cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preparation and Physical Properties of Starch Mixed Esters

The use of trifluoroacetic anhydride as a promoter for the preparation of mixed esters of granular starch is reported. Efficient esterification results in complete dissolution of the starch granules, which is attained without the use of an external heat source when trifluoroacetic anhydride was added incrementally to a starch slurry in the mixed carboxylic acids. Starch mixed esters are co-acetate/butyrate, co-acetate/hexanoate, co-acetate/octanoate, co-acetate/palmitate and co-acetate/butyrate/hexanoate/octanoate/palmitate, each from a solution of the corresponding mixed acids. The products comprise a total degree of substitution > 2.5, as analyzed by gas-liquid or high-pressure liquid chromatographies. In each product the extent of acid substitution is the same as or close to the composition of the corresponding acid distribution in the reaction mixture. Films cast of the resulting mixed esters, together with the corresponding single acid esters, are analyzed for glass transition and tensile properties, as measured by a dynamic mechanical analyzer. Glass transition temperature and tensile modulus increase proportionally with the increased mole fraction of acetate within the starch mixed acids. Film elongation increases with increases of acyl chain length in all of the starch esters. The dependency of those properties on the relative distribution of acyl group is discussed.
Nanoscale heterogeneity promotes energy dissipation in bone

Nanomechanical heterogeneity is expected to influence elasticity, damage, fracture and remodelling of bone. Here, the spatial distribution of nanomechanical properties of bone is quantified at the length scale of individual collagen fibrils. Our results show elaborate patterns of stiffness ranging from approximately 2 to 30 GPa, which do not correlate directly with topographical features and hence are attributed to underlying local structural and compositional variations. We propose a new energy-dissipation mechanism arising from nanomechanical heterogeneity, which offers a means for ductility enhancement, damage evolution and toughening. This hypothesis is supported by computational simulations that incorporate the nanoscale experimental results. These simulations predict that non-uniform inelastic deformation over larger areas and increased energy dissipation arising from nanoscale heterogeneity lead to markedly different biomechanical properties compared with a uniform material. The fundamental concepts discovered here are applicable to a broad class of biological materials and may serve as a design consideration for biologically inspired materials technologies.
Fiber-optic links with all-photonic RF gain and low RF noise figure

Summary form only given, as follows. State-of-the-art analog fiber-optic links exhibiting electronic power gain and/or electronic noise figure less than 20 dB at frequencies higher than 1 GHz are demonstrated and reviewed.
Very Low-Carbohydrate and Low-Fat Diets Affect Fasting Lipids and Postprandial Lipemia Differently in Overweight Men

Hypoenergetic very low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets are both commonly used for short-term weight loss; however, few studies have directly compared their effect on blood lipids, with no studies to our knowledge comparing postprandial lipemia, an important independently identified cardiovascular risk factor. The primary purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a very low-carbohydrate and a low-fat diet on fasting blood lipids and postprandial lipemia in overweight men. In a balanced, randomized, crossover design, overweight men (n = 15; body fat >25%; BMI, 34 kg/m(2)) consumed 2 experimental diets for 2 consecutive 6-wk periods. One was a very low-carbohydrate (<10% energy as carbohydrate) diet and the other a low-fat (<30% energy as fat) diet. Blood was drawn from fasting subjects on separate days and an oral fat tolerance test was performed at baseline, after the very low-carbohydrate diet period, and after the low-fat diet period. Both diets had the same effect on serum total cholesterol, serum insulin, and homeostasis model analysis-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Neither diet affected serum HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) or oxidized LDL (oxLDL) concentrations. Serum LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) was reduced (P < 0.05) only by the low-fat diet (-18%). Fasting serum triacylglycerol (TAG), the TAG/HDL-C ratio, and glucose were significantly reduced only by the very low-carbohydrate diet (-44, -42, and -6%, respectively). Postprandial lipemia was significantly reduced when the men consumed both diets compared with baseline, but the reduction was significantly greater after intake of the very low-carbohydrate diet. Mean and peak LDL particle size increased only after the very low-carbohydrate diet. The short-term hypoenergetic low-fat diet was more effective at lowering serum LDL-C, but the very low-carbohydrate diet was more effective at improving characteristics of the metabolic syndrome as shown by a decrease in fasting serum TAG, the TAG/HDL-C ratio, postprandial lipemia, serum glucose, an increase in LDL particle size, and also greater weight loss (P < 0.05).
Multiple scattering and modified Green's functions

Abstract Exterior boundary-value problems for the Helmholtz equation can be reduced to boundary integral equations. It is known that the simplest of these fail to be uniquely solvable at certain ‘irregular frequencies.’ For a single smooth scatterer, it is also known that irregular frequencies can be eliminated by using a modified fundamental solution, one that has additional singularities inside the scatterer. This approach is extended to treat the three-dimensional exterior Neumann problem for any finite number of disjoint smooth scatterers, using a fundamental solution that has additional singularities inside every scatterer.
Optimal heat transfer performance of the microfluidic electrospray cooling devices

Future thermal management of microelectronics demands high heat flux removal capabilities due to rapid increases in component and heat flux densities generated from integrated circuits (ICs). Although electrospray evaporative cooling (ESEC) has been investigated as the potential package-level thermal management solution for future microelectronics, the optimal heat transfer performance of ESEC devices using a different number of nozzles has not been thoroughly investigated as a whole. This paper presents three different kinds of ESEC chambers with different spacing, in order to investigate their optimal heat transfer performances. The maximum enhancement ratio of 1.87 was achieved by the 8-nozzle 5 mm spacing ESEC chamber at the lowest heat flux. The optimal heat transfer performance for the 4-nozzle chamber is the chamber with 6 mm spacing. Both the 8-nozzle 5 mm spacing ESEC chamber and the 8-nozzle 6 mm spacing ESEC chamber achieve optimal heat transfer performance. Furthermore, although the increase in the number of electrospray nozzles of the ESEC chambers does not provide obvious improvement on the maximum achievable heat transfer enhancement ratio, the highest cooling rate is noticeably enhanced by increasing the number of electrospray nozzles of the ESEC chamber.
Fetal surgical management of congenital heart block in a hydropic fetus: lessons learned from a clinical experience.

110 120 Congenital complete heart block (CHB) in the absence of cardiac malformations occurs in approximately 1 in 10,000 live births. It is the most serious fetal complication of maternal autoimmune disease, leading to antibody-mediated injury of the fetal atrioventricular node and resulting in fetal bradycardia and low output. Hydrops develops in up to 42% of these fetuses at 27.6 5.1 weeks gestation and is associated with high mortality (>90%). Although resolution of hydrops can occur with sympathomimetic treatment, or even spontaneously, a permanent pacemaker is required in approximately 66% of cases, with placement immediately after birth. Although fetal pacing has been attempted, there are no reports of survival beyond the intraoperative period.
PMR spectra of hexamethyl derivatives of group IV-M elements, (CH3)3MM′(CH3)3

Abstract Proton chemical shifts and spin-spin coupling constants are presented and discussed for the compounds, (CH 3 ) 3 MM′(CH 3 ) 3 , where M and M′ are C, Si, Ge and Sn.
Stress-Induced Gastric Lesions in Mice:

Groups of light (13-21 gm.) and heavier (22-30 gm.) mice were subdivided and either immobilized for 48 hr. (Experimental) or just food deprived for the same period (Control). The stomachs were removed, food contents noted, and the gastric tissue was examined for lesions and rated for the severity of pathology Experimental and control Ss differed significantly only with respect to the amount of food contained in the stomach and not with respect to the rated severity of the gastric lesion; a decrease in the severity of gastric pathology and a lowered incidence of gastric pathology emerged as a function of increased weight and food retention. It was apparent that immobilization-induced stress contributed little more to the incidence and severity of gastric lesions in mice than did food deprivation alone.
Hospital level under-utilization of minimally invasive surgery in the United States: retrospective review

Objective To determine casemix adjusted hospital level utilization of minimally invasive surgery for four common surgical procedures (appendectomy, colectomy, total abdominal hysterectomy, and lung lobectomy) in the United States. Design Retrospective review. Setting United States. Participants Nationwide inpatient sample database, United States 2010. Methods For each procedure, a propensity score model was used to calculate the predicted proportion of minimally invasive operations for each hospital based on patient characteristics. For each procedure, hospitals were categorized into thirds (low, medium, and high) based on their actual to predicted proportion of utilization of minimally invasive surgery. Main outcome measures The primary outcome measures were the actual and predicted proportion of procedures performed with minimally invasive surgery. Secondary outcome measures included surgical complications and hospital characteristics. Results Mean hospital utilization of minimally invasive surgery was 71.0% (423/596) for appendectomy (range 40.9-93.1% (244-555)), 28.4% (154/541) for colectomy (6.7-49.8% (36/541-269/541)), 13.0% (65/499) for hysterectomy (0.0-33.6% (0/499-168/499)), and 32.0% (67/208) for lung lobectomy (3.6-65.7% (7.5/208-137/208)). Utilization of minimally invasive surgery was highly variable for each procedure type. There was noticeable discordance between actual and predicted utilization of the surgery (range of actual to predicted ratio for appendectomy 0-1.49; colectomy 0-3.88; hysterectomy 0-6.68; lung lobectomy 0-2.51). Surgical complications were less common with minimally invasive surgery compared with open surgery, respectively: overall rate for appendectomy 3.94% (1439/36 513) v 7.90% (958/12 123), P Conclusion Hospital utilization of minimally invasive surgery for appendectomy, colectomy, total abdominal hysterectomy, and lung lobectomy varies widely in the United States, representing a disparity in the surgical care delivered nationwide.
Identifying Engines Of Growth In A Substate Economy

In the current economy, states and substate regions seek to identify the sources of economic growth in order to improve economic development efforts. The objectives of the paper are threefold. First, using selected economic criteria, we examine the growth in the labor force of the substate region. Second, using selected economic indicators, we detect the existence of growth in employment, establishments, payroll and wages in the substate region. Finally, we explore the causal relationship among selected economic variables in the substate region and determine the direction of causality between variables. Several techniques and analyses are used in this study, including labor force analysis, location quotients, and the error correction model. The methodology and economic indicators used in this research can be applied to similar substate regions allowing comparison among regions and facilitating regional economic development efforts.
Plasmon-enhanced random lasing in bio-compatible networks of cellulose nanofibers

We report on plasmon-enhanced random lasing in bio-compatible light emitting Hydroxypropyl Cellulose (HPC) nanofiber networks doped with gold nanoparticles. HPC nanofibers with a diameter of 260 ± 30 nm were synthesized by a one step, cost-effective and facile electrospinning technique from a solution-containing Rhodamine 6G and Au nanoparticles. Nanoparticles of controlled diameters from 10 nm to 80 nm were dispersed inside the nanofibers and optically characterized using photoluminescence, dark-field spectroscopy, and coherent backscattering measurements. Plasmon-enhanced random lasing was demonstrated with a lower threshold than that in dye-doped identical HPC networks without Au nanoparticles. These findings provide an effective approach for plasmon-enhanced random lasers based on a bio-compatible host matrix that is particularly attractive for biophotonic applications such as fluorescence sensing, optical tagging, and detection.
Proportional data modeling with hidden Markov models based on generalized Dirichlet and Beta-Liouville mixtures applied to anomaly detection in public areas

The recent and rapid deployment of CCTV cameras in public areas invokes the need for a capability to assist human operators in the real-time detection of threats and anomalous events. The main difficulty in this regard is the rare and unpredictable nature of the events to be detected. A typical strategy consists in modeling situations considered as normal and detecting outliers to this model. In this paper, we theoretically derive two variants of the hidden Markov model for proportional data modeling and assess their performance for unusual event detection in several public surveillance situations. Proportional data arise in a number of pattern recognition applications and classic hidden Markov models are not well adapted so far for their specific processing. Our models are based on the use of the generalized Dirichlet and Beta-Liouville distributions as emission probability functions and yield enhanced performance compared to the use of the Dirichlet distribution. HighlightsDerivation of the equations of a generalized Dirichlet-based hidden Markov model.Derivation of the equations of a Beta-Liouville-based hidden Markov model.Application of the new models to public areas surveillance scenarios.Better performance over the Dirichlet-based hidden Markov models.Analysis of the behavior of the models and guidelines for parameter tuning.
Quality control of chemically damaged RNA

The “central dogma” of molecular biology describes how information contained in DNA is transformed into RNA and finally into proteins. In order for proteins to maintain their functionality in both the parent cell and subsequent generations, it is essential that the information encoded in DNA and RNA remains unaltered. DNA and RNA are constantly exposed to damaging agents, which can modify nucleic acids and change the information they encode. While much is known about how cells respond to damaged DNA, the importance of protecting RNA has only become appreciated over the past decade. Modification of the nucleobase through oxidation and alkylation has long been known to affect its base-pairing properties during DNA replication. Similarly, recent studies have begun to highlight some of the unwanted consequences of chemical damage on mRNA decoding during translation. Oxidation and alkylation of mRNA appear to have drastic effects on the speed and fidelity of protein synthesis. As some mRNAs can persist for days in certain tissues, it is not surprising that it has recently emerged that mRNA-surveillance and RNA-repair pathways have evolved to clear or correct damaged mRNA.
SIMILARITY SOLUTIONS OF THE NAVIERSTOKES EQUATIONS

Similarity solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations are reviewed. It is shownthat the method of stretching leads to all existing significant nonlinear solutions. The steady state solutions are either inversely proportional or proportional to distance. The unsteady solutions have a very specific time dependence.
Finding Time: The Economics of Work–Life Conflict

How time is spent, saved, and valued is central to political economy. According to Marx, the struggle between labor and capital is largely over time, or as he called it the ‘length of the working d...
Political Ideologies and Political Parties in America: The Coalition Merchants

In April 1947, the American Institute of Public Opinion Surveys asked a sample of voters a question it had been asking off and on for years: “It has been suggested that we give up the present Republican and Democratic parties and have two new parties – one for the Liberals and one for the Conservatives. Would you favor this idea?” Today, this question might seem absurd. For most practical purposes, the present Republican and Democratic parties are parties of conservatives and liberals. But in 1947, 72 percent of respondents said no (Smith and Davis 1947). This poll question carries a lot of meaning. First, it reminds us that, within some readers’ lifetimes, ideology and political parties were two separate ways of organizing political conflict. This is something we often forget, but as Schattschneider put it, “Measured on a scale of radicalism and conservatism from Left to Right, both parties try more or less successfully to spread over the whole political rainbow from one extreme to the other. Specimens of nearly all shades of opinion are found in both parties” (1942, p. 88). But the poll tells us more than that; it also implies that, at least for some, there is some idea that they should not be separate. Ideology somehow seems like a reasonable way to organize party politics, even if it is not the only way. Finally, with hindsight, we know that those 72 percent of respondents did not get their wish. We did not give up the Republican and Democratic parties altogether, but we do now have two new Republican and Democratic parties, one for the liberals and one for the conservatives.
Efficient simulation from a gamma distribution with small shape parameter

Simulating from a gamma distribution with small shape parameter is a challenging problem. Towards an efficient method, we obtain a limiting distribution for a suitably normalized gamma distribution when the shape parameter tends to zero. Then this limiting distribution provides insight to the construction of a new, simple, and highly efficient acceptance---rejection algorithm. The proposed method is fast and comparisons based on acceptance rates show that it is more efficient than existing acceptance---rejection methods.
The search for failed supernovae with the Large Binocular Telescope: constraints from 7 yr of data

We report updated results for the first 7 yr of our programme to monitor 27 galaxies within 10 Mpc using the Large Binocular Telescope to search for failed supernovae (SNe) – core collapses of massive stars that form black holes without luminous SNe. In the new data, we identify no new compelling candidates and confirm the existing candidate. Given the six successful core-collapse SNe in the sample and one likely failed SN, the implied fraction of core collapses that result in failed SNe is f=0.14^(+0.33)_(−0.10) at 90 per cent confidence. If the current candidate is a failed SN, the fraction of failed SN naturally explains the missing high-mass red supergiants SN progenitors and the black hole mass function. If the current candidate is ultimately rejected, the data imply a 90 per cent confidence upper limit on the failed SN fraction of f < 0.35.
Is Sex with Older Male Partners Associated with Higher Sexual Risk Behavior Among Young Black MSM

Participants at a sexual health clinic completed a survey with questions regarding sexual risk behavior and partner characteristics. Of 585 participants eligible for analysis, 124 reported generally having older male partners. These participants were significantly more likely to be HIV-infected (p < 0.001), have four or more sex partners as a “bottom” (p = 0.04), have concurrent partners (p = 0.01), and have partners suspected of having an sexually transmitted infection (p = 0.05) than participants without older partners. With analysis restricted to HIV− individuals, risk behaviors did not differ significantly between the groups. HIV− individuals with older partners may be at increased risk of HIV infection due to increased HIV prevalence among older sexual partners and not due to increased risk behaviors with these partners.
Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy of magnons in antiferromagnetic MnF2(Conference Presentation)

Antiferromagnets are an important class of ordered spin systems, common in spintronic applications and providing a testbed for studying magnetism. Recently, the injection of magnons – coherent spin waves – has been explored by broadband terahertz pulses in antoferromagnets, such as MnO. Here, terahertz time-domain spectroscopy is used to detect magnon resonances in MnF2, which is a model antiferromagnet with uniaxial anisotropy and a Neel temperature of 67 K. Temperature dependence of a one-magnon resonances is examined from 5 K to 70 K. The center frequency of the one-magnon is recorded below the Neel temperature and fit to a Brillouin function. It is found that the degree of correlation between neighboring spins is j = 1.1. Namely, a weak correlation and appropriately modeled by mean-field theory befitting this simple system. From low temperature to room temperature, a two-magnon resonance is observed to broaden and strengthen as the temperature increases. Two-magnon modes arise due to zone-edge magnons being stimulated with -k and +k momenta and do not require magnetic ordering. Over this same temperature range, THz transients are used to monitor the time-of flight through the crystal, the refractive index, the internal energy and the heat capacity. Overall these quantities decrease with decreasing temperature, with behavior that falls into three regimes: a thermal dominated region above the Neel temperature, a magnetic regime below the Neel temperature; and a hyperfine interaction region at temperatures below 6 K. The latter is the first direct observation of the hyperfine interaction using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy.
Phenomenological Model for Defect Interactions in Irradiated Functional Materials

The ability to tailor the performance of functional materials, such as semiconductors, via careful manipulation of defects has led to extraordinary advances in microelectronics. Functional metal oxides are no exception – protonic-defect-conducting oxides find use in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and oxygen-deficient high-temperature superconductors are poised for power transmission and magnetic imaging applications. Similarly, the advantageous functional responses in ferroelectric materials that make them attractive for use in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), logic elements, and environmental energy harvesting, are derived from interactions of defects with other defects (such as domain walls) and with the lattice. Chemical doping has traditionally been employed to study the effects of defects in functional materials, but complications arising from compositional heterogeneity often make interpretation of results difficult. Alternatively, irradiation is a versatile means of evaluating defect interactions while avoiding the complexities of doping. Here, a generalized phenomenological model is developed to quantify defect interactions and compare material performance in functional oxides as a function of radiation dose. The model is demonstrated with historical data from literature on ferroelectrics, and expanded to functional materials for SOFCs, mixed ionic-electronic conductors (MIECs), He-ion implantation, and superconductors. Experimental data is used to study microstructural effects on defect interactions in ferroelectrics.
Beyond Madrasas: Assessing the Links Between Education and Militancy in Pakistan

Increasing educational attainment is likely to reduce conflict risk, especially in countries like Pakistan that have very low levels of primary and secondary school enrollment. Education quality, relevance and content also have a role to play in mitigating violence. Education reform must therefore be a higher priority for all stakeholders interested in a more peaceful and stable Pakistan. Debate within the country about education reform should not be left only to education policymakers and experts, but ought to figure front and center in national dialogues about how to foster security. The price of ignoring Pakistan’s education challenges is simply too great in a country where half the population is under the age of 17. There has been much debate concerning the roots of militancy in Pakistan, and multiple factors clearly come into play. One risk factor that has attracted much attention both inside Pakistan and abroad is the dismal state of the national education sector. Despite recent progress, current school attainment and literacy levels remain strikingly low, as does education spending. The Pakistani education sector, like much of the country’s public infrastructure, has been in decline over recent decades. The question of how limited access to quality education may contribute to militancy in Pakistan is more salient now than ever, given the rising national and international security implications of continued violence. The second half of 2009 witnessed not only the Pakistani government stepping up action against insurgents but also the release of a new Pakistan National Education Policy that aspires to far-reaching and important reforms, including a commitment to increase investment in education - from 2 to 7 percent of gross domestic product. Hundreds of millions of dollars in international education aid have been newly pledged by donor countries. This renewed emphasis on education represents a substantial opportunity to seek to improve security in Pakistan and potentially also globally over the medium to long term. Policymakers both inside and outside Pakistan should give careful consideration to whether and how education investments can promote peace and stability, taking into account what we now know about the state of the education sector and the roots of militancy. This report takes a fresh look at the connection between schools, including but not limited to Pakistan’s religious seminaries, known as “madrasas,” and the rising militancy across the country. Poor school performance across Pakistan would seem an obvious area of inquiry as a risk factor for conflict. Yet to date, the focus has been almost exclusively on madrasas and their role in the mounting violence. Outside Pakistan, relatively little attention has been given to whether and how the education sector as a whole may be fueling violence, over and above the role of the minority of militant madrasas.
Intersecting frames in communicating environmental risk and uncertainty

AbstractRisk scholars have long examined how public opinion about environmental issues is shaped by message framing devices, for example, as when climate change is portrayed as a ‘public health’ vs. ‘environmental health’ issue, or when the phenomenon itself is labeled as ‘global warming’ vs. ‘climate change.’ Yet, seldom do these framing devices occur in isolation; instead, they often co-occur – or intersect – in messaging about emerging environmental risks, which may hold underappreciated implications for theory and practice. This paper introduces the concept of intersecting frames, which we define as occurring whenever communicators emphasize a subset of the available aspects of an issue (i.e. emphasis framing) that itself is referred to using one of a larger set of alternative labels used to represent the issue in discourse. As an initial exploration of the concept, we report on a web experiment featuring 602 US respondents in which Vibrio bacteria in oysters was framed primarily as a risk either to p...
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Reactive Oxygen Species Play Opposing Roles in Electrophile-Mediated Nrf2/Antioxidant Response Element Activation

The Nrf2 transcription factor and its cognate antioxidant response element (ARE) regulate expression of antioxidant proteins and other cytoprotective proteins. Therapeutic activation of this system is under investigation in numerous pre-clinical and clinical trials for a range of common chronic diseases and their prevention. This system responds to oxidative stress, such as that caused by H2O2, as well as to many electrophilic small molecules, including sulforaphane from cruciferous vegetables. Various Nrf2 activators can both generate oxidative stress and behave as electrophiles, for example, oxidation of phenolic compounds to the quinone form. Our objective is to understand the interplay of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and electrophiles in the activation of the Nrf2/ARE system. Our model system utilizes sulforaphane as the electrophile and the ROS-generating oxidizable diphenol, 2,5-di-tert-butylhydroquinone (dtBHQ), whose oxidized form is sterically blocked from reacting with nucleophiles. Our data indicate that H2O2 generated from dtBHQ oxidation synergistically enhances sulforaphane-induced ARE-regulated gene expression. Paradoxically, co-treatment with H2O2-scavenging catalase lowers gene expression levels to below that of sulforaphane alone, implying ROS other than H2O2 inhibit gene expression in some manner. Correspondingly, we find sulforaphane-induced Nrf2 protein levels not only fail to increase in the presence of dtBHQ, but rather they are significantly reduced. To confirm that other forms of ROS are responsible for this inhibition, we tested the effect of the catalyst MnTMPyP, which primarily degrades peroxynitrate and superoxide, and subsequently also inhibits hydroxyl radical formation. Cells were treated with sulforaphane, dtBHQ and either catalase or MnTMPyP. We find MnTMPyP but not catalase rescues Nrf2 protein levels, and that it increases the response of the ARE reporter. Therefore, there is a "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" effect of ROS on electrophile-mediated ARE activation, with H2O2 playing a beneficial role, and other species, possibly the highly oxidizing species peroxynitrate or hydroxyl radical, causing inhibition.
Combustion Instability at Lean Limit

In recent years gas engine manufacturers have faced stringent emission regulations on oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and unburned hydrocarbons (UHC) [1, 2]. Operating internal combustion engines at ultra-lean conditions can reduce NOx emissions and also improve thermal efficiency [3, 4]. An approach that can potentially solve the challenge of igniting ultra-lean mixtures is to use a reacting/reacted hot turbulent jet to ignite the ultra-lean mixture instead of a conventional electric spark [5–10]. The hot turbulent jet is produced by burning a small amount of stoichiometric or near-stoichiometric fuel/air mixture in a small volume separated from the main combustion chamber called the pre-chamber. The higher pressure resulting from pre-chamber combustion pushes combustion products into the main combustion chamber in the form of a hot reacting/reacted turbulent jet, which then ignites the ultra-lean mixture in the main combustion chamber. Compared to conventional spark ignition, the hot turbulent jet has a much larger surface area containing numerous ignition kernels over which ignition can occur. Hot jet ignition has the potential to enable the combustion system to operate near the fuel’s lean flammability limit, leading to ultralow emissions.
Small-Strain and Large-Strain Modulus Measurements with a Consolidation Device

By using a back-pressure saturated, constant rate-of-strain consolidation device with bender elements (BP-CRS-BE), values of large-strain constrained modulus (M) and small-strain shear modulus (Gmax) were obtained from tests performed on kaolinite soil specimens. The methodology and procedures that were utilized to obtain values of M, Gmax, large-strain shear modulus (G), drained Poisson’s ratio (ν), horizontal effective stress (σh′), vertical effective stress (σv′), specific volume (v), coefficient of lateral earth pressure during unloading (K0,UL), and drained friction angle (ϕ′) are discussed herein. The following five observations were made. (1) The Gmax values increased with increasing values of σv′ and decreased with increasing values of the overconsolidation ratio (OCR). (2) The Gmax values that were obtained by utilizing correlations and the large-strain BP-CRS-BE testing data (identified as GmaxCRS,p′), which were back-calculated by considering the modulus reduction, matched the Gmax values that were obtained from the bender element measurements within the BP-CRS-BE device (Gmax,BE). (3) The ν values increased with increasing σv′ values but decreased with the increasing void ratio (e) values. (4) The K0,UL values increased with increasing OCR values. (5) The ϕ values that were calculated for the soil that was tested within the BP-CRS-BE device by using the K0,UL-OCR data that were obtained from the BP-CRS-BE device (21.2°, 16.0°, and 24.7°) were similar to the ϕ′ values that were obtained from modified Mohr-Coulomb diagram from triaxial tests on the same soil (20.7°).
A knowledge-based application definition system

The design of an experimental consultation system, here called ADS, aimed at providing expert-level assistance to (nonprogrammer) specialists in defining medically-oriented, sensor-based applications is considered. The heart of the system is a knowledge base containing extensive static descriptions of the problem domain and mechanisms for instantiating elements of a subject application.
Patients' acceptance of psychological and pharmacological therapies for insomnia.

This study evaluated the acceptance of psychological and pharmacological therapies among chronic insomniacs and noncomplaining good sleepers. After reading a brief written description of two treatment methods commonly used for persistent insomnia (i.e. cognitive-behavior therapy and pharmacotherapy), the subjects rated in a counter-balanced order several dimensions of these two treatment modalities. The results showed that the psychological intervention was rated as more acceptable and more suitable than the pharmacological one among both insomniacs and their noncomplaining significant others. Behavior therapy was also expected to be more effective on a long-term basis and to produce fewer side effects as well as more benefits on daytime functioning. The clinical implications and relevance of treatment acceptance in the management of insomnia are discussed.
Development of an On-Bead Digestion Procedure for Immunoprecipitated Proteins

Combining antibody coated magnetic bead affinity purification as a separation tool with mass spectrometry as a protein identification tool has been a powerful method to determine the composition of interacting proteins and protein complexes. Receptor proteins and insoluble complexes offer added challenges, as they may contain hydrophobic membrane proteins. When strong detergents such as SDS are required to release the complexes from the magnetic beads or prevent their aggregation and precipitation, the subsequent required removal of anionic detergents appears to cause significant sample losses prior to MS analysis. We describe a procedure in which protein denaturation and trypsin digestion are performed directly on the affinity bound complex on the magnetic beads, circumventing detergents and reducing sample loss prior to LC/MS/MS analysis.
Binary Cumulants

The binary cumulant is defined for joint probability distributions on binary sequences of finite length. The binary cumulant is bounded, in magnitude, by unity, and is shown to vanish if there exists any bipartition of the letter positions into statistically independent blocks. Probability distributions on binary n-sequences are shown to map injectively into their binary cumulants for all subsets of the set of letter positions. An inversion algorithm is established, recovering the joint distribution from its collection of binary cumulants.
Composition going global: The ‘Why?’ and the ‘How?’ of Making/Negotiating Meaning in Writing with diverse audiences across languages and geographical boundaries

In response to current trends in Composition as well as the challenges of langauging and pedagogy in the global reality, this qualitative classroom-based action research study was designed to gain a better understanding of strategies, practices, and competences exhibited by students of various linguistic and cultural backgrounds when composing, reading, and responding to the narratives of their peers in a multi- lingual composition class. In a focused presentation of a single student case study, the manuscript conceptualizes ‘effective’ writing in global contexts, outlines successful strategies to gain the ‘buy-in’ from culturally and linguistically diverse audiences when composing transnationally and translingually. The study concludes by suggesting ways and strategies to transform ‘traditional’ peer response assignments to engage global rhetorics and transnational frameworks for the sake of all students and their success communicating across languages, rhetorics, borders, and modes.
Cardiomyopathy presenting prenatally with functional tricuspid and pulmonary atresia

Cardiomyopathy is a rare diagnosis in the fetus that usually presents as a dilated, poorly functioning ventricle. We present the case of a fetus that developed functional tricuspid and pulmonary atresia due to progressive right ventricular cardiomyopathy. The baby was supported with prostaglandin and inotropic infusions after delivery, eventually weaning off without need for surgical intervention. This case illustrates the prenatal findings that evolved and the successful postnatal management.
Parallel Implementation of High-Fidelity Multiqubit Gates with Neutral Atoms

We report the implementation of universal two- and three-qubit entangling gates on neutral-atom qubits encoded in long-lived hyperfine ground states. The gates are mediated by excitation to strongly interacting Rydberg states and are implemented in parallel on several clusters of atoms in a one-dimensional array of optical tweezers. Specifically, we realize the controlled-phase gate, enacted by a novel, fast protocol involving only global coupling of two qubits to Rydberg states. We benchmark this operation by preparing Bell states with fidelity F≥95.0(2)%, and extract gate fidelity ≥97.4(3)%, averaged across five atom pairs. In addition, we report a proof-of-principle implementation of the three-qubit Toffoli gate, in which two control atoms simultaneously constrain the behavior of one target atom. These experiments demonstrate key ingredients for high-fidelity quantum information processing in a scalable neutral-atom platform.
γ-Tocotrienol reversal of the Warburg effect in breast cancer cells is associated with 5′-AMP-activated kinase activation

Abstract Vitamin E is the general term to describe a family of eight naturally occurring compounds, that is further divided into two subgroups called tocopherols and tocotrienols. Tocotrienols are relatively rare and only found in limited sources such as palm, rice bran, and annatto bean oil. All vitamin E isoforms consist of a chromanol ring structure with a long tail attached at the 2 position. However, tocopherols have a saturated phytyl, whereas tocotrienols have an unsaturated isoprenoid tail. Fig. 20.1 shows the various isoforms of tocotrienol differ in their methylation patterns at the 5, 7, and 8 position of the chromanol ring to form alpha (α)-, beta (β)-, gamma (γ)- and delta (δ)-isomers. Initial experiments characterized the differential antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of individual tocopherols and tocotrienols, and determined that tocotrienols were significantly more potent in suppressing cancer cell growth and inducing programmed cell death than tocopherols.
The Conservation of China’s Historical Sites under Rapid Urbanization in the Case of Xixing District

During the rapid growth of the nation in the last half-century, China has experienced extreme urbanization and class polarization. As a result, historical districts and cultural centers are rapidly vanishing. To survey the question of how to conserve historical monuments in the midst of cities’ fast development that can protect the community, preserve significant memories, and promote the authenticity for future generations. This paper will examine a specific case study in Hangzhou's historical district in China that advances through historical research, field study, residential interviews, suggestions in governmental policy, and revitalization proposals. Through a one-week intensified investigation in the neighborhood under the collaboration of Zhejiang University, University of Tokyo, and University，I was honored to participate in this international academic event, “Learning from Place.” Through a series of surveying and mapping, drawing and modeling, planning and designing, and under the guidance of professors and team collaboration, we students involved in a discussion of the current city issues and organized primary solutions to the problems. The conclusion we have come to an agreement is that it is possible to achieve a compatible environment that incorporates modern facilities into historical conditions, in which harmonizes urban development and cultural conservation, and balance economic advancement and social benefit.
Our Solar System and Others

ORIGINS Discoveries of planetary systems around other stars are providing insights into the process by which planets form. The exoplanets are also possible abodes for life outside our own Solar System. A stronomers have long speculated about the origin of our Solar System. They have noted regularities in the way the planets orbit the Sun and in the spacing of the planetary orbits. But until recently, astronomers have been limited to studying one planetary system: our own. In 1600, Giordano Bruno was burned, naked, at the stake, in part for wondering about the “plurality of worlds,” to use the term of that day. Finally, after hundreds of years of wondering whether they existed, astronomers discovered another planetary system in 1992, though it was around a very strange type of star. And in the last two decades, planetary systems galore have been discovered around stars like the Sun. While twenty years ago we knew of only the handful of planets orbiting our Sun, as of this writing (2012) we know of about 1000 planets around other stars, as well as more than 2000 additional good candidates (see the Chapter Opener), the latter mostly from NASA’s Kepler spacecraft (■ Fig. 9–1 ).
Parameter space mapping of the Princeton magnetorotational instability experiment

Extensive simulations of the Princeton Magnetorotational Instability (MRI) Experiment with the Spectral/Finite Element code for Maxwell and Navier-Stokes Equations (SFEMaNS) have been performed to map the MRI-unstable region as a function of inner cylinder angular velocity and applied vertical magnetic field. The angular velocities of the outer cylinder and the end-cap rings follow the inner cylinder in fixed ratios optimized for MRI. We first confirm the exponential growth of the MRI linear phase using idealized conducting vertical boundaries (end caps) rotating differentially with a Taylor-Couette profile. Subsequently, we run a multitude of simulations to scan the experimental parameter space and find that the normalized volume-averaged mean-square radial magnetic field, our main instability indicator, rises significantly where MRI is expected. At various locations, the local radial components of fluid velocity and generated magnetic field are well correlated with the volume-averaged indicator. Based on this correlation, a diagnostic system that will measure the radial magnetic field at several locations on the inner cylinder is proposed as the main comparison between simulation and experiment. A detailed analysis of poloidal mode structures in the SFEMaNS code indicates that MRI, rather than Ekman circulation or Rayleigh instability, dominates the fluid behavior in the region where MRI is expected.
LAR inhibitory peptide promotes recovery of diaphragm function and multiple forms of respiratory neural circuit plasticity after cervical spinal cord injury

Abstract Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), up-regulated in and around the lesion after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), are key extracellular matrix inhibitory molecules that limit axon growth and consequent recovery of function. CSPG-mediated inhibition occurs via interactions with axonal receptors, including leukocyte common antigen- related (LAR) phosphatase. We tested the effects of a novel LAR inhibitory peptide in rats after hemisection at cervical level 2, a SCI model in which bulbospinal inspiratory neural circuitry originating in the medullary rostral ventral respiratory group (rVRG) becomes disconnected from phrenic motor neuron (PhMN) targets in cervical spinal cord, resulting in persistent partial-to-complete diaphragm paralysis. LAR peptide was delivered by a soaked gelfoam, which was placed directly over the injury site immediately after C2 hemisection and replaced at 1 week post-injury. Axotomized rVRG axons originating in ipsilateral medulla or spared rVRG fibers originating in contralateral medulla were separately assessed by anterograde tracing via AAV2-mCherry injection into rVRG. At 8 weeks post-hemisection, LAR peptide significantly improved ipsilateral hemidiaphragm function, as assessed in vivo with electromyography recordings. LAR peptide promoted robust regeneration of ipsilateral-originating rVRG axons into and through the lesion site and into intact caudal spinal cord to reach PhMNs located at C3-C5 levels. Furthermore, regenerating rVRG axons re-established putative monosynaptic connections with their PhMNs targets. In addition, LAR peptide stimulated robust sprouting of both modulatory serotonergic axons and contralateral-originating rVRG fibers within the PhMN pool ipsilateral/caudal to the hemisection. Our study demonstrates that targeting LAR-based axon growth inhibition promotes multiple forms of respiratory neural circuit plasticity and provides a new peptide-based therapeutic strategy to ameliorate the devastating respiratory consequences of SCI.
Understanding pathways to e-cigarette use across sexual identity: A multi-group structural equation model.

Abstract This study explored the relationships between sexual violence, smoking behaviors, suicidality and past 30-day e-cigarette use under the theoretical framework of Minority Stress Theory. The 2017 National Youth Risk Behavioral Survey was utilized to study a nationally representative sample of sexual minority (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and unsure) and heterosexual high school students (N = 7882). Multi-group structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to examine whether sexual violence and suicidality had a direct effect on e-cigarette use, after controlling for prior smoking behaviors (cigarette, cigar, and marijuana use). Suicidality and smoking behaviors were examined as mediators of the relationship between sexual violence and e-cigarette use, and suicidality was examined as a mediator of the relationship between sexual violence and smoking behaviors. This model was tested for invariance across sexual minority and heterosexual students. For both groups, smoking behaviors had significant direct effects on e-cigarette use, yet suicidality revealed no significant direct effects. Both suicidality and sexual violence had significant indirect effects on e-cigarette use through their effects on smoking behaviors. Sexual violence had a significant direct effect on e-cigarette use for sexual minority students, but not for heterosexual students. Despite this notable difference, the model was found to be invariant across the two groups. These findings suggest that students who report sexual violence may experience suicidality and victimization may lead to smoking behaviors and e-cigarette use. Students’ mental health and substance use behaviors should continue to be targeted in schools, particularly among sexual minority youths.
Controlling and evaluating microstructural evolution in AM

Keynote presentation, SPIE Photonics West LASE, 2021. Controlling and evaluating microstructural evolution in AM