeutic and prognostic implications. METHODS The molecular detection of occult tumor cells can be accomplished by amplifying tumor specific abnormalities present in the DNA or mRNA of malignant cells with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This approach has been used mainly for hemato-lymphoid malignancies. The other main PCR strategy for the detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) involves amplification of tissue-specific mRNA. This method was applied for the detection of occult disease in solid tumors. RESULTS PCR was shown to be superior to conventional techniques in detecting circulating tumor cells and micrometastases allowing the identification of 1 tumor cell diluted with 106–107 normal cells. The central question of whether PCR positivity reliably predicts relapse remains unanswered for many tumor types. Serial analysis of a large number of samples is needed and currently undertaken in many institutions. CONCLUSIONS PCR is a highly sensitive method for the detection of circulating tumor cells and micrometastases in solid and hematopoietic malignancies. If PCR positivity is found to be a reliable tool, this will likely have a major impact on the treatment of many cancers. Patients could be selected for systemic therapy at an earlier stage when the metastatic tumor burden is low. PCR may improve the preoperative staging of patients with epithelial malignancies and therefore help avoid unnecessary radical procedures. Furthermore, this test may be useful in monitoring the effectiveness of adjuvant therapy, the intensity and duration of which is tailored to the individual patient. The impact of this PCR based approach on clinical oncology is likely to be profound. Cancer 1996;78:10-6.
A Regulatory Pathway Involving Notch1/β-Catenin/Isl1 Determines Cardiac Progenitor Cell Fate

Regulation of multipotent cardiac progenitor cell (CPC) expansion and subsequent differentiation into cardiomyocytes, smooth muscle or endothelial cells is a fundamental aspect of basic cardiovascular biology and cardiac regenerative medicine. However, the mechanisms governing these decisions remain unclear. Here, we show that Wnt/beta-catenin signalling, which promotes expansion of CPCs, is negatively regulated by Notch1-mediated control of phosphorylated beta-catenin accumulation within CPCs, and that Notch1 activity in CPCs is required for their differentiation. Notch1 positively, and beta-catenin negatively, regulated expression of the cardiac transcription factors, Isl1, Myocd and Smyd1. Surprisingly, disruption of Isl1, normally expressed transiently in CPCs before their differentiation, resulted in expansion of CPCs in vivo and in an embryonic stem (ES) cell system. Furthermore, Isl1 was required for CPC differentiation into cardiomyocyte and smooth muscle cells, but not endothelial cells. These findings reveal a regulatory network controlling CPC expansion and cell fate that involves unanticipated functions of beta-catenin, Notch1 and Isl1 that may be leveraged for regenerative approaches involving CPCs.
Fast implementation of N-FINDR algorithm for endmember determination in hyperspectral imagery

Analysis of hyperspectral imagery requires the extraction of certain basis spectra called endmembers, which are assumed to be the pure signatures in the image data. N-FINDR algorithm developed by Winter is one of the most widely used technique for endmember extraction. This algorithm is based on the fact that in L spectral dimensions, the L-dimensional volume contained by a simplex formed from the purest pixels is larger than any other volume formed from other combination of pixels. Recently proposed algorithm based on virtual dimensionality (VD) determines the number of endmembers present in the dataset, where an endmember initialization algorithm (EIA) is used to select an appropriate set of pixels for initializing the N-FINDR process. In this paper, we proposed a fast algorithm to implement the N-FINDR technique which has much better computational efficiency than the existing techniques. In the proposed technique, we used the VD to find the number of endmembers N. Then we reduced the dimensionality of the hyperspectral dataset to N−1 by using the principal component transformation (PCT) and divided all the pixels into N number of classes by using the spectral angle map (SAM). We extracted N number of the most pure pixels from each group by using the classical N-FINDR algorithm but with exhaustive search. Thus we get N2 pixels that are most likely to be the actual endmembers. The classical N-FINDR algorithm is then again applied on these selected pixels to find the final N endmember. Grouping the pixels into several classes makes the computation very fast. Since we extracted N number of pixels from each group by exhaustive search, there is no possibility of loosing any endmember due to classification.
Further studies on catechol uptake and metabolism in rat small bowel in vivo: (1) A quantitatively significant process with distinctive structural specifications; and (2) the formation of a dopamine glucuronide reservoir after chronic l-dopa feeding

Abstract Studies were performed to evaluate further the uptake and metabolism of l -dopa by the rat small bowel in vivo . After an intravenous (i.v.) infusion of [ 3 H]- l -dopa, 9.5 per cent of the total dose infused was recovered from small bowel, an amount greater than that recovered in bile and liver combined. A homozygous Gunn rat resembled normal Sprague-Dawley rats in accumulation and metabolism of the [ 3 H]- l -dopa. Labelled congeners of dopa were concentrated in duodenal mucosa so that the uptake of isoproterenol > epinephrine > norepinephrine = dopa > dopamine = octopamine > tyramine > phenylethylamine. Thus, functional groups on the phenyl ring, side chain, and amino group favored accumulation. The structural specificity was clearly distinct from uptake in the sympathetic nerve endings as reflected in a completely different uptake pattern in heart. Rats fed unlabelled l -dopa as part of a synthetic diet for eleven days accumulated large amounts of dopamine glucuronide in the small bowel (> 25 μg/g). The dopamine glucuronide in small bowel disappeared rapidly after withdrawal of dopa from the diet. These findings emphasize the important role of the gut in metabolizing endogenous and exogenous compounds related to the biologically important catecholamines.
The Identification of Genes for Complex Genetic Diseases

The identification of genes that are involved in complex genetic diseases remains a difficult task for researchers in the field of human genetics. While genes involved in a wide array of Mendelian disorders have been identified, the same approaches are not necessarily suitable for diseases that involve several genes and/or environmental influences. We have used the direct analysis of candidate gene loci, in which there was compelling biological evidence for involvement in the disease, to identify loci that play a role in HIV infection, development of AIDS, and age-related macular degeneration.
Knowledge matters: Anchoring effects are moderated by knowledge level

Previous research into the relationship between knowledge level and anchoring effects has led to mixed conclusions. This paper presents four studies that used a diverse set of stimuli and paradigms to further investigate this relationship. In Study 1, greater knowledge was associated with smaller anchoring effects—both when knowledge was measured using subjective self-assessments and when using an objective knowledge measure. In Study 2, participantsfrom the USA and Indiatended to exhibitsmaller anchoring effects when answering questions about their own country as compared with questions about the other country. In Study 3, higher knowledge was associated with smaller anchoring effects when examined at an idiographic level. Finally, in Study 4, providing participants with information designed to increase their knowledge led to a decrease in anchoring effects. The consistency of the results across our four studies provides evidence that anchoring effects are moderated by knowledge level in many situations. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An evidence-based practice project for recognition of clinical deterioration: Utilization of simulation-based education

Background: As more complex patients are hospitalized, the need for highly skilled and competent nurses to recognize clinical deterioration becomes more apparent. The literature supports the use of simulation-based education to enhance the recognition of clinical deterioration. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to utilize simulation as an educational modality to improve the knowledge of registered nurses in the recognition of clinical deterioration among their patients. Methods: This evidence-based practice project was conducted from May through June 2013 in a 900-bed facility. Participation was voluntary and included 15 medical-surgical, procedural, and post-anesthesia care unit registered nurses. Simulation-based education was utilized for assessing the recognition, management, and reporting of clinical deterioration by nurses while supporting learning in a safe environment. Each participant managed two simulated patients in deteriorating states. Baseline performance was obtained during the initial simulation scenario by utilizing RAPIDS, a validated tool that evaluates assessment, management, and clinical deterioration reporting. A post-simulation debriefing and education session occurred that included a review of all required critical action elements. Debriefing was followed by a second post-intervention simulated clinical deterioration scenario. Results: The results indicated statistically significant improvement in mean assessment and management scores when the post-intervention results were compared with baseline [ t (14) =2.04, p = .03]. Post-intervention reporting scores were also improved, although this change was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Simulation-based education may be an effective strategy for impacting a nurse’s ability to recognize clinical deterioration and thereby allow for timely intervention.
Mutational Analysis of RsbT, an Activator of the Bacillus subtilis Stress Response Transcription Factor, σB

σ B , the stress-activated σ factor of Bacillus subtilis , requires the RsbT protein as an essential positive regulator of its physical stress pathway. Stress triggers RsbT to both inactivate the principal negative regulator of the physical stress pathway (RsbS) by phosphorylation and activate a phosphatase (RsbU) required for σ B induction. Neither the regions of RsbT that are involved in responding to stress signaling nor those required for downstream events have been established. We used alanine scanning mutagenesis to examine the contributions of RsbT9s charged amino acids to the protein9s stability and activities. Eleven of eighteen rsbT mutations blocked σ B induction by stress. The carboxy terminus of RsbT proved to be particularly important for accumulation in Bacillus subtilis . Four of the five most carboxy-terminal mutations yielded rsbT alleles whose products were undetectable in B. subtilis extracts. Charged amino acids in the central region of RsbT were less critical, with four of the five substitutions in this region having no measurable effect on RsbT accumulation or activity. Only when the substitutions extended into a region of kinase homology was σ B induction affected. Six other RsbT variants, although present at levels adequate for activity, failed to activate σ B and displayed significant changes in their ability to interact with RsbT9s normal binding partners in a yeast dihybrid assay. These changes either dramatically altered the proteins9 tertiary structure without affecting their stability or defined regions of RsbT that are involved in multiple interactions.
Response to “Acute Tumor Lysis Syndrome After Thalidomide Therapy in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma”

I read with great interest the report by Lee and colleagues, illustrating the development of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) following thalidomide (Thalomid ® ; Celgene Corporation, Warren, NJ, http://www.celgene.com) treatment in a patient with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To my knowledge, this is the first reported case of TLS with thalidomide in any solid tumors. Thalidomide has an unpredictable toxicity profile and poorly understood mechanisms of action. Under physiologic conditions, it is a racemic glutamic acid analogue consisting of S(-) and R(+) enantiomers that interconvert. In addition, it can be degraded into 20 different products, all with different mechanisms of action. Unfortunately, this characteristic cannot be invoked to explain the multiplicity of toxicities and anticancer effects associated with the drug. Thalidomide might exert its therapeutic properties through its antiangiogenic activity and modulation of cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon, interleukins 10 and 12, cyclooxygenase-2, and nuclear factor κB. Because of the concern for unpredictable toxicity in individual patients, we elected to use a lower starting daily dose of thalidomide, at 200 mg, in our study, allowing intrapatient dose escalation if tolerated. This may explain, at
Comparison of Neutrophil Chemotactic Response in Diabetic Patients With Mild and Severe Periodontal Disease

This study was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between the severity of periodontitis and neutrophil (PMN) chemotactic abnormalities in diabetic patients and to correlate the observed PMN chemotactic defects with the degree of gingival inflammation and the amount of periodontal attachment loss. Fourteen dentulous, insulin-dependent, adult onset diabetics and 18 nondiabetics participated in this study. Complete periodontal examinations including periodontal charting and full mouth radiography were performed, and gingival and plaque indices were recorded. Severe periodontitis was diagnosed in eight diabetics and seven nondiabetics. The remainder of the subjects including six diabetic patients and 11 nondiabetic subjects demonstrated mild or no periodontal disease and served as controls. The chemotactic assay employed a modification of the Boyden technique. Chemoattractants studied included endotoxin activated autologous plasma, endotoxin activated normal plasma, and n-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylala...
High-resolution structures of kinesin on microtubules provide a basis for nucleotide-gated force generation

The inside of a cell is a dynamic environment. Large molecules such as proteins are commonly transported within a cell by ‘motor proteins’, which move along a network of filaments called microtubules. One group of motor proteins, the kinesins, typically have one end called a motor domain that attaches itself to a microtubule. The other end links to the cargo being carried, and a flexible ‘neck’ region connects the two ends of the motor protein. Kinesins are bound together in pairs. The flexible neck region allows each motor domain in a pair to move past that of the other, allowing the kinesin to ‘walk’ along a microtubule in a step-like manner. Each step requires one motor domain to alternately tightly associate with, and then release from, a microtubule filament. This alternating cycle is coordinated by kinesin binding to and breaking down a molecule called ATP to form another molecule called ADP, which releases the energy needed for its next step. This repeating cycle is possible because a motor domain changes shape when it binds to a microtubule. This shape change stimulates the release of ADP, freeing up room for a new ATP molecule to bind to the motor domain. Although relatively small, these structural changes produce larger changes in the flexible neck region that enable the individual motor domains within a kinesin pair to co-ordinate their movement and move efficiently. Many previous studies have investigated these shape changes using a technique called cryo-electron microscopy, which rapidly freezes samples and allows their structure to be recorded in high detail. However, the small size of the motor domains and their changes in shape means that this technique was not able to reveal the structures in full detail. Shang et al. now exploit recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy to examine the structural changes of individual kinesin motor domains in greater detail. Images of motor domains bound to microtubules were made while the motor domain was in one of two different states: not bound to ATP or ADP, or bound to a chemically modified form of ATP that cannot be broken down. Shang et al. then used these images to produce models of the motor domains and compared the models with previously published images. This revealed a cleft in the kinesin motor domain that opens when it attaches to a microtubule. This cleft's ‘clamshell-like’ opening allows ADP to be released; it then closes when a molecule of ATP binds to it. The opening and closing of the cleft causes the changes in the ‘neck linker’ of the kinesin that enable the motor protein to transport its cargo, and so links ATP binding to the movement of the motor protein. Shang et al. suggest that similar processes may also occur in other motor proteins that have not been as well studied as the kinesins.
The coverage-capacity tradeoff in cellular CDMA systems

In cellular CDMA systems that employ single-user detectors, in-cell interference limits the coverage of the cell. Thus for a given upper limit on transmit power, the coverage of a cell is inversely proportional to the number of users in it. This tradeoff between coverage and number of users is explicitly characterized here. Our analysis may be used in cellular planning to set hard limits on the number of users admitted into the cell in order to meet coverage requirements. Furthermore, our approach allows us to arrive at a precise definition for the pole capacity of a cell, which serves as an upper bound on the number of users a cell can support as the coverage shrinks to zero. We also present a technique to calculate cell coverage as a function of carried traffic, for any given admission policy.
Patterns of motion loss in subjects with idiopathic loss of shoulder range of motion.

Abstract Background. Subjects with idiopathic loss of shoulder motion have difficulty sleeping, performing overhead activities, and completing activities of daily living. Treatment has been variable in approach and success. Cyriax's proposed shoulder capsular pattern was external rotation most limited followed by abduction followed by internal rotation. This investigation was performed to determine if a consistent pattern of motion loss was present in subjects with idiopathic loss of shoulder motion. Methods. Repeated measurement of 25 (22 female) subjects' bilateral shoulder patterns of motion were compared. The three-dimensional position of the scapula and humerus throughout active shoulder abduction, external rotation, flexion, internal rotation, and scapular plane abduction was evaluated with an electromagnetic motion capture system. Patterns of motion loss were determined for both shoulders. The proportions of peak shoulder motion to mean maximum non-involved shoulders abduction, external, and internal rotation were utilized to determine the pattern of motion loss. Findings. There was a significant difference in motion loss patterns between the involved and non-involved shoulders with the arm at the side. The internal rotation less than abduction less than external rotation pattern was demonstrated in 14 of 25 (56%) involved shoulders. No pattern was present in 14 of 21 (67%) non-involved shoulders. With the arm abducted, internal rotation was the most limited motion in 23 of 25 (92%) involved shoulders. Interpretation. The results did not support Cyriax's proposed glenohumeral capsular pattern. Defining the pattern of motion loss in subjects with idiopathic loss of shoulder motion may assist in diagnosis and treatment.
Yeast go the whole HOG for the hyperosmotic response

An evolutionarily conserved mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway--the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway--mediates the hyperosmotic response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A variety of powerful approaches has generated a comprehensive picture of how cells respond to this stress condition. Several presumptive osmosensors on the cell surface recruit and activate downstream signaling components, which regulate the activity of transcription factors to control gene expression.
Teaching globalisation from a feminist pluralist perspective

Pluralist teaching encourages students to develop critical thinking skills to their fullest potential. This article presents guidelines for a globalisation course taught from a feminist pluralist perspective by the author during the fall of 2008. The article discusses course objectives, assessment tools and the inherent challenges in developing and teaching such a course. It also includes the full syllabus. The author concludes that the benefits of teaching from a pluralist perspective are immensely rewarding for both student and teacher.
A new device structure and process flow for a low-leakage p-i-n diode-based integrated detector array

Summary form only given. A device structure that makes it possible to integrate a one- or two-dimensional array of p-i-n diodes (providing one- or two-dimensional spatial resolution, respectively) with readout circuitry on the same high-resistivity substrate is presented. The spatial resolution is maximized by building the circuitry on top of the detecting elements, while avoiding loss of signal charge into the circuitry. A special gettering step to obtain low leakage in the p-i-n diodes is presented as well. The specific application for which this method was developed is a particle detector for high-energy physics, but many other applications are also possible. >
Simulation-based learning tool for facilities design

This paper describes a tool, LAYSIM, to emphasize to the students the important role of material handling cost in choosing the type of layout; i.e., Product, Jobshop or Group Technology-based layout for a certain set of products. It addresses how through experimentation with LAYSIM students understand and appreciate the manufacturing costs associated with each type of layout. The paper describes the underlying learning model, development of the LAYSIM, the features of LAYSIM and the proposed dissemination technique.
Nonexistence of Baryon Number for Black Holes. II

In a previous paper we showed that a static (nonrotating) black hole cannot be endowed with exterior scalar-meson or massive vector-meson fields. Here we show that the same is true for massive spin-2 meson fields. We also extend the above results to the case of a rotating stationary black hole. We conclude from our results that a black hole in its final (static or stationary) state cannot interact with the exterior world via the strong interactions which are mediated by meson fields such as the $\ensuremath{\pi}$ (scalar), $\ensuremath{\rho}$ (vector), and $f$ (spin-2). A direct consequence of this is the impossibility of determining the baryon number of the black hole by means of exterior measurements alone. This results in the transcendence of the law of baryon-number conservation as originally predicted by Wheeler. All the above conclusions hold both in general relativity and in the Brans-Dicke theory. We also show that the result of Hawking, that stationary black holes are identical in general relativity and in Brans-Dicke theory, holds even when the effects of the strong interactions (of the stellar material out of which the black hole was formed) are taken into account. Our final conclusion is that in both theories the Israel-Carter conjecture that "all stationary single-black-hole exteriors are of the Kerr-Newman type" holds even when the strong interactions are "turned on."
Measured carbon dioxide emissions from Oldoinyo Lengai and the skewed distribution of passive volcanic fluxes

Airborne measurements of CO2 released from Oldoinyo Lengai, the only carbonatite-erupting volcano in the world, reveal a CO2 flux of 0.055 × 1012 mol/yr. This flux is substantially smaller than that of Mount Etna (1 × 1012 mol/yr), which accounts for over half of the global carbon flux attributed to subaerial volcanoes (1–2 × 1012 mol/yr). We propose that the subaerial flux distribution may be a power-law distribution (fractal) rather than Gaussian. Fitting the limited available volcanic flux data to a fractal distribution yields a power-law exponent of <1. Although rigorous testing of the power-law nature of the flux distribution is impossible, the skewed nature of the distribution and low value of the power-law exponent suggest that simultaneous measurement of the 20 largest-flux volcanoes could yield an accurate assessment of the volcanic CO2 flux. Summation over the power-law distribution predicts a maximum global subaerial passive volcanic flux of 2–3 × 1012 mol/yr and 2–3 × 1011 mol/yr for CO2 and SO2, respectively. Normalizing the emission flux by scaling per unit crater area (instead of per volcano) to investigate the extension of the power-law behavior to geothermal areas with lower gas fluxes yields a power-law exponent of ∼1 and predicts a subaerial volcanic-metamorphic CO2 flux of 6 × 1012 mol/yr.
Low-Transition Test Pattern Generation for BIST-Based Applications

A low-transition test pattern generator, called the low-transition linear feedback shift register (LT-LFSR), is proposed to reduce the average and peak power of a circuit during test by reducing the transitions among patterns. Transitions are reduced in two dimensions: 1) between consecutive patterns (fed to a combinational only circuit) and 2) between consecutive bits (sent to a scan chain in a sequential circuit). LT-LFSR is independent of circuit under test and flexible to be used in both BIST and scan-based BIST architectures. The proposed architecture increases the correlation among the patterns generated by LT-LFSR with negligible impact on test length. The experimental results for the ISCAS'85 and '89 benchmarks confirm up to 77 percent and 49 percent reduction in average and peak power, respectively.
MDHIM: a parallel key/value framework for HPC

The long-expected convergence of High Performance Computing and Big Data Analytics is upon us. Unfortunately, the computing environments created for each workload are not necessarily conducive for the other. In this paper, we evaluate the ability of traditional high performance computing architectures to run big data analytics. We discover and describe limitations which prevent the seamless utilization of existing big data analytics tools and software. Specifically, we evaluate the effectiveness of distributed key-value stores for manipulating large data sets across tightly coupled parallel supercomputers. Although existing distributed key-value stores have proven highly effective in cloud environments, we find their performance on HPC clusters to be degraded. Accordingly, we have built an HPC specific key-value stored called the Multi-Dimensional Hierarchical Indexing Middleware (MDHIM). Using standard big data benchmarks we find that MDHIM performance more than triples that of Cassandra on HPC systems.
X-Rated Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors Associated With U.S. Early Adolescents' Exposure to Sexually Explicit Media

Correlates of use and subsequent sexual attitudes and behaviors predicted by exposure to sexually explicit content (i.e., pornography and erotica) in adult magazines, X-rated movies, and the Internet were examined in a prospective survey of a diverse sample of early adolescents (average age at baseline = 13.6 years; N = 967). Two-thirds (66%) of males and more than one-third (39%) of females had seen at least one form of sexually explicit media in the past year. At baseline, being black, being older, and having less-educated parents, lower socioeconomic status, and high need for sensation were related to greater exposure for both males and females. Longitudinal analyses showed that early exposure for males predicted less progressive gender role attitudes, more permissive sexual norms, sexual harassment perpetration, and having oral sex and sexual intercourse two years later. Early exposure for females predicted subsequently less progressive gender role attitudes, and having oral sex and sexual intercourse...
The Dimensions of Product Quality

Quality is first and foremost a strategic question, in that it governs the development of product designs and the choice of features or options, as well as setting the criteria for the selection of suppliers and materials.
A Unique Chunk of the Moon

In the late 1970s, after the Apollo lunar missions, researchers and collectors began finding meteorites in deserts that turned out to be rocks ejected from the Moon's surface some time in the past. In his Perspective, [Korotev][1] discusses results reported in the same issue by [ Gnos et al .][2] on a unique lunar meteorite collected in January 2002. This object, designated Sayh al Uhaymir 169, has unusually high concentrations of thorium and related elements, much higher than those of other lunar meteorites or all but a few samples returned during the Apollo missions. On the basis of lead isotope dating, Sayh al Uhaymir 169 also appears to be older than thorium-rich Apollo samples, calling into question past age assignments for the Imbrium basin impact. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/305/5684/622 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/305/5684/657
Frequencies of micronuclei in bank voles from zones of high radiation at Chornobyl, Ukraine

A population of Clethrionomys glareolus (bank vole) from a highly radioactive area within the Chornobyl, Ukraine exclusion zone was sampled in June 1997 and in June and October 1998. Internal radiation doses from radiocesium were estimated to be as high as 8 rads/d. Total dose, which takes into account the internal dose from radiostrontium and the surrounding environment, was estimated to be 15 to 20 rads/d. In contrast, individuals from a reference population lying outside of the exclusion zone registered negligible levels of contamination. We used the micronucleus test in a double-blind study to analyze blood samples from 58 individuals. We scored more than 600,000 polychromatic erythrocytes (PCEs) but could not reject the null hypothesis that the frequency of micronucleated PCEs in voles exposed to radiation was equal to the frequency in unexposed voles. Results of our study stand in sharp contrast to earlier reports of increased frequencies of micronuclei in rodents exposed to fallout of the Chornobyl accident, but with radiation doses that were orders of magnitude lower than those reported here. Radioresistance and experimental methods are possible explanations for these differences in the results.
Healthy young women with serotonin transporter SS polymorphism show a pro-inflammatory bias under resting and stress conditions.

The study of functionally relevant biological effects of serotonin transporter gene promoter region (5-HTTLPR) polymorphisms is especially important given the current controversy about the clinical relevance of these polymorphisms. Here we report an intrinsic immunobiological difference between individuals carrying two short (SS) versus long (LL) 5-HTTLPR alleles, that is observed in healthy subjects reporting low exposure to life stress. Given that 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms are thought to influence susceptibility to depression and are associated with robust neurobiological effects, that depression is associated with higher pro-inflammatory and lower anti-inflammatory cytokines, and that acute stressors increase circulating concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines, we hypothesized that compared to LL individuals, SS individuals may show a pro-inflammatory bias under resting conditions and/or during stress. 15 LL and 11 SS individuals participated in the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Serum IL-6 and IL-10 were quantified at baseline and 30, 60, 90, and 120 min after beginning the 20-min stress test. Compared to LL individuals, SS individuals showed a higher IL-6/IL-10 ratio at baseline and during stress. Importantly, this pro-inflammatory bias was observed despite both groups being healthy, reporting similar intensities of stress and negative emotionality during the TSST, and reporting similar low exposures to early and recent life stress. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a pro-inflammatory bias/phenotype in individuals carrying the SS genotype of 5-HTTLPR. Thus, healthy SS individuals may be chronically exposed to a pro-inflammatory physiological burden under resting and stress conditions, which could increase their vulnerability to disorders like depression and other diseases that can be facilitated/exacerbated by a chronic pro-inflammatory state.
What makes a man: Gender and sexual boundaries on evangelical Christian sexuality websites:

This article examines how some evangelical Christian men create alternative meanings associated with gender-deviant sex in order to justify it within an evangelical framework. The author shows how Christian sexuality website users construct gender omniscience—a spouse and God’s all-knowing certainty about one’s ‘‘true’’ gender identity—to reconcile men’s interests in non-normative sex with their status as Christian patriarchs. By constructing gender as relational and spiritual, they simultaneously normalize their behaviors while condemning others who participate in similar acts but fail to meet the requirements of gender omniscience. Challenging common assumptions about evangelical sexuality, this article offers insights into the intersection of heterosexuality, masculinities, and religion.
Reflections on Case Studies in Mobile Seamless Learning

Seow and Looi have proposed a framework for describing seamless learning, and this article uses their framework to evaluate four case studies and identify outcomes and areas for future research. These cases of mobile seamless learning have been drawn from diverse contexts including children’s STEM education, medical training, corporate orientation, and defense training. While each case is unique, there are underlying commonalities, including high levels of student engagement and satisfaction, and challenges to sustained deployment and replication by secondary instructional designers.
It Don't Come EEZ: The Failure and Future of Coastal State Fisheries Management

Early in the negotiations of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III) there was widespread agreement that coastal states should exercise exclusive jurisdiction over fisheries in an extended economic zone (EEZ). A number of premises formed the basis for the Law of the Sea Convention's grant of exclusive fishery management authority to coastal states. The first was that coastal state jurisdiction could provide a more functional fisheries management regime. Most fisheries are located within 200 miles of a coast, making the 200-mile [EEZ] a rational area for management. Second, by placing these areas under exclusive jurisdiction of the coastal state, entry into fisheries would be controlled, thereby reducing both the potential for overfishing and for overcapitalization of fishing fleets. In addition, coastal states would have authority to enforce regulations against all vessels within the [EEZ] and not be dependent on the weak flag state enforcement that characterized regulation by international fisheries organizations. Finally, prevailing theories of fisheries management were presumed to be adequate to protect and maintain fisheries if jurisdictional control and effective enforcement authority were established. None of these premises turned out to be entirely valid. This article discusses the continuing decline of the state of fisheries since coastal states were given virtually complete discretion in interpreting and implementing their duties under the LOS Convention and the failure of coastal states to meet their most fundamental obligation -the prevention of overexploitation of EEZ fish stocks. The future of EEZ management is discussed from the perspective of international law, focusing on the role of the LOS Convention, other international treaties and obligations, and relevant developments in international environmental law.
Phylogeny and biogeography of hogfishes and allies (Bodianus, Labridae)

Bodianus wrasses comprise one of the most diverse genera of labrids. Also known as hogfishes due to the presence of a large pig-like snout, Bodianus species are found in warm waters across the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To this date no densely sampled molecular phylogeny is available for this group, and a single morphological study did not include two genera (Clepticus and Semicossyphus) that have been shown to belong within hogfishes by molecular studies. Our study produced the first multi-locus molecular phylogeny of Bodianus species, and corroborated the non-monophyly of this group without the inclusion of the Creole wrasse (Clepticus) and the sheepheads (Semicossyphus). We further showed that hogfishes and allies started to radiate during the Early Miocene, ∼20Ma, and that while this group originated in the Indo-western and South-western Pacific, it experienced multiple episodes during which it successfully invaded different geographic regions and/or ocean basins.
Multiscale Mathematics for Biomass Conversion to Renewable Hydrogen

The overall objective of this project is to develop multiscale models for understanding and eventually designing complex processes for renewables. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first attempt at modeling complex reacting systems, whose performance relies on underlying multiscale mathematics. Our specific application lies at the heart of biofuels initiatives of DOE and entails modeling of catalytic systems, to enable economic, environmentally benign, and efficient conversion of biomass into either hydrogen or valuable chemicals. Specific goals include: (i) Development of rigorous spatio-temporal coarse-grained kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) mathematics and simulation for microscopic processes encountered in biomass transformation. (ii) Development of hybrid multiscale simulation that links stochastic simulation to a deterministic partial differential equation (PDE) model for an entire reactor. (iii) Development of hybrid multiscale simulation that links KMC simulation with quantum density functional theory (DFT) calculations. (iv) Development of parallelization of models of (i)-(iii) to take advantage of Petaflop computing and enable real world applications of complex, multiscale models. In this NCE period, we continued addressing these objectives and completed the proposed work. Main initiatives, key results, and activities are outlined.