cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure and function of unmodified E. coli valine-tRNA

The clFects of nucleoside modifications on E. coii tllNA^^' structure have be(Mi probed by imino Hi NMR. The NMR data shows that the structure of in oilro transcribed (unmodified) and native (modified) tRNA^^' are very similar in 15 iiiM Mg-^". Temperature dependence of the spectra reveals that nucleoside modifications stabilize tertiary interactions between T and D loops. On removal of Mg^"'", unmod­ ified tRNA^'^' undergoes remarkable structural changes which are not observed in native tRNA^^''^'. There is near total disruption of the D stem and of tertiary in­ teractions. A new strong interaction occurs between the A6U67 base pair (acceptor stem) and the G50U64 wobble base pair (T .stem). This interaction remains intact and forms a stable structural core even at 60 °C. These conformational changes are correlated with the decrea.sed strength of Mg"^"^ binding in unmodified tRNA^'^'. However, in the absence of Mg"*^, mutant G38 has a stable structural core in the acceptor stem and the anticodon stem, unlike that found in wild type tRNA^^'. Such structural changes are caused by a base pair formation between G38 and C32. This may also account for the reduction in catalytic efficiency of G38 mutant. tRNyX^'*' position .35 mutants do not inhibit aminoacylation of wild type tRNA^'^', suggesting that valyl-tRNA synthetase di.scriniination is affinity-based. NMR studies of FU-tRNA^^' mutants of positions 32 and 38 provide evi­
Asthma medication usage is significantly reduced following bariatric surgery.

Asthma is an important healthcare problem affecting millions in the United States. Additionally, a large proportion of patients with asthma suffer from obesity. These patients exhibit poor asthma control and reduced therapy response, increasing utilization of healthcare resources. Pulmonary symptoms improve after bariatric surgery (BS), and we hypothesized that asthma medication usage would decrease following BS. A retrospective data analysis was performed in adult patients from a single institution’s database. Patients with obesity using at least one asthma medication pre-operatively who underwent BS were studied for up to 3-years post-operation. Poisson generalized linear mixed models for repeated measures were used to evaluate the effects of time and procedure type on the number of asthma medication. Bariatric patients with at least one prescribed asthma medication (mean 1.4 ± 0.6) were included (n = 751). The mean age at time of operation was 46.8 ± 11.6 years, mean weight was 295.9 ± 57 lbs, and mean body mass index (BMI) was 49 ± 8.2 kg/m2; 87.7% were female, 33.4% had diabetes, 44.2% used gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) medication, and 64.4% used hypertension medication. The most common procedure was Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (79%), followed by sleeve gastrectomy (10.7%), adjustable gastric banding (8.1%), and duodenal switch (2.3%). The mean number of prescribed asthma medications among all procedures decreased by 27% at 30 days post-operation (p < 0.0001), 37% at 6 months (p < 0.0001), 44% at 1 year (p < 0.0001), and 46% at 3 years (p < 0.0001) after adjusting for risk factors. No significant differences in medication use over time between procedure types were observed. In the adjusted analysis, the mean number of asthma medications was 12% higher in patients using at least one GERD medication (p = 0.015) and 8% higher with 10-unit increase in pre-operative BMI (p = 0.006). BS significantly decreases asthma medication use starting 30 days post-operation with a sustained reduction for up to 3 years.
Probing flow-induced nanostructure of complex fluids in arbitrary 2D flows using a fluidic four-roll mill (FFoRM)

Engineering flow processes to direct the microscopic structure of soft materials represents a growing area of materials research. In situ small-angle neutron scattering under flow (flow-SANS) is an attractive probe of fluid microstructure under simulated processing conditions, but current capabilities require many different sample environments to fully interrogate the deformations a fluid experiences in a realistic processing flow. Inspired by recent advances in microfluidics, we present a fluidic four-roll mill (FFoRM) capable of producing tunable 2D flow fields for in situ SANS measurements, that is intended to allow characterization of complex fluid nanostructure under arbitrary complex flows within a single sample environment. Computational fluid dynamics simulations are used to design a FFoRM that produces spatially homogeneous and sufficiently strong deformation fields. Particle tracking velocimetry experiments are then used to characterize the flows produced in the FFoRM for several classes of non-Newtonian fluids. Finally, a putative FFoRM-SANS workflow is demonstrated and validated through the characterization of flow-induced orientation in a semi-dilute cellulose nanocrystal dispersion under a range of 2D deformations. These novel experiments confirm that, for steady state straining flows at moderate strain rates, the nanocrystals orient along the principal strain-rate axis, in agreement with theories for rigid, rod-like Brownian particles in a homogeneous flow.
Authoritarian Environmental Governance: Insights from the Past Century

For over a decade, nature–society geographers have focused on neoliberal and, more recently, postneoliberal environmental governance. Meanwhile, regimes in many nations have become less democratic ...
The SMART Moms Program: A Randomized Trial of the Impact of Stress Management on Perceived Stress and Cortisol in Low-Income Pregnant Women.

Abstract Background Dysregulations in maternal hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal function and the end product, cortisol, have been associated with a heightened risk for stress-related health complications during pregnancy and post partum. Given the adverse health impact that maternal cortisol may have on expectant mothers and their infants, empirically-based prenatal interventions are needed to target optimal management of stress and its biological effects in at-risk pregnant women, a primary example of which is cognitive behavioral stress management (CBSM). This randomized-controlled trial examined the effects of a prenatal CBSM intervention on reduction in perceived stress and regulation of salivary cortisol patterns [i.e., overall cortisol output (area under the curve), cortisol awakening response (CAR), diurnal slope] during pregnancy and the early postpartum period, as compared to a control group. Methods One hundred low-income pregnant women (71% Latina; 76% annual income Results Women receiving CBSM had lower perceived stress levels throughout pregnancy and early post partum compared to women in the control group (p = .020). Among women with high prenatal anxiety, those in CBSM showed a steeper decline in their diurnal cortisol at three months post partum compared to those in the control group (p = .015). Further, non-Latina women in CBSM had a lower CAR at three months post partum compared to non-Latina women in the control group (p = .025); these randomization group differences on the CAR were not observed among Latina women. Conclusions These findings provide preliminary support for the efficacy of prenatal CBSM interventions in improving stress outcomes among low-income pregnant women and suggest the need to test the effects of these interventions on a larger scale for improving maternal and infant health outcomes long-term.
Participatory Social Policies: Diverging Patterns in Brazil and Bolivia

Bolivia and Brazil have universalized their pension and healthcare systems, respectively. Civil society organizations participated actively in social policy expansion, yet they have done so in starkly different ways, reflecting general patterns in each country. Whereas in Brazil, popular participation in social policies takes place through “inside” formal channels, such as conferences and councils, in Bolivia, bottom-up influence occurs mostly via “outside” channels, by coordinating collective action in the streets. Understanding forms of popular participation matters because policies that allow for popular input are potentially more representative, universal, and nondiscretionary. This article argues that differences in the forms of popular participation in social policy expansion can be explained by the characteristics of the institutional context and differences in the types of movements engaged in the policymaking process. By focusing on patterns of participation, these findings add nuance to the literature on Latin America’s welfare states.
Phase stability, ordering tendencies, and magnetism in single-phase fcc Au-Fe nanoalloys

Bulk Au-Fe alloys separate into Au-based fcc and Fe-based bcc phases, but L1$_0$ and L1$_2$ orderings were reported in single-phase Au-Fe nanoparticles. Motivated by these observations, we study the structural and ordering energetics in this alloy by combining density functional theory (DFT) calculations with effective Hamiltonian techniques: a cluster expansion with structural filters, and the configuration-dependent lattice deformation model. The phase separation tendency in Au-Fe persists even if the fcc-bcc decomposition is suppressed. The relative stability of disordered bcc and fcc phases observed in nanoparticles is reproduced, but the fully ordered L1$_0$ AuFe, L1$_2$ Au$_3$Fe, and L1$_2$ AuFe$_3$ structures are unstable in DFT. However, a tendency to form concentration waves at the corresponding [001] ordering vector is revealed in nearly-random alloys in a certain range of concentrations. This incipient ordering requires enrichment by Fe relative to the equiatomic composition, which may occur in the core of a nanoparticle due to the segregation of Au to the surface. Effects of magnetism on the chemical ordering are also discussed.
Patient-Reported Quality-of-Life Outcome Measures in the Thyroid Cancer Population.

Background: There is an escalating worldwide population of thyroid cancer (TC) survivors. In addition to conventional metrics of quality of care, quality-of-life (QoL) assessment in TC patients is imperative. TC survivors face unique impediments to health-related quality of life (HRQoL), including thyroid-specific symptoms and exposure to disease-related stressors-including fear of recurrence and financial toxicity-over a prolonged survival period. Survey instruments currently used to assess HRQoL in TC survivors may be insufficient to accurately capture the burden of disease in this population. We aimed to identify the HRQoL instruments in the literature, which have been applied in the TC survivor population, and to present the psychometric properties of the scales and indexes that have been used. We hypothesized that few instruments have shown evidence of validity in this population. Summary: Of the 927 articles identified by search criteria, only 28 studies using 15 HRQoL instruments met inclusion criteria. Of the 15 HRQoL instruments identified, 9 were psychometric health status instruments and 6 were preference-based indexes, but none had been validated in the TC survivor population. While the majority of reviewed studies demonstrated impaired psychological and emotional well-being in TC survivors, these findings were not uniformly demonstrated across studies, and the longevity of the impact of TC on HRQoL was variably reported. Conclusions: Discrepancies in the literature regarding the impact of TC survivorship on HRQoL emphasize the challenges of accurately assessing patient perspectives, reinforcing the importance of using well-constructed instruments to measure patient-reported outcomes in the target population. Care providers involved in the treatment of TC survivors should be aware of longitudinal effects on HRQoL, especially pertaining to chronic psychological debilitation. Further development and rigorous validation of TC-specific instruments will allow for better data gathering and understanding of the barriers to achieving high long-term HRQoL in TC survivors throughout their long postsurvival course.
A remote sensing derived dataset of 100 million individual tree crowns for the National Ecological Observatory Network

Abstract Forests provide biodiversity, ecosystem and economic services. Information on individual trees is important for understanding forest ecosystems but obtaining individual-level data at broad scales is challenging due to the costs and logistics of data collection. While advances in remote sensing techniques allow surveys of individual trees at unprecedented extents, there remain technical challenges in turning sensor data into tangible information. Using deep learning methods, we produced an open-source dataset of individual-level crown estimates for 100 million trees at 37 sites across the United States surveyed by the National Ecological Observatory Network’s Airborne Observation Platform. Each canopy tree crown is represented by a rectangular bounding box and includes information on the height, crown area, and spatial location of the tree. These data have the potential to drive significant expansion of individual-level research on trees by facilitating both regional analyses and cross-region comparisons encompassing forest types from most of the United States.
Ischemic Time Greater Than Four Hours is Associated with Increased Mortality among Candidates Listed and Transplanted under the New Donor Heart Allocation System

Purpose Wider regional sharing of donor hearts under the new allocation system has led to significantly longer ischemic times (IT). Prior reports suggest longer IT increase the risk of post-heart transplantation (HTx) mortality. We sought to determine the effect of IT on HTx survival under the new allocation system. Methods The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database was queried for all candidates listed and transplanted from October 2018 to March 2020. Recipients were stratified into quartiles based on organ IT. Univariate analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The adjusted association between IT and post-HTx survival was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models. Results A total of 2696 HTx recipients were included in this study. Median ischemic time was 3.5 hours (interquartile range 2.8-4.0). 180-day post-HTx survival was 94.4% for recipients with IT 4 hours (quartile 4) (log-rank p=0.15) (Figure 1). Compared to quartile 1, quartiles 2 and 3 achieved similar post-HTx survival (quartile 2: aHR 1.21, 95% CI 0.78-1.88, p=0.41; quartile 3: aHR 1.24, 95% CI 0.80-1.93, p=0.337), although hazard of death was significantly higher in quartile 4 (aHR 1.55, 95% CI 1.02-2.35, p=0.04). Conclusion HTx recipients with IT greater than 4 hours may be at higher risk of mortality under the new donor heart allocation system. Offers with longer IT require careful consideration for acceptance.
Miscellaneous electric loads: Characterization and energy savings potential

Abstract Over time, miscellaneous electric loads (MELs) are expected to increase both in magnitude and share of residential and commercial building energy consumption. This trend is most apparent in North America, but it is also occurring in Japan and Europe. However, the contribution of MELs to building energy use is not currently well understood, both because the products in this category are transforming rapidly and the definition and classification of MELs is ambiguous. This study estimated the national energy consumption of 36 MELs using best-available data and found them to comprise 12% of delivered electricity to the U.S. residential and commercial building sectors. If 26 of these MELs were replaced with the most energy-efficient product models available on the market, their energy consumption could be halved to 6% of delivered electricity. National energy models will better account for building energy consumption by incorporating the MELs data collected and analyzed for this study, leading to improved policy decisions.
Explaining public support for body-worn cameras in law enforcement

Public opinion surveys have clearly demonstrated broad support for the use of body-worn cameras (BWC’s) in law enforcement. Despite clear evidence of broad support, the factors that contribute to t...
Myocardial Perfusion Reserve in Children with Friedreich Ataxia.

Children with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) are at risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality from severe unpredictable heart failure. There is currently no clear way of identifying patients at highest risk. We used myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR), an MRI technique used to assess the maximal myocardial blood flow above baseline, to help determine potential surgical risk in FA subjects. In total, seven children with genetically confirmed FA, ages 8–17 years, underwent MPR stress testing using regadenoson. Six of the seven demonstrated impaired endocardial perfusion during coronary hyperemia. The same six were also found to have evidence of ongoing myocardial damage as illustrated by cardiac troponin I leak (range 0.04–0.17 ng/mL, normal < 0.03 ng/mL). None of the patients had a reduced ejection fraction (range 59–74%) or elevated insulin level (range 2.46–14.23 mCU/mL). This retrospective study shows that children with FA develop MPR defects early in the disease process. It also suggests MPR may be a sensitive tool to evaluate underlying cardiac compromise and could be of use in directing surgical management decisions in children with FA.
The Hunger Games: A Systematic Review of Pediatric Bariatric Surgery

Introduction : As childhood obesity in the US reaches alarming levels, bariatric surgery is becoming a more commonly implemented treatment option due to its high success rate compared with behavioral modification and medical therapy alone. The mechanisms by which it affects body weight and metabolic homeostasis are not well understood. The goal of the present study was to perform a systematic review of pediatric bariatric surgery to evaluate its effectiveness in the context of the physiologic changes that are produced. Materials and Methods : The PubMed database, MEDLINE, Springer Link, Cochrane, and article bibliographies were used to identify original English-language articles published between 2009 and 2014 evaluating pediatric patients. Included studies evaluated patients undergoing Roux en Y gastric bypass, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy or laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding andÂ analyzed weight loss, BMI reduction, postoperative complicationsÂ and co-morbidity resolution post-procedure; all articles had at least a one year follow up. Results : Five studies were included in our evaluation of the three most common bariatric procedures currently performed on the pediatric population for a total of 1,395 patients. The average patient age was 18.2 and 72% of patients were females. Most patients underwent roux en Y gastric bypass (RYGB) (n=659), followed by laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) (n=554) and finally laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) (n=149). The greatest decrease in BMI was seen in the RYGB group who lost an average BMI of 16.7kg/m 2 , followed by the LSG group with a loss of 14.0kg/m 2 . The LAGB patients lost 8.2kg/m 2 . Postoperative complications varied in severity, however the only death occurred in a patient following RYGB. Conclusion : Bariatric surgery has proven to reduce BMI and weight in the adolescent population resulting in an enhanced quality of life and resolution of significant co-morbidities. The mechanism of weight loss is different among the three most common procedures, as is their affect on gut hormone profiles. Ghrelin may have an effect on weight loss, however it is not solely responsible for the proceduresâ€™ weight loss effect as levels vary postoperatively. RYGB has been shown to produce the greatest weight loss but postoperative ghrelin levels are not consistently decreased compared to LSG, which demonstrates low ghrelin levels routinely. Additional studies are needed to measure weight loss as it relates to postoperative gut hormone levels, as determining the physiologic changes after these procedures will guide future therapies.
A robust, fast electrothermal micromirror with symmetric bimorph actuators made of copper/tungsten

This paper reports a fast, robust electrothermal bimorph micromirror with a symmetric inverse-series-connected bimorph actuator. The actuator is made up of symmetric Cu-W bimorphs with high sensitivity and fast thermal response. A unique backside DRIE release process is developed to keep the mirror surface intact during release. The micromirror is able to perform both piston and tip-tilt motion. A maximum piston displacement of 169 µm is achieved with lateral shift less than 1.5 µm at the driving voltage of only 2.3 V. The maximum optical angle achieved is ±13° at 2.3 V. This mirror gives fast thermal response of less than 7.5 ms. The resonances of the piston and tip-tilt modes are 1.58 kHz and 2.74 kHz, respectively.
A model and nomogram to predict tumor site origin for squamous cell cancer confined to cervical lymph nodes

BACKGROUND The current study was conducted to develop a multifactorial statistical model to predict the specific head and neck (H&N) tumor site origin in cases of squamous cell carcinoma confined to the cervical lymph nodes (“unknown primaries”). METHODS The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was analyzed for patients with an H&N tumor site who were diagnosed between 2004 and 2011. The SEER patients were identified according to their H&N primary tumor site and clinically positive cervical lymph node levels at the time of presentation. The SEER patient data set was randomly divided into 2 data sets for the purposes of internal split-sample validation. The effects of cervical lymph node levels, age, race, and sex on H&N primary tumor site were examined using univariate and multivariate analyses. Multivariate logistic regression models and an associated set of nomograms were developed based on relevant factors to provide probabilities of tumor site origin. RESULTS Analysis of the SEER database identified 20,011 patients with H&N disease with both site-level and lymph node-level data. Sex, race, age, and lymph node levels were associated with primary H&N tumor site (nasopharynx, hypopharynx, oropharynx, and larynx) in the multivariate models. Internal validation techniques affirmed the accuracy of these models on separate data. CONCLUSIONS The incorporation of epidemiologic and lymph node data into a predictive model has the potential to provide valuable guidance to clinicians in the treatment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma confined to the cervical lymph nodes. Cancer 2014;120:3469–3476. © 2014 The Authors. Cancer published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Cancer Society. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Building Resilience: Macrodynamic Constraints on Governmental Response to Crises

A society's resilience -- that is, its ability to avoid or minimize the costs of catastrophe -- is profoundly influenced by its form of political and economic organization, political culture, and information-technology capabilities. These societal characteristics must be accounted for in any assessment of a society's response to particular disasters. This is evident in an analysis of the US government's response to the 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina. The US government was caught between two opposing forces. Changes in information technology had the effect of ratcheting pressure on federal authorities to take a leadership role in response to crises. However, institutional and political constraints -- fragmentation and politicization in the bureaucracy, and popular resistance to an expansion of federal responsibilities -- compromised the federal government's ability to fulfill this role. Federal authorities sought to resolve this conflict by militarization of crisis response. An expedient response in the short term, militarization actually compromises the effort to build societal resilience in the long run.
Multi-Entity Bayesian Networks learning for hybrid variables in situation awareness

Over the past two decades, machine learning has led to substantial changes in Data Fusion Systems throughout the world. One of the most important application areas for data fusion is situation awareness. Situation Awareness is perception of elements in the environment, comprehension of the current situation, and projection of future status before decision making. Traditional fusion systems focus on lower levels of the JDL hierarchy, leaving higher-level fusion and situation awareness largely to unaided human judgment. This becomes untenable in today's increasingly data-rich environments, characterized by information and cognitive overload. Higher-level fusion to support situation awareness requires semantically rich representations amenable to automated processing. Multi-Entity Bayesian Networks (MEBN) combine First-Order Logic with Bayesian Networks for representing and reasoning about uncertainty in complex, knowledge-rich domains. MEBN goes beyond standard Bayesian networks to enable reasoning about an unknown number of entities interacting with each other in various types of relationships, a key requirement for PSAW. A MEBN model can be constructed manually by a domain expert or automatically by a machine learning algorithm. A discrete MEBN learning algorithm was recently developed. However, many real world variables are continuous. This paper presents a hybrid (both discrete and continuous variables) MEBN learning algorithm. The method is evaluated on a case study from the PROGNOS, predictive situation awareness system.
Control of Glycogenolysis in the Toad's Urinary Bladder THE EFFECT OF ANAEROBIOSIS, SODIUM TRANSPORT, AND ARGININE VASOTOCIN

Abstract The control of glycogenolysis in the urinary bladder of the toad (Bufo marinus) in vitro has been examined by measuring the concentration of glycogenolytic intermediates and cofactors in the tissue. When the rate of glycogenolysis was increased by anaerobiosis, metabolite levels indicated activation of phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase. The activation of phosphofructokinase was probably secondary to a fall in the concentration of adenosine triphosphate and a rise in the concentration of adenosine mono- and diphosphate and inorganic phosphate. Activation of pyruvate kinase may have been secondary to a fall in the concentration of adenosine triphosphate and a rise in adenosine diphosphate or the rise in the concentration of fructose 1,6-diphosphate or both. Incubation with arginine vasotocin in a Ringer's solution containing sodium stimulated glycogenolysis under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. The hormone caused activation of phosphorylase, phosphofructokinase, and pyruvate kinase without marked changes in the concentration of cofactors. Since arginine vasotocin affects the toad bladder by stimulating adenyl cyclase activity, it is speculated that adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate activates phosphorylase, resulting in a rise in the concentration of fructose 6-phosphate, which in turn activates phosphofructokinase, resulting in a rise in the concentration of fructose, 1,6-diphosphate, which may activate pyruvate kinase. When sodium transport was inhibited by incubating the bladder with ouabain or in a Ringer's solution in which tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane ions replaced all of the sodium ions, the rate of glycogenolysis fell as a result of inhibition at phosphofructokinase. There were no significant changes in the concentration of adenosine mono-, di-, or triphosphate or inorganic phosphate. In contrast to experiments in a Na+ Ringer's solution, arginine vasotocin did not stimulate glycogenolysis in bladders incubated in a Tris+ Ringer's solution. Metabolite levels indicated only slight activation of phosphorylase and no activation of phosphofructokinase or pyruvate kinase. Again, no change in the concentration of cofactors was detected. It is concluded that phosphorylase, phosphofructokinase, and pyruvate kinase are glycogenolytic control points in the toad bladder responding to changes in the concentration of cofactors In addition, it is apparent that the rate of sodium transport affects the activity of these enzymes through an unknown pathway.
1 f noise in metal films lacks spatial correlation

The $\frac{1}{f}$ noise found in continuous films of chrome and bismuth is found to lack space-time cross-spectral components in the 1-Hz---1-mm range. The noise is not due either to temperature fluctuations or to fluctuations transported with the charge carriers.
Very Large Scale Integrated Optical Interconnects: Coherent Optical Control Systems with 3D Integration

Adoption of on-chip optical interconnects requires wavelength stabilization of resonant modulators and filters. We have developed low-power photonic and electronic control circuits, with progress toward minimizing circuit footprint.
Coverage dependence of CO dissociation on clean and hydrogen presaturated Fe(100) surface

A detailed thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) study of very low and intermediate exposures of CO on clean and H2 presaturated Fe(100) surfaces was conducted. At extremely low CO exposures, CO adsorbs only in the π-bonded CO state at low temperature. Molecules in this state exhibit an extremely weak carbon-oxygen bond and exclusively undergo dissociation when the temperature is raised above 440 K. At higher coverages, both dissociation and desorption is observed around 440 K even though all the molecules are still bound in the π-bonded CO state at lower temperatures. A model describing the partitioning between desorption and dissociation is proposed in which the dissociation fragments displace the strongly bound CO in the π-bonded state. The stoichiometry of this reaction allows a maximum of one half of π-bonded CO molecules to dissociate. Preadsorbed hydrogen strongly influences the ratio of dissociation to desorption as a function of coverage and suggests that hydrogen may induce island formation in the CO adlayer.
Large strains associated with sliding contact of metals

Dislocation studies, especially at large strains, are important for understanding materials aspects of tribological processes. Metallographic evidence shows that sliding causes very large plastic strains and strain gradients adjacent to the interface between the interacting materials. Dislocation densities increase, perhaps achieving saturation values. The resulting microstructures, including LEDS, are typical of those produced by other ways of producing large strains. Friction can be related to the dissipative processes associated with plastic deformation. Also, the material near the surface becomes unstable to local shear, allowing transfer of pieces of deformed material to the counterface. The transfer material is further deformed and mixed with the counterface material and/or environmental components to produce very fine grained structures, often in the nanocrystal range. Loose wear debris particles are commonly derived from this mixed material, not directly from the base material.
Electromagnet-actuated droplet platform for sample-to-answer genetic detection

This paper presents a magnetically actuated droplet platform for automated sample preparation and gene detection. Our platform integrates nucleic acid extraction using silicacoated magnetic particles with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on a single cartridge. The device consists of seven compartments in which reagent droplets are serially loaded. The assay utilizes solid phase nucleic acid isolation chemistry in order to purify genomic DNA from crude samples and elute the material in a PCR-ready buffer. Silicacoated magnetic particle provides a mobile solid phase that can be merged with and removed from reagents efficiently using a combination of planar coils and surface topographical features. Each droplet operation was characterized and evaluated. Using our platform, automated sample processing from whole blood to PCR-ready droplet, followed by amplification was performed successfully. This work demonstrates a fully integrated genetic assay platform for simple and efficient droplet manipulation.
Molecular aspects of water transport

Due to its fundamental importance, the movement of water across cell membranes has been an active area of research for more than 100 years. This subject is central to consideration of normal water metabolism by terrestrial animals, as well as derangements in overall water balance that are frequently encountered by nephrologists in the care of their patients. The objective of this review is to discuss the most basic aspects of cell membrane water permeability and provide a framework for these data in the context of the care of pediatric patients with renal disease. While the water permeability of most cell membranes can be accounted for by the diffusion of water across the lipid bilayer, other cells, including the red blood cell and certain epithelial cells that line the proximal and collecting tubules of the kidney and the urinary bladder of amphibians, possess specialized water channels. Water channels are composed of specialized proteins that create aqueous pores across cell membrane. Currently, there are active research efforts to isolate and characterize water channel proteins from these cell types. Data concerning the distribution, permeability and function of these various water channels will greatly enhance our knowledge of how water is transported across cell membranes.
Preference between fixed-interval and variable-interval schedules of reinforcement: Separate roles of temporal scaling and predictability

Pigeons' preference between fixed-interval and variable-interval schedules was examined using a concurrent-chains procedure. Responses to two concurrently available keys in the initial links of the concurrent chains occasionally produced terminal links where further responses were reinforced under either a fixed- or variable-interval schedule. In previous studies, preferences for the variable schedule with such a procedure have been interpreted as reflecting a temporal scaling process that heavily weights the shorter intervals in the variable schedule. The present experiment examined whether predictability, i.e., the presence of external stimuli correlated with the reinforcement interval, might also influence preference in such situations. When the two intervals in a variable schedule were made predictable by being associated with different key colors, preference for that schedule increased. This increase was reliable but small in magnitude and transient when initial-link responses only occasionally produced terminal links; it was large in magnitude when only one response in the initial link was required to produce the appropriate terminal-link schedule. The results suggest that preference between fixed and variable schedules may be influenced both by temporal scaling and to a lesser extent by predictability of the reinforcement intervals. A method widely used for the study of preference is the concurrent-chains procedure (Herrnstein, 1964a). In this procedure, responses to two concurrently available keys in an initial link occasionally produce terminal links in which only one key is lit and further responding produces primary reinforcement according to some schedule. Two different schedules of primary reinforce­ ment are normally available, one for responses to the left key in the initial link and one for responses to the right key in the initial link. The distribution of responses to the two keys in the initial link may therefore be taken as a measure of preference for the two schedules of pri­ mary reinforcement available in the terminal links. An early finding with this procedure was that variable­ interval (VI) schedules were preferred over fixed-interval (FI) schedules, even when the average interreinforce­ ment interval was the same in both schedules (Herrn­ stein, 1964b). This showed that subjects' preference is not accurately described in terms of the arithmetic average of the intervals comprising the VI schedule, but rather in terms of some scaling or transformation that weights the shorter intervals more heavily. A large number of subsequent experiments examining prefer­ ence for different schedules of reinforcement have sought to determine the appropriate transformation that would describe the observed preferences. Herrnstein (1964b) found that a logarithmic transformation was not entirely satisfactory. Subsequently, Killeen (1968) found that a harmonic mean accounted for his data,
On the connection between proton transport, structural diffusion, and reorientation of the hydrated hydroxide ion as a function of temperature

Abstract The properties of the hydrated hydroxide ion OH − (aq) stand in sharp contrast to those of most other aqueous ions. Chief among these is its anomalously high mobility, which is shared only by the aqueous hydronium ion H 3 O + (aq). However, while the transport mechanism of H 3 O + (aq) is now well understood, the details of OH − (aq) diffusion at ambient conditions are just beginning to emerge, and the effects of temperature on the transport mechanism remain largely unelucidated. Here, we undertake an ab initio molecular dynamics study of the effect of temperature on the solvation and transport of OH − (aq). In addition to revealing new details of the transport process, our analysis provides an explanation for the experimentally observed temperature dependence of the OH − (aq) reorientation time. The calculations reveal a suppression of proton transfer events that underly the structural diffusion process caused by a pronounced change in the population of dominant OH − (aq) solvation complexes.
Prevalence of connective tissue disease in silicosis (1985–2006)—a report from the state of michigan surveillance system for silicosis

Background The risk of developing clinical connective tissue disease (CTD) has been reported to be increased among individuals with silica exposure. Methods We reviewed the medical records of individuals reported to the Michigan Silicosis Surveillance system from 1985 to 2006 to confirm the diagnosis of silicosis and determine the presence of CTDs. Results From 1985 to 2006, 1,022 cases were confirmed to have silicosis. Medical records of 790 cases were available. Thirty-three individuals had rheumatoid arthritis (RA) [prevalence 4.2% (prevalence ratio (RR) ranged from 2.26, 95% CI: 1.57–3.25 to 6.96, 95% CI: 2.93–16.53) depending on the reference rate used], two had scleroderma [prevalence 0.3% (RR 28.3, 95% CI: 6.09–129.98)], one had systemic lupus erythematosus [prevalence 0.1% (RR 2.53, 95% CI: 0.30–21.64)], two had Sjogrens syndrome [prevalence 0.3% (RR 0.42, 95% CI: 0.09–2.08)], and six had anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA) vasculitis [prevalence 0.8% (RR 25.3, 95% CI: 6.34–101.04)]. There was no difference between those with and without CTD with respect to age, race, industry type, history of tuberculosis, application for workers' compensation, or severity of fibrotic changes on chest X-ray. Conclusions A two- to eightfold risk for RA and systemic lupus erythematosus, with a greater than 24-fold risk for scleroderma and ANCA vasculitis was found in individuals with silicosis. The most common CTD among silicotics in the Michigan disease registry was RA. Though not classically included in the category of CTD, ANCA-associated vasculitis was found to have a much greater prevalence amongst silicosis patients than the general population. Am. J. Ind. Med. 54:255–262, 2011. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Pragmatism and the Philosophy of Sport

Using the classical pragmatic traditions of Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, John Dewey, Josiah Royce, and others, Pragmatism and the Philosophy of Sport sheds new light on the meaning of phy...
Weakness, Belonging, and the Intercordia Experience: The Logic and Limits of Dissonance as a Transformative Learning Tool

Educational theorist Richard Kiely highlights the central importance of “high intensity dissonance” in successful international service-learning. This essay applies Kiely's model of dissonance and transformative learning to Intercordia, an international service-learning program offered at the University of St. Michael's College and the University of Toronto, in partnership with the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Intercordia Canada. By placing its students in situations of significant vulnerability and weakness, the Intercordia program attempts to problematize familiar assumptions about the otherness of oppressed persons and thereby to encourage an authentic sense of belonging across boundaries of difference. The results, as reported by participants in the program, are quite profound. At the same time, the program design invites critical questions about how, and to what extent, such transformative experiences of dissonance should be scripted for students as an expected and desired result of their international service.
Hydration free energies and entropies for water in protein interiors.

Free energy calculations for the transfer of a water molecule from the pure liquid to an interior cavity site in a protein are presented. Two different protein cavities, in bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) and in the 176A mutant of barnase, represent very different environments for the water molecule: one which is polar, forming four water-protein hydrogen bonds, and one which is more hydrophobic, forming only one water-protein hydrogen bond. The calculations give very different free energies for the different cavities, with only the polar BPTI cavity predicted to be hydrated. The corresponding entropies for the transfer to the interior cavities are calculated as well and show that the transfer to the polar cavity is significantly entropically unfavorable while the transfer to the nonpolar cavity is entropically favorable. For both proteins an analysis of the fluctuations in the positions of the protein atoms shows that the addition of a water molecule makes the protein more flexible. This increased flexibility appears to be due to an increased length and weakened strength of protein-protein hydrogen bonds near the cavity.
Electrochemical, spectroelectrochemical and ESR spectroscopic characterization of 2,3- and 3,4-cobalt tetrapyridoporphyrazine isomers in non-aqueous media

Two cobalt porphyrazines, 2,3-tetrapyridoporphyrazine and 3,4-tetrapyridoporphyrazine, were examined in N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide and pyridine solutions as to their electrochemical, spectroelectrochemical and ESR spectroscopic properties. These results were compared with those of the unsubstituted cobalt phthalocyanine. At high concentrations, aggregation was observed for each investigated compound in the three solvents. The intensity of ESR signals of each derivative depends upon the extent of aggregation in its solution. The g values shift towards high field with an increase in the strength of the axial ligand and the number of axial ligands on the cobalt center. Both tetrapyridoporphyrazine complexes undergo one oxidation and three reductions in N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide or pyridine solution. Thin-layer UV-visible spectroelectrochemical results confirmed that the first oxidation and first reduction of both compounds are metal-centered while the second and third reduction...
Leadership Style of Principals and the Professional Zone of Acceptance of Teachers.

The concern of this study was to investigate the relationship between the perceived leadership style of principals and the "zone of acceptance" of teachers in professional matters. The results suggest that principals who exhibit strong Initiating Structure tend to have teachers with a substantial Professional Zone of Acceptance irrespective of the Consideration dimension of leadership.
Active data labeling for improved classifier generalizability

Existing statistical learning methods perform well when evaluated on training and test data drawn from the same distribution. In practice, however, these distributions are not always the same. In this paper we derive an estimable upper bound on the test error rate that depends on a new probability distance measure between training and test distributions. Furthermore, we identify a non-parametric estimator for this distance measure that can be estimated directly from data. We show how this new probability distance measure can be used to construct algorithmic tools that improve performance. In particular, motivated by our upper bound, we propose a new active learning algorithm for domain adaptation. Comparative results confirm the efficacy of the active learning algorithm on a set of 12 speech classification tasks.
Transcriptional induction of p69 2′–5′-oligoadenylate synthetase by interferon-α is stimulated by 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate through IRF/ISRE binding motifs

Abstract Protein kinase C (PKC) is required for transcriptional induction of 2′–5′-oligoadenylate (2–5A) synthetases by interferon (IFN)-α. Regulatory elements located in the 5′-flanking region of the p69 2–5A synthetase gene have been identified which are required for transcriptional stimulation by PKC. The region from −366 to −117 bp, relative to the translational start site, contains three sequence motifs that resemble interferon stimulated response elements/interferon regulatory factor elements (ISRE/IRF-E), which are required for stimulation of the IFN-α-response by the PKC activator, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Constructs which have a deletion of the region containing IRF-Es located at −361 bp to −280 and at −246 to −172 bp do not respond to TPA treatment. Likewise, introduction of point mutations into either of these IRF-Es decreases stimulation of IFN-α induction by TPA and constructs containing point mutations in both upstream IRF-Es are non-responsive to TPA. Binding of the inducible factor to the ISRE is abrogated in cells depleted of PKC by prolonged treatment with TPA. PKC appears to function as a signaling component in an IFN-independent pathway that increases the activity of IFN-α- regulated transcription factors in the nucleus.
The effect of temperature on copper tolerance ofParamecium

The copper tolerance ofParamecium tetraurelia decreases with increased temperatures over the range of 12 C to 34 C. The relationship is linear and the correlation=−0.98. The regression equation has an intercept of 16 μM Cu++ at 0 C, and tolerance is reduced by 0.33 μM for each degree increase in temperature.
Testing torque — A quantitative R&D resource-allocation system

This paper discusses the Air Force experiment in testing the resource-allocation model called Technology or Research Quantitative Utility Evaluation (TORQUE). This model, which was developed by an interservice team for the Department of Defense (DOD), provides for a closer coupling between future desired military capabilities and laboratory efforts. Specifically, it addresses the area of exploratory development projects and tasks and attempts to provide a balanced allocation of resources within the laboratory. This paper gives the background of TORQUE, the methodology utilized, and some of the findings. A complete appraisal of TORQUE has not yet been made by the Air Force and, therefore, the final evaluation of the technique has not yet been determined.
LASER RHEOLOGY PROCESSING

ABSTRACT Great advances have been made in laser technology in recent years. Near net shape manufacturing technology, on the other hand, has attracted attention to the products of expensive and difficult-to-machine materials. It is in this context Laser Rheology Processing (LRP) is proposed, where lasers as a fabrication tool and rheological powder as input are used. In this paper, merits, feasibility, results of a fundamental experiment, and conceptual design of an LRP machine are discussed.
A scenario decomposition algorithm for 0-1 stochastic programs

We propose a scenario decomposition algorithm for stochastic 0-1 programs. The algorithm recovers an optimal solution by iteratively exploring and cutting-off candidate solutions obtained from solving scenario subproblems. The scheme is applicable to quite general problem structures and can be implemented in a distributed framework. Illustrative computational results on standard two-stage stochastic integer programming and nonlinear stochastic integer programming test problems are presented.