cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An ultrasonic‐acoustic technique for nondestructive evaluation of fiber composite quality

This report describes an ultrasonic-acoustic technique used to measure a “stress wave factor” in order to nondestructively assess the quality of composite structures. In a prior study this factor was found effective in evaluating the interlaminar shear strength of fiber-reinforced composites. Details of the method used to measure the stress wave factor are described. In addition, frequency spectra of the stress waves are analyzed in order to indicate the nature of the wave phenomena involved. The stress wave factor can be measured with simple contact probes requiring only one-side access to a part. This is beneficial in nondestructive evaluations because the waves can run parallel to fiber directions and thus, in many cases, measure material properties in directions assumed by actual loads. Moreover, the technique can be applied where conventional through transmission techniques are impractical or where more quantitative data are required. The stress wave factor was measured for a series of graphite polyimide composite panels and results obtained are compared with through transmission immersion ultrasonic scans.
The cost-effectiveness of the WINGS intervention: a program to prevent HIV and sexually transmitted diseases among high-risk urban women.

Background We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of the WINGS project, an intervention to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases among urban women at high risk for sexual acquisition of HIV.
Bis[tri(o‐tolyl)phosphine]palladium

[69861–71–8] C42H42P2Pd (MW 715.10) InChI = 1S/2C21H21P.Pd/c2*1-16-10-4-7-13-19(16)22(20-14-8-5-11-17(20)2)21-15-9-6-12-18(21)3;/h2*4-15H,1-3H3; InChIKey = CUBIJGNGGJBNOC-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reagent used as a catalyst for a variety of transformations) Physical Data: dcalcd 1.345 g/cm3. Solubility: benzene, THF, toluene, CH2Cl2. Form Supplied in: yellow powder forming pale yellow prisms upon recrystallization. Analysis of Reagent Purity: 1H NMR (C6D6) δ 6.98 (m, 18H), 6.77 (m, 6H), 2.92 (s, 18H); 31P{1H} (C6D6) d −6.72 (s); IR (KBr) 3055 (m), 3004 (m), 2964 (m), 2926 (m), 2855 (w), 1587 (m), 1563 (w), 1465 (s), 1447 (s), 1377 (m), 1274 (m), 1206 (m), 1158 (m), 1125 (m), 1068 (m), 1031 (m), 1027 (s), 800 (m), 751 (s), 711 (s), 675 (w), 665 (m), 556 (s), 518 (s), 461 (s), 406 (s) cm−1. Preparative Methods: the first synthesis of [(o-MeC6H4)3P]2Pd involved reduction of [(o-MeC6H4)3P]2PdCl2 by alcohol in the presence of base.1 Unfortunately, this procedure resulted in low yields of the desired [(o-MeC6H4)3P]2Pd, which was also contaminated with black insoluble material and the starting [(o-MeC6H4)3P]2PdCl2. Due to the ineffectiveness of this procedure, Hartwig and coworkers developed a reliable preparatory method detailed below.2 To 500 mg of “[Pd(DBA)2]” (0.87 mmol) suspended in 60 mL of benzene was added a solution of 2.10 g of tri-o-tolylphosphine (6.90 mmol) in 60 mL of benzene. The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 20 h. The purple-brown solution was filtered and concentrated to dryness. The resulting orange-yellow precipitate was suspended in 150 mL of diethyl ether. This suspension was allowed to stand for 24 h at −30 °C to complete precipitate of the yellow, powdery [(o-MeC6H4)3P]2Pd (70–80%). Recrystallization of this compound was achieved in the presence of excess phosphine from a benzene/ether solvent mixture. However, crystalline material was also obtained directly from a filtered reaction medium after addition of ether. This procedure was slower than the above method for obtaining [(o-MeC6H4)3P]2Pd as a powder. Quantitative crystallization of the [(o-MeC6H4)3P]2Pd from the reaction medium can require standing for 2 weeks. Note: Not all reactions referenced in this review use the isolated Pd[P(o-Tol)3]2. Many reactions described generate this complex in situ.3 Please refer to the individual references for the experimental procedure. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: [(o-MeC6H4)3P]2Pd should be stored and handled under an inert atmosphere.
Market and social welfare analysis for hybrid sustainable manufacturing industry

As public concerns on sustainable economic development increase, a rising number of traditional original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have launched production lines on the environmentally preferable alternatives (green products). In this study, an oligopoly game theory model was formulated to analyse the competition between the green and ordinary manufacturing production sectors within the hybrid sustainable manufacturing industry. The author wants to address the questions whether and how the green production lines can survive in the market competitions. The author also investigates the market indices and total social welfare in the presence of tax and subsidy policy intervention. The results not only provide guidelines for OEMs to understand underlying factors that determine the competitiveness of green products in the market but also benefit policy makers by quantitatively showing the effectiveness of tax and subsidy policies in promoting green products.
Which network measurement tool is right for you? a multidimensional comparison study

Network performance measurement and prediction is one of the most prominent and indispensable components in distributed computing environments. The selection of the most advantageous network measurement tool or system for specific needs can be very time consuming and may require detailed experimental analysis. The multi-dimensional aspects and properties of such systems or tools should be considered in parallel. In this paper, we take two of the most widely used and accepted network measurement tools as a case study: Iperf and network weather service. We compare these two prediction tools by listing the pros and cons based on accuracy, overhead, intrusiveness, system requirements, capabilities, reliability, scalability and response time. We present different methodologies used to measure their performance in previous experiments and run experiments for comparing them to actual FTP, GridFTP and SCP transfers based on different parameters.
Calculation of flow rate for flow of the second-order fluid having variable coefficients in annulus with the inner cylinder executing a planetary motion

The governing equations of the flow of the second-order fluid having variable coefficients in annulus with the inner cylinder executing a planetary motion are established, and the flow rate calculation formula is given in this paper. The governing equations are calculated numerically by the finite difference method, on the base of above results, the laminar flow rate is numerically calculated using simpson integration formula. Influences of the revolution and the rotation velocity of the inner cylinder, the eccentricity and the pressure gradient in annulus on the flow rate are analyzed. The results show that the eccentricity and pressure gradient are main influence factors. The experiments for the flow of Hydrolyzed Polyacrylamide (HPAM) aqueous solution which can be regarded as the second-order fluid having variable coefficients in annulus with the inner cylinder executing a planetary motion are carried out, the theoretical flow rate calculated numerically is compared with those measured practically, the even relative percent error between them is smaller than 5%, it verifies that the governing equations, flow rate calculated formula and the relevant numerical calculation method given in this paper for the flow of the second-order fluid having variable coefficients in annulus with the inner cylinder executing a planetary motion are correct.
VIABILITY OF COLIFORM BACTERIA IN ANTARCTIC SOIL

Boyd, William L. (Ohio State University, Columbus) and Josephine W. Boyd. Viability of coliform bacteria in antarctic soil. J. Bacteriol. 85:1121–1123. 1963.—The distribution of coliform bacteria in soils of Ross Island and the nearby mainland was studied. None was found in almost all of the samples collected, including some from the Adelie penguin rookeries at Cape Royds and Cape Crozier and in soil at the McMurdo Base which had been recently contaminated by human sewage. Samples of pony manure left from previous expeditions were also negative, with one exception where Escherichia coli were present. Studies carried out with two freshly isolated human strains of E. coli and the isolate from pony manure showed that the death rate was extremely rapid, although the animal strain was much more resistant to the various factors of the environment causing death.
X-chromosome hyperactivation in mammals via nonlinear relationships between chromatin states and transcription

Dosage compensation in mammals occurs at two levels. In addition to balancing X-chromosome dosage between males and females via X-inactivation, mammals also balance dosage of Xs and autosomes. It has been proposed that X-autosome equalization occurs by upregulation of Xa (active X). To investigate mechanism, we perform allele-specific ChIP-seq for chromatin epitopes and analyze RNA-seq data. The hypertranscribed Xa demonstrates enrichment of active chromatin marks relative to autosomes. We derive predictive models for relationships among POL-II, active mark densities, and gene expression, and suggest that Xa upregulation involves increased transcription initiation and elongation. Enrichment of active marks on Xa does not scale proportionally with transcription output, a disparity explained by nonlinear quantitative dependencies among active histone marks, POL-II occupancy, and transcription. Significantly, the trend of nonlinear upregulation also occurs on autosomes. Thus, Xa upregulation involves combined increases of active histone marks and POL-II occupancy, without invoking X-specific dependencies between chromatin states and transcription.
Is dietary fat "fattening"? a comprehensive research synthesis.

The goal of this research synthesis was to separate and articulate questions that had clear meaning, were empirically addressable, and were germane to the broad question “Is fat fattening?” Four such questions addressing the effect of varying the proportion of dietary fat on body weight and body fat were formulated. A comprehensive review of electronic citation databases was conducted to identify studies that addressed each question. The results of the studies addressing each question were tabulated and summarized, and an answer for each question was formulated. The results indicated that whether “fat is fattening” depends on exactly what one means by the question. It is apparent that under conditions of energy deficit, high-fat diets lead to greater weight loss than low-fat diets, but under ad libitum feeding conditions, instructing persons to follow a low-fat diet promotes loss of body weight and body fat. For one question, studies were few but convincing that altering the proportion of energy from fat ...
Photoinduced DNA cleavage by atomic oxygen precursors in aqueous solutions

Reactive oxygen species are known to induce DNA strand cleavage and have been explored as treatments for cancer. The development of aqueous-soluble dibenzothiophene-S-oxide (DBTO) derivatives has made it possible to investigate the mechanism of DNA cleavage by these photoactivatable precursors of atomic oxygen. In addition to the release of atomic oxygen, DBTO can also undergo other processes such as α-cleavage. An objective of this work was to establish whether the extent of strand scission could be attributed to a direct reaction between atomic oxygen and DNA. To accomplish this aim, the extent of strand cleavage upon irradiation of three different DBTO derivatives was measured by the conversion of circular pUC19 plasmid (Form I) to nicked (Form II) as monitored by gel electrophoresis. The interaction of the sulfoxides with DNA was systematically studied by optical melt and fluorescence anisotropy experiments. Thiols are susceptible to rapid oxidation by atomic oxygen, and thus, glutathione was used as a ROS scavenger to determine if DNA cleavage was induced by the release of atomic oxygen. The results from these experiments indicated atomic oxygen was at least partially responsible for the observed strand scission.
MANAGING IN NETWORK SETTINGS

The focus of this article is on managing networks. A network knowledge base is developed from the authors' studies of city government involvement in economic development, management within rural enterprises and the evaluation of a rural strategic planning project. Other public management network analyses are also incorporated. Management in network settings is not based on central authority and cannot be guided by a single organizational goal as is the case in the classical management approach. Management involves managing flexible structures toward collective efficiency. The ability to manage is related to the internal condition of the manager's primary organization. It involves technical, legal, political and cost dimensions. It requires different capacities, skills and knowledge from that of single organization management. The next steps in the research would include the development of the skills needed, an analysis of the role of organizational power and the operational variables of networks, the issue of network cohesion, and the question of loss of control or difficulty in assessing network accountability.
Cholinergic and Noradrenergic Nervous Systems in the Cynomolgus Monkey Cochlea

The cholinergic and noradrenergic nervous systems in the cochleas of cynomolgus monkeys were examined by histochemical and immunohistochemical demonstration of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and/or dopamine B-hydroxy-lase (DBH), respectively. AChE activity was demonstrated in the efferent fibers making synaptic contact with the perikarya and the cell processes of type II neurons. Type II neurons also demonstrated AChE activity on the cell surface and their neurites, suggesting that the AChE-positive fibers in the simian cochlear nerve trunk, previously believed to be of efferent origin, are the central processes of type II neurons. TH-like and DBH-like immunoreactivity of beaded unmyelinated fibers demonstrated similar distribution throughout the cochlear nerve trunk, Rosenthal's canal, and osseous spiral lamina. During their course, they came in contact with unmyelinated efferent fibers and neurites of type II neurons and abutted blood vessels. However, their distribution was n...
Effect of Entomopathogenic Nematodes on the Fitness Cost of Resistance to Bt Toxin Cry1Ac in Pink Bollworm (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

The widespread use of crop plants genetically engineered to produce toxins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) imposes selection on insect populations to evolve resistance. The pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a major pest of cotton in the southwestern United States that is currently controlled with transgenic cotton that produces Bt toxin Cry1Ac. Previously reported theoretical work suggests that, in conjunction with a high dose/refuge strategy, fitness costs of Bt resistance can slow or prevent the evolution of resistance. We report here that the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema riobrave (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) increased the fitness cost of resistance to Cry1Ac in P. gossypiella. Mortality of P. gossypiella from fourth instar to adult eclosion was significantly higher for a Bt-resistant strain than a susceptible strain in tests with two to 14 infective juveniles of S. riobrave per larva, but it did not differ between strains when nematodes were absent. Nematodes established in P. gossypiella larvae at all concentrations tested, and nematode reproduction in infected P. gossypiella larvae occurred at nematode concentrations of four to 14 infective juveniles per larva. Our results suggest that incorporation of entomopathogenic nematodes into an integrated resistance management strategy could help to delay pest resistance to Bt toxins.
Assessing Heavy Metal and PCB Exposure from Tap Water by Measuring Levels in Plasma from Sporadic Breast Cancer Patients, a Pilot Study.

Breast cancer (BrCA) is the most common cancer affecting women around the world. However, it does not arise from the same causative agent among all women. Genetic markers have been associated with heritable or familial breast cancers, which may or may not be confounded by environmental factors, whereas sporadic breast cancer cases are more likely attributable to environmental exposures. Approximately 85% of women diagnosed with BrCA have no family history of the disease. Given this overwhelming bias, more plausible etiologic mechanisms should be investigated to accurately assess a woman’s risk of acquiring breast cancer. It is known that breast cancer risk is highly influenced by exogenous environmental cues altering cancer genes either by genotoxic mechanisms (DNA mutations) or otherwise. Risk assessment should comprehensively incorporate exposures to exogenous factors that are linked to a woman’s individual susceptibility. However, the exact role that some environmental agents (EA) play in tumor formation and/or cancer gene regulation is unclear. In this pilot project, we begin a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate the intersection of environmental exposures, cancer gene response, and BrCA risk. Here, we present data that show environmental exposure to heavy metals and PCBs in drinking water, heavy metal presence in plasma of nine patients with sporadic BrCA, and Toxic Release Inventory and geological data for a metal of concern, uranium, in Northeast Georgia.
Reality Check: The Presence and Perceived Importance of Barriers to Entry in the Residential Broadband Market

Explicitly identifying barriers to entry and their characteristics is important not only for the systematic evaluation and prediction of market competition but for imposing a priori obligations on incumbents with market power, and for establishing proper competition policy. Given the lack of competition in the residential broadband access market, this research examines broadband access company executives’ perceived presence and importance of entry barriers in the U.S. broadband access market by conducting a mail survey and interviews. The survey analysis identifies four underlying dimension of industrial factors preventing new entry into the market: product differentiation, absolute cost advantages of incumbents, post-entry profitability and entry costs. Among them, the entry costs factor which contains capital requirements, capital intensity and sunk costs, and government policy is perceived to be significantly more important than the other factors. Interviews with company executives produce major five themes: The difficulty of access to the networks (the presence of essential facilities), the overpricing of leased lines by the ILECs to drive up new entrants’ costs, the ILECs’ predatory pricing to consumers, the political power of incumbents biasing the regulation and legislation, difficulty in access to capital in the presence of regulatory uncertainty, and the financial and technological limitations of alternative access technologies.
Using predicted variance for conservative on shared resources

In heterogeneous and dynamic environments, efficient execution of parallel computations can require mappings of tasks to processors with performance that is both irregular and time varying. We propose a conservative scheduling policy that uses information about expected future variance in resource capabilities to produce more efficient data mapping decisions.We first present two techniques to estimate future load and variance, one based on normal distributions and another using tendency-based prediction methodologies. We then present a family of stochastic scheduling algorithms that exploit such predictions when making data mapping decisions. We describe experiments in which we apply our techniques to an astrophysics application. The results of these experiments demonstrate that conservative scheduling can produce execution times that are significantly faster and less variable than other techniques.
Effects of changing operators and instruments on time-domain and spectral-domain OCT measurements of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE To determine the amount of interoperator and interinstrument variability introduced into retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measured with Stratus OCT and Cirrus HD-OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA) in normal and glaucomatous eyes. PATIENTS AND METHODS Thirty-seven eyes from 37 subjects (20 normal and 17 with glaucoma) were included in the study. Each eye was scanned with one Stratus OCT and one Cirrus OCT by two operators. The eyes were then scanned with a different Stratus OCT and Cirrus OCT by one of the operators. Average, quadrant, and clock-hour RNFL measurements were compared between operators and between instruments after determining the proportion of variance due to subjects, operators, and instruments by means of variance component analysis. RESULTS Significant differences were observed between Stratus OCT instruments, but not between Cirrus OCT instruments, in average (P = .01), inferior (P = .006), and nasal (P < .001) quadrant RNFL thickness in glaucomatous eyes. Interoperator differences in RNFL thickness measured with both types of instruments were non-significant. The interoperator variability ranged from 0% to 1% on Stratus OCT and was 0% on Cirrus OCT, whereas the interinstrument variability ranged from 0% to 3% for Stratus OCT and from 0% to 1% for Cirrus OCT. CONCLUSION The interoperator variability of RNFL thickness measured with Stratus OCT and Cirrus OCT, as well as the interinstrument variability of measurements obtained with Cirrus OCT, are non-significant. However, there is significant variability between RNFL measurements performed on two different Stratus OCT instruments.
The UPS and Downs of Downloading

(1991). The UPS and Downs of Downloading. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Vol. 47, START, pp. 21-23.
RT-36ONCOLOGIC OUTCOME OF HISPANIC PATIENTS WITH GLIOBLASTOMA TREATED WITH RADIOTHERAPY

BACKGROUND: Underutilization of radiotherapy in minorities with glioblastoma (GBM) has been reported. We sought to investigate whether patients of Hispanic descent with GBM had different presentation, treatment, oncologic outcomes compared to Caucasian patients. METHODS: We reviewed all patients with GBM treated with radiotherapy at Columbia University Medical Center from 1998 to 2013. Variables analyzed included age, gender, race, Karnofsky performance status, molecular markers, extent of resection, and radiotherapy scheme. RESULTS: From 1998 to 2013, 444 Caucasian and Hispanic patients with GBM were treated with radiotherapy at our institution. Baseline characteristics (age, gender, KPS) were similar among the two groups (Hispanic vs. Caucasian), as was extent of resection. For example, there were 85 patients of Hispanic descent with a median age of 58 (range 4-91) years, 51 (60%) were men, and median KPS was 80 (range 50-100). In Caucasians cohort (N = 361), the median age was 61 (range 7-87), 208 (58%) were men, and median KPS was 80 (range 30-100). Among the Hispanic patients, 85.5% had gross total or subtotal resection and 14.5% biopsy whereas in Caucasians, 83.2% had gross total or subtotal resection and 16.8% biopsy only. Hispanic and Caucasian patients had similar rates of MGMT methylation (38.5% vs. 42.9%), IDH-1 mutation (5.9% vs. 7.9%), and positive EGFR immunohistochemical staining (78.9% vs. 74.4%). Similar rates of Hispanic and Caucasian patients received intensity-modulated radiotherapy (50.0% vs. 52.4%) and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (35.4% vs. 45.4%); whereas more Hispanic patients received two-dimensional radiotherapy (14.5% vs. 2.2%). However, median survival was not statistically different among Hispanics than Caucasians: 287 vs. 388 days (HR: 1.147; 95%CI: 0.863-1.524; p = 0.346). CONCLUSIONS: We found that Hispanic patients with GBM had a trend toward worse but not statistically different overall survival than Caucasian patients having similar baseline characteristics, types of surgery, radiotherapy, and molecular markers.
Product Selection and Supply Chain Optimization for Fast Pyrolysis and Biorefinery System

This study determines the optimal plant sizes, locations, and product distributions for an integrated fast pyrolysis biorefinery supply chain using a mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model. Hydrogen, liquid fuels, commodity chemicals, and lignin are considered as the potential biorefinery products. The proposed approach is illustrated through a case study of Minnesota, where forest residue is selected as the biomass feedstock. The decisions about biomass supply (roadside chipped forest residue and raw forest residue), facility selection, and product distribution are explored in this case study. The total converted bio-oil is 1.1 million metric tons per year and the total cost is $330 million for the base case. Impacts of marketing prices on product selections are investigated. Compared to upgrading of phase separated bio-oil, whole bio-oil upgrading is preferable in terms of economics. Hydrogen and liquid fuel prices have greater influence on the annualized profit than the commodity chemical price.
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging with fast variably-accelerated sensitivity encoding (vSENSE).

PURPOSE The widespread clinical use of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging is hampered by relatively long scan times due to its requirement that multiple saturation-offset image frames be acquired. Here, a novel variably-accelerated sensitivity encoding (vSENSE) method is proposed that provides faster CEST acquisition than conventional SENSE. THEORY AND METHODS The vSENSE method fully samples one CEST saturation frame, then undersamples the other frames variably. The fully-sampled frame, in conjunction with newly proposed incoherence absorption and artifact suppression strategies, improves the accuracy of sensitivity maps and permits higher acceleration factors for the other undersampled frames than regular SENSE. vSENSE is validated in a phantom, a normal volunteer and eight brain tumor patients at 3 Tesla. RESULTS vSENSE with an acceleration factor of four generated a 3-6 times smaller error on average than conventional SENSE (P ≤ 0.02), with acceleration factors of 2-4, as compared with full k-space reconstruction. vSENSE permitted four-fold acceleration for amide proton transfer-weighted images, while regular SENSE could only provide a factor of two. When conventional SENSE is used with vSENSE's variable undersampling pattern, erroneous (∼9%) z-spectra result. CONCLUSION The vSENSE method enabled twice the acceleration and generated more accurate images than conventional SENSE. Magn Reson Med 77:2225-2238, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Latour and Literature

In recent years the theoretical writings of Bruno Latour have attained wide currency within literary studies. Exhausted by the protocols of ideology critique, historicism, deconstruction, and other familiar methods, scholars such as Rita Felski, Heather Love, Stephen Best, and Sharon Marcus have been inspired by Latour’s turn away from critique and toward the production of positive knowledge. Taking this state of affairs as its starting point, this book chapter provides a fresh account of Latour’s engagement with and impact on literary studies. Addressing Latour’s entire body of work, from his pioneering scholarship in the field of science studies to his recently published metaphysics, this chapter aims to accomplish three goals. First, it will examine both the literariness of Latour’s writing (e.g. the use of metaphor, the densely textured irony) as well as his debt to narratology and to semiotics, both of which have been crucial to his influential conception of nonhuman agency. Second, it considers how Latour approaches imaginative literature. Although he has not performed extended exegeses of individual texts, Latour often suggests that ‘some continuous familiarity with literature’ is central to his theoretical programme, so this chapter provides a thorough account of the role played by the literary object, especially the novel, within actor-network theory. Finally, this chapter suggests how Latour’s work could inspire new ways of apprehending literature and of practising literary criticism. While literary critics have embraced Latour’s call to develop alternatives to critique, they have been less attentive to his suggestion that imaginative literature could be a sociological resource––a device for comprehending the mystery and complexity of social life. By taking up this suggestion, then, this chapter seeks not only to explore an underappreciated aspect of Latour’s engagement with the literary but also to sketch a productive new direction for literary-critical scholarship.
Coal reservoir characteristics and their controlling factors in the eastern Ordos basin in China

Abstract In the eastern Ordos basin, due to the diversity of the tectonic setting, coal rank, gas content and permeability, coal reservoirs have differing characteristics. In this paper, based on coal reservoir geometry, gas content, adsorption capacity, pores and fissures developments and permeability data, the coalbed methane (CBM) reservoir characteristics and their controlling factors in the eastern Ordos basin is discussed. The results show that, due to undergoing different paleo-temperatures in the geological history, coal rank has a higher trend from the north part to the south and from the shallow part to the inward basin, which determines CBM distribution and recoverability. In the north, although having large coal thickness and high permeability, Zhungeer-Xingxian coal rank is low, and gas content is small. In the central part, with medium rank, higher gas content and relatively high permeability, and the Wubao-Liulin area is the most favorable area in the eastern Ordos basin. In the southern part, medium and high metamorphism coal occurs, and although having the highest gas content, the permeability in the Hancheng area is low due to the development of sheared coal.
Knots and Knot Types

Almost everyone is familiar with at least the simplest of the common knots, e.g., the overhand knot, Figure 1, and the figure-eight knot, Figure 2. A little experimenting with a piece of rope will convince anyone that these two knots are different: one cannot be transformed into the other without passing a loop over one of the ends, i.e., without “tying” or “untying.” Nevertheless, failure to change the figure-eight into the overhand by hours of patient twisting is no proof that it can’t be done. The problem that we shall consider is the problem of showing mathematically that these knots (and many others) are distinct from one another.
Divergent Synthesis of Three Classes of Antifungal Amphiphilic Kanamycin Derivatives.

A concise and novel method for site-selective alkylation of 1,3,6′,3″-tetraazidokanamycin has been developed that leads to the divergent synthesis of three classes of kanamycin A derivatives. These new amphiphilic kanamycin derivatives bearing alkyl chains length of 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, and 16 have been tested for their antibacterial and antifungal activities. The antibacterial effect of the synthesized kanamycin derivatives declines or disappears as compared to the original kanamycin A. Several compounds, especially those with octyl chain at O-4″ and/or O-6″ positions on the ring III of kanamycin A, show very strong activity as antifungal agents. In addition, these compounds display no toxicity toward mammalian cells. Finally, computational calculation has revealed possible factors that are responsible for the observed regioselectivity. The simplicity in chemical synthesis and the fungal specific property make the lead compounds ideal candidates for the development of novel antifungal agents.
Requirements and quantitative comparison of fast waveform digitizers for data-acquisition systems designed for nuclear nonproliferation applications

Accurate pulse shape discrimination (PSD) is essential for organic scintillators such as EJ-301s (or EJ-309s with higher flash point) because they are sensitive to both neutrons and gamma rays. Because of the background gamma-ray presence the accurate neutron detection requires accurate discrimination of neutrons from gamma rays. This is especially important for applications where fast and robust systems are paramount, such as nuclear nonproliferation and safeguards. For nuclear nonproliferation and safeguards applications, accurate discrimination of neutrons from gamma rays significantly influences the outcome of material identification/characterization. Specifically, particle misclassification can lead to longer measurement times or even to false identification/misclassification of measured material. In this paper, various fast waveform digitizers are compared from the PSD-performance point of view. Specifically, a 12-bit, 250-MHz digitizer is compared to a 12-bit, 500-MHz digitizer and a 10-bit 1-GHz/2-GHz digitizer. The results presented in this paper indicate that the 12-bit-500-MHz resolution combination leads to the best PSD results. The results also show that a 10-bit digitizer can perform better than a 12-bit digitizer, if the 10-bit digitizer has a significantly better time resolution.
Regulation of mRNA Turnover by Cellular Stress

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the process of regulated mRNA turnover, one of the most influential mechanisms effecting changes in the patterns of expressed mRNAs in response to stress. By changing the half-lives of mRNAs, which typically range from 20 min to 24 h, mammalian cells can quickly allow certain subsets of mRNAs to accumulate (mRNA stabilization) and rapidly eliminate other subsets of mRNAs (mRNA decay). Among the genes whose expression is regulated through altered mRNA turnover are many encoding T cell activation molecules, cell cycle regulators, cell survival proteins, and stress response factors. The process of mRNA turnover involves the association of trans acting factors that recognize specific cis elements (RNA sequences) on the target mRNA. Two main sets of trans binding factors have been identified: RNA binding proteins (RBPs) and microRNAs. RNP complexes responsible for controlling mRNA stability following stress are regulated by many of the signaling pathways. The plausible mechanisms whereby associations of RNA-binding proteins with turnover-determining sequences can affect mRNA turnover are: RNA-binding proteins may mask/unmask sites of endonucleolytic cleavage; they may enhance or reduce the activity of potential decapping nucleases; they may elevate or diminish the protective influence of PABPs; and they may direct mRNAs to or away from sites in the cell where degradation machineries are at work.
Neutral Evolution and Dispersal Limitation Produce Biogeographic Patterns in Microcystis aeruginosa Populations of Lake Systems

Molecular observations reveal substantial biogeographic patterns of cyanobacteria within systems of connected lakes. An important question is the relative role of environmental selection and neutral processes in the biogeography of these systems. Here, we quantify the effect of genetic drift and dispersal limitation by simulating individual cyanobacteria cells using an agent-based model (ABM). In the model, cells grow (divide), die, and migrate between lakes. Each cell has a full genome that is subject to neutral mutation (i.e., the growth rate is independent of the genome). The model is verified by simulating simplified lake systems, for which theoretical solutions are available. Then, it is used to simulate the biogeography of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa in a number of real systems, including the Great Lakes, Klamath River, Yahara River, and Chattahoochee River. Model output is analyzed using standard bioinformatics tools (BLAST, MAFFT). The emergent patterns of nucleotide divergence between lakes are dynamic, including gradual increases due to accumulation of mutations and abrupt changes due to population takeovers by migrant cells (coalescence events). The model predicted nucleotide divergence is heterogeneous within systems, and for weakly connected lakes, it can be substantial. For example, Lakes Superior and Michigan are predicted to have an average genomic nucleotide divergence of 8200 bp or 0.14%. The divergence between more strongly connected lakes is much lower. Our results provide a quantitative baseline for future biogeography studies. They show that dispersal limitation can be an important factor in microbe biogeography, which is contrary to the common belief, and could affect how a system responds to environmental change.
Actuality, Tableaux, and Two-Dimensional Modal Logics

In this paper we present tableau methods for two-dimensional modal logics. Although models for such logics are well known, proof systems remain rather unexplored as most of their developments have been purely axiomatic. The logics herein considered contain first-order quantifiers with identity, and all the formulas in the language are doubly-indexed in the proof systems, with the upper indices intuitively representing the actual or reference worlds, and the lower indices representing worlds of evaluation—first and second dimensions, respectively. The tableaux modulate over different notions of validity such as local, general, and diagonal, besides being general enough for several two-dimensional logics proposed in the literature. We also motivate the introduction of a new operator into two-dimensional languages and explore some of the philosophical questions raised by it concerning the relations there are between actuality, necessity, and the a priori, that seem to undermine traditional intuitive interpretations of two-dimensional operators.
Hypothalamic Hormones Regulating Pituitary (and Other) Functions: Their Physiology and Biochemistry as Well as Recent Studies with Their Synthetic Analogues

It is well established now that the hypothalamic releasing and inhibitory hormones produced in the neuronal cell bodies regulate the secretory activity of the anterior pituitary gland. The discovery of several of these hormones and their isolation, structural identification and synthesis furnished the evidence for the theory of neurohumoral control of the pituitary gland put forward by Harris (1) and others.
Within-Family Effects of Smoking during Pregnancy on ADHD: the Importance of Phenotype

We sought to test within- and between- family associations of smoking during pregnancy (SDP) and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms using a structured interview based on the conventional Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) symptoms and the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD-Symptoms and Normal-Behavior (SWAN) scale, which is a population based measure that grew out of the notion that an ADHD diagnosis exists on the extreme end of a continuum of normative behaviors and includes both above- and below- average performance on attention and activity. We used a sibling-comparison approach in a sample of 173 families including siblings aged 7-16 years (52% male) drawn from the state of Missouri, USA, wherein mothers smoked during one pregnancy but not the other. There was a within-family effect of smoking during pregnancy on SWAN hyperactivity/impulsivity and SWAN total ADHD behaviors. The associations between SDP and DSM-IV-based ADHD symptom dimensions as well as SWAN inattention were explained by familial confounds. These findings suggest that SDP exerts a potentially causal effect on increased ADHD hyperactive/impulsive behaviors and that this SDP effect is best captured when hyperactivity/impulsivity is assessed more normatively across the population, rather than specifically assessing problematic behaviors via DSM symptoms. Thus, any potentially causal effect of SDP on ADHD symptom dimensions may be restricted to hyperactive/impulsive behaviors rather than inattention, and normative, non-DSM-IV based behavioral measures may provide a more sensitive test of mechanisms of SDP-ADHD symptom associations, particularly in non-clinical samples.
Pressure gradients in a steeppass fishway using a computational fluid dynamics model

Abstract The Alaska steeppass is a fishway used commonly in the eastern United States and in remote locations, and is an example of the many configurations of fishways, ladders, bypass channels and other structures intended to facilitate fish mobility in river systems fractured by in-stream structures. Passage success for this fishway is varied and depends on many factors including species of interest. The cause of this variation is relatively unknown and typically ascribed to “other hydraulic factors”, meaning a hydraulic variable other than the mean (spatial and temporal) velocity. Attempts have been made to move from velocity-based to energy-based fish passage models to pinpoint these “other factors”, however energy-based passage models rely on assumptions that may be inappropriate when applied to hydraulically complicated fishways. An assumption that has facilitated wide ranging discussions of the performance of fish ladders without the develop of very specific and detailed computational models is that pressure forces that a fish might experience can be adequately estimated using uniform flow pressure distributions. In uniform flow, the vertical pressure distribution is as if hydrostatic, and there is no pressure gradient in the horizontal plane. To test this assumption, very detailed three-dimensional hydraulics information was generated from a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the steeppass to calculate the pressure. The results demonstrate the significance of considering dynamic pressure distributions when modeling the interaction between hydraulics and fish mobility.
Students' description of factors contributing to a meaningful clinical experience in entry-level physical therapist professional education

Objective The objective of this study was to identify student, clinical instructor (CI), and environmental characteristics and behaviors that make for positive clinical experiences as perceived by physical therapy students. Participants Nine third-year physical therapist students from entry-level physial therapist education programs around the United States participated in this study. Methods In this phenomenologic study, participants were interviewed using open-ended questions designed to facilitate rich description. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, validated, and analyzed. Results Themes were identified through collaborative analysis using constant comparative coding. Students described student, CI, and environmental factors and behaviors that contribute to a quality clinical experience, including: the students' demonstration of initiative to prepare for the clinical experience and preparation after clinic hours; the importance of the CI's insight, allowing CIs to ascertain how much guidance to give in order to foster independence in the student; and the clinical environment's ability to welcome a student and provide the student with novel learning experiences. Conclusion The student descriptions, including positive and negative examples shared by the interviewees, demonstrate essential characteristics that contribute to a positive clinical experience. Many of the factors identified by students can be influenced by student and CI training and preparation prior to the clinical experience.
An ε-uniform finite element method for singularly perturbed two-point boundary value problems

This work develops an e-uniform finite element method for singularly perturbed two-point boundary value problems. A surprising and remarkable observation is illustrated: By inserting one node arbitrarily in any element, the new finite element solution always intersects with the original one at fixed points, and the errors at those points converge at the same rate as regular boundary value problems (without boundary layers). Using this fact, an effective e-uniform approximation out of boundary layer is proposed by adding one point only in the element that contains the boundary layer. The thickness of the boundary layer need not be known a priori. Numerical results are carried out and compared to the Shishkin mesh for demonstration purpose.
Measurement and characterization of slippage and slip-law using a rigorous analysis in dynamics of oscillating rheometer: Newtonian fluid

This article presents a rigorous calculation involving velocity slip of Newtonian fluid where we analyze and solve the unsteady Navier-Stokes equation with emphasis on its rheological implication. The goal of which is to model a simple yet effective non-invasive way of quantifying and characterizing slippage. Indeed this contrasts with previous techniques that exhibit inherent limitations whereby injecting foreign objects usually alter the flow. This problem is built on the Couette rheological flow system such that μ-Newton force and μ-stress are captured and processed to obtain wall slip. Our model leads to a linear partial differential equation and upon enforcing linear-Navier slip boundary conditions (BC) yields inhomogeneous and unsteady “Robin-type” BC. A dimensional analysis reveals salient dimensionless parameters: Roshko, Strouhal, and Reynolds while highlighting slip-numbers from BC. We also solve the slip-free case to corroborate and validate our results. Several graphs are generated showing sli...
Schrödinger Operators with External Homogeneous Electric and Magnetic Fields

These lectures split into two parts, the first concerns homogeneous electric fields and the second homogeneous magnetic fields. The reader is referred to the beautiful survey of Hunziker [36] for an introduction to the subject. To complement the one-body results reviewed in [36] I have given a rather detailed analysis of the N-body Stark effect following the work in [27,31,32]. There is essentially only one new development (not present in the published literature) which is presented here: The rather complicated semigroup Weinberg-van Winter analysis used in [32] has been replaced by a simpler technique.
Studies on Substrates, Inhibitors and Modifiers on the High Affinity Choline Transport-Acetylation System Present in Rat Brain Synaptosomes

Several laboratories have demonstrated a requirement for the high affinity transport of choline (Ch) in the synthesis of ACh by intact synaptosomes (3, 18, 19, 22, 27). Particularly striking are those results which show an almost total conversion of Ch transported by the high affinity carrier to ACh (27), and which suggest that the high affinity carrier is present only at cholinergic nerve terminals (22, 26). These observations led us (3–5) and others (23, 25) to propose and test the hypothesis that the high affinity transport and acetylation of Ch by nerve endings are coupled in some manner.
Ultrasound-guided fetal skin sampling for prenatal diagnosis of genodermatoses.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety and diagnostic efficacy of ultrasound-guided fetal skin sampling for the prenatal diagnosis of genodermatoses. METHODS Seventeen pregnancies seen over 6.5 years were analyzed retrospectively. Fifteen were at risk for junctional epidermolysis bullosa and two for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. Under ultrasound guidance, a biopsy forceps was inserted through a 14-gauge catheter and directed toward the fetus (thorax, back, or buttocks) to obtain skin samples. The procedures were performed at a mean of 18.3 weeks' gestation (range 16.5-19.5). RESULTS Fetal skin sampling was successful in all cases; the mean number of biopsies taken was 3.6 (range two to five). Five of the 17 fetuses were determined to be affected, each with junctional epidermolysis bullosa; these pregnancies were terminated electively and the prenatal diagnoses confirmed. The remaining 12 pregnancies resulted in the delivery of healthy infants at or after 37 weeks' gestation. There were no pregnancy-related complications, specifically preterm rupture of the membranes or preterm labor. Three of the 12 infants had minor skin blemishes believed to be due to the skin sampling. CONCLUSION Ultrasound-guided fetal skin sampling is the procedure of choice when fetal skin is required for prenatal diagnosis of genodermatoses.