cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metal-dielectric band alignment and its implications for metal gate complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology

The dependence of the metal gate work function on the underlying gate dielectric in advanced metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) gate stacks was explored. Metal work functions on high-κ dielectrics are observed to differ appreciably from their values on SiO2 or in vacuum. We applied the interface dipole theory to the interface between the gate and the gate dielectric of a MOS transistor and obtained excellent agreement with experimental data. Important parameters such as the slope parameters for gate dielectrics like SiO2, Al2O3, Si3N4, ZrO2, and HfO2 were extracted. In addition, we also explain the weaker dependence of n+ and p+ polysilicon gate work functions on the gate dielectric material. Challenges for gate work function engineering are highlighted. This work provides additional guidelines on the choice of gate materials for future MOS technology incorporating high-κ gate dielectrics.
Synthesis, purification, and characterization of structured lipids produced from chicken fat

A structured lipid (SL) was synthesized enzymatically from chicken fat by incorporating a medium-chain length fatty acid (caprylic acid) into chicken fat triacylglycerols. Carica papaya latex was used as the biocatalyst. The optimal substrate mole ratio found was 1∶2 (chicken fat fatty acids/caprylic acid). At this ratio of reactants, the incorporation of caprylic acid (C8∶0) at 65°C was 23.4 mol%, whereas at 55°C the incorporation of caprylic acid was 17.6 mol%. A packed-bed column bioreactor was designed for the synthesis of SL from chicken fat. In using ground crude C. papaya latex (aw<0.1), 7.1 mol% of caprylic acid was incorporated into the chicken fat triacylglycerols after 117 min of reactor residence time. After purification of the SL, the acyl positional distribution of fatty acids on the glycerol backbone was determined by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. From the NMR spectrum of the SL, it was determined that saturated fatty acyl residues at the 1,3-positions of the SL triacylglycerols increased to 62% over that of the starting chicken fat triacylglycerols, suggesting that caprylic acid was preferentially incorporated at the 1,3-positions. In addition, differential scanning calorimetry thermograms were obtained to compare the crystallization characteristics of the starting chicken fat with the SL prepared from it.
The role of the carbamate reaction in the calcium and phosphorus cycles in nature.

Abstract The effect of the carbamate reaction on the great solubilization cycle of calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate was studied. Essentially the principle of solubilization was found to be based on the primary formation of bicarbonates. Synthetic as well as natural carbonates and phosphates were used as substrates, with the natural compounds showing superior solubility. Amino acids and autolyzates were used as reactants mediating carbamate formation. Amines did not show significant effects. Optimum results were obtained with alanine.
Authors’ response to commentary by Twisk

We respond here to commentary by Twisk [1] on our article entitled ‘‘Defining recovery in chronic fatigue syndrome: A critical review’’ [2]. Our colleague presents a biomedical model of diagnosis and recovery that is interesting, but more hypothetical than practical given the current state of knowledge in CFS and ME. We acknowledge that the use of objective assessments to ensure accurate diagnosis and document recovery is highly desirable; however, there is no such gold standard for CFS or ME. The Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET), as argued, may show promise as an objective measure of illness or perhaps recovery from illness; however, it is time-consuming, expensive, and burdensome to patients, many of whom will understandably refuse to undergo the rigors of 1–2 exhaustive treadmill tests. Also, it is simply not an established diagnostic test with all of the validation studies (e.g., sensitivity, specificity) that would be required. Thus, the evidence for the CPET as an illness marker is not sufficient to recommend it as a measure of recovery in any clinical or research context. With regard to successful behavioral interventions in CFS, we agree that outcomes are rarely confirmed with more objective measures, such as actigraphy (which does not improve with the treatment) [3] or the 6-min walk test which sometimes shows increased fitness [4] and sometimes not. The recovery assessment that we suggest is based on a transdiagnostic model; it is intended to document what is commonly understood as indicating recovery, i.e., a sustained reduction of symptoms to normative levels and restoration of premorbid functioning. It does not depend on objective tests which in the case of CFS and ME are not available anyway. Finally, symptoms should not be dismissed as unimportant to a recovery assessment because they are ‘‘subjective.’’ Patient-reported symptoms, including both fatigue and post-exertional malaise, convey critical information about illness severity and impact as well as potential recovery from illness. Without a full assessment of symptoms to inform the researcher’s characterization of illness, we are left with a biased, incomplete picture. Our recommendations for documenting recovery are applicable to whichever illness definition, CFS or ME, is used, because it is based on broadly shared characteristics of health restoration: symptom relief, normative functioning, and importantly patients’ perceptions of their recovery status.
Social justice and HIV vaccine research in the age of pre-exposure prophylaxis and treatment as prevention

The advent of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and treatment as prevention (TasP) as means of HIV prevention raises issues of justice concerning how most fairly and equitably to apportion resources in support of the burgeoning variety of established HIV treatment and prevention measures and further HIV research, including HIV vaccine research. We apply contemporary approaches to social justice to assess the ethical justification for allocating resources in support of HIV vaccine research given competing priorities to support broad implementation of HIV treatment and prevention measures, including TasP and PrEP. We argue that there is prima facie reason to believe that a safe and effective preventive HIV vaccine would offer a distinct set of ethically significant benefits not provided by current HIV treatment or prevention methods. It is thereby possible to justify continued support for HIV vaccine research despite tension with priorities for treatment, prevention, and other research. We then consider a counter-argument to such a justification based on the uncertainty of successfully developing a safe and effective preventive HIV vaccine. Finally, we discuss how HIV vaccine research might now be ethically designed and conducted given the new preventive options of TasP and PrEP, focusing on the ethically appropriate standard of prevention for HIV vaccine trials.
Dynamic Behavior of Telescopic Actuators

While piezoelectric actuators are very useful for high frequency applications, their small strokes pose a significant constraint to most applications. Internally leveraged amplification schemes overcome this constraint, but at the cost of output force and bandwidth. The telescopic actuation architecture employs a novel internal amplification scheme that provides a moderate stroke amplification (up to 20 times) while maintaining high force and bandwidth. This paper presents a study of the dynamic behavior of this generic type of actuation. Because of the complexity of the structure, a new modeling technique based upon adaptation of the transfer matrix method was developed. As validation, a three cylindrical PZT5H telescopic actuator was fabricated and experimentally tested.
Asymptotics of Karhunen-Loeve Eigenvalues and Tight Constants for Probability Distributions of Passive Scalar Transport

In this paper we study the asymptotics of the probability distribution function for a certain model of freely decaying passive scalar transport. In particular we prove rigorous large n, or semiclassical, asymptotics for the eigenvalues of the covariance of a fractional Brownian motion. Using these asymptotics, along with some standard large deviations results, we are able to derive tight asymptotics for the rate of decay of the tails of the probability density for a generalization of the Majda model of scalar intermittency originally due to Vanden Eijnden. We are also able to derive asymptotically tight estimates for the closely related problem of small L2 ball probabilities for a fractional Brownian motion.
VDA, a Method of Choosing a Better Algorithm with Fewer Validations

The multitude of bioinformatics algorithms designed for performing a particular computational task presents end-users with the problem of selecting the most appropriate computational tool for analyzing their biological data. The choice of the best available method is often based on expensive experimental validation of the results. We propose an approach to design validation sets for method comparison and performance assessment that are effective in terms of cost and discrimination power. Validation Discriminant Analysis (VDA) is a method for designing a minimal validation dataset to allow reliable comparisons between the performances of different algorithms. Implementation of our VDA approach achieves this reduction by selecting predictions that maximize the minimum Hamming distance between algorithmic predictions in the validation set. We show that VDA can be used to correctly rank algorithms according to their performances. These results are further supported by simulations and by realistic algorithmic comparisons in silico. VDA is a novel, cost-efficient method for minimizing the number of validation experiments necessary for reliable performance estimation and fair comparison between algorithms. Our VDA software is available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/klugerlab/files/VDA/
A multiplex real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay for detection and differentiation of Bluetongue virus and Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus serogroups

Bluetongue virus (BTV) causes disease in domestic and wild ruminants and results in significant economic loss. The closely related Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) has been associated with bluetongue-like disease in cattle. Although U.S. EHDV strains have not been experimentally proven to cause disease in cattle, there is serologic evidence of infection in cattle. Therefore, rapid diagnosis and differentiation of BTV and EHDV is required. The genetic sequence information and bioinformatic analysis necessary to design a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for the early detection of indigenous and exotic BTV and EHDV is described. This sequence data foundation focused on 2 conserved target genes: one that is highly expressed in infected mammalian cells, and the other is highly expressed in infected insect cells. The analysis of all BTV and EHDV prototype strains indicated that a complex primer design was necessary for both a virus group-comprehensive and virus group-specific gene amplification diagnostic test. This information has been used as the basis for the development of a rapid multiplex BTV-EHDV real-time RT-PCR that detects all known serotypes of both viruses and distinguishes between BTV and EHDV serogroups. The sensitivity of this rapid, single-tube, real-time RT-PCR assay is sufficient for diagnostic application, without the contamination problems associated with standard gel-based RT-PCR, especially nested RT-PCR tests.
Susceptibility of avian influenza viruses of the N6 subtype to the neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir

Abstract Avian influenza viruses are a source of genetic material that can be transmitted to humans through direct introduction or reassortment. Although there is a wealth of information concerning global monitoring for antiviral resistance among human viruses of the N1 and N2 neuraminidase (NA) subtypes, information concerning avian viruses of these and other NA subtypes is limited. We undertook a surveillance study to investigate the antiviral susceptibility of avian influenza N6 NA viruses, the predominant subtype among wild waterfowl. We evaluated 73 viruses from North American ducks and shorebirds for susceptibility to the NA inhibitor oseltamivir in a fluorescence-based NA enzyme inhibition assay. Most (90%) had mean IC 50 values ranging from 50.0 nM. Susceptibility to oseltamivir remained stable among all isolates collected over approximately three decades ( P ⩽ 0.74). Two isolates with I222V NA substitution had moderately reduced susceptibility to oseltamivir in vitro (IC 50 , 30.0 and 40.0 nM). One field sample was a mixed population containing an avian paramyxovirus (APMV) and H4N6 influenza virus, as revealed by electron microscopy and hemagglutination inhibition assays with a panel of anti-APMV antisera. This highlights the importance of awareness and careful examination of non-influenza pathogens in field samples from avian sources. This study showed that oseltamivir-resistant N6 NA avian influenza viruses are rare, and must be tested both phenotypically and genotypically to confirm resistance.
A new overview of the Trilinos project

Since An Overview of the Trilinos Project [ACM Trans. Math. Softw. 313 2005, 397--423] was published in 2005, Trilinos has grown significantly. It now supports the development of a broad collection of libraries for scalable computational science and engineering applications, and a full-featured software infrastructure for rigorous lean/agile software engineering. This growth has created significant opportunities and challenges. This paper focuses on some of the most notable changes to the Trilinos project in the last few years.At the time of the writing of this article, the current release version of Trilinos was 10.12.2.
Distal Urethral Reconstruction of the Glans for Penile Carcinoma: Results of a Novel Technique at 1-Year of Followup

Purpose: No satisfactory techniques are available to replace the anatomy and function of the penile glans after radical surgery for penile carcinoma. We report a new technique of glans reconstruction using distal urethra. We evaluated anatomical, physiological and esthetic features as well as short-term and long-term clinical outcomes.Materials and Methods: A total of 14 patients with a mean age of 54 who had squamous penile carcinoma underwent glans reconstruction after simple glansectomy in 8 and after amputation of the distal third of the shaft in 6. Glans sensibility, erectile function, ejaculation, orgasm, penile length, local recurrence, patient and partner satisfaction, and quality of life were evaluated before and after the operation. Mean followup was 13 months.Results: All patients noticed subjective and objective thermal and tactile epicritic sensibility in the area of the neoglans. Ten of 14 patients (71%) noticed spontaneous and/or induced rigid erections. Interestingly International Index of...
Methane synthesis over transition metal electrodes in a solid state ionic cell

Predominantly oxide ion conduction in heavily doped ZrO/sub 2/ at elevated temperatures has enabled its wide use as a solid electrolyte in passive devices such as oxygen sensors. The active, as distinct from passive, use of such a solid state electrochemical cell involves controlling and/or changing the oxygen activity on one side of the electrolyte with respect to a fixed reference oxygen activity on the other side via an externally applied voltage drop across the cell. The present note provides a brief report of some experiments that demonstrate the use of this solid state ionic technique for the synthesis of methane from H/sub 2/ and CO over Fe, Ni, and Co electrodes. By applying a voltage drop across an underlying solid electrolyte, one should be able to actively alter the oxygen activity on the catalyst surface to sufficiently low values that the adsorbed CO becomes thermodynamically unstable and readily dissociates. 12 references.
Navigating the legal framework for state foodborne illness surveillance and outbreak response: observations and challenges

Public health and food safety officials have long recognized the important role that state agencies play in protecting consumers from foodborne disease. With the increasing occurrence of multi-jurisdictional outbreaks, efforts have been underway to modernize and make more uniform the patchwork of state laws, protocols, and policies that exist across the U.S. for food-borne illness surveillance and outbreak response activities. To aid in this endeavor, and to better understand the role of law in a state's ability to carry out these functions effectively, we are creating a database of key legal authorities and provisions relating to foodborne illness surveillance and outbreak response across the 50 states and District of Columbia. There appears to be wide variation in the legal infrastructure for these activities, ranging from how certain terms are defined, to what and when foodborne illnesses must be reported, to which level of government has responsibility over investigation and response of foodborne outbreaks. As outbreaks become more widespread and involve multiple jurisdictions, it is important that public health and food safety stakeholders understand the legal authorities under which they operate, how such authorities may impede or promote efficient and effective surveillance and outbreak response, and use that knowledge to determine if state laws should be updated or strengthened.
COPD is associated with increased mortality in patients with community-acquired pneumonia

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who develop community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) may experience worse clinical outcomes. However, COPD is not included as a distinct diagnosis in validated instruments that predict mortality in patients with CAP. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of COPD as a comorbid condition on 30- and 90-day mortality in CAP patients. A retrospective observational study was conducted at two hospitals. Eligible patients had a discharge diagnosis and radiological confirmation of CAP. Among 744 patients with CAP, 215 had a comorbid diagnosis of COPD and 529 did not have COPD. The COPD group had a higher mean pneumonia severity index score (105+/-32 versus 87+/-34) and were admitted to the intensive care unit more frequently (25 versus 18%). After adjusting for severity of disease and processes of care, CAP patients with COPD showed significantly higher 30- and 90-day mortality than non-COPD patients. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients hospitalised with community-acquired pneumonia exhibited higher 30- and 90-day mortality than patients without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should be evaluated for inclusion in community-acquired pneumonia prediction instruments.
On the role of hypotheses during opportunistic understanding while porting large scale code

Hypotheses are major drivers of program comprehension. We report on a case study observing an experienced software engineer porting a large software system and the role of hypotheses in accomplishing the porting task. Observations confirm some existing theoretic models and experimental findings, but not all. While generalization based on a case study is of necessity limited, the results could be the basis for further experiments. They also point to information that mould help novices to become experts faster.
What's on Wikipedia, and What's Not . . . ?

The World Wide Web continues to grow closer to achieving the vision of becoming the repository of all human knowledge, as features and applications that support user-generated content become more prevalent. Wikipedia is fast becoming an important resource for news and information. It is an online information source that is increasingly used as the first, and sometimes only, stop for online encyclopedic information. Using a method employed by Tankard and Royal to judge completeness of Web content, completeness of information on Wikipedia is assessed. Some topics are covered more comprehensively than others, and the predictors of these biases include recency, importance, population, and financial wealth. Wikipedia is more a socially produced document than a value-free information source. It reflects the viewpoints, interests, and emphases of the people who use it.
Remembrance of circuits past: macromodeling by data mining in large analog design spaces

The introduction of simulation-based analog synthesis tools creates a new challenge for analog modeling. These tools routinely visit 10/sup 3/ to 10/sup 5/ fully simulated circuit solution candidates. What might we do with all this circuit data? We show how to adapt recent ideas from large-scale data mining to build models that capture significant regions of this visited performance space, parameterized by variables manipulated by synthesis, trained by the data points visited during synthesis. Experimental results show that we can automatically build useful nonlinear regression models for large analog design spaces.
A perspective on certain polynomial-time solvable classes of satisfiability

The scope of certain well-studied polynomial-time solvable classes of Satisfiability is investigated relative to a polynomial-time solvable class consisting of what we call matched formulas. The class of matched formulas has not been studied in the literature, probably because it seems not to contain many challenging formulas. Yet, we find that, in some sense, the matched formulas are more numerous than Horn, extended Horn, renamable Horn, q-Horn, CC-balanced, or single lookahead unit resolution (SLUR) formulas.The behavior of random k-CNF formulas generated by the constant clause-width model is investigated as n and m, the numbers of variables and clauses, go to infinity. For m/n 0.64, random formulas are matched formulas with probability tending to 1. For m/nk-1 ≥ 2k/k!, random formulas are solved by a certain polynomial-time resolution procedure with probability tending to 1.The propositional connection graph is introduced to represent clause structure for formulas with general-width clauses. Cyclic substructures are exhibited that occur with high probability and prevent formulas from being in the previously studied polynomial-time solvable classes, but do not prevent them from being in the matched class. We believe that part of the significance of this work lies in guiding the future development of polynomial-time solvable classes of Satisfiability.
Optical and optoelectronic properties of inverse photonic crystals composed of single-wall carbon nanotubes and conductive polymers

We present linear arid nonlinear optical characteristics as well as electrical properties of photonic crystals and their inverse structures, which are made of conductive polymers imbedded with single wall carbon nanotubes.
KORRIGAN, an Arabidopsis endo-1,4-β-glucanase, localizes to the cell plate by polarized targeting and is essential for cytokinesis.

The formation of the cell plate, a unique structure in dividing plant cells, is pivotal for cytokinesis. A mutation in the Arabidopsis KORRIGAN (KOR) gene causes the formation of aberrant cell plates, incomplete cell walls, and multinucleated cells, leading to severely abnormal seedling morphology. The mutant, designed kor1-2, was identified as a stronger allele than the previously identified kor1-1, which appears to be defective only in cell elongation. KOR1 encodes an endo-1,4-β-d-glucanase with a transmembrane domain and two putative polarized targeting signals in the cytosolic tail. When expressed in tobacco BY2 cells, a KOR1-GFP (green fluorescence protein) fusion protein was localized to growing cell plates. Substitution mutations in the polarized targeting motifs of KOR1 caused the fusion proteins to localize to the plasma membrane as well. Expression of these mutant genes in kor1-2 plants complemented only the cell elongation defect but not the cytokinesis defect, indicating that polarized targeting of KOR1 to forming cell plates is essential for cytokinesis. Our results suggest that KOR1 plays a critical role during cytokinesis.
Photographic study of solid-gas fluidization

Motion pictures at 2,000 frames/sec. were used to measure the movements of individual solid particles and gas bubbles in a fluidized bed. Air was used to fluidize 0.028-in. glass spheres and 200-mesh alumina in a 3.75-in. glass column. Aggregates were very common, and each moved as a unit. Particles and aggregates near the wall showed pronounced alternations of fast and slow movements both upward and downward. Individual particles exhibited spin. Baffles increased the bed density and decreased the particle velocities. Small bubbles rose rapidly with little change in shape. Large cavities were slow and tended to collapse and reform elsewhere.
Seasonal variation in conception and various pregnancy outcomes

Abstract U.S. vital registration data on live births and data on abortions and ectopic pregnancies from a national hospital discharge survey were used to examine the seasonality of conceptions and the influence the conception pattern has on the monthly incidence of abortions and ectopic pregnancies. We found that in the United States conceptions follow a consistent seasonal pattern with the peak in November and December. However, when the pattern for conceptions is controlled, the monthly variation for abortions and ectopic pregnancies is not significant. Therefore, we find no monthly excess for any of these outcomes of pregnancy over that expected as a consequence of the seasonality of conception. We suggest the monthly variation for the number of each of these pregnancy outcomes will best be explained when the seasonal variation in conceptions is understood.
Vegetable Intake and Pancreatic Cancer Risk: The Multiethnic Cohort Study

Investigators studying associations between vegetable intake and pancreatic cancer risk have reported inconsistent findings to date. To further explore these associations, the authors analyzed data on 183,522 participants enrolled in the Hawaii-Los Angeles Multiethnic Cohort Study in 1993-1996. Intakes of total vegetables, light green, dark green, yellow-orange, and cruciferous vegetables, tomato products, and legumes were estimated from a quantitative food frequency questionnaire. After an average of 8.3 years of follow-up, 529 pancreatic cancer cases were identified. Multivariate-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were created. All statistical tests were two-sided. Overall, total vegetable intake was not associated with pancreatic cancer risk, nor was intake of vegetable subgroups. Current smokers, who were at increased risk of pancreatic cancer (relative risk = 1.78, 95% confidence interval: 1.40, 2.27), had a decreased risk with higher intake of dark green vegetables (for comparison of extreme quartiles, relative risk = 0.50, 95% confidence interval: 0.27, 0.92; p-trend = 0.029). The inverse association for dark green vegetables was also seen in African Americans (p-trend = 0.043). In stratified analyses, inverse associations with total vegetables, light green vegetables, and legumes were significant in overweight/obese subjects. In conclusion, the authors found no evidence for an inverse association between vegetable intake and pancreatic cancer overall, but inverse associations in high-risk persons suggest the need for further investigation.
A torque and speed coupling hybrid drivetrain-architecture, control, and simulation

In this paper, a speed and torque coupling hybrid drivetrain is introduced. In this drivetrain, a planetary gear unit and a generator/motor decouple the engine speed from the vehicle wheel speed. Also, another shaft-fixed gear unit and traction motor decouple the engine torque from the vehicle wheel torque. Thus, the engine can operate within its optimal speed and torque region, and at the same time, can directly deliver its torque to the driven wheels. This paper discussed the fundamentals architecture, design, control, and simulation of the drivetrain
Blind OFDM channel estimation through simple linear precoding

A novel approach of blind channel estimation for orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems is proposed. A linear transformation is applied on each block before it enters the OFDM system. The transform imposes a correlation structure on the transmitted blocks, which is exploited at the receiver to recover the channel via simple cross-correlation operations. The proposed approach is computationally simple and converges fast, which makes it a good candidate for estimation of fast-varying channels. Its performance is tested analytically, through a mean-square error analysis, and also via simulations. Results show that it compares favorably to the training-based scheme used in the IEEE 802.11a wireless standard.
Rice Milling Quality, Grain Dimensions, and Starch Branching as Affected by High Night Temperatures

ABSTRACT Important rice grain quality characteristics such as percentage of chalky rice kernels are affected by both high and low night temperatures and by different day and day/night temperature combinations. High nighttime temperatures have also been suspected of reducing rice milling quality including head rice yields. Experiments to confirm or refute this have not been reported. A controlled climate experiment was conducted. Conditions in the chambers were identical except between 2400 and 0500 hours (midnight and 5 am). For those times, two temperature treatments were imposed: 1) 18°C (low temperature treatment) and 2) 24°C (high temperature treatment). Two cultivars were tested: LaGrue and Cypress. The high temperature treatment reduced head rice yields compared with the low temperature treatment. Grain widths were reduced for the high temperature treatment compared with the low temperature treatment. There was no effect of temperature on grain length or thickness. Amylopectin chain lengths 13–24 we...
Solution of fatty acids from monolayers spread at the air-water interface: identification of phase transformations and the estimation of surface charge

The contraction or decrease in area of fatty acid monolayers maintained at a constant surface pressure of 16 dynes/cm was studied as a function of fatty acid chain length, unsaturation, temperature, and the hydrogen ion concentration in the subphase. The data were consistent with the hypothesis that fatty acid solution from the monolayer into the subphase was the mechanism for film loss. Autoxidative reactions did not contribute significantly to film loss since contraction occurred with saturated fatty acid monolayers and with unsaturated fatty acid monolayers in an anaerobic environment. The decrease in area per unit time or the solution rate was inversely proportional to chain length and directly proportional to the degree of unsaturation. Arrhenius plots showed activation energies of 1.5-2.5 kcal mole(-1) for tetradecanoic, octadecenoic, and octadecadienoic acids, and 25 kcal mole(-1) for hexadecanoic acid. The solution rate from the monolayer increased in a sigmoidal fashion with an increase in subphase pH, and the apparent surface pK(a) was estimated as the point where the solution rate was half-maximum. Apparent surface pK(a) values were: hexadecanoic acid, 9.7; octadecenoic acid, 8.3; tetradecanoic acid, 7.9; and octadecadienoic acid, 8.0.
'Beyond Controversy': Hume on Impartiality

In his 2012 monograph 'Hune's Politics: Coordination and Crisis in the History of England', Andrew Sabl observed that in recent years, "a great many scholars have gone beyond the Treatise, rightly treating Hume's political essays and his 'History of England' as containing his main insights into politics." At the very same time, political theorists including Russell Muirhead and Nancy Rosenblum have begun to reexamine the normative value of partisanship and partiality. In this paper, I will explore Hume's explicit and implicit views on impartiality, as revealed through the volumes of his History that depict Britain's seventeenth-century civil wars.
High fidelity digital inline holographic method for 3D flow measurements

Among all the 3D optical flow diagnostic techniques, digital inline holographic particle tracking velocimetry (DIH-PTV) provides the highest spatial resolution with low cost, simple and compact optical setups. Despite these advantages, DIH-PTV suffers from major limitations including poor longitudinal resolution, human intervention (i.e. requirement for manually determined tuning parameters during tracer field reconstruction and extraction), limited tracer concentration, and expensive computations. These limitations prevent this technique from being widely used for high resolution 3D flow measurements. In this study, we present a novel holographic particle extraction method with the goal of overcoming all the major limitations of DIH-PTV. The proposed method consists of multiple steps involving 3D deconvolution, automatic signal-to-noise ratio enhancement and thresholding, and inverse iterative particle extraction. The entire method is implemented using GPU-based algorithm to increase the computational speed significantly. Validated with synthetic particle holograms, the proposed method can achieve particle extraction rate above 95% with fake particles less than 3% and maximum position error below 1.6 particle diameter for holograms with particle concentration above 3000 particles/mm3. The applicability of the proposed method for DIH-PTV has been further validated using the experiment of laminar flow in a microchannel and the synthetic tracer flow fields generated using a DNS turbulent channel flow database. Such improvements will substantially enhance the implementation of DIH-PTV for 3D flow measurements and enable the potential commercialization of this technique.
State Representation in Washington and the Political Safeguards of Federalism

State governments have multiple political safeguards that defend their interests before the federal government. Yet approximately half the states have offices in Washington that represent the state government in our federal system, and there are seven governors associations – national, regional, and partisan – in Washington. Why do governors believe they need these organizations, when the American federal system is explicitly designed to protect states, and when there are so many other political safeguards of federalism? In this paper, I examine the role for these offices as political safeguards of federalism. I first present the political safeguards of federalism as they are designed to function, and then examine the failings of these safeguards. I next review what states and their governors need vis-a-vis the federal government, how lobbying offices and associations can assist, and what their limitations are. I argue that though there are many political safeguards, they have shortcomings that leave gaps, and states’ lobbying offices and associations are structured to fill these gaps. Though these organizations will have their own weaknesses, they serve an important role in a system of political safeguards that depends on redundancy.
Using the inverse Poisson distribution to calculate multiplicity of infection and viral replication by a high-throughput fluorescent imaging system

Here, we introduce an additional method that we believe has merits with respect to reducing labor, decreasing wait times, improving objectivity, and decreasing long-term costs. This new method, called fluorescently labeled infected cell inoculum titration (FLICIT), utilizes high-throughput fluorescent microscopy instrumentation such as Cytation 3 from Biotek, and is therefore only applicable to transgenic viruses that cause host cells to express fluorescent proteins. For the purpose of developing this method, we used the recombinant virus HSV-1 strain 17-Syn+, which expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) (Figure 1A) and exhibits the same replication pattern as the wild type counterpart (Foster et al., 1998). This new method relies on titrating the inoculum so that dilution ensures that the rate of infection is less than 50%, with cells infected by nearly one viral particle each; thus, each fluorescent signal can be attributed to a single viral particle.
Photoionization of Nanosized Aerosol Gold Agglomerates and Their Deposition To Form Nanoscale Islands on Substrates

Positively charged gold nanoparticles can be produced in the aerosol state by ultraviolet irradiation of aerosols at wavelengths above the gold ionization energy. Spark-discharge-generated aerosol gold nanoparticles were mobility-classified, neutralized, and then exposed to ultraviolet irradiation at 185 nm. The charge states were determined using a tandem differential mobility analyzer system, and the results revealed that there was no significant dependence of charging probability upon mobility diameter between 4 and 60 nm (1.55 ± 0.26 in positive elementary charge), probably because of the agglomerated nature of the particles. The ionized particles could be deposited to form nanoscale island patterns on a substrate without the use of templates.
Production of a Hemorrhagic State by the Infusion of Hemolyzed Blood.

SummaryA syndrome of prolongation of blood coagulation time, gastro-intestinal bleeding and petechiae is described. This condition can be produced in the dog by the infusion of hemolyzed blood.
Regional Water Cooperation Creating Incentives for Integrated Management

Shared water has prompted some neighboring countries to form integrated regional institutions and rules. Other neighboring countries have maintained less cooperative policies in managing shared water. When do governments achieve integrated management of regional water? How do they overcome barriers to integrated cooperation? This article contends that the structure of interdependence, not the number of states bordering the water, encourages different international policies. It analyzes original panel data on the agreement histories of seventy-six rivers, lakes, and seas. It also examines the role of selective incentives in promoting mutual water management. Fundamentally, the number of states with access to the water does not determine the fate of water management. Strategies for overcoming divergent preferences can be applied across situations. The key is to provide selective incentives when states are asymmetrically interdependent in using the water, to alter national preferences. Selective incentives a...
Default Network and Aging: Beyond the Task-Negative Perspective

During cognitive tasks requiring externally directed attention, activation in the default-network (DN) typically decreases below baseline levels (‘deactivation'). Healthy aging is associated with reduced deactivation, which is usually attributed to a failure to suppress DN processes. Recent evidence instead suggests that older adults may be more reliant on DN than young adults when performing these tasks.
Neurologic diseases in pregnancy.

SUMMARY Although most neurologic problems require conservative management, such as headaches and nerve compression syndromes, others demand aggressive treatment, such as plasmapheresis in Guillain-Barre syndrome and prompt surgery in those patients with hemorrhagic strokes secondary to a ruptured aneurysm or arteriovenous malformation. Myasthenia gravis, discussed in the autoimmune disease section, and epilepsy are associated with congenital anomalies, whereas the progeny of patients with multiple sclerosis are at a much greater risk than the general population of contracting this disease. Therefore, knowledge of these risks is essential in providing quality preconceptional counseling. Pregnancy provides many physiologic changes that alter the course of preexisting neurologic conditions as well as increasing the risks and morbidity of other diseases. It is for this reason that a cooperative team effort, including the obstetrician, neurologist, and, if needed, the neurosurgeon, is essential for an optimal outcome.
Group behavior and group learning

We describe an approach to principled synthesis and analysis of group behavior in situated, embodied multiagent systems. We propose basic behaviors as the appropriate level for control and learning. Basic behaviors are generated by simple local rules and serve as building blocks for a large repertoire of higher level behaviors. We describe an architecture for combining basic behaviors into compound, more complex tasks. We also describe a formulation of reinforcement learning that allows for learning such compound behaviors automatically in non Markovian, noisy and uncertain environments with multiple agent. We demonstrate all of our methodologies with experimental data on a collection of physical mobile robots demonstrating group avoidance, aggregation, dispersion, following, wandering, flocking, and foraging.
Allotropes of Carbon Nanotubes with MWCNTs

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are allotropes of carbon with a nanostructure which will have a length-to-diameter quantitative relation bigger than 1,000,000. Techniques are developed to supply nanotubes in sizeable quantities, together with arc discharge, optical device ablation, and chemical vapor deposition. Developments within the past few years have illustrated the possibly revolutionizing impact of nanomaterials, particularly in medical specialty imaging, drug delivery, biosensing, and also the style of practical nanocomposites. Strategies to effectively interface proteins with nanomaterials for realizing these applications still evolve. The high surface-to-volume quantitative relation offered by nanoparticles resulted within the concentration of the immobilized entity being significantly beyond that afforded by different materials. There has conjointly been AN increasing interest in understanding the influence of nanomaterials on the structure and performance of proteins. varied immobilization strategies are developed, and particularly, specific attachment of enzymes on carbon nanotubes has been a crucial focus of attention. With the growing attention paid to cascade catalyst reaction, it’s attainable that multienzyme coimmobilization would be one among ensuing goals within the future. During this paper, we tend to concentrate on advances in methodology for catalyst immobilization on carbon nanotubes.
Overview of Mononuclear Phagocytes

The mononuclear phagocyte (MP; monocyte, macrophages, dendritic cells and microglia) is part of innate immunity that functions by nonspecific surveillance and clearing response through phagocytic and intracellular killing activities. MPs included are present within the reticular connective tissues and accumulate in lymph nodes, spleen, liver and as histiocytes, tissue macrophages, Kupffer cells and microglia. It is estimated that there are at any time six billion MP/L of blood. MPs are divided into non-professional and professional categories based on function. Phagocytosis is a key function that phagocytes possess to survey their environment, ingest and process material. This chapter expands on the mechanisms, benefits, and uses of the mononuclear phagocyte.
Pilot study comparing post-anesthesia care unit length of stay in moderately and severely obese children.

Obesity is a risk factor for surgical complications in adults and children. Differences in postsurgical outcomes according to severity of obesity [moderate: 95–98th age-gender-specific body mass index (BMI) percentile versus severe: ≥99th percentile] in children remain unclear. This study compared post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) stay and hospital admission between severely obese children and moderately obese children undergoing surgery. In a retrospective review over a 6-month period, obese children, 2–18 years of age undergoing surgery were identified. Multivariate mixed-effects regression was used to compare PACU length of stay (LOS) need for opioid analgesia, and hospital admission between moderately and severely obese patients. There were 1324 records selected for inclusion. PACU LOS did not significantly differ between moderately obese (50 ± 36 min) and severely obese patients (55 ± 38 min). There were no differences between moderately and severely obese patients in use of opioids in the PACU. Yet, severely obese patients were more likely to require inpatient admission than moderately obese patients. The duration of PACU stay still averaged less than 1 h in our cohort, suggesting that the majority of these patients can be cared for safely in the outpatient setting. Future studies should focus on identifying the co-morbid conditions that may prolong postoperative PACU stay or result in unplanned hospital admission in moderately and severely obese patients. Our preliminary data suggest that these factors may include a younger age and the complexity or duration of the surgical procedure.
Electromagnetic Shielding for RF and Microwave Packages

Antennas and electromagnetic radiation helped mankind to invent radio, TV, GPS, wireless communication, and many other advanced and convenient technologies that are taken for granted in daily life. Just for a moment, imagine the world without radiation phenomena, a world without antennas and wireless communication. It would be a world without cellphones, TVs, radios, radar and satellite communication to assist in navigating the sky and oceans, a world in the 1800s. Intentional radiation is necessary to make mobile communication possible; however, unintentional radiation is an obstacle to wireless and wired communications, destructive to electronic systems, and harmful to health.
Horticultural Characteristics and Susceptibility of Table Beet Cultivars to Cercospora Leaf Spot in New York

Table beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) production in New York is increasing for direct sale, use in value-added products, or processing. One of the most important diseases affecting table beet is cercospora leaf spot (CLS) caused by the fungus Cercospora beticola. CLS causes lesions on leaves that coalesce and leads to premature defoliation. The presence of CLS may cause buyer rejection at fresh markets. Defoliation fromCLS may also result in crop loss because of the inability to harvest with top-pulling machinery. The susceptibility of popular table beet cultivars (Boldor, Detroit, Falcon, Merlin, Rhonda, Ruby Queen, and Touchstone Gold) to CLS was tested using C. beticola isolates representative of the New York population. Two trials were conducted by inoculating 6-week-old plants in the misting chamber. A small-plot replicated field trial was also conducted to examine horticultural characteristics of the cultivars. In the misting chamber trials, disease progress measured by the area under the disease progress stairs (AUDPS) was not significantly different between the red cultivars, Detroit and Ruby Queen, and was significantly higher in ‘Boldor’ than the other yellow cultivar Touchstone Gold. In the field trial, the number of CLS lesions per leaf at the final disease assessment and AUDPS were significantly lower in cultivar RubyQueen than others and not significantly different between the yellow cultivars. The dry weight of roots was not significantly different among cultivars at first harvest (77 days after planting). At 112 days after planting, the dry weight of roots was significantly higher in cultivar Detroit than Rhonda and Boldor. Leaf blade length and the length:width ratio were cultivar-dependent, which may facilitate selection for specific fresh markets. Significant associations between canopy reflectance in the near infrared (IR) (830 nm), dry weight of foliage, and number of CLS lesions per leaf suggested that this technique may have utility for remote assessment of these variables in table beet research. Implications of these findings for the management of CLS in table beet are discussed.