cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time to Secede? If the UK Can Do It, So Can the USA

The UK’s recent exit from the European Union has sparked new interest in secession and has generated debate on the right to secede. The majority of people in the United States are either dissatisfied or extremely dissatisfied with their federal government. The problem is that there is no consensus as to what to do about it. Both of the major political parties seem totally unresponsive, and it is debatable whether this situation will change any time soon. Voters are split more or less evenly between the Democratic and Republican parties, with a large segment of the population that is totally disgusted with both parties, and ready to either throw their support to a third party, or perhaps not to participate at all in the 2016 election. This paper examines the issue of secession and determines it is a viable option to the status quo. The majority of people in the United States would have their total utility increased by seceding and forming a new nation that is more responsive to their needs. Some of the pros and cons are identified and discussed, and two potential solutions are proposed – a two-nation solution and a 50-nation alternative.
SU-F-T-129: Impact of Radial Fluctuations in RBE for Therapeutic Proton Beams

Purpose: To evaluate the off axis relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for actively scanned proton beams and determine if a constant radial RBE can be assumed. Methods: The PHITS Monte Carlo code paired with a microscopic analytical function was used to determine probability distribution functions of the lineal energy in 0.3µm diameter spheres throughout a water phantom. Twenty million primary protons were simulated for a 0.6cm diameter pencil beam. Beam energies corresponding to Bragg Peak depths of 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300mm were used and evaluated transversely every millimeter and radially for annuli of 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, 4.0, 5.0, 10.0, 15.0, 20.0 and 25.0mm outer radius. The acquired probability distributions were reduced to dose-mean lineal energies and applied to the modified microdosimetric kinetic model, for human submandibular gland (HSG) cells, to calculate relative biological effectiveness (RBE) compared to 60Co beams at the 10% survival threshold. Results: RBE was generally seen to increase as distance from the central axis (CAX) increased. However, this increase was only seen in low dose regions and its overall effects on the transverse biological dose remains low. In the entrance region of the phantom (10mm depth), minimum and maximum calculated RBEs varied between 15.22 and 18.88% for different energies. At the Bragg peak, this difference ranged from 3.15 to 26.77%. Despite these rather large variations the dose-weighted RBE and the CAX RBE varied by less than 0.14% at 10mm depth and less than 0.16% at the Bragg peak. Similarly small variations were found at all depths proximal of the Bragg peak. Conclusion: Although proton RBE does vary radially, its overall effect on biological dose is minimal and the use of a radially constant RBE in treatment planning for scanned proton beams would not produce large errors.
Mapping wheat nitrogen uptake from RapidEye vegetation indices

Mapping wheat nitrogen (N) uptake at 5 m spatial resolution could provide growers with new insights regarding nitrogen-use efficiency at the field scale. This study explored the use of spectral information from high resolution (5 × 5 m) RapidEye satellite data at peak leaf area index (LAI) to estimate end-of-season cumulative N uptake of wheat (Triticum spp.) in a heterogeneous, rainfed system. The primary objectives were to evaluate the usefulness of simple, widely used vegetation indices (VIs) from RapidEye as a tool to map crop N uptake over three growing seasons, farms and growing conditions, and to examine the usefulness of remotely sensed N uptake maps for precision agriculture applications. Data on harvested wheat N was collected at twelve plots over three seasons at four farms in the Palouse region of Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington. Seventeen commonly used spectral VIs were computed for images collected during ‘peak greenness’ (maximum LAI) to determine which VIs would be most appropriate for estimating wheat N uptake at harvest. The normalized difference red-edge index was the top performing VI, explaining 81 % of the variance in wheat N uptake with a regression slope of 1.06 and RMSE of 15.94 kg/ha. Model performance was strong across all farms over all three seasons regardless of crop variety, allowing the creation of high accuracy wheat N uptake maps. In conclusion, for this particular agro-ecosystem, mid-season VIs that incorporate the use of the NIR and red-edge bands are generally better predictors of end-of-season crop N uptake than VIs that do not include these bands, thereby further enabling their use in precision agriculture applications.
Regional Policy under the Strategyof Economic Opening

Among numerous policies adopted during China’s 20 years of reform, regional policy marked one of the most significant changes in China’s development strategy and macro-management approach. Interestingly, it is also one of the most controversial policy packages in terms of its objectives, tools and effects.
Photon Echoes in Krypton and Xenon Discharges

Studies of pressure broadening of spectral lines have proven to be valuable probes of atomic dynamics and interactions.1 Photon echo experiments improve upon the more traditional frequency broadening experiments by measuring the time evolution of processes whose contribution to the overall linewidth is small compared to the Doppler width.2 To our knowledge we present for the first time the results of photon echo measurements in weakly ionized plasmas of Krypton and Xenon.3 At the pressures used in these measurements (less than 2 Torr) the pressure broadened width is only a few percent of the Doppler width.
Modulation of graphene field effect by heavy charged particle irradiation

Device architectures based on the two-dimensional material graphene can be used for sensing of electromagnetic and particle radiation. The sensing mechanism may be direct, by absorbance of radiation by the graphene or the immediately adjacent material, and indirect, via the field effect principle, whereby the change in conductivity within a semiconducting absorber substrate induces electric field change at graphene. Here, we report on a graphene field effect transistor (GFET) sensitive to heavy charged particle radiation (α particles) at MeV energies by use of the indirect sensing mechanism. Both the continuous and discrete changes of graphene are observed, and the latter are attributed to single α particle interactions with the GFET. While this study provides the basis for understanding of the irradiation effects, it also opens prospects for the use of GFETs as heavy charged particle detectors.
Introduction to the Electroencephalograph

In the late 1920s, Hans Berger2 used surface electrodes on the scalps of humans to record changing electrical activity. Since that time, the electroencephalograph (EEG) has intriged professionals and laymen alike. Because the signal is seen to reflect the activity of the branin, The EEG has been used to study psychological functions as well as states of consciousness.
A Diversity Curriculum: Integrating Attitudes, Issues, and Applications.

Because programs in public administration and affairs face new challenges in preparing students to function effectively in an increasingly pluralistic world and to manage a nontraditional workforce...
Special Radiation Techniques for Pediatric Brain Tumors: Hypofractionation, Radiosurgery, and Brachytherapy

Radiation is an important component in the treatment of pediatric brain tumors. Because of the concern for late radiation complications, innovative strategies to improve radiation effectiveness and reduce toxicity have been investigated. Here, we describe hypofractionation, stereotactic radiosurgery, and brachytherapy as advanced radiotherapeutic technologies and strategies currently in use in the treatment of pediatric brain tumors.
SHMT2 and the BRCC36/BRISC deubiquitinase regulate HIV-1 Tat K63-ubiquitylation and destruction by autophagy

HIV-1 Tat is a key regulator of viral transcription, however little is known about the mechanisms that control its turnover in T cells. Here we use a novel proteomics technique, called DiffPOP, to identify the molecular target of JIB-04, a small molecule compound that potently and selectively blocks HIV-1 Tat expression, transactivation, and virus replication in T cell lines. Mass-spectrometry analysis of whole-cell extracts from 2D10 Jurkat T cells revealed that JIB-04 targets Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase 2 (SHMT2), a regulator of glycine biosynthesis and an adaptor for the BRCC36 K63Ub-specific deubiquitinase in the BRISC complex. Importantly, knockdown of SHMT1,2 or BRCC36, or exposure of cells to JIB-04, strongly increased Tat K63Ub-dependent destruction via autophagy. Moreover, point mutation of multiple lysines in Tat, or knockdown of BRCC36 or SHMT1,2, was sufficient to prevent destruction of Tat by JIB-04. We conclude that HIV-1 Tat levels are regulated through K63Ub-selective autophagy mediated through SHMT1,2 and the BRCC36 deubiquitinase.
Applying Moral Foundations Theory to the Explanation of Capital Jurors’ Sentencing Decisions

This study applies moral foundations theory to capital juror decision making. We hypothesized that binding moral foundations would predict death qualification and punitive sentencing decisions, whe...
Study on Project Schedule and Cost Overruns

Risk plays an important role in the success of construction project. In managing risk, identification of risk factors is very critical. Hence, this study focused on the investigation of risk factors from contractors’ perspective as the contractors are key players in the success of a project. Investigations on the risk factor involved 35 common risk factors classified in five categories and ranking them with the help of questionnaire survey. The data has been Theoretical analysed by following techniques:- Frequency Index, Severity Index, Importance Index and Relative Importance Index. Results found that the five most important risk factors in construction project are escalation in price of material, changes in government regulations and laws, shortages of materials and equipment’s, cash flow and financial difficulties. Method developed in this study can help agencies and hence estimation of expected overruns of final cost and delay in completion time for their planned project. The findings of this study would assist in dealing with risks encountered in construction projects.
Effects of using high-intensity interval training and calorie restriction in different orders on metabolic syndrome: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract Objective Studies of the effectiveness of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) combined with calorie restriction (CR) are very limited, and the most effective order of intervention is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the impact of time-efficient HIIT with CR intervention on metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the impact of the intervention order on changes in MetS risk factors. Research Methods & Procedures Thirty-two subjects with MetS underwent an 11-week intervention program comprising 8 weeks of HIIT and 3 weeks of CR. Subjects were randomly assigned to either the HIIT-then-CR or CR-then-HIIT groups. Thereafter, the CR-then-HIIT group performed a further 8 weeks of training once per week after the initial intervention period. Risk factors for MetS and VO2peak were assessed during the entire study period. Results During the 11-week intervention period, body composition, MetS risk factors, and VO2peak significantly improved in both groups. No significant differences in these improvements were attributable to the intervention order; nonetheless, there was a tendency toward larger effect sizes in the CR-then-HIIT group. During the postintervention period (8 weeks), a single weekly HIIT session prevented VO2peak reduction in the CR-then-HIIT group (-2.0 ± 7.2%; P = 0.31). Conclusion The time-efficient intervention program with HIIT and CR had a beneficial effect on MetS; however, the intervention order had no influence on the changes in risk factors. Clinical trial registration: #UMIN000029325
Intermittent low dose carbon monoxide inhalation does not influence glucose regulation in overweight adults: a randomized controlled crossover trial.

NEW FINDINGS What is the central question of this study? Low dose carbon monoxide (CO) inhalation plays a role in regulating proteins involved in glucose metabolism; does low dose CO improve glucose and insulin responses to an oral glucose tolerance test in overweight adults? What is the main finding and its importance? Five days of intermittent CO inhalation does not alter the glucose or insulin responses to ingestion of a glucose bolus in overweight adults. Low dose CO is utilized in various physiological assessment procedures; these findings allow researchers and clinicians to utilize these procedures without concern of altering glucose metabolism. ABSTRACT Low dose carbon monoxide (CO) inhalation upregulates several proteins important for glucose metabolism. Such changes could be clinically significant and may be relevant to those who use CO as a research tool. We hypothesized that low dose CO inhalation would improve glucose and insulin responses to an oral glucose bolus in overweight humans. Eleven young adults (5 men, 6 women; body mass index: 25-35 kg m-2 ) were included in this randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blinded crossover study. Following screening, participants completed two 7-day protocols with a 4-week washout. Twenty-four hours prior to and following five consecutive days of either once daily CO (men: 1.2 ml (kg body mass)-1 ; women: 1.0 ml (kg body mass)-1 ) or placebo (room air) inhalation, participants underwent oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT). For key outcome variables, there were no significant main effects or interactions across condition or time point (mean ± SD), including fasting glucose (mg dl-1 : pre-placebo: 85.2 ± 10.1; post-placebo: 82.9 ± 10.6; pre-CO: 83.6 ± 7.7; post-CO: 84.0 ± 9.0), 2 h post glucose (mg dl-1 : pre-placebo: 100.9 ± 20.0; post-placebo: 98.7 ± 13.1; pre-CO: 94.2 ± 23.2; post-CO: 94.4 ± 14.9), or the Matsuda index (pre-placebo: 16.1 ± 11.5; post-placebo: 20.3 ± 24.7; pre-CO: 15.6 ± 15.3; post-CO: 17.5 ± 16.8). In conclusion, 5 days of low dose CO administration did not influence glucose and insulin responses to an OGTT in overweight adults. Low dose CO inhalation is utilized in a variety of physiological assessment procedures; these findings allow researchers to utilize these procedures without concern of altering glucose metabolism.
User Needs and Design Opportunities in End-User Robot Programming

We report on a user study that sought to understand how users program robot tasks by direct demonstration and what problems they encounter when using a state-of-the-art robot programming interface to create and edit robot programs. We discuss how our findings translate to design opportunities in end-user robot programming.
Targeting cancer stem cells in cholangiocarcinoma (Review)

The incidence of cholangiocarcinoma has been increasing steadily over the past 50 years, but the survival rates remained low due to the disease being highly resistant to non‑surgical treatment interventions. Cancer stem cell markers are expressed in cholangiocarcinoma, suggesting that they serve a significant role in the physiology of the disease. Cancer stem cells are frequently implicated in tumor relapse and acquired resistance to a number of therapeutic strategies, including chemotherapy, radiation and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Novel targeted therapies to eradicate cancer stem cells may assist in overcoming treatment resistance in cholangiocarcinoma and reduce the rates of relapse and recurrence. Several signaling pathways have been previously documented to regulate the development and survival of cancer stem cells, including Notch, janus kinase/STAT, Hippo/yes‑associated protein 1 (YAP1), Wnt and Hedgehog signaling. Although pharmacological agents have been developed to target these pathways, only modest effects were reported in clinical trials. The Hippo/YAP1 signaling pathway has come to the forefront in the field of cancer stem cell research due to its reported involvement in epithelium‑mesenchymal transition, cell adhesion, organogenesis and tumorigenesis. In the present article, recent findings in terms of cancer stem cell research in cholangiocarcinoma were reviewed, where the potential therapeutic targeting of cancer stem cells in this disease was discussed.
The Evolution of White Matter Changes After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A DTI and NODDI Study

ABSTRACT Neuroimaging biomarkers show promise for improving precision diagnosis and prognosis after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), but none has yet been adopted in routine clinical practice. Biophysical modeling of multishell diffusion MRI, using the neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) framework, may improve upon conventional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in revealing subtle patterns of underlying white matter microstructural pathology, such as diffuse axonal injury (DAI) and neuroinflammation, that are important for detecting mTBI and determining patient outcome. With a cross-sectional and longitudinal design, we assessed structural MRI, DTI and NODDI in 40 mTBI patients at 2 weeks and 6 months after injury and 14 matched control participants with orthopedic trauma but not suffering from mTBI at 2 weeks. Self-reported and performance-based cognitive measures assessing postconcussive symptoms, memory, executive functions and processing speed were investigated in post-acute and chronic phase after injury for the mTBI subjects. Machine learning analysis was used to identify mTBI patients with the best neuropsychological improvement over time and relate this outcome to DTI and NODDI biomarkers. In the cross-sectional comparison with the trauma control group at 2 weeks post-injury, mTBI patients showed decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) and increased mean diffusivity (MD) on DTI mainly in anterior tracts that corresponded to white matter regions of elevated free water fraction (FISO) on NODDI, signifying vasogenic edema. Patients showed decreases from 2 weeks to 6 months in white matter neurite density on NODDI, predominantly in posterior tracts. No significant longitudinal changes in DTI metrics were observed. The machine learning analysis divided the mTBI patients into two groups based on their recovery. Voxel-wise group comparison revealed associations between white matter orientation dispersion index (ODI) and FISO with degree and trajectory of improvement within the mTBI group. In conclusion, white matter FA and MD alterations early after mTBI might reflect vasogenic edema, as shown by elevated free water on NODDI. Longer-term declines in neurite density on NODDI suggest progressive axonal degeneration due to DAI, especially in tracts known to be integral to the structural connectome. Overall, these results show that the NODDI parameters appear to be more sensitive to longitudinal changes than DTI metrics. Thus, NODDI merits further study in larger cohorts for mTBI diagnosis, prognosis and treatment monitoring.
Rheological behavior and fiber spinning of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/Carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersions at high CNT loading

Abstract Rheological studies play an important role in polymer processing including fiber spinning. In the current work, rheological behavior has been studied for polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersions in dimethyl formamide (DMF), where CNT loading is as high as 15 wt% of the total solids (polymer + CNT). The presence of CNTs increased the elastic-like and shear thinning behavior of the dispersions. The terminal slope of the log G′ versus log G″ curve, which was used to characterize the homogeneity of solution or dispersion, is dependent on the CNT concentration but independent of temperature between 0 and 60 °C. PAN/CNT-10 (90 wt% PAN +10 wt% CNT) and PAN/CNT-15 were gel spun at different conditions, with small diameter capillary at high shear rate and large diameter capillary at relatively low shear rate. For PAN/CNT-10, fiber spinning with lower molecular weight polymer showed increased continuous jetting time when compared to spinning with higher molecular weight polymer. In addition, the rheological behavior of PAN/cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) dispersion with 20–60 wt% CNC was also compared to that of the PAN/CNT dispersions. PAN/CNC and PAN/CNT share similarities in both rheological behavior and fiber spinning at high filler loading.
Reversible Cerebral Vasculopathy, Transverse Myelitis, and Active Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in an Aquaporin-4 Antibody-Positive Patient.

Organ-specific and nonorgan-specific autoimmune diseases commonly coexist with aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4-IgG)–positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). We report an unusual case in which a young woman with known systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was discovered to be AQP4-IgG seropositive when she developed simultaneous severe longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis, reversible intracranial vasculopathy, cutaneous vasculitis, and myocarditis. We discuss the pathogenic mechanisms that may underlie systemic and CNS disease activity in these coexisting diseases. A 27-year-old woman with a 10-year history …
Dual-excitation flip-angle simultaneous cine and T 1 mapping using spiral acquisition with respiratory and cardiac self-gating

Purpose To develop a free-breathing cardiac self-gated technique that provides cine images and B 1 + slice profile-corrected T1 maps from a single acquisition. Methods Without breath-holding or electrocardiogram gating, data were acquired continuously on a 3T scanner using a golden-angle gradient-echo spiral pulse sequence, with an inversion RF pulse applied every 4 seconds. Flip angles of 3° and 15° were used for readouts after the first four and second four inversions. Self-gating cardiac triggers were extracted from heart image navigators, and respiratory motion was corrected by rigid registration on each heartbeat. Cine images were reconstructed from the steady-state portion of 15° readouts using a low-rank plus sparse reconstruction. The T1 maps were fit using a projection onto convex sets approach from images reconstructed using slice profile-corrected dictionary learning. This strategy was evaluated in a phantom and 14 human subjects. Results The self-gated signal demonstrated close agreement with the acquired electrocardiogram signal. The image quality for the proposed cine images and standard clinical balanced SSFP images were 4.31 (±0.50) and 4.65 (±0.30), respectively. The slice profile-corrected T1 values were similar to those of the inversion-recovery spin-echo technique in phantom, and had a higher global T1 value than that of MOLLI in human subjects. Conclusions Cine and T1 mapping using spiral acquisition with respiratory and cardiac self-gating successfully acquired T1 maps and cine images in a single acquisition without the need for electrocardiogram gating or breath-holding. This dual-excitation flip-angle approach provides a novel approach for measuring T1 while accounting for B 1 + and slice profile effect on the apparent T 1 ∗ .
Role of Maternal Depression on Child Development: A Prospective Analysis from Pregnancy to Early Childhood

Few studies have examined how different characteristics of maternal depression may be associated with developmental outcomes among low-income children. The current study prospectively examined whether the timing (pregnancy vs. early postpartum), severity, and chronicity of maternal depression were associated with child cognitive and social-emotional development in two cohorts of primarily low-income Latinx immigrant mothers and their children. Maternal depression was assessed during pregnancy and at 6 months postpartum. Child development was assessed up to 5 years postpartum. Results showed that maternal depression experienced during pregnancy was associated with lower child cognitive development, particularly among girls. Additionally, both the timing (pregnancy and early postpartum) and severity/chronicity of maternal depression were each independently associated with lower child social-emotional development. These findings highlight the need for early prevention interventions to help offset the adverse effects of maternal depression on child developmental outcomes in this at-risk population.
Cathepsin K (Clone EPR19992) Demonstrates Uniformly Positive Immunoreactivity in Renal Oncocytoma, Chromophobe Renal Cell Carcinoma, and Distal Tubules:

Introduction. Cathepsin K is overexpressed in several tumors associated with microphthalmia transcription factor (MiTF) family or mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) upregulation. Among renal neoplasms, MiTF translocation renal cell carcinoma (RCC), perivascular epithelioid cell neoplasms (PEComa), and eosinophilic solid and cystic RCC have demonstrated Cathepsin K immunoreactivity. In this study, we demonstrate a uniform Cathepsin K expression in oncocytoma, chromophobe RCC (CHRCC), and distal tubules. Design. We stained 13 oncocytomas, 13 CHRCC, 14 clear cell RCC (CCRCC), 9 papillary RCC (PRCC), 9 PEComas, and 5 MiTF RCC. Additionally, we assessed immunoreactivity for Cathepsin K in non-neoplastic renal parenchyma. Immunolabeling was performed on regularly charged slides from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue with monoclonal anti-rabbit antibodies to human Cathepsin K (clone EPR19992, Abcam). Results. All oncocytomas demonstrated diffuse strong cytoplasmic immunolabeling. CHRCC demonstrated uniform less intense immunolabeling in all cases with membranous accentuation. The assessment of the non-neoplastic renal parenchyma in all cases showed strong cytoplasmic immunoreaction in distal tubules and proximal tubules stained faintly. Mesangial cells were not immunoreactive. All MiTF RCC and PEComas were immunoreactive for Cathepsin K, whereas CCRCC and PRCC were negative in all cases. Conclusions. In this study, we expand the spectrum of renal neoplasms reactive with a particular clone of Cathepsin K (EPR19992). Distal tubules are strongly immunoreactive for Cathepsin K. Our conclusions need to be taken into consideration when differential diagnosis includes MiTF RCC or PEComa and this Cathepsin K clone is included in the immunohistochemical panel. This newer antibody clone was not tested in prior publications, potentially explaining the difference in conclusions.
Dynamics and skills of group counseling by Shulman, L.

This long-awaited text offers educators and group leaders a new iteration of Shulman's classic texts on practice and presents a wealth of resources for thinking about and working with groups ground...
ClickSeq: Fragmentation-free next-generation sequencing via click-ligation of adaptors to stochastically terminated 3’-azido cDNAs

Abstract We present a simple method called “ClickSeq” for NGS (next-generation sequencing) library synthesis that uses click chemistry rather than enzymatic reactions for the ligation of Illumina sequencing adaptors. In ClickSeq, randomly primed reverse transcription reactions are supplemented with azido-2′,3′-dideoxynucleotides that randomly terminate DNA synthesis and release 3′-azido-blocked cDNA fragments in a process akin to dideoxy-Sanger sequencing. Purified fragments are “click ligated” via copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition to DNA oligos modified with a 5′-alkyne group. This generates ssDNA molecules containing an unnatural triazole-linked DNA backbone that is sufficiently biocompatible for PCR amplification to generate a cDNA library for RNAseq. Here, we analyze viral RNAs and mRNA to demonstrate that ClickSeq produces unbiased NGS libraries with low error rates comparable to standard methods. Importantly, ClickSeq is robust against common artifacts of NGS such as chimera formation and artifactual recombination with fewer than 3 aberrant events detected per million reads.
Inactivation of enzyme formation by ultraviolet light: I. Action spectra and size of the sensitive unit

Abstract The action spectra for loss of ability to form the inducible enzymes β-galactosidase and tryptophanase by Escherichia coli , and also for colony formation, resemble the absorption spectra of nucleic acids. A minimum size of the sensitive unit for enzyme formation of 300,000 molecular weight units is computed. This suggests that the sensitive unit is either high molecular weight RNA or DNA and not soluble RNA. On the basis of previously reported quantum yields, the size of the target is estimated to be somewhat larger than the minimum, perhaps of mass 700,000. This result is in fair agreement with present estimates of the size of a functional gene or of the RNA of a ribonucleoprotein particle. These data do not permit a choice between RNA and DNA as target materials.
An efficient global optimization algorithm for mixed-integer nonlinear fractional programs with separable concave terms

It could be a very challenging task to globally optimize large-scale mixed-integer fractional programs (MIFP) with separable concave and fractional terms in the objective function. To address this computational challenge, we propose a novel and efficient global optimization algorithm, which integrates an inexact parametric algorithm based on Newton's method and a successive piecewise linear approximation algorithm. To demonstrate the efficiency of this algorithm, we use it to optimize the economic and environmental performance of a manufacturing process for biodiesel and bioproducts from microalgae. The problem is solved with several global optimization methods. Computational results show that the proposed global optimization algorithm is more efficient than general-purpose MINLP solvers when solving the special type of MIFP problems.
Viral genetic determinants of T-cell killing and immunodeficiency disease induction by the feline leukemia virus FeLV-FAIDS

Abstract Within the fatal immunodeficiency disease-inducing strain of feline leukemia virus, FeLV-FAIDS, are viruses which range in pathogenicity from minimally (clone 61E is the prototype) to acutely pathogenic, most of the latter of which are also replication defective (clone 61C is the prototype). Mixtures of 61E and 61C virus and chimeras generated between them, but not 61E alone, killed feline T cells. T-cell killing depended on changes within a 7-amino-acid region near the C terminus of the gp70 env gene or was achieved independently by changes within a 109-amino-acid region encompassing the N terminus of gp70. The carboxy-terminal change was also sufficient for induction of fatal immunodeficiency disease in cats. Other changes within the 61C gp70 gene enhanced T-cell killing, as did changes in the long terminal repeat, the latter of which also enhanced virus replication. T-cell killing correlated with high levels of intracellular unintegrated and proviral DNA, all of which were blocked by treatment of infected cells with sera from 61C-immune cats or with a neutralizing monoclonal antibody. These findings indicate that T-cell killing is a consequence of superinfection and that the mutations in env critical to pathogenicity of the immunosuppressive variant result in a failure to establish superinfection interference in infected cells.
The Aggregation Principle and the Future of Fourth Amendment Jurisprudence

Data aggregation has played a role in several recent cases implicating one’s reasonable expectation of privacy under the Fourth Amendment. Although the cases involved disparate doctrines, they all relied on data aggregation to depart from pre-existing Fourth Amendment jurisprudence. This essay considers where the aggregation principle will take us next. After referencing the emerging debates over cell site location information, the essay considers the implications of the aggregation principle for the following types of surveillance practices: short-term, individualized location tracking; short-term but large-scale location tracking; future location tracking technologies; and the aggregation of non-location information such as communications metadata.
The Polycentric Metropolis: Learning from Mega-City Regions in Europe

The Polycentric Metropolis presents research describing and evaluating polycentricity in the context of European metropolitan regions. The POLYNET project, funded by the European Commission, brough...
Effect of growth rate and glucose concentration on the biochemical properties of Streptococcus mutans Ingbritt in continuous culture.

A comparison was made of the properties of Streptococcus mutans Ingbritt grown in continuous culture under conditions of excess glucose (nitrogen limitation) and limiting glucose at mean generation times of 1.7 to 14 h. Only low levels of glucoamylase-specific glycogen were formed in cells from either culture, and the total carbohydrate content of the cells under excess glucose was only at most 1.6-fold higher than in the glucose-limited culture. A negligible amount of cell-free polysaccharide was formed in either culture, although a significant level of glucosyltransferase activity was observed in both, with the highest activity at D = 0.2 and 0.4 h-1 with a glucose limitation. Other differences were observed. (i) Lactate was the main end product of the glucose-excess culture, whereas acetate, formate, and ethanol were the main products of the glucose-limited culture except at a mean generation time of 1.5, when lactate represented 30% of the products. (ii) The yield (in grams per mole of glucose) of the latter culture was 2.6- to 4.0- fold higher than the yield of the glucose-excess culture. (iii) Washed cells from the glucose-limited culture were much more acidogenic (1.7- to 6.2-fold) than the glucose-excess cells when incubated with glucose, sucrose, and fructose. Endogenous glycolytic activity by the latter cells was significant, being 31 to 92% of the exogenous glucose rate at the four dilution rates. (iv) Cells from the glucose-excess culture were more insensitive to fluoride than cells from the glucose-limited culture. The NaF 50% inhibition dose values for the effect of fluoride on the metabolism of glucose, sucrose, and fructose were calculated for the four dilution rates at four pH values. This analysis indicated that rapidly metabolizing cells were more sensitive to fluoride than cells that metabolized the sugars more slowly.
High-temperature non-eutectic indium-tin joints fabricated by a fluxless process

Abstract A new alternative solder joint made of a non-eutectic indium–tin (In–Sn) multilayer composite deposited in high vacuum is reported. The unique features of this design are that it is fluxless, oxidation-free, and more importantly the fabricated joint achieves a re-melting temperature significantly higher than the bonding temperature. The In–Sn non-eutectic multilayer structure with a thin gold film evaporated as a cap layer has a predominantly Sn-rich matrix with a composition of 6 wt.% Au, 14 wt.% In and 80 wt.% Sn. The quality of the joints was first evaluated using a combination of X-ray microfocus and scanning acoustic microscopy techniques, and results have shown that the joints are nearly void-free. In addition, analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscope performed on the joint cross-section clearly indicated a uniform joint thickness of 7.6 μm, while AuIn2 grains embedded in a heavily Sn-rich matrix were clearly detected. Lastly, we set out to determine the re-melting temperatures of these fabricated joints. Temperature values ranging from 175 to 190 °C were found, higher than the bonding temperature of 150 °C. The results clearly show that the joint composition is heavily Sn-rich, leading to the high re-melting temperature The increase in re-melting temperature opens up the post-processing temperature window of devices in manufacturing processes. No flux is needed during the bonding process, making it particularly useful to packaging devices for which the use of flux is strictly prohibited.
Deterministic replay for message-passing-based concurrent programs

The Multicore Communications API (MCAPI) is a new message-passing API that was released by the Multicore Association. MCAPI provides an interface designed for closely distributed embedded systems with multiple cores on a chip and/or chips on a board. Similar to parallel programs in other domains, debugging MCAPI programs is a challenging task due to their nondeterministic behavior. In this article we present a tool that is capable of deterministically replaying MCAPI program executions, which provides valuable insight for MCAPI developers in case of failure.
Erosion and redeposition behavior of selected NET-candidate materials under high-flux hydrogen, deuterium plasma bombardment in pisces

Plasma erosion and redeposition behavior of selected candidate materials for plasma-facing components in the NET-machine have been investigated using the PISCES-A facility. Materials studied include SiC-impregnated graphite, 2D graphite weaves with and without CVD- SiC coatings, and isotropic graphite. These specimens were exposed to continuous hydrogen or deuterium plasmas under the following conditions: electron temperature range from 5 to 35eV; plasma density range from 5 x 10/sup 11/ to 1 x 10/sup 12/ cm/sup -3/; flux range from 5 x 10/sup 17/ to 2 x 10/sup 18/ ions cm/sup -2/ s/sup -1/; fluence of the order from 10/sup 21/ to 10/sup 22/ ions/cm/sup 2/; bombarding energies of 50 and 100eV; target temperature range from 300 to 1000/degree/C. The erosion yield of SiC-impregnated graphite due to deuterium plasma bombardment is found to be a factor of 2 to 3 less than that of isotropic graphite materials. A further factor of 2-3 reduction in the erosion yield is observed in when redeposition associated with reionization of sputtered particle becomes significant. From postbombardment surface analysis with AES, the surface composition in terms of the Si/C of SiC-impregnated graphite ratio is found to increase from 0.15 to 0.7 after hydrogen plasma bombardment to amore » fluence around 4 x 10/sup 21/ ions/cm/sup 2/ at 350/degree/C. However, the final surface composition appears to remain unchanged up to 4 x 10/sup 22/ ions/cm/sup 2/, the highest fluence in the present study. Significant surface morphological modifications of SiC-impregnated graphite are observed after the high-fluence plasma exposure. Several structural problems such as coating-substrate adhesion have been pointed out for SiC-coated 2D graphite weave. 11 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.« less
High-temperature mechanical characterization of single-crystal sapphire using laser-based ultrasonics

Of current interest in the missile community is the high- temperature mechanical behavior of single-crystal sapphire. For endo-atmospheric IR transparent windows, single crystal sapphire is the material of choice. However, sapphire has been found to undergo a significant change in the mechanical properties, leading to a potential fracture of the window at the high temperatures encountered during typical flight conditions. A critical figure of merit used in considering a material's usefulness as a dome material is its thermal shock resistance.
Mean L-shell x-ray fluorescence yields at Z=47, 60, and 63

MeanL-shell x-ray fluorescence yields $$(\bar \omega _L )$$ have been measured by observingK andL x-ray spectra emitted in the decay of109Cd,145Pm, and153Gd with a high resolution Si(Li) x-ray detector. The results forZ=47, 60, and 63 are as follows: $$\bar \omega _L $$ =0.0425±0.0064, 0.131±0.017, and 0.142±0.023, respectively. Additional values of $$\bar \omega _L $$ from this laboratory atZ=55, 56, 57, 59, and 65 are also tabulated as are previous experimental values atZ=47, 60, and 63. For comparison, theoretical estimates of $$\bar \omega _L $$ were computed using theoreticalL-subshell fluorescence and Coster-Kronig yields, together with subshell vacancy distributions calculated from the literature. The theoretical estimates atZ=47, 60, and 63, based on the subshell calculations of Chen, Crasemann, and Kostroun, agree well with experiment.
Recognition of Faces as a Function of Race, Attitudes, and Reported Cross-Racial Friendships:

This study was conducted to assess the ability of 19 black male and 25 female college students to identify previously seen black and white male and female faces as a function of interracial experie...
The genetics of cerebrovascular malformations

Abstract Certain rare familial or congenital syndromes include cerebrovascular malformations among their constellations of abnormalities. In addition, recognition of familial clustering in a subset of patients with cerebrovascular malformations has led to studies investigating the underlying genetic basic for these lesions. Genetic defects have been identified that cause familial cerebral cavernous malformations and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, a syndrome that features cerebral arteriovenous malformations. In addition to enhancing presymptomatic screening, identification of the responsible genes may result in a better understanding of the pathogenesis of these lesions, and ultimately, in novel treatments.
The Complementary Nature of CO2-Plume Geothermal (CPG) Energy Production and Electrical Power Demand

CO2 Plume Geothermal (CPG) energy generation is a renewable technology that uses CO2 as the geologic working fluid within naturally permeable, sedimentary thermal reservoirs. In this paper, we compare the ability for CPG geothermal technology to meet electrical demand requirements, compared with other renewable technologies, for a 10MW, northern climate town near Minot, North Dakota. Wind and solar are both supply-driven technologies, capturing energy when it is available; However CPG is demand-driven—the rate at which energy is removed from within the earth is chosen to meet electrical demand. Using meteorological data, we compare estimated system performance with actual 2010 electrical load to gage each system’s ability to meet demand.CPG is found to most closely match system demand during the three-season (fall, winter, spring) year, where solar production is inversely related to demand. At the same time, wind does not track demand during any portion of the year, consistently having a large variability. None of these renewable technologies was found to track demand all year. Ultimately we show that CPG may be used to reliably track hourly demand during 95% of the year—an unattainable result for wind and solar.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Alkane Adsorption at the Water−Vapor Interface

The adsorption of methane and ethane at the water liquid−vapor interface is investigated using a combination of explicit molecular simulations and scaled-particle theory. Calculated adsorption coefficients are found to be approximately half the experimental values for both hydrocarbons. Simulation enthalpies of adsorption are in excellent agreement with the experimental values, while the heats predicted by scaled-particle theory are just below the lower limit of the experimental error. The simulation underprediction of the experimental adsorption coefficients corresponds to a ∼k/2 increase in the entropic adsorption penalty. Potential sources for the discrepancy between simulation and experiment are explored using the scaled-particle model. Based on this analysis, it is unlikely that the differences arise from either long-wavelength capillary fluctuations or bulk water density differences between simple point charge and real water. Contributions from surface field polarization of these two adsorbates appe...
Healthy users, healthy adherers, and healthy behaviors?

In this issue of JBMR, Curtis colleagues (1) use data from the placebo group of a randomized, controlled osteoporosis trial to argue for a possible healthy adherer effect. Our understanding of this effect began when some randomized, controlled clinical trials in cardiovascular disease had cardiovascular outcomes that contradicted findings in prior observational studies. These findings highlighted the fact that several sources of bias can occur in observational studies. These biases can be related to patient behaviors, including both healthy user and healthy adherer effects. The best known examples of these biases have appeared in studies of cardiovascular disease. For example, a large observational study, the Nurses’ Health Study, showed decreased coronary heart disease in women taking hormonereplacement therapy (HRT) in 1985, a finding that was confirmed by other observational studies. However, more than 10 years later, two randomized, controlled clinical trials contradicted the observational findings: The Heart and Estrogen/ Progestin Replacement Study (HERS) showed no cardiovascular benefit from estrogen supplementation, and the Women’s Health Initiative showed increased incidence of cardiovascular events in women taking estrogen. How can we explain this divergence of results? First, we must identify and understand this divergence by understanding sources of bias. The first potential bias, the healthy user effect, occurs when patients who choose to receive one preventive service such as estrogen or a lipid-lowering agent also choose to receive other preventive services such as immunizations and screening tests. For example, patients who adhere to statins more frequently receive vaccinations and screening services. These same patients also may have less comorbidity and better functional status, increasing the likelihood of other healthy behaviors These patients also may be involved in fewer accidents, suggesting possible risk aversion. A second potential bias—the healthy adherer bias—was first demonstrated in 1980 when decreased mortality and fewer cardiovascular events were found in good adherers of placebo in a
The Electrodynamics of Material Media

The general equations of a gauge invariant, classical theory of the electrodynamics of material media are obtained. The gauge invariance is insured by taking the equations $\ensuremath{\nabla}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\mathrm{D}=\ensuremath{\rho}, \ensuremath{\nabla}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{H}\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{D}}^{\ensuremath{'}}=\mathrm{J}$ as conditions auxiliary to the variation principle $\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\int}\ensuremath{\int}{L+\ensuremath{\Sigma}\stackrel{}{n}{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{n}[{{N}_{n}}^{\ensuremath{'}}+\ensuremath{\nabla}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}({N}_{n}{\mathrm{V}}_{n})]dvdt}=0.$ The Lagrangian function, $L$, depends on D, H, ${N}_{n}$, ${\mathrm{V}}_{n}$, ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{n}$ and possibly their derivatives; here ${N}_{n}$ is the numerical density of atoms in the state $n$, ${\mathrm{V}}_{n}$ their macroscopic or average velocity, and ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{n}$ is a variable that functions as the velocity potential in some cases and has the dimensions of action. The electromagnetic potentials enter the theory as Lagrangian multipliers only.It is shown that if there is only one state and $L=\frac{1}{2}\mathrm{Nm}{\mathrm{V}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}\frac{(\frac{{\ensuremath{\hbar}}^{2}}{8m}){(\ensuremath{\nabla}N)}^{2}}{N}+\frac{1}{2}({\mathrm{H}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{D}}^{2}),$ then the Schr\"odinger wave equation is obtained on making the substitution $\ensuremath{\psi}={N}^{\frac{1}{2}}\mathrm{exp}(\ensuremath{-}\frac{i\ensuremath{\theta}}{\ensuremath{\hbar}}).$If the atoms are stationary (so that terms in ${\mathrm{V}}_{n}$ may be neglected), and $L=\ensuremath{\Sigma}\stackrel{}{n}{N}_{n}{W}_{n}+\mathrm{D}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\mathrm{P}+\frac{1}{2}({\mathrm{H}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{D}}^{2}),$ where ${W}_{n}$ is the energy of the $n\mathrm{th}$ state, and $\mathrm{P}=\ensuremath{\Sigma}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{(m,n)}{({N}_{m}{N}_{n})}^{\frac{1}{2}}{\mathrm{P}}_{\mathrm{mn}}cos[\frac{({\ensuremath{\theta}}_{m}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{n})}{\ensuremath{\hbar}}+{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\mathrm{nm}}]$ is the polarization of the medium, an adequate theory of dispersion results. However, the spontaneous transitions are not correctly accounted for by the equations.If the electromagnetic fields are neglected and $L=\frac{1}{2}\mathrm{Nm}{\mathrm{V}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}U(N),$ the equations are those for the irrotational motion of a gas, with $\frac{\ensuremath{\theta}}{m}$ as the velocity potential.