cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seeded growth, silylation, and organic/water separation properties of MCM-48 membranes

Abstract A seeded growth method is reported for synthesis of MCM-48 membranes on α-alumina supports, thereby extending the seeded growth technique used for zeolite membranes to mesoporous silica membrane synthesis. The surface properties of the MCM-48 membranes are then modified by silylation with hexamethyldisilazane. The physicochemical properties of these membranes are characterized by multiple techniques. X-ray diffraction demonstrates that the structure of the MCM-48 membranes is maintained after surfactant removal and silylation. In comparison to MCM-48 membranes previously synthesized by the in situ growth technique, much less silica infiltration into the alumina support is observed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The pore structure of the MCM-48 membranes is assessed by direct nitrogen physisorption measurements on membrane samples, demonstrating that a large accessible pore volume is available for molecular permeation and pore modification to tailor selectivity. The gas permeation properties of the calcined and silylated MCM-48 membranes are consistent with a Knudsen-like mechanism, albeit with a substantial influence of gas-solid interactions in the mesopores. The silylated MCM-48 membranes are evaluated for pervaporative separation of ethanol (EtOH), methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), and ethyl acetate (EA) from their dilute aqueous solutions (5 wt%). The membranes showed pervaporative separation factors in the range of 5–35 and organic fluxes in the range of 0.03–0.22 kg-m−2h−1 at 303 K. The intrinsic selectivities (water/organic permeability ratios) of the silylated membranes are 6 (water/EtOH), 10 (water/MEK), and 26 (water/EA) respectively, in comparison to selectivities of 66, 450, and 3900 for the unmodified membranes, at 303 K. The selective separation of organic/water mixtures with MCM-48 membranes is attributed to both the organophilic nature of the surface and the effective pore size of the silylated mesopores.
Parasitic oscillations in the static centered two-aperture limit.

A class of stray-light parasitic oscillation problems observed in high-gain laser systems is attacked by the integral equation method of Selden. The feedback fraction product determined by this method is compared with a simple estimate based on the solid angles of the apertures and is found to differ by a factor lying between (2/π)4 and unity. This factor is computed numerically for all two-rectangular-aperture problems and analytically in special cases. We thus determine the static parasitic oscillation threshold for all these problems and deduce the corrections needed for the simple solid-angle method of computation.
Corrections for diffuse irradiance measured with shadowbands

Abstract The reduction of measured diffuse irradiance due to the use of a shadowband is evaluated. For cloudless sky, an exact mathematical model was developed. Measurements throughout the year confirm the model results. The values are close to the semiempirical model developed by Drummond only during noon hours. Towards morning and afternoon a contribution from reflected direct solar irradiance from inside the shadowband reduces the loss and, at very low sun angle, can even provide a gain in the measured diffuse irradiance. The albedo of the inner band surface is of importance for the amount of this gain. During overcast sky the loss of measured diffuse irradiance varies with the season: During the winter months when only a small section of the sky is obstructed by band, 3 per cent are lost, during summer this value is between 8 and 10 per cent.
Combination of an agonistic anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody and the COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib induces anti-glioma effects by promotion of type-1 immunity in myeloid cells and T-cells

Malignant gliomas are heavily infiltrated by immature myeloid cells that mediate immunosuppression. Agonistic CD40 monoclonal antibody (mAb) has been shown to activate myeloid cells and promote antitumor immunity. Our previous study has also demonstrated blockade of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) reduces immunosuppressive myeloid cells, thereby suppressing glioma development in mice. We therefore hypothesized that a combinatory strategy to modulate myeloid cells via two distinct pathways, i.e., CD40/CD40L stimulation and COX-2 blockade, would enhance anti-glioma immunity. We used three different mouse glioma models to evaluate therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of a combination regimen with an agonist CD40 mAb and the COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib. Treatment of glioma-bearing mice with the combination therapy significantly prolonged survival compared with either anti-CD40 mAb or celecoxib alone. The combination regimen promoted maturation of CD11b(+) cells in both spleen and brain, and enhanced Cxcl10 while suppressing Arg1 in CD11b(+)Gr-1(+) cells in the brain. Anti-glioma activity of the combination regimen was T-cell dependent because depletion of CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells in vivo abrogated the anti-glioma effects. Furthermore, the combination therapy significantly increased the frequency of CD8(+) T-cells, enhanced IFN-γ-production and reduced CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) T regulatory cells in the brain, and induced tumor-antigen-specific T-cell responses in lymph nodes. Our findings suggest that the combination therapy of anti-CD40 mAb with celecoxib enhances anti-glioma activities via promotion of type-1 immunity both in myeloid cells and T-cells.
Calibration target for far-infrared spaceborne applications

We describe progress in the development of a calibration target for use in the EOS-MLS 2.5 THz radiometer on NASA's CHEM-1 spacecraft. Although the intended use is as a stable, isothermal black body load at a frequency of 2.5 THz, the design is suitable for use throughout the far-infrared (FIR). A wedge design is used for the target body to enhance the emissivity to desired levels at 2.5 THz. The body is machined from aluminum, giving the best trade between issues such as cost, thermal conductivity, mass, and strength. The target utilizes a white coating to reduce the destabilizing effects of periodic solar illumination. The coating can be made relatively thin to allow accurate temperature measurements of the FIR-absorbing medium. Emissivity of greater than 0.99 is achieved at 2.5 THz, while the solar absorptance is estimated at < 0.5.
Does electoral competition affect public goods provision in dominant-party regimes? Evidence from Tanzania

Does electoral competition improve public goods provision in dominant-party regimes? In such regimes, localized electoral competition does not threaten dominant parties' hold on power. Still, I argue that competition can promote improved local public goods provision because of the ruling party's desire to generate overwhelming governing majorities. Studying Tanzanian districts, I show that greater local electoral competition leads to substantially greater access to local public goods. Moreover, at least one important mechanism linking electoral competition to public goods outcomes is the dominant party's propensity to target more competitive districts with greater government resources. The findings demonstrate that, even in a country with imperfect elections characterized by single-party dominance, greater electoral competition can generate better public goods outcomes.
Normal vibrational analysis of poly(vinylidene chloride)

Normal coordinate calculations have been performed for poly(vinylidene chloride) employing a TXTX′ conformational model (X and X′ denote torsional angles of equal value but opposite sign). A valence force field previously determined from the model compounds 2,2-dichloropropane and 2,2-dichlorobutane was directly transferred to the chain conformation of the polymer. The results are in excellent agreement with the observed vibrational spectra and we have been able to satisfactorily assign all the major normal modes.
Political Inquiry and the Metapractical Voice Weber and Oakeshott

Discussions of Max Weber’s essay on “The ‘Objectivity’ of Knowledge in Social Science and Social Policy” and Michael Oakeshott’s reflections “On the Theoretical Understanding of Human Conduct” have seldom included a detailed textual analysis of the arguments. Such an analysis is important, because these essays not only thoroughly addressed the issue of the nature of social scientific inquiry but uniquely confronted and illuminated two fundamental and endemic paradoxes which have been particularly prominent at crucial junctures in conversations about the identity and role of fields such as political science. These paradoxes, however, arise from the very nature of metapractices and, specifically, from the complex cognitive and practical relationships among philosophy, social science, and practices such as politics.
An Event-Centric Planning Approach for Dynamic Real-Time Narrative

In this paper, we propose an event-centric planning framework for directing interactive narratives in complex 3D environments populated by virtual humans. Events facilitate precise authorial control over complex interactions involving groups of actors and objects, while planning allows the simulation of causally consistent character actions that conform to an overarching global narrative. Events are defined by preconditions, postconditions, costs, and a centralized behavior structure that simultaneously manages multiple participating actors and objects. By planning in the space of events rather than in the space of individual character capabilities, we allow virtual actors to exhibit a rich repertoire of individual actions without causing combinatorial growth in the planning branching factor. Our system produces long, cohesive narratives at interactive rates, allowing a user to take part in a dynamic story that, despite intervention, conforms to an authored structure and accomplishes a predetermined goal.
Volumetric mass flow sensor for citrus mechanical harvesting machines

A volume-based mass flow sensor system was developed to estimate the total mass of fruit travelling on the inclined and horizontal conveyors of two citrus mechanical harvesting systems. A LIDAR (light detection and ranging) sensor was used to scan the conveyor cross-sectional area and use the distance related-information to estimate the bulk volume and total mass of fruit on the conveyor by integrating the data over time. A custom algorithm was developed to analyze the data and calculate the fruit volume. Fruit volume was used to estimate the total fruit mass. Sensor system was tested in the laboratory on two different conveyor systems: an inclined conveyor used in a mechanical harvester (conveyor flap height=8cm), and a horizontal conveyor used in a debris removal system (conveyor flap height =<3cm). The tested conveyor speeds ranged from 0.59m/s to 1.71m/s. The system performance for the tested speed ranges was an average error of 7% (standard deviation [SD]+/-7%) and 7% (SD+/-5%) for the inclined and horizontal conveyors, respectively. The average total fruit mass estimation error during mechanical harvesting was 10% (SD+/-6%) for 11 field trails that involved scanning 512-1356kg of the fruit on a horizontal conveyor of a debris removal system. Overall, the developed sensor system can be used for volumetric yield monitoring of citrus. The sensor system performance will likely be improved using instant conveyor speed during the estimation of total fruit mass.
Increasing prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and strategies to avert a looming crisis.

Enterobacteriaceae are frequently encountered pathogens that cause both community- and healthcare-associated infections. Unfortunately, they are becoming increasingly resistant to many commonly pre...
The carbon cycle and associated redox processes through time

Earth's biogeochemical cycle of carbon delivers both limestones and organic materials to the crust. In numerous, biologically catalysed redox reactions, hydrogen, sulphur, iron, and oxygen serve pr...
Effect of Panax Ginseng on Testosterone Level and Prostate in Male Rats

Adult male rats were treated with 1% and 5% Panax Ginseng in their diet for 60 days. Control rats were used. There was an increase in daily food consumption without an increase in body weight of treated animals. Rats that received 5% ginseng experienced a significant increase in blood testosterone level (p < 0.001). Prostate weight in the treated animals was significantly reduced as compared to the control animals.
Small Estuarine Fishes Feed on Large Trematode Cercariae: Lab and Field Investigations

In aquatic ecosystems, dense populations of snails can shed millions of digenean trematode cercariae every day. These short-lived, free-living larvae are rich in energy and present a potential resource for consumers. We investigated whether estuarine fishes eat cercariae shed by trematodes of the estuarine snail Cerithidea californica. In aquaria we presented cercariae from 10 native trematode species to 6 species of native estuarine fishes. Many of these fishes readily engorged on cercariae. To determine if fishes ate cercariae in the field, we collected the most common fish species, Fundulus parvipinnis (California killifish), from shallow water on rising tides when snails shed cercariae. Of 61 killifish, 3 had recognizable cercariae in their gut. Because cercariae are common in this estuary, they could be frequent sources of energy for small fishes. In turn, predation on cercariae by fishes (and other predators) could also reduce the transmission success of trematodes.
Clinical Applications of the Polymerase Chain Reaction: An Update

The development, in the past decade, of nucleic acid amplification and detection methods is useful in the study of the etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of a variety of clinical (including rheumatologic) disorders. An association between infectious agents and rheumatic disorders has been established through such methods as polymerase chain reaction. This article describes the principles behind polymerase chain reaction-based diagnosis and updates its clinical applications. It is beyond the scope of this article, however, to describe other nucleic acid amplification methods or to include a complete list of all polymerase chain reaction assays that have been developed. Other recent reviews offer additional details.
Strain-tide spectroscopy

Summary. We have used two years of strain-tide data to study the response of the Earth to the diurnal and semidiurnal tidal excitations. Our results show that there is significant structure in the response of the Earth to tidal excitations near one cycle/sidereal day. This structure agrees with the resonance behaviour predicted from calculations of the forced elastic-gravitational response of an elliptical, rotating earth with a liquid outer core. The data can also be used to test for possible preferred frames and spatial anisotropies. We find that upper bounds on the parameterized post-Newtonian (PPN) parameters which characterize these effects are α2≤ 0.007 and ζw≤ 0.005. We also infer that there is a significant frequency dependence to the ocean load near one cycle/day and that the coherence between strain and barometric pressure fluctuations are significant at periods longer than a few days.
Moduli vacuum bubbles produced by evaporating black holes

We consider a model with a toroidally compactified extra dimension giving rise to a temperature-dependent 4D effective potential with one-loop contributions due to the Casimir effect, along with a 5D cosmological constant. The forms of the effective potential at low and high temperatures indicate a possibility for the formation of a domain wall bubble, formed by the modulus scalar field, surrounding an evaporating black hole. This is viewed as an example of a recently proposed black hole vacuum bubble arising from matter-sourced moduli fields in the vicinity of an evaporating black hole [D. Green, E. Silverstein, and D. Starr, Phys. Rev. D 74, 024004 (2006)]. The black hole bubble can be highly opaque to lower-energy particles and photons, and thereby entrap them within. For high-temperature black holes, there may also be a symmetry-breaking black hole bubble of false vacuum of the type previously conjectured by Moss [I. G. Moss, Phys. Rev. D 32, 1333 (1985)], tending to reflect low-energy particles from its wall. A double bubble composed of these two different types of bubble may form around the black hole, altering the hole's emission spectrum that reaches outside observers. Smaller mass black holes that have already evaporated away could have left vacuum bubbles behind that contribute to the dark matter.
Utilization of frozen sections in the evaluation of chronic epilepsy–related cases

Abstract The role of frozen section consultation in the evaluation of chronic epilepsy–associated surgical excisions of brain tissue has not been previously examined. The study retrospectively reviews 335 cases in which a frozen section consultation was obtained in the setting of a resection for chronic epilepsy. In most cases (n = 323), 3 or fewer frozen sections were performed. The most commonly identified pathologies on final diagnosis included tumor or tumorlike lesions (79.1% of cases) and focal cortical dysplasia (20.9% of cases). Frozen section diagnoses discrepant with final diagnoses due to sampling error or misinterpretation were noted in 39 cases and most commonly involved a diagnosis of gliosis or tumor in the setting of a focal cortical dysplasia or diagnosis of gliosis in the setting of a low-grade tumor. In conclusion, frozen section consultation may be particularly useful in the evaluation of neoplasms arising in the setting of chronic epilepsy. Some epilepsy-associated pathology, such as focal cortical dysplasia, may be difficult to diagnose at the time of frozen section and such cases may not be an ideal target for intraoperative frozen section consultation.
Comparison of the diuretic effects of chemically diverse kappa opioid agonists in rats: nalfurafine, U50,488H, and salvinorin A

Kappa opioid receptor agonists induce water diuresis in animals and humans. We investigated the effects of s.c. nalfurafine, U50,488H, salvinorin A, and its longer-acting analog, 2-methoxymethyl-salvinorin B (MOM-sal B), on urinary output and sodium excretion over 5 h in euvolemic rats. Nalfurafine (0.005–0.02 mg/kg), U50,488H (0.1–10 mg/kg), and MOM-sal B (0.625–5 mg/kg) induced diuresis dose-dependently. Systemically (0.1–10 mg/kg) or centrally (50 μg, i.c.v.) administered salvinorin A was ineffective. 5′-Guanidinonaltrindole, a kappa receptor antagonist, inhibited nalfurafine- and MOM-sal B-induced diuresis. Nalfurafine and MOM-sal B had no effect on arginine vasopressin levels, measured at 2 h. Tolerance did not develop to the diuresis accompanying subchronic administration of nalfurafine (0.02 mg/kg). On the basis of our work, we (a) promote nalfurafine as a candidate diuretic to relieve water retention and (b) highlight salvinorin A as a kappa agonist that does not cause diuresis, probably because of its short duration of action.
Scientific Communication Before and After Networked Science

The appearance of the Philosophical Transactions in 1665 marked the emergence of scientific journals as the dominant mode for dissemination of research and discoveries. The journal system served numerous fundamental needs within the scientific community and encouraged a climate of increased sharing of knowledge. As the rhetoric of scientific discourse evolved over time, a highly stable format emerged to govern the research article as a genre. In the contemporary era of networked science, however, informal scientific communication is also growing in importance as researchers turn to online collaborative tools for even more rapid sharing of results and work in progress.
A plasma spectroscopic microdevice for on-site water monitoring

Plasma spectroscopic techniques can provide a quick, on-site solution for monitoring the potability of water sources. This paper reports on a new, essentially disposable ceramic microdevice that utilizes on-chip doped DC plasmas to spectroscopically analyze the atomic and molecular composition of water samples on-site. The device is fabricated on an alumina ceramic substrate, which is ideal due to its low-cost, ability to be cast into micro-structures, mechanical robustness, and insulation of high-voltage. Water sample analysis is performed in air at atmospheric pressure, greatly reducing the cost and complexity of water quality monitoring on-site. Samples are partially evaporated with on-chip thin-film Cr microheater integrated into the cathode lead. Temperature changes as large as 47 °C can be realized with 60 mA. With the device reported here, copper and aluminum impurities are detected at 100 ppm and ammonia contaminants are observed in concentrations as low as 1%.
SUBLUMBAR ABSCESS AND DISKOSPONDYLITIS IN A CAT

Diskospondylitis is uncommon in cats. We describe a cat with diskospondylitis of the L7-S1 intervertebral disk, and a concurrent sublumbar abscess. Radiographic, computed tomographic and ultrasonographic findings are presented. Aerobic and anaerobic cultures of blood and spinal fluid yielded no growth. Aerobic and anaerobic urine cultures resulted in growth of an Enterococcus sp. and Clostridium perfringens, respectively. The cat was successfully treated with enrofloxacin and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Clinical signs resolved completely, and based on follow-up ultrasonography there was no remaining evidence of the sublumbar abscess. Etiologic agents and outcome from other cats with diskospondylitis are reviewed.
Estimating Nonrigid Shape Deformation Using Moments

Image moments have been widely used for designing robust shape descriptors that are invariant to rigid transformations. In this work, we address the problem of estimating non-rigid deformation fields based on image moment variations. By using a single family of polynomials to both parameterize the deformation field and to define image moments, we can represent image moments variation as a system of quadratic functions, and solve for the deformation parameters. As a result, we can recover the deformation field between two images without solving the correspondence problem. Additionally, our method is highly robust to image noise. The method was tested on both synthetically deformed MPEG-7 shapes and cardiac MRI sequences.
Targeted delivery of cisplatin to prostate cancer cells by aptamer functionalized Pt(IV) prodrug-PLGA–PEG nanoparticles

Cisplatin is used to treat a variety of tumors, but dose limiting toxicities or intrinsic and acquired resistance limit its application in many types of cancer including prostate. We report a unique strategy to deliver cisplatin to prostate cancer cells by constructing Pt(IV)-encapsulated prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) targeted nanoparticles (NPs) of poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-functionalized controlled release polymers. By using PLGA-b-PEG nanoparticles with PSMA targeting aptamers (Apt) on the surface as a vehicle for the platinum(IV) compound c,t,c-[Pt(NH3)2(O2CCH2CH2CH2CH2CH3)2Cl2] (1), a lethal dose of cisplatin was delivered specifically to prostate cancer cells. PSMA aptamer targeted delivery of Pt(IV) cargos to PSMA+ LNCaP prostate cancer cells by endocytosis of the nanoparticle vehicles was demonstrated using fluorescence microscopy by colocalization of green fluorescent labeled cholesterol-encapsulated NPs and early endosome marker EEA-1. The choice of linear hexyl chains in 1 was the result of a systematic study to optimize encapsulation and controlled release from the polymer without compromising either feature. Release of cisplatin from the polymeric nanoparticles after reduction of 1 and formation of cisplatin 1,2-intrastrand d(GpG) cross-links on nuclear DNA was confirmed by using a monoclonal antibody for the adduct. A comparison between the cytotoxic activities of Pt(IV)-encapsulated PLGA-b-PEG NPs with the PSMA aptamer on the surface (Pt-NP-Apt), cisplatin, and the nontargeted Pt(IV)-encapsulated NPs (Pt-NP) against human prostate PSMA-overexpressing LNCaP and PSMA- PC3 cancer cells revealed significant differences. The effectiveness of PSMA targeted Pt-NP-Apt nanoparticles against the PSMA+ LNCaP cells is approximately an order of magnitude greater than that of free cisplatin.
A Distributed boundary detection algorithm for multi-robot systems

We describe a distributed boundary detection algorithm suitable for use on multi-robot systems with dynamic network topologies. We assume that each robot has access to its local network geometry, which is the combination of a robot's network connectivity and the positions of its neighbors measured relative to itself. Our algorithm uses this information to classify robots as boundary or interior in one communications round, which is fast enough for rapidly changing networks. We use the local boundary classifications to create a robust boundary subgraph, and to determine if the boundary is an interior void or the exterior boundary. A proof of the key property of the boundary detection algorithm is provided, and all the algorithms are extensively tested on a swarm of 25#x2013;35 robots in rapidly changing network topologies.
Roadway Characteristics and Pediatric Pedestrian Injury

Changing the built environment is a sound, but often underutilized approach to injury control. The authors reviewed the literature and conducted a meta-analysis to synthesize the evidence on the association of roadway characteristics with risk of pediatric pedestrian injury. To synthesize the data, they converted results to odds ratios based on direct results or abstracted outcomes and used Bayesian meta-analytic approaches by modeling outcomes as the logit of a normally distributed set of outcomes with vague prior distributions for the central measure of effect and its variance. On the basis of 10 studies of roadway features restricted exclusively to pediatric populations, the synthesized effect estimate for the association of roadway characteristics with pedestrian injury risk was 2.5 (95% credible interval: 1.8, 3.2). The probability of a new study showing an association between the built roadway and pediatric pedestrian injury was nearly 100%. The authors concluded that the built environment is directly related to the risk of pedestrian injury. This review and meta-analysis suggests that even modest interventions to the built roadway environment may result in meaningful reductions in the risk of pediatric pedestrian injury.
Surface runoff phosphorus (P) loss in relation to phosphatase activity and soil P fractions in Florida sandy soils under citrus production

Phosphorus losses by surface runoff from agricultural lands have been of public concern due to increasing P contamination to surface waters. Five representative commercial citrus groves (C1–C5) located in South Florida were studied to evaluate the relationships between P fractions in soils, surface runoff P, and soil phosphatase activity. A modified Hedley P sequential fractionation procedure was employed to fractionate soil P. Soil P consisted of mainly organically- and Ca/Mg-bound P fractions. The organically-bound P (biological P, sum of organic P in the water, NaHCO3 and NaOH extracts) was dominant in the acidic sandy soils from the C2 and C3 sites (18% and 24% of total soil P), whereas the Ca/Mg-bound P (HCl-extractable P) accounted for 45–60% of soil total P in the neutral and alkaline soils (C1, C4 and C5 soils). Plant-available P (sum of water and NaHCO3 extractable P fractions) ranged from 27 to 61 mg P kg K1 and decreased in the order of C3OC4OC1OC2OC5. The mean total P concentrations (TP) in surface runoff water samples ranged from 0.51 to 2.64 mg L K1 . Total P, total dissolved P (TDP), and PO4K -P in surface runoff were significantly correlated with soil biological P and plant-available P forms ( p! 0.01), suggesting that surface runoff P was directly derived from soil available P pools, including H2O– and NaHCO3– extractable inorganic P, water-soluble organic P, and NaHCO3- and NaOH-extractable organic P fractions, which are readily mineralized by soil microorganisms and/or enzyme mediated processes. Soil neutral (55–190 mg phenol kg K1 3h K1 ) and natural (measured at soil pH) phosphatase activities (77–295 mg phenol kg K1 3h K1 ) were related to TP, TDP, and PO4K -P in surface runoff, and plant-available P and biological P forms in soils. These results indicate that there is a potential relationship between soil P availability and phosphatase activities, relating to P loss by surface runoff. Therefore, the neutral and natural phosphatase activities, especially the natural phosphatase activity, may serve as an index of surface runoff P loss potential and soil P availability. q 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Densities of States of Compositionally Modulated Alloys

In this lecture, we will present methods that allow the calculation of the one-particle properties, in particular the density of states (DOS), in a large class of disordered systems. These methods are applicable to substitutionally disordered electronic systems, such as intermetallic alloys of two or more components, either random or exhibiting various kinds of shortrange order (SRO). Even though certain of the methods to be discussed here are directly applicable or can be extended to alloys with arbitrary degrees of SRO, we will consider explicitly compositionally modulated alloys, (CMA), in which the concentrations of the constituents vary periodically in a given direction. The physical properties of CMA in many cases have been found to deviate substantially from those of homogeneous alloys of similar average composition.
DFT based model simplification and its applications in controls

The issues of model simplification, stabilization and control of time-delay systems are addressed. Locating unstable poles is essential in a classical stabilization problem. Since a transfer function of an infinite dimensional system is not rational, search of its poles in the entire complex plane is not a simple task. The application of DFT (discrete Fourier transform) based approximation can completely avoid such a search. This technique is discussed. It is shown that a finite dimensional controller can be obtained from the finite dimensional approximated transfer function G'(s) immediately. The technique is detailed. Procedures for evaluating unstable poles, designing controllers and computing the coprime factorizations for infinite-dimensional systems are described. >
Pathway level analysis of gene expression using singular value decomposition

A promising direction in the analysis of gene expression focuses on the changes in expression of specific predefined sets of genes that are known in advance to be related (e.g., genes coding for proteins involved in cellular pathways or complexes). Such an analysis can reveal features that are not easily visible from the variations in the individual genes and can lead to a picture of expression that is more biologically transparent and accessible to interpretation. In this article, we present a new method of this kind that operates by quantifying the level of 'activity' of each pathway in different samples. The activity levels, which are derived from singular value decompositions, form the basis for statistical comparisons and other applications. We demonstrate our approach using expression data from a study of type 2 diabetes and another of the influence of cigarette smoke on gene expression in airway epithelia. A number of interesting pathways are identified in comparisons between smokers and non-smokers including ones related to nicotine metabolism, mucus production, and glutathione metabolism. A comparison with results from the related approach, 'gene-set enrichment analysis', is also provided. Our method offers a flexible basis for identifying differentially expressed pathways from gene expression data. The results of a pathway-based analysis can be complementary to those obtained from one more focused on individual genes. A web program PLAGE (Pathway Level Analysis of Gene Expression) for performing the kinds of analyses described here is accessible at http://dulci.biostat.duke.edu/pathways .
Role of increased cerebral myo-inositol in the dementia of Down syndrome

The purpose of this study was to determine cerebral myo-inositol (mI) in adults with Down syndrome (DS), and to trace the chronobiology of DS to Alzheimer disease (AD). AD has characteristic neuropathology of neurofibrillary plaques and tangles; indirect evidence links this to earlier deposition of beta-amyloid. Elevated mI, which distinguishes AD from other common dementias, is also elevated in 23 young patients who have DS without dementia. In one patient who has DS with dementia, mI is elevated and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) decreased. The similarity to AD is striking and may suggest a progressive neurochemical disorder in which elevation of mI precede loss of NAA in both AD and DS.
Loosening the Cuff. Important New Advances in Modeling Antihypertensive Treatment Effects in Genetic Studies of Hypertension

Human hypertension is a common, chronic disease associated with serious cardiovascular and renal co-morbidity and with substantial social and economic costs. It is therefore important to understand the genetic basis of this disease. The investigation of genetic determinants, and particularly the search for specific susceptibility loci, is likely to be essential to the understanding of disease pathogenesis. Identification of specific genes regulating variation in blood pressure will allow fundamental insights into the pathogenesis of hypertension and will in turn help to better define epidemiological risk factors. The characterization of major genes modulating risk of hypertension and the consequent derivation of improved risk estimation will assist in building the foundation for long-term programs of epidemiological and clinical investigation and intervention. Progress toward these goals holds the potential for enormous public health benefits.1 The study of familial aggregation is the first step in investigating the genetic basis of any disease. Description of familial aggregation of the disease state and associated phenotypes provides circumstantial evidence for a genetic component to etiology and paves the way for extended genetic investigations. Variance components analysis, the engine for the descriptive genetic epidemiology of quantitative traits, attempts to partition observed variation in a quantitative trait into genetic and nongenetic components.2 Variance components analysis, such as that undertaken by Cui et al, is an essential tool in phenotype definition and in exploring the complex pathogenic pathways leading to disease.3–5 Variance components …
Using Encoding Instruction to Improve the Reading and Spelling Performances of Elementary Students At Risk for Literacy Difficulties A Best-Evidence Synthesis

Although connectionist models provide a framework explaining how the decoding and encoding abilities work reciprocally to enhance reading and spelling ability, encoding instruction in today’s schools is not a priority. Although a limited amount of high-quality experimental or control studies to date (N = 11) give empirical support to using direct, explicit encoding instruction to increase the reading and spelling abilities of those students at risk for literacy failure, the benefits of integrating this instruction into current reading curriculums warrant further consideration. Students receiving encoding instruction and guided practice that included using (a) manipulatives (e.g., letter tiles, plastic letters) to learn phoneme–grapheme relationships and words and (b) writing phoneme–grapheme relationships and words made from these correspondences significantly outperformed contrast groups not receiving encoding instruction. Robust Cohen’s d effect sizes, favoring the treatment groups, were found in areas ...
Acts of Thinking: At School but Not During School

With a Vygotskian focus on the social nature of intellectual abilities and the relationship between language and thought in interaction with others, this yearlong ethnographic study examined the ways that elementary-age children in an after-school Children as Philosophers club constructed, adopted, and adapted opportunities to learn how to talk and think like philosophers. Ethnographic and discourse analysis revealed the consequential nature of participation in the philosophy club, particularly the development of local ground rules that allowed children to know how to participate, how to question, and how to access and demonstrate meaning and understanding in the community of inquiry.
Typology of Mobility: African Migration into South Africa

The International Organization for Migration estimates that 214 million people in the world are international migrants, an increase of 64 million over the last ten years. Within Africa, South Africa is estimated to have the second highest population of migrants at 1.9 million. Globally, however, South Africa remains among those countries with a low percentage of migrants at 3.7% (IOM 2012). The strong and negative response to immigration to South Africa is therefore disproportionate to its actual numbers. This paper provides an overview of the interface between South African immigration policies and larger dynamics on the continent, with an eye toward identifying key migratory flows and highlighting what is known, unknown, and unknowable about African migration into South Africa. This paper builds on preliminary research undertaken in South Africa in 2013 and a proposal for upcoming fieldwork in 2014 and 2015 to create a typology of mobility (Long 2000) that incorporates spatial/geographic, temporal/local, historical and cognitive/symbolic characteristics. By situating migration into South Africa within this broader framework, I raise critical questions about ongoing racial, economic and societal dynamics within South Africa in light of past, present, and anticipated future migratory flows.
Probing site cooperativity of frustrated phosphine/borane Lewis pairs by a polymerization study.

The first highly active phosphine (P)/borane (B) Lewis pair polymerization is promoted unexpectedly by P–B adducts. The P and B site cooperativity is essential for achieving effective polymerization, as shown by this study examining the reactivity of a library of P/B Lewis pairs toward polymerization of a renewable acrylic monomer.
Assessing the Quality of Care In a Hospital Emergency Unit: A Framework and Its Application

This article presents a specific application of a general approach to quality assessment by describing in detail both the theoretical and the practical aspects of quality assessment in a hospital emergency unit. The theoretical framework is established by specifying the level and scope of assessment, adopting a definition of quality, modeling emergency care as a succession of phases, specifying evaluative attributes, choosing a method for case selection, and selecting one or more methods of assessment. The practical application of this framework is illustrated using two methods, "tracer" and "trajectory," and selecting specific conditions amenable to assessment with each method.
Estrogen Stimulation of Kiss1 Expression in the Medial Amygdala Involves Estrogen Receptor-α But Not Estrogen Receptor-β.

The neuropeptide kisspeptin, encoded by Kiss1, regulates reproduction by stimulating GnRH secretion. Neurons synthesizing kisspeptin are predominantly located in the hypothalamic anteroventral periventricular (AVPV) and arcuate nuclei, but smaller kisspeptin neuronal populations also reside in extrahypothalamic brain regions, such as the medial amygdala (MeA). In adult rodents, estradiol (E2) increases Kiss1 expression in the MeA, as in the AVPV. However, unlike AVPV and arcuate nuclei kisspeptin neurons, little else is currently known about the development, regulation, and function of MeA Kiss1 neurons. We first assessed the developmental onset of MeA Kiss1 expression in males and found that MeA Kiss1 expression is absent at juvenile ages but significantly increases during the late pubertal period, around postnatal day 35, coincident with increases in circulating sex steroids. We next tested whether developmental MeA Kiss1 expression could be induced early by E2 exposure prior to puberty. We found that j...
What Can Students Do With the Words They Know? An ELA Teacher Takes on Science

The Common Core State Standard and Next Generation Science Standards emphasize language and literacy across disciplines, requiring shifts in teaching practices and inventive approaches. This case s...
Bias, Version Spaces and Valiant's Learning Framework

We present an overview of some recent theoretical results in the learning framework introduced by Valiant in (Valiant, 1984) and further developed in (Valiant 1985; Blumer, et. al., 1986, in press; Pitt & Valiant, 1986; Haussler, 1986; Angluin & Laird, 1986; Angluin, 1986; Rivest, 1986; Haussler, 1987; Kearns, et. al., 1987). Our focus is on applications to AI problems of learning from examples as given in (Haussler, 1986, 1987) and (Kearns, et. al., 1987), along with a comparison to the work of Mitchell on version spaces (Mitchell, 1982). We discuss learning problems for both attribute-based and structural domains.
Runtime Verification of Trust-Based Symbolic Robot Motion Planning With Human-in-the-Loop

In this paper, we address the runtime verification problem of robot motion planning with human-in-the-loop. By bringing together approaches from runtime verification, trust model, and symbolic motion planning, we developed a framework which guarantees that a robot is able to safely satisfy task specifications while improving task efficiency by switches between human supervision and autonomous motion planning. A simple robot model in a domain path planning scenario is considered and the robot is assumed to have perfect localization capabilities. The task domain is partitioned into a finite number of identical cells. A trust model based on the robot and human performance is used to provide a switching logic between different modes. Model checking techniques are utilized to generate plans in autonomous motion planning and for this purpose, Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) as a task specification language is employed to formally express specifications in model checking. The whole system is implemented in a runtime verification framework to monitor and verifies the system execution at runtime using ROSRV. Finally, we illustrated the effectiveness of this framework as well as its feasibility through a simulated case study.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
DEXTRA: A Fast Algorithm for Optimization Over Directed Graphs

This paper develops a fast distributed algorithm, termed DEXTRA , to solve the optimization problem when $n$ agents reach agreement and collaboratively minimize the sum of their local objective functions over the network, where the communication between the agents is described by a directed graph. Existing algorithms solve the problem restricted to directed graphs with convergence rates of $O(\ln k/\sqrt{k})$ for general convex objective functions and $O(\ln k/k)$ when the objective functions are strongly convex, where $k$ is the number of iterations. We show that, with the appropriate step-size, DEXTRA converges at a linear rate $O(\tau ^{k})$ for $0 , given that the objective functions are restricted strongly convex. The implementation of DEXTRA requires each agent to know its local out-degree. Simulation examples further illustrate our findings.
Seizure frequency correlates with loss of dentate gyrus GABAergic neurons in a mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy.

Epilepsy occurs in one of 26 people. Temporal lobe epilepsy is common and can be difficult to treat effectively. It can develop after brain injuries that damage the hippocampus. Multiple pathophysiological mechanisms involving the hippocampal dentate gyrus have been proposed. This study evaluated a mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy to test which pathological changes in the dentate gyrus correlate with seizure frequency and help prioritize potential mechanisms for further study. FVB mice (n = 127) that had experienced status epilepticus after systemic treatment with pilocarpine 31-61 days earlier were video-monitored for spontaneous, convulsive seizures 9 hr/day every day for 24-36 days. Over 4,060 seizures were observed. Seizure frequency ranged from an average of one every 3.6 days to one every 2.1 hr. Hippocampal sections were processed for Nissl stain, Prox1-immunocytochemistry, GluR2-immunocytochemistry, Timm stain, glial fibrillary acidic protein-immunocytochemistry, glutamic acid decarboxylase in situ hybridization, and parvalbumin-immunocytochemistry. Stereological methods were used to measure hilar ectopic granule cells, mossy cells, mossy fiber sprouting, astrogliosis, and GABAergic interneurons. Seizure frequency was not significantly correlated with the generation of hilar ectopic granule cells, the number of mossy cells, the extent of mossy fiber sprouting, the extent of astrogliosis, or the number of GABAergic interneurons in the molecular layer or hilus. Seizure frequency significantly correlated with the loss of GABAergic interneurons in or adjacent to the granule cell layer, but not with the loss of parvalbumin-positive interneurons. These findings prioritize the loss of granule cell layer interneurons for further testing as a potential cause of temporal lobe epilepsy.
Total hip arthroplasty in young patients with post-traumatic arthritis of the hip.

BackgroundPost-traumatic arthritis of the hip is a degenerative condition that commonly affects young patients. In this study, we evaluate long-term implant survival and patient-reported outcomes a...
Effects of edible insect ingredients on the physicochemical and sensory properties of extruded rice products

Entomophagy, or the practice of consuming insects, can provide a nutritious relief to many malnourished people. Currently, two billion people from over 113 countries consume some 2,000 recorded edible insects as part of their traditional diets. Many of these insects contain adequate amounts of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals that are comparable to commonly eaten livestock. Accordingly, the goal of this study was to investigate the feasibility of incorporating edible insect flours in an extruded rice product. Four formulations were developed, including cricket or locust flours at 10 or 15% addition levels, respectively. The extrusion was easier to proceed when making the two cricket formulations than making the two locust formulations. This could be attributed to higher fat content and lower dietary fibre in cricket flour, which may have enhanced the extrusion process to some extent. Nutritional analysis suggested these insect rice formulations are good sources of protein, fat, dietary fibre and iron....