cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fluctuations in Phases of Membranes

Surfactants in solution may associate into two dimensional aggregates (membranes) which self-organize either in liquid crystalline phases or in liquid isotropic phases made of connected bilayers. When specially designed surfactants or mixture of surfactants are used the elastic modulus of these membranes may be of the order kBT. In this case, thermal fluctuations are important and lead to interesting predictions among which the existence of undulation forces and logarithm corrections to thermodynamical properties, characteristic of fluctuations in two dimensional systems, have been observed experimentally.
Recent Advances in the Green's Function Technique for Ion Beam Transport

*† ‡ § ** †† ‡‡ §§ The Green’s function approach to ion transport greatly facilitates the modeling of laboratory radiation environments and allows for the direct testing of transport approximations of material transmission properties. This approach has been used successfully by radiation investigators at the NASA, Langley Research Center to construct simple solutions that were supported by experimental evidence with HZE ion beams. Recent additions to the Green’s function solution include energy straggling, fragmentation energy widths and downshifts. Accurate analytical approximations for the first three terms in the perturbation series are presented here and it is shown that the remaining terms may be incorporated by making use of a non-perturbative technique. The solution is validated by comparison with recent experimental results.
Use of a Doppler guide wire for intravascular blood flow measurements: a validation study for potential neurologic endovascular applications.

PURPOSE To conduct a validation study of a Doppler guide wire for potential neuroendovascular applications. METHODS A 12-MHz, 0.018-inch Doppler guide wire was evaluated in eight swine under various blood flow conditions using two types of in vivo cerebrovascular models (physiologic and arteriovenous shunting). Flow conditions were mechanically and pharmacologically altered. Doppler average peak velocity was compared with volumetric blood flow, and flow profile corrections were calculated and analyzed. Qualitative aspects of the Doppler guide wire spectra were also assessed. RESULTS Plots of average peak velocity versus volumetric blood flow showed excellent linear relationships (r2 > 0.94), which were maintained at high flow conditions (average peak velocity, 99 to 236 cm/sec; volumetric blood flow, 392 to 889 mL/min). Values of flow profile correction varied from 0.43 to 0.94 and showed no consistent relationship to changes in volumetric blood flow. CONCLUSIONS The excellent correlation between average peak velocity and volumetric blood flow over a wide range of blood flow conditions and the additional qualitative information of the Doppler guide wire spectra establish a foundation for clinical implementation. The unpredictable variations of flow profile corrections remain obstacles for calculating volumetric blood flow based on Doppler guide wire average peak velocity.
Advancing Understanding of the Characteristics and Capacity of African American Women Who Serve as Lay Health Advisors in Community-Based Settings

Lay Health Advisor (LHA) programs hold tremendous promise for reducing health disparities and addressing social determinants of health in medically underserved communities, including African American populations. Very little is understood about the capacity of LHAs in these roles and the broader contributions they make to their communities. This article seeks to address this gap by describing the characteristics and capacity of a sample of 76 female African American LHAs from a nationally disseminated evidence-based LHA program for breast and cervical cancer screening (The National Witness Project), as well as potential differences between cancer survivors and nonsurvivors who serve as LHAs. A conceptual model for understanding LHA capacity and contributions in underserved communities at the individual, social, and organizational levels is presented. We describe LHA experiences and characteristics (e.g., experiences of mistrust and discrimination, racial pride, sociodemographics), capacity at the individual level (e.g., psychological and physical health, health behaviors), capacity at the social level (e.g., social networks, social support), and capacity at the organizational level (e.g., role-related competencies, self-efficacy, leadership, role benefits/challenges). Data were obtained through interview-administered telephone surveys between 2010 and 2011. Findings highlight the critical capacity that LHAs bring to their communities and the importance of supporting LHAs to sustain these programs and to address racial/ethnic health disparities.
Reaction and disruption for Fe/ La 1.85 Sr 0.15 Cu O 4 : Interface formation for high-temperature superconductors

Inverse photoemission studies of the interface formed when Fe is deposited onto the high-${T}_{c}$ superconductor ${\mathrm{La}}_{1.85}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{0.15}$Cu${\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ show that Fe leaches oxygen from the near-surface region to form insulating Fe-O. This reduces the number of $\mathrm{Cu} 3p\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{O} 2p$ antibonding electronic states straddling the Fermi level. The Fe-induced depletion continues until the nominal Fe coverage reaches \ensuremath{\approx}8 \AA{}, at which point reaction is kinetically limited and a metallic Fe overlayer grows. Insight into the evolving near-surface environment of La is obtained through chemical shifts observed for the empty La $4f$ levels. Line-shape decompositions for these atomiclike empty states provide information analogous to that obtained with core-level photoemission.
TU-FG-207B-03: NCI Small Business Funding Opportunities

Up-to-date knowledge about federal funding opportunities related to medical physics research, as well as obtaining skills for writing effective grant proposals are critical for academic and entrepreneurial medical physicists. In this symposium, program directors from key federal research funding agencies, including the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, and the National Science Foundation, will present information about current funding opportunities relevant to the field of medical physics. They will also provide insight to issues that applicants should pay special attention to when crafting their research grant proposals. In addition, the symposium will include presentations on research funding for small business concerns, and the results of an independent AAPM study of the National Institutes of Health funding of AAPM members from 2002–2015. Learning Objectives: 1.To learn about current federal funding initiatives relevant to medical physics research 2.To learn about tactics important for crafting convincing research proposals 3.To learn about an independent study of NIH funding of research done by AAPM members B. Whelan, this work was commissioned and funded by the AAPM
General and food-selection specific parenting style in relation to the healthfulness of parent-child choices while grocery shopping

Abstract Past research has demonstrated that parenting style is related to children's health and eating patterns, and that parenting can vary across time and context. However, there is little evidence about similarities and differences between general, self-reported parenting style and observed parenting during grocery shopping. The goals of this study were to investigate links between general parenting style, parental warmth and limit setting (important dimensions of parenting style) during grocery shopping, and the healthfulness of foods chosen. Participants were 153 parent (88 mothers) - child (6–9 years old) dyads. Dyads were brought to a laboratory set up like a grocery store aisle and asked to choose two items from each of three categories (cookies/crackers, cereals, chips/snacks). Parents were observed in terms of warmth, responsiveness, autonomy granting, and limit setting; children were observed in terms of resistance and negotiation. Parents reported behaviors related to general parenting. Regression analyses were used to test study hypotheses. Observed parental limit setting was related to general parenting style; observed warmth was not. Observed limit setting (but not observed warmth or self-reported parenting style) was related to the healthfulness of food choices. Limit setting appears to be the dimension of parenting style that is expressed during grocery shopping, and that promotes healthier food choices. Implications are discussed regarding consistencies in parenting style across situations as well as contributions of parenting style to the development of children's healthy eating.
Placenta praevia and the risk of adverse outcomes during second trimester abortion: A retrospective cohort study.

Background There are few reports in the literature of the risks associated with second trimester abortion in women with placenta praevia (PP). We hypothesise that PP increases the risk of complications. Aims We sought to determine if PP is associated with a higher risk of blood loss and blood transfusion at the time of dilation and evacuation (D&E). Materials and methods The records of 612 consecutive women undergoing abortion at 15–24 weeks of gestation were reviewed. Participant characteristics, need for blood transfusion, estimated blood loss (EBL) during the abortion and other complications were compared between women with and without ultrasound-documented PP. Results Eighty-seven of 612 (14.2%, 95% CI 11.5-17.2%) women had ultrasound-documented PP. The rate of blood transfusion was 3.4 and 1.3% in the group with PP and without PP, respectively (adjusted relative risk (RR = 2.8, 95% CI 0.7–11.3). An estimated blood loss of 500 cc or greater during the D&E procedure was observed in 12.6% of women in the PP group compared with 4.2% of women in the group without PP (adjusted RR 3.1, 95% CI 1.4–6.8, P = 0.004). Conclusions Second-trimester abortion in women with PP is associated with a higher risk of blood loss of 500 cc or greater. Our study represents a larger sample size of patients with PP undergoing second-trimester abortion than previously reported in the literature. Women with PP may have a higher estimated blood loss and may require access to blood transfusion.
Energy harvesting from cerebrospinal fluid pressure fluctuations for self-powered neural implants

In this paper, a novel method to generate electrical energy by converting available mechanical energy from pressure fluctuations of the cerebrospinal fluid within lateral ventricles of the brain is presented. The generated electrical power can be supplied to the neural implants and either eliminate their battery need or extend the battery lifespan. A diaphragm type harvester comprised of piezoelectric material is utilized to convert the pressure fluctuations to electrical energy. The pressure fluctuations cause the diaphragm to bend, and the strained piezoelectric materials generate electricity. In the framework of this study, an energy harvesting structure having a diameter of 2.5 mm was designed and fabricated using microfabrication techniques. A 1:1 model of lateral ventricles was 3D–printed from raw MRI images to characterize the harvester. Experimental results show that a maximum power of 0.62 nW can be generated from the harvester under similar physical conditions in lateral ventricles which corresponds to energy density of 12.6 nW/cm2. Considering the available area within the lateral ventricles and the size of harvesters that can be built using microfabrication techniques it is possible to amplify to power up to 26 nW. As such, the idea of generating electrical energy by making use of pressure fluctuations within brain is demonstrated in this work via the 3D–printed model system.
Hepatitis C Treatment Regimens Are Cost-Effective: But Compared With What?:

Background: Numerous economic models have been published evaluating treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, but none provide a comprehensive comparison among new antiviral agents. O...
Life History of Labidesthes vanhyningi (Atheriniformes: Atherinopsidae; Stout Silverside) in the Black Warrior River Drainage, Alabama

Abstract Little is known about the life history of Labidesthes vanhyningi (Stout Silverside) in the Mobile Basin. We made monthly collections of Stout Silverside from Lake Tuscaloosa in Northport, AL, from September 2011 to September 2012. Emergence of young-of-the-year occurred in the months of September, October, January, and May. Reproductive investment, calculated using a gonadosomatic index (GSI), was observed from March to December. We also documented evidence for internal fertilization by Stout Silverside in the Mobile Basin. Dietary analysis showed cladocerans were the numerically dominant prey item. These life-history data provide information to natural resource-management agencies about Stout Silverside in the Mobile Basin, where the species is currently under threat from invading Menidia audens (Mississippi Silverside).
Forecasting Computer Usage

The dataset bestbuy.dat.txt contains actual monthly data on computer usage (Millions of Instructions Per Second, MIPS) and total number of stores from August 1996 to July 2000. Additionally, inform...
Oral Systemic Agents in Pediatric Dermatology

Oral systemic agents are used in pediatric dermatology for a broad range of conditions, including inflammatory disorders, vascular tumors and malformations, connective tissue diseases, and immunobullous diseases, among others. Their utilization may be indicated after failure of standard non-systemic therapies or in the setting of certain indicators of greater disease impact or severity. The choice of agent, determination of optimal dosing and duration, and decision of monitoring parameters often rely heavily on well-informed clinical judgement that reconciles broader, literature-based strategies with individual patient considerations and provider experience. This chapter focuses on the use of oral agents for the treatment of recalcitrant atopic dermatitis, severe psoriasis, and impacting infantile hemangiomas.
Predicting peak spectral sensitivities of vertebrate cone visual pigments using atomistic molecular simulations.

Vision is the dominant sensory modality in many organisms for foraging, predator avoidance, and social behaviors including mate selection. Vertebrate visual perception is initiated when light strikes rod and cone photoreceptors within the neural retina of the eye. Sensitivity to individual colors, i.e., peak spectral sensitivities (λmax) of visual pigments, are a function of the type of chromophore and the amino acid sequence of the associated opsin protein in the photoreceptors. Large differences in peak spectral sensitivities can result from minor differences in amino acid sequence of cone opsins. To determine how minor sequence differences could result in large spectral shifts we selected a spectrally-diverse group of 14 teleost Rh2 cone opsins for which sequences and λmax are experimentally known. Classical molecular dynamics simulations were carried out after embedding chromophore-associated homology structures within explicit bilayers and water. These simulations revealed structural features of visual pigments, particularly within the chromophore, that contributed to diverged spectral sensitivities. Statistical tests performed on all the observed structural parameters associated with the chromophore revealed that a two-term, first-order regression model was sufficient to accurately predict λmax over a range of 452–528 nm. The approach was accurate, efficient and simple in that site-by-site molecular modifications or complex quantum mechanics models were not required to predict λmax. These studies identify structural features associated with the chromophore that may explain diverged spectral sensitivities, and provide a platform for future, functionally predictive opsin modeling.
The Madness of Starvation in Hamsun’s Hunger

Published in 1890, Hunger is probably Hamsun’s best known and, arguably, his best-written novel. Largely autobiographical, it deals with the time Hamsun existed in Kristiania Oslo and is extraordinary both in terms of its psychological depth and poetic temperament. But one cannot easily dismiss the effect starvation had on Hamsun and to that extent one cannot discount intentionality. The course of the novel follows the nameless protagonist as he wanders virtually throughout the city while dwelling on the notions of life, death, homelessness, hunger, and art all within the confines of the city’s ethos and how their raison d’etre is a kind of survival, contingent on mobility and as hunger sets in so too does a kind of madness.
INFLUENCE OF MELD (MODEL OF END-STAGE LIVER DISEASE)_XI (EXCLUDING INR) ON PEDIATRIC POST-HEART TRANSPLANT (HT) OUTCOMES

Liver dysfunction increases post-surgical morbidity and mortality. MELD-XI has been evaluated in ambulatory heart failure patients and in those receiving VAD support in a single center. Use of MELD-XI in a pediatric post-HT population has not been previously reported. 5711 HT recipients were
Trepanation Procedures/Outcomes: Comparison of Prehistoric Peru with Other Ancient, Medieval, and American Civil War Cranial Surgery

More prehistoric trepanned crania have been found in Peru than any other location worldwide. We examine trepanation practices and outcomes in Peru over nearly 2000 years from 400 BC to provide a perspective on the procedure with comparison with procedures/outcomes of other ancient, medieval, and American Civil War cranial surgery. Data on trepanation demographics, techniques, and survival rates were collected through the scientific analysis of more than 800 trepanned crania discovered in Peru, through field studies and the courtesy of museums and private collections in the United States and Peru, over nearly 3 decades. Data on procedures and outcomes of cranial surgery ancient, medieval, and during 19th-century through the American Civil war were obtained via a literature review. Successful trepanations from prehistoric times through the American Civil War likely involved shallow surgeries that did not pierce the dura mater. Although there are regional and temporal variations in ancient Peru, overall long-term survival rates for the study series were about 40% in the earliest period (400–200 BC), with improvement to a high of 91% in samples from AD 1000–1400, to an average of 75%–83% during the Inca Period (AD 1400s–1500). In comparison, the average cranial surgery mortality rate during the American Civil war was 46%–56%, and short- and long-term survival rates are unknown. The contrast in outcomes highlights the astonishing success of ancient cranial surgery in Peru in the treatment of living patients.
Spatial Interaction Models

This article reviews the basic gravity model and traces its use in a variety of social science movement research. The important role of distance and other factors in trip distribution is reviewed.
A General Equilibrium Approach to Asset Pricing in an Efficient Market

This paper derives closed-form solutions for asset returns, investment, consumption and inflation in an economy with multi-good Cobb-Douglas production and consumer preferences as in Epstein and Zin (1991). The implied solutions are relatively simple, with an index of aggregate marginal product of capital forming the main determinant of asset returns. Consumption may be substituted out of the asset pricing relationship entirely. It is shown that this model may be viewed as a generalized Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM). The paper estimates the asset pricing relationships for returns on 17 portfolios of 2-digit SIC manufacturing industries and the automobile industry. The performance of this model is also compared with the results of the static CAPM, the factor model of Chen, Roll, and Ross (1986), the consumption based CAPM and Marshall's (1992) asset-pricing model using goodness-of-fit tests under the generalized method of moments procedure. The overall evidence suggests that the general equilibrium model is itself a reasonable model of returns and is competitive with other standard asset pricing models.
The New Medical Model: Interdisciplinary Treatment and the Limits of Behaviorism:

The new medical model of special education for children with emotional or behavioral disorders posits that a significant number of children in this category may not only have psychiatric disorders ...
Is there a benefit of re-induction therapy in adult patients with AML with <20% blasts?

7021Background: Decision on re-induction (RI) therapy in adult patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who have received induction chemotherapy (ICT) when there are less than 20%...
Sexual orientation-related oral health disparities in the United States.

Objective Recent reports have documented health disparities according to sexual orientation and used the minority stress model as a framework for understanding their origins. To date, however, sexual orientation-related disparities in the oral health domain have not been evaluated. Accordingly, this study sought to investigate potential health disparities in objectively-assessed and subjective reports of oral heath among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults relative to the heterosexual community-dwelling US population. Methods We used three consecutive cycles (2009-2014) of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data for men and women aged 18-59 years. We examined clinical measures of dental caries, tooth loss, chronic periodontitis, and oral human papillomavirus (HPV) as well as subjective reports of oral health status and use of dental services. Results Clinical measures of oral disease did not differ according to sexual orientation; however, bisexual adults were more likely to rate their oral health unfavorably (41%) than heterosexual adults (27%). Gay men reported "bone loss around teeth" more frequently (35%) than heterosexual (11%) and bisexual (10%) men. Bisexual individuals were more likely to confront barriers to accessing dental care (30%) versus heterosexual adults (19%). Conclusions While clinical measures of oral health did not substantially differ between sexual orientation strata, subjective measures of oral health were worse among gay, lesbian, and bisexual adults versus heterosexual adults. Further study of the psychosocial construction of oral health among sexual minorities is warranted.
Information Retrieval in a Concept Lattice by using Uncertain Logical Gates.

Formal Concept Analysis (FCA) is an approach of data mining which consists in extracting formal concepts in order to provide a hierarchy of concepts also called a concept lattice. It is useful for understanding data. A formal concept is a set of objects which share the same properties. When the number of formal concepts is too high, it is difficult to explore all formal concepts in order to look for information. The use of a query to extract relevant information is a solution to this problem. A logical combination of Boolean criteria, which can be represented by a logical circuit, can serve as the condition of the query. In the uncertain formal context, we are not sure if the objects own a property. As a consequence, we must take into account uncertainties in the computation of formal concepts and in queries. We propose in this paper to use possibility theory to handle these uncertainties. As a result, we compute a necessity degree for each formal concept. We can use a query in which the condition can be computed by using possibilistic networks and uncertain logical gates. Finally, we illustrate our approach by the analysis of a satisfaction questionnaire for a course in bachelor.
Knowledge and opinions regarding BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic testing among primary care physicians

BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) testing is standard for individuals with personal and/or family history suggestive of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome. The indications for testing have been expanding. To accommodate the need, incorporation of cancer genetic services into the practice of non-genetic healthcare providers should be considered. We carried out a survey to evaluate the knowledge and opinions regarding BRCA1/2 testing among primary care providers. The survey was sent to 245 Obstetrics/Gynecology and 97 Family Medicine physicians in the UPMC network. Eighty-six completed the survey between July 2015 and September 2015. The average correct responses to knowledge questions was 73%. A few respondents reported being completely confident, and ~50% reported being somewhat confident, in providing BRCA1/2-related information. Respondents selected genetic specialists and oncologists as the most qualified to provide cancer genetic services. Several perceived barriers and motivating factors to the implementation of BRCA1/2 testing in primary care were identified. The findings from this study suggested that primary care providers were not uniformly ready to provide BRCA1/2 genetic testing. Availability of professional society guidelines and evidence of testing's usefulness might motivate the incorporation of BRCA1/2 genetic testing into primary care practices. These findings would help guide future educational efforts to promote provision of cancer genetic services by non-genetic professionals.
Discretization of fractional boundary value problems using split operator local extension problems

Abstract Partial differential equations which include nonlocal operators have recently become a major focus of mathematical and computational research. The efficient computational implementation of a nonlocal operator remains an important question. In this article, we introduce an operator splitting approach to the discretization of nonlocal boundary value problems. It has been shown that the fractional Laplacian in R d is identical to equivalent local extension problem in R d + 1 with a nonlinear Neumann boundary condition. We present an operator splitting approach to the extended problem that enables a consistent stable implementation. Computational experiments are presented using finite differences and meshless methods.
Development of roadway link screening model for regional-level near-road air quality analysis: A case study for particulate matter

Abstract Conducting high-resolution air quality analysis by applying microscale dispersion models at the regional scale poses a formidable computing challenge, because a huge number of receptors and the extensive network of roadway links (emission sources) must be processed. As a way to minimize computation cost without undermining estimation precision, this study proposes an innovative link screening methodology, using a supervised machine learning random forest (RF) classification algorithm, that eliminates links with zero or negligible concentration contributions from modeled link-receptor combinations. The study uses 79,328 receptor-link pairs randomly selected from the Atlanta Metropolitan area to train and test the model. The final link screening model employs six variables, including link attributes, urban variables, and meteorological conditions. The RF classifier successfully identifies the small portion of links that contribute more than 95% of concentrations that are estimated by the same model using every link-receptor pair. The efficiency and precision of the smaller dispersion model runs developed using the RF classifier (the ‘reduced-link’ model) are compared to the dispersion modeling without the link-screening process (the ‘whole-link’ model) for downtown Atlanta and northwest Atlanta. Results show that AERMOD run-times for reduced-link models are only 0.2%–1.1% of the times required for whole-link models, because far fewer links are handled during the AERMOD simulation (0.1%–0.6% of links in the whole-link model). The correlation between estimates of the two models ranges from 95% to 97%, depending upon the density of the road network, link activity, link emission rates, meteorology, etc.
Women leaders and pandemic performance: A spurious correlation

The connection between women leaders and superior pandemic performance is likely spurious. This narrative overlooks that women currently govern precisely the kinds of countries that should mount effective pandemic responses: wealthy democracies with high state capacity. This article maps where women currently serve as presidents and prime ministers. The article then uses data from the Varieties of Democracy Project and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to show that many women-led countries score high on state capacity and that high-capacity states have low coronavirus mortality regardless of whether they are led by women or by men. Arguments emphasizing women chief executives’ superior pandemic performance, while offered in good faith, are misleading.
Memory in Sacred Places: The Revitalization Process of the Muisca Community

The Muisca community of Suba, located in Bogota, Colombia, is a place-based community whose epistemology is rooted in what is now an urban environment. After enduring over five centuries of segregation, marginalization, displacement, and near cultural obliteration, the Muisca community has thrived to the present day and is currently undertaking the task of re-indigenization through the revitalization of their traditional knowledge and the process of ethnogenesis. The effects of urbanization on the Muisca have not only changed the physical spaces which they inhabit, but it has also disrupted the relational patterns between the community and their sacred places. This severing of the community from their sacred places has had the effect of further invisibilizing the Muisca’s ethnic identity in the national social imaginary. As a form of resistance to their marginality, the Muisca are engaging in symbolic practices, in both public and private spaces, as a means of cultivating ideological resistance, memory revitalization, and generating new meanings of their collective identity. This article, based on an ethnographic case study, seeks to examine how the Muisca community is symbolically re-appropriating their sacred places in this urban context to mend the social fabric of the Muisca community. As such, this revitalization project represents an attempt to reconstruct a forgotten indigenous identity by rewriting the historical memory of a community that disappeared from the national discourse.
The World Bank as an enforcer of human rights

Since the 1990s, the World Bank’s Inspection Panel and Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO) have responded to hundreds of human rights complaints filed by or on behalf of project-affected communities...
Pareto Extrapolation: An Analytical Framework for Studying Tail Inequality

We develop an analytical framework designed to solve and analyze heterogeneous-agent models that generate fat-tailed wealth distributions. We exploit the asymptotic linearity of policy functions and the analytical characterization of the Pareto exponent to augment the conventional solution algorithm with a theory of the tail. Our framework allows for a precise understanding of the very top of the wealth distribution (i.e., analytical expressions for top wealth shares, type distribution in the tail, and transition probabilities in and out of the tail) in addition to delivering improved accuracy and speed. We apply our framework to quantify the effect of a wealth tax on large fortunes in a general equilibrium model with borrowing constraint, portfolio choice, earnings risk, and return heterogeneity.
Monolithic Integrations of Slanted Silicon Nanostructures on 3D Microstructures and Their Application to Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

We demonstrated fabrication of black silicon with slanted nanocone array on both planar and 3D micro- and mesoscale structures produced by a high-throughput lithography-free oblique-angle plasma etching process. Nanocones with gradual change in height were created on the same piece of silicon. The relation between the slanted angle of nanocones and incident angle of directional plasma is experimentally investigated. In order to demonstrate the monolithic integration of nanostructures on micro- and mesoscale nonplanar surfaces, nanocone forest is fabricated on nonplanar silicon surfaces in various morphologies such as silicon atomic force microscopy (AFM) tips and pyramidal pits. By integrating nanocones on inverse silicon micropyramid array devices, we further improved the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement property of this optimized commercial SERS substrate by severalfold even when using 66% less noble metal coating. We investigated the length gradient dependence and asymmetric propert...
Rapid one-step detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA.

A one-pot fluorescence-based assay detects SARS-CoV-2 RNA in under an hour with high sensitivity and sequence specificity.
Assessing Epidermal Growth Factor Expression in the Rodent Hippocampus Following Traumatic Brain Injury

ASSESSING EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR EXPRESSION IN THE RODENT HIPPOCAMPUS FOLLOWING TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY By Janice Mabutas Daus, Master of Science A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2006 Major Director: Raymond J. Colello, D. Phil. Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology Hippocampal neurons are vulnerable to injury, as indicated by the prevalence of learning and memory deficits following traumatic brain injury. Research indicates that proliferation of neural precursor cells increases following brain injury, which implies that there is an endogenous response in the hippocampus to replenish neurons and restore cognitive function. Studies show that mitogenic growth factors may drive this proliferative response; one of which is epidermal growth factor. Because adults and the elderly manifest the most enduring deficits following TBI, it is critical to investigate how EGF expression following injury may relate to injury-induced cell proliferation and the degree of cognitive recovery observed with aging. In the current study, we assessed the temporal and spatial expression of EGF in the injured hippocampus with vi vii age. Our results suggest that EGF expression increases following TBI, and this increase is more significant in the younger brain. Additionally, we investigated the phenotype and localization of cells that express EGF following injury. Chapter
A Tauberian theorem for Vilenkin series

There are a number of papers in the literature which contain Cesaro analogues of results already known for martingale sums of Vilenkin-Fourier series. We show that for Vilenkin systems of bounded type, these are not merely analogues but actually generalizations. Indeed, we prove that convergence of the Cesaro means of a Vilenkin series S implies convergence of martingale partial sums of S itself.
A partial 2 k -cycle system of order n can be embedded in a 2 k -cycle system of order kn + c(k),k ≥ 3, where c(k) is a quadratic function of k

The bound for embedding a partial 2k-cycle system of order n, k ≥ 3, is dramatically improved from kn + d(k)√n, where d(k) is a function of k, to kn+c(k), where c(k) is a quadratic function of k. The best known bound for 4-cycles remains 2n + 10√n.
Ligand discovery using the inter-ligand Overhauser effect: horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase

Two dimensional nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) studies on horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (LADH) in the presence of several ligands revealed unanticipated cross peaks arising from inter-ligand Overhasuer effects (ILOEs) connecting resonances of an inhibitor, m-methylbenzamide, and the reducing agent, cyanoborohydride, initially present to maintain NADH in the reduced state. The presence of NADH was not required to observe of these inter-ligand Overhauser effects. A model for the ternary complex was developed in which the methylbenzamide inhibitors bind to the hydrophobic pocket of the active site involved in benzyl alcohol binding, while the cyanoborohydride coordinates directly with Zn2+ at the active site. The observation of these effects supports the use of inter-ligand Overhauser effects for the identification of unanticipated ternary complexes that are of potential utility for the development of novel enzyme inhibitors.
On the Gas Routing via Game Theory

The delivery of the natural gas obtained by drilling, fracking and sending the product to consumers is done usually in two phases: in the first phase, the gas is collected from all wells spread on a large area, and belonging to several companies, and is sent to a depot owned by the city; then, in the second phase, another company is taking the gas on a network of ducts belonging to the city, along the streets to the neighborhoods and the individual consumers. The first phase is managed by the gas producing companies on the ducts owned by each company, possibly also on some public ducts. In this paper, we discuss only this first phase, to show why the benefits of these companies depend on the cooperation of the producers, and further, how a fair allocation of the total gas obtained, to the drilling companies, is computed. Following the model of flow games, we generate a cooperative transferable utilities game, as shown in the first section, and in this game any efficient value gives an allocation of benefits to the owners of ducts in the total network. However, it may well happen that the chosen value is not coalitional rational, in the game, that is, it does not belong to the Core of the game. By using the results obtained in an earlier work of the author, sketched in the second section, we show in the last section how the same allocation may be associated to a new game, which has the corresponding value a coalitional rational value. An example of a three person flow game shows the game generation, as well as the procedure to be used for obtaining the new game in which the same value, a Shapley Value, will give a coalitional rational allocation.
Genetic and biochemical evidence for the lack of significant hydrolysis of soman by a Flavobacterium parathion hydrolase

Pure recombinant Flavobacterium parathion hydrolase (an organophosphorus acid anhydrase) from Streptomyces lividans was found to hydrolyze the toxic nerve agent soman at only 0.1% of the rate observed with parathion as substrate. Studies with wild-type and recombinant strains of S. lividans support the lack of significant soman breakdown by the hydrolase and also indicate the presence in S. lividans of other significant hydrolytic enzymatic activity towards soman.
The use of D-L ethionine in the transplantation of pancreatic tissue in hamsters.

In order to eliminate the adverse effects of the secretion of the exocrine tissue on the islets in the pancreatic transplants the hosts were injected with D-L ethionine. Twenty-six male hamsters were divided into two groups. All animals received subcutaneously 1 mg per gram of body weight per day of a 5% aqueous solution of ethionine. In addition, each received 3 mg of cortisone (25 mg per ml) two days before transplant and 1 mg on the fifth and twelfth post-transplant days. In group I, the ethionine was begun seven days before transplant and was continued for six days after neonatal pancreas was placed in the cheek pouches of the hosts. In group II, ethionine was started on the day of transplantation and was continued for 13 days. Growth and differentiation were checked for up to 56 days. Growth in both groups was comparable to that in animals receiving cortisone alone. Histological examination revealed neither cyst formation nor interstitial secretion leakage in any of the ethionine animals. In both groups, the differentiation of islets was far superior to that found in untreated hamsters, with 85% of the hosts in group I and 55% of those in group II showing islets.
Data Migration and the Euro: Approaches and Experiences

The transition of an enterprise from national currency to the euro is a very large and complex project. The main share of the costs is IT-related. Key points are the migration of application programs and data. In this paper we discuss different strategies for euro migration and look at the migration of large databases and files with currency data using a data wrapper. The requirements for such a tool are examined and then compared to the Euro Middleware Support tool. We conclude with a summary of practical experiences.
Energetics, Terrestrial Field Studies, and Animal Productivity

Publisher Summary This chapter evaluates the growth and development of terrestrial energetics. There are three main approaches to the problem of field estimates of animal production: (1) the historical and theoretical bases which undergird terrestrial productivity, (2) the various works in the field, and (3) the progress of terrestrial energetic. The first major source of information on energetics of natural communities has its origins in physiological studies. The second major source of information on energetics of natural communities comes from analysis of maintenance energy that is based on the assessment of three key parameters: numbers of individuals, biomass, and oxygen consumption. The third approach of energetics of natural communities comes from the trophic–dynamic metabolism. The trophic dynamic approach is concerned primarily with food relationships, the assignment of populations to food levels, and the total energy flow through an area or community. The Lindeman Model is schematically represented. The historical considerations and physiological studies that yield the energetic information are also considered. The maintenance metabolism of populations in the environment is discussed. The tropic scheme analysis of communities: salt marsh ecotone, old field communities, and savannah community is also emphasized.
An assessment of arsenate selection as a method for obtaining nonphotosynthetic mutants of chlamydomonas.

It has been proposed that the absence of photosynthesis in Chlamydomonas reinhardii produces a relative arsenate resistance and that selection for arsenate resistance therefore serves as an enrichment for nonphotosynthetic mutants (Togasaki and Hudock 1972; Harris, Boynton and Gillham 1974). We have found that: 1. mutants selected for arsenate resistance are not substantially enriched for acetate-requiring mutants as compared with unselected cells; 2. none of the acetate-requiring mutants we obtained without arsenate selection are arsenate resistant; 3. the acetate-requiring mutants obtained following arsenate selection are all capable of CO2 fixation, suggesting that they do not have a major lesion in primary photosynthetic processes; 4. in most acetate-requiring mutants selected on arsenate medium, the arsenate-resistant and acetate-requiring characters segregate from one another during meiosis, indicating that these two characters arose independently. We conclude that if any enrichment is provided by selecting for arsenate resistance, it is for only a subclass of acetate requirers that are not obviously defective in photosynthesis.
Mammalian plasma membrane ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1, CD39, is not active intracellularly. The N-glycosylation state of CD39 correlates with surface activity and localization.

CD39 is a member of the membrane-bound ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase family. The active site for native CD39 is located on the outer surface of the cellular plasma membrane; however, it is not yet known at what stage this enzyme becomes active along the secretory pathway to the plasma membrane. In this study, sucrose density fractionations performed on CD39-transfected COS-7 cell membranes suggest that CD39 activity resides primarily in the plasma membrane. Furthermore, we have created recombinant, soluble versions of CD39, one that is secreted and others that are retained in the endoplasmic reticulum, to demonstrate that CD39 is not active until it reaches the plasma membrane both in yeast and COS-7 cells. Moreover, the secreted active soluble CD39 in COS-7 cells is found to receive a higher degree of N-glycan addition than the inactive form retained intracellularly. When COS-7 cells were treated with tunicamycin to preventN-glycosylation, soluble CD39 was not detected in the extracellular medium and remained inactive intracellularly. Surface biotinylation analysis also revealed that surface-expressed wild type CD39 receives a higher degree of N-glycosylation than intracellular forms and that inhibition of N-glycosylation prevents its plasma membrane localization. In addition, both intact and digitonin-permeablized COS-7 cells transfected with CD39 possess similar ecto-ATPase activities, further supporting the conclusion that only surface-expressed CD39 is enzymatically active. All of these data suggest that intracellular CD39 is inactive and that only a fully glycosylated CD39 has apyrase activity and is localized at the cell surface.
Electrical Events Correlated with Contractile Vacuole Activity in the Suctorian, Heliophrya

SYNOPSIS. The surface membrane potentials of suctorian genus Heliophrya were studied with intracellular electrodes. Resting membrane potentials averaged -32 mV, and spontaneous depolarizing potentials occurring at apparently random intervals and having a variety of waveforms were routinely observed. Such spontaneous potentials were correlated in time with visually monitored contractile vacuole activity. Individual contractile vacuoles had unique, although somewhat variable, electrical signatures. In the presence of an intracellular electrode all vacuoles contracted independently, but at approximately the same frequency. The amplitude of the electrical potentials increased when the membrane was hyperpolarized and decreased when it was depolarized. The sign of such potentials reversed at between -10 mV and the zero membrane potential. A 20% decrease in the membrane resistance was measured at the peak of the spontaneous depolarizing potentials.
Bcl-2-mediated potentiation of neocarzinostatin-induced apoptosis: requirement for caspase-3, sulfhydryl groups, and cleavable Bcl-2

Overexpression of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members is thought to contribute to chemotherapeutic resistance of neural crest tumors. Paradoxical potentiation by Bcl-2 of apoptosis induced by the antineoplastic prodrug, neocarzinostatin (NCS), has been observed in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells. Prior studies have indicated that the cleavage of Bcl-2 to its proapoptotic counterpart mediated by caspase-3 is responsible for this potentiation of apoptosis. This has led to the hypothesis that induction of caspase-3 expression in bcl-2-transfected, caspase-3-deficient MCF-7 cells, will result in Bcl-2 cleavage and Bcl-2-dependent potentiation of NCS-induced apoptosis. These studies have further led to the hypothesis that both cleavable Bcl-2 and sulfhydryl groups are required for the activity of caspase-3 in this regard. As hypothesized, co-transfection of bcl-2-transfected MCF-7 cells with a caspase-3 expression construct results in cleavage of Bcl-2 and potentiation of dose-dependent, NCS-mediated cell death. Furthermore, PC12 cells transfected with an expression construct for cleavage-resistant Bcl-2 demonstrated attenuated potentiation of apoptosis relative to their counterparts transfected with wild-type bcl-2. Finally, irreversible oxidative titration of sulfhydryl groups resulted in concentration-dependent attenuation of apoptosis in PC12 cells, along with prevention of caspase-3 activation and Bcl-2 cleavage. These results definitively demonstrate the requirement for caspase-3, cleavable Bcl-2, and available sulfhydryl groups (separate from those required for NCS activation) in potentiation of NCS-induced apoptosis by Bcl-2.
Heats of Formation of Alkyl Fluorides

Current data on ΔfH°298 of alkyl fluorides are reexamined from the point of view of internal consistency and new values are recommended for all of them. In particular, fairly large discrepancies are suggested for current values of ΔfH°298 of t-BuF, n-PrF, i-PrF, and EtF.