cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Engineering 4-coumaroyl-CoA derived polyketide production in Yarrowia lipolytica through a β-oxidation mediated strategy

Polyketides are a diverse class of molecules sought after for their valuable properties, including as potential pharmaceuticals. Previously, we demonstrated that the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is an optimal host for production of the simple polyketide, triacetic acid lactone (TAL). We here expand the capacities of this host by overcoming previous media challenges and enabling production of more complex polyketides. Specifically, we employ a β-oxidation related strategy to improve polyketide production directly from defined media. Beyond TAL production, we establish biosynthesis of the 4-coumaroyl-CoA derived polyketides: naringenin, resveratrol, and bisdemethoxycurcumin, as well as the diketide intermediate, (E)-5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-oxopent-4-enoic acid. In this background, we enable high-level de novo production of naringenin through import of both a heterologous pathway and a mutant Y. lipolytica allele. In doing so, we generated an averaged maximum titer of 898 mg/L naringenin, the highest titer reported to date in any host. These results demonstrate that Y. lipolytica is an ideal polyketide production host for more complex 4-coumaroyl-CoA derived products.
A non-iterative direct forcing immersed boundary method for strongly-coupled fluid-solid interactions

A non-iterative direct forcing immersed boundary method is presented for the strongly-coupled simulations of fluid-solid interactions. While it retains many advantages of the immersed boundary framework by Yang and Stern (2012) 30], especially the simplified field extension strategy for moving boundary treatment and the pointwise integration of hydrodynamic force using the momentum forcing term, the present approach improves upon the previous method in several aspects including optimized computational cost for a strong coupling scheme, reduced algorithm complexity for a straightforward implementation, and enhanced numerical stability for low density ratio problems. Central to these improvements is a simple intermediate step in which the velocity fields around solid bodies are predicted on temporary non-inertial reference frames attached to moving solid bodies in a one-to-one manner. This step enables the explicit inverse of the implicit equations for rigid body dynamics, thus rendering unnecessary the previous predictor-corrector scheme for iteratively adjusting the displacements and velocities of the immersed bodies until reaching a convergence. In addition, a simple, generalized procedure is developed to obtain the interpolation coefficients in a local reconstruction stencil explicitly from the geometric relationship. For verification and validation, the vortex-induced vibration of a circular cylinder and the rotational galloping of a rectangular body are considered first; then several particulate flow problems, including settling and buoyant particles of low density ratios, a settling particle in a small container, and the kissing-drafting-tumbling problem of two settling particles, are studied. The agreement between the present results and the reference data in the literature is excellent. An overall second-order accuracy of the algorithm is verified in two systematic grid convergence tests. The present idea can be easily applied to similar methods for achieving a strong coupling scheme on top of a weak one with a nominal increase in the computational cost. Details of the algorithm are provided to facilitate its implementation in other solvers using non-boundary-conforming grids.
N,N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) acts as a metal–organic framework synthesis solvent with phase-directing capabilities

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are generally synthesized in toxic formamide solvents. Greener solvents would lower production barriers and facilitate applications such as drug delivery. N,N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET), the most widely used insect repellent, is shown to serve this role. Furthermore, DEET-loaded MOFs can be leveraged in controlled-release insect repellent formulations.
Investigation of Rh–titanate (ATiO3) interactions on high-surface-area perovskite thin films prepared by atomic layer deposition

Thin, ∼1 nm films of CaTiO3, SrTiO3, and BaTiO3 were deposited onto MgAl2O4 by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and studied as catalyst supports for Rh. Scanning Transmission Electron Microcopy (STEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) demonstrated that the films had the perovskite structure and formed uniform coatings stable up to 1073 K. Rh, added by ALD, interacted strongly with CaTiO3 and somewhat less strongly with SrTiO3, while Rh on BaTiO3 was similar to Rh on unmodified MgAl2O4. STEM measurements of Rh on CaTiO3 films showed Rh remained well dispersed after repeated oxidations and reductions at 1073 K; however, the Rh was inactive for CO-oxidation. Rh formed small particles on SrTiO3 films and was active for CO oxidation after reduction at 1073 K. The reducibility and catalytic activity of Rh/BaTiO3/MgAl2O4 were similar to that of Rh/MgAl2O4. Evidence from CO-TPR, FTIR, and XPS all indicated that the degree of interaction between Rh and the three perovskite films can be ranked in the following order: Rh/CaTiO3/MgAl2O4 > Rh/SrTiO3/MgAl2O4 > Rh/BaTiO3/MgAl2O4. Bulk ex-solution catalysts, synthesized by reduction of ATi0.98Rh0.02O3 (A = Ca, Sr, and Ba), were also examined for comparison.
Climate change impacts on wind power generation

Wind energy is a virtually carbon-free and pollution-free electricity source, with global wind resources greatly exceeding electricity demand. Accordingly, the installed capacity of wind turbines grew at an annualized rate of >20% from 2000 to 2019 and is projected to increase by a further 50% by the end of 2023. In this Review, we describe the factors that dictate the wind resource magnitude and variability and illustrate the tools and techniques that are being used to make projections of wind resources and wind turbine operating conditions. Natural variability due to the action of internal climate modes appears to dominate over global-warming-induced non-stationarity over most areas with large wind energy installations or potential. However, there is evidence for increased wind energy resources by the end of the current century in northern Europe and the US Southern Great Plains. New technology trends are changing the sensitivity of wind energy to global climate non-stationarity and, thus, present new challenges and opportunities for innovative research. The evolution of climate modelling to increasingly address mesoscale processes is providing improved projections of both wind resources and wind turbine operating conditions, and will contribute to continued reductions in the levelized cost of energy from wind power generation. Wind energy production has increased in recent years to mitigate climate change. However, climate change may itself modify wind energy resources. This Review discusses the climatic mechanisms influencing current and future wind energy production, finding spatial variability in projected responses and a dominance of internal variability.
Intersections of literacy acquisition and programming

The computer is a highly literate instrument. And, the design of most computer software, especially programming languages and environments, assume a high degree of literacy on the part of the user. Because most programming environments rely upon text as the primary method of specifying instructions, and because programming structures are similar in a number of ways to writing text, the development of literacy is a necessary precondition, or at least an accompanying concern when instructing low-literacy adult students in programming. An understanding of how adults acquire knowledge of and an ability to produce well-formed literate structures shares a direct relationship to their ability to program. This paper discusses problems adult learners have with textual mechanics, of central importance to literacy and text-based programming.
Thermodynamics-Based Molecular Modeling of α-Helices in Membranes and Micelles

The Folding of Membrane-Associated Peptides (FMAP) method was developed for modeling α-helix formation by linear peptides in micelles and lipid bilayers. FMAP 2.0 identifies locations of α-helices in the amino acid sequence, generates their three-dimensional models in planar bilayers or spherical micelles, and estimates their thermodynamic stabilities and tilt angles, depending on temperature and pH. The method was tested for 723 peptides (926 data points) experimentally studied in different environments and for 170 single-pass transmembrane (TM) proteins with available crystal structures. FMAP 2.0 detected more than 95% of experimentally observed α-helices with an average error in helix end determination of around 2, 3, 4, and 5 residues per helix for peptides in water, micelles, bilayers, and TM proteins, respectively. Helical and nonhelical residue states were predicted with an accuracy from 0.86 to 0.96, and the Matthews correlation coefficient was from 0.64 to 0.88 depending on the environment. Experimental micelle- and membrane-binding energies and tilt angles of peptides were reproduced with a root-mean-square deviation of around 2 kcal/mol and 7°, respectively. The TM and non-TM states of hydrophobic and pH-triggered α-helical peptides in various lipid bilayers were reproduced in more than 95% of cases. The FMAP 2.0 web server (https://membranome.org/fmap) is publicly available to explore the structural polymorphism of antimicrobial, cell-penetrating, fusion, and other membrane-binding peptides, which is important for understanding the mechanisms of their biological activities.
Translating Structured Documents

Machine Translation traditionally treats documents as sets of independent sentences. In many genres, however, documents are highly structured, and their structure contains information that can be used to improve translation quality. We present a preliminary approach to document translation that uses structural features to modify the behaviour of a language model, at sentence-level granularity. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to incorporate structural information into statistical MT. In experiments on structured English/French documents from the Hansard corpus, we demonstrate small but statistically significant improvements.
3D Nucleus Instance Segmentation for Whole-Brain Microscopy Images

Tissue clearing and light-sheet microscopy technologies offer new opportunities to quantify the three-dimensional (3D) neural structure at a cellular or even sub-cellular resolution. Although many efforts have been made to recognize nuclei in 3D using deep learning techniques, current state-of-the-art approaches often work in a two-step manner, i.e., first segment nucleus regions within a 2D optical slice and then assemble the regions into the 3D instance of a nucleus. Due to the poor inter-slice resolution in many volumetric microscopy images and lack of contextual information across image slices, the current two-step approaches yield less accurate instance segmentation results. To address these limitations, a novel neural network for 3D nucleus instance segmentation (NIS) is proposed, called NIS-Net, which jointly segments and assembles the 3D instances of nuclei. Specifically, a pretext task is designed to predict the image appearance of the to-be-processed slice using the learned context from the processed slices, where the well-characterized contextual information is leveraged to guide the assembly of 3D nuclei instances. Since our NIS-Net progressively identifies nuclei instances by sliding over the entire image stack, our method is capable of segmenting nuclei instances for the whole mouse brain. Experimental results show that our proposed NIS-Net achieves higher accuracy and more reasonable nuclei instances than the current counterpart methods.
Shock-induced hotspot formation in amorphous and crystalline 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazoctane (HMX): A molecular dynamics comparative study

Shock initiation of heterogeneous high-energy density materials is mediated by the formation of hotspots, and the collapse of porosity is considered the dominant mechanism behind energy localization. This is particularly important in emerging amorphous energetics yet little is known about how the intrinsic properties of glasses affect the size, shape, and temperature of hotspots in these materials. Therefore, we use large-scale molecular dynamics simulations to characterize hotspot formation in amorphous 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazoctane originating from the collapse of cylindrical voids over a range of shock strengths. We find a transition from a viscoplastic to a hydrodynamic regime with increasing shock strength, similar to what is observed in the crystalline case. Interestingly for weak shocks, viscoplastic collapse in the amorphous system results in higher hotspot temperatures than in the crystal; this difference originates from the lower strength in the amorphous samples which results in faster collapse. On the other hand, in the hydrodynamic regime, where strength does not dominate the process of collapse, the hotspot temperature in the amorphous case is lower. The simulations reveal the molecular origin for these observations.
Fast extraction of scene structure based on gradient runs analysis

The paper presents a novel edge detector for fast localization of image features and homogeneous regions extraction. A new approach based on gradient runs analysis is used to localize edges. Runs are sequences of pixels having the same property, such as equal intensity, adjacent in a row or column. The segments of a piecewise-linear approximation of a row/column of a grayscale image are named gradient runs. The gradient runs representation speeds up and facilitates image analysis. The runs are linked into a planar graph reorganizing the edge information for topology analysis. The algorithm of edge detection using gradient runs and an algorithm sketch of edge graph construction based on appropriate gradient runs linkage are presented.
Abstract T P175: Symptoms and Signs of Cerebrovascular Ischemia in the New England Medical Center Patent Foramen Ovale Registry

Objective: To evaluate the frequencies of symptoms and signs in patients with cryptogenic strokes in the setting of patent foramen ovale (PFO). Methods: We conducted a retrospective case series of cryptogenic stroke patients at the NEW England Medical Center, with proven PFO. The patients' records were reviewed for: 1) Activity at time of symptoms, 2) symptoms, 3) physical exam finding. Results: The study included 148 men (58%) and 109 women (42%). The average age was 52 years. The most frequent activity at the time of symptoms onset were lifting weights (30%), bending (34%), coughing/ sneezing/ nose blowing (16%), intercourse (7%), vomiting (5%). A history of prolonged immobility was present in 31% of patients. The most frequent presenting symptoms were unilateral weakness (46%), dysarthria (17%), unilateral numbness (11%), unsteady gait (10%), visual field defect (9%), diplopia (8%), vomiting (6%). The most frequent signs were normal exam (52%), unilateral weakness (14%), visual field deficits (13%), at...
Managing Business Relationships in E-services Using Business Commitments

With the rapid advancement of e-service technology, there is a need to manage business relationships among business entities such as service providers, service consumers, and internal departments. In this paper, we have proposed a novel approach to business relationship management using business commitments and associated business commitment hubs. Business commitments are commitments related to business issues such as service levels in service agreements, and terms and conditions in procurement contracts. The concept of business commitments has captured the essence of business relationships in eservices. Based on case studies, we have envisioned the need of establishing a business commitment hub to centrally manage the external relationships with trading partners and the internal relationships with internal departments. A language called Business Commitment Language (BCL) has been proposed to specify business commitments. These business commitments are used to monitor and control the execution status of e-services. Conceptually, the business commitment hub has two related subsystems: the active subsystem and the dashboard subsystem. The active subsystem responds to business events received from business entities. The dashboard subsystem visually displays the key data and the execution status of business commitments.
Educators' Technology Level of Use and Methods for Learning Technology Integrations.

The purpose of this study was to describe technology learning methods that teachers attend and perceive as effective. The goal was to provide district personnel data that may be utilized when planning for more effective technology staff development. This study examined (1) the methods of learning instructional technology that are being utilized by teachers and administrators and (2) why these methods are being utilized in two Texas school districts. Data was collected from educators via an online survey consisting of demographics, technology training methods, level of technology use (CBAM 1 item), stages of adoption and technology level of use (LoTi, 50-item). Educators with different technology levels of use (high, low) differed on their perceptions and utilization of technology training methods. Specifically, educators with different technology levels of use differed in their perceptions of independent online help, and learning through trial and error technology training methods. Results from the study showed that educators tended to use the technology training method that they perceived as most effective. Educators tended to utilize learning by trial and error, peer support, and technology personnel support the most frequently for learning technology integration Educators' in the study had varying technology levels of use based on their educator categories. Administrators tended to score much higher than both elementary and secondary teachers on their technology levels of use. Participants gave a variety of reasons for utilizing certain technology training methods most frequently. The most popular reason was that the method fit into their time schedule followed by the location of the training. The least given reason was that it was the best method for learning the technology skill.
Human Subjects Research, Law, Common Law of Human Experimentation

Introduction The Common Law Classification of Common Law Claims Injuries to Research Subjects Common Law Causes of Action Against Investigators and Research Organizations Using Human Subjects Without Their Knowledge or Consent Liability for the Design and Implementation of Research Defenses Against Liability Keywords: human subjects research; law
Particulate air pollution on systemic inflammatory response: Roles of monocytes and neutrophils

Research has increasingly demonstrated the detrimental effects of air pollution on systemic human diseases. However, there has been little examination of the pattern and scope how neutrophils and monocytes respond to the inhalatants. We exposed C57BL/6 mice to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in a timely manner to investigate the roles of neutrophils and monocytes. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to PM2.5 or filtered air 6 hours a day, 5 days a week for up to 3 weeks in Columbus, OH in a versatile aerosol concentration enrichment system. The measurements were conducted at days 5, 14, and 21 for circulating inflammatory biomarkers via magnetic beads, leukocytes rolling and adhesion in mesentery via intravital microscopy, inflammatory responses in the lung and visceral adipose tissues via flow cytometry and immunohistochemical staining (IHS), and inflammatory chemotaxic responses via Boyden chamber. We found that both rolling and adhesion leukocytes were increased in mesentery, especially at days 14 and 21. Circulating MCP-1, IL-6, and TNFα were elevated, especially at day 5. There were increases in Ly6G+ (neutrophil) and F4/80+ (monocyte) expression from lung bronchoaveolar lavage by flow cytometry and lung and visceral adipose tissues by IHS, especially F4/80 expression throughout the time course. Boyden chamber assay also indicated that lung and visceral adipose tissues were “inflamed”, especially monocytes/macrophages after PM2.5 exposure. We concluded that, in this murine model of inhalational exposure to ambient PM2.5, the murine monocytes respond rapidly to chemokines locally (in the lung) and systemically (in visceral adipose tissue), which may not be accompanied by neutrophils.
Translating cancer genomes and transcriptomes for precision oncology

Understanding the molecular landscape of cancer has facilitated the development of diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers for clinical oncology. Developments in next-generation DNA sequencing technologies have increased the speed and reduced the cost of sequencing the nucleic acids of cancer cells. This has unlocked opportunities to characterize the genomic and transcriptomic landscapes of cancer for basic science research through projects like The Cancer Genome Atlas. The cancer genome includes DNA-based alterations, such as point mutations or gene duplications. The cancer transcriptome involves RNA-based alterations, including changes in messenger RNAs. Together, the genome and transcriptome can provide a comprehensive view of an individual patient's cancer that is beginning to impact real-time clinical decision-making. The authors discuss several opportunities for translating this basic science knowledge into clinical practice, including a molecular classification of cancer, heritable risk of cancer, eligibility for targeted therapies, and the development of innovative, genomic-based clinical trials. In this review, key applications and new directions are outlined for translating the cancer genome and transcriptome into patient care in the clinic.
Renal squamous cell carcinoma: CT findings and clinical significance

Background: To study the biological behavior of renal squamous cell carcinoma (RSCC). Methods: Fifteen cases of RSCC were retrospectively studied. These cases were classified as central (eight cases) and peripheral (seven cases) types by the tumor location. The clinical data and computed tomographic findings were analyzed and compared. Results: High incidence (87%) of urolithiasis was observed. The prognosis of RSCC was very poor, with a median survival time of 3.5 months. The infectious symptoms, central location, and modified stage IV of the tumor were the poor prognostic factors of RSCC. Two types of RSCC were different in the presenting symptoms, lymph node metastasis, modified tumor staging, and survival time. Conclusion: The central and peripheral types of RSCC were different biologically. High index of suspicion should be maintained when identifying the subtle clues of malignancy in patients with urolithiasis.
An overview of environmental and toxicological aspects of aromatic hydrocarbons. I. Benzene.

The solvent aspects of exposure to ethylbenzene are reviewed via an initial examination of the production, use, occurrence, and disposition of ethylbenzene as well as populations potentially at risk. While occupational exposure to ethylbenzene during its production and subsequent conversion to styrene is believed to be minimal, the broader occupational exposure to ethylbenzene during the production and use of 'mixed xylenes' is another area of concern. The general public can be exposed to ethylbenzene in ambient air as a result of its occurrence in motor vehicle exhaust. Additional exposure can arise in indoor environments, mostly from passive exposure to cigarette smoke. Ethylbenzene is primarily an irritant to the skin and mucous membranes and possesses narcotic properties at high concentrations.
Interface polarons in a realistic heterojunction potential

The ground states of interface polarons in a realistic heterojunction potential are investigated by considering the bulk and the interface optical phonon influence. A self-consistent heterojunction potential is used and an LLP-like method is adopted to obtain the polaron effect. The numerical computation has been done for the Zn1-xCdxSe/ZnSe system to obtain the polaron ground state energy, self energy and effective mass parallel to the interface. A simplified coherent potential approximation is developed to obtain the parameters of the ternary mixed crystal and the energy band offset of the heterojunction. It is found that at small Cd concentration the bulk longitudinal optical phonons give the main contribution for lower areal electron densities, whereas the interface phonon contribution is dominant for higher areal electron densities. The interface polaron effect is weaker than the effect obtained by the three dimensional bulk phonon and by the two dimensional interface phonon models.
Development of a hybrid finite volume/element solver for incompressible flows

In this paper, we report our development of an implicit hybrid flow solver for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The methodology is based on the pressure correction or projection method. A fractional step approach is used to obtain an intermediate velocity field by solving the original momentum equations with the matrix-free implicit cell-centred finite volume method. The Poisson equation derived from the fractional step approach is solved by the node-based Galerkin finite element method for an auxiliary variable. The auxiliary variable is closely related to the real pressure and is used to update the velocity field and the pressure field. We store the velocity components at cell centres and the auxiliary variable at cell vertices, making the current solver a staggered-mesh scheme. Numerical examples demonstrate the performance of the resulting hybrid scheme, such as the correct temporal convergence rates for both velocity and pressure, absence of unphysical pressure boundary layer, good convergence in steady-state simulations and capability in predicting accurate drag, lift and Strouhal number in the flow around a circular cylinder.
Problems Experienced During and After Installation of Gas Compression in UK Southern North Sea

This paper relates the problems encountered with the operation of series configuration gas compression since its introduction in 1976 to the Leman Gas Field in the UK Southern North Sea gas transmission system.Various topics are addressed with the problem described and the adopted solution. Although solutions to these problems can be achieved by different methods, it is hoped that by relating these experiences, future operators embarking on offshore compression can take account during design stages and hence dispel the need of expensive modifications to plant offshore.Copyright © 1983 by ASME
Optical System For Robot Guidance

This paper reviews the use of an electro-optical tracking system and stereoscopy for robot guidance. Items affecting the the choice of technology are discussed. These include work volume, field of view, resolution and processing speed. A review is given of the advantages and disadvantages of various 3-D tracking methods such as conventional stereo vision, 3-D triangulation and laser radar. The second part of this paper describes a specific implementation of a tracking system using active targets (infrared LEDs) and position sensitive tracking devices. In particular, the optical components, detectors, hardware, algorithms and software are reviewed. Further observations are made on the problem of calibrating such a system to robot coordinate space. Lastly some findings on overall performance aspects such as reliability, accuracy and ease of integration of such a system are presented.
Preparation and characterization of thin polymer bilayer films by neutron reflection

Abstract Neutron reflection is used to study the concentration profile at the interface between two thin layers of polymer. The first layer was prepared by spin casting on a silicon substrate; the second film was similarly prepared on a different substrate, floated off in water and placed over the first film. As prepared, the polymer-polymer interface has a contaminant film of water with approximately 0.26 mg m-2 surface coverage, which can be removed by annealing under vacuum at temperatures close to the glass transition temperature of the polymer. The annealed bilayered specimen does not show any trace of interdiffusion between the two polymers, even when the two polymers are chemically identical.
A polygon-based clustering and analysis framework for mining spatial datasets

Polygons provide natural representations for many types of geospatial objects, such as countries, buildings, and pollution hotspots. Thus, polygon-based data mining techniques are particularly useful for mining geospatial datasets. In this paper, we propose a polygon-based clustering and analysis framework for mining multiple geospatial datasets that have inherently hidden relations. In this framework, polygons are first generated from multiple geospatial point datasets by using a density-based contouring algorithm called DCONTOUR. Next, a density-based clustering algorithm called Poly-SNN with novel dissimilarity functions is employed to cluster polygons to create meta-clusters of polygons. Finally, post-processing analysis techniques are proposed to extract interesting patterns and user-guided summarized knowledge from meta-clusters. These techniques employ plug-in reward functions that capture a domain expert's notion of interestingness to guide the extraction of knowledge from meta-clusters. The effectiveness of our framework is tested in a real-world case study involving ozone pollution events in Texas. The experimental results show that our framework can reveal interesting relationships between different ozone hotspots represented by polygons; it can also identify interesting hidden relations between ozone hotspots and several meteorological variables, such as outdoor temperature, solar radiation, and wind speed.
Versatile Control of Unidirectional AC–DC Boost Converters for Power Quality Mitigation

This paper introduces a versatile control scheme for unidirectional ac–dc boost converters for the purpose of mitigating grid power quality. Since most power factor correction circuits available in the commercial market utilize unidirectional ac–dc boost converter topologies, this is an almost no-cost solution for compensating harmonic current and reactive power in residential applications. Harmonic current and reactive power compensation methods in the unidirectional ac–dc boost converter are investigated. The additional focus of this paper is to quantify the input current distortions by the unidirectional ac–dc boost converter used for supplying not only active power to the load but also reactive power. Due to input current distortions, the amount of reactive power injected from an individual converter to the grid should be restricted. Experimental results are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed control method.
Exceptional surface area from coordination copolymers derived from two linear linkers of differing lengths

Although a multitude of microporous coordination polymers (MCPs) with ultrahigh surface area have been reported in the last decade, none of these can come close to matching the cost/performance ratio of conventional sorbents such as zeolites and carbons for most applications. There is a need to drastically reduce the cost of MCPs and this goal cannot be achieved through complex linker synthesis strategies so often used to boost MCP performance. Here two new MCPs: UMCM-8 (Zn4O(benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate)1.5(naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylate)1.5), and UMCM-9 (Zn4O(naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylate)1.5(biphenyl-4,4′-dicarboxylate)1.5) are described and the concept of using mixtures of readily available linear linkers that enforce different spacings between network nodes is introduced as a means to reduce interpenetration. These new MCPs demonstrate Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface areas over 4000 m2 g−1 and high pore volumes over 1.80 cm3 g−1.
Model Based Torque Control of Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Motors

Traveling wave piezoelectric ultrasonic motors (PUMs) are ideal actuators for a variety of important applications including medical and space robotics, haptic interfaces, and positioning devices. Consisting of a single moving part, the motors are much simpler mechanically than other drive systems that require transmissions and brakes. Many potential PUM applications require accurate real-time control of output torque, which is difficult due to the highly nonlinear PUM dynamics. This paper presents an algorithm that adjusts PUM drive signal frequency to achieve output torque control throughout the speed range of a typical commercial PUM.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Structural and Mechanical Properties of Nanostructured Granular Alumina Catalysts

Granular gamma-Al2O3 support and 8 wt % CuO/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst were synthesized by a sol-gel granulation method. The pore structure, crush strength, hardness, and elasticity of these sol-gel-derived catalysts were studied and compared with similar commercial catalysts prepared by non-sol-gel methods. Alumina and CuO-coated alumina granular particles prepared by different methods have different macro- and microstructure. The sol-gel-derived granular gamma-alumina and CuO-coated gamma-alumina granular particles have a structure defined by compact packing of uniform, nanosized gamma-alumina crystallites. They are characterized by a more uniform pore size distribution and larger surface area as compared to similar commercial samples with a structure defined by packing of aggregates consisting of nonuniform gamma-alumina crystallites. Because of the differences in the macro- and microstructure, the sol-gel-derived granular samples offer higher crush strength and greater hardness than the commercial samples.
The importance of being misunderstood: the Coase theorem and the legacy of ‘The Problem of Social Cost’

The publication of Ronald Coase’s article, ‘The Problem of Social Cost’ (1960), led to a fundamental rethinking of the economic theory of externalities and of market failure generally. While this a...
Simultaneous transmit and receive antenna isolation improvement in scattering environments

Simultaneous transmit and receive (STAR) systems require high isolation between the transmitter and receiver to avoid self-interference. Antenna isolation degradation stems from errors in the physical construction and beamformer design, as well as reflections from scattering objects in the environment. An RF canceller subsystem can be inserted at the antenna feeds to improve the isolation in the presence of reflecting objects by 30 dB over 30 MHz centered at 2.45 GHz. This results in 90 dB of effective antenna isolation when paired with a high-isolation antenna that exhibits omni-directional radiation patterns, signifying that STAR systems can be practically deployed.
Death themes in music-resources and research opportunities for death educators

Abstract The purposes of this study are to make death educators more aware of music–classical as well as traditional and contemporary–as a vehicle for expression of thanatological ideas, and to introduce them to various means of approaching works of music and related scholarship. Major parts of the study are a 102-item bibliography, painstakingly gathered from all basic sources of information; and extensive lists of musical works, chiefly classical, which express “death themes”. Suggestions for study of musical works and topics, and for research across the disciplines of music and thanatology, many of them keyed to items in the bibliography, are presented.
PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF ELEVATED LEVELS OF INTESTINAL MICROFLORA-GENERATED METABOLITE TRIMETHYLAMINE N-OXIDE IN PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE: THE GUT HYPOTHESIS REVISITED

Accumulation of intestinal microbial-dependent dietary phosphatidylcholine metabolite, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), has been associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) pathogenesis. Potential pathophysiologic contributions of intestinal microflora in heart failure (HF) have not been described
Conjugation of Polyamidoamine Dendrimers on Biodegradable Microparticles for Nonviral Gene Delivery

We report on the preparation and characterization of poly(D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microparticles with surface-conjugated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers of varying generations. The buffering capacity and zeta-potential of the PLGA PAMAM microparticles increased with increasing generation level of the PAMAM dendrimer conjugated. Conjugation of the PAMAM dendrimer to the surface of the PLGA microparticle removed generation-dependent cytotoxicity in HEK293 and COS7 cell lines. PLGA PAMAM pDNA microparticles displayed similar cytotoxicity profiles to unmodified PLGA pDNA microparticles in COS7 cells. A generation three PAMAM dendrimer conjugated to PLGA microparticles significantly increased transfection efficiencies in comparison to unmodified PLGA microparticles.
Hydrostatic pressure in small phospholipid vesicles

Abstract The internal solvent-filled cavity of a singlewalled spherical phospholipid vesicle must be at essentially the same pressure as the aqueous medium outside the vesicle. Whether or not the bilayer itself is under elevated pressure cannot at present be determined.
Analysis of the effect of pressure on optical spectra

Curie, Berry, and Williams have recently published a theory of the effect of pressure on the frequency of optical-absorption emission lines in solids. They argue that our earlier work (with Frank) as well as that by Henry, Schnatterly, and Slichter is wrong. In this paper we analyze and compare the methods of calculation. As we explain, we believe their calculation necessarily brings into play a hidden variable needed to specify the state of the pressure apparatus. We believe their method causes that variable to change in the optical transition, thereby violating the Franck-Condon principle.
Distribution of Glass Transition Temperatures in Free-Standing, Nanoconfined Polystyrene Films: A Test of de Gennes’ Sliding Motion Mechanism

Effects of nanoscale confinement on the distribution of glass transition temperatures (Tgs) in free-standing polystyrene (PS) films are determined via a multilayer/self-referencing fluorescence method employing a pyrene dye label. Average film Tgs yield a Tg-confinement effect in agreement with the molecular weight (MW) dependence reported by Forrest, Dalnoki-Veress, and Dutcher. Multilayer films, with one pyrene-labeled layer, reveal that a 14 nm thick free-surface layer in sufficiently thick films (≥∼56 nm) exhibits Tg = Tg,bulk – ∼34 K, independent of film thickness and indicative of a strong Tg gradient near a surface. In sufficiently thin films (≤∼56 nm), a 14 nm thick free-surface layer reports Tg that decreases with decreasing film thickness and is equal to the Tg of a 14 nm thick middle layer and the average film Tg. Thus, the strongly perturbed Tg at the two surfaces affects Tg several tens of nanometers into and across the film, resulting in greater Tg reductions than observed in supported films...
Nepotism and alarm calling in the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)

Abstract At a colony containing 200 individuals of known ages and genetic relationships, I investigated alarm calling by black-tailed prairie dogs (Rodentia: Sciuridae: Cynomys ludovicianus ) during experiments with a stuffed specimen of a natural predator, the badger ( Taxidea taxus ). As in other species of burrowing squirrels, female alarm calls are evidently nepotistic (i.e. function to warn genetic relatives). Male alarm calls are also nepotistic, and individual males vary their rate of alarm calling in response to the presence or absence of close genetic relatives in the home territory. Beneficiaries of alarm calls in other species of squirrels usually include adult or juvenile offspring, but beneficiaries of black-tailed prairie dog alarm calls frequently include only non-descendant kin.
Novel therapeutic targets in viral myocarditis

Viral myocarditis is an elusive infection of the heart that is currently without an effective or definitive treatment. Viral myocarditis has a complex disease progression that can be divided into early, middle and late phases. Direct cytopathic injury, apoptosis, activation of the innate and adaptive immune system and cardiac remodeling have all been implicated in the pathogenesis of viral myocarditis. Novel treatment approaches are evolving at a rapid pace. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on current research focused on identifying potential treatment options for viral myocarditis.
40Gbps optical receiver based on Germanium waveguide photodetector hybrid-integrated with 90nm CMOS amplifier

A receiver based on Ge waveguide photodetector wire-bonded to 90nm CMOS amplifier built in specialty SOI wafer demonstrates error-free operation up to 40Gbps. At 25Gbps the receiver achieved a sensitivity of −8.3dBm with 3.3pJ/bit power-efficiency.
Cladistics and generic concepts in the Compositae

Introduction Taxonomy classes are often taught that we as systematists are concerned with grouping and ranking. We are actually concerned with two levels of grouping: the grouping of individuals (into species), and the grouping of these "groups of individuals." There are, therefore, only two categories, species and groups of species (Nelson and Platnick, 1981). If we strive to make our species represent the units of evolution, then all higher ranking categories are really just monophyletic groups of species, no matter what we choose to call them. The importance of this concept lies in a logical extension of it: as long as they are natural, the various levels at which the "groups of species" are recognized are not of major concern to cladists. However, as is evidenced by my use of the qualifier "natural," we are concerned with the quality of the groups. It is not my intention to discuss cladistic methodology in this paper because many publications are available that accomplish this task (e.g., Eldredge and Cracraft, 1980; Hennig, 1966; Humphries and Funk, 1984; Nelson and Platnick, 1981; Wiley, 1981). However, it is necessary to explain a few terms. First, the term "apomorphy" has been variously defined as a unique character (Platnick, 1979) and as an evolutionary novelty (Wiley, 198 1). What these definitions attempt to convey is the concept of a derived character that is shared by one or more taxa because of common descent. A "synapomorphy" is an apomorphy shared by more than one terminal taxon and an "autapomorphy" is characteristic of a single terminal taxon. For instance, in a cladogram of Tetragonotheca L. (Fig. 1; Seaman and Funk, 1983) there is a synapomorphy that unites the terminal taxa T. texana Gray & Engelm. and T. repanda Small, and a second synapomorphy that unites T. ludoviciana Gray and T. helianthoides L. Second, the terms "clade," "monophyletic group," and "natural group" all mean the same thing: a group that includes all taxa above a synapomorphy on the cladogram. These may also be defined as all descendents of a common ancestor. Such groups are regarded as natural because they represent a unit that has a common evolutionary history. In Fig. 2, the angiosperms and gymnosperms form a monophyletic group because they are defined by at least one synapomorphy. Likewise, the angiosperms, gymnosperms and ginkgos form a monophyletic group. The third monophyletic group on this cladogram contains all four taxa, the angiosperms, gymnosperms, ginkgos and cycads. Groups that do not fulfill the requirement for being clades are either paraphyletic or polyphyletic. Paraphyletic taxa are those that are defined only by plesiomorphies (characters that are not unique or novel at
Equipment replacement decisions and lean manufacturing

Abstract Traditional manufacturing systems are built on the principle of economies of scale. Here, the large fixed costs of production are depreciation-intensive because of huge capital investments made in high-volume operations. These fixed costs are spread over large production batch sizes in an effort to minimize the total unit costs of owning and operating the manufacturing system. As an alternative to “batch-and-queue,” high-volume, and inflexible operations, the principles of the Toyota Production System (TPS) and lean manufacturing have been widely adopted in recent years in the US [1] , [2] , [3] , [4] . In this paper, we illustrate an equipment replacement decision problem within the context of lean manufacturing implementation. In particular, we demonstrate how the value stream mapping (VSM) suite of tools can be used to map the current state of a production line and design a desired future state. Further, we provide a roadmap for how VSM can provide necessary information for analysis of equipment replacement decision problems encountered in lean manufacturing implementation.
Seedling sulfide sensitivity among plant species colonizing Phragmites-infested wetlands.

Seedling establishment is an important means of re-colonizing herbicide-treated and burned Phragmites australis marshes and of filling in newly created or naturally forming marshes. Knowing the differential sensitivity of the various species to sulfide better enables us to predict which plants are likely to colonize given areas (i.e., be it desirable species or P. australis). This study focuses on the sulfide sensitivity of the seedlings of five plant species that may re-colonize the cleared marsh surface either from wild seed stock or introduced propagules: Spartina alterniflora, Spartina patens, Setaria magna, Atriplex triangularis, and P. australis. Seedlings were grown in culture tubes in semi-solid agar media containing Hoagland’s nutrients; sulfide treatments included levels of sulfide from 0 to 8 mM. Parameters measured included number of leaves, number of lateral roots, shoot length, root length, leaf length, and biomass. Setaria magna proved to be the most sensitive to sulfide, followed in order by A. triangularis, S. patens, P. australis, and S. alterniflora. Differences in edaphic sulfide are not likely to be helpful in favoring S. magna, A. triangularis, or S. patents over P. australis. Phragmites australis was compared to S. alterniflora in a second experiment with six concentrations of sulfide between 0 and 2.0 mM. Results indicated that sulfide levels between 0.4 and 0.9 mM would favor seedling establishment of S. alterniflora over P. australis, and at 0.9 mM, S. alterniflora seedlings would have the decided advantage.
Micromechanics of fracture in extrusion die punch

Abstract Die punches which fractured during extrusion of steel billets were investigated to assess the possible causes for premature failure. Visual examination and hardness measurements were carried out to support the evidence for failure. Detailed metallurgical investigation (optical and electron microscopy) of fractured die punches demonstrated the presence of cleavage and/or quasi cleavage fracture features typical of a brittle mode of fracture. It was observed that there was a need to evaluate the fracture toughness property of the material and the judgement based solely on hardness values seemed inadequate.