cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling the Influence of Pore Structure on the Acoustic Absorption of Enhanced Porosity Concrete

This paper describes a model to predict the acoustic absorption of Enhanced Porosity Concrete (EPC). The acoustic absorption coefficient was determined experimentally using an impedance tube, while an electro-acoustic analogy was implemented to develop the predictive model, considering the pore structure of EPC as a series of resistors and inductors. The physical features of the pore network were experimentally characterized using image analysis and a pore volume characterization technique. A parameter termed “structure factor” was introduced to account for the increased density of air that is not displaced by the acoustic wave pressure. The maximum acoustic absorption coefficient was found to decrease linearly with an increase in the structure factor. The development of this model and its correlation with physical measurements enable the prediction of acoustic absorption in EPC based on the geometric features of the pore structure. This model enabled a parametric study to be conducted to ascertain the effects of pore size, aperture size, porosity, and specimen thickness on acoustic absorption. An optimal pore to aperture diameter ratio was observed to exist, that maximizes acoustic absorption. The parametric study is believed to be able to aid in the design of EPC for acoustic absorption by better understanding the type of pore features that should be targeted for best performance.
Roughness and ordering of growing films

In many deposition processes particles are highly mobile in an active layer at the surface, but are relatively inert once incorporated in the bulk. Inhomogeneities in the deposition process then lead to formation of rough surfaces, whose height fluctuations can be probed directly by scanning microscopy, or indirectly by scattering. I shall first briefly review analytical or numerical treatments of simple homoepitaxial growth models which suggest that the height fluctuations have a self-similar character, well described by a dynamic scaling form. I then study models of heteroepitaxial growth in which different atoms are allowed to interact, equilibrate, and order (e.g. phase separate) on the surface, but are frozen in the bulk. Order parameter correlations in the resulting bulk material are highly anisotropic, reflecting its growth history. In a flat (layer by layer) growth mode, correlations perpendicular to the growth direction are similar to a two-dimensional system in equilibrium, while parallel correlations reflect the dynamics of such a system. When the growing film is rough, various couplings between height and order parameter fluctuations are possible. Such couplings modify the dynamic scaling properties of surface roughness, and may also change the critical behavior of the order parameter. Even the deterministic growth of the surface profile can result in interesting textures for the order parameter.
Anxiety disorders in adolescence: Characteristics, prevalence, and comorbidities.

Abstract Anxiety disorders are increasingly being recognized as important psychiatric disorders in adolescents. The anxiety disorders recognized in preadolescent children and adults all occur, to some extent, in adolescents. The characteristic presentations may be somewhat different, however, among different age groups. Generalized anxiety syndromes and phobias are relatively common in adolescents. Some anxiety disorders are clearly less common in adolescents, such as panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder, but subthreshold symptoms during adolescence may be early manifestations of more severe adult psychopathology. Adolescent anxiety disorders may frequently be comorbid with depression, alcohol abuse, and conduct disorder. The developmental changes which occur from preadolescent child-hood to adulthood clearly influence anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders. While anxiety disorders during adolesence have some features which are unique to this age group, understanding these developmental relationships may be critical in determining the etiology of anxiety disorders across the life span.
The photocatalytic production of H2 from molybdenum-sulfur compounds loaded on TiO2

Abstract The photocatalytic of molecular hydrogen from aqueous suspensions of colloidal TiO2 loaded with MoS2−4 and Mo2S4(S2C2H4)2−2 was studied as a function of pH, loading and light intensity. The efficiency of these systems, in which polyvinyl alcohol and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) were utilized as sacrificial electron donors, was compared with the well-studied systems utilizing platinum as an electron transfer catalyst. Optimum loading levels were 20 ions per particle for tetrathiomolybdate and 6 ions per particle for the thio dimer. Both of the Mo-S systems were only about 40% as efficient as platinum. Quantum yields of molecular hydrogen approximately doubled as the intensity was decreased by a factor of 10 and increased about twofold when the more efficient hole scavenger, EDTA, was added to the mixture. The highest yield obtained, in terms of the percentage utilization of the photoproduced electrons, was 11.5% compared with 28.2% for platinum. Except for differences in optimum loading levels, both catalysts gave similar results.
Arfid: a reconfigurable fabric of input devices for the internet of things

Low-cost, easily deployable, reconfigurable, movable input devices can enable adaptive workflows in commercial, industrial, and home environments. A key limitation of previous reconfigurable control systems is their high cost or maintenance burden (e.g., battery changes or wiring setup). Our poster presents Arfid, a "fabric" for reconfigurable input devices that connects low-cost, battery-free inputs to arbitrarily specified functions in their surroundings via a buildingwide network of RFID readers. Users can reassign controllers' functions using a simple web interface.
Restricted walks, stability-instability transitions, and dynamic symmetries

The principal results from applying a transition matrix approach to the problem of self-avoiding walks which Domb and Hioe obtained some years ago are recalled. Some results are then presented on two other different physical problems: one on a universal critical exponent for a class of stability-instability transitions in the classical Hamiltonian systems, and the other on the existence of a characteristic set of constants of evolution when a quantum system possesses a certain type of symmetry. The similarity in some of the key concepts and methods used in these three problems, which involve studies of the distribution of the appropriate eigenvalues and the utilization of the existing symmetry, and the dissimilarity in some of the details are noted.
Temperature dependence of the total sputtering yield of a two-phase {Ag}/{Cu} ( {65}/{35} at% ) alloy for 200 eV Ar + ions

Abstract The total sputtering yield of a Ag Cu two-phase alloy ( 65 35 at% ) as a function of temperature (−54°C to 123°C) for 200 eV Ar+ at normal incidence has been measured. For a fluence of approximately 1020 ions/cm2, the total yield was a maximum at low temperature and decreased as the temperature was increased until at the highest temperature, the yield was approximately one half the value at the lowest temperature. At high temperature, SEM revealed that the surface was covered with a dense “forest” of microscopic cone-like structures, whereas at low temperature the cones were absent and the surface had a more faceted appearance. At higher temperatures it is believed that bombardment enhanced surface diffusion facilitates the formation of cones and ridges. Under continued sputtering the aspect ratio of these features increases until it is large enough to allow recapture of material ejected from valleys and neighboring features. For samples sputtered at elevated temperatures, this redeposition appears to be responsible for the significant lowering of the total yield. The results did not depend on the method of target fabrication (three different methods were tested). To simplify the yield calculations, it was assumed that component ejection was stoichiometric with the bulk for the entire bombardment time. The validity of this simplification is discussed.
Profiles of large-size system peaks and vacancy bands in liquid chromatography I. Analytical solution of the ideal model

Often in chromatography, a compound which participates in the retention mechanism is added to the mobile phase. This permits control of the retention factors of the analytes and allows their indirect detection. Injection of large volumes of solutions having a composition different from that of the mobile phase causes perturbation of the equilibrium between the two phases of the chromatographic system, and may result in large positive or negative system peaks when the additive signal is monitored. If the equilibrium behavior is accounted for by competitive Langmuir isotherms, the positive bands, which contain an excess of the additive, are Langmuirian-shaped as in the classical elution case, while the large vacancy bands have an anti-Langmuirian profile. An explicit analytical solution is derived within the framework of the ideal model for the profiles of large-size pulses and vacancies. This solution permits the easy calculation of the retention times of the different parts of the bands, i.e., of its shocks and diffuse boundaries. This solution provides also a more profound explanation of the formation of the large system peaks than available so far and of their distinctive properties as compared to those of large-size bands in classical elution.
Measurement of gene flow in Lupinus texensis

Gene flow, the movement or dispersal of genes within or among populations, is a crucial factor in determining the structure and cohesiveness of species and populations. Spatial restriction of gene flow can lead to non-random mating and to subdivision of a population into genetic neighbourhoods. On the other hand, extensive gene flow over large geographical areas can overshadow the influence of selection, leading to genetic similarity among populations and increased uniformity within a species. The extent and magnitude of actual gene flow are thus relevant to a broad range of disciplines. While the central role of gene flow is widely recognised, actual measurements of gene flow in either plants or animals are few. In plants gene flow can occur via seed or pollen dispersal. Levels of gene flow due to pollen dispersal have usually been inferred, either by marking pollen with a chemical or radioactive label for wind pollinated species or by determining the distribution of pollinator foraging flight distances for insect-pollinated species. Measurements of gene flow via pollen movement in plants have been limited to studies of a few agricultural species, where the minimum separation distance required to isolate stocks genetically was of interest1,2. Here I report the measurement of the pollen component of gene flow in the insect-pollinated species, Lupinus texensis, compare the actual gene flow distribution with the distribution inferred from pollinator flight movements, and finally, determine the genetic neighbourhood size of this species from the pollen and seed dispersal distributions. Actual gene flow via pollen is found to be greater than would be inferred from pollinator movement alone. Gene flow and neighbourhood size are nevertheless very restricted.
Interface projection techniques for fluid–structure interaction modeling with moving-mesh methods

The stabilized space–time fluid–structure interaction (SSTFSI) technique developed by the Team for Advanced Flow Simulation and Modeling (T★AFSM) was applied to a number of 3D examples, including arterial fluid mechanics and parachute aerodynamics. Here we focus on the interface projection techniques that were developed as supplementary methods targeting the computational challenges associated with the geometric complexities of the fluid–structure interface. Although these supplementary techniques were developed in conjunction with the SSTFSI method and in the context of air–fabric interactions, they can also be used in conjunction with other moving-mesh methods, such as the Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) method, and in the context of other classes of FSI applications. The supplementary techniques currently consist of using split nodal values for pressure at the edges of the fabric and incompatible meshes at the air–fabric interfaces, the FSI Geometric Smoothing Technique (FSI-GST), and the Homogenized Modeling of Geometric Porosity (HMGP). Using split nodal values for pressure at the edges and incompatible meshes at the interfaces stabilizes the structural response at the edges of the membrane used in modeling the fabric. With the FSI-GST, the fluid mechanics mesh is sheltered from the consequences of the geometric complexity of the structure. With the HMGP, we bypass the intractable complexities of the geometric porosity by approximating it with an “equivalent”, locally-varying fabric porosity. As test cases demonstrating how the interface projection techniques work, we compute the air–fabric interactions of windsocks, sails and ringsail parachutes.
Mesenchymal Stem Cell and Islet Co-Transplantation Promotes Graft Revascularization and Function

BACKGROUND Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known to produce vascular endothelial growth factor. We hypothesize that co-transplantation of MSCs and islets promotes revascularization and improves islet graft function. METHODS Lewis rat islets were infused into the liver of streptozotocin-diabetic syngeneic recipients or transplanted under the renal capsule of nonobese diabetic severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD SCID) mice with MSCs isolated from Lewis bone marrow and expanded in culture. RESULTS Co-transplantation of 500 islets and 107 MSCs (islet-MSCs) reversed diabetes in all eight recipients, whereas islet-alone transplantation achieved euglycemia in 3 of 10 recipients. With 300 islets, five of nine islet-MSCs and 1 of 10 islets-alone recipients reversed diabetes. Results of intravenous glucose tolerance tests performed on day 56 were significantly better in islet-MSCs than islet-alone recipients. One week after transplantation, well-preserved islet structure and higher number of capillaries were found in the liver of islet-MSCs recipients, whereas islet-alone grafts were fragmented with very few capillaries. Islets showed a similar morphology when transplanted with MSCs in nonobese diabetic severe combined immunodeficiency mice with a significantly higher capillary per [beta]-cell ratio than that in islet-alone grafts (0.135+/-0.046 vs. 0.052+/-0.028 capillary segments per [beta]-cell, P<0.01). One week after transplantation, islets were surrounded by MSCs labeled with carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester or Qdot nanocrystals, and some labeled MSCs positively stained for vascular endothelial growth factor or von Willebrand factor. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate the improvement of islet graft morphology and function by co-transplantation with MSCs. This improvement is attributable, at least in part, to the promotion of graft revascularization mediated by MSCs.
Asymptomatic factor VII deficiency in African Americans.

African Americans with factor VII (FVII) deficiency, as defined by clinical laboratory values, are frequently asymptomatic. To date the genotypes underlying this FVII defect in asymptomatic African Americans have not been established. We show in 3 unrelated African American patients that the defect is due to a G to A nucleotide change resulting in an arginine to glutamine mutation in Factor VII amino acid 304. This defect results in low FVII coagulant activity levels using rabbit brain thromboplastin but not using human thromboplastin. This report may aid transfusion and hematology specialists to evaluate patient results and prevent unnecessary transfusions to treat patients with abnormal laboratory values.
Canarypox Vaccines Induce Antigen-Specific Human γδ T Cells Capable of Interferon-γ Production

Induction of human gammadelta T cells was investigated in subjects who were vaccinated with live recombinant canarypox virus expressing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) proteins or soluble MN rgp120. Both canarypox and rgp120 induced antigen-specific lymphoproliferative and interferon (IFN)-gamma responses. However, only canarypox vaccination induced increased gammadelta T cell responses detectable after secondary in vitro expansion (P<.02). These enhanced gammadelta T cell responses were specific for canarypox but not HIV antigens. Canarypox-specific gammadelta T cells were predominantly Vgamma9(+) and produced intracellular and secreted IFN-gamma. gammadelta T cell lines generated from canarypox vaccinees responded to canarypox antigens but not to mycobacterial antigens shown previously to induce bacille Calmette-Guerin-specific gammadelta T cells. Furthermore, canarypox vaccinations were associated with significantly higher NK cell expansions (P=.02). Increased IFN-gamma production by gammadelta T and NK cells could enhance the induction of protective type 1 memory immunity. Thus, stimulation of gammadelta T cells might be an important feature of live vaccines.
Multi-layer floorplanning for reliable system-on-package

Physical design automation for the new emerging mixed-signal system-on-package (SOP) technology requires a new kind of floorplanner - it must place both active components such as digital IC, analog ICs, memory modules, MEMS, and optoelectronic modules, and embedded passive components such as capacitors, resistors and inductors in a multi-layer packaging substrate while considering various signal integrity issues. We propose a new interconnect-centric multi-layer floorplanner named MF-SOP, which is based on a multiple objective stochastic simulated annealing method. The contribution of this work is to first formulate this new kind of floorplanning problem and then to develop an effective algorithm that handles various design constraints unique to SOP. The related experiments show that the area reduction of MF-SOP compared to its 2D counterpart is on the order of O(k) and wirelength reduction is 39% average for k-layer SOP, while satisfying design constraints.
Logical and empirical thinking in a problem solving task

Subjects can base a solution on either logical or empirical properties of a problem solving task. In this study, the difficulty of making a solution on empirical grounds and of making a solution on logical grounds were both varied. It appeared that as the strength of the empirical properties diminished, Ss utilized logical properties to a greater extent. Further, logical properties took precedence over empirical properties as the former became easier to explicate.
Gonadotropin-induced ovulation in a reptile (Anolis carolinensis): histological observations.

Abstract Although much is known about morphological changes in the apex of the mammalian ovarian follicle prior to its rupture (ovulation), information about this process in nonmammalian vertebrates is limited to only a few species. We describe here the histological changes in the stigma of the lizard ( Anolis carolinensis ) ovarian follicle preceding FSH-induced ovulation. Females with a large vitellogenic follicle received two injections, separated by 7 hr, of either porcine FSH (25 μg) or saline, and then were sampled at 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 24 hr after the first injection. Thus, all but the 6-hr group received two injections. By 12 hr, about half of the FSH-treated females had ovulated, and most had ovulated by 15 hr. In contrast, only 1 of 40 control females ovulated. Large unovulated follicles were fixed and bisected through the circular stigma; one hemisphere was embedded in paraffin and stained with Mallory's trichrome, and the other was embedded in plastic and stained with toluidine blue. FSH treatment produced marked histological changes in the stigma region, as well as alterations in nonstigmal areas of the follicle. The membrana granulosa of control follicles consisted of a single layer of squamous, darkly staining granulosa cells. After FSH treatment, nonstigmal granulosa cells separated slightly, and their nuclei became more clear and assumed an oval shape; in the stigma, these cells became widely separated, with round, light-staining nuclei containing one or two prominent nucleoli. The nonstigmal theca of FSH-treated follicles was similar to that of control follicles except that collagen fibers were more dissociated. In the stigma, collagen fibers were widely dissociated, and the theca swelled, presumably due to accumulation of extracellular fluid. Abundant fluid accumulated in the stigma, especially between the granulosa cells and their basement membrane and between the tunica albuginea and the theca externa. These changes in the lizard stigma are similar to those reported in mammals except that no marked inflammatory response occurs in the lizard stigma. We hypothesize that the Anolis follicle undergoes preovulatory luteinization, and that the stigma exhibits ischemic necrosis before rupture.
SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINE INLET FLUCTUATING PRESSURE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE LINER CRACK INVESTIGATION

In the summer of 2002, small cracks were found in the liquid hydrogen feedlines of several Space Shuttle Orbiters. During the ensuing investigation, the unsteady flow environment surrounding the cracked liner less than a foot upstream of the shuttle main engine low pressure fuel pump was characterized extensively. The engine fuel inlet fluctuating pressure environment established from highly instrumented single-engine hotfire tests both with and without a flow liner simulator are described. Cavitation induced oscillation phenomena common in the inlet region of high -speed rocket engine turbopumps were mapped as well as fluid-resonant liner edge-tones. Correlation of the dynamically rich measured fluctuating pressure fields to dynamic liner strains are discussed.
Stakeholder Rights and Corporate Governance: A Cross-National Study of Hostile Takeovers

We examine the role of three types of stakeholders in the uneven adoption of an organizational practice in different countries, arguing that organizational practices achieve widespread use only when they are consistent with the interests of the most powerful social actors as enshrined in legal rights. Building on a "stakeholder-power" approach to corporate governance, we examine whether the interests of shareholders, workers, and banks are consistent with the practice of hostile takeovers. Regressions using data on as many as 37 countries between 1988 and 1998 lend support to predictions that hostile takeovers increase in frequency with the extent to which shareholder rights are protected and decrease with the degree to which workers' and banks' rights are protected. We discuss the implications for the analysis of comparative institutions and for organizational theory.
The importance of being first: A tachistoscopic study of the contribution of each letter to the recognition of four-letter words

Three studies investigated the effect on the response time for voicing a four-letter word of delaying one of the letters or the entire word for intervals of up to 500 msec. Experiment I found delay of the first letter most detrimental, while delay of the second, third, or fourth letter facilitated performance. Experiment II confirmed these findings and indicated that delay of the entire word produced response times similar to delay of the first letter. Experiment III investigated the possibility that knowledge of the pronunciation of the first letter was the essential factor in facilitating performance when later letters were delayed. It was concluded that when pronunciation of the first letter was known, Ss were able to begin processing the word immediately.
Multimodal learning analytics: enabling the future of learning through multimodal data analysis and interfaces

Project-based learning has found its way into a range of formal and informal learning environments. However, systematically assessing these environments remains a significant challenge. Traditional assessments, which focus on learning outcomes, seem incongruent with the process-oriented goals of project-based learning. Multimodal interfaces and multimodal learning analytics hold significant promise for assessing learning in open-ended learning environments. With its rich integration of a multitude of data streams and naturalistic interfaces, this area of research may help usher in a new wave of education reform by supporting alternative modes of learning.
Directed test suite augmentation

Test suite augmentation techniques are used in regression testing to identify code elements affected by changes and to generate test cases to cover those elements. Whereas methods and techniques to find affected elements have been extensively researched in regression testing, how to generate new test cases to cover these elements cost-effectively has rarely been studied. It is known that generating test cases is very expensive, so we want to focus on this second step. We believe that reusing existing test cases will help us achieve this task. This research intends to provide a framework for test suite augmentation techniques that will reuse existing test cases to automatically generate new test cases to cover as many affected elements as possible cost-effectively.
Serum Plasma Pregnancy-Associated Protein A: A Potential Marker of Echogenic Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaques in Asymptomatic Hyperlipidemic Subjects at High Cardiovascular Risk

Objective— The proteolytic activity of metalloproteinases, proinflammatory enzymes that degrade extracellular matrix, is elevated in lipid-rich atherosclerotic plaques, thereby contributing to plaque fragility and rupture. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein (PAPP-A) is a metalloproteinase, expressed in unstable atherosclerotic plaques, whose circulating levels are elevated in acute coronary syndromes. We evaluated serum PAPP-A levels as a marker of the premature development of atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemic subjects at elevated cardiovascular risk. Methods and Results— Serum PAPP-A levels were determined in asymptomatic hyperlipidemic male subjects (n=64; mean±SD age, 51±7 years) in whom intima-media thickness (IMT) and lesion status in the carotid artery were evaluated by noninvasive ultrasonography and compared with those of a normolipidemic control group (n=25). No difference was observed in circulating PAPP-A levels between hyperlipidemic subjects and controls (8.99±2.93 and 8.03±2.75 mIU/L, respe...
Posterolateral portal tibial tunnel drilling for posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: technique and evaluation of safety and tunnel position

To evaluate the safety for neurovascular structures and accuracy for tunnel placement of the posterolateral portal tibial tunnel drilling technique in posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction. Fifteen fresh-frozen human cadaveric knees were used. The tibial tunnel for the PCL was created using a flexible reamer from the posterolateral portal. Then, the flexible pin was left in place, and the distance from the posterolateral portal, the flexible pin, and the tibial tunnel to the peroneal nerve and popliteal artery was measured. Additionally, the distance between the tibial tunnel and several landmarks related to the PCL footprint was measured, along with the distance from the exit point of the flexible pin to the superficial medial collateral ligament and gracilis tendon. The peroneal nerve and the popliteal neurovascular bundle were not damaged in any of the specimens. The median (range) distance in mm from the peroneal nerve and popliteal artery to the posterolateral portal and flexible pin was: 52 (40–80) and 50 (40–61), and 35 (26–51) and 22 (16–32), respectively. The median (range) distance from the tibial tunnel to the popliteal artery was 21 mm (15–38). The tibial tunnel was located at a median (range) distance in mm of 3 (2–6), 6 (3–12), 5 (2–7), 4 (1–8), 9 (3–10), 10 (4–19), and 19 (6–24) to the champagne-glass drop-off, lateral cartilage point, shiny white fibre point, medial groove, medial meniscus posterior root, lateral meniscus posterior root, and posterior aspect of the anterior cruciate ligament, respectively. The posterolateral portal tibial tunnel technique is safe relative to neurovascular structures and creates an anatomically appropriate tibial tunnel location. The clinical relevance of study is that this technique may be safely and accurately used in PCL reconstruction to decrease the risk of neurovascular damage (avoid use of a posteriorly directed pin), avoid the use of intraoperative fluoroscopy, and avoid the sharp turn during graft passage.
Modular task and motion planning in belief space

The execution of long-horizon tasks under uncertainty is a fundamental challenge in robotics. Recent approaches have made headway on these tasks with an integration of task and motion planning. In this paper, we present Interfaced Belief Space Planning (IBSP): a modular approach to task and motion planning in belief space. We use a task-independent interface layer to combine an off-the-shelf classical planner with motion planning and inference. We determinize the problem under the maximum likelihood observation assumption to obtain a deterministic representation where successful plans generate goal-directed observations. We leverage properties of maximum likelihood observation determinizations to obtain a simple representation of (optimistic) belief space dynamics that is well-suited to planning. Our interface is implemented with standard belief state queries, requiring only the ability to sample, compute unnormalized likelihoods, and compute maximum likelihood states. Our contribution is a novel algorithm for task and motion planning in belief space that has minimal dependence on the details of the inference engine used. IBSP can work with a broad class of black box state estimators, with zero changes to the algorithm. We validate our approach in simulated tasks for the PR2 that account for continuous state, different types of initial state distributions, and negative observations.
Evolutionary context for the association of γ-globin, serum uric acid, and hypertension in African Americans

Hyperuricemia and associated cardio-metabolic disorders are more prevalent in African Americans than in European Americans. We used genome-wide admixture mapping and association testing to identify loci with ancestry effects on serum uric acid levels. We analyzed 1,976 African Americans from Washington, D.C, including 1,322 individuals from 328 pedigrees and 654 unrelated individuals, enrolled in the Howard University Family Study. We performed admixture mapping and genome-wide association testing using ~800 k autosomal single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We performed fine mapping by dense genotyping. We assessed functionality by a combination of bioinformatic annotation, reporter gene assays, and gel shift experiments. We also analyzed 12,641 individuals enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We detected a genome-wide significant locus on chromosome 11p15.4 at which serum uric acid levels increased with increasing African ancestry, independent of kidney function. Fine-mapping identified two independent signals in the β-globin locus. The ancestral allele at SNP rs2855126, located upstream of the hemoglobin, gamma A gene HBG1, was associated with increased serum uric acid levels and higher expression of a reporter gene relative to the derived allele. Hyperuricemia was associated with increased risk of hypertension in 3,767 African Americans (Odds Ratio = 2.48, p = 2.71 × 10− 19). Given that increased expression of γ-globin leads to increased levels of fetal hemoglobin which confers protection against malaria, we hypothesize that evolution in Africa of protection against malaria may have occurred at the cost of increased serum uric acid levels, contributing to the high rates of hyperuricemia and associated cardio-metabolic disorders observed in African Americans.
Bacteria Removal from Stormwater Runoff Using Tree Filters: A Comparison of a Conventional and an Innovative System

Non-point source pollution of stormwater contributes high contaminant loads into surface water bodies and poses a threat to the ecosystem, public health and economy. Although (pre)treatment standards have not been introduced at the federal level, Rhode Island (RI) has set minimal contaminant reduction standards for stormwater using structural best management practices (BMP). As BMP performance depends highly on geographical location and climate, and the Northeastern United States experiences broad ranges of temperatures throughout the year along with long intermittent periods between precipitation events, stormwater treatment can be challenging. In this field study, two tree filters were evaluated: a conventional unit (CTF) with sand/shale mix as filter media, and a modified tree filter (ITF) with an added layer of red cedar wood chips amended with 3-(trihydroxysilyl)propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride. Both BMPs were monitored for 346 days primarily for Escherichia coli and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Both tree filters met or outperformed RI’s standards for bacteria removal (60%) and TSS (85%), making them a good choice for BMP use in this climate. Total suspended solids, E. coli, PAHs, nitrate, and phosphate removal is higher in ITF. A controlled field scale tracer test using E. coli confirmed these results.
Long-Term Outcomes of Patients with Tracheoesophageal Fistula/Esophageal Atresia: Survey Results from Tracheoesophageal Fistula/Esophageal Atresia Online Communities.

Introduction Outcome studies of tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) and/or esophageal atresia (EA) are limited to retrospective chart reviews. This study surveyed TEF/EA patients/parents engaged in social media communities to determine long-term outcomes. Materials and Methods A 50-point survey was designed to study presentation, interventions, and ongoing symptoms after repair in patients with TEF/EA. It was validated using a test population and made available on TEF/EA online communities. Results In this study, 445 subjects completed the survey during a 2-month period. Mean age of patients when surveyed was 8.7 years (0–61 years) and 56% were male. Eighty-nine percent of surveys were completed by the parent of the patient. Sixty-two percent of patients underwent repair in the first 7 days of life. Standard open repair was most common (56%), followed by primary esophageal replacement (13%) and thoracoscopic repair (13%). Out of 405, 106 (26%) patients had postoperative leak. Postoperative leak was least likely in primary esophageal replacement (18%) and standard open repair (19%). Leak occurred in 32% of patients who had thoracoscopic repair; 31% (128/413) reported long-gap atresia, which was significantly associated with increased risk of postoperative leak (54/128, 42%) when compared with standard short-gap atresia (odds ratio, 3.5; p = 0.001). Out of 409, 221 (54%) patients reported dysphagia after repair, with only 77/221 (34.8%) reporting resolution by age 5. Out of 381, 290 (76%) patients reported symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). There was no difference in dysphagia rates or GERD symptoms based on type of initial repair. Antireflux surgery was required in 63/290, 22% of patients with GERD (15% of all patients) and 27% of these patients who had surgery required more than one procedure antireflux procedure. The most common was Nissen fundoplication (73%), followed by partial wrap (14%). Reflux recurred in 32% of patients after antireflux surgery. Conclusion TEF/EA patients have long-term dysphagia and GERD that may be under reported. Retrospective studies of outcomes after TEF/EA repair may underestimate long-term esophageal dysmotility, dysphagia, GERD, and strictures that occur regardless of the type of repair and adversely affect quality of life. Fifteen percent of all TEF/EA patients surveyed required an antireflux procedure during childhood, and more than one-quarter of those required repeat surgery. These data demonstrate the need for long-term follow-up as pediatric patients transition to adult care.
Synergistic growth in bacteria depends on substrate complexity

Both positive and negative interactions among bacteria take place in the environment. We hypothesize that the complexity of the substrate affects the way bacteria interact with greater cooperation in the presence of recalcitrant substrate. We isolated lignocellulolytic bacteria from salt marsh detritus and compared the growth, metabolic activity and enzyme production of pure cultures to those of three-species mixed cultures in lignocellulose and glucose media. Synergistic growth was common in lignocellulose medium containing carboxyl methyl cellulose, xylan and lignin but absent in glucose medium. Bacterial synergism promoted metabolic activity in synergistic mixed cultures but not the maximal growth rate (μ). Bacterial synergism also promoted the production of β-1,4-glucosidase but not the production of cellobiohydrolase or β-1,4-xylosidase. Our results suggest that the chemical complexity of the substrate affects the way bacteria interact. While a complex substrate such as lignocellulose promotes positive interactions and synergistic growth, a labile substrate such as glucose promotes negative interactions and competition. Synergistic interactions among indigenous bacteria are suggested to be important in promoting lignocellulose degradation in the environment.
An Example of Neutrally Nonwandering Points for the Inner Mappings that are Not Neutrally Recurrent

In the previous papers, the author offered a new theory of topological invariants for the dynamical systems formed by noninvertible inner mappings. These invariants are constructed by using the analogy between the trajectories of homeomorphisms and directions in the set of points with common iteration. In particular, we introduce the sets of neutrally recurrent and neutrally nonwandering points. We also present an example of the so-called “neutrally nonwandering but not neutrally recurrent” points, which shows that these sets do not coincide.
Improving Engineering Design Education: From Skills to Educational Objectives

The objective of this paper is to propose an engineering design educational pedagogy on how to improve the engineering design skills. The design engineering activity is a complex mix of skills and knowledge that has been taught over decades by directly delivering to the students the design methodologies developed by design researchers and by exposing the students to open ended projects that can develop their design skills. From this we can conclude that the three main pedagogical components of a successful educational design experience are: the design skills, the design methods and the design projects. However the individual design skills must be properly developed in the student prior to the project experience and since this is generally not the case, makes it an overwhelming challenge for the student. We present an approach to design engineering teaching through four main steps: First, define the desired knowledge and skills to be acquired by the student during the learning process. Second, organize the skills to be acquired in complexity levels. Third, generate educational objectives for each of the skills. Although the scope of this paper stops here, the educational objectives can be transformed in educational tasks (i.e. lectures, problems, exams, etc.) by using educational theories (teaching styles, learning styles, etc.) in such a way that the student will be able to develop those skills. This model could serve initially as a diagnostic tool to characterize the current set of skills of a given design course or program. The model can also be used to implement educational tasks into the classroom and labs depending on the desired student profile.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Effect of citizen income gap on consumption demand in Heilongjiang Province

Using the combined means of theory analysis and data analysis,the paper analyzes the relationship between citizen Gini coefficient and average propensity to consume in Heilongjiang Province according to the fact that the growth rate of consumption demand is slow.The research indicates that the citizen income gap in Heilongjiang Province is expanding gradually,and there is a negative correlation between citizen income gap and consumption demand in Heilongjiang Province.The conclusion is important to make some logical demand policy.
Experimental and Numerical Simulation of Dynamic Elastic Modulus Properties of Crystal Ball

The shape of rockfill material paticle is highly complicated,and there is an obvious charateristic of grain crushing.To eliminate the influence of paticles′shape on the dynamic characteristics of rockfill material,the study of dynamic triaxial test on crystal ball was conducted under the condition of without considering particle breakage,and the influence of test confining pressure on dynamic elastic modulus of crystal ball was analysed.Based on the results of dynamic triaxial test,mesoscopic simulation was carried out.Study shows:the change law of dynamic elastic modulus of both crystal ball and rockfill material is identical basically,three-dimensional particle flow program can simulate the dynamic elastic modulus of this kind of material;along with the increase of grain diameter span,the sample grading relationship enhances,and the maximum dynamic modulus of elasticity increases,both diminishing the diameter of the small particles and largening the diameter of the big particles can lead to increase of the maximum dynamic modulus of elasticity.Along with the increase of mesoscopic shear modulus,the dynamic modulus of elasticity increases according to approximate power function relationship and the dynamic strain decreases.
Improved exposure for dissection of axillary lymph nodes performed in conjunction with lumpectomy for carcinoma of the breast.

La patiente est placee en position laterale quasi complete, l'apophyse coracoide et les muscles pectoraux sont retractes en position interne par le poids de la ceinture scapulaire, les vaisseaux axillaires sont en position superficielle dans l'aisselle externe
Structural requirements of CCK analogues to differentiate second messengers and pancreatic secretion.

We previously demonstrated that, in rat pancreatic acinar cells, the high-affinity cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor agonist JMV-180 utilizes the phospholipase A2 (PLA2) cascade to mediate Ca2+ oscillations and amylase secretion. In contrast, the low-affinity CCK receptor utilizes the phospholipase C beta 1 (PLC beta 1) pathway. We have investigated structural requirements of CCK analogues to activate different intracellular pathways. CCK analogues such as CCK-8 [Met28,31; half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) = 0.4 pM], CCK-7 (Met28,31; EC50 = 0.7 pM), and NONA (Thr28/Nle31; EC50 = 5 pM) caused a biphasic amylase secretion. Reduction of secretion occurred with high doses of these peptides (> 100 pM). In contrast, CCK-5 (Met31; EC50 = 20,000pM), JMV-180 (Nle28,31; 1,500 pM), and OPE (Nle28,31; 200 pM) caused a monophasic secretion. CCK-8, but not JMV-180, increased protein kinase C (PKC) activities. The PKC activator phorbol ester inhibited an increase in myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate levels induced by CCK-8 and abolished monophasic amylase secretion induced by OPE. CCK-8, CCK-7, and NONA caused Ca2+ oscillations ( 100 pM). In contrast, JMV-180 and OPE evoked Ca2+ oscillations, even in high doses. Ca(2+)-signaling modes induced by CCK-5 were intermediate types between CCK-8 and JMV-180. CCK-8- and CCK-7-stimulated Ca2+ spikes were inhibited by the PLC inhibitor U-73122, but not by the PLA2 inhibitor ONO-RS-082. The action of CCK-5 was only partially sensitive to the PLC inhibitor. In contrast, JMV-180- and OPE-stimulated Ca2+ oscillations were inhibited by the PLA2, but not by the PLC, inhibitor. NONA was sensitive to PLC and PLA2 inhibitors. Although JMV-180 differs from CCK-8 by having an Asp-2 phenylethylester, rather than an Asp-phenylalanine amide, it is unlikely that these differences in the carboxyl terminus are important in determining which second-messenger systems will be activated. This is because CCK-5 (Phe33-CONH2) causes monophasic amylase secretion and Ca2+ oscillation in a manner similar to those induced by JMV-180 (2-phenylethylester). Meanwhile NONA (Phe33-CONH2) appeared to activate PLC and PLA2 pathways. The actions of all CCK analogues were abolished by L-364,718, indicating mediation by CCK-A receptors. Therefore, depending on the agonists used, CCK-A receptor activation in pancreatic acini may result in differential involvement of second-messenger systems, Ca2+ signal transduction, and amylase secretion. On the basis of the amino acid sequence of the carboxy terminus of CCK analogues, it appears that key amino acids for this differentiation are Met28 (or Thr28) for PLC pathways and Nle28 for PLA2 pathways.
Trajectory Tracking Control of Planar Underactuated Vehicles

This work presents a novel nonlinear trajectory tracking control framework for general planar models of underactuated vehicles with six states and two control inputs. In this framework, feasible state trajectories are derived through utilization of nonholonomic constraints and a transitional trajectory is introduced that reduces the sixth order system into a fourth order error dynamic stabilization problem. A nonlinear sliding mode control law is employed to stabilize the error dynamics. It is shown that the control law is uniformly asymptotically stable if unknown disturbances and modeling uncertainties are bounded. The framework is applied to differential drive mobile robots, air vehicles operating in the vertical plane, and marine vehicles. Simulations are presented for models of in-house mobile robots and surface vessels subject to unknown disturbances.
iShuffle: Improving Hadoop Performance with Shuffle-on-Write

Hadoop is a popular implementation of the MapReduce framework for running data-intensive jobs on clusters of commodity servers. Shuffle , the all-to-all input data fetching phase between the map and reduce phase can significantly affect job performance. However, the shuffle phase and reduce phase are coupled together in Hadoop and the shuffle can only be performed by running the reduce tasks. This leaves the potential parallelism between multiple waves of map and reduce unexploited and resource wastage in multi-tenant Hadoop clusters, which significantly delays the completion of jobs in a multi-tenant Hadoop cluster. More importantly, Hadoop lacks the ability to schedule task efficiently and mitigate the data distribution skew among reduce tasks, which leads to further degradation of job performance. In this work, we propose to decouple shuffle from reduce tasks and convert it into a platform service provided by Hadoop. We present iShuffle , a user-transparent shuffle service that pro-actively pushes map output data to nodes via a novel shuffle-on-write operation and flexibly schedules reduce tasks considering workload balance. Experimental results with representative workloads and Facebook workload trace show that iShuffle reduces job completion time by as much as 29.6 and 34 percent in single-user and multi-user clusters, respectively.