cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of inflection angle and correlation of shape factor of barrel-shaped droplets on horizontal fibers

Abstract The properties and shapes of drops attached to fibers are important for understanding the movements of drops on fibers in applications such as coalescing filters. One of the features of the shape of a drop attached to a cylindrical fiber is an inflection in the curvature of the drop profile near the contact line between the drop and the fiber surface. Depending on the drop volume, the point of inflection may occur very close to the drop-fiber contact line, and the angle at the inflection point could mistakenly be interpreted as the intrinsic contact angle. Measurement of the angle at the inflection point improves the characterization of the drop profile for a drop-on-fiber system. Many studies provide methods that apply droplet geometric symmetry to extract the profile of drops on flat surfaces. However, none of these methods can be easily applied to drops on fibers due to the curvature of the fiber surface and its effect on the shape of the drop. In the case of drops on fibers, drop properties such as drop length, thickness, inflection angle and volume are useful to obtain the wetting properties of the fiber surfaces without knowing the liquid properties. To determine inflection angles and volumes of axisymmetric barrel-shaped droplets on fibers from 2D images of droplets profiles a polynomial fitting method for fibers (PFMF) was applied. The strategy employed detects the location of the droplet boundary, fits a polynomial to the boundary, and calculates the inflection angle and the volume of the droplet. Volume measurements using the PFMF were consistent with calculations from Surface Evolver™ program. Using the PFMF, a new correlation was generated for a shape factor characterizing the asymmetry of barrel-shaped droplets as a function of liquid properties, fiber radius, and droplet volume.
Integrated Effects of Atmospheric CO2 Concentration on Plant and Ecosystem Respiration

Atmospheric CO2 concentrations have been increasing since the industrial revolution due to fossil fuel burning and deforestation. Elevated levels of atmospheric [CO2] are likely to enhance photosynthesis and plant growth, which, in turn should result in increased specific and whole-plant respiration rates. However, a large body of literature has shown that specific respiration rates of plant tissues can be considerably reduced when plants are exposed to or grown at high [CO2]. Reductions in respiration by [CO2] have been explained by either direct inhibitory effects of [CO2] on respiratory processes or by indirect effects associated with changes in the chemical composition of tissues of plants grown at high [CO2]. The observed reductions in plant respiration rates by elevated [CO2] can represent a large biospheric sink for atmospheric carbon. Although doubling current ambient levels of atmospheric [CO2] could inhibit some mitochondrial enzymes directly in the short-term, the magnitude of the direct effect of [CO2] on tissue respiration has now been shown to be largely explained by measurement artifacts, diminishing the impact that direct effects would have on the carbon cycle. A reduction in construction and maintenance costs of tissues of plants grown at high [CO2] can explain an indirect reduction of respiration. Such indirect effects, however, may be offset by the larger biomass of plants exposed to elevated [CO2]. A lack of clear understanding of the physiological control of plant respiration, of the role(s) of non-phosphorylating pathways, and effects associated with plant size, makes it difficult to predict how respiration and the processes it supports respond to elevated [CO2]. Therefore, the role of plant respiration in augmenting or controlling the sink capacity of terrestrial ecosystems is still uncertain.
Assessing Youth Perceptions and Knowledge of Ethics at 4-H Horse Shows in Louisiana

ABSTRACTDue to the increased awareness of animal welfare issues and sensitized attitudes throughout society, youth animal projects provide a unique opportunity to assess and impact youth understand...
Resilience Among Spouses of United States Service Members During Deployment.

Approximately 2.7 million United States (US) soldiers have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since September 11, 2001 (Lester et al., 2016). The stresses of multiple combat deployments have been...
Towards Green Synthesis and Processing of Organic Solar Cells.

In 2018, several major breakthroughs have been achieved in organic solar cells (OSCs) with the record power conversion efficiency (PCE) reaching over 17 %. With this increased efficiency, it is time to take a step forward to consider how to convert this technology into large scale production. For this, the economic and environmental profile of OSCs should be taken seriously-simplified synthetic routes and green chemistry methods should be applied. According to previous studies, OSCs are competitive and profitable in the commercial market. However, toxic and/or hazardous chemicals are currently used in materials synthesis and device fabrication of OSCs. In this account, we will talk about contributions and efforts we have made to minimize the economic and environmental disadvantages in the production of OSCs. We will start with the background on how our projects were conceived and will specifically discuss our work on direct arylation and green solvent. Developments of direct arylation for synthesizing conjugated polymers will be illustrated along with our recent finding regarding the effect of green solvents on device performance and stability.
Proceedings of the 5th International Workshop on Software Engineering for Computational Science and Engineering

Welcome to the 2013 International Workshop on Software Engineering for Computational Science & Engineering. We are excited about the program for this year. The submissions represented a good mix of papers from the software engineering perspective and papers from the computational science & engineering perspective. This year we accepted two types of papers: full papers (10 pages) and position papers (4 pages). We received a total of 20 submissions (15 full papers and 5 position papers). After a thorough review process, the program committee and organizing committee selected 10 full papers and 4 position papers for inclusion in this year's program.
Making construction safety training interesting: a field-based quasi-experiment to test the relationship between emotional arousal and situational interest among adult learners

Abstract Safety training within the construction industry is often quite mundane and generic which is a problem for an industry combatting with high fatality rates on job sites for decades. Recent studies have found construction safety training programs severely lacking in developing hazard recognition and risk assessment skills among its workforce. Moreover, techniques used in these training programs are not geared to help adult learners engage or retain information provided. To address these shortcomings, this paper tests the efficacy of a multimedia simulation-based training program: Naturalistic Injury Simulations (NIS) in inducing interest among construction workers. NIS has been empirically shown to elicit targeted negative emotional experience among construction workers and the work presented here tests if NIS can also generate situational interest in construction workers regarding safety. This paper collected data from 489 construction workers on a construction job-site in an interventional experimental design. Analysis revealed that NIS were able to increase situational interest among workers and that these findings were consistent across all demographic dimensions captured in our study. Multiple linear regression analysis did not show clear evidence of a relationship between change in emotions and increase in situational interest among workers. This work shows that NIS will promote learning among workers by keeping them interested in the safety training process while also generating risk-averse behavioral patterns through emotional manipulation.
Experimental investigation of natural convection flow in a laterally heated vertical cylindrical enclosure

Abstract Vertical cylindrical enclosures are used in the crystal growth industry as crystal growth reactors. Gallium nitride crystals are grown in ammonothermal growth reactors that requires temperatures in the range of 600–1000 K (620–1340 °F) and pressures in the range of 1000–6000 bar (14,504–87,022 psi). The process conditions make any experimental measurements difficult, in particular, flow pattern visualization and velocity measurements. A geometrically similar transparent reactor and similar fluid dynamic conditions for crystal growth were used in the process of experimental observation and measurement of the flow. Boundary and fluid temperatures along with velocity vectors were recorded. The flow proved to be oscillating in nature with steady and uniform time-averaged patterns. Fluid temperatures showed a higher standard deviation in the mixing region suggesting that the fluctuations are stronger at this location. Flow patterns and fluid temperatures indicated that the heat transfer between the two sections is driven by conduction and advection.
Multi-extremum optimization in lens design: navigation through merit function valleys maze

Lens designers routinely use optimization in their everyday practice. Local optimization algorithms lead to the nearest minimum. In this paper, a new deterministic approach for multi-extremum optimization is proposed. Optimal solutions for even moderate complexity optical architectures are shown to be located within extended merit function valleys. Merit function minimums are separated by saddle points. An effective algorithm to travel over these valleys from one local minimum through a saddle point to another minimum is proposed. From this new minimum, a new valley is found which leads through another saddle point to another minimum and so on.. In a finite number of steps, a complete mutually connected system of stationary points (minimums and saddle points) are revealed, giving a reasonable assurance that the search is completed.
G-Quadruplex and Protein Binding by Single-Molecule FRET Microscopy

G-quadruplex (G4) is a non-canonical nucleic acid structure that arises from the stacking of planar G-tetrads, stabilized by monovalent cations. G4 forming sequences exist throughout the genome and G4 structures are shown to be involved in many processes including DNA replication and gene expression. The single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy has been employed to study G4 structure formation and protein binding interactions. Here, we describe methods by which we tested the folding and unfolding of G-quadruplexes structure and studied the dynamics of its interaction with POT1 protein. The methods presented here can be applied to study other putative G4 sequences and potential binding partners.
Efficacy and safety of topical capsaicin for cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome in the emergency department

AbstractIntroduction: Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is a disorder of cyclic and recurrent nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain associated with high-frequency and extended-duration marijuan...
Assessing ethics and professionalism in dental education

The foundation for the development of ethical sensitivity and the capacity for reflective reasoning about ethical dilemmas must be established early during professional training. At Indiana University School of Dentistry, two assessment tools, the Dental Ethical Sensitivity Test (DEST) and the Defining Issues Test (DIT) are being employed to help measure student achievement and enhance their skills in this area. Evidence suggests that both small-group discussion and case-based problem solving involving ethical issues improve scores on these measures. It is imperative that opportunities to recognize, analyze, and discuss ethical issues are integrated throughout the dental student's educational program.
Systemic inhibition of tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase alters the brain-immune axis in experimental sepsis

Tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) is a ubiquitous enzyme present in many cells and tissues, including the central nervous system. Yet its functions at the brain-immune axis remain unclear. The goal of this study was to use a novel small molecular inhibitor of TNAP, SBI-425, to interrogate the function of TNAP in neuroimmune disorders. Following intraperitoneal (IP) administration of SBI-425, mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the SBI-425 does not cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in healthy mice. To elucidate the role of TNAP at the brain-immune axis, mice were subjected to experimental sepsis and received either vehicle or SBI-425 (25 mg/kg, IP) daily for 7 days. While SBI-425 administration did not affect clinical severity outcomes, we found that SBI-425 administration suppressed CD4 + Foxp3+ CD25− and CD8 + Foxp3+ CD25− splenocyte T-cell populations compared to controls. Further evaluation of SBI-425’s effects in the brain revealed that TNAP activity was suppressed in the brain parenchyma of SBI-425-treated mice compared to controls. When primary brain endothelial cells were treated with a proinflammatory stimulus the addition of SBI-425 treatment potentiated the loss of barrier function in BBB endothelial cells. To further demonstrate a protective role for TNAP at endothelial barriers within this axis, transgenic mice with a conditional overexpression of TNAP were subjected to experimental sepsis and found to have increased survival and decreased clinical severity scores compared to controls. Taken together, these results demonstrate a novel role for TNAP activity in shaping the dynamic interactions within the brain-immune axis.
Comparative Propensity-Weighted Mortality After Isolated Acute Traumatic Axis Fractures in Older Adults.

Introduction:In older patients with axis fractures, the survival benefit from surgery is unclear due to high baseline mortality. Comparative effectiveness research can provide evidence from populat...
Class II HLA mismatch improves outcomes following haploidentical transplantation with posttransplant cyclophosphamide

HLA disparity is the major predictor of outcome following unrelated donor (UD) transplantation, where a single mismatch (mm) at the HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, or HLA-DRB1 locus leads to increased mortality, and mismatching at multiple loci compounds this effect. In contrast, HLA disparity has not been shown to increase mortality in the context of haploidentical transplant using posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy). To better define the consequences of loci-specific HLA mm, we analyzed 208 consecutive patients undergoing haploidentical transplantation for hematologic malignancy using PTCy at our institution (median age, 52 years [range, 19-75 years]; peripheral blood stem cell, 66%; reduced-intensity conditioning, 59%). Median follow-up was 65.4 months (range, 34.3-157.2 months). In univariate analysis, a single class II HLA mm at HLA-DR, HLA-DQ or a nonpermissive (np) HLA-DP mm had a protective effect on disease-free and overall survival (OS), primarily a result of reduced relapse risk. Furthermore, this survival effect was cumulative, so that patients with 3 class II mm (HLA-DR, HLA-DQ, and np HLA-DP) had the best OS. In multivariate analysis, HLA-DR mm and np HLA-DP mm were both independently associated with improved OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.43; P =.001; and HR, 0.47; P =.011, respectively). In contrast, single or multiple mm at HLA-A, HLA-B, or HLA-C loci had no effect on acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), nonrelapse mortality (NRM), relapse, or survival, although the presence of an HLA-A mm was associated with increased chronic GVHD incidence. The association of class II mm with lower relapse occurred without a corresponding increase in NRM or acute or chronic GVHD. These findings will require validation in larger registry studies.
Density Functional Theory Modeling of Photo-electrochemical Reactions on Semiconductors: H2 Evolution on 3C-SiC

We develop a protocol for modeling photoelectrochemical reactions on semiconductor surfaces using density functional theory (DFT). We use an implicit solvation model of the electrolyte to implement...
Commentary: Cardioplegia for immature hearts utilized in adult hearts: What is at stake?

Abstract Minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) requires distinctive surgical skills compared to conventional cardiac surgery. Several single-infusion cardioplegic solutions have emerged to facilitate the procedure. Del Nido cardioplegia, developed for protection of immature hearts, is one such solution which is gaining popularity in adult cardiac surgery.
Exercise and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Children and Adolescents With Obesity: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials:

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of exercise on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in children and adolescents with obesity. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of exerci...
Always Crashing In The Same Car – Clearinghouse Rescue After Dodd-Frank

Clearinghouses are central to our financial system after Dodd-Frank. And they will remain central even if Dodd-Frank is repealed. But clearinghouses themselves are apt to be quite fragile in times of extreme financial stress, like that experienced in 2008. And strangely Dodd-Frank only addresses clearinghouse resilience in the most oblique manner. In this paper, I suggest additional steps that can be taken to make sure that clearinghouses perform their role in the financial system, and thus avoid becoming the next “too big to fail” institution in need of a bailout.
Codification and the Hidden Work of Congress

Where does law go after Congress enacts it, but before courts interpret it and the public reads it? As this Article shows, this seemingly simple question is in fact very complicated, without a single, predictable answer. In short, the answer is “it depends on a lot of things.” This Article provides the first in-depth scholarly examination of the process by which enacted laws are organized and presented for public consumption, known as codification, a process that has mostly escaped the notice of judges and scholars of legislation, and even fails to make it into textbooks meant to introduce lawyers to the creation and interpretation of law. It argues that the failure to account for this process has left gaps in our understanding of what law is and how it should be interpreted. As this Article shows, law often undergoes significant change between enactment and the time it is organized within the U.S. Code, which is a compilation of Congress’s individual enactments. The decision of how to organize these individual enactments within the Code, or whether to leave them out of the Code altogether, is made by a non-partisan group of lawyers within Congress known as the Office of the Law Revision Counsel. These technical organizers have significant power over how (and in some cases, whether) courts, litigants, and the public see an enacted law, although their power differs depending on the type of Code title. This Article’s descriptive and normative claims have real-world application because organization and context are central to interpretation, but interpreters have failed to grapple with how codification affects organization and context. This Article argues that interpreters need to understand the full complexity of how law is organized and presented before they can make confident pronouncements about congressional bargains and legislative intent. Understanding the codification process provides a more accurate, albeit more complicated, path forward for statutory interpretation.
Sewage sludge removal robot using machine language

The recent development in robotics has enabled robot technology to solve many practical problems that humans encounter in day-to-day activities. But, even today manual scavenging of the sewage is practiced in all places of India, Hundreds reportedly die from the work each year. To provide a complete solution to this deplorable situation, a robot can used as a replacement to manpower in sewer maintenance. The sewage inspection and cleaning is done by this robot. The robot inspects sewer lines for cracks, corrosion, obstacles, gas present, etc. Wherein men enter the manholes and clean the waste materials in the drainage manually with no technical equipment. It is a dreadful process where the drainage wastes are cleaned by the people that may include the basic tools like buckets, brooms for disposing the drainage wastes.
T-loops and the origin of telomeres

Most eukaryotes stabilize the ends of their linear chromosomes with a telomerase-based system. Telomerase maintains specific repetitive sequences, which protect chromosome ends with the help of telomere-binding proteins. How did this elaborate system evolve? Here, I propose that telomere function was originally mediated by t-loops, which could have been generated by prokaryotic DNA-replication factors. These early telomeres would have required only the presence of a few repeats at chromosome ends. Telomerase could have been a later innovation with specific advantages for telomere function and regulation.
The Varied Effects of Policy Cues on Partisan Opinions

Although citizens often arrive at the same views as their political party's leaders, they also respond to information about policy targets and effects. Accounting for political context, even in the United States, encourages a variable view of how partisanship shapes opinions in policy debates. In three survey experiments associated with policies supported by both Democrats and Republicans, I find that both aspects of policy argumentation and the actors making the arguments can enable partisanship to affect public opinion. This process is highly conditional, however: sometimes polarization occurs only with the presence of a single politician; in other areas, polarization is likely following presentation of evidence by either partisan side. The effect of policy information on partisan polarization is variable across political and policy contexts. Aunque los ciudadanos frecuentemente llegan a las mismas opiniones que sus lideres politicos, ellos tambien responden a informacion a objetivos y efectos de politica. Tomando en cuenta el contexto politico, incluso en los Estados Unidos, invita a tomar como variable como el partidismo da forma a las opiniones en los debates politicos. Se experimento con tres encuestas relacionadas con politicas apoyadas por democratas y los republicanos, encuentro que ambos aspectos de la argumentacion politica y los actores haciendo los argumentos pueden hacer que el partidismo a afecte la opinion publica. Sin embargo, este proceso esta condicionado a muchas circunstancias: a veces la polarizacion se produce solo con la presencia de un solo politico; en otras instancias, existe la posibilidad de polarizacion despues de la presentacion de pruebas por cada lado partidista. El efecto de la informacion politica en la polarizacion partidista es variable a traves de los contextos politicos y de politicas.
The normal human ventricular gradient: IV. The relationship between the magnitudes, AQRS and G, and deviations of the RS-T segment

Abstract The analysis of any diphasic ventricular complex of the electrocardiogram from the standpoint that it is produced by the summation of two monophasic curves has certain advantages. By use of this method it is shown that, other things being equal, the extent of deviation of the RS-T segment, in the absence of a ventricular gradient, or of injury effects, is determined by at least two factors: 1. 1. The net area of the QRS complex. 2. 2. The heart rate or, otherwise stated, the duration of the Q-T interval. The effect of a diphasic form of the initial ventricular complex is considered. The effect upon the RS-T segment of the presence of the electrical forces which give rise to the ventricular gradient is discussed from the standpoint (a) of the magnitude of the gradient in relation to the magnitude of the net QRS area; and (b) of the magnitude of the gradient as projected on a lead line in relation to the net QRS area in that lead. It is shown that the RS-T segment deviations observed in human electrocardiograms agree with the theoretical expectations. It is suggested that RS-T segment deviations of the type described be called “repolarization or regression deviations”; that those produced by injury or muscle depression and blocking be called “injury deviations”; and that the characteristic slight deviations due to the presence of a large ventricular gradient be called “gradient deviations.” If it should be found that other mechanisms of segment deviations exist, other categories may be included. A few clinical applications of these observations are briefly stated.
The Church in the Barrio: Mexican American Ethno-Catholicism in Houston

In a story that spans from the founding of immigrant parishes in the early twentieth century to the rise of the Chicano civil rights movement in the early 1970s, Roberto R. Trevino discusses how an intertwining of ethnic identity and Catholic faith equipped Mexican Americans in Houston to overcome adversity and find a place for themselves in the Bayou City. Houston's native-born and immigrant Mexicans alike found solidarity and sustenance in their Catholicism, a distinctive style that evolved from the blending of the religious sensibilities and practices of Spanish Christians and New World indigenous peoples. Employing church records, newspapers, family letters, mementos, and oral histories, Trevino reconstructs the history of several predominately Mexican American parishes in Houston. He explores Mexican American Catholic life from the most private and mundane, such as home altar worship and everyday speech and behavior, to the most public and dramatic, such as neighborhood processions and civil rights marches. He demonstrates how Mexican Americans' religious faith helped to mold and preserve their identity, structured family and community relationships as well as institutions, provided both spiritual and material sustenance, and girded their long quest for social justice.
STUDYING THE TELOMERASE RNA IN TETRAHYMENA

Publisher Summary Telomeres are specialized structures at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes that are required for chromosome stability and the complete replication of linear chromosomes. In ciliates de novo telomere formation is an essential step in a critical developmental stage—the generation of the new macronucleus. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) reverse transcriptase responsible for the synthesis of telomeric repeats. Telomerase is the only known reverse transcriptase that contains its own template, which is present in the telomerase RNA moiety as an integral part of the RNP complex. The telomerase RNA of Tetrahymena thermophila is a relatively small RNA (159 nucleotides) with a very well-defined secondary structure. Specific residues of the templating domain are copied to produce the G-rich telomeric strand. Ciliates devote significant cellular resources to the maintenance and replication of telomeres due to the large number of macronuclear chromosomes and the relatively small size of each macronuclear chromosome. Consequently, each cell contains an unusually large number of chromosome ends.
The Maumauing of Bjorn Lomborg

This brief essay discusses Bjorn Lomborg's The Skeptical Environmentalist and the critical response it provoked. The essay concludes that, whatever the merits or demerits of the book, this episode has undercut the claim of the environmental advocates to speak for science.
Dominicans in the United States: Implications for Practice and Policies in the Human Services.

It is estimated that over one million Dominicans reside in this country. Dominicans comprise the second largest Hispanic group in New York City after Puerto Ricans. Currently, Dominicans represent the largest number of Immigrant Naturalization Service-registered aliens in New York City (U.S. Bureau of Census, 1991). Given these demographic factors, the mental health and social services needs of this population must be addressed. This paper examines the immigration flows of Dominicans to the United States between the period 1945 to 1992. Recommendations for policy makers and service providers are suggested regarding programs, policies, and services affecting Dominicans residing in the United States.
Pine invasions: climate predicts invasion success; something else predicts failure.

Aim Explaining why some invasions fail while others succeed is a prevailing question in invasion biology. Different factors have been proposed to explain the success or failure of exotics. Evidence suggests that climate similarities may be crucial. We tested this using 12 species of the genus Pinus that have been widely planted and shown to be highly invasive. Pinus is among the best-studied group of exotic species and one that has been widely introduced world-wide, so we were able to obtain data on invasive and non-invasive introductions (i.e. unsuccessful invasions; areas where after many decades of self-sowing seeds there is no invasion). Location World-wide. Methods We developed species distribution models for native ranges using a maximum entropy algorithm and projected them across the globe. We tested whether climate-based models were able to predict both invasive and non-invasive introductions. Results Appropriate climatic conditions seem to be required for these long-lived species to invade because climates accurately predicted invasions. However, climate matching is necessary, but not sufficient to predict the fate of an introduction because most non-invasive introductions were predicted to have triggered an invasion. Main conclusions Other factors, possibly including biotic components, may be the key to explaining why some introductions do not become invasions, because many areas where Pinus is not invading were predicted to be suitable for invasion based solely on climate.
Methodology for the assessment of data quality : application to HIV and AIDS programs in Latin America

Evidence is crucial in strategic planning for HIV response as well as the monitoring of results. This paper presents a simple tool that can be used to analyze the methodological quality of HIV data, its scope and limitations, and whether it can be accurately compared with other evidence. The tool, utilized as a questionnaire or checklist, first identifies the type of document containing the data; the status and means of its publication; the epidemiological design used; and the priority population. Next, the document is analyzed against a verification list based on eight methodological criteria: 1) objective; 2) inclusion and exclusion criteria; 3) sample size; 4) sampling technique; 5) error-reduction strategies; 6) data analysis technique; 7) limitations; and 8) confidence intervals and/or statistical significance. The paper also presents the results of implementing the tool in three Latin American countries.
Transition rates in single-ħω models

Abstract Formulas are given for transition rates for the constant, linear, and derivative nuclear operators in models in which all nuclear coordinates have the same phonon energy ħω. The transition-rate nuclear factors can be expressed in Huang-Rhys-Pekar Wp functions for any number of coordinates from 1 to 1022.
Radiocarbon and cation-radio ages for rock varnish on Tioga and Tahoe marainal boulders of Pine Creek, eastern Sierra Nevada, California, and their paleoclimatic implications

Accelerator mass spectrometry 14C analyses of organic matter extracted from rock varnishes on morainal boulders yield limiting minimum ages for three crests of the Tioga glaciation. At Pine Creek in the eastern Sierra Nevada, varnish started to form on boulders of the outermost Tioga moraine before 19,000 yr B.P., and varnish originated on the innermost Tioga moraine before 13,200 yr B.P. Comparisons with lake-level, paleohydrological, paleoecological, colluvial, and rock varnish micromorphological data indicate that central-eastern California and western Nevada experienced a moisture-effective period during the late Pleistocene but after the Tioga maximum, and perhaps as Tioga glaciers receded from the mouth of Pine Creek canyon. Varnishes on Tahoeage morainal boulders at Pine Creek have cation-ratio ages of about 143,000–156,000 yr B.P., suggesting that the Tahoe glaciation should not be correlated with oxygen-isotope stage 4 in the early Wisconsin, but rather with stage 6. Varnishes on morainal boulders of an older glaciation at Pine Creek are dated by cation ratio at about 182,000–187,000 yr B.P.
Birkhoff's Theorem for General {Riemann-Cartan} Type $R+R^2$ Theories of Gravity

In a class of nine-parameter Riemann-Cartan-type $R+{R}^{2}$ gravitational actions including torsion-squared terms we search for theories that satisfy a generalized Birkhoff theorem: In the absence of matter the Schwarzschild metric with vanishing torsion is the unique SO(3) spherically symmetric solution of the field equations. Unlike in previous discussions, the ad hoc assumption of reflection symmetry is not assumed. Two theories satisfying Birkhoff's theorem are found. They are unitary and propagate only the graviton. Two weakened versions of Birkhoff's theorem are discussed, one with reflection symmetry imposed and the other restricted to scalar-flat geometries. Four $R+{R}^{2}$ theories satisfying one or the other of these weakened Birkhoff theorems are presented. The unitary properties and particle content of these $R+{R}^{2}$ theories are summarized.
Calcific Aortic Stenosis: Pathology and Role of Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty.

Aortic valve disease is a common manifestation of cardiac pathology, and calcific aortic stenosis (AS) is the leading indication for surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) in the United States. 1 Characterized by a long latency period, symptom onset in calcific AS is associated with markedly reduced survival. 2 Three-year survival rates among symptomatic patients with severe AS who do not undergo AVR may be as low as 25%. 3 With the aging of the population, the overall burden and economic impact of AS is expected to increase as disease prevalence increases with age, affecting up to 4% of adults more than 85 years of age. 4,5 Although surgical AVR remains the definitive treatment of calcific AS, 6 many patients do not realize the benefits of this option because of extensive morbidity or other highrisk clinical and/or anatomic features. 7,8 Although not an alternative to AVR, balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) provides temporary symptomatic and hemodynamic benefit in select patients with advanced AS. This article provides an overview of calcific AS disorders and assesses the role of BAV in the contemporary treatment of this disease entity.
Directive segregation in the basis of colE1 plasmid incompatibility.

Incompatibility between ColE1 plasmids in Escherichia coli can be explained by competition for a limited number of replication sites. These sites ensure directive segregation of plasmids to daughter cells on cell division. The number of sites can be more than one only if a linear segregation mechanism is postulated.
Physical activity and physical function changes in obese individuals after gastric bypass surgery.

Abstract Background Little is known about the effects of gastric bypass surgery (GBS) on physical activity and physical function. We examined the physical activity, physical function, psychosocial correlates to physical activity participation, and health-related quality of life of patients before and after GBS. Methods A total of 20 patients were assessed before and 3 months after GBS. Physical activity was assessed using the 7-day physical activity recall questionnaire and a pedometer worn for 7 days. Physical function was assessed using the 6-minute walk test, Short Physical Performance Battery, and the physical function subscale of the Medical Outcomes Short Form-36 (SF-36). The Physical Activity Self-Efficacy questionnaire, the Physical Activity Barriers and Outcome Expectations questionnaire, the SF-36, and the Numeric Pain Rating Scale were also administered. Results Physical activity did not significantly increase from before (191.1 ± 228.23 min/wk) to after (231.7 ± 230.04 min/wk) GBS (n = 18); however, the average daily steps did significantly increase (from 4621 ± 3701 to 7370 ± 4240 steps/d; n=11). The scores for the 6-minute walk test (393 ± 62.08 m to 446 ± 41.39 m; n=17), Short Physical Performance Battery (11.2 ± 1.22 to 11.7 ± .57; n=18), physical function subscale of the SF-36 (65 ± 18.5 to 84.1 ± 19.9), and the total SF-36 (38.2 ± 23.58 to 89.7 ± 15.5; n=17) increased significantly. The Numeric Pain Rating Scale score decreased significantly for low back (3.5 ± 1.8 to 1.7 ± 2.63), knee (2.4 ± 2.51 to 1.0 ± 1.43), and foot/ankle (2.3 ± 2.8 to 0.9 ± 2.05) pain. No significant changes were found in the Physical Activity Self-Efficacy questionnaire or the Physical Activity Barriers and Outcome Expectations questionnaire. Conclusion GBS improves physical function, health-related quality of life, and self-reported pain and results in a modest improvement in physical activity. These are important clinical benefits of surgical weight loss. Long-term follow-up is needed to quantify the ability to sustain or further improve these important clinical outcomes.
Three-Dimensional Versus Two-Dimensional Finite Element Modeling of Flip-Chip Packages

In this study, both two-dimensional and three-dimensional finite element analyses were used to study the stress distribution in and deflection of the flip chip assembly under thermal loading. It is found that the three-dimensional results compared favorably with experimental measurements, while the two-dimensional results consistently overestimate both stresses and deflection. Among the two-dimensional models, the plane stress assumption seems to yield results closer to the full three-dimensional predictions. Furthermore, three-dimensional models were used to investigate the effect of printed wiring board size on the overall deflection of the flip-chip assembly. This size effect of the printed wiring board has significant implications on the design of multi-chip modules. The results indicate that a square array placement pattern is preferable to a staggered array for multiple chip modules in order to reduce mechanical interaction between chips. For square arrays, such mechanical interaction between chips can be neglected when the minimum distance between adjacent chips is more than 2 times the chip size.
Energetic optimization of algal lipid production in bubble columns: Part II: Evaluation of CO2 enrichment

Abstract This study evaluated growth and lipid productivity of Nannochloropsis salina under sparging with carbon dioxide-enriched air. Carbon dioxide enrichments ranging from 0.5 to 9.5% and gas-to-culture volume ratios ranging from 0.02 to 1.0 min −1 were tested in 900 mL bubble column batch reactors. An energy-based approach is proposed to optimize CO 2 enrichment. Cultures sparged with CO 2 -enrichments of 0.5–4% grew at nearly double the rate of those sparged with ambient air, accumulating 64% or more lipids. Based on energy efficiency, CO 2 -enrichment of 0.5% was found to be optimal while CO 2 -enrichments of 6.5% and greater were observed to cause inhibition. At this optimal CO 2 -enrichment of 0.5%, no significant changes were noted in the lipid content over the range of gas-to-culture volume ratios tested. These studies indicated that optimal energy recovery from N. salina can be achieved with CO 2 -enrichment of 0.5% sparged at a gas-to-culture volume ratio 0.18 min −1 . Under this optimal condition, biomass growth rate was 0.161 g L −1 d −1 , and the lipid content was 67.8%, yielding total lipid production of 0.771 g L −1 over 10 days at a net energy yield of 25 W m −3 .
Operando Studies of Catalyst Surfaces during Catalysis and under Reaction Conditions: Ambient Pressure X‐Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy with a Flow‐Cell Reactor

We present the development and performance of a new, reactor-like, in-house ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (AP-XPS) using Al Kα, which can study material surfaces, particularly surfaces of catalysts during catalysis and under reaction conditions. This ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy technique uses an affordable bench-top X-ray source, monochromated Al Kα, making it available for research groups on any campus. A unique feature of this in-house AP-XPS is the integration of a micro ambient pressure reaction cell working in either flowing or batch mode into a monochromatic Al Kα source and an ambient pressure energy analyzer. This integration allows XPS studying surfaces of materials while they functionalize in a flowing gaseous environment. Another feature is the integration of characterization of surfaces of catalysts into simultaneous measurements of catalytic performance by using on-line, quadrupole mass spectrometry and gas chromatography. Performance tests of this in-house AP-XPS have demonstrated that it can study material surfaces at temperatures up to 500–550 °C in a gaseous environment with pressures up to 25–50 Torr. This design has successfully brought the synchrotron-based AP-XPS technique to research groups on campuses.
HLA-DO and Its Role in MHC Class II Antigen Presentation

Helper T cells are stimulated to fight infections or diseases upon recognition of peptides from antigens that are processed and presented by the proteins of Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) Class II molecules. Degradation of a full protein into small peptide fragments is a lengthy process consisting of many steps and chaperones. Malfunctions during any step of antigen processing could lead to the development of self-reactive T cells or defective immune response to pathogens. Although much has been accomplished regarding how antigens are processed and presented to T cells, many questions still remain unanswered, preventing the design of therapeutics for direct intervention with antigen processing. Here, we review published work on the discovery and function of a MHC class II molecular chaperone, HLA-DO, in human, and its mouse analog H2-O, herein called DO. While DO was originally discovered decades ago, elucidating its function has proven challenging. DO was discovered in association with another chaperone HLA-DM (DM) but unlike DM, its distribution is more tissue specific, and its function more subtle.
Extra resonances in time-domain four-wave mixing

We show that extra resonances, such as those caused in frequency-domain nonlinear wave mixing by pure dephasing or laser fluctuations, can also be induced by operation in the time domain. These pulse-length-induced extra resonances arise in transient-grating experiments when the laser pulses are short enough that a steady state cannot be achieved during the excitation process. We show theoretically that these resonances increase in strength with decreasing excitation pulse length until the pulse length becomes shorter than the dephasing time of the medium and quote an experimental example to support this interpretation.
Biochemical characterization of Trypanosoma brucei RNA polymerase II.

In Trypanosoma brucei, transcription by RNA polymerase II accounts for the expression of the spliced leader (SL) RNA and most protein coding mRNAs. To understand the regulation of RNA polymerase II transcription in these parasites, we have purified a transcriptionally active enzyme through affinity chromatography of its essential subunit, RPB4. The enzyme preparation is active in both promoter-independent and promoterdependent in vitro transcription assays. Importantly, the enzyme is sensitive to -amanitin inhibition, a hallmark of eukaryotic RNA polymerase II enzymes. Using mass spectrometric analysis we have identified the previously unobserved RPB12 subunit of T. brucei RNA polymerase II. TbRPB12 contains a conserved CX2CX10–15CX2C zinc binding motif that is characteristic of other eukaryotic RPB12 polypeptides. We also identified seven proteins that associate with T. brucei RNA polymerase II. While both bioinformatics and biochemical analysis have focused on the subunit structure of trypanosome RNA polymerases, this is the first study that reveals a functional RNA polymerase II enzyme.
"Residual" mammary carcinoma following simulated partial mastectomy.

Treatment of mammary carcinoma by partial mastectomy rather than by total mastectomy and axillary dissection may diminish the chances of long-term cure by risking incomplete removal of all local carcinoma at the initial operation. This study was undertaken to determine by pathologic examination how often carcinoma might remain in the breast and axilla after partial mastectomy. The operation was simulated in 203 mastectomy specimens after operations for unilateral invasive carcinoma. In so far as could be determined on gross examination, the entire primary lesion was included in the quadrant which was excised in the simulated procedure. Among 100 women with primary lesions less than 2 cm in diameter, 26% had carcinoma in the breast which remained after simulated partial mastectomy. Six percent of them also had axillary node metastases. An additional 30% only had axillary node metastases. When the primary lesion was more than 2 cm in diameter, 38% of patients had carcinoma in the breast after simulated partial mastectomy, of whom 29% also had axillary metastases. After simulated partial mastectomy, carcinoma was found in 80% of breasts from patients with lesions in the subareolar area, in contrast with 25–35% of patients with a primary carcinoma in one of the four quadrants. None of the 9 patients with medullary and colloid carcinomas that measured under 2 cm had axillary metastases or carcinoma in the breast outside of the primary quadrant. The findings suggested that a familial history of breast carcinoma or a large primary lesion may be associated more often with multifocal disease, but factors such as age at diagnosis, axillary status, and the mammogram report did not have significant predictive value for distinguishing between patients who did or did not have carcinoma in breast tissue after the primary had been removed by a simulated partial mastectomy.
The gradient of spatial auditory attention in free field: An event-related potential study

Young adult subjects attended selectively to brief noise bursts delivered in free field via a horizontal array of seven loudspeakers spaced apart by 9° of angle. Frequent “standard” stimuli (90%) and infrequent “target/deviant” stimuli (10%) of increased bandwidth were delivered at a fast rate in a random sequence equiprobably from each speaker. In separate runs, the subjects’ task was to selectively attend to the leftmost, center, or rightmost speaker and to press a button to the infrequent “target” stimuli occurring at the designated spatial location. Behavioral detection rates and concurrently recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) indicated that auditory attention was deployed as a finely tuned gradient around the attended sound source, thus providing support for gradient models of auditory spatial attention. Furthermore, the ERP data suggested that the spatial focusing of attention was achieved in two distinct stages, with an early more broadly tuned filtering of inputs occurring over the first 80–200 msec after stimulus onset, followed by a more narrowly focused selection of attended-location deviants that began at around 250 msec and closely resembled the behavioral gradient of target detections.