cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mycobacterium haemophilum Infections in Heart Transplant Recipients: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria are becoming increasingly important pathogens among transplant recipients. We report a case of disseminated Mycobacterium haemophilum infection in a heart transplant recipient, manifesting as cellulitis, subcutaneous nodules, septic arthritis, and pneumonitis. Our case illustrates diverse challenges in the identification and treatment of this pathogen, such as its unique culture requirements and variable antimicrobial susceptibilities. Heightened clinical suspicion is necessary to establish a timely diagnosis so that optimal treatment can be administered.
Influences of climate, hydrology, and land use on input and export of nitrogen in California watersheds

Human activities have greatly increased the input of biologically available nitrogen (N) from land-based sources to aquatic ecosystems; yet few studies have examined how human actions influence N export in regions with a strong seasonality in water availability. In this study, we quantified N inputs and outputs for 23 California watersheds and examined how climate, hydrology, and land use practices influenced watershed N export. N inputs ranged from 581 to 11,234 kg N km−2 year−1 among watersheds, with 80% of total input for the region originating from agriculture (inorganic fertilizer, manure, and legumes). Of the potential N sources examined, mean annual concentrations of dissolved organic N and dissolved inorganic N in study rivers correlated most strongly with manure N input (r 2 = 0.54 and 0.53, respectively). Seasonal N export varied by basin and was correlated with climate, anthropogenic N inputs, and reservoir releases. Fractional export of watershed N inputs by study rivers annually was small (median of 8%) and scaled exponentially with runoff (r = 0.66). Collectively, our results show that anthropogenic activities have altered both the magnitude and timing of watershed N export in California and suggest that targeted management in specific locations and times of the year could reduce N export to downstream systems in the region.
Long-term Renal Function After Donor Nephrectomy: Secondary Follow-up Analysis of the Randomized Trial of Ketorolac vs Placebo

Objective To evaluate the long-term safety of a novel continuous infusion of ketorolac vs placebo after laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. Methods We performed a secondary analysis of a previously reported randomized controlled trial conducted from October 7, 2008, to July 21, 2010. Patients aged 18-75 years received a continuous infusion of either ketorolac (treatment [n = 57]) or normal saline (control [n = 54]) for 24 hours immediately after laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. Serum creatinine levels were measured at 1- and 1.5-year follow-ups. Glomerular filtration rate was calculated preoperatively, postoperatively, and at 1- and 1.5-year follow-ups using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation. Glomerular filtration rates were compared between treatment and control groups using 2-sample t tests. Results Data analysis for the 111 donor nephrectomy patients showed that glomerular filtration rates decreased in both groups over time, but changes were not clinically significant. No difference was found in glomerular filtration rates (in mL/min/1.73 m 2 ) between treatment and control groups at 1-year follow-up (89.29 vs 87.94 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ; P = .58) or at 1.5-year follow-up (88.54 vs 90.25 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ; P = .51). Conclusion The novel provision of continuous steady-state ketorolac is safe for postoperative pain control in patients after donor nephrectomy, with no change in glomerular filtration rates between treatment and control groups acutely and at up to 1.5-year follow-up.
Three-Dimensional Stochastic Modeling Using Sonar Sensing for Undersea Robotics

This paper describes an approach to the construction of three-dimensional stochastic models for intelligent systems exploring an underwater environment. Important characteristics shared by such applications are: (1) real-time constraints; (2) unstructured, three-dimensional terrain; (3) high-bandwidth sensors providing redundant, overlapping coverage; (4) lack of prior knowledge about the environment; and (5) inherent inaccuracy or ambiguity in sensing and interpretation. The paper develops an underlying theory of stochastic backprojection and demonstrates how such an approach satisfies these five needs for undersea robotics.
Infant visual acuity and its meridional variation

Abstract One hundred and four infants were tested using a preferential looking procedure. Results for subsets of these infants tested in three experiments were as follows: Median preference at the 75% level for vertical gratings over a homogeneous field increased monotonically from 3.0 c/deg at 17 weeks of age to 8.0 c/deg at 45 weeks of age; at the 58% level it increased from 3.7 c/deg to 11.8 c/deg. In the second experiment main axes gratings were directly paired with oblique gratings of the same spatial frequency. Results showed that the median spatial frequency at which main axes gratings were preferred over obliques (oblique effect) increased with age at a rate similar to the preference for vertical gratings. In the third experiment, vertical gratings were paired with the homogeneous field, and in separate sessions on the same infants, oblique gratings were paired with the homogeneous field. Preference thresholds for vertical gratings were similar to those for oblique gratings in very-young infants, but the preference threshold for vertical gratings increased more rapidly with age, becoming almost 1 octave greater by 11 months.
G2)BRinging an E2 to E3.

In a recent issue of Molecular Cell , Das et al. (2009) show that the G2BR domain of gp78, a RING-family E3 ubiquitin ligase, binds the E2 Ube2g2 and induces conformational changes within Ube2g2 to allosterically enhance its interaction with cognate E3 RING domains.
Electrical power subsystem for the initial defense communications satellite program/augmentat ion (IDCSP/A)

The IDCSP/A satellites are communication satellites built by Philco-Ford Corporation under contract to the United States Air Force for United Kingdom applications, tailored for compatibility with the near synchronous IDCSP communication satellite network. These satellites utilize a mechanically despun antenna system and a hydrazine reaction control system for attitude control and station keeping. The design of these satellites utilizes advanced concepts reflecting current state-of-the-art. Design, integration, and test concepts of the IDCSP/A electrical power subsystem is discussed in this paper. This subsystem utilizes solar cells for primary power conversion and hermetically sealed nickel-cadmium batteries for enery storage. The power subsystem used in the IDCSP/A satellites has been designed to provide continuously regulated primary power to each satellite subsystem. This fully automatic power subsystem has been optimized to take full advantage of earth synchronous equatorial orbit characteristics. Flight data from the satellites demonstrates that the power subsystem is meeting or exceeding performance requirements.
Ruling in or out a source of gastrointestinal bleeding.

Background and aims: The search for a source of gastrointestinal bleeding is associated with two distinct approaches of trying to rule in a specific diagnosis or rule out any potential source of bleeding. The study aim was to understand the conceptual differences underlying the two searches. Methods: The performance of endoscopy as diagnostic test is analyzed in terms of Bayes’ formula. Results: The performance of gastrointestinal endoscopy to rule in a suspected lesion is mostly influenced by its underlying specificity. Because the specificity of endoscopy is less likely to be affected by procedural exigencies, the demands on preprocedural prep and general quality can be more relaxed. In contradistinction, the performance of endoscopy to rule out a suspected bleeding site is mostly influenced by its sensitivity, which can easily be compromised by suboptimal procedural conditions. Conclusions: Paradoxically, the more urgent, focused, and important search (to rule in a bleeding site), carries less stringent criteria for its execution than the more general and aimless search (to rule out a bleeding site) that frequently ends up just empty handed.
Conservative load transfer along curved fluid-solid interface with non-matching meshes

We investigate the effect of curvature on the accuracy of schemes used to transfer loads along the interface in coupled fluid-solid simulations involving non-matching meshes. We analyze two types of load transfer schemes for the coupled system: (a) point-to-element projection schemes and (b) common-refinement schemes. The accuracy of these schemes over the curved interface is assessed with the aid of static and transient problems. We show that the point-to-element projection schemes may yield inaccurate load transfer from the source fluid mesh to the target solid mesh, leading to a weak instability in the form of spurious oscillations and overshoots in the interface solution. The common-refinement scheme resolves this problem by providing an accurate transfer of discrete interface conditions across non-matching meshes. We show theoretically that the accurate transfer preserves the stability of the coupled system while maintaining the energy conservation over a reference interface. Finally, we introduce simple analytical error functions which correlate well with the numerical errors of the load transfer schemes.
A comparison of mineral uptake and translocation by above-ground and below-ground root systems of Salix syringiana

Nutrient uptake and translocation by above-ground adventitious roots and below-ground roots of woodySalix syringiana saplings were studied with gamma spectrometry. Each of four radionuclides (75Se,138Cs,54Mn, and65Zn) administered to adventitious and belowground roots were detected in stems and leaves within one month. Nuclides tended to be immobilized in the leaves and branches closest to the adventitious roots that absorbed them, while nuclides absorbed from below-ground sources were distributed more evenly throughout the plant. The capacity of adventitious roots to acquire nutrients from above-ground sources suggests they function as a potential ‘auxiliary’ pathway of nutrient uptake and might enhance plant nutrient status where below-ground root uptake it hindered by adverse soil conditions.
American Society of Nephrology Quiz and Questionnaire 2014: Acid-Base and Electrolyte Disorders

The Nephrology Quiz and Questionnaire remains an extremely popular session for attendees of the Annual Kidney Week Meeting of the American Society of Nephrology. Once again, in 2014 the conference hall was overflowing with audience members and eager quiz participants. Topics covered by the expert discussants included electrolyte and acid-base disorders, glomerular disease, ESRD/dialysis, and transplantation. Complex cases from each of these categories along with single-best-answer questions were prepared and submitted by the panel of experts. Before the meeting, program directors of United States nephrology training programs and nephrology fellows answered the questions using an Internet-based questionnaire. During the live session, members of the audience tested their knowledge and judgment on a series of case-oriented questions prepared and discussed by the experts. They compared their answers in real time using audience response devices with the answers of the nephrology fellows and training program directors. The correct and incorrect answers were then discussed after the audience responses and the results of the questionnaire were displayed. As always, the audience, lecturers, and moderators enjoyed this educational session. This article recapitulates the acid-base and electrolyte disorders portion of the session and reproduces its educational value for the readers of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Enjoy the clinical cases and expert discussions.
Assessment of Adenosine 3′,5′-Monophosphate Excretion and an Oral Calcium Tolerance Test in the Diagnosis of Mild Primary Hyperparathyroidism*

An oral calcium tolerance test was administered to 22 hyperparathyroid patients and 162 normal subjects to determine its value in the diagnosis of mild primary hyperparathyroidism. Basal urinary excretion of calcium was higher in patients [0.217 mg/100 ml glomerular filtrate (GF)] than in normal subjects (0.090 mg/100 ml GF), but there was 50% overlap between the two groups. Phosphorus excretion, expressed as the ratio of the maximal tubular reabsorption of phosphorus to the glomerular filtration rate, was lower in patients (2.77) than in normal subjects (3.7), but 38% of the patients fell within the normal range. Urinary excretion of total cAMP also failed to separate hyperparathyroid patients from normal subjects [5.8 ± 0.32 (±SEM) nmol/100 ml GF in patients vs. 3.41 ± 0.11 in normal subjects]. Determination of nephrogenous cAMP failed to increase the utility of cAMP as a predictor of hyperparathyroidism. In response to oral calcium, the elevation in serum calcium concentration was the same in both grou...
Cep120 is asymmetrically localized to the daughter centriole and is essential for centriole assembly

Centrioles form the core of the centrosome in animal cells and function as basal bodies that nucleate and anchor cilia at the plasma membrane. In this paper, we report that Cep120 (Ccdc100), a protein previously shown to be involved in maintaining the neural progenitor pool in mouse brain, is associated with centriole structure and function. Cep120 is up-regulated sevenfold during differentiation of mouse tracheal epithelial cells (MTECs) and localizes to basal bodies. Cep120 localizes preferentially to the daughter centriole in cycling cells, and this asymmetry between mother and daughter centrioles is relieved coincident with new centriole assembly. Photobleaching recovery analysis identifies two pools of Cep120, differing in their halftime at the centriole. We find that Cep120 is required for centriole duplication in cycling cells, centriole amplification in MTECs, and centriole overduplication in S phase–arrested cells. We propose that Cep120 is required for centriole assembly and that the observed defect in neuronal migration might derive from a defect in this process.
A self-report Borderline Scale. Discriminative validity and preliminary norms.

On the basis of a selected review of some important theoretical discussions and empirical investigations of patients characterized as borderline, a self-report questionnaire, the Borderline Syndrome Index (BSI), was constructed. Its purpose was to provide an assessment of the borderline syndrome tha
Model for quantifying the drug involvement of medical students.

We have applied a two-parameter normal item-response model to analyze data on “drugs ever used” by freshman medical students, then used the result to predict their subsequent drug use patterns over the first 18 months of medical school. Our results provide strong evidence for the existence of a single latent dimension of “drug involvement,” and they demonstrate that a student's initial position on this dimension predicts subsequent drug use well. The model applies to male and female students equally well, suggesting the dimension is not sex specific. Students' drug use is cumulative in the sense that an individual tends to add new drugs to all previous drugs, rather than “graduating” from a previous to a new drug, as he/she becomes more “drug involved.” Greater “drug involvement” is also associated with more frequent use of most drug categories.
Inducible RNAi in vivo reveals that the transcription factor BATF is required to initiate but not maintain CD8+ T-cell effector differentiation

The differentiation of effector CD8+ T cells is critical for the development of protective responses to pathogens and for effective vaccines. In the first few hours after activation, naive CD8+ T cells initiate a transcriptional program that leads to the formation of effector and memory T cells, but the regulation of this process is poorly understood. Investigating the role of specific transcription factors (TFs) in determining CD8+ effector T-cell fate by gene knockdown with RNAi is challenging because naive T cells are refractory to transduction with viral vectors without extensive ex vivo stimulation, which obscures the earliest events in effector differentiation. To overcome this obstacle, we developed a novel strategy to test the function of genes in naive CD8+ T cells in vivo by creating bone marrow chimera from hematopoietic progenitors transduced with an inducible shRNA construct. Following hematopoietic reconstitution, this approach allowed inducible in vivo gene knockdown in any cell type that developed from this transduced progenitor pool. We demonstrated that lentivirus-transduced progenitor cells could reconstitute normal hematopoiesis and develop into naive CD8+ T cells that were indistinguishable from wild-type naive T cells. This experimental system enabled induction of efficient gene knockdown in vivo without subsequent manipulation. We applied this strategy to show that the TF BATF is essential for initial commitment of naive CD8+ T cells to effector development but becomes dispensable by 72h. This approach makes possible the study of gene function in vivo in unperturbed cells of hematopoietic origin that are refractory to viral transduction.
The zone of proximal development: Implications for individual differences and learning

Assessments of individual students' zones of proximal development within some domain provide diagnostic information about their subsequent performance within that domain beyond that provided by static estimates of starting level or by standard ability or achievement tests.
A 28 nm 0.6 V Low Power DSP for Mobile Applications

Processors for next generation mobile devices will need to operate across a wide supply voltage range in order to support both high performance and high power efficiency modes of operation. However, the effects of local transistor threshold (VT) variation, already a significant issue in today's advanced process technologies, and further exacerbated at low voltages, complicate the task of designing reliable, manufacturable systems for ultra-low voltage operation. In this paper, we describe a 4-issue VLIW DSP system-on-chip (SoC), which operates at voltages from 1.0 V down to 0.6 V. The SoC was implemented in 28 nm CMOS, using a cell library and SRAMs optimized for both high-speed and low-voltage operating points. A new statistical static timing analysis (SSTA) methodology was also used on this design, in order to more accurately model the effects of local VT variation and achieve a reliable design with minimal pessimism.
Effect of Abutment Shear Keys on the Seismic Response of Bridges

Seismic analysis results of typical post-tensioned concrete bridges are presented considering the nonlinear behavior of transverse abutment shear. Current Caltrans and AASHTO bridge design criteria present overly general assumptions for the boundary conditions provided by abutment shear keys. This work uses a suite of ground acceleration time histories to compare the code specified assumptions to a more rigorous abutment shear key model that includes the lateral gap between the superstructure and the keys as well as the non-linear material response of the key itself. With the exception of the abutment shear key elements, the bridges are modeled using linear-elastic frame elements, as is typical in practice. Results of a sensitivity analysis are presented for typical parameters, including: record variability, bridge skew, bridge length, and bent heights. The analysis results precede a discussion which demonstrates the necessity for experimental work on this topic to verify the adequacy of the existing design code.
Combining mathematics and empirical data to predict emergence of RNA viruses that differ in reservoir use

RNA viruses may be particularly capable of contributing to the increasing biomedical problem of infectious disease emergence. Empirical studies and epidemiological models are informative for the understanding of evolutionary processes that promote pathogen emergence, but rarely are these approaches combined in the same study. Here, we used an epidemiology model containing observations of pathogen productivity in reservoirs, as a means to predict which pathogens should be most prone to emerge in a primary host such as humans. We employed as a model system a collection of vesicular stomatitis virus populations that had previously diverged in host-use strategy: specialists, directly selected generalists and indirectly selected (fortuitous) generalists. Using data from experiments where these viral strategists were challenged to grow on unencountered novel hosts in vitro, logistic growth models determined that the directly selected generalist viruses tended to grow best on model reservoirs. Furthermore, when we used the growth data to estimate average reproductive rate across secondary reservoirs, we showed that the combined approach could be used to estimate relative success of the differing virus strategists when encountering a primary host. Our study suggests that synergistic approaches combining epidemiological modelling with empirical data from experimental evolution may be useful for developing efforts to predict which types of pathogens pose the greatest probability of emerging in the future.
Charge-Transfer Induced Magnetic Field Effects of Nano-Carbon Heterojunctions

Room temperature magnetic field effects have not been definitively observed in either single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) or C60 under a small magnetic field due to their weak hyperfine interaction and slight difference of g-factor between positive and negative polarons. Here, we demonstrate charge-transfer induced magnetic field effects in nano-carbon C60-SWCNT bulk heterojunctions at room temperature, where the mechanism of magnetic field effects is verified using excited state transition modeling. By controlling SWCNT concentrations and interfacial interactions, nano-carbon heterojunctions exhibit tunability of charge-transfer density and room temperature magnetoconductance of 2.8% under 100 mT external magnetic field. External stimuli, such as electric field and photoexcitation, also play an important role in controlling the magnetic field effects of nano-carbon heterojunctions, which suggests that these findings could enable the control of optoelectronic properties of nano-carbon heterojunctions.
Outdoor/indoor propagation modeling for wireless communications systems

The development of accurate propagation prediction models for outdoor/indoor communication environments is challenging and requires the development of innovative approaches to: (a) improve the accuracy of available models; (b) improve the computation efficiency; and (c) implement sufficiently general calculation procedures that would help in characterizing complicated and unique outdoor/indoor propagation features and environments. In this paper we describe a new propagation prediction model that addresses the above stated requirements. Specifically, the computational efficiency of the shooting-and-bouncing ray (SBR) was significantly improved by employing ray tracing techniques based on computer graphics approaches. The accuracy issue was addressed by employing a multi-grid FDTD method to calculate diffraction coefficients from unique and difficult to handle analytically indoor and outdoor structures. Additional improvement in accuracy was achieved by calculating reflection and transmission coefficients from walls of complex structures. Finally, the multi-grid FDTD method was used to characterize unique outdoor/indoor environments such as windows, doors, etc. The overall model was integrated, and propagation prediction results for typical outdoor/indoor communication environments are presented and compared with available data.
Improved reproducibility of unit-cell parameters in macromolecular cryocrystallography by limiting dehydration during crystal mounting

In macromolecular cryocrystallography unit-cell parameters can have low reproducibility, limiting the effectiveness of combining data sets from multiple crystals and inhibiting the development of defined repeatable cooling protocols. Here, potential sources of unit-cell variation are investigated and crystal dehydration during loop-mounting is found to be an important factor. The amount of water lost by the unit cell depends on the crystal size, the loop size, the ambient relative humidity and the transfer distance to the cooling medium. To limit water loss during crystal mounting, a threefold strategy has been implemented. Firstly, crystal manipulations are performed in a humid environment similar to the humidity of the crystal-growth or soaking solution. Secondly, the looped crystal is transferred to a vial containing a small amount of the crystal soaking solution. Upon loop transfer, the vial is sealed, which allows transport of the crystal at its equilibrated humidity. Thirdly, the crystal loop is directly mounted from the vial into the cold gas stream. This strategy minimizes the exposure of the crystal to relatively low humidity ambient air, improves the reproducibility of low-temperature unit-cell parameters and offers some new approaches to crystal handling and cryoprotection.
Analysis of fiber/matrix interface in unidirectional fiber-reinforced composites

Finite element models are used to analyze a quarter of unit cell for a unidirectional lamina. Effective lamina properties obtained from a micromechanics model were used to compare with the FEM resu...
Development of a TiW plasma etch process using a mixture experiment and response surface optimization

The characteristics of SF/sub 6//He plasmas used to etch TiW have been studied with statistically designed experiments using a Tegal 804 single wafer system. Two processes were developed using both positive and negative photoresist as the mask material for etching TiW. The goal was to consolidate both processes into one. A two-phase experimental approach was taken to generate the processes. In phase 1 a fractional factorial screening experiment was used to identify key factors, and in phase 2 a mixture experiment was used for process optimization. The fractional factorial experiment was initially used to study the effects of reactor pressure, RF power, SF/sub 6//He gas ratio, overetch time, and hard bake. The results of this initial experiment were used to identify the appropriate levels for the main process parameters. Then, at these parameter levels, a mixture experiment was conducted using the partial pressures of SF/sub 6/, He, and the nitrogen ballast as the design variables. Since the total pressure in the system is fixed, these three variables are the components of a mixture, and thus form a constrained design space for the experiment. Quadratic and special cubic response surface models were generated for the following responses: TiW etch rate, photoresist etch-rate, selectivity between the TiW and photoresist, uniformity of all etch rates and selectivities, and critical dimension control for the photoresist and TiW. Contour plots for all responses as a function of the partial pressure of SF/sub 6/, He, and nitrogen ballast were generated. The contours from these empirical models were analyzed jointly to optimize the processes.
New and overlooked relationships for turbulent flow in channels

This paper describes general, asymptotic and speculative relationships which can be deduced directly from the time-averaged form of the basic, partial-differential model for the conservation of mass and momentum in fully developed turbulent flow of constant-property fluids through round and parallel-plate channels. Such relationship are shown to provide insight as well as useful forms for correlation. Several analogies for flow in round tubes and between parallel plates which have generally been overlooked are reexamined and extended. A generally overlooked anomaly which occurs for flow in concentric, circular annuli, for flow between plates of non-identical roughness, and for the combination of forced and wall-Ind.uced flow between parallel plates is also is noted. The data needed to test the above analogies and to quantify the deviations, if any identified, as well as those needed to generalize the anomalous behavior.
Silicon micro-masonry using elastomeric stamps for three-dimensional microfabrication

We present a micromanufacturing method for constructing microsystems, which we term ‘micro-masonry’ based on individual manipulation, influenced by strategies for deterministic materials assembly using advanced forms of transfer printing. Analogous to masonry in construction sites, micro-masonry consists of the preparation, manipulation, and binding of microscale units to assemble microcomponents and microsystems. In this paper, for the purpose of demonstration, we used microtipped elastomeric stamps as manipulators and built three dimensional silicon microstructures. Silicon units of varied shapes were fabricated in a suspended format on donors, retrieved, delivered, and placed on a target location on a receiver using microtipped stamps. Annealing of the assembled silicon units permanently bound them and completed the micro-masonry procedure. (Some figures may appear in colour only in the online journal)
The assessment of automated measures of hydrogel contact lens refractive index

Purpose: To investigate within- and between-operator reliability and validity of refractive index measures of hydrogel lenses. Methods: Twenty-three lenses of various nominal water contents were examined by two operators on two occasions separated by 1 h. An automated refractometer (CLR 12-70, Index Instruments, Cambridge, UK) was used for refractive index measures. Lenses were presented in a random order to each operator by a third party, and operators were masked to any potential lens identifiers. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), 95% limits of agreement (LoA), and paired t-tests were used to characterize the within- and between-operator reliability and validity of lens refractive index measures. Results: The mean (±S.D.) difference between sessions was 0.0001 ± 0.0011, which did not significantly differ from zero (p = 0.64). Within-operator reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.9990, 95% LoA = −0.0021 to 0.0024). The mean (±S.D.) difference between-operators was 0.0002 ± 0.0010, which was not significantly different from zero (p = 0.54). Between-operator reliability was also excellent (ICC = 0.9984, 95% LoA = −0.0026 to 0.0029). The mean difference between the nominally reported refractive index and our refractive index measures was −0.0009 ± 0.082, which did not differ statistically from zero (p = 0.52); the 95% LoA for this difference was −0.0152 to 0.0169. Conclusion: There is good reliability within- and between-operators in measuring the refractive index of hydrogel lenses using the CLR 12-70 automated refractometer.
A New Sea Spray Generation Function for Wind Speeds up to 32 m s−1

Abstract The sea spray generation function quantifies the rate at which spray droplets of a given size are produced at the sea surface. As such, it is important in studies of the marine aerosol and its optical properties and in understanding the role that sea spray plays in transferring heat and moisture across the air–sea interface. The emphasis here is on this latter topic, where uncertainty over the spray generation function, especially in high winds, is a major obstacle. This paper surveys the spray generation functions available in the literature and, on theoretical grounds, focuses on one by M. H. Smith et al. that has some desirable properties but does not cover a wide enough droplet size range to be immediately useful for quantifying spray heat transfer. With reasonable modifications and extrapolations, however, the paper casts the Smith function into a new form that can be used to predict the production of sea spray droplets with radii from 2 to 500 μm for 10-m winds from 0 to 32.5 m s−1. The pap...
Sit, Stay, Drive: The Future of Autonomous Car Liability

Driverless cars have made the jump from fantasy to the physical realm. Technology has evolved to the point where autonomous cars will be a common sight in the very near future. The benefits of autonomous cars are plentiful: increased safety for car passengers, who no longer have to fear drunk, reckless, or distracted drivers, increased productivity for passengers who can use the travel time to accomplish tasks, decreased reliance on fuel as the cars often incorporate solar panels and automatically adjust speed to maximize fuel efficiency, and decreased traffic congestion as the cars can identify upcoming trouble spots and take alternate routes to avoid delay. However, this innovative technology brings with it an unaddressed legal issue: how will legal liability be assessed when these cars collide with other cars, pedestrians, or property? Current law surrounding liability for automobile accidents largely bases liability on the actions of the driver. Similarly, looking to the liability law governing computers does not address the issue either, as the laws base liability on the actions of the operator of the computer system, and the scant laws related to autonomous computer systems apply only to commercial transactions. This article proposes that the solution to this legal issue lies in treating autonomous cars like man’s best friend, the dog. Dogs and computers are both treated as chattel under tort law, and are similar in that they can act independently, yet are considered property of another. The laws governing canine ownership show that applying strict liability to autonomous car owners accomplishes the dual purpose of fairly assessing liability without hampering the widespread adoption of this marvelous technology.
Different Like Me: Why Cultural Omnivores Get Creative Jobs

Combining primary survey data collected from a probability sample of U.S. advertising agencies and semi-structured interviews with advertising practitioners, I tested a novel link from class backgr...
Artistry and Authorship in Modern Tapestry: Jean Lurcat and the Ecoles Des Arts in Tunisia and Senegal

This paper examines the complex framework linking the French artist Jean Lurcat to the directors of two national art programs in the Francophone Maghrib and West Africa. As the president of the Centre Internationale de la Tapisserie Ancienne et Moderne, Lurcat’s repute as a broker in the post-1945 movement to modernize tapestry extended far beyond France. While Lurcat’s command among European artists has been well documented, his mediation on the African continent in the early 1960s—particularly his promotion of modernist weaving in postcolonial art schools—has yet to be examined. / / Both Safia Farhat, director of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Tunis, and Papa Ibra Tall, department head of the Ecole des Arts in Dakar, incorporated aspects of Lurcat’s methods in orienting the schools’ tapestry workshops. In pinpointing Lurcat’s advisory role on art education in both Ecoles, it becomes possible to examine specific ways in which art students and administrators creatively engaged with French modes of workshop production. Based on primary research conducted in Tunisia, Senegal, and Switzerland, this paper illuminates flows of information within a broad network of artists, cultural brokers, and politicians, including Lurcat’s precipitous meeting with Leopold Sedar Senghor in 1962. This transnational exchange helped to solidify the choice of tapestry as an appropriate medium for state patrons and shaped hierarchical relations of power within the Ecoles des Arts in both Tunis and Dakar. Problematically, the notion of the inherent creativity and superiority of the “modern,” cosmopolitan artist of the Ecole over the “traditional,” gendered African/Muslim artisane was authenticated and institutionalized.
PATTERNS OF MULTIPLE PATERNITY IN POPULATIONS OF RAPHANUS SATIVUS.

Although multiple paternity has been documented for a large number of species, detailed studies of variation in multiple paternity among broods, individuals, and populations are lacking. We measured the extent of multiple paternity in the multi-seeded fruits of wild radish, Raphanus sativus, from three natural populations in southern California. Every parent sampled produced one or more multiply sired fruits, and, in most plants, over half the fruits analyzed proved to be multiply sired. In all, 75% of the 388 multi-seeded fruits analyzed showed multiple paternity. Among these fruits, the minimum number of paternal donors ranged from one to four, with a mode of two paternal parents. The fraction of multiply sired fruits varied from 68-85% among populations and from 40-100% among plants. Plants were heterogeneous for multiple paternity in the 1984 pop- ulation. A significant positive correlation between multiple paternity and number of fruits per plant suggests that plants preferentially abort single sired fruits. The total number of mates that could be detected for entire plants ranged from 3-14 with a mode of seven. Multiple paternity is likely to be important in other species producing multi-seeded fruits.
Distribution and clearance of63Ni administered as63NiCl2 in the rat: Intratracheal study

Microgram amounts of nickel as63NiCl2 were administered intratracheally to male rats. Regardless of time after instillation, the lungs and kidneys retained the greatest concentration of63Ni, and 21 days after dose administration they were the only organs where63Ni was still measurable. Urinary excretion was the main excretion route with 72% of the initial body burden eliminated by the urine at one day. By day 21, almost all63Ni was excreted in the urine (96.5% of the initial body burden). The lungs retained 29% of their initial (35 min) burden at day 1, decreasing to 0.1% on day 21.
Repository Design of the Network Fault Diagnoses Expert System

Provide a rule-based network fault diagnoses expert system. We pay most attention to research on getting and expressing the knowledge. And, we implement two kinds of rule forms using Java language. One is the product-rule. The other is class object-rule. Making use of the object oriented technique, we construct the object oriented repository. The method is easy but effective.
Multiplex RT-PCR Method for the Simultaneous Detection of Nine Grapevine Viruses

Viral diseases are a serious pathological problem for grapevines, and in recent years the need for increasingly specific and rapid diagnostic methods for the selection of propagation materials has grown. Arabis mosaic virus, Grapevine fanleaf virus, Grapevine virus A, Grapevine virus B, Grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus, Grapevine fleck virus, and Grapevine leafroll-associated viruses 1, 2, and 3 are nine of the most widespread viruses that naturally infect grapevines. A multiplex RT-PCR was developed for simultaneous detection of these nine grapevine viruses, in combination with a plant RNA internal control used as an indicator of the effectiveness of the reaction. One to ten fragments specific for the viruses and an internal control were simultaneously amplified from infected samples and identified by their specific molecular sizes in agarose gel. The protocol reported is an update of previously published protocols for RNA extraction and multiplex diagnosis of viruses. After several years of use and hundreds of samples tested, and following validation in several laboratories, this multiplex RT-PCR provides a reliable and rapid method for detecting grapevine viruses from a large number of samples.
Chronic Administration of Stimulant Drugs: Response Modification

Tolerance, lack of tolerance, and reverse tolerance of physiological and behavioral responses have been reported to develop with multiple administrations of stimulant drugs (Magos, 1969; Klawans, Corsett, and Dana, 1975; Kalant, Le Blanc, and Gibbins, 1971; Kosman and Unna, 1968; and Schuster, Dockens, and Woods, 1966). Stimulants that have been investigated include cocaine, amphetamine in its various isomers and analogs, and methylphenidate. Dosages have been used that produce sustained normal activity, hyperactivity, stereotyped behavior, anorexia, and hyperthermia. Changes in these measures with multiple administrations have been evaluated in man, monkey, cat, guinea pig, and mouse. As work in this area has developed, it has become increasingly apparent that a multiplicity of drug-, subject-, behavioral-, and environmental factors, as well as the interactions of these factors, must be specified if one hopes to correlate the observed changes in response to drug with changes in biological parameters in order to elucidate neurochemical mechanisms.
Group Theory Continued

We continue our study of group theory and other mathematical concepts from where we left off at the end of the previous chapter. The chapter break has no essential significance and is for purely teclinical reasons.
Nuclear constriction segregates mobile nuclear proteins away from chromatin

As a cell squeezes its nucleus through adjacent tissue, penetrates a basement membrane, or enters a small blood capillary, chromatin density and nuclear factors could in principle be physically perturbed. Here, in cancer cell migration through rigid micropores and in passive pulling into micropipettes, local compaction of chromatin is observed coincident with depletion of mobile factors. Heterochromatin/euchromatin was previously estimated from molecular mobility measurements to occupy a volume fraction f of roughly two-thirds of the nuclear volume, but based on the relative intensity of DNA and histones in several cancer cell lines drawn into narrow constrictions, f can easily increase locally to nearly 100%. By contrast, mobile proteins in the nucleus, including a dozen that function as DNA repair proteins (e.g., BRCA1, 53BP1) or nucleases (e.g., Cas9, FokI), are depleted within the constriction, approaching 0%. Such losses-compounded by the occasional rupture of the nuclear envelope-can have important functional consequences. Studies of a nuclease that targets a locus in chromosome-1 indeed show that constricted migration delays DNA damage.
Improving Student Results in the Crystal Violet Chemical Kinetics Experiment

Despite widespread use in general chemistry laboratories, the crystal violet chemical kinetics experiment frequently suffers from erroneous student results. Student calculations for the reaction order in hydroxide often contain large asymmetric errors, pointing to the presence of systematic error. Through a combination of in silico synthetic data simulations and laboratory experimentation, we report on five potential sources of error: (1) the kinetic flooding approximation, (2) solution concentration mistakes, (3) signal processing, (4) spectrometer limitations, and (5) particulates in the solution. The majority of this asymmetric error can be eliminated by constraining the data collection region within spectrometer limitations, specifically 0.7–0.1 Abs for a SpectroVis+ spectrophotometer. The consistent detection of particulate formation during the later course of the reaction is an aspect of the reaction not previously explored. Guidelines for optimizing laboratory procedure, instruments, and software a...
Variation among Soybean Cultivars in Mesophyll Conductance and Leaf Water Use Efficiency.

Improving water use efficiency (WUE) may prove a useful way to adapt crop species to drought. Since the recognition of the importance of mesophyll conductance to CO2 movement from inside stomatal pores to the sites of photosynthetic carboxylation, there has been interest in how much intraspecific variation in mesophyll conductance (gm) exists, and how such variation may impact leaf WUE within C3 species. In this study, the gm and leaf WUE of fifteen cultivars of soybeans grown under controlled conditions were measured under standardized environmental conditions. Leaf WUE varied by a factor of 2.6 among the cultivars, and gm varied by a factor of 8.6. However, there was no significant correlation (r = −0.047) between gm and leaf WUE. Leaf WUE was linearly related to the sub-stomatal CO2 concentration. The value of gm affected the ratio of maximum Rubisco carboxylation capacity calculated from the sub-stomatal CO2 concentration to that calculated from the CO2 concentration at the site of carboxylation. That is, variation in gm affected the efficiency of Rubisco carboxylation, but not leaf WUE. Nevertheless, there is considerable scope for genetically improving soybean leaf water use efficiency.
Ductility Enhancement in Mg Alloys by Anisotropy Engineering

A mean-field theory suggests that certain forms of plastic anisotropy hinder ductile damage accumulation. Here, a proof-of-concept is presented in the case of Mg–Al–Zn alloys. Textures produced by severe plastic deformation are compared with the as-received rolling texture in terms of their anisotropy-ductility correlations at ambient temperature. The 3D plastic anisotropy is characterized in each material using compression specimens. The ductility is characterized using tensile bars. A micromechanical model is introduced to rationalize the trends in terms of the anisotropy effect on ductility (AED) index. Here, this index is tuned via texture manipulations at fixed chemical composition and grain size. The main finding suggests that plastic anisotropy can be engineered to aid ductility.
Beneficial Effects of Childhood Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy in Adulthood.

Background: Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) has been used to treat children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) for over three decades. However, little is known about the outcomes of childhood SDR in adults. Objectives: 1) To study the effects of childhood SDR on the quality of life and ambulatory function in adult life. 2) To determine late side effects of SDR in adults. Methods: Adults (> 17.9 years) who underwent SDR in childhood (2 - 17.9 years) between 1987 and 2013 were surveyed in 2015. Patients completed a survey, including questions on demographic information, quality of life, health, surgical outcomes, motor function, manual ability, pain, braces/orthotics, post-SDR treatment, living situation, education level, work status, and side effects of SDR. Results: In our study population of 294 patients (18.0 - 37.4 years), patients received SDR during the ages of 2.0 - 17.9 years and were followed up 2.2 to 28.3 years after surgery. Eighty-four percent had spastic diplegia, 12% had spastic quadriplegia, and 4% had spastic triplegia. The majority (88%) of patients reported improved post-SDR quality of life and 1% considered the surgery detrimental. Most (83%) would recommend the procedure to others and 3% would not. However, patients who would not recommend SDR to others ambulated with a walker or were not ambulatory at all prior to SDR. The majority (83%) of patients improved (30%) or remained stable (53%) in ambulation. Twenty-nine percent of patients reported pain, mostly in the back and lower limbs, with a mean pain level of 4.4 ± 2.4 on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Decreased sensation in small areas of the lower limbs was reported by 8% of patients, though this did not affect daily life. Scoliosis was diagnosed in 28%, with 40% of these patients pursuing treatment. Whether scoliosis was related to SDR is not clear, though scoliosis is known to occur in patients with CP and also in the general population. Only 4% of patients underwent spinal fusion. Orthopedic surgeries were pursued by 59% of patients. The most common orthopedic surgeries were hamstring lengthenings (31%), Achilles tendon lengthenings (18%), adductor lengthenings (16%), and derotational osteotomies (16%). Twenty-four percent of all patients later underwent hip surgery and 8% had surgeries on their knees. Conclusion: Results of this study indicate that the beneficial effects of childhood SDR extend to adulthood quality of life and ambulatory function without late side effects of surgery.