cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Smooth trajectory generation on SE(3) for a free flying space robot

We propose a new optimal trajectory generation technique on SE(3) which avoids known obstacles. We leverage techniques from differential geometry and Lie algebra to formulate a cost functional which is intrinsic to the geometric structure of this space and makes physical sense. We propose an approximation technique to generate trajectories on the subgroup SO(3) and use Semidefinite Programming (SDP) to approximate an NP-Hard problem with one which is tractable to compute. From this trajectory on the subgroup, the trajectory generation on the other dimensions of the group becomes a Quadratic Program (QP). For obstacle avoidance, we use a computational geometric technique to decompose the environment into overlapping convex regions to confine the trajectory. We show how this motion planning technique can be used to generate feasible trajectories for a space robot in SE(3) and describe controllers that enable the execution of the generated trajectory. We compare our method to other geometric techniques for calculating trajectories on SO(3) and SE(3), but in an obstacle-free environment.
Reconstructing Operatic Melodrama – Lyricism and War, Lessons for Creating My Opus Sectile

In this article, Valerie Patterson employs what she refers to as “lyrical visioning” – a useful tool for garnering support for claims that may or may not be true – to review several successful strategies used by the Bush administration to secure support for the invasion of Iraq. By assessing the utility of “the hook” that in Hip Hop music and Opera is used to “grab” people and make them like or remember the melody, and in President Bush’s political rhetoric was used to reconstruct and repackage tactics that can be perceived as deceptive by some, the author argues that the repetitive utterance of certain words and concepts could explain the acceptance by many Americans that the WMD claim was a truthful assertion and thus validated and legitimized the decision to engage in a preemptive strike against the people of Iraq.
Forensic Considerations in Bariatric Surgery Patients

Bariatric surgery is gaining in popularity in the United States and around the world as a treatment for morbid obesity. Patients seek surgery in order to lose weight and limit the long-term effects...
Uncoupled/coupled buckling response of piezothermoelastic composite plates

ABSTRACTA geometric nonlinear finite element formulation for piezothermoelastic composite laminates using first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) is presented to solve mechanically and self-strain loaded smart composite plate buckling problems. Green–Lagrange strain–displacement equations consistent with von Karman geometric nonlinearity are used. Mixed finite elements using hierarchic Lagrangian interpolation functions are used for the membrane/bending displacements and electric potential variations; transverse shear stress resultants at the Gauss quadrature points use standard Lagrangian functions. Eigenvalue analysis is used to determine the laminate buckling load magnitudes and corresponding mode shapes. A primary purpose of this investigation on the buckling behavior of smart composite plates is to demonstrate the impact of the direct piezoelectric effect. Thermal buckling study includes rectangular and circular plate geometries.
Immuno-targeting of Staphylococcus aureus via surface remodeling complexes

Agents with novel mechanisms of action are needed to complement traditional antibiotics. Towards these goals, we have exploited the surface-homing properties of vancomycin to tag the surface of Gram-positive pathogens with immune cell attractants in two unique modes. First, vancomycin was conjugated to the small molecule hapten 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) to promote bacterial opsonization. Second, we built on these results by improving the tagging specificity and mechanism of incorporation by coupling it to a sortase A substrate peptide. We demonstrated, for the first time, that the surface of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) can be metabolically labeled in live Caenorhabditis elegans hosts. These constructs represent a class of promising narrow-spectrum agents that target S. aureus for opsonization and establish a new surface labeling modality in live host organisms, which should be a powerful tool in dissecting features of host–pathogen interactions.
A structural assessment of unrefined sintered lunar regolith simulant

Abstract The potential of utilizing lunar regolith as the raw material for manufacturing structural members is very appealing for future exploration and settlement of the Moon. Future lunar missions will depend on in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) for structural components, among other things. Sintered lunar regolith has been proposed as a structural material. In general, it has been assumed that the regolith would be at least minimally processed before use. We propose the possibility of manufacturing structural components directly using unrefined sintered lunar regolith with the advantage of requiring fewer specialized material processing equipment. Our purpose in this study was the quantification of the material properties of unrefined sintered lunar regolith simulant. Two batches of sintered lunar regolith simulant JSC-1A samples, with porosities of 1.44% and 11.78%, underwent compression testing using an Instron series 4500 Universal Test System machine. Material properties were evaluated from the acquired load vs. deflection data. Stress vs. strain, modulus of elasticity, toughness, bulk modulus and compressive strength were evaluated as a function of porosity. The average compressive strength of the 1.44% porosity material was 218.8 MPa, and 84.6 MPa for the 11.78% porosity material. Our tests show that even unrefined sintered 11.78% porosity lunar regolith holds the possibility of being a useful structural material for lunar construction. Comparing our experimental results with those of other ISRU derived structural materials, unrefined sintered lunar regolith is expected to be one of the strongest material derived from lunar sources.
Recent Trends in Faculty Governance and Its Overall Impact on Work Life, Job Satisfaction and Faculty Retention

Recent decades show an emerging trend of shortened job duration by those who serve in leadership positions within the university or college campus setting. Current research indicates that the relationship between university faculty and administrators is a subject that would benefit from further investigation. This study attempts to illuminate and understand perceptions about this relationship of five different faculty members, each from the same department within a land grant university, located in the northwest region of the United States. To do this a descriptive methodological approach is employed that allowed the researchers to examine and reveal the perceptions, insights, and opinions of the participants. By discerning and evaluating the elements that contribute to a positive collegial work environment through an interview process results of this research will be used to inform those who have a vested interest in faculty-administrator relationships. It will provide a guide to follow when setting out to establish and implement policy and procedures that may be used to improve professional culture and climate within the respective schools or departments. It makes fiscal sense for those in leadership roles to work diligently toward retaining and sustaining highly trained professionals and minimize both faculty and administrative turnover within the university setting.
Mechanism of Na accumulation at extended defects in Si from first-principles

Sodium (Na) impurities in silicon solar cells are considered to play an important role in potential-induced degradation (PID), a significant cause of solar cell degradation and failure. Shorting due to Na accumulation at extended defects has been suggested as a culprit for PID. However, it is not clear how the extended defects are decorated by Na impurities. Using first-principles density functional theory calculations, we find that Na impurities segregate from the bulk into extended defects such as intrinsic stacking faults and Σ3 (111) grain boundaries. The energy barrier required for Na to escape from the extended defects is substantial and similar to the sum of the barrier energy in bulk Si (1.1–1.2 eV) and the segregation energy to the stacking fault (∼0.7 eV). Surprisingly, the migration barrier for Na diffusion within the extended defects is even higher than the energy barrier for escaping. The results suggest that the extended defects likely accumulate Na as the impurities segregate to the defects...
Abstract ES6-2: Do tumors overcome immune surveillance by blocking dendritic cell development

Tumors must evade immune-surveillance in order to progress. To this end, tumor-induced inflammation expands immune-suppressive immature granulocytes and monocytes, while limiting the functions of immune-stimulatory conventional dendritic cells (cDCs). cDC1s, a cDC subset, activate CD8+ T cells through antigen cross presentation and are marked by CD141 in humans and CD103 or CD8α in mice. cDC1s support anti-tumor CD8+ T cell responses, but cDC1 numbers are limited within the tumor environment. To understand how cDC1s are restricted in the tumor, we interrogated their development in the bone marrow (BM). We found the program responsible for the expansion of immature granulocytes and monocytes from progenitors in the BM is simultaneously suppressing the generation of cDC1s, decreasing the systemic numbers of cDC1s in breast and pancreatic cancer patients. We found that tumor-induced granulocyte stimulating factor (GCSF) mediates the down-regulation of the transcription factor IFN regulatory factor 8 (IRF8) in BM progenitors. IRF8 loss reprograms the BM progenitors, reducing their potential to develop into cDC1s. We demonstration, independent of monocyte and granulocyte expansion, that tumor-induced loss of cDC1s reduces the systemic ability to mount anti-tumor CD8+ T cell responses. Further, systemic decreases in cDC1s in breast cancer patients correlate with reduced response to chemotherapy. These data suggest a new mechanism of immune-escape whereby tumors down-regulate cDC1 differentiation from BM progenitors to impair anti-tumor CD8+ T cell immunity. These data beg the question; are some patients unresponsive to immunotherapy because of tumor-induced impairments in dendritic cell development? Citation Format: DeNardo DG. Do tumors overcome immune surveillance by blocking dendritic cell development [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr ES6-2.
Cytomegalovirus: genetics of drug resistance.

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) shares the characteristic ability of other herpesviruses to establish persistence or life-long latency following primary infection, and to reactivate subsequently as host cell-mediated immunity diminishes.1 However, CMV has clearly evolved unique strategies for intracellular replication, pathogenesis and persistence in the host. The regulatory mechanisms and biological sites for viral persistence and reactivation of CMV are poorly understood, but clearly they do not involve the neurotropic pathways employed by herpes simplex virus (HSV) or varicella zoster virus (VZV). CMV infections in immunocompromised patients, especially bone marrow and organ transplant recipients and patients with AIDS, are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. These infections most commonly are reactivations of prior latent infection. Reactivation likely begins with a viremic phase, during which virus can be detected in blood mononuclear cells, followed by symptoms and signs of organ involvement, such as retinitis, pneumonitis, or colitis. Individuals may be infected with multiple strains of CMV, which can reactivate sequentially or simultaneously.2, 3 Different strains or populations of virus may be present at different body sites, with variable accessibility to individual antiviral drugs. Currently approved therapies for the suppression and treatment of CMV include ganciclovir (GCV), foscarnet (PFA), and acyclovir (ACV). Acyclovir is less active in treatment of established CMV infections, but it can reduce the reactivation of latent infection, and resulting CMV disease, in bone marrow and solid organ transplant patients. Several factors point to the likelihood of drug-resistant strains of CMV developing Most disease occurs in immunocompromised patients, who have a high viral load and for whom control of the infection depends almost solely on antiviral therapy. In addition, chronic therapy is frequently necessary
Functional Group Composition of Secondary Organic Aerosol Formed from Ozonolysis of α-Pinene Under High VOC and Autoxidation Conditions

The formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from α-pinene ozonolysis has been widely studied, with a recent focus on contributions from highly oxidized multifunctional compounds (HOMs) that have been observed in laboratory and field studies. Most of what is known about the chemical composition of SOA and HOMs, however, consists of molecular formulas and limited molecular structure identification based on mass spectrometric analysis. Here, we characterized the SOA formed from α-pinene ozonolysis using derivatization-spectrophotometric methods to quantify peroxide, carbonyl, carboxyl, ester, and hydroxyl groups. Experiments were conducted over a range of α-pinene concentrations and relative humidities, including regimes in which gas-phase HOMs were detected using NO3– chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Results for experiments conducted with high concentrations of α-pinene were also compared with predictions of a model that employed the Master Chemical Mechanism and included gas-particle and gas-wal...
A method for processing the Confidential Carload Waybill Sample for railroad freight analysis

Abstract Freight transportation research is often constrained by the availability of useful data. In the context of freight rail research, traditional freight data sets do not provide sufficient resolution for detailed analysis of railroad freight flows. In addition to aggregated data, the complexity of railroad operations limits the usability of publicly available freight flow data. As part of their regulatory authority, the Surface Transportation has maintained the Confidential Carload Waybill Sample, a stratified sample representing 1%–3% of all railroad traffic in the United States for a year. Although rich with data, the Waybill Sample data requires pre-processing before it can be used for most analysis and visualization. Given this challenge, this paper introduces a tested method to extract, clean, and structure the Waybill Sample for subsequent visualization on a railroad network. The proposed method provides a reproducible approach for enhancing the Waybill Sample for use in railroad freight analysis.
Using an Initial Clinical Interview to Assess the Coparenting Relationship: Preliminary Examples From the Supporting Father Involvement Program

ABSTRACTThe current study uses an initial intake interview as an assessment tool in the Supporting Father Involvement (SFI) intervention and considers it from a family systems theoretical perspective. SFI includes a 32-hour group for parents with young children that aims to reduce child abuse and promote family well-being through a curriculum focused on enhancing positive father involvement and coparenting. For this study, the initial clinical interview assessed partners’ synchronies and dissonance in parenting, coparenting, and relationship satisfaction domains. Using thematic analysis, we qualitatively analyzed interviews with 15 committed, heterosexual couples, exploring themes that correspond with higher versus lower couple satisfaction measured by the Quality of Marital Satisfaction Index. Results showed a strong concordance between partners’ satisfaction scores, with fathers less satisfied than mothers. Thematic differences between higher and lower satisfaction parents centered on approach to discip...
Progression to drug use from adolescent initiation of marijuana among South Korean inmates: a propensity score matching technique

In this paper, we examined whether adolescent marijuana use is related to progression to other drug use in adulthood. Propensity score matching was used to estimate the relationship between marijua...
Introduction: Why Beauty?

Existential psychologist Rollo May has explained, based on Plato, that Beauty outranks Truth and Goodness, because Beauty is harmony, and the test of the integrity of Truth and Goodness are whether they are harmonious. Post-modernists assure us there is no truth, only perspectives; beauty is in the eye of the beholder, there can be no objectivity in beauty experiences; morality is all about power, whoever has the power determines what is right and wrong; there is no right and wrong, they are just cultural concepts; there are no moral universals and cannot be. Nonetheless, as Howard Gardner has noted, these concepts continue to engage human beings, one way or another. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, in his Nobel lecture for the prize in Literature, pointed out that Dostoevsky’s famous remark, “Beauty will save the world,” is literally true. Einstein’s son said his father’s “highest praise for a good theory or good piece of work was not that it was correct nor that it was exact but that it was beautiful.” Every experience of love is an experience of beauty. Plato, in The Symposium, had Socrates argue that beauty is the object of all love. Nothing is more important than love and beauty.
New Perspectives for Cancer Hazard Evaluation by the Report on Carcinogens: A Case Study Using Read-Across Methods in the Evaluation of Haloacetic Acids Found as Water Disinfection By-Products.

Background: Due to the large number of chemicals not yet tested for carcinogenicity but to which people are exposed, the limited number of human and animal cancer studies conducted each year, and t...
Analysis of Hydrogen Corrosion of Water Wall Tube of a Power Plant Boiler

During the operation of a power station boiler with the rated evaporation of 1025 t/h, its water wall tube, which is made of SA-210C, bursts continuously. Based on the fracture analysis, material inspection, metallographic examination, energy spectrum analysis and mechanical property analysis of the tube sample, this paper confirms that the cause of the water wall tube failure is hydrogen corrosion, which is accelerated by the copper impurity.
WEAKENED ROLE OF VENTROMEDIAL AND DORSOLATERAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX IN REGULATING AMYGDALA ACTIVITY IN LATE-LIFE DEPRESSION - A DYNAMIC CAUSAL MODELLING STUDY ON RESTING STATE FMRI

Introduction Research in older adults has generally found greater emotional well-being despite physical and cognitive decline. A literature review indicates that although older adults have structural and functional degradation in the dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortices (dlPFC, vlPFC, key brain regions related to emotion regulation in younger adults), they may adaptively and automatically use strategies that involve alternative or additional brain regions to regulate emotion as a compensatory mechanism (for example, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, vmPFC). However, few studies have confirmed this hypothesis. More importantly, it is imperative to examine emotion regulation patterns in older adults with major depression (also known as late-life depression, LLD) to clarify the neural mechanisms of emotion regulation deficits in LLD. We hypothesize that LLD may have weakened connectivity between vmPFC and dlPFC in regulating activity of brain regions related to emotional processing (such as the amygdala). Methods We have analyzed the 7-min resting-state fMRI and T1-weighted brain imaging data which was acquired from NBOLD project conducted at University of Connecticut Health Center (UCHC). The data was from 37 healthy older subjects (9 males, age(mean±SD)= 75.5±7.5 yrs) and 102 LLD patients (32 males, age(mean±SD)=71.5 ±7.4 yrs). We first examined whether in healthy subjects, smaller dlPFC volume is associated with greater vmPFC activity measured by amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) using DPABI program. The dlPFC volume was measured using FreeSurfer software on T1-weighted images. We then examined whether vmPFC exert greater control on amygdala activity than dlPFC using spectral dynamic causal modelling (spDCM) program of SPM12. Finally we compared differences between healthy and LLD subjects in information flow among dlPFC, vlPFC, vmPFC and amygdala using spDCM. Results As we predicted, there was significant correlation between lower left dlPFC volume and greater ALFF in the vmPFC (r=-0.42, p Conclusions Negative correlation between the vmPFC resting activity and dlPFC volume in the healthy older adults suggest a possible compensatory activity of vmPFC. The spDCM analysis confirmed our hypothesis that vmPFC may exert a key role in regulating emotion to compensate the dlPFC volume reduction in healthy older adults, whereas the compensatory effect is weaker in the LLD group compared with healthy subjects, which could explain poor emotion regulation in LLD. Future studies using emotion regulation tasks directly are warranted to confirm the compensatory role of the vmPFC in emotion regulation in older adults and its the weakened role of emotion regulation in LLD. This research was funded by: The study was supported by NIMH grant R01 MH108578 (PI, David C. Steffens).
Canonical thresholding for non-sparse high-dimensional linear regression

We consider a high-dimensional linear regression problem. Unlike many papers on the topic, we do not require sparsity of the regression coefficients; instead, our main structural assumption is a decay of eigenvalues of the covariance matrix of the data. We propose a new family of estimators, called the canonical thresholding estimators, which pick largest regression coefficients in the canonical form. The estimators admit an explicit form and can be linked to LASSO and Principal Component Regression (PCR). A theoretical analysis for both fixed design and random design settings is provided. Obtained bounds on the mean squared error and the prediction error of a specific estimator from the family allow to clearly state sufficient conditions on the decay of eigenvalues to ensure convergence. In addition, we promote the use of the relative errors, strongly linked with the out-of-sample $R^2$. The study of these relative errors leads to a new concept of joint effective dimension, which incorporates the covariance of the data and the regression coefficients simultaneously, and describes the complexity of a linear regression problem. Numerical simulations confirm good performance of the proposed estimators compared to the previously developed methods.
Expanding antimicrobial stewardship strategies for the NICU: Management of surgical site infections, perioperative prophylaxis, and culture negative sepsis.

Abstract Objective: To review antibiotic stewardship strategies for neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in the areas of management of surgical site infections, perioperative prophylaxis and culture negative late onset sepsis. Finding: Review of local microbiology, stratification of surgical procedures by risk of contamination of the surgical site, and adherence to evidence-based principles of perioperative antibiotic administration (targeted therapy, effective dosing, appropriate timing and limiting duration post-operatively) can help to minimize unnecessary antibiotic use for neonatal surgery. Creating a late onset sepsis case definition, appropriate collection and interpretation of blood cultures, and instituting antibiotic time-outs can minimize the overuse of antibiotics for culture negative sepsis. Conclusion: Effective implementation of these antimicrobial stewardship strategies in the NICU can reduce unnecessary antimicrobial use and limit the emergence of resistant pathogens.
Predicting critical bicycle-vehicle conflicts at signalized intersections

Continuous development of urban infrastructure with a focus on sustainable transportation has led to a proliferation of vulnerable road users (VRUs), such as bicyclists and pedestrians, at intersections. Intersection safety evaluation has primarily relied on historical crash data. However, due to several limitations, including rarity, unpredictability, and irregularity of crash occurrences, quantitative and qualitative analyses of crashes may not be accurate. To transcend these limitations, intersection safety can be proactively evaluated by quantifying near-crashes using alternative measures known as surrogate safety measures (SSMs). This study focuses on developing models to predict critical near-crashes between vehicles and bicycles at intersections based on SSMs and kinematic data. Video data from ten signalized intersections in the city of San Diego were employed to train logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF) models. A variation of time-to-collision called T2 and postencroachment time (PET) were used to specify monitoring periods and to identify critical near-crashes, respectively. Four scenarios were created using two thresholds of 5 and 3 s for both PET and T2. In each scenario, five monitoring period lengths were examined. The RF model was superior compared to other models in all different scenarios and across different monitoring period lengths. The results also showed a small trade-off between model performance and monitoring period length, identifying models with monitoring period lengths of 10 and 20 frames performed slightly better than those with lower or higher lengths. Sequential backward and forward feature selection methods were also applied that enhanced model performance. The best RF model had recall values of 85% or higher across all scenarios. Also, RF prediction models performed better when considering just the rear-end near-crashes with recalls of above 90%.
The risk of racial bias while tracking influenza-related content on social media using machine learning.

Objective Machine learning is used to understand and track influenza-related content on social media. Because these systems are used at scale, they have the potential to adversely impact the people they are built to help. In this study, we explore the biases of different machine learning methods for the specific task of detecting influenza-related content. We compare the performance of each model on tweets written in Standard American English (SAE) vs African American English (AAE). Materials and methods Two influenza-related datasets are used to train 3 text classification models (support vector machine, convolutional neural network, bidirectional long short-term memory) with different feature sets. The datasets match real-world scenarios in which there is a large imbalance between SAE and AAE examples. The number of AAE examples for each class ranges from 2% to 5% in both datasets. We also evaluate each model's performance using a balanced dataset via undersampling. Results We find that all of the tested machine learning methods are biased on both datasets. The difference in false positive rates between SAE and AAE examples ranges from 0.01 to 0.35. The difference in the false negative rates ranges from 0.01 to 0.23. We also find that the neural network methods generally has more unfair results than the linear support vector machine on the chosen datasets. Conclusions The models that result in the most unfair predictions may vary from dataset to dataset. Practitioners should be aware of the potential harms related to applying machine learning to health-related social media data. At a minimum, we recommend evaluating fairness along with traditional evaluation metrics.
Green Roofs in Desert Southwest Ecoregions

This chapter presents case studies of four conservation sites and eight green roofs located in the Desert Southwest and montane semi-arid ecoregions. Although precipitation in the deserts is generally limited to 100–300 mm annually in lower elevations, the region has one of the world’s most diverse desert vegetation. The monsoon season arrives in the summer, providing relief from high air and soil temperatures, and it is the primary season when plants grow and reproduce. Bird and reptile diversity are also highly rich and abundant. Ecoregional green roofs located in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and southeastern California demonstrate how 106 taxa native to the desert and montane meadow ecoregions can be employed on green roofs.
Physicochemical implications of surface alkylation of high-valent, Lindqvist-type polyoxovanadate-alkoxide clusters

We report a rare example of the direct alkylation of the surface of a plenary polyoxometalate cluster by leveraging the increased nucleophilicity of vanadium oxide assemblies. Addition of methyl trifluoromethylsulfonate (MeOTf) to the parent polyoxovanadate cluster, [V6O13(TRIOLR)2]2- (TRIOL = tris(hydroxymethyl)methane; R = Me, NO2) results in functionalisation of one or two bridging oxide ligands of the cluster core to generate [V6O12(OMe)(TRIOLR)2]1- and [V6O11(OMe)2(TRIOLR)2]2-, respectively. Comparison of the electronic absorption spectra of the functionalised and unfunctionalised derivatives indicates the decreased overall charge of the complex results in a decrease in the energy required for ligand to metal charge transfer events to occur, while simultaneously mitigating the inductive effects imposed by the capping TRIOL ligand. Electrochemical analysis of the family of organofunctionalised polyoxovanadate clusters reveals the relationship of ligand environment and the redox properties of the cluster core: increased organofunctionalisation of the surface of the vanadium oxide assembly translates to anodic shifts in the reduction events of the Lindqvist ion. Overall, this work provides insight into the electronic effects induced upon atomically precise modifications to the surface structure of nanoscopic, redox-active metal oxide assemblies.
Scalable Polymeric Few-Nanometer Organosilica Membranes for Pre-Combustion CO 2 Capture

Nanoporous silica membranes exhibit excellent H2/CO2 separation properties for sustainable H2 production and CO2 capture but are prepared via complicated thermal processes above 400 oC, which prevent their scalable production at low cost. Here, we demonstrate the rapid fabrication (within 6 minutes) of ultrathin silica membranes (≈6 nm) via oxygen plasma treatment of polydimethylsiloxane based thin-film composite membranes at 20 oC. The resulting organosilica membranes exhibit H2 permeance of 280 - 930 GPU (1 GPU = 3.347×10-10 mol m-2 s-1 Pa-1) and H2/CO2 selectivity of 93 - 32 at 200 °C, far surpassing state-of-the-art membranes and Robeson’s upper bound for H2/CO2 separation. When challenged with a 3-day simulated syngas test containing water vapor and a 340-day stability test at 200 °C, the membrane shows stable separation performance. The robust H2/CO2 separation properties coupled with excellent scalability demonstrate the great potential of these organosilica membranes for economic H2 production with minimal carbon emissions.
Electroejaculation of the bull

The art of electroejaculation can be mastered with practice; however, the evaluation of semen collected by electroejaculation can be misleading if the physical condition of the bull is not considered. The greatest danger lies in classifying a bull as a questionable or unsatisfactory breeding prospect when he actually failed to ejaculate. There are many factors associated with effective electroejaculation of the bull, including the type ofrectal probe, power output of the electroejaculator, and the skill of the operator. The design of the probe has an important bearing on the power required for electroejaculation and the associated skeletal muscularresponse of the bull. A rectal probe was designed to increase the efficiency of electroejaculation and to decrease the muscular contractions associated with it.
The Community Indicators Movement and Social Reporting

Social indicators are being widely used by local communities to measure their well-being. This political scientist finds that these indicators often directly affect public policies in these communities. And the movement, she finds, is spreading rapidly.
Factors affecting chemical‐based purification of DNA from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Extraction of high molecular weight chromosomal DNA from yeast cells is a procedure that is performed frequently for experiments involving polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Southern blotting and other DNA analysis techniques. We have investigated several parameters affecting DNA yield and quality, using a simple chemical-based purification procedure that was modelled on alkaline lysis methods developed for bacterial cells. The three major steps of the procedure, cell lysis, protein removal and DNA precipitation, were optimized by testing the impacts of several chemicals, including sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), sodium hydroxide, Tris buffer, sodium acetate and potassium acetate. Other parameters, such as the effect of elevated temperatures on cell lysis, were also investigated. A rapid, optimized protocol was derived for the purification of DNA from small cell cultures that can be readily digested with restriction enzymes and used as a template for PCR. Average yield was calculated to be approximately 1.7 µg DNA/10(8) cells, which is similar to the theoretical maximum amount obtainable from haploid yeast cells.
The Design of CMOS Radio-Frequency Integrated Circuits

This book, first published in 2004, is an expanded and thoroughly revised edition of Tom Lee's acclaimed guide to the design of gigahertz RF integrated circuits. A new chapter on the principles of wireless systems provides a bridge between system and circuit issues. The chapters on low-noise amplifiers, oscillators and phase noise have been significantly expanded. The chapter on architectures now contains several examples of complete chip designs, including a GPS receiver and a wireless LAN transceiver, that bring together the theoretical and practical elements involved in producing a prototype chip. Every section has been revised and updated with findings in the field and the book is packed with physical insights and design tips, and includes a historical overview that sets the whole field in context. With hundreds of circuit diagrams and homework problems this is an ideal textbook for students taking courses on RF design and a valuable reference for practising engineers.
Syntax satisfaction for large scale neural networks

Discusses the development of large-scale neural networks and the methods needed to achieve feasible solutions. It is shown that existing tools and techniques for setting parameters, such as external input and neural connectivity hold for large neural networks. This is illustrated by a simulation of a neural network consisting of more than 500000 neurons that has successfully generated permutation matrices. >
Antibody to a recombinant merozoite protein epitope identifies horses infected with Babesia equi.

Horses infected with Babesia equi were previously identified by the presence of antibodies reactive with a merozoite surface protein epitope (D. P. Knowles, Jr., L. E. Perryman, L. S. Kappmeyer, and S. G. Hennager. J. Clin. Microbiol. 29:2056-2058, 1991). The antibodies were detected in a competitive inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (CI ELISA) by using monoclonal antibody 36/133.97, which defines a protein epitope on the merozoite surface. The gene encoding this B. equi merozoite epitope was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant merozoite protein, designated equi merozoite antigen 1 (EMA-1), was evaluated in the CI ELISA. Recombinant EMA-1 bound antibody from the sera of B. equi-infected horses from 18 countries. The antibody response to EMA-1 was then measured in horses experimentally infected with B. equi via transmission by the tick vector Boophilus microplus or by intravenous inoculation. Anti-EMA-1 antibody was detected 7 weeks post-tick exposure and remained, without reexposure to B. equi, for the 33 weeks of the evaluation period. The data indicate that recombinant EMA-1 can be used in the CI ELISA to detect horses infected with B. equi. Images
In Defense of Parameter-Setting in L2 Acquisition: A Reply to Bley-Vroman and Chaudron '90.

Bley-Vroman and Chaudron (BV/C) (1990) challenge the theoretical and empirical validity of the results in Flynn (1983, 1987) and propose an alternative explanation of the reported results. In doing so, BV/C attempt to impugn the role of Universal Grammar (UG), particularly Parameter (P)-setting, in L2 acquisition. In this paper, we demonstrate that BV/C's remarks are based on (1) failure to consider the theoretical and logical basis of the research paradigm they challenge; (2) simplistic interpretation of the parameter-setting paradigm in UG, and (3) false assumptions regarding the statistical method, Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). In addition, (4) the putative “more plausible interpretation” they propose is not theoretically viable, is based on false assumptions regarding the empirical facts of language processing, and is inconsistent with precise analyses of the data that it is attempting to explain. Therefore, it in no way provides an alternative explanation for the results of Flynn's empirical studies. Thus, of the two accounts, only the P-setting explanation remains as a viable explanation.
Multiple resources limit plant growth and function in a saline-alkaline desert community

Summary 1We investigated resource limitations in a saltbrush scrub community along a salinity-alkalinity gradient in the Mojave Desert of North America. Previous studies have shown that, as productivity declines with increasing soil stress, there are parallel declines in leaf Ca and Mg, suggesting availability of these resources may limit growth in addition to water, N and P limitations expected in deserts. 2To determine which soil resources limited growth of the dominant shrub, Atriplex parryi, and whether this differed along the soil stress gradient or among life stages, water and nutrients were applied in combination at different rates to plants at high- and low-stress sites. We developed and applied a conceptual model to identify resource limitations from this experiment. We also investigated how those limitations interacted to influence A. parryi growth and physiological function at the high-stress site. 3Availability of soil N and P limited growth at the low-stress site and N, P and Mg limited growth at the high-stress site for both adult and juvenile life stages. There was no evidence that availability of water alone or K, Ca or other nutrients, or increasing soil Na and B, limited growth along the soil stress gradient. 4When N, P, Mg and water were supplied in combination, plant growth increased more than 16-fold. Supply of these resources interacted to influence both plant growth and function. Because of the high demand for N relative to other resources, N supply rate was the major driver of these interactions, influencing the magnitude by which P and Mg affected growth. The major mechanism behind these growth responses was an increase in allocation to leaves relative to fine roots, rather than nutrient or water effects on water relations, photosynthesis or water use efficiency. 5Multiple, interacting resources limit the growth and distribution of A. parryi on a saline, alkaline Mojave Desert site. Similar interactions between multiple limiting resources are likely to be instrumental in shaping community and species distributions along other abiotic stress gradients.
β- and α-adrenergic cross-signaling for L-type Ca current is impaired in transgenic mice with constitutive activation of εPKC

It is well established that β-adrenoceptor stimulation activates PKA and α1-adrenoceptor stimulation activates PKC. In normal ventricular myocytes, acute activation of α1-adrenoceptors inhibits β-adrenoceptor stimulated L-type Ca current (ICa-L) and direct activation of ePKC leads to ICa-L inhibition. Because increased PKC activity has been observed chronically in in vivo setting such as failing human heart, we hypothesized that chronic in vivo activation of ePKC alters ICa-L and its response to adrenergic stimulation. Therefore, we investigated the interaction between β- and α1-adrenoceptors vis-a-vis ICa-L in myocytes from transgenic mice (TG) with cardiac specific constitutive activation of ePKC (ePKC agonist). Whole-cell ICa-L was recorded from ePKC agonist TG mice and age-matched non-TG (NTG) littermates under: (1) basal condition, (2) β-adrenoceptor agonist, isoproterenol (ISO), and (3) ISO plus α1-adrenoceptor agonist, methoxamine. The present results are the first to demonstrate that chronic in vivo activation of ePKC leads to reduced basal ICa-L density. β-adrenoceptor activation of ICa-L is blunted in ePKC agonist TG mice. α-adrenoceptor cross-talk with β-adrenoceptor signaling pathways vis-a-vis L-type Ca channels is impaired in ePKC agonist TG mice. The diminished response to ISO and methoxamine suggests a protective feedback regulatory mechanism in ePKC agonist TG mice and could be vital in the settings of excessive release of catecholamines during heart failure.
Effect of insulin and muscle contraction on protein synthesis in frog sartorius.

Abstract The effect of insulin and muscle contraction on the incorporation and accumulation of tritiated leucine into frog sartorius has been studied. Muscle contraction did not enhance protein synthesis. Insulin, however, augmented protein synthesis in frog sartorius. In general, spring and summer frogs were more reactive to protein synthesis and insulin augmentation. At concentrations of extracellular leucine below 100 mμmoles/ml, total penetration of tritiated leucine (incorporation plus free amino acid accumulation) in the presence and absence of insulin was identical. A decrease in the accumulation of free amino acid could account for the increase in protein synthesis in muscles treated with insulin. In the presence of puromycin, insulintreated muscles had the same accumulation of free amino acid as noninsulin-puromycin-treated muscles. At concentrations of 200 mμnoles/ml extracellular leucine, total penetration of amino acid was greater in the presence of insulin. At this concentration, puromycin-insulin-treated muscles had a 30% greater accumulation of free amino acid than puromycin noninsulin treatment. Puromycin did not completely shut off protein synthesis at all times. Insulin augmentation of protein synthesis was more sensitive to puromycin inhibition than was protein synthesis in the absence of insulin.
The ring cracking of glass by spherical indenters

Abstract T he W eibull statistical treatment of brittle strength is used to compute the mean fracture load and the standard deviation of fracture load for the ring cracking of glass by spherical indenters. An extension of the Weibull treatment allows the mean crack location also to be calculated. Predictions of mean load, standard deviation of load and mean crack location, all as a function of indenter radius, are made from material properties determined in bending tests. Good agreement is found with experiment over a wide range of indenter sizes.
Voronoi diagram for multiply-connected polygonal domains 1: algorithm

Voronoi diagrams of multiply-connected polygonal domains (polygons with holes) can be of use in computer-aided design. We describe a simple algorithm that computes such Voronoi diagrams in O(N(log 2 N+H)) time, where N is the number of edges and H is the number of holes.
Feasibility and Technical Considerations of Mammary Ductoscopy in Human Mastectomy Specimens

Recent advances in endoscopic technology have made visualization of human mammary ducts possible. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and technical factors influencing the ability to successfully visualize the epithelium of the human mammary ductal system. Lacrimal duct probes were used to dilate nipple orifices to 1.2 mm on 42 mastectomy specimens. The Depth of Field Imaging Micro-Minimally Invasive (DOFI(R) MMI) system consisting of a 1.2 mm rigid ductoscope with a 350 mm working channel was introduced into mammary ducts under air insufflation or saline irrigation. At least one major duct could be dilated and cannulated in all 42 specimens. Visualization of the proximal duct was accomplished in 34 of 42 (81%) specimens, whereas more extensive navigation through the distal subsegmental ducts was achieved in 22 of 42 (52%) specimens. Ductoscopy into the terminal ducts was accomplished in all patients with a previous history of nipple discharge or discharge at the time of the procedure (10 of 10). In three patients with no history of nipple discharge prior to ductoscopy, incidental papillomas were discovered and confirmed by the pathologist. In conclusion, mammary ductoscopy is technically feasible and may have an application as an additional diagnostic modality for patients with pathologic nipple discharge.
READING LITERATURE AND LFARNING A SECOND LANGUAGE 1

If literature is to be a useful vehicle for the teaching of second language skills, that literature must first succeed as a literary experience for the student. The failure of literary texts in second language teaching is often the result of a failure to encourage or even to allow students to receive such texts as literature, that is, as a literary experience. Consequently, second language teachers interested in using literature in their classes must be aware of how literature can teach second language skills while, at the same time, retaining its literary value for second language learners.
Behavioral Changes Associated with the Menstrual Cycle: An Experimental Investigation1

Fourteen female subjects were tested during the menstrual (days 1-4), follicular (days 6-12), luteal (days 17-21), and premenstrual (days 23-27) phases of their menstrual cycles. Of the tests used (arm-hand steadiness, galvanic skin response to an auditory stimulus, reaction time - simple and choice, time estimation, and digit-symbol substitution), only arm-hand steadiness showed statistically significant fluctuations over the course of the cycle. Daily self-ratings of various symptoms and moods showed no significant changes when the appropriate statistical techniques were used; parametric techniques suggested fluctuations in reports of pain, bloatedness, hunger, hours of sleep, and pressure of immediate academic work.
An abnormal Ca2+ response in mutant sarcomere protein–mediated familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Dominant-negative sarcomere protein gene mutations cause familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC), a disease characterized by left-ventricular hypertrophy, angina, and dyspnea that can result in sudden death. We report here that a murine model of FHC bearing a cardiac myosin heavy-chain gene missense mutation (αMHC403/+), when treated with calcineurin inhibitors or a K+-channel agonist, developed accentuated hypertrophy, worsened histopathology, and was at risk for early death. Despite distinct pharmacologic targets, each agent augmented diastolic Ca2+ concentrations in wild-type cardiac myocytes; αMHC403/+ myocytes failed to respond. Pretreatment with a Ca2+-channel antagonist abrogated diastolic Ca2+ changes in wild-type myocytes and prevented the exaggerated hypertrophic response of treated αMHC403/+ mice. We conclude that FHC-causing sarcomere protein gene mutations cause abnormal Ca2+ responses that initiate a hypertrophic response. These data define an important Ca2+-dependent step in the pathway by which mutant sarcomere proteins trigger myocyte growth and remodel the heart, provide definitive evidence that environment influences progression of FHC, and suggest a rational therapeutic approach to this prevalent human disease.