cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Finite Element Analysis of a Hobie 16 Mast and Possible Alternatives for Improvement

Hobie Cat is one of the most popular sailboat production companies to ever exist, and the Hobie 16 is the most popular boat in the Hobie Cat line-up. The key to Hobie’s success was largely in part to advancements in strong and lightweight materials. This advancement allowed Hobie to achieve record breaking performance in their particular class of boat. The mast of the Hobie 16 is one of the heavier pieces of the craft. The overall mass and center of mass is greatly affected by this component, which begs to question if there may possibly be room for improvement. A sailboat mast is defined as a tall vertical spar, sometimes sectioned, that rises from the keel or deck of a sailing vessel to support the sails and the standing and running rigging. Sailboat masts are long, slender structures. They must be designed to be able to hold the thrust loads that are acting on them from the sails which will differ based on wind conditions. A mast must also be made of a material that will allow it to go through the varying environmental conditions without fatiguing. When designing a sailboat mast a few of the main goals are to have a low center of gravity, be light weight, and also aerodynamically efficient.During this research a Hobie 16 mast design was taken as a baseline design for testing. The current mast on the market weighs between 50–60 lbs. While this is not extremely heavy, the center of gravity is approximately 13.5 feet from the end of the mast. This high center of gravity makes it tough to raise and lower the mast when launching the boat. One important objective in this work is to create a mast that will be easier for the user to raise and lower without sacrificing the structural integrity of the mast. Three masts have been created in solid modeling software, and their performance characteristics have been tested using finite element analysis software ANSYS. Two of the designs are original works, while one is a copy of the original Hobie Cat design. The original design was analyzed, providing baseline data for which to compare the new designs with. In addition to the new designs, all designs have been constructed from three different materials as Aluminum Alloy 6061, Aluminum Alloy 7075 and Acrylic. This allows for comparison of designs and possible new materials. After an in depth analysis of all masts, the recommendation is made that Hobie 16 users would benefit greatly from the use of a tapered mast made of aluminum alloy 7075.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Selectivity of Antidepressants: From the Monoamine Hypothesis of Depression to the SSRI Revolution and Beyond

In 2003, available pharmacotherapy for mood disorders was based almost entirely on observations from the 1950s and 1960s that agents that enhance monoamine transmitter function are effective antidepressants. Preclinical studies show that chronic administration of all effective antidepressants increases the efficiency of post-synaptic 5-HT transmission. Many antidepressants also modify nor-adrenergic function in the central nervous system. For the majority of antidepressants, these long-term changes in serotonergic and/or noradrenergic function result from direct antagonism of serotonin and/ or norepinephrine transporters (also termed "uptake sites"). Pharmacotherapy that is highly selective for one transporter over another has been demonstrated to be effective and tolerable, whereas agents that act on multiple transporters may not necessarily achieve better efficacy and may be associated with additional adverse events. Nevertheless, the rationale is in place to suggest that antidepressants that block both the serotonin and norepinephrine transporters might provide better efficacy, which can only be determined by empirical testing.
Hidden powers of the mitochondria.

The intermembrane space of mitochondria is home to several potentially lethal proteins, including pro-apoptotic caspases. The observation that caspase-9 moves from mitochondria into the nucleus on the induction of apoptosis provides this caspase with a possible new role.
Demonstration of Deductive Meta-Analysis: Ethanol Intake and Risk of Myocardial Infarction

Meta-analyses should be analytic and deductive. In a review of the state of the science of meta-analysis in the previous volume of Epidemiologic Reviews, a list of definitions and synonyms of meta-analysis was given: "overview, pooling, data pooling, literature synthesis, data synthesis, quantitative synthesis, and quantitative review" (1, p. 154). Indeed, most metaanalyses are more synthetic than analytic: They produce a summary, such as an aggregate relative risk and 95 percent confidence interval, from a set of individual studies and stop there. Such a "meta-synthesis" has an inductive approach, i.e., generalization from a set of particular observations. By contrast, a deductive approach starts with alternative generalizations (hypotheses) and uses particular observations to discriminate among them. The causal hypothesis of primary interest is considered corroborated if competing hypotheses do not stand up to the evidence (2). The words "inductive" and "deductive" here have the meanings used in logic (3). Induction is the inference "If true for A, then true for B" when A is a part, sample, or special case of B. When epidemiologists infer
Measuring Effects of Metaphor in a Dynamic Opinion Landscape.

Metaphors pervade discussions of critical issues, making up as much as 10–20% of natural discourse. Recent work has suggested that these conventional and systematic metaphors influence the way people reason about the issues they describe. For instance, previous work has found that people were more likely to want to fight back against a crime beast by increasing the police force but more likely to want to diagnose and treat a crime virus through social reform. Here, we report the results of three norming tasks and two experiments that reveal a shift in the overall landscape of opinion on the topic of crime. Importantly, we find that the metaphors continue to have an influence on people’s reasoning about crime. Our results and analyses highlight the importance of up-to-date opinion norms and carefully controlled materials in metaphor research.
Initial serum ferritin predicts number of therapeutic phlebotomies to iron depletion in secondary iron overload

Background Therapeutic phlebotomy is increasingly used in patients with transfusional siderosis to mitigate organ injury associated with iron overload (IO). Laboratory response parameters and therapy duration are not well characterized in such patients.
Methanogenesis, sulfate reduction and crude oil biodegradation in hot Alaskan oilfields

Summary Petrochemical and geological evidence suggest that petroleum in most reservoirs is anaerobically biodegraded to some extent. However, the conditions for this metabolism and the cultivation of the requisite microorganisms are rarely established. Here, we report on microbial hydrocarbon metabolism in two distinct oilfields on the North Slope of Alaska (designated Fields A and B). Signature anaerobic hydrocarbon metabolites were detected in produced water from the two oilfields offering evidence of in situ biodegradation activity. Rate measurements revealed that sulfate reduction was an important electron accepting process in Field A (6–807 µmol S l−1 day−1), but of lesser consequence in Field B (0.1–10 µmol S l−1 day−1). Correspondingly, enrichments established at 55°C with a variety of hydrocarbon mixtures showed relatively high sulfate consumption but low methane production in Field A incubations, whereas the opposite was true of the Field B enrichments. Repeated transfer of a Field B enrichment showed ongoing methane production in the presence of crude oil that correlated with ≥ 50% depletion of several component hydrocarbons. Molecular-based microbial community analysis of the methanogenic oil-utilizing consortium revealed five bacterial taxa affiliating with the orders Thermotogales, Synergistales, Deferribacterales (two taxa) and Thermoanaerobacterales that have known fermentative or syntrophic capability and one methanogen that is most closely affiliated with uncultured clones in the H2-using family Methanobacteriaceae. The findings demonstrate that oilfield-associated microbial assemblages can metabolize crude oil under the thermophilic and anaerobic conditions prevalent in many petroleum reservoirs.
Studies of sequence heterogeneity of mitochondrial DNA from rat and mouse tissues: Evidence for an increased frequency of deletions/additions with aging

To obtain information on the extent of random nucleotide changes in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from different organs of young adult and senescent Fischer 344 rats, the temperature of thermal denaturation (tm) was measured in (1) the native mtDNA cut at a single SstI site and (2) the reannealed duplexes formed after the initial melting of the mtDNA sample. No change was found between the two tm values in either young or senescent mtDNA, suggesting that the overall mismatch in nucleotide sequence in these samples was below the resolution of the method estimated at about 0.2%. In another experiment, mtDNA samples from young adult or senescent BALB/c mouse liver were digested with EcoRI, denatured and allowed to reanneal. The duplexes formed by the 14-kb EcoRI fragment were analyzed in randomly taken electron micrographs for the occurrence of mismatched segments. About 1.8% of reconstituted duplexes in adult mtDNA and 11% of those in senescent mtDNA contained small loops or knobs suggestive of deletions/additions of about 400 +/- 150 nucleotides. These data correspond to about 1% of the native mtDNA population in adult liver and about 5% in senescent liver having deleted/inserted segments. Although deletions/insertions may occur at variable sites, their distribution appears to be non-random. These findings suggest that small sequence rearrangements, which have been observed previously in unicircular dimers of mouse and human mtDNA, occur also in monomeric mtDNA from normal tissues and accumulate with aging.
Abstract 1821: Marital status and adherence to scheduled free breast cancer screening among uninsured inner city women

Background: Mammography screening is associated with reduction in mortality from breast cancer. Women with lower socioeconomic status have increased burden from breast cancer which may be attributable to lower access and uptake of screening. The impact of family support in promoting uptake of breast cancer screening among women with low socioeconomic status is not well understood. Aim: We sought to examine whether marital status influences adherence to scheduled free breast cancer screening with clinical breast examination and mammography among uninsured inner city women. Methods: Howard University Cancer Center offered free breast cancer screening (clinical breast examination and mammogram) for uninsured women who are aged 40 and older in the Washington DC area. Participants were referred from community health organizations’ outreach programs in Maryland, District of Columbia and Maryland. Our analytic cohort comprises patients who were scheduled for free breast cancer screening from July 2009 to June 2010. The participants were categorized as non-adherent (no shows) if they did not cancel their appointments and did not show up for the breast cancer screening. We used Poisson regression models to evaluate the association of race with adherence to the scheduled breast cancer screening and adjusted for potential confounders. We calculated Relative Risks (RR) for no shows and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI). Results: A total of 460 patients were scheduled for screening. The mean age was 49.7 years; 195 (43.4%) were Hispanic and 215 (47.9%) were black. 186 (41.3%) patients were married and 264 (58.7%) were not. Married patients were less likely to be born in the United States (6% vs 21%; P Conclusions: Although a quarter of uninsured women are non-adherent for their free breast cancer screening appointments, married women are less likely to be non-adherent. This suggests that educational outreach programs targeting men may be a potential mechanism to increase uptake of breast cancer screening among underserved women. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1821. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1821
Spin-Dependence of the Electron Scattering Cross Section by a Magnetic Layer System and the Magneto-Resistance

We present a theoretical model for calculating the spin-dependent cross section of the scattering of electrons by a magnetic layer system. Our model demonstrates that the cross sections of the scattering are different for spin up and spin down electrons. The model assumes that the electrical resistivity in a conductor is proportional to the scattering cross section of the electron in it. It is believed to support the two channel mechanism in interpreting magneto-resistance (MR). Based on the model without considering the scattering due to the interfacial roughness and the spin flipping scattering, we have established a relationship between MR and the square of the magnetic moment in the bulk sample without considering the scattering due to the interfacial roughness and the spin flipping scattering. It can also qualitatively explain the MR difference between the current in plane (CIP) and current perpendicular to the plane (CPP) configurations. The predictions by the model agree well with the experimental ...
Answer to Dr. Frost's Letter to the Editor

We are disturbed by Dr. Frost's letter for several reasons. First, we are disturbed by his comments because he has contributed so much in the area of morphometric assessment of skeletal renewal. Also, however, his statements of "serious error which invalidate the method" and his "purpose of preventing others from making glaring errors" cause concern. Perhaps much of the problem is due to his misunderstanding of the method. The quotation on page 194 (Harris, 1972) is U B+ T + De+ P~ U B-+- T + Dc+ De-I-D ~ [all determinations in this equation are at T 8 (time of sacrifice)]. Dr. Frost raises the question that the value of U B (unlabeled bone) at sacrifice (Ts) is probably less than the value for unlabeled bone at T o (beginning of the experimental period). He is concerned similarly about T (Terramycin labeled bone). We agree and point this out on page 193. However, this effect of intracortical resorption is taken into account by making the assumption that the bone had no porosity at T o (which creates a bias agalnst showing an increase in skeletal mass) and then adding the full value of P (porsity at sacrifice) and Do (Deelomycin labeled bone in the cortex at sacrifice) to that side of the equation. This accounts fully for the intraeortical bone resorption during the experimental period. In fact it overestimates this figure. He also is concerned that the basic expression lacks a term for cortical porosity at time zero. The article addresses itself to this in detail. Since no method is available for obtaining this figure, the assumption is made that this figure is zero. Clearly this creates a bias against showing an increase in mass during the experimental period since Po is obviously not zero. Thus the true magnitude of s ny increase in mass shown by the method exceeds the derived value by the unknown magnitude of this bias. A positive result remains valid. A negative result of small magnitude is ambiguous. Both total cross-sectional area and marrow cavity area can be measured at T~ but cannot at T o.
One year outcomes in patients with acute lung injury randomised to initial trophic or full enteral feeding: prospective follow-up of EDEN randomised trial

Objective To evaluate the effect of initial low energy permissive underfeeding (“trophic feeding”) versus full energy enteral feeding (“full feeding”) on physical function and secondary outcomes in patients with acute lung injury. Design Prospective longitudinal follow-up evaluation of the NHLBI ARDS Clinical Trials Network’s EDEN trial Setting 41hospitals in the United States. Participants 525 patients with acute lung injury. Interventions Randomised assignment to trophic or full feeding for up to six days; thereafter, all patients still receiving mechanical ventilation received full feeding. Measurements Blinded assessment of the age and sex adjusted physical function domain of the SF-36 instrument at 12 months after acute lung injury. Secondary outcome measures included survival; physical, psychological, and cognitive functioning; quality of life; and employment status at six and 12 months. Results After acute lung injury, patients had substantial physical, psychological, and cognitive impairments, reduced quality of life, and impaired return to work. Initial trophic versus full feeding did not affect mean SF-36 physical function at 12 months (55 (SD 33) v 55 (31), P=0.54), survival to 12 months (65% v 63%, P=0.63), or nearly all of the secondary outcomes. Conclusion In survivors of acute lung injury, there was no difference in physical function, survival, or multiple secondary outcomes at 6 and 12 month follow-up after initial trophic or full enteral feeding. Trial Registration NCT No 00719446
Trace elements in soils fertilized with poultry litter

Poultry litter is used on agricultural land because of its high nutrient content. The litter contains trace elements. With land application of litter, these elements may accumulate in the soil or plants, may be transported as run-off to surface water, or may be leached into groundwater. The objective of this research was to measure the concentrations of trace elements in soils fertilized with poultry litter. Soil was collected from three agricultural farms in Wicomico County, MD. These farms had a long history of poultry litter application. A nitric acid extraction was performed on soil samples collected to a depth of 60 cm. The concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Arsenic, Cd, Cu, and Mn concentrations were higher in the manured fields than in the control fields. Lead and Zn concentrations did not significantly change with the application of poultry litter.
The Predictive Validity of Self-Report and Performance-based Measures of Function and Health

To learn about the value of self-report and performance-based measures of function in predicting mortality and institutionalization, we conducted a longitudinal study of 149 elderly persons at four sites (a senior citizens housing unit, two ambulatory-based geriatrics practices, and a board-and-care facility). At baseline, all subjects were administered a questionnaire containing Katz, Spector, and Rosow-Breslau scale items as well as the Mini-Mental State Exam and two performance-based measures, the Tinetti gait score and Physical Performance Test. At follow-up (average 22 months; range 17-29 months), 17 subjects (11%) had died and seven (5%) had been institutionalized. Univariate analysis demonstrated significant associations between death and all functional status measures. In logistic regression models, Katz items, Tinetti gait score, and the seven-item Physical Performance Test were independent predictors of "death or nursing home placement"; Katz items and the seven-item Physical Performance Test were independent predictors of mortality. These findings support the use of performance-based as well as self-report measures for clinical and research purposes.
Three steps to views: extending the object-oriented paradigm

At the core of any sophisticated software development and maintenance environment is a large mass of complex data. The data (the central data of the environment) is composed of smaller sets of data that can be related in complicated and often subtle ways. The user or developer of the environment will be more effective if they are able to deal with conceptual slices, or views, of the large, complex structure. This paper presents an architectural building block for object-based software environments based on the views concept. The building block allows the construction of global abstractions that describe unified behavior of large sets of objects. The basis of the architecture relies on extending the object-oriented paradigm in three steps: (1) defining multiple interfaces in object classes; (2) controlling visibility of instance variables; and (3) allowing multiple copies of an instance variable to occur within an object instance. This paper focuses on the technical aspects of the views approach.
Follow-up of behavioral group therapy for obesity*

This study reports the differential weight loss of three obesity treatment groups at a 16-week follow-up period, a period 8 weeks later than the first follow-up reported in the original study by Wollersheim ( Journal of Abnormal Psychology 1970, 76 , 462–474). The differential weight losses from pretreatment for the three groups at this second follow-up reached a probability level of between .05 and .10. Speculative hypotheses concerning the differing trends of the three treatment groups are offered.
The omega matrix

This paper uses certain fundamental theorems of matrix algebra to describe a square upper triangular matrix with special properties that make it useful in applications to financial economics. We call this the Omega Matrix.
Characterization of effects of plane-front solidification and heat treatment on magnetic properties of Bi/MnBi composites

Eutectic Bi/MnBi composites (3.2 volume percent MnBi) have been plane-front directionally solidified using the Bridgman-Stockbarger method. For the growth velocity range investigated, the morphology of the composites consists of an aligned ensemble of MnBi rods with mean rod diameters lying below the theoretical size for single domain behavior. Magnetization as a function of temperature, applied field and angle with respect to the solidification direction was used to characterize the magnetic properties. These measurements have been correlated with particle size distributions and volume fraction data. Previous studies have shown that solidification processing conditions and post-solidification heat treatment significantly affect the magnetic properties due to the presence of a nonequilibrium magnetic phase. The nonequilibrium phase has been isolated by varying the processing parameters and the temperature dependence of its magnetization determined. In addition, the transformation kinetics of the nonequilibrium to the equilibrium MnBi phase was investigated by monitoring the magnetization change during isothermal annealing. The intrinsic coercivity of the equilibrium component was found to depend on whether a given percent of equilibrium phase is produced by directional solidification or post-solidification heat treatment anneal.
Careers: A guide to the life scientific

Stuart Pimm applauds eminent biologist E. O. Wilson's pragmatic and passionate career advice.
Objective Assessment for Digital Clubbing in Caucasian, Negro, and Oriental Subjects

The ratio of the depth of the index finger at the base of the nail (DPD) divided by the depth at the distal interphalangeal joint (IPD) has been reported useful in evaluating subjects for the presence of digital clubbing. A ratio which exceeds 1 has been considered abnormal. This relationship was independent of age and sex. To determine whether the ratio of DPD/IPD was independent of race, measurements were made of casts of the index fingers of 80 normal subjects: 20 North American Caucasians, 20 Iranians, 20 Negroes, and 20 Orientals. No significant difference was found among mean ratios of North American Caucasians, Negroes, and Orientals. A significantly larger mean ratio in Iranians as compared with Negroes may have been related to the method of selection of the former group. It is concluded that the ratio of DPD/IPD is probably independent of race. These observations further confirm the ratio of DPD/IPD as a method useful in assessing the presence of digital clubbing.
CD34 and α smooth muscle actin distinguish verrucous hyperplasia from verrucous carcinoma

Objective This study evaluated the use of stromal biomarkers CD34 and α smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) to distinguish verrucous carcinoma (VC) from verrucous hyperplasia (VH). Study Design Thirteen VH, 15 VC, 20 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and 16 of uninvolved adjacent stroma specimens were analyzed for α-SMA and CD34 expression by immunohistochemistry. Results Stromal α-SMA positivity was observed in 100% (20 of 20) of the SCC and in 93% (14 of 15) of the VC, whereas none of the VH (0 of 13) or adjacent uninvolved stroma (0 of 16) demonstrated α-SMA reactivity. Stromal CD34 positivity was observed in 100% (13 of 13) of VH and adjacent stroma (16 of 16), while 20% (3 of 15) of VC and 11% (2 of 18) of SCC stroma expressed CD34. The SCC and VC groups differed significantly from the VH and uninvolved stroma groups for both α-SMA and CD34 expression ( P Conclusions Stromal CD34 and α-SMA protein expression patterns may aid in distinguishing between VC and VH in challenging cases.
Funds of Knowledge for Teaching in Latino Households.

Conceptualizing the households of working-class Latino students as being rich in funds of knowledge has had transformative consequences for teachers, parents, students, and researchers. Teachers' q...
LPS Responsiveness in Periodontal Ligament Cells is Regulated by Tumor Necrosis Factor-α

Gingival fibroblasts function as accessory immune cells and are capable of synthesizing cytokines in response to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Gram-negative microbes. Recently, we have isolated, cloned, and characterized two cell lines which exhibit characteristics of periodontal ligament (PDL) cells. In this report, we demonstrate that PDL cells showing osteoblast-like phenotype are not LPS-responsive cells. However, treatment of PDL cells with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibits the expression of their osteoblast-like characteristics. As a consequence of this TNF-alpha-induced phenotypic change, PDL cells become LPS-responsive, i.e., synthesize several pro-inflammatory cytokines in response to LPS. These phenotypic changes occur at concentrations of TNF-alpha that are frequently observed in tissue exudates during periodontal inflammation, suggesting a physiological significance for these in vitro observations. It is of interest that TNF-alpha-induced phenotypic changes in PDL cells are transient, since removal of rhTNF-alpha from the supernatants of PDL cell cultures results in re-acquisition of the osteoblast-like characteristics and lack of LPS responsiveness of PDL cells. These results suggest that TNF-alpha, by regulating the PDL cell functions, may allow these cells to participate in the disease process as accessory immune cells at the expense of their structural properties.
Atomic Tools in Developing Watera

A nuclear (atomic) explosive, detonated at suitable depth below the land surface, appears to offer substantial advantages and economies as a tool in the development and management of water, under certain special hydrologic situations. It is appropriate, therefore, that we seek to understand not only the potentials, but also the limitations of such a detonation. This paper is a first, small step toward that end. Greatly over-simplified, what does an underground nuclear detonation do that it can become a tool of water development and management? Consider first a detonation at a depth sufficiently great that none of the products vent to the atmosphere. Minimum depth for such “containment,” in feet, is close to: (1) in which W = explosive energy, in kilotons.
Interruption of the Aortic Arch: Clinical Features in 20 Patients

The clinical and laboratory findings of interruption of the aortic arch are described. These infants present with a clinical picture similar to preductal coarctation of the aorta. Only by angiography can the diagnosis be established. Prompt recognition and diagnosis of interruption of the aortic arch is important, since palliative and corrective operative procedures are currently available. Without operation, death usually occurs in infancy.
DEVELOPMENTS IN AIRPORT CAPACITY ANALYSIS

Abstract Runway capacity is defined as the maximum number of aircraft operations that can be handled during a specific period of time, under given operating conditions. The most important determinants of capacity are the aircraft mix, the lenght of the common approach path, and the operating strategy. Aircraft are postulated to deviate from intended paths while approaching a runway to land. These deviations are assumed to be normally distributed random variables with zero means. In order to maintain the probability of violations of aircraft separation rules, controllers are assumed to introduce buffers between aircraft in order to absorb the randomness in their separations. A capacity model is constructed with these postulates. The model yields runway capacity for various operating strategies and permits the choice of the optimal strategy for a given and intended arrival-departure mix. The application of the model is demonstrated with data from New York's La Guardia Airport.
Children's observations, ideas, and the development of classroom theories about light

The purpose of this study was to examine the interaction between children's observations of light and shadows and their developing theories in the context of a series of lessons in a third-grade classroom. Detailed analysis of videotapes of the children's discussions of their investigations into light and shadows led to the finding that the children's observations of light led to the development of a limited theory about light that was largely useful in explaining classroom investigations. However, this theory of light was less helpful in helping them understanding shadow phenomena and was too limited to explain out-of-classroom observations of light and shadows.
The Effects of Aging on the Development of Osteoarthritis

We are making progress in understanding the connection between aging and OA, but clearly more work is needed. Suggestions for future studies are provided in Table 1. Table 1 Where should we go from here to better understand aging and OA? Disclosures The author certifies that he or she has no commercial associations (e.g., consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article.
STEP—A Solar Chemical Process to End Anthropogenic Global Warming. II: Experimental Results

Alternative chemical processes are needed to decrease the level of atmospheric greenhouse gases. Experimental support is presented of our STEP theory, which predicted a path to recycle and remove CO2 at high (∼50%) solar efficiency. In STEP (solar thermal electrochemical production) of energetic molecules, electrolysis occurs, heated by excess and renewable thermal energy at high-temperature potentials below that of the room-temperature energy stored in the products. STEP is demonstrated in the efficient formation of metals, fuels, chlorine, and carbon capture. As one example, CO2 is converted to solid carbon, or CO, by distinguishing sunlight that is energy sufficient to drive photovoltaic charge transfer and applying all excess energy to heat and decrease the free energy of the enodothermic CO2 splitting electrolysis. The energy efficiency, based on chemical flow out to solar flow in, is high, at least 34%, and may reach over 50% but will depend on the extent of the solar thermal energy captured for the...
Catalytic partial oxidation of n-butanol for hydrogen production over LDH-derived Ni-based catalysts

Abstract Catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) of n-butanol is an alternative route for hydrogen production from bio-mass. An analysis on the thermodynamics using Gibbs free energy minimization method was carried out, and the results indicated that a higher H2 yield can be obtained near 700 °C or above with O2/butanol = 1.5–2.0. Layered double hydroxide (LDH) derived catalysts were proved effective in CPOX, and the Ni0.35Mg2.65Al0.5Fe0.5O4.5±δ catalyst produced about 4.03 mol-H2/mol-butanol at 700 °C with a feed of O2/butanol = 2.0. This higher activity can be attributed to the structural and electronic properties: there is a higher surface area of 178.2 m2/g, and more Ni0 atoms were obtained and remained stable in the 31-h CPOX test.
Newness, Givenness and Discourse Updating: Evidence from Eye Movements.

Three experiments examined the effect of contextual givenness on eye movements in reading, following Schwarzschild’s (1999) analysis of givenness and focus-marking in which relations among entities as well as the entities themselves can be given. In each study, a context question was followed by an answer in which a critical word was either given, new, or contrastively (correctively) focused. Target words were read faster when the critical word provided given information than when it provided new information, and faster when it provided new information than when it corrected prior information. Repetition of target words was controlled in two ways: by mentioning a non-given target word in the context in a relation other than that in which it occurred as a target, and by using a synonym or subordinate of a given target to refer to it in the context question. Verbatim repetition was not responsible for the observed effects of givenness and contrastiveness. Besides clarifying previous inconsistent results of the effects of focus and givenness on reading speed, these results indicate that reading speed can be influenced essentially immediately by a reader’s discourse representation, and that the extent of the influence is graded, with corrections to a representation having a larger effect than simple additions
Estimating group mortality and paraplegia rates after thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Abstract Background Most clinical studies regarding thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) surgery are retrospective comparisons involving heterogeneous groups of patients. Risk models that evaluate susceptibility bias enhance interpretation of these intergroup comparisons. The purpose of this analysis was to derive group risk models for mortality and paraplegia after TAAA repair. Methods Data regarding 1,220 consecutive patients undergoing TAAA repair were analyzed via multiple logistic regression with stepwise model selection. Categorical preoperative risk factors that predicted 30-day mortality and paraplegia were used to develop risk models. Results Fifty-eight patients (4.8%) died within 30 days and 56 patients (4.6%) developed paraplegia or paraparesis. Predictors of mortality were rupture, renal insufficiency, symptomatic aneurysms, and Crawford extent II repairs. Extent of repair and acute presentation were predictors of paraplegia. The derived risk models estimated mortality and paraplegia rates that correlated well with actual frequencies reported in other contemporary series (regression slopes=0.87 and 1.06, respectively). Conclusions The derived risk models accurately estimate paraplegia and mortality rates in groups of patients. Prospective model validation will be required to confirm their accuracy.
Equations on real intervals

A (finite or infinite) set ∑ of equations, in operation symbols F t (t ∈T) and variables x i , is said to be compatible with $${\user2{{\mathbb{R}}}}$$ iff there exist continuous operations F on $${\user2{{\mathbb{R}}}}$$ such that the algebra $${\mathbf{A}}\, = \,({\user2{{\mathbb{R}}}};\,F^{{\mathbf{A}}}_{t} )_{{t \in T}}$$ satisfies the equations ∑ (with the variables x i understood as universally quantified). It is proved that there is no algorithm to decide $${\user2{{\mathbb{R}}}}$$ -compatibility for all finite ∑. If the definition is restricted to C1 idempotent operations F , then there does exist an algorithm for compatibility.
Health reform and the presidential candidates.

Submitted for publication March 31, 2008 Accepted for publication April 23, 2008 From the American Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC. Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Dr. Joseph R. Antos, Wilson H. Taylor Scholar in Health Care and Retirement Policy, American Enterprise Institute, 1150 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. E-mail: jantos@aei.org. © 2008 AACE. The presidential campaign has helped crystallize the discontent that many Americans have with our health system. It appears that most people are willing to consider significant health system reforms. However, we should be wary of grandiose campaign rhetoric: the next president will have less maneuvering room than he or she might now claim. Instead of sweeping changes, we are likely to see more modest, but in some ways more meaningful, policies that can form the basis for real improvements in American health care.
Contingent Capital vs. Contingent Reverse Convertibles for Banks and Insurance Companies

During the credit and liquidity crisis in 2007 and 2008, banks found themselves largely unable to raise significant new equity quickly from parties other than sovereign wealth funds and governments. Some banks have thus recently begun to consider contingent capital as a means of pre-arranging recapitalizations for future crises. Contingent capital is a type of put option that entitles a company to issue new securities on pre-negotiated terms, often following the occurrence of one or more risk-based triggering events. This article compares the economic merits of a new security—a “contingent reverse convertible” or CRC—against more traditional forms of contingent capital. In November 2009, Lloyds Banking Group plc issued “Enhanced Capital Notes”—subordinated debt that converts into common stock if Lloyds's core regulatory capital falls below 5% of its regulatory risk-weigh ted assets. This CRC is not strictly speaking a form of contingent capital, but it does give banks the potential to recapitalize themselves quickly in the face of a crisis without having to turn to governments and taxpayers. One important limitation of CRCs is that because they do not generate new cash for a bank at the time of conversion, they are unlikely to stop a liquidity crisis once it has begun. More traditional contingent capital facilities, by contrast, do put cash in the hands of the issuer at the time the facility is drawn. But even for those inclined to use CRCs, it may be unrealistic to expect many other institutions to imitate the structure of the Lloyds offering. Persuading existing investors to take a more subordinated position in a bank's capital structure and write a put option to the bank on its own stock will be neither cheap nor easy. For this reason, the more traditional solutions used to date may have more success with banks, though arriving at a price that helps issuers and satisfies investors will be a challenge for those structures as well.
The Yerba Buena mud: Record of the last-interglacial predecessor of San Francisco Bay, California

The Yerba Buena mud member of the San Antonio Formation is an upper Pleistocene estuarine deposit that records a marine transgression during the last interglacial into the valley today filled by San Francisco Bay. These sediments now lie between 25-70 m below mean sea level and are not exposed subaerially. Foraminifers, sand-sized diatoms, seeds, fish elements, molluscan shells, and other microfossils preserved in core samples trace environmental changes that occurred as sea level rose. This multitaxon approach permits biostratigraphic analysis of subsurface units even when core samples have undergone extended storage and consequent deterioration of calcareous microfossils. Foraminifers are preserved in only 22% of the Yerba Buena mud samples, but more than 70% of the samples contain diatoms or other taxa useful for paleoenvironmental analyses. In the Yerba Buena mud, 32 species of foraminifers are present. These species are predominantly estuarine and nearshore marine fauna. Seven species make up more than 98% of the population in all samples: Ammonia beccarii, Buccella frigida, Buliminella elegantissima, Elphidiella hannai, Elphidium excavatum, Elphidium gunteri , and Elphidium magellanicum . Foraminifers and sand-sized diatoms define five biofacies that indicate changing environmental conditions during a single transgression into the Yerba Buena bay. Biofacies present in the lower portion of the unit indicate environments ranging from brackish, such as those prevailing in the upper reaches of the present estuary, to the higher salinity of the present central Bay. Biofacies in the upper part of the unit indicate coastal-marine salinity and lower water temperature, conditions unlike those in the present estuary but prevalent along the outer-central California coast today The transgressional record in the Yerba Buena mud is a useful example of environmental changes that might result from the effect of sea-level rise in major Holocene estuaries.
Relation of Cytosolic Calcium to the Microbicidal Activation of Blood Monocytes by Recombinant γ Interferon

Oxygen metabolism and calcium ion (Ca++) handling in blood monocytes were greatly affected by treatment with recombinant gamma interferon (rIFN-gamma). Incubating the monocytes with rIFN-gamma resulted in increased basal production of superoxide anion, as well as a significantly enhanced respiratory burst in response to concanavalin A (Con A). A concomitant increase in microbicidal activity against Listeria monocytogenes was observed, and cell membrane permeability to Ca++ was enhanced by treatment with rIFN-gamma. Con A stimulation was also associated with acute rises in cytosolic-free calcium, and these calcium transients were greatly augmented in cells pretreated with rIFN-gamma. The enhanced respiratory burst and the increased calcium transients were completely neutralized by a monoclonal antibody to rIFN-gamma. Furthermore, enhancement of the respiratory burst and calcium transients occurred in a parallel dose-response range for rIFN-gamma. Blocking the intracellular release of calcium into cytosol by TMB-8 abrogated the capacity of rIFN-gamma to enhance the monocyte respiratory burst. Thus, not only was rIFN-gamma treatment of monocytes associated with altered calcium metabolism, but calcium from intracellular pools was essential to the expression of this activated state during Con A stimulation.
Shrink-Induced Silica Structures for Far-field Fluorescence Enhancements

Dense multiscale silica (SiO2) micro- and nanostructures are fabricated on a pre-stressed polymer fi lm. This novel SiO 2 substrate serves as a robust platform to enhance the fl uorescence signal of bound biomolecules. Through a combination of surface concentration, light scattering, and changes in the photophysical properties of the confi ned dye molecules, dramatic fl uorescence signal enhancements (average = 116 times greater than on planar glass) and increased signal-to-noise ratio (76:1) are demonstrated with tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC)-conjugated streptavidin (STRITC) on SiO 2 structures. Enhanced detection sensitivity of STRITC over glass on the SiO 2 structures is achieved down to a detection limit of 11 ng mL −1 . Such signifi cant fl uorescence signal enhancements have importance in practical applications such disease diagnostics and surface sensing.
The microRNA bantam Functions in Epithelial Cells to Regulate Scaling Growth of Dendrite Arbors in Drosophila Sensory Neurons

Summary In addition to establishing dendritic coverage of the receptive field, neurons need to adjust their dendritic arbors to match changes of the receptive field. Here, we show that dendrite arborization (da) sensory neurons establish dendritic coverage of the body wall early in Drosophila larval development and then grow in precise proportion to their substrate, the underlying body wall epithelium, as the larva more than triples in length. This phenomenon, referred to as scaling growth of dendrites, requires the function of the microRNA (miRNA) bantam ( ban ) in the epithelial cells rather than the da neurons themselves. We further show that ban in epithelial cells dampens Akt kinase activity in adjacent neurons to influence dendrite growth. This signaling between epithelial cells and neurons receiving sensory input from the body wall synchronizes their growth to ensure proper dendritic coverage of the receptive field.
Role of Apoptotic Proteins in Ischemic Hippocampal Damage

In this review, we have presented evidence that apoptotic proteins may be involved in ischemic cell death. We tried to keep in mind that focal and global ischemia almost certainly produces different forms of cell death. For example, necrotic cell death is clearly part of a focal cerebral infarct, although it is not seen in brief global insults. We also tried to make the point that not all apoptosis is the same and that various forms of non-necrotic cell death, including ischemic cell death after global ischemia, may share some of the same molecular mechanisms as classic forms of apoptosis. Finally, we wish to leave the reader with the clear impression that all the evidence is not in hand. More work needs to be done in animals to define the role of apoptotic proteins. For example, glial cells probably are important in necrosis and may play a role in ischemic cell death after transient global ischemia. Yet it is likely that glial cells die from injury in a different manner than neurons. A better understanding of these processes should lead to new therapeutic approaches that may make possible the salvaging of neurons well after an ischemic insult.
Maximum-entropy meshfree method for nonlinear static analysis of planar reinforced concrete structures

Abstract A meshfree method for nonlinear analysis of two-dimensional reinforced concrete structures subjected to monotonic static loading is presented. The concrete model is implemented in the context of the smeared rotating crack approach. The stress–strain relationship for steel bars accounts for the surrounding concrete bonded to the bar (tension stiffening effect). The principle of virtual work (variational form) is used to setup the nonlinear system of equations. Maximum-entropy basis functions are used to discretize the two-dimensional domain and background cells are adopted to facilitate the numerical integration. The generalized displacement control method is implemented to solve the nonlinear system of equations and to obtain the softened structural response beyond the maximum load capacity. The proposed meshfree methodology is used to study the nonlinear behavior of reinforced concrete shear walls. Comparisons with experimental data and finite element analysis indicate that the proposed maximum-entropy meshfree method is a viable approach for nonlinear simulations of planar RC structures.
Tolerance of durum wheat lines to an acid, aluminum‐toxic subsoil

Abstract Durum wheat, Triticum durum Desf., is reportedly more sensitive to aluminum (Al) toxicity in acid soils than hexaploid wheat, Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell. Aluminum‐tolerant genotypes would permit more widespread use of this species where it is desired, but not grown, because of acid soil constraints. Durum wheat germplasm has not been adequately screened for acid soil (Al) tolerance. Fifteen lines of durum wheat were grown for 28 days in greenhouse pots of acid, Al‐toxic Tatum subsoil at pH 4.5, and non‐toxic soil at pH 6.0. Aluminum‐tolerant Atlas 66 and sensitive Scout 66 hexaploid wheats were also included as standards. Based on relative shoot and root dry weight (wt. at pH 4.5/wt. at pH 6.0 X 100), durum entries differed significantly in tolerance to the acid soil. Relative shoot dry weight alone was an acceptable indicator of acid soil tolerance. Relative dry weights ranged from 55.1 to 15.5% for shoots and from 107 to 15.8% for roots. Durum lines PI 195726 (Ethiopia) and PI 193922 (Brazi...