cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metal nanoparticles generated by laser ablation

Abstract We study a new method for producing ultrafine metal particles (nanopartides) that employs Laser Ablation of Microparticles (LAM). Pulsed excimer laser radiation at 248 nm wavelength was used to ablate ~2 μm feedstock of silver, gold, andpermalloy (Ni 81 %:Fe 19% ) under both normal atmospheric conditions and in other gases and pressures. A model for nanoparticle formation by LAM is proposed that includes plasma breakdown and shock-wave propagation through the initial microparticle. Behind the shock a large fraction of the original microparticle mass is converted to nanoparticles that diffuse to silicon substrates and TEM grids for collection and analysis. Nanoparticle morphologies are spherical except for gold nanoparticles >100 nm that are generally cubes. Electron micrographs of the samples were analyzed by computer-aided image processing to determine the effect of irradiation conditions on the nanoparticle size distribution. The results showed that mean particle diameters were normally in the range from 10 to 100 nm and that the particle size distributions were generally log-normal, with dispersion (diameter/standard deviation) ranging from 0.2 to 0.5. For metallic microparticle feedstock, the mean size of the produced nanoparticles generally increased with increasing laser fluence and were smallest for fluences not too far above the breakdown threshold.
Cationic Polymerization: New Developments and Applications

The chemistry and technology of photoinitiated cationic polymerization is a rapidly advancing field of investigation. This article reports on recent developments made in our laboratory in the development of new photoinitiators and photosensitizers. S,S-Dialkyl-S-phenacylsulfonium salts have been prepared using a new, highly efficient and cost-effective synthetic method and their use in the polymerization of various monomer systems studied. Also described is the development of alkoxyanthracene photosensitizers that may be employed to broaden the spectral sensitivity of various onium salt photoinitiators including the new S,S-dialkyl-S-phenacylsulfonium salts. A marked acceleration of the rate of the ring-opening polymerization of epoxide monomers was achieved using these photosensitizers. This article concludes with a brief discussion of the use of photoinitiated cationic polymerizations in such typical applications as can coatings, silicone release coatings and in stereolithography.
Role of S-adenosylhomocysteine in adenosine-mediated toxicity in cultured mouse T lymphoma cells

Abstract S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) is known to be a potent inhibitor of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-mediated reactions, of which SAH itself is a product. The immediate metabolic fate of SAH involves its hydrolysis to adenosine and L-homocysteine by the enzyme SAH hydrolase, but the reversibility of this reaction and its extremely low K eq in the hydrolytic direction suggest that under certain conditions of adenosine excess, SAH might accumulate with significant cytotoxic effects. We have used a model system consisting of cultured S49 mouse lymphoma cells together with the adenosine deaminase (ADA) inhibitor, erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl) adenine (EHNA), to determine whether SAH is a mediator of adenosine cytotoxicity. Cells rendered resistant to adenosine-induced pyrimidine starvation by the addition of exogenous uridine or by the mutational loss of adenosine kinase are still sensitive to adenosine at concentrations >15 μM. We find that this effect is appreciably enhanced by the addition of L-homocysteine thiolactone to the culture medium. Cytotoxic concentrations of adenosine also cause significant elevations in intracellular levels of SAH, which are increased an additional several fold by 100μM exogenous L-homocysteine thiolactone. A fair correlation exists between a single time point determination of intracellular SAH and the degree of growth inhibition after 72 hr, but complicated time-dependent variations in SAH make it difficult to compare results obtained in the absence and presence of exogenous L-homocysteine thiolactone. In vivo DNA methylation in S49 cells is markedly inhibited by exposure of cells to concentrations of adenosine known to cause uridine-resistant cytotoxicity. This inhibition of methylation has been measured with short-term pulses of radiolabel, and correlates well with intracellular concentrations of SAH at all tested combinations of adenosine and L-homocysteine thiolactone. The results suggest that the uridine-resistant cytotoxic effects of adenosine on ADA-inhibited S49 cells are secondary to the inhibition of SAM-mediated methylation reactions by the adenosine metabolite SAH.
Assessing Blood Pressure Control in Dialysis Patients. Finally a Step Forward

Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the leading cause of death among hemodialysis patients.1 Poorly controlled blood pressure (BP), a major risk factor for CV events, also remains 1 of the 2 most common causes of chronic kidney disease and contributes to development of end-stage renal disease (ESRD).1 More than a decade ago, a positive correlation was noted between systolic BP and development of cardiac structural abnormalities in hemodialysis patients who lacked other comorbid conditions.2 More recently, volume overload is now appreciated as a relatively greater contributor to increases in ventricular hypertrophy relative to the presence of stage 1 hypertension in ESRD patients.3 The range of postdialytic BP is also important as a factor in contributing to CV events in ESRD patients. Zager et al4 noted a “U-shaped” relationship between postdialysis systolic pressure and mortality risk. Although higher mortality rates were observed in those with postdialytic systolic pressures >140 mmHg, an increase was also noted in those with posttreatment systolic pressures <110 mmHg. Interestingly, in the latter study, an elevated predialysis BP was not associated with higher CV risk. Despite the wealth of available data, associating the level of BP with worsening chronic kidney disease and CV events in the …
Using UML state machine models for more precise and flexible JADE agent behaviors

In order to effectively develop multi-agent systems (MAS) software, a set of models, technologies and tools are needed to support flexible and precise specification and implementation of agent-to-agent conversations, standardized conversation protocols, and corresponding agent behaviors. Experience trying to build complex protocols with the ZEUS and JADE agent toolkits motivated a substantial extension to the JADE agent behavior model. This extension (called SmartAgent) enables more flexible, reusable and precise modeling and implementation of agent behavior. We augment JADE behaviors with uniform message, timing and system events, a multi-level tree of dispatchers that match and route events, and a hierarchical state machine (HSM.) HSM is represented using UML statechart diagrams, and implements a significant subset of UML state machine semantics. Adherence to the UML standard helps bridge object-oriented to agent-oriented programming, and allows us to use industry familiar modeling language and tools such as Rose or Visio. These extensions were tested in a meeting scheduler prototype.
The child with bone pain: malignancies and mimickers

Bone pain in children is common. The cause may be as benign as growing pains or as life-threatening as a malignancy. When a cause cannot be established by laboratory tests, physical examination or patient history, imaging of the affected body part is often obtained. Distinguishing benign from malignant processes involving the bones of children, based on imaging findings, can be challenging. The most common benign conditions that mimic pediatric bone tumors on imaging are Langerhan's cell histiocytosis and osteomyelitis. In this review, the current literature regarding the pathology and imaging of these conditions is reviewed. Benign conditions are compared with the most common pediatric bone tumors, Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma, with an emphasis on clinical and imaging features that may aid in diagnosis.
On global monsoons — further results

In continuation of a previous study, the global monsoonal response of the atmosphere is computed within the framework of a quasi-geostrophic model. The input parameters are the ground temperature, mountain heights and the zonal mean state at 45° N. A parameterized heating function given in the earlier work is utilized. Lateral friction, conduction and mountains are also taken into account. It is found that the computed global monsoons are closer in phase and magnitude to the observed ones. The energetics and the other interesting results are discussed. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1970.tb00533.x
Characteristics of DOC Exported from Northern Hardwood Forests Receiving Chronic Experimental NO 3 − Deposition

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.)-dominated northern hardwood forests of the Great Lakes Region commonly receive elevated levels of atmospheric nitrate (NO 3 − ) deposition, which can alter belowground carbon (C) cycling. Past research has demonstrated that chronic experimental NO 3 − deposition (3 g N m−2 y−1 above ambient) elicits a threefold increase in the leaching loss of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Here, we used DOC collected from tension-cup lysimeters to test whether increased DOC export under experimental NO 3 − deposition originated from forest floor or mineral soil organic matter (SOM). We used DOC radiocarbon dating to quantify C sources and colorimetric assays to measure DOC aromaticity and soluble polyphenolic content. Our results demonstrated that DOC exports are primarily derived from new C (<50-years-old) in the forest floor under both ambient and experimental NO 3 − deposition. Experimental NO 3 − deposition increased soluble polyphenolic content from 25.03 ± 4.26 to 49.19 ± 4.23 μg phenolic C mg DOC−1, and increased total aromatic content as measured by specific UV absorbance. However, increased aromatic compounds represented a small fraction (<10%) of the total observed increased DOC leaching. In combination, these findings suggest that experimental NO 3 − deposition has altered the production or retention as well as phenolic content of DOC formed in forest floor, however exact mechanisms are uncertain. Further elucidation of the mechanism(s) controlling enhanced DOC leaching is important for understanding long-term responses of Great Lakes forests to anthropogenic N deposition and the consequences of those responses for aquatic ecosystems.
Imaging analysis of clock neurons reveals light buffers the wake-promoting effect of dopamine

This study characterizes a subset of clock neurons known as large lateral-ventral neurons and their dopaminergic/octopaminergic input circuitry in balancing light-mediated wakefulness in Drosophila. How animals maintain proper amounts of sleep yet remain flexible to changes in environmental conditions remains unknown. We found that environmental light suppressed the wake-promoting effects of dopamine in fly brains. The ten large lateral-ventral neurons (l-LNvs), a subset of clock neurons, are wake-promoting and respond to dopamine, octopamine and light. Behavioral and imaging analyses suggested that dopamine is a stronger arousal signal than octopamine. Notably, light exposure not only suppressed l-LNv responses, but also synchronized responses of neighboring l-LNvs. This regulation occurred by distinct mechanisms: light-mediated suppression of octopamine responses was regulated by the circadian clock, whereas light regulation of dopamine responses occurred by upregulation of inhibitory dopamine receptors. Plasticity therefore alters the relative importance of diverse cues on the basis of the environmental mix of stimuli. The regulatory mechanisms described here may contribute to the control of sleep stability while still allowing behavioral flexibility.
Rethinking Identity, Citizenship, and Violence in Sudan

Since its political independence in 1956, Sudan has witnessed the rise of armed ethnic and regional protest movements that have resulted in great human suffering and the largest number of refugees and displaced peoples in Africa. These protest movements have challenged the legitimacy of the independent Sudanese state, led by Arabized and Islamized elites at the pinnacle of power, to extend and define citizenship rights and responsibilities. In Darfur, Southern Kordofan, and Blue Nile, these movements are not only currently demanding equal citizenship rights, but they are also demanding recognition of special rights including claims to land, autonomous government, and the maintenance of ethno-national identities. They are thus opening up a debate about what citizenship entails, particularly in a multicultural context; how the current state reconciles competing claims of citizenship; and what kinds of viable institutional mechanisms are required for an effective relationship between the state, its citizens, and local power structures.
Isolation and Analysis of the arg-13 Gene of Neurospora crassa

Mutations in arg-13 result in slow growth in minimal medium and can suppress mutations in carbamyl phosphate synthase-aspartate carbamyl transferase within the pyrimidine pathway; the exact biochemical function of the gene product is unknown. To understand the role of arg-13 in arginine metabolism, cosmids rescuing growth in arg-13 mutants were cloned and mapped to the position of arg-13 on LG IR. Northern analysis showed the arg-13 message to contain ~2100 nt, although a 1.4kb genomic fragment truncated at the 5′ and 3′ ends of the gene encodes a shortened transcript that can rescue arg-13 function. Expression of mRNA arising from the mutant arg-13 gene is induced by arginine starvation, although wild type ( arg-13 + ) is not derepressed in minimal medium. The sequence of the arg-13 gene shows ARGl3 to be a member of the mitochondrial carrier superfamily with three repeats of a ~100-amino acid domain, six putative membrane spanning regions, and three copies of the mitochondrial carrier consensus pattern. This information plus available and new nutritional data are consistent with the hypothesis that arg-13 encodes a mitochondrial basic amino acid carrier whose existence was predicted based upon previous physiological, nutritional and biochemical data.
Polyisobutylene‐containing block polymers by sequential monomer addition. II. Polystyrene–polyisobutylene–polystyrene triblock polymers: Synthesis, characterization, and physical properties

New linear and three-arm star thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) comprising a rubbery polysobutylene (PIB) midblock flanked by glass polystyrene (PSt) blocks have been synthesized by living carbocationic polymerization in the presence of select additives by sequential monomer addition. First, isobutylene (IB) was polymerized by bi- and trifunctional tert-ether (dicumyl- and tricumyl methoxy) initiators in conjunction with TiCl4 conintiator in CH3Cl/methylcyclohexane (MeCHx) (40/60 v/v) solvent mixtures at −80°C. After the living, narrow molecular weight, distribution PIB (Mw/Mn = 1.1-1.2) has reached the desired molecular weight, styrene (St) together with an electron pair donor (ED) and a proton trap (di-tert-butylpyridine, DtBP) were added to block PSt from the living chain ends. Uncontrolled initiation by protic impurities that produces PSt contamination is prevented by the use of DtBP. PSt-PIB-PSt blocks obtained in the absence of additives are contaminated by homopolymer and /or diblocks due to inefficient blocking and initiation by protic impurities, and exhibit poor physical properties. In contrast in the presence of the strong ED N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) and DtBP the blocking of St from living PIB chain occurs efficiently and block copolymers exhibiting good mechanical properties can be prepared. Virgin TPEs can be repeatedly compression molded without deterioration of physical properties. The products exhibit a low and a high temperature Tg characteristic of phase separated PIB and PSt domains. Transmission electron microscopy of linear triblocks containing ∼ 34 wt % PSt also indicates microphase separation and suggests PSt rods dispersed in a PIB matrix.
Queueing game models for differentiated services

We develop a framework to study differentiated services when there are competing network providers.We adopt a multi-class queueing model, where providers post prices for various service classes. Traffic is elastic and users are Quality of Service (QoS)-sensitive, and choose a queue and a class with one of the providers. We model the relationship between capacity, QoS and prices offered by service providers in a competitive network services market. We establish sufficient conditions for existence of Nash equilibrium in the multi-class queueing game. We also explore characterization of inefficiency in the multi-class queueing game model. The modeling framework we provide can be used to study important properties of the equilibrium solution which may be exploited to provide useful guidelines for performance planning and pricing strategies for firms competing in network resource markets.
Application of extended Kalman filter techniques for dynamic model parameter calibration

Phasor measurement has previously been used for sub-system model validation, which enables rigorous comparison of model simulation and recorded dynamics and facilitates identification of problematic model components. Recent work extends the sub-system model validation approach with a focus on how model parameters may be calibrated to match recorded dynamics. In this paper, a calibration method using Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) technique is proposed. This paper presents the formulation as well as case studies to show the validity of the EKF-based parameter calibration method. The proposed calibration method is expected to be a cost-effective means complementary to traditional equipment testing for improving dynamic model quality.
Design and Energetic Characterization of a Solenoid Injected Liquid Monopropellant Powered Actuator for Self-Powered Robots

This paper describes a direct-injection, liquid monopropellant powered actuation system, which was developed for the purpose of providing mechanical power to self-powered human-scale robots. The actuation system utilizes the catalytic decomposition of a monopropellant as a hot gas generator for powering pneumatic-type actuators. Specifically, pressurization of a pneumatic actuator is provided via solenoid injection valves, which control the flow of the monopropellant through a catalyst pack into the respective sides of the cylinder. Depressurization is provided by a three-way proportional spool valve, which can exhaust one of the two cylinder chambers. A prototype of the actuation system is described, and experimental data is presented that demonstrates good force and motion tracking performance. Experimental results characterizing the energetic performance of the system demonstrate that the prototype provides an energetic figure of merit an order of magnitude greater than that of battery-powered servomotors.
Prognostic value of cardiac troponin T in unstable angina pectoris.

Abstract In summary, these findings demonstrate that the measurement of troponin T on admission in patients with unstable angina provides important independent prognostic information.
An empirical study of federal law versus local environmental enforcement

A potential problem with local enforcement of national legislation is the varying degrees of implementation that the decentralized structure may create. To study the severity of this problem, induced by the mismatch of local and national incentives, I look at the enforcement of the Swedish Environmental Code which is enforced at the local level. I measure enforcement in terms of environmental fines issued in each of Sweden׳s 290 municipalities. I argue that the Green Party values the tradeoff between business friendliness and environmental concerns differently from other parties. Using both a difference-in-differences approach and IV, I find that municipalities with the Green Party in the ruling coalition issue more fines than other municipalities. This is problematic from an efficiency and equality perspective. The result suggests that politicians do not only affect environmental policy, but also that for a given policy, they can affect the outcome through implementation and enforcement.
Queuine: an addendum.

Publisher Summary The enzyme tRNA-guanine transglycosylase places “free” quanine (or its derivative, queuine or precursors of queuosine’) in position 34 of the tRNA (the “wobble” position in the anticodon). Although breaking and making of a covalent bond and removal of the existing base are involved, no nucleotide triphosphate is required for the reaction, which is limited to the anticodon of four “Q specific tRNA's”. The enzyme involved in the post-transcriptional modification of these tRNAs has been purified to homogeneity from several sources. The presence of G-tRNA in tumor cells is not the result of their fast growth, but is rather a specific property of tumor and undifferentiated cells, perhaps related to some specific metabolism of the tumor cells. A significantly higher concentration of Q must be maintained in order for ascites cells to incorporate Q into their G-tRNAs. Thus, the occurrence of G-tRNAs in cancer cells grown in rats or in cell culture (ascites hepatoma cells, leukemic cells) may arise either from the presence of a transglycosylase with altered kinetic properties or from the presence of a competitive inhibitor in such cells, or from the unavailability of “free” Q in sufficient amounts to derepress the genome to allow synthesis of the tumor enzyme.
Modelling the basic planning stage

The remainder of this thesis will concentrate on the basic planning stage. In this chapter an insight is given into important aspects of modelling the basic planning stage.
Assisting Food Journaling with Automatic Eating Detection

In this work we study the feasibility and usability of an assistive food journaling system that sends users just-in-time reminders when unique hand gestures during food consumption are detected using a smartwatch. Our study shows that participants were able to sustain food logging throughout a 2-week period with the help of our eating detection system, as the number of reminders correlate well with the number of food logs. Despite the fact that participants were required to wear the watch on their dominant hand, it was still quite usable and did not interfere with their normal activities. Participant feedback provided additional insights to inform future work to increase detection accuracy, reduce detection delay, and allow for more dietary logging features in the app.
Effective Ways of Improving Accounting Information Quality

The quality of accounting information decides the quality of economic information.Improving the quality of accounting information and strengthening its clearness should be realized in supervision,regulation and responsibilities of accounting work.
Advances in tumor treatment with labeled somatostatin analogues

The values of 90Y-octreotide and 177Lu-octreotate in tumor treatment were briefly reviewed.The rationale of clinincal applications, the distribution of radiopeptide in tumor and nomal tissues and appli-cation of renal protective agents were reviewed as well. Tumor with potential therapeutic responses are many such as non-iodide avid cancer of thyroid gland, Hurthle cell thyroid cancer, medullary thyroid cancer, neuroendo-gastro-entero-pancreatic(GEP)tumor, small cell l cancer, carcinoid tumors and pheochromocytoma. The current state of clinical use of radiopeptide for therapy of tumors, the development of new compounds and future development, the dosage of radiopeptide for tumor treatment with well tolerated and remarkable clinical benefit were presented.
A Normative Model of Sales Force Feedback as an Element of a Marketing Information System

This paper sets forth a normative model of sales force feedback. In doing so, three primary dimensions and several subdimensions are identified and discussed. Also presented are frameworks for evaluating an existing system and establishing an initial system.
Transmission Lines, Waveguides, and Resonant Cavities

Transmission of energy from point to point can be accomplished in one of two ways. One is by propagation of fields through free space or through a space filled with some medium. This is the case, for example, of transmission by antennas. The second, one that we will discuss here, is the propagation of energy through a defined structure that physically connects the generator and the load. This is the general definition of a transmission line. We will view the transmission line, the generator, and the load in general terms. For example, a transmission line can be a dielectric slab or two wires, while the generator is a general source -either a true generator or the output from another transmission line.
Construction of Stochastic PDEs and Predictive Control of Surface Roughness in Thin Film Deposition

In this work, we develop a systematic method for the construction of linear stochastic partial differential equation (PDE) models for feedback control of surface roughness in thin film deposition using kinetic Monte-Carlo simulations. The method is applied to a representative deposition process and is successfully validated through simulations.
Endogenous Nras G12D/+ and G12D/G12D Distinctly Regulate Self-Renewal and Differentiation of Haematopoietic Stem Cells

Abstract 4086 How oncogenes regulate adult stem cells to promote tumorigenesis is poorly understood. We and others previously reported that recipient mice transplanted with Nras G12D/+ or Nras G12D/G12D bone marrow cells develop distinct haemtopoietic malignancies. Mice with G12D/+ cells predominantly develop a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) closely resembling chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), while animals with G12D/G12D cells develop acute T- or B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia (TALL or BALL) and/or MPN, with varying penetrance, which appear to be regulated by the activity of G12D/G12D haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Consistent with this notion, we found that G12D/+ HSCs are required to initiate and maintain CMML-like phenotypes in recipient mice and serve as MPN initiating cells. Therefore, we further investigated how endogenous oncogenic Nras signaling regulates the self-renewal and differentiation of HSCs to promote leukemia development in different lineages of cells. Here we show that G12D/+ signaling results in moderate hyperproliferation and increased self-renewal of HSCs, promoting expansion of myeloid progenitors and consequently myeloid malignancies. In contrast, G12D/G12D leads to excessive hyperproliferation, decreased self-renewal, and depletion of HSCs, which promote expansion of myeloid and lymphoid progenitors and subsequently malignancies in both compartments. Because leukemia development in Nras G12D/+ and G12D/G12D models is tightly associated with ERK1/2 hyperactivation in haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs), we studied the MEK/ERK signaling in HSCs and their downstream multipotent progenitors (MPPs) using a “HSC phosphor-flow” method we developed. Our data demonstrate that ERK1/2 is hyperactiavated in G12D/+ and G12D/G12D HSCs in a dose-dependent manner, while AKT is not affected in G12D/+ and G12D/G12D HSCs. In contrast, both ERK1/2 and AKT are not changed in G12D/+ and G12D/G12D MPPs. As expected, inhibition of MEK/ERK signaling by AZD6244 (a MEK1 inhibitor) rescues the HSC phenotypes and attenuates myeloproliferative neoplasm phenotypes in G12D/+ and G12D/G12D mice. Mechanistic analysis identifies that a cohort of MAPK pathaway genes regulating cell cycle and signaling are significantly differentially expressed in G12D/+ HSCs compared to control or G12D/G12D HSCs. Unlike the prevailing theory based on Ras overexpression studies, depletion of G12D/G12D HSCs is not associated with overexpression of cell senescence genes. Rather, the Wnt and Notch pathways are significantly downregulated in G12D/G12D but not G12D/+ HSCs. Therefore, we propose that endogenous Nras G12D signaling differentially regulates HSCs self-renewal and differentiation through a dose-dependent hyperactivation of ERK1/2. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Overlapping genetic pathways in the skeletal dysplasias of a middle woodland individual: A case study.

Abstract Studies of interacting/overlapping genetic skeletal disorders are rare for populations today, but even more so for archaeological contexts. The skeletal remains of an adult female (EZ 3-7-1) were excavated in the 1980s from the Middle Woodland (50BC–AD400) context of the Elizabeth site (11PK512) in the lower Illinois Valley (LIV), USA. Reported here are the standard score (z-score) comparisons of the measured skeletal differences of EZ 3-7-1 with a reference sample and a re-analysis of the individual’s pathological changes, with special consideration placed on refining the disease diagnosis. The impressive preservation and meticulous recovery of these skeletal remains have provided the opportunity to identify the first and earliest archaeological example of an individual (EZ 3-7-1) with a combined genetic skeletal dysplasia, Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis and achondroplasia.
Full-coverage high-resolution daily PM 2.5 estimation using MAIAC AOD in the Yangtze River Delta of China

Abstract Satellite aerosol optical depth (AOD) has been used to assess population exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ). The emerging high-resolution satellite aerosol product, Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC), provides a valuable opportunity to characterize local-scale PM 2.5 at 1-km resolution. However, non-random missing AOD due to cloud/snow cover or high surface reflectance makes this task challenging. Previous studies filled the data gap by spatially interpolating neighboring PM 2.5 measurements or predictions. This strategy ignored the effect of cloud cover on aerosol loadings and has been shown to exhibit poor performance when monitoring stations are sparse or when there is seasonal large-scale missingness. Using the Yangtze River Delta of China as an example, we present a Multiple Imputation (MI) method that combines the MAIAC high-resolution satellite retrievals with chemical transport model (CTM) simulations to fill missing AOD. A two-stage statistical model driven by gap-filled AOD, meteorology and land use information was then fitted to estimate daily ground PM 2.5 concentrations in 2013 and 2014 at 1 km resolution with complete coverage in space and time. The daily MI models have an average R 2 of 0.77, with an inter-quartile range of 0.71 to 0.82 across days. The overall model 10-fold cross-validation R 2 (root mean square error) were 0.81 (25 μg/m 3 ) and 0.73 (18 μg/m 3 ) for year 2013 and 2014, respectively. Predictions with only observational AOD or only imputed AOD showed similar accuracy. Comparing with previous gap-filling methods, our MI method presented in this study performed better with higher coverage, higher accuracy, and the ability to fill missing PM 2.5 predictions without ground PM 2.5 measurements. This method can provide reliable PM 2.5 predictions with complete coverage that can reduce bias in exposure assessment in air pollution and health studies.
TSPO-PET Imaging to Assess Cerebral Microglial Activation in Multiple Sclerosis.

The adaptive immune system, particularly T cells and more recently B cells, is considered to play a major role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). In addition to adaptive immune mechanisms, innate central nervous system (CNS) immunity, particularly mediated by microglia, may play a key role in MS pathogenesis. Microglial activation has been demonstrated throughout the MS disease course and at various locations in the CNS, including white and gray matter lesions as well as normal appearing white and gray matter. Activated microglia overexpress an 18 kilodalton mitochondrial translocator protein (TSPO), which is otherwise expressed at low levels during the resting state. Several positron emission tomography (PET) ligands targeting TSPO have been developed to enable the assessment of microglial activation. In this article, we review the biological basis, methodological aspects, and current status of TSPO-PET imaging in MS and discuss future research directions.
Divergent Control of Point and Axial Stereogenicity: Catalytic Enantioselective C−N Bond‐Forming Cross‐Coupling and Catalyst‐Controlled Atroposelective Cyclodehydration

Catalyst control over reactions that produce multiple stereoisomers is a challenge in synthesis. Control over reactions that involve stereogenic elements remote from one another is particularly uncommon. Additionally, catalytic reactions that address both stereogenic carbon centers and an element of axial chirality are also rare. Reported herein is a catalytic approach to each stereoisomer of a scaffold containing a stereogenic center remote from an axis of chirality. Newly developed peptidyl copper complexes catalyze an unprecedented remote desymmetrization involving enantioselective C-N bond-forming cross-coupling. Then, chiral phosphoric acid catalysts set an axis of chirality through an unprecedented atroposelective cyclodehydration to form a heterocycle with high diastereoselectivity. The application of chiral copper complexes and phosphoric acids provides access to each stereoisomer of a framework with two different elements of stereogenicity.
Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Among Lesbian, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Women: Findings From the Nurses’ Health Study II

OBJECTIVE Lesbian and bisexual (LB) women are more likely than heterosexual women to exhibit risk factors for type 2 diabetes, but studies estimating the burden of type 2 diabetes among LB women are uncommon and limited to cross-sectional designs. This study investigated incidence of type 2 diabetes in LB women and heterosexual women in a large, longitudinal U.S. cohort. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study II (NHS II) ages 24–44 years in 1989 were prospectively followed through 2013. Self-reported clinician diagnosis of type 2 diabetes was assessed every other year to identify incidence. Of the participants, 1,267 identified as lesbian or bisexual and 92,983 identified as heterosexual. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to model incidence of type 2 diabetes. RESULTS LB women had a 27% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than heterosexual women (adjusted incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.27, 95% CI 1.05, 1.54). Differences between LB women and heterosexual women in risk of type 2 diabetes were greater during younger ages (sexual orientation–by-age interaction, P CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate that LB women develop type 2 diabetes at younger ages than heterosexual women. Higher BMI in LB women is an important contributor to this disparity. Public health and clinical efforts to prevent, detect, and manage obesity and type 2 diabetes among LB women are warranted.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Tonsillar Carcinoma

Background: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) was developed for the treatment of patients with intracranial lesions; indeed, the stereotactic equipment is derived from neurosurgical tools. However, SRS may be feasible for any small lesions that can be targeted with Stereotactic apparatus. In this report we describe the use of SRS in treating a patient with a squamous cell cancer of the oropharynx. Methods: A 62-year-old man had received 65 Gray (Gy) postoperative radiation therapy for a floor of mouth cancer 3 years prior to this presentation. He had developed a second primary of his tonsil within the previous radiation portals. Because of a recent myocardial infarction he was unable to undergo salvage surgery or interstitial brachytherapy. He was unable to have intraoral cone electron beam treatment or contact brachytherapy because of severe trismus. He therefore underwent 30 Gy in 15 fractions of external beam radiation followed by a Stereotactic boost of 850 centigray (cGy) in one fraction. Results: The Stereotactic boost delivered a tumoricidal radiation dose while sparing the mandible and other vital structures. He tolerated the treatment well with a complete local tumor response. Conclusions: In selected patients, stereotactic radiosurgery is a viable option in the management of head and neck cancer.
Aligned Ni-Coated Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Under Magnetic Field for Coolant Applications

The discovery of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has inspired significant interest in recent years, due to the tremendous promise related to their thermal, electrical, mechanical, and functional properties. For example, it has been reported that fluids containing single-walled carbon nanotubes exhibit a thermal conductivity ranging from 2,000 to 6,000 W/mK [1] under ideal circumstances. By contrast, typical heat transfer fluids such as water and oil have thermal conductivity values of only 0.6 and 0.2 W/mK, respectively.
Binary Economics: The Economic Theory that Gave Rise to ESOPs

Many people know about Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) which, along with profit-sharing and pension plans, are treated as deferred compensation plans under Section 401 and related sections of the Internal Revenue Code. ESOPs have been established by thousands of American corporations, including some of the largest, and cover millions of employees. There is a national trade association (The ESOP Association), that is now celebrating its 50th year in existence, and other organizations established to support employee ownership, including the Ohio Center for Employee Ownership that first published this article in its publication entitled Owners At Work (2006/2007)Most people aware of ESOPs, however, do not realize that ESOPs are part of a broader approach to expanded capital ownership, broader prosperity, and economic justice known as binary economics. Binary economics was first advanced by Louis Kelso, who is also widely known as the inventor of the ESOP. But Louis Kelso's approach to economic theory is only partially reflected in the present ESOP legislation. Binary economics offers a plan for more widespread economic prosperity for all people (not limited to employees) than is presently offered by mainstream economics. Once ESOP participants understand binary economics, they may choose to advocate legislative reforms that will better serve their own economic interests and also the economic interests of their companies and the country as a whole. These reforms would transform ESOPs into much more powerful Super ESOPs in a full binary economy of the future. The Super ESOP will empower employees to acquire shares of stock in their companies entirely with the earnings of capital and on much more favorable terms than at present. Moreover, the Super ESOP will empower employees and others to acquire a diversified portfolio of shares in other credit-worthy companies entirely with the future earnings of the shares they acquire. This article briefly describes the binary economics and its important connection with the ESOPs. For a fuller explication if binary economics, see the following four articles which can be downloaded for free from SSRN.COM: (1) Binary Economics - An Overview, (2) Binary Economics and the Case for Broader Ownership, (3) Capital Democratization, and (4) Memo on Binary Economics to Women and People of Color Re: What Else can Public Corporations Do for Your Clients?.
Detecting Material Defects Using a Scanning Laser Beam

A moving line-source laser beam was used to scan the entire surface of a rectangular plate, pursuant to locating defects. The laser generates a point beam of laser energy, which is transformed into...
Performance Evaluation of High Voltage Laboratory Grounding

One of the most important parameters to provide safety for personnel and test equipment in high voltage laboratories is a reliable grounding system. The main characteristics of a reliable grounding system include low resistance at low frequency tests (power frequency test) and low potential rise at high frequency tests such as an impulse test. Also, low impedance connections in the test equipment grounding circuits could improve the grounding system's reliability. Therefore, in this paper the reliability of the grounding system is evaluated during routine activities at Mississippi State University's High Voltage Laboratory. For assessment, the ground potential rise was measured at all accessible ground connections for the impulse test system. Also, the effect of moisture variation in the laboratory ground soil layers was studied. In addition, the high frequency response of the laboratory grounding system was measured, and the feasibility of using alternative conductor types for the test equipment grounding circuits was investigated. Results show that several grounding points in the laboratory exhibit high voltage levels (ground potential rise) during impulse testing, which signifies a reduced safety for measuring devices and other equipment in the laboratory. Also, due to the type of grounding soil, its resistivity changes during different seasons throughout the year. Additionally, the harmonic impedance of the grounding system showed resistive behavior for a wide range of frequencies, and using the conductor strips instead of braided wire decreased the test circuit inductance which is a desirable feature from the grounding perspective.
Quality Assessment of Terrestrial Laser Scanner Ecosystem Observations Using Pulse Trajectories

Considering the trajectories of pulses from terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) can provide refined models of occlusion and improve the assessment of observation quality in forests and other ecosystems. By considering the space traversed by light detection and ranging (lidar) pulses, we can separate empty regions of an ecosystem sample from unobserved regions of an ecosystem sample. We apply this method of TLS observation quality assessment, and analyze Compact Biomass Lidar 2 (CBL2) TLS observations of a single tree and of a deciduous forest stand. We show the contribution of information from each TLS scan to be inconsistent and the combination of multiple scans to have diminishing returns for new information, without guaranteeing complete coverage of a sample. We quantitatively investigate the effects of imposing information quality requirements on TLS sampling, for example, requiring minimum numbers of observations in each region or requiring regions to be observed from a minimum number of independent scans. We show empirically that rigid, predefined TLS sampling schemes, even with hypothetically dense coverage, cannot guarantee successful samples in geometrically complex systems such as forests. Through these methods, we lay the groundwork for on-the-fly assessment of observation quality according to several modeling-relevant metrics which enhance TLS ecosystem assessment. We also establish the value of flexible deployment options for TLS instruments, including the ability to deploy at a variety of heights.
Knocking off Firm Value

We study the valuation implications of one of the most important mechanisms that help firms protect their intangible assets from infringement: government anti-counterfeiting enforcement. We show that the U.S. government’s anti-counterfeiting enforcement in foreign countries positively affects U.S. firms’ intangible assets, earnings, and valuations. Firms significantly reduce capital and research and development investments when their brands and products are protected from counterfeiting activities. Our results demonstrate the importance of the U.S. government’s anti-counterfeiting enforcements on intangible assets and valuations.
Joint Hypermobility among Female Patients Presenting with Chronic Myofascial Pelvic Pain

BACKGROUND Female chronic pelvic pain is estimated to affect up to 24% of adult women, many of whom have a component of myofascial pelvic pain. Although an association of joint hypermobility and pelvic pain has been hypothesized, limited data are available that estimate the prevalence of joint hypermobility in this population. OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of generalized hypermobility spectrum disorder (G-HSD) among female patients with chronic myofascial pelvic pain and examine the association between G-HSD and other frequent pelvic pain-associated complaints. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective case control. SETTING Tertiary referral center within a university-affiliated public health system. PATIENTS Adult women who were diagnosed with myofascial pelvic pain during a 1-year period (n = 77 with G-HSD and n = 241 without G-HSD). METHODS Data were abstracted via chart review of patients meeting inclusion criteria. OUTCOMES The primary outcome of this study was the prevalence of G-HSD among patients with persistent myofascial pelvic pain. Secondary outcomes included the prevalence of dyspareunia, provoked vestibulodynia, stress urinary incontinence, irritable bowel syndrome, hip pain, low back pain, and fibromyalgia in patients with persistent myofascial pelvic pain with and without G-HSD. RESULTS Twenty-four percent (N = 77; 95% CI: 19.6, 29.4) of myofascial pelvic pain patients also met criteria for G-HSD. After adjusting for confounders, the odds in favor of having G-HSD was 3.55 higher (95% CI: 1.50, 8.40) (P = .004) in females with dyspareunia; 7.46 higher (95% CI: 2.41, 23.1) (P < .001) with low back pain; 3.76 higher (95% CI: 1.35, 10.5) (P = .02) with stress urinary incontinence; 4.72 higher (95% CI: 2.00, 11.2) (P < .001) with irritable bowel syndrome; and 3.12 higher (95% CI: 1.36, 7.13) (P = .007) with hip pain. There was no significant association identified between provoked vestibulodynia or fibromyalgia and G-HSD. CONCLUSION The estimated prevalence of G-HSD is higher in chronic myofascial pelvic pain patients than in the general population with statistically significant associations with several comorbid conditions. Characterizing these associations is the first step in developing effective, evidence-based screening recommendations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III.
Conflicting Conceptions of Human Rights: Rethinking the African Post-Colonial State

This piece argues that the existential threat that faces Africa is a result of the legacy of colonialism that has trapped the continent in values, norms, and structures which have denied its states and countries national coherence. It contends that those who seek to reform Africa through the liberal normative project are bound to be disappointed because the continent is unlikely to respond to norms that are not moored in its cultures. In particular, the piece faults the individualism of the liberal project and wonders how it would work devoid of the balance of the community that is embedded in the African reality.
Effectiveness of atrial pacing in Macaca mulatta as a function of pacing pulse intensity: modification by atropine and propranolol.

The functional relationship between heart rate, under atrial pacing, and the intensity of pacing pulses, was determined for intensities ranging from well below the complete heart rate capture threshold to suprathreshold intensities. A separate capture-intensity function was determined for each of the pacing frequencies 180, 240, 300 and 360 pulses per min, and then used to evaluate the effects of propranolol hydrochloride and atropine sulfate on atrial pacing. Propranolol resulted in an increase in the amount of current (mA) required to achieve a given degree of cardiac capture, whereas atropine resulted in a decrease. These shifts in the capture-intensity functions along the intensity axis were possibly caused by drug antagonism of betaadrenergic and cholinergic receptors, respectively, although the effects might also have been due to modifications of the electrical responsivity of the cardiac muscle, independently of the neural blockade.