cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Joint angular excursions during cyclical behaviors differ between tetrapod feeding and locomotor systems

ABSTRACT Tetrapod musculoskeletal diversity is usually studied separately in feeding and locomotor systems. However, comparisons between these systems promise important insight into how natural selection deploys the same basic musculoskeletal toolkit – connective tissues, bones, nerves and skeletal muscle – to meet the differing performance criteria of feeding and locomotion. In this study, we compare average joint angular excursions during cyclic behaviors – chewing, walking and running – in a phylogenetic context to explore differences in the optimality criteria of these two systems. Across 111 tetrapod species, average limb-joint angular excursions during cyclic locomotion are greater and more evolutionarily labile than those of the jaw joint during cyclic chewing. We argue that these findings reflect fundamental functional dichotomies between tetrapod locomotor and feeding systems. Tetrapod chewing systems are optimized for precise application of force over a narrower, more controlled and predictable range of displacements, the principal aim being to fracture the substrate, the size and mechanical properties of which are controlled at ingestion and further reduced and homogenized, respectively, by the chewing process. In contrast, tetrapod limbed locomotor systems are optimized for fast and energetically efficient application of force over a wider and less predictable range of displacements, the principal aim being to move the organism at varying speeds relative to a substrate whose geometry and mechanical properties need not become more homogeneous as locomotion proceeds. Hence, the evolution of tetrapod locomotor systems has been accompanied by an increasing diversity of limb-joint excursions, as tetrapods have expanded across a range of locomotor substrates and environments.
Synthesis and Properties of NaSICON‐type LATP and LAGP Solid Electrolytes

Inorganic solid electrolytes play a critical role in solid-state lithium batteries achieving high safety levels and high energy densities. The synthetic approaches to solid electrolytes are important for both fundamental research and practical applications. Li1+x Alx Ti2-x (PO4 )3 (LATP) and Li1+x Alx Ge2-x (PO4 )3 (LAGP) are two representative solid electrolytes with a sodium superionic conductor (NaSICON) structure. Herein, LATP and LAGP solid electrolytes are reviewed from the synthesis perspective, and correlated with their structure and conductive properties, as well as their electrochemical applications in batteries. First, the solid- and liquid-based synthetic methods to LATP and LAGP solid electrolytes and the key influencing factors are described. Second, the crystal structures and phase purities obtained from different synthetic approaches are introduced. Third, the conductive mechanisms, composition effects, and synthetic effects on the conductivities of LATP and LAGP solid electrolytes are compared. Fourth, the electrochemical applications of these two solid electrolytes in full batteries are discussed, including roles as solid electrolytes, composite components in electrodes, and surface coatings on electrodes. In the last section, a brief outlook is provided on the future development of NaSICON-type solid electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries.
Scaffolds for epithelial and hair follicle regeneration

Abstract In repair of acute or chronic wounds, timely closure of open wounds with continuous epithelial layer would be essential for reassurance of the barrier functions of healed skin. Meanwhile, regeneration of those accessory appendages like hair follicles in the healed wounds would be a vital step toward the restoration of the full physiologic functions of skin. To facilitate the process of abovementioned scenarios, coverage of wounds with skin grafts would be an appealing strategy. In the endeavor of creating tissue-engineered skin substitutes including epithelial sheet and those with hair follicles, it becomes recognizably important to formulate a cell-friendly microenvironment favoring the desired cell phenotype. Considering dimensional and morphological similarity of electrospun fibrous matrices to native extracellular matrix , it is highly beneficial to define the cell-growing environment with such fibers. This chapter not only provides the fundamentals on skin epithelial structures and hair follicles but also summarizes the up-to-date tactics in using electrospun matrices for engineering epithelial layers and hair follicle-like structures.
Vertebral Artery to Common Carotid Artery Transposition: 2-Dimensional Operative Video

Vertebral artery (V1 segment) transposition is a useful technique in the treatment of patients with either proximal subclavian artery stenosis with vertebral "steal" syndrome or severe vertebral artery origin stenosis. This patient required extracranial augmentation of right vertebral artery blood flow to treat proximal vertebral artery stenosis. This was achieved through a V1 to common carotid artery end-to-side anastomosis. The end-to-side anastomosis was performed with the first stitch after the heel stich placed to the inside of the vessel, and the back wall was run from the inside. The anastomosis was completed by running along the front wall from the external surface of the arteries. The anastomosis was flushed by temporary removal of the proximal carotid artery clamp. The anastomotic suture was then tied, and clamps were removed. The patient gave informed consent for surgery and video recording. Institutional review board approval was deemed unnecessary. Used with permission from Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona.
Absorptive Dissolution Testing: An Improved Approach to Study the Impact of Residual Crystallinity on the Performance of Amorphous Formulations.

Abstract Amorphous solid dispersions typically improve the oral bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. However, residual crystallinity is always a concern, in terms of potential impact on the product stability and performance. Consequently, in vitro tools that allow biorelevant assessment of residual crystallinity are of interest. The goal of the present study was to use absorptive dissolution testing to evaluate the impact of different levels of crystallinity in an amorphous formulation on membrane mass transport kinetics and supersaturation-time profiles. Partial crystallinity was induced in commercially available tacrolimus formulations by exposure to moderate temperature and high relative humidity. A hollow fiber membrane was coupled to a dissolution vessel to create an absorptive dissolution testing apparatus, and concentration-time profiles were simultaneously monitored during dissolution (donor compartment) and after absorption across the membrane (receiver compartment). The coupled dissolution-absorption measurements indicated that residual crystallinity impacted the absorption profiles in a manner that depended on the volume of fluid used for the dissolution measurement. A high percentage of residual crystallinity hampered the drug release from the formulation. Higher supersaturation in nonsink dissolution conditions improved mass transfer rates; however, the presence of seed crystals led to rapid desupersaturation. Further systematic studies to delineate the interplay between the rate of absorption and desupersaturation revealed that for a given dissolution rate, the crystallization rate would supersede the absorption rate only at high supersaturations. Thus, seeds have a lower impact on absorption when the overall supersaturation generated is lower. This study underscores the importance of considering competing physical processes when evaluating amorphous formulations. A further consideration highlighted is that different fluid volumes may impact the absorption profile for supersaturating dosage forms. Absorptive dissolution testing appears to be a potentially valuable tool to mechanistically investigate amorphous solid dispersion formulation release and phase behavior under more biorelevant conditions.
Gramáticas de la escucha. Aproximaciones filosóficas a la construcción de memoria histórica

The article addresses the task of historical memory in Colombia from a philosophical perspective focused on the epistemological and ethical challenges posed by the design and implementation of memory initiatives in contexts of traumatic experience. It presents and analyzes those challenges on the basis of the conceptual consequences that traumatic contexts have on processes of elaboration of memory and on the prac- tice of listening to testimonies arising from traumatic experiences. The study also examines ways to understand philosophically an aspect of memory that might go unnoticed, in order to imagine and identify more responsible, inclusive, and plural courses of action and listening strategies.
Behavioral evolution contributes to hindbrain diversification among Lake Malawi cichlid fish

The evolutionary diversification of animal behavior is often associated with changes in the structure and function of nervous systems. Such evolutionary changes arise either through alterations of individual neural components ("mosaically") or through scaling of the whole brain ("concertedly"). Here we show that the evolution of a courtship behavior in Malawi cichlid fish is associated with rapid, extensive, and specific diversification of orosensory, gustatory centers in the hindbrain. We find that hindbrain volume varies significantly between species that build pit (depression) compared to castle (mound) type bowers and that this trait is evolving rapidly among castle-building species. Molecular analyses of neural activity via immediate early gene expression indicate a functional role for hindbrain structures during bower building. Finally, comparisons of bower building species in neighboring Lake Tanganyika suggest parallel patterns of neural diversification to those in Lake Malawi. Our results suggest that mosaic brain evolution via alterations to individual brain structures is more extensive and predictable than previously appreciated.
Earned Income and American Museums: The Perils of Privatization

The basis of the American approach to culture eschews any collective state intervention. Cultural institutions, such as museums, originated as the beneficiaries of private donors. Such philanthropy benefits from a tax code that provides financial incentives for contributions to private organizations. For institutions, funds raised from ancillary activities, such as gift shops, also enjoy significant tax exemptions. Yet, despite these publicly financed tax deductions, cultural visions are privately conceived, and reflect the agendas of the donors. This attitude represents the basic principle of the American patronage system: one that is facilitated by a tax policy, not a cultural policy.
A density functional theory and neutron diffraction study of the ambient condition properties of sub-stoichiometric yttrium hydride

Abstract Several mechanical and thermophysical properties are required as a function of non-stoichiometry for the successful implementation of YH2-x for nuclear reactor moderator applications. Density functional theory calculations, in combination with neutron diffraction experiments, were used to study the structural and mechanical properties of YH2-x. Point defect analysis indicated H occupation primarily at the tetrahedral site within an fcc Y sub-lattice, confirming a fluorite YH2 structure. The small positive formation energy for H vacancies under Y-rich conditions predicted that hypo-stoichiometry is accommodated by Y+YH2 at ambient conditions and by H vacancies in the YH2-x single phase that is relevant to high temperatures. Neutron diffraction studies were used to confirm both the occupation of H on tetrahedral sites and the near-stoichiometric composition of the hydride phase in the two-phase Y+YH2 region of the phase diagram that dominates at room temperature. Energy minimized special-quasirandom-structures of H vacancies were used to calculate lattice parameters, elastic constants, and several other properties as a function of composition for the single phase YH2-x. The lattice parameter of YH2-x decreased by only 0.004 A with increasing H/Y for the range 1.31 ≤ H / Y ≤ 2.0 indicating a negligible effect on lattice parameters due to vacancy formation. In the two-phase region, however, calculations predicted the density of z Y + ( 1 − z ) Y H 2 − x to increase with decreasing H/Y at lower temperatures due to the increased fraction of high-density Y metal. For the high temperature single phase, decreasing H/Y reduced the density as a consequence of the lattice expansion associated with vacancy formation. All elastic constants and moduli increased with increasing hydrogen content in single-phase YH2-x.
Observation of a Hydrogen Doublet Site in High Defect Density As-Grown a-Si:H by 1H NMR

1H NMR studies of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) with ~1017 cm−3 defects grown by PECVD with a rate of 5 A/s show the existence of a hydrogen doublet for both as-grown and light-soaked samples. We observe the doublet over the temperature range from 5 to 20 K in a sample where no light soaking has occurred. The doublet line shapes display no narrowing over this temperature range. Vibrational modes characteristic of SiH2 wagging and scissor modes are seen from infrared spectroscopy. These results suggest that the doublet is due to SiH2 that occurs at a density of approximately 1 at. % in this sample. From line shape analysis, we estimate a lower limit of 1.8 A for the hydrogen-to-hydrogen separation.
Compliance with American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) recommendations for thromboembolic prophylaxis in the intensive care unit: a level I trauma center experience

Recommendations are for nearly universal venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in critically ill hospitalized patients because of their well-recognized risks. In those intensive care units (ICUs) where patient care is more uniformly directed, it may be expected that VTE prophylaxis would more closely follow this standard over units that are less uniform, such as open-model ICUs. This was a retrospective cohort study on all patients aged 18+ admitted to an open ICU between 6/1/2017 and 5/31/2018. Patients were excluded if they had instructions to receive comfort measures only or required therapeutic anticoagulant administration. Prophylaxis administration practices, including administration of mechanical and/or pharmacologic prophylaxis and delayed (≥48 h post-ICU admission) initiation of pharmacologic prophylaxis, were compared between patients admitted to the ICU by the trauma service versus other departments. Root causes for opting out of pharmacological prophylaxis were documented and compared between the two study groups. One-hundred two study participants were admitted by the trauma service, and 98 were from a non-trauma service. Mechanical (98% trauma vs. 99% non-trauma, P = 0.99) and pharmacologic (54% vs. 44%, P = 0.16) prophylaxis rates were similar between the two admission groups. The median time from ICU admission to pharmacologic prophylaxis initiation was 53 h for the trauma service and 10 h for the non–trauma services (P ≤ 0.01). In regression analyses, trauma-service admission (odds ratio (OR) = 2.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.21–6.83) and increasing ICU length of stay (OR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.05–1.21) were independently associated with pharmacologic prophylaxis use. Trauma-service admission (OR = 8.30, 95% CI 2.18–31.56) and increasing hospital length of stay (OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.03–1.28) were independently associated with delayed prophylaxis initiation. Overall, the receipt of VTE prophylaxis of any type was close to 100%, due to the nearly universal use of mechanical compression devices among ICU patients in this study. However, when examining pharmacologic prophylaxis specifically, the rate was considerably lower than is currently recommended: 54% among the trauma services and 44% among non-trauma services.
Part-scale thermal simulation of laser powder bed fusion using graph theory: Effect of thermal history on porosity, microstructure evolution, and recoater crash

Abstract Flaw formation in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is influenced by the spatiotemporal temperature distribution – thermal history – of the part during the process. Therefore, to prevent flaw formation there is a need for fast and accurate models that can predict the thermal history as a function of the part shape and processing parameters. In previous work, a thermal modeling approach based on graph theory was used to predict the thermal history in LPBF parts in less-than 20% of the time required by finite element-based models with error within 10% of experimental measurements. The present work transitions toward the use of the graph theory approach for predicting flaw formation. The objectives of this paper are to: (1) apply the graph theory approach for predicting the thermal history of several LPBF parts that have different geometries but were all built together on a single build plate; (2) compare the graph theory thermal model with experimental temperature measurements made using an in-situ infrared camera; and (3) relate the thermal history predictions obtained from the graph theory approach to flaw formation in LPBF parts. In pursuit of these objectives, fifteen different Inconel 718 parts encompassing five different shapes were built simultaneously on an open architecture LPBF platform (build time 9.5 h). Second, the LPBF machine was instrumented with an in-situ infrared camera to capture the layer-wise surface temperature of each part as it was being deposited. Third, the thermal history for each part was predicted with the graph theory approach, and the model predictions were assessed against experimental temperature measurements. Fourth, the porosity in certain test parts was quantified with X-ray computed tomography, and their microstructure was characterized with optical and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the shape of the part has a significant effect on the thermal history, and thereby influences the occurrence of build failures (recoater crash), type and severity of porosity, and morphology of the microstructure. The graph theory approach correctly predicted the thermal history trends that lead to flaw formation in LPBF within a fraction of the build time – the root mean squared prediction error was less-than 20 °C, and computation time was approximately 5 min. The graph theory method has the potential to serve LPBF practitioners as a rapid physics-based approach to guide part design and identify suitable processing parameters in place of expensive and time-consuming empirical trial-and-error optimization.
Not in my neighborhood: the effects of single-family rentals on home values

Abstract Since the Great Recession, single-family rentals have increased as a share of the housing units within America's neighborhoods. Homeowners are concerned that this shift in housing tenure will lower their neighborhood's quality and have an adverse effect on their property values. However, no current evidence exists on whether these concerns have any validity. In this paper, we utilize a six-year balanced panel of neighborhoods from the state of Florida's metropolitan areas to study the impacts that single-family rentals have on the values of single-family homes. Our case for causality is buttressed by estimating house value models that include time and neighborhood fixed effects, treat the rentals as endogenous variables, and control for sample selection and changes in neighborhood demographics and land uses. Our results show that share increases in single-family rentals lower house values, but the effects vary between central cities and suburbs, across neighborhoods of different income levels and density, by the price of the rental unit, and whether the owner has a mailing address outside the state of Florida.
'Money as a Weapons System': The Promises and Pitfalls of Foreign Defense Contracting

The U.S. government spends billions of dollars every year on goods and services from foreign countries. Most of this spending is for military purposes. Over $1 billion a year in overseas defense spending is “strategic,” meaning that it is designed to support both global military operations and foreign policy objectives, usually through limited‐​competition contracting with foreign firms. In recent years, government procurement has become one of the U.S. military’s most used—and least scrutinized—foreign policy tools for rebuilding states after war, buying military access, and pacifying insurgencies. The problem is that no one knows whether this spending is achieving its intended effects—or producing unwanted consequences. This paper argues that this strategic spending comes with risks that could erase benefits, create new problems, and complicate achieving desired goals. The first risk is that injecting money into local economies could harm recipients: too much spending can skew markets and create unsustainable dependencies. The second risk is to U.S. interests: the U.S. government is often unable to control where the money goes and with whom it does business, which can lead to political blowback and security risks. The third risk lies in hidden costs: contract spending is not necessarily cheaper than other types of inducements (e.g., arms or aid), and it is sensitive to bidding wars with competitors such as China, which also wields government‐​directed spending as a policy tool. The U.S. government needs to better assess the costs of doing this sort of business. The Department of Defense should improve data collection and reporting on the economic and political effects of preferential procurement policies. For its part, Congress should require impact evaluations as a condition for continued authorization of these policies and improve oversight on vendor vetting requirements. Finally, the U.S. government must examine the foreign policy goals driving the use of preferential procurement. No foreign policy tool is perfect, and in some cases spending might be the best option, but doubling down on spending in pursuit of flawed goals is a sure way to throw good money after bad.
Uncertainty in Population Risk Estimates for Environmental Contaminants

Risk assessments of environmental contaminants involve input information that in many cases contain large uncertainties. The contribution of these uncertainties to the risk assessment of several volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in drinking water are listed and tabulated. The contribution of each of these uncertainties is determined or estimated. The largest contribution to the uncertainty is due to the model used to extrapolate bioassay data in the hazard assessment part of the risk assessment. For the VOCs in drinking water the uncertainty in the hazard assessment is four to six orders or magnitude.
Age and significance of felsic dikes from the UHP western gneiss region

Twenty-one plagioclase-bearing dikes were analyzed to place firmer limits on the end of (ultra)high-pressure (UHP) metamorphism across the Western Gneiss Region (WGR). Nineteen dikes were analyzed with laser ablation split-stream petrochronology to tie the U-Pb dates to zircon rare earth element (REE) chemistry, and a few key samples were analyzed by chemical abrasion thermal ionization mass spectrometry to provide high-precision constraints. All analyzed dikes yielded zircons with REE chemistry consistent with low-pressure crystallization. Approximately half of the dikes yield Precambrian dates; nondeformed dikes of this age support previous interpretations that much of the WGR underwent limited deformation during Caledonian subduction and exhumation. The oldest Caledonian dikes have dates that overlap with the circa 420–400 Ma eclogite dates from the region; this discrepancy indicates that either (1) cryptic structures separate early exhumed material from later exhumed material, (2) some of the dike dates are not low-pressure crystallization ages, or (3) post-406 Ma dates from eclogites are posteclogite-facies retrogression ages.
Understanding the Disconnect Between the Old Patterns of Thinking and the Relational World We Live In

The primary focus of this essay is on the relational and emergent nature of life sustaining processes in both cultural and natural ecologies. There is a brief reference to how the technologies of print and computer-mediated thinking represent things, ideas, events, and so forth as distinct entities separate from the cultural and natural ecological contexts from which they have been extrapolated. The main focus is on how the relational nature of existence within cultural and natural ecologies represent information pathways, and on how the continued dominance of the old paradigm limits awareness of what is being communicated through these information pathways. The suggestion is made that the emerging field of biosemiotics should be named eco-semiotics in order to avoid limiting understanding of the relational/information pathways that are heavily influenced by the metaphorical language inherited from the past. This inheritance includes the failure to recognize that words have a history and carry forward the silences and misconceptions of a world that was not understood as relational and emergent.
On the Completeness of Dynamic Logic

The impossibility of semantically complete deductive calculi for logics for imperative programs has led to the study of two alternative approaches to completeness: "local" semantic completeness on the one hand (Cook's relative completeness, Harel's Arithmetical completeness), and completeness with respect to other forms of reasoning about programs, on the other. However, local semantic completeness is problematic on several counts, whereas proof theoretic completeness results often involve ad hoc ingredients, such as formal theories for the natural numbers. The notion of inductive completeness, introduced in [18], provides a generic proof theoretic framework which dispenses with extraneous ingredients, and yields local semantic completeness as a corollary. Here we prove that (first-order) Dynamic Logic for regular programs (DL) is inductively complete: a DL-formula φ is provable in (the first-order variant of) Pratt-Segerberg deductive calculus DL iff φ , is provable in first-order logic from the inductive theory for program semantics. The method can be adapted to yield the schematic relative completeness of DL: if $\mathcal{S}$ is an expressive structure, then every formula true in $\mathcal{S}$ is provable from the axiom-schemas that are valid in $\mathcal{S}$. Harel's Completeness Theorem falls out then as a special case.
Membrane Resealing Mediated by Lysosomal Exocytosis

Ca2+-regulated exocytosis was proposed to mediate plasma membrane repair, but until recently the nature of the vesicles involved was unknown. Recent work from our laboratory identified lysosomes as the intracellular organelles responsible for this process. Ca2+ triggers the exocytosis of conventional lysosomes, and this process is regulated by a ubiquitously expressed synaptotagmin, Syt VII. Dominant-negative or gene deletion approaches revealed that Syt VII is required for normal lysosomal exocytosis and membrane resealing. Cells from Syt VII-deficient mice show defects in lysosomal exocytosis and membrane repair, and the animals develop a form of autoimmune myopathy similar to the human diseases polymyositis/dermatomyositis.
The efficiency of selenite broth of different compositions in the isolation of Salmonella.

Leifson (1936) reporting on the use of a selenite enrichment media for the isolation of typhoid and paratyphoid bacilli, pointed out several factors which affect the inhibitory properties of the selenium salts. Among these were the influence of phosphates, the composition of medium particularly in regard to the peptone used, and composition and concentration of the product examined. Unfortunately his observations along these lines have been largely overlooked in attempts to apply selenite containing media to the isolation of Salmonella from a wide variety of sources. North (1950) in attempting the isolation of Salmonella from dried and frozen eggs, observed that the reduction of the phosphate content of the media from 1 per cent to 0.25 per cent increased both the selectivity and productivity of selenite broth. Frequently the higher phosphate concentration yielded negative results, while with the lower concentration large numbers of Salmonella with no interfering organisms were observed. Because of variations which occasionally occurred, this work was not published but was continued in an attempt to determine some of the factors responsible for these negative findings. A report of our progress to date is being presented at this time.
Advice for Undergraduates on Special Aspects of Writing Mathematics.

ABSTRACT There are several guides to good mathematical writing for professionals, but few for undergraduates. Yet undergraduates who write mathematics papers need special guidance. For instance, professionals may need help writing clear definitions, but at least they know why explicit definitions are needed and know the basic format. In general, mathematics has many special formats that are not mere technical conventions but instead serve important purposes. Often students are not conscious of these conventions, and they rarely know their purposes. This paper contains a guide for students written in light of these observations.
Potential role of activated macrophages in acetaminophen hepatotoxicity. II. Mechanism of macrophage accumulation and activation

Treatment of rats with acetaminophen (1.2 g/kg) results in the accumulation of activated macrophages in the centrilobular regions of the liver. To study the mechanism by which these cells accumulate and become activated, we examined the release of chemotactic and activating factors from cultured hepatocytes treated with acetaminophen (10-100 microM). We found a dose- and time-related generation of Kupffer cell and monocyte chemotactic activity by acetaminophen-treated hepatocytes. The maximum response was observed with a 25% dilution of medium collected 24 hr following treatment of hepatocytes with acetaminophen. Using a checkerboard assay, the factor in conditioned medium was determined to induce chemotaxis as well as chemokinesis in both Kupffer cells and monocytes. The hepatocyte-derived chemotactic factor was also found to be stable to freeze-thawing but to lose activity following heat or trypsin treatment. These results, together with our findings that chemotactic activity was eluted in the void volume following Sephadex G-25 size exclusion chromatography, suggested that the chemotactic factor released by hepatocytes is a large molecular weight protein. The release of Kupffer cell activating factors by acetaminophen-treated hepatocytes was also examined. Hepatocyte-conditioned medium was found to stimulate Kupffer cell phagocytosis and superoxide anion release, two characteristics of activated macrophages. These effects were maximal with conditioned medium collected from hepatocytes 24 hr following treatment with 50-100 microM acetaminophen. Acetaminophen alone had no effect on chemotaxis, phagocytosis, or superoxide anion production by Kupffer cells or monocytes. Taken together, these results suggest that macrophage accumulation and activation in the liver following acetaminophen treatment may be mediated, at least in part, by factors released from hepatocytes.
UV/Optical/IR Color Sequences Along the Tidal Ring/Arm of Arp 107

We construct UV/optical/IR spectral energy distributions for 29 star forming regions in the interacting galaxy Arp 107, using GALEX UV, Sloan Digitized Sky Survey optical, and Spitzer infrared images. In an earlier study utilizing only the Spitzer data, we found a sequence in the mid-infrared colors of star-forming knots along the strong tidal arm in this system. In the current study, we find sequences in the UV/optical colors along the tidal arm that mirror those in the mid-infrared, with blue UV/optical colors found for regions that are red in the mid-infrared, and vice versa. With single-burst stellar population synthesis models, we find a sequence in the average stellar age along this arm, with younger stars preferentially located further out in the arm. Models that allow two populations of different ages and dust attenuations suggest that there may be both a young component and an older population present in these regions. Thus the observed color sequences may be better interpreted as a sequence in the relative proportion of young and old stars along the arm, with a larger fraction of young stars near the end. Comparison with star forming regions in other interacting galaxies shows that the Arp 107 regions are relatively quiescent, with less intense star formation than in many other systems.
Mouse Matrix Metalloprotease-1a (Mmp1a) Gives New Insight Into MMP Function

Matrix metalloprotease-1 (MMP1) has been implicated in many human disease processes, however the lack of a well characterized murine homologue has significantly limited the study of MMP1 and the development of MMP-targeted therapeutics. The discovery of murine Mmp1a in 2001, the functional mouse homologue of MMP1, offers a valuable tool for modeling MMP1-mediated processes in mice. Variation in physiologic expression levels of Mmp1a in mice as compared to MMP1 in humans highlights the importance of understanding the similarities and differences between the homologues. Recent studies have demonstrated tumor growth-, invasion-, and angiogenesis-promoting functions of Mmp1a in lung cancer models, consistent with the analogous functions observed for human MMP1. Biochemical investigations have shown that point mutations in the pro-domain of mouse Mmp1a weaken docking between the pro- and catalytic domains, generating an unstable zymogen primed for activation. The difficulty to effectively maintain Mmp1a in the zymogen form may account for the tight control of Mmp1a expression and reduced expression in normal tissue as compared to inflammatory states or cancer. This discovery raises important questions about the activation mechanisms and regulation of the MMP family in general.
Integrated circuit fabrication technology and laboratory courses at the University of Arkansas

Since 1979, the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR has offered the courses, IC Fabrication Technology (ELEG 5213) and its laboratory sequel, IC Fabrication Lab (ELEG 5293), as technical elective courses for seniors and graduate students interested in a microelectronic processing emphasis. The IC Fab Tech course covers silicon crystal growth, epitaxy, oxidation, diffusion, ion implantation, CVD and PVD growth, and metallization processes and their underlying mechanisms. In the IC Fab Lab, students start with polished Si wafers and use a six level mask set to fabricate various test structures. These include planar four probe resistors, capacitors, p-n junctions, bipolar transistors, MOS devices, and other process control and alignment structures. This lab is conducted in the Teres Instruments Solid State Laboratory of the Department of Electrical Engineering and is equipped with an RO system for the de-ionized water and Class 100 laminar flow workbenches.
The effects of salmeterol on power output in nonasthmatic athletes

Abstract Background: Salmeterol xinafoate is a new aerosol inhalant that is used in the treatment of asthma. It is currently banned by the International Olympic Committee because of the concern that it may lend an unfair competitive advantage to the user. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether salmeterol improves short-term anaerobic performance in elite nonasthmatic track cyclists. Methods: Eleven elite track cyclists volunteered to perform a 30-second all-out cycle ergometer test 3 hours after receiving either 42 μg of salmeterol xinafoate or placebo applied in a double-blind crossover procedure. During the ergometer test, peak power output, total work, time to peak power, and percent fatigue (decline in power output) were measured. Pulmonary measurements were also taken before and at various time points after inhalation and the ergometer test. A methacholine challenge was administered to each subject before participation in the study to ensure that none of the subjects had any reactive airway diseases. Results: There were no significant differences ( p > 0.05) between the placebo and salmeterol trials for peak power output, total work performed during the 30-second test, percent fatigue, and time to peak power. No differences between trials were observed for the pulmonary function test variables at any of the time points. Blood lactate concentrations before and after administration of drug or placebo were also not significantly different between trials. Additionally, salmeterol did not affect the maximal heart rate achieved during the test as compared with the placebo. Conclusion: Short-term salmeterol use within the prescribed dosage was not shown to increase short-term power output in nonasthmatic cyclists. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1997;99:443-9.)
Organ of Corti Kinematics

The internal workings of the organ of Corti and their relation to basilar membrane motion are examined with the aid of a simple kinematic model. It is shown that, due to the lever system embodied in the organ of Corti, there is a significant transformer gain between basilar membrane and cilia displacements. While this transformation is nonlinear, linear response prevails in the narrow physiologically relevant operating range of the ciliary transducer. The model also simulates cilia deflection when the mechanical stimulus is the length change of outer hair cells.
Childhood Soccer Injuries Treated in U.S. Emergency Departments

OBJECTIVES: Soccer, an increasingly popular sport among children in the United States, is a common precipitant to injury-related emergency department (ED) visits. The authors estimated the number of children treated in EDs for soccer-related injuries and described the nature of these injuries. METHODS: Data from the 2000 National Electronic Injury Surveillance System All Injury Program were used to estimate the overall number and rate of soccer injuries in children, calculate injury rates per 1,000 children, and describe the body regions affected and types of injuries. Results were stratified by five-year age groups (5-9 years, 10-14 years, and 15-19 years). RESULTS: Approximately 144,600 children sustained soccer-related injuries in 2000 for a rate of 2.36 injuries per 1,000 children. Injury rates increased with age (0.8, 5-9 year olds; 3.1, 10-14 year olds; 3.2, 15-19 year olds). Common types of injuries were strains/sprains (36.7%), fractures (23.0%), and contusions (20.9%). Fractures decreased with age; sprains/strains increased with age. Commonly injured body regions varied by age. Wrist and finger injuries were most common (12.7% and 12.4%, respectively) in the youngest group; in the 10-14-year-old group, ankle and wrist injuries were most common (15.7% and 13.6%, respectively). In the oldest age group, ankle injuries were most common (21.9%), followed by knee injuries (17.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Substantial numbers of children were treated in EDs for soccer-related injuries. Injury types and affected body regions varied by age. Injury prevention efforts to reduce soccer-related injuries may need to be age specific.
An inexpensive dual-excitation apparatus for fluorescence microscopy

Ion sensitive indicator molecules can be employed in conjunction with fluorescence microscopy in single cells to measure rapid changes in the intracellular concentration of several ionic species. A number of these probes (e.g. fura-2) require the capability of measuring emission intensity at two excitation wavelengths to quantitate properly intracellular ion concentration. We have developed a simple dual-excitation apparatus for use in such applications. The apparatus switches the excitation filter within 150 ms. This economical apparatus is well suited in situations where the ionic concentration of interest is changing relatively slowly. Moreover, by synchronizing the device's action with an external stimulus, rapid and reproducible ionic changes in excitable tissue also can be measured.
BIOCONTROL OF THE CHESTNUT BLIGHT FUNGUS CRYPHONECTRIA PARASITICA

Summary Chestnut blight disease has devastated the American chestnut [Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.] in eastern forests of North America. Biocontrol efforts on European chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) using hypovirulent strains of the blight fungus Cryphonectria parasitica (Murr.) Barr have been successful, while similar efforts on C. dentata in North America have been unsuccessful. This study explores the use of endogenous bark fungi from healthy American chestnut as potential biocontrol organisms against C parasitica. An antagonistic isolate of Trichoderma spp. with good biocontrol potential against C. parasitica was found and evaluated on American chestnut. Such antagonistic bark fungi may be useful as components of biocontrol strategies against the chestnut blight disease both in North American and in Europe.
Effects of two extrusion processing conditions on the digestibility of four cereal grains for Penaeus vannamei

Abstract Four cereal grains (whole wheat, corn flour, rice flour and milo) were examined before and after being subjected to two extrusion processes to determine the effects of extrusion processing on in vivo energy digestibility. Utilizing chromic oxide as an inert marker, apparent digestibility coefficients of the cereal grains were evaluated with 13 g Penaeus vannamei . The cereal grains were extruded with a Wenger Extruder (model TX52) under two conditions allowing the production of wet and dry pellets. Test diets for each test ingredient were prepared containing 70% semi-purified reference diet and 30% of the test ingredient. Extrusion processing resulted in increased gelatinization of each of the tested cereal grains with wet extrusion producing the highest values. Processing and/or gelatinization values did not always correspond to increased digestibility of the test ingredients. Highest apparent digestible energy (ADE) values for wheat occurred without extrusion and under dry conditions. Highest ADE values for rice flour occurred without extrusion and under wet extrusion conditions. Dry extrusion of the corn flour and milo resulted in the best energy digestibility coefficients for these grains. However, wet extrusion appeared to significantly reduce the availability of energy from corn flour. Based on these results, extrusion did result in increased ADE values of poorly utilized cereal grains; however, no one extrusion condition was optimal for all cereal grains tested.
Experimental determination of portlandite solubility in H2O and acetate solutions at 100–350 °C and 500 bars: Constraints on calcium hydroxide and calcium acetate complex stability

Abstract The solubility of portlandite was measured in H2O and aqueous acetate solutions of varying concentration (1–10 mmolal) at temperatures from 100–350°C and 500 bars pressure. Dissolved Ca concentrations increased with decreasing temperature and increasing dissolved acetate concentration. Using known thermodynamic data for portlandite, H+, OH−, Ca++, CH3COO−, CH3COOH0, and H2O(1), stability constants for CaOH+ and CaCH3COO+ complexes were determined. Log K values for the reaction Ca ++ + H 2 O (1) = CaOH + + H + are, respectively, −10.04, −8.20, −6.88, and −6.35 at 100, 200, 300, and 350°C and 500 bars pressure and for the reaction CaCH 3 COO + = Ca ++ + CH 3 COO − are, respectively, −2.53, −3.72, −4.59 at 200, 300, and 350°C and 500 bars pressure. These results indicate that the stabilities of CaOH+ and CaCH3COO+ complex increase with increasing temperature. In the acetate-free experiments, CaOH+ is the dominant form of dissolved Ca in equilibrium with portlandite at 100–350°C and 500 bars, while in the acetate-rich experiments (10 mmolal acetate), Ca++ and CaOH+ are the dominant forms of Ca in equilibrium with portlandite at low temperature (100–200°C) and CaCH3COO+ and CaOH+ are the dominant forms at relatively high temperature (200–350°C). Metal-acetate complexing has long been suggested as an important mechanism for mobilizing base metals during the formation of ore deposits in organic-rich environments. Due to the stability of CaCH3COO+ complex in Ca-bearing fluids at elevated temperatures and pressures, however, the effectiveness of dissolved acetate to enhance base metal sulfide solubility is limited.
Neighborhood Sectarian Displacement and the Battle for Baghdad: A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of Crimes Against Humanity in Iraq

We use two unique Iraq datasets to show how fear and uncertainty served to prefigure and motivate the self-fulfilling, neighborhood-specific forces that followed the US led invasion of Iraq. Sectarian criminal violence by armed Shia and Sunni organizations created a situation of ethnic/religious cleansing that reconfigured much of Baghdad. The paper focuses on the case of how one particularly violent group, the Mahdi Army, mobilized through the coercive entrepreneurship of Muqtada al-Sadr, used organized crime tactics of killing, torture, rape, kidnapping, harassment, threats, and forced displacement in a widespread and systematic attack against civilians that forced Sunni residents from their Baghdad neighborhoods. Ordinary Iraqis were victims of an amplified “self-fulfilling prophecy of fear” that created the momentum for massive sectarian displacement in the battle for Baghdad. We demonstrate that there is a neighborhood specific effect of early post-invasion neighborhood fear net of intervening violence on displacement three years later, following the Al Qaeda Samara Shrine attack, confirming an effect of a self-fulfilling prophecy of fear in the neighborhoods of Baghdad that compounded in a self-reinforcing way. The neighborhood measurement of this effect of fear in a dataset separate from the neighborhood measurement of displacement three years later is a demanding test of the self-fulfilling effect of neighborhood specific sectarian fear in Baghdad. The Mahdi Army changed the neighborhood demography of Baghdad and helped leverage al-Sadr and his movement into Iraq politics and governance, serving to extend a particular vision of Shia influence in the remaking of the Iraq state. The changed demography of Baghdad was effectively consolidated by the later Surge of U.S. forces that left in place the territorial gains made by the Shia led Mahdi Army at the expense of former Sunni residents. We conclude that this continues to matter because the resulting grievances have contributed to renewed violence and a resurgent Sunni insurgency in Iraq.
Rubidium Spin Relaxation in the Rare Gases Under Ultraclean Conditions

The spin relaxation of optically pumped rubidium vapor induced by rubidium-rare-gas atomic collisions has been investigated in an ultraclean environment. The experiment was performed under conditions such that the partial pressure of nonrare-gas impurities was less than 1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$ Torr, and that the time between Rb-Rb spin exchange collisions was short compared to the spin relaxation time. The cross sections (in ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$) for disorientation of rubidium were found to be: He, 3.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}25}$; Ne, 3.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}24}$; Ar, 1.1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}22}$; Kr, 7.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}21}$; Xe, 1.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}19}$. The fact that these cross sections are considerably smaller than previously reported values is attributed primarily to the low degree of impurity contamination in the present work. When compared with already existing values for cesium and sodium, the disorientation cross sections of these three alkali metals are seen to have a remarkably similar dependence on buffer-gas atomic number. The new experimental values are also compared with recent theoretical calculations.