cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing clogging of laminated hydrophobic membrane during fecal sludge drying.

Abstract A new sanitation technology has been proposed in which a laminated hydrophobic membrane contains and enhances drying of fecal sludge in a toilet, with particular focus on application to urban regions of low-income countries. The proposed technology uses a laminated hydrophobic membrane liner as an integral component of container-based sanitation systems. The focus of this study is to quantitatively evaluate the laminate's clogging after repeated use, which will affect replacement interval and might limit the laminate's application in container-based toilets. The membrane of the laminated hydrophobic membrane used in this process is hydrophobic and only allows vapor transport. Drying of water vapor using the laminated hydrophobic membrane occurs due to moderate temperature or humidity gradients, while other constituents such as aqueous dissolved solutes of fecal sludge are retained. Controlled laboratory experiments evaluated repeated use of a laminated hydrophobic membrane for fecal sludge drying, with mild brushing/rinsing of the laminate between each application. Drying occurred at a constant rate as long as the fecal sludge moisture content exceeded 11.6 (g/g), below which water activity
Chengyu Cloze Test

We present a neural recommendation model for Chengyu, which is a special type of Chinese idiom. Given a query, which is a sentence with an empty slot where the Chengyu is taken out, our model will recommend the best Chengyu candidate that best fits the slot context. The main challenge lies in that the literal meaning of a Chengyu is usually very different from it’s figurative meaning. We propose a new neural approach to leverage the definition of each Chengyu and incorporate it as background knowledge. Experiments on both Chengyu cloze test and coherence checking in college entrance exams show that our system achieves 89.5% accuracy on cloze test and outperforms human subjects who attended competitive universities in China. We will make all of our data sets and resources publicly available as a new benchmark for research purposes.
18F-AlF–Labeled Biomolecule Conjugates as Imaging Pharmaceuticals

The need for receptor-targeted PET imaging pharmaceuticals led to the discovery and development of numerous radiolabeled peptides and proteins specific to receptors that are known to overexpress in certain tumors (Supplemental Table 1; supplemental materials are available at <http://jnm.snmjournals.
Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) Is an Effective Tool in Assessing Achievement of Otology-related Subcompetency Milestones.

Objective To investigate the individualized learning plan (ILP) as a tool in assessment of residents' milestone achievements as they pertain to Otology subcompetencies: Chronic Ear Disease, Pediatric Otitis Media, and Hearing Loss. Study design Prospective study. Methods Twenty otolaryngology residents were instructed to use an ILP and identify six milestones from three otology-related subcompetencies to focus on during the course of a 3-month rotation. They were also asked to plan out specific activities which would help them achieve these milestones, to specify whether or not they successfully achieved them, by what instructional or learning methods and to identify any barriers. The completed ILPs were reviewed by a faculty member. Main outcome measures The effectiveness of the ILP was assessed by response compliance rate, corroboration of self-reported milestone achievement with faculty evaluations and the ability to set attainable milestones. Results There was 95% compliance in using an ILP to achieve milestones. Self-reported milestone scores corresponded to the faculty evaluations in a large majority (89.6%) of patients, and tended to be underestimated by the residents. Out of 114 total milestones identified, 44 (38.6%) were not achieved, with particular overestimation in the use of independent study as a learning method. Conclusion The ILP is an effective tool in measuring residents' achievement of otology-related milestones, and could possibly be used to supplement or replace faculty assessment. The ILP provides valuable information on barriers to achieving milestones and informs trainees on how to set attainable goals as they pertain to patient care and medical knowledge in otology.
The Effect of Writing After Reading on College Nursing Students' Factual Knowledge and Synthesis of Knowledge

The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate the effect of writing after reading on factual knowledge and synthesis of knowledge. College sophomore nursing students (N = 118) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control group which read, reviewed, but did no writing; a notetaking group; or an essay writing group. A 10-item multiple-choice test of factual knowledge was given to all subjects immediately after completing each reading and writing task and again 7 days later. At the later time, each student also wrote an essay to demonstrate synthesis of knowledge. Seven days later, students repeated the same reading and writing activities with a second text. Results of ANOVA showed that notetaking was significantly better than essay writing or no writing for recall of facts. Essay writing, on the other hand, helped students synthesize better than notetaking. However, there was no difference between essay writing and no writing on synthesis of knowledge.
Flame Holding In Unconfined Turbulent Premixed Flames

Detailed scalar and velocity measurements have been made in the near wake region of bluff body stabilized, lean, premixed ethylene/air flames at a cold flow Reynolds number of 3800. Two cases were studied at equivalence ratios, Φ =0.63 and Φ = 0.54 (close to the lean blow-off limit). Transverse velocity spectra and velocity fluctuation patterns characteristic of vortex shedding were observed behind the rectangular flame holder (3 mm by 6 mm). The recirculation zone for the leaner, less stable, flame is longer (65 mm) than the richer case (15 mm) contrary to common scaling assumptions. This is probably due to the energetic, low frequency (<70 Hz), irregular shedding found in the near wake of the leaner flame which may be an indicator of impending blow-off.
Chromosomes from Protoplasts -- Isolation, Fractionation, and Uptake

We have developed methods for the isolation of condensed mitotic and meiotic chromosomes from plant protoplasts. The chromosomes can be isolated from a variety of tissues: meiocytes, root tips, cell cultures, and from a variety of species: tobacco, tomato, lily, daylily, onion, and peas. The limiting steps are the ability to obtain synchronously dividing cells and conversion of those cells into protoplasts. We have also been able to demonstrate uptake of isolated chromosomes by recipient protoplasts with fluorescence microscopy at a frequency of 1%. We could partially fractionate chromosomes by size, but we also, unfortunately, were able to show that the in vitro size did not correspond well to the relative in vivo size, so the fractionation method was not noticeably useful. We have not obtained an actual genetic transformation as yet.
A multi‑center retrospective analysis of the effect of DPP4 inhibitors on progression‑free survival in advanced airway and colorectal cancers

Cluster of differentiation 26 (CD26), also known as dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP4), is a cell surface protein with exopeptidase activity and is expressed by most cell types. CD26/DPP4 is a multifunctional molecule with diverse biological effects, including regulatory effects on tumor growth, invasion and metastasis, and is a potential novel therapeutic target for selected cancers. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed diabetic patients with concurrent advanced airway or colorectal cancer to examine the effect of DPP4-inhibitors on progression-free survival (PFS). We performed a multi-center retrospective review of patients with advanced colorectal or airway (lung, head and neck) cancer and a concurrent diagnosis of diabetes. The control group included patients on metformin and a sulfonylurea, and the study group included patients on metformin and a DPP4 inhibitor. Ninety-six patients were eligible for the study. The cancers progressed in 23.7% of patients treated with DPP4 inhibitors compared to 50.9% of patients in the control group with an odds ratio of 0.303 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.106-0.809] and P=0.010. There was a statistically significant improvement in PFS in the study group as compared to the control group, hazard ratio=0.42 (95% CI: 0.21-0.84) and P=0.014. There was a trend toward improvement in overall survival, although this effect was not statistically significant (P=0.11). Exposure to DPP4 inhibitors in the study group led to higher PFS in patients with advanced colorectal and airway cancers. Additional investigations with larger patient cohorts are needed to validate the relationship between DPP4 inhibition and the clinical outcome of selected malignancies.
Design and synthesis of macrocyclic multidentate polyphosphine ligands with nano-sized cavities for the encapsulation of vertex-sharing polyicosahedral mixed-metal nanoclusters

Abstract Elucidation of the stereochemical and bonding principles of mixed-metal clusters in the nanosize regime (containing tens to hundreds of metal atoms) will lead to better control of their size, shape, composition, and structure, and hence their physical and chemical properties. Ultimately, such information will result in a better understanding of, for example, alloy formation and site preference in multimetallic systems or phases and reactivities and selectivities of multimetallic catalysts as well as lead to new materials of technological importance. Our work in this area gave rise to the synthesis and structural characterization of a series of nanosized AuAg clusters whose metal frameworks can be described as vertex-sharing polyicosahedra. We refer to these high-nuclearity mixed-metal clusters as ‘clusters of clusters’. This ‘cluster of clusters’ growth pathway follows a well-defined growth sequence, from a single icosahedron with 13 atoms ( s 1 (13)) to an icosahedron of 13 icosahedra with 127 atoms ( s 13 (127)). Using monodentate phosphine ligands such as triphenylphosphine, the most successful synthetic route to the polyicosahedral clusters ( s n ( N )) is based on a spontaneous but stepwise agglomeration of icosahedral cluster units via a progressive reduction. Beyond four icosahedral units, however, it becomes increasingly difficult to crystallize and chararacterize the compound. In this paper, the design and synthesis of a new series of macrocyclic polyphosphine ligands, containing multiple units of dibenzophosphole (DBP) as building blocks, are described. By analogy to the guest-host chemistry such as the (crown ether)-(alkali metal) complexes, these large polyphosphine ring systems, with cavity sizes ranging from 10 to 30 A in diameter, can be used to stabilize or encapsulate the larger vertex-sharing polyicosahedral mixed-metal (e.g. AuAg and AuAgPt) nanoclusters. Conversely, specifically designed macrocyclic multidentate polyphosphine ligands can be used as templates for the ‘growth’ of polyicosahedral metal cluster of particular size and shape. The suitability of the DBP ligands in large metal cluster synthesis was illustrated by our successful synthesis and structural characterization of a number of AuAg nanoclusters based on phenyldibenzophosphole (PDBP) ligand. While these macrocyclic polyphosphine ligands were originally designed for vertex-sharing polyicosahedral metal clusters, they can also be used to synthesize other polyhedral metal nanoclusters of various sizes and shapes.
Numerical investigations of structure-soil-structure interaction in buildings

Abstract The influence of structure-soil-structure interaction (SSSI) in low- to medium-rise buildings is investigated through numerical simulations, and observations are compared with those from previous studies that analyzed data from a set of centrifuge experiments of similar models. The buildings include a one-story moment-resisting frame building on spread footings and a two-story shear wall building on a basemat. The numerical simulations are performed using the industry-standard, frequency-domain, linear analysis code SASSI, and the time-domain nonlinear finite-element analysis code, LS-DYNA. In LS-DYNA the simulations are performed with and without geometric nonlinearities (gapping, sliding and uplift) to understand their effects on SSSI. Three plan arrangements of the buildings are considered to characterize the influence of relative location on SSSI: (1) an in-plane SSSI (iSSSI) arrangement, in which the two buildings are placed adjacent to each other along a line parallel to the direction of ground shaking, (2) an anti-plane arrangement (aSSSI), in which the two buildings are placed adjacent to each other along a line perpendicular to the direction of ground shaking, and (3) a combined in-plane-anti-plane (cSSSI) arrangement, in which two shear wall buildings are placed at two adjacent sides of the frame building on footings. Results from the numerical simulations in SASSI and LS-DYNA show that SSSI has negligible effect on the global spectral accelerations of the buildings in these arrangements. The numerical simulations agree with experimental observations in this regard. Numerical investigations into the SSSI response of the frame building on footings placed adjacent to a deep basement show that the presence of the deep basement reduces uplift in the footings and results in smaller peak spectral accelerations at the roof, underscoring the potential importance of geometric nonlinearities (gapping, sliding and uplift) in SSSI and foundation design.
“Good Social Media?”: Underrepresented Youth Perspectives on the Ethical and Equitable Design of Social Media Platforms:

This study investigates underrepresented youths’ perspectives on social media design and how these may inform the development of more ethical and equitable social media apps. In contrast to the tra...
Fluorinated co-solvent promises Li-S batteries under lean-electrolyte conditions

Abstract Practical lithium-sulfur batteries stipulate the use of a lean-electrolyte and a high Coulombic efficiency of the lithium metal anode. Herein, we employ 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl ether as a co-solvent in the electrolyte of Li-S batteries to meet the demands. The co-solvent fosters the formation of a LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphase on lithium metal anode, as revealed by Ab initio molecular dynamics and Femtosecond Stimulated Raman spectroscopy. The co-solvent results in an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.4% for lithium plating/stripping cycles. Full cells with a capacity ratio of 2 between lithium anode and the S@PAN cathode (3 mgs cm−2) exhibited a stable cycle life over 100 cycles at an electrolyte/sulfur ratio of 2 µL mg−1, validating the high Coulombic efficiency of the lithium anode and demonstrating the compatibility of the electrolyte with both electrodes. To enhance the energy density, we prepared a hybrid cathode composed of 45 wt.% VS2 mixed with ZnS-coated Li2S@graphene as the cathode. Based on the mass of both electrodes and the electrolyte, the full cell delivers an energy density of 483 Wh kg−1, which demonstrates viable Li-S batteries with the lean-electrolyte.
Intrinsic Dynamics and Toughening Mechanism of Multilayer Graphene upon Microbullet Impact

Graphene is a very promising material platform for the mitigation of supersonic and hypersonic impacts due to its capability to delocalize impact energy at an exceptionally rapid rate. However, the...
Theology in the age of cognitive science

The cognitive science of religion sets out a naturalistic account of religion, in which religious phenomena are grounded in evolved cognitive and moral intuitions. This has important implications f...
The clinical epidemiology of coronavirus disease 2019 in children and adolescents mirrors the widening gap in healthcare disparities.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has exacerbated the longstanding racial/ethnic health disparities in the USA, with a disproportionately negative effect on children of color. This review summarizes recently published studies that describe the clinical epidemiology and racial/ethnic disparities associated with SARS-CoV-2 in children. RECENT FINDINGS: Children with SARS-CoV-2 infections manifest with a wide spectrum of disease. Most are either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic with fever, gastrointestinal, and/or upper respiratory disease. Some children can progress to develop severe lower respiratory disease or a hyper-inflammatory, Kawasaki-like syndrome leading to cardiovascular shock. Although SARS-CoV-2-related deaths in children are rare, more children died within the first nine months of the pandemic than have died during any influenza season over the last decade.Black and Hispanic children represent less than 41% of the US population but account for three out of every four SARS-CoV-2-related hospitalizations and deaths in the USA. The drivers of these disparities in children are complex and likely a combination of societal, biological, and behavioral influences. SUMMARY: This pandemic brought to light longstanding health disparities in historically marginalized populations, and minority children have suffered tremendously. It provides an opportunity to understand how a virus hijacked deep-rooted inequities, address these inequities, and work to prevent this outcome in future pandemics/epidemics.
Zeolite Membranes for Desalination

Today, membrane technology is largely utilized in desalination process. Saline waters are generally treated with polymeric membranes. However, the Achilles heel of the membrane processes used in water treatment remains fouling. The latter causes flux decline in the time and so a lowering in productivity and an increase in energy consumption. Therefore, a significant interest was devoted to the recourse to inorganic membranes thanks to their excellent thermal and chemical resistance and high mechanical stability. Recently, the scientific interest was focused on zeolite membranes which offer the advantages of the inorganic ones in addition to a well-defined pore size at molecular level: these characteristics make them appropriate for separation processes. In this chapter, initially, the zeolite properties and their application at industrial level will be dealt with. Subsequently, the main methods for the zeolite membrane preparation will be discussed. Finally, the use of these membranes in desalination will be deeply presented.
Morphine and anandamide stimulate intracellular calcium transients in human arterial endothelial cells: coupling to nitric oxide release.

Both morphine and anandamide significantly stimulated cultured endothelial intracellular calcium level increases in a concentration-dependent manner in cells pre-loaded with fura 2/AM. Morphine is more potent than anandamide (approximately 275 vs. 135 nM [Ca]i), and the [Ca]i for both ligands was blocked by prior exposure of the cells to their respective receptor antagonist, i.e., naloxone and SR 171416A. Various opioid peptides did not exhibit this ability, indicating a morphine-mu3-mediated process. In comparing the sequence of events concerning morphine's and anandamide's action in stimulating both [Ca]i and nitric oxide production in endothelial cells, we found that the first event precedes the second by 40+/-8 sec. The opiate and cannabinoid stimulation of [Ca]i was attenuated in cells leeched of calcium, strongly suggesting that intracellular calcium levels regulate cNOS activity.
Principles of Geriatric Surgery

The world population is aging and the conditions that require cardiothoracic surgery – atherosclerosis, lung and esophageal cancer, degenerative valve disease, dysrhythmia, and others – increase in incidence with increasing age. What do we know about surgery in the elderly that will help us improve our care of these conditions? Six general principles are useful for teaching purposes. These include the fact that the clinical presentation of surgical problems may be subtle or different from that of the general population; the elderly handle stress well but not severe stress due to lack of reserve; preoperative preparation and attention to detail are crucial; when these are lacking, as in emergency surgery, risk dramatically increases; and the results of elective surgery in the elderly are good and do not support prejudice against advanced age. Cardiothoracic surgeons must become students of the physiologic changes that occur with aging and, guided by these few principles, apply this knowledge to daily clinical care. We owe it to our elders to become good geriatric surgeons and in so doing we will become better surgeons to patients of all ages.
The revelation of information in strategic market games: A critique of rational expectations equilibrium

Abstract We criticize the R.E.E. approach to asymmetric information general equilibrium because it does not explain how information gets ‘into’ the prices. This leads to well-known paradoxes. We suggest a multiperiod game instead, where the flow of information into and out of prices is explicitly modeled. In our game Nash equilibria (N.E.) (1) generalize Walrasian equilibria to asymmetric information, (2) exist generically, (3) eliminate pure speculation, (4) allow prices to reveal information and markets to become more efficient over time, (5) are consistent with the weak efficient markets hypothesis that tracking past prices is not profitable, (6) yet always lead to higher utility for better informed agents (such as experts). Throughout the paper we use one concrete game. In the last section we prove that there is a broad range of games that would have the same properties.
The tilted trigone

Abstract Herniation of the urinary bladder is not uncommon, but preoperative diagnosis of this condition has often been troublesome. We present the tilted trigone sign as an indicator of bladder herniation involving the posterior wall.
The Functions Provable by First Order Abstraction

Function provability in higher-order logic is a versatile and powerful framework for conceptual classification as well as verification and derivation of declarative programs. Here we show that the functions provable in second-order logic with first-order set-abstraction are precisely the elementary functions. This holds regardless of whether the logic is classical, intuitionistic, or minimal. The notion of provability here is not purely logical, as it incorporates a trivial theory of data, with axioms stating that each data object has a detectable main constructor which can be destructed. We show that this is necessary, by proving that without such rudimentary axioms the provable functions are merely the functions broadly-represented in the simply typed lambda calculus, a collection that does not even include integer subtraction.
Cosmic ray calibration of the PbWO4 crystal electromagnetic calorimeter of CMS

The Compact Muon Solenoid experiment at the CERN LHC features a high precision PbWO4 crystal electromagnetic calorimeter. Each crystal is first precalibrated with a radioactive source and by means of optical measurements. After the assembly, each supermodule (1700 crystals) is exposed to comics rays.The comparison between intercalibration obtained from cosmic muons and electrons from test beam was performed at the end of 2004 for an initial set of 130 channels and showed that a precalibration with a statistical precision of 1 to 2% can be achieved within approximately one week. An important aspect of the comics muons analysis is that it is entirely based on the calorimeter data, without using any external tracking device.We will present the setup and results from the 2004 test as well as recent data recorded on many supermodule.
Low voltage silicon field emitters with gold gates

Gated silicon field emission cathodes have been fabricated by the self-aligned lift-off method. The addition of a gold gate not only simplifies processing, but also facilitates easy packaging and allows the placement of many devices on a single chip. Currents have been measured on 2500 tip arrays which follow Fowler-Nordheim characteristics over several decades. Field emission from these arrays begins at less than 20 V. Low frequency noise measurements exhibit spectral power density indices from 1.18 to 1.55. Single tip and small array devices are being characterized.
Comparative architecture of transposase and integrase complexes

Transposases and retroviral integrases promote the movement of DNA segments to new locations within and between genomes. These recombinases function as multimeric protein-DNA complexes. Recent success in solving the crystal structure of a Tn5 transposase--DNA complex provides the first detailed structural information about a member of the transposase/integrase superfamily in its active, DNA-bound state. Here, we summarize the reactions catalyzed by transposases and integrases and review the Tn5 transposase-DNA co-crystal structure. The insights gained from the Tn5 structure and other available structures are considered together with biochemical and genetic data to discuss features that are likely to prove common to the catalytic complexes used by members of this important protein family.
Management of Dandy-Walker complex-associated infant hydrocephalus by combined endoscopic third ventriculostomy and choroid plexus cauterization

Object Dandy-Walker complex (DWC) is a continuum of congenital anomalies comprising Dandy-Walker malformation (DWM), Dandy-Walker variant (DWV), Blake pouch cyst, and mega cisterna magna (MCM). Hydrocephalus is variably associated with each of these, and DWC-associated hydrocephalus has mostly been treated by shunting, often with 2-compartment shunting. There are few reports of management by endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV). This study is the largest series of DWC or DWM-associated hydrocephalus treated by ETV, and the first report of treatment by combined ETV and choroid plexus cauterization (ETV/CPC) in young infants with this association. Methods A retrospective review of the CURE Children's Hospital of Uganda clinical database between 2004 and 2010 identified 45 patients with DWC confirmed by CT scanning (25 with DWM, 17 with DWV, and 3 with MCM) who were treated for hydrocephalus by ETV/CPC. Three were excluded because of other potential causes of hydrocephalus (2 postinfectious and 1 posthemor...
Fuzzy Inference Systems: A Critical Review

Fuzzy inference systems represent an important part of fuzzy logic. In most practical applications (i.e., control) such systems perform crisp nonlinear mapping, which is specified in the form of fuzzy rules encoding expert or common-sense knowledge about the problem at hand. This paper shows an equivalence between fuzzy system representation and more traditional (mathematical) forms of function parameterization commonly used in statistics and neural nets. This connection between fuzzy and mathematical representations of a function is crucial for understanding advantages and limitations of fuzzy inference systems. In particular, the main advantages are interpretation capability and the ease of encoding a priori knowledge, whereas the main limitation is the lack of learning capabilities. Finally, we outline several major approaches for learning (estimation) of fuzzy rules from the training data.
Proton-coupled electron transfer in [(bpy)2Mn(O)2Mn(bpy)2]3+. Role of the electrode surface

In this paper we report the electrochemistry of 1 [(bpy) 2 Mn(O) 2 Mn(bpy) 2 ] 3+ (1, bpy=2,2'-bipyridyl) at edge-oriented pyrolytic graphite (EOPG) and tin-doped indium oxide. These surfaces appear to mediate proton-coupled electron transfer; it is also clear that both forms of 1 adsorb at these surfaces under certain conditions
Gains from joint cross validation bandwidth selection for derivatives of conditional multidimensional densities

This paper studies bandwidth selection for kernel estimation of derivatives of multidimensional conditional densities, a non-parametric realm unexplored in the literature. This paper extends Baird [Cross validation bandwidth selection for derivatives of multidimensional densities. RAND Working Paper series, WR-1060; 2014] in its examination of conditional multivariate densities, derives and presents criteria for arbitrary kernel order and density dimension, shows consistency of the estimators, and investigates a minimization criterion which jointly estimates numerator and denominator bandwidths. I conduct a Monte Carlo simulation study for various orders of kernels in the Gaussian family and compare the new cross validation criterion with those implied by Baird [Cross validation bandwidth selection for derivatives of multidimensional densities. RAND Working Paper series, WR-1060; 2014]. The paper finds that higher order kernels become increasingly important as the dimension of the distribution increases. ...
Future Articles: Frontiers of Nuclear Structure: Exotic Nuclei

The atomic nucleus is a complex, quantum mechanical system that is of fundamental importance in our quest to understand the world around us, to comprehend how the universe developed to where it is today, and as a tool for a variety of applications from energy to medicine. The nucleus, central to each atom, comprises over 99.9% of the mass of the atom, yet occupies less than a trillionth of its volume. The smallness of the atomic nucleus relative to every-day objects is astounding. If the nucleus were the size of a football, then the atom would be as large across as London. A Frisbee, in relative size, would be as large as our entire solar system. Despite this incredibly small size, the task of nuclear science is to manipulate atomic nuclei on a femto-scale, make new forms of nuclear matter by rearranging its constituent pieces, and come to a thorough understanding of its inner workings.
Synthesis and characterization of biodegradable network hydrogels having both hydrophobic and hydrophilic components with controlled swelling behavior

A new class of biodegradable hydrogels, consisting of hydrophobic poly(D,L)lactic acid (PDLLA) and hydrophilic dextran segments with a polymer network structure, was synthesized with UV photopolymerization. Unsaturated vinyl groups first were introduced onto the PDLLA and dextran polymer backbones, then followed by a crosslinking reaction of diacrylate-terminated PDLLA and dextran acrylate. The chemical crosslinking forced the hydrophobic PDLLA and hydrophilic dextran segments to mix with each other in the network hydrogels. The new polymers were characterized by standard polymer characterization methods such as NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography. The effects of reaction time, temperature, and molar ratio of the reactants on the incorporation of acrylate onto the polymer backbone were examined. A series of hydrogels with different dextran/PDLLA composition ratios was prepared, and their swelling behaviors were studied. These new bicomponent network hydrogels had a wide range of hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity that was difficult to achieve in totally hydrophilic hydrogels. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 4554–4569, 1999
Influence of Temperature and Moisture on Infection of Forest Tent Caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) Exposed to Resting Spores of the Entomopathogenic Fungus Furia gastropachae (Zygomycetes: Entomophthorales)

Resting spores are critical to the ability of many entomophthoralean fungi to initiate epizootics after periods of host scarcity, but the influence of environmental conditions on their activity is poorly understood. In this study, the effects of temperature and soil moisture on the activity of resting spores of Furia gastropachae (Raciborski) Filotas, Hajek, and Humber, an entomophthoralean pathogen of the forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hubner, were investigated in the laboratory. M. disstria larvae were exposed to soil containing F. gastropachae resting spores under nine moisture-by-temperature treatments designed to approximate the range of ambient abiotic conditions present during the early spring period when host and pathogen are active. Both infection and spore production were maximized at high moisture levels approaching saturation but inhibited in highly saturated soils. The percentage of M. disstria larvae dying from F. gastropachae infections was maximized at cooler temperatures, as was the production of conidia from cadavers. This may be related to host phenology; F. gastropachae maximizes infection and dispersal at the cooler temperatures occurring when its host is active. In this study, a Percoll-based technique for the quantification of entomophthoralean resting spores in soil was applied to determine that resting spore densities exceeded 500/g dry soil, 4 yr after an F. gastropachae epizootic had been observed.
Analysis of Actively Controlled Coulomb Damping for Rotating Machinery

Attempts have been made in the past to use Coulomb damping for vibration suppression in rotating machinery. Typically, a dry friction damper is designed to operate on a flexible bearing support. These designs have usually been unsuccessful in practice, partly because the Coulomb coefficient changes with temperature, with ingress of dirt or lubricant, and with the surface wear conditions. It is known that purely Coulomb damping forces cannot restrain the peak rotor whirl amplitudes at a critical speed. The invention of a disk type of electroviscous damper, utilizing a fluid with electrorheological (ER) properties, has recently revived the interest in Coulomb type dampers. Several investigations have suggested that a Coulomb friction model was the best representation for an ER damper with voltage applied. This model was used to study the feasibility of developing actively controlled bearing dampers for aircraft engines. This paper analyzes the imbalance response of two different rotordynamic models with Coulomb friction damping and shows the benefit of adding active control. Control laws are derived to achieve minimum rotor vibration amplitudes while avoiding large bearing forces over a speed range that includes a critical speed. The control laws are derived for purely Coulomb type of damping and assuming a combination of Coulomb and viscous damping effects. It is shown that the most important feature of Coulomb damping for minimal rotordynamic amplitude response is the control of rotor support stiffness, i.e. leading to the relocation of critical speeds, rather than control of a damping coefficient.Copyright © 1999 by ASME
A model for exergy analysis and thermodynamic bounds of Stirling refrigerators

Abstract A thermodynamic model based on exergy flow through a Stirling Refrigerator is developed. Important irreversibilities of the refrigerator due to external heat transfer with the reservoirs, heat leak, flow and heat transfer in regenerator are included in the model. Expansion and compression efficiencies are introduced in the model to account for the losses in these processes. The effect of a control phase shift between the mass flow rate and pressure across regenerator on the performance of the refrigerator is presented. Analytical solutions representing important quantities in the design of Stirling refrigerators such as the load curve, cooling power and efficiency in terms of basic system input parameters are developed. Thermodynamic bounds for the performance of Stirling refrigerators are obtained. Results indicating a compromise between cooling power and efficiency that are dependent on the constraint of the system are presented and discussed.
McCollough aftereffects in strabismus and amblyopia.

Abstract In strabismic people, the functioning of the deviating eye is impaired. This impairment is binocular in origin since it depends on stimulation of the straight eye; sensitivity and acuity of the deviating eye are usually better when the straight eye is patched than when both eyes are viewing. We investigated interactions between the eyes in strabismic people by using the McCollough color aftereffect as an exploratory procedure. Both normal and strabismic people adapted to black and colored bars and then examined black and white test bars. They reported colors in the achromatic test bars that were complementary to the adapting colors; this is the McCollough aftereffect. Both a monocular McCollough effect and a binocular McCollough effect were induced in people having normal vision. Strabismic people did not show a binocular McCollough effect. Aftereffect strengths were the same in each eye of normal people but were stronger in the impaired eye of strabismic people. A speculation is offered as to why the “non-seeing” eye of strabismic people “sees” the aftereffect better.
Dynamic overloads and negative damping in mechanical linkage: Case study of catastrophic failure of extrusion press

Abstract Productivity of extrusion presses can be enhanced by increasing their cycling rate. The productivity can be further increased by modifications of the driving linkages wherein the rates of speed of necessary auxiliary motions, not associated with production loads, are increased even more. However, such advancements increase importance of dynamic processes with which the designers are not very familiar. The paper describes a practical study of a large (2 × 600 ton), long stroke (560 mm), high speed (50 spm) extrusion press with a drag-link linkage drive which was designed without proper attention to dynamics of its linkage. The press experienced numerous catastrophic failures, such as cracking and breaking of large bronze bearing bushings, breaking of a massive link, fast wear of slide guideways, etc. The attempts to reduce intensity of the dynamic loads were concentrated mostly on reducing the cycling rate of the press. These attempts were not successful until the cyclical rate had been reduced down to 25 spm. The paper presents the measured data on the dynamic loads and presents a basic dynamic analysis showing that the intense dynamic loads were caused by repetitive impacts in the bearing clearances, mostly at the reversal points of links’ kinematic parameters (position, velocity, acceleration). Effects of these impacts were reinforced by the intervals of dynamic instability of the linkage, resulting in generation of negative damping terms. Some design recommendations aimed to reduction of the dynamic loads are formulated.
Porothermoelasticity for swelling shales

Abstract Optimization of drilling fluid parameters such as mud weight, salt concentration, and temperature is essential to alleviating instability problems when drilling through shale sections, particularly in high-pressure and high-temperature environments. Under these conditions, selection of suitable mud parameters can benefit from analyses that consider significant thermal and chemo–mechanical processes involved in shale–drilling fluid interactions. A non-isothermal poroelastic theory suitable for shales is presented herein. Phenomena related to thermal and chemical osmosis are considered by extending the theory of porothermoelasticity to chemically active rocks. The modified pore pressure and stresses around a borehole in shale are obtained by solving the porothermoelastic field equations in generalized plane strain. Application of the solution to a typical field operational situation has demonstrated that thermal osmosis can significantly impact formation pore pressure, thereby reducing stability. Furthermore, analyses based on the new porothermoelastic formulation for shales suggest that mud temperature should be optimized in order to maximize the efficacy of chemical osmosis in stabilizing the borehole.
The role of high molecular weight kininogen and prothrombin as cofactors in the binding of factor XI A3 domain to the platelet surface.

Abstract We have reported that prothrombin (1 μm) is able to replace high molecular weight kininogen (45 nm) as a cofactor for the specific binding of factor XI to the platelet (Baglia, F. A., and Walsh, P. N. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 2271–2281). We have also determined that prothrombin fragment 2 binds to the Apple 1 domain of factor XI at or near the site where high molecular weight kininogen binds. A region of 31 amino acids derived from high molecular weight kininogen (HK31-mer) can also bind to factor XI (Tait, J. F., and Fujikawa, K. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 11651–11656). We therefore investigated the role of prothrombin fragment 2 and HK31-mer as cofactors in the binding of factor XI to activated platelets. Our experiments demonstrated that prothrombin fragment 2 (1 μm) or the HK31-mer (8 μm) are able to replace high molecular weight kininogen (45 nm) or prothrombin (1 μm) as cofactors for the binding of factor XI to the platelet. To localize the platelet binding site on factor XI, we used mutant full-length recombinant factor XI molecules in which the platelet binding site in the Apple 3 domain was altered by alanine scanning mutagenesis. The recombinant factor XI with alanine substitutions at positions Ser248, Arg250, Lys255, Leu257, Phe260, or Gln263 were defective in their ability to bind to activated platelets. Thus, the interaction of factor XI with platelets is mediated by the amino acid residues Ser248, Arg250, Lys255, Leu257, Phe260, and Gln263 within the Apple 3 domain.
New approaches to analyzing microbial biodiversity data.

Abstract Modern molecular techniques have revealed an extraordinary diversity of microorganisms, most of which are as yet uncharacterized. This poses a major challenge to microbial ecologists: how can one compare the microbial diversity of different environments when the vast majority of microbial taxa are usually unknown? Three statistical approaches developed by ecologists and evolutionary biologists — parametric estimation, nonparametric estimation and community phylogenetics — are proving to be promising tools to meet this challenge. The combination of these tools with molecular biology techniques allow the rigorous estimation and comparison of microbial diversity in different environments.
Potent α-adrenoceptor blocking action of SGB-1534, a new quinazoline antihypertensive agent In vitro experiments

Abstract 1. 1. SGB-1534 inhibited the contractile response to norepinephrine (NE), methoxamine (MO) and electrical transmural stimulation in the rabbit aorta, basilar and cat coronary arteries and only in the rabbit aorta its inhibitor action was a competitive manner. 2. 2. In the rabbit aorta, the potency (pA2) of SGB was greater than that of prazosin, whereas in the other preparations, the effect of SGB was comparable to that of prazosin. 3. 3. In the rabbit aorta, both SGB and prazosin abolished the contraction induced by transmural stimulation. In the guinea-pig vas deferens, SGB failed to affect the inhibitory effect of clonidine on the response to electrical field stimulation. 4. 4. SGB had no inhibitory effects on the contractile response to potassium, 5-hydroxytryptamine, PGF2α and an excess Ca2+ and the relaxing response to isoproterenol in the vascular tissues. 5. 5. In the electrically driven left atria of guinea-pigs, SGB had no effect on the electromechanical parameters and the isoproterenol induced inotropic effect. 6. 6. On the specific binding of [3H]prazosin in the rabbit aorta, the inhibitory effect of SGB was greater than that of prazosin and phentolamine.
Post-Traumatic Epilepsy in Children—Experience From a Tertiary Referral Center

Abstract Background Post-traumatic epilepsy after a traumatic brain injury occurs in 10%-20% of children. Unfortunately, a biomarker that could provide prognostic information about both post-traumatic epilepsy and cognitive development is lacking. In this first of a series of studies, we have reviewed and analyzed clinical variables in children following traumatic brain injury to understand the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of post-traumatic epilepsy in our urban population. Methods We performed a retrospective electronic chart review of patients who had suffered traumatic brain injury and subsequently evaluated at Children's Hospital of Michigan from 2002 to 2012. Various epidemiologic and clinical variables were analyzed. Results Patients who had severe traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic epilepsy had an abnormal acute head computed tomography. These patients had increased number of different seizure types, increased risk of intractability of epilepsy, and were on multiple antiepileptic drugs. Hypomotor seizure was the most common seizure type in these patients. There was a high prevalence of patients who suffered nonaccidental trauma, all of whom had severe traumatic brain injury. Conclusions This study demonstrates a need for biomarkers in children following traumatic brain injury to reliably evaluate the risk of post-traumatic epilepsy.
Managing architectural emergence: A conceptual model and simulation

Information systems are increasingly interconnected. They evolve through a sequence of projects that are affected by, and subsequently modify, this interconnectedness. We suggest that decision makers can influence emergent information systems by closely managing only a subset of their applications. We define this set of applications as the architectural control points (ACPs). To help architects manage their architecture, we develop a conceptual model of information system architecture as a network comprising a set of nodes linked by dependencies. We use simulation and network analysis to identify and show the value of ACPs.
Comparison of intensity modulated x-ray therapy and intensity modulated proton therapy for selective subvolume boosting: a phantom study

Selective subvolume boosting can theoretically improve tumour control probability while maintaining normal tissue complication probabilities similar to those of uniform dose distributions. In this work the abilities of intensity-modulated x-ray therapy (IMXT) and intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) to deliver boosts to multiple subvolumes of varying size and proximities are compared in a thorough phantom study. IMXT plans were created using the step-and-shoot (IMXT-SAS) and helical tomotherapy (IMXT-HT) methods. IMPT plans were created with the spot scanning (IMPT-SS) and distal gradient tracking (IMPT-DGT) methods. IMPT-DGT is a generalization of the distal edge tracking method designed to reduce the number of proton beam spots required to deliver non-uniform dose distributions relative to IMPT-SS. The IMPT methods were delivered over both 180° and 360° arcs. The IMXT-SAS and IMPT-SS methods optimally satisfied the non-uniform dose prescriptions the least and the most, respectively. The IMPT delivery methods reduced the normal tissue integral dose by a factor of about 2 relative to the IMXT delivery methods, regardless of the delivery arc. The IMPT-DGT method reduced the number of proton beam spots by a factor of about 3 relative to the IMPT-SS method. For more information on this article, see medicalphysicsweb.org
DSP aspects for deployment of 100G-DWDM systems in carrier networks

This paper reviews carriers' requirements for 100G based DWDM systems, and indicates some of the key functions needed by coherent Digital Signal Processors (DSPs). A proof-of-concept DSP is fabricated and subjected to a technical feasibility study of its functions and real-time performance. This reasonably power efficient device will advance the maturity of 100G coherent DWDM systems.