cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ambient infrasound noise in urban environments

Associated with the emerging use of infrasound at tactical ranges (less than 50 km in complicated terrain), there is an increased need to deploy infrasound arrays in urban environments near sources of interest in order to record small signals. Initial urban deployment research demonstrated successful monitoring of a single source within 1 km utilizing rooftop infrasound arrays. In order to understand the applicability of this technique for a broader range of sources, the impact of the urban array design on noise reduction and detection of signals of interest must be assessed. These source signals, recorded within an urban scenario, are embedded in a complicated ambient noise environment with multiple coherent clutter sources and an overall decrease in the signal-to-noise ratio. Understanding these ambient acoustic field characteristics requires deconvolving observed coherent signals from time-varying atmospheric effects for different levels of urbanization. This paper presents an initial approach to instrumenting the urban environment with consideration of wind filter effects and data analysis to estimate total ambient acoustic field for a subset of urban zones. This work then provides a definition of urbanization that can be related to the infrasound wavefield. Permission to publish was granted by the Director, Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory.
Importance of Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 Monitoring in the Management of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancers are rich with tumor stroma, which at times can account for over 80% of the tumor mass. As a result, it is not uncommon that pancreatic cancers demonstrate little to no radiographic changes in response to therapy. Lack of reliable radiographic response remains a major challenge to assessing biologic response to therapy and confounds appropriate surgical selection. In addition, subjectivity and inter-reater variability complicate assessments of treatment response. Optimal assessment of treatment response would require an objective, quantitative measure which ideally would be easily accessed and reproducible. Herein we describe the use of a serum biomarker, carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 in patients with pancreatic cancer. CA19-9 values have a wide dynamic range and response to therapy (particularly normalization of an elevated value) has important prognostic implications. Routine incorporation of CA19-9 monitoring in patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy adds significant value and should be performed routinely in all patients.
Beyond Cannabis: Psychedelic Decriminalization and Social Justice

Psychedelics are powerful psychoactive substances which alter consciousness and brain function. Like cannabis, psychedelics have long been considered prohibited Schedule I substances under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. However, via the powerful psychological experiences they induce, psychedelics are now being shown to be viable therapeutic alternatives in treating depression, substance use disorders, and other mental illnesses, and even to enhance the well-being of healthy individuals. In May 2019, Denver, Colorado became the first city in the country to decriminalize psilocybin (the active compound in “magic mushrooms”) — a potential major shift in the War on Drugs. Ballot initiatives for the decriminalization of psilocybin and similar substances are now reaching voters in other cities and states. What principles might justify this decriminalization — eliminating criminal penalties for, at a minimum, the use and possession — of psilocybin and other psychedelics? This Article provides background on psychedelics and a historic overview of the laws surrounding them. It then considers several potential justifications for decriminalizing psychedelics: (1) medical value; (2) religious freedom; (3) cognitive liberty; and (4) identity politics. Lastly, the Article proposes a reframed justification rooted in principles of social justice, namely neurodiversity.
Widespread roles for piRNAs and WAGO-class siRNAs in shaping the germline transcriptome of Caenorhabditis elegans

Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are distinct classes of small RNAs required for proper germline development. To identify the roles of piRNAs and siRNAs in regulating gene expression in Caenorhabditis elegans, we subjected small RNAs and mRNAs from the gonads of piRNA and siRNA defective mutants to high-throughput sequencing. We show that piRNAs and an abundant class of siRNAs known as WAGO-class 22G-RNAs are required for proper expression of spermatogenic and oogenic genes. WAGO-class 22G-RNAs are also broadly required for transposon silencing, whereas piRNAs are largely dispensable. piRNAs, however, have a critical role in controlling histone gene expression. In the absence of piRNAs, histone mRNAs are misrouted into the nuclear RNAi pathway involving the Argonaute HRDE-1, concurrent with a reduction in the expression of many histone mRNAs. We also show that high-level gene expression in the germline is correlated with high level 22G-RNA production. However, most highly expressed genes produce 22G-RNAs through a distinct pathway that presumably involves the Argonaute CSR-1. In contrast, genes targeted by the WAGO branch of the 22G-RNA pathway are typically poorly expressed and respond unpredictably to loss of 22G-RNAs. Our results point to broad roles for piRNAs and siRNAs in controlling gene expression in the C. elegans germline.
Ethical issues surrounding the use of post cardiotomy ecmo

There are myriad ethical issues associated with the initiation, maintenance, and termination of ECMO in post-cardiotomy patients. As ECMO becomes more commonly implemented, it is important to consider many of these ethical issues in consenting, counseling, and comforting families who are struggling to grasp the technical, medical and ethical issues that this technology presents.
Effect of Large Versus Small Range of Motion in the Various Intensities of Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Pain and Strength

The purpose was to investigate eccentric (ECC) exercise with full range of motion (FROM) induce a greater magnitude of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), pain, functional limitations compared to partial range of motion (PROM; outer 60° of ROM). Thirty-four participants (men and women) aged between 18 and 30 years performed ECC exercise protocol on elbow and knee muscles (5 × 10 repetitions each session) using their 15%/25%/35% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) with PROM (week 2-4) and FROM (week 6-8). Two days a week, ECC exercises and remaining days the subjective and objective assessments were carried out (activities of daily living (ADL), pain (visual analogue scale (VAS), pain pressure threshold (PPT)), and MVIC. The ECC exercise with FROM showed moderate pain (0-3.5) in ADL (pulling a heavy object and descending stairs), VAS, and PPT for elbow extensors and knee flexors and showed a statistically significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) compared to PROM ECC protocol. The muscle strength was increased in FROM ECC exercise than PROM ECC exercise and ranged between 23.16% and 28.22%. ECC exercise performed with FROM induced a higher degree of DOMS, pain, ADL limitations than PROM. The study outcomes can be used for beginner sedentary older adults as well as young athletes.
A novel hybrid resampling algorithm for parallel/distributed particle filters

Abstract Parallel/Distributed particle filters have been widely used in the estimation of states of dynamic systems by using multiple processing units (PUs). In parallel/distributed particle filters, the centralized resampling needs a central unit (CU) to serve as a hub to execute the global resampling. The centralized scheme is the main obstacle for the improved performance due to its global nature. To reduce the communication cost, the decentralized resampling was proposed, which only conducted the resampling on each PU. Although the decentralized resampling can improve the performance, it suffers from the low accuracy due to the local nature. Therefore, we propose a novel hybrid resampling algorithm to dynamically adjust the intervals between the centralized resampling steps and the decentralized resampling steps based on the measured system convergence. We formulate the proposed algorithm and prove it to be uniformly convergent. Since the proposed algorithm is a generalization of various versions of the hybrid resampling, its proof provides the solid theoretical foundation for their wide adoptions in parallel/distributed particle filters. In the experiments, we evaluate and compare different resampling algorithms including the centralized resampling algorithm, the decentralized resampling algorithm, and different types of existing hybrid resampling algorithms to show the effectiveness and the improved performance of the proposed hybrid resampling algorithm.
Antibiotic sensitivity of Escherichia coli isolated from diarrheic calves

The antibiotic sensitivity of non-specific strains of E. coli isolated from calves with diarrhoea was tested with 25 drugs. Only the nitrofurans, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, trimethroprim sulphadiazine and polymixin B were effective in vitro against E. coli more than 63% of the time.
CDK4: Linking cell size to cell cycle control.

A size checkpoint active during cell proliferation ensures that cells reach a certain target size before transitioning into S phase. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Tan et al. identify a distinct function of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) in determining the target cell size for cell cycle progression.
Improving Multiple-User Capacity through Downlink NOMA in OAM Systems

Orbital angular momentum (OAM) has been acknowledged as a potential technology for 6G wireless communication since its mode orthogonality can improve the degree of freedom (DoF) and capacity. In this paper, orthogonal multiple access (OMA) and non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) are explored in OAM downlink systems to improve the sum-capacity for the coaxial multi-user scenario. For the OMA-OAM case, a mode selection algorithm is proposed, and a mode-division OAM design can be accomplished by solving an optimization problem with a quality-of-service (QoS) constraint. For the NOMA-OAM case, a non-convex optimization problem is formulated to maximize the sum-capacity, and an iterative algorithm is presented by approximating the capacity as a concave quadratic function in each iteration. By this means, we introduce a computationally tractable successive convex quadratic programming (SCQP) framework to handle the highly non-convex capacity function efficiently. An extension to the non-coaxial case is considered furthermore. Simulation results are provided to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed mode-division OMA-OAM and NOMA-OAM schemes, guaranteeing the superiority compared to conventional OMA-OAM systems.
Political Terrorism: An Historical Case Study of the Italian Red Brigades

As the world's governments become increasingly engulfed in economic and political strife, international leaders should step back and understand what historical realities enabled political extremism to surface in particular regions of the world. More important, these leaders need to recognize what past governments did to counter these movements. Global communities are currently witnessing a dynamic trend of populous uprisings that in some cases, like Greece and the United States, have the potential to severely disrupt the activities of local governments. Consequently, it behooves leaders to reflect upon historical precedence in order to avoid repeating the same mistakes of our forefathers. Accordingly, the rise and fall of the Italian Red Brigades represents a classic case study from which to understand the dynamics behind the development of a political terrorist organization and its effects on society as a whole. This article is available in Journal of Strategic Security: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/jss/vol3/iss3/5 53 Political Terrorism: An Historical Case Study of the Italian Red Brigades By Major Victor H. Sundquist, U.S. Army "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
Public Judgment of an Environmental Health Hazard: Two Studies of the ASARCO Smelter

Results from two studies focusing on public risk judgment concerning the ASARCO Smelter in Tacoma, Washington are reported. The first study examines the factors affecting risk judgment among persons directly exposed to emissions from the smelter. Two public samples were studied, one composed of participants in public hearings and one generated by a telephone sampling of the general population of Tacoma. For these public groups, risk judgments and risk tolerance were closely associated with judged benefits of the hazard source, among other factors, and not with level of technical information about the hazard nor to residential distance from the smelter. The second study employed college students as subjects in a “simulated hazard” where subjects were instructed to respond “ as if they lived in an area of Tacoma affected by the smelter.” Where the primary purpose of the first study was substantive, that of the second study was methodological, exploring the use of a longitudinal panel design to study risk judgment. Data were collected from the same subjects at three points in time, a week separating the first from the second and the second from the third. Information about the hazard was made available to subjects during the breaks between sessions. In each testing period, subjects provided information on judgments of risk, on their information seeking behavior and on risk mitigation. These data were used to test and revise a structural model of the effects of information on risk judgment and risk mitigation.
An Interview with Philippe Sollers

Philippe Sollers is a controversial figure in French letters today. Editor of the left-wing journal Tel Quel, a periodical which has published some of the most daring critical and philosophical as well as political speculation (and polemics), Sollers is a prolific novelist and critic. He is also a protean figure capable of quick volte faces. His creative life began when at the age of 21 he published his first novel Une Curieuse solitude, an initiation narrative deriving largely from what he himself calls the classical French tradition but one which owes as much to Georges Bataille as it does to Marcel Proust. Though this book has been dis avowed by its author, it bears witness to his precocious verbal gifts and his re markable ability as a storyteller. The middle-class boy's premier amour with an unpredictable Spanish servant is somewhat more than the conventional tale in this genre. Appropriately, it is the only novel by Sollers that has been translated into English (A Strange Solitude, 1959). Sollers' later fiction consists of a series of highly structured but plodess verbal tours de force, attempts to develop the "lyrico-epic" style which he described in this interview and which is best illustrated by the passage from H published in this issue of The Iowa Review. A continuing series of permutations of language as a medium for semi-narrative forms and carefully integrated "political" state ments, these "novels" have led to, rather than derived from, an appreciation of writer-heroes like Joyce, Pound, Mallarm?. Sollers' "fiction" has also tended to justify his position as leader (along with the novelist-critic Jean Ricardou and the brilliant and playful experimentalist Maurice Roche) of the post-New Novel ists, a tendency loosely called the New-New Novel. The confusion generated by this tag has led Sollers to suggest that this "movement" be rebaptized The Wake in a punning play on Joyce's tide. It is perhaps important, since these writers and others like them are receiving an increasing amount of critical attention here and in France, that we not con fuse them with the original New Novelists, most of whom might be called ob jectivist anti-novelists, whose work derives more or less directly from the central novelistic traditions they deliberately modify. The group represented by Sollers and centering around Tel Quel is more directiy inspired by novelists and poets of the fringe, writers tending to violate the very ground rules of narration as well as the canons of taste and thereby discovering new uses for language. Among their heroes are the prose poet Lautr?amont (Isidore Ducasse, 1846 1870), whose sadic visions inspired the early Surrealists; the playwright Antonin Artaud (1896-1948), who insisted on the role of theatre as a ritual implicating the audience in representations of its own impulses; and the recendy rediscovered novelist-poet-essayist Georges Bataille (1897-1962), who preached the accep tance of the negative urges as essential to communal health, writing moving books based on paradox and hyperbole. Bataille's novel Le Bleu du ciel is a mas
Watching the Boa Constrictor Uncoil: Sexual Desire and The Emperor Jones

In the spring of 2006, the Wooster Group re-staged its 1998 production of The Emperor Jones at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn. The re-staging largely retained its original elements, most notably in the embodiment of the title role of Brutus Jones by Kate Valk, a forty-nine year-old white woman, who performed the show in blackface. The implications of casting a white woman in the role of a “tall, powerfully-built, full-blooded Negro of middle age” will serve as the main inquiry of this paper. I hope to argue that the decision to cast Valk as Jones did more than, as Hilton Als suggests, “[equate] the female with the black outsider.” Instead, by reading Charles Gilpin’s performance of Jones in the 1920s alongside Valk’s, I will argue that Valk’s destabilizing presence as a white woman in drag and blackface undermined the sexually charged, essentialized, and fetishized responses of white audiences to Gilpin’s black body. After all, at the end of the play Valk’s costume appeared intact, while Gilpin’s psychological journey stripped him both mentally and physically, forcing him to sport a bathrobe during the curtain call to cover his naked body.
X-ray response of National Ignition Facility first surface materials

The ablation of first surface materials by x rays is a primary threat to the final optics in the NIF target chamber. To meet the operational goals of the facility, the designs of the chamber wall, ...
6‐O‐methacryloyl‐D‐galactose: A reactive, water‐soluble monomer

Deacetonation of the crystalline monomer, 1.2:3.4-di-O-isopropylidene-6-O-methacryloyl-α-D-galactopyranose(DGM, I) in 80% formic acid solution at 20°C gave the syrupy, water-soluble monomer 6-O-methacryloyl-α-D-galactopyranose (α-GM) was a white crystalline compound which showed characteristic infrared absorption. The NMR spectrum of α-GM in deuterium oxide was complicated by two variable: (i) mutarotation and (ii) gradual polymerisation. Syrupy GM was polymerised with ammonium persulphate to a water-insoluble, cross-linked hydrogel.
Fe II emission line profiles in the ultraviolet spectrum of cool, luminous stars

The differences between the outer atmospheres of the coronal and non-coronal cool stars and the importance of massive stellar winds to the latter group are summarized. The utility of Fe II as a probe of such winds is indicated and a brief review of previous observations of Fe II in these stars is given. The early results of a current IUE program to study the chromospheres and winds of the non-coronal, latetype stars are presented, including evidence of a strong dependence of the mid-UV Fe II profiles on stellar luminosity. In addition, the dependence of the Fe II profiles on intrinsic line strength in spectra of Alpha Ori and the discovery of a variation of the Fe II profiles with time in spectra of Gamma Cru are discussed.
Elastic Wave Scattering by Arbitrarily Shaped Voids

This work is motivated by the need for realistic ultrasonic probability of detection (POD) models in nondestructive evaluation (NDE). Past POD models have utilized flaw farfield scattering amplitudes along with other system parameters to predict the expected signal in postulated measurement geometries [1]. However, numerical evaluations of scattering amplitudes have generally been restricted to idealized flaw shapes and, to our knowledge, no scheme to calculate scattering amplitudes of arbitrary shape has ever been implemented in 3D. Volumetric shapes with an axis of symmetry have been examined with T-matrix and MOOT [2,3] but the axisyrametric limitation precludes a large portion of all expected flaw shapes. Furthermore, a quasi-plane wave assumption is often made. This assumption can become inappropriate for critical flaw sizes on the order of the beam size. A truly general POD model needs to have these assumptions removed.
Haploinsufficiency and triploinsensitivity of the same 6p25.1p24.3 region in a family

Chromosome 6pter-p24 deletion syndrome (OMIM #612582) is a recognized chromosomal disorder. Most of the individuals with this syndrome carry a terminal deletion of the short arm of chromosome 6 (6p) with a breakpoint within the 6p25.3p23 region. An approximately 2.1 Mb terminal region has been reported to be responsible for some major features of the syndrome. The phenotypic contributions of other deleted regions are unknown. Interstitial deletions of the region are uncommon, and reciprocal interstitial duplication in this region is extremely rare. We present a family carrying an interstitial deletion and its reciprocal duplication within the 6p25.1p24.3 region. The deletion is 5.6 Mb in size and was detected by array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) in a 26-month-old female proband who presented speech delay and mild growth delay, bilateral conductive hearing loss and dysmorphic features. Array CGH studies of her family members detected an apparently mosaic deletion of the same region in the proband’s mildly affected mother, but a reciprocal interstitial duplication in her phenotypically normal brother. Further chromosomal and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses revealed that instead of a simple mosaic deletion of 6p25.1p24.3, the mother actually carries three cell populations in her peripheral blood, including a deletion (~70 %), a duplication (~8 %) and a normal (~22 %) populations. Therefore, both the deletion and duplication seen in the siblings were apparently inherited from the mother. Interstitial deletion within the 6p25.1p24.3 region and its reciprocal duplication may co-exist in the same individual and/or family due to mitotic unequal sister chromatid exchange. While the deletion causes phenotypes reportedly associated with the chromosome 6pter-p24 deletion syndrome, the reciprocal duplication may have no or minimal phenotypic effect, suggesting possible triploinsensitivity of the same region. In addition, the cells with the duplication may compensate the phenotypic effect of the cells with the deletion in the same individual as implied by the maternal karyotype and her mild phenotype. Chromosomal and FISH analyses are essential to verify abnormal cytogenomic array findings.
The Predictability Implied by Consumption-Based Asset Pricing Models: A Review of the Theory and Empirical Evidence

The consumption-based models have a lack of predictive power for explaining variability of stock returns. This paper examines two well-known models, Campbell and Cochrane (1999)’s habit model and Bansal and Yaron (2004)’s long-run risks model, to see whether they produce a significant power of return predictability. For the habit model, empirical tests reveal that the state variable, the surplus consumption ratio, explains counter-cyclical time-varying expected returns. The long-run risks model also proves to explain that main sources of volatility in price-dividend ratio are a persistent and predictable consumption growth rate and fluctuating economic uncertainty. The models are also tested by following the work of Kirby (1998) whether they can explain the observed return predictability. Both models fail to generate any significant predictive power. The habit model is relatively strong in volatility, which implies that variation in expected excess return is largely attributable to the time-varying risk aversion.
Structure and Function of Kinetoplast DNA

SYNOPSIS Cells of the order Kinetoplastida possess a single mitochondrion which contains a large amount of a uniquely organized DNA. This kinetoplastic DNA (K-DNA), representing 10–20% of the total cell DNA in different species, has as its major molecular component a small closed circular molecule present in large numbers. The size and thereby the amount of genetic information carried by the minicircles varies from species to species: Leishmania tarentolae and the Salivarian trypanosomes have the smallest, the Stercorarian trypanosomes Trypanosoma lewisi and Trypanosoma cruzi intermediate, and Crithidia and also Trypanosoma mega the largest minicircles. In L. tarentolae, purified minicircles, which are the size of 1 gene, have been shown by renaturation kinetics to consist of only 1 or 2 classes. L. tarentolae K-DNA also contains another molecular species—a long molecule which may represent up to 30% of the total K-DNA. The minicircles, nevertheless, represent a gene amplification of the order of 104. In all species that have been examined so far, the K-DNA consists of a single sheet of interlocked closed circular molecules which can be isolated in an intact form because of its resistance to shear forces and its high molecular weight. In addition, at least in L. tarentolae, 6–9% of the K-DNA is either free in the mitochondrion or loosely bound. The main K-DNA structure has been termed a “network” and can be seen in the light microscope after staining in solution with acridine orange or after fixing and staining with Giemsa's, or in the electron microscope. The quaternary structure of such networks in terms of the organization of minicircles and long molecules is not understood. Controlled breakdown of networks from L. tarentolae was achieved by sonication, and the release of open and closed monomeric minicircles, catenated dimers, trimers and higher oligomers, and short linear fragments was measured. A maximum of 43% of the total network DNA was released in the form of closed monomers, dimers, and trimers, thus providing a minimal estimate for the percentage of minicircles in K-DNA from this species. K-DNA replicates fairly synchronously with nuclear DNA in all species that have been examined. Replication of DNA molecules in the kinetoplast networks is limited to the periphery, as seen in autoradiographs of networks isolated from cells (L. tarentolae, Crithidia fasciculata) pulsed with 3H-thymidine. The molecular implications of this unusual replication pattern remain an open question, as does the genetic function of the K-DNA itself.
Holographic memory design for a petaflop superconducting computer architecture

We will describe the role of holographic memory in a current research effort(1) that seeks to combine various advanced technologies to achieve petaflops scale computing within the next decade. In addition to holographic memory, the petaflop architecture combines superconductor Rapid Single Flux Quantum (RSFQ) logic, which can operate at 100 GHz within a cryogenic environment with power consumption less than 50 watts, a packer-switching optical network with a multi-level structure capable of providing interconnection among tens of thousands of ports with latencies of only 10 to 30 nanoseconds, Processor-in-Memory (PIM) technology, and a multithreaded hierarchical structure (see Figure 1) to allow the processors to access a high capacity memory while compensating for the latency problem inherent in such a system.
Electromagnetic fields in the presence of ideally conducting conical structures

Das elektromagnetische Feld in einem Hohlraume, begrenzt von zwei koaxialen kreisformigen Kegeln von gleicher Seitenlange und abgeschlossen durch eine Kugelkappe, ist untersucht. Die Begrenzungen des Hohlleiters sind als ideal leitend angenommen. Das Feld ist erzeugt durch eine kreisformige Stromschleife symmetrisch und mit der Ebene senkrecht zur Achse der Kegel. Die folgenden speziellen Falle sind behandelt:
Odor Threshold of Some Pyrazines

Odor thresholds of 46 pyrazines in water were investigated. Pyrazines examined were 15 alkylpyrazines, 1 phenylpyrazine, 10 alkoxypyrazines, 6 phenoxypyrazines, 3 phenylthiopyrazines, and 11 alkylthiopyrazines. Alkoxypyrazine exhibited the lowest odor threshold among the pyrazine derivatives tested. Odor thresholds of the pyrazines varied from 0.00001 ppm [2-methoxy-3-methyl-5-(2-methylbutyl)pyrazine] to 6.00 ppm (5-isopentyl-2,3-dimethyl-pyrazine).
Periodic laminar convection in a tall vertical cavity

Abstract The response of the flow in a tall vertical cavity to periodic surface temperature variations is studied analytically and numerically. At both low and high frequency limits, the response characteristics agree with those of natural convection along a vertical plate undergoing surface temperature oscillation. The effects of low and high Prandtl numbers and that of Rayleigh numbers at intermediate frequencies are also discussed.
The formation and evolution of synthetic jets

A nominally plane turbulent jet is synthesized by the interactions of a train of counter-rotating vortex pairs that are formed at the edge of an orifice by the time-periodic motion of a flexible diaphragm in a sealed cavity. Even though the jet is formed without net mass injection, the hydrodynamic impulse of the ejected fluid and thus the momentum of the ensuing jet are nonzero. Successive vortex pairs are not subjected to pairing or other subharmonic interactions. Each vortex of the pair develops a spanwise instability and ultimately undergoes transition to turbulence, slows down, loses its coherence and becomes indistinguishable from the mean jet flow. The trajectories of vortex pairs at a given formation frequency scale with the length of the ejected fluid slug regardless of the magnitude of the formation impulse and, near the jet exit plane, their celerity decreases monotonically with streamwise distance while the local mean velocity of the ensuing jet increases. In the far field, the synthetic jet i...
Tuning the Midpoint Potential of the Primary Quinone in Rhodobacter Sphaeroides Photosynthetic Reaction Centers by Mutation of Residue M265

The photosynthetic reaction center from Rhodobacter sphaeroides tunes the midpoint potential (Em) of its quinones to allow favorable electron transfer from the primary (QA) to secondary (QB) quinone. Previous work showed that mutation of isoleucine residue 265 of the M subunit (IleM265) to the polar residues serine or threonine lowers the Em by 80 or 100 mV, respectively [1]. We have now solved the x-ray crystal structures of these mutants, and the structures do not support the proposal that the Em drop is caused by lengthening of hydrogen bonds to the quinone. Instead, we hypothesize that the major contribution comes from change to the electrostatic potential at the QA site, and we have characterized additional mutants at this site. Mutation of IleM265 to asparagine shows a faster QA back reaction (kPA=19 s−1 at pH 8.0) and slower QB back reaction (kPB=0.12 s−1 at pH 8.0) than wild type, but similar to the threonine mutant. The estimated equilibrium potential between QA and QB (KAB) for the asparagine mutant is 156, essentially the same as the threonine mutant (157). However, the IleM265 to glutamine mutant has a slower kPA (6.3 s−1 at pH 8.0) and a slower kPB (0.51 s−1 at pH 8.0) than wild type. The estimated KAB of the glutamine mutant is similar to the wild type (11 vs. 10, respectively), indicating no significant change in Em of QA. The anomalous behavior of the glutamine mutant may be due to restricted freedom of rotation of the longer glutamine side chain, likely clashing with the quinone and preventing adoption of a conformation with an electrostatic minimum energy.[1] Wells et al. (2003) Biochemistry 42, 4064-4074
Balancing economic development with environmental protection in developing and lesser developed countries

Recent experience suggests that poverty and environmental degradation go hand in hand. Economic development, on the other hand, provides the financial and technical resources needed for the protection of human health and natural ecosystems. Balancing economic development and environmental protection in developing countries requires a refocusing of economic activity -- not towards producing less, but producing differently. Strategies for the integration of economic development and environmental protection are outlined here, as is the proposed role that will need to be played by the World Bank. 4 refs., 3 figs.
Far infrared spectra of olefin-Pt(II) complexes. Normal coordinate analysis of Zeise's salt☆

Abstract The far infrared spectra (70–650 cm −1 ) of several complexes of the types R (Pt X 3 L ) and (PtCl 2 L ) 2 (with R = K+ or C 9 H 7 NH + , X = Cl or Br and L = C 2 H 4 , C 2 D 4 , C 3 H 6 , or C 4 H 8 ) are reported and the metal-ligand stretching and bending frequencies have been assigned. A simple model which considered only the skeletal vibrations of the complex was used to a first approximation in a normal coordinate analysis for Zeise's salt KPtCl 3 C 2 H 4 . A complete valence force treatment followed which verified the assignments. The platinum-olefin stretching force constant was found to be similar to the metal-ring stretching force constant in Ru(C 5 H 5 ) 2 . Platinum-carbon stretches appear at ∼490 cm −1 and ∼400 cm −1 in the platinum-olefin complexes.
Radiochemistry as a tool in RIB studies

Radiochemistry can be an important tool in studies of nuclear reactions induced by radioactive ion beams (RIBs). RIB intensities are typically 103–105 particles/s leading to very low reaction rates. The sensitivity of radiochemical methods and the ability to uniquely determine the atomic properties of the reaction products offer substantial advantages. The application of radiochemical techniques to study the fusion of 9,11Li with 70Zn and the “inverse fission” of uranium is described.
Solidus reactions in synthetic lherzolite-H2O-CO2 from 20–30 kbar, with applications to melting and metasomatism

Mixtures of synthetic forsterite, enstatite, diopside and natural dolomite were used to determine solidus reactions for synthetic lherzolite-H_2O (passing through 1125, 1060 and 1005°C, at 10, 20 and 30 kbar, respectively), and dolomite-lherzolite with mixed vapor, two curves not previously located experimentally. The vapor-buffered curve for dolomite-lherzolite has a distinctive pressure minimum, passing down from the CO_2 system near 28 kbar and 1230°C to a minimum near 22 kbar and 1975°C, with decreasing CO_2/H_2O in the vapor, and then up in pressure through a point at 30 kbar and 990°C. These new results, together with published results in other parts of the system, permit complete construction of the three divariant solidus and decarbonation surfaces meeting along the vapor-buffered dolomite-lherzolite solidus curve. The vapor phase composition at the pressure minimum on this curve is about 85 mol% CO_2. The corresponding curve for natural peridotites is complicated by the addition of amphibole. The three surfaces define boundaries between regions where various kinds of metasomatic fluids can exist. Their positions are moved to somewhat lower temperatures for natural peridotites, and the significant vapor-buffered solidus ledge occurs within a narrow pressure interval at about 75 km depth. Rapid changes in melt and vapor phase compositions coexisting with peridotite occur within this interval. Shallower than about 75 km, silicate and not carbonatite magmas coexist with peridotite; vapors may range from CO_2 to H_2O. Deeper than about 75 km, near-solidus melts are carbonatitic, with vapor if present being H_2O-rich; CO_2-rich vapors cannot exist. Rising volatile-rich melts (of moderate temperatures) in equilibrium with peridotite must begin to crystallize and give off vapors near this depth, with compositions changing from H_2O- to CO_2-rich as depth decreases. Melts and vapors separate rapidly from crystals at this and greater depths.
Gα15 and Gα16 Couple a Wide Variety of Receptors to Phospholipase C

The murine G-protein α-subunit Gα15 and its human counterpart Gα16 are expressed in a subset of hematopoietic cells, and they have been shown to regulate β-isoforms of inositide-specific phospholipase C. We studied the ability of a variety of receptors to interact with Gα15 and Gα16 by cotransfecting receptors and G-protein α-subunits in COS-7 cells. Activation of β2 adrenergic and muscarinic M2 receptors in cells expressing the receptors alone or together with Gαq, Gα11, or Gα14 led to a very small stimulation of endogenous phospholipase C. However, when the receptors were coexpressed with Gα15 and Gα16, addition of appropriate ligands caused a severalfold increase in inositol phosphate production which was time- and dose-dependent. A similar activation of phospholipase C was observed when several other receptors which were previously shown to couple to members of the Gi and Gs family were coexpressed with Gα15/16. In addition, stimulation of inositol phosphate formation via receptors naturally coupled to phospholipase C was enhanced by cotransfection of Gα15 and Gα16. These data demonstrate that Gα15 and Gα16 are unique in that they can be activated by a wide variety of G-protein-coupled receptors. The ability of Gα15 and Gα16 to bypass the selectivity of receptor G-protein interaction can be a useful tool to understand the mechanism of receptor-induced G-protein activation. In addition, the promiscuous behavior of Gα15 and Gα16 toward receptors may be helpful in finding ligands corresponding to orphan receptors whose signaling properties are unknown.
Micromolding and sintering of nanoparticle preforms into microparts

A new replication technology that produces, high aspect ratio ceramic or metal microparts by micromolding and sintering nanoparticle preforms is presented. In this LIGA replication technique, an epoxy based nanoparticle slurry is cast into sacrificial plastic micromolds produced by injection molding. The epoxy is allowed to cure and, if desired, excess epoxy is polished off to produce individual micropart preforms. The micromold is then dissolved in methylene chloride and the micropart preforms are sintered in either air (oxide ceramics) or 4% hydrogen in argon (nickel). This presentation will discuss the effects of the epoxy formulation, the microcasting procedure, and the sintering schedule on the materials properties of the final sintered microparts. It will be shown that this replication technique produces ceramic or metal microparts with micron size features and mechanical properties comparable to those of macroscopic materials.
Electrocardiographic and Angiographic Features of Common Atrium

Electrocardiograms and large film biplane angiocardiograms were reviewed in 14 cases of anatomically proved common atrium. All were associated with persistent atrioventricular canal. Electrocardiograms (available in 12 cases) revealed frontal plane QRS loops consistent with persistent atrioventricular canal. Horizontally or superiorly oriented abnormal P vectors were observed in 7 of 12 (58 percent) cases, only one of which was associated with persistent left superior vena cava. None of the cases with a persistent left superior vena cava had a coronary sinus. Abnormal atrioventricular conduction was encountered in two thirds of the cases. In all eight cases in which left ventriculograms were reviewed, typical goose-neck deformity diagnostic of persistent atrioventricular canal was observed. In the five cases in which atrial structure was studied either after the injection of contrast material into the right ventricle or directly into the atrium, a single large globular atrial structure was demonstrated. Although clinical examination and hemodynamic study often cannot distinguish common atrium from the more frequently encountered secundum and primum types of atrial septal defects with large intra-atrial communication, diagnosis of common atrium can be made if the following findings are present: an abnormal frontal plane P axis in conjunction with a frontal QRS loop consistent with persistent atrioventricular canal in the electrocardiograms, and the demonstration of a single atrial structure by large film biplane angiocardiograms after rapid injection of contrast material into the right ventricle, into the main pulmonary artery, or directly into the atrium.
Population-balance model of physical transformations of ash during char oxidation☆

A population-balance model, involving a set of coupled rate equations, is formulated to represent the agglomeration of fused ash droplets on the surface of an oxidizing char particle. Numerical solutions reproduce several features and trends obtained previously by Monte Carlo simulation. The present formulation identifies the key aspect of this phenomenology, namely the competition between the relaxation to a steady-state surface-droplet distribution and the departure from this steady state due to the increasing curvature of the particle perimeter. A principal consequence of this competition is that the mean surface-droplet diameter is predicted to exhibit an inflection point when plotted as a function of particle radius or fractional conversion.
Are You Following Me? A Content Analysis of TV Networks’ Brand Communication on Twitter

AbstractThis study provides a content analysis of television networks’ relational messages on Twitter by employing Bales’s interaction process analysis method. It also explores the phenomena of information diffusion and influence through retweeting behavior. The findings show that television networks employed more task than socioemotional communication across program genres, but suggestions were the most frequently used message content. In addition, more positive than negative socioemotional messages appeared, and socioemotional messages were retweeted more often than task-oriented messages. In response to the ever-changing media marketplace, this study extends the scope of current media branding research and suggests managerial implications for networks’ brand management and relationship-building efforts through social networking sites.
Fiberendoscopy of the cecum and terminal ileum

The author outlines the technic whereby he reached the cecum in 113 of 120 attempts using the medium length (110 cm) colonoscope and successfully intubated the terminal ileum in 75 of 77 attempts. He describes the endoscopic morphology of the terminal ileum. Examples of his findings are beautifully illustrated in full color.
Future directions for social policy and elder abuse: through the looking glass of generational characteristics

The future directions for social policy and elder abuse are forecast using the characteristics of three contiguous generations: Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Nexters. The results suggest greater potential victimization for the Boomers than previous generations, particularly neglect and exploitation. Gen Xers may experience more self-neglect. Social policy will continue to emphasize the criminalization of elder abuse, reflecting Boomer self-righteousness and severity. Elder abuse victimization will have a medical hue, given the Boomer obsession with health and wellness. Although Gen Xers are less cynical than Boomers, they will be more concerned about their immediate lives and pass the elder abuse policy torch to the Nexters, who will elevate it in deference to the Boomers and in quest for a higher moral order.
A new formulation of hybrid/mixed finite element

A new formulation of finite element method is accomplished by the Hellinger-Reissner principle for which the stress equilibrium conditions are not introduced initially but are brought-in through the use of additional internal displacement parameters. The method can lead to the same result as the assumed stress hybrid model. However, it is more general and more flexible. The use of natural coordinates for stress assumptions leads to elements which are less sensitive to the choice of reference coordinates. Numerical solutions by 3-D solid element indicate that more efficient elements can be constructed by assumed stresses which only partially satisfy the equilibrium conditions.
Spectral simplification in proton magnetic resonance spectrometry for 3-(4-aminophenyl)-3-ethyl-2,6-piperidinedione (aminoglutethimide) with achiral and chiral lanthanide shift reagents

Abstract The 60-MHz 1H-NMR spectra of racemic aminoglutethimide (A; 3-(4-aminophenyl)-3- ethyl-2,6-piperidinedione) are studied with the achiral shift reagent, tris(6,6,7,7,8,8,8- heptafluoro-2,2-dimethyl-3,5-octanedionato)europiura(III) (B) and the chiral reagents, tris[3-(trifluororaethylhydroxyraethylene)-D-caraphorato]europium(III) (C) and tris[3- heptafluoropropylhydroxyraethylene-D-caraphorato]europiura(III) (D). Appreciable values of the enantioraeric shift difference, ΔΔδ, were observed for both sets of aryl protons and the methyl protons in CDCl3 solutions ar 28°C with added C or D. Optical purity determinations were done with good reliability by using the methyl resonance and a D:A molar ratio near 0.5. Results are discussed in terms of possible coordination of the europiura at the amine or amide carbonyl groups. Some significant differences in results with B, C and D were noted.
A novel single twist-drill access device for multimodal intracranial monitoring: a 5-year single-institution experience.

Background Multimodal intracranial monitoring in the neurosurgical patient requires insertion of probes through multiple craniostomies. Objective To report our 5-year experience with a novel device allowing multimodal monitoring though a single twist-drill hole. Methods All devices (Hummingbird Synergy, Innerspace) were placed at the Kocher point between 2008 and 2013 at our institution. An independent clinical research nurse prospectively collected data on all bedside placements. Placement accuracy was graded on computed tomography scan as grade 1 (ipsilateral frontal horn or third ventricle), grade 2 (contralateral lateral ventricle), and grade 3 (anywhere else). Infection was monitored with serial cerebrospinal fluid samples. Results Two hundred seventy-five devices (198 at bedside, 77 in operating room) were placed in patients with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (49%), traumatic brain injury (47%), and others (4%) for a median duration of 6 days. A junior (postgraduate year 1-2), midlevel (postgraduate year 3-4), or senior resident (postgraduate year 5-6) placed 39%, 32%, and 29% of the devices, respectively. Ninety-two percent of all devices placed were draining cerebrospinal fluid, ie, were grade 1 (75%) or 2 (17%). Placement accuracy did not vary with level of training. Complications included hemorrhage (10%) and infection (4%), with 1 patient requiring intraparenchymal hematoma evacuation and a second requiring abscess drainage. These rates were lower than reported in the literature for standard external ventricular drains. Conclusion Hummingbird Synergy is a novel single-port access device for multimodal intracranial monitoring that can be placed safely at the bedside or in the operating room with placement accuracy and has a complication profile similar to or better than that for standard external ventricular drains.
Effect of surface segregation and mobility on erosion of plasma-facing materials in magnetic fusion systems

Abstract The present work studies the combined effects of collisional sputtering and mixing processes of carbon impurities in tungsten plasma-facing material integrated with thermal processes including surface segregation and diffusion. We used our ITMC-DYN package, which includes description of all collisional and thermal processes, for the analysis of recent experimental results of tungsten erosion and carbon implantation at various target temperatures. Self-consistent integrated modeling predicted thermal processes effects on erosion/deposition dynamics and defined decisive parameters range and their importance. Critical parameters were estimated based on available experimental data. The integrated simulation reproduced the experimental results and predicted the transition from enhanced tungsten erosion to significant carbon coverage on the tungsten surface. These effects for wider range of system conditions with C/H ions irradiation and for reactor conditions can be predicted by including detailed modeling of chemical erosion processes in a self-consistent manner.