cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
First-principles study of the phonon replicas in the photoluminescence spectrum of 4 H -SiC

The free-exciton photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of $4H$-SiC exhibits a detailed fine structure due to the different phonons involved in the indirect gap transition. Here a first-principles calculation of these phonons, their symmetry labeling and their contribution to the photoluminescence spectrum is presented. The calculation uses phonons and electron-phonon coupling matrix elements computed via density functional perturbation theory and energy bands and optical phonon matrix elements calculated in density functional theory. The results are in excellent agreement with the experiment for the phonon energies and the polarization dependence of the spectrum. The relative intensities are also in fair agreement if we allow for some phonons within a few meV to be interchanged. There is however a remarkable discrepancy that the experimental spectrum shows a distinct behavior for phonons with energy below $\ensuremath{\sim}55$ meV and above that energy, which is absent in the theory. The experimental PL lines corresponding to phonon energies below 55 meV are about a factor 5--10 smaller in intensity. This is not found in our calculations. The calculations show a similar peak distribution as the experiment in this range but with intensities comparable to those above 55 meV. This indicates that another mechanism outside the scope of the electron-phonon mediated transitions is operative for photon energies of the PL lines closer to the indirect exciton gap than this 55 meV cutoff, which reduces the overall intensity of these lines. We propose that this may result from competition between the phonon-assisted PL and trapping of the electron in the available unoccupied hexagonal site N-donor shallow level at 53-meV binding energy. As part of this study, we also present the phonon dispersions and density of states in $4H$-SiC and the electronic band structure including quasiparticle corrections.
Nonmodal growth of atmospheric disturbances relevant to the East Asian pressure surge in boreal winter

Significant events of East Asian pressure surge are identified based on sea level pressure for boreal winters of the period 1979–2016. These events typically grow from a high pressure anomaly over Northern Europe and the northwestern Russia and attain their peak over Siberia around ten days after the initiation. The structure of the pressure surge at its peak intensity mimics that of the semi-permanent Siberian High. With a two-level quasi-geostrophic (QG) model, a nonmodal instability analysis of the winter climatological flow reveals that one of the most rapidly amplifying “optimal disturbances” with an optimization time of 2 days resembles the structure of the East Asian pressure surge. This optimal disturbance originates from small-scale precursor disturbances over Northern Europe and the Barents Sea. Such initial disturbances grow in magnitude via Siberia towards East Asia, forming a low-level ridge extending to around 50° N. The optimal disturbance successfully captures the temporal and spatial scales and the overall structure of the circulation anomaly associated with the pressure surge, albeit with varying degrees of accuracy of the location of individual trough/ridge of the surge anomaly. Additional experiments suggest that (1) adding damping effect to the two-level QG model extends the low-level ridge further south to around 40° N and (2) the upper level wave train feature associated with pressure surge can be captured even in a barotropic model by optimal disturbances with an optimization time of 4 days.
Supranutritional Supplementation of Vitamin E Influences the Abundance of Antioxidant Proteins in Postmortem Longissimus Lumborum from Heifers

ObjectivesVitamin E is a lipid-soluble antioxidant that can inhibit lipid oxidation and improve beef color stability. The effect of vitamin E on fresh beef color, from the standpoint of lipid oxidation-induced myoglobin oxidation, have been extensively studied. However, the influence of vitamin E on sarcoplasmic proteome profile of beef skeletal muscles is yet to be investigated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the effect of dietary vitamin E on sarcoplasmic proteome of postmortem beef longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle.Materials and MethodsCrossbred heifers, managed with a GrowSafe feeding system, were fed ad libitum corn-based diet containing either no supplemental (CONT) or 1000 IU vitamin E/heifer per day (VITE) for 89 d. The animals were harvested, and carcasses were chilled. The LL muscle samples were obtained from the carcasses of nine (n = 9) VITE and nine (n = 9) CONT heifers 24 h postmortem. The muscle samples were individually vacuum-packaged and frozen at –80°C for proteome analysis. Sarcoplasmic proteome was analyzed using two-dimensional electrophoresis, employing immobilized pH gradient strips (pH 3–10; 17 cm) in the first dimension and 12% sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the second dimension. The gels were scanned, and the digital gel images were analyzed. The protein spots exhibiting more than 1.5-fold intensity differences (P < 0.10) between VITE and CONT were subjected to in-gel tryptic digestion and were identified by tandem mass spectrometry.ResultsFive differentially abundant spots were identified using mass spectrometry, and all the spots were over-abundant in CONT. The proteins in the differentially abundant spots were antioxidant proteins (thioredoxin-dependent peroxide reductase, peroxiredoxin-6, and serum albumin) and glycolytic enzymes (β-enolase and triosephosphate isomerase). The antioxidant proteins minimize oxidation of lipids and proteins in muscle matrix, whereas the glycolytic enzymes generate NADPH, which helps maintain the antioxidant proteins in their reduced forms.ConclusionThe strong antioxidant protection offered by vitamin E could have possibly led to less expression of antioxidant proteins as well as glycolytic enzymes that generate antioxidant metabolites in the VITE group, whereas the lack of such protection in CONT group may have led to increased expression of these proteins in the skeletal muscles.
PWE-022 Gut-homing TH17 cells are selectively targeted by vedolizumab and may predict clinical response in IBD

Introduction Trafficking of inflammatory lymphocytes to the gut plays a central role in IBD pathogenesis. We analysed the profile of circulating gut homing effector memory T cell subsets in IBD patients. We also evaluated the impact of treatment with Vedolizumab, a monoclonal antibody that binds to integrin α4β7 (β7) and prevents binding to its ligand MAdCAM-1, thereby preventing lymphocyte migration to the gut. Methods Using multi parametric flow cytometry, we analysed the gut homing (β7+) effector T-cells (CD3+CD4+CD45RO+CD45RA-CCR7-) including different functional lineages: Th1 (CXCR3+CCR6-); Th2 (CXCR3-CCR6-CCR4+); Th17 (CXCR3-CCR6+) and Th1/17 (CXCR3+CCR6+) from peripheral blood (PB) of healthy controls (HC, n=42) and IBD (n=34) patients, including a prospective analysis of new starters of vedolizumab. Peripheral blood was taken from patients before their first dose of vedolizumab and at each subsequent infusion. Results Compared to HC, the proportion of Th1 cells within the gut homing compartment was significantly decreased in PB of IBD patients (median HC 27.3% vs IBD 44%, p In the longitudinal analysis, there was minimal impact on gut homing Th1 cells in vedolizumab treated patients (comparison between baseline and week 8), however, the gut homing Th17 compartment increased over the same time period (from 19.3% at baseline to 29.7% at week 8). The proportion of gut homing Th17 was significantly higher in vedolizumab treated patients at week 8 in comparison to infliximab (n=3) treated IBD patients (37.3% vs 18.3%, p Conclusions IBD is characterised by an expansion of circulating gut homing Th17 cells, which is yet further increased following institution of vedolizumab therapy. The magnitude of change could also differentiate between responders and non-responders to treatment, raising the possibility that this test could be used as an early warning biomarker to aid decision making in clinical practice.
Regulators of Viral Frameshifting: More Than RNA Influences Translation Events

Programmed ribosomal frameshifting (PRF) is a conserved translational recoding mechanism found in all branches of life and viruses. In bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes PRF is used to downregulate ...
Statewide real-time quantitative precipitation estimation using weather radar and NWP model analysis: Algorithm description and product evaluation

Abstract This study describes an automated system that generates a statewide real-time quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) product for flood forecasting in Iowa. The QPE system is comprised of real-time data acquisition, processing, and product visualization subsystems. Combined with information retrieved from numerical weather prediction, the system processes data from multiple radars using various algorithms accounting for precipitation microphysics and radar remote sensing uncertainties. The system generates a composite rainfall map covering the entire state of Iowa at a resolution of 0.5 km, updated every 5 min. With the help of the system's flexible modular configuration, we have recently added a new polarimetric algorithm based on specific attenuation. Independent evaluations based on comparisons with rain gauge data and hydrologic model prediction of streamflow demonstrate that the new implementation significantly improves the rainfall estimation accuracy. The new QPE product shows performance comparable to the Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor product that contains a rain gauge correction.
Clinical Parameters, Fuel Oxidation, and Glucose Kinetics in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Treated With Dapagliflozin Plus Saxagliptin

OBJECTIVE To examine the mechanisms responsible for improved glycemia with combined sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) plus dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor therapy in type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Fifty-six patients (HbA1c 8.9 ± 0.2% [74 ± 2 mmol/mol]) were randomized to dapagliflozin (DAPA) 10 mg, DAPA/saxagliptin (SAXA) 10/5 mg, or placebo (PCB) for 16 weeks. Basal endogenous glucose production (EGP) (3-3H-glucose), urinary glucose excretion, glucose/lipid oxidation, HbA1c, and substrate/hormone levels were determined before treatment (Pre-Tx) and after treatment (Post-Tx). RESULTS At week 16, HbA1c decrease was greater (P CONCLUSIONS The addition of SAXA to DAPA resulted in superior glycemic control compared with DAPA monotherapy partly because of increased glucose utilization and oxidation. Although the decrease in insulin/glucagon ratio was prevented by SAXA, EGP paradoxical elevation persisted, indicating that other factors mediate EGP changes in response to SGLT2i-induced glucosuria.
Magnet Integrated Shirt for Spinal Posture Detection

Spine Curvature Disorder (SCD) is a medical condition that affects the shape of the spine. The current method of detecting and treating SCDs involves visual inspection and measurements by trained specialists and analyzing X-rays. For the patients, treatment or therapy is prescribed, and progress is monitored by exposing SCD patients to multiple periodic X-rays to determine responses to treatments and therapies. Multiple exposures to X-rays are not only desirable but also very costly. Therefore, we propose a new method for detecting and monitoring SCD and present our initial research results. We have implemented a non-invasive method that can detect and track the spinal postures. Magnets are placed on a shirt in the form of a rectangular grid form then a sensor would be placed on the chest of the body. An on-body magnetic sensor records the sensor data values, and data is analyzed to determine if the upper body posture is straight or is curved, which in turn can assist the detection and monitoring of the spinal postures. We present our initial results on magnetic sensor system testing and preliminary results using wearable sensors and a garment integrated magnetic shirt.
Epidermal SR-A Complexes Are Lipid Raft Based and Promote Nucleic Acid Nanoparticle Uptake

Scavenger receptors clear pathogens, transport lipid, and mediate polyanionic ligand uptake in macrophages, but their expression and role in the skin are poorly understood. Although the epidermal barrier typically excludes nucleic acid entry, topically applied, spherically arranged oligonucleotide nanoconjugates (spherical nucleic acids [SNAs]) penetrate mouse skin, three-dimensional (3D) skin equivalents, and human skin. We explored the mechanism of SNA uptake in normal human epidermal keratinocytes and 3D skin equivalents. Normal human epidermal keratinocytes and 3D raft treatment with SR-A inhibitors reduced SNA uptake by >80%. The human epidermis expresses SR-As SCARA3 and, to a lesser extent, MARCO. Simultaneous lentiviral knockdown of SCARA3 and MARCO reduced SNA uptake in normal human epidermal keratinocytes and 3D rafts after topical application, affirming a role for SR-As in SNA uptake and 3D raft penetration. Incubation of normal human epidermal keratinocytes at 4oC or with sodium azide prevented SNA uptake, suggesting active endocytosis. Endocytosis inhibitors, immunofluorescence, immunoprecipitation, and knockdown studies localized functional SR-As to FLOT-1-containing lipid rafts throughout the epidermis and CAV-1-containing rafts only in the upper epidermis. These studies suggest a central role for SR-A complexes in epidermal lipid rafts in mediating the uptake of nucleic acid‒laden nanoparticles.
Labor Unions and Non-Shareholding Stakeholders

Using corporate social responsibility (CSR) scores, we examine the effect of unionization on non-shareholding stakeholders and the value of CSR for unionized firms. Our findings suggest that unionization leads to lower CSR. This negative relation between unionization and CSR is stronger for financially constrained firms. We address endogeneity issues by controlling for firm characteristics including firm fixed effects, examining a quasi-natural experiment, and using regression discontinuity design examining union certification elections. Unionized firms with lower CSR have better alignment of CEO and shareholder interests and higher market values than other unionized firms.
Interactive Personas: Towards the Dynamic Assessment of Student Motivation within ITS

An intelligent system can provide sufficient collaborative opportunities and support yet fail to be pedagogically effective if the students are unwilling to participate. One of the common ways to assess motivation is using self-report questionnaires, which often do not take the context and the dynamic aspect of motivation into account. To address this, we propose personas, a user-centered design approach. We describe two design iterations where we: identify motivational factors related to students’ collaborative behaviors; and develop a set of representative personas. These personas could be embedded in an interface and be used as an alternative method to assess motivation within ITS.
Early construction of the thalamocortical axon pathway requires JNK signaling within the ventral forebrain

Abstract Thalamocortical connectivity is essential for normal brain function. This important pathway is established during development, when thalamic axons extend a long distance through the forebrain before reaching the cerebral cortex. In this study, we identify a novel role for the c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) signaling pathway in guiding thalamocortical axons through intermediate target territories. Complete genetic removal of JNK signaling from the Distal-less 5/6 (Dlx5/6) domain in mice prevents thalamocortical axons from crossing the diencephalon-telencephalon boundary (DTB) and the internal capsule fails to form. Ventral telencephalic cells critical for thalamocortical axon extension including corridor and guidepost neurons are also disrupted. In addition, corticothalamic, striatonigral, and nigrostriatal axons fail to cross the DTB. Analyses of different JNK mutants demonstrates that thalamocortical axon pathfinding has a non-autonomous requirement for JNK signaling. We conclude that JNK signaling within the Dlx5/6 territory enables the construction of major axonal pathways in the developing forebrain. Impact statement We find an obligate, non-autonomous requirement for JNK signaling in early thalamocortical axon pathfinding, providing new mechanistic insight into the establishment of axonal connections in the developing forebrain.
The N-Terminal Region of the Relaxin A Chain

Relaxin as referred to in this chapter is B29 porcine relaxin which has an A chain starting with arginine and ending with cysteine, and a B chain starting with pyroglutamic acid and ending with arginine in position B29 (hence B29 relaxin). Due to the presence of pyroglutamic acid in position B1, the N-terminal region of the A chain lends itself to modifications or even to total exchange. The questions to be answered then were: 1) is the A chain N-terminal region important, and if so, 2) what is its role?
Multicultural Organizational Development in Nonprofit Human Service Agencies

ABSTRACT Current political, economic, and demographic developments place increasing pressure on the nonprofit sector to meet the needs of vulnerable and disenfranchised groups. The growing heterogeneity of the human service workforce compels agency administrators to foster organizational environments that support diversity. In response to constituent and staff trends, nonprofit human service agencies need to engage in multicultural organizational development (MCOD), a complex change process that fosters the elimination of oppression and the promotion of differences. In this article, the author explores various facets of MCOD in nonprofit human service organizations. Based on in-depth interviews with human service practitioners experienced in MCOD initiatives, key values, goals, and activities are delineated. The data suggest that while the values of MCOD indicate comprehensive transformation, the subsequent goals and activities do not fulfill such a vision.
Replacing the Special Defense of Insanity with Subjectively Defined Standard Defenses

On the assumption that the predominating guidepost of the criminal law is blameworthiness, this paper, an entry in the Criminal Law Conversations project, argues that the insanity defense is no longer needed. Instead, mental disorder should be relevant to criminal culpability only if it supports an excusing condition at the time of the offense that, under the subjective approach to criminal liability exemplified by the Model Penal Code, would be available to a person who is not mentally ill. The three most prominent such conditions would be: (1) a mistaken belief about circumstances that, had they occurred as the person believed, would amount to a legal justification; (2) a mistaken belief that conditions exist that amount to legally recognized duress; and (3) the absence of intent to commit crime (i.e., the lack of mens rea defined subjectively, in terms of what the defendant actually knew or was aware of). This "integrationist" approach eliminates the special defense of insanity while providing people with mental disability the same defenses available to everyone else.
A simplified 3-D Navier-Stokes numerical model for landslide-tsunami: Application to the Gulf of Mexico

[1] A simplified three-dimensional Navier-Stokes (3-D NS) model for two fluids, water and landslide material (mudslide) is presented and validated with standard laboratory experiments. Dubbed TSUNAMI3D (Tsunami Solution Using Navier-Stokes Algorithm with Multiple Interfaces) is applied to a 3-D full-scale landslide scenario in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), i.e., the East-Breaks underwater landslide. The simplified 3-D NS model is conceived to be computationally efficient for tsunami calculations. The simplification is derived from the large aspect ratio of the tsunami waves (wavelength/wave-height) and the selected computational grid that has a smaller aspect ratio. This allows us to assume a horizontal fluid surface in each individual cell containing the interface (air-water, air-mudslide, and water-mudslide). The tracking of fluid interfaces is based on the Volume of Fluid method and the surfaces are obtained by integrating the fluxes of each individual fluid cell along the water column. In the momentum equation, the pressure term is split into two components, hydrostatic and nonhydrostatic. The internal friction is solved in a simplified manner by adjusting the viscosity coefficient. Despite the simplification to get an efficient solution, the numerical results agree fairly well with standard landslide laboratory experiments required by the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program for tsunami model validation. The numerical effect caused by using a sharp versus a diffusive water-mudslide interface for a full-scale landslide-tsunami scenario is also investigated. Observations from this experiment indicated that choosing a sharp or diffusive interface seems to have no remarkable effect at early stages of the tsunami wave propagation. Last, a large scale 3-D numerical simulation is carried out for the ancient GOM's East-Breaks landslide by using the simplified model to calculate the early stages of the tsunami wave propagation.
Metric and connection theories of gravity: The gauge theories of spacetime symmetry

A spacetime symmetry group is any group which may be used as the structure group for the tangent bundle to spacetime. I list many such groups and the corresponding principal bundles. The most familiar are: the Lorentz group = 0(3,1,8) which uses the bundle of orthonormal frames, GL(4,R) with the general linear frame bundle, the Poincare group = IO(3,1,R) with the affine orthonormal frame bundle, and the spinor group, SL(2,C), with the orthonormal spinor frame bundle. The group GL(2,C) is also interesting because it leads to a unification of electromagnetism with a Weyl-Cartan theory of gravity.
$\alpha_s$ with Lattice QCD

The status of determinations of the strong coupling constant based on lattice QCD is reviewed.
Gebhard, Paul H. (1917–)

Paul H. Gebhard is the anthropologist who brought the study of the sexual behavior of primates to the work begun by Alfred Kinsey in the middle of the twentieth century. He was a primary investigator and interviewer for Kinsey, and after Kinsey's death became the director of the Institute for Sex Research (the Kinsey Institute) at Indiana University in Bloomington. During his tenure as director there was major emphasis placed on the collection of erotica, an effort that continues to serve scholars seeking attitudes and artifacts about sex and sexuality within human cultures. Keywords: heterosexuality; homosexuality; sex research; sexual behavior
Decolonizing Interpretive Research: A Critical Bicultural Methodology for Social Change.

This paper introduces a discussion of decolonizing interpretive research in a way that gives greater salience to and understanding of the theoretical efforts of critical bicultural education researchers over the years. Grounded in educational principles that have been derived from critical social theory, a decolonizing approach to theory building, as exercised by subaltern critical researchers must also be understood as also encompassing an underlying autoethnographic qualitative dimension; in that it is inextricably rooted in the histories and "authority of lived experience" (Teaching to Transgress, hooks, 1994) of the researcher. Hence, bodies of research produced within the context of hegemonic epistemologies and traditional research priorities are analyzed, deconstructed, and reinvented, as we say in the Freirian tradition, in ways that dialectically posit decolonizing meanings to support emancipatory praxis and social change.
Incorporating price sensitivity measurement into the software engineering process

Software developers typically make critical design decisions without understanding how the market will value the final product in terms of the price that customers are willing to pay. Market research techniques that rely on simulated purchase situations, laboratory experiments, and actual purchase behavior are often dismissed as too expensive, too time consuming, or too impractical. What is needed is a quick and cost-effective method for assessing customers' price expectations that can be utilized at key points in the software development process where design are at stake. Price sensitivity measurement (PSM) research provides product developers with the capability to quickly assess the range of acceptable prices, indifference points, and optimum pricing points for any given software configuration.
The development and management of social workers in Ethiopia: A situational analysis

Social protection has become a policy of choice to address rising vulnerabilities and inequalities in Africa. Successful implementation of social protection polices requires proliferation of competent social workers. This article first abstracts elements of an emerging international norm in a comprehensive system for the development and management of social workers and then reviews the extent to which Ethiopia has introduced these elements. It reveals that Ethiopia is in a very early stage in putting in place almost all identified elements of such a system. Recent measures that the Ethiopian government is taking to address this gap are highlighted by way of conclusion.
Temperature Responses of C4 Photosynthesis: Biochemical Analysis of Rubisco, Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase, and Carbonic Anhydrase in Setaria viridis.

The photosynthetic assimilation of CO2 in C4 plants is potentially limited by the enzymatic rates of Rubisco, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPc), and carbonic anhydrase (CA). Therefore, the activity and kinetic properties of these enzymes are needed to accurately parameterize C4 biochemical models of leaf CO2 exchange in response to changes in CO2 availability and temperature. There are currently no published temperature responses of both Rubisco carboxylation and oxygenation kinetics from a C4 plant, nor are there known measurements of the temperature dependency of the PEPc Michaelis-Menten constant for its substrate HCO3−, and there is little information on the temperature response of plant CA activity. Here, we used membrane inlet mass spectrometry to measure the temperature responses of Rubisco carboxylation and oxygenation kinetics, PEPc carboxylation kinetics, and the activity and first-order rate constant for the CA hydration reaction from 10°C to 40°C using crude leaf extracts from the C4 plant Setaria viridis. The temperature dependencies of Rubisco, PEPc, and CA kinetic parameters are provided. These findings describe a new method for the investigation of PEPc kinetics, suggest an HCO3− limitation imposed by CA, and show similarities between the Rubisco temperature responses of previously measured C3 species and the C4 plant S. viridis.
A three-dimensional MRI analysis of knee kinematics.

Abstract Purpose: To quantify normal, in vivo tibio-femoral knee joint kinematics in multiple weight bearing positions using non-invasive, high-resolution MRI and discuss the potential of developing future kinematic methods to assess patients with abnormal joint pathologies. Methods: Ten volunteers with clinically normal knees pushed inferiorly on the footplate of a weight bearing apparatus inside the MR scanner. The volunteers held the weight (133 N) for five scans as the knee motion was evaluated from 0° to 60° of flexion. Full extension was set as the zero point for all measured parameters. Using 3D reconstructions, tibia motion relative to the femur and flexion angle was measured as varus–valgus angle, axial rotation, anterior–posterior translation, and medial–lateral translation. Medial and lateral compartment tibio-femoral contact areas were examined and centroids of the contract areas were calculated. Results: Tibial internal rotation averaged 4.8° at 40° of flexion and then decreased. Tibial valgus increased by 8° at 60° of flexion. Femoral roll back also increased to 18.5 mm average at 60° of flexion, while the tibia translated medially 2.5 mm. Medial compartment femoro-tibial contact area started at 374 mm2 and decreased to 308 mm2 with flexion of 60°, while lateral compartment contact area did not change significantly from 276 mm2. Conclusions: Results correlate with previous studies of knee kinematics while providing greater three-dimensional detail. MR imaging allows excellent non-invasive evaluation of knee joint kinematics with weight bearing. This tool may potentially be used for assessing knee kinematics in patients with knee pathology.
Passive Corrosion Behavior of Alloy 22 in Multi-Ionic Aqueous Environments

In current waste packaging design, Alloy 22 (Ni-22Cr-13Mo-3W-3Fe) has been chosen as the candidate materials to fabricate a 2 cm outer layer of the high-level nuclear waste containers, as part of proposed geological repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. During the repository period, the container materials will be subject to the corrosion due to its exposure to the multi-ionic aqueous environments. Although Alloy 22 has demonstrated excellent corrosion resistance, but accumulation of small yearly corrosion rate for 10,000 or more years can be significant enough. The goal of this research is to seek alternative techniques to obtain a reasonably confident corrosion rate determination, since the conventional weight loss technique requires many years to achieve a detectable weight loss in Alloy 22 samples. This paper will discuss the latest experiment results in using potentiostatic technique to determine passive dissolution rates.
Cohesion: An Adaptive Hybrid Memory Model for Accelerators

Cohesion is a hybrid memory model that enables fine-grained temporal data reassignment between hardware- and software-managed coherence domains, allowing systems to support both. Cohesion can dynamically adapt to the sharing needs of both applications and runtimes requiring neither copy operations nor multiple address spaces.
Initialization strategies for optimization of dynamic systems

Abstract For dynamic optimization applications, real-time solution reliability is improved if there is an initialized prior solution that is sufficiently close to the intended solution. This paper details several initialization strategies that are useful for obtaining an initial solution. Methods include warm start from a prior solution, linearization, structural decomposition, and an incremental unbounding of decision variables that leads up to solving the originally intended problem. Even when initialization is not required to solve a dynamic optimization problem, a staged initialization approach sometimes leads to an overall faster solution time when compared to a single optimization attempt. Several challenging optimization problems are detailed that include a high-index differential and algebraic equation pendulum model, a standard reactor model used in many benchmark tests, a tethered aerial vehicle, and smart grid energy storage. These applications are representative of a larger class of applications resulting from the simultaneous approach to optimization of dynamic systems.
Are we really measuring the phase of the nuclear scattering amplitude

The interference at small $|t|$ of the Coulomb scattering amplitude ${f}_{c}$ and the nuclear amplitude ${f}_{n}$ is used to measure the phase of the nuclear scattering amplitude, and, hence, the $\ensuremath{\rho}$ value, where $\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\equiv}{(\frac{\mathrm{Re}{f}_{n}}{\mathrm{Im}{f}_{n}})}_{t=0}$. The "normal" analysis of $\overline{p}p$ and $\mathrm{pp}$ elastic scattering uses a "spinless" Coulomb amplitude, i.e., a Rutherford amplitude ($\frac{2\sqrt{\ensuremath{\pi}}\ensuremath{\alpha}}{t}$) multiplied by a Coulomb form factor ${G}^{2}(t)$, an ansatz that pretends that the nucleon does not have any magnetic scattering. In this article, we investigate the role of the anomalous magnetic moment of the nucleon, $\ensuremath{\kappa}\ensuremath{\approx}1.79$. Given the method of analysis currently used by most published experiments, we conclude that the current experimentally inferred values of $\ensuremath{\rho}$ for $\overline{p}p$ should be systematically lowered by \ensuremath{\approx}0.005-0.0100 and, correspondingly, the $\ensuremath{\rho}$ values for $\mathrm{pp}$ should be systematically raised by the same amount. We discuss the theoretical uncertainties and a method of experimentally minimizing them.
Clientelism as Persuasion-Buying Evidence From Latin America

In distributing clientelistic payoffs to citizens, the best strategy a party machine can pursue, we argue, is to target citizens who are opinion-leading epicenters in informal conversation networks. This persuasion-buying strategy carries the highest potential yield for the party because the payoff can create a social multiplier: The effect of the clientelistic gift can be magnified via the conversion of multiple voters within a payoff recipient’s personal networks. Using cross-sectional survey data from 22 Latin American countries and a panel survey from Mexico, we confirm that individuals who engage in frequent political persuasion and who are located in large political discussion networks are the most likely recipients of clientelistic payoffs. We also show that a finding that is key to previous theories, namely, that loyal partisans are the most likely targets of clientelism, is driven by omitted-variable and endogeneity bias.
Acquisition of Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli Plasmids by a Commensal E. coli Isolate Enhances Its Abilities To Kill Chicken Embryos, Grow in Human Urine, and Colonize the Murine Kidney

We have found an avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) plasmid, pAPEC-O2-ColV, which contains many of the genes associated with APEC virulence and also shows similarity in content to a plasmid and pathogenicity island of human uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC). To test the possible role of this plasmid in virulence, it was transferred by conjugation along with a large R plasmid, pAPEC-O2-R, into a commensal avian E. coli strain. The transconjugant was compared to recipient strain NC, UPEC strain HE300, and donor strain APEC O2 using various assays, including lethality for chicken embryos, growth in human urine, and ability to cause urinary tract infection in mice. The transconjugant killed significantly more chicken embryos than did the recipient. In human urine, APEC O2 grew at a rate equivalent to that of UPEC strain HE300, and the transconjugant showed significantly increased growth compared to the recipient. The transconjugant also significantly outcompeted the recipient in colonization of the murine kidney. These findings suggest that APEC plasmids, such as pAPEC-O2-ColV, contribute to the pathogenesis of avian colibacillosis. Moreover, since avian E. coli and their plasmids may be transmitted to humans, evaluation of APEC plasmids as possible reservoirs of urovirulence genes for human UPEC may be warranted.
Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Transcriptional Profiling of Sacred Lotus “China Antique”

Rhizomes are underground stems that serve various purposes including vegetative propagation, invasion of new territory, and bioactive compound synthesis and storage. An important rhizomatous plant is sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), which is prized in Asia as a medicine and a food. RNA-seq and total transcriptome analysis of rhizomes and other lotus tissues was applied to identify genes involved in rhizome growth, development and metabolism. Root, petiole, rhizome internode, and leaf tissues were used for single-read RNA-seq analysis. Two whole transcriptome paired-end read libraries from rhizome apical tip and elongation zone tissues were also generated in order to survey gene expression profiles. In this analysis, 22,803 genes were expressed: 20,476 in rhizome apical meristem and elongation zone, 17,171 in rhizome internode, 16,656 in leaf, 19,457 in root, and 16,845 in petiole. Gene ontology (GO) analysis indicated that “other membrane”, “nucleotide binding”, and “other cellular processes” were highly represented in the expressed genes. A total of 231 genes displayed rhizome-specific expression including several transcription factors, protein kinases, cytochromes P450 and a sulfate transporter. GOseq analysis showed that genes in the “molecular function” GO category and several genes related to cell proliferation based on KEGG IDs were preferentially up-regulated in rhizome tissue. In addition, 1,251 possible exon-skipping events were observed in 1,149 gene models. These results provide valuable insight into gene expression profiles and regulation in sacred lotus, and the identified rhizome-specific genes provide insight into important processes involved in the biology and development of sacred lotus rhizomes.
Modulation of γδ T cells in mouse buccal epithelium following antigen priming

Abstract T cells using the γδ T cell receptor (TCR) are abundant in mucosal and epidermal tissues in mice. Most studies of mucosal γδ T cells, however, have examined cells from the intestinal mucosa, whereas little is known about the presence or function of γδ T cells in the oral cavity. To better understand the involvement of oral γδ T cells in immunity, we have characterized TCR variable γ-gene usage in the buccal epithelium from normal mice, and from mice challenged locally with a non-replicating antigen (bovine serum albumin [BSA]) or by influenza-virus infection as a replicating antigen. Our findings demonstrate a restricted use of Vγ genes by buccal γδ T cells, consisting primarily of Vγ1.2, Vγ3, and Vγ5, with minimal use of Vγ2 and Vγ4 genes. Of particular interest, 3–4 days post-antigen challenge with BSA, there was a precipitous drop in the level of expression of Vγ1.2, Vγ3, and Vγ5 genes, and to a lesser extent for the Vγ2 gene, whereas Vγ4 gene expression increased between days 1 and 2 post-priming. In influenza-infected mice, a similar pattern was observed for the Vγ2 and Vγ5 genes, but not other Vγ genes. The immune-modulating effects of oral antigen exposure on buccal γδ T cells suggest that these cells are functionally involved in the local immune response to both replicating and non-replicating antigens in oral mucosal surfaces.
Panel on mobility in sensor networks

Sensor networks are promising unprecedented levels of access to information about the physical world, in real time. Many areas of human activity are starting to see the benefits of utilizing sensor networks, in almost all such cases, sensor networks are statically deployed. The next evolutionary step for sensor networks is to handle mobility in all its forms. This panel aims to identify the benefits from such a step and recognize the resulting research challenges.
Tracking the time course of word recognition with MEG

Twenty years ago it was discovered that recognition of semantically unexpected words is associated with a special ERP signature - the N400. Pinpointing the precise functional significance of the N400 has, however, been difficult. Recent MEG studies of word processing reveal that, in fact, the N400 decomposes into several functionally distinct subcomponents, allowing for more fine-grained investigation of its significance.
Runoff, sediment and nutrient losses from various tillage systems of cotton

Abstract Runoff, sediment and nutrient losses were studied from 3 tillage systems of cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L. ‘McNair 235’): (1) no-till without a cover crop (NT); (2) reduced-till with a winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. ‘Coker 747’) as a cover crop (RTC); (3) conventional-till (CT) in the Tennessee Valley of north Alabama during the 1985 growing season. Runoff samples were collected from natural rainfall events and analyzed for sediment and nutrient losses. Among the 3 tillage systems the RTC system was the most effective in reducing the surface runoff, sediment and nutrient losses while maintaining comparable crop yield. Runoff and sediment concentrations from the CT system were high during the “critical period” (from planting to the last cultivation of the CT system). During the “non-critical period” (between the last cultivation of the CT system to harvesting) sediment concentrations from all tillage systems were relatively low even with high-runoff events. Summer cultivations reduced both surface runoff and sediment concentrations from the CT system. This may signify that a combination of conservation tillage and summer cultivation has the potential for controlling weeds without enhancing soil erosion. Concentration of ammonium nitrogen (NH 4 -N) and soluble-phosphorus concentration in surface runoff were higher than the recommended standard level for public water supplies and the growth of algae, respectively. Concentration of nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 -N) in the surface runoff was well within the upper limit for drinking water.
Optical Interconnects For Multiprocessors

Advances in the performance of electronic devices for computing and signal processing are being largely negated by problems associated with interconnecting these devices to form systems. Metallic interconnects are proving to be more and more costly, especially with respect to processing speeds. The use of optical beams in place of electronic streams is very appealing from several viewpoints. Current technology can provide multi-gigahertz bandwidths for the interconnect channels and can support many times the fan-out as compared to electronics. Significant gains will also be realized in reduced cross-talk and in the power required to drive longer links. Also, optical interconnections between chips need no longer be constrained to the plane of chip carriers and boards, and can cross one another without interfering, thereby leading to a much higher density of interconnects.
A constructive stabilization approach for open-loop unstable non-affine systems

This paper focuses on the stabilization of non-affine-in-control systems that are open-loop unstable. The main result of the paper is a general method for constructing feedback stabilization of all non-affine systems. The synthesis procedure is based on concepts of feedback passivation, and is extended for non-affine systems by deriving sufficient conditions for passivity. The developments and essential ideas of the proposed technique are validated via simulation.
New applications for endoscopy: the emerging field of endoluminal and transgastric bariatric surgery

Endoluminal and transgastric procedures are evolving concepts that combine the skills and techniques of flexible endoscopy with minimally invasive surgery. Precisely how this technology and skill set will be applied in the field of general surgery is not yet known, but the treatment of obesity with an endoluminal or transgastric procedure holds great promise. As the demand for bariatric surgery increases, efforts will be directed toward developing less morbid and less costly treatment options that can provide substantial weight loss and resolution of comorbid conditions. Natural orifice bariatric procedures may include short-term weight loss in preparation for a definitive laparoscopic procedure, revisional procedures to reduce stoma or pouch size or repair fistulas, or primary therapy that provides durable weight loss. The latter application will undoubtedly appeal to patients and referring physicians if it can be performed as an outpatient procedure with significantly less morbidity than a laparoscopic procedure. Early preclinical and clinical work has been published in this area, but many technical obstacles must be overcome before a primary endoluminal or transgastric bariatric procedure can be offered. This article reviews the endoluminal and transgastric technology currently available, the endoluminal procedures currently performed, and the future of these technologies with respect to bariatric surgery.
Electrostatic Assembly of Conjugated Polymer Thin Layers on Electrospun Nanofibrous Membranes for Biosensors

We report a new fabrication approach to highly sensitive optical sensors by combining the techniques of electrospinning and electrostatic layer-by-layer adsorption. A fluorescent probe, hydrolyzed poly[2-(3-thienyl) ethanol butoxy carbonyl-methyl urethane] (H-PURET), was electrostatically assembled onto the surface of cellulose acetate (CA) electrospun nanofibrous membranes. The fluorescence of these membranes can be quenched by extremely low concentrations (ppb) of methyl viologen (MV2+) and cytochrome c (cyt c) in aqueous solutions. This high sensitivity is attributed to the high surface-area-to-volume ratio of the electrospun membranes and efficient interaction between the fluorescent conjugated polymer and the analytes.
Quantification of nicotine, cotinine, trans-3'-hydroxycotinine, nornicotine and norcotinine in human meconium by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

Abstract There are no analytical methods that simultaneously quantify nicotine, cotinine, trans -3′-hydroxycotinine, nornicotine and norcotinine in human meconium. Such a method could improve identification of in utero tobacco exposure, determine if maternal dose–meconium concentration relationships exist, and whether nicotine meconium concentrations predict neonatal outcomes. The first liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry method for simultaneous quantification of these analytes in meconium was developed and validated. Specimen preparation included homogenization, enzyme hydrolysis and solid phase extraction. The linear range was 1.25 or 5–500 ng/g. Method applicability was evaluated with meconium collected from an in utero tobacco exposed infant.
Does the Opportunity-Propensity Framework predict the early mathematics skills of low-income pre-kindergarten children?

Prior studies have shown that the variables described in the Opportunity–Propensity (O–P) Framework have successfully accounted for the mathematics and science achievement of students in grades 1–3 and 8–12. The two goals of the present study were to (1) determine whether the O–P Framework could also account for individual differences in the early mathematics skills of low-income, pre-kindergarten children and (2) determine whether latent variables constructed from measured variables would account for performance in the manner specified in the O–P model. The O–P Framework assumes that high achievement in mathematics is a function of three categories of factors: (a) antecedent factors, variables that operate early in a child’s life and explain the emergence of opportunities and propensities, (b) opportunity factors, variables that measure a child’s opportunity to learn mathematics content at home and school, and (c) propensity factors, variables that capture a child’s propensity for learning in terms of self-regulation, motivation, and prior cognitive skills. To test the fit of this model for low-income children during the year before they attend kindergarten, the authors conducted a secondary analysis of achievement and background data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth (ECLS-B) Cohort data set. Structural equation modeling indicated significant associations between the antecedent factor, opportunity factor, and propensity factor, and between the opportunity factor and pre-kindergarten mathematics achievement. The results confirmed the fit of the model and identified the kinds of learning experiences that could promote the acquisition of mathematics skills in low-income children and improve their readiness to learn in first grade and beyond.