cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantization Games on Social Networks and Language Evolution

Motivated by collaboration in human and human-robot groups, we consider designing lossy source codes for agents in networks that are in different statistical environments but also must communicate with one another along network connections. This yields a strategic network quantizer design problem where agents must balance fidelity in representing their local source distributions against their ability to successfully communicate with other connected agents. Using network game theory, we show existence of Bayes Nash equilibrium quantizers. For any agent, under Bayes Nash equilibrium, we prove that the word representing a given partition region is the conditional expectation of the mixture of local and social source probability distributions within the region. Since having knowledge of the original source of information in the network may not be realistic, we further prove that under certain conditions, the agents need not know the source origin and yet still settle on a Bayes Nash equilibrium using only the observed sources. Further, we prove the network may converge to equilibrium through a distributed version of the Lloyd-Max algorithm, rather than centralized design. In contrast to traditional results in language evolution, we demonstrate several vocabularies may coexist in Bayes Nash equilibrium, with each individual having exactly one of these vocabularies. The overlap between vocabularies is high for individuals that communicate frequently and have similar local sources. Finally, we prove that error in translation along a chain of communication does not grow if and only if the chain consists of agents with shared vocabulary. Numerical examples demonstrate our findings.
“Changing the channel”: Hybrid masculinity in a men’s prison:

Penological literature has focused extensively, and often exclusively, on the “hypermasculine” nature of men’s prisons. A separate and relatively recent body of sociological research has explored “...
S Protein-Reactive IgG and Memory B Cell Production after Human SARS-CoV-2 Infection Includes Broad Reactivity to the S2 Subunit

The high susceptibility of humans to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), reflects the novelty of the virus and limited preexisting B cell immunity. IgG against the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein, which carries the novel receptor binding domain (RBD), is absent or at low levels in unexposed individuals. To better understand the B cell response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, we asked whether virus-reactive memory B cells (MBCs) were present in unexposed subjects and whether MBC generation accompanied virus-specific IgG production in infected subjects. We analyzed sera and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from non-SARS-CoV-2-exposed healthy donors and COVID-19 convalescent subjects. Serum IgG levels specific for SARS-CoV-2 proteins (S, including the RBD and S2 subunit, and nucleocapsid [N]) and non-SARS-CoV-2 proteins were related to measurements of circulating IgG MBC levels. Anti-RBD IgG was absent in unexposed subjects. Most unexposed subjects had anti-S2 IgG, and a minority had anti-N IgG, but IgG MBCs with these specificities were not detected, perhaps reflecting low frequencies. Convalescent subjects had high levels of IgG against the RBD, S2, and N, together with large populations of RBD- and S2-reactive IgG MBCs. Notably, IgG titers against the S protein of the human coronavirus OC43 were higher in convalescent subjects than in unexposed subjects and correlated strongly with anti-S2 titers. Our findings indicate cross-reactive B cell responses against the S2 subunit that might enhance broad coronavirus protection. Importantly, our demonstration of MBC induction by SARS-CoV-2 infection suggests that a durable form of B cell immunity is maintained even if circulating antibody levels wane.IMPORTANCE The recent rapid worldwide spread of SARS-CoV-2 has established a pandemic of potentially serious disease in the highly susceptible human population. Key issues are whether humans have preexisting immune memory that provides some protection against SARS-CoV-2 and whether SARS-CoV-2 infection generates lasting immune protection against reinfection. Our analysis focused on pre- and postinfection IgG and IgG memory B cells (MBCs) reactive to SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Most importantly, we demonstrate that infection generates both IgG and IgG MBCs against the novel receptor binding domain and the conserved S2 subunit of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Thus, even if antibody levels wane, long-lived MBCs remain to mediate rapid antibody production. Our study results also suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection strengthens preexisting broad coronavirus protection through S2-reactive antibody and MBC formation.
Degradation of salicylic acid to catechol in Solanaceae by SA 1-hydroxylase

The hormone salicylic acid (SA) plays crucial roles in plant defense, stress responses, and in the regulation of plant growth and development. Whereas the biosynthetic pathways and biological functions of SA have been extensively studied, SA catabolism is less well understood. In this study, we report the identification and functional characterization of an FAD/NADH-dependent SA 1-hydroxylase from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum; SlSA1H), which catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of SA to catechol. Transcript levels of SlSA1H were highest in stems and its expression was correlated with the formation of the methylated catechol derivatives guaiacol and veratrole. Consistent with a role in SA catabolism, SlSA1H RNAi plants accumulated lower amounts of guaiacol and failed to produce any veratrole. Two O-methyltransferases involved in the conversion of catechol to guaiacol and guaiacol to veratrole were also functionally characterized. Subcellular localization analyses revealed the cytosolic localization of this degradation pathway. Phylogenetic analysis and functional characterization of SA1H homologs from other species indicated that this type of FAD/NADH-dependent SA 1-hydroxylases evolved recently within the Solanaceae family.
The New States' Rights

A new states rights movement is afoot. Like the old one, this movement asserts that governments have power to abrogate vested rights and to confer upon a class of politically influential people powers to eliminate the natural rights of vulnerable people. The influential people whose power is thereby enhanced are adults. The vulnerable people whose rights are at risk are children.
200 Gb/s Wireless Transmission Using Dual-Polarized OAM-MIMO Multiplexing With Uniform Circular Array on 28 GHz Band

In this letter, we present a dual-polarized orbital angular momentum multiple-input.multiple-output (OAM-MIMO) with uniform circular arrays (UCAs) that achieves a transmission rate of over 200 Gb/s. We design and evaluate the properties of microstrip antennas on 28 GHz band and then fabricate the antennas and implement them on a transmitter and receiver with four UCAs disposed concentrically. Each UCA consists of 16 microstrip antenna elements and is connected to a Butler matrix that can generate and separate five OAM modes (±2, ±1, and 0). There is also a center antenna capable of transmitting mode 0, so the total number of antenna elements is 65 and 21 streams can be transmitted simultaneously. In order to maximize the transmission capacity, we use polarization multiplexing. We conduct two data transmission experiments at a distance of 10 m. In the experiment of virtual dual-polarized OAM-MIMO transmission, we achieved approximately 110 Gb/s transmission for both polarizations. In the experiment of 21 streams, simultaneous transmission of dual-polarized OAM-MIMO, the result of 201.5 Gb/s was achieved.
The Endoscopic Transnasal Approach to Orbital Tumors: A Review

Historically, surgical access to orbital tumors has required a transcutaneous, transconjunctival or transcranial approach. Resection of orbital tumors is notoriously challenging due to the surrounding dense network of critical structures in a confined bony cavity. Advances in endoscopic endonasal surgery, initially used for sinonasal and skull base conditions, have allowed for expansion of its applications beyond the sinorbital interface. In the past decade, the evolution of techniques has enabled a purely endoscopic, minimally invasive approach to medially located orbital pathology with good outcomes. With experience and multidisciplinary collaboration between orbit and rhinologic surgeons, this has expanded to allow for a safe and effective transnasal approach to nearly all regions of the orbit with or without assistance from the orbital side. This review summarizes the relevant anatomy, variations of surgical approaches, and literature regarding outcomes of the endoscopic endonasal approach to orbital tumors.
Cognitive dysfunction among people with systemic lupus erythematosus is associated with reduced participation in daily life.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the distribution of cognitive function in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) by objective and self-report measures and associations between cog...
Stimulus-specific responses in innate immunity: Multilayered regulatory circuits.

Summary Immune sentinel cells initiate immune responses to pathogens and tissue injury and are capable of producing highly stimulus-specific responses. Insight into the mechanisms underlying such specificity has come from the identification of regulatory factors and biochemical pathways, as well as the definition of signaling circuits that enable combinatorial and temporal coding of information. Here, we review the multi-layered molecular mechanisms that underlie stimulus-specific gene expression in macrophages. We categorize components of inflammatory and anti-pathogenic signaling pathways into five layers of regulatory control and discuss unifying mechanisms determining signaling characteristics at each layer. In this context, we review mechanisms that enable combinatorial and temporal encoding of information, identify recurring regulatory motifs and principles, and present strategies for integrating experimental and computational approaches toward the understanding of signaling specificity in innate immunity.
Development of a high bandwidth readout chain for the CMS Phase-2 pixel upgrade

The CMS collaboration is building a new inner tracking pixel detector for the High-Luminosity LHC. Each pixel readout chip will be controlled with a single serial input stream at 160 Mbps and will send out data via four current mode logic (CML) 1.28 Gbps outputs. The readout chips will be grouped in modules and connected with up to 1.6 m long low-mass electrical links to Low-Power Gigabit Transceivers (lpGBT) and Versatile Link PLUS Transceiver (VTRx+) modules that send the data optically to off-detector electronics at 10 Gbps. The development and the characterization of these components is presented along with system tests of the readout chain.
Are the New High Temperature Superconductors Strong Coupling Systems

Under certain circumstances the excitations of a superconductor will not be those predicted by BCS theory, but rather electron bag states. A variational calculation is used to establish this regime in which such collective states form. The fact that such bags may bind more than one electron implies the existence of more than one peak in the plots of dI/dV versus VP obtained in Giaever tunneling experiments. The estimate of the number and ratios of voltages associated with such peaks is in qualitative agreement with recent experimental results.
Project status of the 1-GeV SNS linac

The U.S. Department of Energy has initiated construction of a $1.3 B Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) to be located at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Five national laboratories, ANL, BNL, LANL, LBNL, and ORNL are collaborating in the design and construction of this major new U.S. Neutron science facility. The present design is a 60-Hz, 1-GeV H/sup -/ linac injecting into an accumulator ring to produce pulses of <1-/spl mu/s on the neutron-producing target. The accelerator design has been refined from the CDR concept to provide improvements in assembly and maintainability. A converter-modulator design using IGBT technology replaces the conventional RF system to power the accelerating cavities. Cost estimates for the linac have utilized both accelerator modeling codes and more conventional cost-estimating approaches. Comparison of these two methods has led to increased confidence in the linac cost estimate of about $300 M (including R&D and controls but without contingency). A Monte-Carlo simulation of the project cost using risk-based analysis has further contributed to the estimate and identified critical areas. The project uses Primavera Project Planner as the scheduling software. A linac R&D program to develop key technologies is underway at Los Alamos.
Phagostimulants in Pollen

SummarySeveral pure species (Cereus giganteus, Simmondsia chinensis, Prunus dulcis, Larrea tridentata, Populus fremontii) of pollen collected by honeybees (Apis mellifera) plus mixtures of bee-collected pollen were analysed for the presence of phagostimulants by feeding of extracts of them mixed with candy to caged bees and measuring the amounts consumed in comparison with a reference food. All species and mixes of pollen, even the poorly nutritive and unpreferred cottonwood pollen (P. fremontii) contained phagostimulants. Phagostimulants were found in extracts prepared with polar solvents, non-polar solvents, and solvents of intermediate polarity. Phagostimulants were found in all fractions collected from silicic acid column chromatography except the least polar fraction consisting mainly of hydrocarbons and other extremely non-polar compounds. Thus the results suggest that phagostimulants in pollen are not limited to one discrete class of compounds, and likely comprise a variety of compounds. Pollen con...
Human colonic aspirates containing immunoglobulin A antibody to Clostridium difficile toxin A inhibit toxin A-receptor binding.

Abstract Clostridium difficile toxin A, a 308-kilodalton protein exotoxin, is the principal causative agent of antibiotic-associated, C. difficile -induced colitis. In the current study, the prevalence of specific human serum and secretory antibody to toxin A and the possible protective effect of secretory, intestinal anti-toxin A antibody are examined. Serum (n = 35), colonic aspirates (n = 35), and duodenal aspirates (n = 20) were collected from adults at diagnostic endoscopy. Patients with evidence of colitis or a history of recent antibiotic use were excluded from the study. Specific serum immunoglobulin (Ig) A and IgG antitoxin A antibodies were detected in 60% and 57% of subjects, respectively, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Fifty-seven percent of colonic aspirates contained IgA antitoxin, whereas only 10% of duodenal aspirates were positive ( P = 0.002). Binding of toxin A to its intestinal receptor was studied using [ 3 H]toxin A and purified rabbit ileal brush border membranes. Toxin A binding was significantly inhibited by colonic aspirates with high IgA anti-toxin A antibody levels (0.503 ± 0.055 pmol toxin A bound per milligram of brush border membrane protein, mean ± SE) in comparison with antitoxin A-negative aspirates (0.778 ± 0.089 pmol; P = 0.02) and control (0.766 ± 0.004 pmol; P = 0.03). In the current study, a specific intestinal secretory IgA antibody response to C. difficile toxin A in humans is reported. This antibody response is more evident in the colon, the site of C. difficile infection, than in the upper intestinal tract. Our data suggest that human colonic IgA antitoxin may protect against C. difficile colitis by inhibiting the binding of toxin A to its intestinal epithelial cell receptor.
Contributions and unrealized potential contributions of cosmogenic-nuclide exposure dating to glacier chronology, 1990–2010

Abstract This paper reviews the application of cosmogenic-nuclide exposure dating to glacier chronology. Exposure dating of glacial landforms has made an outsize impact on this field because the technique filled an obvious need that had already been recognized by glacial geologists. By now, hundreds of studies have used cosmogenic-nuclide exposure dating to date glacial deposits, and in fact it is rare to find a study of glacial geology or glacier chronology, or any paleoclimate synthesis that makes use of such studies, that does not involve exposure dating. These developments have resulted in major contributions to glacier chronology and paleoclimate, in particular i) reconstructing Antarctic ice sheet change, ii) establishing the chronology of late Pleistocene and Holocene glacier change in mountain regions where it was previously unknown; iii) establishing the broad chronological outlines of mountain glaciations prior to the Last Glacial Maximum; and iv) gaining insight into subglacial erosional processes through the observation that many glaciated surfaces preserve cosmogenic-nuclide inventories from long past ice-free periods as well as the present one. An important potential future contribution will be the application of the large data set of exposure-dated glacier chronologies to better understand global and regional climate dynamics during Lateglacial and Holocene millennial-scale climate changes. However, this contribution cannot be realized without significant progress in two areas: i) understanding and accounting for geologic processes that cause apparent exposure ages on glacial landforms to differ from the true age of the landform, and ii) minimizing systematic uncertainties in exposure ages that stem from cosmogenic-nuclide production-rate estimates and scaling schemes. At present there exists an enormous data set of exposure ages on glacial deposits, but these data cannot be used to their full potential in paleoclimate syntheses due to an inadequate understanding of geologic scatter and production-rate uncertainties. The intent of this paper is to highlight this situation and suggest some strategies for realizing this potential.
Citrate as an aluminum chelator and positive effector of the sodium efflux in single barnacle muscle fibers

The injection of citrate produces considerably greater stimulation of the Na efflux in ouabain-poisoned fibers (from the barnacle Balanus nubilus) than in unpoisoned fibers. When injected in excess together with Al into unpoisoned fibers it is without effect. Its injection is also without effect on the decline in the Na efflux elicited by injecting Al beforehand. Citrate injection into ouabain-poisoned fibers following peak stimulation by injecting Al produces a further rise which is a function of the Al concentration. Al injection after peak stimulation of the ouabain-insensitive Na efflux by citrate is usually without significant effect. Injection of aspartate into poisoned fibers causes a small rise in the remaining Na efflux and fails to prevent the response to Al injection from occurring. Taken together, these observations are in keeping with the view that citrate is not only a powerful chelator of Al but also a powerful activator of reverse Na+/Ca2+ exchange in ouabain-poisoned fibers, presumably because of its ability to raise myoplasmic pMg.
The allocation of household income to food consumption

Abstract Low-income households - those toward which various income supplement programs are aimed - not only spend a large share of their incomes on food, but exhibit a higher income elasticity of demand for food than does the rest of the population. Further, a greater proportion of the marginal income generated via welfare payments and food subsidy programs (e.g., food stamps) is devoted to food consumption than is true of wage income. These are among the major conclusions emerging from an extensive Engel Curve analysis applied to the data generated by a five-year (1968–1972) panel study of 5000 U.S. households.
Determination of mouse bladder inflammatory response to E. coli lipopolysaccharide.

Evaluation of the severity of histologic changes associated with cystitis is often subjective and inconsistent from one sample to the next. The objective of this study was to establish a consistent, reproducible method to quantify histologic changes in a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cystitis. Either LPS (n=8) or pyrogen-free saline (n=8) was instilled intravesically into the bladders of female C57bk-6 J mice. Twenty-four hours later, mice in these groups as well as eight untreated controls were sacrificed and bladders were removed, fixed in formalin, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). A bladder inflammatory index (BII) was described by reviewing tissues for edema, leukocyte infiltration, and hemorrhage. Cross-sections were evaluated by a single pathologist in a blinded manner based on the objective BII described. The BII method for objectively analyzing bladder inflammation was effective and reproducible. Bladders instilled with LPS had significantly increased inflammation scores for edema, leukocyte infiltration, and hemorrhage compared with those instilled with saline or untreated controls (n=8, P < 0.05). These results demonstrate that LPS causes bladder inflammation when instilled intravesically and that inflammation of mouse bladders can be objectively quantified using the histological method described.
Management of gastroesfophageal reflux associated with malrotation in children

Abstract Aim Children being investigated for gastroesophageal reflux (GOR) have a high incidence of malrotation. Current literature suggests these patients should be managed with a combined antireflux and Ladd's procedure. We review our experience, the largest series to date, of performing an elective Ladd's procedure as the first-line intervention. Method Retrospective case note review of 20 children with significant symptoms of GOR and an incidental finding of malrotation. Children presenting immediately with bilious vomiting were excluded. All patients underwent a Ladd's procedure as their sole primary operative intervention. Results Median age at operation was 7 months (21 days-12 years). Fifteen patients (75%) had evidence of reflux on barium contrast study. All children were followed up for at least 6 months. Eighteen (90%) had resolution or significant improvement of their symptoms postsurgery. Only 3 have not managed to tolerate a full oral diet, all unrelated to GOR. None of our series required an antireflux procedure. Conclusion In children with debilitating vomiting necessitating surgical management, a contrast study is imperative in the work up. The high incidence of GOR and the significant improvement after correction of malrotation show the relationship between delayed gastric emptying and GOR. We suggest that when an abnormally placed duodenojejunal flexure is found, a Ladd's procedure alone is sufficient and may obviate the need for a more invasive antireflux procedure.
The evolution of the discipline of vascular biology: from systems physiology to molecular biology to molecular systems.

The changes in vascular research over the past half century have been nothing short of extraordinary. From the evolution in technologies to the analytical process, advances that were not even imaginable 50 years ago have led to far-reaching insights into the biology of the blood vessel and the diseases that affect it. This period has also witnessed two major shifts in the general experimental paradigm of vascular biology. At mid-century, vascular biologists used physiological methods to attempt to understand phenotype. Their primary focus was on vascular tone and its neurohumoral determinants in health and disease. Limited by available methods, they were essentially unable to apply biochemical or molecular analysis to the characterization of vascular function. That situation, however, changed approximately 25 years later by which time modern techniques of cell culture were applied to vascular cells, and microanalytical methods, as well as novel reagents, became available for more precise molecular characterization of vascular phenotype. Of note, both of these historical phases of research in vascular biology used the conventional analytical regimen of reductionism: an investigator typically identified a vascular reflex or endothelial product of primary interest, asked a scientific question about the role of this reflex or molecule on vascular phenotype, designed experiments and controls that focused on that question, then drew inferences from the observed experimental result—without regard for other factors in the vessel that might influence the observed phenomenon. In the past decade, another major shift in the investigative paradigm has been developing as a result of access to large molecular data sets. The human genome project, together with expression array analysis, proteomics, and metabolomics, has begun to yield a rich treasure trove of data that offers the promise of great insight into understanding vascular biology and pathobiology. Yet, we are plagued by the limitations of conventional reductionist …
Redefining the Nursing Shortage: A Rural Perspective

A number of researchers have suggested that nursing shortages are closely related to geographic maldistribution, specialty areas, and even individual shifts. As these findings have documented, the nursing shortage, as defined by the federal government, exists predominantly in rural areas of the country that are not adjacent to metropolitan areas. As a result, many of the economic, demographic, and health-related disparities that exist between rural and urban populations are mirrored in shortage and nonshortage counties. Higher unemployment rates and lower per capita incomes suggest an underlying relationship between economic vitality and the recruitment and retention of health care personnel. This suggests that a fundamental obstacle to staffing adequate numbers of qualified nurses in rural areas may not be a shortage of nurses, but economic barriers (domestic and health care related) deeply rooted in the rural settings themselves. In those states burdened with significant shortage areas, emphasis must be placed on easing the maldistribution of available nurses away from rural, often medically underserved settings. However, while the notion of producing appropriate "types" of nurses is well founded, the temptation to "solve" the problem simply by producing more providers should be resisted, since it will not markedly benefit those areas that are currently in greatest need. The time frame necessary for such "trickle down" approaches to affect rural areas could, when combined with other factors, render many health care delivery systems virtually unsalvageable. To address the persistent distribution problem, we could change how health professionals are educated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Deer Browsing and Population Viability of a Forest Understory Plant

American ginseng is the premier medicinal plant harvested from the wild in the United States. In this study, seven populations of ginseng plants were censused every 3 weeks during the growing season over 5 years to monitor deer browse and harvest and to project population growth and viability. The minimum viable population size was ∼800 plants, a value greater than that of all populations currently being monitored. When simulated deer browsing rates were reduced 50% or more, population viability rose sharply. Without more effective deer population control, ginseng and many other valuable understory herbs are likely to become extinct in the coming century.
Field enhancement in apertureless near-field scanning optical microscopy

The near field of an apertureless near-field scanning optical microscopy probe is investigated with a multiple-multipole technique to obtain optical fields in the vicinity of a silicon probe tip and a glass substrate. The results demonstrate that electric field enhancements of >15 relative to the incident fields can be achieved near a silicon tip, implying intensity enhancements of several orders of magnitude. This enhancement arises both from the antenna effect of the elongated probe and from a proximity effect when the probe is near the substrate surface and its image dipoles play a role.
Reality (celebrity) check: fat, death and the ageing female body

As the scholarly field of celebrity studies has demonstrated, fame performs a valuable cultural work akin to other social formations such as religion or heroism in that it often polices and makes intelligible divisions between the ordinary and the extraordinary, between the normal and the excessive and even between life and death. Celebrity studies theorists have tended to focus on the film industry and the star system in their reflections on the meanings of fame. And while they have sometimes considered women, they have not always brought gender to the forefront as a critical analytic in the study of celebrity. In this article I seek to add to the conversation on celebrity and gender through the analysis of reality TV celebrity. I examine two case studies provided by one of the longest-running, most-popular and most internationally syndicated reality television programmes, The Biggest Loser (Three-Ball Productions, 2004–present). Through this analysis, I seek to demonstrate that when women who possess re...
Methacrylate-endcapped poly(d,l-lactide-co-trimethylene carbonate) oligomers. Network formation by thermal free-radical curing

Abstract A series of 3-arm, methacrylate-endcapped poly( d,l -lactide-co-trimethylene carbonate) prepolymers was synthesized using d,l -lactide:trimethylene carbonate (DLL:TMC) molar feed ratios of 100:0, 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, 20:80, and 0:100. Number average molecular weights were in the range (2.3–2.6) × 103 g mol−1. The prepolymers were free-radically crosslinked in the absence of reactive diluents to give amorphous, bioabsorbable networks with a broad range of thermal, mechanical, and degradative properties. Extraction studies indicated that sol-contents ranged from 2.89%–6.17%. Tensile modulus, ultimate strength, and Tg increased with increasing d,l -lactide content. Networks containing higher contents of d,l -lactide, 100:0, 80:20, and 60:40 (DLL:TMC), were strong and fairly rigid, but failed catastrophically at the yield point; networks containing lower contents of d,l -lactide, 20:80 and 0:100, showed a higher elongation to break, failing catastrophically at the yield point. A 40:60 DLL:TMC network fit perfectly within the series of compositions with regard to modulus and tensile strengh; however, it showed a yield point, followed by a regime of plastic flow prior to break. Hydrolytic degradation experiments revealed that the network based on poly( d,l -lactide) homopolymer degraded fastest owing to its hydrophilicity. Hydrolytic degradation in the copolymer networks was controlled by two opposing effects which occurred as the trimethylene carbonate was increased: Tg depression, which increased water uptake, and increased hydrophobicity, which decreased water uptake. Increasing trimethylene carbonate in the 80:20 and 60:40 DLL:TMC copolymer networks caused a decrease in the water uptake and the degradation rate since these network are both glassy at the degradation temperature of 37°C. The observed increase in degradation rate in the 40:60 copolymer network was due to increased water uptake caused by depression of the Tg to a value below the test temperature of 37°C. The 20:80 and 0:100 DLL:TMC networks were the slowest to degrade owing to their hydrophobicity. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.
Enhanced defect of interest [DOI] monitoring by utilizing sensitive inspection and ADRTrue SEM review

As semiconductor process design rules continue to shrink, the ability of optical inspection tools to separate between true defects and nuisance becomes more and more difficult. Therefore, monitoring Defect of Interest (DOI) become a real challenge (Figure 1). This phenomenon occurs due to the lower signal received from real defects while noise levels remain almost the same, resulting in inspection high nuisance rate, which jeopardizes the ability to provide a meaningful, true defect Pareto. A non-representative defect Pareto creates a real challenge to a reliable process monitoring (Figure 4). Traditionally, inspection tool recipes were optimized to keep data load at a manageable level and provide defect maps with ~10% nuisance rate, but as defects of interest get smaller with design rule shrinkage, this requirement results in a painful compromise in detection sensitivity. The inspection is usually followed by defect review and classification using scanning electron microscope (SEM), the classification done manually and it is performed on a small sample of the inspection defect map due to time and manual resources limitations. Sample is usually 50~60 randomly selected locations, review is performed manually most of the times, and manual classification is performed for all the reviewed locations. In the approach described in this paper, the inspection tool recipe is optimized for sensitivity rather than low nuisance rate (i.e. detect all DOI with compromising on a higher nuisance rate). Inspection results with high nuisance rate introduce new challenges for SEM review methodology & tools. This paper describe a new approach which enhances process monitoring quality and the results of collaborative work of the Process Diagnostic & Control Business Unit of Applied Materials® and GLOBALFOUNDRIES® utilizing Applied Materials ADRTrueTM & SEMVisionTM capabilities. The study shows that the new approach reveals new defect types in the Pareto, and improves the ability to monitor the process and identify excursion for low magnitude defect of interest.
Mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene are associated with early-onset Parkinson disease.

Objective: To evaluate the frequency of glucocerebrosidase ( GBA ) mutations in cases and controls enrolled in the Genetic Epidemiology of Parkinson’s Disease (GEPD) study. Methods: We sequenced all exons of the GBA gene in 278 Parkinson disease (PD) cases and 179 controls enrolled in GEPD, with a wide range of age at onset (AAO), and that included a subset of 178 Jewish cases and 85 Jewish controls. Cases and controls were recruited without knowledge of family history of PD, and cases were oversampled in the AAO Results: 13.7% of PD cases (38/278) carried GBA mutations, compared with 4.5% of controls (8/179) (odds ratio [OR] 3.4, 95% CI 1.5 to 7.4). The frequency of GBA mutations was 22.2% in 90 cases with AAO ≤ 50 years, compared with 9.7% in 185 cases with AAO > 50 years (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.3 to 5.3). Adjusting for age at the time of evaluation, sex, family history of PD, and Jewish ancestry, GBA carriers had a 1.7-year-earlier AAO of PD (95% CI 0.5 to 3.3, p p 50 years group. The frequency of GBA mutations was higher in a subset of 178 cases that reported four Jewish grandparents (16.9%) than in cases who did not report Jewish ancestry (8.0%) ( p GBA mutations were identified in PD cases, including 84insGG, E326K, T369M, N370S, D409H, R496H, L444P, Rec NciI , and a novel mutation, P175P. Conclusions: This study suggests that the Glucocerebrosidase gene may be a susceptibility gene for Parkinson disease and that Glucocerebrosidase mutations may modify age at onset. GLOSSARY: AAO = age at onset; cDNA = complementary DNA; GBA = glucocerebrosidase; GD = Gaucher disease; GEPD = Genetic Epidemiology of Parkinson’s Disease; MMSE = Mini-Mental State Examination; NA = not applicable; DLB = dementia with Lewy bodies; OR = odds ratio; PD = Parkinson disease; SNP = single nucleotide polymorphism; UPDRS = Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale.
Field, chemical, and physical constraints on mafic-felsic magma interaction in the Lamarck Granodiorite, Sierra Nevada, California

Evidence of magma interactions resulting in both hybridization and mingling are preserved in a diverse suite of gabbroic to intermediate rocks associated with the compositionally zoned hornblende-biotite Lamarck Granodiorite of the eastern Sierra Nevada, California. Ellipsoidal mafic enclaves were formed by quenching of small amounts of high-alumina basaltic magma upon injection into and dispersal through granodiorite magma early in its crystallization. Synplutonic intrusions of hornblende gabbro through hybridized mafic granodiorite represent injection of mafic magma at a later stage of crystallization of the granodiorite, as they crosscut regional trends in foliation and compositional zoning in the host pluton. Where compositional contrasts between intrusion and host granodiorite are large, contacts are sharp and abundant enclaves derived from the mafic intrusion are present in the granodiorite. Where the host is relatively mafic or where the local-scale proportion of mafic magma is large, contacts are zones of extensive hybridization that contain both enclaves and hybrid schlieren. Uncontaminated mafic intrusions have high-alumina basaltic compositions, whereas hybridized intrusions have silica contents as high as 63.5%. Mafic intrusions locally contain coarse-grained cumulus gabbro inclusions. Mafic schlieren in granodiorite far from mafic intrusions represent localized accumulations of hornblende, Fe-Ti oxides, and biotite from the granodiorite. Intrusion of late mafic dikes mobilized and entrained granitic residue from the granodiorite and formed composite dikes of aplite and pillowed diorite. Whether interacting magmas mix or mingle is a function of the heat contents and mass fractions of the end members. Calculations that account for compositions, heats of fusion, heat capacities of liquids and crystals, and a range of initial temperatures, crystallinities, crystal sizes, and magma water contents indicate that in most circumstances the basalt end member quenches; the resulting large viscosity contrast between the end members prevents hybridization. Homogenization is likely only if the compositional difference between host and injected mafic magma is less than 10% SiO2 or if the mass fraction of mafic magma is greater than 0.5. Resulting mixtures have the composition of tonalite or mafic granodiorite; thus, the more silicic rocks of the granodiorite pluton must represent differentiation products rather than direct hybrids of mafic or intermediate magma and felsic magma.
Regional waveform constraints on the source parameters of the Xunwu, China, earthquake of 2 August 1987, with implications for mid-plate seismotectonics

Abstract The Xunwu, China, earthquake of 2 August 1987 ( M S = 5.3) was a damaging intraplate event in a stable continental region. In this paper, long-period P and SH waves recorded by the World Wide Standardized Seismograph Network and the Chinese Standard Seismic Network stations within 30° epicentral distance have been modeled to determine the focal mechanism and source parameters of the mainshock. Using body-wave waveform synthesis and P-wave first motions, the focal parameters are determined as follows: strike 338° ± 6°, dip 53° ± 4°, rake −39° ± 7°, focal depth 7 ± 4 k moment (3.63 ± 1.57) × 10 23 dyn cm and stress drop 2.6 ± 1.2 bars. Analysis of the local tectonic setting, geometry of isoseismals, and aftershock distribution indicates that the earthquake probably ruptured along a NW-SE striking secondary fault near its intersection with a NNE-SSW trending major fault. The fault motion was normal oblique slip with a left-lateral strike-slip component. Based on the P and T axes, the epicentral area is subject to NW-SE compression with a relatively large plunge and a nearly horizontal NE-SW extension. The observed large plunge of the P axis is probably due to an anomalous local stress field. In comparison with other intraplate events, the stress drop of the Xunwu earthquake is very low, suggesting a weak and fractured crustal medium in the epicentral region.
Speculations on the Origin and Evolution of Photosynthesis and the membrane

A proposal for the origin and evolution of photosynthesis is postulated which involves carbon dioxide, nitrogen, sulfur and selfreplicating iron-rich clays. Three distinct phases in the evolution of photosynthesis are discussed. I) The reduction of carbon dioxide to organic acids such as oxalic acid. 2) The production of acetaldehyde and the entry of sulfur into the evolving system, with the subsequent polymerization of acetyl thio esters to form quinones, fatty acids and isoprenes. The formation of Fe~S 2 and FefiS h cores were formed in this phase. 3) Finally, the reduction of'n~trogen by MoFeS compounds led to the formation of pyrrole, flavin, nicotinamide, phycobilins (tetra-pyrroles), heme and chlorophyll. The chromatophores evolved from quinones through the carotenoids and phycobilins to chlorophyll. The electron transport chain evolved from ferrous ion through the Fe2S 2 and Fe4S 4 cores to the hemes.
Extensional ionomeric polymer conductor composite actuators with ionic liquids

Although the Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite (IPMC) actuators developed up to date are in the form of bending actuators, development of extensional actuators based on IMPC is highly desirable from practical applications and fundamental understanding points of view. This talk presents the design, fabrication and characterization of a recent work on an extensional Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite actuator. The extensional actuator consists of the Nafion ionomer as the matrix and the sub-micron size RuO 2 particles as the conductive filler for the conductor/ionomr composites. In this investigation, several ionic liquids (IL) were investigated. For a Nafion/RuO 2 composite with 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate (EMI-Tf) IL, it was found that as the ions are driven into the ionomer/RuO 2 composite (the composite under negative voltage), an extensional strain of 0.9% was observed; while as the ions were expelled from the ionomer/RuO 2 composite (under positive voltage), a contraction of -1.2% was observed. The results indicate that multiple ions are participating in charge transport and actuation process. In this paper, we also discuss several design considerations for future extensional actuators with fast response, much improved strain and stress level. Especially an actuator based on multilayer configuration can significantly increase the electric field level in the actuator and consequently significantly improve the actuator speed. The extensional actuator investigated here provides a unique platform to investigate various phenomena related to ion transport and their interaction with the ionomer/conductor matrix to realize high electromechanical performance.
A Diagnostic Ice–Ocean Model

Abstract A coupled ice–ocean model suitable for simulating ice–ocean circulation over a seasonal cycle is developed by coupling the dynamic thermodynamic sea ice model of Hibler with a multilevel baroclinic ocean model (Bryan). This model is used to investigate the effect of ocean circulation on seasonal sea ice simulations by carrying out a simulation of the Arctic, Greenland and Norwegian seas. The ocean model contains a linear term that damps the ocean's temperature and salinity towards climatology. The damping term was chosen to have a three-year relaxation time, equivalent to the adjustment time of the pack ice. No damping, however, was applied to the uppermost layer of the ocean model, which is in direct contact with the moving pack ice. This damping procedure allows seasonal and shorter time-scale variability to be simulated in the ocean, but does not allow the model to drift away from ocean climatology on longer time scales. For the standard experiment, an initial integration of five years was per...
A user-friendly framework for database preferences

Data drives all aspects of our society, from everyday life, to business, to medicine, and science. It is well known that query personalization can be an effective technique in dealing with the data scalability challenge, primarily from the human point of view. In order to customize their query results, users need to express their preferences in a simple and user-friendly manner. There are two types of preferences: qualitative and quantitative. Each preference type has advantages and disadvantages with respect to expressiveness. In this paper, we present a graph-based theoretical framework and a prototype system that unify qualitative and quantitative preferences, while eliminating their disadvantages. Our integrated system allows for (1) the specification of database preferences and creation of user preference profiles in a user-friendly manner and (2) the manipulation of preferences of individuals or groups of users. A key feature of our hybrid model is the ability to convert qualitative preferences into quantitative preferences using intensity values and without losing the qualitative information. This feature allows us to create a total order over the tuples in the database, matching both qualitative and quantitative preferences, hence significantly increasing the number of tuples covered by the user preferences.We confirmed this experimentally by comparing our preference selection algorithm with Fagin's TA algorithm.
Nonrandom Distribution of Interhomolog Recombination Events Induced by Breakage of a Dicentric Chromosome in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Dicentric chromosomes undergo breakage in mitosis, resulting in chromosome deletions, duplications, and translocations. In this study, we map chromosome break sites of dicentrics in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by a mitotic recombination assay. The assay uses a diploid strain in which one homolog has a conditional centromere in addition to a wild-type centromere, and the other homolog has only the wild-type centromere; the conditional centromere is inactive when cells are grown in galactose and is activated when the cells are switched to glucose. In addition, the two homologs are distinguishable by multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Under conditions in which the conditional centromere is activated, the functionally dicentric chromosome undergoes double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs) that can be repaired by mitotic recombination with the homolog. Such recombination events often lead to loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of SNPs that are centromere distal to the crossover. Using a PCR-based assay, we determined the position of LOH in multiple independent recombination events to a resolution of ∼4 kb. This analysis shows that dicentric chromosomes have recombination breakpoints that are broadly distributed between the two centromeres, although there is a clustering of breakpoints within 10 kb of the conditional centromere.
SIMSCRIPT II.5 tutorial

Two modelling concepts - processes and resources - have been added to the SIMSCRIPT II.5 “world-view.” From a conceptualization viewpoint, it is sometimes convenient to view a system as a collection of processes. A process may be thought of as a sequence of related events separated by lapses of time, either predetermined or indefinite. Indefinite delays may be caused when conditions do not permit the process to proceed.This tutorial is intended to give an overview of modelling and programming in SIMSCRIPT II.5. Selected case studies will be used to illustrate the use of SIMSCRIPT's fundamental “building blocks,” first in formulating a model and then putting it in machine-readable form. The emphasis is on concepts.