cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accurate parallel reconstruction of unstructured datasets on rectilinear grids

High performance computing simulations often produce datasets defined over unstructured grids. Those grids allow for the local refinement of the resolution and can accommodate arbitrary boundary geometry. From a visualization standpoint, however, such grids have a high storage cost, require special spatial data structures, and make the computation of high-quality derivatives challenging. Rectilinear grids, in contrast, have a negligible memory footprint and readily support smooth data reconstruction, though with reduced geometric flexibility. The present work is concerned with the creation of an accurate reconstruction of large unstructured datasets on rectilinear grids. We present an efficient method to automatically determine the geometry of a rectilinear grid upon which a low-error data reconstruction can be achieved with a given reconstruction kernel. Using this rectilinear grid, we address the potential ill-posedness of the data fitting problem, as well as the necessary balance between smoothness and accuracy, through a bi-level smoothness regularization. To tackle the computational challenge posed by very large input datasets and high-resolution reconstructions, we propose a block-based approach that allows us to obtain a seamless global approximation solution from a set of independently computed sparse least-squares problems. Results are presented for several 3D datasets that demonstrate the quality of the visualization results that our reconstruction enables, at a greatly reduced computational and memory cost.
Un-doped and Er-adsorbed layered Nb2C MXene for efficient hydrazine sensing application

Abstract In this work, 2D Nb2C MXene, synthesized from the wet-chemical etching route, is used as direct electrode material for electrochemical hydrazine sensing. Also, the Erbium (Er)adsorbed Nb2C MXene was prepared using the hydrothermal process in a weight-percentage ratio of 2.5%, 5%, 7.5% and 10%. The X-ray diffraction of Nb2C and Er-doped Nb2C samples confirmed the existence of 2D MXene structure with c-lattice parameter increase from 13.83 A to 22.7 A and successful adsorption of Er into MXene, respectively. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows the layered structure morphology of all the samples with clear sheet separation. The sample with the highest surface area, determined by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) technique, was used for hydrazine sensing using cyclic voltammetry and linear sweep voltammetry techniques. The sensitivity for MXene and Er-doped sample was observed to be 169µA m−1 M−1 cm−2 and 276µA m−1 M−1 cm−2, respectively which shows that the Er-doped MXene is much more sensitive than the unmodified one. Our results provide hydrazine sensing ability for 2D Nb2C MXene as well as Er-doped Nb2C which will help explore their potential for future sensor applications.
Safety and Efficacy of Daratumumab in Patients with Proliferative GN with Monoclonal Immunoglobulin Deposits

Background Treatment of proliferative GN with monoclonal Ig deposits (PGNMID) is not established. A monoclonal anti-CD38 antibody (daratumumab) is effective in treating multiple myeloma. Abnormal plasma cell clones may play a role in the pathogenesis of PGNMID. Methods We evaluated daratumumab's safety and efficacy in an open-label, phase 2 trial in 11 adults with PGNMID and one with C3 glomerulopathy (C3G) with monoclonal gammopathy. Patients had an eGFR >20 ml/min per 1.73 m2 and proteinuria >1 g/d. They received daratumumab intravenously (16 mg/kg) once weekly for 8 weeks, and then every other week for eight additional doses. Primary outcome was safety, defined as major infections, grade 3 or 4 anemia, leukopenia, or thrombocytopenia. Secondary outcomes were rate of complete remission (proteinuria 50% reduction in 24-hour proteinuria with Results One patient with C3G had GN unrelated to the monoclonal gammopathy, and one with PGNMID did not complete the first infusion. Five serious adverse events occurred. During the 12 months of the trial, six of the ten patients with PGNMID who received at least one dose of daratumumab had a partial response, and four had a complete response (an overall response rate of 100%). Three patients experienced relapse, two of whom re-entered partial remission after resuming daratumumab therapy. Proteinuria declined significantly, from a median of 4346 mg/d to 1264 mg/d by 12 months. Conclusions Daratumumab demonstrated an acceptable safety profile and resulted in significant improvement in proteinuria while stabilizing kidney function in patients with PGNMID, suggesting the drug merits further investigation. Clinical trial registry name and registration number Daratumumab in Treatment of PGNMID and C3 GN, NCT03095118.
Hardware Model Based Simulation of Spiking Neuron Using Phase Plane

We present a method to simulate spiking neurons with device nonidealities present in the neuron model. Machine learning algorithms are tested in spiking neural network simulators with an ideal mathematical description of spiking neurons. But silicon implementations of spiking neurons differ significantly from their ideal mathematical models because of device nonidealities and restrictions in the range of device operation. These nonidealites affect the performance of chip implementations of the neuron. We use the dynamical system phase plane of the neuron circuit to produce time domain spiking pattern that is hardware realistic. This way time and cost can be saved by making design changes in the network before sending the chip for manufacturing.
Evaluating the Sustainability of Urban Food Recovery Programs: A Quantitative Assessment in Chicago:

This study demonstrates the critical need for strategic transportation planning for sustainable food waste management in urban regions. The majority of food waste is generated from non-industrial s...
Human cytomegalovirus expands a CD8+ T cell population with loss of BCL11B expression and gain of NK cell identity.

CD8+ T cells not only are critical mediators of adaptive immunity but also may exhibit innate-like properties such as surface expression of NKG2C, an activating receptor typically associated with n...
Value of cranial ultrasound at initiation of therapeutic hypothermia for neonatal encephalopathy.

There is variation in the clinical practice for the use of cranial ultrasound (cUS) at the time of initiation of therapeutic hypothermia (TH) for neonatal encephalopathy. The role of cUS in selecting patients who may benefit from TH or excluding those where TH may impose risk is unknown. A retrospective study was conducted on infants who received TH at a single tertiary center. Findings from cUS at initiation of TH were compared to findings from MRI following the completion of TH. One hundred and eight infants were studied. Of the 55 with abnormalities on early cUS, 50 did not have corresponding MRI abnormalities. In contrast, 16 infants had some degree of intracranial hemorrhage detected on their MRI that was not noted on earlier cUS. This study challenges whether cUS is an essential universal screening tool prior to the commencement of TH.
Beaufort Sea Shelf

The Beaufort Shelf among other Alaskan shelves is currently being systematically investigated. Recent developments related to petroleum exploration activities have drawn the attention of both the scientific and industrial communities to this area. Particularly, the increasing awareness of the importance of the fragile arctic ecology has initiated a variety of environmental investigations. The understanding of the delicate arctic environment and its processes, it is hoped, will help preserve the natural state of the region with minimum perturbations during the development and utilization of the resources from the shelf.
HOT-MIX PAVING IN MARGINAL WEATHER

Extension of the construction season for bituminous layers could result in benefits to the public and to the construction industry. Weather conditions in Ohio were studied during the months of March, April, May, October, and November. Application of those weather data to a previously developed thermophysical model yielded the number of days during those months which were acceptable for construction of hot-laid bituminous mats. The criterion of acceptability was an average mat temperature at least 175°F (79°C) 10 minutes after placement. Probabilities of accpetable construction days were calculated by weeks for mat thicknesses between 1.25 in. (32 mm) and 3 in. (76 mm), using the thermophysical model and the current specification of the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). Application of the thermophysical model to mats at least 1.5 in. (38 mm) indicated that construction during March and November could be significantly more frequent under the proposed thermally based specification, as compared to the current ODOT specification. Favorable conditions for 1.25 in. (32-mm) mats were seldom found during the five months studied. Air temperature alone does not adequately characterize the construction environment for thin mats.
A Distinct Perisynaptic Glial Cell Type Forms Tripartite Neuromuscular Synapses in the Drosophila Adult

Previous studies of Drosophila flight muscle neuromuscular synapses have revealed their tripartite architecture and established an attractive experimental model for genetic analysis of glial function in synaptic transmission. Here we extend these findings by defining a new Drosophila glial cell type, designated peripheral perisynaptic glia (PPG), which resides in the periphery and interacts specifically with fine motor axon branches forming neuromuscular synapses. Identification and specific labeling of PPG was achieved through cell type-specific RNAi-mediated knockdown (KD) of a glial marker, Glutamine Synthetase 2 (GS2). In addition, comparison among different Drosophila neuromuscular synapse models from adult and larval developmental stages indicated the presence of tripartite synapses on several different muscle types in the adult. In contrast, PPG appear to be absent from larval body wall neuromuscular synapses, which do not exhibit a tripartite architecture but rather are imbedded in the muscle plasma membrane. Evolutionary conservation of tripartite synapse architecture and peripheral perisynaptic glia in vertebrates and Drosophila suggests ancient and conserved roles for glia-synapse interactions in synaptic transmission.
What is Motivational Design

There can be contradictory views of what the inherent nature of motivation is. On the one hand it can be unstable, like a pile of dry leaves that changes with every breeze. This makes motivational design highly challenging. Even though you might be able to create a variety of motivational techniques, their effects might be short lived and it would be difficult to predict what motivational states would exist in the learners at any given time. On the other hand, if a person’s motivation is already strong and stable, like a rock, then it would be easier to diagnose the person’s motivational profile and prescribe strategies for change, but it might be more difficult to bring about the changes; you are not likely to motivate people to perform well in situations that are not consistent with their goals. In fact, all of these sometimes seemingly contradictory attributes have to be taken into consideration in the motivational design process. Human motivation is complex and multidimensional, but a great deal has been learned about it and the knowledge can be incorporated into a systematic design process. The purpose of this chapter is to explain the concept of motivational design, describe a model for classifying approaches to motivational design, and discuss several related issues and challenges.
Virtual Rigid Bodies for coordinated agile maneuvering of teams of micro aerial vehicles

This paper proposes a method for controlling a team of quadrotor micro aerial vehicles to perform agile maneuvers while holding a fixed relative formation, as well as transitioning between a sequence of formations. The objective is to coordinate the quadrotors to fly in intricate interlaced patterns, similarly to an air show demonstration team. The paper proposes a new abstraction, called a Virtual Rigid Body, which allows the quadrotors to hold relative positions while executing agile maneuvers as a group. By planning trajectories for the Virtual Rigid Body in SE(3), trajectories for each quadrotor are obtained in order to maintain the desired formation during the maneuver. The paper also proposes a method for sequencing a series of Virtual Rigid Body formations, and automatically designing collision free transitions between successive formations, while the team simultaneously executes a trajectory in SE(3). The resulting sequence of formations and transitions gives trajectories that weave intricate designs while avoiding collisions. The method is demonstrated experimentally with three KMel K500 quadrotors flying in a motion capture environment.
Plasma opening switch experiments on the Particle Beam Accelerator II

Summary form only. The authors have developed and tested three different plasma-opening switch (POS) designs that use magnetic fields to control and confine the injected plasma. All three configurations couple current efficiently to a 5- Omega electron beam diode. In the first switch, a plasma generated by flashboard sources is injected into the 20- Omega magnetically insulated transmission line through six equally spaced 30 degrees -wide azimuthal segments. The magnetic field from conduction of current through the plasma spoke surrounds and helps to confine the plasma. The second switch uses a magnetically injected plasma (MIP) source. The opening current is determined by the intensity of a preimposed magnetic field at the anode that is used to inject the plasma and hold it in place. The switch opens after the magnetic pressure of the conduction current overcomes the pressure produced by the injecting magnetic field and the inertia of the plasma and pushes a gap open at the cathode. Once the switch opens, the machine current forces the plasma back into the anode. The rate of the current rise is faster (in excess of 2*10/sup 14/ A/s) into short-circuit loads than with the segmented POS. The third switch uses the same plasma source as the MIP POS and, to get more efficient coupling, adds a rapidly rising magnetic field at the cathode to increase the force pushing the plasma back into the anode. The current-toggled POS performs as well as the MIP POS when coupled to short-circuit and high-impedance loads. It also allows current to be coupled more efficiently when opening near the peak generator current than it would if only the pre-imposed magnetic field were used at the anode. >
Using Robots in Undergraduate AI Courses at Small Universities.

Artificial intelligence courses at universities that do not have focused AI tracks may suffer from a lack of student interest unless they are tied to some application of AI that students find appealing. Robots have been used successfully to draw students into AI courses, but their use can take time away from material that instructors feel should be covered in a general course. We present an approach that utilizes small-scale robotics to teach traditional, core AI concepts. The approach is somewhat generalizable and does not rely on any particular textbook. The methodology was used at two universities in the spring of 2009 to good student response. After presenting those results, we discuss ways in which we intend to modify the approach in future semesters.
Off-line commissioning of EBIS and plans for its integration into ATLAS and CARIBU

An Electron Beam Ion Source Charge Breeder (EBIS-CB) has been developed at Argonne to breed radioactive beams from the CAlifornium Rare Isotope Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) facility at Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS). The EBIS-CB will replace the existing ECR charge breeder to increase the intensity and significantly improve the purity of reaccelerated radioactive ion beams. The CARIBU EBIS-CB has been successfully commissioned offline with an external singly charged cesium ion source. The performance of the EBIS fully meets the specifications to breed rare isotope beams delivered from CARIBU. The EBIS is being relocated and integrated into ATLAS and CARIBU. A long electrostatic beam transport system including two 180° bends in the vertical plane has been designed. The commissioning of the EBIS and the beam transport system in their permanent location will start at the end of this year.
Intestinal Physiology and Parasitic Diseases

This paper reviews the major steps in alimentation, digestion, and absorption, which must be intact as a basis for normal nutrition, and discusses evidence relating parasitic infection in humans to effects on intestinal physiology. Parasites, with their ability to induce systemic toxicity and fever, to release active and toxic substances into the intestinal lumen, to compete for certain nutrients, to cause both functional and structural changes in the intestinal mucosa, and to stimulate hypermotility, which lessens the time available for digestion and absorption, can influence the alimentary process a almost every one of its steps. However, parasitic infection is likely to exert its most important impact at the very first step of the alimentary process, by adversely affecting the intake of food through any of a variety of mechanisms.
Controversies Involving Twentieth-Century Pioneers in American Geology: J. L. Rich and W. H. Bucher: A Personal Perspective

Many geologists are followers of scientific fashion, and/or the narrow fashionability of science. A group of self-serving reviewers reinforces its existing opinions, and explains to students and journalists that their evaluation is what counts. Such narrow views generate controversies. The controversies of which I wish to report involve those relating to J. L. Rich and W. H. Bucher.
The economics of university research parks

In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in public and private investment in university research parks (URPs). URPs are important as an infrastructural mechanism for the transfer of academic research findings, as a source of knowledge spillovers, and as a catalyst for national and regional economic growth. We present international evidence on the growth of URPs, review the academic literature on URPs, and outline an agenda for additional theoretical and empirical research on this topic.
Preconditioned iterative methods for solving weighted linear least squares problems

A class of preconditioned iterative methods, i.e., preconditioned generalized accelerated overrelaxation (GAOR) methods, is proposed to solve linear systems based on a class of weighted linear least squares problems. The convergence and comparison results are obtained. The comparison results show that the convergence rate of the pre- conditioned iterative methods is better than that of the original methods. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the proposed methods is shown in the numerical experiment.
Present And Potential Capabilities Of Three-Dimensional Displays Using Sequential Excitation Of Fluorescence

A true three-dimensional display based upon the sequential excitation of fluorescence at predetermined controlled locations within a display volume is described. The system equation is developed and used to show that, with the use of appropriate pulsed lasers for excitation sources, a variety of useful displays can be built -Itilizing IC1 or possibly mercury vapor as the display medium.© (1977) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Structural consequences of hydrophilic amino acid substitutions in the hydrophobic pocket of human carbonic anhydrase II.

The three-dimensional structures of Leu-198-->Glu, Leu-198-->His, Leu-198-->Arg, and Leu-198-->Ala variants of human carbonic anhydrase II (CAII) have each been determined by X-ray crystallographic methods to a resolution of 2.0 A. The side chain of Leu-198 is located at the mouth of the active site hydrophobic pocket, and this pocket is required for substrate association. Hydrophobic-->hydrophilic amino acid substitutions at the mouth of the pocket decrease kcat/KM for CO2 hydration: the CO2 hydrase activities of Leu-198-->Glu, Leu-198-->His, and Leu-198-->Arg CAIIs are diminished 19-fold, 10-fold, and 17-fold, respectively, relative to the wild-type enzyme; however, the substitution of a compact aliphatic side chain for Leu-198 has a smaller effect on catalysis, in that Leu-198-->Ala CAII exhibits only a 3-fold decrease in CO2 hydrase activity [Krebs, J. F., Rana, F., Dluhy, R. A., & Fierke, C. A. (1993) Biochemistry (preceding paper in this issue)]. It is intriguing that CO2 hydrase activity is not severely diminished in Leu-198-->Arg CAII, even though the side chain of Arg-198 blocks the hydrophobic pocket. Therefore, the bulky side chain of Arg-198 must be reasonably mobile in order to accommodate substrate association. Significantly, a residue larger than the wild-type Leu-198 side chain does not necessarily block the substrate association pocket; e.g., the side chain of Glu-198 packs against a hydrophobic patch, the net result of which is a wider mouth for the pocket.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
International and Cultural Variations in Employee Assistance Programmes: Implications for Managerial Health and Effectiveness*

While employee assistance programmes (EAPs) are becoming commonplace in large Western organizations, little is known regarding their prevalence in non-Western cultures. In this paper, we provide a framework for understanding the prevalence of EAPs in four distinct cells of societal culture-based variations. A cultural matrix for analysing the relative emphases of styles of coping, social support systems, rites and rituals, and the prevalence of EAPs is developed. The implications for managerial health and effectiveness in the global context are discussed.
Compensating for speaker or lexical variabilities in speech for emotion recognition

Affect recognition is a crucial requirement for future human machine interfaces to effectively respond to nonverbal behaviors of the user. Speech emotion recognition systems analyze acoustic features to deduce the speaker's emotional state. However, human voice conveys a mixture of information including speaker, lexical, cultural, physiological and emotional traits. The presence of these communication aspects introduces variabilities that affect the performance of an emotion recognition system. Therefore, building robust emotional models requires careful considerations to compensate for the effect of these variabilities. This study aims to factorize speaker characteristics, verbal content and expressive behaviors in various acoustic features. The factorization technique consists in building phoneme level trajectory models for the features. We propose a metric to quantify the dependency between acoustic features and communication traits (i.e., speaker, lexical and emotional factors). This metric, which is motivated by the mutual information framework, estimates the uncertainty reduction in the trajectory models when a given trait is considered. The analysis provides important insights on the dependency between the features and the aforementioned factors. Motivated by these results, we propose a feature normalization technique based on the whitening transformation that aims to compensate for speaker and lexical variabilities. The benefit of employing this normalization scheme is validated with the presented factor analysis method. The emotion recognition experiments show that the normalization approach can attenuate the variability imposed by the verbal content and speaker identity, yielding 4.1% and 2.4% relative performance improvements on a selected set of features, respectively.
The Effects of Perfluoroalkyl Carboxylic Acid Coating of Al Particles to Flame Propagation

In this study, two types of nano-Al/metal oxide composites are examined. The first Al sample is passivated with Al2 O3 and treated with perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid (C13 F27 COOH). The second Al sample is devoid of an alumina shell and instead passivated with perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid (C13 F27 COOH). The goal of this study is to understand the role of the passivation shell and associated reaction mechanism on flame propagation. Results show that when there is no alumina passivation shell encasing the Al core the flame propagation rates are reduced by two orders of magnitude. All flame propagation experiments were performed in a confined flame tube apparatus which may not be ideal for characterizing materials with significantly different ignition sensitivities. Results indicate that flame speeds measured with this apparatus are dependent on the ignition sensitivity of the mixture. Acid treated Al particles are shown to be roughly five times less ignition sensitive than the Al particles with no acid treatment; however, both particles produce roughly the same heat of combustion in thermal equilibrium measurements.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Yield-nutrient concentration relationships in young maize, as affected by applied nitrogen

Responses of maize (Zea mays L.) to several rates of N as ammonium nitrate and urea were determined on Mountview silt loam in greenhouse pots, with other nutrients applied uniformly. Harvests of tip halves of leaves, remaining tops and roots were made at 28, 36 and 47 days after planting. Yields of dry matter and uptake of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn and Zn by the maize tops increased markedly with amount of applied N and length of growth period. Concentrations of N, P, Ca, Mg, Mn and Zn both in leaves and entire tops also increased at 28 and 36 days with rate of applied N, but K concentrations decreased. Dilution of other nutrients with response to N was the dominant trend at 47 days. Concentrations of all nutrients in the roots decreased with continuing growth and most nutrients were diluted with increasing response to higher N rates as a result of greater translocation to the tops.
Screening psychiatric patients for illicit drug use disorders and problems.

Abstract Background Illicit drug use is prevalent but under-detected among psychiatric patients. This paper reviews the need for a valid, practical screening instrument for detecting drug problems and disorders among psychiatric patients, and describes the appropriateness of existing screening instruments for this purpose. Methods Research literature on illicit drug screening instruments is reviewed. Results All existing instruments lack one or more of the following characteristics that would enable them to be used routinely in psychiatric settings: brief and easy to administer, demonstrated validity for male and female psychiatric patients, measuring illicit drug use problems without confounding with alcohol use problems, and assessing drug problems over an optimal timeframe for screening (e.g., past 12 months). Conclusion Current instruments are not appropriate for routine drug screening of psychiatric patients. A brief, easy to use drug screen should be developed and validated on male and female psychiatric patients for routine screening of drug disorders and problems.
The influence of chicken and mammalian luteinizing hormones on ovarian estrogen synthesis in the pullet (Gallus domesticus)

Abstract 1. 1. A comparative study of estrogen synthesis in 1–150 day old pullets was performed using ovarian 3(β)-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase activity and oviduct weight as endpoints. 2. 2. No 3(β)-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase was detected in the control animals before age 150 days. All LH preparations equally stimulated enzyme activity. The LH treatments could induce enzyme activity at age 125 but not before. 3. 3. While both bovine and ovine LH did stimulate estrogen synthesis, the effect of the chicken LH preparation was much greater.
Serum amyloid A, an acute-phase protein, modulates proteoglycan synthesis in cultured murine peritoneal macrophages.

Cultured peritoneal macrophages obtained from azocasein-injected mice were found to produce several fold more cell-associated and medium proteoglycans than peritoneal macrophages from untreated mice. Since serum amyloid A (an acute-phase protein) is also upregulated following injections of azocasein, we questioned whether its production was the immediate agent stimulating proteoglycan formation. Cultured peritoneal macrophages from untreated mice were then incubated with varying concentrations of SAA, resulting in a similar dose-dependent several fold increase in proteoglycan production. Of particular note was a disproportionate increase in cell-associated heparan sulfate proteoglycans in both experimental groups and of dermatan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans when cells were incubated in the presence of SAA in the culture medium. These results indicate a potentially important function of SAA in directing specific modifications in inflammatory conditions where increase in macrophage proteoglycans may play direct roles.
Fossil zooplankton and the historical status of westslope cutthroat trout in a headwater lake of Glacier National Park, Montana

Abstract Surviving pure-strain populations of westslope cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi in headwater lakes of Glacier National Park could play an important role in the managed recovery of regional cutthroat trout fisheries. However, uncertainty exists about whether native trout could have naturally invaded several park lakes where they now occur. This study used paleolimnological techniques to address the question of whether the population of native trout in Avalanche Lake is indigenous or became established through an undocumented introduction. The validity of using fossil diapause eggs (ephippia) of the fish-sensitive cladocerans Daphnia spp. as indicators for the historical presence of zooplanktivorous fish was tested with a survey of live zooplankton and corresponding surface-sediment fossil assemblages in eight Glacier Park lakes with and without trout. Analysis of a sediment core from Avalanche Lake dated by lead radioisotopes, historical wildfires, and a flood allowed reconstruction of z...
Softening under membrane contact stress due to ultra-thin Ru coatings on Au films

Abstract This study reveals that ultra-thin, single-layer metal coatings can be used to tailor the deformation resistance of metal thin film surfaces, even when the penetration depths of the indents extend well beyond the coating layer. Nanoindentation of ultra-thin (≤20 nm) Ru and Pt coatings on thick Au films (350 nm) was used to illustrate how ultra-thin layers affect both the elastic and plastic deformation behavior. In spite of their (generally) higher hardness compared to Au, the Ru and Pt coating systems reduced the deformation resistance of the underlying Au, even though the maximum depth was on the order of the coating thickness. The effects of coating thickness, mechanical properties, and residual stress on the transitions between membrane- and substrate-dominated behavior were established by controlling the deposition conditions of the layers. The results show that the transition from ultra-thin coating- to underlying film-dominated response occurs when the indent penetration depth to coating thickness ratio is less than ∼0.5.
Mutualism Disruption Threatens Global Plant Biodiversity: A Systematic Review.

Background As global environmental change accelerates, biodiversity losses can disrupt interspecific interactions. Extinctions of mutualist partners can create “widow” species, which may face reduced ecological fitness. Hypothetically, such mutualism disruptions could have cascading effects on biodiversity by causing additional species coextinctions. However, the scope of this problem – the magnitude of biodiversity that may lose mutualist partners and the consequences of these losses – remains unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings We conducted a systematic review and synthesis of data from a broad range of sources to estimate the threat posed by vertebrate extinctions to the global biodiversity of vertebrate-dispersed and -pollinated plants. Though enormous research gaps persist, our analysis identified Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and global oceanic islands as geographic regions at particular risk of disruption of these mutualisms; within these regions, percentages of plant species likely affected range from 2.1–4.5%. Widowed plants are likely to experience reproductive declines of 40–58%, potentially threatening their persistence in the context of other global change stresses. Conclusions Our systematic approach demonstrates that thousands of species may be impacted by disruption in one class of mutualisms, but extinctions will likely disrupt other mutualisms, as well. Although uncertainty is high, there is evidence that mutualism disruption directly threatens significant biodiversity in some geographic regions. Conservation measures with explicit focus on mutualistic functions could be necessary to bolster populations of widowed species and maintain ecosystem functions.
Thermodynamics of open two-phase systems with coherent interfaces : Application to metal-hydrogen systems

Abstract We develop a thermodynamic theory for the absorption/desorption of interstitial atoms by a solid crystalline host forming a coherent mixture of two phases with different compositions of interstitial solutes. It is shown that the misfit-generated strain produces a macroscopic energy barrier between the transforming phases. The energy barrier is proportional to the macroscopic volume and thus cannot be surmounted by the thermally assisted nucleation of the new phase. The barrier splits the phase-transition pressure (temperature) into two pressures (temperatures): one during increase of pressure (cooling) and another during decrease of pressure (heating). The difference between these pressures (temperatures) determines the system hysteresis. It is also shown that the chemical potential of interstitials within the two-phase region of the coherent phase diagram is a linear function of composition rather than a constant, as is the case in the absence of coherency strains. We apply the theory to the absorption/desorption of H atoms by a metal that is free to exchange hydrogen atoms with an external source (reservoir). The theory explains the ubiquitous hysteresis in the ‘plateaus’ of the pressure–composition isotherms and the critical pressure–composition point for the disappearance of the hysteresis. The proposed theory is generic in the sense that it is applicable to any open interstitial systems forming coherent hydrides or other interstitial phases in the host lattice of the same symmetry.
Evaluation of thiol-ene click chemistry in functionalized polysiloxanes

Polysiloxanes are commonly used in a myriad of applications, and the “click” nature of the thiol-ene reaction is well suited for introducing alternative functionalities or for crosslinking these ubiquitous polymers. As such, understanding of the thiol-ene reaction in the presence of silicones is valuable and would lead to enhanced methodologies for modification and crosslinking. Here, the thiol-ene reaction kinetics were investigated in functionalized oligosiloxanes having varying degrees of thiol functionalization (SH), π–π interactions (from diphenyls, DP), and ene types (CC). In the ene-functionalized oligomers, π–π interactions were controlled through the use of dioctyl repeats (DO). The polymerization rate and rate-limiting steps were determined for all systems containing an allyl-functionalized oligomer, and rates ranging from 0.10 to 0.54 mol L−1 min−1 were seen. The rate-limiting step varied with the oligomer composition; examples of rate-limited propagation (5:3:2 CC:DP:DO/1:1 SH:DP) or chain transfer (5:3:2 CC:DP:DO/3:1 SH:DP) were found in addition to cases with similar reaction rate constants (5:2:3 CC:DP:DO/1:1 SH:DP). None of the siloxanes were found to exhibit autoacceleration despite their relatively high viscosities. Instead, the allyl-, vinyl-, and acrylate-functionalized siloxanes were all found to undergo unimolecular termination based on their high α scaling values (0.98, 0.95, and 0.82, respectively) in the relation Rp ∝ Riα. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013
Biology of Pyemotes parviscolyti (acarina: pyemotidae)

Pyemotes parviscolytiCross & Moser is phoretic only onPityophthorus bisulcatusEichhoff; it attacks all stages of this insect except the adult. Females, which contain little or no venom, prey on other scolytids if galleries overlap. Males copulate with females ofPyemotes ventricosusNewport and vice versa, but only males of the mother species result. Copulation withPyemotes scolytiOudemans was not successful.
Motivational Effects of Outcome Feedback on Motor Performance

This study examined the effects of success and failure feedback on subsequent motor performance. Based upon the general motivation (or level-of-aspiration) hypothesis, initial success should lead to better subsequent performance than does initial failure, while the reverse prediction was derived from the cognitive dissonance theory. To test these rival hypotheses, two experiments were conducted on undergraduate male students (n =120) performing a motor maze task. Initial failure improved subjects' subsequent performance, thus supporting the dissonance theory. However, this effect was observed only under low-ego-involving conditions, thereby suggesting that the effects of dissonance and ego involvement are interdependent. The findings were discussed in terms of motivational and informational/attributional effects of outcome feedback on motor performance.
Antibody production in packed bed reactors using serum-free and protein-free medium

The present work demonstrates the utility of packed bed reactors for the production of monoclonal antibody. We present data from a continuous process run for the production of over 100 grams of antibody, using serum-free medium. An additional pilot run also demonstrates the potential for continued antibody production under protein-free conditions, using a standard basal medium.
Expression of the mutagenic peptide of herpes simplex virus type 1 in virus-infected cells.

Abstract A fragment of DNA from within the minimum transforming region (mtr-1) of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is known to raise the mutation frequency of cells. This activity has been attributed to a viral protein whose properties are largely unknown. Antiserum was raised to a synthetic peptide of a predicted amino acid sequence from the protein, and was found to react with cells that were infected by HSV-1 in an ELISA and by immunocyto-chemical staining. A combination of immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting techniques confirmed that the epitope is located at the carboxy terminus of the UL26 gene product and is downstream of epitopes that are recognized by two monoclonal antibodies. The mutagenic peptide was different from the conventional gene product of UL26 in that: (a) It was expressed from a different reading frame, (b) It was expressed earlier in infection, and (c) It bound DNA, and thus could be separated by DNA-cellulose chromatography. An RT-PCR experiment revealed two deletions in the cDNA, suggesting that RNA splicing could account for the frameshift. Examination of the DNA sequence of the region also revealed a potential ribosomal frame-shift site. The mutagenic peptide of HSV-1 is therefore a product of the UL26 gene which is expressed with a different carboxy terminus early in infection, and this could be due either to RNA splicing or to ribosomal frame-shifting.
Nucleotides in a single mammalian ovum or preimplantation embryo

ATP, ADP, and AMP have been measured jointly on a single mouse ovum or preimplantation embryo using an ultramicrofluorescence technique. The method uses the traditional approach of enzymatic analysis based on changes in the concentrations of nucleotide cofactors, but eliminates the need for enzymatic recycling. It permits the measurement of as little as 10 fmol, and may be adapted for numerous metabolites.
Dancing genomes: fungal nuclear positioning

The many different mechanisms that fungi use to transmit and share genetic material are mediated by a broad range of chromosome and nuclear dynamics. The mechanics underlying nuclear migration are well integrated into detailed models, in which the forces supplied by plus- and minus-end-directed microtubule motors position and move the nucleus in a cell. Although we know much about how cells move nuclei, we know much less about why the cell invests in so many different nuclear 'dances'. Here, we briefly survey the available models for the mechanics of nuclear migration in fungi and then focus on examples of how fungal cells use these nuclear dances - the movement of intact nuclei in and between cells - to control the integrity, ploidy and assortment of specific genomes or individual chromosomes.
Synthesis and thermolytic behavior of tin(IV) formates: in search of recyclable metal-hydride systems.

The synthesis and characterization of the series of organotin formates together with their thermolytic behavior are described. The diformate Bun2Sn{OC(O)H}2 (1) was synthesized by the reaction of Bun2SnH2 with formic acid. The triorganotin monoformate compounds R3SnOC(O)H (R = Cy (cyclohexyl)) 3, Mes, (mesityl, 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) 4, and Dmp (2,6-dimethylphenyl 5) were obtained by the reaction of R3SnOH with formic acid. Their X-ray crystal structures along with that of the previously reported formate (PhCH2)3SnOC(O)H (2) were determined. The diformate 1 exhibits an extended two-dimensional polymeric structure in which six-coordinate tin centers are linked by formate bridges. The tribenzyltin formate (2) possesses a chain structure in which the five-coordinate Sn(CH2Ph)3 units are bridged by formate ions. The cyclohexyl derivative 3 was observed to have a similar structure. In contrast, the Mes and Dmp derivatives 4 and 5 support monomeric structures in which the four-coordinate tin atom is bound to an oxygen of the formate ligand. Heating the compounds in various high boiling solvents produced no decomposition up to 120 °C in the case of 1 and refluxing a solution of 2 or 3 in mesitylene or diglyme left the starting material mostly unchanged, although 3 decomposed to an insoluble orange solid in refluxing decalin. In contrast, the heating of 4 and 5 in refluxing mesitylene led to elimination of CO to give the tin hydroxides. The results are in contrast to the known thermolytic behavior of R3SnOC(O)H (R = Prn or Bun) complexes, which eliminate CO2 to generate R3SnH. Compounds 3–5 are rare examples of structurally characterized tin formates.
DNA: multiple architectures for use in electronics applications

A methodology that allows for the coupling of biology and electronic materials is presented, where double stranded DNA will ultimately serve as a template for electronic material growth. Self-assembled DNA structures allow for a variety of patterns to be achieved on the nanometer size scale that is difficult to achieve using conventional patterning techniques. DNA self assembly under non-aqueous conditions has yet to be presented in literature, and is necessary if unwanted oxidation of certain electronic substrates is to be avoided. Solubilization of the DNA in non-aqueous solvents is achieved by replacing charge stabilizing salts with the surfactant cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (CTAC). Herein, the procedures for the creation of self-assembled DNA nanostructures in aqueous and non-aqueous media are described, and these structures are subsequently deposited (drop cast, spin cast, and physically adsorbed) onto freshly cleaved mica or silicon wafers. The DNA architectures are characterized either in solution (circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD)) or on the surface (AFM). These studies illustrate the retention of DNA hierarchical structure under both conditions and this data will be presented by observing the structures using AFM imaging and CD spectroscopic studies© (2012) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Progressive changes in volcanism during lapetan rifting: Comparisons with the East African Rift-Red Sea system

Mafic dikes and metamorphosed basaltic flows of Late Proterozoic to early Paleozoic age in western Vermont and northeastern New York have geochemical signatures consistent with their origin during progressive rifting of the ancient North American continent. The basalts change from being enriched in Ti and fight rare earth elements (REEs) to being depleted in Ti and light REEs from west to east across the western Appalachians. Western samples are similar to early-stage rift basalts as seen in the Main Ethiopian Rift, whereas easternmost samples are like mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) produced in axial parts of the Red Sea. Samples from intermediate geographic areas can be either enriched or depleted. By analogy with the East African Rift-Red Sea system, the chemical changes in basalts across the western Appalachians probably reflect a changing source from trace element-enriched mantle (ocean-island basalt asthenosphere or continental lithosphere) to depleted MORB-type asthenosphere as rifting progressed.
“I Feel as if I Am the One Who Is Disabled”: The Emotional Impact of Changed Employment Trajectories of Mothers Caring for Children with Disabilities

Despite the 1970s middle-class feminist dream that women could have it all—families characterized by equitable distributions of household labor and interesting careers—the decades since have told a different story. In the U.S. context of a neoliberal labor market and privatized systems of family care, mothers still struggle to negotiate the conflicting demands of family and employment, particularly when caring for children with disabilities. Though an extensive literature examines labor market participation for mothers of children with disabilities, few scholars have examined the emotional impact of their altered career plans. Drawing from a sample of 40 single- and two-parent families, the author examines mothers’ accounts of care for children with disabilities, focusing on their emotional experiences of their changed employment trajectories.
SU-E-J-154: Free Breathing Motion Tracking in Emission Guided Radiation Therapy

Purpose: To evaluate an emission guided radiation therapy (EGRT) system's ability to deliverdose to a moving PET‐avid target. Methods: We are developing a treatmentsystem that will simultaneously deliverradiation during PET acquisition. Due to PET's slow imaging time, a method to compensate for motion will be to deliverradiation beam‐lets along individual PET lines‐of‐response (LOR's) as they are detected. The EGRT system involves rotating a linac and PET detectors on a closed ring gantry while dynamically controlling a binary multi‐leaf collimator for helical delivery. A cylindrical phantom and six spherical inserts were filled with FDG to achieve an 8:1 target‐to‐background ratio. The phantom was mounted onto a motion stage programmed with a free breathing trajectory acquired from a human subject using an external marker. This trajectory was translated into a purely superior/inferior (z) motion path for the stage and used as ground truth. A planning target volume (PTV) was defined around the largest sphere's motion path. LOR data were acquired in list‐mode from a GE Discovery system and used as input to a voxel monte carlo simulation of radiationdosedelivered by the EGRT system with an average lag time of 250 ms. The EGRT method was compared to uniform irradiation of the PTV. Results: The EGRT approach exhibited a non‐uniform dose distribution to the tumor. However, for this specific case there was a 30% relative increase in dose to 50% of the tumor volume for the EGRT approach with both methods normalized to have the same integral dose to the phantom. Conclusions: We have shown that a target exhibiting free breathing motion can be tracked and treated using individual PET emissions to guide delivery. There is dose peaking at the center of a uniform PET‐avid volume. This is the first EGRT feasibility demonstration with experimental data. SRM and ASN are stockholders of RefleXion Medical.