cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiology Abroad: A Global Health Initiative in Guyana.

Objective The purpose of this article is to share our experience conducting a global health outreach initiative in the Radiology Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital in Guyana alongside RAD-AID, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase the availability of medical imaging services in developing countries. Conclusion The collaboration between RAD-AID and the Guyanese Ministry of Health has resulted in significant strides for radiology, including the introduction of new resources such as updated sonography and, for the first time, computed tomography for the public sector. In addition, collaboration with the Georgetown Public Hospital has strengthened the clinical management of patients and radiological education of health-care workers in Guyana.
Can Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma Arise in Thyroglossal Duct Cysts? A Search for Parafollicular C-cells in 41 Resected Cases

Thyroglossal duct cysts (TGDCs) are present in ~7% of adults and develop from the midline migratory tract between the foramen cecum and anatomic location of the thyroid. Thyroid tissue can be identified in 2/3 of TGDCs, and up to 1% develop associated malignancy, 90% of which are papillary thyroid carcinoma. Cases of follicular and anaplastic carcinoma have been documented, but there are no reports of medullary thyroid carcinoma arising in a TGDC. This is presumably due to the distinct embryologic origin of parafollicular C-cells, from which medullary carcinoma arises. The goal of this study is to determine whether parafollicular C-cells are present in TGDCs. H&E sections from 41 TGDC cases were examined for thyroid tissue, thyroglossal duct remnants, ultimobranchial remnants, and parafollicular C-cells. Immunohistochemistry was performed for TTF-1 and calcitonin. Eighty three percent (34/41) of cases contained thyroid tissue on H&E and by TTF-1. No cases (0/41) had ultimobranchial remnants or parafollicular C-cells on H&E or with calcitonin. One case of papillary carcinoma in a TGDC was identified. These cases illustrate that although TGDCs often contain thyroid tissue, parafollicular C-cells are absent. Therefore, unlike other thyroid neoplasms, there is no evidence to support the possibility of medullary carcinoma arising in a TGDC.
Beyond the blowing-up lemma: Sharp converses via reverse hypercontractivity

This paper proposes a general method for establishing non-asymptotic converses in information theory via reverse hypercontractivity of Markov semigroups. In contrast to the blowing-up approach for strong converses, the proposed approach is applicable to non-discrete settings, and yields the optimal order of the second-order term in the rate expansion (square root of the blocklength) in the regime of non-vanishing error probability.
An ion-neutral model to investigate chemical ionization mass spectrometry analysis of atmospheric molecules – application to a mixed reagent ion system for hydroperoxides and organic acids

Abstract. An ion-neutral chemical kinetic model is described and used to simulate the negative ion chemistry occurring within a mixed-reagent ion chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS). The model objective was the establishment of a theoretical basis to understand ambient pressure (variable sample flow and reagent ion carrier gas flow rates), water vapor, ozone and oxides of nitrogen effects on ion cluster sensitivities for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), methyl peroxide (CH3OOH), formic acid (HFo) and acetic acid (HAc). The model development started with established atmospheric ion chemistry mechanisms, thermodynamic data and reaction rate coefficients. The chemical mechanism was augmented with additional reactions and their reaction rate coefficients specific to the analytes. Some existing reaction rate coefficients were modified to enable the model to match laboratory and field campaign determinations of ion cluster sensitivities as functions of CIMS sample flow rate and ambient humidity. Relative trends in predicted and observed sensitivities are compared as instrument specific factors preclude a direct calculation of instrument sensitivity as a function of sample pressure and humidity. Predicted sensitivity trends and experimental sensitivity trends suggested the model captured the reagent ion and cluster chemistry and reproduced trends in ion cluster sensitivity with sample flow and humidity observed with a CIMS instrument developed for atmospheric peroxide measurements (PCIMSs). The model was further used to investigate the potential for isobaric compounds as interferences in the measurement of the above species. For ambient O3 mixing ratios more than 50 times those of H2O2, O3−(H2O) was predicted to be a significant isobaric interference to the measurement of H2O2 using O2−(H2O2) at m∕z 66. O3 and NO give rise to species and cluster ions, CO3−(H2O) and NO3−(H2O), respectively, which interfere in the measurement of CH3OOH using O2−(CH3OOH) at m∕z 80. The CO3−(H2O) interference assumed one of its O atoms was 18O and present in the cluster in proportion to its natural abundance. The model results indicated monitoring water vapor mixing ratio, m∕z 78 for CO3−(H2O) and m∕z 98 for isotopic CO3−(H2O)2 can be used to determine when CO3−(H2O) interference is significant. Similarly, monitoring water vapor mixing ratio, m∕z 62 for NO3− and m∕z 98 for NO3−(H2O)2 can be used to determine when NO3−(H2O) interference is significant.
An exploration of Donald Trump's allegations of massive voter fraud in the 2016 General Election

As Republican candidate for president and later 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump has claimed repeatedly and vociferously that the 2016 General Election was tainted by massive voter fraud. Here we use aggregate election statistics to study Trump's claims and focus on non-citizen populations across the country, state-specific allegations directed at California, New Hampshire, and Virginia, and the timing of election results. Consistent with existing literature, we do not uncover any evidence supportive of Trump's assertions about systematic voter fraud in 2016. Our results imply neither that there was no fraud at all in the 2016 General Election nor that this election's administration was error-free. They do strongly suggest, however, that the expansive voter fraud concerns espoused by Donald Trump and those allied with him are not grounded in any observable features of the 2016 election.
MODTRAN® scattering: Extracting spherical-refractive path contributions from plane-parallel disort

The well-established and extensively validated atmospheric radiative transfer model MODTRAN®1 is widely used by the remote sensing community to define the mapping from surface spectral reflectance to solar scatter radiance as a function of atmosphere definition. This mapping is subsequently used in atmospheric correction/compensation models to define the reverse mapping from multi- and hyperspectral images to ground surface spectral reflectances. Since MODTRAN employs a stratified spherical shell atmosphere and accounts for spherical refraction, its applicability extends to low sun and highly off-nadir scenarios. The discrete ordinate module DISORT solves the RTE to compute multiple scattering solar path radiances for MODTRAN. However, there is a problem: DISORT is a plane-parallel atmosphere model. In this paper, a method for modifying DISORT to compute the curved-path segment radiance contributions required by MODTRAN is described.
The impact of ancient tree form on modern landscape preferences

Abstract Empirical studies of the relationship between aspects of the landscape and human emotions have been fruitful over the last few decades. In fact, we are awash in data that describes a correlation between natural landscapes and positive human feelings. While this plethora of data has been useful to various disciplines, it has not lead to an explanatory theory as to why and how the landscape should have this affect This paper proposes that the discipline of evolutionary psychology provides an explanatory theory. Rather than a broad explanation, evolutionary psychology drills down on ancient problems of survival and relates those problems to contemporary behavior. Our connection to tree canopy is used as an example of this approach.
Meaning Making and Science Learning

“Meaning making” may be thought of as the “sense making” that occurs when an individual interacts with new information, objects, ideas, experiences and/or images and incorporates them into his or her prior understanding in a mechanism that most would call constructivist (see also).
Sensory modulation disorder and schizophrenia: Linking behavioral measures

SENSORY MODULATION DISORDER AND SCHIZOPHRENIA: LINKING BEHAVIORAL MEASURES Linda M. Olson, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011 Major Director: Dianne F. Simons, Ph.D., OTR/L, Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy Schizophrenia is a devastating disorder affecting millions of people in the United States. Studies leading to new understanding of and intervention for this disorder are essential, as current interventions are minimally effective. The end result is high rates of re-hospitalization, impaired occupational performance and decreased community reintegration. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, symptoms of schizophrenia are categorized as positive or negative, with both types of symptoms impacting successful occupational engagement. Based on behavioral observations occupational therapists have hypothesized that this population may also experience sensory modulation disorder (SMD). Although electrophysiological studies support the presence of SMD, studies focusing on the relationship between the observable behaviors of these two disorders are lacking. The purpose of this project is to examine the relationship between symptoms of SMD and schizophrenia. A cross-sectional design was used for this study. A convenience sample of 40 subjects was recruited from two outpatient psychiatric programs in Chicago, Illinois. Multi-site testing using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (A/ASP) was used to address the following questions: 1) Is there a relationship between symptoms of schizophrenia and patterns of SMD? 2) Can positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia reliably predict patterns of sensory modulation disorder? A Spearman correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationship between symptoms of schizophrenia and patterns of SMD, indicated a significant positive relationship between positive symptoms of schizophrenia and the low registration and sensory sensitivity quadrants of the A/ASP. Furthermore, a Mann Whitney U test uncovered significantly higher sensory sensitivity scores in African Americans compared to Caucasians. No significant relationships were found between negative symptoms and patterns of SMD. Stepwise regression found that positive symptoms predicted higher low registration scores and a combination of positive symptoms, race and gender were the best predictors of higher sensory sensitivity scores. This study did find a relationship between positive symptoms and patterns of SMD, suggesting that the relationship may actually be between psychosis and SMD and not schizophrenia. However, due to the small sample size, results should be interpreted cautiously and further studies completed.
The Balance of Power in Romantic Heterosexual Couples Over Time from “His” and “Her” Perspectives

In this investigation, the balance of power between men and women in romantic relationships was examined with a sample of 101 heterosexual couples, some of whom were surveyed up to jive times over a four-year period. A majority of the participants (who were primarily Caucasian and middle class) reported some imbalance in power in their relationship (53% of the men and 52% of the women on a global measure of power; 67% of the men and 65% of the women on a measure of decision making). The longitudinal data indicated that perceptions of power were quite stable over time. When power imbalances in relationships occurred, the male partner was more likely than the female to be seen as the power holder, although these differences were statistically significant only for men (full sample). In support of W. Waller's “principle of least interest” [(1937) The Family: A Dynamic Interpretation, New York: Gordon], being the less emotionally involved partner in the relationship was associated with greater power. We further found that men were more likely than women to perceive themselves as the less emotionally invested partner. Perceptions of power balance were generally unrelated to either relationship satisfaction or to the likelihood that the couple broke up over time. In one exception, men who perceived their relationship to be equal in power (but not decision making) reported the highest level of satisfaction. We conclude that the balance of power still often favors men in these romantic couples (especially in decision making), although couples do not always agree on their perceptions, with male partners tending to see more male dominance than females.
Dispersal of Amœba proteus

IT is well known that encysted amœbae of various species can withstand complete desiccation and so be dispersed to a new environment; but not until recently has this possibility been tested out on Amœba proteus, a species largely used for educational purposes. Since 1916, cultures of Amœba proteus have been maintained in this laboratory. We have now been able to demonstrate that a culture of encysted young Amœba proteus will recover after it has been allowed to dry up completely.
Abstract 5074: Omentum immune microenvironment: Metastatic niche for ovarian cancer

The status of the tumor-immune microenvironment plays a critical role in determining the response to immunotherapy. The omentum, a multifunctional organ that serves as the central regulator of peritoneal homeostasis and plays a central role in immune surveillance, is the most common site of metastasis in early stage ovarian cancer. We analyzed the human omental immune microenvironment that support ovarian cancer metastases. In experimental models, ovarian cancer cells that colonize the omentum are invariably found in association with immune aggregates known as milky spots. We hypothesize that ovarian cancer cells exploit the unique environment of these omental-immune clusters to promote their own survival and growth. Thus, we formulated a systematic approach to evaluate normal and ovarian cancer-populated omental tissues to characterize the cellular components of human omental milky spots. We performed immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry to profile immune cell populations present in omental immune clusters. To facilitate the quantitation of immunohistochemical staining, we developed a computational image processing workflow that enables quantitation of multiple immune-biomarkers from serial sections of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. In a complementary approach, we used comprehensive multi-color flow cytometry staining panels detecting 28 markers that collectively encompass all innate and adaptive immune cell populations. We analyzed eight human omental samples (four omenta involved with serous carcinomas and four omenta from benign disease) by immunohistochemistry and found that M2-subtype macrophage (CD163+CD68+) infiltration predominate in high-grade cancer-involved omentum. Conversely, T-regulatory cells (CD25+) predominate cell type in the uninvolved omentum. Hi-D flow cytometry of three cancer-involved omentum samples revealed tumor-associated macrophages (20-40%), PMN myeloid-derived suppressor cells (2-3%), “double positive” CD3+CD4+CD8+ T-cells (3-4%), and “double negative” CD3+CD4-CD8- T-cells (0.9-1%). In addition, we found omental T-cells (Th, Tc, Treg) express immune checkpoint receptors CTLA4 and PD-1, and that omental B-cells express IgD, IgA, and/or IgM, and may be enriched for Ig lambda light chain expression. As this study is ongoing, we expect to present data for omenta from a larger cohort of patients with either benign or neoplastic disease. However, our findings are already sufficient to show that activated T cells, B cells and macrophages infiltrate omental milky spots in patients with high grade serous ovarian cancers. Citation Format: Venkatesh Krishnan, Paul A. Raju, Koah Vierkoetter, Sonia Patel, Justin Youngyunpipatkul, Supreeti Tallapragada, Bruce Schaar, Ann K. Folkins, Leonore A. Herzenberg, Oliver Dorigo. Omentum immune microenvironment: Metastatic niche for ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5074.
Analyzing False Positive Source Code Vulnerabilities Using Static Analysis Tools

Static source code analysis for the detection of vulnerabilities may generate a huge amount of results making it difficult to manually verify all of them. In addition, static code analysis yields a large number of false positives. Consequently, software developers may ignore the results of static code analysis. This paper analyzes the results of static code analysis tools to identify false positive trends per tool. The novel idea is to assist developers and analysts identify the likelihood of a finding to be an actual true positive. This paper proposes an algorithm that makes use of a new critical feature, a personal identifier, which assists labeling the findings correctly as true or false. Experiments verified identification of true positives with a higher level of accuracy.
Predicting plant disease epidemics from functionally represented weather series

Epidemics are often triggered by specific weather patterns favouring the pathogen on susceptible hosts. For plant diseases, models predicting epidemics have therefore often emphasized the identification of early season weather patterns that are correlated with a disease outcome at some later point. Toward that end, window-pane analysis is an exhaustive search algorithm traditionally used in plant pathology for mining correlations in a weather series with respect to a disease endpoint. Here we show, with reference to Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat, that a functional approach is a more principled analytical method for understanding the relationship between disease epidemics and environmental conditions over an extended time series. We used scalar-on-function regression to model a binary outcome (FHB epidemic or non-epidemic) relative to weather time series spanning 140 days relative to flowering (when FHB infection primarily occurs). The functional models overall fit the data better than previously described standard logistic regression (lr) models. Periods much earlier than heretofore realized were associated with FHB epidemics. The findings were used to create novel weather summary variables which, when incorporated into lr models, yielded a new set of models that performed as well as existing lr models for real-time predictions of disease risk. This article is part of the theme issue 'Modelling infectious disease outbreaks in humans, animals and plants: approaches and important themes'. This issue is linked with the subsequent theme issue 'Modelling infectious disease outbreaks in humans, animals and plants: epidemic forecasting and control'.
A Dynamic Programming Technique for Energy-Efficient Multicore Systems

With a focus on static (compile-time) methods for V/F level assignments, we propose an efficient Dynamic programming (DP) technique using the Viterbi algorithm, which uses the Energy-Delay Product (EDP) as objective function to predict the best V/F levels. By using the profiled information of applications, this technique minimizes energy consumption and execution time. We evaluate and compare the performance of the proposed algorithm against three heuristic methods—a greedy version of our algorithm, a feedback controller method, and a simple heuristic that uses historical performance to make predictions for adjusting the V/F levels. Experimental results show that our algorithm outperforms the heuristics under the study by an average of 12 to 24% using the EDP performance criteria.
Safavid and Mughal Urban Bridges: Visual and Embodied Experience of Nature

Among the praiseworthy features of Isfahan, European travellers who visited the city throughout the seventeenth century admired the Khājū and Allāhvirdīkhān Bridges, particularly the galleries that...
A sufficient condition for stability using slopes of isoclines in planar mappings

Coupled planar maps are often parameter dependent, with the stability of their fixed points depending on the values of the parameters chosen. As the magnitude of the eigenvalues is difficult to det...
HOLODIASTOLIC RETROGRADE FLOW BY CARDIAC MAGNETIC RESONANCE ASSOCIATES WITH WORSE REMODELING AND OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS WITH SIGNIFICANT AORTIC REGURGITATION

Guidelines recommend cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) for patients with ≥ moderate AR and suboptimal echocardiographic images for the assessment of left ventricular (LV) function, volume and AR severity. However, it is unclear which CMR parameter is closely associated with outcomes and should be
Plasma thermogram profiling: A novel biomarker for lung cancer

e22074 Background: Currently, there are no clinically useful biomarkers for lung cancer (LC). We developed a novel approach by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to analyze the plasma pr...
Impinging oil separator for compressors

Abstract Oil separation is commonly needed in air conditioning and refrigeration systems to reduce the oil circulation rate and keep the oil inside the compressor. For compactness, the oil separation structure integrated into the compressor is more and more popular than traditional external oil separators. However, a quantitative guideline for the design of oil separation structure is missing for irregular geometry and realistic flow condition at the compressor discharge. This paper presents impinging separation mechanism, one of the basic mechanisms of droplet separation. The separating structures are studied by flow visualization and experimental measurement under realistic compressor discharge conditions. The video of oil mist flowing through the baffles and plates is captured by a high-speed camera and analyzed quantitatively. The effect of the oil flow condition and the effect of separator geometry design are investigated based on the experimental data. With the help of flow visualization, the flow details are analyzed, and a semi-empirical model is proposed to predict the separation efficiency and pressure drop of a certain wave-plates structure. The results and conclusions from this study give useful guidelines about how to reduce the oil circulation ratio by designing oil separators.
Dorsal raphe organization

A recent cluster of reports have considerably deepened our understanding of the transcriptional diversity of serotonin neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR). In this commentary a subset of implications from these studies is highlighted such as: serotonin neurons in the lateral wings have a newly discovered close relationship with those in rostral and dorsal locations and that cre-lines may be just as likely to cut across several transcriptional subtypes as to define a single subtype. To evolve understanding of DR organization, it may be prudent to correlate transcriptional snapshots in time with other known features of DR neurons. Here we bring together new and old information on serotonin neuron diversity with the goal of developing increasingly useful schemes of DR organization.
PID-5 Trait Indicators of Emotional Instability and Childhood Adversity Antecedents.

Personality traits provide natural mechanisms through which childhood maltreatment may translate into psychiatric symptomatology. The PID-5 has provided a DSM-supported exemplar for canvassing trai...
Trophoblast damage with acute and chronic intervillositis: disruption of the placental barrier by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was demonstrated in the placenta; however, the data on the prevalence of placental infection and associated histopathology are limited. To identify the frequency and features of SARS-CoV-2 involvement, we performed a clinicopathologic analysis of 75 placental cases from women infected at the time of delivery and 75 uninfected controls. Placental samples were studied with anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunohistochemistry and/or in situ hybridization. Positive results were confirmed by electron microscopy and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). During delivery, only one woman had symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019, six women reported previous symptoms, and 68 women were asymptomatic. All neonates tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 as per nasopharyngeal swab PCR results. Obstetric histories were unremarkable in 29 of 75 SARS-CoV-2-positive and 8 of 75 SARS-CoV-2-negative women. Placental examination was normal in 12 of 75 infected and 3 of 75 uninfected subjects, respectively. In the remaining cases, placental pathology correlated with obstetric comorbidities without significant differences between SARS-CoV-2-positive and SARS-CoV-2-negative women. SARS-CoV-2 was identified in one placenta of an infected, but asymptomatic, parturient. Viral staining was predominantly localized to the syncytiotrophoblast (STB) which demonstrated marked damage accompanied by perivillous fibrin deposition and mixed intervillositis. A significant decrease of viral titers was detected in the attached umbilical cord compared with the villous parenchyma as per qRT-PCR. SARS-CoV-2 is seldom identified in placentas of infected women. Placental involvement by the virus is characterized by STB damage disrupting the placental barrier and can be seen in asymptomatic mothers without evidence of vertical transmission.
Essential roles of insulin and IGF-1 receptors during embryonic lineage development.

Abstract The insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) receptors are important for the growth and development of embryonic tissues. To directly define their roles in the maintenance of pluripotency and differentiation of stem cells, we knocked out both receptors in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). iPSCs lacking both insulin and IGF-1 receptors (double knockout, DKO) exhibited preserved pluripotency potential despite decreased expression of transcription factors Lin28a and Tbx3 compared to control iPSCs. While embryoid body and teratoma assays revealed an intact ability of DKO iPSCs to form all three germ layers, the latter were composed of primitive neuroectodermal tumor-like cells in the DKO group. RNA-seq analyses of control vs DKO iPSCs revealed differential regulation of pluripotency, developmental, E2F1, and apoptosis pathways. Signaling analyses pointed to downregulation of the AKT/mTOR pathway and upregulation of the STAT3 pathway in DKO iPSCs in the basal state and following stimulation with insulin/IGF-1. Directed differentiation toward the three lineages was dysregulated in DKO iPSCs, with significant downregulation of key markers (Cebpα, Fas, Pparγ, and Fsp27) in adipocytes and transcription factors (Ngn3, Isl1, Pax6, and Neurod1) in pancreatic endocrine progenitors. Furthermore, differentiated pancreatic endocrine progenitor cells from DKO iPSCs showed increased apoptosis. We conclude that insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptors are indispensable for normal lineage development and perturbations in the function and signaling of these receptors leads to upregulation of alternative compensatory pathways to maintain pluripotency.
Multiscale thermal-hydraulic modeling of the pebble bed fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor

Abstract The complex core geometry of Pebble Bed Reactors (PBRs) necessitates multiscale techniques for fast-turnaround design and analysis. This paper describes the multiscale model implemented in the Pronghorn PBR simulation tool and demonstrates application to steady-state analysis of the Mark-1 Pebble Bed Fluoride-Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor (PB-FHR). Verification of the pebble model with fully-resolved heat conduction shows that material-wise pebble temperatures are predicted to within 10°C over a wide range in thermal conditions. Anisotropic drag models are correlated for the outer reflector blocks using COMSOL, providing closures for modeling of bypass flows. With a porous media model of the outer reflectors, the core bypass fraction and fuel, reflector, and structural material temperatures are predicted for a number of different inflow conditions. This work demonstrates the full-core analysis capabilities of the Pronghorn application and enables comprehensive reactor analysis with the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) framework.
Strategic Mentoring: A Culturally Responsive Approach for Supporting Black Males:

Young Black males living in single-parent homes, in spite of never having a mentor, understand the value of a responsible same-sex mentor. Thirteen Black males between the ages of eighteen and twen...
Virial Coefficients in the Classical Limit, Statistical Mechanical Derivation of the van der Waals Equation of State, and Sample Problem

The material presented in this lecture is adapted from Chapter 12 of McQuarrie. First, we will review material discussed in Lecture 46, including referring to specific equations, in order to derive general expressions for the second and third virial coefficients in terms of the two-body and three-body interaction potentials, respectively. Subsequently, we will specialize on spherically symmetric interaction potentials. Second, we will discuss the spatial dependence of the two-body interaction potential, including its long-range asymptotic behavior. Third, we will solve Problem 47.1 to calculate the second virial coefficient corresponding to the hard-sphere interaction potential. Fourth, we will calculate the second virial coefficient corresponding to an interaction potential consisting of a hard-sphere repulsion and a van der Waals attraction. Fifth, we will make several important remarks about the behavior of interaction potentials. Finally, we will derive the van der Waals equation of state using statistical mechanics, in the context of the virial expansion of the pressure versus number density truncated to second order, thereby connecting with material presented in Part I.
Efficient Fluorescence-Based Localization Technique for Tracking Endophytes Route in Host-Plants Colonization

Bacterial isolates that enhance plant growth and suppress plant pathogens growth are essential tools for reducing pesticide applications in plant production systems. The objectives of this study were to develop a reliable fluorescence-based technique for labeling bacterial isolates selected as biological control agents (BCAs) to allow their direct tracking in the host-plant interactions, understand the BCA localization within their host plants, and the route of plant colonization. Objectives were achieved by developing competent BCAs transformed with two plasmids, pBSU101 and pANIC-10A, containing reporter genes eGFP and pporRFP, respectively. Our results revealed that the plasmid-mediated transformation efficiencies of antibiotic-resistant competent BCAs identified as PSL, IMC8, and PS were up 84%. Fluorescent BCA-tagged reporter genes were associated with roots and hypocotyls but not with leaves or stems and were confirmed by fluoresence microscopy and PCR analyses in colonized Arabidopsis and sorghum. This fluorescence-based techniques high resolution and reproducibility make it a platform-independent system that allows tracking of BCAs spatially within plant tissues, enabling assessment of the movement and niches of BCAs within colonized plants. Steps for producing and transforming competent fluorescent BCAs, as well as the inoculation of plants with transformed BCAs, localization, and confirmation of fluorescent BCAs through fluorescence imaging and PCR, are provided in this manuscript. This study features host-plant interactions and subsequently biological and physiological mechanisms implicated in these interactions. The maximum time to complete all the steps of this protocol is approximately three months. SENTENCE SUMMARYWe describe a novel fluorescence localization technique as a powerful tool to directly visualize and determine the route in-situ of BCAs in host-plants interaction. The study features the host-plant interactions, biological and physiological responses implicated.
Mortality Risks Induced by the Costs of Regulations

Regulatory costs are ultimately paid for by the individuals in our society. The reduction in disposable income can lead to changes in purchasing, such as for safety and health care; stress, such as from job loss; and behavior, such as smoking or alcohol consumption. On average, these changes induce greater mortality risks and lead to premature deaths. This paper examines cases in which regulatory costs are primarily placed either on the general public or on individuals in a specific industry. Several policy issues concerning the mortality risks of regulatory costs are addressed. Neglecting the consideration of the fatalities induced by regulatory costs in the setting of regulations will lead to unnecessary deaths of Americans.
Fragments I-II and III-V in The Canterbury Tales: A Re-examination of the Idea of the Marriage Group

FRAGMENTS I-II AND III-V IN THE CANTERBURY TALES: A RE-EXAMINATION OF THE IDEA OF THE MARRIAGE GROUP Cai Zong-qi The title of George Lyman Kittredge's pioneering article Chaucer's Discussion of Marriage (1912) is a misnomer: the article examines the pil­ grims* dramatic debate on the issue of auctoritee in marriage in Frag­ ments III-V rather than Chaucer's own comprehensive discussion of marriage in the Canterbury Tales. This misnomer results from Kittredge's reading of Fragments III-V as a dramatic act with Chaucer the narrator being reduced to the role of a self-effacing playwright.' Over the decades, critics have continually challenged the idea of Marriage Group as an exclusive label for the pilgrim's debate in Fragments III-V, although Kit­ tredge's interpretation of the debate as dramatically integrating these frag­ ments has generally been endorsed or even acclaimed. However, still influenced by Kittredge's dramatic interpretation, these Marriage Group revisionists are invariably compelled to relate Fragment VII to the Marriage Group because of the wonderful dramatic suitability of the VII—III sequence in the arbitrarily established Chaucerian Orders. Consequently, we have yet to explore the relationship between the Frag­ ments I-II and Marriage Group, a sequence founded on the hard evi­ dence of the authoritative Ellesmere and other related manscripts. In this article I propose to change interpretive strategy and read the tales in Fragments I-II and III-V, not as a dramatic act, but as an ongoing dis­ course between Chaucer the ultimate narrator and the reader. In these fragments, Chaucer discusses marriage not in discursive terms but through an artistic handling of narrative materials. Therefore, we will examine how Chaucer treats the themes, characterization, plots, motifs, and images, and thereby get to know his ideas about different aspects of marriage and his attitudes toward different types of marriage. As we find out how Chaucer deliberately reworks and interweaves the recurrent themes, characteriza­ tion, plots, motifs, and images in Fragments I-II and III-V, we will per-
A multi-cell RF photoinjector design

A research and development effort has been underway to realize a high-brightness, low-emittance RF photoinjector to produce 1 to 3 nC bunch of photoelectrons at an energy of up to 20 MeV with a normalized RMS emittance of 10 /spl pi/ mm-mrad or less. It consists of a half cell at the photocathode and seven full cells, operating in 2856 MHz, K-mode, standing wave. Numerical calculations with POISSON/SUPERFISH and PARMELA codes indicate that the design goal can be achieved within realistic constraints on mechanical device tolerances and rf source availability. The latest among the series of numerical models is somewhat similar to the SLAC type accelerator in geometric dimensions, although the device characteristics are vastly different.
Must cosmological perturbations remain nonadiabatic after multifield inflation

Even if nonadiabatic perturbations are generated in multifield inflation, the perturbations will become adiabatic if the Universe after inflation enters an era of local thermal equilibrium, with no nonzero conserved quantities, and will remain adiabatic as long as the wavelength is outside the horizon, even when local thermal equilibrium no longer applies. Small initial nonadiabatic perturbations associated with imperfect local thermal equilibrium remain small when baryons are created from out-of-equilibrium decay of massive particles, or when dark matter particles go out of local thermal equilibrium.
Selection and the Evolution of Genetic Life Cycles

The evolution of haploid and diploid phases of the life cycle is investigated theoretically, using a model where the relative length of haploid and diploid phases is under genetic control. The model assumes that selection occurs in both phases and that fitness in each phase is a function of the time spent in that phase. The equilibrium and stability conditions that allow for all-haploid, all-diploid, or polyphasic life cycles are considered for general survivorship functions. Types of stable life cycles possible depend on the form of the viability selection. If mortality rates are constant, either haploidy or diploidy is the only stable life cycle possible. Departures from constant mortality can give qualitatively different results. For example, when survivorship in each phase is a linear, decreasing function of the time spent in the phase, stable haploid, diploid or polyphasic life cycles are possible. The addition of genetic variation at a coevolving viability locus does not qualitatively affect the outcome with respect to the maintenance of polyphasic cycles but can lead to situations where more than one life cycle is concurrently stable. These results show that trade-offs between the advantages of being diploid and of being haploid may help explain the patterns of life cycles found in nature and that the type of selection may be critical to determining the results.
Bottom-feed on-chip waveguide slot antenna for THz applications

A novel bottom-feed on-chip waveguide slot antenna is proposed for THz applications. The slot antenna is realized using an on-chip waveguide cavity whose top and bottom plates are realized using consists of metal-6 (M6) and metal-2 (M2) layers, respectively, and the sidewall is implemented using an array of vias from M2 to M6. Instead of the traditional feeding of microstrip/CPW on the sides, this antenna is fed from the bottom, which is more area-efficient and can avoid parasitic radiation from the feed line. The on-chip SIW cavity prevents radiation into the lossy substrate and thus improves the radiation of the slot antenna. The simulated gain is 3 dBi, and the radiation efficiency is around 33% at 450GHz. The total area of this antenna is only 330 × 290 µm2.
A Stochastic Computational Framework to Investigate the Initial Stage of Corrosion in Reinforced Concrete Superstructures

A stochastic computational framework is presented in this article that investigates the chloride-induced corrosion of reinforced concrete superstructures. Three-dimensional finite-element models are developed to determine the extent of chloride penetration into the superstructure components. One of the unique capabilities of this framework is to simultaneously consider all the major factors that affect the corrosion process. Furthermore, the developed framework integrates various sources of uncertainty into the performance predictions. This will be achieved by modifying the element properties and boundary conditions of the finite-element models at each time step. For a reliable durability assessment of deteriorating structural components, the proposed framework incorporates the temporal and spatial uncertainties of the influential parameters into the finite-element analysis. Considering that most of the parameters involved in the corrosion process follow non-normal distributions, a series of non-Gaussian stochastic fields are generated following a computationally efficient procedure. The results calculated from extensive stochastic simulations are expressed in terms of the likelihood and extent of corrosion initiation.The probabilistic approach presented in this article provides a more realistic evaluation of the corrosion process and can be implemented in a variety of decision making algorithms required for the maintenance and repair of deteriorating reinforced concrete components.
Magnetic susceptibility of tektites and some other glasses

Abstract The magnetic susceptibility at several magnetic field strengths of about thirty tektites from various localities have been measured. The susceptibility ranges from 2 × 10−6 to about 7.9 × 10−6 e.m.u./g. Tektites from a given locality have similar susceptibilities. The intensity of magnetization of all the tektites measured is zero or very small. For comparison, the same measurements have been made on about thirty obsidians. The magnetic susceptibilities cover approximately the same range, but the intensity of magnetization of the impurity was found to be much higher. By heating the obsidians to 1450°C the intensity of magnetization was reduced to zero. From the above data, it is shown that the tektites must have been heated well above 1400°C, and that essentially all the iron is in solution. On the other hand, the evidence shows that obsidians have not been heated much above this temperature, and that there is a significant amount of undissolved iron in the glass, probably as magnetite. Further, if tektites are extraterrestrial, they probably entered the earth's atmosphere as a glass.
Wireless barcodes for tagging infrastructure

There are numerous scenarios where embedding static information into objects would prove to be very useful. For example, by embedding navigation information into the road surface we could enable driverless cars, similarly embedding information into major infrastructure such as building walls would enable easier classification of debris, and so forth. The key requirement is that the embedded information should survive as long as the infrastructure itself. We discuss the concept of wireless barcodes that allow us to achieve exactly this goal of tagging infrastructure. The barcodes are designed to be read at terahertz frequencies that allows good packing of information (bits/m). We use a TDoA (Time Difference of Arrival) technique to read the barcodes which provides robustness to wear and tear of the surface. This paper reports on the results of an experimental study that examines the challenges in building such barcodes and demonstrates the idea by constructing such a barcode.
Interaction of Silver/Palladium Electrodes with Lead‐and Bismuth‐Based Electroceramics

In this study the phase relations between Pd or 70Ag/30Pd electrode systems with commercially important Bi-or Pb-based oxides were determined to establish the conditions under which detrimental interfacial chemical reactions may occur. For the reaction of Pd with Bi compounds, PdBi2O4 formation was observed if the reaction proceeded at temperatures less than 835°C. At higher temperatures a Pd (Bi) alloy formed containing the maximum solubility of the Bi, i.e., 16 at.%. For the reaction of Pd with Pb compounds, a Pd (Pb) alloy formed which in all instances exhibited the maximum solubility of the Pb, i.e., 14 at.%. These reactions had an adverse effect on the local stoichiometry and composition of the dielectric, causing depletion of Bi or Pb. Studies on commercial capacitor dielectrics from DuPont (X7R and Z5U formulations) and Pb (Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 showed that the use of Pd electrodes decreased the dielectric constant substantially, which was due to the formation of a low permittivity phase in series connectivity with the unaltered dielectric.
Photoconductivity in Disordered Nickel-Oxide Films

Photoconductivity measurements in the infrared and visible spectral regions have been made on disordered NiO Films. The result shows a prominent peak at the energy of 0.23 eV, coinciding with the one in the infrared absorption, which is believed to be a spin-excited state due to the antiferromagnetic ordering. We propose a model to explain the observation.
Second-order susceptibility of Ga 0.5 In 0.5 P crystals at 1.5 µm and their feasibility for waveguide quasi-phase matching

The second-order susceptibilities (dij) of both ordered and disordered Ga0.5In0.5P semiconductor crystal films epitaxially grown on GaAs substrates are analyzed. Quasi-phase matching based on periodic order–disorder regions is proposed, and the analysis shows that three of the four independent coefficients, namely, d33′,d31′, and d15′, but not d14′, can be modulated. Maker-fringe experiments were performed at 1.57 µm to measure these coefficients in the deposited crystals. However, the crystal-film orientation allowed a definitive determination of the d14′ coefficient (110 pm/V) only and an upper limit of 60 pm/V for d33′. More-sophisticated experimental techniques are proposed for measuring d33′.
The rise and fall (and rise?) of non-citizen voting: Immigration and the shifting scales of citizenship and suffrage in the United States

Abstract Using non-citizen voting (or ‘alien suffrage’) as a case study, this article traces the long role which immigration has played in reshaping the boundaries around the citizenry and the population of eligible voters in the US. The paper discusses the gradual ‘territorialisation’ of citizenship and suffrage from the late 1700s to the mid 1960s and then addresses the current ‘deterritorialisation’ of these institutions vis-a-vis the growing population of non-citizens. It concludes with a discussion of contemporary attempts to reinstate non-citizen voting at the local scale, as a means of addressing the widening gap between popular and territorial sovereignty.
Mistakes and the evolution of copying

Mistakes by either copiers or those they emulate can affect the evolution of copying behavior. Here, I present a series of game-theory models that examine the evolution of Copier and Chooser strategies, where individuals adopting a Chooser strategy assess the resources in question, but pay a cost for doing so. I consider three versions of this model in which: (i) Choosers err, (ii) Copiers err, and (iii) both Choosers and Copiers err. A number of findings emerge from this family of models. Increasing the search cost that is associated with the Chooser strategy increases the frequency of the Copier strategy. Decreasing the fidelity of copying — i.e., decreasing the proportion of times that Copiers correctly emulate Choosers — decreases the frequency of the Copier strategy. In addition, increasing the mistake rate of Choosers increases the frequency of Copiers. Lastly, and somewhat surprisingly, Copier is more likely to be an ESS when the difference between the value of resources in the environment is small.
Temporal aspects of storage and retrieval in free recall of categorized lists

The major purpose of the present research was to examine the temporal characteristics of storage and retrieval while manipulating variables related to the organization of free recall. In this context, two experiments evaluated the effects of a retrieval plan and degree of list organization. The provision of a specific retrieval plan led to a decrease in input processing time. In addition, a temporal analysis of recall provided support for the presence of a category exit component in the retrieval of higher-order memory units. The general pattern of results was viewed as being consistent with a search model based on the retrieval of memory units according to trace strength.