cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of plasmonic semiconductor nanomaterials with copper chalcogenides for a future with sustainable energy materials

The development of copper chalcogenide based nanomaterials as promising candidates for sustainable energy materials, due to their environmental compatibility and low toxicity, is presented and discussed in this review. Different solution syntheses have recently been developed for the low-cost preparation of copper chalcogenide nanocrystals, and their unique properties derived from copper deficiencies were investigated with much progress. The notorious compositional instability and defect formation of copper chalcogenide nanocrystals have been healed by forming donor–acceptor pairs in ternary and quaternary chalcogenide based nanocrystals, especially in copper zinc tin sulfides (CZTS). In addition to their use as light absorbers in solar cells, copper chalcogenide nanocrystals have also been utilized in different applications, such as electrode materials in Li ion batteries and high efficiency counter electrodes in dye/quantum dot sensitized solar cells as well as for NIR photothermal therapy. All relate to their unique copper deficiency properties. The copper chalcogenide based nanomaterials are believed to be sustainable materials for future energy applications once the syntheses and property investigations have led to a more complete understanding of their physics.
Syntheses of (Z)- and (E)-4-amino-2-(trifluoromethyl)-2-butenoic acid and Their inactivation of γ-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase

Abstract (Z)- and (E)-4-amino-2-(trifluoromethyl)-2-butenoic acid ( Scheme 1 , Scheme 2 , Scheme 3 , 1 Download : Download high-res image (87KB) Download : Download full-size image Scheme 1 . Proposed mechanism of inactivation of GABA-AT by Scheme 1 , 1 or Scheme 1 , Scheme 2 , Scheme 3 , 1 . Download : Download high-res image (78KB) Download : Download full-size image Scheme 2 . Synthesis of Scheme 1 , Scheme 2 , Scheme 3 , 1 and Scheme 2 , 1 . (i) Zn, CO2, DMF; (ii) aq. HCl; (iii) (CH3)2C=CH2, concd H2SO4, CH2Cl2; (iv) KOH, EtOH; (v) allyl bromide, DMF, 100°C; (vi) O3, −78°C, CH2Cl2; (vii) Me2S; (viii) Zn–Cu, Ac2O, 4 A molecular sieves, THF, 66°C; (ix) C18 reversed-phase HPLC; (x) TFA, CH2Cl2; (xi) Dowex 50. Download : Download high-res image (151KB) Download : Download full-size image Scheme 3 . Proposed mechanism of inactivation of GABA-AT by Scheme 1 , Scheme 2 , Scheme 3 , 1 with release of activated species. and Scheme 2 , 1 , respectively) were synthesized and investigated as potential mechanism-based inactivators of γ-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase (GABA-AT) in a continuing effort to map the active site of this enzyme. The core α-trifluoromethyl-α,β-unsaturated ester moiety was prepared via a Reformatsky/reductive elimination coupling of the key intermediates tert-butyl 2,2-dichloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropionate and N,N-bis(tert-butoxycarbonyl)glycinal. Both Scheme 1 , Scheme 2 , Scheme 3 , 1 and Scheme 2 , 1 inhibited GABA-AT in a time-dependent manner, but displayed non-pseudo-first-order inactivation kinetics; initially, the inactivation rate increased with time. Further investigation demonstrated that the actual inactivator is generated enzymatically from Scheme 1 , Scheme 2 , Scheme 3 , 1 or Scheme 2 , 1 . This inactivating species is released from the active site prior to inactivation, and as a result, Scheme 1 , Scheme 2 , Scheme 3 , 1 and Scheme 2 , 1 cannot be defined as mechanism-based inactivators. Furthermore, Scheme 1 , Scheme 2 , Scheme 3 , 1 and Scheme 2 , 1 are alternate substrates for GABA-AT, transaminated by the enzyme with Km values of 0.74 and 20.5 mM, respectively. Transamination occurs approximately 276 and 305 times per inactivation event for Scheme 1 , Scheme 2 , Scheme 3 , 1 and Scheme 2 , 1 , respectively. The enzyme also catalyzes the elimination of the fluoride ion from Scheme 1 , Scheme 2 , Scheme 3 , 1 and Scheme 2 , 1 . A mechanism to account for these observations is proposed.
Complete heart block caused by the Swan-Ganz catheter.

Complete heart block was caused by passage of a Swan-Ganz catheter into the pulmonary artery of a patient with acute myocardial infarction and complete left bundle branch block. This complication could be easily treated with the prophylactic insertion of a temporary pacing catheter.
Study of Metal Borides for Sodium Borohydride Hydrolysis

Metal boride catalysts have been developed through reduction of (Co, and Ru) metal salts with sodium borohydride solutions. The resulting metal borides were determined to be Co3B and elemental Ru through XRD analysis. SEM images give the particle size of the catalyst to be in the range of 65-150nm. Prepared catalyst samples were heat treated at 200oC for Co3B, and 400oC for Ru. Ruthenium catalysts were found to have the greatest catalytic activity followed by that of cobalt boride. Hydrolysis testing was performed for each catalyst in loose, unbound form with 2.5-30 wt% NaBH4 and 5 wt% NaOH to stabilize the solution. Hydrolysis rate data was also obtained using 20 wt% NaBH4 with NaOH concentration ranging from 5-30 wt%. All rate experiments were performed at 60 oC. The maximum observed rate for Co3B was 6.0L H2/min/gcat and that of Ru was 18.6L H2/min/gcat. Observations were made that increasing the NaOH concentration increases the rate of reaction for Co3B while decreasing the reaction rate for Ru catalyzed reactions.
An Improved Zoom Lens With External Entrance Pupil

In order to minimize the overall length and diameter of a zoom objective system with non-trivial magnification change, when the entrance pupil must be located in front of the first element, an intermediate image should be formed, a field lens located at or near that image, and a zoom relay used to produce the focal length change. Usually such lens systems compensate image shift by moving all or part of the front element or by dividing the zoom relay into two independently moving parts. In this paper we describe an improved approach in which the tasks of focal length change and image shift compensation are shared by movements of the field lens and of the relay. This facilitates the optical design, allows the internal pupil to be favorably located, creates the possibility of fixing the exit pupil in size and position, reduces the overall size of the system, and allows a more favorable optical and mechanical design of the compensating parts. The advantages of the new concept are discussed, thin lens examples given, and potential applications to specific types of instruments suggested.
Market domain and structure in regional manufacturing instability

Abstract A decomposition of regional sectoral manufacturing employment variances is used as a basis for allocating instability to the markets in which the instability originates, including national, regional and internal. The effects of such attributes of industry structure as market power and economies of scale upon manufacturing sector instability is also investigated. Using data for Arizona over the years 1965–1985, 43% of Arizona's manufacturing instability is attributable to instability in national markets. The hypothesis that Arizona's instability can be attributed to market power differentials is rejected, but the effect of scale economy differentials is supported.
Non-linear simulation of dendritic solidification of an undercooled melt

Two-dimensional finite element simulations of solidification for quiescent undercooled pure metals are presented. The full non-linear, transient heat equation is used with phase front tracking which is subject to local curvature and interfacial kinetics. During early stages of the waveform instability the simulated solutions match the linear stability analysis with fidelity. Beyond the valid range of that analysis the numerical solution continues to demonstrate the physically observed exponential growth behaviour and characteristic spacing between fingers. Whereas the simulations show the sensitivity of dendritic growth to initial conditions, as expected for an unstable process, the overall pattern formation preserves the characteristic spacing. The simulations are terminated after the onset of bifurcation. Thereafter, the numerical model is inappropriate for physical comparison owing to the planar, two-dimensional limitation.
Malevolent Traditions: Hostel Violence and the Procreational Geography of Apartheid

The extant literature about migrant worker hostel violence in South Africa in the early 1990s is critiqued in this article from a gendered perspective. Based on that critique, a feminist geographical framework is developed to examine hostel violence during South Africa's transition. By locating hostels and their residents within this geographical framework, referred to as the procreational geography of apartheid, it is argued that hostel violence evinces male hostel-dwellers' resistance to a perceived erosion of heteropatriarchal family power structures inside hostels and in far-flung rural homes. From this perspective, the post-1994-election hostels' internal political geographies are shown to reinscribe many of the heteropatriarchal claims to power negotiated under the conditions of apartheid.
Disease control and health-related quality of life in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Objective To examine variability in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) experiencing no or minimal clinical symptoms, and in a subgroup with polyarticular JIA treated with biologic agents for 12 months. Methods We defined 3 samples using a database of patients ages 2–18 years with JIA (n = 524; patient visits [PV] = 2,354): visits (PV = 2,155) with no or minimal clinical symptoms on at least 1 of 4 measures (active joint count, pain, physician global disease rating, Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire); visits (PV = 941) with no or minimal symptoms on all 4 measures; and children (n = 31) with polyarticular JIA treated with biologic agents for 12 months. HRQOL was measured using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) and the percentage of patients with suboptimal HRQOL was determined. Results In PV with a PedsQL score, suboptimal HRQOL by self-report occurred in 362 (20.6%) PV with at least 1 indicator of minimal symptoms, and in 64 (7.9%) PV with all 4 measures indicating minimal symptoms (519 [25.7%] and 95 [10.7%], respectively, by parent report). For children with polyarticular JIA treated for 12 months with biologic agents, 7 (25.9%) patients by self-report and 10 (35.7%) patients by parent report were in the suboptimal range of HRQOL. Conclusion A substantial percentage of patients with JIA who report no or mild clinical symptoms experience suboptimal HRQOL. This is also true for patients with polyarticular JIA treated with biologic agents for 12 months. Although disease activity and clinical symptoms are related to HRQOL, considerable unexplained variation in HRQOL exists. HRQOL needs to be assessed independently regardless of clinical status.
Effect of solids on oxygen transfer in agitated three-phase systems

A dynamic response method was used to measure the volumetric mass transfer coefficient for oxygen in a mechanically agitated vessel containing an aqueous suspension of 66 μm glass beads. At constant stirring speed and superficial gas velocity the volumetric gas transfer coefficient kLa was found to decrease with solids loading. A generalized equation correlated the results in terms of the volume concentration of the solids, the total power input per slurry volume, and the superficial gas velocity.
Physician Assistants: An Overview of an Emerging Health Profession

This article describes the background characteristics, work environments, and job characteristics of the physician assistant profession as they existed in late 1974 and early 1975. Of the 939 physician assistants participating in this study, three-fourths were working in primary care specialties and half were located in communities having fewer than 50,000 persons. Favorable levels of responsibility for patient care, supervisory support, and role acceptance were reported by respondents. The mean income was $14,285. Job opportunities appeared plentiful, but career opportunities were considered by most to be either limited or nonexistent. Physician assistants are providing important additional medical manpower in primary care fields and in smaller communities, but the perceived lack of opportunities for career advancement may prove to be a significant problem for this emerging health profession in the years ahead. A DECADE has now elapsed since the establishment of the first physician assistant program at Duke University in 1965. Within this short period of time, over 50 programs have been established to train physician assistants, and the total annual number of graduates has increased rapidly to its present level of greater than 1,000.1 The concept of physician delegation of patient care responsibilities to mid-level health professionals such as physician assistants is now generally considered to be appropriate and consistent with the provision of high quality medical care.
Definitional Transgression, or the Revenge of the Vernacular in Hindu Tantric Studies

Until recently the concerns of Sanskritists, esotericists, and philosophers have dominated the academic study of Hindu tantra. Now scholars increasingly focus on ritual practice, living traditions, and vernacular texts. These new concerns have radically recast how Hindu tantra and its impact on South Asian history are visualized. Where before scholars represented Hindu tantra as an elite discourse with little social impact, now many understand it as the warp on which South Asian history was woven.
Determination of ocean wave spectra from Doppler radio return from the sea surface

RADIO backscatter from the sea surface has attracted considerable attention because of its potentiality for remote measurement of sea state. Ward1, for example, has shown that with ionospheric propagation and time-gating techniques relatively small patches of the ocean (∼100 km2) can be sampled successively at ranges extending up to several thousand kilometres. The ocean wave origin of the sea echo has been established clearly1–6, but the success of the method rests ultimately on the ability to recover the ocean wave spectrum—or at least significant parameters of the spectrum—from the properties of the returned radio signal.
CONTINGENT CAPITAL: INTEGRATING CORPORATE FINANCING AND RISK MANAGEMENT DECISIONS

Financial executives of companies that face a sharp increase in business or financial risks have two basic ways of protecting the solvency and strategic viability of their organizations: they can transfer those risks using insurance or derivatives; or they can raise additional capital, typically by issuing equity, to cushion the firm against the higher expected volatility. But CFOs now also have a third means of managing risk, known as “contingent capital,” that effectively combines capital raising and risk management. A contingent capital facility gives a company the right to raise capital after the realization of a loss arising from one or more specified risks, thus ensuring access to capital in potentially difficult times. For example, Swiss Re recently granted Michelin a five-year right to issue ten-year subordinated debt at a fixed spread over LIBOR, though only under conditions in which the tire maker expects its own earnings to be down. To the extent that it eliminates the need to keep more capital on the balance sheet, the use of such contingent capital has the potential to increase shareholder value by reducing a company's overall cost of capital. This article provides an introduction to some recent innovations in contingent capital, along with discussion of their role in integrating corporate finance and risk management.
Comparison of modified dry-grind corn processes for fermentation characteristics and DDGS composition

ABSTRACT Three different modified dry-grind corn processes, quick germ (QG), quick germ and quick fiber (QGQF), and enzymatic milling (E-Mill) were compared with the conventional dry-grind corn process for fermentation characteristics and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) composition. Significant effects were observed on fermentation characteristics and DDGS composition with these modified dry-grind processes. The QG, QGQF, and E-Mill processes increased ethanol concentration by 8–27% relative to the conventional dry-grind process. These process modifications reduced the fiber content of DDGS from 11 to 2% and increased the protein content of DDGS from 28 to 58%.
Identification and Quantification of the Molecular Species of Acylglycerols in Castor Oil by HPLC Using ELSD

Abstract Sixteen molecular species of acylglycerols (AG) in castor oil have been identified and quantified. Evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) responses of different amounts of the standards of molecular species of AG were nearly linear and similar. In general, the addition of a double bond and a hydroxyl group on the acyl chain and the shortening of the acyl chain decreased the ELSD response of AG slightly. The quantification of molecular species of AG was based on the percentage peak area in the HPLC chromatogram. Triricinolein (RRR) constituted about 71% of castor oil. The contents of the molecular species of diricinoleoyltriacylglycerol (RR‐TAG) were, in total, about 18% and were in the order of RRO (8.8%), RRL (6.6%), RRS (1.1%), RR‐lesqueroleate (0.67%), RRP (0.47%) and RRLn (0.15%). The level of R‐TAG was about 0.3%. The level of TAG containing no ricinoleate was less than 0.1%. Diricinoleoylglycerol, a diacylglycerol, was also identified and quantified (0.14%) in castor oil.
Lethal effects of CCl4 and its metabolism by mongolian gerbils pretreated with chlordecone, phenobarbital, or mirex

Gerbils are much more sensitive to the hepatotoxic and lethal effects of CCl4 than rats as indicated by 48-hr LD50 values (0.08 vs 2.8 ml/kg). On the other hand, gerbils are refractory to chlordecone (CD) potentiation of CCl4 toxicity. To investigate the possible mechanism underlying the high sensitivity of gerbils to CCl4 lethality, the metabolism of CCl4 was studied in gerbils pretreated with dietary CD, phenobarbital (PB), or mirex (M) at 10, 225, and 10 ppm, respectively. The hepatic content of 14CCl4, the expiration of 14CCl4 and 14CCl4-derived 14CO2, and lipid peroxidation were measured and the results were compared with the previous data for rats. After the 15-day dietary pretreatment, male gerbils (60-80 g) received 14CCl4 (0.08 ml/kg; sp act 0.04 mCi/mmol) ip in corn oil and the radioactivity present in the expired air was collected for 6 hr. More than 80% of the parent compound as represented by the 14C-label in the toluene trap was expired in 6 hr regardless of the pretreatments. Expiration of 14CO2 measured during the 6 hr after 14CCl4 administration in control gerbils was 3.5-fold more than that in rats and was significantly increased in pretreated groups (M greater than PB greater than CD). PB and M pretreatments resulted in a significant increase of 14C-label bound to the nonlipid fraction of the liver as compared with CD-treated or control gerbils. The radiolabel present in the livers of control gerbils was 5-fold higher than that of rats. In vivo lipid peroxidation measured as diene conjugation in lipid extracts from the livers was lower in gerbils than in rats, and none of the pretreatments significantly affected lipid peroxidation. The serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were significantly elevated at 6 hr after CCl4 injection in all groups of gerbils. These data indicate that the more extensive metabolism of CCl4, as represented by 14CO2 formation and 14C-label bound to hepatic tissue, in gerbils as compared with rats, may partially explain the high sensitivity of gerbils to CCl4 toxicity. However, the enhanced metabolism of CCl4 found in CD-, PB-, or M-pretreated gerbils did not lead to amplified hepatotoxic and lethal effects of CCl4. The reason gerbils may be refractory to CD amplification of CCl4 injury might be associated with other factors yet to be investigated.
Management of quality vis‐à‐vis quality of management in the Asia‐Pacific region: a conceptual analysis

The Asia‐Pacific region today is swept by an unprecedented rate of change, complexity, interconnectedness, and uncertainty. Now perhaps more than at any other time since World War II, the region is becoming acutely aware of its ethnic diversity, its ideological jumble, and its political melange – all of which increase its vulnerability in the emerging world order. There is also a simultaneous need for recognition of the areas of commonalty and of the potential of the Asia Pacific region for organizing itself into a legitimate counterweight to the two trading communities from the West – the European Community (EC) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Against this background, this article examines some of the common features in quality management for global competitiveness and relates them to themes such as the management practices and metaphysical belief systems of the Asia Pacific region. Implications for the future are discussed.
Histochemical observations on rumen mucosa structure and composition.

Abstract Rumen mucosa was demonstrated to be a mucopolysaccharide-rich, parakeratotic, psoriatic, stratified squamous epithelium. Mucosa has the ability to function in the absorption of products of rumen digestion and in the protection of the rumen from the digesta mass by a partially keratinized mucus-covered outer layer. Cells of the substratum spinosum and stratum granulosum can simultaneously produce keratohyalin granules needed for keratinization, and function in mucus production. Basal cells were relatively unreactive to all histochemical tests, indicating an undifferentiated cell probably involved in metabolism and assimilation of absorbed microbial end products.
Conjoint Developmental Trajectories of Young Adult Alcohol and Tobacco Use

Developmental and etiological advances have set the stage for considering trajectories of problem behavior across the life course, but little work thus far addresses co-occurring problem behavior trajectories. Although recent work characterizes drinking and smoking trajectories, none has explored the course of concurrent drinking and smoking. Using panel data from the Monitoring the Future Project (N=32,087), the authors applied growth mixture modeling to 4 waves of heavy drinking and smoking in a young-adult sample. The authors extracted a single latent group membership factor from heavy drinking and smoking. Associations between trajectory classes and risk factors were relatively unique to the substance being predicted. The association of smoking with alcohol expectancies and delinquency appeared to exist by virtue of smoking's comorbidity with drinking.
Gender and Jail Work: Correctional Policy Implications of Perceptual Diversity in the Work Force

Although women now represent a significant proportion of many (if not most) jail staffs, the degree to which their perceptions of corrections work differs from males' remains largely unexplored. In this paper, we compare female and male jail staff perceptions regarding the stress associated with work in jails, the job satisfaction to be derived from jail work, the job environment experienced in jails and the level of commitment to jail facilities across five jail settings. Our findings show important gender-based similarities and differences that need to be understood to maximize the benefits of the work force diversity that women bring to the corrections profession.
Ventricular Arrhythmias Detected After Transvenous Defibrillator Implantation in Patients With a Clinical History of Only Ventricular Fibrillation Implications for Use of Implantable Defibrillator

Background Patients with a history of ventricular fibrillation (VF) have been shown to have a clinical profile, response to electrophysiological testing (EPS), and response to antiarrhythmic therap...
Interfacial parameters governing reverse osmosis for different polymer material—solution systems through gas and liquid chromatography data

Abstract In this paper interfacial properties governing reverse osmosis separations were studied by using gas and liquid chromatography data with respect to four cellulosic and two aromatic polyamide membrane materials. The data on interfacial water layer thickness obtained from gas chromatography were used together with equilibrium distribution constants obtained from liquid chromatography and reverse osmosis separation data to calculate the force constants associated with the electrostatic repulsion working on ionic solutes. The force constants were further used to calculate the average pore sizes (diameters) required for achieving 99.9% separation of sodium chloride by membranes made of the different materials studied. The theories and calculation procedures involved are illustrated.
The effect of deposit insurance on financial depth: A cross-country analysis

Abstract Deposit insurance schemes are primarily intended to reduce the risk of systemic failure of banks and hence to stabilize the payments and financial system. Deposit insurance is, however, a double-edged sword. The incentive problems facing depository institutions can be severe in lax regulatory environments and lead to greater systemic instability. We provide an agency-theoretic framework to characterize the impact of deposit insurance and we conduct an empirical study using a unique dataset provided by the World Bank. We find that where the regulatory environment is weak and the banking sector unstable, adopting explicit deposit insurance is associated with subsequent short-run declines in financial depth. Adopting explicit insurance to counteract instability in the financial sector does not appear to solve the problem. Given their short time horizons and the effect that financial development may have for economic growth, policy makers may be interested in these results. As in other cases, when, where, and why authorities adopt a policy may be as important as the policy itself.
MP35-02 PRETREATMENT NEUTROPHIL-TO-LYMPHOCYTE RATIO CAN PREDICT TUMOR AGGRESSIVENESS IN NEWLY DIAGNOSED RENAL LESIONS

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Aside from a biopsy, little information exists to guide a clinician when evaluating a patient with a solid renal mass. An elevated neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been associated with adverse outcomes in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). However, its ability to distinguish aggressive RCC from benign, or indolent, renal tumors remains unknown. Therefore, we evaluate the association of NLR with pathologic outcomes at nephrectomy, including the ability to distinguish benign and malignant renal lesions. METHODS: From 1995-2008, 2402 patients underwent nephrectomy for localized renal masses. Of these, 2039 had an NLR collected 90 days prior to nephrectomy. Comparisons of NLR by tumor size, histologic subtype and nuclear grade were evaluated. RESULTS: Overall, benign renal masses had a significantly lower NLR than malignant renal tumors (median 2.92 vs. 3.12; p 1⁄40.037) with the greatest difference noted among renal lesions > 7 cm (median 2.79 vs 3.87; p 4 but 7 cm 1⁄4 3.09 and > 7 cm 1⁄4 3.95) and nuclear grade (G1 1⁄4 2.68, G2 1⁄4 2.87, G3 1⁄4 3.48 and G4 1⁄4 5.18) was associated with greater NLR (both p < 0.001). Finally, after stratifying ccRCC by tumor size, there was a continual increase in NLR with greater nuclear grade. CONCLUSIONS: An elevated NLR is associated with an increased risk of RCC at the time of nephrectomy as well as higher grade tumors and more aggressive histologic subtypes. Therefore, NLR appears to be a preoperative marker of aggressive RCC and may be useful in predicting malignancy and guiding management among patients with suspicious renal lesions.
Initiation of farm safety programs in the Arkansas Delta: a case study of participatory methods.

Context: Outreach to high-risk communities is one of the goals of Area Health Education Centers. One such population is the farm community, which is known to suffer high rates of traumatic events. Purpose: To describe a participatory methods initiative by the Arkansas Delta Area Health Education Center and other agencies to address farm-related health hazards in a 7-county region. Methods: Regional injury and fatality data were gathered from sources including Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation insurance claims, the Arkansas Statistical Service Phone Survey, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, and the Cooperative Extension Service Division of Agriculture at the University of Arkansas. Focus groups were held to assess farmer perceptions and recommendations. Findings and Recommendations: Accidents involving tractors accounted for 42% of deaths, and accidents with crop-spraying aircraft accounted for 36%. Focus group participants agreed that planting and harvesting seasons were particularly dangerous. Recommendations included educating motorists to be more cautious on agricultural area roads, using local farmers to provide farm safety training, and making safety equipment more available. Language: en
Parallel anisotropic 3D mesh adaptation by mesh modification

Improvements to a local modification-based anisotropic mesh adaptation procedure are presented. The first improvement focuses on control of the local operations that modify the mesh to satisfy the given anisotropic mesh metric field. The second is the parallelization of the mesh modification procedures to support effective parallel adaptive analysis. The resulting procedures are demonstrated on general curved 3D domains where the anisotropic mesh size field is defined by either an analytic expression or by an adaptive correction indicator as part of a flow solution process.
Studies of rhinovirus resistant to an antiviral chalcone.

Abstract During studies of the antiviral activity of chalcone Ro-09-0410 on human rhinovirus type 9 (RV9) chalcone-resistant strains of RV9 were isolated and appeared with a frequency of about 10−5 in chalcone sensitive stock. Chalcone-dependent viruses were found after further passage. Some characteristics of the resistant viruses were studied and compared with those of the wild type virus; a number of differences were detected. They produced smaller plaques and grew to lower titre; they were no longer protected by chalcone from inactivation by heat and low pH. The event responsible for drug dependence apparently took place after that responsible for drug resistance. Drug-resistant viruses were still sensitive to dichloroflavan and enviroxime.
Preblastoderm Nuclear Division in the Embryo of the Large Milkweed Bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas)

The preblastoderm nuclei of the large milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas), divide in the absence of centrioles and a spindle fibre apparatus. The preblastoderm nuclei occur in cytoplasmic islands that are not bound by cytoplasmic membranes. The chromatin condenses in association with the nuclear envelope and intranuclear lamellae into two compact masses. The chromatin of the sister nuclei disperse as the nuclei increase in volume and move away from each other in a common cytoplasm. A model is proposed for the orderly separation of the chromatin of the indicated eukaryotic system that is patterned after the site and site territory concept for the control of prokaryotic DNA replication by the membrane. In the case of the milkweed bug preblastoderm nuclei, the nuclear envelope would play a distributive role by providing only one site and site territory in each half of the nucleus for the attachment of a homologue. The presence of a site on the membrane for the attachment of a given chromosome would prevent the formation of a new site for the chromosome homologue within a certain distance.
Study on TDS removal from polymer-flooding wastewater in crude oil: extraction by electrodialysis

Abstract An electrodialysis operation was performed to remove total dissolved solids (TDS) from polymer-flooding wastewater. The influence of flow rate and electrical potential on rate of TDS removal was studied during electrodialysis operation. Removal rate of the main ions in polymer-flooding wastewater is: Ca2+ > Cl− > Na+ > HCO3−; From the economical viewpoint, energy consumption increases greatly, and electrical potential increased for the same flow rate, but the influence of flow rate on energy consumption was not evident. The researchers studied electrodialysis technology to remove TDS of oily wasterwater and achieved closed circulation of polymer-flooding water in crude oil extraction.
The learning curve, diffusion, and competitive strategy

This paper explores the implications of the learning curve for competitive strategy under a range of assumptions regarding competition and the nature of the learning process. A game-theoretic model is used to examine how the learning rate and information diffusion affect entry barriers, profits, and price dynamics.
Integrated genomics of susceptibility to alkylator-induced leukemia in mice

Therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML) is a secondary, generally incurable, malignancy attributable to chemotherapy exposure. Although there is a genetic component to t-AML susceptibility in mice, the relevant loci and the mechanism(s) by which they contribute to t-AML are largely unknown. An improved understanding of susceptibility factors and the biological processes in which they act may lead to the development of t-AML prevention strategies. In this work we applied an integrated genomics strategy in inbred strains of mice to find novel factors that might contribute to susceptibility. We found that the pre-exposure transcriptional state of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells predicts susceptibility status. More than 900 genes were differentially expressed between susceptible and resistant strains and were highly enriched in the apoptotic program, but it remained unclear which genes, if any, contribute directly to t-AML susceptibility. To address this issue, we integrated gene expression data with genetic information, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and DNA copy number variants (CNVs), to identify genetic networks underlying t-AML susceptibility. The 30 t-AML susceptibility networks we found are robust: they were validated in independent, previously published expression data, and different analytical methods converge on them. Further, the networks are enriched in genes involved in cell cycle and DNA repair (pathways not discovered in traditional differential expression analysis), suggesting that these processes contribute to t-AML susceptibility. Within these networks, the putative regulators (e.g., Parp2, Casp9, Polr1b) are the most likely to have a non-redundant role in the pathogenesis of t-AML. While identifying these networks, we found that current CNVR and SNP-based haplotype maps in mice represented distinct sources of genetic variation contributing to expression variation, implying that mapping studies utilizing either source alone will have reduced sensitivity. The identification and prioritization of genes and networks not previously implicated in t-AML generates novel hypotheses on the biology and treatment of this disease that will be the focus of future research.
Burrowing rodents increase landscape heterogeneity in a desert grassland

Animals that modify their environment through engineering and herbivory have important impacts on ecosystems, yet the interactive roles of such species have rarely been studied. We studied the comparative and interactive effects of two burrowing herbivorous rodents, Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni) and banner-tailed kangaroo rats (Dipodomys spectabilis), on vegetation where they co-occurred in a Chihuahuan Desert grassland. We found that their effects remained distinct and, thus, non-substitutable, where they co-occurred. The rodents differentially altered plant community structure relative to their different mound types, herbivory, and spatial scales of disturbance. Vegetation structure and plant species assemblages differed between mound and landscape patches occupied by prairie dogs and kangaroo rats. Where both species co-occurred, there was more soil disturbance, organic material from their fecal pellets, forb cover, and activity by other animals. The combined effect of these rodents increased the landscape heterogeneity and plant species richness by creating a mosaic of different habitat patches on the landscape. Our results demonstrate that these rodents had complementary, additive effects where they co-occurred, and suggest that multiple habitat-modifying species, especially those that play large ecological roles, can have important interactive effects on community structure and biodiversity.
Optical beam spreading in the presence of both atmospheric turbulence and quartic aberration

Optical beam spread and beam quality factor in the presence of both quartic phase aberrations and atmospheric turbulence is numerically analyzed. We obtain analytical expressions for both the mean-square beam radius and the beam quality factor using the moment method, and we compare these expressions to the results from Monte Carlo simulations, which allows us to mutually validate the theory and the Monte Carlo simulation codes. We also discuss the reason for the discrepancy between the classical approach for calculating the ensemble-averaged mean-square beam radius in a turbulent atmosphere that is described by Andrews and Phillips and by Fante versus using the moment method.
Role of the sympathetic nervous system in the genesis of digitalis-induced cardiac arrhythmias

Abstract There are many experimental conditions under which an interaction between aigitalis and the sympathetic nervous system can be demonstrated. In the absence of viable sympathetic function, digitalis toxicity is decreased and the mode of death in experimental animals is changed from ventricular fibrillation to cardiac arrest. The interaction between digitalis and the sympathetic nervous system does not appear to be active in nature. That is, no causal relationship between either changes in adrenergic neuron transport or changes in sympathetic nerve activity and the development of cardiac arrhytmias has been demonstrated. The interaction that occurs appears to be passive. Endogenous norepinephrine which is released tonically serves to maintain certain specialized tissues of the heart in a state such that lower doses of digitalis which are non-toxic in sympathectomized animals can effect electrical changes which result in cardiac arrhythmias.
Irish novelists and the Victorian age

James H. Murphy, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2011, 320 pp., £63.00 (hardback), ISBN 978-0-19-959699-7 Scholars of nineteenth-century Irish literature are certainly no strangers to the phenomen...
Disturbance functions of the Goertler instability on an airfoil

Goertler vortices arise in boundary layers along concave surfaces due to centrifugal effects. This paper presents some results of an experiment conducted to study the development of these vortices on an airfoil with a pressure gradient in the concave region where an attached laminar boundary layer was insured with suction through a perforated panel. A sublimating chemical technique was used to visualize Goertler vortices and the velocity field was measured by laser velocimetry. Experimental disturbance functions are compared with those predicted by the linear stability theory. The trend of vortex amplification in the concave zone and damping in the following convex region is shown to essentially follow the theoretical predictions.
White-Hispanic differences in meeting lifetime fertility intentions in the U.S

BACKGROUND Hispanics in the U.S. have higher fertility than non-Hispanic Whites but it is not clear why this difference exists nor whether fertility levels reflect the preferences of individuals in these groups. Understanding racial-ethnic differences in fertility is important for understanding American fertility more broadly since the majority of births in the U.S. are to non-White women.
Epidemiologic evaluation of multiple respiratory pathogens in cats in animal shelters

Upper respiratory tract infection (URI) propagates readily within cats in shelters and often results in euthanasia of affected cats. In a case-control evaluation of 573 cats in eight shelters in California in 2001 and 2002, the prevalence of feline calicivirus (FCV) was from 13 to 36%, feline herpesvirus (FHV) was from 3 to 38%, and prevalence of Bordetella bronchiseptica, Chlamydophila felis, and Mycoplasma species was from 2 to 14%. Cats with URI tended to be housed in isolation, dehydrated, and younger than cats without URI, and infected with FHV, Mycoplasma species, FCV, or C felis. Shelters differed in the prevalence of pathogens and many cats appeared positive for infection after about 1 week of sheltering. It is helpful for shelters to understand the risk factors associated with URI in order to evaluate the costs and benefits of treatment and improve their procedures to decrease the incidence of URI within their facilities. Antiherpetics and antimycoplasmal drugs may be beneficial for individual animal care. Results document the utility of comprehensive URI surveillance and herd management for specific pathogens typical in that shelter.
Hybrid Image Registration based on Configural Matching of Scale-Invariant Salient Region Features

We present a novel method for aligning images under arbitrary poses, based on finding correspondences between image region features. In contrast with using purely feature-based or intensity-based methods, we adopt a hybrid method that integrates the merits of both approaches. Our method uses a small number of automatically extracted scale-invariant salient region features, whose interior intensities can be matched using robust similarity measures. While previous techniques have primarily focused on finding correspondences between individual features, we emphasize the importance of geometric configural constraints in preserving global consistency of individual matches and thus eliminating false feature matches. Our matching algorithm consists of two steps: region component matching (RCPM) and region configural matching (RCFM), respectively. The first step finds correspondences between individual region features. The second step detects a joint correspondence between multiple pairs of salient region features using a generalized Expectation-Maximization framework. The resulting joint correspondence is then used to recover the optimal transformation parameters. We applied our method to registering a pair of aerial images and several pairs of single and multiple modality medical images with promising results. The preliminary results, in particular, showed that the proposed method has excellent robustness to image noise, intensity change and inhomogeneity, appearance and disappearance of structures, as well as partial matching.
A Taxonomy of Granular Partitions

In this paper we propose a formal theory of granular partitions (ways of dividing up or sorting or mapping reality) and we show how the theory can be applied in the geospatial domain. We characterize granular partitions at two levels: as systems of cells, and in terms of their projective relation to reality. We lay down conditions of well-formedness for granular partitions, and we define what it means for partitions to project transparently onto reality in such a way as to be structure-preserving. We continue by classifying granular partitions along three axes, according to: (a) the degree to which a partition represents the mereological structure of the domain it is projected onto; (b) the degree of completeness and exhaustiveness with which a partition represents reality; and (c) the degree of redundancy in the partition structure. This classification is used to characterize three types of granular partitions that play an important role in spatial information science: cadastral partitions, categorical coverages, and the partitions involved in folk categorizations of the geospatial domain.
More road to travel by: Implications for mobility and safety in late life

The ‘suburbanization’ of the United States is now generating a cohort of older adults who live where driving is most often the sole means of transport to all of the external necessities and conveniences of daily life. As suburbs grow further out from cities so the distances to be driven by future cohorts of older drivers will increase beyond those of today. Much research on driving in late life has focused on assessing the competence of older adults as drivers. Now more work is needed on technological solutions to maintaining this cohort’s driving mobility and safety. The presentation reviews recent changes in transportation technology (such as airbags), considers lessons learned from them in terms of their effects on older drivers and passengers and considers whether current knowledge of older drivers and their driving patterns offers guidance to the design of future technology.
Approximate Maximum Likelihood Detection of SDMA OFDM over Unknown Time-Varying Frequency-Selective Channels

An approximate Maximum-Likelihood (ML) multi-user detector for space-division multiple-access (SDMA) Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) systems is presented suitable for implementation in systems with a low number of users and multipath components over unknown time-varying, frequency-selective multipath channels. The system employs an initial pilot slot to estimate the different user channels and then, it employs the Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm to simultaneously track the channel changes and optimally demodulate the user signals. We show that when the number of subcarriers is quite high (e.g. 256), the system converges to within 0.5 dB of the ML algorithm with a maximum of three iterations in channels with normalized Doppler of 0.02 and with a very slow pilot repetition rate. On the other hand, when the number of subcarriers is low (e.g. 64), then the system performance gets within 2 dB of the ML one with the same channel parameters. In addition, upon introducing oversampling (OS), the performance of the system in the latter case can be significantly enhanced.
The Soviet Sausage Renaissance

ABSTRACT In Lithuania, the first country to secede from the Soviet Union, the term Soviet has been used in public space to refer to the vanished Soviet empire and to experiences of colonization and resistance. However, in 1998, the “Soviet” symbol was successfully revived in the Lithuanian consumer food market as a brand name for meat products—primarily sausages. In this article, I argue that the market is a political arena in which values, ideologies, identities, and history are being shaped. The marketing and consumption of “Soviet” sausages is a form of political engagement that negotiates current power relations and inequalities. The meanings and practices surrounding “Soviet” sausages tell an intriguing story about broader processes of change. The “Soviet” sausage renaissance in Lithuania implies a critique of the postsocialist neoliberal state and constitutes an attempt to create an alternative modernity that is both post-Soviet and European.