cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enzymology of Hydrogen Sulfide Turnover

Hydrogen sulfide is a biological signaling molecule that is produced by organisms ranging from bacteria to man. Since it is also toxic at high concentrations, strategies exist for its efficient removal and consequent maintenance of low steady-state levels in mammals. Enzymes in the sulfur metabolic network responsible for H2S biogenesis include the cytoplasmic cystathionine β-synthase and γ-cystathionase enzymes of the transsulfuration pathway as well mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase that is both mitochondrial and cytoplasmic. The precursors for H2S are the amino acids cysteine and homocysteine and a cysteine derivative i.e. mercaptopyruvate. H2S is cleared via a mitochondrial sulfide oxidation pathway that begins with sulfide quinone oxidoreductase and includes a persulfide dioxygenase, rhodanese and sulfite oxidase. The major oxidation products of H2S are thiosulfate and sulfate. This chapter focuses on the structural enzymology of H2S biogenesis and oxidation, emphasizing recent advances in the field.
Overview of Subsurface Light Transport

This chapter provides a brief overview of light transport beneath the surface of translucent materials. Methods for computing subsurface light transport using radiative transfer models and physically-based simulation are described. Techniques for acquiring subsurface scattering properties from image appearance are then presented, including those for homogeneous and heterogeneous materials. Pointers to methods that have been developed for editing the appearance of subsurface scattering or rendering the appearance under different lighting conditions are given.
Some Partial Differential Equations Arising in Nonlinear Control and Optimization

Recently, a combination of methods drawn from geometric nonlinear control theory and from nonlinear dynamics was developed to give a local soLution to the nonlinear regulator problem, yielding necessary and sufficient conditions for nonlinear regulation for the class of detectable and stabilizable nonlinear systems[1][2]In section 2, we review the basic nonlinear regulator problem and give conditions, derived in[1] [2] [2], for solvability of the problem in terms of the solvability of a system of nonlinear partial differential equations. In the linear case, these “regulator equations” coincide with the linear equations derived by Francis [3]in his rather complete treatment of the linear multivariable regulator problem. In the nonlinear case, solvability of the regulator equations can also be cast in terms of the solvability of a more intrinsic “Sylvester PDE”, for which stable, unstable and center manifold theory provides a local existence theory. In the linear case, this Sylvester equation was studied by Hautus [7] who proved that well-posedness is equivalent to the assertion that no system Transmission zero be a natural frequency of the exosystem which produces signals to be tracked or disturbanced to be attenuated, a rather intuitive frequency domain criterion. In an example, we ilLustrate the fact that, for an interesting class of problems, the controller designed by this method has the familiar form of a feedback and a feedforward term, both of which depend however on the “off-line” soLution of the Sylvester PDE.
Effect of soil pH on growth, nutrient uptake, and mycorrhizal colonization in exotic invasive Lygodium microphyllum

Lygodium microphyllum is an invasive exotic plant species taking over many sites in freshwater and moist habitats in Florida. Managing it has been a significant challenge for land resource managers and researchers due to its extensive rapid invasion. To assess the effects of soil pH on growth, nutrient uptake, and mycorrhizal colonization in the roots of L. microphyllum, we conducted a 60-day greenhouse experiment by growing it in pots filled with pH-adjusted soils to a range from 4.5 to 8.0. L. microphyllum was able to survive and grow at all soil pH levels; however, final biomass, relative growth rate, photosynthesis, and specific leaf area were all greater in soil pH 5.5–6.5 compared to the other treatments. Correspondingly, nitrogen concentration was also related to these four plant parameters. Root colonization by mycorrhizal fungi was higher in soil pH 5.5–7.5 and lowest for plants growing in 4.5 or 8.0 and was correlated with plant growth parameters as well as elemental concentration in the leaves. Soil pH 8.0 was not strong enough for a pronounced growth decline, thus further increasing soil pH could provide a desired outcome and merit further investigation, although its potential negative impact on native flora (both plants and microorganisms) would need to be assessed.
ON ASYMPTOTIC DISTRIBUTIONS OF TEST STATISTICS FOR COVARIANCE MATRICES AND CORRELATION MATRICES

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the asymptotic distributions of test statistics for covariance matrices and correlation matrices. It describes approximations to the distributions of certain functions of the elements of the sample covariance matrix when the underlying distribution is a mixture of two multivariate normal populations. The matrix S is distributed as noncentral Wishart matrix with n degrees of freedom and the noncentrality matrix M. Approximations to the distributions of test statistics for several hypotheses on the covariance matrix can be obtained when the sample is contaminated with outliers and the distribution underlying the data is a mixture of multivariate normal distributions. The chapter also presents the use of the saddle-point approach to obtain the asymptotic distribution for a function of eigenvalues of a multivariate quadratic form. Tests on eigenvalues of the covariance matrix arise in principal component analysis and other areas.
Shared Airway: Techniques, Anesthesia Considerations, and Implications

Surgical cases where the anesthesiologist has to maintain a patient’s airway and ventilation in the same anatomical space in which the surgeon operates are referred to as shared airway anesthesia. Shared airways are commonly encountered with several surgical and dental specialties that operate within the head and neck. These cases require open communication and careful planning between anesthesiologist and surgeon in order to prevent catastrophic complications. The first step in minimizing complications in shared airway anesthesia is a preoperative assessment with particular emphasis on the airway exam. The airway examination should include, at a minimum, an evaluation of the maximum incisal opening, Mallampati-Samsoon classification, condition of dentition, range of motion of the neck, thyromental distance, tracheal deviation or neck masses, facial hair, and assessment of tonsillar size. Shared airway anesthesia cases, occurring both in- and outside the hospital, often employ open airway techniques. These techniques include (1) monitored anesthesia care, (2) mask ventilation, (3) insufflation with spontaneous respiration, (4) jet ventilation, and (5) laryngeal mask airway. When endotracheal intubation is required, standard oral tubes can be used; however, nasal RAE tubes are often preferred due to better visualization of the oral cavity. For shared airway cases with difficult airways, videolaryngoscope-guided intubation, fiber-optic-guided intubation, or a surgical airway may have to be considered as alternatives to standard intubation techniques. Respiratory compromise is the most feared complication in shared airway anesthesia. Complications that can lead to respiratory compromise in the perioperative period include failed intubation, loss of airway due to laryngospasm or foreign body aspiration, surgical fire, and vocal cord paralysis.
Liquid inclusions in soft materials: Capillary effect, mechanical stiffening and enhanced electromechanical response

Abstract Recent experiments and modeling appear to suggest that “small” liquid inclusions may significantly stiffen soft solids. Surface energy or capillary effects are considered responsible for this rather non-intuitive phenomenology. In this work, we develop a theoretical framework and construct a simple homogenization model that unambiguously explains this phenomenon. Our theoretical construct of capillary effects is specifically intended for soft matter and differs in the manner in which the classical Gurtin–Murdoch surface elasticity theory has been widely interpreted and used in the literature. We use the developed theory to elucidate several subtle aspects pertaining to the capillary phenomenon that may not be often appreciated; specifically in regards to the developments across different scientific communities. One such key aspect is the often missed connection between the concept of surface tension as understood in the fluids and materials science community and superficial elasticity of solid surfaces. While the purely mechanical effects underpinning liquid inclusions in soft solids are of significant interest in of themselves, we hypothesize that the interplay of capillary effect, electrostatics, soft solids and ionic liquid inclusions may offer prospects for designing soft materials that display an unusually large size-dependent electromechanical coupling. To emphasize this, we extend the capillary framework for soft solids to electrostatics and find that electrostrictive properties may be significantly altered. Due to a rather interesting confluence of two contradictory effects, the electrostrictive deformation is only marginally altered by capillarity. However, the soft solid’s maximum energy conversion capability may be enhanced by 75% or higher.
Do Gulf of Alaska fish and crustacean populations show synchronous non-stationary responses to climate?

Abstract Changes in the abundance and productivity of biological populations in the North Pacific have often been associated with large-scale modes of climate variability. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), which describes spatio-temporal variability in North Pacific sea surface temperature (SST), correlates with much of this variability. However, since the late 1980s, the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO) has explained an increasing proportion of variance in North Pacific climate properties. Ecological responses to this change in the proportion of variance ascribed to the two climate patterns remain poorly understood. Here, we test the hypothesis that relationships between biological time series and climate covariates (SST and the PDO) differ for nine Gulf of Alaska fish and crustacean populations before and after the late 1980s. Additionally, we evaluate whether non-stationary climate-biology relationships arose synchronously across populations as a community response. We used different formulations of Generalized Additive Models in a population and community context and compared results to the classical approach of aggregated population responses based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results showed that climate-biology relationships weakened or reversed for most populations in the late 1980s, coinciding with the increase in variance of the NPGO. However, these non-stationary responses were highly species-specific and did not arise synchronously as a community response. We show that PCA does not represent community dynamics properly when only few species covary in time and exhibit long-term trends. Therefore, this approach might not be always useful to detect synchronous changes among biological time series as a community response. Novel associations among climate variables and novel climate-biology relationships are expected to become increasingly evident with future climate change, and the recognition of switches between different explanatory variable-response relationships may be critical for successful management of marine resources during transitions to these novel climate states.
A tRNA- and Anticodon-Centric View of the Evolution of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases, tRNAomes, and the Genetic Code

Pathways of standard genetic code evolution remain conserved and apparent, particularly upon analysis of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS) lineages. Despite having incompatible active site folds, class I and class II aaRS are homologs by sequence. Specifically, structural class IA aaRS enzymes derive from class IIA aaRS enzymes by in-frame extension of the protein N-terminus and by an alternate fold nucleated by the N-terminal extension. The divergence of aaRS enzymes in the class I and class II clades was analyzed using the Phyre2 protein fold recognition server. The class I aaRS radiated from the class IA enzymes, and the class II aaRS radiated from the class IIA enzymes. The radiations of aaRS enzymes bolster the coevolution theory for evolution of the amino acids, tRNAomes, the genetic code, and aaRS enzymes and support a tRNA anticodon-centric perspective. We posit that second- and third-position tRNA anticodon sequence preference (C>(U~G)>A) powerfully selected the sectoring pathway for the code. GlyRS-IIA appears to have been the primordial aaRS from which all aaRS enzymes evolved, and glycine appears to have been the primordial amino acid around which the genetic code evolved.
The Differential Privacy Corner: What has the US Backed Itself Into?

An expanding body of data privacy research reveals that computational advances and ever-growing amounts of publicly retrievable data increase re-identification risks. Because of this, data publishers are realizing that traditional statistical disclosure limitation methods may not protect privacy. This paper discusses the use of differential privacy at the US Census Bureau to protect the published results of the 2020 census. We first discuss the legal framework under which the Census Bureau intends to use differential privacy. The Census Act in the US states that the agency must keep information confidential, avoiding “any publication whereby the data furnished by any particular establishment or individual under this title can be identified.” The fact that Census may release fewer statistics in 2020 than in 2010 is leading scholars to parse the meaning of identification and reevaluate the agency’s responsibility to balance data utility with privacy protection. We then describe technical aspects of the application of differential privacy in the U.S. Census. This data collection is enormously complex and serves a wide variety of users and uses -- 7.8 billion statistics were released using the 2010 US Census. This complexity strains the application of differential privacy to ensure appropriate geographic relationships, respect legal requirements for certain statistics to be free of noise infusion, and provide information for detailed demographic groups. We end by discussing the prospects of applying formal mathematical privacy to other information products at the Census Bureau. At present, techniques exist for applying differential privacy to descriptive statistics, histograms, and counts, but are less developed for more complex data releases including panel data, linked data, and vast person-level datasets. We expect the continued development of formally private methods to occur alongside discussions of what privacy means and the policy issues involved in trading off protection for accuracy.
Nonlinear Control Design for Voltage Source Converters in Weak AC Grids

Massive integration of converter-based renewable energy sources into power systems through weak AC grid has become a dilemma in recent years. This paper investigates the design of a robust nonlinear multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) controller for voltage source converters (VSCs) connected to weak AC grids. Feedback linearization method is used to find the controller equations and design the inputs to regulate the active power and output voltage of the converter. With this approach, the controller is designed in a way that the grid impedance impact on the stability of the converter system is significantly reduced. The robustness of the proposed controller is evaluated using time-domain simulations of a grid-connected VSC enhanced with the nonlinear controller in various case studies. The results illustrate a significant improvement compared to existing approaches.
Motivational interviewing: An approach to support youth aging out of foster care:

SummaryWith thousands of youth aging out of foster care each year, caseworkers must provide various types of support and assistance to help these youth successfully transition to independent living...
An In situ Collagen-HA Hydrogel System Promotes Survival and Preserves the Proangiogenic Secretion of hiPSC-derived Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived vascular smooth muscle cells (hiPSC-VSMCs) with proangiogenic properties have huge therapeutic potential. While hiPSC-VSMCs have already been utilized for wound healing using a biomimetic collagen scaffold, an in situ forming hydrogel mimicking the native environment of skin offers the promise of hiPSC-VSMC mediated repair and regeneration. Herein, the impact of a collagen type-I-hyaluronic acid (HA) in situ hydrogel cross-linked using a PEG-based cross-linker on hiPSC-VSMCs viability and proangiogenic paracrine secretion was investigated. Our study demonstrated increases in cell viability, maintenance of phenotype and proangiogenic growth factor secretion, and proangiogenic activity in response to the conditioned medium. The optimally cross-linked and functionalized collagen type-I/HA hydrogel system developed in this study shows promise as an in situ hiPSC-VSMC carrier system for wound regeneration.
Instance-level contrastive learning yields human brain-like representation without category-supervision

Humans learn object categories without millions of labels, but to date the models with the highest correspondence to primate visual systems are all category-supervised. This paper introduces a new self-supervised learning framework: instance-prototype contrastive learning (IPCL), and compares the internal representations learned by this model and other instance-level contrastive learning systems to the structure of human brain responses. We present the first evidence to date showing that self-supervised systems can show more brain-like representation than category-supervised models. Further, we find that recent substantial gains in top-1 accuracy from instance-wise contrastive learning models do not result in more brain-like representation--instead we find the architecture and normalization scheme are critical. Finally, this dataset reveals substantial representational structure in intermediate and late stages of the human visual system that is not accounted for by any model, whether self-supervised or category-supervised. Considering both neuroscience and machine vision perspectives, these results provide promise for instance-level representation as a key objective of visual system encoding, and highlight the room to grow towards more robust, efficient, human-like object representation.
Characterization of staphylococcal communities on healthy and allergic feline skin

Background Various Staphylococcus species have been demonstrated to play important roles on the skin, including causing disease and protecting the host from pathogens. Although culture-based studies have isolated various Staphylococcus spp. from feline skin, very little is known regarding the species-level communities on the host. Hypothesis/objectives To describe the species-level staphylococcal communities inhabiting the skin of healthy cats and cats with allergic dermatitis. Animals Skin swabs from the ear canal and groin of 11 healthy and 10 allergic (nonlesional) cats were obtained. Methods and materials DNA was extracted from the skin swabs and used for next-generation sequencing targeting the V1-3 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Following a standard microbiota analysis of the sequencing data, species-level assignment for the staphylococcal sequences were obtained using a staphylococci-specific database. Results Staphylococcus spp. had similar relative abundance in healthy and allergic samples. The most abundant staphylococcal species were S. epidermidis in healthy samples, and S. felis and S. capitis in allergic samples. The composition of staphylococcal communities, as well as relative abundance of Staphylococcus spp., was variable between body sites and individual cats sampled. Conclusions and clinical relevance These results demonstrate that diverse staphylococcal communities inhabit the skin of healthy and allergic cats, and provide a starting point for further research into the importance of Staphylococcus spp. in feline allergic skin disease.
Antiparity-Time Symmetry in Passive Nanophotonics

Parity-time (PT) symmetry in non-Hermitian optical systems promises distinct optical effects and applications not found in conservative optics. Its counterpart, anti-PT symmetry, subscribes another...
Identifying the Soft Nature of Defective Perovskite Surface Layer and Its Removal Using a Facile Mechanical Approach

Summary The presence of a defective layer composed of nanocrystals and amorphous regions at the surface of perovskite films has been shown to initialize the degradation of perovskites and cause nonradiative recombination. Here, we report the discovery that these defective surface layers are mechanically softer than the crystalline regions. The defective surface layer has a weaker bonding with the crystalline layer underneath it, which enables a facile approach to mechanically peel-off these defective layers using adhesive tapes. The chosen low-cost tape has an appropriate bonding force with perovskites, so the peeling does not damage the crystalline region and embedded interfaces underneath. The tape-treated devices retained 97.1% of the initial efficiency after operation at the near maximum power point under one sun illumination for 1,440 h at 65°C. This method is universally effective in enhancing the stability of various commonly used perovskite compositions and is compatible with the scaling up of perovskite solar modules.
UEMtomaton: A Source-Available Platform to Aid in Start-up of Ultrafast Electron Microscopy Labs.

ABSTRACT The steady rise in the number of ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM) labs, in addition to the opacity and lack of detailed descriptions of current approaches that would enable point-by-point construction, has created an opportunity for sharing common methods and instrumentation for (for example) automating data acquisition to assist in efficient lab start-up and to learn about common and robust protocols. In the spirit of open sharing of methods, we provide here a description of an entry-level method and user interface (UI) for automating UEM experiments, and we provide access to the source code and scripts (source-available) for ease of implementation or as a starting reference point for those entering or seeking to enter the field ( https://github.com/CEMSFlannigan/UEMtomaton/releases/tag/v1.0 ). Core instrumentation and physical connections in the UEM lab at Minnesota are described. Interface communication schemes consisting of duo server-client pairs between critical components – the optical delay stage and the UEM digital camera – are presented, with emphasis placed on describing the logic and communications sequence designed to conduct automated series acquisitions. An application designed and programmed with C++/CLI as Windows Forms in Microsoft Visual Studio – dubbed UEMtomaton – is also presented. Key to the UI layout is centralization of the automation tasks and establishment of communication within the software rather than by interfacing with each individual workstation. It is our hope that this note provides useful insight for current and future UEM researchers, particularly with respect to generalizability and portability of the approach to emerging labs. We note that while this basic, entry-level approach is certainly not the most sophisticated or comprehensive of those currently in use, we feel there is nevertheless value in clearly communicating a proven straightforward method to hopefully lower the barrier to entry into the field.
Omental patch versus gastric resection for perforated gastric ulcer: Systematic review and meta-analysis for an unresolved debate.

Abstract Background Perforated gastric ulcers are surgical emergencies with paucity of data on the preferred treatment modality of resection versus omental patch. We aim to compare outcomes with ulcer repair and gastric resection surgeries in perforated gastric ulcers after systematic review of literature. Methods A systematic literature search was performed for publications in PubMed Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. We included all studies which compared ulcer repair vesus gastric resection surgeries for perforated gastric ulcers. We excluded studies which did not separate outcomes gastric and duodenal ulcer perforations. Results The search included nine single-institution retrospective reviews comparing ulcer repair (449 patients) versus gastric resection surgeries (212 patients). Meta-analysis was restricted to perforated gastric ulcers and excluded perforated duodenal ulcers. The majority of these studies did not control for baseline characteristics, and surgical strategies were often chosen in a non-randomized manner. All of the studies included were at high risk of bias. The overall odds ratio of mortality in ulcer repair surgery compared to gastric resection surgery was 1.79, with 95% CI 0.72 to 4.43 and p-value 0.209. Conclusion In this meta-analysis, there was no difference in mortality between the two surgical groups. The overall equivalence of clinical outcomes suggests that gastric resection is a potentially viable alternative to ulcer repair surgery and should not be considered a secondary strategy. We would recommend a multicenter randomized control trial to evaluate the surgical approach that yields superior outcomes. Level of evidence Systematic review and meta-analysis, level III.
DnaX Complex of Escherichia coli DNA Polymerase III Holoenzyme PHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE DnaX SUBUNITS AND COMPLEXES

A physical characterization of the tau and gamma subunits of the Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III holoenzyme and their complexes with the delta, delta', chi, and psi subunits is presented. The native molecular mass of the tau and gamma subunits was determined to be 255,000 and 189,000 Da, respectively, by sedimentation equilibrium analytical ultracentrifugation. Both values indicate a tetrameric quaternary structure. The tau and gamma complexes were reconstituted and purified using two different methods. Both complexes assembled readily and were reconstituted at subunit concentrations approaching physiological levels. The stoichiometries of the tau and gamma complexes, as determined by quantitative densitometry of SDS-polyacrylamide gels, were found to be tau 4 delta 1 delta' 1 chi 1 psi 1 and gamma 4 delta 1 delta' 1 chi 1 psi 1. BIAcore analysis demonstrated that the formation of large multiprotein complexes of holoenzyme subunits depends on the presence of the tau subunit; gamma could not substitute. We present a model for a gamma-less form of DNA polymerase III holoenzyme that has asymmetrical structural features that may be responsible for the functional asymmetry observed in holoenzyme. The stoichiometry of the reconstituted DNA polymerase III* component of holoenzyme in this model is (alpha epsilon theta)2DnaX4 delta 1 delta' 1 chi 1 psi 1.
The Export Trading Company Act

The Export Trading Company Act (ETCA) was signed into law in 1982 by then President Ronald Reagan. The goal of this legislation was to promote U.S. exports by allowing U.S. banks to hold an equity U.S. exports by allowing U.S. banks to hold an equity position in Export Trading Companies (ETCs) and by exempting the overseas activities of these organiziations from U.S. antitrust laws. The writers of this legislation hoped that the American ETCs would eventually grow to rival the Japanese General Export Trading Cmopanies known as sogo shosha's. This paper focuses on the history of the ETCA, its problems, and the current state of Export Trading Companies (ETCs) in the U.S. When the ETCA was established, the dollar was on an upward trend and was relatively high compared to other major currencies, such as the Deutsche mark, Japanese yen, and pound sterling. The legislation had a somewhat minor effect of exports, as few companies came together to form ETCs. With the fall of the dollar, an important question to a...
A plasma inhibitor of triglyceride and cholesteryl ester transfer activities

An inhibitor of triglyceride and cholesteryl ester transfer activities has been identified in the plasmas of several animal species. The inhibitor in human plasma has been separated from lipid transfer protein by chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose and CM-cellulose. The inhibitor is characterized as a protein with Mr approximately 35,000 and an isoelectric point of 4 or less. The inhibitor protein decreased the transfer of both triglyceride and cholesteryl ester between all pairs of very low, low, and high density lipoproteins. Although under most conditions the inhibition of triglyceride and cholesteryl ester transfer was similar, the degree of inhibition of lipid transfer was dependent on the lipoprotein pair studied.
Alternative control volume geometries for measuring regurgitant flow through a valve

Control-volume (CV) methods applied to magnetic resonance velocity-encoded cine images of the convergent proximal flow field of a regurgitant valve have been shown to measure reverse blood flow volume accurately. Spatial and temporal averaging are known to affect accuracy, but the effects of slice thickness and orientation relative to the flow field have not been systematically studied, nor have CV configurations requiring fewer scans been explored. Further, surface area calculations at the intersection of CV walls are a previously unrecognized source of error. Using a computational fluid dynamics model of steady flow through an orifice, we evaluated five different CV configurations in terms of accuracy, time costs, and clinical potential. CVs incorporating a basal wall were affected by blurring of axial velocity gradients near the orifice, and voxel grid alignment relative to the orifice was the most significant source of inaccuracy. Errors in surface area calculations at plane intersections produced deviations of 7-20%, depending on configuration. A CV formed by slices parallel to the orifice plane was deemed clinically unusable, while a cylindrical CV yielded good accuracy in simulated tests and showed potential for practical implementation based on scan time, ease of view selection, and visualization of the flow field.
Comparing and contrasting models of participation for online transportation decision-making

The Participatory Geographic Information Systems for Transportation (PGIST) Project is developing geographic information system- and Internet-based tools to support public participation in transportation decision making. An early task is to compare and choose methods and techniques for public participation to embed within our Internet-based participation system. More than 20 participation methods and techniques have been identified for synchronous settings - i.e., same time/same place. However, most of these have not been evaluated in an asynchronous (i.e. different time/place), Internet supported setting. To assist with systematic comparison of methods, we are developing a conceptual framework to describe them and evaluate their suitability for translation to Internet based decision support systems.
Network Nepotism and the Market for Content Delivery

The Federal Communications Commission has officially launched its third attempt to impose network neutrality rules on Internet traffic. But before the Commission could release its proposed regulations, they leaked to the Wall Street Journal and were quickly embroiled in controversy. Chief among the objections was the possibility that the new regulations would allow broadband carriers, such as Verizon, to prioritize certain traffic, thereby creating an Internet “fast lane” that could be dedicated to select content, websites, or applications. Of particular concern was the possibility that carriers would use this power to accord special treatment to other members of its corporate family: Comcast might, for example, favor Hulu (which it partially owns) at the expense of other online video services.In general, these concerns about network nepotism have focused on content and applications. For example, carriers could favor Isis, a mobile wallet application owned by the mobile networks, by blocking access to competitors such as Google Wallet. Similarly, carriers could give Hulu preferential access, disadvantaging outsiders such as Netflix. In this context, prioritization - access to the “fast lane” - is a tool by which broadband networks can favor affiliated content.This discussion, however, has largely overlooked other forms of vertically affiliated services that benefit from prioritized access. Just as carriers are in content markets, they are also in content delivery markets. That is, broadband carriers not only deliver traffic between the Internet and their own subscribers across their last-mile facilities but also are beginning to help carry traffic across the Internet. And so just as regulators have shown concern for a broadband carrier’s desire to use prioritization to favor affiliated content, they should be equally concerned that a carrier may attempt to favor affiliated content delivery services.The upshot of this short Essay is this: When a broadband carrier, such as Verizon, offers a commercial prioritization service, it offers a unique service over the last-mile connection that only it controls. This termination monopoly not only gives carriers the power to favor selected content but also allows them to monopolize other markets for content delivery. Thus, the introduction of this new option gives carriers a new tool with which to discriminate against potential competitors and may make the existing markets for content delivery less competitive over the long term, with potentially significant effects for the economics and innovation at the center of the Internet.
Correction: Microfluidic pumping, routing and metering by contactless metal-based electro-osmosis

Correction for ‘Microfluidic pumping, routing and metering by contactless metal-based electro-osmosis’ by Xiaotong Fu et al., Lab Chip, 2015, DOI: 10.1039/c5lc00504c.
The Littlest Rebel: James J. Kilpatrick and the Second Civil War

In 1955 and 1956, James Jackson Kilpatrick, the 35-year-old editor of The Richmond News Leader, began a single-minded, and successful, crusade to transform the evolving regional debate about how the South should respond to the Supreme Court's decision in The School Segregation Cases. Of the possible responses, Kilpatrick advocated one of the most extreme: the "interposition" of state power to defy the court and thwart the implementation of its order. He revived, elaborated, and publicized an intricate set of constitutional arguments that purported to demonstrate that any state in disagreement with a Court decision had the legal right to block it, and further argued that the South might, by adopting his plan, be able to prevent school desegregation permanently. Kilpatrick's arguments had a major impact on the regional response to Brown.This article is not concerned with the racist ideology of segregation - though in that field, too, Kilpatrick made a major contribution. And the article is only peripherally concerned with the anguished, and often sincere, arguments constructed by white Southern conservatives that Brown itself was wrongly decided. Instead, the article is concerned with the specific constitutional arguments - borrowed from the far fringes of the Southern right and moved by Kilpatrick's patronage into the Southern white mainstream - that purported to justify segregationist politicians' use of the power of state government to frustrate the implementation of Brown.
BiCMOS gate delay analysis including temperature effect and high current transients

The model accounts for high electric field effect in the nMOS transistor and high current effects in the bipolar transistor for a wide temperature range. The analytical equations provide evaluation of the sensitivity of process and device parameters on circuit performance at different temperatures. Computer simulation results of a BiCMOS driver using the present analysis are compared with PISCES simulation in support of physical reasoning. >
Determination of volatile organic compounds in water by solid phase microextraction and infrared spectroscopy

A simple method is described combining solid phase microextraction (SPME) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy for determining volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in water. The solid phase consists of a small square of Parafilm (130 μm thick) that is used to selectively extract the VOCs from the water. Infrared transmission spectroscopy is used to detect the extracted VOCs directly in the Parafilm. Ten VOCs (e.g., benzene, chlorobenzene, toluene, chloroform, and p-chlorotoluene) are chosen to evaluate the SPME-IR procedure. Preliminary experiments show that detection limits are in the 66 ppb−1.3 ppm range for spiked solutions, and linear dynamic calibration ranges extend nearly to the water solubility limits for all VOCs examined. Although the formal equilibration times are determined to be 30−200 min for these VOCs, we demonstrate that reproducible extractions can also be performed at 30 min. The application of SPME-IR to a real water sample shows no significant matrix interferences. Finally, the potential for d...
1191 FAT-DERIVED FUELS DURING 24-HOUR STARVATION IN CHILDREN

During prolonged fasting, adults show a gradual rise in the blood levels of free fatty acids (FFA) and betahydroxybutyrate (BOHB). In children, by contrast, ketonuria is frequently present after a relatively short fast and is often viewed as an indication of a pathological process. Despite the importance of fat-derived fuels, there is a surprising scarcity of information concerning blood levels of FFA and ketones in fasting children of various ages. We studied the metabolic response to a 24-hour fast in 23 normal children (mean age=8.3, range 1.9-16.7 years).
Calculation of moments, potentials, and energies for an arbitrarily shaped diffuse-surface nuclear density distribution

We calculate several quantities of physical interest for an arbitrarily shaped diffuse-surface nuclear density distribution that is made diffuse by folding a short-range function over a uniform sharp-surface distribution of given shape. The quantities calculated include the moment of inertia about an arbitrary axis, generalized multipole moments, Coulomb and nuclear potentials, and Coulomb and nuclear energies. The expressions that are obtained in terms of volume integrals are converted into surface integrals by use of single and double divergence relations; these techniques are discussed for general functions. All of our methods and some of our results apply to arbitrary folding functions, although for definiteness most of our results are specialized to the case of a Yukawa folding function. The diffuseness of the nuclear surface increases the moment of inertia of light nuclei substantially, which increases the critical angular momentum at which compound nuclei can no longer be formed. The diffuseness correction to the Coulomb energy contains a term that is proportional to the surface area; this term increases the effective surface energy by approximately 2% for light nuclei and by approximately 1% for heavy nuclei.NUCLEAR STRUCTURE Calculated quantities of physical interest for arbitrarily shaped diffuse-surface nuclear density distribution. Moment of inertia, generalized multipole moments, Coulomb and nuclear potentials, Coulomb and nuclear energies, Yukawa folding function, single and double divergence relations, applications to nuclear fission and heavy-ion reactions.
From Hamburg to Belem: the limits of technocratic thinking in adult learning education

This article discusses some of the generalized analyses of adult learning education, mostly informed by technocratic thinking, highlighting perceived trends in adult learning education between CONFINTEA V and CONFITEA VI. Those trends could be understood as challenges. Employing a political sociology of adult learning education as a critique of instrumental reason is advanced.
Artificial Enzymes with Thiazolium and Imidazolium Coenzyme Mimics

Hydrophobic thiazolium and imidazolium coenzyme mimics in the presence of modified-polyethylenimine enzyme mimics catalyze the benzoin condensation 2300-3300 times faster than the coenzyme mimics alone. Polycationic enzyme mimics provide not only a hydrophobic binding domain for coenzyme and substrate, but also electrostatic stabilization of anionic species that arise along the reaction pathway of the benzoin condensation.
Rare-Earth manganites: surface-segregated platinum increases catalytic activity.

Crushed and etched lanthanum lead manganite (La 0.7 Pb 0.3 MnO 3 ) crystals containing as little as 0.005 atomic percent platinum have significantly higher catalytic activity than free platinum crystals. This higher activity is due to an almost 100-fold segregation of platinum on the surface. The surface platinum concentration found, 0.5 atomic percent, is sufficient to account for the enhanced activity provided that the platinum has the same activity as platinum supported on alumina.
Traumatic Stress and Religion: Is there a Relationship? A Review of Empirical Findings

Based on a history of close conceptual link, empirical studies are beginning to accumulate that investigate the relationship between trauma and religion. A review of empirical studies that examined the relationship between religion/spirituality and PTSD showed mixed findings (n = 11). Though the direction of association varied among studies, all but one study reported significant associations between the two. Factors that might have contributed to the mixed findings are discussed (e.g., measurements, research design). Overall, these results appear to be encouraging toward confirming the conceptual link between religion and trauma. Further research investigating the direction of causation and possible moderators of the association may contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between trauma and religion.
The urinary excretion of cocaine and metabolites in humans: a kinetic analysis of published data

Cocaine plasma levels and urinary excretion data from the literature were subjected to kinetic analysis. The objective was to present the available empirical data in a more useful form and provide a basis for interpretation of cocaine and/or metabolite concentrations in isolated urine samples. Cocaine disposition was modeled as a one-compartment open kinetic system exhibiting linearity within the usually encountered dose range. Model-predicted urine concentrations of cocaine, benzoylecgonine, and ecgonine methyl ester after a 100-mg cocaine dose were compared with literature values to test the validity of the model, and to indicate the use of ratios of concentrations in isolated urine samples to estimate the time since the dose of cocaine. A nomogram relating BZ urine concentrations to cocaine doses was constructed.
On uniform spaces with invariant nonstandard hulls

\begin{abstract} {\footnotesize Let $\langle X,\Gamma\rangle$ be a uniform space with its uniformity generated by a set of pseudo-metrics $\Gamma$. Let the symbol $``\simeq"$ denote the usual infinitesimal relation on $^*X$, and define a new infinitesimal relation $``\approx"$ by writing $x\approx y$ whenever $ ^*\rho(x,p)\simeq\ ^*\rho(y,p)$ for each \ $\rho\in\Gamma$ \ and each \ $p\in X$. We show that a uniform space $\langle X,\Gamma\rangle$ has invariant nonstandard hulls if and only if the relations $\simeq$ and $\approx$ coincide on $\text{fin}(^*X)$. We provide several internal and external formulations of the latter condition and use them to explore further properties of uniform spaces that satisfy these conditions. We discuss some interesting examples, hereditary properties, and their relations with topological spaces which admit only one compatible uniformity. Applications of the theory developed in this paper include a simple nonstandard proof of the interesting result that, in a regular Lindel\"{o}f space, a subset is relatively compact if and only if it is pseudo-compact. \\[.15in] \bigskip Key Words: Uniform spaces, Nonstandard Topology} \end{abstract}
Evaluation of different nitrogen sources in high-calorie parenteral therapy.

Abstract Five infants and two children who required prolonged high-calorie parenteral therapy were placed on nitrogen-balance studies while receiving alternate courses of two nitrogen sources; i.e., a casein hydrolysate and a synthetic amino acid solution. Quantitative analyses of plasma and urine amino acid levels were carried out during the administration of both solutions. Administration of either synthetic amino acid or casein hydrolysate solutions in concentrations of 2.125% and 4.25% resulted in positive nitrogen balance and consistent apparently equal weight gain in both concentrations. The infusion of 6.7% synthetic amino acid solutions, in conjunction with a somewhat lower caloric intake than previously employed, resulted in a more positive nitrogen balance but a diminished rate of weight gain. Methionine was the only plasma amino acid component that was consistently elevated during these infusions. The solution of 2.125% synthetic amino acids produced the same rate of weight gain as the other solutions studied, with a constant significant positive nitrogen balance. When this nitrogen source is employed, potential complications in therapy appear to be minimal.