cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Progress in crystalline multijunction and thin-film photovoltaics

Photovoltaics are important in terrestrial applications such as remote power and renewable energy but are the primary source of electrical power for space systems. For space applications, priorities are high conversion efficiency and resistance to radiation-induced degradation. The emphasis is on III-V multijunction solar cells and comparatively lower efficiency but flexible, lightweight thin-film solar cells. Triple-junction III-V solar cells have reached conversion efficiencies of 30% at air mass zero (AM0). New lattice mismatch techniques and nitride materials hold promise for further efficiency increases. Thin-film solar cells generally have less than 15% efficiency but greater radiation resistance, lower cost, and lower mass.
Lesser curvature gastrostomy reduces the incidence of postoperative gastroesophageal reflux.

Abstract Gastrostomy is frequently required in children with neurological impairment and feeding disability. In some centers, concomitant (prophylactic) antireflux procedures are often performed due to the increased risk of occurrence of significant gastroesophageal reflux (GER) after isolated operative or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy placement. This has been documented in both experimental and clinical settings. A recent clinical study suggests that placement of a gastrostomy in a lesser curvature location rather than on the greater curvature of the stomach may decrease the incidence of postoperative GER. The purpose of this study is to evaluate this clinical impression. Under ketamine anesthesia and sterile technique, 30 cats underwent laparotomy and placement of a Stamm gastrostomy tube; 15 (group A) were located on the greater curvature of the stomach and 15 (group B) on the lesser curvature of the stomach. Each animal was evaluated postoperatively for the occurrence of GER using upper gastrointestinal contrast study, nuclear medicine gastric scintigraphy (technetium 99m), pH probe/Tuttle test, and lower esophageal sphincter (LES) manometrics. Contrast esophagram with barium demonstrated GER in 3 animals in group A and none in group B ( P P P
Parameter estimation of nonlinear nonautonomous distributed systems

We present an abstract approximation framework for estimation of parameters in nonlinear nonautonomous distributed systems. Specific examples involving linear spline approximations for retarded delay equations and cubic spline approximations for parabolic partial differential equations are discussed and shown to be included as special cases of our general framework.
How Do Female and Male Faculty Members Construct Job Satisfaction? The Roles of Perceived Institutional Leadership and Mentoring and their Mediating Processes

In this study we examine how a sample of 248 male and female professors at a Midwestern private research university construct their academic job satisfaction. Our findings indicate that both women and men perceive that their job satisfaction is influenced by the institutional leadership and mentoring they receive, but only as mediated by the two key academic processes of access to internal academic resources (including research-supportive workloads) and internal relational supports from a collegial and inclusive immediate work environment. Gender differences emerged in the strengths of the perceived paths leading to satisfaction: women’s job satisfaction derived more from their perceptions of the internal relational supports than the academic resources they received, whereas men’s job satisfaction resulted equally from their perceptions of internal academic resources and internal relational supports received. Implications for leadership and institutional practices are drawn from the findings.
Cruciform nuclear division in Woronina pythii (Plasmodiophoromycetes)

Les divisions nucleaires somatiques des plasmodes sporangiogenes de W.p. sont etudiees a l'aide de la microscopie electronique par transmission. Durant la metaphase chaque noyau presente une configuration cruciforme
A numerical compaction model of overpressuring in shales

A one-dimensional model of sediment compaction is presented to relate pressure, porosity, permeability, and fluid and solid-particle velocities in an evolving sedimentary basin. The burial history of a sedimentary package is followed and incorporated into rate models for diagenetic reactions to predict clay compositions with depth. The governing set of nonlinear, partial differential equations constitutes a moving boundary problem and is solved by a finite difference scheme. Sedimentation rates and a permeability-porosity function for shales are required to implement the model. Additional factors are incorporated to mimic the effect of increased fluid volume generated by dehydration from clay mineral transformations and by thermal expansion. We demonstrate that the major cause of overpressuring in sediments accumulating along passive margins is nonequilibrium compaction. Sedimentation rates and strata permeability are the most important geologic factors in the formation of overpressured zones. Smectite dehydration and aquathermal pressuring play secondary roles in the development and sustenance of overpressures.
Concentration of effluents in a plume as predicted by a model and observed in the field.

Abstract Field-measured data of sulphur dioxide SO 2 and sulphur hexafluoride SF 6 concentrations in a plume are compared with theoretical predictions based on a plume rise model for the buoyancy-dominated range. The comparison shows that for an experimental range of 20 miles, the theoretical model approximately predicts the concentration of pollutants in a plume. Studies further show that no better prediction is obtained if the theoretical concentration is based on atmospheric diffusion models. The comparison of the concentration of SO 2 and SF 6 , which was an inert gas released to the stacks as a tracer, shows that in the experimental range of 20 miles, the depletion of SO 2 is not an important factor in estimating the rate of dilution.
Intraspecific variation for CO2 compensation point and differential growth among variants in a C3-C4 intermediate plant.

CO2 compenstation point (Γ), the concentration of CO2 at which photosynthesis and respiration are at equilibrium, is a commonly used diagnostic for the C4 photosynthetic pathway, since it reflects the reduced photorespiration that is a property of C4 photosynthesis. Geographic variation for Γ was examined within Flaveria linearis, a C3−C4 intermediate species. Collections from four widely separated Floridian populations were propagated in a greenhouse and measured for Γ. Little differentiation among populations was found, but significant within-population variation was present. Temperature is a hypothesized selective agent for the C4 photosynthetic pathway. To test this hypothesis, plants exhibiting a range of Γ were cloned and placed in growth chambers at 25°C and 40°C. After 7 weeks, Γ valves were remeasured and plants were harvested and weighed. There was a poor correlation between initial and final measures of Γ for a given genotype (r=0.38, P>0.1). Broad sense heritability for Γ was computed to be 0.10. At 25°C, there was no relationship between final size and Γ. At 40°C, more C4-like plants, as indicated by their low Γ, had grown larger. Differences in relative growth rate were attributable more to differences in net assimilation rate than in leaf area ratio. Taken together, these results demonstrate that although significant plasticity exists in the amount of photorespiration in this C3−C4 species, high temperature appears to be an effective selective agent for the reduction of photorespiration and the enhancement of C4-like traits.
Nuclear localization signal prediction based on sequential pattern mining

Nuclear Localization Signals (NLS) are the most direct evidence for nuclear localization of proteins. Despite a couple of NLS prediction methods have been developed, the prediction performance is far from being satisfactory. In this study we proposed a sequential pattern mining based algorithm for identifying NLSs from protein sequences. The experiment results showed that our method can achieve better or comparable prediction performance than existing NLS prediction methods, which indicates that the motif residues discovered by our algorithm are effective features for predicting NLS.
Laboratory Techniques to Evaluate Resistance of Alfalfa Clones to the Alfalfa Seed Chalcid (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae)

Varying infestation of alfalfa by the seed chalcid, Bruchophagus roddi Gussakovsky, is explained by antixenosis during oviposition. Our studies suggest that alfalfas with glandular-haired and tightly coiled pods are resistant. Oviposition resulted in seed damage even when larvae did not develop. Seed abortion was 33% in seed chalcid exposed and 16% in unexposed seed pods. The black or brown marks left on developing seeds by ovipositing females may be used in designing laboratory experiments to predict resistance in the field.
Exact chiral spin liquid with non-Abelian anyons.

We establish the existence of a chiral spin liquid (CSL) as the exact ground state of the Kitaev model on a decorated honeycomb lattice, which is obtained by replacing each site in the familiar honeycomb lattice with a triangle. This CSL state spontaneously breaks time reversal symmetry but preserves other symmetries. There are two topologically distinct CSL's separated by a quantum critical point. Interestingly, vortex excitations in the topologically nontrivial (Chern number $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1$) CSL obey non-Abelian statistics.
Some observations on the functional organization of the golden hamster's visual system.

Abstract A selective review is provided of recent studies dealing with the functional organization of the golden hamster's visual system. Three main topics are considered: (a) the normal organization of the superior colliculus and visual cortex; (b) functional correlates of neonatal damage to the visual system; and (c) the influence of environmental manipulations upon collicular and cortical physiology.
Distinct frontal lobe morphology in girls and boys with ADHD

article i nfo Objective: This study investigated whether frontal lobe cortical morphology differs for boys and girls with ADHD (ages 8-12 years) in comparison to typically developing (TD) peers. Method: Participants included 226 children between the ages of 8-12including93 children with ADHD (29 girls) and 133 TD children (42 girls) for which 3T MPRAGE MRI scans were obtained. A fully automated frontal lobe atlas was used to generate functionally distinct frontal subdivisions, with surface area(SA) and cortical thickness (CT) assessed in each region. Analyses focused on overall diagnostic differences as well as examinations of the effect of diagnosis within boys and girls. Results: Girls,butnotboys,with ADHD showedoverall reductionsintotalprefrontalcortex (PFC)SA. Localization revealed that girls showed widely distributed reductions in the bilateral dorsolateral PFC, left inferior lateral PFC, right medial PFC, right orbitofrontal cortex, and left anterior cingulate; and boys showed reduced SA only in the right anterior cingulateand leftmedial PFC. In contrast, boys, but not girls,with ADHDshowed overallreductions
Integral methods in rarefied gasdynamics

The question of convergency in integral methods for rarefied gasdynamics is examined through the example of low-speed flow over a sphere. The four-moment solution and the six-moment solution both compare favorably with experimental data for drag and heat transfer over the entire range of gas density. Discrepancy between the two solutions show a maximum of 0.6% in drag coefficient and a difference of the order of Mach number squared in heat transfer.
IONIZATION OF THE ALUMINUM K SHELL BY LOW-ENERGY HYDROGEN AND HELIUM IONS.

The yields for characteristic $K$-shell x rays in aluminum are measured as produced by ${\mathrm{H}}^{1}$, ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$, and ${\mathrm{He}}^{4}$ ions in the energy range 25-200 keV. The ionization cross sections deduced from these data are in detailed agreement with the theory, if the Coulomb deflection of the incoming particle by the target nucleus and the binding of the $K$-shell electrons to the incoming particle are included in the Born approximation.
The Visual Remaking Of Urban Space: Relocation And The Use Of Public Housing In "Modern" Cairo

Focusing on an urban group that was moved from the center of the capital during 1979–1981 to public housing in a neighborhood in northern Cairo,1 this article explores some of the strategies used by the relocated population to articulate their daily needs and cultural dispositions with the state's hegemonic construction of “modern” space. The discussion focuses on the visual manifestations of these strategies that localize change in durable forms. It is the visibility of these transformations, the article shows, that makes them important signs of distinction and markers of social status. At the same time, it is this visibility that transforms the housing project and remakes the image of Cairo that the state envisaged.
Compacting Coastal Plain soils changes midrotation loblolly pine allometry by reducing root biomass

Factorial combinations of soil compaction and organic matter removal were replicated at the Long Term Site Productivity study in the Croatan National Forest, near New Bern, North Carolina, USA. Ten years after planting, 18 pre- selected loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) trees were destructively harvested to quantify treatment effects on total above- and below-ground tree biomass and to detect any changes in the absolute and relative allocation patterns. Stem volume at year 10 was not affected by compaction treatments, even though the ultisols on these sites continued to have higher bulk den- sities than noncompacted plots. However, even when site preparation treatments were undetectable aboveground, the treat- ments significantly altered absolute root growth and tree biomass allocation patterns. Soil compaction decreased taproot production and significantly increased the ratio of aboveground to belowground biomass. Decreased root production will decrease carbon and nutrient stores belowground, which may impact future site productivity.
Kinocilia in the developing stria vascularis of the rat pup.

The mammalian stria vascularis undergoes certain developmental changes in the postnatal rat. The present study was designed to examine the ultrastructure of the stria vascularis in rat pups from immediately after birth to 20 days postpartum. The cochlea were removed with the animals under xylazine (Rompun) anesthesia and were prepared for transmission electron microscopy. Each of the three cell types in the stria were found to contain kinocilia up until 12–17 days of age. The presence of kinocilia in the intermediate and basal cells has not been previously described. Findings suggest that these organelles may serve a motile and/or sensory function to assist in the maturation of cell functions, particularly ion transport, during early stages of development.
Critical Literacy, Educational Investment, and the Blueprint for Reform: An Analysis of the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

This article analyzes, “A Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act,” a recently released report from the U.S. Department of Education. It begins with an analysis of the strengths of the report. The Blueprint argues for increased college access and more federal attention to public education. In addition, the Blueprint outlines an inclusive and simultaneous commitment to educational equity and national excellence. The article then transitions to a critique of the Blueprint's choosing to blame teachers and school leaders for the failure of schools instead of acknowledging the past failure of the federal government to adequately invest in public education. The final section challenges the literacy community to amass all that we know about effective critical literacy instruction and share that information with the general public. The article concludes by calling for a national literacy research collective that examines successful classrooms and other nonschool spaces where children are learning, where they are happy, where they feel good about themselves, and where they have maintained strong connections to families and communities while learning skills that make them ready for college and for the world of civic engagement.
The CA repeat marker D17S791 is located within 40 kb of the WNT3 gene on chromosome 17q

Recent developments in genetic linkage mapping of the human genome have generated a large number of short tandem repeat polymorphic markers. Eventual integration of these markers into a physical map is a natural and a necessary step. A large number of genomic clones have been generated for the early-onset breast and ovarian cancer region at 17q21 and are being used to construct a physical map of this region. An attempt was made to link CA repeat markers from this chromosomal region to yeast artificial chromosome and cosmid clones. We report here the localization of the CA repeat marker D17S791 (155 x d12) to within 40 kb of WNT3, a human homolog of the gene activated by proviral insertion in mouse mammary tumors.
Tissue characterisation and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract With the help of some clinical cases, the concepts underlying tissue characterisation procedures during cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will be illustrated. The result of MRI tissue characterisation is speculative since it is based on how a given tissue behaves during various MRI sequences, including those with the use of contrast agents. In fact, biopsy is extremely uncommon when investigating the heart, due to its inherent risks and difficulties. A non-invasive, ionising radiation-free method, such as MRI, may provide significant information and guide the therapeutic strategy in several different clinical pictures.
Fragmentation systems design in surface mines: An expert system application

ABSTRACT Mining Engineers in charge of open pit mine planning very often face decision making situations dealing with the selection of the most economical method for the removal of overburden. Ripping versus conventional drilling and blasting are the options considered. The choice of a particular overburden removal method depends upon the physicomechanical properties of the overburden material as well as the various cost factors involved in the process. The analysis of technoeconomical factors, related to different methods of overburden removal in surface mines, needs detailed study and investigation by a technical expert. The expert system “FRAGMENTATION” has been developed to help and expedite the decision making process involving the selection of overburden removal method in surface mines. Furthermore, this expert system can be used for detailed design of overburden removal in open pit mines, specifically for determining charge geometry placement and cost analysis
Marx and Engels’ Vision of a Better Society

Notwithstanding their much noted aversion to detailing the nature of a post-capitalist society, Marx and Engels indeed have a broad vision of such a better society that both runs through and informs their entire lives' work. It is rooted in their concepts of the inherently social nature of humans and potential authentic human development in accord with human nature, and the negation by humans as the active agents of history of the barriers posed to that development. This paper discuses their dialectic approach to defining a better society, their concept of human nature that it rests on, and finally specifies a number general aspects they give for a better future socialist society.
Laparoscopic management of sleeve obstruction.

With the recent addition of sleeve gastrectomy to the list of approved procedures by insurance carriers, sleeve gastrectomy is becoming more popular as an option in bariatric surgery. Sleeve leak and obstruction are potential complications associated with sleeve gastrectomy [1,2]. This case report highlights a minimally invasive approach in the management of sleeve obstruction related to an anastomotic leak. Case report The patient was a 19-year-old man who had undergone laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in another country. The patient developed a contained postoperative leak that was managed with antibiotics. One year postoperatively, the patient complained of persistent, severe heartburn, dysphagia, and regurgitation of both solids and liquids. An upper gastrointestinal series revealed an area of contained leak at the upper portion of the gastric sleeve. Passage of barium was found; however, a point of angulation was present at the proximal portion of the sleeve. The patient was treated with proton pump inhibitors with no relief of symptoms. At this point, the patient was cachectic, with failure to thrive and a body mass index of 21 kg/m 2 . The obstruction was addressed with a minimally invasive approach. After lysis of the omental adhesions and scar tissue, the gastric sleeve was inspected. At the site of the previous leakage, an area of dense inflammation was found. Intraoperative endoscopy revealed an acute angle of the sleeve at this site. Although the endoscope could pass through this region, the angulation acted as a functional obstruction and was presumed to be the source of his obstructive symptoms. This was surgically addressed with a Roux-en-Y reconstruction. A Roux limb was brought just proximal to the area of angulation, and a side-to-side anastomosis was created with a 60-mm linear stapler. At the last follow-up, the patient had been asymptomatic for 10 months after this procedure.
Assessing the antibiofouling potential of a fullerene-coated surface

Abstract Antibacterial fullerene-based particles, termed nC 60 , were coated onto a polystyrene surface to evaluate their ability to prevent biofilm formation by Pseudomonas mendocina . Biofilm growth on this surface was assessed using ethidium bromide staining and SEM, and cell viability was determined using live/dead fluorescent cell staining. Unexpectedly, surfaces coated with nC 60 developed a biofilm earlier than the uncoated control, and a higher percentage of live bacteria. This shows that some antimicrobial nanomaterials may lose their efficacy when applied as coatings. The nC 60 coating appeared to encourage rather than discourage biofilm formation. Furthermore, the bacteria that adhered to the surface were not killed, implying that while nC 60 would not perform well in this application, the electronic properties of fullerenes and their apparent ability to encourage biofilm formation should be investigated for potential microbial fuel cell applications.
Clomipramine ameliorates adventitious movements and compulsions in prepubertal boys with autistic disorder and severe mental retardation

In an open, nonblind clinical trial, clomipramine reduced adventitious movements and compulsions in five previously medicated prepubertal boys with autistic disorder and severe mental retardation. Poorly adapted rating scales, interrater variability, subject heterogeneity, different treatment histories, and environmental stresses confounded the assessment of treatment effects.
Electromigration Cu mass flow in Cu interconnections

Abstract Electromigration mass flow in Cu damascene lines which were connected to W blocking barrier contacts and were capped with either a CoWP, Ta, Ta/TaN, Pd, SiN x , or SiC x N y H z layer was investigated. Cu lines, fabricated with body centered cubic α- or tetragonal β-Ta liners, were also investigated. A thin electroless CoWP, physical vapor deposition (PVD) Ta, PVD Pd or PVD Ta/TaN cap on top of the Cu line significantly reduced the interface diffusivity and remarkably improved the electromigration lifetime when compared with lines capped with SiN x or SiC x N y H z . Activation energies for electromigration in bamboo-like Cu lines were found to be 2 eV with a CoWP cap, 1.4 eV with a PVD Pd, Ta or Ta/TaN cap, and 0.9–1 eV with a SiC x N y H z or SiN x cap. The Ta phase was found to have an insignificant effect on the Cu mass flow rate, as did the Cu texture.
Analysis of the Solvent Accessibility of Cysteine Residues on Maize rayado fino virus Virus-like Particles Produced in Nicotiana benthamiana Plants and Cross-linking of Peptides to VLPs

Mimicking and exploiting virus properties and physicochemical and physical characteristics holds promise to provide solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges. The sheer range and types of viruses coupled with their intriguing properties potentially give endless opportunities for applications in virus-based technologies. Viruses have the ability to self- assemble into particles with discrete shape and size, specificity of symmetry, polyvalence, and stable properties under a wide range of temperature and pH conditions. Not surprisingly, with such a remarkable range of properties, viruses are proposed for use in biomaterials 9, vaccines 14, 15, electronic materials, chemical tools, and molecular electronic containers4, 5, 10, 11, 16, 18, 12. In order to utilize viruses in nanotechnology, they must be modified from their natural forms to impart new functions. This challenging process can be performed through several mechanisms including genetic modification of the viral genome and chemically attaching foreign or desired molecules to the virus particle reactive groups 8. The ability to modify a virus primarily depends upon the physiochemical and physical properties of the virus. In addition, the genetic or physiochemical modifications need to be performed without adversely affecting the virus native structure and virus function. Maize rayado fino virus (MRFV) coat proteins self-assemble in Escherichia coli producing stable and empty VLPs that are stabilized by protein-protein interactions and that can be used in virus-based technologies applications 8. VLPs produced in tobacco plants were examined as a scaffold on which a variety of peptides can be covalently displayed 13. Here, we describe the steps to 1) determine which of the solvent-accessible cysteines in a virus capsid are available for modification, and 2) bioconjugate peptides to the modified capsids. By using native or mutationally-inserted amino acid residues and standard coupling technologies, a wide variety of materials have been displayed on the surface of plant viruses such as, Brome mosaic virus 3, Carnation mottle virus 12, Cowpea chlorotic mottle virus 6, Tobacco mosaic virus 17, Turnip yellow mosaic virus 1, and MRFV 13.
Fabrication and characterization of Si/ZnO branched heterojunction structures

We have fabricated branched heterojunction structures by growing horizontal ZnO nanowires (ZnONWs) on vertical Si nanowires (SiNWs). The SiNWs were fabricated by chemical etching of Si wafers, while the ZnONWs were grown in solution by an electrochemical process. Structure and electrical properties of the branched NWs studied by SEM, XDR, and electrical measurements. The SEM images show that 3-D branched SiNWs with ZnONWs branches were successfully grown. Due to its light trapping effect this special structure may have applications in photovoltaic devices. Solar cells based on the branched structure were also fabricated and tested. We found that their cell performance depends on the length of both the SiNWs and the ZnONWs, as well as the thickness of ZnO seed layer.
A 300-mm Semiconductor Manufacturing Foreign Material Reduction Initiative

It is well established that foreign material (FM) in a semiconductor manufacturing process can result in significant unplanned tool down time, reduced product yields, and potential reliability performance issues. This paper will present an overview of the strategy and subsequent results of a multifaceted effort to reduce FM impact during the ramp up of the IBM 300-mm semiconductor manufacturing facility in Hopewell Junction, NY.
The feeding behaviour of a tame impala Aepyceros melampus

Summary The bite sizes and bite rates achieved by a tame impala feeding on ten woody browse species were recorded. Mean bite mass was positively correlated with mean leaf mass while mean bite rate was negatively correlated with mean bite mass. The bite rate when feeding on Acacia tortilis was less than expected from the bite size because the impala caught its tongue and lips on the small, curved thorns. This supports the theory that Acacia species are at least partially protected from the effects of ungulate browsing by the presence of thorns, combined with a very small leaf size. RESUMEE Les tailles et pourcentages des coups de dents provoques par une impala apprivoisee se nourrissant de dix espaces vegetales ligneuses ont ete releves. L'importance moyenne du coup de dents est directement proportionnel avec la masse moyenne de la feuille alors que le pourcentage moyen des coups de dents est inversement proportionnel avec l'importance moyenne des coups de dents. Lorsque l'impala se nourrit d'Acacia tortilis, le pourcentage des coups de dents est inferieur a celui attendu d'apres la taille des coups de dents parce qu'elle se blesse la langue et les levres sur les petites epines recourbees. Ceci confirme la theorie selon laquelle les especes d'Acacia sont au moins partiellement protegees des effets du broutage des ongules par la presence des epines en combinaison avec la tres petite taille des feuilles.
Management of distributed systems

The authors discuss some of the issues involved in the design of the DSM (distributed system manager). The overall structure of the managed system and the DSM is given. Data modeling of the managed system, the mechanisms for collecting information, and the representation scheme of the information in the history database are described. The specification language for assertions based on the classical temporal logic is presented. >
The pathogenesis and prevention of diabetic neuropathy and nephropathy

The chronic complications of diabetes are thought to be caused by an interaction between hyperglycemia, or other metabolic consequences of insulin deficiency, and independent genetic or environmental factors that are poorly defined. Several potentially relevant biochemical sequelae to hyperglycemia have been identified in tissue susceptible to diabetic complications. Among these, a rise in tissue sorbitol secondary to concentration-dependent activation of polyol pathway activity by glucose, and an accompanying fall in tissue myo-inositol and Na-K-ATPase activity have recently been linked to a self-reinforcing cyclic metabolic defect that accounts for rapidly reversible slowing of conduction in peripheral nerve in diabetes. Impaired Na-K-ATPase activity also appears to be responsible for intracellular Na+ accumulation and resultant localized axonal paranodal swelling that characterizes diabetic neuropathy in both humans and laboratory animals. These swellings are thought to be responsible for the subsequent disruption of the nodal apparatus (axo-glial disjunction) and some component of the loss of large and small myelinated fibers. Recent studies have suggested that microvascular insufficiency may also contribute to diabetic neuropathy, especially in non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Aldose reductase activity is concentrated in endoneurial vessels, and similar biochemical mechanisms (ie, sorbitol accumulation, myo-inositol deficiency, and impaired Na-K-ATPase activity) are thought to be operative in the endoneurial microvessels in diabetes. Administration of an aldose reductase inhibitor to patients with diabetic neuropathy is associated with repair of damaged nerve fibers and the appearance of newly generated fibers, presumably secondary to metabolic correction within the nerve fibers themselves or their supporting microvasculature.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Phylogeographic concordance in the southeastern United States: the flatwoods salamander, Ambystoma cingulatum, as a test case

Well-supported, congruent phylogeographic and biogeographic patterns permit the development of a priori phylogeographic and distributional predictions. In the southeastern Coastal Plain of the United States, the common discovery of east-west disjunctions (phylogeographic breaks and species' distributional boundaries) suggests that similar disjunctions should occur in codistributed taxa. Despite the near ubiquity of these disjunctions, the most recent morphological analyses of the flatwoods salamander, Ambystoma cingulatum, indicate that none occur in this low-vagility, Coastal Plain endemic. We conducted molecular and morphological analyses to test whether the flatwoods salamander is an exception to this common biogeographic pattern. Assessing geographic variation in this species is also an important management tool for this threatened, declining amphibian. We demonstrate that flatwoods salamanders, as predicted by comparisons to codistributed taxa, are polytypic with a major disjunction at the Apalachicola River. This drainage is a common site for east-west phylogeographic breaks, probably because repeated marine embayments during the Pliocene and Pleistocene interglacials generated barriers to gene flow. Based on mitochondrial DNA, morphology, and allozymes, we recognize two species of flatwoods salamanders -- Ambystoma cingulatum to the east of the Apalachicola drainage and Ambystoma bishopi to the west. Given this increased diversity, the conservation status of these two taxa may warrant re-evaluation. More generally, these results emphasize that in the absence of taxon-specific data, established comparative patterns can provide strong expectations for designing management units for unstudied species of conservation concern.
Access-mode predictions for low-power cache design

An access-mode prediction technique based on cache hit and miss speculation for cache design-achieves minimal energy consumption. Using this method, cache accesses can be adaptively switched between the way-prediction and the phased accessing modes.
Preliminary Evidence that Patch Burn-Grazing Creates Spatially Heterogeneous Habitat Structure in Old-Field Grassland

Abstract Heterogeneity created through patchy disturbance is an important component of grassland conservation, but little research has focused on patch burn-grazing in grassland of the eastern United States. To test the viability of patch burn-grazing in a Tall Fescue-invaded old-field grassland on the Cumberland Plateau, we conducted a prescribed patch burn, stocked cattle, and measured vegetation structure and plant functional group composition. We found that patch burn-grazing creates spatial heterogeneity (patch contrast) for grass height, litter cover, bare ground, and canopy cover of native and exotic grasses. These results suggest that patch burn-grazing is a viable tool for heterogeneity-based grassland management in the region.
Patient Risk Stratification for Hospital-Associated C. diff as a Time-Series Classification Task

A patient's risk for adverse events is affected by temporal processes including the nature and timing of diagnostic and therapeutic activities, and the overall evolution of the patient's pathophysiology over time. Yet many investigators ignore this temporal aspect when modeling patient outcomes, considering only the patient's current or aggregate state. In this paper, we represent patient risk as a time series. In doing so, patient risk stratification becomes a time-series classification task. The task differs from most applications of time-series analysis, like speech processing, since the time series itself must first be extracted. Thus, we begin by defining and extracting approximate risk processes, the evolving approximate daily risk of a patient. Once obtained, we use these signals to explore different approaches to time-series classification with the goal of identifying high-risk patterns. We apply the classification to the specific task of identifying patients at risk of testing positive for hospital acquired Clostridium difficile. We achieve an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.79 on a held-out set of several hundred patients. Our two-stage approach to risk stratification outperforms classifiers that consider only a patient's current state (p<0.05).
How to Move from Romanticism to Post‐Romanticism: Schelling, Hegel, and Heine

Kant’s conception of nature’s having a “purposiveness without a purpose” was quickly picked by the Romantics and made into a theory of art as revealing the otherwise hidden unity of nature and freedom. Other responses (such as Hegel’s) turned instead to Kant’s concept of judgment and used this to develop a theory that, instead of the Romantics’ conception of the non‐discursive manifestation of the absolute, argued for the discursively articulable realization of conceptual truths. Although Hegel did not argue for the “end of art” (although it is widely held that he did just that), he did, curiously enough, claim that it is art and not philosophy which tells us about the “life” of agents. To see how he reconciles that claim with his otherwise entirely discursively oriented philosophy, it is necessary to look at his thesis of the end of art’s “absolute” importance. Hegel’s worries have to do with the impossibility of fully exhibiting the “inner” in the “outer” in modern art and with the newly emerging proble...
Classification and Natural History of the Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses

The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses represent a group of disorders characterized by neurodegeneration and intracellular accumulation of an auto-fluorescent lipopigment (ceroid lipofuscin). Together, they represent the most prevalent class of childhood neurodegenerative disease. The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses encompass several distinct biological entities that vary in age of onset, specific neurologic phenotype, and rate of progression. In this review, we describe 9 major forms and present a classification scheme. Understanding the age of onset, clinical features, and natural history can inform rational diagnostics. Better knowledge of the natural histories of these disorders is necessary to shed light on the underlying pathobiology and to develop new therapeutics.
A Double-Label Technique that Monitors Sulfur Mustard Damage to Nuclei and Mitochondria of Normal Human Epidermal Keratinocytes In Vitro

Sulfur mustard and 2-chloro ethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES, a sulfur mustard analog) is known to have immediate (minutes), long-term (hours to days), and toxic effects on human skin. Research was directed toward developing a single in vitro assay that might reflect both these short-term and long-term effects of this vesicating agent on normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) in vitro. Such an assay system would be useful in identifying and developing sulfur mustard therapeutic agents. NHEK were exposed to the monofunctional sulfur mustard analog 2-chloro ethyl ethyl sulfide for a variety of times. The effects of CEES on NHEK nuclei were assessed using the membrane-permeable SYTO nuclear stains, whereas the effects of CEES on NHEK metabolism were determined by using the nontoxic mitochondria dye Alamar blue. CEES enhanced SYTO binding in a concentration-dependent manner to the nucleus immediately subsequent to a 2-hr exposure, whereas CEES had relatively little effect on metabolic activity at this time. Fif...
First-principles analysis of spin-disorder resistivity of Fe and Ni

Spin-disorder resistivity of Fe and Ni and its temperature dependence are analyzed using noncollinear density functional calculations within the supercell method. Different models of thermal spin disorder are considered, including the mean-field approximation and the nearest-neighbor Heisenberg model. If the local moments are kept frozen at their zero-temperature values, very good agreement with experiment is obtained for Fe but for Ni the resistivity at elevated temperatures is significantly overestimated. Agreement with experiment for Fe is improved if the local moments are made self-consistent. The effect of short-range order on spin-disorder resistivity is more pronounced in Ni compared to Fe but it is too weak to explain the overestimation of the resistivity for paramagnetic Ni; the latter is therefore attributed to the reduction in the local moments down to $0.35{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$. Overall, the results suggest that low-energy spin fluctuations in Fe and Ni are better viewed as classical rotations of local moments rather than quantized spin fluctuations that would require an $(S+1)/S$ correction.
Ballooning instability of a thin current sheet in the high-Lundquist-number magnetotail

Two-dimensional simulations of the magnetotail in the high-Lundquist-number regime indicate the slow growth of thin current sheets and an impulsive intensification of the cross-tail current density at near-Earth distances during a short interval just before the onset of the expansion phase, consistent with multi-satellite observations. Such a two-dimensional magnetotail, symmetric along y and containing a thin current sheet, is found to be unstable to a symmetry-breaking, ideal compressible ballooning instability with high wave number along y. The linear instability is demonstrated by numerical solutions of the ideal ballooning eigenmode equation for a sequence of two-dimensional thin current sheet configurations in the impulsive growth phase. Line-tied boundary conditions at the ionosphere are imposed, and shown to play a crucial role in the stability analysis. It is suggested that the ideal ballooning instability, which has strong spatial variation along y, provides a possible mechanism for disrupting the cross-tail current at onset.
Work in Progress: A Literate Approach to Graduate Computer Science Education

We have observed that many beginning graduate students, though technically skilled, are lacking the ability to disseminate technical knowledge to a broad audience. Students often write term papers that describe the intricate complexity of their work, but fail to place the work in context, to articulate the core argument, or to present the proper level of detail. In response, we are developing a curriculum-independent course format designed to develop the ability of students to write, speak, and argue effectively to a broad audience. This format includes an evaluative process in which students absorb and respond to technical readings within an existing curriculum and a highly literate technical project guided by several milestones
An Opportunity Cost View of Fixed Asset Theory and the Overproduction Trap

In fixed asset and exit barrier theories, durable asset valuation is based upon acquisition prices, yielding downwardly biased rate-of-return estimates and erroneous implications that excess resources become trapped in production when product price expectations fall. Conventional asset valuation based on opportunity cost shows that excess resource applications are incompatible with rational producer behavior. Market failure conclusions of overproduction trap models are shown to be unfounded. A review of recently published agricultural economics texts illustrates how use of fixed asset theory in the college classroom obscures the concept of choice-influencing cost and the rule of resource allocative efficiency.
Transient Circuit Model of Memristors

We report a transient circuit model of Pt/TiO2(40nm)/Pt memristor that accurately represents the underlying switching mechanism and can be extended to any other material platforms. The analysis is based on the analytic formulation of dynamical characteristics. The transient circuit model is simulated in Cadence using HSPICE. Rise time and fall times of the 40 nm TiO2 memristor were calculated to be 11.4 ps and 11.6 ps, respectively. The settling time during ON and OFF switching was determined to be 1.04 ns and 0.78 ns, respectively.
AAV2/1 CD74 Gene Transfer Reduces β-amyloidosis and Improves Learning and Memory in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Modulation of the amyloid-β (Aβ) trafficking pathway heralds a new therapeutic frontier for Alzheimer's disease (AD). As CD74 binds to the amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) and can suppresses Aβ processing, we investigated whether recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) delivery of CD74 could reduce Aβ production and affect disease outcomes. This idea was tested in a mouse AD model. Cotransduction of AAV-tetracycline-controlled transactivator (tTA) and AAV-tet-response element (TRE)-CD74 resulted in CD74 expression, reduced Aβ production in mouse neurons containing the human APP with familial AD-linked mutations. Stereotaxic injection of AAV-TRE-GFP or CD74 into the hippocampi of an AD mouse, defined as a TgCRND8 × calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II derived promoter-tTA double-transgenic, reduced Aβ loads and pyramidal neuronal Aβ accumulation in the hippocampus. Immunofluorescent studies showed that APP colocalization with Lamp1 was increased in CD74-expressing neurons. Moreover, Morris water maze tasks demonstrated that mice treated with AAV-TRE-CD74 showed improved learning and memory compared to AAV-TRE-GFP control animals. These results support the idea that CD74-induced alteration of Aβ processing could improve AD-associated memory deficits as shown in mouse models of human disease.
3 – 2D Strings

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the 2D string representation as the symbolic projection of a picture, and defines the absolute, normal, and reduced 2D strings. The chapter also presents algorithms for picture reconstruction from the 2D string, and defines the augmented 2D string, as well as picture matching by 2D subsequence matching. It outlines the methodology of iconic indexing and analyzes the problem of ambiguous pictures and their characterization. A summary of the algorithms and ambiguity results for the various 2D string representations is presented as well. The 2D string representation is ideally suited for formulating picture queries.
Geschichte als Argument? Republikanisches Geschichtsverständnis im Transnationalen Europa

Die Europaische Union ist eine Rechtsgemeinschaft, deren normatives Fundament die klassischen Prinzipien des aufgeklarten Republikanismus sind: Menschenrechte, Demokratie und Rechtsherrschaft. Politische und rechtliche Konflikte in einem solchen Gemeinwesen sind im wesentlichen Konflikte, die Fragen der Interpretation und Konkretisierung dieser Prinzipien betreffen. Das trifft, trotz des verschiedenen Gewichts und Abstraktionsgrades, gleichermasen auf Diskussionen eines neuen Verfassungsentwurfs, der Artikulation eines politischen Programms, der Diskussion eines spezifischen gesetzgeberischen Losungsvorschlags oder der Losung eines gerichtlichen Disputs zu. Die Frage ist, welche offentliche Rolle Geschichte in einer durch solche Prinzipien konstituierten Rechtsgemeinschaft spielen soll und welche Rolle ihr nicht zuzumuten ist. Gibt es so etwas wie eine republikanische Tugend des Vergessens? Gibt es eine spezifische narrative Struktur, die eine gemeineuropaische Geschichte zwecks Verfeinerung und Erweiterung des offentlichen Vernunftgebrauchs aufweisen sollte? Welche Implikationen ergeben sich aus der spezifischen politischen und rechtlichen Form der Europaischen Union, insbesondere aus dem spezifisch horizontalen Charakter des Europaischen Konstitutionalismus fur die Struktur europaischer Geschichtsschreibung und europaischer Erinnerungskultur?
A Two-Week Guided Inquiry Protein Separation and Detection Experiment for Undergraduate Biochemistry.

A laboratory experiment for teaching protein separation and detection in an undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course is described. This experiment, performed in two, 4 h laboratory periods, incorporates guided inquiry principles to introduce students to the concepts behind and difficulties of protein purification. After using size-exclusion chromatography to separate a mixture of proteins, students utilize a colorimetric enzymatic assay and an immunoassay to determine the location of individual mixture components. Students proceed to determine the molecular weight of each protein using gel electrophoresis and generated mass spectrometric data. Completing this experiment provides students with an opportunity to expediently separate proteins while learning about protein characterization.