cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radio-Quiet Pulsars with Ultrastrong Magnetic Fields

The notable absence of radio pulsars having measured magnetic dipole surface field strengths above B -->0~3×10 -->13 G naturally raises the question of whether this forms an upper limit to pulsar magnetization. Recently there has been increasing evidence that neutron stars possessing higher dipole spin-down fields do in fact exist, including a growing list of anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) with long periods and spinning down with high-period derivatives, which imply surface fields of 1014-1015 G. Furthermore, the recently reported X-ray period and period derivative for the soft gamma-ray repeater (SGR) source SGR 1806-20 suggest a surface field around 1015 G. None of these high-field pulsars have yet been detected as radio pulsars. We propose that high-field pulsars should be radio quiet because electron-positron pair production in their magnetospheres, thought to be essential for radio emission, is efficiently suppressed in ultrastrong fields (B -->04×10 -->13 G) by the action of photon splitting, a quantum electrodynamical process in which a photon splits into two. Our computed radio quiescence boundary in the radio pulsar P-${u{P}{"705F}}$ -->${u{P}{"705F}}$ --> diagram, where photon splitting overtakes pair creation, is located just above the boundary of the known radio pulsar population, neatly dividing them from the AXPs. We thus identify a physical mechanism that defines a new class of high-field radio-quiet neutron stars that should be detectable by their pulsed emission at X-ray and perhaps gamma-ray energies.
Project status: RIVER: Resource management infrastructure for consolidated hosting in virtualized data centers

This paper describes the status of the NSF-funded project titled "River. Resource Management Infrastructure for Consolidated Hosting in Virtualized Data Centers" CNS-0720456.
Dynamic subgrid‐scale models for momentum and scalar fluxes in large‐eddy simulations of neutrally stratified atmospheric boundary layers over heterogeneous terrain

The accuracy of large-eddy simulations (LESs) of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) over complex terrain relies on the ability of the subgrid-scale (SGS) models to capture the effect of subgrid turbulent fluxes on the resolved fields of velocity and scalars (e.g., heat, water vapor, and pollutants). A common approach consists of parameterizing the SGS stresses and fluxes using eddy viscosity and eddy diffusivity models, respectively. These models require the specification of two parameters: the Smagorinsky coefficient in the eddy viscosity model and, in addition, the SGS Schmidt/Prandtl number in the eddy diffusivity model. This is complicated by the dependence of the coefficients on local conditions such as distance to the ground, mean shear, and atmospheric stability. In this study, scale-dependent dynamic SGS models are used in conjunction with Lagrangian averaging to compute both the Smagorinsky coefficient and the SGS Schmidt (or Prandtl) number dynamically as the flow evolves in both space and time based on the local dynamics of the resolved scales. These tuning-free models are implemented in LES of both homogeneous and heterogeneous neutral atmospheric boundary layers with surface fluxes of a passive scalar. In the homogeneous simulations the models are shown to accurately predict the resolved flow statistics (mean profiles and spectra of velocity and scalar concentration) and spatial distributions of the SGS model coefficients and parameters. In simulations over heterogeneous surfaces both coefficients adjust in a self-consistent way to horizontal flow inhomogeneities associated with changes in surface conditions. For smooth-to-rough (rough-to-smooth) abrupt changes in surface roughness the Smagorinsky coefficient decreases (increases) in response to increased (decreased) mean shear and flow anisotropy associated with these transitions. The SGS Schmidt number also adjusts to inhomogeneities in the scalar field associated with changes in surface scalar flux. This illustrates the need for local calculation of model coefficients and brings into question the common practice of using a constant SGS Schmidt/Prandtl number in LES of the ABL.
Managing performance and efficiency of a processor

The performance of a processor generally means how fast it can execute a task. For a given architecture we can measure the size of a task as the number of clock cycles it will take to execute. Then clock frequency (f) will determine the execution time. Normally, the frequency can be raised if the supply voltage Vdd is increased. This, however, increases the power and energy used. We introduce a new measure, cycle efficiency (η) as cycles per joule that gives the rate of computational work per unit energy. Similar to f, η is also a function of Vdd. We provide a method of characterizing a processor in terms of its f and η versus Vdd characteristics. Intel Pentium M processor with an assumed 90nm CMOS PTM (predictive technology model) is used as an example. For a demonstration of performance and energy management, we consider a program that executes in 1.8 billion clock cycles. At the nominal operating supply of 1.2V we have f = 1.8GHz and η = 15 megacycles/joule. The program executes in 1 second and uses 120 joules. For operation at 0.6V, f = 277MHz and η = 70 megacycles/joule, resulting in a run time of 6.5 seconds and consumption of 25 joules. We also find a subthreshold voltage extreme of 200mV, f = 54.5MHz and η = 660 megacycles/joule. Now the program will take 33 seconds but will consume only 2.27 joules. Thus, using cycle efficiency and clock frequency one can manage the time and energy performances according to the requirements of a computing task.
Prediction of extractable metals in retention pond sediments at surface coal mines

Fifty-two grab samples of bottom sediment in settling ponds were obtained at 17 surface coal mines in the eastern and midwestern U.S. A series of laboratory extraction procedures were designed to simulate a wide range of possible natural conditions. The three types of laboratory extraction procedures were (1) a low-pH buffered extract; (2) a series of low-pH, near-neutral-pH, and high-pH nonbuffered extracts; and (3) a DTPA extract. For the transition metals examined (Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Al), higher percentages were extracted by the low-pH buffered extract than by the low-pH nonbuffered extract and the DTPA extract. Within the nonbuffered series, higher percentages of individual metals were extracted at lower pH levels. There was generally a consistent order of “extractability” for all the extracts performed. At the mines using a chemical treatment to neutralize acid mine drainage, Mn was the most mobile and Fe and Al the least mobile of the metals considered; at the mines not using a chemical treatment, Ni, Zn, and Co were among the most mobile and Fe, Al, and Cr the least mobile of the metals studied.
Effects of Trichinella spiralis on survival, total mass, and organ mass of oldfield mice (Peromyscus polionotus).

Trichinella spiralis is a parasitic nematode that infects many mammals, including humans. Hosts may experience significant physiological changes or may die because of acute inflammatory immune responses toward the parasite. In this study, oldfield mice ( polionotus) were used as a new experimental host for T. spiralis. Males of P. polionotus were infected with increasing doses of T. spiralis to determine the effect infection had on survival, mass change, total mass, and relative organ masses. Total juvenile worm burden increased in an asymptotic fashion with infective dose. Large doses ( $600 juveniles) significantly reduced survival. There were significant negative correlations between infection intensity (log 10(juveniles)/g) and both mass gain and final total mass. Infection had no effect on liver or spleen size. But there were significant negative correlations between T. spiralis intensity and both testis and seminal vesicle masses. These effects on male size and reproductive organs may help explain behavioral changes, such as the elimination of male dominance, seen in previous studies on mice infected with T. spiralis. Parasites can affect the ecology and evolution of their hosts if infection has harmful (i.e., fitness reducing) consequences (Anderson and May, 1991). The physiological effects of most parasites have not been measured; however, for parasites that infect many species, their effects have usually been examined in only a small number of potential hosts. In this project, the effects of a well-studied parasite ( Trichinella spiralis) were studied in a new experimental host, the oldfield mouse Pero- myscus polionotus. Trichinella spiralis causes trichinosis or trichinellosis in a wide variety of vertebrates, and it serves as a model organism for studying many aspects of the biology of gastrointestinal nematodes (Campbell, 1983; Despommier, 1983). Its life cycle is unusual in that it is an intracellular macroparasite, and the same host serves as both the definitive and the intermediate host. When hosts ingest muscle containing infective juveniles, the worms escape from the muscle tissue and burrow into the intestinal cells to mature and reproduce. Live-born juveniles leave the intestinal lumen, are carried to the heart by lymphatic and venous systems, and then circulate throughout the body. Once they reach skeletal muscle of the thighs, jaws, tongue, or diaphragm they penetrate and reside in individual cells. They alter the muscle cell's gene expression to form a capsule, known as the nurse cell, where they live and receive nutrients. Pathol- ogy to hosts can occur during the acute phase of infection ( #45
Extensor Tendon Injuries

The extensor mechanism can be injured anywhere from the DIP joint to the proximal forearm. Disruption of the extensor mechanism at the level of the DIP joint of the finger, with or without a fracture fragment from the distal phalanx, can result in a characteristic flexion deformity called a “mallet finger.” Hyperextension of the PIP joint may also be observed, due to an imbalance between flexor and extensor forces at the PIP joint (Fig. 2-1). Treatment of closed, acute mallet finger deformities is generally successful with a dorsal or volar splint which continually maintains the DIP joint in neutral or slight extension for a minimum of 6 weeks. Although in the past, operative treatment has been recommended for mallet finger injuries with fracture fragments involving more than one-third of the articular surface or volar subluxation of the distal phalanx, some now advocate that even these types of mallet finger injuries can be treated with splinting.
Microwave components

The author describes the development of some of the microwave components by the Rf Group at the MIT Radiation Laboratory. The examples are drawn mainly from the author's own experience. Among them are the introduction of broadbanding and preplumbing, the problem of crystal burnout, the design of crystal mixers, and devices using the Magic-Tee. The frequency stabilization of klystrons and a related proposal for a narrowband duplex microwave communication system are considered. It is pointed out that, with World War II's successful conclusion, much of the experience was carried over into fundamental research, with microwave spectroscopy, radio astronomy, and nuclear and electronic magnetic resonance as relatively direct beneficiaries. >
Determination of the pesticides monuron, diuron, and fenuron by low temperature phosphorimetry

Simple, direct, and sensitive low temperature phosphorimetric methods for the determination of monuron, diuron, and fenuron in EPA solvent are described. The minimum detectable amounts are 0.2, 0.1, and 0.02 p. p. m. for monuron, diuron, and fenuron respectively. The ranges in linearity of the analytical calibration graphs are 0.2–10, 0.1–7.5, and 0.1–20 p. p. m. for monuron, diuron, and fenuron respectively. The procedure for monuron has been applied to the analysis of a solid commercial formulation.
Sensitization to Endotoxin by Pyran Copolymer

SummaryPyran copolymer markedly sensitizes mice to the lethal effects of endotoxin. The sensitization occurs throughout both phases of RES activity. Pyran action on microsomal enzymes necessary for the metabolism of hexobarbital or antipyrine is not responsible for the sensitization because reversal of this activity with chlorcyclizine does not alter endotoxin sensitization. Preheparinization of pyran-treated mice only slightly prolonged the survival time, but did prevent the kidney damage.
Persistence of Organochlorine Insecticides for Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) Control in Hawaii

In a long-term field test, five organochlorine soil insecticides were applied at two concentrations to crushed coral, Catano sandy loam, or Waimanalo silty clay. The treated soils were weathered in exposed field plots in Waimanalo on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, and tested periodically for efficacy against the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. We report the toxicity of aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, and heptachlor to C. formosanus 17, 20, 24, 28, and 33 yr after treatment. The degree of penetration of the treated soils by C. formosanus was also measured in laboratory bioassays. After 28 yr, termites tunneled significantly less in soils treated with 0.5% aldrin (in coral and clay), 0.3% dieldrin (in clay), 1.0% heptachlor (in sandy loam), and 2.0% DDT (in coral). None of the insecticides prevented termite penetration 33 yr after application. At label-recommended concentrations, all pesticides except DDT (8.0%) caused high termite mortality up to 28 yr after application. Only 0.5% aldrin, 0.3% dieldrin, and 1.0% heptachlor caused significant mortality after 33 yr. Results of this study should be of value in estimating the risks of temlite reinfestation of structures in the tropics and Pacific islands where organochlorine insecticides have been used.
Certain Correlates of Attitudes toward Radio Commercials

Editor's Note: This study by two psychological researchers, throws considerable light on the attitude of radio listeners toward commercials and the products advertised.
Kinetic Modeling of 1-Hexene Polymerization Catalyzed by Zr(tBu-ONNMe2O)Bn2/B(C6F5)3

Kinetic modeling using a population balance approach has been performed in order to identify a mechanism and a set of rate constants that describe the batch polymerization of 1-hexene by the homogeneous single-site catalyst Zr(tBu-ONNMe2O)Bn2 activated by B(C6F5)3 in toluene. The mechanism and rate constants were determined by making use of a multiresponse data set, including (i) monomer concentration versus time for various initial concentrations of monomer and catalyst, (ii) the time evolution of the molecular weight distribution, (iii) active site concentrations versus time, and (iv) vinyl end group concentrations versus time. The overall mechanism requires slow chain initiation compared to propagation, 2,1-misinsertion and recovery, and two chain transfer pathways—one forming vinylidene end groups and the other forming vinylene end groups. The quantitative analysis of kinetic data clearly shows that a significant fraction of the catalyst does not participate in the chain growth process. The quantitati...
Effects of glucocorticoids on transcription factor activation in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Glucocorticoids have an inhibitory effect on inflammatory and immune responses, and this may be through the modulation of transcription factor binding to DNA. The interaction of the transcription factors, activator protein-1 (AP-1), nuclear factor kappa B (NF kappa B), and cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB) with DNA and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) was analyzed in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells by gel mobility shift assays. TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) treatment increased AP-1 and NF kappa B DNA binding by up to 200% but decreased CREB binding (38%) over a 60-min time course. Dexamethasone produced a rapid and sustained increase in glucocorticoid response element binding and a concomitant 40-50% decrease in AP-1, NF kappa B, and CREB DNA binding that was blocked by combined dexamethasone and cytokine or PMA treatment. These latter effects were due to increases in the nuclear localization of GR, not to reduced amounts of the other transcription factors. This suggests that in these cells GR within the nucleus interacts with cytokine-stimulated transcription factors by the process of cross coupling. This may be an important molecular site of steroid action.
DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN THEORY OF THE EARTH'S SHAPE AND THE CONTRIBUTION OF CHINA

The development of modern theory of the earth's shape in this half centuary was briefly recounted in this paper.Because of rapid development of modern space technology,the imperative requirement of the study On this Subject has been propelling it for ward continuiously.Forthermore,the improvements of modern computational sciences and technology and the great data accumulation of ground and space made the study on this subject has gained great developments──from strict theoretical research in past to modern numerical approching methods.The research on this subject has been done very much in China,especially last decade or more,the research has gained greatly rapid developments.We will demonstrate the development in this paper.
An Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of an Obsidian Eden Point from White Sands Sierra Maneuver Area, Southern New Mexico

www.escholarship.org/uc/item/3nw441s0 GEOARCHAEOLOGICAL X-RAY FLUORESCENCE SPECTROMETRY LABORATORY 8100 Wyoming Blvd., Ste M4-158 Albuquerque, NM 87113 USA LETTER REPORT AN ENERGY-DISPERSIVE X-RAY FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS OF AN OBSIDIAN EDEN POINT FROM WHITE SANDS SIERRA MANEUVER AREA, SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO 24 November 2013 Sean Dolan Department of Anthropology 455 W Lindsey St., Dale Hall Tower 521 University of Oklahoma Norman, OK 73019-2005 Dear Sean, The obsidian Eden point was produced from the Valles Rhyolite (Cerro del Medio) source in Valles Caldera, Jemez Mountains, northern New Mexico (Table 1). While some small Valles Rhyolite nodules have entered Rio Grande Quaternary alluvium as far south as Tijeras Wash in Albuquerque, these are all less than 19 mm in diameter. The raw material used to produced this Paleoindian point had to come originally from the primary source in the caldera (see Shackley 2005, 2013). Specific instrumental methods can be found at http://www.swxrflab.net/anlysis.htm, and Shackley (2005). Source assignment was made by comparison to source standard data in the laboratory. Analysis of the USGS RGM-1 standard indicates high machine precision for the elements of interest (Table 1 here). VOICE: 510-393-3931 INTERNET: shackley@berkeley.edu; http://www.swxrflab.net/
Extent of Coverage; Liabilities of Limited Coverage

However insightful health planners and legislators are in recognizing the need for mental health care for all the diverse segments of the population, in recommending the establishment of the kinds of facilities needed for such care, and in calling for the prerequisite ancillary social services, the successful treatment of the individual person suffering mental illness/emotional problems will ultimately depend upon the quantity and quality of mental health care provided him. NHI must be structured so that mental health care will be available and accessible to the maximum number of persons requiring such care, but at the same time NHI must provide as much care as is needed to each individual recipient.
The Effect of Boundary Layer on Blow-Off Extinction in Opposed-Flow Flame Spread over Thin Cellulose: Experiments and a Simplified Analysis

Study of flame spread plays a crucial role in our understanding of fires with direct implications to fire safety. Flame-spread in an opposing flow configuration and relative blow-off extinction in the kinetic regime have been studied for the last few decades. It is known that the extinction velocity is related to the Damkohler number, the ratio of residence time to the combustion time at the flame leading edge. It is also well known that the behavior of the flame is affected by the presence of the boundary layer. However, there is no experimental evidence in literature to quantify the boundary layer effect. In this work we experimentally establish the effect of boundary layer development length on the extinction velocity, opposed flow velocity of the oxidizer at which the blow-off extinction occurs, for flame spread over thin fuels. Using a vertical combustion tunnel, a large number of downward flame spread experiments over thin ashless filter paper are conducted for an opposed flow velocity range of 40 cm/s to 100 cm/s. The extinction length, the distance from the sample leading edge at which the blow-off extinction occurs, is shown to be directly related to the opposing flow velocity. A correlation between the two based on scaling analysis and on an empirical law reveals that blow-off extinction occurs at a constant effective velocity. This simple conclusion can have implications in future refinement of Damkohler number correlations for blow-off extinction.
Movement 3: Aesthetic of Personal Mastery, by Hannah Alpert

Hannah Alpert was the first girl to win back to back second prizes in the Colorado Mathematical Olympiad in 2006 and 2007. Moreover, she was a solo second prize winner behind only Sam Elders, who was a solo first prize winner. Before that, as a sophomore in 2005, Hannah won third prize, and was, together with the winner Mark Heim, the only Olympian to solve problem 22.4, in her own way, unknown to me.
Patient Characteristics Associated With Quality of Colonoscopy Preparation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background & Aims Some features of patients are associated with inadequate bowel preparation, which reduces the effectiveness of colonoscopy examination. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between patients' sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions, and medications with inadequate bowel preparation. Methods We searched the PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Review databases for randomized controlled trials cohort (prospective and retrospective), case–control, and cross-sectional studies published through March 2016. We collected information on study design, study population, and bowel preparation. For each factor, we obtained the odds ratio (OR) for inadequate bowel preparation. We conducted the meta-analyses using the random-effects approach and investigated any identified heterogeneity and publication bias via graphical methods, stratification, and meta-regression. Results We performed a meta-analysis of 67 studies, comprising 75,818 patients. The estimated pooled OR for inadequate bowel preparation was small for sociodemographic characteristics: 1.14 for age, and 1.23 for male sex (excluding studies in Asia, which had substantial heterogeneity and publication bias), and 1.49 for low education. The effect of high body mass index differed significantly in studies with mostly female patients (OR, 1.05) vs those with mostly male patients (OR, 1.30) (P = .013 for the difference). ORs for constipation and cirrhosis were heterogeneous; adjusted ORs were larger than unadjusted ORs (1.97 vs 1.29 for constipation and 3.41 vs 1.36 for cirrhosis). Diabetes (OR, 1.79), hypertension (OR, 1.25), stroke or dementia (OR, 2.09), and opioid use (OR, 1.70) were associated with inadequate bowel preparation. History of abdominal surgery (OR, 0.99) did not associate with inadequate bowel preparation. Use of tricyclic antidepressants had a larger effect on risk of inadequate bowel preparation in studies of mostly female patients (OR, 2.62) than studies of mostly male patients (OR, 1.42) (P = .085 for the difference). Conclusions In a systematic review and meta-analysis, we found no single patient-related factor to be solely associated with inadequate bowel preparation. Health conditions and use of some medications appear to be stronger predictors than sociodemographic characteristics.
The Decision Not to Furl the Confederate Flag in My Classroom

Over the last year and a half, a number of scholars, pundits, and journalists have criticized college campuses for coddling students by constructing environments that protect them from offensive op...
Going Beyond Composites: Conducting a Factor-Based PLS-SEM Analysis

There has been a long and ongoing debate, at points resembling an acrimonious dispute, among proponents and detractors of the use of the partial least squares (PLS) approach for structural equation modeling (SEM). The composite-factor estimation dichotomy has been the epicenter of this debate. In this chapter, we briefly discuss the implementation of a new method to conduct factor-based PLS-SEM analyses, which could be a solid step in the resolution of this debate. This method generates estimates of both true composites and factors, in two stages, fully accounting for measurement error. Our discussion is based on an illustrative model in the field of e-collaboration. A Monte Carlo experiment suggests that model parameters generated by the method are asymptotically unbiased. The method is implemented as part of the software WarpPLS, starting in version 5.0. This chapter provides enough details for the method’s implementation in other venues such as R and GNU Octave.
V2V Communication Channels: State of Knowledge, New Results, and What’s Next

This paper surveys the field of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication channels. Motivated by intelligent transportation systems and vehicular safety, V2V research has proliferated in recent years. We provide a short description of V2V communication systems, and the importance of key channel parameters. This is followed by a discussion of basic channel characteristics—the channel impulse response and channel transfer function, and their statistical description—and how V2V channels differ from the more familiar cellular radio channel. Modeling of the V2V channel is covered by a review of the literature on V2V channels, addressing path loss, delay spread, and Doppler spread. We describe the two most popular methods for modeling V2V channels, tapped-delay line models and geometry-based models, then briefly discuss multiple-antenna channels and the crucial V2V channel characteristic of non-stationarity. A potential channel classification scheme for V2V channels is given, and some recent results on the channel within parking garages, and on sloped terrain, are provided. We end the paper with a short discussion of what may come next in this vibrant field.
Novel Biomarkers to Detect Target Organ Damage in Acute Hypertension

Early lowering of blood pressure is advised for patients with severe hypertension associated with signs of impending or progressive organ damage, whereas aggressive treatment is not recommended in patients with asymptomatic severe hypertension. As treatment goals for asymptomatic hypertension and true hypertensive emergency drastically differ, it is essential to identify patients with evidence of impending or progressive organ damage. Biomarkers may assist providers in identifying high-risk patients who would benefit from early blood pressure reduction. In this review, we discuss both currently available and investigational biomarkers that may help identify patients who might benefit from more aggressive therapy. We focus on serum and urinary biomarkers associated with acute cardiovascular, renal, and cerebrovascular damage. There is a dearth of literature regarding the use of biomarkers to assess acute hypertension-related target organ damage. We are primarily forced to draw conclusions on the use of biomarkers from studies of related conditions such as acute heart failure. Further research is needed on the clinical significance of abnormal levels of novel biomarkers of renal, cardiac, and cerebral dysfunction in the setting of severe hypertension, particularly in those patients without overt clinical signs of organ failure.
Molecular profiles of endometrial cancers in a Caribbean black population.

e24152Background: We examined the molecular profiles of Type 1 and 2 endometrial cancer (EC) in a unique patient population of immigrant Caribbean Black women, and identified the most frequently mu...
TCT-699 Outcomes of Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VA-ECMO) Support for Cardiogenic Shock in a large, Tertiary Care Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Referral Center From 2013-2017

Cardiogenic shock is a hemodynamic insult that carries significant mortality. The use of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is a support platform used at large, tertiary care facilities and intermediate community facilities alike. The hub-and-spoke referral model provides
On the development of a mutant isolation scheme from cell and tissue cultures of Datura innoxia (Miller)

A mutagenesis and selection scheme for the isolation of variants from plant cell and tissue cultures has been examined. Fresh petiole expiants, and fragments of recently initiated callus and shoot cultures of monoploid and diploid Datura innoxia were treated with mutagenic agents. Subsequent selection of variants occurred at the cellular and organ level of organization with minimal exposure to the vitro en­ vironment. Mutagenesis was directed at cells of known ploidy, and no apparent impairment of morphogenetic competency due to cultural conditions was observed. Variants resistant to a wide variety of anti-metabolites were sought. Five variants resistant to normally lethal concentrations of cycloheximide were selected at the shoot level of organization. As an integral part of the selective scheme, the batch suspension culture of D. innoxia was further refined and characterized with respect to growth rate optimization and aggregate dissociation in medium lacking organic nitrogen. Cell separation was enhanced with superoptimal 2,4-D concentrations and was correlated with increased mitotic activity of smaller aggregates relative to large aggregates. Malic and succinic acids, although permitting rapid doubling times, caused a decrease in aggregate dissociation. The use of turbidimetric methods in plant suspension cultures was investigated and appears to be an excellent non-destructive method of determining growth kinetics.
Implications of the Philadelphia Beverage Tax on Sales and Beverage Substitution for a Major Grocery Retailer Chain

To understand whether substitution effects occurred for a major national grocery retailer after the implementation of a beverage tax in Philadelphia, the authors used November 2015/2016 and Februar...
Morphological Features of Polyethylene and Polyimides by Atomic Force Microscopy

Lamellar crystals of linear polyethylene grown from dilute solution in xylene were observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Effects of crystallization conditions, annealing and deformation were studied. Features such as lamellar thickness, fold domain boundaries, wrinkles, and pleats were observed. A temperature growth step, produced due to sudden change in temperature during crystallization, was measured accurately.
Four human diseases with significant public health impact caused by mosquito-borne flaviviruses: West Nile, Zika, dengue and yellow fever.

In this review we will discuss the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, diagnostic tests, pathologic features, treatment and disease prevention strategies for four mosquito-borne flaviviruses. West Nile and Zika viruses, once thought to be restricted geographically, emerged on the American continent in the first part of the 21st century. They have been constantly in the lay press and have caused a heightened awareness of emerging infections by the public, particularly given the manifestation of microcephaly in congenital Zika syndrome. Yellow fever and dengue viruses, with mosquito vectors similar to West Nile and Zika viruses, are endemic in many tropical areas of the world and produce frequent outbreaks. The global distribution of yellow fever and dengue viruses could also change and has great potential to do so. Factors that could contribute to reemergence of the diseases in areas of the world where they are currently only seen in travelers, include the presence of yellow fever and dengue virus vectors in temperate climates and growing urbanization. These two factors increase potential contact between vectors and naive human hosts, thus could result in reemergence of yellow fever or dengue virus infections.
A simple model for perturbative kinetic particle resonances in tokamaks

Resonances driven by particle distribution gradients are studied in a simple statistical model which does not involve advancing individual particles due to the interaction with the mode. The phase-space structure of resonances and the associated modification of density profiles in tokamaks are due to equilibration between the bounce averaging of particles within the resonance, which tends to locally flatten the distribution, particle collisions, which tend to re-establish the original density gradients, and wave background damping, which extracts energy from the mode. Modes are perturbatively driven while the distribution is irreversibly modified due to diffusion within the resonance, where local properties of the equilibrium and particle distribution are sufficient to determine the time evolution of a mode. Simulations replicate the expected scaling with the collision frequency of mode saturation amplitudes and collisional broadening of the density modification and give reasonable agreement with saturati...
Mona Haydar: blending Islamic and hip-hop feminisms

This paper focuses on Mona Haydar, activist, poet, Syrian-American, Muslim, feminist, and emerging hip-hop artist. Using critical rhetoric alongside a respondent interview, we conduct a cultural st...
Four-dimensional filtering of InSAR persistent scatterers elucidates subsidence induced by tunnel excavation in the Sri Lankan highlands

During construction of the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project, excavation of a headrace tunnel through highly tectonized metamorphic rock was slowed by repeated major water ingress events. In total, these events resulted in an estimated aquifer depletion of over 9 million m3, causing widespread surface subsidence. Persistent scatterer (PS) time series analysis of interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) scenes acquired by Sentinel-1 between July 28, 2016, and January 7, 2018, has revealed an ∼15 km2 area of subsidence near reported water ingress locations, with a maximum line-of-sight subsidence value of 4.3 cm. A four-dimensional (4-D) filtering method based on averaging spatial and temporal pixel neighbors was applied to the unwrapped PS pixels, significantly reducing noise from sources that appear randomly in spatial and temporal domains and increasing the ability to accurately identify the onset of subsidence and track surface volume loss over time. A maximum average subsidence rate of 0.15 mm / day coincides with maximum tunnel discharge measurements, indicating that rock mass consolidation occurred as a result of rapid pore-pressure drawdown within an interconnected discontinuity network and led to fracture closure. The observed subsidence is punctuated by localized maxima and extends in a northwest–southeast orientation, suggesting that the extent of subsidence is governed by previously mapped structural trends of similar orientations. These results highlight the value of the 4-D filtering approach in processing InSAR PS data to help determine the magnitude and extent of surface subsidence.
Stratified Lives: Family, Illegality, and the Rise of a New Educational Elite

In this research article, Leah Schmalzbauer and Aleli Andres examine the educational mobility of low-income US citizen and DACAmented youth who are members of mixedstatus families. Drawing from thi...
Comparison of ejection fraction calculation between CT and SPECT at high heart rate: A dynamic cardiac phantom study.

The purpose of this study is to compare the ejection fraction (EF) calculation of CT and SPECT at high heart rate. A dynamic cardiac phantom with programmable end-systolic volume (ESV), end-diastolic volume (EDV), and heart rate was used to compare CT, which has high spatial resolution ( 1 cm) in EF, ESV, and EDV at the heart rates ≤ 100 bpm for EF = 30 (disease state) and EF = 60 (healthy state). EF calculations for SPECT were accurate in 2% for 40 to 100 bpm for both EF = 30 and EF = 60, and were not heart rate dependent although both ESV and EDV could be underestimated by 18-20%. EF calculations for CT were accurate in 2.2% for 40 and 60 bpm. Inaccuracy in EF calculations, ESV and EDV estimates increased when the heart rate or EF increased. SPECT was accurate for EF calculation for the heart rates ≤ 100 bpm and CT was accurate for the heart rates of ≤ 60 bpm. CT was less accurate for the high heart rates of 80 and 100 bpm, or high EF = 60.
SALI360: design and implementation of saliency based video compression for 360° video streaming

In accordance with the recent enhancement of display technology, users demand a higher quality of streaming service, which escalates the bandwidth requirement. Considering the recent advent of high FPS (frame per second) 4K and 8K resolution 360° videos, such bandwidth concern further intensifies in 360° Virtual Reality (VR) content streaming even at a larger scale. However, the currently available bandwidth in most of the developed countries can hardly support the bandwidth required to stream such a scale of content. To address the mismatch between the demand on higher quality of streaming service and the saturated network improvement, we propose SALI360 that practically solves the mismatch by utilizing the characteristics of the human vision system (HVS). By pre-rendering a set of regions - where viewers are expected to fixate - on 360° VR content in higher quality than the other regions, SALI360 improves viewers' quality of perception (QoP) while reducing content size with geometry-based 360° content encoding. In our user experiment, we compare the performance of SALI360 to the existing 360° content-encoding techniques based on 20 viewers' head movement and eye gaze traces. To evaluate viewers' QoP, we propose FoL (field of look) that captures viewers' quality perception area in the visual focal field (8°) rather than a wide (around 90°) field of view (FoV). Results of our experimental 360° VR video streaming show that SALI360 achieves 53.3% of PSNR improvement in FoL, while gaining 9.3% of PSNR improvement in FoV. In addition, our subjective study on 93 participants verifies that SALI360 improves viewers' QoP in the 360° VR streaming service.
Lysine Demethylase KDM6A in Differentiation, Development, and Cancer

Lysine demethylase 6A (KDM6A), also known as UTX, belongs to the KDM6 family of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27) demethylases, which also includes UTY and KDM6B (JMJD3). The KDM6A protein contains six tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domains and an enzymatic Jumonji C (JmjC) domain that catalyzes the removal of di- and trimethylation on H3K27. KDM6A physically associates with histone H3 lysine 4 monomethyltransferases MLL3 (KMT2C) and MLL4 (KMT2D). Since its identification as an H3K27 demethylase in 2007, studies have reported KDM6A's critical roles in cell differentiation, development, and cancer. KDM6A is important for differentiation of embryonic stem cells and development of various tissues. Mutations of KDM6A cause Kabuki syndrome. KDM6A is frequently mutated in cancers and functions as a tumor suppressor. KDM6A is redundant with UTY and functions largely independently of its demethylase activity. It regulates gene expression, likely through the associated transcription factors and MLL3/4 on enhancers. However, KDM6A enzymatic activity is required in certain cellular contexts. Functional redundancy between H3K27 demethylase activities of KDM6A and KDM6B in vivo has yet to be determined. Further understanding of KDM6A functions and working mechanisms will provide more insights into enhancer regulation and may help generate novel therapeutic approaches to treat KDM6A-related diseases.
Near-Infrared Photoimmunotherapy Combined with CTLA4 Checkpoint Blockade in Syngeneic Mouse Cancer Models

Near infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a newly developed and highly selective cancer treatment that induces necrotic/immunogenic cell death. It employs a monoclonal antibody (mAb) conjugated to a photo-absorber dye, IRDye700DX, which is activated by NIR light. Tumor-targeting NIR-PIT is also at least partly mediated by a profound immune response against the tumor. Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA4) is widely recognized as a major immune checkpoint protein, which inhibits the immune response against tumors and is therefore, a target for systemic blockade. We investigated the effect of combining tumor-targeted NIR-PIT against the cell-surface antigen, CD44, which is known as a cancer stem cell marker, with a systemic CTLA4 immune checkpoint inhibitor in three syngeneic tumor models (MC38-luc, LL/2, and MOC1). CD44-targeted NIR-PIT combined with CTLA4 blockade showed greater tumor growth inhibition with longer survival compared with CTLA4 blockade alone in all tumor models. NIR-PIT and CTLA4 blockade produced more complete remission in MOC1 tumors (44%) than NIR-PIT and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade (8%), which was reported in our previous paper. However, the combination of NIR-PIT and CTLA4 blockade was less effective in MC38-luc tumors (11%) than the combination of NIR-PIT and PD-1 blockade (70%). Nonetheless, in many cases ineffective results with NIR-PIT and PD-1 blockade were reversed with NIR-PIT and CTLA4 blockade.
Differential optical transfer function wavefront sensing

An image-based technique for measuring the complex field in the pupil of an imaging system is presented. Two point source images, one with a small modification introduced in the pupil, are combined using a simple and non-iterative algorithm. The non-interferometric method is based on the change in the optical transfer function (OTF) giving a differential optical transfer function (dOTF). The dOTF includes two images of the complex pupil field, conjugated and reflected about the position of the pupil modification, leaving an overlap that obscures some of the pupil. The overlap can be minimized by introducing the modification near the edge of the pupil. The overlap region can be eliminated altogether by using a second modification and a third point source image. The pupil field is convolved by the change in the pupil field, so smaller modification areas are preferred. When using non-monochromatic light, the dOTF incurs a proportional radial blurring determined by the fractional bandwidth. We include some simple demonstration experiments, including using a pupil blockage and moving a single deformable mirror actuator as the pupil modification. In each case, the complex wavefront is easily recovered, even when the pupil mask is unknown and the wavefront aberrations are large.
How an Infection of Sheep Revealed Prion Mechanisms in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Disorders.

Although it is not yet universally accepted that all neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are prion disorders, there is little disagreement that Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and other NDs are a consequence of protein misfolding, aggregation, and spread. This widely accepted perspective arose from the prion hypothesis, which resulted from investigations on scrapie, a common transmissible disease of sheep and goats. The prion hypothesis argued that the causative infectious agent of scrapie was a novel proteinaceous pathogen devoid of functional nucleic acids and distinct from viruses, viroids, and bacteria. At the time, it seemed impossible that an infectious agent like the one causing scrapie could replicate and exist as diverse microbiological strains without nucleic acids. However, aggregates of a misfolded host-encoded protein, designated the prion protein (PrP), were shown to be the cause of scrapie as well as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS), which are similar NDs in humans. This review discusses historical research on diseases caused by PrP misfolding, emphasizing principles of pathogenesis that were later found to be core features of other NDs. For example, the discovery that familial prion diseases can be caused by mutations in PrP was important for understanding prion replication and disease susceptibility not only for rare PrP diseases but also for far more common NDs involving other proteins. We compare diseases caused by misfolding and aggregation of APP-derived Aβ peptides, tau, and α-synuclein with PrP prion disorders and argue for the classification of NDs caused by misfolding of these proteins as prion diseases. Deciphering the molecular pathogenesis of NDs as prion-mediated has provided new approaches for finding therapies for these intractable, invariably fatal disorders and has revolutionized the field.
Glycolytic ATP fuels phosphoinositide 3-kinase signaling to support effector T helper 17 cell responses.

Summary Aerobic glycolysis—the Warburg effect—converts glucose to lactate via the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) and is a metabolic feature of effector T cells. Cells generate ATP through various mechanisms and Warburg metabolism is comparatively an energy-inefficient glucose catabolism pathway. Here, we examined the effect of ATP generated via aerobic glycolysis in antigen-driven T cell responses. Cd4CreLdhafl/fl mice were resistant to Th17-cell-mediated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and exhibited defective T cell activation, migration, proliferation, and differentiation. LDHA deficiency crippled cellular redox balance and inhibited ATP production, diminishing PI3K-dependent activation of Akt kinase and thereby phosphorylation-mediated inhibition of Foxo1, a transcriptional repressor of T cell activation programs. Th17-cell-specific expression of an Akt-insensitive Foxo1 recapitulated the defects seen in Cd4CreLdhafl/fl mice. Induction of LDHA required PI3K signaling and LDHA deficiency impaired PI3K-catalyzed PIP3 generation. Thus, Warburg metabolism augments glycolytic ATP production, fueling a PI3K-centered positive feedback regulatory circuit that drives effector T cell responses.
Border Environments: An Introduction to the Special Issue

“Border Environments” is deeply informed by this rich body of recent studies, which has not only exposed the overlaps between geopolitics, biopolitics, and ecopolitics of migration but also laid open the concept of borders themselves as sites in which political economy and political ecology collide, intersect, and shape each other. Over the course of a global pandemic that simultaneously upended all notions of border control and continues to have a devastatingly disproportionate effect on migrant populations and border communities not just in the Americas but across the world, “Border Environments” coalesced into a multidisciplinary, multilocational, and multidimensional investigation of the space, place, and concept that was conspicuously and persistently absent from the macrostructural analyses of climate change and migration. Each contributor engages in rich, site-specific explorations of such interfaces, the scope of their work extends far beyond the southern border of the United States. Iconologies, narratives, aesthetic forms and performative practices examined in this issue put the heterogenous landscapes of Latin America in generative dialogue with other distant and proximate, intra- and inter-national border environments: the Marcellus Shale that connects New York and Pennsylvania, the Gangetic delta straddling India and Bangladesh, the sandy straits of the South China Sea.