cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ERP correlates of the decision time-IQ relationship: The role of complexity in task- and brain-IQ effects

Abstract Relatively little is known about the dynamic neural processes most critical to chronometric effects, and the ways in which task demands influence their various contributions to intelligence. The present study ( n = 111) used the Hick paradigm to measure the effects of task complexity on decision time (DT) and event-related potentials (ERPs), and on their relations in turn with IQ. The surface Laplacian transform increased the spatial resolution of the recorded neural activity, and revealed four ERP components in the time range of DT. Zero-order correlations of DT, ERP amplitudes and latencies, and IQ were used to motivate multilevel models (MLM) that examined moderating effects of IQ on potential condition effects. Although DT consistently increased with greater complexity and was related to IQ across conditions, IQ did not moderate the increase in DT with increasing complexity. Similarly, while most ERP amplitudes and latencies also increased over conditions, and often predicted DT, only the amplitude of the P2 component was associated with IQ. Unlike the effects for DT, while IQ did not moderate P2 amplitudes during simple DT, it did predict greater increases between simple and choice conditions. Overall, these findings highlight the need to distinguish neural correlates of adaptive performance in general from those related to individual differences.
The Hydrodynamic Basis for Geomagnetism

We turn now to the study of those aspects of the hydrodynamics of rotating, electrically conducting fluids, which can be expected to play some role in establishing the geodynamo. Current thinking favors convection within the spherical fluid shell between mantle and inner core as a mechanism apt to create the appropriate flow field u on which the magnetic field B can grow andbe maintained against dissipative loss in u and B.
“Natural Landscape Preferences: A Predictive Model”: Comments

(1969). “Natural Landscape Preferences: A Predictive Model”: Comments. Journal of Leisure Research: Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 195-195.
Addressing Human Error in International Space Station Flight Control Teams: Advances in Ground Training for Science Operators

In flight control, as with any human in the loop system, operator error is an inevitable reality. On the International Space Station (ISS) where crew time and physical resources are precious and often irreplaceable, operator errors can result in significant, irreversible consequences. Flight controllers at the Payload Operations Integration Center (POIC) located at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama know this reality well. At the POIC, operator errors can be caused by a variety of factors, from poor hardware or software design to environmental factors such as time pressure or fatigue. The most difficult errors to address, however, are those which result from ineffective teamwork.Academic research in teamwork has resulted in the identification of many factors which make cross-functional teaming difficult, including leadership, trust building, and communication challenges. These factors, especially when combined with the challenging environmental factors flight control teams must contend with daily, make the goal of minimizing operator errors in payload operations challenging to achieve. To address such teamwork errors, trainers at the POIC have drawn best practices from high reliability industries such as commercial aviation, healthcare, and nuclear power plants, as well as from our sister ISS control center in Houston, Texas, to develop and institute a new training program focused specifically on teamwork skills.This training program, called the Team Skills Curriculum, is based on the concept of Crew Resource Management (CRM) which was developed by NASA in the 1970s for the commercial aviation industry in response to a series of aviation disasters resulting from ineffective teamwork. CRM was later tailored by the Johnson Space Center (JSC) for use in astronaut and flight control training. The result, called Space Flight Resource Management (SFRM) was formally introduced into manned spaceflight training in the late 90s. SFRM has evolved over the years, but the focus has remained on helping operators develop the skills needed to work as part of an effective team. Using these concepts as well as the latest research in cross-functional teaming and data on specific errors occurring at the POIC, trainers in the integrated flight control training branch created a custom training program for both new and certified payload operations specialists.
Notes from Underground: Self-Deception and the Dialogic Self

Notes from Underground may be read as a failed confession, which offers a direct challenge to Rousseau’s monadic view of the self. Underground Man suffers from the solipsistic fantasies of a Werther, yet he is constantly aware of the judgment of others, and so his recursive narrative is a running dialogue with his anticipated audience. His confession is filled with Bakhtinian loopholes, rendering it interminable, and illustrating the dialogic and unfinished nature of the self. Underground Man proclaims his freedom, but self-deception prevents him from taking the risk of faith that would allow him to escape his vicious circle. Underground Man’s regretful, defiant account of rejecting Liza’s kenotic love implies that for Dostoevsky, there is no satisfactory confession without God.
The Relationship Between Parent and Child Religiosity: Moderation by Perceived Parental Antisocial Problems

Parents influence their children’s religiosity through many factors including parenting practices, parental religiosity, and parental psychopathology. Little research, however, has been conducted on how different parental psychopathologies, such as antisocial problems, affect the relationship between parent and child religiosity. The current study used the Stearns-McKinney Assessment of Religious Traits to measure personal religiosity in emerging adults and asked them to report on the religiosity of their mothers and fathers. Participants reported the antisocial problems of their parents via the Adult Behavior Checklist. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to measure whether perceived parental antisocial problems, parent gender, and participant gender would moderate the relationship between perceived parental and emerging adult religiosity. Results indicated that maternal but not paternal interactions were significant, and gender analyses revealed that the interaction was significant only ...
Desperate Measures for Desperate Patients: Translational Research in Epidermolysis Bullosa

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is one of the most severe skin conditions. Recent advances in knowledge of the basic biology of this group of diseases have lead to new options for specific therapy beyond standard wound care. Human trials with new therapies can cause severe risks in the participating research subjects including death of the participant. Guiding principles for translational research are needed and suggested which expand beyond the basic standards of respect for persons, beneficence and justice. These principles apply to other life threatening diseases.
Review of Immunologic Techniques

Immunologic methods provide highly specific and unique tools to determine minute amounts of antigenic proteins in serum, plasma, and other biologic fluids. Such methods of protein detection are called immunoassays. In general, immunoassays are classified as type I and type II immunoassays depending upon the quantitative use of antibody. Type I assays utilize an excess of antibody compared to the amount of antigen. In type II assays the amount of antibody is less than that of the antigen, and as such, these assays are also called saturation assays. The specificity of the type I system implicitly depends on purity of the antibody, whereas in type II, absolute homogeneity of antibody is less important, thereby making them more specific than type I assays since cross-reactants are less avidly inherently bound to the principal antibody. Of the various immunoassays, only radial immunodiffusion, rocket Immunoelectrophoresis (electroimmunodiffusion; Laurell technique), and radioimmunoassays are frequently used to quantitate coagulation proteins. However, more sophisticated immunochemical methods such as nephelometric, fluorometric, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent techniques have also been introduced recently and some of these newer methodologies are readily available. A brief description of each immunoassay is given in order to elucidate the fundamental principles upon which these assays are based. The procedures are greatly simplified and are explained by graphic illustrations.
TEST RESULTS AND STRENGTH PREDICTION OF “SELF-HELP” MASONRY WALLS

This report presents the results of initial studies into strength predictions for load-bearing masonry walls typical of those used in low-cost housing. Tests on the strength of a masonry wall erected under the “self-help” concept correlate with the analytical prediction methods. Theoretical studies indicate that the strength of a “mud-brick” wall is sufficient for its usual purpose, namely, as habitation.
Three-Dimensional Radiographic Analysis of Two Distinct Lenke 1A Curve Patterns.

Retrospective review of three-dimensional (3D) imaging from a multicenter database of surgically treated adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients. To use 3D analysis software to compare Lenke 1AR and 1AL curves in the coronal, sagittal, and axial planes. The Lenke 1AR and AL curve patterns have been shown to be two distinct curve types, with 1AL curves being more likely to add on after fusion. Analysis in 3D may help define some of the intricacies of these two curves. Ninety-four AIS patients with Lenke 1A curves and upright biplanar scanned radiographs were reviewed. Analysis was performed using 3D reconstruction software to evaluate the 3D coronal, sagittal and axial plane deformities. Coronal L4 tilt was used to distinguish between the two curve patterns. The main thoracic Cobb was not significantly different between the AR (n = 43) and AL (n = 51) curves (52° ± 8° vs. 50° ± 5°; p = .25). The thoracolumbar/lumbar Cobb was significantly smaller in the AR curves (28° ± 8° vs. 32° ± 7° ; p = .02). In the sagittal plane, T5–T12 kyphosis and T12–S1 lordosis were not significantly different (p > .2); however, the T10–L2 alignment was significantly more lordotic in the AR curves (11° ±8° vs. 4° ± 10° lordosis; p <.001). In the axial plane, thoracic apical rotation was significantly greater in AR curves (21° ±6° vs. 14° ± 6°; p < .001) and lumbar apical rotation was significantly smaller in AR curves (1° ± 5° vs. 6° ± 5°; p < .001). 3D spinal analysis demonstrates that 1AR and AL curves are distinctly different in all three planes. Although the treatment-based Lenke classification system combines these two curve patterns into one curve type, the 3D assessment suggests there are clear features that differentiate these curve patterns. The differing features of the nonstructural lumbar curves may help define the variance in fusion level selection and risk of adding-on for these two curve patterns. Level II, prognostic.
Psychosocial stress and C-reactive protein from mid-adolescence to young adulthood.

OBJECTIVE Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions and leading causes of death. Although CVD clinically manifests in adulthood, underlying processes of CVD begin in the earlier decades of life. Inflammation has been shown to play a key role, but relatively little is understood about how inflammation changes over time among young individuals. Additionally, how psychosocial factors like stress may influence changes in inflammation earlier in the lifespan is not entirely clear. Thus, the current three-wave longitudinal study examined the developmental trajectory of CRP, a marker of systemic inflammation, over a 4-year period from mid-adolescence into young adulthood. Between- and within-person differences in stress in relation to changes in CRP were also examined. METHOD A sample of 350 individuals was recruited during mid-adolescence and participated in 1 to 3 assessments, 2 years apart. At each assessment, participants provided dried blood spots for the assessment of CRP and reported on recent major life events, perceived stress, and daily interpersonal stress. RESULTS Multilevel modeling indicated that CRP increased with age, and within-person increases in perceived stress, but not life events or daily stress, were associated with higher CRP. Between-person differences in average levels of stress from mid-adolescence into young adulthood were not associated with changes in CRP. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that the link between stress and systemic inflammation between mid-adolescence and young adulthood may be most affected by contemporaneous experiences of perceived stress. There was little evidence to suggest that CRP trajectories varied by between-person differences in overall average levels of perceived stress, life events, and daily stress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Doubly Robust Crowdsourcing.

Large-scale labeled datasets are the indispensable fuel that ignites the AI revolution as we see today. Most such datasets are constructed using crowdsourcing services such as Amazon Mechanical Turk which provides noisy labels from non-experts at a fair price. The sheer size of such datasets mandates that it is only feasible to collect a few labels per data point. We formulate the problem of test-time label aggregation as a statistical estimation problem of inferring the expected voting score in an ideal world where all workers label all items. By imitating workers with supervised learners and using them in a doubly robust estimation framework, we prove that the variance of estimation can be substantially reduced, even if the learner is a poor approximation. Synthetic and real-world experiments show that by combining the doubly robust approach with adaptive worker/item selection, we often need as low as 0.1 labels per data point to achieve nearly the same accuracy as in the ideal world where all workers label all data points.
Beauty and the twist: the Bethe ansatz for twisted Script N = 4 SYM

It was recently shown that the string theory duals of certain deformations of the = 4 gauge theory can be obtained by a combination of T-duality transformations and coordinate shifts. Here we work out the corresponding procedure of twisting the dual integrable spin chain and its Bethe ansatz. We derive the Bethe equations for the complete twisted = 4 gauge theory at one and higher loops. These have a natural generalization which we identify as twists involving the Cartan generators of the conformal algebra. The underlying model appears to be a form of noncommutative deformation of = 4 SYM.
Reimbursement and Complications in Outpatient vs Inpatient Unicompartmental Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Increasing utilization of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has driven a greater push for outpatient treatment and cost containment in the setting of bundled payments. The purpose of this study is to evaluate utilization trends of inpatient vs outpatient UKA, index episode and 90-day reimbursement, and any differences in medical or surgical complications. Methods The PearlDiver database was employed to identify all inpatient and outpatient UKAs performed between 2007 and 2016 with 2-year follow-up. Patients were matched by age, gender, and Elixhauser Comorbidity Index. We tracked index procedure and global period reimbursement, 90-day medical and surgical complications, and 2-year surgical complications. Results The reimbursement and utilization cohort included 3181 outpatient and 5490 inpatient UKAs. Outpatient UKA and overall utilization of UKA increased over the study period. Mean index reimbursement of inpatient UKA was $2486.16 higher per procedure (P .05), aseptic loosening (P > .05), or revision surgery (P > .05) when compared to inpatient UKA. Conclusion Outpatient UKA utilization is increasing and is associated with decreased reimbursement compared to inpatient UKA without increased risk of major medical complications, although it is associated with increased risk of wound complication and need for operative debridement at 90 days.
Toxic Teammates or Obscene Opponents? Influences of Cooperation and Competition on Hostility between Teammates and Opponents in an Online Game

Hostility among players is an ongoing problem for many types of online games, where the competitive, “high stakes” nature of ranked competitiveness may foster anti-social behavior among game players. Not all games are created equal, however, as more online games now afford players with the opportunity to either play as characters with cooperative goals or choose less competitive game environments. Does the mere presence of a competitive environment or a cooperative teammate affect hostile responses in violent online games? An online field experiment was conducted to answer these questions using a 2 (game mode competitiveness: casual vs. ranked) x 2 (cooperative behavior: present vs. absent) x 2 (player allegiance: teammate vs. opponent) between-subjects design. Results suggest that teammates are typically more hostile to each other than to opponents, particularly in the absence of cooperative behavior. Previous work has postulated that opponents would be more likely to exhibit negative behaviors, but the results of this study indicate that players experience more negative behaviors from teammates, especially when the team is not working together. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
Conserved +1 translational frameshifting in the S. cerevisiae gene encoding YPL034W

Living cells have developed exquisite mechanisms to ensure accurate translation of mRNA. Many of them are dedicated to preventing the change in reading frame during translation elongation. A minority of chromosomally encoded genes have evolved sequences that subvert standard decoding to program +1 translational frameshifting, either constitutively or in response to external stimuli. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, three chromosomal genes are known to employ programmed +1 translational frameshifting for expression of full-length functional products. Here we identify a fourth yeast gene, YFS1, encompassing the existing predicted open reading frame YPL034W, with conserved programmed +1 frameshifting. Like the previously known examples, it appears to exploit peculiarities in tRNA abundance in S. cerevisiae.
Early ventilator liberation and decreased sedation needs after tracheostomy in patients with COVID-19 infection

Background Since the outset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, published tracheostomy guidelines have generally recommended deferral of the procedure beyond the initial weeks of intubation given high mortality as well as concerns about transmission of the infection to providers. It is unclear whether tracheostomy in patients with COVID-19 infection facilitates ventilator weaning, and long-term outcomes are not yet reported in the literature. Methods This is a retrospective study of tracheostomy outcomes in patients with COVID-19 infection at a single-center academic tertiary referral intensive care unit. Patients underwent percutaneous tracheostomy at the bedside; the procedure was performed with limited staffing to reduce risk of disease transmission. Results Between March 1 and June 30, 2020, a total of 206 patients with COVID-19 infection required mechanical ventilation and 26 underwent tracheostomy at a mean of 25±5 days after initial intubation. Overall, 81% of tracheostomy patients were liberated from the ventilator at a mean of 9±6 days postprocedure, and 54% were decannulated prior to hospital discharge at a mean of 21±10 days postprocedure. Sedation and pain medication requirements decreased significantly in the week after the procedure. In-hospital mortality was 15%. Among tracheostomy survivors, 68% were discharged to a facility. Discussion The management of patients with COVID-19 related respiratory failure can be challenging due to prolonged ventilator dependency. In our initial experience, outcomes post-tracheostomy in this population are encouraging, with short time to liberation from the ventilator, a high rate of decannulation prior to hospital discharge, and similar mortality to tracheostomy performed for other indications. Barriers to weaning ventilation in this cohort may be high sedation needs and ventilator dyssynchrony. Level of evidence Level V—Therapeutic/care management.
Three Tiers, Exceedingly Persuasive Justifications and Undue Burdens: Searching for the Golden Mean in U.S. Constitutional Law

When government action is challenged on equal protection grounds in the US, conventional wisdom holds that the courts will analyse constitutionality under one of three standards of review: rational basis, intermediate scrutiny and strict scrutiny. In substantive due process cases, two standards are applied: rational basis and strict scrutiny. In fact, careful study shows that the levels of scrutiny are actually more plastic than conventional wisdom would suggest and have shifted over time. In addition, courts sometimes confuse matters by appearing to introduce new tests, as when Justice Ginsburg characterized the government’s burden in Virginia v. United States, 518 U.S. 515 (1996) in terms of “an exceedingly persuasive justification”. Finally, while the Court originally applied strict scrutiny review to reproductive rights in Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973), the Court has subsequently applied an ‘undue burden’ test in that area. A similar trend can be seen in voting rights cases. While the Court long ago characterized the right to vote as “fundamental...because preservative of all rights”, Yick Wo v. Hopkins, 118 U.S. 356, 370 (1886), and the modern Court initially applied strict scrutiny to voting rights, the Court has now moved away from strict scrutiny, just as it has in the reproductive rights area. This erosion of constitutional protection for voting rights is the central concern of this article. The focus here is on the way these tests have evolved with respect to limitations on the right to vote. The article begins with a description of the three-tiered paradigm and then considers the US Supreme Court’s development of the ‘undue burden’ test as a substitute for the strict scrutiny standard in the reproductive rights jurisprudence. The article then considers the Court’s analogous move away from strict scrutiny in voting rights cases. That move is particularly troubling because overly deferential review may subvert democratic government by giving elected officials enormous power to frame electoral rules in a way that potentially games the system for their own benefit. Building on existing scholarship with respect to reproductive rights, this article suggests a possible way forward, one that may satisfy the Court’s concerns with the need for regulation of the electoral process while also providing the more robust protection needed to protect the right to participate meaningfully in the electoral process.
On Reading Fresher Snapshots in Parallel Snapshot Isolation

In this paper we briefly present FPSI, a distributed transactional in-memory key-value store whose primary goal is to enable transactions to read more up-to-date (fresher) versions of shared objects than existing implementations of the well-known Parallel Snapshot Isolation (PSI) correctness level, in the absence of a synchronized clock service among nodes. FPSI builds upon Walter, an implementation of PSI well suited for social applications. The novel concurrency control at the core of FPSI allows its abort-free read-only transactions to access the latest version of objects upon their first contact to a node.
Information vs. inspiration: Evaluating the effectiveness of mental illness stigma-reduction messages.

Abstract Numerous countries, communities, and organizations have conducted campaigns aimed at reducing the stigma of mental illness. Using an online experiment, we evaluate the relative effectiveness of three types of campaign messages (information about the biological origins of an illness, information about the psycho-social origins of an illness, and inspirational information about the competence of those with an illness) for reducing the perceived stigma (how I think others feel) and personal stigma (how I personally feel) tied to two illnesses (depression and schizophrenia). Drawing on expectation states theories (EST), affect control theories (ACT), and past research, we expected all three messages to reduce both types of stigma, with their relative effectiveness following this order: competence > psycho-social > biology. We find that the messages are more effective at reducing personal stigma than perceived stigma and that the competence message reduces both types of stigma more effectively than the other messages. More specifically, we find that (1) none of the messages reduce the perceived stigma of depression, (2) only the competence message consistently reduces the perceived stigma of schizophrenia, (3) only the competence message reduces personal stigma toward individuals with depression, and (4) all three messages reduce personal stigma toward individuals with schizophrenia and do so equally well. The findings provide support for propositions in EST and ACT and suggest that stigma-reduction campaigns that focus on the competence and capabilities of individuals with a mental illness will be more effective than those that focus on information about the origins of mental illness.
From Retributive to Restorative Justice

I am very grateful to Justin Coates, Adina Roskies, and Costanza Porro for their thoughtful and challenging comments on my book, The Limits of Blame: Rethinking Punishment and Responsibility (Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press, 2018). My response is organized around their discussion of four main topics: moral competence, proportionality, restorative justice, and excessive punishment.
Use of Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry to Assess Soft Tissue Composition in Breast Cancer Survivors With and Without Lymphedema.

Background: In patients with lymphedema (LE), in addition to hand dominance, between-group comparisons of interlimb soft tissue differences need to account for differences in whole-body adiposity, measured directly by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) or indirectly by body mass index. No study has evaluated the effects of hand dominance and whole-body adiposity on limb composition in patients with LE. This study's purpose was to compare soft tissue composition of affected and unaffected limbs of women with breast cancer, who did and did not have LE, controlling for dominance and percent body fat. Methods and Results: Whole-body DXA scans were acquired and included measures of percent body fat, upper limb total mass, upper limb fat mass, and upper limb fat-free mass. Participants were classified into one of three groups: women without LE; women with only subjective LE; and women with objective signs of LE at the time of assessment. Differences among the LE groups were evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Chi-square analyses. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to control for percent body fat and for the affected limb dominance. Compared to women without LE, women with objective signs of LE have greater total limb mass, fat mass, and fat-free mass in their affected limbs, independent of affected side dominance and percent body fat. In addition, the interlimb differences in total mass, fat mass, and fat-free mass were greater for the women with objective signs of LE, compared to the other two groups. Conclusions: DXA is useful in identifying soft tissue changes in patients with LE. Given that limb circumferences measure only changes in limb volume and that bioimpedance provides estimates of extracellular fluid, DXA has the advantage of being able to estimate the volumes of specific tissues in the limb.
Comparison of analytical methods for extraction of chloride from plant tissue using36Cl as tracer

Eleven published and unpublished methods for extraction of chloride from plant tissue were compared, using a homogeneous sample of dried, ground maize leaves previously labelled with36Cl. The most effective method of extraction of Cl−, estimated by liquid scintillation counting of36Cl, was with hot water. However, six other methods, including either cold water extraction, or dry-ashing at 500°C of plant material previously treated to give an alkaline pH, gave36Cl values that were not statistically different from that obtained with hot water extraction. The lowest estimates of36Cl content were obtained either by wet digestion in nitric/acetic acid or by dry-ashing following Mg(NO3)2 treatment of the plant material.
Distribution of a solute between two phases: the basic theory and its application to the prediction of chromatographic retention

Abstract A simple theory that explains the distribution of a solute between two phases is put forward and experimentally validated employing both previously published data and results from unambiguous liquid—liquid distribution experiments. The theory is tehn extended to liquid—liquidand liquid—solid distribution systems where association takes place between the components of the liquid phases. It is shown that under such circumstances a binary mixture becomes. in fact, a ternary system where the third component comprises the associated solvent. The properties of the ternary system are shown to be accounted for by the basic theory and, further, the theory can be employed to predict distribution behaviour in liquid—liquid systems where association occurs. It is shown that the theory can also be used to predict solute retention in reversed-phase liquid chromatography.
Histone variants and histone modifications in chromatin fractions from heterochromatin-rich Peromyscus cells

Abstract In order to investigate the relationship between condensed heterochromatin and histone modification by acetylation, phosphorylation and amino acid variation, chromatin from cultured Peromyscus eremicus cells, containing 35% constitutive heterochromatin, was fractionated into heterochromatin-enriched and heterochromatin-depleted fractions. The constitutive heterochromatin content of these fractions was determined from satellite DNA content. The distribution of phosphorylated and acetylated histones and amino acid variants of histone H2A in these chromatin fractions was examined by gel electrophoresis. Fractionation of histones demonstrated that endogenous histone phosphatase activity was high in chromatin fractions and could not be inhibited sufficiently to allow accurate histone phosphorylation measurements. However, sodium butyrate did inhibit deacetylation activity in the fractions, allowing histone acetylation measurements to be made. It was found that the constitutive heterochromatin content of these fractions was proportional to both their unacetylated H4 content and their more-hydrophobic H2A content. These observations support, by direct measurement, earlier experiments (Exp cell res 111 (1978) 373; 125 (1980) 377; 132 (1981) 201) suggesting that constitutive heterochromatin is enriched in unacetylated arginine-rich histones, and in the more hydrophobic variant of histone H2A.
Pseudospectral Orbit Simulation of Nonideal Gas-Lubricated Journal Bearings for Microfabricated Turbomachines

A journal bearing simulation tool developed to aid the design of the MIT microturbo-machine bearings is described. This tool uses an orbit method with a pseudospectral technique for treating the Reynolds equation. Comparison is made to various published data. Two types of stability chart are presented and their application to turbo-machine bearing design is discussed. Simulations of imbalance, noncircular geometry, and nonuniform pressures at the bearing ends are also demonstrated.
Purification, characterization and seasonal variation of mannose-binding C-type lectin in Ictalurid catfish

Abstract Mannose-binding C-type lectin (MBL) was purified by mannan-agarose affinity chromatography from blue catfish D + B ( Ictalurus furcatus ) and channel catfish NWAC 103 ( Ictalurus punctatus ) sera. The MBLs of blue catfish D + B and channel catfish NWAC 103 strains have not been purified by affinity chromatography, characterized and quantified. The affinity-purified and 2-ME reduced catfish MBLs showed one band of 66 kDa for blue catfish D + B, and one band of 63 kDa for channel catfish NWAC 103 by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Amino acid composition analysis (mol%) of the isolated catfish MBLs was done. The amount of methionine-S present in blue catfish D + B (0.78 mol%) was 2.2-times greater when compared with channel catfish NWAC 103 (0.35 mol%). The amount of proline present was 1.9-times greater in channel catfish NWAC 103 (8.0 mol%) when compared with blue catfish D + B (4.3 mol%). Tyrosine (2.5 mol%) was present in blue catfish D + B but not detected in channel catfish NWAC 103. N-terminal amino acid sequencing by Edman degradation for the first 10 residues gave two amino acid sequences of XRQPESFRIV and XXEDGYGKMF that were identical for both blue catfish D + B and channel catfish NWAC 103. This could represent the presence of two different isoforms of catfish MBL. Blue catfish D + B had 21.3 μg of MBL/ml of serum. Channel catfish NWAC 103 (#1 serum pool) had 15.1 μg of MBL/ml of serum (obtained in late Fall season), and channel catfish NWAC 103 (#2 serum pool) had 10.2 μg of MBL/ml of serum (obtained in Spring season). A seasonal variation in the channel catfish serum MBL was therefore seen. A standard curve for μg/ml of MBL in catfish serum was constructed with these data. The presence of MBL in blue catfish D + B and channel catfish NWAC 103 sera should be important in their innate immunity and resistance to Edwardsiella ictaluri and other microbial infections. This study describes the presence of MBL in these two Ictalurus species and evidence for a C-type lectin complement pathway of innate immunity. The channel catfish is used in aquaculture in the Southeast USA and is susceptible to bacterial infections acquired from its pond environment.
Histochemistry of lower vertebrate calcified structures. I. Enamel of the dogfish Squalus acanthius compared with mammalian enamel and homologous dentine

The enameloid and dentine of Squalus acanthius have been compared histochemically with those of Bos taurus. Squalus enameloid is much less reactive to a variety of stains or reagents than dentine or bovine immature enamel but it does have positive reactions with picromethyl blue, Mallory's and Van Gieson's stains, and Alcian blue. It stains faintly with Biebrich scarlet, indicating some anionic groups. Specific reactions for tyrosine, tryptophane, lysine, histidine, arginine, and cysteine are negative. Bos immature enamel is positive for cationic, anionic, and aromatic reactive groups by all test procedures, and dentine was positive for the anionic components. Bovine maturing enamel, however, is more similar in terms of lack of reactivity to Squalus enameloid but differed because the bovine enamel was moderately positive for tyrosine; tryptophane, and anionic groups and negative with Mallory's picromethyl blue and Van Gieson's stains. A fibrous transitional area between Squalus dentine and enameloid has staining reactions characteristic of both collagen and keratins.
The marine sponge Diacarnus bismarckensis as a source of peroxiterpene inhibitors of Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of sleeping sickness.

Human African trypanosomiasis, also known as African sleeping sickness, is a neglected tropical disease with inadequate therapeutic options. We have launched a collaborative new lead discovery vent...
Privatization and elite defection in de facto states: The case of Transnistria, 1991–2012

Abstract What factors determine the timing of elite defection in conditions of post-Soviet personalistic presidentialism? How do relations with a powerful patron state affect this process? This article analyzes these questions on the basis of a case study of Transnistria, a de facto state with strong links to Russia. It argues that privatization processes involving actors from the patron state provide a unique opening for elite defection by heightening tensions between the rent-seeking interests of the personalistic president and those of new owners; direct or indirect signals from the patron state may also affect elite's perceptions of incumbent durability and their corresponding decisions.
Convenient synthesis of tolcapone, a selective catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor

Abstract A convenient and efficient synthesis of tolcapone from commercial 4‐benzyloxy‐3‐methoxybenzaldehyde is presented. Grignard reaction of 4‐benzyloxy‐3‐methoxybenzaldehyde (1) with p‐tolylmagnesium bromide followed by Oppenauer oxidation of the hydroxyl functionality and subsequent O‐debenzylation gave phenol 5. Compound 5 was regioselectively nitrated and then subjected to O‐demethylation to produce tolcapone in 60% overall yield.
Inhibition of immunoreactive corticotropin-releasing factor secretion into the hypophysial-portal circulation by delayed glucocorticoid feedback.

Nitroprusside-induced hypotension evokes ACTH secretion which is primarily mediated by enhanced secretion of immunoreactive corticotropin-releasing factor (irCRF) into the hypophysial-portal circulation. Portal plasma concentrations of neither arginine vasopressin nor oxytocin are significantly altered in this paradigm. Application of a delayed feedback signal, in the form of a 2-h systemic corticosterone infusion in urethane-anesthetized rats with pharmacological blockade of glucocorticoid synthesis, is without effect on the resting secretion of arginine vasopressin and oxytocin at any corticosterone feedback dose tested. Resting irCRF levels are suppressed only at the highest corticosterone infusion rate, which resulted in systemic corticosterone levels of 40 Mg/dl- Suppresion of irCRF secretion in response to nitroprussideinduced hypotension is observed and occurs at a plasma corticosterone level between 8–12 μg/dl. These studies provide further evidence for a strong central component of the delayed fe...
Microwave dielectric properties of BaO-TeO2 binary compounds

Abstract A series of BaO–TeO 2 binary ceramic compounds were explored for microwave dielectric applications with ultra-low processing temperatures. During the calcination of mixed BaCO 3 and TeO 2 raw powders, BaTe 4 O 9 , BaTe 2 O 6 , BaTeO 3 , and Ba 2 TeO 5 phases were obtained through the sequential phase formations from Te-rich to Ba-rich phases at temperatures ranging from 500 to 850 °C. Sintering temperatures were as low as only 550 °C for the Te-rich phases. Barium tellurate ceramics exhibited excellent microwave dielectric properties with intermediate dielectric permittivities and high quality factors ( Q ). The dielectric properties at microwave frequencies were e r = 10–21, Q × f = 34,000–55,000 GHz, and TC f = − 51 to − 124 ppm/°C, depending on compositions.
Maintenance Rehearsal and Single-Level Processing.

The types of codes generated in maintenance rehearsal and the effects of rehearsal time at various single levels of encoding were examined in a series of six experiments employing an incidental learning procedure, the Distractor Recall task. Results of the experiments suggested that maintenance rehearsal need not involve only shallow processing. Data also provided confirmation of the F. I. M. Craik and R. S. Lockhart (Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 1972, 11, 671–684) assumption that once a given depth of processing is attained continued processing at that depth does not enhance item recallability. Further, it was observed that while continued processing at a given depth failed to enhance recall, repeated temporally-contextually distinct encodings of an item to some common level of processing did greatly enhance item recallability.
Discussion of Slade “Imagining Fear”

This discussion addresses the importance of fear as a key feature of attachment, examining some of the implications of Slade’s argument both for clinical work and for understanding of developmental process. The discussion also is focused on the kinds of genetic and evolutionary theories most useful in thinking about interactive effects, namely epigenetics, the study of genes in context. Finally the discussion identifies relational theory, which focuses on fear as an implicit dimension of attachment. Bromberg’s work on dissociation is cited as an example of work in which fear plays a prominent role.
The role of antioxidants in gastric carcinogenesis

The epidemiologic evidence for a role of antioxidants in inhibiting carcinogenesis in humans is briefly summarized. Mechanistic pathways of protection by antioxidants are illustrated with the prevailing model of gastric carcinogenesis in humans. In this model, ascorbic acid may be involved at the early stage of chronic gastritis; its secretion into the stomach is inhibited by infection with Helicobacter pylori, a major cause of gastritis. Ascorbic acid may also play a role in blocking the nitrosation of amines and related compounds in the gastric microenvironment. Carotenoids are also involved in the chain of gastric cancer causation and apparently play an important role in preventing mutations in the advanced stages of the process. The gastric cancer model supports the notion that invasive cancer is the result of insufficient control of oxidative stress applied to replicating cells over a prolonged period of time.
Microbial response over time to hydrologic and fertilization treatments in a simulated wet prairie

Naturally occurring wetlands are often threatened by runoff from urban areas, while constructed wetlands are increasingly used to filter sediments and nutrients from urban runoff. To analyze the potential effects of urban runoff on wetland soil microbial activity and composition, we combined phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) with assays of enzyme activities and nitrification potential (indicators of microbial function) in constructed wetland mesocosms. Mesocosm treatments included nutrient addition treatments (high, low, and none) and hydologic regimes (constant flood, early season flood, and intermittent flood) in a full factorial design. We found that changes in hydrologic regime affected both structural (membrane lipid) and functional (enzyme activities and nitrification potentials) aspects of the microbial community to a greater degree than did nutrient additions. For example, the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) lipid indicator appeared to be highly sensitive to constant flooding. Although hydologic treatments were the dominant factor affecting microbial community structure and function, nutrient additions did appear to alter fungal lipid biomarkers (both mycorrhizal and saprotrophic) and nitrification potentials. In addition, samples taken between June and September indicated a seasonal/temporal progression; for example the effect of the early season flood treatment subsided after flooding ended. Finally, correlation between structure and function data indicate that the study of microbial community structure, in addition to function, may be important for understanding wetland ecosystem function.
Redesigning the Architecture of the Base Pair: Toward Biochemical and Biological Function of New Genetic Sets

Recognition of the nucleic acid bases within the DNA scaffold comprises the basis for transmission of genetic information, dictating protein and cell assembly, organismal development, and evolution. Driven in part by the need to test our current understanding of this information transfer, chemists have begun to design and synthesize nonnatural bases and base pair structures to mimic the function of DNA without relying on Nature's purine-pyrimidine base pair scaffold. Multiple examples have been recently described that self-assemble stably and sequence specifically in vitro, and some isolated unnatural base pairs can be replicated in vitro as well. Moreover, recent experiments with unnatural bases in bacterial cells have demonstrated surprisingly efficient reading of the chemical information. This suggests the future possibility of redesigning and replacing the chemical information of an evolving cell while retaining biological function.
Superconductivity and order disorder transformations in YBa2(Cu1−yCry)3Ox

Abstract Homogeneous materials with perovskite related structures can be prepared over some range in YBa2(Cu1−yCry)3Ox. Materials are studied which have been quenched from various annealing temperatures Ta at various O2 pressures (pO2). Structural transformations as a function of increasing Ta involve in all cases changes from an orthorhombic modification with b = c 3 ( O a,bc ) to an orthorhombic modification with a ≠ b ≠ c 3 ( O a,b,c ) to a tetragonal modification (T). Substituted and unsubstituted materials have ranges of Ta resulting in relatively constant superconducting transition temperatures, Ts, separated by critical annealing temperatures, Tcr, beyond which Ts strongly decrease. The first Tcr T1cr = 777K) for YBa2Cu3Ox is shown to correspond roughly to the extent of the Oa,bc phase. A dependence of structural order disorder transformations on the mode of preparation (T, pO2) is observed. As an example materials with orthorhombic Oa,b,c and Oa,bc structures can be prepared at low T and pO2 values of x lower than the limit under air. Tcr and Ts decrease slightly with increasing y but follow the general trends of the parent compound. Results are discussed in the light of order-disorder transformations, superstructures and their temperature and composition dependence.
Ab initio simulations of the electrochemical activation of water

First principles periodic density functional theory (DFT) has been applied to simulate the electrochemical interface between water and various (111) metal surfaces. The chemistry of water at these electrified interfaces is simulated and the parameters relevant to the macroscopic behavior of the interface, such as the capacitance and the potential of zero charge (PZC) are examined. In addition, we examine the influence of co-adsorbed CO upon the equilibrium potential for the activation of water over Pt(111). We find that for copper and platinum there is a potential window over which water is inert, but on Ni(111) water is always found in some dissociated form (as adsorbed OH* or H*, depending on the applied potential). Furthermore, the relaxation of water molecules via the flip/flop rotation is an important contribution to the interfacial capacitance. Our calculations for the coadsorbed H2O/CO system indicate that the adsorption of CO affects the binding energy of OH, such that water activation occurs at a...