cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of exercise tolerance and chest pain during exercise stress testing in three different ethnic groups

Abstract Background: Exercise tolerance and exertional chest pain are important prognostic tools for assessing patients with suspected or known ischemic heart disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether exercise time and exertional chest pain differ between African Americans (AA), Caucasians (C) and Hispanics (H). Methods: We evaluated 507 patients who underwent exercise stress testing using standard Bruce protocol with normal myocardial perfusion imaging. There were149 AA (mean age 55±13, 57 males), 182 C (mean age 60±12, 96 males), and 176 H (mean age 58±12, 54 males). There were no significant differences in the 10 Yr CHD risk for the three groups using Framingham LDL risk score. Results: Exercise time differed significantly between the C and AA groups (8 min. ± 3 vs. 7min. ± 3) P=0.012 and the C and H groups (8min. ± 3 vs. 7min. ± 2) P Conclusions: Our study shows that in patients with normal myocardial perfusion images, C have a significantly higher exercise capacity on the treadmill stress testing as compared to the other two ethnic groups. There was no significant difference in exertional chest pain between the three groups.
Restraint stress differentially affects anti-viral cellular and humoral immune responses in mice

Physical restraint administered to C57BL/6 mice significantly altered the inflammatory response to influenza virus infection and depressed anti-viral cellular immunity. Restraint-stressed animals showed a pattern of reduced mononuclear cell infiltration and lung consolidation which coincided with elevated plasma corticosterone levels. Furthermore, cellular immunity to virus was significantly depressed; interleukin-2 secretion was reduced by 96% and 59% in the mediastinal lymph nodes and spleens, respectively, as compared to a non-restrained group. However, the magnitude of the humoral immune response to influenza virus was unaffected by restraint stress. Anti-viral IgG antibody levels in restrained/infected mice did not differ when compared to a non-restrained/infected control group 14 days post-infection.
The solubility of cholinesterase from the housefly, Musca domestica

Abstract Centrifugation of housefly head homogenates at 105,000 g for 1 hr sediments 73 per cent of the cholinesterase (ChE). This soluble-particulate distribution was not altered by dialysis or the addition of salts and it remained the same at pH values of 7, 8, and 9. At pH 5 all of the enzyme precipitated. All of the particulate enzyme was reversibly solubilized by sodium taurocholate, and 66 per cent of it was solubilized by autolysis. Based upon gel filtration in Sephadex G-200 the autolytically solubilized enzyme has the same molecular weight as the major fraction of natively soluble ChE. The sodium taurocholate solubilized enzyme, which is presumably a taurocholate-ChE complex, is excluded from Sephadex G-200.
Subsurface Study of Foraminiferal Fauna of Vaqueros Sandstone, Rincon Shale, and Lower Monterey Formation, from Elwood Oil Field, Santa Barbara County, California: ABSTRACT

Core samples taken from Texaco's Bishop A-1 well in the Elwood oil field in Santa Barbara County, California, penetrated 4,350 ft of section consisting of sediments of the lower Monterey Formation, the Rincon Shale, and the Vaqueros Sandstone. The two uppermost samples recorded at 558 and 561 ft contained Foraminifera indicating a Luisian age. The Relizian was represented by a thickness of about 700 ft. Approximately 1,500 ft of Saucesian age sediments were present. The upper Zemorrian was represented by 190 ft of section. The bottom 900 ft of preponderantly sandstones proved to be barren of Foraminifera. A foraminiferal faunule of late Zemorrian age, 138 ft below the Vaqueros/Rincon contact indicated an upper bathyal depth in this particular area, as opposed to much shal ower conditions, indicated elsewhere at the time of deposition of the Vaqueros Sandstone. Bathyal conditions persisted throughout the subsequent deposition of the Rincon Shale and lower Monterey Formation. End_of_Article - Last_Page 436------------
A phenomenological constitutive model for foams under large deformations

A nonlinear phenomenological constitutive model applicable to structural foams subjected to large deformations is proposed. The five-parameter model can fully capture the three fundamental features of stress-strain response, i.e., linearity, plasticity-like stress plateau, and densification phases, when subjected to compressive loads. Moreover, the parameters of the model can be systematically varied to capture the influence of initial density of foams that may be responsible for changes in yield stress and hardening-like or softening-like behavior under various confinement conditions. The model was successfully applied to capture the stress-strain response of two structural foams of different initial densities when subjected to uniaxial compression without lateral confinement and unixial compression under rigid confinement. Polym. Eng. Sci. 44:463–473, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.
Integrating Partial Polarization into a Metal-Ferroelectric-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor Model

The ferroelectric channel in a Metal-Ferroelectric-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MFSFET) can partially change its polarization when the gate voltage near the polarization threshold voltage. This causes the MFSFET Drain current to change with repeated pulses of the same gate voltage near the polarization threshold voltage. A previously developed model [11, based on the Fermi-Dirac function, assumed that for a given gate voltage and channel polarization, a sin-le Drain current value would be generated. A study has been done to characterize the effects of partial polarization on the Drain current of a MFSFET. These effects have been described mathematically and these equations have been incorporated into a more comprehensive mathematical model of the MFSFET. The model takes into account the hysteresis nature of the MFSFET and the time dependent decay as well as the effects of partial polarization. This model defines the Drain current based on calculating the degree of polarization from previous gate pulses, the present Gate voltage, and the amount of time since the last Gate volta-e pulse.
Suffering Soldiers: Revolutionary War Veterans, Moral Sentiment, and Political Culture in the Early Republic

This text examines how the moral sentiment of gratitude, as expressed in the image of the suffering soldier, transformed the memory of the Revolutionary War, political culture and public policy in the early American republic.
One-way waveguides in photonic crystals and back-scattering suppression

A broadband one-way waveguide is numerically demonstrated at the surface of a 2D magneto-optical photonic crystal containing Yttrium-Iron-Garnet. The strong time-reversal breaking results in the absence of backward-propagating modes and scattering-immune transmission across strong scatters.
Intergovernmental roles and responsibilities involving nonfederal forests in the United States: An assessment of federal and state conditions

Federal roles and responsibilities involving 206 million hectares of nonfederal forests in the United States are often implemented in partnership with state governments. These intergovernmental relations were examined with the assistance of state and federal agency executives. Federal roles are expressed by an estimated 187 federal programs, most of which are concentrated in the Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Preferred federal roles include providing financial support, monitoring area and condition of federal forests, and providing technical advice and assistance to states. Obstacles to effective state–federal working relationships include cumbersome administrative procedures, lack of common vision for nonfederal forests, and inadequate resources of various kinds. Overwhelming views are that state–federal working relationships are positive.
Genetic Regulation of Flavonoid Content in Seeds and Seedlings of Melilotus alba

Abstract Chemical analysis of seeds and seedlings of the CC and cc genotypes in Melilotus alba indicated that these alleles affect flavonoid biosynthesis. The CC seed coats contained orientin and iso -orientin, which were absent in the cc seed coats. The pigment responsible for the red pigmentation of young seedlings of CC genotypes was a cyanidin glycoside. The embryos of seeds of both the CC and cc genotypes contained a flavonoid tentatively identified as a 6,8-di- C -pentosylapigenin. The observation that 3′,4′-dihydroxyflavonoids were absent in the cc genotype and that 4′-hydroxyflavonoids were present in both genotypes indicated that the C/c alleles controlled the 3′-hydroxylation of flavonoids. The C/c alleles did not, however, control 3′-hydroxylation of cinnamic acids since caffeic acid was detected in both genotypes.
The optical rotatory properties of poly- -D-glutamic acid.

Measurement of the optical rotatory dispersion spectra of poly-γ-D-glutamic acid (obtained from Bacillus anthracis) dawn to 200 nm wavelength reveal difference between the unionized and ionized froms. The profile of the unionized polyacid shows similarities to those obtained for α-helical polypeptides, although with displaced frequencies of the respective maxima and minima. It is suggested that the relative position and magnitudes of the Cotton effect are consistent with a helical structure such as proposed by Rydon (J. Chem. Soc., 1964, 1328). The optical rotatory dispersion spectrum of the ionized from resembles those obtained from the β-chain from of α-L polypeptides. From model-building studies an extended chain similer to the β-from would seen the most reasonable structure for the ionized poly-γ-acid to adopt, since the charged groups in such a conformation would be at their maximal distances from each other. Such an ordered structure for a polymer is consistent with the hypotheses put forward in the recent literature that charged polypeptides adopt ordered rather than random-coiled conformations.
Racial differences in sentiments: Exploring variant cultures

Abstract The pervasiveness of Black–White differences in attitudes and beliefs suggest a variant Black culture is co-present with White culture. Using a data set from the 1970s, we assess whether a variant Black culture existed contemporaneously at that time. Results reveal distinct sentiment norms among Blacks and Whites about a range of concepts, comparable in magnitude to inter-nation variations. We discuss ways that Black culture manifested itself and consider methodological challenges in studying Black culture.
A Unified Approach to Approximation Schemes for NP- and PSPACE-Hard Problems for Geometric Graphs

We present for the first time NC approximation schemes for a number of graph problems when restricted to geometric graphs including unit disk graphs and graphs drawn in a civilized manner [CCJ90, DS84, MHR92, Te91]. Our NC-approximation schemes exhibit the same time versus performance trade-off as those of Baker [Ba83]. We also define the concept of -precision unit disk graphs and show that for such graphs our NC approximation schemes have a better time versus performance trade-off. Moreover, compared to unit disk graphs, we show that for -precision unit disk graphs, many more graph problems have efficient approximation schemes. Our NC approximation schemes can also be extended to obtain efficient NC approximation schemes for several PSPACE-hard problems on unit disk graphs specified using a restricted version of the hierarchical specification language of Bentley, Ottmann and Widmayer [BOW83]. Our approximation schemes for hierarchically specified unit disk graphs along with our results in [MHSR94] are the first approximation schemes in the literature for natural PSPACE-hard optimization problems.
An eigenvector-based algebraic approach for two-dimensional frequency estimation with improved identifiability

This paper presents an algebraic method for two-dimensional (2-D) frequency estimation. The algorithm is based on multidimensional smoothing and data folding, and offers significantly improved identifiability than existing algebraic approaches, thus is termed the improved multidimensional folding (IMDF) algorithm. It is shown that with IMDF, up to approximately 0.34 M/sub 1/M/sub 2/ 2-D frequencies can be uniquely resolved with probability one from an M/sub 1/ by M/sub 2/ data mixture. The IMDF algorithm achieves automatic frequency N-dimensional frequency estimation. Simulation results demonstrate its competitive performance compared to some existing algebraic methods.
Ultra wide band antenna for a multimode cellular phone

This paper presents the design of the antenna system of the first multimode cellular-WiFi phone which operated as both a GSM cellular phone for wide area coverage and a WiFi (IEEE 802.11a,b) local area network phone providing broadband data connection and phone call services via voice over IP (VOIP).
A Usability Comparison of Computerized Card Sorting Applications From the Researcher's Perspective

Existing reviews of card sorting applications usually focus on the end user's perspective of the sorting experience. In this paper, we describe objective (task success and time on task) and subjective (task difficulty, ease of interpretation of results output, satisfaction scores, and preference rankings) results from a usability evaluation of three card sorting applications from a researcher's perspective. Results from this analysis show that the ease of setting up a card sort exercise and the ability to quickly generate meaningful results are of vital importance to researchers. Design recommendations for computerized card sort applications are discussed.
Frequency limitations of continuous-time OTA-C filters

Nonidealities, including high-frequency parasitics, of real CMOS operation transconductance amplifiers (OTAs) are considered in order to determine the frequency performance limitations in OTA-C (OTA and capacitor) filters. In particular, a second-order circuit is analyzed in depth to demonstrate the frequency limitations of practical monolithic two-integrator loop OTA-C filter structures. A test filter constructed using a 3- mu m CMOS process is presented, and the experimental and theoretical results are discussed. It is shown how the OTA-C filter limitations depend upon the nonidealities of the OTA and the filter architecture. >
Partial group decoding for interference channels

In order to achieve the Han-Kobayashi rate region for the two-user interference channel each transmitter splits its message into two sub-messages, each drawn from an independent codebook. Generalizing this idea to the K-user interference channel implies that 2K−1 codebooks should be allocated to each transmitter, where each of them carries the message that is public to one of the subsets of the K−1 non-designated receivers. While such a rate-splitting scheme yields the best known achievable rate region (with random coding), optimizing a rate-related utility function over this region presents certain challenges stemming from the computational complexities and the distributed nature of interference channels. This paper introduces the notion of partial group decoding which offers a practical rate optimization strategy over this achievable rate region and mitigates these challenges. The merits of partial group decoders are demonstrated through treating the problem of optimal rate allocation with fairness constraints.
The maximum shortening velocity of muscle should be scaled with activation.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the maximum shortening velocity (V max) in Hill’s mechanical model (A. V. Hill. Proc. R. Soc. London Ser. B. 126: 136–195, 1938) should be scaled ...
Treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection: one step at a time

Summary Non-A, non-B hepatitis was recognised as an important cause of chronic liver disease long before the aetiological agent—hepatitis C virus—was identified in 1989. Recombinant interferons, initially developed as a treatment for malignancies, proved to be an effective treatment for this disease before the identification of the viral agent. Subsequent testing for hepatitis C virus RNA demonstrated that the virus appeared to be eradicated in a small proportion of treated patients. Treatment regimens have improved dramatically since 1989 with the addition of the oral nucleoside ribavirin and long-acting pegylated interferons to treatment regimens. Currently, more than half of treated patients can achieve durable viral clearance. This clearance is quite a remarkable feat; indeed, eradication is not possible in any other chronic viral infection. Considerable effort continues to be devoted to improving therapeutic regimens to make them more effective and tolerable. Drugs that directly act on the replicative machinery of the virus—protease and polymerase inhibitors—are under development and entering clinical trials in human beings.
Out-of-Synch and Out-of-Sorts: Dysfunction of Motor-Sensory Communication in Schizophrenia

Background Phase synchronization of neural activity preceding a motor act may reflect an efference copy of the motor plan and its expected sensory consequences (corollary discharge), which is sent to sensory cortex to herald the arrival of self-generated sensations and dampen the resulting sensory experience. We performed time-frequency decomposition of response-locked electroencephalogram (EEG) to examine phase synchronization of oscillations across trials (phase-locking factor [PLF]) to self-paced button presses. If prepress PLF reflects the activity in motor cortex, it should be contralateralized. If it reflects the action of the efference copy, it should be related to subsequent sensory suppression. If efference copy/corollary discharge mechanisms are abnormal in schizophrenia, it should be reduced in patients with schizophrenia. Methods Electroencephalogram was collected while 23 patients (20 schizophrenia; 3 schizoaffective) and 25 age-matched control subjects pressed a button, at will, every 1 to 2 sec. Phase-locking factor preceding and following button presses was calculated from single-trial EEG; averaging single trials yielded response-locked event-related potentials (ERPs) to the tactile response associated with button pressing. Results Consistent with its hypothesized reflection of efference copy/corollary discharge signals, prepress gamma band neural synchrony was 1) maximal over the contralateral sensory-motor cortex in healthy subjects, 2) correlated with the ipsilateralized somatosensory ERP amplitude evoked by the press, and 3) reduced in patients. Prepress neural synchrony in the beta band was also reduced in patients, especially those with avolition/apathy. Conclusions These data are consistent with dysfunction of forward model circuitry in schizophrenia and suggest that the specific motor-sensory system affected is selectively linked to symptoms involving that system.
The Argument From Design: Some Better Reasons for Agreeing with Hume

I. The argument from design or ‘teleological argument’ purports to be an inductive proof for the existence of God, proceeding from the evidence of the order exhibited by natural phenomena to the probable conclusion of a rational agent responsible for producing that order. The argument was severely criticized by David Hume in his Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, and it was widely conceded that Hume's objections had cast serious doubt on the adequacy of the teleological argument, if not destroyed its credibility entirely. However, there has been a recent reappraisal of this claim by R. G. Swinburne, who maintains that none of Hume's criticisms have any validity against a ‘carefully articulated version of the argument’. Using an analogical argument based on temporal regularities rather than on spatial regularities (or arrangement of parts), Swinburne claims to have shown that the teleological argument is a legitimate inference to the best explanation whose force depends only on the strength of the analogy and on the degree to which the resulting theory makes explanation of empirical matters simpler and more coherent. Moreover, he claims to have shown that the argument provides support for the Christian monotheistic hypothesis and not merely for the weak claim that the universe was designed (somehow). This is an important claim since it has long been thought that Hume's most devastating blow was dealt when he showed that the teleological argument (if it is admitted to have any force at all) provides just as much support for the negation of certain propositions considered essential to Christian monotheism as it does for their affirmation.
Longitudinal Changes in Liver Fat Content in Asymptomatic Adults: Hepatic Attenuation on Unenhanced CT as an Imaging Biomarker for Steatosis

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in liver fat content over time in asymptomatic adults and to investigate the factors that may influence these changes. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Liver attenuation on unenhanced CT images of 1022 asymptomatic adults (556 women and 466 men; mean age at the time of the index CT examination, 56.7 years) was retrospectively measured on initial and surveillance CT colonography screening examinations (mean [± SD] interval, 5.5 ± 0.8 years). Changes in liver attenuation (expressed as Hounsfield units) were assessed according to various factors, including body mass index (BMI), age, and sex. RESULTS. Mean liver attenuation was 60.3 HU on the index CT scan and 58.4 HU on the 5-year follow-up CT scan (p < 0.0001). Changes in liver attenuation greater than 10 HU, 5–10 HU, and less than 5 HU were observed in 187 (18%), 212 (21%), and 623 (61%) individuals, respectively. Changes in attenuation greater than 10 HU were negative (i.e., fattier liver) in 130 of 18...
Interaction of Thermal Neutrons and Photons with Matter

Spectroscopy is concerned with measurement of the structure and dynamics of the ground state or low lying excited states of a condensed matter. A radiation is useful as a tool for spectroscopy if it couples weakly (in a sense to be discussed later) to the many body system. Because in this case the double differential cross-section (per unit solid angle, per unit energy transfer) for the radiation scattering can be written schematically as (see Figure 1): $$\frac{{{d^2}}}{{d\Omega d\omega }} \sim {\left( {\frac{{d\sigma }}{{d\Omega }}} \right)_0}\;{\sum\limits_{i,f} {{P_i}\left| { } \right|} ^2}\delta \left( {\hbar \omega - E{}_i + {E_f}} \right)$$ (1) where the first factor (dσ/dΩ)Q refers to differential scattering cross-section from the basic unit of scattering in the system and the second factor, usually called the dynamic structure factor, represents the time dependent structure of the system as seen by the radiation. This clear separation of the basic scattering problem, as embodies in the first factor, from the dynamic structure of the system itself, is only possible when the radiation couples weakly to the system and therefore the use of Born-approximation in deriving Equation (1) is valid. Both thermal neutrons and photons with energy up to x-ray region satisfy this criterion and thus are useful as probes for condensed matter structures.
Serrs as a Probe of Electrode Processes: Interaction of Glucose Oxidase and Fad at Silver Electrodes

Direct electron transfer between redox proteins and metal electrodes has many advantages with respect to analytical applications. Hill and coworkers1 have pointed out the similarities between heterogeneous electron transfer reactions of proteins at electrodes and catalysis. The sequence of events at the electrode include: 1) diffusion of reactant protein to the electrode surface; 2) adsorption of the protein in an orientation suitable for electron transfer; 3) electron transfer; 4) dissociation of the protein from the electrode surface; and 5) diffusion of the protein away from the surface. If all these requirements are not met, well behaved redox activity will not be observed. There have been various approaches to accomplishing reversible redox reactions in proteins based upon these requirements. Hill and coworkers have focused on the second step and have shown by their elegant promoter studies that the correct orientation of the protein at the electrode is crucial for rapid electron transfer. Others have utilized mediator-type electrodes or chemically modified proteins2.
Audience size and contextual effects on information density in Twitter conversations

The “uniform information density” (UID) hypothesis proposes that language producers aim for a constant rate of information flow within a message, and research on monologue-like written texts has found evidence for UID in production. We consider conversational messages, using a large corpus of tweets, and look for UID behavior. We do not find evidence of UID behavior, and even find context effects that are opposite that of previous, monologue-based research. We propose that a more collaborative conception of information density and careful consideration of channel noise may be needed in the informationtheoretic framework for conversation.
From Volunteered Geographic Information to Volunteered Geographic Services

Volunteered geographic information refers to a range of geo-collaboration projects in which individuals voluntarily collect, maintain, and visualize information. This chapter introduces the related, but distinct, concept of volunteered geographic services (VGS). VGS is based on the organization and exchange of discrete actions through mobile spatially aware devices like smartphones. VGS attempts to extend the limits of VGI by directly linking users together through time and space. VGS’ potential uses in crisis response are considered in light of VGI’s successful role in recent crises. A specific implementation of VGS, created by the PSUmobile.org team, is presented in detail.
Development of tools and techniques for mechanical property testing and analysis of experimental nano solder

The conventional tools and procedures of testing mechanical properties for micro solders are difficult to implement for experimental nano-solder technology, because of the smaller solder joint size. This paper outlines a mature set of tools and procedures for conducting reliable shear and pull testing of nano-solder joints. The design of the mechanical tools and results obtained will be demonstrated, with continuous improvements through three design iterations completed by senior Mechanical Engineering students at he University of Massachusetts Lowell as capstone projects. The design of the mechanical tools used to generate the test results will be discussed, and these designs, offered as freeware, can be used as a template for conducting future studies of nano-solder mechanical testing.
New West, True West: Interpreting The Region's History

say to my colleague in Chinese studies that I teach western history. "Doesn't almost everyone in this department," he complains. "The history of England, Germany, France, Italy-it is all western history in our courses. Nobody here knows or cares anything about the East." I cut him short to explain that what I mean by the West is not Europe, not the whole of western civilization. My West is the American West: that fabled land where the restless pioneer moves ever forward, settling one frontier after another; where the American character becomes self-reliant, democratic, and endlessly eager for the new; where we strip off the garments of civilization and don a rude buckskin shirt; where millions of dejected immigrants gather from around the world to be rejuvenated as Americans, sounding together a manly, wild, barbaric yawp of freedom. That is my West: precisely that and nothing more. "Oh," my colleague ventures, more perplexed now than cantankerous, "you mean 'the West'the frontier, Indians, Clint Eastwood?" I nod vaguely and sidle off. It is all so hard to convey over a single, polite glass of academic sherry. For a field that has been around so long, western American history can be frustratingly difficult to pin down. Soon it will be a full century old. Often, with such advanced age comes a clarity of purpose as well as a record of achievement. Not so in this case. The record is impressive enough: the field now has several excellent journals, regularly holds good scholarly conferences, and boasts an immense bibliography that no one could read in a lifetime. But as for clarity of purpose, the field is still groping about in adolescence. It doesn't quite know who it is or what it wants to be when it grows up. What are its boundaries? Where is "West" and where is not? There is still no settled, mature answer. There is, to be sure, an established body of writing about the history of the West, and usually it would be to such a body that we would turn for resolving what the field of study is or ought to be. In this case, however,
New strategy of blood screening for hepatitis B virus.

There is a high prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV)in China where the prevention and control of transfusiontransmitted hepatitis B has been paid more and more attention. The introduction of novel techniques, such as nucleic acid testing (NAT), is one of the important measures to decrease the risk of HBV infection and increase the blood safety. In this paper, the status of application of NAT for HBV in blood screening is reviewed, and the strategy of blood screening for HBV is investigated.
Evaluating Substance Use and Insulin Misuse in Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes

PurposeSubstance use behaviors often emerge during adolescence, and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) may be at risk for engaging in traditional substance use (eg, alcohol, tobacco, and illicit substances) as well as a unique form of substance use: insulin misuse. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine substance use and insulin misuse in adolescents with T1D.MethodsSixty adolescents aged 12 to 20 years with T1D (n = 60) completed surveys on substance use, insulin misuse, and diabetes self-management during a routine diabetes appointment. Demographic measures were summarized by mean (SD) or percentage. Prevalence of substance use and insulin misuse was calculated and stratified by demographic and clinical characteristics. Two-sample t test (continuous variables) and chi-square analysis (categorical variables) determined statistically significant differences.ResultsThe prevalence of ever using substances was 36.7%, and that for ever misusing insulin was 19%. Older participants (17.1 ± 1.8...
Self-assembled nanodot arrays on Si(111)-(7×7) surfaces

We report on the self-assembly of a superlattice of nanodots of different elements (Sn,In) on a $\mathrm{Si}(111)\ensuremath{-}(7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}7)$ template surface, observed with a scanning tunneling microscope. The formation of nanodots is a feature of the $\mathrm{Si}(111)\ensuremath{-}(7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}7)$ surface, and a characteristic of adsorbates of different valency. In this paper, we examine the evolution of these nanodots with increasing coverage to understand the clustering mechanism, their microstructure, and electronic properties. The results are discussed in the light of current theories of the interaction mechanism(s) guiding the formation of these nanodots.
Discrete time integral sliding mode control for discrete pulse modulated converters

Sliding mode control for resonant link converters is introduced in a formal manner through a specific example of a buck resonant link DC-DC converter. The use of variable structure systems theory as a valuable tool to characterize the dynamic behavior of discrete pulse modulated systems in demonstrated. The suboptimal steady-state behavior of discrete pulse modulated converters under conventional control methods is brought out. The discrete time integral sliding mode control as an alternative control method with better performance attributes is proposed. It is demonstrated that the sliding mode control methods developed for the control of a PWM (pulse width modulation) power converter can be extended to the resonant link converter operating under discrete pulse modulation, and the performance can be improved by adding the integral-error term to the sliding surface. The conditions for sliding mode to exist under integral sliding control are obtained. All the results are verified by simulation, and experimental results confirming the concepts are presented. >
Aperture design for ultra-high resolution SPECT systems for small animal imaging

In this paper, we present the results from a design study for an ultra-high resolution SPECT system with various aperture designs. The system uses a recently developed ultrahigh resolution gamma camera based on an intensified Electron- multiplying Charge Coupled Device (EMCCD) sensor. It provides an intrinsic spatial resolution of < 60 mum and a high signal-to-noise ratio for imaging the 27-35 keV photons emitted by 1-125. The goal of present work is to optimize the multiple- pinhole aperture design for a stationary 4 headed SPECT system. The system is equipped with a variable aperture system that allows a large number of different aperture configurations to be used. In this study, we used the resolution-variance tradeoff as a performance index for selecting appropriate apertures for several imaging scenarios. A large number of apertures were compared with Monte Carlo simulations and experimental measurements.
Mutagenesis in Ehrlichia and Anaplasma Species: Its Application for Studies Focused on Understanding the Pathogenesis and Vaccine Development

Tick-borne Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species pathogens belong to the Anaplasmataceae family of the order Rickettsiales and are responsible for causing several emerging diseases in humans and also impact the health of various agricultural and companion animals, such as cattle and dogs. The pathogens reside within the phagosomes of infected host cells, mostly hemopoitic cells of vertebrate hosts, and infected tick epithelial cells. The pathogens include the monocytotropic Ehrlichia chaffeensis and the granulocytotropic Ehrlichia ewingii (the causal agents of human and canine monocytic and ewingii ehrlichiosis) transmitted from Amblyomma americanum ticks. Ehrlichia canis transmitted from Rhipicephalus sanguineus is responsible for canine monocytic ehrlichiosis and is also reported to infect. The recently identified Ehrlichia muris like agent, transmitted from Ixodes scapularis ticks, also infects human monocytes. Ehrlichia ruminantium is another Amblyomma species tick-transmitted pathogen infecting vascular endothelium of infected animals and is the causal agent of heartwater disease of domestic and wild ruminants throughout the sub-Saharan Africa and parts of the Caribbean islands. Anaplasma phagocytophilum is similar to E. ewingii in causing infections in neutrophils and is transmitted from Ixodes species ticks to various vertebrate hosts including cattle, horses, and dogs. Anaplasma marginale is the major erythrocytic pathogen of cattle. Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species infections are frequently reported from the USA and many parts of the world. These pathogens primarily infect phagocytic cells and suppress host defenses by various strategies and significantly impair the health of vertebrate hosts. Understanding the pathogenesis of the diseases caused by Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species can be greatly facilitated with the availability of mutational methods. In organisms with the reduced genomes such as for Anaplasmataceae family pathogens, efforts of generating stable transformants and mutants remained a major challenge. Recent progress demonstrating the mutagenesis in A. phagocytophilum, A. marginale, and E. chaffeensis leads the way for promising new directions in understanding the pathogenesis, host response, and in developing novel methods of control. In this article, I discuss the recent progress in mutagenesis and its value in understanding the pathogenesis, and in developing methods of controlling Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species infections in vertebrate animals.
Knowing Is Not Enough

I consider the rule of assertion according to which knowledge is sufficient for epistemically proper assertion. I examine a counterexample to this rule recently proposed by Jennifer Lackey. I prese...
Engineering Interfaces for Infection Immunity

Nosocomial (hospital acquired) infections are the fifth leading cause of death in the United States with 2 million cases annually (or ~10% of American hospital patients) leading to more than $5 billion in added medical cost per annum. About 60–70% of nosocomial infections are associated with some type of implanted medical device. This article describes the extent of the biomaterials infection pandemic and reviews the existing anti-infection strategies that have proven mostly ineffectual. New approaches to prevent biomaterials infections that engineer innate and adaptive immune responses are presented.
Resonant multiple wave solutions for a (3+1)-dimensional nonlinear evolution equation by linear superposition principle

The linear superposition principle can apply to the construction of resonant multiple wave solutions for a (3+1)-dimensional nonlinear evolution equation. Two types of resonant solutions are obtained by the parameterization for wave numbers and frequencies for linear combinations of exponential traveling waves. The resonance phenomena of multiple waves are discussed through the figures for several sample solutions.
An unexpected role for the transcriptional coactivator isoform NT-PGC-1α in the regulation of mitochondrial respiration in brown adipocytes.

Brown adipose tissue dissipates energy as heat, a process that relies on a high abundance of mitochondria and high levels of electron transport chain (ETC) complexes within these mitochondria. Two regulators of mitochondrial respiration and heat production in brown adipocytes are the transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α and its splicing isoform NT-PGC-1α, which control mitochondrial gene expression in the nucleus. Surprisingly, we found that, in brown adipocytes, some NT-PGC-1α localizes to mitochondria, whereas PGC-1α resides in the nucleus. Here we sought to investigate the role of NT-PGC-1α in brown adipocyte mitochondria. Immunocytochemistry, immunotransmission electron microscopy, and biochemical analyses indicated that NT-PGC-1α was located in the mitochondrial matrix in brown adipocytes. NT-PGC-1α was specifically enriched at the D-loop region of the mtDNA, which contains the promoters for several essential ETC complex genes, and was associated with LRP130, an activator of mitochondrial transcription. Selective expression of NT-PGC-1α and PGC-1α in PGC-1α−/− brown adipocytes similarly induced expression of nuclear DNA-encoded mitochondrial ETC genes, including the key mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM). Despite having comparable levels of TFAM expression, PGC-1α−/− brown adipocytes expressing NT-PGC-1α had higher expression of mtDNA-encoded ETC genes than PGC-1α−/− brown adipocytes expressing PGC-1α, suggesting a direct effect of NT-PGC-1α on mtDNA transcription. Moreover, this increase in mtDNA-encoded ETC gene expression was associated with enhanced respiration in NT-PGC-1α-expressing PGC-1α−/− brown adipocytes. Our findings reveal a previously unappreciated and isoform-specific role for NT-PGC-1α in the regulation of mitochondrial transcription in brown adipocytes and provide new insight into the transcriptional control of mitochondrial respiration.
The Skillful and the Stingy: Partner Choice Decisions and Fairness Intuitions Suggest Human Adaptation for a Biological Market of Cooperators

Despite the importance of human cooperation, the psychological mechanisms by which humans choose their cooperative partners and divide the spoils of cooperation are still unclear. To address these questions, we first contextualize human cooperation within biological market theory and then present results from a series of economic games in which we test how a cooperative partner’s generosity and productivity affect their desirability as a partner and intuitions about how entitled they are to keep the spoils of cooperation. We found that the evaluation of productivity and generosity cannot be fully explained by the incentive structure of the game, but appeared calibrated for choosing long-term cooperative partners and dividing cooperatively created resources within a biological market. Specifically, productivity mattered more to men than to women, and productivity mattered more when it revealed underlying skill rather than luck. In addition, generosity had far larger effects than productivity, but the effect of productivity was moderated by generosity, suggesting sophisticated heuristics for choosing cooperative partners. We discuss implications of our data for the study of social perception and suggest avenues for future research.
An experimental canine patent ductus arteriosus occlusion device based on shape memory polymer foam in a nitinol cage.

Abstract Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a congenital cardiovascular defect in which a fetal connection between the aorta and pulmonary artery does not spontaneously close shortly after birth. If left uncorrected serious complications and even death can occur. Surgical ligation is the traditional treatment method; however, it is an invasive procedure, that motivates development of a minimally invasive option. Shape memory polymer (SMP) foams are unique materials that hold promise in the field of minimally invasive occlusion devices. In this work, a prototype nitinol foam cage (NFC) incorporating SMP foams has been designed and evaluated in multiple mechanical and in vitro verification tests. The NFC demonstrated acceptable fatigue resistance in a preliminary strut integrity test, withstanding one million cycles without complete strut fracture. Radial force analysis of both thick- and thin-walled prototype variations generated less vessel distension and wall tension in a vessel mimic compared to a commercial device. The NFCs exhibited negligible in vitro migration, comparable to that of a commercial device, using simplified, ideal models of PDA. Deployment characteristics of the prototypes were evaluated and compared to that of a commercial device when delivered into physiological models of PDA. During mock deployments, a veterinary cardiologist noted that, while deliverable, the thin-walled NFC prototype exhibited poor deployment characteristics, however the thick-walled NFC had deployment characteristics comparable to that of a commercial device. The promising results of this study warrant further investigation of the NFC device for canine PDA closure.
Laser-diagnostic mapping of temperature and soot statistics in a 2-m diameter turbulent pool fire

Abstract We present spatial profiles of temperature and soot-volume-fraction statistics from a sooting, 2-m base diameter turbulent pool fire, burning a 10%-toluene/90%-methanol fuel mixture. Dual-pump coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering and laser-induced incandescence are utilized for simultaneous point measurements of temperature and soot. The research fuel-blend used here results in a lower soot loading than real transportation fuels, but allows us to apply high-fidelity laser diagnostics for spatially resolved measurements in a fully turbulent, buoyant fire of meter-scale base size. Profiles of mean and rms fluctuations are radially resolved across the fire plume, both within the hydrocarbon-rich vapor-dome region near fuel pool, and higher within the actively burning region of the fire. The spatial evolution of the soot and temperature probability density functions is discussed. Soot fluctuations display significant intermittency across the full extent of the fire plume for the research fuel blend used. Simultaneous, spatially overlapped temperature/soot measurements permit us to obtain estimates of joint statistics that are presented as spatially resolved conditional averages across the fire plume, and in terms of a joint pdf obtained by including measurements from multiple spatial locations. Within the actively burning region of the fire, soot is observed to occupy a limited temperature range between ∼1000 and 2000 K, with peak soot concentration occurring at 1600–1700 K across the full radial extent of the fire plume, despite marked changes in the local temperature pdf across the same spatial extent. A wider range of soot temperatures is observed in the fuel vapor-dome region low in the pool fire, with detectable cold soot persisting into conditionally averaged statistics. The results yield insight into soot temperature across a wide spatial extent of a fully turbulent pool fire of meaningful size, which are valuable for development of soot radiative-emission models and for validation of fire fluid-dynamics codes.
Employment impacts of alcohol taxes

Abstract There is strong scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of increasing alcohol taxes for reducing excessive alcohol consumption and related problems. Opponents have argued that alcohol tax increases lead to job losses. However, there has been no comprehensive economic analysis of the impact of alcohol taxes on employment. To fill this gap, a regional macroeconomic simulation model was used to assess the net impact of two hypothetical alcohol tax increases (a 5-cent per drink excise tax increase and a 5% sales tax increase on beer, wine, and distilled spirits, respectively) on employment in Arkansas, Florida, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Wisconsin. The model accounted for changes in alcohol demand, average state income, and substitution effects. The employment impact of spending the new tax revenue on general expenditures versus health care was also assessed. Simulation results showed that a 5-cent per drink additional excise tax on alcoholic beverages with new tax revenues allocated to general expenditures increased net employment in Arkansas (802 jobs); Florida (4583 jobs); Massachusetts (978 jobs); New Mexico (653 jobs); and Wisconsin (1167 jobs). A 5% additional sales tax also increased employment in Arkansas (789 jobs; Florida (4493 jobs); Massachusetts (898 jobs); New Mexico (621 jobs); and Wisconsin (991 jobs). Using new alcohol tax revenues to fund health care services resulted in slightly lower net increases in state employment. The overall economic impact of alcohol tax increases cannot be fully assessed without accounting for the job gains resulting from additional tax revenues.
Surgical Management of the Concealed Penis in Adults

The concealed penis in adults is a relatively rare indication for surgical treatment; however, it represents a complex disease spectrum requiring thoughtful, systematic management. Here, we review the fundamental principles underlying a successful repair and highlight recent surgical techniques and pathways. In evaluated patients with adult concealed penis, clinicians should be aware of the association of this condition with urethral stricture, carcinoma of the penis, and angiosarcoma in the setting of lymphedema. It may not be possible to complete this evaluation prior to operative exploration, although adjunctive studies such as MRI can be helpful. In addition, surgical reconstruction may involve urologist and plastic surgeons. All successful repairs involve the key steps of excising scar tissue and abnormal skin, freeing abnormal attachments, reducing suprapubic adiposity if indicated, dividing the suspensory ligament if additional release is needed, tacking superficial and deep tissues together to maintain sharp penopubic and penoscrotal angles, and achieving adequate skin coverage with local tissue if possible and skin grafting if necessary. Adjunctive measures such as fibrin glue and wound VAC application can improve the success of skin grafts. Patients can experience significant benefit in many domains following repair including hygiene, sexual function, and well-being. Surgical treatment of the adult concealed penis can be highly challenging and complex. However, excellent outcomes can be obtained through a careful and thorough workup, the use of a systematic surgical approach with respect for regional anatomy and careful attention to key principles, and multi-disciplinary collaboration.