cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rational Design of Antibiotic Treatment Plans: A Treatment Strategy for Managing Evolution and Reversing Resistance

The development of reliable methods for restoring susceptibility after antibiotic resistance arises has proven elusive. A greater understanding of the relationship between antibiotic administration and the evolution of resistance is key to overcoming this challenge. Here we present a data-driven mathematical approach for developing antibiotic treatment plans that can reverse the evolution of antibiotic resistance determinants. We have generated adaptive landscapes for 16 genotypes of the TEM β-lactamase that vary from the wild type genotype “TEM-1” through all combinations of four amino acid substitutions. We determined the growth rate of each genotype when treated with each of 15 β-lactam antibiotics. By using growth rates as a measure of fitness, we computed the probability of each amino acid substitution in each β-lactam treatment using two different models named the Correlated Probability Model (CPM) and the Equal Probability Model (EPM). We then performed an exhaustive search through the 15 treatments for substitution paths leading from each of the 16 genotypes back to the wild type TEM-1. We identified optimized treatment paths that returned the highest probabilities of selecting for reversions of amino acid substitutions and returning TEM to the wild type state. For the CPM model, the optimized probabilities ranged between 0.6 and 1.0. For the EPM model, the optimized probabilities ranged between 0.38 and 1.0. For cyclical CPM treatment plans in which the starting and ending genotype was the wild type, the probabilities were between 0.62 and 0.7. Overall this study shows that there is promise for reversing the evolution of resistance through antibiotic treatment plans.
CHROMOSOME NUMBERS AND EVOLUTIONARY PATTERNS IN THE ASTER OCCIDENTALIS (ASTERACEAE) POLYPLOID COMPLEX OF WESTERN NORTH AMERICA

The 15 species studied have chromosome numbers predominantly based onx=8, and intraspecific polyploidy is frequent. The numbersx=13 andx=18 in two species are hypothesized to represent dibasic alloploidy rather than aneuploidy. The group forms a hybrid complex, with 11 basic diploids thus far discovered and with much morphological variation observed among species at the hexaploid and higher polyploid levels. Both alloploidy and introgression probably contribute to this pattern of variability. The known diploids are assigned to eight species, with the suggestion that further taxonomic division may be warranted as the group becomes better known. Seven recognized species exist only as polyploids. Because of their reticulate relationships, the polyploid populations form an extensively intergading series of morphological types. It is cautioned that excessive taxonomic splitting, based on minor polyploid variants, might lead to an unwieldy and impractical classification for the group.
Violence and Sex as Advertising Strategies in Television Commercials

Despite several studies investigating the impact of sex and violence in television on consumer behavior and memory for products in commercials, results remain inconsistent and debated. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of television violence and sex on memory for commercials and willingness to buy products. Two hundred twelve young adults were assigned to watch either a sexual, violent, combined sexual and violent or neutral television show. Within each show were embedded 12 commercials, four violent, four sexual, and four neutral. Results indicated that violent or sexual content of the television show did not impair memory for commercials or willingness to buy products, and that sexual or violent content in the commercials themselves increased memory for those commercials. Implications for the current study are that violent or sexual shows may adequately function in attracting viewers' attention, with sexual and violent content in the commercials themselves improving viewers memory for products. Use of violent or sexual content in commercials may thus be useful in advertising for brand recall.
How to Appraise Investment Projects

How do you evaluate a potential project? Prior investment appraisal models suggest that managers focus on the risk level before assessing the financial returns of the project. But the author of this article suggests a project appraisal model (PAM) to weigh both the financial and nonfinancial results. So PAM will help you evaluate investment projects on a holistic basis. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Experimental analysis of local mass transfer in packed beds

Abstract The mass transfer behavior from single spheres within random packings was examined in order to quantify the effects of local structure and hydrodynamics on mass transfer. Results show that in the sphere packs studied, structural differences at the pore scale cause the local Peclet number to vary by more than an order of magnitude and the exponent in the Sherwood versus Peclet number relationship to vary between approximately 0.3 and 0.7, both as a function of location within the packing. These combined effects cause at least a two-fold variation in local mass transfer rates and significant differences in the sensitivity of local mass transfer rates to changes in the overall flowrate to the bed. Two distributed parameters are introduced to quantify these effects, which collapse mass transfer data onto a single curve relating the local Sherwood number to a local Peclet number. The physical significance of these parameters is discussed, which aids in our understanding of fundamental behavior in disordered systems. Finally, we show how this information is used to calculate a spatially averaged mass transfer coefficient for dispersed interfaces under conditions where the total mass transfer rate for these interfaces does not reflect average behavior for the bed.
Effects of pore water velocity on the transport of arsenate

The potential for AsO4 to exhibit sorption-related nonequilibrium during transport has not been previously determined. Consequently, the objectives of this study were to determine the applicability of transport models based on the advec tion−dispersion equation (ADE) using various equilibrium and kinetic sorption expressions for describing AsO4 mobility. Saturated column transport experiments were performed using an applied AsO4 pulse at pore water velocities (PWVs) of 0.2, 1.0, 10, and 90 cm h-1 through a sand where the principal reactive phase was amorphous or poorly crystalline iron oxides. Observed AsO4 breakthrough curves (BTCs) demonstrated sorption-related nonequilibrium as evidenced by a leftward shift in observed BTCs and an increase in observed effluent recovery with increasing PWV. The use of independently derived equilibrium and kinetic sorption parameters in the ADE failed to describe observed AsO4 BTCs at all PWVs. Apparent sorption rate coefficients obtained by fitting observed BTCs to an n...
Enzyme-linked Immunospot Assay (ELISPOT): Quantification of Th-1 Cellular Immune Responses Against Microbial Antigens

Adaptive immunity is an important component to clearance of intracellular pathogens. The ability to detect and quantify these responses in humans is an important diagnostic tool. The enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT) is gaining popularity for its ability to identify cellular immune responses against microbial antigens, including immunosuppressed populations such as those with HIV infection, transplantation, and steroid use. This assay has the capacity to quantify the immune responses against specific microbial antigens, as well as distinguish if these responses are Th1 or Th2 in character. ELISPOT is not limited to the site of inflammation. It is versatile in its ability to assess for immune responses within peripheral blood, as well as sites of active involvement such as bronchoalveolar lavage, cerebral spinal fluid, and ascites. Detection of immune responses against a single or multiple antigens is possible, as well as specific epitopes within microbial proteins. This assay facilitates detection of immune responses over time, as well as distinctions in antigens recognized by host T cells. Dual color ELISPOT assays are available for detection of simultaneous expression of two cytokines. Recent applications for this technique include diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, as well as investigation of the contribution of infectious antigens to autoimmune diseases.
Searching and Storing Similar Lists

Abstract We present an optimal data structure for storing a sequence of similar lists; it supports rapid searching of an arbitrary list. Applications include an optimal planar point location algorithm, more general than previous ones, a 3-dimensional point location algorithm, and a new representation scheme for polyhedra.
Examining flow-flame interaction and the characteristic stretch rate in vortex-driven combustion dynamics using PIV and numerical simulation

Abstract In this paper, we experimentally investigate the combustion dynamics in lean premixed flames in a laboratory scale backward-facing step combustor in which flame-vortex driven dynamics are observed. A series of tests was conducted using propane/hydrogen/air mixtures for various mixture compositions at the inlet temperature ranging from 300 K to 500 K and at atmospheric pressure. Pressure measurements and high speed particle image velocimetry (PIV) are used to generate pressure response curves and phase-averaged vorticity and streamlines as well as the instantaneous flame front, respectively, which describe unsteady flame and flow dynamics in each operating regime. This work was motivated in part by our earlier study where we showed that the strained flame consumption speed Sc can be used to collapse the pressure response curves over a wide range of operating conditions. In previous studies, the stretch rate at which Sc was computed was determined by trial and error. In this study, flame stretch is estimated using the instantaneous flame front and velocity field from the PIV measurement. Independently, we also use computed strained flame speed and the experimental data to determine the characteristic values of stretch rate near the mode transition points at which the flame configuration changes. We show that a common value of the characteristic stretch rate exists across all the flame configurations. The consumption speed computed at the characteristic stretch rate captures the impact of different operating parameters on the combustor dynamics. These results suggest that the unsteady interactions between the turbulent flow and the flame dynamics can be encapsulated in the characteristic stretch rate, which governs the critical flame speed at the mode transitions and thereby plays an important role in determining the stability characteristics of the combustor.
The influence of quantitated post-weaning undernutrition on coxsackievirus B3 infection of adult mice. II. Alteration of host defense mechanisms.

The reasons for the markedly enhanced susceptibiltiy of the severely malnourished mice to infection with coxsackievirus are not known. However, the virtual absence of a mononculear inflammatory cell infiltrate in the hearts and livers of the severely malnourished mice 7 days following inoculation with virus suggested that there was a defect in the lymphoid system of these animals. Earlier studies have demonstrated that
Linoleic acid and cholesterol metabolism in the rat. I. The effect of dietary fat and linoleic acid levels on the content and composition of cholesterol esters in liver and plasma.

Abstract 1. 1. Rats show an increase in plasma cholesterol as the linoleic acid content of the diet is increased. 2. 2. The liver cholesterol esters are increased in fat deficiency, low in normal ranges of dietary fat, and increased again at high levels of linoleic acid. This second increase is specifically related to the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) content, not fat level. 3. 3. The PUFA content of liver cholesterol esters bears a simple relationship to the dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids; the level of ester found in the liver is not related to the content of polyunsaturated fatty acid in the ester. 4. 4. Plasma cholesterol esters differ markedly in composition from liver esters and do not follow the same relationship to the dietary fat as the latter. 5. 5. Possibilities for the derivation of plasma cholesterol esters from liver cholesterol are discussed.
Silicon Carbonitride Hollow Nanospheres from a Block-Copolymer Precursor

Nonoxide SiCN hollow nanospheres were prepared from a block-copolymer comprising of a precursor block and a sacrificial block. The copolymer was first synthesized and then self-assembled into core-shell structured micelles with the sacrificial block forming the core and the precursor block forming the shell. The micelles were subsequently pyrolyzed at high temperatures to transform the shell into ceramics and to completely decompose the core to form a hole. The technique is probably applicable to other material systems.
Osteosclerotic plasmacytoma of maxillary bone (orbital floor)

Plasma cell neoplasms have been classified as multiple myeloma, solitary plasmacytoma and extramedullary plasmacytoma. They are usually considered as osteolytic lesions of bone except for the rare occurrence of osteosclerotic lesions. This paper describes the first reported osteosclerotic plasmacytoma of the maxillary bone and orbital floor. The difficulties in establishing a diagnosis and the relationship to other plasma cell neoplasms are discussed.Osteosclerotic plasmacytomas are a rare variant of plasma cell tumors which usually produce osteolytic lesions rather than bony sclerosis. Sixty-eight patients with the osteosclerotic variant have appeared in the world literature, with an overall incidence of about 1 per cent in a large series of plasma cell neoplasms (Dreidger and Pruzanski, 1979). There have been only six previous cases of solitary osteosclerotic plasmacytomas reported (Morley and Schweiger, 1964; Roberts et al., 1974; Rodriguez et al. 1976; Rushton, 1965; Schneinker, 1938; Brigham Medical Review, 1961) involving spine, sternum, or rib. None have previously been reported in the head and neck area.Plasma cell tumors have been classified into multiple myeloma, solitary plasmacytomas of bone, and extramedullary plasmacytomas. Multiple myeloma is a disseminated plasma cell malignancy characterized by the production of homogeneous immunoglobulins (whole or fragments) which appear in the serum and urine. Plasma cell tumors can also occur as solitary plasmacytomas, usually in bone, but also in soft tissue. With time, most solitary plasmacytomas develop disseminated disease with all the characteristics of multiple myeloma (Wiltshaw, 1976). Extramedullary plasmacytomas arise in soft tissue rather than bone, and primarily occur in the head and neck region. Clinically, they remain localized and less frequently develop into disseminated myeloma.
Effect of Expression of UDP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase Ribozyme and Antisense RNAs on the Enzyme Activity and Carbohydrate Composition of Field-Grown Transgenic Potato Plants

Summary The effect of suppression of UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase, UTP ±-D-glucose-1-phosphate uridylyl transferase, EC 2.7.7.9) on carbohydrate metabolism in potato tubers was investigated. Constructions expressing a UGPase-specific ribozyme or a UGPase antisense RNA based on the genomic sequence, each under the control of the 35S promoter of the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus, were tested. Out of 103 plants transformed with the constructs, only 13 showed levels of UGPase activity significantly different from the control. No transgenic plants, carrying either construct, expressed an enzyme activity lower than 50-60 % of the control. Plants of seven clones were grown in the field, and UGPase activity, and the level of sugars were measured in the tubers. After storage at room temperature for one week, tubers of six of these had sucrose levels significantly (P
Full-dispersion Monte Carlo simulation of phonon transport in micron-sized graphene nanoribbons

We simulate phonon transport in suspended graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with real-space edges and experimentally relevant widths and lengths (from submicron to hundreds of microns). The full-dispersion phonon Monte Carlo simulation technique, which we describe in detail, involves a stochastic solution to the phonon Boltzmann transport equation with the relevant scattering mechanisms (edge, three-phonon, isotope, and grain boundary scattering) while accounting for the dispersion of all three acoustic phonon branches, calculated from the fourth-nearest-neighbor dynamical matrix. We accurately reproduce the results of several experimental measurements on pure and isotopically modified samples [S. Chen et al., ACS Nano 5, 321 (2011);S. Chen et al., Nature Mater. 11, 203 (2012); X. Xu et al., Nat. Commun. 5, 3689 (2014)]. We capture the ballistic-to-diffusive crossover in wide GNRs: room-temperature thermal conductivity increases with increasing length up to roughly 100 μm, where it saturates at a value of 5800 W/m K. This finding indicates that most experiments are carried out in the quasiballistic rather than the diffusive regime, and we calculate the diffusive upper-limit thermal conductivities up to 600 K. Furthermore, we demonstrate that calculations with isotropic dispersions overestimate the GNR thermal conductivity. Zigzag GNRs have higher thermal conductivity than same-size armchair GNRs, in agreement with atomistic calculations.
Differential effects of M1 muscarinic receptor blockade and nicotinic receptor blockade in the dorsomedial striatum on response reversal learning.

Abstract The present studies determined whether blockade of M 1 -like muscarinic or nicotinic cholinergic receptors in the dorsomedial striatum affects acquisition or reversal learning of a response discrimination. Testing occurred in a modified cross-maze across two consecutive sessions. In the acquisition phase, a rat learned to turn to the left or to the right. In the reversal learning phase, a rat learned to turn in the opposite direction as required during acquisition. Experiment 1 investigated the effects of the M 1 -like muscarinic receptor antagonist, pirenzepine infused into the dorsomedial striatum on acquisition and reversal learning. Experiment 2 examined the effects of the nicotinic cholinergic antagonist, mecamylamine injected into the dorsomedial striatum on acquisition and reversal learning. Bilateral injections of pirenzepine at 10 μg, but not 1 μg, selectively impaired reversal learning. Analysis of the errors indicated that pirenzepine treatment did not impair the initial shift, but increased reversions back to the original response choice following the initial shift. Bilateral injections of mecamylamine, 6 or 18 μg, did not affect acquisition or reversal learning. The results suggest that activation of M 1 muscarinic cholinergic receptors, but not nicotinic cholinergic receptors, in the dorsomedial striatum is important for facilitating the flexible shifting of response patterns.
Training and Growth of Artificially Fed Largemouth Bass in Culture Tanks

Largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides (Lacepede), were graded into two size classes (13–53 g body weight and 113–173 mm total length for small, and 54–88 g body weight and 174–201 mm for large) and were successfully pellet trained and reared in small culture tanks. Pellets were thrown with force into the tanks, one at a time, during the training period. Smaller bass were fully trained to consume floating pellets after 3 weeks. The training period was about 10 days longer for the larger bass and required a mixture of floating and sinking pellets. The training success for survivors was, however, almost equal for the two size classes (90%). Body weight, total length and condition factor of the bass in both size classes did not change significantly during the first 8 weeks of the experimental period. Relative increases in body weight and total length were 74 and 8% respectively, for both size classes during the subsequent 10-week period. Survival percentages for the entire 58 weeks of the experimental period were 66 and 70% for small and large size classes, respectively.
Factors affecting lipid peroxidation in guinea-pig adrenal microsomes.

Abstract Studies were carried out to examine the effects of and interactions between NADPH, Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ and ascorbate on lipid peroxidation in guinea-pig adrenal microsomes. Fe 2+ , at levels between 10 −6 and 10 −3 M, produced concentration-dependent increases in lipid peroxidation in adrenal microsomes; Fe 2+ had a far greater effect than Fe 3+ . In liver microsomes, by contrast, Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ had quantitatively similar effects on lipid peroxidation. NADPH alone had no effect on malonaldehyde production by adrenal microsomes. However, in the presence of low Fe 2+ concentrations (10 −6 M), NADPH stimulated malonaldehyde production; the stimulation was not demonstrable in microsomes which had been heat-treated to inactive microsomal enzymes. In the presence of high Fe 2+ levels (10 −3 M), NADPH produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of lipid peroxidation; the inhibition was fully demonstrable in heat-treated microsomes. In the presence of Fe 3+ (10 −6 to 10 −3 M), NADPH had little effect on lipid peroxidation, suggesting that NADPH does not significantly promote the reduction of Fe 3+ to Fe 2+ in adrenal microsomes. Ascorbate alone increased malonaldehyde production by adrenal microsomes; maximum stimulation occurred at a concentration of 10 −4 M. Ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation was also inhibited by NADPH. Ascorbate (5 · 10 −6 to 1 · 10 −4 M) synergistically interacted with low levels (10 −6 M) of Fe 2+ to enhance malonaldehyde production by adrenal microsomes. The synergism was not demonstrable at high concentrations (10 −3 M) of Fe 2+ At all concentrations (10 −6 to 10 −3 M) of Fe 3+ studied, ascorbate synergistically increased the production of malonaldehyde. The results indicate that interactions between various endogenous substances may be important in the control of adrenal microsomal lipid peroxidation and that there are differences in the regulation of adrenal and hepatic lipid peroxidation.
Review: Fitzpatrick (ed., 2007) Corpus Linguistics Beyond the Word: Corpus Research from Phrase to Discourse Amsterdam: Rodopi

This book, edited by Eileen Fitzpatrick, is a collection of fifteen papers that were first presented at the North American Symposium on Corpus Linguistics in 2004. Given the breadth of corpus studies included in the book, it is logically separated into two sections: the first section contains papers addressing corpus tools and strategies, and the second section contains papers relating to the application of corpus analysis. In the first paper Barrett, Greenberg and Schwartz explore syntacticlevel grammatical structure uses within texts of specific domains or genres. The development of statistical methods for automatically classifying texts into domains for the purposes of creating training and testing corpora for machine translation systems is the end goal of the authors’ research. Results show that syntactic-level differences exist within specific domains, providing evidence that text classification for testing and training corpora is possible beyond the lexical level. In the second paper Grieve-Smith examines register and genre variability using multi-dimensional analysis. Drawing from sociolinguistics, the concept of ‘envelope of variation’ is integrated into multi-dimensional analysis and is used to analyse the co-occurrence of two grammatical features (third-person pronouns and demonstrative adjectives) in twelve texts. While the inclusion of envelope of variation into the multi-dimensional analysis method did not result in statistically significant outcomes, the conclusion drawn from the study demonstrates that grammatical (and situational) variation is complex and requires detailed analysis of the feature(s) in advance of applying multi-dimensional analysis. An original method for determining word similarity scores is presented by Deane and Higgins in the third paper. In contrast to other methods (e.g., Latent Semantic Analysis, Random Index) that rely on topicbased texts, Deane and Higgins’ method uses the local contexts in which a
Amiloride-resistant Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells exhibit decreased cation transport.

Cation transport systems were investigated in mutant Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells resistant to the diuretic drug amiloride. The mutants were isolated previously as clones resistant to the cytotoxic effects of 3 × 10−4 M amiloride. Decreased amiloride transport by the Na+ channel was implicated as the basis of the resistance (Taub, '78). Consistent with this hypothesis, Na+ accumulation was lower in amiloride resistant cells than in normal sensitive MDCK cells. Kinetic studies indicated that Na+ uptake in MDCK cells occurs by a single ATP independent transport system—the Na+ channel. In several amiloride-resistant clones, including clone Amr2, the decreased Na+ uptake was associated with a decrease in both the Km and Vmaxfor Na+ uptake by the Na+ channel. In Amr2 cells no significant alteration in the inhibitory effect of amiloride on Na+ uptake was observed. As the Na+ channel may actually be a general uptake system for monovalent cations (a number of cations inhibit Na+ uptake), the uptake of these inhibitory cations was examined in Amr2 cells. Both Ca++ and ouabain-insensitive Rb+ uptake occurred at decreased rates in Amr2 cells as compared with normal MDCK cells. However, further uptake studies suggested that Na+, Ca++ and ouabain-insensitive Rb+ uptake all occur by different systems. Thus several transport systems may be defective in Amr2 cells. Amr2 cells were also resistant to the inhibitory effects of amiloride on CO2 evolution from pyruvate. These observations indicate that alterations at a number of molecular sites may be associated with defective Na+ transport via the Na+ channel in amiloride-resistant cells. Thus the amiloride-resistant cells are potentially valuable in examining the interrelationships between Na+ transport and other cellular functions.
In Vitro Bile-Acid Binding and Fermentation of High, Medium, and Low Molecular Weight β-Glucan

The impact of β-glucan molecular weight (MW) on in vitro bile-acid binding and in vitro fermentation with human fecal flora was evaluated. β-Glucan extracted from oat line ‘N979-5-4’ was treated with lichenase (1,3−1,4-β-d-glucanase) to yield high (6.87 × 105 g/mol), medium (3.71 × 105 g/mol), and low (1.56 × 105 g/mol) MW fractions. The low MW β-glucan bound more bile acid than did the high MW β-glucan (p < 0.05). If the positive control, cholestyramine, was considered to bind bile acid at 100%, the relative bile-acid binding of the original oat flour and the extracted β-glucan with high, medium, and low MW was 15, 27, 24, and 21%, respectively. Significant effects of high, medium, and low MW β-glucans on total SCFA were observed compared to the blank without substrate (p < 0.05). There were no differences in pH changes and total gas production among high, medium, and low MW β-glucans, and lactulose. The low MW β-glucan produced greater amounts of SCFA than the high MW after 24 h of fermentation. Among t...
Intrauterine substance exposures and Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-II scores at 11 years of age

The goal of this study was to evaluate whether intrauterine exposure to cocaine, alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana was associated with unique variance in children's academic achievement test scores after controlling for other substance exposures and contextual variables. Academic achievement scores (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II)) were collected from 119, low-income, urban 11-year-olds enrolled in a prospective longitudinal study of intrauterine cocaine exposure (IUCE). Newborn recruitment eligibility included >36 weeks gestational age, no neonatal intensive care, no intrauterine exposure to illicit drugs except cocaine or marijuana, and no evidence of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Intrauterine substance exposures (cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, tobacco) were documented in the newborn period using biological assays and maternal self-report. Multivariate analyses evaluated the relationship of each intrauterine exposure and each WIAT-II score controlling for contextual variables an...
A novel tuning strategy for multivariable model predictive control

Abstract Model predictive control (MPC) has established itself as the most popular form of advanced multivariable control in the chemical process industry. However, the benefits of this technology cannot be realized unless the controller can be operated with desirable performance for an extended period of time. The objective of this work is to present an easy-to-use and reliable tuning strategy that enables the control practitioner to maintain MPC at peak performance with minimal effort. A novel analytical expression that computes the move suppression coefficients, guidelines to select the additional adjustable parameters, and their demonstration in an overall tuning strategy are some of the significant contributions of this work. The compact form for the analytical expression that computes the move suppression coefficients is derived as a function of a first order plus dead time (FOPDT) model approximation of the process dynamics. With tuning parameters computed. MPC is then implemented in the classical fashion using an internal model formulated from step response coefficients of the actual process. Just as a FOPDT model approximation has proved a valuable tool in tuning rules such as Cohen-Coon. ITAE and IAE for PID implementations, the tuning strategy presented here is significant because it offers an analogous approach for multivariable MPC.
Phosphorus Flamethrower: A Demonstration Using Red and White Allotropes of Phosphorus.

A demonstration was created to display the unique behavior of a familiar element, phosphorus, and to make chemistry more accessible to the introductory student. The common allotropes of phosphorus and their reactivity are discussed. In this demonstration, the white allotrope of phosphorus is synthesized from the red phosphorus obtained from a matchbook. White phosphorus is exposed to oxygen in the air, and an eye-catching flame is produced. This simple, effective, and dramatic demonstration shows the conversion between red and white allotropes of phosphorus, its reaction with oxygen to form phosphorus oxides, and hydrolysis to form phosphoric acid. Care has been taken to minimize the hazards of burning white phosphorus and to identify proper methods of disposal.
The 2013 University of Nevada Las Vegas Solar Decathlon House: Strategy, Design, Simulation and Results

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has posed the challenge to the homebuilding industry to make available cost-effective net-zero energy homes for all Americans by 2030. University of Nevada Las Vegas’s DesertSol was the 2nd place winner in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013. This paper identifies the implementation of integrative design during the planning and programming phases of the project, and the ways such practice benefited the team and the contractors. This paper also describes the unique approaches and simulation methods for the whole building design. The team designed a high performance whole building system that dramatically reduced the overall energy loads through careful detailing of the entire building envelope, efficient equipment and lighting, and onsite renewable generation with both solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal systems. Building Information Management (BIM) software was used collaboratively and iteratively among the multi-discipline team throughout the 2 year research, design and build phases. Furthermore, this paper also discusses the optimization of project cost and affordability versus building performance criteria. Each individual system was modeled using specific software or developed codes. NREL’s BEopt was used for identifying the cost-optimal packages for the whole building energy analysis, by inputting discrete parametric options, reflecting realistic construction materials and practices. Data collected during the Solar Decathlon event was a validation that the systems were functional and performed as simulated. Continuing data monitoring of the home at its permanent Las Vegas location will validate the modeled long-term performance of this house.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Maya Ideologies of the Sacred: The Transfiguration of Space in Colonial Yucatan

The study of the art and visual culture of colonial Yucatan is in its adolescence. Amara Solari's innovative study, Maya Ideologies of the Sacred: The Transfiguration of Space in Colonial Yucatan, ...
Ripple joins for online aggregation

We present a new family of join algorithms, called ripple joins, for online processing of multi-table aggregation queries in a relational database management system (DBMS). Such queries arise naturally in interactive exploratory decision-support applications.Traditional offline join algorithms are designed to minimize the time to completion of the query. In contrast, ripple joins are designed to minimize the time until an acceptably precise estimate of the query result is available, as measured by the length of a confidence interval. Ripple joins are adaptive, adjusting their behavior during processing in accordance with the statistical properties of the data. Ripple joins also permit the user to dynamically trade off the two key performance factors of on-line aggregation: the time between successive updates of the running aggregate, and the amount by which the confidence-interval length decreases at each update. We show how ripple joins can be implemented in an existing DBMS using iterators, and we give an overview of the methods used to compute confidence intervals and to adaptively optimize the ripple join “aspect-ratio” parameters. In experiments with an initial implementation of our algorithms in the POSTGRES DBMS, the time required to produce reasonably precise online estimates was up to two orders of magnitude smaller than the time required for the best offline join algorithms to produce exact answers.
Optical physics: Trapping the light fantastic.

Using a material called a photonic crystal, researchers have designed a mirror that is, in a certain sense, perfect — there is in principle no light transmitted through it nor absorbed by it. See Letter p.188 The confinement of light has many practical applications — in optical fibres, waveguides and photonics for instance — but current methods of confinement all use materials or systems such as metallic mirrors that forbid outgoing waves. Here Chia Wei Hsu et al. demonstrate a new approach to confinement that does not rely on mirrors. The authors calculate and go on to show experimentally that for a patterned dielectric slab certain stable optical 'bound states' exist that trap light even though outgoing waves are allowed in the surrounding medium. This new method of trapping electromagnetic waves has wavevector and wavelength selectivity, so is suitable for optical filters, modulators and waveguides. In addition, it can be used with electronic and mechanical waves as well as light.
Describing Narrative in Gentile Bellini’s Procession in Piazza San Marco

Gentile Bellini’s Procession in Piazza San Marco, painted in 1496 for the Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista in Venice, was one of a series of canvases produced for the Scuola to commemorate the miraculous workings of its relic of the True Cross. Although the Cross was the protagonist of these events, Bellini’s composition elides the relic that here performs an act of healing. Instead, a meticulously rendered view of the basilica of San Marco dominates the visual field. Noting how setting here takes centre stage, this article shifts attention away from tales of miraculous intervention to explore the possibility of a distinct and visually ordered narrative. Indeed, the rich detailing of Bellini’s work presents a story bound in materiality: San Marco, as a Byzantinizing structure studded with eastern booty and built to house the appropriated bones of St Mark, emblemizes Venetian claims over Levantine goods, a discourse in which the relic of the True Cross was also a vibrant participant. The descriptive surface of Bellini’s painting reveals the connections between these various objects, setting forth an ideologically charged narrative of Venetian authority that is lodged not in pre-existing miracle tales but in the pictorial intricacies of the canvas itself.
Insertion of Fluoroalkenes into Activated C-H Bonds for the Preparation of Polyfluorinated Sulfanes, Alcohols, and Acyclic and Cyclic Ethers.

Free radical addition reactions of tetrahydrothiophene, pentamethylene sulfide, and 1,4-thioxane with various cyclic and acyclic per- and polyfluorinated olefins are readily initiated by di-tert-butyl peroxide, providing a convenient route for synthesizing cyclic sulfanes with fluorinated side groups. Tetrahydrothiophene reacts with hexafluoropropene, perfluoroallylbenzene, perfluorocyclobutene, and 1,2-dichlorotetrafluorocyclobutene in the presence of catalytic amounts of the peroxide to give the corresponding addition products CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)SCHCF(2)CHFCF(3) (1), CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)SCHCF(2)CHFCF(2)C(6)F(5) (2), CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)SCHCFCHFCF(2)CF(2) (3), and CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)SCHCClCHClCF(2)CF(2) (4), respectively. Pentamethylene sulfide reacts analogously with hexafluoropropene to give CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)SCHCF(2)CHFCF(3) (8). Reaction of 1,4-thioxane with hexafluoropropene or perfluoroallylbenzene gives a mixture of two products, OCH(2)CH(2)SCH(2)CHCF(2)CHFCF(3) (9) and SCH(2)CH(2)OCH(2)CHCF(2)CHFCF(3) (10) or OCH(2)CH(2)SCH(2)CHCF(2)CHFCF(2)C(6)F(5) (11) and SCH(2)CH(2)OCH(2)CHCF(2)CHFCF(2)C(6)F(5) (12), respectively. Fluorinated alcohols C(6)F(5)CF(2)CHFCF(2)C(CH(3))(2)OH (15), C(6)F(5)CF(2)CHFCF(2)CH(CH(3))OH (16), and C(6)F(5)CF(2)CHFCF(2)CH(2)OH (17) are prepared by reacting perfluoroallylbenzene with the corresponding alcohols. When 15 is reacted with pentafluorobenzonitrile in the presence of potassium carbonate, an unexpected cyclic ether 19 is obtained as the major product in addition to C(6)F(5)CF(2)CHFCF(2)C(CH(3))(2)OC(6)F(5)CN (18). Alcohols 15-17 can be cyclized by heating with potassium carbonate to give fluorinated cyclic ethers 19-21. The X-ray crystal structures of acyclic ether 18 and cyclic ether 19 are given. Compound 18 crystallizes in the tetragonal system, space group P4(2)/n, with a = 18.471(0) A, b = 18.471(0) A, c = 11.702(0) A, V = 3992.5(9) A(3), D(calc) = 1.768 mg/m(3), Z = 8, and R = 0.0617. Compound 19 crystallizes in the triclinic system, space group Po, with a = 8.103(3) A, b = 8.790(3) A, c = 9.832(3) A, alpha = 66.25(4) degrees, beta = 72.01(3) degrees, gamma = 80.19(4) degrees, V = 608.7(4) A(3), D(calc) = 1.845 mg/m(3), Z = 2, and R = 0.0346.
A Dominant Role for FE65 (APBB1) in Nuclear Signaling

FE65 has been described as an adaptor protein; its partners include the beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) and Tip60 (a histone acetyltransferase). Recent evidence suggests that APP may function in a nuclear signaling pathway via formation of APP-FE65-Tip60 complexes. The evidence is largely based on experiments in which APP/Tip60 is fused to the DNA binding domain of a yeast transcriptional factor Gal4 (Gal4DB) that can activate a reporter gene only when FE65 is coexpressed. One interpretation of published experiments has not yet been tested; however, there is the possibility that FE65 itself is the dominant transcriptional activator, whereas APP and Tip60 serve merely as positive/negative modulators or bridges for connecting FE65 to Gal4DB. To test this possibility, we fused Gal4DB directly to either end of FE65 and assessed their nuclear signaling in the presence or absence of exogenous APP/Tip60 or after knockdown of endogenous APP/Tip60. We found that FE65-Gal4DB by itself was able to trigger robust reporter activities. Increasing levels of APP could not further augment the reporter activity, but knocking down endogenous APP or interrupting FE65-APP binding reduced the signaling by up to 2-fold. The magnitudes of the reporter activities did not correlate with relative FE65 affinities for APP. Both overexpression and knockdown experiments showed that Tip60 plays a negative role. The results are consistent with the notion that FE65 is the key agent of Gal4DB-mediated transcriptional transactivation, whereas Tip60 is an FE65-associated repressor. Although APP may have modest stimulating effects, apparently there is no absolute requirement for that molecule for the nuclear signaling pathway.
Regulation of angiotensin II-induced G protein signaling by phosducin-like protein

Phosducin-like protein (PhLP) is a broadly expressed member of the phosducin (Pd) family of G protein βγ subunit (Gβγ)-binding proteins. Though PhLP has been shown to bind Gβγ in vitro, little is known about its physiological function. In the present study, the effect of PhLP on angiotensin II (Ang II) signaling was measured in Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing the type 1 Ang II receptor and various amounts of PhLP. Up to 3.6-fold overexpression of PhLP had no effect on Ang II-stimulated inositol trisphosphate (IP3) formation, whereas further increases caused an abrupt decrease in IP3 production with half-maximal inhibition occurring at 6-fold PhLP overexpression. This threshold level for inhibition corresponds to the cellular concentration of cytosolic chaperonin complex, a recently described binding partner that preferentially binds PhLP over Gβγ. Results of pertussis toxin sensitivity, GTPγS binding, and immunoprecipitation experiments suggest that PhLP inhibits phospholipase Cβ activation by dual mechanisms: (i) steric blockage of Gβγ activation of PLCβ and (ii) interference with Gβγ-dependent cycling of Gqα by the receptor. These results suggest that G protein signaling may be regulated through controlling the cellular concentration of free PhLP by inducing its expression or by regulating its binding to the chaperonin.
The use of consumer and business surveys in forecasting

Abstract Surveys improve forecasting performance by adding explanatory power to a model which is based on only past values of manufacturing growth. The issue addressed in this paper is whether surveys of production expectations, when added to equations that contain lagged values of a headline index pertaining to the real economy, improve forecasting performance. If so, it may be better for researchers to use not just the headline index, but production expectations or the Economic Sentiment Indicator if they wish to better predict manufacturing growth.
Epitaxial single-crystal thin films of MnxTi1−xO2−δ grown on (rutile)TiO2 substrates with pulsed laser deposition: Experiment and theory

Abstract Epitaxial rutile-structured single-crystal Mn x Ti 1 − x O 2 − δ films were synthesized on rutile- (110) and -(001) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. The films were characterized by reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy (ACTEM). Under the present conditions, 400 °C and P O 2 = 20 mTorr, single crystal epitaxial thin films were grown for x = 0.13, where x is the nominal average mole fraction of Mn. In fact, arbitrarily thick films could be grown with near invariant Mn/Ti concentration profiles from the substrate/film interface to the film surface. In contrast, at x = 0.25, Mn became enriched towards the surface and a secondary nano-scale phase formed which appeared to maintain the basic rutile structure but with enhanced z-contrast in the tunnels, or interstitial sites. Ab initio thermodynamic calculations provided quantitative estimates for the destabilizing effect of expanding the β-MnO 2 lattice parameters to those of TiO 2 -rutile, the stabilizing effect of diluting Mn with increasing Ti concentration, and competing reaction pathways for surface oxide formation.
Accelerator design and calculated performance of the Los Alamos HIBAF facility

Abstract The HIBAF 40 MeV accelerator and beam transport have been designed and studied with ISIS and PARMELA simulations. The nominal beam parameters for a 5 nC pulse are an emittance of 40π mm mrad, 300 A peak current, and an energy spread of 0.25%. We will discuss the major design issues and report on performance expectations.
Family support and parenting education in the home: An effective extension of clinic-based preventive health care services for poor children

A study was designed to assess the effect and cost of providing parenting and child care education in the home to inner-city mothers of poor infants receiving comprehensive health care in a large federal Children and Youth Program. Randomly selected, healthy neonates weighing more than 2000 gm and born to black women aged 18 years and older (n=131) and to comparable control subjects (n=132) were followed for a mean of 23.4 and 22.9 months, respectively. A community woman, with educational, social service, and medical backup support from the Children and Youth Program, made home visits 7 to 10 days after the birth and between regularly scheduled well-child-care visits. Improved compliance with well-child care, fewer illness visits, and sharp reductions in hospitalization and in neglect or abuse were found in the visited group compared with the control group, and substantial cost was averted. Prerequisite and concomitant to focusing the mother's attention on the infant was the resolution of the numerous crises and survival problems experienced by these poor women. Only then was parenting education accepted by the mother.
N-Impulse Formation Flying Feedback Control Using Nonsingular Element Description

An N-impulse feedback control strategy is developed to mitigate errors in a set of nonsingular orbit element differences between a chief and deputy spacecraft. Although suitable for general, elliptic chief orbits, this strategy is motivated by relative orbit control in the geostationary regime, in which nonsingular element descriptions are especially convenient. The Gauss variational equations for this nonsingular set are developed as a basis for the N-impulse feedback control strategy, which assumes piecewise constant element errors evaluated once per orbit. The N corrective impulses are applied at uniform intervals in true anomaly, and the magnitudes thereof are determined with a swift numerical method. Two examples demonstrate that this method is proficient in helping to detect fuel-optimal burn locations for general formation and element difference corrections.
Normal Modes for Non-Linear Vibratory Systems

A methodology is presented which extends to non-linear systems the concept of normal modes of motion which is well developed for linear systems. The method is constructive for weakly non-linear systems and provides the physical nature of the normal modes along with the non-linear differential equations which govern their dynamics. It also provides the non-linear co-ordinate transformation which relates the original system co-ordinates to the modal co-ordinates. Using this transformation, we demonstrate how an approximate non-linear version of superposition can be employed to reconstruct the overall motion from the individual non-linear modal dynamics. The results presented herein for non-linear systems reduce to modal analysis for the linearized system when non-linearities are neglected, even though the approach is entirely different from the traditional one. The tools employed are from the theory of invariant manifolds for dynamical systems and were inspired by the center manifold reduction technique. In this paper the basic ideas are outlined, a few examples are presented and some natural extensions and applications of the method are briefly described in the conclusions.