cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Agronomic Use of Poultry Industry Waste

Abstract There is currently widespread agronomic use of poultry waste. However, there is need to increase use and refine current use to address both agronomic and environmental concerns. The increased emphasis on surface and groundwater protection will require proper management of all nutrients. Waste application rates must be based on comprehensive nutrient management planning that considers waste characteristics, application equipment, cropping systems and management, and soil productivity. Dissolved air flotation sludges can be used agronomically, but care must be taken to avoid physical clogging of soils. Composting normal production mortality is viable, but additional research is needed on composting hatchery waste and, particularly, catastrophic mortality. Litter and manure will continue to increase in use as a nutrient source, but more emphasis must be placed on achieving proper agronomic loading rates. Due to land area shortages, transport of poultry waste for sale at less than cost will become common in certain areas. Agronomic utilization will continue to grow as the most common means of managing poultry waste.
Model Complexity Requirements in Design of Half Car Active Suspension Controllers

This paper investigates the appropriate level of model complexity when designing optimal vehicle active suspension controllers using the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) method. The LQR method requires the formulation of a performance index with weighting factors to penalize the three competing objectives in suspension design: suspension travel (rattle space), sprung mass acceleration (ride quality) and tire deflection (road-holding). The optimal control gains are determined from the solution of a matrix Riccati equation with dimension equal to the number of state variables in the model. A quarter car model with four states thus poses a far less onerous formulation problem than a half or full car model with eight or more states. However, half and full car models are often assumed to be more accurate than quarter car models, and necessary for capturing and controlling degrees of freedom such as pitch and roll motion which are not directly available from a quarter car. The vertical acceleration, pitch acceleration and roadholding of a pitch plane vehicle are controlled in this paper using both quarter and half car-based controllers. First, optimal gains are calculated for each of the front and rear actuators assuming that the front and rear of the vehicle can be separately modeled as quarter cars with four states each. Then, half car-based optimal gains, based on feedback of eight states for the entire vehicle, are computed. Using quarter car-based controllers at the front and rear of a half car gives superior performance in reducing sprung mass inertial acceleration, and can effectively control pitch motion even when interactions between front and rear suspensions are not decoupled. Minimizing vertical motion of the front and rear ends indirectly regulates pitch motion. Improvements resulting from the additional complexity of the half car-based controller are seen only when the weighting factor for pitch suppression is very high in the performance index.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Thermal Analysis of 3‐mol%‐Yttria‐Stabilized Tetragonal Zirconia Powder Doped with Copper Oxide

Thermal analysis was performed upon 3-mol%-yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (3Y-TZP) which had been doped with CuO using an aqueous adsorption technique. Cyclic differential thermal analysis (DTA) scans indicated that the CuO present on the powder surfaces first transforms to Cu{sub 2}O and then melts. The molten Cu{sub 2}O then reacts with yttria at the powder surfaces to form a new phase containing Y, Cu, and O. Because Y takes time to diffuse to the particle surfaces, the apparent melting point of this new phase appears at higher temperatures in initial DTA scans than in subsequent scans. Vaporization of the molten copper-oxide-rich phase at the temperatures studied causes a gradual shift in composition from Y{sub 2}Cu{sub 4}O{sub 5} to the less copper-rich Y{sub 2}Cu{sub 2}O{sub 5} phase. The presence of the Y{sub 2}Cu{sub 2}O{sub 5} phase in CuO-doped 3Y-TZP allows for previous sintering and superplasticity results to be explained.
Using structural constraints for speech act interpretation

We present a speech act interpretation system that has the generality of previous plan-based approaches but also can distinguish subtleties of phrasing. As a result, a sentence such as Can you pass the salt can be recognized as a request to pass the salt, whereas Tell me whether you are able to pass the salt is a question about the hearer's abilities. The system also provides a framework for integrating spoken language information, namely intonation and prosody, into the speech act interpretation process. The resulting system is more accurate than previous approaches and is considerably more efficient in dealing with everyday conventional sentences.
Use of CEPH and non-CEPH lymphoblast cell lines in pharmacogenetic studies

A long-term goal of pharmacogenomic research is the design of individualized therapy based on the genomic sequence of the patient in order to maximize response and minimize adverse drug reactions. Identifying genetic variants that predict drug response is challenging because drug responses reflect not only properties intrinsic to the target cell, but also host metabolic factors. One model that is currently being employed to study genotype–phenotype correlations involves the use of lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). These cell lines have been used to identify genetic variation that influences response or susceptibility to cancer, radiation, transport, cytotoxicity, and variation in global gene expression. LCLs, particularly those derived from large pedigrees, are a valuable resource for identifying candidate genes and have potential for studies of many relevant phenotypes. This paper highlights studies that have utilized Centre d’ Etude du Polymorphisme Humain (CEPH) and non-CEPH cell lines derived from hum...
Pulse diffraction by a step discontinuity

The uniform geometrical theory of diffraction (GTD) is used to obtained a frequency-domain solution for acoustic point-source diffraction by a 90 degrees C step in a plane-surface with a hard boundary condition. The time-domain solution is then construction for an appropriate seismic pulse in which the low-frequency components are suppressed and the results presented in a form for geophysical interpretation. It is noted that results generated using the solutions thus obtained are in better agreement with experiment than numerical values based on the Kirchhoff method. >
Sequential localization with inaccurate measurements

The sensor network localization problem with distance information is to determine the positions of all sensors in a network given the positions of some sensors and the distances between some pairs of sensors. We present a sequential algorithm for estimating sensor positions when only inaccurate distance measurements are available, and evaluate the performance of the algorithm on simulations of randomly deployed networks of 100 sensors.
The expanding field of SILAC

Stable isotope labeling by amino acids (SILAC) metabolically encodes cell populations for protein quantification by mass spectrometry. SILAC was introduced in 2002 and the field of mass spectrometry based proteomics has changed dramatically over the last decade. Increased sensitivity and speed of mass spectrometry instruments coupled with significantly improved mass resolution and precision have led to much higher rates of peptide identification and deeper coverage of proteomic samples. Several proteomics approaches are now available for quantifying proteins and their post-translational modifications, each with their strengths and weaknesses. The simplicity and robustness of SILAC have led to its widespread adoption and new applications have emerged that play to its particular strengths as a metabolic labeling approach.
Pyogenic granuloma (lobular capillary hemangioma) within port-wine stains

We observed two patients who developed pyogenic granulomas within port-wine stains. One had a single lesion without recurrence, whereas the second had multiple lesions that developed during a 6-year period. It has been postulated that arteriovenous anastomoses are associated with the pathogenesis of pyogenic granuloma. Formation of pyogenic granuloma within a port-wine stain, a lesion often associated with arteriovenous anastomoses, provides further support for this idea.
ANTIDEPRESSANT USE AMONG ASIANS IN THE UNITED STATES

Objectives—We examined the prevalence and predictors of past-year antidepressant use in a nationally representative sample of Asian Americans and non-Latino Whites. Methods—Analyses of 12-month antidepressant medication use were based on data from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES) that surveyed Asian (Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese and others; N=2,284) and non-Latino White (N= 6,696) household residents ages 18 years and older in the 48 contiguous United States and Hawaii. Results—Prevalence rates for 12-month antidepressant use for Asians with major depression ranged from 8.7% among Vietnamese to 17% among Chinese respondents. Compared to nonLatino Whites (32.4%), all Asians (10.9%) meeting criteria for 12-month depressive and anxiety disorders, but especially Filipinos (8.8%) were less likely to report past-year antidepressant use. Conclusions—We found disparities in past-year antidepressant use among all the examined major Asian groups meeting criteria for 12-month depressive and anxiety disorders. These disparities were not explained by mental health need or socioeconomic factors that enable access to care.
Monovalent cation dependence and preference of GHKL ATPases and kinases

The GHKL phosphotransferase superfamily, characterized by four sequence motifs that form the ATP-binding site, consists of the ATPase domains of type II DNA topoisomerases, Hsp90, and MutL, and bacterial and mitochondrial protein kinases. In addition to a magnesium ion, which is essential for catalysis, a potassium ion bound adjacent to the triphosphate moiety of ATP in a rat mitochondrial protein kinase, BCK (branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase), has been shown to be indispensable for nucleotide binding and hydrolysis. Using X-ray crystallographic, biochemical, and genetic analyses, we find that the monovalent cation-binding site is conserved in MutL, but both Na(+) and K(+) support the MutL ATPase activity. When Ala100 of MutL is substituted by proline, mimicking the K(+)-binding environment in BCK, the mutant MutL protein becomes exclusively dependent on Na(+) for the ATPase activity. The coordination of this Na(+) ion is identical to that of the K(+) ion in BCK and involves four carbonyl oxygen atoms emanating from the hinges of the ATP lid and a non-bridging oxygen of the bound nucleotide. A similar monovalent cation-binding site is found in DNA gyrase with additional coordination by a serine side chain. The conserved and protein-specific monovalent cation-binding site is unique to the GHKL superfamily and probably essential for both ATPase and kinase activity. Dependence on different monovalent cations for catalysis may be exploited for future drug design specifically targeting each individual member of the GHKL superfamily.
Constant corticosterone replacement normalizes basal adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) but permits sustained ACTH hypersecretion after stress in adrenalectomized rats.

To characterize further the effects of providing a constant corticosterone signal after bilateral adrenalectomy, we have compared the effects of bilateral adrenalectomy with no replacement (ADX) and with replacement with a corticosterone pellet implanted sc at surgery (B-PELLET) to those of shamadrenalectomy (SHAM) on pituitary and plasma ACTH concentrations during the first 3 postoperative days. In ADX rats, plasma ACTH concentrations were elevated at all times compared to those in the SHAM group; pituitary ACTH content decreased during the first 12 h, then increased and was not different from that in the SHAM group thereafter. Replacement of corticosterone at the time of adrenal surgery in B-PELLET rats resulted in no differences in pituitary and plasma ACTH concentrations from SHAM values, suggesting that immediate steroid replacement prevents the major adrenalectomy-induced changes in central regulatory components governing basal activity of the adrenocortical system. Although B-PELLET rats had normal...
Four-Year Lower Extremity Disability Trajectories Among African American Men and Women

BACKGROUND We examined 4-year lower extremity disability trajectories. METHODS Nine hundred ninety-eight African American men and women 49-65 years old were evaluated at baseline and at four annual follow-ups. Lower extremity disability was the number of difficulties with nine standard activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental ADLs (IADL), and lower body function items. Mixed-effect models were used. RESULTS The 9-item lower extremity disability measure had factorial validity and high reliability (alpha > 0.88). The mean baseline lower extremity disability score was 2.43, and at the subsequent follow-ups it was 2.23, 2.35, 2.60, and 2.70. The mixed-effect model included significant random intercept and aging effects. Fixed factors with the largest effect sizes (all p < or =.001) were physical performance (-0.238 lower extremity disabilities per point on the Short Physical Performance Battery [SPPB]), fear of falling (1.094), poor or fair self-rated health (0.735), self-reported arthritis (0.659), clinically relevant levels of depression symptoms (0.641), body mass index (0.047 per kg/m(2) unit), aging (0.082 per year), and asthma (0.558). CONCLUSIONS To improve lower extremity disability trajectories among African Americans, interventions should focus on improving SPPB scores. In addition, fear of falling, poor or fair self-rated health, and clinically relevant levels of depression symptoms should be considered potential intervention candidates warranting further evaluation.
Effect of prior high-intensity exercise on exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia in Thoroughbred horses

Strenuously exercising horses exhibit arterial hypoxemia and exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), the latter resulting from stress failure of pulmonary capillaries. The present study was c...
Physiological interactions between a mesophilic cellulolytic Clostridium and a non‐cellulolytic bacterium

A mesophilic cellulolytic bacterium (Clostridium strain C7) capable of N2 fixation and a non-cellulolytic bacterium (Klebsiella strain W1), both isolated from freshwater environments rich in decaying plant material, were co-cultured in a chemically defined, vitamin-deficient medium containing cellulose as the carbon and energy source. In the co-culture, an extracellular cellulase complex produced by the Clostridium hydrolyzed cellulose to soluble sugars that served as fermentable substrates for the Klebsiella. In turn, the Klebsiella excreted growth factors, identified as biotin and p-aminobenzoic acid, which were required by the Clostridium. Furthermore, demonstration of NH4+-repressible acetylene reduction by co-cultures growing in medium lacking combined nitrogen showed that the Clostridium fixed N2, thus allowing growth of the Klebsiella, which was not a nitrogen fixer. The mutualistic relationships observed in the co-cultures may be representative of interactions that take place in natural environments in which cellulose-containing plant materials are biodegraded.
The Genetics of Seasonal Polyphenism and the Evolution of “General Purpose Genotypes” in Butterflies

This paper is really a specialized appendix to Professor Scharloo’s on “The Genetics of Adaptive Reactions.” It deals with a particular set of such reactions — those of butterfly wing patterns to environmental factors — and asks whether those which seem adaptive are evolutionarily related to those which do not, and if so, how. Despite more than a century of interest in such phenomena, the answers are not yet in; we are only now able to do the carefully controlled experiments necessary to partition phenotypic variation into its environmental and genetic components and this work is still very much in progress. So this will be a very unsatisfying presentation — full of qualitative statements, long on speculation, short on hard data. If it serves as a provocation it will have done its duty.
Fast multipole method for micromagnetic simulation of periodic systems

We have developed a new method for computing the magnetostatic field of an infinite array of images of an arbitrary system of charges or multipoles. The result takes the form of a Taylor expansion of the potential of a "cored array" of distant images, as is required by the fast multipole method, the most efficient method known for calculating magnetostatic fields in very large systems. The new method is much faster and simpler to implement than the usual Ewald summation or fast Fourier transform, and does not require a regular grid inside the central cell.
Development of a Test Bed with an Increased Area for Ablative Research

In the development of ablative materials, extensive small scale testing is necessary due to the high cost and scarcity of large scale testing facilities. To maximize the effectiveness of small scale testing, a large thermal impingement area is desired in order to better simulate the actual behavior of the material. An increased area testing platform was developed and validated, which substantially increased the area of applied uniform heat flux to the sample from a previously published 1:6 cm 2 to 9:0 cm 2 . The increased testing area is crucial to provide a more accurate study of the ablation characteristics. This paper details the selection process of a lampworking torch as the heat source through an analytical model and then verified using calibration and C/C material ablation experiments. The newly developed ablation testing setup was able to maintain a comparable heat flux of 3:4 MW=m 2 , while also significantly increasing the sample size that could be tested in the previous testing rig.
Studies on Pandora neoaphidis (Entomophthorales: Entomophthoraceae) Infectious to the Red Morph of Tobacco Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Isolates of Pandora neoaphidis (Remaudiere & Hennebert) Humber from field collections in Kentucky (KY) and North Carolina (NC) were subjected to various temperature and humidity regimes to evaluate sporulation plasticity. Greatest conidial production occurred at 10-25°C and 100% RH or in free water. No conidia were produced at 30°C or below 98% RH. The optimal temperature for in vitro growth of the 2 isolates on modified egg-milk-agar media was 15°C. The NC isolate was more virulent than the KY isolate against tobacco aphid, Myzus nicotianae Blackman, collected from the Lexington, KY, site. Alatae were more susceptible to P neoaphidis than apterae when exposed to the same source of inoculum at 23°C, 100% RH, and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D) h. Conidia produced in vitro by both isolates, when showered onto tobacco leaf disks, were infectious to M. nicotianae for at least 35 h at 100% RH and 23°C.
Measurement of 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase in patients receiving interferon-alpha

The interferon-induced intracellular enzyme, 2′,5′-oligoadenylate (2,5A) synthetase, was measured in extracts of Ficoll-purified human peripheral mononuclear cells from 28 normal healthy individual...
An N-stage cascade of phosphorylation cycles as an insulation device for synthetic biological circuits

Single phosphorylation cycles have been found to have insulation device abilities, that is, they attenuate the effect of retroactivity applied by downstream systems and hence facilitate modular design in synthetic biology. It was recently discovered that this retroactivity attenuation property comes at the expense of an increased retroactivity to the input of the insulation device, wherein the device slows down the signal it receives from its upstream system. In this paper, we demonstrate that insulation devices built of cascaded phosphorylation cycles can break this tradeoff, allowing to attenuate the retroactivity applied by downstream systems while keeping a small retroactivity to the input. In particular, we show that there is an optimal number of cycles that maximally extends the linear operating region of the insulation device while keeping the desired retroactivity properties, when a common phosphatase is used. These findings provide optimal design strategies of insulation devices for synthetic biology applications.
Defective Antiadherence Activity of Bladder Extracts from Patients with Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection

A substantial body of animal work indicates that the initial first line defense against invading microorganisms in the urinary tract is the antiadherence activity of the surface mucin layer. Previous work has demonstrated that bacterial adherence to anion exchange resin can be used as a model for adherence to the mucin deficient rabbit bladder. This anion exchange resin adherence model can also be used as a rapid screen for potential antiadherence agents. In vitro saline extracts of bladder mucosa from various mammalian species including man have been shown to inhibit bacterial adherence to both anion exchange resin and the mucin deficient rabbit bladder. The present report investigates the ability of in vivo saline bladder washes from several groups of patients to inhibit bacterial adherence to anion exchange resin. This has an advantage over other methods of quantitation or visualization of mucin since it is the ability of the bladder extract to prevent bacterial adherence, and not merely the quantity of mucin, that determines the effectiveness of the mucin lining in preventing bacterial attachment. Bladder washes from patients with recurrent urinary tract infection were significantly less potent at inhibiting bacterial adherence than extracts from other groups of patients. This decreased functional antiadherence activity of bladder extracts may help explain the frequency of urinary tract infection in this group of patients.
Role of CXC Chemokines in Liver Repair and Regeneration

The ability of the liver to undergo repair and regeneration following injury is a unique and is dependent on the coordinated integration of several key signaling pathways which correspond to three phases: growth factors (priming), cytokines (proliferation), and metabolic pathways (termination). Here, we present the current understanding of class of small-protein mediators, called chemokines, and how these mediators participate in the regulation of liver repair and regeneration. In addition, we provide a discussion of the various model systems that are used to study liver repair and regeneration, and how the function of chemokines and their cognate receptors may change in the face of different physiologic and pathophysiologic conditions.
Data-Flow Graph Model

This chapter discusses various representations of DSP algorithms. We study how mathematical equations describing the algorithm functionality are translated into compact graphical models. These models enable efficient implementation of the algorithm in hardware while also enabling architectural transformations through matrix manipulations. Common examples of graphical representations are flow graphs and block diagrams.
PACAP Regulation of Gastrointestinal Function and Obesity

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a 27- or 38-amino acid peptide that is widely distributed in both the peripheral and central nervous systems. PACAP has been found to be expressed within the enteric nervous system and gastric mucosa and has profound physiological effects in the gastrointestinal tract. We have previously shown that PACAP regulates gastric acid secretion by activating its high affinity PAC1 receptors expressed on gastric enterochromaffin-like cells (ECL). However, the peripheral mechanisms involved in PACAP regulation of appetite and feeding are unknown. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a 28-amino acid peptide abundantly expressed in the central nervous system as well as in the gastrointestinal tract, where it regulates different physiological functions. VIP inhibits gastric acid secretion via its VPAC1 receptors expressed on gastric D cells. VIP also regulates intestinal motility and VIP gene deletion results in the development of intestinal ileus. VIP is involved in the control of appetite/satiety, feeding behavior and in the secretion of some key regulatory metabolic hormones. VIP plays a very important role in the regulation of body weight and mass composition by significantly enhancing body weight and fat mass. Therefore, both PACAP and VIP neuropeptides could be crucial targets for the regulation of appetite/satiety, body phenotype and for the treatment of obesity.
A Highly Promiscuous ß-Ketoacyl-ACP Synthase (KAS) III-like Protein Is Involved in Pactamycin Biosynthesis

β-Ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein (β-Ketoacyl-ACP) synthase (KAS) III catalyzes the first step in fatty acid biosynthesis, involving a Claisen condensation of the acetyl-CoA starter unit with the first extender unit, malonyl-ACP, to form acetoacetyl-ACP. KAS III-like proteins have also been reported to catalyze acyltransferase reactions using coenzyme A esters or discrete ACP-bound substrates. Here, we report the in vivo and in vitro characterizations of a KAS III-like protein (PtmR), which directly transfers a 6-methylsalicylyl moiety from an iterative type I polyketide synthase to an aminocyclopentitol unit in pactamycin biosynthesis. PtmR is highly promiscuous, recognizing a wide array of S-acyl-N-acetylcysteamines as substrates to produce a suite of pactamycin derivatives with diverse alkyl and aromatic features. The results suggest that KAS III-like proteins may be used as versatile tools for modifications of complex natural products.
Theory and Class Consciousness

In 1937, when Max Horkheimer tied critical theory to skepticism about the assumption that working-class consciousness would transcend reification and achieve revolutionary clarity, the working class itself was still a modest presence on the world stage. Now, that class is vastly larger and more diverse. Wage-paid labor has become the norm everywhere, not just or primarily in the Euro-Atlantic realm. Yet today, few of Horkheimer’s heirs occupy themselves with questions of class and social transformation. Why? Clues, this chapter argues, can be found in the early history of critical theory, which was divided on this question from the start. Working-class subjectivity appeared, from the standpoint of Horkheimer, to combine authority fetishism with commodity fetishism, and the mission of theory was redefined as critique, by means of inquiry anchored in research, with class and consciousness as focal themes. The early critical theorists, however, were unable to sustain this dialectic. Ultimately, this chapter argues, their rejection of blind optimism yielded to an equally blinkered pessimism, which vitiates most forms of “critique” today.
Decoding white coat hypertension

There is arguably no less understood or more intriguing problem in hypertension that the "white coat" condition, the standard concept of which is significantly blood pressure reading obtained by medical personnel of authoritative standing than that obtained by more junior and less authoritative personnel and by the patients themselves. Using hospital-initiated ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, the while effect manifests as initial and ending pressure elevations, and, in treated patients, a low daytime profile. The effect is essentially systolic. Pure diastolic white coat hypertension appears to be exceedingly rare. On the basis of the studies, we believe that the white coat phenomenon is a common, periodic, neuro-endocrine reflex conditioned by anticipation of having the blood pressure taken and the fear of what this measurement may indicate concerning future illness. It does not change with time, or with prolonged association with the physician, particularly with advancing years, it may be superimposed upon essential hypertension, and in patients receiving hypertensive medication, blunting of the nighttime dip, which occurs in about half the patients, may be a compensatory mechanisms, rather than an indication of cardiovascular risk. Rather than the blunted dip, the morning surge or the widened pulse pressure, cardiovascular risk appears to be related to elevation of the average night time pressure.
An experimental investigation into supercavity closure mechanisms

Substantial discrepancy in the conditions for attainment of different closure modes of a ventilated supercavity has existed widely in the published literature. In this study, supercavity closure is investigated with an objective to understand the physical mechanisms determining closure formation and transition between different closure modes and to reconcile the observations from prior studies under various flow settings. The experiments are conducted in a closed-wall recirculating water tunnel to image ventilated supercavity closure using high speed and high-resolution photography and simultaneously measure pressure inside the cavity. The flow conditions are varied systematically to cover a broad range of water velocity, ventilation flow rate and cavitator size, which correspond to different Froude numbers, air entrainment coefficients and blockage ratios, respectively. In addition to the classical closure modes reported in the literature (e.g. re-entrant jet, twin vortex, quad vortex, etc.), the study has revealed a number of new closure modes that occur during the transition between classical modes, or under very specific flow conditions. Closure maps are constructed to depict the flow regimes, i.e. the range of Froude number and air entrainment coefficient, for various closure modes at different blockage ratios. From the closure map at each blockage ratio, a critical ventilation flow rate, below which the supercavity collapses into foamy cavity upon reduction of Froude number, is identified. The air entrainment coefficients corresponding to such critical ventilation rate are found to be independent of blockage ratio. It has been observed that in the process of generating a supercavity by increasing ventilation flow rate, the cavitation number gradually reduces to a minimum value and stays fixed upon further increments in the ventilation rate. Once a supercavity is formed, the ventilation rate can be decreased to a much lower value with no change in cavitation number while still maintaining a supercavity. This process is accompanied by a change in closure modes, which generally goes from twin vortex, to quad vortex, and then to re-entrant jet. In addition, the blockage effect is shown to play an important role in promoting the occurrence of twin-vortex closure modes. Subsequently, a physical framework governing the variation of different closure modes is proposed, and is used to explain mode transition upon the change of flow conditions, including the blockage effect. This framework is further extended to shed light on the occurrence of closure modes for ventilated supercavitation experiments across different types of flow facilities, the natural supercavity closure and the pulsating supercavity reported in the literature. Finally, in combination with a recent numerical study, our research discusses the role of the internal flow physics on the observed features during supercavity formation and closure-mode transition, paving the way for future investigations in this direction.
Superfluorescent laser sources based on single-wall carbon nanotube films (Conference Presentation)

High-quality thin films of highly aligned semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes have been recently demonstrated. They have excellent absorption and photoluminescence properties; however, fast nonradiative recombination of carriers prevents their use as a gain medium in lasers. Here we predict that such films can operate as efficient sources of ultrashort radiation pulses under the conditions of superfluorescence, i.e. cooperative interband recombination of injected electrons and holes. Superfluorescence develops much faster than nonradiative recombination and leads to high-intensity, coherent pulses of near/mid-infrared radiation.
Ring attractor dynamics in the Drosophila central brain

Ring attractors are a class of recurrent networks hypothesized to underlie the representation of heading direction. Such network structures, schematized as a ring of neurons whose connectivity depends on their heading preferences, can sustain a bump-like activity pattern whose location can be updated by continuous shifts along either turn direction. We recently reported that a population of fly neurons represents the animal’s heading via bump-like activity dynamics. We combined two-photon calcium imaging in head-fixed flying flies with optogenetics to overwrite the existing population representation with an artificial one, which was then maintained by the circuit with naturalistic dynamics. A network with local excitation and global inhibition enforces this unique and persistent heading representation. Ring attractor networks have long been invoked in theoretical work; our study provides physiological evidence of their existence and functional architecture.
Abstract P166: Blood Pressure Control Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention at a VA Hospital

Background: Blood pressure (BP) control in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) decreases morbidity and mortality. The US Joint National Committee VII (JNC-7) recommends patients with underlying CAD have a goal systolic blood pressure (SBP) Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study focusing on the attainment of JNC-7 recommended BP goals in a diverse population of 857 veterans undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) between September 2004 and December 2009 at the Jesse Brown Veterans Hospital in Chicago, IL. Data was collected comparing both BP measurements and anti-hypertensive regimens pre and post PCI. Results: In the 857 patients studied, the mean SBP decreased from 134 mm Hg to 129 mm Hg (p Conclusions: There was improvement in both mean BP and percentage of patients achieving JNC-7 recommended goals for SBP & DBP at six months post PCI, though overall percentages still remain suboptimal. Additionally, medication use improved in most drug classes, with the exception of calcium channel blockers. In particular, both beta-blocker and angiotensin antagonist use increased significantly.
Severe South West Asian dust anomaly of June 2008: Data analysis and GEOS-Chem Simulation

In June 2008, abnormally high dust emissions were observed over Southwest Asia drastically reducing visibility while increasing AODs. Using multiple observations and the GEOS-Chem model we showed tropical storms and drought caused the anomaly.
New Scholarship on Race, Class, and Gender: Other Voices Challenging the Mainstream

From the margins, we find ourselves well positioned to tell “other stories“—life histories, traditions, and cultural myths which typically go unheard in dominant society. As illustrated in the lead article, “A Pattern of Possibility: Maxine Hong Kingston9s Woman Warrior,” by Thelma J. Shinn, such stories are “meronymic”—mero from the Greek meaning “part”—because our unique social location allows us to see beyond the dominant mythos and tell “other” parts of “the story.” Telling these stories is not only empowering to those whom we name, but it also changes and transforms the official storyline itself. Life stories of marginalized peoples demonstrate time and again that there is no one story, no one way of seeing, thinking, or feeling. Moreover, the core of these stories and identities reveal multiple parts of a more inclusive story, a more inclusive way of thinking. Further, meronymic stories unveil the complex operations of power and domination which have denied and suppressed other voices. This special issue of Explorations in Ethnic Studies on race, class, and gender is devoted to telling the other parts of “the story.”
The Niebuhr Brothers’ Debate and the Ethics of Just War vs. Pacifism: Progressivism and the Social Gospel

The turn of the nineteenth to the twentieth centuries witnessed not only the burgeoning of the Progressive Era in American and British social and political thought but also the heyday of the Social Gospel as Progressivism’s theological companion. Reinhold and H. Richard Niebuhr, brothers, academics, and theologians who wielded enormous influence on twentieth-century Christianity and international relations, each embraced aspects of both Progressivism and the Social Gospel, but also distanced themselves from these movements in important ways. This chapter discusses both their rapprochements with and distancing from the progressivism of their times, focusing on their public debate in 1932 over the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. While H. Richard and Reinhold demonstrate significant positions in pacifist and just war/Christian realist thinking, the chapter also briefly examines the thought of other important theologians and activists of the period, in order to demonstrate the Niebuhr brothers’ limitations as well as their insights.
Field-grown miR156 transgenic switchgrass reproduction, yield, global gene expression analysis, and bioconfinement

Genetic engineering has been effective in altering cell walls for biofuel production in the bioenergy crop, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). However, regulatory issues arising from gene flow may prevent commercialization of engineered switchgrass in the eastern United States where the species is native. Depending on its expression level, microRNA156 (miR156) can reduce, delay, or eliminate flowering, which may serve to decrease transgene flow. In this unique field study of transgenic switchgrass that was permitted to flower, two low (T14 and T35) and two medium (T27 and T37) miR156-overexpressing ‘Alamo’ lines with the transgene under the control of the constitutive maize (Zea mays) ubiquitin 1 promoter, along with nontransgenic control plants, were grown in eastern Tennessee over two seasons. miR156 expression was positively associated with decreased and delayed flowering in switchgrass. Line T27 did not flower during the 2-year study. Line T37 did flower, but not all plants produced panicles. Flowering was delayed in T37, resulting in 70.6% fewer flowers than controls during the second field year with commensurate decreased seed yield: 1205 seeds per plant vs. 18,539 produced by each control. These results are notable given that line T37 produced equivalent vegetative aboveground biomass to the controls. miR156 transcript abundance of field-grown plants was congruent with greenhouse results. The five miR156 SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) target genes had suppressed expression in one or more of the transgenic lines. Line T27, which had the highest miR156 overexpression, showed significant downregulation for all five SPL genes. On the contrary, line T35 had the lowest miR156 overexpression and had no significant change in any of the five SPL genes. Because of the research field’s geographical features, this study was the first instance of any genetically engineered trait in switchgrass, in which experimental plants were allowed to flower in the field in the eastern U.S.; USDA-APHIS-BRS regulators allowed open flowering. We found that medium overexpression of miR156, e.g., line T37, resulted in delayed and reduced flowering accompanied by high biomass production. We propose that induced miR156 expression could be further developed as a transgenic switchgrass bioconfinement tool to enable eventual commercialization.
Reconstruction Options for Lip, Cheek, Forehead, and Scalp Melanoma

Primary malignant melanoma of the lip is exceedingly rare, with less than 60 cases reported. It frequently is confused with a myriad of benign lesions of the lip, and frequently there is a delay in diagnosis. There is often nodal involvement at the time of diagnosis. Lesions of the vermillion, therefore, have a more serious prognosis. There are reports of a 40% local recurrence rate and a 60% mortality.
The Dun & Bradstreet Enforcement Action — A Microcosm of the Many Problems with FCPA Enforcement

The April 2018 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement action against The Dun & Bradstreet Corp. (D&B) was in many respects unremarkable. The $9.2 million settlement amount was nowhere near the top FCPA settlements and the enforcement action did not usher in any new enforcement theories. Because of this, most FCPA observers likely just recorded the enforcement statistics and moved on. This would be a mistake however because, as highlighted in this article, the unremarkable D&B enforcement serves as a microcosm of the many problems with FCPA enforcement ranging from the length of scrutiny, to various legal and remedy issues, to even absurd commentary that often follows FCPA enforcement.
L2 distribution of Chinese connectives: Towards a comprehensive understanding of a discourse grammar:

This study investigated second language distribution of Chinese connectives by tallying responses on a mini-discourse completion test taken by English-speaking learners with different language lear...
Structures of Work

Most individuals may not realize that there exists an underlying structure that facilitates an understanding of jobs, tasks, occupations, work processes, and individual competencies. For instance, the structure of all jobs is composed of a set of duties, tasks that are related to each duty, and the component behaviors of the tasks. Understanding that these structures exist allows the analyst to engage in new situations with ease, and allows greater consistency in the way that work analysis information is reported and understood. Having the structures also facilitates an understanding of how to make best use of the information. Indeed, suggesting that these underlying structures exists is, in fact, a form of theory, and that each time a project is carried out, the theory is tested in terms of its consistency and practical usefulness. Over the past 40 years, the structures have proven to be beneficial for engaging in work analysis projects.
Dosimetric considerations when utilizing Venezia, Capri, Rotte double tandem, and tandem and ring with interstitial needles for the treatment of gynecological cancers with high dose rate brachytherapy

This work evaluated the difference in dosimetry of high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatments between plans using advanced multichannel applicators and simplified base versions. Eighteen HDR patients treated using Interstitial Ring CT/MR Applicator Set (Elekta Brachytherapy, Netherlands) (TRN) (21 plans), CapriTM Applicator Set (Varian Medical Systems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA) (CC) (19 plans), Rotte Endometrial Applicator Set (Elekta Brachytherapy, Netherlands) (RDT) (18 plans), and the Advanced Gynecological Applicator Venezia (Vz) (Elekta Brachytherapy, Netherlands) (6 plans) were retrospectively reviewed. For each plan, "advanced" channels including any interstitial channels, the 12 noncentral channels in the CC, and the lateral extending aspects of the RDT were removed and a new plan with the original inverse planning settings was optimized using only the remaining "simplified" applicator and compared to the original. The new plans were renormalized to match the original percent dose to 90% of the high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV). Critical structures included bladder, rectum, sigmoid colon, and small bowel. Comparisons were made utilizing dose volume histograms of HR-CTVs, conformation number (CN), and the equivalent total dose in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2) to 2 cm3 of the normal structures. Comparing simplified to advanced plans, the average percent differences in EQD2 to 2 cm3 for Vz, with 95% confidence interval, were 101.7 ± 85.9%, 147.8 ± 76.7%, 95.3 ± 61.6%, and 44.0 ± 12.4% for Rectum, Bladder, Sigmoid, and Bowel, respectively. For TRN: 36.9 ± 18.5%, 38.2 ± 14.5%, 20.3 ± 8.8%, and 15.3 ± 8.2%. For CC: 18.9 ± 3.7%, 12.3 ± 5.3%, 27.8 ± 7.1%, and 17.1 ± 3.6%. For RDT: 1.5 ± 6.8%, 7.4 ± 6.7%, 11.1 ± 4.4%, and 8.0 ± 8.7%. The CN was better in advanced applications by 0.024 for RDT, 0.104 for TRN, 0.043 for CC, and 0.251 for Vz (all p < 0.05). Advanced multichannel treatments allow better target dose conformation and normal tissue dose manipulation. The biggest factors influencing the brachytherapy dose distributions are the number of available channels and their separation from each other within the target.
1995 v. 2009 at Saratoga

The article summarizes the similarities and differences between the thoroughbred horse racing meetings at Saratoga in 1995 and 2009.
Surgical techniques for living donor pancreas transplantation

Abstract The pancreas was the first extrarenal organ that was successfully transplanted from a living donor in 1979. The objective of the procedure is to cure diabetes mellitus and to achieve insulin independence and normoglycemia. In the pre-calcineurin inhibitor era, LD pancreas transplantation offered improved graft survival compared to deceased donor transplants. In the calcineurin inhibitor era, this difference is hardly existent anymore and pancreas transplants from living donors are only performed in the presence of at least 1-haplotype human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matches, high antibody [panel reactive antibody (PRA)] levels and need for low-dose immunosuppression. With improvements in surgical techniques, anticoagulation and immunosuppression, a living donor pancreas transplant remains a treatment option in selected patients due to elimination of waiting time, decreased rejection rates, and low-dose immunosuppression. Removal and transplantation of a living donor hemi-pancreas using the pancreatic tail with the splenic vessels can be accomplished with a very low surgical risk to both donor and recipient.
Statistical Inference for Average Treatment Effects Estimated by Synthetic Control Methods

AbstractThe synthetic control (SC) method, a powerful tool for estimating average treatment effects (ATE), is increasingly popular in fields such as statistics, economics, political science, and ma...
IR Spectroscopy Can Reveal the Mechanism of K+ Transport in Ion Channels.

Abstract Ion channels like KcsA enable ions to move across cell membranes at near diffusion-limited rates and with very high selectivity. Various mechanisms have been proposed to explain this phenomenon. Broadly, there is disagreement among the proposed mechanisms about whether ions occupy adjacent sites in the channel during the transport process. Here, using a mixed quantum-classical approach to calculate theoretical infrared spectra, we propose a set of infrared spectroscopy experiments that can discriminate between mechanisms with and without adjacent ions. These experiments differ from previous ones in that they independently probe specific ion binding sites within the selectivity filter. When ions occupy adjacent sites in the selectivity filter, the predicted spectra are significantly redshifted relative to when ions do not occupy adjacent sites. Comparisons between theoretical and experimental peak frequencies will therefore discriminate the mechanisms.