cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transport of Heat and Mass with Electrical Field - from Earth to Space

Pumping of single-phase liquid or two-phase liquid/vapor is encountered in a wide range of technological applications. Utilization of electro-hydro-dynamics (EHD) to induce fluid motion is known as an effective approach for situations where special requirements and restrictions are imposed, while enhanced heat and mass transfer are required. The implementation of the EHD phenomena to heat and mass transport introduces complex interactions among inter-dependent variables. The EHD pumping phenomena involve interaction of electric fields and flow fields in a dielectric fluid medium. This interaction induces the fluid motion through the presence of electric body force.In this paper, the fundamentals of EHD driven fluid flow are described. The evolution of EHD driven heat and mass transport technologies for space applications are presented. Specifically, the results of single-phase liquid and two-phase heat transport experiments that were conducted on board variable-gravity parabolic flights are provided. The EHD conduction pumping technology is expected to provide technological advances that will support various space missions.
Baseline Obesity Increases 25-Year Risk of Mortality due to Cerebrovascular Disease: Role of Race

Background: Although obesity may have a role as a risk factor for cerebrovascular mortality, less is known about how demographic and social groups differ in this regard. Aims: This study had two aims: first to investigate the predictive role of baseline obesity on long-term risk of mortality due to cerebrovascular disease, and second, to test racial variation in this effect. Methods: the Americans’ Changing Lives Study (ACL) 1986–2011 is a state of the art 25-year longitudinal cohort study. ACL followed a nationally representative sample of Blacks (n = 1156) and Whites (n = 2205) for up to 25 years. Baseline obesity was the main predictor of interest, time to cerebrovascular death was the main outcome of interest. Demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status (educational attainment and household income), health behaviors (exercise and smoking), and health (hypertension and depressive symptoms) at baseline were covariates. Cox proportional hazards models were used to test additive and multiplicative effects of obesity and race on the outcome. Results: From the total 3,361 individuals, 177 people died due to cerebrovascular causes (Whites and Blacks). In the pooled sample, baseline obesity did not predict cerebrovascular mortality (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.86, 0.49–1.51), independent of demographic, socioeconomic, health behaviors, and health factors at baseline. Race also interacted with baseline obesity on outcome (HR = 3.17, 1.09–9.21), suggesting a stronger predictive role of baseline obesity on cerebrovascular deaths for Black people compared to White individuals. According to the models that were run specific to each race, obesity predicted risk of cerebrovascular mortality for Blacks (HR = 2.51, 1.43–4.39) but not Whites (HR = 0.69, 0.31–1.53). Conclusions: Baseline obesity better predicts long-term risk of cerebrovascular death in Black individuals compared to White people. More research should explore factors that explain why racial differences exist in the effects of obesity on cerebrovascular outcome. Findings also have implications for personalized medicine.
Telovelar surgical approach

Surgical access to lesions in the fourth ventricle may be achieved utilizing transvermian or transtelovelar trajectories. We performed a search of the PubMed database for studies describing the microsurgical details and evaluating the clinical utility of the telovelar surgical approach. The telovelar approach has proven to be a safe, effective, and versatile alternative to the transvermian approach. The operative strategy utilizes midline suboccipital craniotomy without or with C1 laminectomy, followed by cerebellar hemispheric and tonsillar retraction, and wide durotomy. Access is generously provided to the fourth ventricle from calamus scriptorius to Sylvian aqueduct and foramen Luschkae bilaterally. Anatomic dissection studies evaluating and comparing the relative benefits of the operative exposure offered by these approaches have demonstrated improved access to the lateral recess gained by the telovelar trajectory and facilitated exposure of rostral reaches of the fourth ventricle by the vermian trajectory. In general, operative exposure may be significantly improved with tonsillar retraction or resection, bilateral telovelar opening, and performing C1 laminectomy in order to improve access to the rostral fourth ventricle, which may be variably combined depending on location of pathology. Cerebellar mutism, a high incidence of which occurs with vermian approaches, is not commonly observed with use of the telovelar trajectory, though injury to the dentate nuclei may precipitate this syndrome. Deficits incurred with the vermian approach may include cerebellar mutism, dysequilibrium, truncal ataxia, posterior fossa syndrome, cranial nucleopathies and nerve palsies, and vascular injury to the posterior inferior cerebellar artery. The telovelar surgical approach has proven a safe and useful alternative to the transvermian trajectory. A significantly lower incidence of cerebellar mutism and cerebellogenic deficits represents the principal advantage of the telovelar approach. Further studies are necessary in order to prospectively evaluate and compare extents of resection, morbidity, and mortality utilizing the telovelar versus vermian approaches for microsurgically resecting fourth ventricular tumors.
Risk perception of developing diabetes: A concept analysis.

Background Cognitive risk perception has been linked to health behavior needed to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The concept of risk perception of developing diabetes needed review due to: (a) frequent lack of congruency between perceived and actual risk of developing diabetes, and (b) inconsistent measures for calculating perceived diabetes risk. Design The concept analysis was conducted using the Walker and Avant approach. Data sources Dictionary definitions, thesaurus synonyms and antonyms, theoretical sources, and seminal works related generally to risk perception were reviewed. Database searches for studies conducted in the United States measuring perceived risk of developing diabetes, were conducted in PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL; resulting in the selection and review of 23 research articles. Results The identified dimensions of perceived diabetes risk were: perceived likelihood, personal risk, general risk, cognitive, emotional, comparative risk, and unrealistic optimism. Some antecedents of perceived diabetes risk were motivational factor, individual difference, contextual factor, cognitive factor, and affective factor. A consequence of perceived diabetes risk was health-promoting behaviors. Conclusions This concept analysis increases clarity of a multidimensional concept, providing a basis for validity for measurements. Consideration of antecedents for perceived diabetes risk will be important as related to diabetes prevention efforts.
Decision Diagram Decomposition for Quadratically Constrained Binary Optimization

In recent years the use of decision diagrams within the context of discrete optimization has proliferated. This paper continues this expansion by proposing the use of decision diagrams for modeling...
Computational investigations of NHC-backbone configurations for applications in organocatalytic umpolung reactions

Density functional theory (DFT) and multiconfigurational self-consistent field theory (MCSCF) methods are employed to investigate variation of the electronic properties of various N-heterocyclic carbenes. Alterations to the backbone by increased or decreased conjugation, heteroatom substitution in the NHC ring, and electron-donating or -withdrawing backbone substituents are modeled. The MCSCF calculations show extensive delocalization of both the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals for NHCs with polymerizable backbone substituents. The free energies of the intermediates and transition structures for benzoin condensation are also shown to be sensitive to substitution of the NHC backbone. Taken together, these results imply great sensitivity of the reactivity of poly(NHC) catalysts to backbone modification at this moiety. Implications with respect to enhancement of poly(NHC)s employed in umpolung catalysis are discussed.
Plasma concentrations of perfluoroalkyl substances and risk of inflammatory bowel diseases in women: A nested case control analysis in the Nurses' Health Study cohorts.

Abstract Background Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are synthetic compounds used in a wide variety of industrial and consumer applications. An association between PFAS exposure and risk of ulcerative colitis (UC) has been reported in a highly exposed population. However, data are limited on risk of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) among individuals with background population levels of PFAS exposure. Objectives We set out to examine the association between plasma PFAS concentrations and risk of IBD among women in two population-based, prospective cohort studies in which pre-diagnostic blood specimens were available. Methods We conducted a nested case-control study in the Nurses' Health Study and Nurses' Health Study II cohorts. We identified 73 participants with incident Crohn's disease (CD) and 80 participants with incident UC who had provided blood samples before diagnosis. Cases were matched 1:2 to IBD-free controls. Plasma concentrations of five major PFASs were measured by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. We used conditional logistic models to estimated odds ratios for risk of IBD according to log10-transformed PFAS concentrations, adjusting for potential confounders. Results In multivariable models, we observed inverse associations between plasma concentrations of three PFASs and risk of CD (all P ≤ 0.012 for a standard deviation increase in log10PFAS). The inverse association with CD was strongest for perfluorodecanoate, where, compared to the lowest tertile, the odds ratio (OR) for the highest tertile was 0.39 (95% confidence interval, 0.17–0.92). No associations were observed between PFAS concentrations and UC risk. Discussion Our results do not support the hypothesis that elevated PFAS exposure is associated with higher risk of UC. Contrary to expectation, our data suggest that circulating concentrations of some PFASs may be inversely associated with CD development.
Real-Time Surveillance of New Anticancer Therapies in the National Veterans Affairs System

Purpose/Objective(s) The Veterans Affairs (VA) system is the largest integrated health system in the US, with one of the world's longest-running electronic medical record (EMR) systems. We describe the potential of VA EMR data for real-time surveillance of efficacy, toxicity, and uptake of new therapies in oncology. As a case study, we describe the implementation of durvalumab for adjuvant treatment of stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with concurrent chemoradiation (CRT) after publication of the landmark PACIFIC trial in 2017. Materials/Methods We used the Veterans Affairs Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI) to identify all intravenous administrations of durvalumab from November 2017 to January 2021 among patients with at least one inpatient or outpatient lung cancer ICD-10 diagnosis code. Cancer stage and tumor histology were algorithmically extracted from physician notes and reviewed for accuracy. Radiation therapy dates and concurrent chemotherapy delivery were ascertained through outpatient CPT codes for radiation delivery and intravenous chemotherapy infusion records. Overall survival (OS) was obtained from the VA Vital Status File (updated on a quarterly basis) and from the VA Master Patient Index (updated on a daily basis). Date of radiographic progression were obtained through physician review of extracted CT and PET scan reports. Demographic, staging, and treatment information were supplemented with VA Central Cancer Registry information where available. Statistics were performed with statistical analysis software. Results We identified 1106 patients with stage III NSCLC (60% stage IIIA, 35% IIIB, and 3% IIIC) treated with upfront CRT who received at least one adjuvant durvalumab infusion, of whom only 135 (12%) were represented in cancer registry data. The median age was 69 years and 95% were male. Eighty-six percent reported current or former tobacco use, and the cohort was evenly split between adenocarcinoma (48%) and squamous cell histology (48%). Patients received a median of 6 durvalumab infusions (IQR 3 to 15) over a median of 154 days (IQR 35 to 308 days). Compared to patients enrolled in the PACIFIC trial, veterans received a lower number of durvalumab infusions (6 vs. 14) and had a higher rate of systemic steroid initiation for possible immune-related toxicity (43% vs 20%). Three-year progression-free survival was 32.5% (95% CI 25% to 40%). Three-year OS was 51% (95% CI 46% to 56%) compared to 57% in PACIFIC. Conclusion Veterans received fewer adjuvant durvalumab infusions than in the PACIFIC trial but maintained comparable survival. National VA administrative data, which are largely updated on a daily or weekly basis, are a unique resource to study real-time implementation of new therapies in large national cohorts. Improved case-finding algorithms are necessary to capture patients not included in the VA Central Cancer Registry.
Experimental characterization of Inverse-Designed Vertical Grating Couplers in the O-band

We perform wafer-level testing of perfectly vertical grating couplers in a c-Si 193nm DUV immersion lithography process. We designed single polarization grating couplers using the adjoint method and experimentally obtain an insertion loss of 1.91dB, a 18.9nm 1dB-bandwidth, and <−10dB in-waveguide reflection.
Geography Achievement and Opportunity to Learn: A Focus on Curriculum Organization and Content

Using the 2018 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) datasets for geography, we explore relationships between geography achievement in the eighth grade and contextual variables related...
Words with "All the Effects of Force: Cold-War Interpretation

PETER STEINBERG'S THE GREAT "'RED MENACE" TELLS THE STORY OF THE 1949 SMITH Act trial of leaders of the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA), which culminated in the 1951 Dennis v. United States decision. In that decision the Supreme Court upheld Judge Harold Medina's ruling that the First Amendment certainly does not extend to those who conspire to advocate the violent overthrow of the American government. The exposition is brilliant: Steinberg alternates between groups of chapters written from the perspective of the government and its prosecutors on the one hand, and the beleaguered CPUSA on the other. Telling the story of the prosecution of a small and by-then uninfluential political group may not seem to require the time and space it has taken, but if we focus on a shift in the conception of American language marked by the trial and the Dennis decision, we will find plenty to go on. The shift will seem as dramatic to "new" American literary historians as to a new, skeptical generation of legal theorists, and that is perhaps why, with the two disciplines now sharing much the same ground, Steinberg's good work is so timely. In the 1919 Schenck decision, the Supreme Court ruled that to decide if subversive language was not protected by the right to free speech the courts would have to test the direct relation between the writing and the prohibitable action. One could not shout fire in a theater if there were no fire, Justice Holmes wrote in the famous metaphor; if one did falsely shout, the falsity would be clear enough (where was the fire?), and the connection of the language shouted to the ensuing harm was present (for example, theatergoers trampling one another to get out). A court could expect the prosecution to demonstrate both clarity and presence. The high court thus used an abstract notion of proximitythat is, of language to action; of language intended to lead to action to the action itself-but tried to look away from the intention in the language and as exclusively as possible at the action, and in this way demanded the relevance of external evidence
Immunology of Autism

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are developmental disorders characterized by behavioral deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication as well as social interactions, and are accompanied by repetitive or stereotyped behaviors and interests. Numerous studies over the last forty years have recognized altered immune responses in individuals with ASD; concurrently basic research has highlighted the myriad of neuroimmune interactions and the cross talk that occurs between nervous and immune systems. Neuroinflammation, particularly in the cerebellum, has been found in post mortem brain tissues from individuals with ASD and is characterized by the presence of profound glia activation processes. This and altered gene expression profiles indicating perturbed immune suggest a contributing role for immunological systems in the pathology of ASD. Peripheral immune abnormalities have also been found; shifts in both direction of Th1 and Th2 skewing have been reported as well as autoantibody production, increased NK cell activation, T cell responses and monocyte cell function overwhelmingly suggesting the presence of immune dysfunction in individuals with ASD. Many of these findings are associated with worsening behavioral scores, suggesting treatment of immune function could be useful in alleviating symptoms associated with ASD. Immune activation in utero is also associated with an increased risk of the child for having a diagnosis of ASD, where increased cytokine production in the offspring is directly linked to changes in offspring behavior. In addition to peripheral changes, brain and CSF immune variations in ASD are reported as well as an increase in gastrointestinal/mucosal dysfunction which has led to an increased interest in exploring the gut-brain- immune connections and its role in ASD. Further research in neuroimmune interactions may bring further insight and elicit new therapeutic tools for ASD.
Electrophilic C–H activation of benzene with a Shilov-inspired rhodium(III) diimine complex

Abstract Four new air and water stable, organometallic rhodium(III) complexes trans-RhIII(α-diimine) (CO)I2Me, 1, [RhIII(α-diimine) (C(O)Me) (H2O)3][BF4]2, 2, [RhIII(α-diimine)Me(H2O)3] [BF4]2, 3, and RhIII(α-diimine) (C(O)Me) (H2O) (OC(O)CF3)2, 4 (α-diimine = 1,4-bis(Ar)-2,3-dimethyl-1,4-diaza-1,3-butadiene, Ar = 3,5-dimethylphenyl) were synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. H/D exchange of C6H6 with TFA-d1 (TFA = trifluoroacetic acid) was observed with 4 mol% loading of 3 at 100 °C with 137 turnovers (98% completion at 91% deuterium incorporation) in 24 h. 3 showed sustained catalytic activity towards H/D exchange of benzene even after three iterations of catalyst recycling.
Some Scalar Examples

In this chapter we will look at a couple of examples of scalar conservation laws with some physical meaning, and apply the theory developed in the previous chapter. The first of these examples (traffic flow) should also help develop some physical intuition that is applicable to the more complicated case of gas dynamics, with gas molecules taking the place of cars. This application is discussed in much more detail in Chapter 3 of Whitham[97]. The second example (two phase flow) shows what can happen when f is not convex.
The Inflammatory Response in Human Lung Exposed to Ambient Levels of Ozone

Abstract Although ozone (O 3 ) has been shown to induce inflammation in the lungs of animals, very little is known about its inflammatory effects on humans. In this study, eleven healthy non-smoking males, ages 18-35 were exposed once to 0.4 ppm O 3 and once to filtered air for two hours with intermittent exercise. Eighteen hours later, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed and the cells and fluid were analyzed for various indicators of inflammation. There was an 8.2-fold increase in the percent of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) in the total cell population, and a small but significant decrease in the percent of macrophages following exposure to O 3 . Immunoreactive neutrophil elastase often associated with inflammation and lung damage Increased by 3.8-fold in the fluid. Markers of vascular permeability showed a two-fold increase. Several biochemical markers which could act as chemotactlc or regulatory factors in an inflammatory response were examined in the BAL fluid (BALF). The level of complement fragment C3a was Increased by 1.7-fold. The chemotactlc leukotriene B4 was unchanged while PGE2 increased 2-fold. In addition, flbronectln, the flbrogenlc-related molecule was elevated 6.4-fold in BALF. Urokinase plasminogen activator (U-PA), a neutral protease with fibrinolytic activity, increased by 3.6-fold. Preliminary results from a study addressing the effect of extended O 3 exposure (7 hours, 0.1 ppm) indicated an inflammatory response in the lower airway evidenced by a 4.8-fold increase in the percent of PMN in the BAL. Taken together, the findings show that an acute exposure to 0.4 ppm O 3 as well as an extended exposure result in increased levels of inflammatory cells potentially capable of producing damage in the lower airways of humans.
Hyperbolic Dynamics in the Flow of Elastic Liquids

In this paper I discuss concepts of viscosity, elasticity, hyperbolicity, Hadamard instability and change of type in the flow of viscoelastic fluids
Methane monooxygenase from Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b. Purification and properties of a three-component system with high specific activity from a type II methanotroph.

Methane monooxygenase has been purified from the Type II methanotroph Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b. As observed for methane monooxygenase isolated from Type I methanotrophs, three protein components are required: a 39.7-kDa NADH reductase containing 1 mol each of FAD and a [2Fe-2S] cluster, a 15.8-kDa protein factor termed component B that contains no metals or cofactors, and a 245-kDa hydroxylase which appears to contain an oxo- or hydroxo-bridged binuclear iron cluster. Through the use of stabilizing reagents, the hydroxylase is obtained in high yield and exhibits a specific activity 8-25-fold greater than reported for previous preparations. The component B and reductase exhibit 1.5- and 4-fold greater specific activity, respectively. Quantitation of the hydroxylase oxo-bridged cluster using EPR and Mossbauer spectroscopies reveals that the highest specific activity preparations (approximately 1700 nmol/min/mg) contain approximately 2 clusters/mol. In contrast, hydroxylase preparations exhibiting a wide range of specific activities below 500 nmol/min/mg contain approximately 1 cluster/mol on average. Efficient turnover coupled to NADH oxidation requires all three protein components. However, both alkanes and alkenes are hydroxylated by the chemically reduced hydroxylase under single turnover conditions in the absence of component B and the reductase. Neither of these components catalyzes hydroxylation individually nor do they significantly affect the yield of hydroxylated product from the chemically reduced hydroxylase. Hydroxylase reduced only to the mixed valent [Fe(II).Fe(III)] state is unreactive toward O2 and yields little hydroxylated product on single turnover. This suggests that the catalytically active species is the fully reduced form. The data presented here provide the first evidence based on catalysis that the site of the monooxygenation reaction is located on the hydroxylase. It thus appears likely that the oxo-bridged iron cluster is capable of catalyzing oxygenase reactions without the intervention of other cofactors. This is a novel function for this type of cluster and implies a new mechanism for the generation of highly reactive oxygen capable of insertion into unactivated carbon-hydrogen bonds.
Monitoring E-mail of Employees in the Private Sector: A Comparison Between Western Europe and the United States

Both Western Europe and the United States limit e-mail monitoring by an employer in the workplace and protect employee privacy. Nevertheless, cases from both Western Europe and the United States show that these regions allow an employer broad rights to monitor employee e-mail. A new case from France, however, demonstrates that Western Europe is increasingly likely to protect employee privacy in the workplace by limiting e-mail monitoring by private-sector employers. Conversely, little is expected to change in the United States, despite recent corporate scandals, because the role of government and the value placed on the right to privacy diverges in the United States from that of Western Europe.
The impact of increased awareness while face-to-face

This article presents Second Messenger, a system of dynamic awareness displays that reveal speaker participation patterns in a face-to-face discussion. The system has been used by a variety of groups during face-to-face meetings, increasing individuals' awareness of their own and others' participation in discussions. Experimental results indicate that these displays influence the amount an individual participates in a discussion and the process of information sharing used during a decision-making task. These findings suggest that awareness applications bring about systematic changes in group communication styles, highlighting the potential for such applications to be designed to improve group interactions.
Rationalizing Clinton v. Jones after Nixon v. Fitzgerald

The separation of powers doctrine and Presidential immunity from civil law suits suggest new meaning when the cases of Clinton v. Jones and Fitzgerald v. Nixon are compared and contrasted. The Supreme Court has come under scrutiny of late for its political polarization. These allegations are possibly well founded subsequent to this Supreme Court case analysis.
Practical field methods of estimating canopy cover, PAR, and LAI in Michigan Oak and pine stands

With the increased use of variables such as canopy cover photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and overstory leaf area index (LAI) in forestry research, relationships between these variables and traditional forestry variables must be defined before recommended levels of these research variables can be achieved by forestry practitioners on the ground. We measured basal area, canopy cover, Ozalid percent full light, PAR, and overstory LAI in thinned and unthinned plots within oak and pine stands with the objectives of: 1) determining the relationships between these variables in two common forest types, (2) investigating the feasibility of using basal area to estimate and achieve recommended levels of canopy cove, PAR, and LAI in the field, and (3) examining the possibility of using direct canopy cover and Ozalid light measurements for estimating PAR and LAI. Very strong relationships (r2 > 0.90 and P < 0.0001 ) were indicated between basal area and canopy cover, PAR, and LAI. Direct canopy cover and Ozalid light measurements were also strongly related to PAR and LAI. It is likely that the even-aged structure of the stands studied contributed to these results. The strength of the relationships between the measures examined suggest that ptactical variables such us basal area could potentially be used by forestry practitioners to estimate and achieve recommended levels of canopy cover, PAR, and LAI in similar oak and pine stands. The possibility also exists for strong relationships between these variables in other stand types that resemble those studied in terms of overstory structure.
The Most Versatile Physicist of His Generation

P. M. S. Blackett (1897-1974) entered Cambridge University and the Cavendish Laboratory as a young veteran of the first world war. His innovative research with the Wilson cloud chamber resulted in photographic evidence of nuclear transformation and the existence of the positron. In the 1950s and 1960s, he helped to pioneer the use of paleomagnetic evidence in support of the theory of continental drift. A leader of operational research during the second world war, Blackett became an outspoken critic in the postwar period of American atomic policy and British development of nuclear weapons, taking on a public role for which he was sometimes criticized.
Small Scale Demand Type Neon Liquefaction Plant

Low temperature measurement of the thermal conductivity of insulating materials is generally made using a boil-off calorimetry technique involving liquid hydrogen (LH2). Liquid neon (LNe) has nearly the same normal boiling point as LH2, but has a much larger heat of vaporization, allowing extended run times. In the past, the main drawback of using LNe has been its excessive cost; $170.00 per liter versus $1.50 per liter for LH2 (1989 prices). A neon liquefaction plant has been designed and constructed to capture, purify and refrigerate the neon boil-off from calorimetry experiments. Recycling the neon reduces operating costs to approximately $20 per liter. The system consists of a purification section, which removes air and other contaminants from the calorimetry boil-off, a heat exchanger, LNe and LH2 storage dewars and a fully automated control system. After purification, neon is liquified in the heat exchanger by LH flowing countercurrently through stainless steel cooling coils. Hydrogen flow is automatically adjusted to keep the neon at its normal saturation temperature, 27 K. The liquid neon is then stored in a dewar placed directly below the heat exchanger. A 5 watt Gifford-McMahon refrigerator provides cooling during extended storage or low-flow applications.
Convenience Voting Can Affect Election Outcomes

Abstract Forms of convenience voting, including voting-by-mail (VBM), provide citizens the opportunity to cast ballots without being exposed to the information revealed in the final weeks leading up to Election Day. This creates the possibility that informational differences will cause VBM and polling place voters to vote differently. We test this hypothesis by looking at whether the increased use of VBM at the precinct-level relates to candidates' vote shares in the 2008 California presidential primary. An election administration policy in California, in which all voters are assigned to VBM based on an arbitrary threshold of the number of registered voters, is exploited to overcome the identification problem caused by the self-selection of voters into VBM. We show that the use of VBM affects the relative performance of candidates remaining in the race and increases the probability of selecting withdrawn candidates. Our findings have implications both for election administration policy and for the study o...
Software tools for the effective use of color in Web designs

The Web offers an unprecedented opportunity to provide valuable resources to older adults, especially those who are isolated, homebound, or live in remote areas. Unfortunately, there may be barriers that impede the use of the Web when taking into account vision. One such barrier is the use of color when designing a Web page. Those users who have color deficient vision or vision degradation due to normal aging may be negatively impacted by background and foreground color selections.
Location and source parameters of the 19 June 1994 (MW = 5.0) offshore Petrolia, California, earthquake

The MW = 5.0, 19 June 1994 offshore Petrolia, California, earthquake was well recorded by nine ocean-bottom hydrophones (OBH) and seismometers (OBS), providing an opportunity to precisely locate an earthquake in the tectonically active Mendocino triple junction region. Adding the offshore data improves the azimuthal station coverage and essentially removes the epicenter's sensitivity to the choice of inversion parameters and velocity models. The hypocentral parameters, assuming an oceanic upper-mantle velocity of 7.9 km/sec, are 10:39:33.2 UTC for origin time, 40.376° N latitude, 124.441° W longitude, and a depth of 18.8 km. The moment-tensor solution obtained by modeling of low-frequency regional waveforms indicates predominantly strike-slip faulting with a north-south-trending P axis, as is typical for Gorda plate earthquakes, and confirms the depth estimate from the P -wave travel-time data.
The type 1 diabetes resistance locus B10 Idd9.3 mediates impaired B-cell lymphopoiesis and implicates microRNA-34a in diabetes protection

NOD.B10 Idd9.3 mice are congenic for the insulin-dependent diabetes (Idd) Idd9.3 locus, which confers significant type 1 diabetes (T1D) protection and encodes 19 genes, including microRNA (miR)-34a, from T1D-resistant C57BL/10 mice. B cells have been shown to play a critical role in the priming of autoantigen-specific CD4(+) T cells in T1D pathogenesis in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. We show that early B-cell development is impaired in NOD.B10 Idd9.3 mice, resulting in the profound reduction of transitional and mature splenic B cells as compared with NOD mice. Molecular analysis revealed that miR-34a expression was significantly higher in B-cell progenitors and marginal zone B cells from NOD.B10 Idd9.3 mice than in NOD mice. Furthermore, miR-34a expression in these cell populations inversely correlated with levels of Foxp1, an essential regulator of B-cell lymphopoiesis, which is directly repressed by miR-34a. In addition, we show that islet-specific CD4(+) T cells proliferated inefficiently when primed by NOD.B10 Idd9.3 B cells in vitro or in response to endogenous autoantigen in NOD.B10 Idd9.3 mice. Thus, Idd9.3-encoded miR-34a is a likely candidate in negatively regulating B-cell lymphopoiesis, which may contribute to inefficient expansion of islet-specific CD4(+) T cells and to T1D protection in NOD.B10 Idd9.3 mice.
Biochemical Studies of Bacterial Sporulation IV. Inorganic Pyrophosphatase of Vegetative Cells and Spores of Bacillus megaterium

Inorganic pyrophosphatase activities extracted from vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus megaterium were compared and found to be similar in behavior on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, in metal and p H requirements for activity, and in response to inhibitors. In the sporulating cell, an additional electrophoretic species of the enzyme was observed which could be partially converted to the principal form by treatment with Mn ++ ; both forms of the enzyme required Mn ++ for stabilization in solution as well as for activity.
Regulation of Hepatic Δ-6 Desaturase Expression and Its Role in the Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Inhibition of Fatty Acid Synthase Gene Expression in Mice

Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of the (n-6) and (n-3) families uniquely suppress the expression of lipogenic genes while concomitantly inducing the expression of genes encoding proteins of fatty acid oxidation. Although considerable progress has been made toward understanding the nuclear events affected by PUFA, the intracellular mediator responsible for the regulation of hepatic lipogenic gene expression remains unclear. On the basis of earlier fatty acid composition studies, we hypothesized that the Delta-6 desaturase pathway was essential for the production of the fatty acid regulator of gene expression. To address this hypothesis, male BALB/c mice (n = 8/group) were fed for 5 d a high glucose, fat-free diet (FF) or the FF plus 50 g/kg 18:2(n-6) with and without eicosa-5, 8,11,14-tetraynoic acid (ETYA) (200 mg/kg diet), a putative inhibitor of the Delta-6 desaturase pathway. ETYA had no effect on food intake or weight gain, but it completely prevented 18:2(n-6) from suppressing the hepatic abundance of fatty acid synthase mRNA. ETYA ingestion was associated with a decrease in the hepatic content of 20:4(n-6) and an increase in the amount of 18:2(n-6). The fatty acid composition changes elicited by ETYA were accompanied by a decrease in the enzymatic activity of Delta-6 desaturase. Interestingly, the hepatic abundance of Delta-6 desaturase mRNA was actually induced by ETYA one- to twofold. When the product of Delta-6 desaturase, i.e., 18:3(n-6), was added to the ETYA plus 18:2(n-6) diet, the hepatic content of 20:4(n-6) was normalized. In addition, 18:3(n-6) consumption reduced the level of hepatic Delta-6 desaturase mRNA by 50% and completely prevented the increase in fatty acid synthase mRNA that was associated with ETYA ingestion. Apparently, Delta-6 desaturation is an essential step for the PUFA regulation of the fatty acid synthase gene transcription. Finally, the suppression of Delta-6 desaturase by PUFA and its induction by ETYA suggest that the Delta-6 desaturase gene may be regulated by two different lipid-dependent mechanisms.
Earthquake failures of welded building connections

Abstract This paper presents the circumstances by which a flawed connection came to be used in tens of thousands of buildings of modern steel construction in seismic zones. Following the 1994 Northridge, California earthquake, it was found that these welded moment connections could not withstand expected earthquake distortions, and in fact fractured well below the intended design levels. The problem did not result from simple design or construction mistakes, but ultimately from an accumulation of evolutionary “refinements” in the design, materials and fabrication methods. This paper sheds light on gaps in the cooperative process between academia, professional engineers, and material and equipment providers that have led to tens of billions of dollars in potential repair/retrofit of modern buildings located in seismically active zones. Although millions of dollars have been spent in analyzing and testing this “simple” connection, little consensus has emerged regarding the extent to which each causal variable has contributed to the cracking.
A Longitudinal Study of Participation in Nursing Home Activity Programs.

The authors evaluated participation in activity programs in a prospective study of 198 new nursing home admissions. Both on admission and after 1 year, approximately 50% of patients were not participating in activities. Nonparticipation was associated with greater cognitive and functional impairment and the use of restraints and neuroleptics. Over the year, activity status changed for approximately 50% of patients in relation to these factors. These findings indicate current limitations in nursing home activity programs and suggest that participation is a dynamic process influenced by identifiable clinical variables. Revision of activity programs is necessary to meet OBRA regulations to improve the quality of patients' lives.
Revision of jejunoileal bypass to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: technical considerations and outcomes from 2 cases.

Jejunoileal bypass (JIB) was an effective treatment of morbid obesity that became popular in the 1970s [1]. Shortly after the initial reports of weight loss success, however, several of its deleterious side effects, including nephrolithiasis, hepatic cirrhosis, and arthritis, became known, and JIB eventually was replaced with other procedures [2]. Although the re-establishment of normal gastrointestinal continuity does improve the quality of life of affected patients and interrupts the progression of their complications, surgical reversal alone is often associated with significant weight gain [3]. Although today, a few survivors of JIB are still living, surgeons new in the field of bariatric surgery may have little personal experience with the surgical options for the treatment of patients who have undergone JIB. The aim of this study was to report the outcome of 2 patients who underwent revision of JIB to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and discuss certain technical considerations that might arise.
Dislocation motion in quasicrystals and implications for macroscopic properties.

Dislocation mobilities in quasicrystals are calculated from recently developed hydrodynamic equations. The mobilities are expressed in terms of vacancy diffusion constants for the quasicrystal. Estimates of these diffusion constants based on their values in conventional crystals lead to far smaller dislocation mobilities than in conventional crystals. Plastic flow should therefore be effectively prohibited; one dramatic consequence is that quasicrystals should be extremely brittle. A detailed microscopic calculation of vacancy diffusion constants is urged. Implications for icosahedral-order theories of glasses are discussed.
Introduction to Communication Science and Systems

This book is designed to serve as a textbook for a three quarter or two semester upper division or graduate course for beginners interested in the wide range of topics essential to communication systems. It covers antennas and transmission, thermal noise and its consequences, Fourier transforms, modulation and noise, sample and pulse code modulation, autocorrelation and power spectrum, optimum filtering, gaussian noise and errors in digital transmission, data transmission limits on data rate, and source encoding. The book is divided into 13 chapters, each of which is divided into about 10 sections, and each section is followed by a list of about three problems on the material in that section. A list of further reading is included for each chapter as is a comprehensive index. The book is written for students of electrical engineering, but the authors state in their introduction that physicists, earth scientists, and astronomers who must detect signals in their work can use this book to learn about the limits of detectability of signals. I would agree with the authors and say there is more than that. I found many examples of techniques that I had heard of over the years and wondered at how they worked but had never delved into, such as convolutional coding (and decoding), which is used to reduce the number of bit errors in satellite transmissions.
The chad basin: An active intra-continental basin

Abstract The Chad basin, lying well within the African continent, has accumulated about 0.5 km of sediment over an area roughly 500 km in diameter during the Neogene and Quaternary. When the climate is moist, Lake Megachad fills the basin and spills over into the Benue Valley at Bongor. Thick Neogene and Quaternary sediments (>200 m in thickness) occur only within the shorelines of Megachad indicating that the thickening may be attributable to repeated episodes of sediment and water loading. The Chad basin has apparently originated in response to peripheral uplifts that began to develop about 25 m.y. ago. An annular pediment, averaging about 500 km wide, separates the basin from eleven discrete uplifts (up to 3 km ASL) forming a crude ellipse 1000 km × 1500 km across around the lake. If sea level rose enough (doubled spreading rates for 70 m.y. would suffice), salt water would flood the Chad basin and a structure rather like the Palaeozoic Michigan basin filled with limestone, sandstone and salts could develop. When in the future the uplifts peripheral to the Chad basin cease to be dynamically supported, they will be eroded away in a few million years and both the basin and the sites of the uplift may be buried under later sediment. It will not be possible to locate the former uplifts accurately because the only evidence of their sites will be an absence of the Chad basin deposits and sporadic dikes and volcanic plugs. It seems likely that old intracontinental basins, for example the Michigan basin, may have developed, like the Chad basin, in response to peripheral uplift rather than by thermal recovery from a preceding doming event.
Thin parks / thick edges: towards a linear park typology for (post)infrastructural sites

Cities in the post-industrial era are laced with interstitial edge-spaces formed largely by infrastructural and hydrological processes. Such linear spaces form rifts in the urban fabric which designing typically attempts to mitigate, either by stitching it up with buildings or filling it with linear parks. While the linear – or thin – park has been historically marginalized in design practice, the decline of industrial-era infrastructure is transforming cities and, accordingly, design opportunities. In this new context – based on an analysis of 20 linear parks from Europe and North America – the paper tenders a suite of characteristics particular to the typology of elongated landscapes. The paper aims to establish a clearer scope of operations for the design of thin parks, both in terms of particular design qualities and larger contextual influences.
Backward sequential elimination for sparse vector subset selection

Selection of a subset of vectors from a larger dictionary of vectors arises in a wide variety of application areas. This problem is known to be NP-hard and many algorithms have been proposed for the suboptimal solution of this problem. The focus of this paper is the development of a backward sequential elimination algorithm wherein, starting from the full dictionary, elements are deleted until a subset of a desired size is obtained. In contrast to previous formulations, we start with an overcomplete dictionary of vectors which is often the problem faced in a signal representation context. Once enough vectors have been deleted to give a complete system, the algorithm is modified to allow further deletion of vectors. In addition, the derived algorithm gives access to the coefficients associated with each vector in representing the signal. This allows us to experiment with different criteria, including entropy-based and p-norm criteria, for selection of the vector to be deleted in each iteration. There is also the flexibility to combine criteria or to switch between criteria at a given stage of the algorithm. Following a series of simulations on a test-case system, we are able to conclude that the p-norm close to 1 performs best while the system considered is overcomplete. A minimum representation error criterion gives the best results once the system considered becomes undercomplete. The performance of the algorithm is also compared to that of forward selection algorithms on the test-case dictionary.
Hyperpolarizing responses of single mammalian sympathetic neurones to acetylcholine and to dopamine

Abstract Acetylcholine (ACh) applied iontophoretically can elicit not only nicotinic fast (f-) and/or muscarinic slow (s-) depolarizations (DP) but also hyperpolarizing responses (HP), all in the same cell. HPs were either ‘initial’ (sharp onset at the end of ACh delivery) or ‘secondary’ (variable later onsets). Pretreatment with bretylium eliminated secondary, but not initial, responses to ACh. Pretreatment with both BCh and bretylium eliminated essentially all HP responses to ACh, with good DP responses remaining. Test responses to the more purely muscarinic agent BCh exhibited only a smooth, large s-DP with no secondary HP components, even in ganglia not pretreated with bretylium. The foregoing evidence is explainable by our previous proposals that ACh can elicit two types of HPs, one mediated by muscarinic receptors (putatively located on DA interneurones) and another by non-muscarinic receptors (putatively releasing norepinephrine at dendro-dendritic junctions). Dopamine (DA) applied iontophoretically could also elicit HP responses from the same cells. Iontophoretic DA could elicit an HP at any depth (up to 290 μm tested) in the ganglion. However, bulk application of DA (in the extra-ganglionic medium) was only effective on neurones impaled in the outer 30 μm. This may help explain the variable findings with applied DA.
Preparation and characterization of laser-ablated multicomponent chalcogenide thin films

The preparation of multicomponent chalcogenide glassy thin films from bulk targets by laser ablation is described. The film stoichiometries are characterized by proton-induced x-ray emission (PIXE). Compared to single source thermal evaporation, laser ablation is found to preserve starting stoichiometries in the resulting thin films far more accurately. Thermally evaporated films were studied both by PIXE and by energy dispersed x rays (EDX) produced in a scanning electron microscope, and the results of these two analytical techniques compare well.