cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
OTTO NEURATH AND THE LINGUISTIC TURN IN ECONOMICS

In the history of economic thought Otto Neurath, who is known foremost for spearheading the development of the Vienna Circle of philosophers, has served largely as a foil for his advocacy of in-kind calculation and economic planning. Yet Neurath, who was trained as an economist and wrote extensively about economics, including its philosophical foundations, held an abiding interest in the use of language in science, and was strongly influenced by turn-of-the-twentieth-century conventionalists, among them Henri Poincare and Pierre Duhem. Consequently, Neurath’s critique of what he saw as the conceptual flaws of economics and its too narrow framework as price theory was rooted as much in its imprecise and ‘unsorted’ use of language as in his critical view of capitalism. As such, he anticipated the ‘linguistic turn’ in economics that gained prominence only a half-century later, without any recognition of his presaging role.
High-frequency internal waves and thick bottom mixed layers observed by gliders in the Gulf Stream

Autonomous underwater gliders are conducting high-resolution surveys within the Gulf Stream along the U.S. East Coast. Glider surveys reveal two mechanisms by which energy is extracted from the Gulf Stream as it flows over the Blake Plateau, a portion of the outer continental shelf between Florida and North Carolina where bottom depths are less than 1000 m. Internal waves with vertical velocities exceeding 0.1 m s−1 and frequencies just below the local buoyancy frequency are routinely found over the Blake Plateau, particularly near the Charleston Bump, a prominent topographic feature. These waves are likely internal lee waves generated by the subinertial Gulf Stream flow over the irregular bathymetry of the outer continental shelf. Bottom mixed layers with O(100) m thickness are also frequently encountered; these thick bottom mixed layers likely form in the lee of topography due to enhanced turbulence generated by O(1) m s−1 near-bottom flows.
Forces and Wave Interaction with Uniformly Moving Circuits and Continua

Another concept of great importance is that of force. In origin the concept doubtless arises from the muscular sensations of resistance experienced from external bodies. This crude concept may at once be put on a quantitative basis by substituting a spring balance for our muscles, or instead of the spring balance we may use any elastic body, and measure the force exerted by it in terms of its deformation. The concept of force so defined is limited to static systems; it is the task of statics to find the relation between the forces in systems at rest. We next extend the force concept to systems not in equilibrium, in which there are accelerations, and we must conceive that at first all our experiments are made in an isolated laboratory far out in empty space, where there is no gravitational field. We here encounter a new concept, that of mass, which as it is originally met is entangled with the force concept, but may later be disentangled by a process of successive approximations.
Interdiffusion in the Ni-Re System: Evaluation of Uncertainties

Diffusion couple experiments between Ni and Re at 1200 and 1350 °C were performed. These experiments established the limits of the two-phase FCC + HCP region. No intermediate phase was observed at these temperatures. Composition-dependent interdiffusion coefficients and associated uncertainties were estimated by three methods. The first employed fitting of the penetration curves in conjunction with the Sauer-Freise (SF) method. The second method employed a numerical solution of the Boltzmann-Matano ordinary differential equation for composition-dependent interdiffusion coefficient functions whose parameters were optimized by a least squares fitting to the data. Discrepancies between the results of these methods indicate typical uncertainties in experimental determination of diffusion coefficients. To further assess such discrepancies, a third method was employed to perform an uncertainty quantification of the diffusion coefficients via a statistical analysis based on the SF method.
Modeling vaccination strategies to control white-nose syndrome in little brown bat colonies

Abstract Since 2006, the North American bat population has been in rapid decline due to white-nose syndrome (WNS), which is caused by an invasive fungus (Pseudogymnoascus destructans). The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) is the species most affected by this emerging disease. We consider how best to prevent local extinctions of this species using mathematical models. In 2017, development began on a new vaccine for WNS; we analyze the effects of implementing vaccination as a control measure. We create a Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Vaccinated hybrid ordinary differential equation and difference equation model informed by the phenology of little brown bats. We compare the effectiveness of annual, biennial, and one-time vaccination programs for multiple durations of immunity length. We also determine the optimal time to vaccinate, if vaccinating only once, as a function of average duration of immunity. Next, we perform a sensitivity analysis to determine the robustness of our results. Finally, we consider other possible control measures together with vaccination to determine the optimal control strategy. We find that if the vaccine offers lifelong immunity, then it will be the most effective control measure considered thus far.
‘Listen, Anarchist!’ A personal response to Simon Springer’s ‘Why a radical geography must be anarchist’:

This article offers a critical response to Simon Springer’s ‘Why a Radical Geography Must Be Anarchist’. From a Marxist perspective, the autonomist and anarchist tactics and sentiments that have animated a great deal of political activism over the last few years (in movements like ‘Occupy’) have to be appreciated, analyzed, and supported when appropriate. To the degree that anarchists of one sort or another have raised important issues that are all too frequently ignored or dismissed as irrelevant in mainstream Marxism, dialogue—let us call it mutual aid—rather than confrontation between the two traditions is a far more fruitful way to go. Conversely, Marxism, for all its past faults, has a great deal to offer to the anti-capitalist struggle in which many anarchists are also engaged. Judging from his piece, however, Springer would want no part in such a project. He seems mainly bent on polarizing the relation between anarchism and Marxism as if they are mutually exclusive if not hostile. There is, in my v...
Clinical Characteristics of Patients With Renal Cell Carcinoma and Metastasis to the Thyroid Gland.

Introduction:Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common malignancy to metastasize to the thyroid gland. The aims of this study are as follows: (1) to analyze the clinical characteristics of pati...
A fractional stochastic integer programming problem for reliability-to-stability ratio in forest harvesting

We propose a new fractional stochastic integer programming model for forestry revenue management. The model takes into account the main sources of uncertainties—wood prices and tree growth—and maximizes a reliability-to-stability revenue ratio that reflects two major goals pursued by forest owners. The model includes a joint chance constraint with multirow random technology matrix to account for reliability and a joint integrated chance constraint to account for stability. We propose a reformulation framework to obtain an equivalent mixed-integer linear programming formulation amenable to a numerical solution. We use a Boolean modeling framework to reformulate the chance constraint and a series of linearization techniques to handle the nonlinearities due to the joint integrated chance constraint, the fractional objective function, and the bilinear terms. The computational study attests that the reformulation of the model can handle large number of scenarios and can be solved efficiently for sizable forest harvesting problems.
The future of anesthesia for interventional radiology.

Purpose of review To review novel procedures in interventional radiology and describe anesthetic implications. Recent findings Noninvasive treatment options for patients who are nonsurgical candidates are on the rise. The complication rate for patients receiving anesthesia in the interventional radiology suite is higher than other nonoperating room anesthetizing locations. The investigative use of catheter-directed thrombolysis for acute submassive pulmonary embolism will likely lead to an increased demand for anesthesia assistance. Treatment of prostate cancer with high-intensity focused ultrasound with MRI guidance is an alternative to surgical treatment and has unique anesthetic implications. With advances in technology, interventional radiologists have expanded their treatment armamentarium for benign and malignant bony lesions and thus the need for anesthesia assistance. Summary As the complexity of procedures and patients increases, the demand for anesthesia support in interventional radiology rises. As novel techniques are being developed, anesthesiologists must be mindful of the increased complication rate in interventional radiology and work in a multidisciplinary approach to improve patient safety.
Did Zika Virus Mutate to Cause Severe Outbreaks

Zika virus (ZIKV) has challenged the assumed knowledge regarding the pathobiology of flaviviruses. Despite causing sporadic and mild disease in the 50 years since its discovery, Zika virus has now caused multiple outbreaks in dozens of countries worldwide. Moreover, the disease severity in recent outbreaks, with neurological disease in adult and devastating congenital malformations in fetuses, was not previously seen. One hypothesis is that the virus has acquired mutations that have increased its virulence. Indeed, mutations in other arboviruses, such as West Nile virus (WNV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), have enhanced outbreaks. This possibility, as well as alternative hypotheses, are explored here.
DNA Damage Profiling in Motor Neurons: A Single-Cell Analysis by Comet Assay

We developed a method to measure DNA damage in single motor neurons (MN). A cell fraction enriched in viable α-motor neurons was isolated from adult rat spinal cord. This cell preparation was used to measure the vulnerability of the MN genome to different reactive oxygen species (ROS). MN were exposed in vitro to hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide and peroxynitrite. Specific types of DNA lesions (e.g., abasic sites, single-strand breaks, and double-strand breaks) were measured using single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). The MN genome was very susceptible to attack by ROS. Different ROS induced different DNA damage profiles in MN. MN were also isolated from adult rats with sciatic nerve avulsions to show that DNA damage emerges early during their degeneration in vivo. This study demonstrates that the comet assay is a feasible method for profiling DNA lesions in the genome of single MN. Viable mature MN can be isolated and used for in vitro models of MN genotoxicity and can be isolated from in vivo models of MN degeneration for profiling DNA damage on a single-cell basis.
Subcellular Localization of a Boronated Nucleoside Using Ion Microscopy

The success of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is dependent on the uptake and retention of a sufficient quantity of boron by tumor cells. It has been calculated that the concentration of 10B delivered to the tumor must be in the range of 5–30 μg/g 1. As more boronated compounds are developed for possible use in BNCT, it becomes increasingly more important to have quick effective techniques for screening the compounds in cell culture and animal models. It is vital to know how much boron is taken up by tumor cells, how much of the boron is retained by the cells, and where the boron is localized within the cells before a decision can be made about using a compound for clinical trials. Ion microscopy is a very powerful technique which can be used for evaluating the uptake, localization, selectivity, and retention of boron in cell cultures and animal models.
The Future of Work for Older Persons

Any serious discussion of the future must, first of all, avoid making predictions. Instead, we should discuss a range of possible alternative scenarios. Fortune-tellers, palm readers, astrologers, or gazers into crystal balls, are not welcome. Second, we should be clear about which future we refer to. Is it the very near future — for example, ten years from now? The intermediate future, about 20–25 years; or, the long-run future, say, 50 years from now? Each of these futures can be different from the others. But equally important, the dynamics, the characteristics, the trends set in one preceding time period impinges on those that follow. Each future is not a freestanding time entity, independent of its predecessor, and without an effect on its successors.
Dynamic Interplay of RNA and Protein in the Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Reverse Transcription Initiation Complex.

The initiation of reverse transcription in human immunodeficiency virus-1 is a key early step in the virus replication cycle. During this process, the viral enzyme reverse transcriptase (RT) copies the single-stranded viral RNA (vRNA) genome into double-stranded DNA using human tRNALys3 as a primer for initiation. The tRNA primer and vRNA genome contain several complementary sequences that are important for regulating reverse transcription initiation kinetics. Using single-molecule Forster resonance energy transfer spectroscopy, we demonstrate that the vRNA-tRNA initiation complex is conformationally heterogeneous and dynamic in the absence of RT. As shown previously, nucleic acid-RT interaction is characterized by rapid dissociation constants. We show that extension of the vRNA-tRNA primer binding site helix from 18 base pairs to 22 base pairs stabilizes RT binding to the complex and that the tRNA 5' end has a role in modulating RT binding. RT occupancy on the complex stabilizes helix 1 formation and reduces global structural heterogeneity. The stabilization of helix 1 upon RT binding may serve to destabilize helix 2, the first pause site for RT during initiation, during later steps of reverse transcription initiation.
Medicaid Expansion and Prescription Trends: Opioids, Addiction Therapies, and Other Drugs

Background:Opioid overdose deaths in the United States have climbed since 1999. In 2014, the Affordable Care Act prompted some states to expand Medicaid programs, providing low-cost prescription access to millions of Americans. Some have questioned whether Medicaid expansion might worsen the opioid
Effects of Flooding on Physiology and Growth of Four Woody Ornamental Species in Marl Soil of South Florida

Abstract In south Florida nurseries, trees are often grown in marl soil, which is heavy, clay-like, calcareous soil that is slow to drain and prone to periodic flooding during the rainy season. Green buttonwood, mahogany, pond apple and Surinam cherry are grown in this soil. We tested effects of flooding on leaf gas exchange and growth of these four species to determine their flood tolerances in marl soil. Green buttonwood, mahogany, and Surinam cherry each had consistently lower leaf gas exchange and plant growth in flooded than in non-flooded marl soil, which suggests low tolerance to flooding. In contrast, flooding had little or no effect on leaf gas exchange and growth of pond apple, indicating that this species was tolerant of flooding in marl soil. Green buttonwood and pond apple had larger stem diameters and more hypertrophic stem lenticels when flooded than when not flooded. Flooded green buttonwood also developed adventitious roots. Pond apple appears to be a good choice for planting in low-lying...
Plastic recovery and self-healing in longitudinally twinned SiGe nanowires

This paper reports on plastic recovery and self-healing behavior in longitudinally-twinned and [112] orientated SiGe nanowire (NW) beams when they are subjected to large bending strains. The NW alloys are comprised of lamellar nanotwin platelet(s) sandwiched between two semi-cylindrical twins. The loading curves, which are acquired from atomic force microscope (AFM) based three-point bending tests, reveal the onset of plastic deformation at a characteristic stress threshold, followed by further straining of the NWs. This ductility is attributed to dislocation activity within the semi-cylindrical crystal portions of the NW, which are hypothesized to undergo a combination of elastic and plastic straining. On the other hand, the lamellar nanoplatelets undergo purely elastic stretching. During the unloading process, the release of internal elastic stresses enables dislocation backflow and escape at the surface. As a result, the dislocations are predominantly annihilated and the NW samples evidenced self-healing via plastic recovery even at ultra-large strains, which are estimated using finite-element models at 16.3% in one of the tested devices. Finite element analysis also establishes the independence of the observed nanomechanical behavior on the relative orientation of the load with respect to the nanoplatelet. This first observation of reversible plasticity in the SiGe material system, which is aided by a concurrent evolution of segmented elastic and plastic deformation within its grains during the loading process, presents an important new pathway for mechanical stabilization of technologically important group-IV semiconductor nanomaterials.
Combining Experiments and Simulation of Gas Absorption for Teaching Mass Transfer Fundamentals: Removing CO2 from Air Using Water and NaOH.

Laboratory experiments and computer models for studying the mass transfer process of removing CO2 from air using water or dilute NaOH solution as absorbent are presented. Models tie experiment to theory and give a visual representation of concentration profiles and also illustrate the two-film theory and the relative importance of various resistances to mass transfer with and without reaction.
Is ethnicity linked to the severity of SLE manifestations

Epidemiological data on the prevalence and severity of specific manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) among different ethnic groups are now emerging. The use of rigorous epidemiological methods should enable a better understanding of these features of SLE in different ethnic groups, which could influence disease management.
Effect of Bang® Pre-Workout Master Blaster® combined with four weeks of resistance training on lean body mass, maximal strength, mircoRNA expression, and serum IGF-1 in men: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

The aim of the current study was to determine if 4 weeks of consumption of Bang® Pre-Workout Master Blaster® (BMB; Vital Pharmaceuticals Inc., Weston, FL) combined with resistance training resulted in greater increases in muscle mass and maximal strength compared with resistance training combined with placebo (PLA). Additionally, we aimed to determine if BMB ingestion combined with resistance training preferentially altered resting skeletal muscle expression of microRNAs (miRs) or resting serum insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). Sixteen recreationally-active men completed the study. The study employed a block-randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel design. Participants completed two testing sessions separated by 4 weeks of resistance exercise combined with daily supplementation of BMB or PLA. At each testing session, hemodynamics, body composition, and muscle and blood samples were obtained followed by strength assessments of the lower- and upper-body via measurement of squat and bench press one-repetition maximum (1-RM), respectively. A separate general linear model was utilized for analysis of each variable to determine the effect of each supplement (between-factor) over time (within-factor) using an a priori probability level of ≤0.05. No significant effects were observed for dietary intake, hemodynamics, fat mass, body fat percentage, or serum IGF-1. A greater increase in total body mass (3.19 kg, 95% CI, 1.98 kg, 4.40 kg vs. 0.44 kg, 95% CI, − 0.50 kg, 1.39 kg) and lean body mass (3.15 kg, 95% CI, 1.80 kg, 4.49 kg vs. 0.89 kg, 95% CI, − 0.14 kg, 1.93 kg) was observed for the BMB group compared with PLA (p < 0.01). A significant increase over time was observed for miR-23a (p = 0.02) and miR-23b (p = 0.05) expression. A greater increase in squat 1-RM was observed for the BMB group (23.86 kg, 95% CI, 16.75 kg, 30.97 kg) compared with the PLA group (14.20 kg, 95% CI, 7.04 kg, 21.37 kg, p = 0.04). BMB supplementation combined with resistance exercise training for 4 weeks resulted in superior adaptations in maximal strength and LBM compared with resistance training with a placebo. No adverse resting hemodynamic or clinical blood safety markers were observed as a result of BMB supplementation. The superior outcomes associated with BMB supplementation could not be explained by resting serum IGF-1 or the skeletal muscle miRs measured, although resting miR-23a and miR-23b expression both increased as a result of resistance training.
Poisson Distribution: A Model for Estimating Households by Household Size

The number of people living in a household is associated with infrastructure demand such as transportation and water usage. As a result, infrastructure planners often require detail about the number of households by size-of-household at very small levels of geography (census tract or smaller) to calibrate their models. In addition, these data must also be projected into the future in order to support planning efforts. This paper documents a statistical technique for estimating and forecasting the distribution of households by size using a modified application of the Poisson distribution. This technique is valuable to demographers as it provides a simple and reliable tool for estimating the distribution of household sizes at nearly any level of geography for a given point in time using only one input parameter—average household size. There are a wide variety of applications of the Poisson distribution in biology and engineering. However, there are only few documented applications in demography. This article puts forth two key advancements over prior published work: (1) an entirely new, and greatly simplified method for applying the distribution, and (2) evidence of the reliability of the technique for estimating household size distributions in small geographic areas (e.g., counties and census tracts). Tests of the model based on U.S. Census Bureau data for 2010 suggest that the model is suitable for use in estimating the distribution of households by size at the county and census tract level. In addition, practitioners may want to consider adjustments for households of size one and size three, which are consistently under- and over-predicted, respectively.
Implementing the Studio Classroom in Chemistry

For over two decades, general chemistry courses at California Polytechnic State University have been offered as “studio courses” which provide an active learning curriculum through high-impact, evidence-based pedagogies and assessment techniques in a highly versatile classroom environment. Data collected show significant improvement in content knowledge, more expert-like learning attitudes, and increased student engagement. With the benefit of 20 years of hindsight, we provide details and advice about the design of our curriculum, pedagogical methods and assessments used in our classrooms, as well as information about the physical design of the classroom. In addition, other considerations regarding faculty training and staff, faculty, and student buy-in are discussed.
Design for active and passive flutter suppression and gust alleviation

Analytical design techniques for active and passive control of aeroelastic systems are based on a rational approximation of the unsteady aerodynamic loads in the entire Laplace domain, which yields matrix equations of motion with constant coefficients. Some existing schemes are reviewed, the matrix Pade approximant is modified, and a technique which yields a minimal number of augmented states for a desired accuracy is presented. The state-space aeroelastic model is used to design an active control system for simultaneous flutter suppression and gust alleviation. The design target is for a continuous controller which transfers some measurements taken on the vehicle to a control command applied to a control surface. Structural modifications are formulated in a way which enables the treatment of passive flutter suppression system with the same procedures by which active control systems are designed.
MicroRNA predicts cognitive performance in healthy older adults

The expression of microRNA (miRNA) is influenced by ongoing biological processes, including aging, and has begun to play a role in the measurement of neurodegenerative processes in central nervous system. The purpose of this study is to utilize machine learning approaches to determine whether miRNA can be utilized as a blood-based biomarker of cognitive aging. A random forest regression combining miRNA with biological (brain volume), clinical (comorbid conditions), and demographic variables in 115 typically aging older adults explained the greatest level of variance in cognitive performance compared to the other machine learning models explored. Three miRNA (miR-140-5p, miR-197-3p, and miR-501-3p) were top-ranked predictors of multiple cognitive outcomes (Fluid, Crystallized, and Overall Cognition) and past studies of these miRNA link them to cellular senescence, inflammatory signals for atherosclerotic formation, and potential development of neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer's disease). Several novel miRNAs were also linked to age and multiple cognitive functions, findings which together warrant further exploration linking these miRNAs to brain-derived metrics of neurodegeneration in typically aging older adults.
Benchmarking background oriented schlieren against interferometric measurement using open source tools

Gas flow from an under-expanding jet nozzle is measured using synchronized background oriented schlieren and interferometry diagnostics. The gas density distribution is obtained from a shift vector field of the background oriented schlieren and compared to the interferometric data. The comparison makes use of a simple calibration routine and open source Python recipes.
A Mycobacterial Systems Resource for the Research Community.

ABSTRACT Functional characterization of bacterial proteins lags far behind the identification of new protein families. This is especially true for bacterial species that are more difficult to grow and genetically manipulate than model systems such as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. To facilitate functional characterization of mycobacterial proteins, we have established a Mycobacterial Systems Resource (MSR) using the model organism Mycobacterium smegmatis. This resource focuses specifically on 1,153 highly conserved core genes that are common to many mycobacterial species, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, in order to provide the most relevant information and resources for the mycobacterial research community. The MSR includes both biological and bioinformatic resources. The biological resource includes (i) an expression plasmid library of 1,116 genes fused to a fluorescent protein for determining protein localization; (ii) a library of 569 precise deletions of nonessential genes; and (iii) a set of 843 CRISPR-interference (CRISPRi) plasmids specifically targeted to silence expression of essential core genes and genes for which a precise deletion was not obtained. The bioinformatic resource includes information about individual genes and a detailed assessment of protein localization. We anticipate that integration of these initial functional analyses and the availability of the biological resource will facilitate studies of these core proteins in many Mycobacterium species, including the less experimentally tractable pathogens M. abscessus, M. avium, M. kansasii, M. leprae, M. marinum, M. tuberculosis, and M. ulcerans. IMPORTANCE Diseases caused by mycobacterial species result in millions of deaths per year globally, and present a substantial health and economic burden, especially in immunocompromised patients. Difficulties inherent in working with mycobacterial pathogens have hampered the development and application of high-throughput genetics that can inform genome annotations and subsequent functional assays. To facilitate mycobacterial research, we have created a biological and bioinformatic resource (https://msrdb.org/) using Mycobacterium smegmatis as a model organism. The resource focuses specifically on 1,153 proteins that are highly conserved across the mycobacterial genus and, therefore, likely perform conserved mycobacterial core functions. Thus, functional insights from the MSR will apply to all mycobacterial species. We believe that the availability of this mycobacterial systems resource will accelerate research throughout the mycobacterial research community.
Defining the Landscape of the Pauling-Corey Rippled Sheet: An Orphaned Motif Finding New Homes.

ConspectusWhen peptides are mixed with their mirror images in an equimolar ratio, two-dimensional periodic structural folds can form, in which extended peptide strands are arrayed with alternating chirality. The resultant topography class, termed the rippled β-sheet, was introduced as a theoretical concept by Pauling and Corey in 1953. Unlike other fundamental protein structural motifs identified around that time, including the α-helix and the pleated β-sheet, it took several decades before conclusive experimental data supporting the proposed rippled β-sheet motif were gained. Much of the key experimental evidence was provided over the course of the past decade through the concurrent efforts of our three laboratories. Studies that focused on developing new self-assembling hydrogel materials have shown that certain amphiphilic peptides form fibrils and hydrogel networks that are more rigid and have a higher thermodynamic stability when made from racemic peptide mixtures as opposed to pure enantiomers. Related interrogation of assemblies composed of mixtures of l- and d-amphiphilic peptides confirmed that the resulting fibrils were composed of alternating l/d peptides consistent with rippled β-sheets. It was also demonstrated that mirror-image amyloid beta (Aβ) could act as a molecular chaperone to promote oligomer-to-fibril conversion of the natural Aβ enantiomer, which was found to reduce Aβ neurotoxicity against different neuronal cell models. With a cross-disciplinary approach that combines experiment and theory, our three laboratories have demonstrated the unique biophysical, biochemical, and biological properties that arise upon mixing of peptide enantiomers, in consequence of rippled β-sheet formation. In this Account, we give an overview of the early history of the rippled β-sheet and provide a detailed structural description/definition of this motif relative to the pleated β-sheet. We then summarize the key findings, obtained on three unique sets of aggregating mirror-image peptide pairs through independent efforts of our three laboratories, and use these results to delineate the landscape of the rippled β-sheet structural motif to inspire future studies. Peptide sequence parameters that favor rippled β-sheet assembly are described, along with the accompanying kinetic and thermodynamic properties, as well as the resulting emergent physical properties of the assemblies. The Account then concludes with a brief overview of some key unresolved challenges in this nascent field. There is much potential for future applications of this unique supramolecular motif in the realm of materials design and biomedical research. We hope this Account will stimulate much-needed discussion of this fascinating structural class to eventually produce a fully quantitative, rational framework for the molecular engineering of rippled β-sheets in the future.
Objective evaluation of technical dexterity in robotic hepaticojejunostomy: Assessment of hepatopancreatobiliary fellows using cumulative sum analytics.

Background The development of technical dexterity is a critical for surgeons in training. This study describes and assesses the feasibility of an objective method for the evaluation of procedure-specific technical dexterity in hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) surgery using cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis. Methods Dry-lab HPB procedures were divided into procedural steps with binary outcomes (success or failure). Two HPB fellows completed 20 dry lab hepaticojejunostomy (HJ) procedures. Participant progress was tracked over time with CUSUM analytics to establish a learning curve for procedural proficiency. Results The CUSUM charts for 20 consecutive dry-lab HJ procedures were analysed. A learning curve was created and used to identify areas of weakness to facilitate improvement in technical proficiency. Conclusions CUSUM is effective tool for objective evaluation of technical dexterity offering both simplicity and adaptability. We demonstrate its use and feasibility for surgical education and plan to expand its' application to assess residents performing general surgery procedures.
BaFe 12 O 19 Magnetoplumbite Films Grown on Sio 2 /Si Substrates for Widescale Magnetic Film Semiconductor Systems Integration

Barium hexaferrite (i.e., BaFe12O19) finds application in magnetic memory and radio frequency devices. Here, we report highly textured BaFe12O19 magnetoplumbite thin film growth by pulsed laser deposition directly on amorphous thermal oxide wafers (i.e., SiO2/Si) opening an avenue for the monolithic integration of ferrites onto silicon-based platforms compatible with semiconductor systems and processing. The films and, in particular, their interfaces have been characterized by vibration sample magnetometery, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. In the past, comparable hexaferrite films have been grown only on crystalline substrates with well-matched lattice parameters, e.g., sapphire or magnesium oxide.
Law as Faith: The Metaphysical Dream for the Land of the Free

What is law in the United States of America? To ask what something “is” is to invoke the philosophical category of ontology, examining the isness, the being, the existential nature of a thing. The answer to the ontological question of law has remained relatively straight forward for most of human history: law is something found in the lungs of a ruler––“whatever he says.” That same question, however, is far more complicated, and frustratingly so, in “the land of the free.” What law means in one country might vary in another, yes, but why and how? What is it precisely that makes American law distinguishable from North Korean law? Dating back to the seventeenth century colonies, the American people shared essentially the same answer to basic ontological questions. What is marriage? What is a family? What is a human being? There was little to no dispute about the answer to these questions. Similarly, the ontological status of American law went undisputed for most of American history. But as formally accepted definitions of marriage, family, and life are relativized into epistemological oblivion, the ontological status of American law spins curiously in the background.
Compositional dynamics and light regimes in a midwestern old-growth forest preserve1

Forest structure, composition, and understory light patterns were measured at Allee Memorial Woods (AMW) near the forest–prairie ecoregional boundary in west-central Indiana to determine (1) compositional trends over five decades, (2) how different disturbance histories may have affected the dynamics, (3) current understory light regimes and their relationship to sapling densities, and (4) implications for the future of the forest preserve. Permanent sampling grids were re-established during 2011–12 in an uncut stand and two others that were selectively or heavily cut during 1890–1920. All trees > 1 m tall were censused, and those > 7.5 cm in diameter were mapped and measured, to compare structure (density, mean diameter, basal area) and species composition (richness, diversity, similarity) within and across size classes. Photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) was measured in three ways and correlated with sapling densities. Substantial compositional changes occurred in both the uncut and selectively cut stands during 1959–60 to 2011. They have declined in species richness and diversity, especially in smaller size classes, and the relative densities of Acer saccharum L., Fagus grandifolia Ehrh., or both have increased in sapling (1 m tall to 7.5 cm diameter) and mid-sized (7.6–50.7 cm) strata while the overstory (> 50.7 cm) has become more heavily dominated by Quercus spp. and Liriodendron tulipifera L. Light levels under intact canopy are very low in general and sapling densities are correlated with light, especially with longer-term direct PPF measurements at 0.5 m. All three stands show patterns consistent with widespread understory shade tolerance shifts in eastern North America, and the uncut and selectively cut stands have converged in overall size class structure and composition through different pathways related to their disturbance histories. Increased dominance of the overstory by Acer and Fagus, further declines in tree species diversity, and inhibition of regeneration by less shade-tolerant species are predicted for AMW unless there are substantial changes in climate and/or disturbance.
Necessity as a pretext for violation of Islamic commercialLaw: a scenario of mortgage contract in the UK

This article attempts to examine some Islamic legal maxims in relation to the practice of mortgage in the UK. It looks at various products offered by either conventional banks or Islamic banks to determine whether necessity can be used as a pretext to breach the prohibition of riba. It answers, in light of maqasid al-shari‘ah (the spirits of Islamic law) through these legal maxims, the argument of those who condemn outright the “halality” of the current products of Islamic mortgage and suggest an amenable solution. The paper traces the development of Islamic mortgage in Britain and the involvement of Muslims in this development. It further exposes the principle of necessity in Islamic law and its role in relieving its adherent from hardship. The paper then argues that if provision is a settled rule in Islamic law, application of it to the present situation of Muslims in Britain is inevitable.The effect of refrainment of Muslims from participation in the current global economy, especially, property investment particularly in the West at large, will put Muslims in the desecration of wealth.
On Predicting Impacts of Customizations to Standard Business Processes

Adopting standard business processes and then customizing them to suit specific business requirements is a common business practice. However, often, organizations don’t fully know the impact of their customizations until after processes are implemented. In this paper, we present an algorithm for predicting the impact of customizations made to standard business processes by leveraging a repository of similar customizations made to the same standard processes. For a customized process whose impact needs to be predicted, similar impact trees are located in a repository using the notion of impact nodes. The algorithm returns a ranked list of impacts predicted for the customizations.
Rapid uptake of aluminum into cells of intact soybean root tips : a microanalytical study using secondary ion mass spectrometry

A wide range of physiological disorders has been reported within the first few hours of exposing intact plant roots to moderate levels of Al3+. Past microanalytic studies, largely limited to electron probe x-ray microanalysis, have been unable to detect intracellular Al in this time frame. This has led to the suggestion that Al exerts its effect solely from extracellular or remote tissue sites. Here, freeze-dried cryosections (10 [mu]m thick) collected from the soybean (Glycine max) primary root tip (0.3-0.8 mm from the apex) were analyzed using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The high sensitivity of SIMS for Al permitted the first direct evidence of early entry of Al into root cells. Al was found in cells of the root tip after a 30-min exposure of intact roots to 38 [mu]M Al3+. The accumulation of Al was greatest in the first 30 [mu]m, i.e. two to three cell layers, but elevated Al levels extended at least 150 [mu]m inward from the root edge. Intracellular Al concentrations at the root periphery were estimated to be about 70 nmol g-1 fresh weight. After 18 h of exposure, Al was evident throughout the root cross-section, although the rate of accumulation had slowed considerably from that during the initial 30 min. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that early effects of Al toxicity at the root apex, such as those on cell division, cell extension, or nutrient transport, involve the direct intervention of Al on cell function.
Cada país fue una palabra

Latinoamerica: las ciudades y las ideas. Jose Luis Romero. Prologo de Rafael Gutierrez Girardot. Editorial Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, 1999, 532 pags.
Property-restoral algorithms for blind equalization of OFDM

Adaptive blind equalization for OFDM can be difficult due to its nearly Gaussian marginal density. OFDM has unique properties, however, including constant mean block energy and zero-padded or circular-prefix guard bands, that allow blind equalization. The hybrid LMS/VCMA algorithms introduced here blindly restore the guard-band properties while maintaining a constant mean block energy. These simple, low-complexity adaptive algorithms demonstrate rapid convergence in simulations.
Nell Nelson and The Chicago Times “City slave girls” series

Purpose – This paper seeks to illustrate the instrumental role of reporter Nell Nelson in beginning a national labor reform movement resulting in improved working conditions for women and children in the USA.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on archival newspaper clippings, original scrapbooks kept by prominent Chicago figures of the time, US census records, and other labor history resources, the paper synthesizes heretofore‐disparate sources to provide a more complete picture of the cause‐and‐effect nature of Nelson's Chicago Times “City slave girls” series.Findings – The research concludes that Nelson was an instrumental force in the formation of over ten advocacy organizations that worked to transform the way women and children in the USA were treated in the workplace and was instrumental in securing legislative reforms.Originality/value – This is the first paper to explore the role played by Nell Nelson in securing labor reforms, thus, contributing to a more complete understanding of management hi...
Performance of the DØ Calorimeter During Run IIA of the Tevatron

The performance of the DO liquid argon calorimeter during Run IIA of the Tevatron at Fermilab is described. Online calibration and data quality monitoring are included, as well as the effects of noise on the calorimeter and overall system maintenance during the run period.
Synthetic anthocyanidins and their antioxidant properties

Anthocyanidins were synthesized to study the effect of methoxy substitution on the B ring to their antioxidant property. Comparative FRAP studies show 2′- and 4′-methoxy substituents have higher antioxidant activities, which may be attributed to both resonance and inductive effects.
Worker Centers and Day Laborers’ Wages*

Author(s): Melendez, EJ; Visser, MA; Theodore, N; Valenzuela, A | Abstract: Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of day laborer worker centers on the hourly wages earned by day laborers. Methods: Using data from the National Day Labor Survey, a two-step method was estimated to measure the wage impacts of day labor worker centers, and to control for endogeneity and selection bias. Estimated wages were compared across hiring sites to determine whether or not a wage premium was earned by workers who participate in day labor worker centers. Results: We find a modest, but statistically significant, wage premium earned by workers who participate in day labor worker centers, as well as evidence suggestive of the capacity of worker centers to mitigate market advantages associated with informal hiring sites. Conclusions: We argue that while worker centers remain the most effective means through which day labor markets can be regulated and workers' wages improved, increasing the regulatory capacity of these labor market intermediaries will require a significant "scaling up," so that they can more fully influence the larger political, economic, and social contexts in which the day labor economy is embedded. © 2013 by the Southwestern Social Science Association.
Photoemission study of surface states of the (110) GaAs surface

A detailed photoemission study of the cleavage face of GaAs shows that there are no empty surface states in the lower half of the energy gap, but empty surface states extend down to about the middle of the energy gap. The empty surface states cause Fermi-level pinning and band bending on $n$-type GaAs, but the bands are approximately flat for $p$-type GaAs. No evidence for filled surface states is found below the valence-band maximum, indicating that any filled surface states below the valence-band maximum have no strong structure and may be strongly mixed with bulk valence-band states. Several theoretical calculations of the surface states for GaAs (110) have been reported which find an empty surface state in good agreement with the results reported here, but the calculations also find a high density of surface states located approximately 0.5 eV below the valence-band maximum, in poor agreement with our results.
Polyethyleneimine-Modified MCM-48 Membranes: Effect of Water Vapor and Feed Concentration on N2/CO2 Selectivity

Ordered mesoporous MCM-48 membranes with cubic pore structure were prepared by the solution growth method on symmetric α-alumina supports using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a surfactant. The surfactant was removed by Soxhlet extraction using an ethanol/HCl mixture to synthesize defect-free MCM-48 membranes as confirmed by N2 unsteady-state permeation. MCM-48 membranes and powders were successfully modified with a polymer, polyethyleneimine (PEI) containing amino groups as confirmed by N2 adsorption−desorption data, X-ray diffraction, Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), and N2 unsteady-state permeation experiments. The PEI/MCM-48 membranes were permeable to N2 after pore modification, suggesting incomplete filling of MCM-48 pores by PEI, which was confirmed by the N2 adsorption−desorption experiments on the bulk PEI/MCM-48 powder. The PEI-modified MCM-48 membranes were highly selective to N2 permeation from N2/CO2 mixtures at room temperature in the presence of ∼2.6% water vapor. Binary-gas N2/CO2 perm...
The relationship between the uniqueness ofcomputer ethics and its independence as adiscipline in applied ethics

A number of different uniqueness claims have been made about computer ethics in order to justify characterizing it as a distinct subdiscipline of applied ethics. I consider several different interpretations of these claims and argue, first, that none are plausible and, second, that none provide adequate justification for characterizing computer ethics as a distinct subdiscipline of applied ethics. Even so, I argue that computer ethics shares certain important characteristics with medical ethics that justifies treating both as separate subdisciplines of applied ethics.