cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Periodic modulation of extraordinary optical transmission through subwavelength hole arrays using surrounding Bragg mirrors

The enhanced light transmission through an array of subwavelength holes surrounded by Bragg mirrors is studied, showing that the mirrors act to confine the surface plasmons associated with the extraordinary optical transmission effect, forming a surface resonant cavity. The overall effect is increased light transmission intensity by more than a factor of 3 beyond the already enhanced transmission, independent of whether the Bragg mirrors are on the input or the output side of the incident light. The geometry of the Bragg mirror structures controls the enhancement and can even reduce the transmission by half. By varying these geometric parameters, we were able to periodically modulate the transmission of light for specific wavelengths, consistent with the propagation and interference of surface plasmon waves in a resonant cavity. Finite difference time domain simulations and a wave propagation model verify this effect.
Mechanism of Activation of the Tryptophan Synthase α2β2 Complex SOLVENT EFFECTS OF THE CO-SUBSTRATE β-MERCAPTOETHANOL

Abstract To characterize the conformational transitions that lead to activation of catalysis by the tryptophan synthase α2β2 complex, we have determined the solvent effects of a co-substrate, β-mercaptoethanol, and of a model nonsubstrate, ethanol, on the catalytic and spectroscopic properties of the enzyme. Our results show that ethanol and β-mercaptoethanol both alter the equilibrium distribution of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate intermediates formed in the reactions of L-serine at the β site in the α2β2 complex. Addition of increasing concentrations of ethanol increases the proportion of the external aldimine of L-serine and decreases the proportion of the external aldimine of aminoacrylate. Low concentrations of the co-substrate β-mercaptoethanol (Kd = ∼13 mM) decrease the proportion of the external aldimine of aminoacrylate and induce formation of the quinonoid of S-hydroxyethyl-L-cysteine. Higher concentrations of β-mercaptoethanol decrease the concentration of the quinonoid intermediate and increase the proportion of the external aldimine of L-serine. Data analysis shows that β-mercaptoethanol and ethanol both interact or bind preferentially with the conformer of the enzyme that predominates when the aldimine of L-serine is formed and shift the equilibrium in favor of this conformer. We propose that a nonpolar region of the β subunit, possibly the hydrophobic indole tunnel, becomes less exposed to solvent in the conformational transition that activates the α2β2 complex.
Competency‐Based Teacher Education: Before We Proceed

vamped their curricula and have instituted competency-based teacher training programs. The aim of such a movement is to improve the quality of our schools by improving teachers. No one can argue with such a goal. However, in implementing CBTE programs, a vast assumption is made--that we indeed know the specific competencies necessary to produce effective teachers, that tested criteria already exist. In effect, we can only speculate about these competencies. Yet we are forging ahead nationally, developing and prematurely mandating competency-based programs without a research base to back us up in determining which competencies to select. The result has been the "laundry-list" approach, with many hundreds of hastily put together statements being implemented into teacher-training programs under the name of "competencies." However, much more research on teacher effectiveness and
Modeling effectiveness of agricultural BMPs to reduce sediment load and organophosphate pesticides in surface runoff

Quantifying effectiveness of agricultural BMPs at the watershed scale is a challenging issue, requiring robust algorithms to simulate not only the agricultural production system but also pollutant transport and fate. This research addresses the challenge to simulate performances of BMPs in reducing organophosphates (OPs) runoff at the watershed scale. The SWAT model is calibrated and validated following a sensitivity analysis combining Latin Hypercube sampling and One-factor-At-a-Time simulation. The calibrated model is then applied in the Orestimba Creek Watershed to simulate BMPs including buffer strips, sediment ponds, vegetated ditches, use reduction, and their combinations. BMP simulation suggested that sediment ponds trap 54-85% of sediment from field runoff, but less than 10% of dissolved diazinon and chlorpyrifos. Use reduction can reduce pesticide load in a close-to-linear fashion. Effectiveness of vegetated ditches and buffers depends on their physical dimension and vegetation cover. Combining individual BMPs provides enhanced mitigation effects. The combination of vegetated ditches, buffer strips and use reduction decreases diazinon and chlorpyrifos load by over 94%. This study has suggested that the SWAT model reasonably predicts BMP effectiveness at the watershed scale. Results will assist decision making in implementing BMPs to reduce pesticide loads in surface runoff.
The Role of Bone in Osteoarthritis Pathogenesis

This article focuses on the specific skeletal features of osteoarthritis and the putative mechanisms involved in their pathogenesis. In addition, the relationship of these changes to the alterations in articular cartilage and the other tissues comprising the diarthrodial joint are reviewed.
Transcription and Reverse Transcription of Retrotransposons

Replication des retrotransposons: article de synthese. Presentation des classes principales de retrotransposons. Transcription. Reverse transcription
Differences in employment outcomes 10 years after traumatic brain injury among racial and ethnic minority groups

Employment outcomes of racial and ethnic minority groups with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have not been thoroughly examined in the research literature beyond five years. The objective of this study was to examine differences in employment outcomes 10 years after TBI among racial and ethnic minorities. Using a multi-center, nationwide database, 382 participants (194 minorities and 188 whites) with primarily moderate to severe TBI from 16 TBI Model System Centers were examined. A logistic regression model indicated that the odds of being competitively employed versus not competitively employed at 10 years follow-up were 2.370 times greater for whites as compared to minorities after adjusting for age at injury, pre-injury employment status, cause of injury, and total length of stay (LOS). In addition, the odds of being competitively employed at 10 years follow-up versus not being competitively employed ranged from being 1.485 to 2.553 greater for those who were younger, employed at injury, had shorter total LOS, and non-violent injuries, respectively. This study supports previous research illustrating that compared to whites, employment is less promising for minorities after TBI both short and long term. Recommendations are suggested to help rehabilitation professionals target the specific needs of minorities with TBI in order to address employment disparities through culturally-based interventions and service delivery.
Effects of the National Cholesterol Education Program's Step I and Step II dietary intervention programs on cardiovascular disease risk factors: a meta-analysis

Background: Plasma lipid and lipoprotein responses have been variable in dietary intervention studies. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the National Cholesterol Education Program's Step I and Step II dietary interventions on major cardiovascular disease risk factors using meta-analysis. Design: MEDLINE was used to select 37 dietary intervention studies in free-living subjects published from 1981 to 1997. Results: Step I and Step II dietary interventions significantly decreased plasma lipids and lipoproteins. Plasma total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol, triacylglycerol, and TC:HDL cholesterol decreased by 0.63 mmol/L (10%), 0.49 mmol/L (12%), 0.17 mmol/L (8%), and 0.50 (10%), respectively, in Step I intervention studies, and by 0.81 mmol/L (13%), 0.65 mmol/L (16%), 0.19 mmol/L (8%), and 0.34 (7%), respectively, in Step II intervention studies (P < 0.01 for all). HDL cholesterol decreased by 7% (P = 0.05) in response to Step II but not to Step I dietary interventions. Positive correlations between changes in dietary total and saturated fatty acids and changes in TC and LDL and HDL cholesterol were observed (r = 0.59, 0.61, and 0.46, respectively: P <0.001). Multiple regression analyses showed that for every 1% decrease in energy consumed as dietary saturated fatty acid, TC decreased by 0.056 mmol/L and LDL cholesterol by 0.05 mmol/L. Moreover, for every 1-kg decrease in body weight, triacylglycerol decreased by 0.011 mmol/L and HDL cholesterol increased by 0.011 mmol/L. Exercise resulted in greater decreases in TC, LDL cholesterol, and triacylglycerol and prevented the decrease in HDL cholesterol associated with low-fat diets. Conclusion: Step I and Step II dietary interventions have multiple beneficial effects on important cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Perspectives on: Ion selectivity.

The purpose of the Perspectives in General Physiology is to provide a forum where scientific uncertainties or controversies are discussed in an authoritative, yet open manner. The Perspectives are solicited by the editors—often based on recommendations by members of the editorial advisory board.
Freezing tolerance in an adult insect.

The adult carabid beetle Pterostichus brevicornis tolerates freezing under natural conditions. Laboratory tests confirm that winter beetles tolerate temperatures below -35°C, whereas summer beetles die if frozen at -6.6°C. Winter beetles can be cooled to about -10°C before freezing, and they thaw near -3.5°C. Summer beetles thaw at -0.7°C. To avoid freezing damage even in winter beetles, cooling rates must be near 20°C per hour or less.
Analysis and Design using MaSE and agentTool

This paper provides an overview of the work being done at the Air Force Institute of Technology on the Multiagent Systems Engineering methodology and the associated agentTool environment. Our research is focused on discovering methods and techniques for engineering practical multiagent systems. It uses the abstraction provided by multiagent systems for developing intelligent, distributed software systems.
Evolution of cutoffs across meander necks in Powder River, Montana, USA

Over a period of several decades, gullies have been observed in various stages of forming, growing and completing the cutoff of meander necks in Powder River. During one episode of overbank flow, water flowing over the down-stream bank of the neck forms a headcut. The headcut migrates up-valley, forming a gully in its wake, until it has traversed the entire neck, cutting off the meander. The river then follows the course of the gully, which is subsequently enlarged as the river develops its new channel. The complete process usually requires several episodes of high water: in only one of the five cases described herein was a meander cutoff initiated and completed during a single large flood. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spatially Explicit Representation of State-and-Transition Models

The broad-scale assessment of natural resource conditions (e.g., rangeland health, restoration needs) requires knowledge of their spatial distribution. We argue that creating a database that links state-and-transition models (STMs) to spatial units is a valuable management tool for structuring ground-based observations, management planning for landscapes, and for housing information on the responses of land areas to management actions. To address this need, we introduce a multifactor classification system based on ecological sites and STMs that is directly linked to recent concepts of vegetation dynamics in rangelands. We describe how this classification was used as a basis for creating a spatial database and maps of ecological states. We provide an example of how the classification and mapping has been applied in over 1.2 million ha of public rangelands in southern New Mexico using aerial photo interpretation supplemented with existing inventory data and rapid field assessments. The resulting state map has been used by the Bureau of Land Management: 1) to design landscape-level shrub control efforts, 2) to structure and report district-wide rangeland health assessments, and 3) to evaluate locations for energy development. We conclude by discussing options for the development of state maps and their current limitations, including the use of satellite imagery and concepts for defining states. We argue that cataloging ecological states in a spatial context has clear benefits for rangeland managers because it connects STM concepts to specific land areas. State mapping provides a means to generate and store spatially explicit data resulting from tests of the propositions in STMs and conservation practices.
Identification of Drug Resistance Loci in Various Clinical Isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Extending previous results obtained for three strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, four naturally occurring, multiply resistant isolates were used in transformation studies. Six drug resistance loci corresponding to those found in the previously studied strains were identified. In addition, the mtr and ery-2 loci were found to be allelic.
Non-GNSS radio frequency navigation

There are many situations in which global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) such as the global positioning system (GPS) cannot provide adequate navigation performance (such as indoors or in urban canyons). This paper describes the technical challenges of non-GNSS radio frequency navigation, with particular emphasis on signals of opportunity (i.e., signals that are intended for purposes other than navigation). Advantages and disadvantages of signal of opportunity navigation are described, along with the dominant issues that must be dealt with in order to make such systems a practical reality.
Phrase structure principles of English complex sentence formation

The purpose of this study is to show that the theory of English syntax contains at least two phrase structure rules (cf. Chomsky, 1956, 1961) which introduce sentences. The first of these exemplifies the principle of NOUN PHRASE COMPLEMENTATION by which a sentence is introduced under the immediate domination of a noun phrase (NP). The second is VERB PHRASE COMPLEMENTATION, involving the introduction of a sentence under the immediate domination of a verb phrase (VP). These rules, couched in a workable phrase structure context, will be postulated at the outset. (For a more complete phrase structure component incorporating the principles of noun phrase and verb phrase complementation, cf. Rosenbaum & Lochak, 1966.) It will then be shown (i) that these rules follow as a consequence of syntactic theory previously formulated and independently justified and (ii) that the incorporation of these rules into the grammar of English leads to a compelling account of a wide range of English complex sentence phenomena.
Expression of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase in Lungs of Broiler Chickens Following Intravenous Cellulose Microparticle Injection

ABSTRACT Intravenous microparticle (MP) injection is a patented method used to select broilers with a robust pulmonary capacity and improved resistance to pulmonary hypertension syndrome (PHS, ascites). Injected MP become entrapped in the terminal pulmonary arterioles where they elicit an increase in pulmonary arterial pressure attributable to vascular occlusion and focal thrombocyte aggregation. Within 2 to 48 h postinjection perivascular mononuclear cell aggregates begin to form around MP-occluded vessels. Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to modulate the pulmonary arterial pressure response to MP entrapment, but a role of NO during the more chronic (2 to 48 h) focal inflammatory response has not been evaluated. In this study we determined the time-course of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in the lungs of MP-injected broilers from PHS-resistant (RES) and PHS-susceptible (SUS) lines. Four-week-old broilers (10 broilers/line per time point) were injected i.v. with a minimally lethal dose of MP, and the right lung was collected at 0 h (no MP) and 2, 24, and 48 h postinjection. Immunohistochemistry revealed that macrophage infiltration increased over time in both lines and was higher in the RES line than the SUS line (P SUS line). For the RES line iNOS mRNA expression increased consistently from 0 to 48 h, but for the SUS line iNOS mRNA expression increased at 2 h, decreased to baseline at 24 h, and increased again by 48 h. The decline in iNOS expression in the SUS line between 2 and 24 h coincides with the interval when most of the MP-induced mortality occurs, which suggests that NO synthesized by iNOS may contribute to lower MP-induced mortality in the RES line when compared with the SUS line.
Extrusion Processing of Wet Corn Gluten Meal

Wet corn gluten meal (WCGM) is that which has not undergone the typical industrial flash drying process. The pH of WCGM was adjusted to 7.0. The samples were then frozen and the water removed by lyophilization. The moisture content of the freeze-dried samples was adjusted to 14, 20, and 26% dry basis and extruded at barrel temperatures of 120, 145, and 170°C with screw speeds of 100, 150, and 200 rpm. Changes in digestibility and water-holding capacity were measured, and the results were compared to similarly processed dry corn gluten meal (DCGM) at pH 7.0.
Thioredoxin and peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase: convergence of similar structure and function in distinct structural folds.

Thioredoxin (Trx) and peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase (PMSR) are small thiol oxidoreductases implicated in antioxidant defense and redox regulation of cellular processes. Here we show that the structures of Trx and PMSR exhibit resemblance in their alphabeta core regions and that the active site cysteines in two proteins occupy equivalent positions downstream of a central beta-strand and at the N-terminus of an alpha-helix. Moreover, we identified a PMSR subfamily that contains an active site CxxC motif (two cysteines separated by two other amino acids) positioned similarly to the catalytic redox active CxxC motif in Trx. However, Trx and PMSR are characterized by distinct ancient folds that differ in both orientation of secondary structures and their patterns. Trx is a member of the Trx-fold superfamily, whereas PMSR has a unique fold not found in other proteins. The data suggest that similar structures and functions of Trx and PMSR were acquired independently during evolution and point to a general strategy of identifying new redox regulatory proteins.
Training Teachers to Conduct Trial-Based Functional Analyses

The trial-based functional analysis (FA) is a promising approach to identification of behavioral function and is especially suited for use in educational settings. Not all studies on trial-based FA have included teachers as therapists, and those studies that have, included minimal information on teacher training. The purpose of this study was to determine whether teachers trained via an in-service training would be able to conduct trial-based FAs with high procedural integrity. We trained four teachers to conduct trial-based FAs using a combination of didactic teaching and practice with feedback. All four teachers improved performance following training. Performance remained above baseline levels during an in situ maintenance condition, but for three of four teachers, additional feedback was required to recapture performance observed immediately following training.
Sonographic Findings in a Case of Crohn Disease

Crohn disease is an incurable inflammatory bowel disease that can involve the large or small bowel but typically is located at the terminal ileum. The disease ranges from mild inflammation to bowel obstruction, fistula, and abscess formation and is typically diagnosed during adolescence or the early 20s. Patients with Crohn disease undergo multiple follow-up imaging examinations for the disease during the course of their lives. Sonographic findings in an adolescent patient diagnosed with Crohn disease are discussed. Sonography is emerging not only as an effective imaging modality for long-term disease follow-up but also, with the addition of hydrosonography and improved transducer technology, as a primary diagnostic tool.
A microelectronic test structure and numerical algorithm for characterization of liquid immersion heat transfer

The design, development, and fabrication of a test section for gathering heat transfer data necessary for the efficient design of liquid immersion cooling systems for microelectronic applications is presented. The test section is a wafer scale integrated circuit design which can be mass produced and matches the actual integrated circuits and their geometric and material characteristics. The test section is for use in conjunction with the other experimental apparatus to collect heat transfer data for microelectronic surfaces cooled with liquid coolants. A numerical method for extracting the local heat transfer coefficients from experimental immersion cooling data obtained from the test section is developed. The algorithm removes the effects of thermal spreading, temperature averaging, and conduction temperature drop in the experimental test section. A numerical verification of the analytical method is presented, and experimental results are used to confirm the validity of the numerical algorithm. The algorithm demonstrates the independence of the extracted heat transfer behavior from the size of the test section heater. >
Infection with dengue-2 virus alters proteins in naturally expectorated saliva of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

Background: Dengue virus (DENV) is responsible for up to approximately 300 million infections and an increasing number of deaths related to severe manifestations each year in affected countries throughout the tropics. It is critical to understand the drivers of this emergence, including the role of vector-virus interactions. When a DENV-infected Aedes aegypti mosquito bites a vertebrate, the virus is deposited along with a complex mixture of salivary proteins. However, the influence of a DENV infection upon the expectorated salivary proteome of its vector has yet to be determined. Methods: Therefore, we conducted a proteomic analysis using 2-D gel electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry based protein identification comparing the naturally expectorated saliva of Aedes aegypti infected with DENV-2 relative to that of uninfected Aedes aegypti. Results: Several proteins were found to be differentially expressed in the saliva of DENV-2 infected mosquitoes, in particular proteins with anti-hemostatic and pain inhibitory functions were significantly reduced. Hypothetical consequences of these particular protein reductions include increased biting rates and transmission success, and lead to alteration of transmission potential as calculated in our vectorial capacity model. Conclusions: We present our characterizations of these changes with regards to viral transmission and mosquito blood-feeding success. Further, we conclude that our proteomic analysis of Aedes aegypti saliva altered by DENV infection provides a unique opportunity to identify pro-viral impacts key to virus transmission.
Large-Scale Cross-Language Web Page Classification via Dual Knowledge Transfer Using Fast Nonnegative Matrix Trifactorization

With the rapid growth of modern technologies, Internet has reached almost every corner of the world. As a result, it becomes more and more important to manage and mine information contained in Web pages in different languages. Traditional supervised learning methods usually require a large amount of training data to obtain accurate and robust classification models. However, labeled Web pages did not increase as fast as the growth of Internet. The lack of sufficient training Web pages in many languages, especially for those in uncommonly used languages, makes it a challenge for traditional classification algorithms to achieve satisfactory performance. To address this, we observe that Web pages for a same topic from different languages usually share some common semantic patterns, though in different representation forms. In addition, we also observe that the associations between word clusters and Web page classes are another type of reliable carriers to transfer knowledge across languages. With these recognitions, in this article we propose a novel joint nonnegative matrix trifactorization (NMTF) based Dual Knowledge Transfer (DKT) approach for cross-language Web page classification. Our approach transfers knowledge from the auxiliary language, in which abundant labeled Web pages are available, to the target languages, in which we want to classify Web pages, through two different paths: word cluster approximation and the associations between word clusters and Web page classes. With the reinforcement between these two different knowledge transfer paths, our approach can achieve better classification accuracy. In order to deal with the large-scale real world data, we further develop the proposed DKT approach by constraining the factor matrices of NMTF to be cluster indicator matrices. Due to the nature of cluster indicator matrices, we can decouple the proposed optimization objective and the resulted subproblems are of much smaller sizes involving much less matrix multiplications, which make our new approach much more computationally efficient. We evaluate the proposed approach in extensive experiments using a real world cross-language Web page data set. Promising results have demonstrated the effectiveness of our approach that are consistent with our theoretical analyses.
Collecting Nodules and Isolating Rhizobia

The purpose of this chapter is to become familiar with legumes in the field, examine their nodules, isolate rhizobia from nodules, and preserve the isolates. The subfamilies in the Leguminosae will be discussed and identifications will be made with the help of a botanical key. Nodules will be sectioned and examined. Simple stains of nodule smears will be examined under the microscope. Rhizobia will be isolated from nodules and grown on presumptive test media. The isolates will be authenticated on their original host plants and then preserved on ceramic beads.
Mesenchymal stem cells and alginate microcarriers for craniofacial bone tissue engineering: A review

Craniofacial bone is a complex structure with an intricate anatomical and physiological architecture. The defects that exist in this region therefore require a precise control of osteogenesis in their reconstruction. Unlike traditional surgical intervention, tissue engineering techniques mediate bone development with limited postoperative risk and cost. Alginate stands as the premier polymer in bone repair because of its mild ionotropic gelation and excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and injectability. Alginate microcarriers are candidates of choice to mediate cells and accommodate into 3-D environment. Several studies reported the use of alginate microcarriers for delivering cells, drugs, and growth factors. This review will explore the potential use of alginate microcarrier for stem cell systems and its application in craniofacial bone tissue engineering.
Review of REVEL

Scholarly outlets like The Journal of Political Science Education have published a surfeit of articles on improving student outcomes in political science courses. From advice on improving student r...
Snapshot-based control of UAS hover in outdoor environments

With the emergence of rotorcraft unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in civilian applications, the capability of accurate visual hovering is required in near-ground, GPS-denied, flying operations. Optic flow is commonly used for vision-based guidance and control of UAS, enabling autonomous obstacle avoidance, speed regulation, odometry, etc. This paper presents an optic flow-based method that uses a bio-inspired concept of image matching for the control of drift-free hover in natural environments. Our approach uses a reference snapshot (panoramic image) taken at the desired hover location and, through optic flow measurements, it estimates the rotorcraft's 3D position and velocity relative to that location by matching the current and reference views at each time step. These position and velocity signals are fed to a hover controller. Sensing and control are performed in real-time, at camera frame rate (25Hz) onboard a small-size, custom-built quadrotor, and without additional sensor fusion. Results from outdoor closed-loop flight tests demonstrate robustness against long-term drift, as well as improved hover accuracy when compared to techniques that use frame-to-frame integration of egomotion vectors derived from optic flow.
Multiscale roughness and modeling of MEMS interfaces

Investigation of contact and friction at multiple length scales is necessary for the design of surfaces in sliding microelectromechanical system (MEMS). A method is developed to investigate the geometry of summits at different length scales. Analysis of density, height, and curvature of summits on atomic force microscopy (AFM) images of actual silicon MEMS surfaces shows that these properties have a power law relationship with the sampling size used to define a summit, and no welldefined value for any is found, even at the smallest experimentally accessible length scale. This behavior and its similarity to results for fractal Weierstrass-Mandelbrot (W-M) function approximations indicate that a multiscale model is required to properly describe these surfaces. A multiscale contact model is developed to describe the behavior of asperities at different discrete length scales using an elastic single asperity contact description. The contact behavior is shown to be independent of the scaling constant when asperity heights and radii are scaled correctly in the model.
Illness Not as Metaphor

Though literary critics may see Williams's “The Use of Force” as a story about human nature and violence, pediatricians laugh at it, ruefully acknowledging the nonmetaphorical and frustrating difficulty of examining a child's oropharynx when the child is not cooperating.
With One Shot, Which Bullet Would You Use? Market versus Accounting Data in Bankruptcy Prediction - Part II (A Strong Case of Using Nonparametric MDA in Bankruptcy Prediction)

In this paper, we test the predictive power of a nonparametric multivariate discriminant model to predict corporate bankruptcy. In contrast with the previous literature, we employ not only accounting ratios, but also market and microstructure variables. The most important finding are that market variables alone are best at correctly classifying bankrupt firms, and that the nonparametric model is superior to the traditional, parametric models. This prevents the use of restrictive and unrealistic assumptions, while employing forward looking variables.
Application of Tan-fan method in the production of sweet rice wine

The Tan-fan method for the production of sweet rice wine was developed based on the analysis of production mechanism of sweet rice wine by Lin-fan method.The technical parameters were conformed by orthogonal test and the essential points for production were empha- sized.The feasibility of sweet rice wine production by Tan-fan method was further approved by pilot fermentation.Besides,the issues needing attention in production were indicated.
Problem on controllability and stabilizability of linear time-varying periodic system

The linear time-varying periodic system is a kind of important and less investigated system which has extensive application background.The basic application instances are intrduced.Two necessary conditions to judge the controllability and observability of time-varying periodic systems are obtained.The determinant condition has such a merit of not calculating the system state transition matrix that it is simple and easy to judge the controllability and observability of time-varying periodic system.The stabilizability issue of the time-varying periodic system under state feedback is considered.The parallel result of controllability and stabilizability of linear time invariant system is derived.It extends the corresponding conclusion of linear time invariant system.The MATLAB numerical example simulation is given.Simulation results validate that the determinant conditions are effective.
From John F. Kennedy’s 1960 Campaign Speech to Christian Supremacy: Religion in Modern Presidential Politics

The mixing of religion and politics raises a distinct and thorny issue for a democracy that intends a significant degree of separation between religion and government. In the recent 2008 presidential campaign (including primaries), several candidates chose to stress their commitment to their faith, to disclose personal details about the influence of religion on their lives, and to make promises in religious terms about how they might govern. Campaign appeals to the electorate based upon religious belief raise troubling concerns about adherence to values underlying the separation of church and state. This article discusses the 2008 campaign, and the risks associated with politics aimed at religious voters, especially that faction I denominate Christian supremacists. Although Barack Obama's victory may cause us to relax our vigilance, the Christianist movement's network is in place, politicized, and prepared to fight for school prayer programs, anti-evolution science classes, public funding for Christian projects, and other special privileges. The current Supreme Court is likely to be more receptive to the mixing of public and religious interests. A look back at John F. Kennedy's famous 1960 campaign speech, and the Supreme Court's Establishment Clause cases at the time, provides a helpful perspective on our current religious politics.
Cross-sectional study of Pfizer-sponsored clinical trials: assessment of time to publication and publication history.

Objective To estimate the proportion of Pfizer-sponsored clinical trials that completed in 2010 and are published as manuscripts in the peer-reviewed literature, and to assess the manuscript development history. Design Retrospective, cross-sectional analysis. Setting Clinical trials registered in ClinicalTrials.gov that completed in 2010 for approved, Pfizer prescription products in patients or vaccines in healthy participants. Main outcome measures The proportion of studies for which the primary outcome(s) was published and the median time from study completion to publication. The manuscript development history included the number of times a manuscript was submitted before it was accepted for publication. Results Among registered clinical trials for which Pfizer was the sponsor that completed in 2010, 76 met all inclusion criteria. The primary outcome(s) for 65 (85%) studies was published in 71 manuscripts; the median time to publication was 31 months (range 3–63 months). Of the remaining 11 studies, 2 had been submitted to at least one journal, 2 had not yet been submitted and 7 had no plans to publish because the study had terminated early due to recruitment challenges. Manuscripts accepted at the first choice journal were published at median time of 28 months (range 8–63, n=31), those accepted at second choice journal were published at 32 months (3–45, n=19), and for those accepted at third choice journal, it was 40 months (range 24–53, n=13). Conclusions The publication rate and median time to publication from study completion for Pfizer-sponsored studies were comparable to those previously reported for combined analyses of industry and non-industry sectors. Opportunities exist for sponsors, authors and journals to explore ideas that would facilitate more timely publication for clinical trial results. However, to be effective, such changes may need to revisit the entire publication process.
Optimal switching sequence based control of a differential-mode inverter

Power electronic systems are gaining widespread importance in contemporary world due to the extensive integration of renewable energy resources into grid. As a consequence of grid integration of renewable energy sources, developing robust control methods for inverters have gained paramount importance, since the control scheme that we apply plays an important role in ensuring stability and good performance of the inverters. Taking this into account, we have designed an optimal switching sequence based controller (OSBC) which ensures stability and robustness of a differential-mode inverter (DMI), which is based on Cuk topology. The controller, so designed, responded well to large signal perturbations under varying operating conditions. The control scheme developed provides good steady state and transient response. The control leads to the rapid convergence of the input inductor current to its reference resulting in fast convergence of the output voltage to its reference ass well.
Biomedicine: An improved gel for detached retinas

Surgical repair of a detached retina involves the injection of a gas or silicone oil into the eye to hold the retina in place. The development of a gel with more-desirable properties than these substances might improve the success of this procedure.
Role of microRNA in diabetic cardiomyopathy: From mechanism to intervention

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a chronic and irreversible heart complication in diabetic patients, and is characterized by complex pathophysiologic events including early diastolic dysfunction, cardiac hypertrophy, ventricular dilation and systolic dysfunction, eventually resulting in heart failure. Despite these characteristics, the underlying mechanisms leading to diabetic cardiomyopathy are still elusive. Recent studies have implicated microRNA, a small and highly conserved non-coding RNA molecule, in the etiology of diabetes and its complications, suggesting a potentially novel approach for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy. This brief review aims at capturing recent studies related to the role of microRNA in diabetic cardiomyopathy. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Genetic and epigenetic control of heart failure - edited by Jun Ren & Megan Yingmei Zhang.
Pulmonary Kaposi sarcoma presenting as complete lung consolidation

The patient in our case presented with progressive dyspnoea and cough. Chest radiograph reveals complete opacification of the hemithorax. Complete lung consolidation was not seen on chest CT. The patient in this case had extensive pulmonary and endobronchial Kaposi sarcoma (KS) that led to complete consolidation of the right lung that was diagnosed via bronchoscopy. After diagnosis, he was restarted on antiretroviral therapy and single-agent chemotherapy for treatment of pulmonary KS.
Energy-efficient massive cellular IoT shared spectrum access via mobile data aggregators

Due to the ubiquitous presence of cellular networks and their exemplary success, they have been pushed forward to provide connectivity for Internet-of-things (IoT) applications with mass deployments of sensors and machines. Nevertheless, existing transmission protocols, e.g., orthogonal allocation or spectrum sharing, can be detrimental for both existing cellular users and IoT devices due to increased congestion, interference, or resource splitting. To this end, we propose to complement cellular networks with authorized mobile data aggregators, e.g., drones, that collect data from IoT devices and aggregate them to the cellular network. The proposed cellular architecture is supported by a novel transmission protocol and load-aware power control. The former enables IoT devices to operate over the same channel with existing cellular users, increasing the available spectral resources, whereas the latter constrains the interference on these users. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed architecture compared to orthogonal allocation and spectrum sharing. It is shown that the proposed architecture significantly improves the energy efficiency of IoT devices, with minimal degradation on the spectral efficiency of existing cellular users.
Agglomeration and reactivity of nanoparticles of SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, and clays in cement pastes and effects on compressive strength at ambient and elevated temperatures

Abstract The agglomeration state of SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, bentonite, and halloysite nanoparticles (NPs) in solutions, including simulated cement environments, and their agglomeration and reactivity within the cement paste were evaluated. In water, all NPs formed agglomerates, while sonication and addition of polycarboxylate-based, high range water reducer generally decreased the agglomerate size. Agglomeration of NPs was observed in the chemical environment of hydrating cement paste. The bridging role of Ca2+, charge balancing, screening by K+, and pH were identified as factors controlling agglomeration. TiO2, bentonite, and halloysite NPs enhanced the cement paste residual compressive strength after exposure to elevated temperature.
Monolithic Source of Entangled Photons with Integrated Pump Rejection

We demonstrate a photon pair source with pump rejection filter on a single CMOS chip. Cascaded microring-based filters exhibit > 95 dB pump extinction, providing a raw visibility in time-energy entanglement of 81.4% ± 2.3%.
Longer stent retrievers enhance thrombectomy performance in acute stroke

Background Longer stent retrievers have recently become available and have theoretical advantages over their shorter counterparts. We aim to evaluate whether stent retriever length impacts reperfusion rates in stroke thrombectomy. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected thrombectomy database in which equal diameter (4 mm) stent retrievers were used as the first-line strategy for intracranial internal carotid or middle cerebral artery M1 or M2 occlusions along with a balloon guide catheter from June 2011 to March 2017. The population was dichotomized into long (Trevo 4×30 mm/Solitaire 4×40 mm) or short (Trevo 4×20 mm/Solitaire 4×20 mm) retrievers. The primary outcome was first-pass modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) 2b/3 reperfusion. Results Of 1126 thrombectomies performed within the study period, 420 were included. Age, gender, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, ASPECTS, IV tissue plasminogen activator use, stroke etiology, occlusion site, time from last-known-normal to puncture, distribution of Trevo and Solitaire, and the use of newer generation local thromboaspiration devices were comparable between the long and short retrievers. The short retriever group had more frequent hypertension, dyslipidemia, and atrial fibrillation. First-pass mTICI 2b/3 reperfusion was more common in the long retriever group (62% vs 50%; P=0.01). Parenchymal hematomas type 2, subarachnoid hemorrhage, 90-day modified Rankin Scale score 0–2, and mortality were comparable. Multivariable analysis indicated that long retriever (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.3 to 3.6; P=0.001), radiopaque device (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.2 to 3.4; P=0.003), and adjuvant local aspiration (OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.3 to 4.3; P=0.003) were independently associated with first-pass reperfusion. Conclusions The use of longer stent retrievers is an independent predictor of first-pass mTICI 2b/3 reperfusion. First-pass reperfusion was also associated with the use of radiopaque devices and adjuvant local aspiration.
Degenerate Oligonucleotide Primed-PCR: Thermalcycling Modifications and Comparison Studies

DEGENERATE OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PRIMED-PCR: THERMALCYCLING MODIFICATIONS AND COMPARISON STUDIES By Denise N. Rodier, B.S. A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2006 Director: Tracey Dawson Cruz, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Biology Degenerate Oligonucleotide Primed-PCR (DOP-PCR) can potentially enhance analysis of low copy number DNA samples. Theoretically, this procedure replicates fragments of the genome that can then be used for downstream multiplex STR analysis. The objective of this study is to optimize DOP-PCR by examining ramplelongation times and cycle numbers in the non-specific amplification portion of DOP-PCR, and by modifying the degenerate primer. Additionally, other methods such as Multiple Displacement Amplification (MDA) and Low Copy Number PCR (LCN PCR) were xi examined for their ability to create accurate DNA profiles from low DNA input amounts. Increasing the ramplelongation times showed no effect on downstream STR amplification success. An increase of cycle number increased DNA yield, but STR amplification success was undetermined. Although modifying the degenerate primer to one with a higher degeneracy decreased DNA yield, it ultimately improved STR amplification success. In comparison studies, LCN PCR produced higher STR amplification success than MDA. CHAPTER
SURFACE FOAM CHEMISTRY AND PRODUCTIVITY IN THE DUCKABUSH RIVER ESTUARY, PUGET SOUND, WASHINGTON

Abstract: Chemical and biotic constituents of surface foam were compared in estuarine and neritic waters of Puget Sound, WA. The role of surface foam formation as a major “filtering” medium in an estuary was indicated by entrainment and concentration of constituents in foam several times higher than that of subsurface and neritic waters. Stable carbon isotopic ratios (6 C) and organic solute fractions (hydrophobic and hydrophilic) indicated that organic matter in foams originated from dissolved organic carbon compounds released from seagrasses and benthic algae. Concentrations of particulate organic carbon and nitrogen, chlorophyll a, adenosine triphosphate, and bacteria counts showed enrichment in foams due to entrained sediment particles, algae, and bacteria. Inorganic nutrient concentrations, primary production and respiration rates of estuarine foam were also several-fold greater than neritic waters. The high levels of organic and inorganic chemical consituents, and metabolic rates of the microbial community indicate that surface foams are important interfaces for cycling of nutrients, formation of detrital matter, and production of microbial forage for consumers.
Refugees & Violent Group Grievance

Do refugee inflows have an effect on state fragility? In this article I examine whether refugee inflows, commonly associated in the literature with economic and cultural pressures, result in a more fragile state by means of increased violent group grievance. Violent group grievance captures a distinct form of intrastate violence, specifically small-scale hate crimes and ethnic group clashes associated with powerlessness and discrimination. The main hypothesis in this paper is that refugee inflows may increase violent group grievance. I examine the effect of refugee inflows on the level of domestic violent group grievance using quantitative analyses based on original large-N datasets and cross-sectional longitudinal models to fill gaps in the literature on state fragility. This study controls for alternative explanations and covers the time period between 2006 and 2014. The analysis results confirm the main hypothesis of this paper.
Modeling Spin Coating Over Topography and Uniformity Improvements Through Fill Patterns for Advanced Packaging Technologies

An empirical model is proposed for predicting surface variations following dielectric spin coating as applied to existing underlying topography in redistribution layer fabrication. Test structures that represent a wide range of underlying feature widths, spacings, and heights are designed and fabricated. These are coated with multiple thicknesses of polyimide, and their surfaces are profiled and analyzed. An empirical model based on spatial filtering over underlying features is developed, with model parameters fit to coatings over a single feature for each set of process parameters. The model predicts post-coating thicknesses at the chip-scale. Comparisons between predictions and experimental results show an RMS error of 4.4% of the feature heights when averaged over each region profiled. Finally, fill patterns are designed and new test structures are simulated using these patterns. Simulation results suggest that global variations can be substantially reduced using such fill patterns, and these results are confirmed experimentally.