cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of radiation model on the modeling of a laminar coflow methane/air diffusion flame

Abstract Detailed numerical calculations of an axisymmetric coflow laminar methane/air diffusion flame at atmospheric pressure were conducted using complex thermal and transport properties and detailed gas-phase chemistry. Soot kinetics was modeled using an acetylene-based semiempirical two-equation model. Nongray radiative heat transfer by CO2, H2O, CO, and soot was calculated using the discrete-ordinates method coupled with several statistical narrow-band-based correlated-k models. The angular and spatial discretizations of the discrete-ordinates equation were achieved using the T3 quadrature set and the central difference scheme, respectively. Calculations were carried out using five radiative-property models of different accuracy and efficiency: (i) 367 uniform narrow bands and seven-point quadrature, (ii) 36 uniform moderate bands and four-point quadrature, (iii) 9 nonuniform wide bands and four-point quadrature, (iv) 9 uniform wide bands and two-point quadrature, and (v) the optically thin approximation. The calculated temperature and soot volume fraction distributions were compared with experimental data from the literature. By conducting fully coupled calculations of radiation, flow, and combustion chemistry, the quantitative effects of using approximate radiation models on the calculated soot and temperature distributions were evaluated against the benchmark solution obtained using the narrow-band model (i). The computational efficiency of these radiation models was also compared. The optically thin model predicts temperatures about 17 K lower in this flame and integrated soot about 6% lower. Radiation absorption has a slight impact on the calculated soot volume fraction in the flame investigated. The radiative model of 9 nonuniform wide bands using four-point quadrature is recommended for modeling nongray radiation in sooting flames, based on considerations of accuracy and efficiency.
Globally stable identification based adaptive control of stable open loop processes

This report studies the adaptive control of open loop stable processes, or processes which can be pre-stabilized by fixed compensation. It is shown that by making a simple modification to tradition parameter adaptive control laws, global stability can be assured even if the controller becomes temporarily unstable during adaptation. The results are applicable to a large class of adaptive controllers which estimate parameters from process input-output data.
Mukulabhaṭṭa’s Defense of Lakṣaṇā : How We Use Words to Mean Something Else, But Not Everything Else

We frequently use single words or expressions to mean multiple things, depending upon context. I argue that a plausible model of this phenomenon, known as lakṣaṇā by Indian philosophers, emerges in the work of ninth-century Kashmiri Mukulabhaṭṭa. His model of lakṣaṇā is sensitive to the lexical and syntactic requirements for sentence meaning, the interpretive unity guiding a communicative act, and the nuances of creative language use found in poetry. After outlining his model of lakṣaṇā, I show how arthāpatti, or presumption, forms the basis of both semantic and pragmatic processes in this approach. I employ a model from contemporary linguist James Pustejovsky as one way of reconstructing Mukulabhaṭṭa’s analysis. Finally, I argue that presumption is responsible for the wide range of interpretations in creative uses of language, and that our interpretations are constrained, through defeasible in a way that our decodings of literal meanings typically are not.
Induced plant defenses, host–pathogen interactions, and forest insect outbreaks

Cyclic outbreaks of defoliating insects devastate forests, but their causes are poorly understood. Outbreak cycles are often assumed to be driven by density-dependent mortality due to natural enemies, because pathogens and predators cause high mortality and because natural-enemy models reproduce fluctuations in defoliation data. The role of induced defenses is in contrast often dismissed, because toxic effects of defenses are often weak and because induced-defense models explain defoliation data no better than natural-enemy models. Natural-enemy models, however, fail to explain gypsy moth outbreaks in North America, in which outbreaks in forests with a higher percentage of oaks have alternated between severe and mild, whereas outbreaks in forests with a lower percentage of oaks have been uniformly moderate. Here we show that this pattern can be explained by an interaction between induced defenses and a natural enemy. We experimentally induced hydrolyzable-tannin defenses in red oak, to show that induction reduces variability in a gypsy moth’s risk of baculovirus infection. Because this effect can modulate outbreak severity and because oaks are the only genus of gypsy moth host tree that can be induced, we extended a natural-enemy model to allow for spatial variability in inducibility. Our model shows alternating outbreaks in forests with a high frequency of oaks, and uniform outbreaks in forests with a low frequency of oaks, matching the data. The complexity of this effect suggests that detecting effects of induced defenses on defoliator cycles requires a combination of experiments and models.
Structure, Mechanics and Failure of Stochastic Fibrous Networks: Part I—Microscale Considerations

Applications for porous fibrous materials range from electrochemical substrates to web reinforcement in polymeric composite materials. The details of local load transfer are studied in a class of cost-effective, stochastic fibrous networks used in battery applications, which form the substrate for a composite electrode. The connectivity of these materials is quantitatively related to modulus and strength, and detailed results of different simulations approaches in approximating material construction are discussed. In Part I, we discuss microscale assumptions, including beam type, nodal connections and equivalence of models to more physically realistic models. Simulation of large networks is computationally intensive, and show low-strain, nonlinear behavior even when comprised of elastic elements when failure criteria (here, strength-of-materials) are applied to produce sequential rupture of beams and nodes. Strategies for effective simulation of these materials requires detailed analysis of the simplest assumptions which can be made at the microscale which produce acceptably realistic response. We show that simple Euler-Bernoulli beam elements can be used to effectively model such materials, even when segment lengths in a network are very small. Moreover, connections comprised of simple torsion springs produce realistic behavior, and can mimic more realistic junctures by adaptation of the linear solution to a compliant zone model. In Part II of this work, we demonstrate the effect of model selection on full network behavior, and also discuss issues of connectivity at the scale of the porous material rather than element-by-element. This work points toward use of simple constructions to model complex behavior, and may ultimately provide insight into modeling of a large class of porous materials.
Visual Versus Marker-Based Selection of Hybrid Progeny in Fertile × Fertile Beet and Carrot Crosses

Cytoplasmic-genic male sterility systems (CMS) help control pollination in carrot and table beet breeding programs and hybrid seed production. A challenge common to these breeding programs is identification of F 1 hybrid progeny in crosses where both parents carry normal (N) cytoplasm. Such fertile × fertile crosses often produce both F 1 and selfed progeny, making identification of F 1 hybrids difficult. Such identification has tradition - ally been accomplished in carrot and table beet by visually scoring roots using heterosis for size. However, if heterosis is lacking, misidentification can result in systematic errors in the breeding process. We sought to determine how effective visual selection of hybrid progeny is in the context of table beet and carrot breeding programs. We used amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLp) markers to genotype parents and progeny in a variety of fertile × fertile crosses. progeny were also grown in the field and evaluated for hybridity based on visual selection using the phenotype of heterosis for size. Two of five fertile × fertile table beet crosses and three of five fertile × fertile car - rot crosses showed highly significant differences between visual selection for hybridity and AFL p marker analysis ( p < 0.01). Misidentification of roots as F 1 hybrids when they were actually self- pollinated occurred in some crosses as much as 75% of the time. Both type I, a hybrid root scored as an inbred, and type II, an inbred root scored as a hybrid, errors were committed. Across all mat - ings, type I errors occurred on average 40.9% of the time and type II errors occurred on average 8.5% of the time. Type II errors have important consequences because both parents are not rep - resented and recombined in the progeny resulting in further inbreeding. The results of this study indi - cate that using heterosis for size as a hybrid selec - tion method can be inaccurate for identification of hybrids in certain crosses and may introduce error into breeding programs.
An electron microscopic comparison of the medial interlaminar nucleus and the A laminae in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat.

The medial interlaminar nucleus (MIN) of the cat's dorsal lateral ge-niculate nucleus was studied under the light and electron microscopes and compared with the A laminae. At the light level, MIN has more axons and a lesser cell packing density than the A laminae. Examined at the electron microscopic level, MIN could not qualitatively be distinguished from the A laminae. When quantitative counts of the profiles containing synaptic ves-icles were made, MIN had less F profiles and more RSD profiles per unit area than the A laminae. Structure/function correlations suggest that additional F terminals may mediate nondominant eye inhibition and/or a greater amount of inhibition on X-cells versus Y-cells.
Liberating women's history : theoretical and critical essays

Papers furnishing a review and critique of past work in women's history are combined with selections delineating new approaches to the study of women in history and empirical studies considering ideological and class factors.
A Reliability-Based Reed-Solomon Decoding Algorithm for Magnetic Recording Channels

A simplification of the adaptive belief propagation (BP) algorithm used for decoding Reed-Solomon (RS) codes for magnetic recording channels which leads to a Chase-type algorithm is presented. The BP algorithm has been used to decode a partly low-density parity-check matrix of an RS code.
Towards a Humean Solution of Vagueness in Language and Ontology

This paper explores how a Humean may respond to issues of vagueness in philosophy of language—and in extension—ontology. It begins with an examination of the sorites paradox and two common responses: epistemicism, and eliminativism. I then turn to David Hume’s conception of abstract ideas as a way to determine how vague terms refer and then compare this view to both epistemicism and eliminativism. The paper ends with a defense of the Humean view as a synthesis of the two, which ultimately questions the formulation of the sorites paradox as a proper use of language.
Hubble Space Telescope Time-Series Photometry of the Transiting Planet of HD 209458*

We have observed four transits of the planet of HD 209458 using the STIS spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Summing the recorded counts over wavelength between 582 and 638 nm yields a photometric time series with 80 s time sampling and relative precision of about 1.1 × 10-4 per sample. The folded light curve can be fitted within observational errors using a model consisting of an opaque circular planet transiting a limb-darkened stellar disk. In this way we estimate the planetary radius Rp = 1.347 ± 0.060 RJup, the orbital inclination i = 866 ± 014, the stellar radius R* = 1.146 ± 0.050 R☉, and one parameter describing the stellar limb darkening. Our estimated radius is smaller than those from earlier studies but is consistent within measurement errors and also with theoretical estimates of the radii of irradiated Jupiter-like planets. Satellites or rings orbiting the planet would, if large enough, be apparent from distortions of the light curve or from irregularities in the transit timings. We find no evidence for either satellites or rings, with upper limits on satellite radius and mass of 1.2 R⊕ and 3 M⊕, respectively. Opaque rings, if present, must be smaller than 1.8 planetary radii in radial extent. The high level of photometric precision attained in this experiment confirms the feasibility of photometric detection of Earth-sized planets circling Sun-like stars.
HRR profiling in GMTI search radar

This paper presents a high range resolution (HRR) profiling technique for generating range and Doppler profiles of multiple moving targets, while the radar is in ground moving target indicator (GMTI) search mode. To implement such a technique, it requires no a priori information on target velocity and/or phase, hence, it is a good candidate to be incorporated into a search radar in which precise target velocity and/or phase information is generally not available. This technique was developed for a linear FM radar in which transmitting frequency is changing within the transmit pulsewidth. Most of the SAR radars employ such a waveform for both SAR imaging and GMTI modes. To verify HRR profiling performance, modeling, simulation, and key profiling equations were developed. Results show that both the resolution in Doppler and SIR value are improved. Also, this technique is capable of handling reasonable target acceleration of ground movers due to the inherent radar design.
Affective Reactions in the Blink of an Eye: Individual Differences in Subjective Experience and Physiological Responses to Emotional Stimuli

This experiment examined individual differences in emotional responsivity by recording the startle eyeblink reflex while 57 college students viewed affect-laden pictures and then rated their pleasantness. All participants first completed measures of affect intensity, alexithymia, and depression. Startleprobes were some-times presented at 120, 300, 800, or 4,500 ms after slide onset. By 300 ns, blinks elicited during negative slides were larger than those elicited during positive ones. Negative slides were also rated as more unpleasant. Moreover, all three personality variables moderated either the valence ratings, startle modification, or both. High-affect intensity was associated with diminished modulation of startle, but more extreme ratings. Alexithymia had no effect on the startle measure, but high-alexithymia participants did show more moderate ratings. Depressed participants exhibited accelerated (120 ms) modulation of startle. The results suggest the importance of measuring both physiological respo...
A 12 mW Low Power Continuous-Time Bandpass ΔΣ Modulator With 58 dB SNDR and 24 MHz Bandwidth at 200 MHz IF

A continuous-time bandpass ΔΣ modulator (CTBPDSM) is a good solution for software-defined-radio (SDR) since it allows much flexibility in the digital backend and also decreases the complexity of the receiver chain by combining several analog blocks into a single ADC [1]. However, conventional CTBPDSMs suffer from large power consumption and occupy large area. CTBPDSMs based on LC tanks are large, while biquad-based resonators are also large and suffer from high power consumption because two amplifiers are usually required in each resonator. The fact that there are typically twice as many feedback paths compared to a lowpass ΔΣ modulator with the same bandwidth and performance also increases power consumption, area and complexity. This paper presents a power-efficient resonator with a single amplifier and also introduces a simplified architecture utilizing return-to-zero (RZ) and half-clock-delayed return-to-zero (HZ) pulses to solve the power and complexity problems.
A VUV photoionization study of the multichannel reaction of phenyl radicals with 1,3-butadiene under combustion relevant conditions

We studied the reaction of phenyl radicals (C(6)H(5)) with 1,3-butadiene (H(2)CCHCHCH(2)) exploiting a high temperature chemical reactor under combustion-like conditions (300 Torr, 873 K). The reaction products were probed in a supersonic beam by utilizing VUV radiation from the Advanced Light Source and by recording the experimental PIE curves at mass-to-charge ratios of m/z = 130 (C(10)H(10)(+)), 116 (C(9)H(8)(+)), and 104 (C(8)H(8)(+)). Our data suggest that the atomic hydrogen (H), methyl (CH(3)), and vinyl (C(2)H(3)) losses are open with estimated branching ratios of about 86 ± 4%, 8 ± 2%, and 6 ± 2%, respectively. The isomer distributions were probed further by fitting the experimentally recorded PIE curves with a linear combination of the PIE curves of individual C(10)H(10), C(9)H(8), and C(8)H(8) isomers. These fits indicate the formation of three C(10)H(10) isomers (trans-1,3-butadienylbenzene, 1,4-dihydronaphthalene, 1-methylindene), three C(9)H(8) isomers (indene, phenylallene, 1-phenyl-1-methylacetylene), and a C(8)H(8) isomer (styrene). A comparison with results from recent crossed molecular beam studies of the 1,3-butadiene-phenyl radical reaction and electronic structure calculations suggests that trans-1,3-butadienylbenzene (130 amu), 1,4-dihydronaphthalene (130 amu), and styrene (104 amu) are reaction products formed as a consequence of a bimolecular reaction between the phenyl radical and 1,3-butadiene. 1-Methylindene (130 amu), indene (116 amu), phenylallene (116 amu), and 1-phenyl-1-methylacetylene (116 amu) are synthesized upon reaction of the phenyl radical with three C(4)H(6) isomers: 1,2-butadiene (H(2)CCCH(CH(3))), 1-butyne (HCCC(2)H(5)), and 2-butyne (CH(3)CCCH(3)); these C(4)H(6) isomers can be formed from 1,3-butadiene via hydrogen atom assisted isomerization reactions or via thermal rearrangements of 1,3-butadiene involving hydrogen shifts in the high temperature chemical reactor.
Analysis of the onset of dynamic stall

The dynamic stall characteristics of several airfoils have been investigated to assess the effects of compressibility, unsteadiness, and airfoil geometry on the onset of dynamic stall. For the purpose of understanding the physical phenomena in the range of low reduced frequency of practical importance, it is found that the flow before the onset of stall can be considered quasisteady and hence predicted using inviscid theory. For moderate Reynolds number, our analysis predicts the presence of a separation bubble at the airfoil leading edge and suggests that bubble bursting, or failure to reattach after the initial separation, is the onset mechanism. It is found in numerical simulation that at angles of attack close to static stall minor movements in transition point location can cause bursting of the separation bubble and that bursting is more susceptible to transition location in a locally supersonic flow than in subsonic flow. Finally, it is found that the delay between passage through the static stall angle and the onset of dynamic stall decreases with increasing unsteadiness. This result suggests that separation is being promoted rather than delayed and that the lift benefits from dynamic stall only for the duration of the separation process.
Psycholinguistic Evidence for Inverse Scope in Korean

We use experimental data to shed light on the ongoing question of whether Korean allows inverse scope interpretation in sentences containing an indefinite subject and a universally quantified direct object (e.g., ‘Someone bought each loaf of bread at the bakery’). The results of an off-line acceptability judgment task (n = 38) and an online self-paced reading task (n $$=$$ 22) indicate that inverse scope interpretations are in fact permitted in Korean as a secondary option, as is also the case in English. We argue that the dispreference for the inverse scope reading reflects processing considerations related to burden on working memory.
Maximum likelihood estimation of gamma parameters for coarsely binned and truncated raindrop size data

The gamma family of probability densities has recently been used to model raindrop size. However, the traditional approach of using the method of moments to estimate the gamma distribution parameters is known to be biased and can have substantial errors. A recently developed approach combining moment information and a weighted least-squares analysis generally produces substantially better results. Other procedures superior to the method of moments approach include maximum likelihood. In particular, maximum likelihood estimates have been shown to outperform method of moments estimators, both for the case in which the full range of drop sizes are observed and for the case in which small drop sizes fail to be observed because of the inability of disdrometers to record observations below a threshold. The foregoing comments on maximum likelihood concern the situation in which drop sizes are measured on a continuous scale. In this work we consider drop sizes from gamma distributions which are classified into broad size bins, as would be the case with data obtained from many disdrometers; this requires some modification of the maximum likelihood procedure. We also allow for the possibility of drop sizes below a threshold, or above another threshold, not being observed. Maximum likelihood performance in this case is investigated through simulation of volume sampling from gamma distributions with known parameters. We compare the performance of the maximum likelihood estimates with those of method of moments (only a truncated-data version is viable) and the recently developed weighted least-squares procedure, and also apply the three estimation procedures to some experimental data. Since the experimental data are surface data, we indicate how drop fall velocity may be incorporated to obtain parameters for the volume distributions from the surface data.
The Positivity Bias in Attributions: Two Cross-Cultural Investigations

Two experiments examined whether the attributions people made about others from their own or another culture were subject to a positivity bias, and whether these attributions were affected by a positive in-group bias. In Experiment 1, a Japanese sample made attributions to a person from Japan, the United States, or the Third World who was either promoted or demoted. In Experiment 2, a sample from the United States and the Third World made attributions to a person from the United States or the Third World who was either promoted or demoted. The attributions were not subject to a positive in-group bias. However, the attributions made by the Japanese, Americans, and people from the Third World evidenced a positivity bias, although with cultural variation on the measures on which it was obtained.
Trends in air pollution and mortality: an approach to the assessment of unmeasured confounding.

Abstract:We propose a method for diagnosing confounding bias under a model that links a spatially and temporally varying exposure and health outcome. We decompose the association into orthogonal components, corresponding to distinct spatial and temporal scales of variation. If the model fully contro
Aggresome Disruption: A Novel Strategy to Enhance Bortezomib-Induced Apoptosis in Pancreatic Cancer Cells

The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (formerly known as PS-341) recently received Food and Drug Administration approval for the treatment of multiple myeloma, and its activity is currently being evaluated in solid tumors. Bortezomib triggers apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells, but the mechanisms involved have not been fully elucidated. Here, we show that pancreatic cancer cells exposed to bortezomib formed aggregates of ubiquitin-conjugated proteins ("aggresomes") in vitro and in vivo. Bortezomib-induced aggresome formation was determined to be cytoprotective and could be disrupted using histone deacetylase (HDAC) 6 small interfering RNA or chemical HDAC inhibitors, which resulted in endoplasmic reticulum stress and synergistic levels of apoptosis in vitro and in an orthotopic pancreatic cancer xenograft model in vivo. Interestingly, bortezomib did not induce aggresome formation in immortalized normal human pancreatic epithelial cells in vitro or in murine pancreatic epithelial cells in vivo. In addition, these cells did not undergo apoptosis following treatment with bortezomib, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, or the combination, showing tumor selectivity. Taken together, our study shows that inhibition of aggresome formation can strongly potentiate the efficacy of bortezomib and provides the foundation for clinical trials of bortezomib in combination with HDAC inhibitors for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Pancreaticoduodenectomy with vascular resection: margin status and survival duration

Major vascular resection performed at the time of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for adenocarcinoma remains controversial. We analyzed all patients who underwent vascular resection (VR) at the time of PD for any histology at a single institution between 1990 and 2002. Preoperative imaging criteria for PD included the absence of tumor extension to the celiac axis or superior mesenteric artery (SMA). Tangential or segmental resection of the superior mesenteric or portal veins was performed when the tumor could not be separated from the vein. As a separate analysis, all patients who underwent PD with VR for pancreatic adenocarcinoma were compared to all patients who underwent standard PD for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. A total of 141 patients underwent VR with PD. Superior mesenteric-portal vein resections included tangential resection with vein patch (n = 36), segmental resection with primary anastomosis (n = 35), and segmental resection with autologous interposition graft (n = 55). Hepatic arterial resections were performed in 10 patients, and resections of the anterior surface of the inferior vena cava were performed in 5 patients. PD was performed for pancreatic adenocarcinoma in 291 patients; standard PD was performed in 181 and VR in 110. Median survival was 23.4 months in the group that required VR and 26.5 months in the group that underwent standard PD (P = 0.177). A Cox proportional hazards model was constructed to analyze the effects of potential prognostic factors (VR, tumor size, T stage, N status, margin status) on survival. The need for VR had no impact on survival duration. In conclusion, properly selected patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head who require VR have a median survival of approximately 2 years, which does not differ from those who undergo standard PD and is superior to historical patients believed to have locally advanced disease treated nonoperatively.
Using 234Th disequilibria to estimate the vertical removal rates of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from the surface ocean

Abstract A novel 234 Th-coupled approach was employed to deduce the vertical fluxes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) through surface waters of harbor, coastal, shelf, and pelagic regimes. We found reasonable agreement between these surface ocean fluxes, based on direct measurements of mixed-layer properties, and fluxes deduced from underlying sediments. Fluxes decreased exponentially away from the northeastern U.S.A. Source-diagnostic molecular ratios indicate that atmospheric fall-out of combustion-derived PAHs from the continents is the dominant source. Despite higher unit area fluxes inshore, the open ocean represents a large integral sink for PAHs. For example, of the 60 metric tonnes of pyrene that we estimate to annually become sequestered in the western North Atlantic, only ~ 10% is deposited in coastal waters while the remaining 90% is exported farther offshore on the continental shelf and to pelagic regimes.
Nonlinear control of linear multivariable systems via state-dependent feedback gains

It is often desirable to have controllers which respond fast to large errors and which respond slowly to the small errors that are often due to sensor noise. Some nonlinear controllers having these properties are developed here by modifying optimal linear state feedback controllers so that they have state-dependent gains. A general approach is developed for the nonlinear control of multivariable systems such that the transient responses exhibit the desired properties, and the closed loop systems are asymptotically stable.
Global network community and non-uniform cell density in the macaque brain

The important question, how the global network architecture connecting cortical regions keeps balances between integration and segregation of information processes, have been asked to understand the design of the brain [1,2]. This study aimed to clarify how topological characteristics of such global network architecture relate with physiological characteristics inside of segmented cortical regions in the monkey brain [3]. Especially, I focused on cell densities (densities of neurons or non-neurons) as the representative characteristics of segmented cortical regions [4], and compared the cell densities with network topologies of cortico-cortical fiber tracts [Figure1-A]. To reduce biases in comparisons, I surveyed many topological measures as wide as possible. Total number of evaluated network measures was 27. Figure1 (A) is cell densities at segmented 69 cortical regions. Denser color at each region indicates higher density of neurons. (B) is the network organization of white matter fibers. (C) Community (Modular) structures of monkey cortical networks. The locations ... As the result, surprisingly, only participation coefficient (PCs) showed significant correlations with cell densities [3]. Although a previous study reported that cell densities significantly change on the anterior-posterior coordinate [5], spatial coordinates did not correlate significantly with participation coefficients. Participation coefficient is the topological measure evaluating how often each node (segmented brain region) connects to other nodes locating different communities (modules). The modules, which detected based on a computational criterion [3], corresponded with visual, somatosensory, auditory, and two associative modules [Figure1-C]. The associative modules simultaneously showed low neuron density and high participation coefficient, which means there are diversive connections with different modules. These findings led us to the conclusion that the brain is designed for achieving integrative information process at associative brain regions by sacrificing number of elements (neurons).
Mass Culture of Microalgae for Photosynthetic Gas Exchange

The history of technology relating to the subject of this paper is as old as modern chemistry. The first closed-gas cycle experiments, in which the physiology of a green plant and an animal were combined, were performed in the eighteenth century by Joseph Priestley, the discoverer of oxygen. The first suggestion that photosynthesis be used to solve the respiratory gas supply problem in space vehicles is attributed to J. B. S. Haldane and to others connected with the early years of the British Interplanetary Society. In the United States, Kraft Ehricke at the Air Force School of Aviation Medicine shortly after the war suggested to Professor Jack Myers that he extend his well-known studies on algal physiology into the new realm of air revitalization. The Carnegie Institution of Washington had a long-standing interest in photosynthesis, and in 1942, the possibility of culturing Chlorella on a large scale for valuable materials, especially antibiotics, was first investigated. The work of the Institution and its fellows and guests on mass culture of microalgae was reported in 1953 in the Institution Publication 600 (1), which has been reprinted twice, in 1955 and 1961.
Mesh partitioning algorithms for the parallel solution of partial differential equations

Abstract Most of the recently proposed computational methods for solving partial differential equations on multiprocessor architectures stem from the “divide and conquer” paradigm and involve some form of domain decomposition. For those methods which also require grids of points or patches of elements, it is often necessary to explicitly partition the underlying mesh, especially when working with local memory parallel processors. In this paper, a family of cost-effective algorithms for the automatic partitioning of arbitrary two- and three-dimensional finite element and finite difference meshes are presented and discussed in view of a domain-decomposed solution procedure and parallel processing.
Endocannabinoid-dopamine interactions in striatal synaptic plasticity.

The nigrostriatal dopaminergic system is implicated in action control and learning. A large body of work has focused on the contribution of this system to modulation of the corticostriatal synapse, the predominant synapse type in the striatum. Signaling through the D2 dopamine receptor is necessary for endocannabinoid-mediated depression of corticostriatal glutamate release. Here we review the known details of this mechanism and discuss newly discovered signaling pathways interacting with this system that ultimately exert dynamic control of cortical input to the striatum and striatal output. This topic is timely with respect to Parkinson’s disease given recent data indicating changes in the striatal endocannabinoid system in patients with this disorder.
Probabilistic model of onset detection explains paradoxes in human time perception.

A very basic computational model is proposed to explain two puzzling findings in the time perception literature. First, spontaneous motor actions are preceded by up to 1-2 s of preparatory activity (Kornhuber and Deecke, 1965). Yet, subjects are only consciously aware of about a quarter of a second of motor preparation (Libet, 1983). Why are they not aware of the early part of preparation? Second, psychophysical findings (Spence, 2001) support the principle of attention prior entry (Titchener, 1908), which states that attended stimuli are perceived faster than unattended stimuli. However, electrophysiological studies reported no or little corresponding temporal difference between the neural signals for attended and unattended stimuli (McDonald et al., 2005; Vibell et al., 2007). We suggest that the key to understanding these puzzling findings is to think of onset detection in probabilistic terms. The two apparently paradoxical phenomena are naturally predicted by our signal detection theoretic model.
Water Vapor Permeability, Solubility, and Tensile Properties of Heat-denatured versus Native Whey Protein Films.

Whereas native whey protein films were totally water soluble, heat denatured films were insoluble. Heat-denatured whey protein films had higher tensile properties than native whey protein films. However, native and heat-denatured films had similar water vapor permeability (WVP). The pH of the film-forming solution did not have any notable effect on film solubility, mechanical properties, or WVP. Results suggest that covalent cross-linking due to heat denaturation of the whey protein is accountable for film water insolubility and higher tensile properties but does not affect WVP of the films.
Personal health informatics. Editorial.

To provide an editorial introduction to the 2012 IMIA Yearbook of Medical Informatics with an overview of its contents and contributors.
Major Trends in the Historiography of Oil in Latin America, 1960-2010

The historiography of Latin America’s oil industry has evolved since the period between the 1960s and the 1980s, when most scholars were focusing on the rise of nationalism in reaction to the multinationals’ control of the oil sector. Beginning in the 1990s, the emergence of new methodologies enabled historians to study other aspects of the industry, such as its environmental and cultural impact, local elites’ role in its development, the industry’s impact on the long-term development of Latin American countries, and the organizational evolution of state-owned oil companies. However, the literature continues to be dominated by studies of Mexico, while the subject of oil consumption is largely ignored.
Nabis roseipennis Adults (Hemiptera: Nahidae) as Disseminators of Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus to Anticarsia gemmatalis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae

Nabis roseipennis Reuter adults that had fed on nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) infected Anticarsia gemmatalis Hubner larvae in late stages of infection excreted infective virus for several days. The mean amount of virus in the excreta for the 10-d test period was 5.3 ± 0.9 × 106 polyhedral inclusion bodies, with 98% excreted during the first 2 d after feeding on infected larvae. When uninfected larvae were caged for 4 d on soybean plants with N. roseipennis adults (densities of one, two, or four adults/plant) that had fed on NPV-infected larvae, larval mortality from NPV varied from 6.7 ± 2.2 to 16.8 ± 3.9% in the low- and high-density treatments, respectively.
OH, MI: A Note on Empirical Examinations of Judicial Elections

Studies of state judicial selection systems require accurate classification of electoral systems. While agreement exists for most states, Ohio and Michigan are difficult to classify. In this paper, we discuss the different practices and explain how, in the absence of candidates' party affiliation on the ballot, elections in these states may justifiably be classified as partisan. Replicating the results of an important study on participation in judicial elections, we show how the treatment of these states may result in differing substantive conclusions. We conclude by urging scholars to provide evidence that their results are robust to alternative classifications.
Informal Homeownership in the United States and the Law

This article examines how millions of lower-income families in the United States attempt to acquire title to their homes informally, outside the mortgage market and instead through mechanisms such as lease-to-own contracts and intestacy. Many of these families are left holding inferior and insecure title to their homes - if they hold title at all. The article explores the benefits and pitfalls of informal homeownership and the legal structures that perpetuate disparities between formal and informal homeownership. The article then proposes a series of legal reforms to help ensure that the American legal system provides lower-income families with better opportunities to obtain secure title to their homes.
A miR-200c/141-BMI1 autoregulatory loop regulates oncogenic activity of BMI1 in cancer cells

// Manjari Dimri 1 , Mingu Kang 1 , Goberdhan P. Dimri 1 1 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA Correspondence to: Goberdhan P. Dimri, e-mail: gdimri@gwu.edu Manjari Dimri, e-mail: mdimri@gwu.edu Keywords: breast cancer, senescence, BMI1, microRNA, miR-141 Received: February 04, 2016 Accepted: March 31, 2016 Published: April 18, 2016 ABSTRACT MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to function as oncomiRs or tumor suppressors and are important noncoding RNA regulators of oncogenesis. The miR-200c/141 locus on chromosome 12 encodes miR-200c and miR-141, two members of the miR-200 family, which have been shown to function as tumor suppressive miRNAs by targeting multiple oncogenic factors such as polycomb group protein BMI1. Here, we show that BMI1 reciprocally functions as a transcriptional repressor of the miR-200c/141 cluster and that BMI1 inhibitors upregulate expression of miR-200c and miR-141. Our data suggest that BMI1 binds to the miR-200c/141 promoter and regulates it through transcription factor binding motifs E-box 2 and Z-box 1 to repress expression of miR-200c/141 cluster. We also show that PTC-209, a small molecule inhibitor of BMI1 gene expression induces cellular senescence and transcriptionally upregulates expression of miR-200c/141 cluster in breast cancer cells. Furthermore, inhibition of expression of miR-200c or miR-141 overcomes tumor suppressive effects of PTC-209 including induction of cellular senescence and downregulation of breast cancer stem cell phenotype. Therefore, our studies suggest a reciprocal regulation between BMI1 and miR-200c/141 cluster, and that BMI1 inhibitory drugs can further amplify their inhibitory effects on BMI1 via multiple mechanisms including posttranscriptional regulation by upregulating BMI1 targeting miRNAs.
STUDY ON THE FORMULATION OF A FOAMED POLYMER

Based on analyzing the limitation of polymer flooding in practical application, a foamed polymer system has been proposed, which can be formed in situ and can solve the problem of bypass when polymer flows through large channel alone. In order to determine a formulation of the foamed polymer, uniform design, a method of experimental design, as well as the DPS software which can process the experimental data, have been used. So the primary factors of effecting the foamed polymer system have been obtained.
Extracellular Enzymes in Soils

I found the recent article in Microbe (April 2015, p. 178) in the Small Things Considered section (“Microbe, Enzyme or Mineral? a Riddle in the Soil”) interesting and appreciated the focus on extracellular enzymes in soils. However, the presentation leaves the reader with the impression that the paper reviewed (J. Blankinship et al., Soil Biol. Biochem.71:68–75, 2014), is the only research done on the topic and that this is new research; specifically, “the first study that rigorously attempts….”
Testosterone gel improved sexual function, but not walk distance or fatigue, in older men with low testosterone

Source Citation Snyder PJ, Bhasin S, Cunningham GR, et al; Testosterone Trials Investigators. Effects of testosterone treatment in older men. N Engl J Med. 2016;374:611-624. 26886521
Calcium: Urease activity and pH changes in a peat moss‐based potting medium as influenced by lime source and lime rate following the addition of urea

Reagent grade CaCO3 or Ca(OH)2 was mixed at various rates into a medium consisting of 50% Canadian Sphagnum peat moss, 35% coarse perlite, and 15% sterile sand by volume. After 2 weeks incubation at 20C, medium pH levels were 4.32, 5.00, 6.55, and 7.22 for CaCO3‐amended media, 3.98, 5.13, 6.30 and 6.75 for Ca(OH)2‐amended media, and 3.42 for an unlimed control. Thirty ml of a fertilizer solution (P, K, and trace elements) with or without 500 μg/ml urea‐N was applied to 125cc samples from each lime treatment, then incubated at 20C/95% RH for 20 days. Medium pH was monitored on days 0, 1, 3, 5, 10, and 20. Medium pH increased for all treatments and remained at an elevated level for the entire 20‐day period except for the highest rate of CaCO3. Medium pH increases were dependent upon lime rate. Greater pH increases were found for media amended with Ca(OH)2. Urease activity was assayed on day 0. Urease activity was affected by lime rate with the greatest activity found at a medium pH of 6.30 to 6.55.
Julian of Norwich, the Bible, and creative, orthodox theology: always novel, never new

Scholars have spent considerable time attempting to characterise Julian of Norwich's relationship to biblical texts. This article will first survey the state of scholarship with respect to Julian and the Bible, defending a minimalist thesis: that Julian thinks theologically in the rhythms of scripture, rendering suggestions that she haphazardly borrows from biblical language demonstrably false. Subsequently, literary-critical readings of biblical texts echoed in the parable of the lord and servant will be deployed to show how Julian echoes not only the language of the Bible, but also its themes, narratives and theology. By highlighting a particular kind of imaginative theology that is nevertheless deeply biblical, the article argues that Julian is at once creative and orthodox: always novel, but never new.
Palestinian nurses' lived experiences working in the occupied West Bank

Background Since the construction of the separation wall between Israel and the West Bank, Palestinians living in occupied West Bank have endured intense conflict, and severe restrictions on people's movement, trade and healthcare access, all of which resulted in spiralling poverty. These issues have created challenges for nurses that, to date, have not been explored. Aim To explore the lived experience of Palestinian nurses working in the occupied West Bank. Methods Qualitative phenomenological study using interviews with Palestinian nurses working in public hospitals in the West Bank. Findings Seventeen nurses were interviewed. Despite ongoing experiences of trauma and humiliation, personal/professional role conflicts, political workplace bias and blurred role boundaries, these nurses persevered because of their commitment to caring and sense of moral duty to ‘the people of this land’. Discussion Nurses in conflict areas are subject to layers of trauma. Palestinian nurses in the West Bank not only experience ongoing personal trauma, loss and humiliation of living in a conflict zone but they also experience additional professional trauma. Conclusion The findings provide first-person reports of the unique challenges of nurses working in the occupied West Bank. Implications for nursing practice Understanding the experiences of nurses working in occupied territories provides authentic information for local authorities and the global healthcare community. Practice improvements must be addressed and implemented. Implications for health policy Local and global organizations that mobilize support, invest in human capital, and protect human rights in areas of conflict may benefit from understanding the experiences of nurses in this study.
The state of American health care: November 2016 to November 2020, a look forward

The election of Donald Trump, coupled with the retention of Republican majorities in the US House of Representatives and Senate, raises questions about future of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the structure and funding of the country's public health insurance programs - Medicare, Medicaid and the Child Health Insurance Program - and the direction of health policy in the United States, more generally. Political scientists are not renowned for their capacity to predict the future and many of those who forecast election results have received criticism in recent weeks for failing to predict the Trump victory. While the future is uncertain, it is possible for social scientists to offer a 'conditional causal analysis' about the future. This essay is an effort to think about the likely shape of American health care between now and the next US presidential election.
Fixing our food system

In 2015 the United Nations adopted a set of goals to be achieved by 2030 with the aim of ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development agenda (UN 2015). One of the seventeen SDGs is directly related to food and nutrition, namely SDG 2 which is to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. While some progress has been made to reduce hunger and malnutrition, it is not enough to meet the goal.Failure to achieve SDG2 will also make other SDGs difficult to achieve, since the pervasive negative influence of our current food system endangers many others. The purpose of this article is to lay out the evidence for the damage our food system does to global health and the environment, and describe why changing our food system must become the backbone of efforts to achieve sustainable development by 2030.
Amazon sugar cane: A threat to the forest

Amazonia's vegetation ranges from dense forests to savanna areas, and the region's forests and their biodiversity are vulnerable to the ongoing advance of land-use change for agriculture and ranching ([ 1 ][1]). In Brazil, cultivation of sugar cane is currently prohibited in the Mato Grosso wetlands