cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydrostatic Modeling of the Integrated Soft X-Ray and Extreme Ultraviolet Emission in Solar Active Regions

Many studies of the solar corona have shown that the observed X-ray luminosity is well correlated with the total unsigned magnetic flux. In this paper we present results from the extensive numerical modeling of active regions observed with the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) EUV Imaging Telescope (EIT), the Yohkoh Soft X-Ray Telescope (SXT), and the SOHO Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI). We use potential field extrapolations to compute magnetic field lines and populate these field lines with solutions to the hydrostatic loop equations assuming steady, uniform heating. Our volumetric heating rates are of the form H ~ α/Lβ, where is the magnetic field strength averaged along a field line and L is the loop length. Comparisons between the observed and simulated emission for 26 active regions suggest that coronal heating models that scale as H ~ /L are in the closest agreement with the observed emission at high temperatures. The field-braiding reconnection model of Parker, for example, is consistent with our results. We find, however, that the integrated intensities alone are insufficient to uniquely determine the parameterization of the volumetric heating rate. Visualizations of the emission are also needed. We also find that there are significant discrepancies between our simulation results and the lower temperature emission observed in the EIT channels.
Abstract P531: Cerebral Blood Flow Analysis Using Flow Wire Measurements and CFD Analysis

Introduction: Clinical reports show that cerebral blood flow conditions are indicative of cerebral vascular disease. While methods for characterizing cerebral vascular flow have been extensively re...
Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potential Outcomes Associated with Pediatric Sports-Related Concussion.

Objectives/hypothesis To 1) characterize vestibular-evoked myogenic potential responses in children and young adults with sports-related concussion (SRC) histories as compared with a normal healthy control group, and 2) correlate VEMP characteristics to SRC/sport history outcomes. Study design Prospective cohort study. Methods Seventy-six children and young adults with and without a history of SRC received cervical and ocular VEMP testing using a 500 Hz tone burst air conduction stimuli. VEMP response parameters (response rates, peak latencies, and peak-to-peak amplitudes) were assessed. Other clinical vestibular measures were performed. In the SRC group, sport history outcomes including number of SRC sustained over a lifetime, years of playing contact sports, and length of time playing contact sports were collected via in-person questionnaire. Results Children and young adults with SRC had significantly reduced oVEMP responses and peak-to-peak amplitudes and greater amplitude response asymmetries between left and right ear. There was no effect of group on cVEMP findings. A greater frequency of SRCs sustained throughout a lifetime, a greater number of contact sports played, and a longer duration of playing a contact sport correlated with significantly poorer VEMP response characteristics. Conclusions Our results suggest that SRC and repeated subclinical head impact events have an effect on oVEMP outcomes. SRC may affect the utricle, superior vestibular nerve, and/or brainstem-mediated vestibular-ocular-reflex pathway. The prevalence of post-concussion-related dizziness is becoming increasingly common in a pediatric-otology clinic, thus performing VEMP testing in youth post-SRC provides an objective, noninvasive, and cost-effective method for monitoring the effects of sports-related impact on the vestibular system and related neural pathways. Level of evidence 3 Laryngoscope, 2021.
Switching between borrowing hydrogen and acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling by base transition-metal catalysts

Abstract Taking the advantages of sustainability and economy, the borrowing hydrogen (BH) and acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling (ADC) methodologies based on earth-abundant transition-metal catalysts have recently attracted enormous interest in both academia and industry. Novel strategies to achieve switchable synthesis of the BH and ADC products by precise control of the reaction parameters and the catalytic systems are desirable and will significantly promote the field. In this mini-review, we summarized the published work on the switchable synthesis of amine/imine, alcohol/ketone, nitrile/acrylonitrile, and alkane/alkene through BH and ADC pathways, respectively. Specifically, we discussed the origin of the product-switching.
Memes, condensation symbols, and the changing landscape of political rhetoric

This article analyzes a 2019 poster of Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar by setting it in the context of political memes. Extending recent work on meme rhetoric, and emphasizing the roll that con...
Case 55: A Diagnostic Dilemma

You have been working in a farming district on the island of Madagascar for 6 months. You are called to the emergency room (ER) because a 65-year-old man has been admitted complaining of diffuse abdominal pain and vomiting. You are the only medically qualified doctor in the ER. The ER staff has called the surgeon, who is 30 min’ drive away. Through an interpreter, you get a history from his wife. She tells you that the patient is suffering from a form of dementia and is prone to wandering off. He is often brought home by neighbors. Otherwise he’s very well and does not take any medication. The patient and the wife are farmers.
Minimizing Facility Corrective Maintenance: Benchmarking Preventative-to-Corrective Maintenance Ratios Using Maintenance Data and Building Age in Dormitories

AbstractFacility managers (FM) need impartial facility performance benchmarks to manage maintenance performance best, especially as facilities age and deferred work increases. Dormitories have a pa...
The Effect of Ultraviolet Radiation on Mold Rots and Nutrients of Stored Sweet Potatoes.

Jewel, Carver, and Georgia Jet sweet potatoes were irradiated with ultraviolet radiation (UV). UV irradiation effectively decreased the percentage rot of sweet potatoes during storage. The optimum dose was 4.8 × 104 erg/mm2 for Jewel and Carver, and 3.6 × 104 erg/mm2 for Georgia Jet. UV was effective Botran (2, 6-dichloro-4-nitroaniline) in controlling of Fusarium rot. The effect of UV irradiation on nutrients of Jewel was not significant except that starch content was higher for UV-irradiated roots than for the non-irradiated roots.
Confidence Intervals for a Bernoulli θ

Let X be the total number of “successes” in a random sample of n Bernoulli trials with P(S) = θ= 1 — P(F); the distribution of X is binomial. (Usually “p” is used for this parameter; the Greek analogue π has another meaning so we useθ.) We could rewrite lessons 15 and 16 to develop a test for
Robert Nisbet and the Present Age

Among well-known sociologists, Robert Nisbet was almost unique in considering himself a “conservative.” He defined this orientation not in terms of conventional American partisan affiliation but as a sociological and anthropological perspective. Nisbet viewed human relations as requiring organic relations, which he assumed to be hierarchical and communally determined. Such relations seemed to Nisbet natural and even beneficial; and his lifelong interest in nineteenth-century social theory and his efforts to locate organicist positions among social thinkers of the Left, especially Emile Durkheim, can be attributed to an attempt to substantiate his understanding of basic human relations. Nisbet also significantly viewed contemporary America as departing rapidly and perhaps irreversibly from what he considered to be a good society. This concern pervades his studies of social theory; and it is possible to interpret his emphasis on the “conservative” origins of sociology and his attack on leveling public administration from the 1950s onward as related reference points. Against the social disintegration and social engineering that he already criticizes in his early work The Quest for Community, Nisbet (1990) poses his vision of personal authority and communal hierarchy. This vision is present in Nisbet’s writings, from his early studies of French counterrevolutionary thinkers through his final assaults on America in the present age.
Hyperspectral imagery classification using a backpropagation neural network

A backpropagation neural network was developed and implemented for classifying AVIRIS (Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer) hyperspectral imagery. It is a fully interconnected linkage of three layers of neural networks. Fifty input layer neurons take in signals from Bands 41 to 90 of the AVIRIS spectral data in parallel. Test images are classified into four terrain categories of water, grassland, golf courses and built-up areas using four output neurons. A hidden layer consisting of 12 neurons is used. A training set containing 1,700 pixels for each of the four desired terrain categories is extracted and created from the first test image. Good classification accuracies of 81.8 percent to 95.5 percent are achieved despite the moderate AVIRIS pixel resolution of 20 meters by 20 meters. >
Addiction and Chronic Pain in Lesbians

This article addresses some of the complexities that arise in sexual minorities, primarily lesbians, who require treatment for chronic pain. Particular emphasis is on the additional complication introduced when such patients also suffer from some form of chemical abuse or dependence in different stages of evolution, ranging from active use to recovery to relapse. The intermingling of chronic pain and addiction varying from iatrogenic addiction to chemical diversion is addressed. Attention is paid to both established and anecdotal evidence of trends in different populations and the implications of these trends for treatment strategies.
Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering: The Scaffold Based Approach

The sections in this article are Overview Introduction The Importance of Scaffolds in Tissue Engineering Structure and Functions of Natural Extracellular Matrix Applications of Nanotechnology in Developing Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Polymeric Nanofiber Scaffolds Top-down Approaches in Developing Scaffolds for Nano-based Tissue Engineering Bottom-up Approaches in Developing Scaffolds for Nano-based Tissue Engineering Cell Behavior Towards Nano-based Matrices Applications of Nano-based Matrices as Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Stem Cell Adhesion and Differentiation Neural Tissue Engineering Cardiac and Blood Vessel Tissue Engineering Bone, Ligament and Cartilage Tissue Engineering Conclusions
The control of atmospheric pCO2 by ocean ventilation change: The effect of the oceanic storage of biogenic carbon

[1] A simple analytical framework is developed relating the atmospheric partial pressure of CO2 to the globally-averaged concentrations of respired carbon () and dissolved carbonate () in the ocean. Assuming that the inventory of carbon is conserved in the ocean-atmosphere system (i.e. no seawater-sediment interactions), the resulting formula of = −0.0053Δ + 0.0034Δ suggests that atmospheric pCO2 would decrease by 5.3% and increase by 3.4% when and increase by 10 μmol kg−1, respectively. Using this analytical framework along with a 3-D global ocean biogeochemistry model, we show that the response of atmospheric pCO2 to changes in ocean circulation is rather modest because ∼30% of the change in atmospheric pCO2 caused by the accumulation of respired carbon is countered by a concomitant accumulation of dissolved carbonate in deep waters. Among the suite of circulation models examined here, the largest reduction in atmospheric pCO2 of 44–88 ppm occurs in a model where reduced overturning rates of both southern and northern sourced deep waters result in a four-fold increase in the Southern Ocean deep water ventilation age. On the other hand, when the ventilation rate of the southern-sourced water decreases, but the overturning rate of North Atlantic Deep Water increases, the resulting decrease in atmospheric pCO2 is only 14–34 ppm. The large uncertainty ranges in atmospheric pCO2 arise from uncertainty in how surface productivity responds to circulation change. Although the uncertainty is large, this study suggests that a synchronously reduced rate for the deep water formation in both hemispheres could lead to the large glacial reduction in atmospheric pCO2 of 80–100 ppm.
An approach to microCT image processing

In scientific imaging, it is crucial to obtain precise images to facilitate accurate observations for the given application. However, often times the imaging equipment used to acquire such images introduces error into the observed image. Therefore, there is a fundamental need to remove the error associated with these images in order to facilitate accurate observations. This study investigates the effectiveness of an image processing technique utilizing an iterative deconvolution algorithm to remove error from microCT images. This technique is applied to several sets of in-vivo microCT scans of mice, and its effectiveness is evaluated by qualitative comparison of the resultant thresholded binary images to thresholded binary images produced by more conventional image processing techniques; namely Gaussian filtering and straight thresholding. Results for this study suggest that iterative deconvolution as a preprocessing step produces superior qualitative results as compared to the more conventional methods tested. The groundwork for future quantitative verification Is motivated.
A Stochastic Diffusion Model of Climate Change

We present a model for variations in atmospheric temperature from time scales of one day to one million years based on a stochastic diffusion (random walk) model of the turbulent transport of heat energy vertically in a coupled atmosphere-ocean model. The predictions of the model are supported by station records and paleoclimatic proxy data of temperature variations.
PRGmatic: an efficient pipeline for collating genome-enriched second-generation sequencing data using a 'provisional-reference genome'.

Second-generation sequencing is increasingly being used in combination with genome-enrichment techniques to amplify a large number of loci in many individuals for the purpose of population genetic and phylogeographic analysis. Compiling all the necessary tools to analyse these data is complex and time-consuming. Here ,w e assemble as et of programs and pipe them together with Perl, enabling research laboratories without a dedicated bioinformatician to utilize second-generation sequencing. User input is a folder of the second-generation sequencing reads sorted by individual (in FASTA format) and pipeline output is a folder of multi-FASTA files that correspond to loci (with 2 alleles called per individual). Additional output includes a summary file of the number of individuals per locus, observed and expected heterozygosity for each locus, distribution of multiple hits and summary statistics (h, Tajima’s D, etc.). This user-friendly, open source pipeline, which requires no a priori reference genome because it constructs its own, allows the user to set various parameters (e.g. minimum coverage) in the dependent programs (CAP3, BWA, SAMTOOLS and VARSCAN) and facilitates evaluation of the nature and quality of data collected prior to analysis in software packages.
Safety and early efficacy of irreversible electroporation for hepatic tumors in proximity to vital structures.

Introduction Irreversible electroporation (IRE) has shown promise for ablation of lesions in proximity to vital structures in the preclinical setting. This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of IRE for hepatic tumors in the clinical setting. Methods An IRB approved prospective registry of patients undergoing IRE for hepatic tumors over a 2-year period. Factors analyzed included patient and tumor characteristics, treatment related complications, and local recurrence free survival (LRFS) for ablated lesions. LRFS was calculated according to Kaplan–Meier, with secondary analyses stratified by procedural approach (laparotomy, laparoscopy, and percutaneous) and tumor histology. Results There were 44 patients undergoing 48 total IRE procedures, 20 colorectal mets, 14 hepatocellular, and 10 other metastatsis. Initial success was achieved in 46 (100%) treatments. Five patients had 9 adverse events, with all complications resolving within 30 days. LRFS at 3, 6, and 12 months was 97.4%, 94.6%, and 59.5%. There was a trend toward higher recurrence rates for tumors over 4 cm (HR 3.236, 95% CI: 0.585–17.891; P = 0.178). Conclusions IRE appears to be a safe treatment for hepatic tumors in proximity to vital structures. Further prospective evaluation is needed to determine the optimal effectiveness of IRE in relation to size and technique for IRE of the liver. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013;107:544–549. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Maritime Traders in the Ancient Greek World

Acknowledgements List of abbreviations List of references to Greek terms Maps Introduction 1. Coming to terms 2. Classical modes and patterns of exchange 3. The juridical place of maritime traders 4. The level of wealth of maritime traders 5. Official attitudes toward maritime traders 6. Unofficial attitudes toward maritime traders 7. Archaic modes of exchange and the personnel involved, c. 800-475 BC 8. Conclusion: then and now Appendices Bibliography Indexes.
Conditions on the existence of localized excitations in nonlinear discrete systems.

We use recent results that localized excitations in nonlinear Hamiltonian lattices can be viewed and described as multiple-frequency excitations. Their dynamics in phase space takes place on tori of corresponding dimension. For a one-dimensional Hamiltonian lattice with nearest neighbor interaction we transform the problem of solving the coupled differential equations of motion into a certain mapping ${\mathit{M}}_{\mathit{l}+1}$=F(${\mathit{M}}_{\mathit{l}}$,${\mathit{M}}_{\mathit{l}\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$), where ${\mathit{M}}_{\mathit{l}}$ for every l (lattice site) is a function defined on an infinite discrete space of the same dimension as the torus. We consider this mapping in the ``tails'' of the localized excitation, i.e., for l\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}\ensuremath{\infty}. For a generic Hamiltonian lattice the thus-linearized mapping is analyzed. We find conditions of existence for periodic (one-frequency) localized excitations as well as of multiple-frequency excitations. The symmetries of the solutions are obtained. As a result we find that the existence of localized excitations can be a generic property of nonlinear Hamiltonian lattices in contrast to nonlinear Hamiltonian fields.
Shape Effects on the Drag Force and Motion of Nano and Micro Particles in Low Reynolds Number Flows

Particulate flows are commonly found in a variety of applications. For example, nanoparticles have been used in targeted drug delivery systems and improving heat transfer in nanofluids. Crucial to the development of technologies that incorporate nanoparticles is to understand the effect of a nanoparticle’s shape on its motion. The effect of shape on nanoparticles used in drug delivery, in particular, is a very active area of experimental investigation. Also, the determination of the coefficients of hydrodynamic forces or drag forces on nanoparticles of different shapes is crucial in designing effective nanoparticle-mediated therapies. In this study we present a resolved discrete particle method (RDPM), which is also called the Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS), to investigate the effect of shape on drag force in a vicious fluid. Three different shapes of particles are studied: a sphere, a probate ellipsoid, and an oblate ellipsoid. These particles have the same volume and are placed in contact with the bottom wall in simple shear flows. Their drag forces are computed numerically; it is found that the particle shape has a significant effect on the drag forces. In the case of a spherical particle, our results agree very well with the analytical results found in the literature. The motion of three particles of the same volume but different shape in a simple shear flows are also simulated. It shows that different particle shapes cause particles to experience different hydrodynamics forces, leading them to different velocities and paths.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Non-specific esterase activity in bovine acrosomes

Fixed and unfixed smears of bovine spermatozoa were stained for esterase activity at pH 6.1–6.2 using 1-naphthyl acetate as substrate and hexazonium pararosaniline as coupler. Best results were obtained with unfixed smears prepared from suspensions of spermatozoa washed free of seminal plasma. The most intense staining was obtained when smears were incubated at 4°C for 40 hr with replacement of the incubating medium every 12 hr. No staining was detected in spermatozoa when smears were incubated in medium lacking substrate or when heat-inactivated smears were incubated in complete medium. Enzyme activity was restricted to the acrosomal cap; no final reaction product was detected in or on the post-nuclear cap, the mid-piece or the remainder of the flagellum. Enzyme activity was distributed quite uniformly throughout the acrosome with no indication of the existence of localized regions with high activity. The use of fixatives, especially those containing formalin, is not recommended for esterase studies of bovine spermatozoa.
Noise Control of Mock-Scale ChamberCore Payload Fairing Using Integrated Acoustic Resonators

The noise control of a cylindrical ChamberCore payload fairing, which has an integrated T-shaped acoustic resonator network, is experimentally investigated. It is demonstrated that structurally integrated acoustic resonators can provide noise control of 3.2-6.0 dB at the targeted low acoustic modes for the ChamberCore fairing. Improvements up to 4.9 dB are also observed in some nontargeted frequencies due to modal coupling. The integrated acoustic resonators offer advantages for noise control in small enclosures due to space savings and the simultaneous improvement of the structural and acoustic boundary conditions.
Calcium potentiates the peroxidation of erythrocyte membrane lipids.

Abstract To explore the possible role of intracellular calcium in membrane lipid peroxidation, we subjected red cells to conditions designed to increase intracellular calcium levels and then measured lipid peroxidation after exposure to a peroxidant threat. Human erythrocytes were pretreated for 3 h with either very high levels of CaCl2, or with low levels in the presence of the ionophore A23187. The erythrocytes were subsequently exposed to a peroxide-generating system consisting of xanthine and xanthine oxidase, or H2O2 for 1 h at 37°C. As measured by a malonyldialdehyde assay, the calcium-treated cells showed up to a 2-fold increase in lipid peroxidation in comparison to untreated cells. In experiments with the ionophore, calcium concentration-dependent effects were detected at levels as low as 10 μM and were maximal at 50 μM. A significant loss of phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolmine was observed in calcium- and peroxide-treated erythrocytes. This potentiation of membrane lipid peroxidation and lipid loss could be prevented by either lipid antioxidants or EGTA. The present study shows that pretreatment of erythrocytes with calcium increases their sensitivity to lipid peroxidation. This suggests that increased calcium concentration may be a factor in the potentiation of membrane lipid peroxidation of erythrocytes known to have increased calcium levels such as sickled and senescent red cells.
Biogeography-based optimization of neuro-fuzzy system parameters for diagnosis of cardiac disease

Cardiomyopathy refers to diseases of the heart muscle that becomes enlarged, thick, or rigid. These changes affect the electrical stability of the myocardial cells, which in turn predisposes the heart to failure or arrhythmias. Cardiomyopathy in its two common forms, dilated and hypertrophic, implies enlargement of the atria; therefore, we investigate its diagnosis through P wave features. In particular, we design a neuro-fuzzy network trained with a new evolutionary algorithm called biogeography-based optimization (BBO). The neuro-fuzzy network recognizes and classifies P wave features for the diagnosis of cardiomyopathy. In addition, we incorporate opposition-based learning in the BBO algorithm for improved training. First we develop a neuro-fuzzy model structure to diagnose cardiomyopathy using P wave features. Next we train the network using BBO and a clinical database of ECG signals. Preliminary results indicate that cardiomyopathy can be reliably diagnosed with these techniques.
Mechanical pollarding as a means to increase rubber yields in guayule (Parthenium argentatum, Asteraceae).

Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray, Asteraceae) is a potential domestic source of natural rubber, but is presently not competitive economically with imported Hevea rubber. Guayule can become competitive by either increasing rubber yield or reducing the costs of cultural practices, or both. Pollarding, harvesting the branches by cutting leaving the root-crown to regrow new branches, can potentially increase both rubber yields and reduce the costs of stand establishment. The objective of this study was to determine the efficiency of mechanical-pollarding, and to determine if there were increased rubber yields one year after pollarding. A mechanical clipper was used to pollard shrub (accession N396), planted at the standard density of 36.650 plants ha. 17 and 29 months after stand establishment. Mechanical pollarding at 17 months left 19% of the branches unclipped on both a fresh and dry weight basis, representing 16% of the potential resin and rubber yield. After regrowth for one year (29 months), pollarded plants had increased fresh weight, dry weight and resin yield over non-pollarded plants of 25, 24 and 15%, respectively. However, rubber yield increased by only 3%, due mainly to the low rubber content in the regrowth. After a single pollarding (17 months) 98% of the plants survived and regenerated new growth. Plants pollarded two consecutive years (17 and 29 months) had only a 66% survival rate. The low rubber yield in the regrowth after one year, and the reduced survival rate of plants pollarded two consecutive years, suggests that a clipping interval of two years may be optimal for line N396.
Plasma luteinizing hormone and prolactin in normothermic and hyperthermic ovariectomized ewes.

Abstract The effect of bromocriptine on concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin (PRL) as well as the rhythmicity of episodic profiles of plasma LH were investigated in twelve ovariectomized ewes exposed to 3-day trials during which ambient temperature/humidity conditions maintained either normothermia or induced an average of 1.4°C increase of rectal temperature (hyperthermia). In 24 of 48 trials, ewes received twice daily subcutaneous injections of 1 mg bromocriptine beginning at 1900 hr on day 1. Plasma PRL and LH were measured at 10-min intervals for 4 hr on days 2 and 3. Bromocriptine significantly decreased plasma PRL (65 ± 6 vs 5 ± 1 ng/ml), mean plasma LH (11.0 ± 0.2 vs 6.5 ± 0.2 ng/ml) and tended (P
One of two unstructured domains of Ii becomes ordered in complexes with MHC class II molecules.

Abstract We studied the role of the invariant chain (Ii) protein's structure in its ability to form complexes with major histocompatibility complex class II molecules. Multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance experiments demonstrated that Ii contains two unstructured, flexible domains: a 39 residue sequence that contains a region (CLIP) critical for Ii/class II complex formation and becomes rapidly ordered when Ii/class II complexes are assembled, and a 30 residue sequence that contains the insertion point for a protease inhibitor domain included in an alternative splice form of Ii. Mobility of these domains guarantees accessibility to CLIP and the inhibitor insert, and ordering of the CLIP-containing domain may provide protection against proteolysis and contribute, along with Ii's compact 118–192 domain, to allotype-independent class II binding.
Discomforting Narratives: Teaching Eighteenth- Century Women's Travelogues

In this essay, I describe an undergraduate course I designed and taught on eighteenth-century women’s travelogues and advocate for more courses that explicitly focus on noncanonical genres and authors. Using student papers, I explore how students worked through their discomfort with new genre conventions and improved their overall reading and analytical skills. I hope that my outline of the course will be useful to those who teach or will be teaching women's travel literature or who wish to focus courses on noncanonical authors and genres.
Entropic control of particle motion using passive surface microstructures

IN a colloidal suspension containing particles of two different sizes, there is an attractive force between the larger particles. This attraction is due to the extra volume that becomes available to the smaller particles when the larger particles approach one another, thus increasing the entropy of the system. Entropic 'excluded-volume' effects of this type have been studied previously in colloids and emulsions, in the context of phase-separation phenomena in the bulk1–15 and at flat surfaces2,16. Here we show how similar effects can be used to position the larger particles of a binary mixture on a substrate, or to move them in a predetermined way. Our experiments demonstrate the entropically driven repulsion of a colloidal sphere (in a suspension of smaller spheres) from the edge of a step; the magnitude of the entropic barrier felt by the sphere is approximately twice its mean thermal energy. These results indicate that passive structures etched into the walls of a container create localized entropic force fields which can trap, repel or induce the controlled drift of particles. Manipulation techniques based on these effects should be useful for making the highly ordered particle arrays required for structures with photonic band gaps17,18, microelectronic mask materials19, and materials for clinical assays20
A fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based approach for investigating late endosome-lysosome retrograde fusion events.

Traditionally, lysosomes have been considered to be a terminal endocytic compartment. Recent studies suggest that lysosomes are quite dynamic, being able to fuse with other late endocytic compartments as well as with the plasma membrane. Here we describe a quantitative fluorescence energy transfer (FRET)-based method for assessing rates of retrograde fusion between terminal lysosomes and late endosomes in living cells. Late endosomes were specifically labeled with 800-nm latex beads that were conjugated with streptavidin and Alexa Fluor 555 (FRET donor). Terminal lysosomes were specifically labeled with 10,000-MW dextran polymers conjugated with biotin and Alexa Fluor 647 (FRET acceptor). Following late endosome–lysosome fusion, the strong binding affinity between streptavidin and biotin brought the donor and acceptor fluorophore molecules into close proximity, thereby facilitating the appearance of a FRET emission signal. Because apparent size restrictions in the endocytic pathway do not permit endocytosed latex beads from reaching terminal lysosomes in an anterograde fashion, the appearance of the FRET signal is consistent with retrograde transport of lysosomal cargo back to late endosomes. We assessed the efficiency of this transport step in fibroblasts affected by different lysosome storage disorders—Niemann–Pick type C, mucolipidosis type IV, and Sandhoff’s disease, all of which have a similar lysosomal lipid accumulation phenotype. We report here, for the first time, that these disorders can be distinguished by their rate of transfer of lysosome cargos to late endosomes, and we discuss the implications of these findings for developing new therapeutic strategies.
Taqlīd , Legal Scaffolding and the Scope of Legal Injunctions in Post-Formative Theory:

The controversy surrounding ijtihād and Taqlīd is well-known in modern scholarship. In the present essay, I offer an alternative to the leading views on this crux by treating the issue of scope in the jurisprudential writings of Shihāb al-Dīn al-Qarāfī as a reflection of the manner and direction in which the Islamic legal tradition tended to develop subsequent to the so-called settling down of the four schools of law. At the center of this development stood the highly intricate and spirited institution of Taqlīd, and I posit a causal relationship between the emergence of this institution and Muslim jurists' increased interest in issues such as scope. I also treat the technical aspects of al-Qarāfī's theory and compare it with the theories of a number of his predecessors.
Illumination preference of albino rats in a tilt box as a function of age and illumination intensity.

54 rats were tested for preference at 3 intensities (.01, 1.0, and 10.0 ft-c.) at 3 ages (30, 78, and 142 days). Results show that (a) age has no effect on either illumination preference or number of crossings in the tilt box; (b) darkness is preferred over 1.0 and 10.0 ft-c., but about equally preferred to .01 ft-c. The findings are discussed in terms of the reinforcing effect of stimulus change.
ARe droughts becoming more frequent or severe in the United States

The frequency of droughts, their areal extent, and the quantity of precipitation received over the United States is highlighted by considerable decadal variability. At this time, there is no evidence to support a Twentieth Century drying trend in the United States precipitation and/or drought climatology. The considerable decadal variability however, suggests that major biophysical and socio-economic impacts are likely to accompany convincing evidence of a change in drought climatology.
From paper to pixels: A comparison of paper and computer formats in psychological assessment

Internet based data collection methods have many advantages for psychological assessment when compared with more traditional paper formats, including, reduced costs, and greater convenience for both the researcher and the participant. However, prior to the wide-spread adoption of these methods, equivalence with paper tests formats must be established. The present study compared questionnaire data from the computer with that from a traditional paper format in a sample of college students both directly and through an opinion survey. Three types of questionnaires that represent distinct areas commonly assessed in psychological research included: quality of life (SF-36), depression (BDI-II) and personality (NEO). A within-subjects design counterbalanced order across the computer and paper formats. Overall the findings showed no differences for the Neuroticism and Extraversion facts of the NEO, for the BDI and for the subscales and composite scores of the SF-36. Significant differences were found between the paper and computer formats for the Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness facets of the NEO. Additionally, the computer was perceived to be convenient, user-friendly, comfortable, and secure. Results suggest that a computerized format is an efficient way to conduct quality of life research, especially for the assessment of distress levels and quality of life.
Engineering design of an image acquisition and analysis system for dendrochronology

The design and implementation of a computer-vision-based analysis system for dendrochronology are described. The primary issues covered are automatic focus detection, illumination distortion, spatial and radiometric registration of a sequence of images into a single mosaic, and edge detection and linking. These issues are not unique to the ap- plication, but are likely of interest to anyone developing automated image analysis systems. A modification of the Canny edge detection algorithm that adapts to the variable characteristics of tree-ring images is also described. © 2000 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. (S0091-3286(00)01502-6)
Viscosity reduction of castor oil esters by the addition of diesel, safflower oil esters and additives

Abstract The high viscosity of vegetable oil can be reduced by transesterification with alcohols and converting it into biodiesel. Biodiesel can be used neat or blended with diesel as engine fuel. This study demonstrates that esters of castor oils have a higher viscosity than safflower oil derived esters and the viscosity can be reduced by blending with diesel. The viscosity increased in a non-linear fashion as the percentage of castor esters increased in castor esters diesel blends and in castor esters safflower esters blends. Only slight increases in viscosity were observed for B40 and B60 mixtures with No. 2 diesel. Addition of ten chemical additives in castor esters at the rate of 0.01%, 0.1% and 1.0% showed limited viscosity reduction.
Generation of Separate Density and Compressibility Images in Tissue

Abstract A method is suggested for reconstructing separate images of the variations in density and compressibility in the same tissue sample. The images can be obtained from near-field scattering measurements using only two long, rectangular transducer elements. As in diffraction tomography, 180° access around the region of interest is required. This approach differs from conventional diffraction tomography, however, in that no transducer arrays are required and broadband illumination is used. A flat transducer, assumed long relative to the extent of the object, is used as a source of broadband, plane-wave illumination, and as a receiver of the backscattered sound. A second transducer, oriented at a different angle with respect to the first, is used as a receiver only. The two transducers are rotated together 180° around the object, and the scattered sound is recorded at all angles during the rotation. This arrangement can be shown to sample the plane-wave spectrum of the object directly, and provides sufficient information to reconstruct independent images of the variations in both the density and compressibility of the scattering medium. Image resolution is limited by the bandwidth of the illuminating sound.
Mapping the trajectory of socioeconomic disparity in working memory: parental and neighborhood factors.

Working memory (WM) is positively correlated with socioeconomic status (SES). It is not clear, however, if SES predicts the rate of WM development over time or whether SES effects are specific to family rather than neighborhood SES. A community sample of children (n = 316) enrolled between ages 10 and 13 completed four annual assessments of WM. Lower parental education, but not neighborhood disadvantage, was associated with worse WM performance. Neither measure of SES was associated with the rate of developmental change. Consequently, the SES disparity in WM is not a developmental lag that narrows or an accumulating effect that becomes more pronounced. Rather, the relation between family SES and WM originates earlier in childhood and is stable through adolescence.
The Power of Mapping: Considering Discrepancies of Polish Cadastral Mapping

In his seminal work on cartography, Brian Harley develops insights and raises questions about the power of maps. This article takes up these insights and questions through an anti-essentialist reading of Foucault's later thinking merged with concepts from grounded theory. The research examines the interrelated economic, strategic, legal, and technical aspects of mapping activities that use and create cadastral (property) maps. Using multiple scales, I analyze cadastral mapping activities through decomposition into interactions, boundary objects, and contextual factors to establish how empowerment and limitation take place. The examples come from fieldwork in Poland that explores cadastral mapping discrepancies. Following the demise of socialist forms of government and property in 1989, studies from the 1990s found differences (by area) between officially mapped ownership and actual property usage of up to 40 percent in rural areas. Although most Polish cadastral maps from rural areas were then, and still ...
Hetero-structured nano-photocatalysts fabricated by dynamic shadowing growth

Hetero-structured Ti0 2 and W0 3 nanorod arrays have been fabricated by dynamic shadowing growth. The two-layer WO 3 /TiO 2 nanorod arrays grown by consecutive deposition of two materials at oblique angle are found to greatly enhance the catalytic performance by the increased TiO 2 surface area and the potential enhanced charge separation due to the WO 3 -TiO 2 interface. Also, two important factors have been found to affect the observed photocatalytic enhancement: the crystal phase of each material, and the interfacial area between Ti0 2 and W0 3 . To further increasing the interfacial area between the TiO 2 and WO 3 , a dynamic shadowing growth method is used to create a quazi-core-shell nanorod array. W0 3 nanorods are first grown perpendicularly on a bare substrate to serve as the "core", and a TiO 2 "shell" is then deposited. Such a core-shell structure maximizes the interfacial area between the two materials. The photocatalytic decay rate for these core-shell samples again shows further improvement over single layer TiO 2 thin films and multi-layer c-TiO 2 /a-WO 3 films by 13 and 3 times respectively. Our results demonstrate that heterostructured WO 3 /TiO 2 nanorod arrays are promising photocatalyst for water decontamination and water splitting for hydrogen generation.
Yin-Yang1 is required for epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and regulation of Nodal signaling during mammalian gastrulation

The ubiquitously expressed Polycomb Group protein Yin-Yang1 (YY1) is believed to regulate gene expression through direct binding to DNA elements found in promoters or enhancers of target loci. Additionally, YY1 contains diverse domains that enable a plethora of protein–protein interactions, including association with the Oct4/Sox2 pluripotency complex and Polycomb Group silencing complexes. To elucidate the in vivo role of YY1 during gastrulation, we generated embryos with an epiblast specific deletion of Yy1. Yy1 conditional knockout (cKO) embryos initiate gastrulation, but both primitive streak formation and ingression through the streak is severely impaired. These streak descendants fail to repress E-Cadherin and are unable to undergo an appropriate epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Intriguingly, overexpression of Nodal and concomitant reduction of Lefty2 are observed in Yy1 cKO embryos, suggesting that YY1 is normally required for proper Nodal regulation during gastrulation. Furthermore, definitive endoderm is specified but fails to properly integrate into the outer layer. Although anterior neuroectoderm is specified, mesoderm production is severely restricted. We show that YY1 directly binds to the Lefty2 locus in E7.5 embryos and that pharmacological inhibition of Nodal signaling partially restores mesoderm production in Yy1 cKO mutant embryos. Our results reveal critical requirements for YY1 during several important developmental processes, including EMT and regulation of Nodal signaling. These results are the first to elucidate the diverse role of YY1 during gastrulation in vivo.
Evaluating standard-based self-virtualizing devices: A performance study on 10 GbE NICs with SR-IOV support

Virtual machine (VM) technologies have made much progress in improving the efficiency of virtualizing CPU and memory. However, achieving high performance for I/O virtualization remains a challenge, especially for high speed networking devices such as 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) NICs, and commonly used software-based I/O virtualization approaches usually suffer significant performance degradation compared with native hardware. One promising approach to address the performance issue of I/O virtualization is to use single root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV) devices which have been standardized by the PCI-SIG. With SR-IOV, a PCI Express (PCIe) device can present itself as multiple virtual devices. By dedicating a virtual device to a single VM, it is possible for the VM to access the virtual device hardware directly, thus reducing overheads such as context/control switches and extra memory copies. However, SR-IOV comes with its limitations such as requiring special hardware support and increased complexity in achieving VM tasks such as checkpointing, migration, and record/reply. Therefore, it is very important for us to fully understand the performance benefit of SR-IOV before adopting it. Unfortunately, there exists little previous work which provides such information. In this paper, we present a detailed performance evaluation of a 10 GbE SR-IOV PCIe device from Neterion in the KVM (Kernelbased Virtual Machine) virtualization environment. Our focus is not just performance metrics such as bandwidth and latency, but also other aspects of the system such as CPU utilization, memory access, VM exits, and host/guest interrupts. We have also studied several important factors that affect networking performance in both virtualized and native systems. These include issues such as the MTU size, the use of a single processor versus multiple processors, IRQ affinity, and IRQ distribution. Our experiments show that the hardware-based SR-IOV approach provides superior performance to the software-based approach in KVM. SR-IOV can achieve close to line rate TCP communication (9.3 Gbps) for both transmitting (Tx) and receiving (Rx) with the standard 1500 byte Ethernet MTU, although it does consume more CPU cycles than the native (non-virtualized) case. Overall, our evaluation demonstrates that the SR-IOV approach has great potential to achieve high performance I/O in a virtualized environment.
Phagocytosis by zippers and triggers.

Abstract Two mechanisms have been considered for particle phagocytosis. According to the zipper mechanism, ingestion occurs by sequential engagement of a phagocyte's membrane against the particle surface, and pseudopod advance proceeds no further than receptor-ligand interactions permit. In contrast, in the trigger mechanism particle binding initiates an all-or-none phagocytic response. Although the weight of experimental evidence has favoured the zipper mechanism, recent observations of bacterial entry into epithelial cells and macrophages indicate an indiscriminate, triggered response. This prompts a reconsideration o f the underlying mechanisms.
Acquisition Of Hindi Contrasts By English Speakers: An Optimality Theoretic Account

This paper provides an optimality theoretic account of perception of Hindi voicing and aspiration contrasts by English monolinguals. The participants were presented with minimal pairs of stop consonants belonging to three places of articulation, namely, bilabial, alveolar and velar. The minimal pairs varied in (a) voice; (b) aspiration; (c) voice and aspiration. The methodology involved taking a discrimination test wherein the English speakers reported whether the minimal pairs they heard were same or different. The findings were then subjected to quantitative analysis. The results show that aspiration distinction is clearly perceived by English monolinguals but voicing contrast is neutralized in the same position. The study adds to our knowledge of existing phonological theories such as Best’s perceptual Assimilation Model (2001) and p-maps (Steriade, 2001). Based on the phonetic results, an optimality theoretic framework is applied to describe the results. The framework involves the ranking of faithfulness and markedness constraints and presenting an initial stage grammar for the L2 English learner of Hindi. In the end, some predictions are made about the further acquisition of these non-native contrasts by L2 English learners. The study has useful implications for adult second language learners.
The effects of d-amphetamine on visual sensitivity in the rat

Abstract The visual sensitivity of rats was studied under four dose levels of dextroamphetamine sulfate. It was found that drug administration produced a significant dose-related decrease in visual sensitivity. The results are discussed in terms of the possible sites of action of the drug that might produce such results.