cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Mesh-Adaptive Collocation Technique for the Simulation of Advection-Dominated Single- and Multiphase Transport Phenomena in Porous Media

A new mesh-adaptive ID collocation technique has been developed to efficiently solve transient advcction-dominated transport problems in porous media that are governed by a hyperbolic/parabolic (singularly perturbed) PDE. After spatial discretization a singularly perturbed ODE is obtained which is solved by a modification of the COLNEW ODE-collocation code. The latter also contains an adaptive mesh procedure that has been enhanced here to resolve linear and nonlinear transport flow problems with steep fronts where regular FD and FE methods often fail. An implicit first-order backward Euler and a third-order Taylor-Donea technique arc employed for the time integration. Numerical simulations on a variety of high Peclet-number transport phenomena as they occur in realistic porous media flow situations are presented. Examples include classical linear advection-diffusion, nonlinear adsorption, two-phase Buckley-Leverett flow without and with capillary forces (Rapoport-Leas equation) and Burgers’ equation for inviscid fluid flow. In most of these examples sharp fronts and/or shocks develop which are resolved in an oscillation-free manner by the present adaptive collocation method. The backward Euler method has some amount of numerical dissipation is observed when the time-steps are too large. The third-order Taylor-Donea technique is less dissipative but is more prone to numerical oscillations. The simulations show that for the efficient solution of nonlinear singularly perturbed PDE’s governing flow transport a careful balance must be struck between the optimal mesh adaptation, the nonlinear iteration method and the time-stepping procedure. More theoretical research is needed with this regard.
Local Telephony Rates: Has Deregulation Lead to Higher Competition and Lower Rates?

Since the mid 2000’s, sixteen states have deregulated local telephony rates under the assumption that increasing competition among cable digital phone, over-the-top VoIP, competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), wireless telephony, and incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) is sufficient to discipline rates and therefore regulation would no longer be necessary. Using a cross sectional time/series panel of states to analyze how local telephony rates have changed as a function of state regulatory policy, we found that rates have risen more rapidly in states that have deregulated in comparison to states that have not. Moreover, the increase in residential local rates is not due to rate rebalancing between small-business and residential rates, nor to the loss of ILEC market share which in turn might increase average ILEC costs per remaining customer. Thus, results suggest that ILECs still have sufficient market power to increase local rates despite the presence of competition.
CCNY joint senior design program in assistive technology across department boundaries

We have built a cross-department joint senior design program at The City College of New York (CCNY) for undergraduate seniors majoring in Computer Science (CS), Computer Engineering (CpE) and Electrical Engineering (EE), to develop assistive technologies for people in need. These include: multimodal, passive and unobtrusive techniques for helping visually impaired people achieve independent travel in unfamiliar environments; smart house systems and mobile apps for improving the quality of life of elderly people and people with disabilities (e.g. with Autism Spectrum Disorder); and sensing technologies for health monitoring and rehabilitation. For evaluating the designs by students, we also have faculty and students from the Psychology Department involved in our team projects. The joint senior design course builds on our existing capstone design course structure in the CS and EE Departments, which also jointly manage the CpE program. We have obtained multiple grants/awards from the National Science Foundation, the NYS Industries for Disabilities and VentureWell to run this course with cross-disciplinary collaboration, learning-by-doing learning experience, student-led class schedules, team building practices, user-in-the-loop development and entrepreneurship training, and oral/writing presentation practices.
InAlN/GaN high electron mobility micro-pressure sensors for high-temperature environments

Abstract A micro-scale pressure sensor leveraging a ring-shaped In0.17Al0.83N/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) sensing element was fabricated and characterized under applied pressure. The device design uses InAlN/GaN-on-Si as the material platform to enable monolithic integration with electronics and high-temperature operation. An analytical model of the pressure transduction was used to compare the change in the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) sheet carrier concentration for InAlN and AlGaN heterostructures upon applied pressure. The model confirms that the high aluminum content of InAlN and large piezoelectric constants of AlN results in a larger pressure response in InAlN/GaN heterostructures, in comparison to AlGaN/GaN heterostructures. To experimentally examine the InAlN/GaN pressure sensor architecture, a 500-μm-radius pressure sensor was electrically characterized under applied pressures from 0 to 28.5 psig. The current sensitivity of the device increased as gate voltage approached the threshold voltage and as the drain to source bias increased, up to the saturation regime. The maximum change in current (or sensitivity) demonstrated was 0.64%/psig at VGS = −5 V, VDS = 2.2 V. To observe the influence of temperature, the current–voltage (ID–VDS) response of released and unreleased ring-shaped devices was measured up to 300°C. At all temperatures, the current of the released ring-shaped devices decreased when compared to the solid state device, which is attributed to reduced thin film tensile-stress between the underlying GaN buffer layers and the silicon. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using InAlN/GaN sensor architectures for high temperature applications (space exploration, nuclear energy, downhole, and combustion).
Developing and Improving User Experiences

A holistic way to think about IoT is things, people, interactions, and outcomes. Often we get mired in the technology, but success requires us to look beyond the technology and applications [1]. Superlative success in building IoT-based businesses requires a strong focus on experiences and outcomes. IoT is significantly increasing the interaction users are having with devices and applications, often for much longer durations than ever before; this is driving user experience (UX) to gain new grounds. There are a few elements which are impacting UX more than ever—miniaturization of devices and displays, a deluge of data, shortening attention spans, interoperability between engagement platforms, increasing expectations of personalization, and the need for quick high impact. These factors create an interdependent tension in designing products as well as user experience. Everybody talks about how simplicity should drive design, but there is little guidance on how to bundle elegance, simplicity, and sophistication into designing user experiences, especially for IoT devices and applications. This chapter helps you with that.
Rumpel–Leede Phenomenon After Radial Artery Catheterization

A 53-year-old female with prior stenting of the left anterior descending artery was admitted with an acute coronary syndrome. Coronary angiography was performed using a right radial approach with 6F catheters and showed patent stents in the left anterior descending artery and 70% stenosis in the mid right coronary artery, treated by successful stenting. After the intervention, …
Controlling Pd(IV) reductive elimination pathways enables Pd(II)-catalysed enantioselective C(sp 3 )-H fluorination.

The development of a Pd(II)-catalysed enantioselective fluorination of C(sp3)-H bonds would offer a new approach to making chiral organofluorines. However, such a strategy is particularly challenging because of the difficulty in differentiating prochiral C(sp3)-H bonds through Pd(II)-insertion, as well as the sluggish reductive elimination involving Pd-F bonds. Here, we report the development of a Pd(II)-catalysed enantioselective C(sp3)-H fluorination using a chiral transient directing group strategy. In this work, a bulky, amino amide transient directing group was developed to control the stereochemistry of the C-H insertion step and selectively promote the C(sp3)-F reductive elimination pathway from the Pd(IV)-F intermediate. Stereochemical analysis revealed that while the desired C(sp3)-F formation proceeds via an inner-sphere pathway with retention of configuration, the undesired C(sp3)-O formation occurs through an SN2-type mechanism. Elucidation of the dual mechanism allows us to rationalize the profound ligand effect on controlling reductive elimination selectivity from high-valent Pd species.
Skeletal Muscle Stem Cells from PSC-Derived Teratomas Have Functional Regenerative Capacity.

Summary Derivation of functional skeletal muscle stem cells from pluripotent cells without genetic modification has proven elusive. Here we show that teratomas formed in adult skeletal muscle differentiate in vivo to produce large numbers of α7-Integrin+ VCAM-1+ myogenic progenitors. When FACS-purified and transplanted into diseased muscles, mouse teratoma-derived myogenic progenitors demonstrate very high engraftment potential. As few as 40,000 cells can reconstitute ∼80% of the tibialis anterior muscle volume. Newly generated fibers are innervated, express adult myosins, and ameliorate dystrophy-related force deficit and fatigability. Teratoma-derived myogenic progenitors also contribute quiescent PAX7+ muscle stem cells, enabling long-term maintenance of regenerated muscle and allowing muscle regeneration in response to subsequent injuries. Transcriptional profiling reveals that teratoma-derived myogenic progenitors undergo embryonic-to-adult maturation when they contribute to the stem cell compartment of regenerated muscle. Thus, teratomas are a rich and accessible source of potent transplantable skeletal muscle stem cells. Video Abstract Download : Download video (36MB)
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Dormancy

The cancer stem cell hypothesis postulates that only a subpopulation of cancer cells in a tumor is capable of initiating, sustaining, and reinitiating tumors, while the bulk of the population comprises non-stem cancer cells that lack tumor initiation potential. The interactions of these two phenotypically distinct populations can provoke various nonlinear growth kinetics in the emerging tumor. An environmentally independent, intrinsic dormant state is an inevitable early tumor progression bottleneck within a range of biologically realistic cell kinetic parameters. In certain conditions, cell kinetics can combine to enable escape to tumor progression, yielding morphologically distinct self-metastatic expansion of multiple self-limiting tumor clones.
An Introduction to XML

This chapter aims to give a reasonably comprehensive definition and motivation for the various aspects of the generic XML language and also to illustrate these aspects with some existing XML dialects or vocabularies. We describe elements, attributes, child elements, and the hierarchical structure of XML. We talk about “well-formedness” of an XML document and how to identify errors in a document’s structure. We discuss the use of namespaces and end with a brief discussion of validating documents with respect to DTDs and XML Schema. Readers already familiar with all aspects of XML can skip this chapter and read about the functions used to work with XML in R, which are the subject of each of Chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Integer Programming for Telecommunications

This chapter presents an overview of integer programming in the field of telecommunications. Various integer programming models are described, and computational strategies for solving the integer programming instances are summarized. Techniques such as branching variable selection and node selection schemes are discussed; and the concepts of problem preprocessing and reformulation, heuristics, and continuous reduced-cost fixing are outlined. These latter techniques have been shown to be very effective when embedded within a branch-and-bound algorithm. The use of an interior point method as a subproblem solver is also described. Finally, Lagrangian relaxation in the context of solving specific telecommunication instances is analyzed as an alternative relaxation for use within the branch-and-bound tree search environment.
The conceptual content of conversation

This paper outlines a strategy for conversational analysis that utilizes multiple levels of information flow in order to characterize the conceptual content of a conversation. The role of predictive knowledge structures and contextual information is illustrated in an analysis of a sample conversation, along with a partial outline of conversational rules specific to particular levels of conversational analysis.
Watching Water, Sodium, and Chloride Passing through a Graphitic Pore

In this issue of Matter, Malmir and colleagues use sophisticated methods to give an atomic-scale view of saltwater permeation through a graphitic pore with high salt rejection. Na+ and Cl− traverse the pore at different rates, leading to an electrostatic potential across the membrane.
Protocol for partnering with peers intervention to improve medication adherence among African Americans with Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract African Americans (AAs) with diabetes are more likely to develop diabetes-related complications and have the highest diabetes-related mortality rates, than all other racial/ethnic groups. These health disparities are primarily due to poor medication adherence (defined as not taking medications as prescribed). AAs have substantially lower adherence to diabetes medications than whites, which contributes to higher rates of diabetes-related complications, such as amputations and strokes. There is a critical need to develop diabetes self-management interventions that improve medication adherence, clinical outcomes and in turn reduce morbidity and mortality among AAs with diabetes. Focusing on psychosocial factors such as health beliefs, self-efficacy and patient-provider communication is instrumental to improving AAs medication adherence. To address this need, we developed, the Peers Supporting Health Literacy, Self-Efficacy, Self-Advocacy, and Adherence (Peers LEAD) intervention, which provides AAs with culturally adapted diabetes and medication beliefs information, one-on-one peer support from AAs with diabetes, and communication and self-efficacy skill development to enhance medication adherence. This pilot research is a pre-post single group intervention study design which will be conducted in two phases using a community engaged approach. The objective is to test the Peers LEAD intervention in Phase 1, and then examine specific intervention elements for refinement in Phase 2. We will employ both quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and outcomes of Peers LEAD. Building on established community partnerships, we plan to recruit and enroll 30 Peer Buddies and 20 Peer Ambassadors to participate in the intervention. By utilizing patient feedback to refine Peers LEAD and piloting it to examine its feasibility, we will generate evidence regarding its real world use and provide support for a randomized controlled trial of its impact on AAs diabetes medication adherence and clinical outcomes.
Disrupting Cisnormativity, Transnormativity, and Transmisogyny in Healthcare: Advancing Trans Inclusive Practices for Medical Family Therapists

Gender and sex influence health and medicine in various ways (i.e., etiology, treatment, progression of disease, etc.). Currently, a cisnormative, transnormative, and transmisogynist system pervade...
Integrin β3 organizes dendritic complexity of cerebral cortical pyramidal neurons along a tangential gradient

Dysfunctional dendritic arborization is a key feature of many developmental neurological disorders. Across various human brain regions, basal dendritic complexity is known to increase along a caudal-to-rostral gradient. We recently discovered that basal dendritic complexity of layer II/III cortical pyramidal neurons in the mouse increases along a caudomedial-to-rostrolateral gradient spanning multiple regions, but at the time, no molecules were known to regulate that exquisite pattern. Integrin subunits have been implicated in dendritic development, and the subunit with the strongest associations with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability is integrin β3 (Itgb3). In mice, global knockout of Itgb3 leads to autistic-like neuroanatomy and behavior. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Itgb3 is required for increasing dendritic complexity along the recently discovered tangential gradient among layer II/III cortical pyramidal neurons. We targeted a subset of layer II/III cortical pyramidal neurons for Itgb3 loss-of-function via Cre-loxP-mediated excision of Itgb3. We tracked the rostrocaudal and mediolateral position of the targeted neurons and reconstructed their dendritic arbors. In contrast to controls, the basal dendritic complexity of Itgb3 mutant neurons was not related to their cortical position. Basal dendritic complexity of mutant and control neurons differed because of overall changes in branch number across multiple branch orders (primary, secondary, etc.), rather than any changes in the average length at those branch orders. Furthermore, dendritic spine density was related to cortical position in control but not mutant neurons. Thus, the autism susceptibility gene Itgb3 is required for establishing a tangential pattern of basal dendritic complexity among layer II/III cortical pyramidal neurons, suggesting an early role for this molecule in the developing brain.
"You don't do your hobby as a job": Stereotypes of Computational Labor and their Implications for CS Education

Broadening participation in computing among underrepresented groups is important for not only increasing the workforce in computer science careers but also for ensuring that a broad range of stakeholders can contribute to technology development. However, stereotypes and stereotype threat represent a major barrier to underrepresented groups engaging with computer science education. To investigate alternative paths into computational work that sidestep the pressures of stereotypes, we interviewed 22 people working on computational projects in transformative fandom, a community centered on media remix and critique. Our participants--primarily women, people of color, and/or LGBTQ+ people--described a set of stereotypes about computing that prevented them from seeing their own highly technical work as computational. However, participants also described projects that not only taught them computing skills but also opened up alternative pathways for involvement in computer science. We draw on these findings to provide recommendations for how educators and professionals might break down stereotypes and incorrect expectations to increase underrepresented groups? involvement and confidence in computer science.
Students’ Use of Computational Thinking Practices in an Undergraduate Biology-Engineering Course

The construct of Computational Thinking (CT) first emerged to describe problem solving in the context of computing environments, but it has expanded to serve as a set of practices that can be applied across disciplines with or without the use of computers. We recorded students’ work during two lab sessions in an undergraduate, biology-engineering course to answer the question, how did students’ participation in CT practices vary according the disciplinary contexts and the demands of a biology lab compared to the engineering lab? We found that students applied some of the same CT practices, but these practices were used for different purposes across the two labs. The biology lab allowed for more varied CT practices, in part because students did not have to do any programming. These findings indicate how a biology lab that used a computational model, but not a computer, to understand a biological phenomenon led to meaningful engagement in CT. Documenting the ways that different types of tasks from different disciplines elicit aspects of CT in students can make the construct more useful for designing learning experiences and documenting student learning.
Communications Policy and Cultural Political Economy: Charting the Collapse of the Neoliberal Consensus in the United States

This article charts the fracturing of the neoliberal consensus in the United States through the lens of communications policy activism. I employ a framework of cultural political economy to understand the productive role of communications policy discourse in structuring political alliances in this moment of crisis. Relying on public statements, media accounts, and secondary literature, I discuss debates over three policies—network neutrality, the Stop Online Piracy Act, and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act—between 2005 and 2016. I argue that the ideological limits placed on these policy discourses exacerbated contradictions within what Nancy Fraser calls the progressive neoliberal bloc. This dialectical process contributed to emerging populist formations on both the right and the left. Thus, I demonstrate the important role of communications policymaking within our broader political alignments. I conclude that media activists may work to forge a multiracial, antineoliberal bloc to remake not just U.S. politics, but also the larger global political economic order, by “laboring” communications policy.
Behavioral Economics and Insurance Law: The Importance of Equilibrium Analysis

Because choosing insurance requires consumers to assess risks and probabilities, the demand for insurance has proven to be fertile ground for identifying deviations from rational behavior. Consumers often shun the insurance against large losses that they rationally should want (e.g., floods); and they are attracted to insurance against small losses (extended warranties, low deductibles) that no rational individual should purchase. But the welfare consequences of behavioral anomalies in insurance are complex, because consumers’ irrational behavior takes place in a market profoundly shaped by informational asymmetries. Under some conditions, deviations from rational behavior may actually generate insurance market equilibria that produce greater welfare than would be achieved in a market in which all consumers are rational. We summarize the literature and discuss the legal and policy implications of this conclusion.
Supramolecular Chemistry in Biological Imaging In Vivo

Biological imaging techniques, including magnetic resonance, optical, nuclear, and ultrasound, can be valuable tools for noninvasively studying biochemical processes at the molecular level. This branch of imaging is referred to as molecular imaging. A main challenge in the field of in vivo molecular imaging is that existing probes limit clinical applications because of their inadequate sensitivity, specificity, and targeting efficiency. Supramolecular chemistry may provide a viable solution to some of these issues. Supramolecular chemical processes involve molecular components assembled into a single, large entity via noncovalent intermolecular forces. The supramolecular concepts of host–guest interaction and self-assembly have been widely used in the development of more specialized imaging probes for in vivo imaging. This chapter discusses how supramolecular chemistry has been used to design contrast agents with improved signal amplification and specificity for each of the different imaging modalities. Particular attention is focused on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Multimodal probes that have benefited from supramolecular chemistry are discussed. Keywords: molecular imaging; MRI; PET; SPECT; optical; NIR; supramolecular; self-assembly; host–guest
Hamiltonian lattice calculations on gauge and chiral meson field theories

I review Hamiltonian lattice calculations on SU(N) gauge theories and present some recent results on chiral meson field theories. A common theme in both is the study of collective excitations, corresponding to glueball masses in gauge theories and vector meson masses in chiral meson field theories. In the case of the non-linear sigma model, I show that the variational mass gap of the ω-like collective mode vanishes as one approaches the chiral phase transition.
Design of an Online Physician-Mediated Personal Health Record System

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) has been adopted by most hospitals in the United States to keep track of patient medical information today. However, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations, technical information system design challenges, and social-economic factors—all contributed to significant barriers to granting patients access to his own EMR maintained by hospitals with the personal health records (PHR) maintained by patients. In this chapter, we describe a new Personal Health Office Framework (PhoF), which is designed to enable patients effectively manage their own PHR integrated with a portion of their EMR with the guidance of health-care providers. PhoF is characterized with a unique online physician-approval process, which can allow a computer agent to retrieve specific information securely on a particular patient maintained with the approving physician’s hospital EMR. The mediated access to medical treatment information enables a physician to administer patient self-education and self-care for online patients and therefore may help reduce medical errors and health care cost. A prototype system with web user interface is described and several case studies are presented to show the how the concept works in practice.
Extrinsic Grace and Eccentric Existence

Catherine Pickstock has critiqued David Kelsey's Eccentric Existence for, among other things, adopting the position on the relation of nature to grace that has become known as “extrinsicism”. Pickstock's critique of Kelsey parallels the criticism that both she and John Milbank have leveled against extrinsicism. This paper considers the merits of Pickstock's charges of extrinsicism and supposedly related theological ills against Kelsey. Finding that they fall short, I suggest that Kelsey's “three narrative” anthropology and its “multiple teleology” are potentially valuable resources for ongoing theological debates concerning nature and grace.
Potential Impact of Prescribing Metformin According to eGFR Rather Than Serum Creatinine

OBJECTIVE Many societies recommend using estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) rather than serum creatinine (sCr) to determine metformin eligibility. We examined the potential impact of these recommendations on metformin eligibility among U.S. adults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Metformin eligibility was assessed among 3,902 adults with diabetes who participated in the 1999–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys and reported routine access to health care, using conventional sCr thresholds (eligible if <1.4 mg/dL for women and <1.5 mg/dL for men) and eGFR categories: likely safe, ≥45 mL/min/1.73 m2; contraindicated, <30 mL/min/1.73 m2; and indeterminate, 30–44 mL/min/1.73 m2). Different eGFR equations were used: four-variable MDRD, Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) creatinine (CKD-EPIcr), and CKD-EPI cystatin C, as well as Cockcroft-Gault (CG) to estimate creatinine clearance (CrCl). Diabetes was defined by self-report or A1C ≥6.5% (48 mmol/mol). We used logistic regression to identify populations for whom metformin was likely safe adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, and sex. Results were weighted to the U.S. adult population. RESULTS Among adults with sCr above conventional cutoffs, MDRD eGFR ≥45 mL/min/1.73 m2 was most common among men (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 33.3 [95% CI 7.4–151.5] vs. women) and non-Hispanic Blacks (aOR vs. whites 14.8 [4.27–51.7]). No individuals with sCr below conventional cutoffs had an MDRD eGFR <30 mL/min/1.73 m2. All estimating equations expanded the population of individuals for whom metformin is likely safe, ranging from 86,900 (CKD-EPIcr) to 834,800 (CG). All equations identified larger populations with eGFR 30–44 mL/min/1.73 m2, for whom metformin safety is indeterminate, ranging from 784,700 (CKD-EPIcr) to 1,636,000 (CG). CONCLUSIONS The use of eGFR or CrCl to determine metformin eligibility instead of sCr can expand the adult population with diabetes for whom metformin is likely safe, particularly among non-Hispanic blacks and men.
Executable System of Systems Architecture Using OPM in Conjunction with Colored Petri Net: A Module for Flexible Intelligent and Learning Architectures for System of Systems

The ability to coordinate intricate operations in both intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) as well as search and rescue (SAR) operations is a complex issue. Such operations can be described as a System of Systems (SoS). Both object process methodology (OPM) and colored petri nets (CPN) can be used to create executable architecture models for an SoS. The modeling approach proposed in this study can capture the interactions that occur between either collaborating systems or components. It can also be used to analyze the behavioral aspects of an SoS. OPM models are easy to understand, giving stakeholders the ability to envision architecture's quality and scale. In contrast, the simulation capabilities of CPN can be used for accurate performance assessment. The proposed modelling approach facilitates decision making by providing a better estimation and confidence of the SoS's performance. The proposed system development framework and its enabling technology is domain neutral. This model can be applied to a broad range of SoS at various levels of abstractions. A case study for an ISR system is presented as an example.
An Observational Study of Medium-Scale Wave Dynamics in the Southern Hemisphere Summer. Part I: Wave Structure and Energetics

Abstract Medium-scale waves (zonal wavenumbers 4–7) frequently dominate Southern Hemisphere (SH) summer midlatitude circulation patterns This work is an observational study that focuses on their temporal and spatial characteristics, along with detailing the forcing mechanisms responsible for their formation. Medium-scale wave characteristics for three SH summers (1978/79 through 1980/81) are discussed. It is shown that the time-mean medium-scale wave structure is consistent with the basic state linear wave propagation characteristics. The energetics of the medium-scale waves are studied using the transformed Eulerian-mean formalism of Plumb. It is found that wave-zonal mean exchange is a valid concept for describing the SH summer atmospheric circulation, and that the flow vacillates between periods of highly perturbed and zonally symmetric states, with a time wale on the order of 10–20 days. These vacillations result from nonlinear baroclinic instabilities, and the medium-scale waves exhibit well-defined ...
The effect of irradiation creep, swelling, wall erosion and embrittlement on the fatigue life of a Tokamak first wall

Abstract A lifetime methodology has been developed which couples the long-term stress history for a generic fir4st wall element to a two-dimensional fatigue crack growth calculation, while including, in a self-consistent manner, the detrimental effects of radiation damage. The reduction in fracture toughness due to embrittlement can reduce lifetimes by as much as a factor of 10 by accelerating stage II fatigue crack growth and enhancing the potential for brittle fracture. Swelling and irradiation creep appear not to be life-limiting, and a certain amount of wall erosion is found to enhance first wall lifetimes.
Hemoglobin Ao and α-Crosslinked Hemoglobin (α-DBBF) Potentiate Agonist-Induced Platelet Aggregation Through the Platelet Thromboxane Receptor

Chemically modified hemoglobins are potential oxygen-carrying blood substitutes, but their in vivo administration has been associated with a variety of unexpected side events, including increased platelet reactivity. We studied the effects of hemoglobin A0 (HbA0) and α-crosslinked hemoglobin (α-DBBF) on platelets in vitro. Neither hemoglobin A0 nor α-DBBF activated platelets when added alone, but both proteins potentiated submaximal agonist-induced platelet aggregation without increasing other markers of platelet activation such as serotonin secretion. Only agonists that are known to cause release of platelet arachidonic acid (AA) were potentiated while aggregation induced by ADP, which does not release AA, was not potentiated. Blockade of the thromboxane receptor with SQ-29,548 prevented the HbA0-induced and the α-DBBF-induced potentiation suggesting that the AA/thromboxane signaling pathway mediates the interaction of platelets with hemoglobin.
Kinetics of thiol-ene and thiol-acrylate photopolymerizations with real-time Fourier transform infrared

We used real-time Fourier transform infrared to monitor the conversion of both thiol and ene (vinyl) functional groups independently during photoinduced thiol–ene photopolymerizations. From these results, the stoichiometry of various thiol–ene and thiol–acrylate polymerizations was determined. For thiol–ene polymerizations, the conversion of ene functional groups was up to 15% greater than the conversion of thiol functional groups. For stoichiometric thiol–acrylate polymerizations, the conversion of the acrylate functional groups was roughly twice that of the thiol functional groups. With kinetic expressions for thiol–acrylate polymerizations, the acrylate propagation kinetic constant was found to be 1.5 times greater than the rate constant for hydrogen abstraction from the thiol. Conversions of thiol–acrylate systems of various initial stoichiometries were successfully predicted with this ratio of propagation and chain-transfer kinetic constants. Thiol–acrylate systems with different initial stoichiometries exhibited diverse network properties. Thiol–ene systems were initiated with benzophenone and 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone as initiators and were also polymerized without a photoinitiator. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3311–3319, 2001
Expression and Inheritance of Sexual Preference and Selfing Potential inPhytophthora infestans

Abstract Mating interactions in Phytophthora infestans, a heterothallic oomycete, are regulated by sexual compatibility loci and a system of sexual preference. The development of gametangial associations in this species were examined using matings between strains containing a β-glucuronidase (GUS) transgene and nontransformed strains. The GUS gene enabled the facile assessment of whether oospores resulted from hybridization between isolates or from self-interactions and allowed measurements of the sexual preference of strains. Depending on the strains being mated, from 5 to 99% of the total oospores formed resulted from outcrossing. In such hybrid pairings, A1 and A2 field isolates generally acted as predominant females and males, respectively. Nevertheless, genetic analyses indicated that sexual preference and compatibility type were determined by unlinked loci. The sexual preference of most strains varied depending on the relative preference of their mating partners. Both sexual preference and the frequency of outcrossing versus self-interactions varied with the position of gametangia within the mating culture.
Dielectric elastomers: generator mode fundamentals and applications

Dielectric elastomers have shown great promise as actuator materials. Their advantages in converting mechanical to electrical energy in a generator mode are less well known. If a low voltage charge is placed on a stretched elastomer prior to contraction, the contraction works against the electrostatic field pressure and raises the voltage of the charge, thus generating electrical energy. This paper discusses the fundamentals of dielectric elastomer generators, experimental verification of the phenomenon, practical issues, and potential applications. Acrylic elastomers have demonstrated an estimated 0.4 J/g specific energy density, greater than that of piezoelectric materials. Much higher energy densities, over 1 J/g, are predicted. Conversion efficiency can also be high, theoretically up to 80-90%; the paper discusses the operating conditions and materials required for high efficiency. Practical considerations may limit the specific outputs and efficiencies of dielectric elastomeric generators, tradeoffs between electronics and generator material performance are discussed. Lastly, the paper describes work on potential applications such as an ongoing effort to develop a boot generator based on dielectric elastomers, as well as other applications such as conventional power generators, backpack generators, and wave power applications.
Chemokine (C-C Motif) Ligand 2 Engages CCR2+ Stromal Cells of Monocytic Origin to Promote Breast Cancer Metastasis to Lung and Bone

Metastatic spread of cancer to distant vital organs, including lung and bone, is the overwhelming cause of breast cancer mortality and morbidity. Effective treatment of systemic metastasis relies on the identification and functional characterization of metastasis mediators to multiple organs. Overexpression of the chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) is frequently associated with advanced tumor stage and metastatic relapse in breast cancer. However, the functional mechanism of CCL2 in promoting organ-specific metastasis of breast cancer has not been rigorously investigated. Here, we used organ-specific metastatic sublines of the MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell line to demonstrate that overexpression of CCL2 promotes breast cancer metastasis to both lung and bone. Conversely, blocking CCL2 function with a neutralizing antibody reduced lung and bone metastases. The enhancement of lung and bone metastases by CCL2 was associated with increased macrophage infiltration and osteoclast differentiation, respectively. By performing functional assays with primary cells isolated from the wild type, CCL2 and CCR2 knock-out mice, we showed that tumor cell-derived CCL2 depends on its receptor CCR2 (chemokine, CC motif, receptor 2) expressed on stromal cells to exert its function in promoting macrophage recruitment and osteoclast differentiation. Overall, these data demonstrated that CCL2-expressing breast tumor cells engage CCR2+ stromal cells of monocytic origin, including macrophages and preosteoclasts, to facilitate colonization in lung and bone. Therefore, CCL2 and CCR2 are promising therapeutic targets for simultaneously inhibiting lung and bone metastasis of breast cancer.
Amygdalonigral pathway: an anterograde study in the rat with Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L).

The projection from the central nucleus of the amygdala to the substantia nigra was labeled by injections of the anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin into different subregions of the nucleus. A sparse projection of labeled bouton-like swellings was observed in the rostral, medial substantia nigra pars compacta and ventral tegmental area from all subregions of the central nucleus of the amygdala that were injected. A dense projection of labeled axons and bouton-like swellings was observed in the lateral part of the substantia nigra pars compacta and pars lateralis when the injection site included the dorsal and rostral central nucleus. Heavy labeling was also seen in the lateral retrorubral field in these cases. In no instances were labeled terminals observed in the substantia nigra pars reticulata. The same pattern of labeling in the lateral substantia nigra and retrorubral field was seen after injections rostral to the central nucleus or dorsal and medial to it in the sublenticular region. The results suggest that the amygdalonigral pathway contributes to the innervation of extensive areas of the substantia nigra pars compacta. The major component of the pathway, however, projects only to a subregion of the substantia nigra. The origin of this pathway is confined to a discrete region of the dorsal central nucleus of the amygdala but extends rostrally into an area that is part of the "extended amygdala."
The linear twin Towers of Hanoi problem

We propose a simple new variation of the Towers of Hanoi problem, in which there are three pegs arranged in a row and there are two stacks (black, white) of n rings each, initially located on the end pegs. The object is to exchange the stacks in accordance with the usual Hanoi rules, and with the additional restriction that rings cannot move directly from end to end. An optimal algorithm is presented, and its performance is analyzed. The problem and its solution are not difficult; the purpose of this paper is to present a simple yet interesting exercise in discrete mathematics and recursive algorithms.
Simple, complete, and novel quantitative model of holography for students of science and science education

A Moire graphical method for predicting the directions of all permitted image waves for thin and volume holograms is described. This method has been developed in connection with a holography centred optics course for students in science, technology and science education that has evolved over several decades. A somewhat unique view of the holographic process underlies this novel method of predicting the behaviour of diffraction gratings.
Stability of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory among psychiatric inpatients

This study investigated the stability of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) in a sample of psychiatric inpatients over a longer time period and from different perspectives than previous reliability studies. Test-retest reliability was assessed from three perspectives: correlation/regression, equivalence of dimensional structures across testings upon different admissions, and stability of personality style across testings. Some stability from a correlational perspective was found, with higher stability estimates indicated for the basic personality scales in comparison with the clinical symptom scales which is consistent with Millon's theory. The internal structure of the MCMI was essentially identical across testings. Although source of reinforcement and instrumental or coping style were stable across testings beyond chance, the MCMI profiles of a considerable number of subjects were inconsistent across testings. Correspondingly, clinicians should be cautious in using the MCMI to make categorical decisions regarding personality style with inpatients who are tested at admission and who have had repeated hospitalizations.
Strain Variation in 59Fe Absorption During Aflatoxicosis

Abstract Strain variation of iron absorption in response to dietary aflatoxin was studied using two commercial broiler strains and a nonselected randombred strain. Aflatoxin depressed chick body weights and increased mortalities in each strain. Hematocrits were significantly reduced in the commercial broilers receiving the toxin, but not in the randombreds. Aflatoxin reduced iron absorption in each strain regardless of the presence of anemia.
Early operation in premature cranial synostosisfor the prevention of blindness and other sequelae

Summary Five cases are reported in which linear craniectomy was performedduring infancy on patients with premature synostosis of the cranial sutures for the purpose of preventing the common late sequelae of increased intracranial pressure and severe deformity. The results obtained would appear to be encouraging.
Institutionalizing Sectarianism: The Lebanese Ja'fari Court and Shi'i Society under the French Mandate

The French Mandate authorities in Greater Lebanon formally recognized the Ja'fari madhhab in January 1926. As a result, state-led shari'a courts in Beirut, South Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, the Lebanese Ja'fari court, were authorized to adjudicate matters of personal status—marriage, divorce, nafaqa, inheritance and property. As the first Lebanese Shi'i institution to enjoy communal autonomy granted by the state, the records from the Ja'fari courts provide insight into the everyday life-worlds of ordinary Shi'i Muslims in Lebanon during a period of gradual social change. Through a close reading of some unique cases—dealing with inheritance, maslaha and zinā—this article invites a consideration of how both the bureaucratization and practice of Shi'i law in these courts were central to the institutionalization of a new kind of Shi'i sectarianism in Mandate-era Lebanon.
Revisiting the Relationship Between Students' Achievement and their Self-perceptions: A cross-national analysis based on TIMSS 1999 data

Using the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 1999 data, this study investigates the relationship between 8th graders' mathematics and science achievement and their self-perceptions. For within-country data, there is generally a positive relationship between students' achievement and three measures of their self-perception: how much they like the two subjects, their self-perceived competence in the subjects and their perceived easiness of the subjects. However, on a between-country analysis (the unit of analysis being the country) the findings are the opposite, i.e. there is a negative relationship between self-perceptions and achievement. These findings are consistent with the findings from a previous study based on TIMSS 1995 data, even though the sample of countries is different and an additional measure of self-perception is applied. Among several possible explanations, the author suggests that this pattern may reflect high academic standards in high performing countries and low ...
Shuttle Flight Opportunities between Stations Orbiting the Earth and Moon

This paper focuses on a new problem in determining flight opportunities for a shuttle vehicle consistent with the constraint of departure from and arrival at existing station orbits at both the Earth and moon. Results are obtained which demonstrate the possibility of achieving good round trip mission characteristics on either two or three month cycles which require near minimum energy trajectories, reasonable transit times, reasonable lunar stay times, and which are consistent with envisioned lunar traffic requirements. Moreover, several important conclusions are reached which are critical to the design parameters of the Earth and lunar station orbits. Finally, a typical mission plan is presented showing how the results of this paper may be used for establishing nominal shuttle mission scheduling.
Impaired IL-4 phosphorylation of STAT6 in EBV transformed B-cells.

Background The Interleukin-4 signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (IL-4-STAT6) signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in regulation of gene transcription. We have previously identified a defective STAT6 activational phenotype in response to IL-4 in patients from our familial Inflammatory Bowel Disease registry. This has been termed Stat6null and Stat6high is the normal phenotype. The purpose of this study was to investigate the defect in Stat6 activation in Stat6null cells. Methods Stat6null and Stat6high Epstein Barr virus transformed cell lines were stimulated with 10 ng/mL of IL-4 for 0, 10, 30, or 60 min and cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins harvested. Western blot for STAT6, phosphorylated STAT6 (pSTAT6), Janus Kinase (Jak)1 and Jak3 was performed. Cells were also cultured for 48 h and interferon gamma (IFNγ) measured in the supernatant. Additional cells were cultured with 20 ng/mL of IFNγ for 90 min or 5 ug of antibody to IFNγ for 48 h, and then stimulated with IL-4. Results There were no differences in cytoplasmic STAT6 in Stat6null versus Stat6high cells. In Stat6high cells, STAT6 was rapidly phosphorylated and translocated to the nucleus. In Stat6null cells there was minimal phosphorylation and translocation of pSTAT6 to the nucleus. Spontaneous secretion of IFNγ by Stat6null cells was significantly higher than Stat6null cells. Addition of IFNγ decreased pSTAT6 in Stat6high cells to Stat6null levels while blocking IFNγ increased baseline pSTAT6 in Stat6null cells to levels similar to Stat6high cells. Conclusion This suggests that the spontaneously produced IFNγ in the Stat6null cell lines suppresses STAT6 function and creates the Stat6null phenotype.