cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gender preferences, sex predetermination, and family size in the United States.

Past and present research on gender preference and the likely impact of sex predetermination on family size among white couples in the U.S. are discussed. 1 research style involves asking people about their preferences for children of each gender and then depending on the responses estimating the likely impact of sex predetermination on fertility. A second research style involves the classification of respondents according to their parity at interview and the sex of the children already born. Data from a 1971 sample of second parity wives whose intended family size (2.39) was far below the 3.3 level reported and later achieved by second-partiy wives in the 1957 Princeton survey are presented. Among the 153 wives with a boy and a girl the mean intended family size in 1971 was 2.41; for the 120 wives with 2 children of the same sex the mean number intended was 2.37. There were similar findings among the women of third or higher parities. The results suggest that less direct indicators of sex-of-child effects on fertility such as the percentage wanting no more the percentage intending to have more children or the percentage going on to the next parity may give dissimilar results than those obtained from measures of intended or actual completed family size. Under small family size norm the future impact of sex predetermination of the completed fertility of white wives in the U.S. appears negligible.
Experimental Investigation of Molten Salt Nanofluid for Solar Thermal Energy Application

The overall efficiency of a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) system is critically dependent on the thermo-physical properties of the Thermal Energy Storage (TES) components and the Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF). Higher operating temperatures in CSP result in enhanced thermal efficiency of the thermodynamic cycles that are used in harnessing solar energy (e.g., using Rankine cycle or Stirling cycle). Particlularly, high specific heat capacity (Cp ) and high thermal conductivity (k) of the HTF and TES materials enable reduction in the size and overall cost of solar power systems. However, only a limited number of materials are compatible for the high operating temperature requirements (exceeding 400°C) envisioned for the next generation of CSP systems. Molten salts have a wide range of melting point (200°C∼500°C) and are thermally stable up to 700°C. However, thermal property values of the molten salts are typically quite low (Cp is typically less than ∼2J/g-K and k is typically less than ∼1 W/m-K). To obviate these issues the molten salts can be doped with nanoparticles — resulting in the synthesis / formation of nanomaterials (nanocomposites and nanofluids). Nanofluids are colloidal suspensions formed by doping with minute concentration of nanoparticles. Nanofluids were reported for anomalous enhancement in their thermal conductivity values. In this study, molten salt-based nanofluids were synthesized by liquid solution method. A differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) was used to measure the specific heat capacity values of the proposed nanofluids. The observed enhancement in specific heat is then compared with predictions from conventional thermodynamic models (e.g. thermal equilibrium model or “simple mixing rule”). Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) is used to verify that minimal aggregation of nanoparticles occurred before and after the thermocycling experiments. Thermocycling experiments were conducted for repeated measurements of the specific heat capacity by using multiple freeze-thaw cycles of the nanofluids/ nano-composites, respectively. This study demonstrates the feasibility for using novel nanomaterials as high temperature nanofluids for applications in enhancing the operational efficiencies as well as reducing the cost of electricity produced in solar thermal systems utilizing CSP in combination with TES.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
The flocculation of quartz powder in guar gum solutions and the effects of surface treatment

Abstract The flocculation of quartz dust can be achieved using guar gum in suitable concentration ranges. The flocculation can be modified by surface treatment of the quartz. However, the hydrolysis of the -OSiMe3 (Me ≡ CH3) group used to give a surface OH was promoted at high gum concentrations so that the effect could only be seen at low guar gum concentrations. Some simple equations based on a modified Stokes law can be used to calculate the average floc size. The value of the hindrance factor A in these equations was 6.93 for the quartz powder which must be contrasted with the value of 81 for a silica gel and suggests that shape is not the only factor involved in deciding the value of A.
Challenges in the new millennium: Product discovery and design, enterprise and supply chain optimization, global life cycle assessment

Abstract This paper first provides an overview of the financial state of the process industry, major issues it currently faces, and job placement of chemical engineers in the US. These facts combined with an expanded role of process systems engineering, are used to argue that to support the “value preservation” and “value growth” industry three major future research challenges need to be addressed: product discovery and design, enterprise and supply chain optimization, and global life cycle assessment. We provide a brief review of the progress that has been made in these areas, as well as the supporting methods and tools for tackling these problems. Finally, we provide some concluding remarks.
Nonlinear stochastic dynamical systems in physical problems

Abstract A number of important equations of physics are shown to fit into the structure of a nonlinear stochastic differential equation which can then be solved by the decomposition method.
Absorbance- and Light-Based Solid-Phase Assays for CMPNeuAc:Galβ1-4GlcNAc-R α-2,3-Sialyltransferase

Abstract We now report a solid-phase assay for CMPNeuAc: Galβ1–3/4GlcNAc-R α-2,3-sialyltransferase (α2,3ST) that is nonradioactive and allows specific identification of the sialylated product. An acceptor glycoprotein, desialylated fetuin, is immobilized on a microtiter plate. The transfer of sialic acid from CMPNeuAc generates the product NeuAcα2–3Galβ1–4GlcNAc-R that is specifically bound by biotinylated Maackia amurensis leukoagglutinin (MAL). The binding of biotinylated MAL is measured with either an absorbance-based reagent (streptavidin conjugated to alkaline phosphatase) or a light-based reagent (streptavidin conjugated to the bioluminescent protein aequorin, Aqualite). The rat liver α2,3ST was used to optimize the assay. The formation of product is linear with respect to time and dependence on the amounts of CMPNeuAc, enzyme, and acceptor coated on the plates. As little as 0.2 μU of enzyme can be measured using the streptavidin–aequorin reagent. The assay is useful with crude tissue extracts, as demonstrated by the determination of the α2,3ST activity in human serum and in microsomes of HL-60 and Chinese hamster ovary cells.
Protection against H7N3 high pathogenicity avian influenza in chickens immunized with a recombinant fowlpox and an inactivated avian influenza vaccines

Beginning on June 2012, an H7N3 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) epizootic was reported in the State of Jalisco (Mexico), with some 22.4 million chickens that died, were slaughtered on affected farms or were preemptively culled on neighboring farms. In the current study, layer chickens were vaccinated with a recombinant fowlpox virus vaccine containing a low pathogenic AI (LPAI) H7 gene insert (rFPV-H7-AIV) and an inactivated oil-emulsified H7N3 AIV vaccine, and subsequently challenged against the Jalisco H7N3 HPAIV. All vaccine combinations provided similar and significant protection against mortality, morbidity, and shedding of challenge virus from the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. Serological data also suggested analogous protection from HPAIV among immunized birds. Control of the recent Jalisco AIV infection could be achieved by using various combinations of the two vaccines tested. Even though a single dose of rFPV-H7-AIV vaccine at 1-day-of-age would be the most pragmatic option, optimal protection may require a second dose of vaccine administered in the field.
Landscape structure control on soil CO2 efflux variability in complex terrain: Scaling from point observations to watershed scale fluxes

[1] We investigated the spatial and temporal variability of soil CO2 efflux across 62 sites of a 393-ha complex watershed of the northern Rocky Mountains. Growing season (83 day) cumulative soil CO2 efflux varied from ∼300 to ∼2000 g CO2 m−2, depending upon landscape position, with a median of 879.8 g CO2 m−2. Our findings revealed that highest soil CO2 efflux rates were observed in areas with persistently high soil moisture (riparian meadows), whereas lower soil CO2 efflux rates were observed on forested uplands (98% of watershed area). Furthermore, upslope accumulated area (UAA), a surrogate measure of the lateral redistribution of soil water, was positively correlated with seasonal soil CO2 efflux at all upland sites, increasing in explanatory power when sites were separated by the major aspects of the watershed (SE/NW). We used the UAA–soil CO2 efflux relationship to upscale measured CO2 efflux to the entire watershed and found watershed-scale soil CO2 efflux of 799.45 ± 151.1 g CO2 m−2 over 83 days. These estimates compared well with independent eddy covariance estimates of nighttime ecosystem respiration measured over the forest. We applied this empirical model to three synthetic watersheds with progressively reduced complexity and found that seasonal estimates of soil CO2 efflux increased by 50, 58, and 98%, demonstrating the importance of landscape structure in controlling CO2 efflux magnitude. Our study represents an empirical quantification of seasonal watershed-scale soil CO2 efflux and demonstrates that UAA (i.e., landscape position) and drainage patterns are important controls on the spatial organization of large-scale (∼km2) soil CO2 efflux, particularly in semiarid, subalpine ecosystems.
Relation of left ventricular chamber shape in patients with low (≤40%) ejection fraction to severity of functional mitral regurgitation

Abstract In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that severity of functional MR in patients with low ejection fraction appears to be dictated primarily by increased sphericity of the left ventricle rather than by mitral annular dilatation or LV chamber enlargement.
Oxidative stress in critical care medicine.

The role of oxidative stress in critical care medicine has been increasingly studied in recent years and found to have considerable relevance in the care of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) in whom ischaemia-reperfusion injury and systemic inflammatory conditions are commonly present (1). Oxidative stress has been defined by some as 'a disturbance in the pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance in favour of the former resulting in cell damage and disease' (2). Pro-oxidants are reactive oxygen (O 2 ) species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) that cause injury to DNA, polyunsaturated fatty acids and proteins that finally lead to cell death (1,3). The major reactive species include hydroxyl radical, superoxide radical, nitric oxide (NO) radical, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and singlet oxygen's (4).
The Effect of Limited Liability on the Informativeness of Earnings: Evidence from the Stock and Bond Markets*

Previous empirical research on the informativeness of earnings has focused on stockholders, and has not examined differences in earnings' informativeness for stockholders and bondholders. Because stockholders are residual claimants and bondholders are fixed claimants, the informativeness of earnings should differ for these two types of investors. When a firm's default risk is low, changes in its financial condition should be of limited relevance to bondholders, but should be relevant to stockholders. In contrast, as the likelihood of financial distress increases, stockholders' limited liability allows them to abandon the firm to the bondholders (Fischer and Verrecchia 1997). Accordingly, as a firm's default risk increases, changes in its financial condition should be increasingly important to bondholders and less important to shareholders. Because earnings provide information on firm value, the stock return-earnings association should decrease as the firm's financial strength declines, while the bond return-earnings association should increase. We use two measures of a firm's financial strength: the firm's bond rating and its reporting of a loss. Consistent with our hypotheses, we find that the association between stock returns and changes in annual earnings decreases as bond ratings decline, while the association between bond returns and changes in annual earnings increases. These results suggest that as the company's financial condition deteriorates, earnings become less relevant for stock valuation and more relevant for bond valuation. When we partition firms based on their loss status, we find a stronger association between stock returns and annual earnings changes for firms with positive earnings (profit firms) than for firms with losses, consistent with earlier studies. In contrast, we find that the association between bond returns and earnings changes is greater for loss firms than for profit firms. These results suggest that losses reduce the informativeness of earnings for stockholders but increase informativeness for bondholders, suggesting that investors view losses as indicating increased credit risk.
Insecticidal activity of Brassica juncea seed meal to the fungus gnat Bradysia impatiens Johannsen (Diptera:Sciaridae)

Fungus gnats (Bradysia impatiens) can be a serious pest especially to plants grown in confined areas, and although various methods of control are available, safer and more effective control measures are desirable. Mustard seed meal, a by-product remaining after oil removal for use as a biodiesel feedstock, contains compounds called glucosinolates that hydrolyse to insecticidal 2-propenyl isothiocyanate. Our objective was to produce a dose-response curve for making recommendations of Brassica juncea seed meal applications that will result in fungus gnat larvae control. Twenty colony-raised fungus gnat larvae were added to 20 g (226 per cm3) of potting media, and adult emergence monitored during 2 weeks using yellow sticky cards. Treatments included without meal, detoxified meal and 19 doses ranging from 0.05 to 3.0 g seed meal. A logistic model was used to predict an LC50 of 0.18 and an LC90 of 0.38 g seed meal for the 20-g pot. The amounts of seed meal required to produce the observed LC50 and LC90 were predicted to produce 0.08 and 0.17 μmol 2-propenyl isothiocyanate per cm3 potting medium, respectively. B. juncea seed meal has potential utility for the control of B. impatiens, thus warranting additional studies to determine the seed meal's chronic impact on fungus gnats, phytotoxicity and plant fertility benefits.
The “Josiah” and the “Joshua Bates” and the Meteoritic‐Dust Shower of November 14, 1856

Thru loose misquotations made some 25 years after the originally published facts in regard to the important shower of meteoritic dust that fell onto the ship Joshua Bates on November 14, 1856, the misconception has arisen that two such showers had been observed, the second in 1859. It is here shown that all of the references involved correspond to one and the same shower.
p53 and RPA Are Sequestered in Viral Replication Centers in the Nuclei of Cells Infected with Human Cytomegalovirus

Previously, we reported that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection of fibroblasts markedly affects p53 and other regulatory proteins and inhibits transit through the cell cycle (F. M. Jault, J.-M. Jault, F. Ruchti, E. A. Fortunato, C. Clark, J. Corbeil, D. D. Richman, and D. H. Spector, J. Virol. 69:6697–6704, 1995). Although the p53 steady-state levels are elevated throughout the infection, evidence suggests that the ability of p53 to transactivate some of its downstream targets is compromised. To elucidate the mechanisms governing the accumulation of p53, we examined the synthesis, stability, and localization of the protein in HCMV-infected fibroblasts. Synthesis of p53 was not increased in the infected cells during the first 24 h postinfection. In fact, pulse-chase experiments revealed that synthesis of p53 in infected fibroblasts was lower than in mock-infected cells. However, after an initial decay, the p53 was stabilized. In addition, beginning at approximately 30 h postinfection, p53 was localized to discrete foci within the nuclei of infected cells. The morphology of these foci suggested that they were replication centers. We confirmed that these are sites of DNA replication by demonstrating both incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine and localization of UL44 (the viral polymerase processivity factor) into these centers. The single-stranded DNA binding protein RPA was also sequestered. In contrast, Rb and HCMV IE1 72 remained distributed throughout the infected cell nuclei, indicating specific targeting of certain proteins. Taken together, our results provide two alternative mechanisms to account for the increased steady-state levels of p53 observed in HCMV-infected fibroblasts.
Business as Plan B Institutional Foundations of Gender Inequality in Entrepreneurship across 24 Industrialized Countries

This article develops and empirically evaluates an institutional theory of gender inequalities in business start-up, ownership, and growth orientation. I argue that in contexts in which institution...
A long-term outcome analysis of 984 surgically treated herniated lumbar discs.

✓ This paper presents a long-term follow-up study of 984 patients operated on for a herniated lumbar disc between 1959 and 1991. It was possible to follow 98% of patients from the time of operation to the time of writing. The mean follow-up period was 10.8 years. The most common presenting complaint was back pain with sciatica in one leg; the most frequent neurological finding was impaired straight-leg raising. Myelography confirmed the diagnosis in 80% of patients, but more recently enhanced computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have been the preferred studies. The operative procedure was either hemilaminectomy or laminectomy with × 3.5 magnification and fiberoptic lighting. Herniated lumbar discs involved L4–5 and L5–S1 with equal frequency (47%). The recurrence rate was 6%, one-third of which developed during the 1st year after operation. The complication rate was 4%; there were no intraoperative vascular or intestinal injuries. The Prolo Functional Economic Outcome Rating Scale was us...
Effects of Fuel Particle Size Distributions on Neutron Transport in Stochastic Media

Abstract This paper presents a study of the fuel particle size distribution effects on neutron transport in three-dimensional stochastic media. Particle fuel is used in gas-cooled nuclear reactor designs and innovative light water reactor designs loaded with accident tolerant fuel. Due to the design requirements and fuel fabrication limits, the size of fuel particles may not be perfectly constant but instead follows a certain distribution. This brings a fundamental question to the radiation transport computation community: how does the fuel particle size distribution affect the neutron transport in particle fuel systems? To answer this question, size distribution effects and their physical interpretations are investigated by performing a series of neutron transport simulations at different fuel particle size distributions. An eigenvalue problem is simulated in a cylindrical container consisting of fissile fuel particles with five different size distributions: constant, uniform, power, exponential and Gaussian. A total of 15 parametric cases are constructed by altering the fissile particle volume packing fraction and its optical thickness, but keeping the mean chord length of the spherical fuel particle the same at different size distributions. The tallied effective multiplication factor ( k eff ) and the spatial distribution of fission power density along axial and radial directions are compared between different size distributions. At low packing fraction and low optical thickness, the size distribution shows a noticeable effect on neutron transport. As high as 1.00% relative difference in k eff and ∼1.50% relative difference in peak fission power density are observed. As the packing fraction and optical thickness increase, the effect gradually dissipates. Neutron channeling between fuel particles is identified as the effect most responsible for the different neutronic results. Different size distributions result in the difference in the average number of fuel particles and their average size. As a result, different degrees of neutron channeling are produced. The size effect in realistic reactor unit cells is also studied and, from the predicted values of infinite multiplication factors, it is concluded that the fuel particle size distribution effects are not negligible.
Rossby waves with negative equivalent depths – comments on a note by G. A. Corby

The results of Corby (1967) on the effect of constant angular zonal velocity on Rossby-Haurwitz waves in a barotropic fluid layer are extended, in an approximate manner, to waves in an infinite compressible atmosphere. It is shown that the main effect of a constant zonal basic flow in the wave equation is to doppler shift the wave's frequency. However, an important non-doppler effect enters into the lower boundary condition. The lower boundary condition determines the free oscillations' equivalent depths which now depend on the horizontal wave numbers and can be negative – consistent with Corby's results. For the atmosphere, the more negative the equivalent depths, the more tightly the oscillation is confined to the ground.
Solubility of Zinc Silicate and Zinc Ferrite in Aqueous Solution to High Temperatures

Crystalline zinc silicate, Zn2SiO4, and zinc ferrite, ZnFe2O4, were prepared and characterized. The solubilities of these phases were measured using flow-through apparatus from 50 to 350 °C in 100 °C intervals over a wide range of pH. Both solid phases dissolve incongruently, presumably to form ZnO(s) and Fe2O3(s) (or the corresponding hydroxide phases at low temperature), respectively. The respective concentrations of zinc(II) and iron(III) matched those of ZnO(cr) and Fe2O3(s) (≥150 °C) reported in the literature, whereas the corresponding Si(IV) and Zn(II) concentrations were at least an order of magnitude below the solubility limits for their pure oxide phases. Therefore, the solubility constants for zinc silicate and ferrite were determined with respect to the known solubility constants for ZnO(cr) and Fe2O3(s) (≥150 °C), respectively, and the corresponding concentrations of Si(IV) and Zn(II) measured in this study. The results of independent experiments, as well as those reported in the literature provide insights into the mechanism(s) of formation of zinc silicate and ferrite in the primary circuits of nuclear reactors.
Voices of Convergence or Conflict? A Path Analysis Investigation of Selective Exposure to Political Websites

This research used a path analysis model to explore the degree to which reliance on off-line and online media, off-line and online discussion of political issues, as well as political attitudes predict whether an individual will engage in selective exposure to political websites. The study also looked at selective avoidance of contradictory information on websites. The results indicate that respondents did indeed practice selective exposure when accessing information on political websites, especially among those who are politically active online and those who rely heavily on websites and blogs for political information. However, the results showed that selective avoidance did not occur, with those exhibiting increased political interest and online participation significantly less likely to avoid information that challenges their views.
Oligosaccharide Side Chains on Human Secretory IgA Serve as Receptors for Ricin

Secretory IgA (sIgA) Abs are polymeric Igs comprised of two or more IgA monomers joined together at their C termini and covalently associated with a 70-kDa glycoprotein called secretory component. As the predominant Ig type in gastrointestinal sections, sIgA Abs are centrally important in adaptive immunity to enteropathogenic bacteria, viruses, and toxins. In this study, we demonstrate that sIgA Abs may also function in innate defense against ricin, a naturally occurring, galactose-specific plant lectin with extremely potent shiga toxin-like enzymatic activity. In lectin blot overlay assays, we found that ricin bound to secretory component and the H chain of human IgA, and this binding was inhibited by the addition of excess galactose. The toxin also recognized IgM (albeit with less affinity than to IgA), but not IgG. Ricin bound to both human IgA1 and IgA2, primarily via N-linked oligosaccharide side chains. At 100-fold molar excess concentration, sIgA (but not IgG) Abs inhibited ricin attachment to the apical surfaces of polarized intestinal epithelial cells grown in culture. sIgA Abs also visibly reduced toxin binding to the luminal surfaces of human duodenum in tissue section overlay assays. We conclude that sIgA Abs in mucosal secretions may serve as receptor analogues for ricin, thereby reducing the effective dose of toxin capable of gaining access to glycolipid and glycoprotein receptors on epithelial cell surfaces.
Microfocal X-ray computed tomography post-processing operations for optimizing reconstruction volumes of stented arteries during 3D computational fluid dynamics modeling

Restenosis caused by neointimal hyperplasia (NH) remains an important clinical problem after stent implantation. Restenosis varies with stent geometry, and idealized computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models have indicated that geometric properties of the implanted stent may differentially influence NH. However, 3D studies capturing the in vivo flow domain within stented vessels have not been conducted at a resolution sufficient to detect subtle alterations in vascular geometry caused by the stent and the subsequent temporal development of NH. We present the details and limitations of a series of post-processing operations used in conjunction with microfocal X-ray CT imaging and reconstruction to generate geometrically accurate flow domains within the localized region of a stent several weeks after implantation. Microfocal X-ray CT reconstruction volumes were subjected to an automated program to perform arterial thresholding, spatial orientation, and surface smoothing of stented and unstented rabbit iliac arteries several weeks after antegrade implantation. A transfer function was obtained for the current post-processing methodology containing reconstructed 16mm stents implanted into rabbit iliac arteries for up to 21 days after implantation and resolved at circumferential and axial resolutions of 32 and [email protected], respectively. The results indicate that the techniques presented are sufficient to resolve distributions of WSS with 80% accuracy in segments containing 16 surface perturbations over a 16mm stented region. These methods will be used to test the hypothesis that reductions in normalized wall shear stress (WSS) and increases in the spatial disparity of WSS immediately after stent implantation may spatially correlate with the temporal development of NH within the stented region.
Cation dynamics and premelting in lithium metasilicate (Li2SiO3) and sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3): A high-temperature NMR study

Premelting effects are common in silicates and have been mostly observed as significant heat capacity anomalies beginning 100 to 200 degrees C below congruent melting points. To assess the role of cation dynamics in this phenomenon, we collected nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra and relaxation time data to within 20 to 50 degrees C of the melting points of sodium metasilicate (Na 2 SiO 3 ), which displays a large premelting effect, and isostructural lithium metasilicate (Li 2 SiO 3 ), which displays little premelting. From 7 Li NMR, Li (super +) site hopping is clearly observed in Li 2 SiO 3 by a partial averaging of the 7 Li quadrupolar peak shape, requiring exchange among a few, ordered orientations of LiO 4 tetrahedra. From 23 Na NMR, Na (super +) site hopping in Na 2 SiO 3 appears to involve a more liquid-like behavior, implying exchange among many sites with different orientations in a disordered fashion. For this phase, 29 Si spectra indicate that in an oxidizing environment, no liquid phase is present at 20 degrees C below the melting point, well within the calorimetric premelting regime. However, partial averaging of the low-temperature, biaxial chemical shift powder pattern (typical of Si sites in chain silicates) occurs, suggesting some kind of extensive, librational motion of SiO 4 tetrahedra that is possibly linked to rapid Na (super +) diffusion near the melting point. In contrast to the simple Li (super +) diffusion in Li 2 SiO 3 , this process may require considerable non-vibrational energy and may thus be related to the heat capacity anomaly just prior to melting.
Making Sense of Researcher Services

ABSTRACTResearcher services have proliferated in recent years and numerous free or fee-based sites now promise increased visibility and impact for authors or contributors of publications and other research products. Not all services have the same goals, however, and it can be difficult to know with which services researchers should engage. In this article we establish three categories (author/researcher identification, academic/professional networking, and reference/citation management) and examine nineteen services that fit into those categories.Column Editor's Note This JLA column posits that academic libraries and their services are dominated by information technologies, and that the success of librarians and professional staff is contingent on their ability to thrive in this technology-rich environment. The column will appear in odd-numbered issues of the journal, and will delve into all aspects of library-related information technologies and knowledge management used to connect users to information r...
Security, Clarity of Responsibility, and Presidential Approval

The importance of institutions in shaping citizens’ ability to punish or reward politicians for economic outcomes is well established. Where institutions divide authority, politicians can blame each other and citizens find it harder to assign responsibility for policy failures; where institutions clarify lines of authority, citizens can better hold politicians accountable. However, this argument assumes that citizens perceive policy responsibility as shared among political actors and this is not always the case. Looking at security policy, we argue that when policy responsibility is concentrated in a single actor the effect of institutions on blame attribution is different from what the economic voting literature predicts. Divided government in this context makes blame-shifting less effective and makes it more likely that citizens will punish incumbents. By contrast, the ability of executives to control the narrative around security failures by blaming the perpetrators, especially during unified governmen...
Annealing-induced changes in the molecular orientation of poly-3-hexylthiophene at buried interfaces

The molecular organization at interfaces of organic semiconducting materials plays a crucial role in the performance of organic photovoltaics and field effect transistors. Vibrational sum-frequency generation (VSFG) was used to characterize the molecular orientation at interfaces of regioregular poly-3-hexylthiophene (rrP3HT). Polarization-selected VSFG spectra of the C═C stretch of the thiophene ring yield the orientation of the conjugated backbone of P3HT, which is directly relevant to the electronic properties at the interface. The molecular orientation at buried polymer–substrate interfaces was compared for films spin-cast on SiO2 and AlOX substrates, before and after thermal annealing at 145 °C. On SiO2, annealing results in the thiophene rings adopting a more edge-on orientation, tilting away from the surface plane by Δθ = +(3–10)°. In contrast, an opposite change is observed for films deposited on AlOx, Δθ = −(3–26)°, where annealing leads to a more face-on orientation of the thiophene rings of the...
NT-34COMPLETE RESPONSE TO VEMURAFINIB IN A PATIENT WITH METASTATIC ANAPLASTIC XANTHROASTROCYTOMA

INTRODUCTION: Approximately 70% of pleomorphic xanthroastrocytomas(PXA) harbor the BRAF-V600E mutation.Vemurafinib has demonstrated activity in melanoma patients with the mutation, but variable activity in other tumors. We report complete response to vemurafanib in a patient with metastatic, anaplastic PXA. CASE: A 38 year old man presented with four weeks of visual disturbance. He underwent complete resection of a left occipital anaplastic PXA, BRAF-V600E mutated. Re-resection was performed one month later for local recurrence with new dural-based disease. Concern for leptomeningeal disease prompted cranio-spinal irradiation. Mid-treatment MRI demonstrated in-field growth of dural nodules and bony invasion. Simultaneously, he developed dyspnea due to bilateral pleural effusions and lung nodules. Biopsy of nodules and effusion revealed a BRAF-V600E mutated neoplasm, confirming metastatic disease. Vemurafinib was initiated, with almost immediate relief of dyspnea. Now, three months later, the patient has no detectable disease. DISCUSSION: Though the response to vemurafinib in primary CNS neoplasms has been modest, this case suggests rapid and complete response is possible. It also supports the argument for early BRAF-V600E testing in glial tumors.
Fluorescence quenching of dyes covalently attached to single-walled carbon nanotubes.

The development of chromophore-carbon nanotube hybrids requires efficient and accurate methods to investigate their photophysical properties. Using the ability of the fluorescence labeling of surface species (FLOSS) technique to determine the density of covalently attached dyes to the surface of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), the luminescence of dye–SWCNT hybrids was quantitatively studied with two chromophores: dansyl hydrazine (DH) and panacyl bromide (PB). The fluorescence intensity of PB–SWCNT hybrids was reduced by 20–80% compared to that of free PB. A strong positive correlation between the degree of quenching and the residual metal impurity content in the SWCNT sample suggests that quenching of fluorescence of PB in PB–SWCNTs may be caused by the metal impurities and not by SWCNTs. On the contrary, the intensity of fluorescence of DH–SWCNT hybrids was reduced by almost 2 orders of magnitude compared to free DH, independent of the residual metal content in the SWCNT sample, suggesting that...
Effect of Granularity on CuInSe2 Solar Cell Response

Polycrystalline CuInSe2 solar cells, fabricated by evaporation or by selenization of metal films, are granular and relatively porous. Grains are a few hundred nanometers in dimension, and hence about 1% of the atoms are at a surface. Despite the granularity, quantum efficiency is quite high and implies a diffusion length exceeding the grain dimension. The primary photovoltaic loss is excessive forward recombination current. The proposed model consists of single crystal CuInSe2 granules with an indium rich surface layer. When properly passivated, the otherwise uncoordinated indium bonds are terminated by oxygen. However, residual non-passivated crystalline surface states distributed throughout the depletion region provide the paths for enhanced recombination.
Phylogenetic analysis on Coxsackie virus B5 isolated from Fujian Province,2010

The aim was to explore the variance and phylogenetic features of Coxsackie virus B5(CVB5) isolated from hand-foot-mouth disease(HFMD)patients in 2010 in Fujian,China.The respiratory specimen from HFMD patients were collected and cultured on RD cells for viral recovery.Viral RNA was extracted form the supernatant of culture and used for viral typing by reverse-transcript PCR.The whole VP1 region of the CVB5 isolates was obtained by RT-PCR,and followed by cloning into plasmid and sequencing.The variance and phylogenetic relation between CVB5 isolates from Fujian and that from other provinces and counties were calculated by using Mega software.It was found that of 6 viral isolates from Fujian Province in 2010,four were identified as CVB5 and the others were Echo9.The sequence analysis indicated that the CVB5 isolates from Fujian shared higher identity and formed a distinct branch on the phylogenetic tree,whereas showed more difference when compared with isolates from other province in China and from other countries.These results demonstrated that CVB5 virus had emerged in HFMD patients in Fujian and the transmission chain of CVB5 virus in Fujian might be distinct from that from other provinces.
Aging Assessment Method of Composite Insulator Using Neural Network Based on Image and Spectra Characteristics

Composite insulator ages with operation time, which deteriorates its functional performance. In order to develop a detection method for quantitatively evaluating the aging of working composite insulators, we introduced hyperspectral remote sensing technology to acquire image and spectra characteristics of polymeric insulators in a non-contact way, and constructed feature spaces using a principal analysis method. The results show that different aging degrees of polymeric insulators vary evidently in the spectral feature spaces, the data points of the same aging degrees concentrate as a cluster, and the clusters of different aging degrees has no overlapping with each other. This fact could be used for quantitatively determining aging degrees of polymeric insulators. Furthermore, we have established an aging neural network model, which can provide accurate predicting results that have root mean square errors of cross validation of 0.014 1, compared with actual values. The results pave the way for quantitatively evaluating aging degrees of polymeric insulators in a non-contact manner.
A NEW TYPE OF ROTARY TWO-PHASE NOZZLE OF ITS INTERNAL FLOW NUMERICAL SIMULATION

Based on various aerodynamic nozzle and its atomization mechanism analysis,this article presents a new type of atomizer.This atomizer has many advantages,such as it has a simpler structure,infinitely-tunable mist flux and the spray angle can be adjustment flexible.Through numerical simulation,the study had founded that the liquid have been turned droplets which flowing with the airflow inside of the nozzle.This formed the first atomization.Then,the gas-liquid flow bulked when spouting out from the jet orifice.Under the external air interactions,the droplets formed a second atomization which promoted the atomization effects.
Distinction between gamma c detection and function in YT lymphoid cells and in the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-responsive human myeloid cell line, Tf-1

Peripheral blood monocytes respond to interleukin-2 (lL-2) and express the gamma common (gamma c) subunit of the lL-2 receptor (lL-2R) complex. However, the role of lL-2 in myeloid development has recently become of interest for several reasons, including the effect gamma c mutations may or may not have on myeloid development in patients with XSCID. Many studies of lL-2 function in the myeloid cell lineage have been performed on a murine background. To study gamma c expression and function in human myeloid precursors, we introduced the human myelomonocytic cell line, Tf-1, with a retroviral vector containing the human lL-2R beta subunit to create functional human intermediate lL-2R consisting of beta gamma c dimers. We have characterized this transfected variant of Tf-1 (Tf-1 beta) with regard to its response to lL-2. Unlike the parental Tf-1 cell line that is deficient in both lL-2R alpha and lL-2R beta expression, the Tf-1 beta transfectant binds and responds to lL-2 through intermediate-affinity lL-2Rs. Scatchard analyses indicate the number of intermediate-affinity receptors on Tf-1 beta is similar to the number found on the well-characterized YT cell line. However, detection of gamma c on Tf-1 beta cells is dramatically less than on YT cells by Western blot analysis and is undetectable by flow cytometric studies and surface iodinations. The gamma c component on YT cells is readily detected by all three methods. We conclude from these studies that the intermediate-affinity lL-2Rs on the Tf-1 cell line behave differently than those on YT cells with respect to gamma c detection. Either the gamma c molecule itself is different, or the cellular environment in which it functions is altered. Elucidation of gamma c function on this cell line will allow for its use as a model in which other cytokines using gamma c (including lL-2, lL-4, and lL-15) can be studied on the same cellular background.
Compaction shock dissipation in low density granular explosive

The microstructure of granular explosives can affect dissipative heating within compaction shocks that can trigger combustion and initiate detonation. Because initiation occurs over distances that are much larger than the mean particle size, homogenized (macroscale) theories are often used to describe local thermodynamic states within and behind shocks that are regarded as the average manifestation of thermodynamic fields at the particle scale. In this paper, mesoscale modeling and simulation are used to examine how the initial packing density of granular HMX (C4H8N8O8) C4H8N8O8 having a narrow particle size distribution influences dissipation within resolved, planar compaction shocks. The model tracks the evolution of thermomechanical fields within large ensembles of particles due to pore collapse. Effective shock profiles, obtained by averaging mesoscale fields over space and time, are compared with those given by an independent macroscale compaction theory that predicts the variation in effective thermomechanical fields within shocks due to an imbalance between the solid pressure and a configurational stress. Reducing packing density is shown to reduce the dissipation rate within shocks but increase the integrated dissipated work over shock rise times, which is indicative of enhanced sensitivity. In all cases, dissipated work is related to shock pressure by a density-dependent power law, and shock rise time is related to pressure by a power law having an exponent of negative one.
Changes in diabetes medications in the Diabetes and Periodontal Therapy Trial and their effect on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)

Abstract Objective Evaluate the effect of medications and medication changes during the Diabetes and Periodontal Therapy Trial (DPTT) on the primary study outcome, namely, change in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) at 6 months following baseline. Methods The DPTT set strict criteria for changes in diabetes medications. Medication change was defined as: change in dose of any 1 oral hypoglycemic agent by more than two-fold, change in dose of insulin of > 10% and/or addition or subtraction of an oral hypoglycemic agent, insulin or non-insulin injectable agents. Comparisons between the treatment (non- surgical periodontal therapy) and control (no therapy) groups used t-tests for continuous variables and chi-square tests for categorical variables, including DPTT defined diabetes medication changes between baseline (BL) and 3 month visits and 3- and 6-month visits. Changes in HbA1c were compared across the four medication change categories using ANOVA models, overall and for each treatment group separately. Results Baseline medication use was similar between the treatment groups (p > 0.40), as were medication changes between BL- 3 month visits and 3 and 6 month visits (p = 0.58). Participants with higher BL HbA1c (> 8%) and those taking insulin at BL were more likely to have a change in medication (p = 0.03). Conclusions The DPTT had the most rigorous definition of medication changes and medication monitoring of any trial in this field to date. The absence of a significant difference in medication changes between treatment groups may suggest that such changes did not play a role in the negative outcome of the DPTT.
Conclusion: Achilles and Celie

This chapter’s exploration of Homer’s Iliad and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, with a special emphasis on Achilles and Celie, brings together what has been developed thus far about pride and humility. This examination begins with Achilles’ humility, and in the case of this Greek demi-god that humility is dedication and complete commitment to glory. Achilles does all that he does for glory. As Achilles has been successful in his life in gaining glory, he has developed a sense of worth and confidence therein. In spite of this success, Homer’s Iliad begins with Achilles’ crisis over his glory. This is a very intense crisis for Achilles, as his sense of self-worth, his ideas about his power and limitations, his interactions with others, and his confidence in the face of fear are all brought into question by this crisis. Additionally, the crisis is so intense that it not only nearly leads to the death of key Greek leaders, but it jeopardizes the entire group and its mission. As a result, the bulk of Homer’s twenty-four book epic poem is a playing out of the implications of the crisis of Achilles’ humility and pride. Achilles’ exclusive focus on gaining the glory he seeks turns to self-pity and then to intense anger at Patroclus’ death. Achilles then uses that death and anger to kill Hector, finally securing the glory he seeks. But at the very moment when it seems that Achilles has achieved his desired glory, the hero experiences neither joy nor satisfaction in that accomplishment. Achilles is instead violent, abusive, and despondent. It is at this moment that the gods intervene, but this intervention is carried out by the bravely humble Priam. When Priam risks his life to seek his son’s body from Achilles, the Trojan king demonstrates a loving devotion and commitment to Hector. Such a commitment gives Priam confidence to approach Achilles. When Priam approaches Achilles as a supplicant, Priam’s action not only seeks to win his son’s body back, but that action acts as a powerful invitation to Achilles. In response to this invitation, Achilles sees someone else in a new way. This new vision gives Achilles an experience with wonder, and his positive response to that invitation allows him to access compassion. By the end of the poem, Achilles does not renounce glory to become a peace-maker, but he is involved in peace-making. Though Achilles, his crisis, and his rage drive much of the poem, it is the heroic humility of Priam that provides a powerful contrast to the pain, abuse, and misery that accompany humility and pride based on the quest for glory.
Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are an abnormal conglomeration of arteries and veins, which share a direct communication through a “nidus” of small irregular and friable blood vessels without an intervening capillary bed. The nidus is the anatomical convergence point of the inflow of multiple feeding arteries and outflow into one or more dilated draining veins. Anatomic variations can range from a predominantly fistulous malformation (with few sources of inflow which directly transition to one or more venous recipients for outflow) to those with a large and complex nidus (with multiple arterial feeders transitioning through an anatomically extensive nidus that empties into multiple draining veins).