cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nearest-neighbor effects and structural preferences in dipeptides are a function of the electronic properties of amino acid side-chains

The electronic properties of amino acid side-chains are emerging as an important factor in the preference for secondary structure in proteins. These properties have not been fully characterized, nor has their role in the behavior of peptides been explored in any detail. The present studies sought to evaluate several possibilities: 1) that hydrophilicity can be expressed solely in electronic terms, 2) that substituent effects of side-chains extend across the peptide bond, and (3) nearest-neighbor effects in dipeptides correlate with secondary structural preferences. Quantum mechanics (QM) calculations were used to define the electronic properties of individual amino acids and dipeptides. It was found that the hydrophilicity of an amino acid side-chain can be accurately represented as a function of the electron densities of its component atoms. In addition, the nature of an amino acid in the second position of a dipeptide affects the electronic properties (Mulliken populations and electron densities) of the main-chain atoms of the first residue. Certain electronic features of the dipeptides strongly correlated with propensity for secondary structure. Specifically, Mulliken population data at the Cα atom and N atom predicted preference for α-helices versus coil and strand conformations, respectively. Analysis of dipeptides arrayed in either helical or extended structures revealed lengthening of main-chain bonds in the α-helical conformations. A thorough characterization of the electronic properties of amino acids and short peptide segments may provide a better understanding of the forces that determine secondary structure in proteins. Proteins 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Sebright Bantam Chicken and the Genetic Control of Extraglandular Aromatase

I. Sexual Dimorphism in Feather Morphology NO ASPECT of sexual dimorphism is more striking or more variable among species than is the feathering pattern of birds. One such sexual difference involves the morphology of feathers. For example, in some birds the feathers of the male are longer and more deeply fringed than those of the female.1 Species in which such sexual differences are extreme include the lyre bird, the peacock, some types of hummingbird, and the domestic chicken (1). Owing to their accessibility, chickens have been the favored subjects for the study of relationships between gonadal function and feather structure, and it is customary to characterize the plumage of adult chickens as either henny or cocky (Fig. 1) (3). In the hen most feathers are short and straight and have a solid vane with many barbules and hence little fringing. In the rooster, in contrast, the neck hackle feathers, the feathers of the saddle (the median tail coverts), and the major tail coverts and great sickle feathers o...
Prioritization Techniques Based on Stochastic Paired Comparisons

In 1977, Thomas L. Saaty introduced a method of assigning weights to categories based on data on paired comparisons. If we let α i j denote the relative importance of the object being classified into the i th category, as opposed to the j th category, then it is assumed that a ij = 1/a ji . The normalized eigenvector associated with the largest eigenvalue of this reciprocal matrix is suggested as the vector of weights associated with the categories. In this paper, we extend this technique when the data is based on stochastic paired comparisons.
Important or Impotent? Taking Another Look at the 1920 California Alien Land Law

Opposition to Japanese immigration led to Alien Land Laws that barred Japanese immigrants from buying or leasing farmland. Although there is general agreement that the 1913 California Alien Land Law had little impact, historians and social scientists have differed over the effectiveness of the 1920 initiative, which closed loopholes in the earlier law. Census data show a decline in Japanese American agriculture over the short and long run, which cannot be fully explained by the agricultural downturn of the 1920s. This evidence indicates that the 1920 California Alien Land Law had negative consequences for Japanese immigrant farmers.
Marginality: A Microperspective

Rational choice models based on methodological individualism have adequately explained the degree to which individuals from minority ethnic groups can reformulate their identities in order to take advantage of opportunities denied their group. But solving this problem has raised a new one. Marginal populations or stigmatized groups should disappear if identities were as plastic as rational theories have assumed. This article, relying on Schelling's “tipping game,” seeks to provide a rational choice basis to explain why marginal groups do not disappear as the macro outcome of a multitude of individual identity reformulations. A principal finding is that marginal groups persist to the extent that they are consigned to social roles that yield higher economic returns than an entry-level job would provide in the higher status economy. Empirical support comes from examinations of Gypsies and Jews in Europe, and untouchables in India.
Agitation over aggiornamento: William Buckley vs. John XXIII

(1969). Agitation over aggiornamento: William Buckley vs. John XXIII. Today's Speech: Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 4-15.
TiArA: a virtual appliance for the analysis of Tiling Array data.

Background Genomic tiling arrays have been described in the scientific literature since 2003, yet there is a shortage of user-friendly applications available for their analysis. Methodology/Principal Findings Tiling Array Analyzer (TiArA) is a software program that provides a user-friendly graphical interface for the background subtraction, normalization, and summarization of data acquired through the Affymetrix tiling array platform. The background signal is empirically measured using a group of nonspecific probes with varying levels of GC content and normalization is performed to enforce a common dynamic range. Conclusions/Significance TiArA is implemented as a standalone program for Linux systems and is available as a cross-platform virtual machine that will run under most modern operating systems using virtualization software such as Sun VirtualBox or VMware. The software is available as a Debian package or a virtual appliance at http://purl.org/NET/tiara.
Soil-Bound 3,4-Dichloroaniline: Source of Contamination in Rice Grain

Halogenated anilines (3,4-dichloroaniline or 3-chloroaniline) have been detected in all tested market rice samples (STILL and MANSAGER 1969). The parent compounds of these residues were assumed to be the herbicides employed on the respective fields. The herbicide propanil (3,4-dichloropropionanilide) is a selective herbicide for weed control in rice fields (SMITH 1961). In soil and plants, especially rice plants, propanil is rapidly hydrolyzed to propionic acid and 3,4-dichloroanillne (DCA) (BARTHA and PRAMER 1970, STILL and KUEIRIAN 1967). The former is completely degraded while most of the DCA persists in form of soilbound residues (BARTHA 1971, HSU and BART}IA 1974a). The pesticide is usually applied to rice fields when plants are very young; therefore, the aniline appearing in rice grains must have originated from soil and/or plant storage sites. We thought it important to determine the source of this contaminant of market rice and wish to report here the results of some studies on the mobility of persistent anilines using radiolabeled DCA applied to soil and to leaves of developing rice plants. EXPERIMENTAL Soil. The soil employed in these experiments was obtained through the courtesy of R. J. Smith, U.S.D.A., and originated from a rice field in Arkansas. To improve its texture, the soll was mixed with sand at a soil/sand ratio of 1:3 and filled to 2.5 cm from the top of nine 23 cm x 23 cm porcelain pots (side draining). The pots were watered and additional soil added So that all nine pots contained the same volume. Rice Plants. All plants were maintained in the greenhouse for a 28-week period (December 16 to July 9). Untreated rice seed (Oryza sativa var. Starbonnet) was obtained from the Jacob Hartz Seed Co., Stutgart, Arkansas, and was germinated in vermiculite. Watered with a routine greenhouse nutrient solution, seedlings were allowed to develop to the 3-4 leaf stage. Plants at the 4-1ear stage were then selected and transplanted to the soil/
In-group/out-group effects in distributed teams: an experimental simulation

Modern workplaces often bring together virtual teams where some members are collocated, and some participate remotely. We are using a simulation game to study collaborations of 10-person groups, with five collocated members and five isolates (simulated 'telecommuters'). Individual players in this game buy and sell 'shapes' from each other in order to form strings of shapes, where strings represent joint projects, and each individual players' shapes represent their unique skills. We found that the collocated people formed an in-group, excluding the isolates. But, surprisingly, the isolates also formed an in-group, mainly because the collocated people ignored them and they responded to each other.
A new statistically-constrained deformable registration framework for MR brain images

Statistical models of deformations (SMD) capture the variability of deformations from the template image onto a group of sample images and can be used to constrain the traditional deformable registration algorithms to improve their robustness and accuracy. This paper employs a wavelet-PCA-based SMD to constrain the traditional deformable registration based on the Bayesian framework. The template image is adaptively warped by an intermediate deformation field generated based on the SMD during the registration procedure, and the traditional deformable registration is performed to register the intermediate template image with the input subject image. Since the intermediate template image is much more similar to the subject image, and the deformation is relatively small and local, it is less likely to be stuck into undesired local minimum using the same deformable registration in this framework. Experiments show that the proposed statistically-constrained deformable registration framework is more robust and accurate than the conventional registration.
Escape from the Ponto-Caspian: evolution and biogeography of an endemic goby species flock (Benthophilinae: Gobiidae: Teleostei).

Endemic Ponto-Caspian gobies include a flock of � 24 ‘‘neogobiin” species (containing the nominal genera and subgenera Apollonia, Babka, Neogobius, Mesogobius, Ponticola, and Proterorhinus; Teleostei: Gobiidae), of which a large proportion (5 species; �21%) recently escaped to invade other freshwater Eurasian systems and the North American Great Lakes. We provide its first comprehensive phylogenetic and biogeographic analysis based on 4709 bp sequences from two mitochondrial and two nuclear genes with maximum parsimony, likelihood, and Bayesian approaches. We additionally compare its relationships with the tadpole gobies (Benthophilus and Caspiosoma), which comprise a related endemic Ponto-Caspian gobiid group; along with a variety of postulated relatives and outgroups. Results of all phylogenetic approaches are highly congruent and provide very strong support for recognizing the subfamily Benthophilinae; which encompasses both the ‘‘neogobiins” and tadpole gobies, and genetically diverges from other Gobiidae subfamilies—including (non-monophyletic) Gobiinae and Gobinellinae. Benthophilinae contains three tribes: Neogobiini (Neogobius, which is synonymized here with Apollonia; containing the type species N. fluviatilis, along with N. melanostomus and N. caspius), Ponticolini (containing the genera Mesogobius, Proterorhinus, Babka, and Ponticola—elevating the latter two from subgenera and removing them from the formerly paraphyletic Neogobius), and Benthophilini (tadpole gobies). Within Ponticolini, Proterorhinus and Mesogobius comprise the sister clade of the Ponticola and Babka clade. Further work is needed to clarify the interrelationships of the tadpole gobies. Invasiveness is widespread in freshwater and euryhaline taxa of Neogobius, Proterorhinus, Babka, and Ponticola; but not in marine species, Mesogobius, or tadpole gobies.
Gay and Lesbian Adoptive and Foster Care Placements: Can They Meet the Needs of Waiting Children?

Although the number of children in need of adoptive homes is growing, the number of prospective adoptive parents is decreasing. On the basis of an extensive review of relevant literature, the present study explored a potentially viable although controversial and little-researched option for increasing the pool of prospective parents: adoptions by gay men and lesbians. Data for this study were collected from child welfare workers and gay and lesbian adoptive and foster parents. A content analysis of the data suggests that gay men and lesbians experience considerable and seemingly unjustified obstacles in their efforts to become adoptive and foster parents. Major implications for practice and policy are offered, as are future directions for research.
Specific heat of electron gas of arbitrary dimensionality

Abstract The exchange contribution to the specific heat of an electron gas in d dimensions is calculated and is shown to lead to a logarithmic temperature dependence at low temperatures in all dimensions ( d > 1).
Cultural Integration and Hybridization at the United States-Mexico Borderlands

Cultural hybridity is a relatively neglected issue in globalization studies. The term refers to the production of novel cultural forms and practices through the merging of previously separate antecedents. Hybridization is different from integration, in which interdependencies develop while the antecedents remain unaltered. Recent evidence from the United States-Mexico borderlands reveals several forms of integration and hybridization, including large-scale population migration, economic integration, adjustments in law and politics, cultural mixing, and transformations in identity. Although trends toward cultural integration and hybridity are not always positive, such postborder tendencies are regarded as cause for optimism regarding the relations between Mexico and the United States.
Maximum entropy techniques for exploiting syntactic, semantic and collocational dependencies in language modeling

A new statistical language model is presented which combines collocational dependencies with two important sources of long-range statistical dependence: the syntactic structure and the topic of a sentence. These dependencies or constraints are integrated using the maximum entropy technique. Substantial improvements are demonstrated over a trigram model in both perplexity and speech recognition accuracy on the Switchboard task. A detailed analysis of the performance of this language model is provided in order to characterize the manner in which it performs better than a standard N -gram model. It is shown that topic dependencies are most useful in predicting words which are semantically related by the subject matter of the conversation. Syntactic dependencies on the other hand are found to be most helpful in positions where the best predictors of the following word are not within N -gram range due to an intervening phrase or clause. It is also shown that these two methods individually enhance an N -gram model in complementary ways and the overall improvement from their combination is nearly additive.
SEXUAL DIFFERENTIATION OF AVIAN BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR : CURRENT VIEWS ON GONADAL HORMONE-DEPENDENT AND INDEPENDENT MECHANISMS

▪ Abstract Gonadal hormones are known to act during development to establish permanent sex differences in the anatomy and function of the vertebrate brain. They also act on the adult brain to activate reproductive behaviors. However, there are wide gaps in our understanding of how sexually dimorphic neural circuits translate into sex differences in behavior and other CNS functions. Moreover, not all sexually dimorphic properties of the adult brain can be attributed to known effects of gonadal hormones during development or adulthood, and factors other than gonadal steroids may contribute to these sex differences. This paper reviews sexual differentiation and the role of gonadal steroids and non-gonadal factors on sexually dimorphic development of the avian brain.
Wearable wireless sensor network to assess clinical status in patients with neurological disorders

The goal of this project is to develop wireless sensors and analysis methods to monitor patients with various motor dysfunctions. We are currently targeting two specific applications: facilitating medication titration in patients with Parkinson's disease and assessing motor recovery in stroke survivors undergoing rehabilitation. In our vision, the treatment and rehabilitation hospital of the future will allow clinicians to continuously monitor motor activity in patients via miniature sensor technology in order to better design interventions on an individual basis. Two key points toward developing the tools necessary to achieve continuous monitoring of motor function are (1) development of a robust and deployable wearable wireless network of sensors and (2) the development of analysis techniques to derive clinically relevant information from miniature sensor data.
Design and optimization of a 200 GHz sige HBT collector profile by TCAD

Abstract A novel simulation assisted investigation was used to obtain the optimum collector design of a 200 GHz silicon–germanium (SiGe) hetero junction bipolar transistor (HBT) for manufacturing. Technology computer aided design (TCAD) tools were applied in a stepwise methodology to explore the large and complex design space and to fully understand the tradeoffs between all relevant HBT performance parameters.
Optimal Advertising with Stochastic Demand

A stochastic, sequential model is developed to determine optimal advertising expenditures as a function of product maturity and past advertising. Random demand for the product depends upon an aggregate measure of current and past advertising called "goodwill," and the position of the product in its life cycle measured by sales-to-date. Conditions on the parameters of the model are established that insure that it is optimal to advertise less as the product matures. Additional characteristics of the optimal advertising policy are also established.
Synthesis of thin carbon films on 4H-SiC by low temperature extraction of Si with HCl

Abstract Carbon films as thin as 5 nm were synthesized by graphitization of 4H-SiC substrates at 1200–1350 °C, in a dilute HCl/Ar atmosphere at a pressure of 0.8 bar. These films formed at significantly lower temperatures and higher pressures than conventional synthesis of epitaxial graphene by sublimation of Si. Graphitization rates of 0.08–1.40 nm/min were observed. The activation energy for graphitization was approximately 460 kJ/mol. Raman spectroscopy indicated that the material was highly disordered with D-peak to G-peak ratios ranging from 0.70 to 1.43, compared to high quality graphene which does not exhibit the disorder induced D-peak.
Acoustic Feature Analysis in Speech Emotion Primitives Estimation

We recently proposed a family of robust linear and nonlinear estimation techniques for recognizing the three emotion primitives‐valence, activation, and dominance‐from speech. These were based on both local and global speech duration, energy, MFCC and pitch features. This paper aims to study the relative importance of these four categories of acoustic features in this emotion estimation context. Three measures are considered: the number of features from each category when all features are used in selection, the mean absolute error (MAE) when each category is used separately, and the MAE when a category is excluded from feature selection. We find that the relative importance is in the order of MFCC > Energy ! Pitch > Duration. Additionally, estimator fusion almost always improves performance, and locally weighted fusion always outperforms average fusion regardless of the number of features used. Index Terms: Emotion estimation, 3D emotion space, speech analysis, estimator fusion, support vector regression, robust regression, locally linear reconstruction, locally weighted fusion
Syngeneic pancreatic islet transplantation reverses endothelial dysfunction in experimental diabetes

Diabetes is known to cause impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation of blood vessels. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this endothelial dysfunction is a permanent defect or is reversible after acute arginine supplementation in vitro or by surgical intervention in vivo using syngeneic pancreatic islet transplantation. Lewis rats were injected with streptozotocin to induce diabetes and were studied either 8 or 12 weeks later. Another group received syngeneic islets via intraportal injection at 8 weeks of diabetes and were allowed to become euglycemic for 4 weeks before study. Thoracic aortic rings were tethered in isolated muscle baths, contracted with a submaximal concentration of norepinephrine, and challenged with either the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine or the endothelium-independent vasodilator nitroglycerin. Relaxation to acetylcholine (but not nitroglycerin) was reduced in both 8- and 12-week diabetic rings compared with age-matched control rings. Preincubation of diabetic rings in vitro with L-arginine (but not D-arginine) restored relaxation to acetylcholine to normal to rings from 8-week but not 12-week diabetic animals. Plasma basic amino acids (arginine, lysine, and histidine) were reduced by diabetes, whereas other neutral or acidic amino acids were unchanged (phenylalanine, proline, and glutamate), reduced (serine, cysteine, threonine, tyrosine, tryptophan, and aspartate), or elevated (isoleucine, leucine, and valine). Islet transplantation restored to normal the changes in plasma amino acids. Elevation in blood glucose and total glycosylated hemoglobin in diabetic animals was normalized after islet transplantation. Furthermore, islet transplantation completely restored the defective endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine in diabetic rings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The struggle for the soul of Medicare.

Not so very long ago - in historical terms - the politics of Medicare were thought to be stable and well-established. Medicare’s 1965 enactment culminated an epochal political battle that spanned fifteen years and involved mass mobilization, millions of dollars in lobbying expenditures (including the development of such techniques as “grass-roots lobbying” and targeted direct mail), and bitter partisan controversy. By the late 1980s those seemed to be distant birthing pains long since overshadowed by the program’s robust health and popularity. Medicare politics had devolved into a model of pluralist “normalcy” in which a relatively specialized and autonomous group of subject-matter experts in the federal bureaucracy, the Congress, and affected interest groups largely made policy by negotiating among themselves, primarily on issues of provider reimbursement. Even the extraordinary events involving the 1988 enactment of the “Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act” legislation (which, among other things, established good coverage for prescription drugs), and the ensuing public firestorm that led to its partial repeal in 1989, could be seen as an aberrational deviation from a more placid pattern.
Opioid medication in the palliative care of motor neurone disease

In the palliative care of patients with motor neurone disease (MND) symptoms are encountered that can be helped by the use of strong opioid medication. A retrospective survey of the 32 patients dying of MND at the Wisdom Hospice who required opioids showed that 75% received oral opioids, 94% received parenteral opioids and 72% received both oral and parenteral opioids. The median oral morphine dose was 60 mg/24 h, with a median duration of 51 days and the median parenteral dose was 180 mg/24 h with a median duration of use of three days. The results show that strong opioids can be used safely and effectively in the palliative care of patients with MND.
A Digital Static Magnetic Wire Storage with Nondestructive Read-Out

After a brief review of pertinent magnetic effects and sonic wave propagation in elastic media, a nonvolatile, digital, magnetic storage scheme is described, wherein binary words may be stored by magnetizing segments of a wire, and the information may be read out an unlimited number of times with no deterioration of the stored information. Two storage schemes are presented: a temporary, electrically addressed storage, and a permanent, program-type store. Bit-storage density, read-out and input pulse shapes, and read-out frequency are noted. Possible limitations such as losses, temperature effects, and pulse shape are balanced against advantages and a comparison is made to a number of other types of bit storage.
A Problem-Solving Approach for Teaching Engineering Laboratories

This paper describes how the laboratory experimental part of a mechanics and vibration course in the Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering Department at the University of Toledo was redeveloped. The purpose of the redevelopment was to transform the learning process from subject-based learning to problem-solving learning. A particular objective was to provide the students with more hands-on experience and to challenge them by requesting the procedure for each laboratory experiment to be designed and carried out by the students. The authors believe that the redevelopment had an overall beneficial impact on the students' learning.
Introducing B2B Service Level Measures via a Poker‐Card Activity

To determine the appropriate level of product availability, most operations management textbooks introduce and define service level measures in a Business-to-Customer context. In other words, a retailer that wants to measure product availability in their store calculates the fill rate (FR) or cycle service level over an infinite review horizon. However, in a Business-to-Business (B2B) context, a retailer almost always calculates the FR or compliance level over a finite review horizon. The goal of this article is to highlight calculations of service level measures in a B2B context. Pedagogically, it presents in-class activities that use standard playing cards and/or a spreadsheet simulation that allow students to experientially learn about service level measures in a B2B context.
Clinical and laboratory testing for Trichomonas vaginalis infection

Trichomonas vaginalis infection is highly prevalent in the United States and worldwide. Traditional clinical diagnostic methods fail to identify more than half of these infections that, if left untreated, can result in adverse pregnancy outcomes and an exacerbated risk of both acquisition and transmission of HIV. Women bear a disproportionate amount of the burden of these infections, and testing among populations at risk for this disease should be provided. Molecular technologies have expanded our capacity for laboratory-based detection of infection and can be used on samples already being collected for chlamydia/gonorrhea screening.
A revision of Oocyclus Sharp of Mexico and Central America (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae)

The hygropetric genus Oocyclus Sharp is revised for Mexico and Central America. Eight species are described as new: O. catarata n. sp., O. funestus n. sp., O. grandis n. sp., O. muscus n. sp., O. ornatus n. sp., O. sharpi n. sp., O substillus n. sp., and O. tapanti n. sp. Redescriptions and new distribution records are provided for O. brevicornis Sharp, O. maculatus Sharp and O. vestitus Sharp. A lectotype is designated for O. brevicornis. A key to known Mexican and Central American species is provided. All species are associated with hygropetric habitats, including rock seeps and the spray zones of waterfalls and cascades. Digital images of the holotypes are provided (online version in color) and male genitalia illustrated.El g nero Oocyclus Sharp es revisado para M xico y Am rica Central. Ocho especies son descritas como nuevas: O. catarata n. sp., O. funestus n. sp., O. grandis n. sp., O. muscus n. sp., O. ornatus n. sp., O. sharpi n. sp., O. substillus n. sp., y O. tapanti n. sp. O. brevicornis Sharp, O. maculatus Sharp y O. vestitus Sharp son redescritas, proporcionando nuevos registros de distribuci n. Se designa un lectotipo para O. brevicornis. Se proporciona una clave para todas las especies conocidas de M xico y Am rica Central. Se proporcionan im genes digitales de los holotipos (la versi n electr nica en color) y la genitalia masculina es ilustrada para todas las especies.
Observation of Impact Ionization of Shallow States in Sub-Kelvin, High-Purity Germanium

We report on the observation of impact ionization processes involving shallow impurity states in a sub-Kelvin, high-purity n-type germanium detector similar to those used by direct detection dark matter experiments such as the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search. An optical fiber is used to generate packets of charge carriers near one surface of the detector. The charge carriers drift to the opposite surface by application of an electric field. The resulting drift current is measured by a high-speed charge amplifier. The onset of impact ionization for both electron and hole transport is clearly observed in the drift current as the applied electric field is increased above $$\approx $$ 5 V/cm. We present the effective charge collection efficiency and trapping length as a function of applied electric field for electrons and holes. We estimate the impact ionization cross section to be on the order of $$5\times 10^{-13}\,\mathrm {cm}^2$$ .
Molecular dynamics studies of thermal accommodation on carbon structures

Thermal accommodation coefficients for nitrogen-carbon gas surface collisions are calculated as a cumulative distribution function using the molecular dynamics method. Generated cumulative distribution functions are then used to modify Maxwell’s gas surface interaction model in DSMC and the influence of thermal accommodation coefficient on the flow field is analyzed by simulating a flow over a flat plate using the modified and different thermal accommodation coefficients.
EBIC/Tem Investigation of Defects in Solar Cell Silicon

Two examples are given of the application of EBIC and HVTEM to the study of defects in silicon. An hexagonal dislocation network in a coherent first order twin boundary in WEB silicon shows a three fold symmetry when imaged by EBIC. The observed variation of the minority carrier lifetime at the nodes is consistent with a model which assumes that jogs are particularly strong recombination sites at a dislocation. EBIC and STEM observations on unprocessed and processed EFG ribbon show that the phosphorus diffused junction depth is not uniform, and that a variety of chemical impurities precipitate out during processing. Two kinds of precipitates are found i) 10 nm or less in size, located at the dislocation nodes in sub-boundary like dislocation arrangements formed during processing and ii) large precipitates, the chemical composition of which has been partially identified. These large precipitates emit dense dislocations tangles into the adjacent crystal volume.
Projecting Risk into the Future: Failure of a Geologic Repository and the Sinking of the Titanic

This year marks the 101st anniversary of the sinking of the “unsinkable” RMS Titanic. On April 15, 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean on its maiden voyage from Southampton, UK, to New York City. There was no single cause for the loss of the Titanic, rather the improbable combination of errors in human design and decision combined with unforeseeable circumstance lead to the loss of over 1,500 lives. The failure appears to have occurred over a range of spatial and temporal scales – from the atomic-scale process of embrittlement of iron rivets to global-scale fluctuations in climate and ocean currents. Regardless of the specific combination of causes, this failure in design and practice led to impressive improvements in both. Disaster and tragedy are harsh teachers, but critical to improvement and progress. The important question for the nuclear waste management community is how do we learn and improve our waste management strategies in the absence of being able to fail. A geologic repository “operates” over a very distant time frame, and today’s scientists and engineers will never have the benefit of studying a failed system. In place of a failure that is followed by improvement and progress, we can only offer a general consensus on disposal strategies supported by a wide array of evidence and risk assessments. However, it may well be that consensus leads to complacency and compromise, both of which are harbingers of disaster. With this concern in mind, this is the time to review our fundamental approach, particularly the methodologies used in risk assessments that have us calculate risk out to one million years. The structure of standards and implementing regulations, as well as the standard-of-proof for compliance, should be reexamined in order to determine whether their requirements are scientifically possible or reasonable. The demonstration of compliance must not only be compelling, but must also be able to sustain scientific scrutiny and public inquiry. We should benefit from the sobering reality of how difficult it is to anticipate future failures even over a few decades. We should be humbled by the realization that for a geologic repository we are analyzing the performance, success vs. failure, over spatial and temporal scales that stretch over tens of kilometers and out to a hundreds of thousands of years.
Resistance to Dieldrin and Tolerance to Chlorpyrifos and Bendiocarb in a Northern New Jersey Population of Japanese Beetle

Dosage-mortality responses of adult Popillia japonica Newman from Rivervale (northern NJ) indicated dieldrin resistance and greater inherent tolerance to both chlorpyrifos, and bendiocarb (a carbamate insecticide showing potential for turfgrass insect control) when compared to a strain from Adelphia (central NJ). Tests using 3rd-stage grubs indicated that, when compared at the LD50, the Rivervale grubs were ca. 90X as resistant to dieldrin as those from Adelphia.
Altered reflex control of cutaneous circulation by female sex steroids is independent of prostaglandins.

We tested the hypothesis that the shift in the cutaneous vasodilator response to hyperthermia seen with elevated female reproductive hormones is a prostaglandin-dependent resetting of thermoregulat...
Towards a Typology of Absence in Old Norse Literature

This essay accepts Patrick Fuery’s challenge to “get directly engaged in issues of typology” when considering absence. The powers of lost lovers, slain gods, and howling voids in Old Norse literature are anatomized according to the many phenomena denoted by the word “absence.” Demonstrating several species and differing degrees of absence, the essay also shows how each is created by a particular mechanism, and each tends towards specific emotional consequences. Each species of typology is illustrated with examples taken from Old Norse literature; yet its various types may well be applied beyond such contexts.
Functional-unit-based Life Cycle Optimization for Design of Sustainable Product Systems with Application on Biofuel Supply Chains

Abstract We propose a life cycle optimization framework for sustainable design of hydrocarbon supply chains considering economic and environmental criteria that are based on the concept of “functional unit”. With the functional-unit-based objective functions, we develop a biofuel supply chain system that is both cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. The e-constraint method is applied for multi-objective optimization and a series of Pareto-optimal solutions are obtained which reveal the tradeoff between economic and environmental performances. Due to the introduction of functional-unit- based objectives, the resulting model is formulated as a mixed integer linear fractional program (MILFP), which can be challenging for global optimization. Therefore, we further introduce two tailored MILFP methods, namely parametric algorithm and reformulation-linearization method for the efficient solution. The model and solution methods are illustrated by the spatially explicit optimization of a potential county-level hydrocarbon biofuel supply chain in the state of Illinois.
Catholic Revival in the Age of the Baroque: The communal church in German Catholicism

The people of Southwest Germany considered priests essential for the proper functioning of local Catholicism. They did not, however, concede control of local religion to either the official Church or to parish priests. Rural communes and town councils continued to play a strong rolein local Catholicism. The “communal church,” which dominated religious life in the century before the Reformation, did not disappear in the sixteenth century, but rather continued to be an organizing force in the following two centuries. Popular initiative was behind much of Catholic practice, and the people most often expressed themselves through the institutions of the commune. Communes managed parish finances, oversaw the performance of the clergy, and influenced the appointment and removal of priests. They organized and promoted devotions, particularly pilgrimages, processions, confraternities, and prayer meetings. Communes also funded and supported the construction of churches and chapels and the placement of stations of the cross, new altars, and other decorations in existing churches. The continuities between the communal church of the pre-Reformation era, as described by Peter Blickle and others, and the communal church of post-Tridentine Catholicism are striking, but not as surprising as they first appear. Thecommunal church around 1500 developed out of thebasic localism in religious life and reflected the strong role communes took in administering village life more generally. Throughout the early modern period communalism remained an organizing principle with strong roots in German villages and towns.
British Women Writers, Technology, and the Sciences, 1880–1920

The transformative years from 1880 to 1920 witnessed dramatic shifts in scientific thinking, as what we now think of as modern science began to emerge in a variety of disciplines. Physics moved from theorizing that light moved through the ether to widespread acceptance of Faraday’s and Maxwell’s later work arguing that light has the properties both of a wave and a particle. One of the hallmarks of this new physics was its increasing focus on phenomena that could not be studied without highly-specialized instruments, like the X-Ray a young Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) heard about in a lecture in 1897. At the same time, as suggested by Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity (1905), this physics was also increasingly conscious of the effect of the observer’s viewpoint and responses on scientific data and results. In the biological sciences, Charles Darwin and other scientists, like Herbert Spencer and T.H. Huxley, continued to develop Darwin’s ideas on evolution first laid out in The Origin of Species (1859), and in 1900, four scientists independently rediscovered and verified the work of Gregor Johann Mendel on pea plant hybridization, which disproved Lamarck’s theories of acquired inheritance and inaugurated the field of genetics. The study of the mind, psychology, was transformed by the work, not only of Williams James, but also of Sigmund Freud and his theories of the unconscious, neurosis, and treatment in what became popularly known as the ‘talking cure’; Freudians also provided analysis of the mental trauma of war, known as shell shock, as soldiers returned home from World War I. Each of these scientific disciplines became gradually professionalized, requiring more advanced training of practitioners and researchers, and each sought greater cultural legitimacy. Such significant advances carried over to practical applications in technology that touched all aspects of British life.
Response by de Ferranti et al to Letter Regarding Article, "Prevalence of Familial Hypercholesterolemia in the 1999 to 2012 United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES)".

We welcome the comments provided by Perez de Isla and colleagues noting our use of adapted Dutch Lipid Clinic criteria in NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) data to estimate the prevalence of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) as 1 in 250 US adults in our recent Circulation article.1 We agree with Perez de Isla et al on many points, perhaps most importantly that “the main reason to emphasize the crucial relevance of an accurate and early diagnosis in every FH patient” is to provide effective treatment to reduce the risk of early atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality associated with FH.2 Moreover, we agree with Perez de Isla et al’s description of the limitations of using clinical criteria to establish the diagnosis of FH, ie, relatively low low-density lipoprotein …
University Student Conceptual Resources for Understanding Energy.

An articulation of conceptual resources commonly used by university physics students when reasoning about energy.
Blockage Testing in the NASA Glenn 225 Square Centimeter Supersonic Wind Tunnel

A feasibility study is in progress at NASA Glenn Research Center to implement a magnetic suspension and balance system in the 225 sq cm Supersonic Wind Tunnel for the purpose of testing the dynamic stability of blunt bodies. An important area of investigation in this study was determining the optimum size of the model and the iron spherical core inside of it. In order to minimize the required magnetic field and thus the size of the magnetic suspension system, it was determined that the test model should be as large as possible. Blockage tests were conducted to determine the largest possible model that would allow for tunnel start at Mach 2, 2.5, and 3. Three different forebody model geometries were tested at different Mach numbers, axial locations in the tunnel, and in both a square and axisymmetric test section. Experimental results showed that different model geometries produced more varied results at higher Mach Numbers. It was also shown that testing closer to the nozzle allowed larger models to start compared with testing near the end of the test section. Finally, allowable model blockage was larger in the axisymmetric test section compared with the square test section at the same Mach number. This testing answered key questions posed by the feasibility study and will be used in the future to dictate model size and performance required from the magnetic suspension system.
Jump starting shared medical appointments for diabetes with weight management: Rationale and design of a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract Background Rates of glycemic control remain suboptimal nationwide. Medication intensification for diabetes can have undesirable side effects (weight gain, hypoglycemia), which offset the benefits of glycemic control. A Shared Medical Appointment (SMA) intervention for diabetes that emphasizes weight management could improve glycemic outcomes and reduce weight while simultaneously lowering diabetes medication needs, resulting in less hypoglycemia and better quality of life. We describe the rationale and design for a study evaluating a novel SMA intervention for diabetes that primarily emphasizes low-carbohydrate diet-focused weight management. Methods Jump Starting Shared Medical Appointments for Diabetes with Weight Management (Jump Start) is a randomized, controlled trial that is allocating overweight Veterans (body mass index ≥ 27 kg/m 2 ) with type 2 diabetes into two arms: 1) a traditional SMA group focusing on medication management and self-management counseling; or 2) an SMA group that combines low-carbohydrate diet-focused weight management (WM/SMA) with medication management. Hemoglobin A1c reduction at 48 weeks is the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include hypoglycemic events, diabetes medication use, weight, medication adherence, diabetes-related quality of life, and cost-effectiveness. We hypothesize that WM/SMA will be non-inferior to standard SMA for glycemic control, and will reduce hypoglycemia, diabetes medication use, and weight relative to standard SMA, while also improving quality of life and costs. Conclusions Jump Start targets two common problems that are closely related but infrequently managed together: diabetes and obesity. By focusing on diet and weight loss as the primary means to control diabetes, this intervention may improve several meaningful patient-centered outcomes related to diabetes.
Mobility and Technology Research: From the Industrial Revolution to Flying Vehicles in 2050

This chapter summarizes the ways in which mobility has been and will be affected by technological change over a relatively long period from the late 1800s to 2050 and the implications of this for research in regional science. The review covers the period from the Industrial Revolution to the mid-2000s. Out of necessity the scope will be broad, encyclopedic and somewhat general. The extrapolation of how mobility will be affected by technological change in the first half of the twenty-first century will be the primary and concluding focus of the analysis.
Wireless Monitoring Program of Patient-Centered Outcomes and Recovery Before and After Major Abdominal Cancer Surgery.

Importance A combined subjective and objective wireless monitoring program of patient-centered outcomes can be carried out in patients before and after major abdominal cancer surgery. Objective To conduct a proof-of-concept pilot study of a wireless, patient-centered outcomes monitoring program before and after major abdominal cancer surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants In this proof-of-concept pilot study, patients wore wristband pedometers and completed online patient-reported outcome surveys (symptoms and quality of life) 3 to 7 days before surgery, during hospitalization, and up to 2 weeks after discharge. Reminders via email were generated for all moderate to severe scores for symptoms and quality of life. Surgery-related data were collected via electronic medical records, and complications were calculated using the Clavien-Dindo classification. The study was carried out in the inpatient and outpatient surgical oncology unit of one National Cancer Institute–designated comprehensive cancer center. Eligible patients were scheduled to undergo curative resection for hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal cancers, were English speaking, and were 18 years or older. Twenty participants were enrolled over 4 months. The study dates were April 1, 2015, to July 31, 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures Outcomes included adherence to wearing the pedometer, adherence to completing the surveys (MD Anderson Symptom Inventory and EuroQol 5-dimensional descriptive system), and satisfaction with the monitoring program. Results This study included a final sample of 20 patients (median age, 55.5 years [range, 22-74 years]; 15 [75%] female) with evaluable data. Pedometer adherence (88% [17 of 20] before surgery vs 83% [16 of 20] after discharge) was higher than survey adherence (65% to 75% [13 of 20 and 15 of 20] completed). The median number of daily steps at day 7 was 1689 (19% of daily steps at baseline), which correlated with the Comprehensive Complication Index, for which the median was 15 of 100 ( r = −0.64, P Conclusions and Relevance Wireless monitoring of combined subjective and objective patient-centered outcomes can be carried out in the surgical oncology setting. Preoperative and postoperative patient-centered outcomes have the potential of identifying high-risk populations who may need additional interventions to support postoperative functional and symptom recovery.