cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of molecular oxygen in fragmentation processes of abscisic acid methyl ester in electron capture negative ionization

Ion-molecule reactions with oxygen promote fragmentation in the electron capture negative ionization mass spectrometry of methylated abscisic acid. It is shown that low-energy collisions of the molecular anion (m/z 278) with O 2 in the center quadrupole of a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer result in the formation of an adduct ion which subsequently fragments to yield two prominent ions, one at m/z 141 which contains the side-chain and a second at m/z 152 which includes the ring. Two minor products are represented by peaks at m/z 179 and 136. These ion-molecule reactions can also occur in the ion source when oxygen is present, which may cause fluctuations in relative intensitives of the fragment ion peaks. The principal fragments of mass 141 and 152, and also those of mass 179 and 136, do not form in the absence of O 2 . Product ion mass spectra following collisions of M −. with 18 O 2 in the center quadrupole show that the side-chain fragment ion shifts from m/z 141 to m/z 143, indicating retention of an oxygen atom from the gas-phase reaction with molecular oxygen. It is proposed that on reaction with oxygen, a peroxy radical anion intermediate at m/z 310 is formed which then fragments to yield an enolate anion (m/z 141) or a quinone-like radical anion (m/z 152). The induced fragmentations of the 2-cis and 2-trans isomers of methylated abscisic acid appear to be identical. Analysis of isotopically labeled compounds of both abscisic acid and structurally similar metabolites reveal that oxygen-activated fragmentation in these selected cases provides diagnostic ions which allow one to determine the position(s) of isotopic enrichment in the molecule
Photonic multiple beam forming systems for broadband RF antenna arrays

Two broadband, sparse array multiple beamforming optical processors are presented. These systems enable squint-free, true-time delay beamforming of large, randomly-spaced antenna arrays by compensating the frequency-dependent scale factor of the RF images produced by a Fourier optical imager.
Bacterial ribonuclease P holoenzyme crosslinking analysis reveals protein interaction sites on the RNA subunit

The structure of the Escherichia coli ribonuclease P (RNase P) holoenzyme was investigated by site-directed attachment of an aryl azide crosslink reagent to specific sites in the protein subunit of the enzyme. The sites of crosslinking to the RNase P RNA subunit were mapped by primer extension to several conserved residues and structural features throughout the RNA. The results suggest rearrangement of current tertiary models of the RNA subunit, particularly in regions poorly constrained by earlier data. Crosslinks to the substrate precursor-tRNA were also detected, consistent with previous crosslinking results in the Bacillus subtilis RNase P holoenzyme.
Myogenic Tone Attenuates Pressure-Induced Gene Expression in Isolated Small Arteries

Abstract This study was designed to determine whether pressure-induced expression of early response genes in the arterial wall is dependent on an increase in cell stretch or an increase in wall stress. Mesenteric arteries (245 to 385 μm in diameter) were isolated from Wistar rats and subjected to static pressures of either 90 mm Hg (control), 140 mm Hg, or 165 mm Hg for a period of 3 hours. Arteries developed a range of myogenic tone such that wall stresses in the 140 and 165 mm Hg arteries (1.60 to 4.44×106 dynes/cm2) were equivalent in some cases to those of controls (1.76 to 2.63×106 dynes/cm2). Vessels subjected to 140 or 165 mm Hg intraluminal pressure had diameters ranging from 74% to 104% of their relaxed diameter at 90 mm Hg, whereas control vessel diameters ranged from 88% to 100%. At the end of each experiment, vessels were fixed in 10% formalin, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned for in situ hybridization. Wall stress significantly correlated with c- myc mRNA and 18S rRNA expression. Gene expression did not correlate with vessel diameter, expressed as a percentage of the relaxed diameter at 90 mm Hg, ie, cell stretch. The expression of β-actin mRNA did not differ between vessels and showed no correlation with wall stress, suggesting that the induction of c- myc mRNA and 18S rRNA was part of a specific response. These findings show that in an isolated artery, a pressure stimulus can be perceived as an increase in wall stress, independently of cell stretch. Therefore, wall stress may be the signaling parameter in hypertension where arteries are tonically constricted. The inhibition of gene expression by myogenic constriction may explain why hypertrophy takes place in large arteries during hypertension but not in arterioles where increased tone reduces wall stress.
Fish in a ring: spatio-temporal pattern formation in one-dimensional animal groups

In this work, we study the collective behaviour of fish shoals in annular domains. Shoal mates are modelled as self-propelled particles moving on a discrete lattice. Collective decision-making is determined by information exchange among neighbours. Neighbourhoods are specified using the perceptual limit and numerosity of fish. Fish self-propulsion and obedience to group decisions are described through random variables. Spatio-temporal schooling patterns are measured using coarse observables adapted from the literature on coupled oscillator networks and features of the time-varying network describing the fish-to-fish information exchange. Experiments on zebrafish schooling in an annular tank are used to validate the model. Effects of group size and obedience parameter on coarse observables and network features are explored to understand the implications of perceptual numerosity and spatial density on fish schooling. The proposed model is also compared with a more traditional metric model, in which the numerosity constraint is released and fish interactions depend only on physical configurations. Comparison shows that the topological regime on which the proposed model is constructed allows for interpreting characteristic behaviours observed in the experimental study that are not captured by the metric model.
Influence of Seed Size on Exploitation by the Rice Weevil, Sitophilus oryzae

Oviposition decisions and their fitness consequences for the seed parasite Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) were investigated. Female S. oryzae lay eggs inside seeds such as wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.)]. Because larvae develop to adult within a single seed, the resources available are determined by the behavior of the female parent and characteristics of the seed in which the egg was deposited. Females were demonstrated to lay more eggs in kernels ≥20 mg. Females initiated the chewing of oviposition holes in shriveled kernels but were less likely to oviposit in them. Progeny size increased with increasing seed size, but the probability of an adult emerging was not affected. Females accepted large kernels more quickly than small kernels and this contributed to increased oviposition in large kernels. The increase in the number of eggs per kernel appears to result from an increase in number of visits resulting in oviposition rather than an increase in the number of eggs laid during a visit.
Molecular-scale hydrophobic interactions between hard-sphere reference solutes are attractive and endothermic

The osmotic second virial coefficients, B2, for atomic-sized hard spheres in water are attractive (B2 < 0) and become more attractive with increasing temperature (ΔB2/ΔT < 0) in the temperature range 300 K ≤ T ≤ 360 K. Thus, these hydrophobic interactions are attractive and endothermic at moderate temperatures. Hydrophobic interactions between atomic-sized hard spheres in water are more attractive than predicted by the available statistical mechanical theory. These results constitute an initial step toward detailed molecular theory of additional intermolecular interaction features, specifically, attractive interactions associated with hydrophobic solutes.
A Particular TCR β Variable Region Used by T Cells Infiltrating Kidney Transplants

Immune tolerance to MHC class II identical renal grafts is achievable in miniature swine following a short immunosuppressive treatment. Like in clinical transplants, swine-accepted allografts are primarily infiltrated by CD8+ T cells, which are noncytotoxic to the renal tissue. However, the actual specificity and function of these intragraft-infiltrating lymphocytes remain poorly understood. To develop the molecular tools to study TCR-associated functions of graft-infiltrating cells in a preclinical transplantation model, we have determined the nucleotide sequence of 19 pig Vβ, 12 Jβ, and two Dβ. Sequence comparisons identified 17 different Vβ families and two Jβ clusters homologous to the human Jβ1 and Jβ2. The fact that the pig Jβ1 segments were always found joined to the Dβ1-like sequence in numerous rearranged TCR β cDNA suggests the existence of two d-J clusters in swine. These results also imply that the polymorphism of the porcine TCR β segments is similar to that found in human. Finally, we report the discovery of a new and functional Vβ subfamily named Vβ100, which exhibited similarity to the murine Vβ2 sequence but had no described Vβ homolog in humans. Pilot spectratyping studies on Vβ usage revealed a clonal dominance of Vβ100+ T cell subsets among infiltrating cells in two accepted grafts.
Degradation of Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Thermal Barrier Coatings by Vanadium Pentoxide, Phosphorous Pentoxide, and Sodium Sulfate

The presence of vanadium, phosphorus, and sodium impurities in petcoke and coal/petcoke blends used in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plants warrants a clear understanding of high-temperature material degradation for the development of fuel-flexible gas turbines. In this study, degradation reactions of free-standing air plasma-sprayed (APS) yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) in contact with vanadium pentoxide (V2O5), phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5), and sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) were investigated at temperatures up to 1200°C. Phase transformations and microstructural development were examined using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Molten V2O5 reacted with solid YSZ to form zirconium pyrovanadate (ZrV2O7) at temperatures below 747°C. However, at temperatures above 747°C, molten V2O5 reacted with YSZ to form yttrium vanadate (YVO4). The formation of YVO4 led to the depletion of the Y2O3 stabilizer and deleterious transformation to the monoclinic ZrO2 phase. In addition, studies on YSZ degradation by Na2SO4 and a Na2SO4+V2O5 mixture (50–50 mol%) showed that Na2SO4 itself had no effect on the degradation of YSZ. However, in the presence of V2O5 at high temperatures, Na2SO4 forms vanadate compounds having a lower melting point such as sodium metavanadate (610°C), which was found to degrade YSZ by the formation of YVO4 at a relatively lower temperature of 700°C. P2O5 was found to react with APS YSZ by the formation of zirconium pyrophosphate (ZrP2O7) at all the temperatures studied. At temperatures as low as 200°C and as high as 1200°C, molten P2O5 was observed to react with solid YSZ to yield ZrP2O7, which led to the depletion of ZrO2 in YSZ (i.e., enrichment of Y2O3 in t′-YSZ) that promoted the formation of the fluorite-cubic ZrO2 phase.
Non-Traumatic Rhabdomyolysis Complicating Antihistamine Overdose

Antihistamines are common over the counter medications which are frequently involved in overdoses. The usual clinical course is dominated by the anticholinergic affects of these agents; it includes significant autonomic and central nervous system effects and direct cardiac toxicity (1). We report a case of a suicide attempt in a young adult male where ingestion of the antihistamines diphenhydramine and doxylamine was complicated by non-traumatic rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure.
Limitations of Screening for Lung Cancer with Low-Dose Spiral Computed Tomography

Past lung cancer screening trials in the United States with chest X-ray and sputum cytology were not able to show any decrease in lung cancer mortality; however, these trials are over 20 years old. Recent follow-up of the Mayo Lung Project showed a better survival from lung cancer in the screened arm, but no difference in overall mortality, suggesting an overdiagnosis of nonfatal cancers. Recent reports of low radiation dose spiral computed tomography (CT) chest screening for lung cancer have shown that CT screening detects cancers at a smaller size than chest X-rays. To date, there have been no randomized trials of CT versus observation or chest radiographs for screening purposes. All data available thus far on CT screening are from phase II proof-of-principle trials. The major limitations of CT screening, discussed here, include (a) a high rate of nodule detection: over 50% of participants will have at least one noncalcified nodule; (b) resulting follow-up CT scans, associated with increased costs; (c) cost and morbidity of biopsy or resection of benign noncalcified nodule (20-25% of such procedures in several trials); and (d) a small, but difficult to quantify, risk of cancer associated with multiple follow-up CT scans.
Expertise and error in diagnostic reasoning

An investigation is presented in which a computer simulation model (DIAGNOSER) is used to develop and test predictions for behavior of subjects in a task of medical diagnosis. The first experiment employed a process-tracing methodology in order to compare hypothesis generation and evaluation behavior of DIAGNOSER with individuals at different levels of expertise (students, trainees, experts). A second experiment performed with only DIAGNOSER identified conditions under which errors in reasoning in the first experiment could be related to interpretation of specific data items. Predictions derived from DIAGNOSER's performance were tested in a third experiment with a new sample of subjects. Data from the three experiments indicated that (1) form of diagnostic reasoning was similar for all subjects trained in medicine and for the simulation model, (2) substance of diagnostic reasoning employed by the simulation model was comparable with that of the more expert subjects, and (3) errors in subjects' reasoning were attributable to deficiencies in disease knowledge and the interpretation of specific patient data cues predicted by the simulation model.
Some Schemes of Current-Limiting-Reactor Applications

CURRENT-LIMITING reactors are so detrimental to the normal operation of an electric system, and yet such a valuable contribution to its safety during short circuits, that it is very much worth while to try again and again to devise schemes which will use the ability of reactance to limit fault current and yet minimize the inevitable increase in regulation. With this in view, this paper reviews some well-known schemes of reactor application.
Adapting Mccarthy’s Four P’s for the Twenty-First Century:

The marketing mix of Product, Price, Promotion, and Place was introduced to marketing education by E. Jerome McCarthy in 1960. These mnemonically easy-to-remember labels rapidly became the organizi...
Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Quality of Life in Older Adults Summary

If health-related quality of life--and not longevity--is the key goal for health promotion, then it is captured only partly by the existing mortality and morbidity indexes. Researchers now urge that government agencies and health care providers begin collecting quality-of-life data on the populations they serve. Adding life to years, not years to life, is the current agenda for productive and successful aging. Policies and programs on aging are increasingly focused on identifying ways to improve quality of life and health status rather than just extending life span. In the Healthy People 2000 report, the chief goal of health promotion was to increase the span of healthy life. The focus was on mortality and morbidity data and symptom checklists as the principal measures of ill health. In contrast, the new emphasis in the Healthy People 2010 report is on quality of life and overall well-being. Helping people to increase life expectancy and improve their quality of life is the primary goal of the Healthy People 2010 report. The authors of this special issue of the Journals of Gerontology: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences are united in the belief that optimal nutrition and physical activity make a significant contribution to the overall quality of life at any age and especially for older adults. The key research challenge lies in deciding which aspects of improved fitness, nutrition, and diet contribute the most to quality-of-life measures. We have attempted to provide a comprehensive review of research on exercise, nutrition, diet, and health in elderly adults. Past studies on diet, nutrition, and fitness have largely addressed biomedical outcomes, pointing to substantial benefits in physical functioning, remission of disease symptoms, and improved health. This special issue goes a step further in assessing the effect of improved nutrition and physical activity on the global quality of life and its four principal domains. Although links between diet and exercise and chronic disease risks have been well documented, more needs to be known about motivations for behavioral change and perceived benefits as assessed using quality-of-life measures. No single segment of our society can benefit more from regularly performed exercise and improved diet than elderly adults. These important articles provide a link between diet and exercise and quality-of-life issues, as outlined in the Healthy People 2010 report.
Cancerostatic effect of vegetarian diets.

Abstract A cancerostatic effect of vegetarian diets is proposed on the basis of a selective alteration of the metabolic pathways of fatty acids in neoplastic cells. Most vegetables lack the enzyme 6‐desaturase (6D), which converts linoleic to arachidonic acid. Human cells have 6D, and therefore humans do not need to eat the higher polyunsaturated fatty acids found in animal tissues. Many neoplastic cells have lost the activity of 6D. A vegetarian diet would deprive neoplastic cells of higher‐chain fatty acids and inhibit the activity of 6D. Without higher‐carbon fatty acids, neoplastic cell membranes would have altered fluidity and thus altered transport properties, receptor activity, sensitivity to external molecules, ability to reproduce, resistance to external agents (drugs, radiation, immune defenses, temperature), and overall survival. These alterations would make the cells easier prey for the self‐defense of the body or for attack with therapeutic agents. Thus, a vegetarian diet would alter the tumo...
A comprehensive exposure of the hip joint.

A comprehensive exposure of the entire capsule of the hip joint, the acetabulum, and the upper end of the femur has been described. The operation can be performed without injury to important blood vessels or nerves. Extensive division of tendinous insertions into the upper end of the femur is necessary. This surgical approach is not simple and should be reserved for resection of the upper end of the femur, for arthrodesis, or for extensive reconstruction of the hip joint.
Reframing the Right: Using Theories of Intangible Property to Target Honest Services Fraud After Skilling

Few federal criminal statutes have been as widely charged --- and widely criticized --- as the honest services statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1346. Primarily, this is because federal prosecutors have used the statute to charge corrupt officials with mail or wire fraud for denying citizens the intangible right to their impartial services, regardless of whether those citizens suffered any financial or proprietary loss --- an element typically required under the traditional mail and wire fraud statutes. Recently, in Skilling v. United States, the Supreme Court dealt a blow to the honest services theory when it interpreted § 1346 to reach only bribery or kickback schemes. Scholars and commentators predict the decision will mark the end of federal prosecutions for more inchoate forms of fraud, such as undisclosed self-dealing and hidden conflicts of interest. Fearing as much, members of Congress have proposed legislation to criminalize undisclosed self-dealing expressly and thereby retain the full anti-corruption enforcement power of the mail and wire fraud statutes. In response, this Note argues that initial reactions to Skilling have overstated the extent to which federal prosecutors are now hindered in their ability to prosecute honest services misconduct. Just as they have done for decades, prosecutors can and should continue to target honest services misconduct using the traditional mail and wire fraud statutes, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341 and 1343, by reframing the victim’s right as an intangible property right. This Note provides a framework for how prosecutors can do so while largely replicating the sweep and targets of pre-Skilling § 1346 honest services prosecutions and concludes that such an exercise of prosecutorial discretion is both appropriate and desirable.
Lectures on Proof Theory

The lectures in the Summer Semester of 1920 ended with consistency proofs for extremely weak fragments of arithmetic. The question, made explicit in the Introduction to Chapter 2 (see p. 296) was then this: Can these consistency proofs somehow be extended to establish the consistency of increasingly stronger and thus mathematically more interesting systems? The lectures of 1921/22 and 1922/23 give a resoundingly positive answer. However, the ‘extensions’ require a remarkable mathematical/logical and methodological breakthrough that leads to Hilbert’s proof theory and his finitist consistency programme.
Fluctuating Asymmetry and Individual Variation in Regional Gray and White Matter Volumes: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Study

Composite measures of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of skeletal features are commonly used to estimate developmental instability (DI), the imprecise expression of developmental design due to perturbations during an individual's growth and maturation. Though many studies have detailed important behavioral correlates of FA, very little is known about its possible neuroanatomical correlates. In this study we obtained structural brain MRI scans from 20 adults and utilized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to identify specific regions linked to FA. Greater FA predicted greater whole brain white matter volume, and a trend in the same direction was noted for whole brain gray matter volume. Greater FA was associated with significantly greater gray and white matter volumes in discrete brain regions, most prominently in the frontal lobes and in the right cerebral hemisphere. Developmental studies are needed to identify when FA-related brain differences emerge and to elucidate the specific neurobiological mechanisms leadin...
From Individualized Treatment of Sickle Cell Pain to Precision Medicine: A 40-Year Journey

In the 1970s, sickle cell pain was treated with trial and error approach by increasing or decreasing the dose of an opioid or switching from one analgesic to another. This approach was controversial with criticism and doubt about its usefulness. Since then, advances in determining the structure of opioid receptors and the role of the CYP450 enzymes in metabolizing opioids revealed that these anatomic and metabolic findings are not the same in all persons, thus explaining the variability in response to opioids among patients. Thus, the “trial and error approach” has a scientific basis after all.
Suppression of an entomopathogenic nematode by the nematode-trapping fungi Geniculifera paucispora and Monacrosporium eudermatum as affected by the fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora

In soils of a coastal shrubland, nematode- trapping fungi may influence the distribution of the entomopathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis hepi- alus. In previous studies with shrubland soil, Arthro- botrys oligospora was the most common fungus, fol- lowed by Monacrosporium eudermatum and Geniculi- fera paucispora, and all three fungi suppressed H. he- pialus when tested individually in soil microcosms. Because shrubland soil usually contained multiple species of nematode-trapping fungi, and especially A. oligospora, we quantified nematode suppression by combinations of A. oligospora and G. paucispora or M. eudermatum. Fungi were added in the form of fungal-colonized nematodes to pasteurized soil, and nematode suppression was measured by comparing nematode invasion of wax moth larvae. Suppression of H. hepialus tended to be less in mixed treatments with A. oligospora than in treatments with G. paucis- pora or M. eudermatum alone. Population densities of M. eudermatum and G. paucispora were less in the presence than in the absence of A. oligospora. In con- trast, A. oligospora population density was unaffected or possibly enhanced by the other fungi.
Influence of Steric Factors on Chiral Lithium Amide Aggregates

The solution structures of three mixed aggregates dissolved in toluene-d8 consisting of the lithiated amides derived from (S)-N-isopropyl-1-((triisopropylsilyl)oxy)propan-2-amine, (R)-N-(1-phenyl-2-((triisopropylsilyl)oxy)ethyl)propan-2-amine, or (S)-N-isobutyl-3-methyl-1-((triisopropylsilyl)oxy)butan-2-amine and n-butyllithium are characterized by various NMR experiments including diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy with diffusion coefficient-formula weight correlation analyses (D-FW) and other one- and two-dimensional NMR techniques. We report that steric hindrance of R1 and R2 groups of the chiral lithium amide controls the aggregation state of the mixed aggregates. With a less hindered R2 group, lithium (S)-N-isopropyl-1-((triisopropylsilyl)oxy)propan-2-amide forms mostly a 2:2 ladder-type mixed aggregate with n-butyllithium. Increase of steric hindrance of the R1 and R2 groups suppresses the formation of the 2:2 mixed aggregate and promotes formation of a 2:1 mixed aggregate. We observe that lithium (...
Successful Establishment and Subsequent Recycling of Romanomermis Culicivorax (Mermithidae: Nematoda) in a California Rice Field Following Postparasite Application

An early season application of postparasites of the mosquito-parasitic nematode Romanomermis culicivorax demonstrated that the nematodes could mature to adults, mate, and lay eggs in the rice field environment. Preparasites hatching from these eggs provided continuous partial control of larval Anopheles freeborni and Culex tarsalis throughout the rice growing season. Control of An. freeborni was comparable to that obtained in the past by direct applications of preparasites and exceeded that achieved previously for Cx. tarsalis . The mean weekly infection level for both species exceeded 60%. Infection was observed up to 12 m from the original point of application. R. culicivorax successfully overwintered within the rice check and again parasitized mosquitoes the following summer.
Markers of inflammation and coagulation after long-term exposure to coarse particulate matter: a cross-sectional analysis from the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.

BackgroundToxicological research suggests that coarse particles (PM10–2.5) are inflammatory, but responses are complex and may be best summarized by multiple inflammatory markers. Few human studies...
Hydration and proton transfer in highly sulfonated poly(phenylene sulfone) ionomers: an ab initio study.

The need to operate proton exchange membrane fuel cells under hot and dry conditions has driven the synthesis and testing of sulfonated poly(phenylene) sulfone (sPSO2) ionomers. The primary hydration and energetics associated with the transfer of protons in oligomeric fragments of two sPSO2ionomers were evaluated through first-principles electronic structures calculations. Our results indicate that the interaction between neighboring sulfonic acid groups affect both theconformation and stability of the fragments. The number of water molecules required to affect the transfer of a proton in the first hydration shell was observed to be a function of the hydrogen bonding in proximity of the sulfonic acid groups: three H2O for the meta- and four H2O for the ortho-conformations. Calculations of the rotational energy surfaces indicate that the aromatic backbones of sPSO2 are much stiffer than the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) backbones in perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) ionomers: the largest energy penalty for ro...
Teaching and learning qualitative methods through the dissertation advising relationship: Perspectives from a professor and a graduate:

Mastery of qualitative research and its methods can be a challenge for doctoral students who often have had more academic course exposure and practical experience with quantitative research. Qualit...
Measurement of permittivity and dissipation factor without attached electrodes

When the determination of permittivity is made using attached electrodes, it is necessary to know the dimensions of the specimen. The thickness measurement is especially difficult, particularly for relatively thin specimens. For example, when the specimen is 10 mils thick an error of 0.1 mil in the thickness determination will result in a 1 percent error in the calculated permittivity. The difficulties become increasingly greater as the thickness of the specimens decreases.
Disorders of the urea cycle.

A major achievement of decades of research has been identification of the specific biochemical urea cycle defects responsible for the five inherited enzyme deficiencies, any of which can cause hype...
Remaining stiffness estimation of buildings using incomplete measurements

Summary After hazardous events, it is important to be able to quickly identify the remaining stiffness of affected structures for condition evaluation. Model updating can be used to update structural models to reflect current conditions based upon experimental measurements. Direct model updating is a simple and quick method of damage detection, but does not guarantee physical relevance. Least-squares optimization can be used to accurately identify damage with physical relevance, but needs more measurements then updating parameters in order to produce an accurate solution. However, after an extreme event sensors on the structure may be damaged, creating a scenario with limited measurements which can render optimization techniques incapable of assessing the remaining stiffness. To address this issue, this paper proposes a two-phase method to localize and then quantify the remaining stiffness of the structure. Direct model updating with limited measurements is used to localize potential damage to a subset of parameters, and a least-squares optimization using the localized parameters is used to quantify the remaining stiffness in the structure. Numerical simulations using a simplified model based upon the phase I IASCE-ASCE structural health monitoring benchmark problem with missing first floor sensors have been employed to demonstrate, and experiments using a five-story steel frame structure are conducted to validate the methodology. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Learning about power and success: Young urban adolescents interpret TV culture

Using media education and cultural studies perspectives, I analyze ethnographic data gathered among diverse twelve and thirteen‐year‐olds who live in New York City. Three case studies show that individual interpretations of favorite TV figures, understood in relation to lived experiences, indicate tacit learning about dialectical issues of identity and social power relations. The dynamics of this learning challenges media educators to account for and address students’ actual cultural experiences of identity and social power in association with their media experiences. In addition, these young people's TV interpretations point to their learning about participation in corporate media culture via the system of image and message construction—a powerful means of success in the United States. Thus media educators must confront their students’ dreams and expectations about succeeding in capitalist terms, while encouraging their criticisms in a democratic spirit.
Automated Quality Assessment of Unstructured Resolution Text in IT Service Systems

In customer-care service centers, upon remediation of customer issues, the human agents are expected to record their resolution summary in a clear, concise and understandable manner. These resolution summaries create a rich untapped source of unstructured information. In this work, we have addressed the problem of how to enable human agents to write better quality resolution text. This helps curate data artifacts which can reduce problem diagnosis time and create repeatable resolution recipes by a cognitive system. The problem is addressed through a two pronged approach: (i) On the fly automated scoring of the agent’s resolution summary and (ii) identifying concrete areas of improvement in the summary and offering appropriate recommendations. The model for automatic scoring is derived from a feature set that encodes all significant and relevant aspects of the domain and text. The model is trained using annotated data and achieves an accuracy of 88.2 % which is a significant improvement over naive method of text based classification (68.5 %).
Intelligent Sensor Auditing by Interfacing Knowledge-Based Systems and Multivariate Spm Tools

Abstract An intelligent sensor monitoring and auditing environment has been developed by interfacing multivariate statistical process monitoring (MSPM) techniques and knowledge-based systems (KBS) for monitoring sensor status in multivariable processes. The real-time KBS development environment G2 is integrated with an MSPM method that can monitor multivariable dynamic processes with autocorrelated data. The MSPM Inethod is based on a canonical variate state space (CVSS) process model of a dynamic process and it is used for auditing sensor status for bias, drift and excessive noise affecting the sensors of multivariable continuous processes. Changes in the magnitudes of means and variances of residuaLs between measured and predicted process variables are used to detect and discriminate sensor abnormalities. The statistical model that describes the in-control variability of sensor readings is based on a CVSS model. The CV state variables obtained from the state space model are linear combinations of the past process measurements which explain the variability of the future measurements the most, and they are regarded as the principal dynamic dimensions. The method can detect and discriminate between bias change, drift, and variations in noise levels of process sensors based on the analysis of data batches. The MSPM modules are developed in Matlab, cOnverted to C, and linked with G2. The presentation will focus on the structure and performance of the integrated system and illustration of the methodology by simulation studies.
Sample survivability for a comet surface sample return mission

We describe experiments conducted to ascertain that a sample collected from a comet can be returned to the surface of the Earth with a minimal loss of scientific information contained in the sample. We consider the sample handling from the point of collection, through the trip back to Earth, and through re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. We show that the volatile compounds, particularly H2O, can be fully removed via sublimation from the solid compounds while maintaining the sample at −30 °C, thus preventing potential chemical reactions between water and minerals or other molecules that may contain critical information about the history of the universe or give insight into the formation of organic molecules. The data show that the vibration environment during the descent through the atmosphere is mild enough that the stratigraphy of the sample will be minimally affected, and that the shock of impact with the ground does not significantly alter either the stratigraphy or the chemistry of the sample.
Design and control integration - application to inkjet media advance system

Abstract Better performance at the lower cost is the driving force for the future inkjet printer development. In this paper, we presented an integrated approach to the design and control of the media advance system in thermal inkjet printers. Using H ∞ analysis and synthesis approach, the effects of design tolerance and system disturbance on the achievable performance is characterized. We will use the media advance system of thermal inkjet printers to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Evidence of vortex driven primary breakup in high pressure fuel injection

The FNR funding to the PhD project of Pablo Aguado Lopez (number 588638), the European Union Horizon-2020 Research and Innovation Programme funding to Eduardo Gomez Santos (No 675676), the ANSYS research license grant and the CPU hours grant from Gompute to this work are gratefully acknowledged. The x-ray investigation was carried out using the Advanced Photon Source of the Argonne National Laboratory of US Department of Energy. The kind assistance of the scientist of beam line #32, Dr. Kamel Fezzaa, is highly appreciated by the authors.
Variable Streamflow Contributions in Nested Subwatersheds of a US Midwestern Urban Watershed

Quantification of runoff is critical to estimate and control water pollution in urban regions, but variation in impervious area and land-use type can complicate the quantification of runoff. We quantified the streamflow contributions of subwatersheds and the historical changes in streamflow in a flood prone urbanizing watershed in US Midwest to guide the establishment of a future pollution-control plan. Streamflow data from five nested hydrological stations enabled accurate estimations of streamflow contribution from five subwatersheds with variable impervious areas (from 0.5% to 26.6%). We corrected the impact of Missouri river backwatering at the most downstream station by comparing its streamflow with an upstream station using double-mass analysis combined with Bernaola-Galvan Heuristic Segmentation approach. We also compared the streamflow of the urbanizing watershed with seven surrounding rural watersheds to estimate the cumulative impact of urbanization on the streamflow regime. The two most urbanized subwatersheds contributed >365 mm streamflow in 2012 with 657 mm precipitation, which was more than fourfold greater than the two least urbanized subwatersheds. Runoff occurred almost exclusively over the most urbanized subwatersheds during the dry period. The frequent floods occurred and the same amount of precipitation produced ~100 mm more streamflow in 2008–2014 than 1967–1980 in the urbanizing watershed; such phenomena did not occur in surrounding rural watersheds. Our approaches provide comprehensive information for planning on runoff control and pollutant reduction in urban watersheds.
Brachydactyly In A Prehistoric Texas Skeleton

Brachydactyly, shortness of the fingers or toes, is due to small bones in the hand or foot. It may occur as an inherited autosomal dominant trait, as part of several syndromes, as an anatomic varia...
Homozygous Expression of Mutant ELOVL4 Leads to Seizures and Death in a Novel Animal Model of Very Long-Chain Fatty Acid Deficiency

Lipids are essential components of the nervous system. However, the functions of very long-chain fatty acids (VLC-FA; ≥ 28 carbons) in the brain are unknown. The enzyme ELOngation of Very Long-chain fatty acids-4 (ELOVL4) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of VLC-FA (Agbaga et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105(35): 12843–12848, 2008; Logan et al., J Lipid Res 55(4): 698–708, 2014), which we identified in the brain as saturated fatty acids (VLC-SFA). Homozygous mutations in ELOVL4 cause severe neuropathology in humans (Ozaki et al., JAMA Neurol 72(7): 797–805, 2015; Mir et al., BMC Med Genet 15: 25, 2014; Cadieux-Dion et al., JAMA Neurol 71(4): 470–475, 2014; Bourassa et al., JAMA Neurol 72(8): 942–943, 2015; Aldahmesh et al., Am J Hum Genet 89(6): 745–750, 2011) and are post-natal lethal in mice (Cameron et al., Int J Biol Sci 3(2): 111–119, 2007; Li et al., Int J Biol Sci 3(2): 120–128, 2007; McMahon et al., Molecular Vision 13: 258–272, 2007; Vasireddy et al., Hum Mol Genet 16(5): 471–482, 2007) from dehydration due to loss of VLC-SFA that comprise the skin permeability barrier. Double transgenic mice with homozygous knock-in of the Stargardt-like macular dystrophy (STDG3; 797-801_AACTT) mutation of Elovl4 with skin-specific rescue of wild-type Elovl4 expression (S + Elovl4 mut/mut mice) develop seizures by P19 and die by P21. Electrophysiological analyses of hippocampal slices showed aberrant epileptogenic activity in S + Elovl4 mut/mut mice. FM1-43 dye release studies showed that synapses made by cultured hippocampal neurons from S + Elovl4 mut/mut mice exhibited accelerated synaptic release kinetics. Supplementation of VLC-SFA to cultured hippocampal neurons from mutant mice rescued defective synaptic release to wild-type rates. Together, these studies establish a critical, novel role for ELOVL4 and its VLC-SFA products in regulating synaptic release kinetics and epileptogenesis. Future studies aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms by which VLC-SFA regulate synaptic function may provide new targets for improved seizure therapies.
(Re)thinking like an economist: pluralism, critical thinking and economic pedagogy

This paper describes the economic way of thinking and how adherence to the goal of encouraging students to think like an economist arose. The example of the theory of demand in institutional and Marxian economics is used to illustrate how the mainstream economics curriculum, by adhering to a singular way of thinking, deprives students of the opportunity to think critically about their role as producers and consumers in the economy and about how economic theories work. Only by adopting theoretical and pedagogical pluralism can the profession overcome these weaknesses. It concludes by assessing the prospects and strategies for promoting a pluralist approach within the profession and by outlining steps that faculty and students might take to ensure that education in economics is genuinely empowering.
Adipsin: regulation and dysregulation in obesity and other metabolic states.

Publisher Summary Adipocytes are highly specialized cells and their functions in fuel storage and release are essential for nutritional homeostasis. These cells have evolved a complex and highly regulated biochemical machinery that permits them to store energy as fat and release this energy when needed in response to a diverse array of hormonal, neuroendocrine, and substrate signals. In addition to their role in normal physiology, the function of adipocytes is altered in a number of disease states. The major pathological states that involve the adipocyte are the obesities, an exceptionally common group of disorders defined most simply by the existence of increased adipose tissue mass. This chapter reviews numerous biochemical functions of the adipocyte that have been characterized in models of obesity. Many altered functions are observed because of changes in adipocyte cell size and number. Thus, the chapter highlights that an altered function of the cell, such as increased synthesis of lipoprotein lipase, might, under some circumstances, promote the storage of energy as fat.
CHAPTER IV – LIGHT-SEMICONDUCTOR INTERACTION

This chapter highlights the interaction of light semiconductors including absorption, reflection and transmission. In the design of solar cells, the first consideration must be the interaction of light with the semiconductor. Study indicates that this interaction begins with the reflection of light from the front surface. There are many potential interactions of light with the interior of a semiconductor, other than the intra and interband interactions. Many of the interactions are used to probe the electronic structure of semiconductors, and others play major roles in solid state lasers and LEDs (light emitting devices). These phenomena play, at best, a secondary role in the operation of the solar cell. In absorbing a photon, exciting an electron across the forbidden gap of a semiconductor, and thus, creating a hole-electron pair, both the total energy and the momentum of the system (the particles involved may include electrons, holes, phonons, and atoms as well as photons) must be conserved. In addition, any applicable quantum mechanical “selection rules” for the energy shifts must be satisfied. In a direct gap semiconductor the conduction band minimum of energy possesses the same momentum as does the valence band maximum Therefore, no transfer of momentum is required when providing the valence band electrons with sufficient energy to transit the energy gap to the conduction band. However, many semiconductors are not direct gap materials, for example, silicon, which is the most widely used semiconductor.
Genetic Models Reveal cis and trans Immune-Regulatory Activities for lincRNA-Cox2

Summary An inducible gene expression program is a hallmark of the host inflammatory response. Recently, long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) have been shown to regulate the magnitude, duration, and resolution of these responses. Among these is lincRNA-Cox2, a dynamically regulated gene that broadly controls immune gene expression. To evaluate the in vivo functions of this lincRNA, we characterized multiple models of lincRNA-Cox2-deficient mice. LincRNA-Cox2-deficient macrophages and murine tissues had altered expression of inflammatory genes. Transcriptomic studies from various tissues revealed that deletion of the lincRNA-Cox2 locus also strongly impaired the basal and inducible expression of the neighboring gene prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase (Ptgs2), encoding cyclooxygenase-2, a key enzyme in the prostaglandin biosynthesis pathway. By utilizing different genetic manipulations in vitro and in vivo, we found that lincRNA-Cox2 functions through an enhancer RNA mechanism to regulate Ptgs2. More importantly, lincRNA-Cox2 also functions in trans, independently of Ptgs2, to regulate critical innate immune genes in vivo.
An Inductive Sensing System to Measure In-Socket Residual Limb Displacements for People Using Lower-Limb Prostheses.

The objective of this research was to assess the performance of an embedded sensing system designed to measure the distance between a prosthetic socket wall and residual limb. Low-profile inductive sensors were laminated into prosthetic sockets and flexible ferromagnetic targets were created from elastomeric liners with embedded iron particles for four participants with transtibial amputation. Using insights from sensor performance testing, a novel calibration procedure was developed to quickly and accurately calibrate the multiple embedded sensors. The sensing system was evaluated through laboratory tests in which participants wore sock combinations with three distinct thicknesses and conducted a series of activities including standing, walking, and sitting. When a thicker sock was worn, the limb typically moved further away from the socket and peak-to-peak displacements decreased. However, sensors did not measure equivalent distances or displacements for a given sock combination, which provided information regarding the fit of the socket and how a sock change intervention influenced socket fit. Monitoring of limb–socket displacements may serve as a valuable tool for researchers and clinicians to quantitatively assess socket fit.